Tick. Tock. Tick...

Kris breathed gently, buried deep in the covers. She was in her own bed…a rare thing these days. Legolas had fallen asleep in her arms and she'd held him a long while into the night, listening to his quiet breathing. Even in her dreams, she remembered his head in her lap, her fingers stroking through his hair…

She smiled in her sleep.

December nineteenth, Friday morning: it was another work day. The streets were quiet for once. They let no cars out on the streets at night. And suddenly, Kristy stirred. It wasn't the alarm clock, wasn't the TV. It wasn't traffic either.

A shout, a short cry…

The door was open and she cracked her eyes open, just enough to catch a glimpse of the living room. The blinds were shut. It was still dark out and…and Legolas! Kris froze.

He was jerking, making suffocated noises in his throat.

Kristy flew upright, bouncing on the bed. Legolas. She scrambled out from between the sheets and on the way out, smacked her head on the door. It was still throbbing when she staggered into the living room, holding her face.

She fumbled for the light. He was sweating and panting, cursing violently in English and Sindarin. The sheets were a mass of fists and body. His chest glistened with sweat.

"L-legolas, it's all right!"

She winced in the bright light of the lamp. But his hand flew and snagged the chord. Instantly, the whole thing crashed to the floor and the bulb shattered. Kristy grimaced. There wasn't any light in the apartment.

"Legolas, stop!"

Kristy shoved the thing aside. She climbed up on the bed and grabbed his bare shoulders, forcing him down. His skin was hot and damp. His broad chest heaved. Shorn hair flew over his face.

"Legolas!"

But he was too strong.

One arm flew up and smashed Kristy in the face. She landed hard and she gasped, feeling automatic tears swell in her eyes. Blood filled her mouth where she bit her tongue…. But she swallowed it down and shook her head.

"Legolas, calm down dammit! It's alright." Kristy urged, trying to suck the blood from her teeth to speak. She didn't dare touch him again. "You're all right! Wake up. Wake up."

And something happened. The man jerked and froze, trembling violently, eyes fluttering open. He couldn't breathe. He was taking in gulps of air like he was drowning. Kris didn't risk reaching out, leaning on her knees beside him.

But she didn't have to.

"Kristy?" His body jolted and he gasped.

The knowledge and fear of what happened shot through him like a bolt of lightning, and Legolas couldn't grasp it yet. He fumbled for her. "Kristy…" he pleaded without knowing why, and before he knew it, he felt her skin under his hands. Blessed relief. He felt his face in her hair and he grabbed on fiercely.

"Legs…are you okay?"

She fisted her hands in the thick, damp locks of his hair. He fairly crushed her. He hugged her like a lifeline. "It-it was just a bad dream." She managed. "It's over. I-I promise. It's over."

Legolas refused to let her go. Kris engulfed his neck. She felt his wild heartbeat crushed against her body, gradually slowing…pounding through his veins.

Legolas' fingers were digging painfully into her back. But the world was spinning and he couldn't see. He squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed Kristy's hair in fistfuls, burying his face in it. It smelled so good…so warm and fresh. It soothed him and he breathed deep, trying to think. But he didn't let her pull away. He tightened his grip when she tried.

So, very… very carefully, Kristy caressed his silky, damp hair, whispered soft words of comfort to him. Every muscle in his bare back was rigid, and slowly, it began to ease. She rubbed his shoulders in slow circles, cradled his neck, hugged him just as tight.

And it worked.

Legolas gradually eased back to look at her. He gripped a handful of her camis and whispered, "Kristy, we have to go. We must leave. Now."

"What are you talking about?" she said, forcing her voice to stay calm.

She'd never seen him like this. Not since that first night so long ago, so long, when he was sick and delirious, calling for help, for someone…anyone. It was like he was a different person. That man was controlled and schooled. This one was wild.

Legolas clutched her face, stroked her cheeks hard with his thumbs. "Listen to me, Kristy. Listen. If you have ever trusted me in your life, ever believed me in anything, believe me now. We must leave." He was still shaking, but he didn't care. What the golden woman had shown him, he had to act on it. "Take your things, Kristy, whatever you need. Food, clothes…I know not how far we must go."

