Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR, or any of its characters. Legolas: You had Haldir hit me! In the face! Are you mad? Me: Calm down, no real harm done. Legolas: That is the last straw! I am sic-ing my fangirls on you. Me: Uh, oh. Legolas: I know where you live. Me: Is there a witness protection program for fanfic writers?

Chapter 12

Funny Girl

I'd thrown myself on my bed, weeping uncontrollably. Adranial hovered over me, trying unsuccessfully to console me. She was nearly beside herself, and finally left the room, probably to summon help. I didn't really care. At this point, I just wanted to die and end the pain and humiliation I was feeling.

"Well...this is a fine kettle of fish!"

I looked up from the bed, and through my tear-laden lashes, I saw Manwe's face in the reflecting glass.

"You know...I had you pegged all wrong. I thought you were a strong, intelligent woman...not a blubbery mouse! Look at you! When I first put you down there, you were arrogant, sarcastic, and brazen. Even to ME! What happened? When did you get so mushy?"

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands. "Just about the time I had my heart ripped out of my chest and handed to me on a platter...that's when."

"Oh, Dragonshit! You gave up! The first time things don't go your way; the first time you think that maybe, just maybe, you might have to swallow your pride and APOLOGIZE you completely fall apart!"

"I know...I know. It's all my fault. I acted like a first class jackass...okay? Is that what you want to hear? Never mind that it wasn't MY idea to dump me here in the first place!" I yelled, getting up from the bed and walking toward the glass. "Never mind that YOU decided to use ME to answer some half-baked WISH! Never mind that NO ONE asked ME whether I wanted any of this! Never mind that EVERYONE knew about it, except ME and no one bothered to TELL me!" I stood before the mirror, my hands and teeth clenched tight, breathing heavily.

I felt the anger rush out of me in a gush, and I collapsed on the chair in front of the mirror. "Never mind that no one seemed to care that I might get hurt...or hurt someone else..."

I buried my face in my hands, unable to stop the tears.

"I will grant you a wish."

"What?" I said into my palms.

"I said, I will grant you a wish. One wish...whatever it may be."

"Oh, no...no, thank you."

"What? No one EVER says 'no' to a wish."

"I just did. This whole mess started out because a certain Elf made a wish, and you decided to fulfill it. I am NOT making a wish. I will not risk making anyone else as miserable as I am."

After a few moments of complete silence, I glanced up at the mirror to find Manwe smiling at me.

"Congratulations, Emmess."

"Congratulations on what? Realizing that I'm going to be miserable for the rest of my life?"

"No, on discovering the value of placing others before yourself. You just made a huge sacrifice, my dear. You could have wished to be sent back to your home, but you didn't. Or, you could have wished that things had turned out differently in the garden with Legolas, but you didn't. Why? Because you were able to understand that wishes always come with a price. Legolas found this out when you didn't fall swooning into his arms that night in the garden. The price on this particular wish has been paid."

Manwe disappeared, leaving me alone in the room again.

"Why is it that whenever that bearded moron appears, he does nothing but spout horseshit?" I asked, completely distraught and confused. "Prices on wishes...sure...and to quote Billy Madison, 'The price is wrong, Bob!'"

A soft knocking at the door interrupted my thoughts. Thinking it was Adranial, finally come with an army of Elven shrinks, or whatever they had here that passed for mental health specialists, I said "Come in, I'm ready for the Thorazine." I sat with my back to the door, not bothering to turn around when I heard it open and close.

"I know you do not wish to speak to me, but I beg you to listen anyway..."

I froze, color creeping up into my cheeks.

"I have been a fool...an idiot...a...a..."

"An insufferable, pigheaded, egotistical jackass?"

"Yes," he laughed softly, "just that. Emmess, I came to beg your forgiveness, though I know I don't deserve it."

I turned around, drinking in the sight of him. Legolas. My heart thumped wildly in my chest, as tears continued to stream down my face. His expression was wary...he looked so vulnerable and so very beautiful...there were no other words to describe him. But my heart needed no others.

"You're not the one who needs to apologize, Legolas. I'm the one who owes you that. I was the insufferable, pigheaded, egotistical jackass...you tried to tell me the truth that night in the garden, but I wouldn't listen. I was only concerned with my own damnable pride. My behavior was inexcusable. Can you ever forgiv..." I was cut off as he slammed his mouth on mine, crushing my lips and wrapping me in arms.

It may have been minutes; it may have been hours. Not that it mattered in the least, but when he finally pulled away from me, there were tears in his eyes, too. Not to mention the beginnings of a helluva shiner.

"What happened to your poor eye?" I exclaimed, running my fingers softly over the blackening bruise.

"Ah," he said, chuckling and wincing as my fingers touched a sore spot, " that's a little wake up call from Haldir."

I smiled, thinking that I owed Haldir a gigantic hug and a steak dinner. I softly kissed the bruise, making him smile.

"We should go back down to dinner," he said, his arms never leaving my waist. "I think there are several people there who are waiting so see whether or not you've killed me, or simply torn off a limb or two. Not to mention a severely distraught handmaiden, who, I believe, has threatened to beat me with a chamber pot for the grief I have caused you."

I laughed, leaning my head against his chest. "Don't worry, Legolas...when she sees how happy you've made me, she'll love you just as much as I do."

"You love me? Truly?" he whispered, pulling me back to look in my eyes. "You did not say that...you said only that you forgave me...which was enough to make me happy forever. But...you love me?"

I blushed, looking down. He lifted my chin and asked the question again with his eyes.

"I love you. I finally figured that out, just this afternoon at dinner, believe it or not," I said softly, knowing that my face was crimson.

"I love you, also, Emmess...I have loved you since you first came into my life, that day in the forest. I have never stopped loving you." He lowered his lips to mine once more.

He reluctantly pulled away from me, tucking my arm into his, and leading me toward the door. I stopped, and looked him in the eye.

"I don't think it is a good idea for me to go back down there tonight, Legolas..."

"Why? Everyone will be so happy to see you...especially with me," he smiled, running his fingers down my cheek.

'Not everyone...what about Miss Elven Universe? She's probably going to be pretty annoyed that you left her sitting at the table all alone. She'll have every right to be angry, too." I was shocked when Legolas burst into laughter.

"Legolas! That is not nice! Haven't we learned anything about being truthful from this whole mess? About facing up to our mistakes? You march right down there and..."

A finger to my lips silenced me. "Wait until I tell her you called her 'Miss Elven Universe!' What does that mean anyway?" he snorted.

"Legolas...it means that she's beautiful, and doesn't deserve to get dumped in front of room full of people, just because..."

"That beautiful elf is Galadrial. She wasn't here for the Summer Solstice dinner, so you didn't get to meet her. She is the Queen of Lorien, along with her husband, King Celeborn."

"Legolas! A married woman! You should be ashamed!" I was flabbergasted...and still not getting it.

"Emmess...Celeborn could not leave Lorien, so I was Galadrial's escort for dinner...since you were with Haldir, her March Warden."

"But, but...she looked at you with such love in her eyes!"

"She looks at everyone like that...she's a lovely person, Emmess. You'll like her, I'm sure. Please, let us go before your handmaiden tears the hall apart," he laughed, once again leading me from the room.