The kiss of an elf can do funny things to you. Kathryn woke the next morning gently, feeling refreshed. She had gotten the best night of sleep she'd had in months - what with morning sickness and a restless baby and not being able to get comfortable. But last night -

Then she remember what else had happened last night. Her lips curled up involuntarily in a smile at the memory of Legolas's sweet kiss - but then the smile disappeared as the elf himself came into the room. Kathryn sat up in bed, suddenly very conscious of her messy hair and wrinkled PJ's.

"Legolas," she said in Elvish, embarrassed, "what happened last evening -"

The elf smiled and sat down on the bed next to her. Kathryn got butterflies in her stomach and her heart sped up.

"What happened last evening was love," said Legolas.

Kathryn blinked. "How can you know?"

"I have lived the lifetimes of many men," replied Legolas, "and had loves in them. I recognize when my heart has been stolen away. Love at first sight is no less true than love that grows over many years."

Kathryn stared at him, mouth agape. "You mean . . .?"

"Yes."

And no more words were necessary.

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

Ann, downstairs, was pacing nervously. Gimli was sharpening his axe in the kitchen, also antsy. Finally he looked up and snapped at Ann, 'Will you stop that pacing?'

Ann flumped into a chair and ran her hand through her hair. 'Sorry. I'm just - nervous, I guess.' She examined the hair stuck between her fingers. 'Sheez, I'm losing hair over this.'

'Over what?'

'That Black Rider. I've hardly heard anything about him, which suggests he's off hiding somewhere. But where could he hide? He's a freaking Názgul!' She shook her head. 'And here's me and Kathryn, talking about taking you nine to Phantom of the Opera. What are we thinking?'

'I don't know, what are you thinking?'

'Oh, hush, dwarf.'

'Hmph! That's nice.' Gimli got up and left in a huff. Ann rolled her eyes. Note to self, she thought, Fellowship does not react to jokes the same way your friends do. What a shocker.

She got up and pulled open the fridge - and stared in shock. Kathryn usually kept a neat refrigerator - but having four hobbits in a house will ruin the best laid plans of mice and men. The fridge was a mess, and yet, practically empty.

'I'm surprised they didn't try the baking soda,' she muttered.

'Which is the baking soda?' Piped a Scottish accent from behind her. She turned. It was Pippin.

'That's the baking soda,' Ann replied, pointing.

'Oh.' Pippin examined the orange box. 'I think Merry tried that.'

Ann rolled her eyes. "Hobbits. Kathryn?" She yelled up the stairs.

"What?" Came the muffled reply.

"I'm gonna go to the store, wanna come?"

"What?"

Ann sighed and went halfway up the stairs. "I'm going to the store!"

"Oh, okay, be right down."

"Geez," muttered Ann, as she grabbed her coat. "What this house needs is an intercom."

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

Forty-five minutes later, after finally collecting the Fellowship (Kathryn refused to leave them alone with her computer or kitchen) and piling into Kathryn and Ann's respective cars, they arrived at the grocery store. While Kathryn stood in line at the pharmacy, Ann did some much needed grocery shopping with the Fellowship not far behind, cruising the aisles looking for food and other necessary things such as light bulbs, paper towels, toilet paper, and batteries.

Meanwhile Kathryn was looking up and down the aisles for her friend and charges. Coming up the aisle was a tall blonde man with gray eyes. Kathryn froze, then turned around, but it was too late. He had seen her.

"Kathryn!" He called. Kathryn ignored him and walked away as fast as she could, but he caught her arm and gripped her arm tightly.

"Let me go, Scott," she said. Her voice could have frozen anti-freeze.

"No, you're carrying my kid. I want to see him when he's born."

"Like hell you will!" Snapped Kathryn. "You're coming nowhere near me or my son!"

Scott tightened his grip on Kathryn's arm. She yelped. It was lucky for her that Legolas came around the corner with Ann.

"Scott, let her go!" Ann shouted angrily. Scott looked at Legolas and released Kathryn. Kathryn went to Legolas' protective arms.