Kristy grimaced. "Oh Legolas, what are you talking about?" She reached up and took his face in her hands. She tilted her head, petting his hair back, and looked deep in his eyes. They were black with fear. "This is ridiculous. Pack up and leave? I can't just jump in the car and drive off. There's work and-and-"

"Kristy. Please. There's no time for this now. We must go north of the city, far north. Nothing will be right unless I can get there. I will tell you where to go. I will not fail. Just trust me now."

Kristy couldn't move. She could barely breathe. Indecision dropped through her like a lead weight and she just sunk, furrowing her face. "I…I don't know. I don't think I can, Legs."

"You can."

"But I don't understand!"

"I know, Kristy," he whispered even fainter. "I do not either, little one."

Little one? What was happening? Was the world gone mad?

And then, Kristy felt a light brush of his fingers under her face. He carefully lifted her chin, so close…so close he could feel her faint, shuddering breaths.

Legolas held her. If he'd wanted to do anything… touch her, kiss her… he could have. One hand slid through the warm locks of her hair and the other her body, engulfed in warmth and darkness. She was familiar and becoming something to him…precious. He could have.

But he didn't.

It was the first time he felt that he didn't need the presence of her fea. Legolas leant down and pressed his forehead to hers. He didn't need it to know her. He could tell what she was thinking just by feeling her, breathing her in. He had the heat of her skin, the pulse under his hands, hammering out a breathless rhythm. She was frightened. There was no question.

"Trust me."

"And what'll happen…i-if I do? Pick up and get out of here?" she whispered. "What'll happen then?"

"I do not know. But all will be answered in time. Our problems will be solved."

"How in hell do you know that?"

"I know because she promised me," he said more adamantly.

"She?" Kristy pulled back. Now there was a 'she'?How many she's did he know?

"Yes." He insisted, a plea and a command, "Now, will you trust me, or will you not?"

And whether she did or not, Kristy stupidly couldn't say 'no'. She hissed a sharp breath through her teeth and growled. "You'd better be right about this, elf."

Legolas forced a brilliant grin and slapped her leg. "Then hurry! There's no time."

Kristy muttered into thin air. Legolas had already leapt off the bed, grabbed his clothes off the floor and dashed into the bathroom.

"I'm gonna regret this," she muttered in the dark. But she took off after him. As soon as they were in the car, he was going to explain every single bit of this in detail.

"Legolas!" She dragged her suitcase out and hurriedly stuffed everything she could find into it. Food, clothes, a coat, make-up…obviously. Her hands were jittering and hot blood raced through them. "What about Shenzie, Legolas? She can't stay here alone."

"Leave her."

"What? I'm not leaving her in a panicking city alone!"

"Fine."

"And, what about the curfew?" she snapped. "No one's allowed on the streets before five o'clock in the morning."

It was black outside. Her lamp was dim and she worked in the dark, making her feel like a criminal on the run.

"Legolas," she insisted, diving to her knees and dragging boots out from under the bed. She didn't bother shutting the door to change her pants. Legolas was in the bathroom anyway, and she had a hard time yanking them on. "What do we do about the curfew?"

"What is a coor-few?" he hissed, appearing in the doorway.

Kristy pulled her belt buckle and bounced onto the bed, trying to zip up black boots. Her fingers were shaking though and it stuck. She fought with the zipper angrily, yanking on it, before Legolas darted in, dove to the floor, and pulled them up for her. "You know," she said, stuffing clothes in the bag as he did. "…the time limit for civilians. Remember when we had to sneak just to get back after Laura's party?"

Legolas groaned, snatching a bag from her floor and whirling out with it. He packed extra clothes…and a hair comb. Kristy almost laughed at the comb, but not quite.

"I don't care. It is nearly five o'clock anyway. We have no time to wait."

"Okay, okay…" She stalked into the kitchen with a bag.

Kris threw in any non-perishable food she could find…beans, water, canned soup. Ever since the power failures, Kristy got two independent lamps from the store and packs of batteries. She took those too. Candles, soap, lots of matches, toothbrush… and a totally worthless item just for her: a speaker to plug her phone in.

