(A/N: To anyone who might possibly care, I do apologize for not updating in so long. Been quite busy with the holidays, you know. And I'm sorry if this little chapter seems a bit rushed-it is. But I felt the need to at least offer a bit more on what happened to dear Tatiana and Legolas. So enjoy this; I will try and update as soon as possible. Thank you again for your support!)

She was on her left side, bent so that she was almost fully on her stomach. Her dark hair covered her face and neck completely.

"Ai!" Oh! Legolas whispered, switching to elvish.

Gently, he smoothed Tatiana's hair from her face and rolled her slowly to her back. Her shirt was tattered and she had several small scrapes. He pulled her up to him and lay her head in his lap. Bending, he put his ear to her chest, where he heard her heart beating faintly.

"No. Don't leave me, Tatiana," he whispered weakly, cradling her head in his lap. "Your brave prince has saved you as best he could. Don't leave me," he pleaded.

He drew her body closer and held her to his chest, lips against her hair. Suddenly, he felt long lashes brush against his neck. Tatiana moved a bit in his arms; he felt her body rise and fall rhythmically with her slow breathing. He leaned away and looked at her.

"Te naegra!" That hurt! she whispered faintly.

Before she could continue, however, Legolas' lips were on hers, cutting off any chance for talk. One hand held her tightly to him, while the other caressed her body, checking for serious injuries as well as for the pleasure of simply being able to, now that he knew she was alive. Gratefully, she let him, and kissed him back.

Finally, when she decided she couldn't breathe, Tatiana gently pushed him away. Meanwhile, he continued to kiss her ears, nose, cheeks, and eyelids.

"I was so worried," he whispered in her ear as he kissed it.

"You needn't have," she replied, burying her fingers in his hair. Then, "why?"

"You almost died," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Would it have mattered?" she asked him seriously.

He brought her hands up and kissed her fingertips while he thought.

"No," he said finally. "I will follow you to death and beyond," he whispered, kissing her neck.

Tatiana shivered agreeably, while he eased his mouth over hers, tickling and teasing, until she could only hang limp in his grasp.

"Do you promise?" she asked him.

"I will follow you to death and beyond," he repeated. "You know that. You are the love of my life."

"I believe you," she said softly.

After a while, Legolas backtracked the few steps to his pack.

"It's a good thing I had most of your clothes with me," he commented. "Your shirt is in shreds. We should probably just find a place to camp somewhere in here," he continued. "It's already too dark to continue much further, since we don't know this place."

They walked for a bit before they found a rock overhang that provided adequate shelter. Tatiana gathered firewood while Legolas checked to make sure the rock wouldn't collapse on them.

When they had the fire built, they sat with their backs against the wall, staring into the flames.

"Are you hungry?" Legolas asked after a few minutes.

"No. All the excitement with the 'short' cut and the fall and everything took my appetite away," Tatiana replied.

"I'll say," Legolas muttered.

Tatiana glanced over, worried at the tone of his voice.

"What is it?" she asked gently, inching over to lean heavily on him.

"I'm just so… glad you're okay. I really thought you were going to die. You scared me that much, Tatiana."

He slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close while she blinked furiously.

"I would never willingly leave you," she told him.

"Nor I," he whispered.