@ Kayo : You are with Kel? Why, that two-timing casanova!!!!

@ Zoya : DC's bungled pitstop was totally hilarious! One of his mechanics had even lost a helmet! To see it rolling around on the tarmac was definitely the highlight of the race! And yes, the Williams are frightening me too!!

@ sekhet: Yes, I know my idea and theory are not as bright as Tolkien's. Well, I've tried my best. But thank you very much for pointing that out for me. I'll make better ideas next time. Thank you again.

*******************************

Legolas had one arm wrapped around Narasene's back as they dozed under the big weeping willow tree in the garden, their favorite meeting spot since the first time they fell in love. She had her head resting on his steadily rising chest, her arm draped over his flat tummy. Her glorious long raven hair spilled onto his chest and covered them both like a warm blanket.

Already stirring, Legolas lifted his hand and ran it through the silky tresses, marveling at the soft texture and wonderful fragrance. She loved to wash her hair with jasmine oil mixed with a touch of lemon, and the scent nearly drove him crazy with longing. She smiled contentedly when she felt him massaging the base of her skull. "Hmm…that feels nice."

"Darn! You're awake!" Legolas said, playfully. "I should have taken advantage of you when you were asleep, unaware and completely at my mercy."

 Giggling, she looked up at him and slapped his chest. "You wish, you barbarian!"

"Ouch!" He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. "A barbarian, am I? I believe that's what makes you love me so much."

She rose up and kissed his lips tenderly. "Yes, my beloved. I love you. And it will never change, no matter what happens."

Legolas stared at her seriously. "You are too good for me, you know that?"

Shaking her head, Narasene put a finger on his lips. "No. You are too good for me. I'm incredibly lucky to have you in my life."

"Then we are even," Legolas said, gathering him closer to his heart as, they stared at the setting sun.

After leaving the hobbit's chamber several hours earlier, Legolas had told Gandalf and Elrond the real reason he came to Rivendell. Instead of chastising him or being mad at him like he thought they would be, surprisingly the wizard only gazed back at him in full understanding with a thoughtful expression on his face. Even Elrond had smiled in amusement, saying, "You are always full of surprises, Legolas. And now you have done the unpredictable. I believe you had your reason."

"Yes, I do, my lord. I have my reason," Legolas had replied. "I just hope Estel will wait to hear it before he starts swinging his fist at me!"

But when he told Elrond's sons, the twins had simultaneously cried out, "You did WHAT?!! Are you out of your freaking mind?!?!" Then they began to pounce on him, which resulted in a round of wild wrestling match.

Arwen and Narasene who had been nearby looked on with disgust. Why males always settle their differences with their fists? So typical!

"Don't you know how hard it was for us to catch that creature?!" Elladan had yelled.

"Don't you know how we suffered terribly with him in our company?!" Elrohir had shouted.

"Can't you guess what Estel would do to you if he finds out?!" They both screamed together next.

When the scuffle got even wilder and nastier, Narasene began to fume. "Get off him, you oafs!!" she cried out as she grabbed at Elrohir's hair and yanked with all her might. "Or I'll make you bald!!"

Arwen had also helped by grabbing Elladan's ear and twisted it painfully. "Stop it, you morons! I'll make sure father grounds you both for this!"

Legolas chuckled at the memory. Narasene looked up. "What's so funny?"

"You. I can't forget the way you pulled at Elrohir's hair and saved me from getting beaten to a pulp. My hero," he leaned closer and kissed her cheek.

She blushed. "Surely I couldn't just let them hit my boyfriend, could I?"

Legolas shook his head in mock seriousness. "Of course not. I love you more for that."

They both stayed there in each other's arms until the setting sun disappeared behind the mountains. Then they got to their feet and headed back towards the palace, but a commotion in the courtyard caught their attention. There, they found the three little hobbits that had just arrived, looking so tired and weary from their long journey. Behind them was Estel, looking no better than his charges.

"Estel! You've returned!" Arwen had come running out of the great door to greet the ranger.

Aragorn smiled when he saw her, and pulled her into his arms. "Didn't I tell you we would be exactly a day behind you?"

The three hobbits were looking around them in wonder and awe. They had never been in an elven realm before, and everything looked incredibly magnificent to their eyes; the trees, the palace, the sound and scent…and of course, the elves themselves. They had met Arwen yesterday, and her beauty still managed to amaze them. And now, right in front of them, stood two more wonderful looking elves; the maiden's beauty was as great as Arwen's, and the handsome features of the tall golden-haired warrior was jaw dropping. The hobbits kept on staring open mouthed at the sight.