Well if she was gonna be wandering into who-knew-where, probably die, she'd have music.

"Listen Corby," Kristy said, dialing his number and leaving a voice mail. "I-I can't come into work today. I gotta leave town. I'm not sure when I'll be back either, but I'll try to get to the store by Monday morning. I swear. I swear I will."

When she hurried out, struggling with two bags, pocketing the phone and her coat, Legolas was already waiting. He paced back and forth impatiently like a caged tiger. And his pale, unruly hair was tousled.

"There you are," he snapped, snatching the two cases from her like they weighed nothing. Kristy was too busy fighting with her coat to comment on it. Besides, his fierce, fearful eyes didn't look up to teasing compliments. "Hurry up. Move."

He swung the door open and they walked quickly down the hall. Shenzie bounded ahead. Legolas kept the bags under one arm and his hand firmly in the small of her back, rushing her onto the elevator.

"Are you going to explain any of this to me, now?" Kristy spun around in the lift. She snatched her suitcase back and in the process, Legolas kicked the button for the basement. "I had to call Corby, you know. I had to tell him that I can't come into work. Again. Do you know what that means?"

Shenzie started whining.

Legolas didn't answer. He just clamped his mouth in a thin line and braced himself as the doors slid shut. He hated elevators.

"Quiet, dog!"

Her whining turned into incessant yelps.

"We have no time, Kristine. I'll tell you what I can when we-"

Before he could even finish, the flickering lights overhead came to a violent, crunching end. The screech squealed through the shaft and they…they were picking up speed! Legolas threw the bags down and grabbed the wall, bracing himself. Kristy screamed and the lights flared. Something was happening. The lights burned brighter yet and Kristy hit into the wall, holding on. They were in a free fall, plummeting earthward.

"Hold on!" He shouted through the squealing cables.

And then, with a violent slam it was over.

Above protective glass, the lights shattered into pieces. The lift stopped. Kristy flew down with the impact, banging her head on the floor. Everything was dark. She couldn't see. Her stomach was still three floors up. She coughed, struggling not to vomit.

"Kristy!" came a sharp whisper. She heard Legolas push the suitcase aside and he felt over the floor for her. "Hurry. Get up."

"Damn you, Legolas!" She struggled off the hard wood, and with a rush of adrenaline, hit his hand off. Legolas withdrew, frowning.

"Are you all right?"

Kristy cradled her head in one hand. "What do you think?"

"I cannot see you."

"Well, besides being stuck in a busted elevator? Great. Just fabulous." It was pitch black everywhere.

"It wasn't my fault!"

"Well, it certainly wasn't-"

"- Ssh! Quiet," he interrupted. "Listen."

So she did. Reluctantly. And pushed Shenzie's wet nose out of her face.

…Sirens? Something, whatever happened here, was definitely happening out there. The sounds were all too familiar. Once was once too often. Oh...it couldn't be.

Damnit. Not again!

But it was.

"What-"

Legolas clapped a hand over her mouth. "Ssh!"

She almost bit his hand out of reflex. She didn't have a chance though, even if she wanted to.

The ground was trembling outside and lights would be flashing, windows flaring in a brilliant power surge, overloading and snapping out. Police would be everywhere. The army already declared martial law and they'd already confiscated every gun in the city.

What more could happen? Was she going to have to run through a panicking city again? The storms were back and they were heading straight long into it!

That stupid elf was going to get her killed. She didn't want to do it again.Kristy hissed, frustration fizzing over the brim and she said, "Shit. I'm not going out there Legolas, and you can't fucking make me."

"I am not making you do anything."

"Oh? Oh really, you're not?"

"I am going myself, Kristine, whether you come or not. If you want to stay here, then be my guest! I'm not stopping you."

Kristy glared into the darkness where she knew he was. And then, pursing her mouth, she said, "Only because you know I'm not letting you go out there alone."

"Yes." He let his breathing slow. Then, he said quieter, letting a smile tug at his mouth. "I do know that. And I am glad."

"Yeah, well." Kristy glanced down, rubbing her ankle, "How do we get out of here, anyway?"

