It was breakfast time a couple of days after Anariel's return, and there was the ever familiar task of waking up Anariel. Haldir had set this task upon himself.

"Anar! C'mon baby, get up!"

He had decided that he would be nice and call her before he went to drastic measures.

"Anar! If you don't get up right now, I will do something drastic!"

Anariel rolled over but did no wake up.

"That's it! You're getting up right now!"

Haldir went around the bed and pulled the mattress up, so Anariel rolled off it and landed on the floor with a crash. Anariel shook awake and looked around.

"Huh? Wha?" Her eyes landed on Haldir, his arms folded across his chest. "Oh, hi! What are you doing in here?"

"I have been trying to wake you up for ten minutes! Now, get dressed and get down to the table quickly!"

He walked out of the room and into the dining hall. He sat down, and Glorfindel leaned over to him.

"How did you wake her up?"

Haldir gave him a confused look.

"You woke her up faster than anyone else has ever done."

They looked up at Anariel as she walked into the room.

"Morning, sleepy," said Glorfindel as Anariel sat down between Elrond and Glorfindel.

"Don't go to sleep! Eat something. You need your strength," Elrond said as he put some food onto her plate.

Anariel started eating her food but stopped when she noticed Aragorn staring at her.

"What?" she asked around a mouthful of food.

"You do eat! Wow! I didn't know my cooking was that bad!"

"Aragorn, any mortal's cooking is bad. Just because you were raised by us doesn't mean that you can cook by us," said Elrond as he and Elladen sat down.

"What do you mean by 'You do eat'?" Glorfindel asked, eyeing Anariel curiously.

"She didn't eat with us while we were traveling. She would hunt with us, but she never ate it."

"Eat!" Elrond said as he pushed her head back down to her plate. "Sometimes you just have to force her to do things. Eat, for example," Elrond said chuckling.

"Or dress warmly. If she had it her way, there would be no such thing as pants; we would all be wearing kilts," Elrohir stated.

Legolas, Haldir, and Aragorn laughed. Anariel glared at Haldir.

"Are you going to sit idly by while they make fun of me?"

"Yes," he replied, laughing.

"Hmph! We'll see about that!" And she lunged over the table at Haldir.

Haldir dodged and jumped behind Aragorn's char, the closest one to the door.

Elladen turned and said, "Take my advice Haldir! Run, now! Quickly!"

And Haldir did just that. He ran out of the palace and into the woods with Anariel just a couple of steps behind him. When Haldir finally stopped, he turned around to find that Anariel was no where to be seen. So, he started to walk back towards the palace, when Anariel jumped out of a tree and pushed him into the lake. Haldir grabbed Anariel's wrist, and together they went tumbling into the lake.

~ * ~ Two Hours Later ~ * ~

Glorfindel was pacing in front of the doors leading into the palace. "It's no good worrying like that." Glorfindel looked up to see a soaking wet Anariel followed closely by a soaking wet, shivering Haldir. "It gives you wrinkles," Anariel said, laughing.

"What the hell were you two doing?" Glorfindel demanded.

"You see, sir, after we ran outside, Anariel chased me to the lake. I stopped running and couldn't see her because she had climbed into a tree. So, I was going to walk back when she jumped out of a tree and pushed me, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her in after me."

Glorfindel raised his eyebrow and sighed. "Very well, then. Go and get changed. Lunch is in twenty minutes, and I expect you both to be there." He gave them one last look and walked off in the direction of Elrond's study.

Anariel took hold of Haldir's hand. Together, they walked to Anariel's room, and at the door, she let go of his hand. "Go get changed, my love, you look like a drowned rat." She quickly closed the door and Haldir walked to his room down the hall.

~ * ~ Twenty Minutes Later ~ * ~

Haldir and Anariel walked into the dining hall holding each other's hand. Haldir sat down in his spot between Aragorn and Elladen. It was a peaceful lunch, until Aragorn reached for the last apple which Anariel was also reaching for. Aragorn snatched up the apple and took a big bite out of it.

Anariel glared at him and then, she dove across the table at Aragorn. He ran out the door, and Anariel chased after him.

Haldir stood up from the table. "I'll get her." And he ran out of the room after them. Leaving Glorfindel shaking his head and Elrond chuckling.

"Some things never change, do they Glorfindel?"

"Ai. But, sometimes I wish they would."