Laurelin awoke to feeble sunshine and Legolas' regular breathing. She watched him sleep, with one arm around her, not moving for fear of waking him. How long would it be before they could be this close again?

Laurelin remembered with a sinking heart that tomorrow was the day of Legolas' departure. Only one day yet, before he left for Mirkwood, without her. A week had passed by since their arrival, and already Laurelin knew nothing could make her return there. A slight stirring beside her told her that Legolas was awakening. She buried her head in the soft tunic he wore, hating herself for what she was doing.

"Laurelin?", Legolas' was puzzled.

"Do you hate me for abandoning you?", her muffled question confused him more.

He moved away slightly, so that he could see her face. She was quite plainly miserable.

"I have already told you that I hate none other than the orcs and all associated with them, for it is they who are the cause for all of this".

"I cannot come back to Mirkwood. I cannot face life there again, Legolas. Please forgive me", she murmured softly, turning away from him.

"I do not ask you to return", Legolas said, gently bringing her closer.

They were silent for sometime, each simply reveling in their precious nearness. Legolas decided that this was not the right time to say anything about Valinor.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"It is a boy! An heir!", Arienna's joyful exclamations echoed in Legolas' ears. His knees were sore from kneeling on the floor beside the bed for more than four hours and his right palm was scarred in the places where Laurelin's nails had pressed into his skin. But he was not as tired as his wife, who was nearly half-dead with pain and exhaustion and who stayed conscious just long enough to hold her son with Legolas' help for five seconds.

"See, it is a boy, a little prince, just as I predicted", she said, before her tired but happy blue eyes closed.

Legolas dropped a kiss on her damp forehead, before taking the baby out to be introduced to the rest of his anxious family.

Laurelin was revived soon after, her son wanting to be fed and cuddled by his mother. It was an effort just to keep her eyes open, Laurelin reflected later, though she could not take her eyes off her son either.

"It is a wonderful thing to be a mother", Arwen remarked wistfully when she entered the room later. Laurelin looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms, sleeping without a care in the world.

"It will come to you as well", she said, looking up at her sister.

But Arwen was curiously silent about it. She simply smiled at Laurelin, but her smile had certain sadness to it that Laurelin did not understand just then.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Laurelin and Legolas walked out to the gardens in silence. Laurelin was leading him somewhere with a purposeful look on her face and Legolas was content to let her take him wherever she wished. Nothing should spoil this night, he was determined that their last night together, for who knew how long it would be before they met again, should be perfect.

And he was sure it would be, when he saw where she had brought him to. The soft tinkling of the stream, the trees all around, Legolas had wonderful memories of this place.

"It does not seem to have changed a bit", he said, looking all around.

"I love this place so much", Laurelin said softly.

"I still remember what we did here", Legolas said with a little laugh.

"Perhaps you would do it again?", she asked him, a slight smile upon her lips

They walked to the side of the clearing, hand in hand stood under a tall tree facing each other. Legolas drew her close and kissed her, both of them leaving the present behind to walk the happy paths of the past.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"It is beautiful", Legolas remarked. This little corner of the garden was indeed beautiful. There was a little mountain stream and tall trees all around it. And it had the feel of a private bower.

Laurelin picked up a pink flower from the ground underneath a flowering bush. She placed it in her hair and walked forward.

"Are those your favourite flowers ?", Legolas asked her.

"Yes", Laurelin nodded, looking up into the tree, "There was a bird's nest here..", she turned her head and the flower fell out of her hair. She bent to pick it up, but Legolas took it first.

"Let me do it", he said, "I promise it will not fall out again", he smiled. Laurelin laughed and moved closer to him obligingly.

"Let us see if I am better at fastening a flower in my hair or you are", she said, smiling.

She drew in her breath sharply when Legolas moved closer. He was closer to her than he had ever been before. His fingers were gently undoing a braid and re-braiding the hair around the flower. He was just inches away from her and Laurelin was beginning to feel nervous about being so close to him. Just then Legolas fingers stopped moving and he stepped back slightly.

"It is finished", he said softly. Laurelin turned to face him. She looked him in the eye for a moment and, before she knew it, their lips met in a kiss. Their first ever kiss.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Legolas come here", Laurelin said, sitting down on the grass and stretching out her legs. He was about to sit beside her when he suddenly stretched out on the grass, putting his head in her lap.

"This was not what I meant, but it is better", Laurelin told him with a smile. She twirled her fingers absently in his soft golden hair, "I wish we could stay like this forever".

"Well", Legolas said thoughtfully, "Do you think it will be twenty-five years or fifty before your legs begin to tire?"

Laurelin laughed and smacked his arm lightly.

Legolas took advantage of the sudden quiet, and said , " Laurelin, I am going to ask you something, but you must promise to consider it carefully before you dismiss it."

Laurelin looked at him questioningly. "I will try", she said, keeping her tone light.

He took her hand in his and said, "I am unsure of how to say this..".

He was cut short by her, "You want me think of sailing to Valinor", she said quietly.

He nodded.

"It will be the best thing to do. There will be nothing there to remind you of -what has befallen you here, in Middle-Earth", he said hesitantly.

"I have thought of it", she said softly, "But Legolas", she said, looking at him, "When I cannot bear staying in Imladris while you are in Mirkwood, how could I live across the sea, knowing that you are here?".

"I had thought of that too", he admitted.

"We would have to go many years without seeing each other, without even a message. And if something ever happened to you...", Laurelin broke off, unable to even think of it.

"I would do it for you", Legolas said softly, taking her hand in his.

"I know you would, cund nin", Laurelin said sadly, "The question is whether I could allow myself to let you do it. You have already done much for me".

"I love you. If that is not reason enough, then what is? Would you agree-- if I promised you that I would come to you as soon as I could?", he asked her, meeting her eyes.

"I will hold you to that promise", Laurelin said finally.

"And I swear, I will not fail you"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

{Not a flashback}

Laurelin awoke the next morning and instantly she knew that Legolas was not next to her.

"Legolas?", she cried out, a sudden panic arising in her that he had left without waking her. She threw off the bedclothes and ran to the door, her heart beating fast. Laurelin felt the relief wash over her when she spied him standing on one of the balconies.

"What has happened?", Legolas was confused when Laurelin suddenly ran up to him and hugged him.

"I thought you had left without telling me", she said in a shaky voice.

"Would I do that?", he asked her reproachfully.

They walked back to the room, and Laurelin did not let go of his arm. Legolas bathed then and prepared for the journey, while Laurelin dressed herself.

Finally, all was ready.

"Laurelin, you will remember what we spoke of yesterday?", he said softly, encircling her face in his hands. She nodded.

"Then we must go down now, the horses are ready".

Laurelin felt like something was stuck in her throat, and tears filled her eyes. She made an effort to hold them back and nodded again. They walked together in silence and Laurelin stopped when they were a few steps short of the entrance to the courtyard.

"Send me a message as soon as you reach. I must know you have reached safely", she whispered, pressing her hands in his.

"I will", he said softly and he took her in his arms, kissing her tenderly.

"Namaarie, melamin", he whispered.

"Namaarie", Laurelin said softly. Legolas impulsively kissed her again before walking out to where his horse and the two guards stood ready.

As Legolas rode toward the entrance to Imladris, he looked back at Laurelin's forlorn figure. He resisted the impulse to turn around and run to her, to wipe away her tears and say he would not leave her. He looked resolutely ahead, aware that he was leaving a piece of his heart behind, and feeling like he was an empty, lifeless shell without it.