Legolas shook his head, getting up and feeling for the doors. Then, he braced himself and pried his fingers between the metal. There was an instant of quiet, and then a creak came as he pulled them apart. Legolas squinted up.

There was a gap about a foot and a half wide, just enough room to squeeze through. Faint light strained through the gap.

"We're between floors, Kristy. But I think there's enough space to get through the doors. Come here."

Kristy got up off her knees. A spurt of pain came up her left ankle and she winced, before limping over. It was just twisted. "What do we do about the luggage?"

Legolas spun around, as if remembering, before pushing the two small bags up and over. They could barely see the carpet of the tenth level, and only the third bag wouldn't fit through the gap. It was too big. "What is in this?" he asked.

"Um…food?" Kristy guessed.

"We do not need it." He tossed it away and it landed with a bang. "I can hunt for us. Hurry up!" he beckoned impatiently. "We have to move."

"Well how am I going to get all the way up there?" she protested, craning her neck back. "I can't even reach it."

"Give me your leg."

"You're not gonna lift me!" She spluttered, mostly because she wasn't crazy about putting her boot in his hands. "Lemme stand on the suitcase."

Legolas almost sighed. "Do not flatter yourself, Kristine. As if you were too much for me?"

"Ooh." She clenched her fists, fighting indecision. "Fine."

He took the back of her knee, and in an instant, he hefted her up to the opening. Kris landed on her belly with a grunt, and he managed to push her through the narrow gap. It was a tight squeeze, but manageable.

Up above, Kristy dropped down on her heels and her heart hammered through her veins. A string of faint yellow bulbs lit the dark hall, reserve power in the basement. Shenzie scrambled through on her haunches. Even in the frightening dark though…she had to laugh. Legolas leapt up after her, and he had to twist and push to get his shoulders through.

"Good thing you're not fat, Legs."

Legolas grimaced, pulling himself out on his arms. "Keep quiet."

They slammed the trunk shut and climbed into the little silver car, down in the parking lot a few minutes later. Shenzie was piled in the back seat, whining and barking. Sirens were wailing and storm clouds cracked across the skies, rain pounding the pavement.

"Can you not go any faster?" he whispered. "If this Pricks cannot make it through, we must walk and it will be too late."

"Pricks?" She grimaced, before shaking her head. "It's Prix, Grand Prix, and it'll make it. You just worry about those road blocks. Plus, I'm not walking anywhere. You better hope this works."

Legolas buckled up and gripped the restraints. They were almost to the city limits. If he made a reply, it would probably just make things worse.

And suddenly, the car slowed. Up ahead, broad beams of yellow light shot from tall masts. Kristy gasped. Soldiers were everywhere, army soldiers, running back and forth at the station. It was chaos. She stared through the windshield. Rain pounded the glass and the wipers frantically tried to clear it.

Great.

A guard station had a roadblock set up. Police guarded the fence. Kristy slammed on the brakes and swerved before they could see her. Men were running back and forth, a voice barking out orders and blaring through a loud speaker. She pulled into an alley, panting.

"Legolas," she hissed. "I don't care what kind of dream you had, we can't get through that!"

"We have to." He insisted. "Just drive through."

"Are you nuts? They'll arrest us!"

"Not if you refuse to stop. Just keep going. Don't slow."

Kristy shook her head. The rain was heavy and there was confusion. It was true. It's possible she could race through, break the flimsy wooden block. But what about coming back?What about cameras? They'd get her license plate and have every law enforcement officer on alert for miles.

"Alright," she panted, gripping the steering wheel, thinking hard. "But we gotta black out the front windows, they're un-tinted, and cover the license plates."

"Very well. Make it fast."

Legolas jumped out of the car and got the blanket from the back seat. Under the cover of night, rain and buildings…he ripped it in two pieces for the license plates, while Kristy used his jacket and hers to push up against the inside of the side windows. Rain streaked down his face and hammered on the roof. They slammed the door shut, pinning the coat against the door seal, and before he even buckled, Kristy stomped on the gas and swerved out into the open.

"Duck."