"So . . ." Mused Scott, gazing at Legolas with narrowed eyes. "You've found another man to take care of you. Where'd you seduce this guy? Some gay bar?"

"Watch yourself, Scott," warned Ann. "You know there's a restraining order on you."

Scott ignored her completely. "Let me tell you something Kathryn - You are never gonna keep me away from my own kid. I doubt this pansy will be much help for you."

Legolas lurched forward, but Kathryn grabbed his shoulder before he could do anything. 'Legolas, don't!' Kathryn cried in Elvish. 'He's a waste of oxygen.' She pulled at his sleeve. 'Come on, let's go home before I kill someone.' She, Ann, and Legolas turned and left Scott behind.

"This isn't over, Kathryn!" Scott called behind them.

But his threat fell on deaf ears. Kathryn and her companions were already heading out of the store and towards the cars.

"Ann, can you take a couple more people in your car? In my present state I might kill everyone," Kathryn said, pulling out her keys. "By the way, do you have your cell phone?" she asked. Ann nodded and pulled the phone out of her purse.

"Who you gonna call?" she asked.

"Ghostbusters," answered Kathryn, dripping sarcasm. "I'm calling the cops. Duh."

'Ann, what's Kathryn doing?' Aragorn asked curiously.

'She's calling the authorities, to tell them about the man she encountered,' Ann answered as she pulled out of the parking lot.

"Officer Michael Forrester please," Kathryn said. She waited and spoke again "Mike, this is Kathryn Baggnett. I ran into Scott and he touched me…… No, my arm. He violated his restraining order and threatened me. Will you pick him up?…… Thanks Mike……right……of course. After my mother you'll be the first to know……all right……yeah……Bye." She hung up the phone, and sighed.

'Who was that?' Legolas asked.

'He's name is Michael Forrester. He's an old friend from high school. He always looked out for me and still does. He's like my big brother.'

'Kathryn, that man in there. Who is he?'

Ann and Kathryn exchanged glances before Kathryn answered. 'His name is Scott. He's the one who got me pregnant. I thought we were in love . . .' She trailed off. 'I guess we were in lust. He got me drunk and took advantage of me while I was intoxicated, and after that I got a court order that says he can't touch me. And since he broke the law, I've called the police to take him to prison. He'll probably try to get the courts to take my son away from me,' Kathryn explained.

Legolas told the Fellowship what she had said. Kathryn was silent the rest of the way home.

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

Once they got back to Kathryn's house, she went upstairs and shut herself in her room. Ann told the Fellowship not to bother her, but Legolas wouldn't hear of it and without Ann knowing it he went up to Kathryn's room.

He opened the door quietly. Kathryn was sitting in a chair by the window with her back to him. He went to her and knelt next to her. Her face was streaked with tears, and her hands were protectively clutched around her stomach.

'Kathryn, are you all right?' She nodded, and continued to look out the window.

'Kathryn, listen to me. No matter what happens I'll never abandon you, forget you, or hurt you.'

She turned and faced him 'Promise?'

'I swear it.' He gently tilted her head and kissed her hair.

Kathryn threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her gently. She kissed him sweetly on the cheek. He turned her head and kissed her on the mouth. Kathryn felt a surge of warmth run through her body - and understood what S. Morgenstern had been talking about.

She broke the kiss. 'You know, this won't work out. Our worlds are too different. You'll have to go back to Middle-Earth after that Black Rider is taken care of.'

Legolas looked deep into Kathryn's beautiful green eyes and whispered, 'But I pledge to you that I will never love another woman - as long as I live, and beyond.'

Kathryn gazed into Legolas's clear blue eyes. She knew that that pledge meant something, coming from an immortal creature. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again.



And there we will leave them for the moment, because sometimes a little privacy is a wonderful thing.



(Besides - it's embarrassing for us single people.)

A/N: For you poor unenlightened people, S. Morgenstern wrote iThe Princess Bride/i, later adapted by William Goldman into the wonderful movie we all know and love. Many thanks to Summer Skye for her help with this chapter.

Speaking of Summer, be sure to go check out Really Big Pencil Ltd, our joint pen name. Review please! Thank you!