Legolas squirmed a little when he kept feeling the hobbits' eyes on him. "Err…Estel, aren't you going to introduce us to your friends here?"

Aragorn looked up, finally aware of Legolas's presence. He was quite puzzled to see his friend there. "Legolas? What brings you here?"

"I'll tell you in a moment," Legolas replied, delaying the inevitable. He turned to the hobbit. "You are all friends to Frodo, the injured hobbit?"

The hobbits snapped out of their hypnotized, gulping nervously. "Y…yes, we are. How is he? Does he live?" one of them said.

Legolas instantly took pity on them. They were obviously drained with fatigue, but the first thought that came to their mind was the condition of their wounded friend. He felt a deep respect for these little people. "He is going to be fine. He has been under the care of Lord Elrond and his daughter. Frodo is resting now."

The hobbits, including Aragorn, sighed in relief. "That is a good news to hear," Aragorn said, hugging Arwen to him. "But please do tell me, my friend, why are you here? Do you bring Gollum with you?"

Arwen and Narasene exchanged knowing glances, then they began to get into motion. "Come along, my little friends," said Arwen, herding the hobbits inside. "You must be exhausted. There are some refreshments inside."

"Let me take the pack," Narasene offered, taking a sack from one hobbit and clutching his hand. "That must have been a long and hard journey for you, wasn't it?"

In less than a minute, Aragorn and Legolas were left alone in the courtyard. The man stared at the elf prince in confusion. "If I'm not mistaken, those girlfriends of ours were actually letting us be alone." Then Aragorn grinned. "Not that I detest your company, my brother. But I'd prefer to be inside and huddle close to Arwen to make up for the months I've been away from her and…"

"I let Gollum go," Legolas said abruptly.

Aragorn was still grinning when he asked, "What?"

"I said, I let the creature Gollum go."

The man went into long silent, his grinned slowly vanished. Then he spoke, "You let him go."

Legolas nodded, his heart beating rapidly like a war drum, nearly bursting his chest from the extreme anxiety of Aragorn's reaction. "Yes, Estel. That's exactly what I did."

Aragorn stared into Legolas's eyes, vivid blue orbs meeting stormy silver-gray ones. "You let Gollum go," he repeated, in flatter tone than before. Then, he just turned around and began to walk inside.

Legolas panicked. This is not right! Is this the only reaction from him? Indifference? He reached over and touched the man's stiff shoulder. "Estel…"

Suddenly, Aragorn spun and swung his fist. It connected hard with Legolas's lower face, causing him to stumble backward and landed on his backside, so powerful the blow was. When he looked up, Legolas saw the absolute fury on his friend's features. Aragorn was seething with anger; steam seemed to be coming out of his ears.

"Estel…"

"I trusted you!" Aragorn yelled. "Don't you know what the word means, Legolas? I trusted you to do just one simple thing! And how you disappoint me!"

"Wait, let me explain…"

"Oh, I know what you'll be saying, dear Legolas!" Aragorn was still yelling. "You took pity on the creature at first sight! I saw the way you looked at him! I knew you would feel some compassion for that annoying beast and would do something about it but I never thought you would actually do this! I had dragged that beast for hundreds of leagues non stop I nearly died from exhaustion and what did you do?! YOU LET HIM GO?!!"

"Estel, please…"

"Don't you 'Estel' me!" the man shouted directly into Legolas's face. "I'm Aragorn to you, the heir to the throne of Gondor! I have a future to secure and I would not let anyone botch my effort! Not even you!" With that, the ranger whirled on his heels and stalked through the great door, leaving the elf prince still sitting on the ground with a split lip and a bleeding heart.

Legolas didn't know how long he sat there, staring in the direction Aragorn had vanished, somehow hoping that the man would reappear and tell him that he was only joking just now, nothing more.

"My love?" Narasene's voice came suddenly. She had knelt down beside her beloved, gazing at his face with full concern. He wasn't even aware of her presence before.

Sitting there on the ground, Legolas grinned weakly as he rubbed his bruised jaw. "Well, I knew that was coming."

Narasene didn't smile back. He was hurting; she could see the pain in his eyes. But the wound was not in his jaw, but deep in his heart. "Let's get you inside, my lord. Let me treat your bleeding lips."

Legolas was surprised to find out that his lips were indeed bleeding. Estel surely packed a wallop! He let Narasene help him to his feet. Together, they went inside towards the guest chamber…leaving the place where a friendship had rocked on a balance for the first time.

TBC….