They only poked up again long enough to make sure no one jumped in the way. And then…the guard station coming up fast, shouts of panic, shouts to stop… the bumper slammed into the wood rod and shattered in a hundred pieces.

"Move!" Legolas shouted and his head slammed into the seat. Kristy almost lost control. They hit and bounced off the glass, exploding. "Don't stop!"

And she didn't.

Tires squealed on wet pavement and they broke out onto the highway, reaching fifty…sixty…seventy miles per hour. They were free. Spirals of white lightning struck earth, lit up the night, pure power…and the city was in panic. The men didn't have a chance to reach their trucks or give chase. By the time the soldiers stationed at the border could catch up, Kristy turned off the highway, dug out her phone, and used the GPS to find the nearest open freeway.

Safe.

"Sweet Mänwe…" Legolas breathed. Water ran from his hair, into his eyes and he blinked furiously.

Somehow, he didn't actually think it would work. He didn't understand so many things about this world. A part of him thought those men could just reach out, snare them in a net, shoot instantly and send them tumbling into a ditch. It shocked him more than he thought it would.

"I suppose…" he said quickly, gripping his seat and staring at the streaming freeway rushing past. "…I suppose the men of your world are just that, after all. Men."

"Nobody's perfect," she agreed.

Legolas cracked the door, pulled his coat back in, and slammed it shut. He realized he was smiling. Smiling.

"What are you grinning like a damn Cheshire cat for?" she snapped the instant she realized it. "We could have been killedback there. You think they call martial law for nothing? Think it's just a big game to them?"

Legolas forced the smile from his face, shaking his head. Kristy was deadly serious. Her voice said so. "No, of-of course not."

"Then what are you laughing for?" she turned her head and Legolas blinked in surprise.

Kristy was grinning like mad. He'd never seen such a wild gleam in her eyes... Her teeth were sparkling red like a wolf on the run, and he could see the tip of her tongue. It was bleeding, staining her lips red. And still she grinned! It was feral and wild and he liked it.

She turned back to the sleet with a more serious expression. And Legolas broke into barely restrained, nervous laughter.

"Nothing to laugh about?" he chided.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that! Those stupid road blocks, stupid lines, and their stupid stupid regulations!" She hit the steering wheel. "Damnit! We have to do that again sometime."

Legolas disagreed, but he didn't say so. She didn't want to do it again either…and Legolas knew it.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"So, what's all this about?" Kristy said quietly, once the rain subsided some and the frantic beating of the windshield wipers slowed. Traffic was nonexistent.

Legolas could breathe easy now. He undid his seatbelt and slid down in the seat, stretching his long legs in the small space. The smell of the car was familiar to him now. He felt the wheels thrumming against the pavement, speeding them along…closer and closer to where he had to go.

"I had a dream." Legolas cracked his eyes open.

In the small confines of the car, Legolas felt her tense beside him. "A dream…"

"Yes." Legolas said, "But not just any dream. I saw the Lady of Light. She came to me."

Kristy didn't answer. She just stared at the road ahead.

"I've seen the Lady of the Wood but once in my long life, and that was when we journeyed to Lorien. The rest, I cannot tell you. For that journey is secret."

"Secret journey?" Kristy burst out in dry laughter. "Legolas, anyone who's read that book knows what your 'secret journey' is, and that evil ring.'"

Legolas snapped his chin up. "Book? What book? What do you speak of?"

Kristy sighed. "Never mind. It probably wouldn't be good for you to read it." She stared through the windshield at the passing median, aglow in the headlights. "What did this supposed 'light lady' want?"

"Supposed? I tell you, it is the truth." Legolas shuffled forward and turned to face Kristy, folding one leg up under him. "Listen now. Lady Galadriel can speak, through her mind, to anyone she wishes. She wields one of the Rings, an elven ring of power. Do you see?"

"I remember something like that." Kristy muttered, "What about it?"

"I have lived many years, Kristine. The rift opened and with the power of that ring, she kept it open long enough to explain it thus. This pathetic human body can barely register the centuries, the things I have seen. Lady Galadriel returned everything to me, all that was left…even the journey here. That was what I relived when you had… difficulty, waking me."

