(A/N: Need... more... time... to... update! screams in frusration I am okay. Really. Sorry about the gap! Here you go!)

Tatiana sighed irritably as she stared across a very wide, very deep river.

"I think it's the Brandywine," Legolas said, coming up behind her.

"You think? Oh, that's comforting," Tatiana muttered. "Remind me again why we didn't bring a map?"

"Because," Legolas said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "we decided it would be fun and adventurous to find the Shire on our own."

"Ah. Well it looks like we lost the road. I don't feel much like swimming," Tatiana said, motioning to the water.

"Hmmmm…" Legolas bent down to the shore.

"What?"

"The water is warm."

"Imagine that!"

Legolas flicked water at her. Tatiana shrieked and jumped back.

"Maybe there's a bridge or something," he said, more to himself than anyone.

He started walking along the edge of the river. Tatiana sighed, looked at the water again, and trotted after him. Soon the shore cut away and the elves found themselves walking six feet above the gentle river.

"Of course," Tatiana grumbled. "More cliffs. Hooray.

Legolas glanced back, laughing. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Careful-your face might stick that way," he called.

"Then I guess we know why you look so hideous!" Tatiana retorted.

"Hey! No fair! I thought I might actually win this time!"

"Yeah. Right. Sure," she snorted.

Legolas rolled his eyes and turned back around, disappearing briefly behind a corner, then running back.

"I found a way to cross!" he said when Tatiana caught up to him.

"You found a bridge?"

"Not quite," Legolas explained as he led her around the corner and pointed down.

A few yards below them, the top of a very large boulder stuck out of the deep river. Several more similar boulders were scattered close enough to jump between them to the opposite shore.

"You want us to cross those?" Tatiana raised an eyebrow at Legolas.

"Sure," he smiled. "As I recall, I found you sitting on a rock comparable to those in the middle of a river once. It was several hundred years after your last visit to Mirkwood, remember?"

Tatiana opened her mouth to respond with some witty comment, but found that she couldn't. The moment he was referring to was the exact moment she had first realized that she was… attracted to him.

"Yes, that may be, but I was rather furious at the time so I didn't much care what I was doing. I am not furious now, and therefore I do care," she said at last.

"Nice try, but you'll have to be more clever than that if you want to stop me," Legolas chuckled.

Suddenly he turned around and leaped off the edge, blonde hair flying before disappearing.

Tatiana, regardless of her objections to Legolas' chosen path, felt her heart twist within her chest as soon as he was no longer in sight.

"Legolas!" she called sharply, quickly looking over the edge.

"What?"

He stood on the peak of the boulder, unharmed, staring up at her innocently.

"Don't do that!" Tatiana said sternly. "You scared me."

"I noticed," he replied dryly. "Come on. It's not that far to jump."

Tatiana made a pouting face. Legolas grinned and held his arms out.

"You're stuck now. I cant get back up there from here, so the only choice you have is to come down. I'll catch you," he winked.

Tatiana put on an act of thinking about it, then gave him her special smile and jumped.

Legolas caught her snuggly just like he'd said he would.

"Told ya."

Tatiana opened her mouth to reply and was met by an unexpected kiss from Legolas. Unexpected, but not unwanted. She returned the favor.

After a moment, Legolas pulled away and smiled warmly at her.

"You are a spectacular kisser," he said matter-of-factly.

"Thank you. I practice lots," Tatiana giggled.

"I know," Legolas said, then proceeded to kiss her again. "Shall we continue?" he said when he was done.

"Absolutely. We cant disappoint Calen, now can we? She would be so ashamed," Tatiana teased.

Legolas leaped to the next rock, then turned and prepared to catch Tatiana.

"Oh come on, I can make this one! I'm not a complete princess!"

Legolas moved aside, but stood ready just in case. Tatiana shook her head at him and sailed lightly over the water, landing with effortless grace.

"Sexy. Kind of," he joked.

Tatiana hit him gently. "You know it. Come on, I'll race you. Last one to the shore is a revolting dwarf prince!"

"Are you implying…?" Legolas questioned cautiously.

"Yes, so you'd better get moving!" Tatiana laughed as she jumped to the next boulder.

"You wouldn't dare!" he called as he quickly followed.

They made a game out of it, Tatiana barely in the lead until Legolas leaped onto the rock behind her and grabbed her before she could jump again.

"Oh no you don't!" he said, holding her tightly and preventing any chance of escape.

"Well," Tatiana gasped as she struggled. "What if I do?"

With that she swung her foot behind Legolas' leg, tripping him and sending them both tumbling into the river.

"That was not how I planned it would work," Tatiana gasped as she tread water.

"That's what you get for trying to beat the great revolting dwarf prince!" Legolas joked as they swam the remainder of the way to shore.