"That doesn't explain why we're out here, Legolas!" she broke in, before sighing, shaking her head. "You still haven't told me why we crashed through that barrier, why we're taking off into the middle of nowhere, and-and some psychic, spirit lady got into your head. Why, Legolas?"

The man sighed. "Calm down." If she was this upset now, what would she do when she heard what he had to say? "…and can we speed up?" he glanced to the speedometer. It read seventy.

"Oh sure." Kris growled, accelerating slowly until it hit eighty. "Why not? I can break the law for you, lie for you. Why not speed, too?"

Legolas was about to say something back, but his words froze half way out. She was upset. He stared at her eyes as they focused on the road, hard and tense. She was upset… And she was right. Of course she was right!

She had done so much for him, risked so much. But there wasn't anything he could do about that. Not now.

"I know you have made sacrifices for me, Kristine," Legolas mumbled, staring at her. He listened to the dark and the crash of wind buffeting against the windows. And then, dropping his eyes, he let himself feel guilt. This was all his fault. True…he didn't exactly ask to come here. But he did drag Kristy into this.

And now they weren't alone.

"I'm sorry," the woman said even quieter. "I didn't mean that."

"No." He stared at his fists, slowly rubbing his knuckles. "It is I who should be sorry." He looked up. "But there's nothing I can do about that, Kristy. Hear what I have to say?"

She exhaled slowly, sucking her bottom lip, and then nodded.

Legolas took a deep breath and turned his eyes to the front window. He told her every memory he had of Galadriel's vision.

"A vast sea of stars was thrown at my feet," he began. "She came to me dressed in moonlight and silver. Her hair was as gold and warm as the sun, her eyes like shining diamonds in the night. Lady Galadriel was as beautiful as that first night we came to her in the wood."

Kristy glanced sidelong. Beautiful?

"We came to her dirty, tired, bedraggled. We had lost one very…very dear to us. But they were as shining beacons of hope to us. Ah, Gimli was struck by her beauty then. Hopelessly," he added for good measure, and she frowned, but didn't comment. "It was just a few days following that night when we arrived. There were yrch attacks to their wood and the Marchwarden, Haldir, he left to drive them away. I went with him, just to help and…and that is when it happened. I felt so useless. I wished to help clear the borders! We were outside of Her protection. The Elven ring of power could do nothing to stop it."

"So the storm hit, you fell in. Boom! You're here." Kristy waved a hand. She was struggling to keep her eyes on the road and find eyeliner at the same time. All that talk about elf beauty made her glad it was dark out. That dumb elf was used to supermodels. "Now tell me why we're here, huh?"

"Well, Aragorn naturally heard wild tales of what happened to me. He went with one of the Lady's guard, I know not who, to search for me. They waited where the guards told them, and… and he is here."

"Aragorn?" Kristy gasped. "Here? Th-the one in the book? The king, the one who came into that Rivendell place with the half-size guys? The one who fought off those scary witch things!"

Legolas grimaced. "Who has been relating this story to you, Kristy?"

She shrugged. "Don't blame me. I was half-asleep."

"Yes, the very same. He is also my closest friend, and he has not forgotten." Legolas glanced out the window. "He is here for me."

"Yeah? To do what?" she asked, before a disturbing thought hit. "And more importantly, blame who? He's not going to think I kidnapped you or something, will he?"

Legolas rolled his eyes, an annoying habit he watched hundreds of faces do since coming here. "Give the man credit. He is a Dunedain and he is incredibly wise, born to the race of men…" he lifted his chin, "But I've forgiven him that. After all, not everyone can be born elf-kind."

Kris scoffed. She awkwardly hit him, but he just blocked it with an arm and pushed her off. The movement jarred the steering wheel to the speed bumps on the side of the road, and with a vengeful smile, she let it. To her shock though, Legolas didn't grab his seat or even curse. He just smiled easily.

"You must take the next right you can find."

"You're getting too comfortable here," she muttered, switching the heater on and moving into the right lane. She remembered when he tried to jump out of the car at that sensation, thinking it was going to 'explode'.

Too bad.

It wasn't rain blowing across the windshield now. It was snow. The temperature gauge read 29 Fahrenheit.

Legolas saw it too. The smile vanished from his face and his voice was low and hard. "It is cold," he said even quieter. "Too cold. But the forest earth is warmer than in your city. He will be sheltered longer there."

Kristy glanced over. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Take another right." He said instead of answering, "Hurry, here. Turn right."

She slowed down and did as he asked, and from then on, she could only follow directions. Legolas was concentrating. She couldn't break it again.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Kris stood out in the snow. Icy wind curled her breath and shivered through the trees. They were in the middle of a vast woods, and she stared at the stiff form of Legolas' back. All they managed to find so far was an old, deserted cabin. The car was parked in its overgrown, twisting driveway, and right away, Legolas had bolted off into the woods. She had to run to keep up with him.

Now they were at least a quarter mile into the wilderness.

"Anything?" she asked. Shenzie, a gold blur, was streaking through the woods barking. No help.

And no answer.

"Do you even know what you're looking for?" she bit in the cold.

It was absolutely freezing. The wind was picking up and if they were going back to the cabin before the second wave of storm clouds hit, they'd have to start now. They were rolling and coiling on the north horizon like black, rumbling beasts.

Legolas crept through the pine trees as silent as a deer, instead of answering. A hunter's gleam was in his eyes. Fierce. Searching. He studied the ground, placed one boot in front of the other in the snow. He remembered this place. Galadriel showed him in the vision, and that was hazy now. Legolas knew he was close because he remembered this place.

"If this is where your friend is," she broke in again from behind, stomping after him. "Why weren't you thrown down here too?"

"I was," Legolas muttered.

"Are you kidding?" Kristy ran to catch up, slipping on the ice once and pushing her hair back in a hood. It didn't block the blowing snow or the cold. Cloudy sunlight streamed through the splaying leaves and bit her face, making her feel puffy and numb. The light was fading fast as the storm moved in.

"You were more than a two hour drive from here!" she insisted, "How did you get all the way down there and half way through Minneapolis?"

"Must you speak constantly?" Legolas snapped.

That Dunedain should be here! Why wasn't he? It was too cold.The temperature just kept dropping. Wait…the snow. Of course.

Legolas cursed.

He wouldn't see the place looking at the ground! The storm created a vacuum and blasted the earth, tore it to shreds. He was looking for a crater, but snow would have filled it in by now. Legolas threw his head back and scanned the treetops. Just as he thought, the needles were scorched above him, stripped from the tree trunks. He was right in the middle of it.

They were here.

"Kristy!" he spun around fast. "Help me search, quickly!"

But he didn't have to look. Legolas ran forward and just as he leapt down a shallow rise…Shenzie was there. The dog was licking at something…a face. His fingers shook and Legolas dove to his knees. It was Aragorn, his hair dusty and sparkling with new fallen snow. The silly, worthless animal had found him.

"Finally you've earned your keep, dog." He almost laughed in relief.

Legolas brushed the thin, icy coating back and felt for his neck, searching for a pulse. Nothing. For an insane instant, Legolas panicked and he thought his friend was dead. The man was stiff and still. Too still. But then, fingers numb with cold, Legolas found a steady heartbeat.

He ran over his arms and legs for anything broken. But of course there was not. The Dunedain could crawl through hell and back and still be as well and stubborn as ever. It didn't even surprise Legolas that he'd do something as stupid as this. It could have meant death and decay, or worse! Chasing him through the storms, running headlong into the unknown abyss.

"Aragorn," he breathed, grasping the man's face. He was unconscious, half sheltered under the eave, but alive and strong. It was good to have such a brave fool as a friend. "Come on."

Legolas almost forgot Kristy as he pulled Aragorn out of the snow and hefted him into his arms. Then, he grunted and staggered back. Sweet Eru… the man was so heavy. Curse this weak human body. Legolas growled.

"Kristine!" he yelled, breaking with the strain of the cold and he shouted huskily, "Where are you? We must get back to the cabin!"

"Uh…Legolas?" came a faint, shaking voice.

Legolas spun around, still managing the weight in his arms. Kristy stood off in the woods, staring at something. All he could see was the shadow of the trees.

"Kristy?" he shouted.

What was the girl doing? Sight-seeing?

With a grunt, Legolas gently set the man down and stalked off through the snow. Damn foolish girl. This was no time for dawdling. Aragorn could wake any minute, confused and inflamed with fever. If he was anything like Legolas, his first instinct would be survival. He'd fight to the last. And who would he be fighting? The closest soul in sight, that's who, and his dearest friend. None of that would matter until he realized it.

"What in Manwe's name are you-" and he froze. Legolas almost stumbled in shock at what appeared in the trees.

"What-what do I do?" Kris focused on the shining arrow aimed at her throat. The woman holding it could barely manage to keep it there. She was shaking in the snow, deadly green eyes glazed over.

Sweet Manwe.

Kristy looked at Legolas, trembling, but he was transfixed. He didn't move. She wanted to shout at him to do something, anything to make her put the bow and arrow down…but she didn't. The woman's eyes flicked breathlessly to Legolas, then her knees buckled and she collapsed.

"Legolas!" Kristy dove to the ground and the arrow sung over her head. The snow smacked her face and the feathers of an arrow slapped her hair. It sailed past, stinging her cheek.

Legolas didn't even move.

Fuming, gasping, Kristy scrambled over the ground and rolled the woman over. Her body was limp. Unconscious. She could have killed me! Kristy was screaming in her head over and over, but Legolas didn't even look. This was the guard he told her about? This was who came after him?

"Legolas, she's on fire! We need to get her out of here." Kristy started scraping the snow off the woman's arms. Kristy pushed the hair out of her face and she was feeling for a pulse. She put her fingers over the woman's mouth, panting. Kris half expected the woman to be dead.

"Sh-she's still breathing, but just barely." Kristy told him with a shooting glance. "I don't think this is frostbite. She's too warm. It's fever or pneumonia, like you. We have to get her out of here."

Kristy was babbling in the background, but Legolas was still rooted to the earth.How…how could it be? He stared, mouth open in shock.

"Legolas," Kristy hissed, spinning around on her heels. "What are you doing?"

Tauriel. The fiery haired elleth of his childhood, with her shining green eyes and porcelain skin. She was right under his eyes, laid in the snow like a fading angel. He hadn't seen her in…so long. Sixty years, was it? Or fifty?

She was here. She was here right before his eyes and that-that meant she came for him! Even after all that happened…she came for him too. Floods of memories came rushing back, of running green branches, sunlight and sparkling pools. A rush of homesickness swept through him.

And suddenly, Kristy pushed off the ground and grabbed him by the collar. She shook him so hard that his teeth rattled and he snapped out of his dizzy reverie. Kristy was shouting at him.

"Legolas, you idiot!" She let him go. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, blinking. Focus. "Nothing. Yes, you're-you're right. We must get them out of here."

"Help me get her up." Kristy pulled Tauriel out of the snow, slipping in the ice. And with Legolas heaving her limp body the rest of the way, got her into his arms.

Legolas lost his breath. She was lighter than he remembered. So tiny. Kristy was strong; she wouldn't drop her. But he didn't give her up. She was even smaller than Kristy. How many times did he let that fool him? How many times did he underestimate her? Oh, how she could fight.

And her temper, he remembered it. It was like starlight and fire. She would banter with him, fight with the best of the guard. She always knew what to say. She always knew how to make him feel better. How could the elleth be here, right under his fingers, so close again? After all this time? She -

"-Legolas!" Kristy shattered his thoughts one more time. She was fairly screaming at him.

"Yes." Legolas shook his head, letting her into Kristy's arms. Focus. "I-I know. We have to go." And he pointed at her fiercely. "If you let go of her even once, Kristine, I- I'll-"

"-Never mind that."

Legolas grimaced and spun around. Kristy wouldn't drop her. If she did he… he didn't want to think about it.

Wind picked up and blew through the pines, buffeting the trees. The pale glow of sun dropped behind the clouds, leaving him cold and in a daze. They made it to the isolated cabin just as the second wave of storm clouds hit. It was a blizzard of snow and ice.

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A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing :)) Have a wonderful day.