After sliding the bolt across the door I turned to Legolas who had stood up from his seat. I slowly walked up to him, my legs shaking and my mouth dry from what I was about to ask.

"Do you still want to make it up to me?"

Once I had spoken with Legolas I left the palace for home. Walking through the brightly lit forest I hoped to the Valar that my request to him would pull through. After I had reached my house, I walked in and immediately heard familiar voices coming from the kitchen. "Oh there you are honey!" My petite mother exclaimed from her seat at the table. "There's a chair over there if you want to have a seat."

Pulling up a chair to the kitchen table I sat next to Boz and across from Jesse. We both grinned at each other.

Please Legolas, please come through on this one!

"So Victoria," Eric said "your mother tells me that you do a lot of art work."

I was caught off guard by his question and it took me a second to process it, all the while giving an awkward silence.

"Yes."

Eric looked at me questioningly.

"Oh, I umm… paint most of the time…and do a little bit of colored pencil. Though once you run out of a pencil color, you can't exactly go to Walmart and get a 24 pack of Crayola." I chuckled a bit.

Oh Valar, why does Jesse have to be looking at me with those big eyes? Does he know what he is doing to me?!

I swallowed hard, avoiding the black eyes.

"Though the paints the Elves have are a billion times better than anything I've ever used back in the states, to them, the product of the painting is questionable."

This time every one looked at me questioningly. The palms of my hands were sweating and I tapped my foot nervously under the table.

If Legolas doesn't come through, and Jesse has to leave, does he know what that will do to me? What am I thinking?! I don't care for Jesse that much. I just don't want to be alone in these freakin' woods!

"What I mean is…umm… I paint things from home. Like, since the Traveler's base is in Seattle I painted the Space Needle and the city, and the water front, maybe a few things here and there."

"I can imagine what they must think of that." Eric said.

"Yeah, they think it's pretty insane." I replied.

"Well," Jesse said looking down at his hands then up to me "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

I think I'm going to throw up.

"It sounds like you all have had such a great time here," Eric looked at me and my parents "I only wish we would have been able to stay." His face was downcast.

"Like I told Victoria, 'it would have been refreshing to have a change from our routine'." Jesse said.

"We all would have loved to have you here." Mom comforted.

"I second that motion." Boz announced.

"Me too," I sniffed.

Oh great, now I'm going to cry…

"You're sure there wasn't anything you could have done?" Mom asked Eric.

"We tried to convince the king that we wouldn't be a problem, but it seems that it isn't the right timing for us. He gave us the hint that he had enough things to deal with and that we were not on the top of his list of things to do."

"It's a shame," Boz said "would 'a been nice to have the company."

"Oh, well, let's enjoy the time we have!" Mom stood up and raised her mug. "Here's a toast to good friends."

We all raised our mugs.

Time went on. We talked and laughed, sharing memories of thing that had happened since our last visit to base. Earlier that day Jesse had told me many of the things that happened to him during his adventures. But Eric was more than happy to take on the role of story teller to my parents. I would eye Jesse when his father would tell a story that involved him, and it would turn out much less perilous than was described to me by my friend. Jesse would often give a sheepish grin.

Eric was right in the middle of such a story when there was a knock at the front door. My heart jumped clean out of my chest.

"I'll get it." Boz offered getting out of his seat.

I swallowed hard, and tried to calm my pounding chest. I turned around in my seat, trying to see who was at the door. Eric continued with the story, but I wasn't listening. The wall dividing the kitchen and the living room was blocking my view of the front door. I could see Boz talking to someone but the wall blocked my view of who. Boz said something else, and then closed the door. I returned back to my normal position in my seat and waited for Boz.

"Sorry to interrupt Eric, but this just came for you." He said handing Eric a folded letter.

My heart stopped.

Eric took the letter and looked it over.

"Who's it from?" Mom asked. Dad shrugged. "Messenger just said it was for Eric Callaway and that he should read it as soon as possible. He wouldn't give any names."

"I'd better take his advice." Eric smiled and began to open the letter.

Breaking the seal he unfolded the paper and began to scan over the writing. Eric's eyes suddenly went wide and he put the letter down.

"Come on dad, what does it say?" Jesse asked.

Eric looked around in shock. I stared, the seconds were killing me, gosh darn it! Say something!

"It looks like we are going to be able to stay."

My heart re-started.

"Really?!" Jesse practically yelled. Eric nodded and handed him the letter. Everyone got up and crowed around to look over his shoulder.

"What changed the king's mind?" Boz asked excitedly.

"It says that there was a misunderstanding in some of his obligations and he would like to re-extend the offer to stay in Mirkwood for as long as we need."

I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"YES!!!" I screamed "YES YES YES YES YES!" I began to jump up and down in the air. "OH YES!"

"Looks like someone is excited." Mom observed.

"Sorry…" I said quietly, my hands shaking, "it's just really, really awesome, to know that I'm not going to be the only teen around here, and to have someone else to talk to who actually knows what a latte is, and to have some other human race in these woods."

"Glad we can be of service." Eric laughed.

"Hey, I'm about to go as berserk as she is." Jesse warned.

We all laughed and hugged and laughed some more.

Well it looked like Legolas did show me that he wanted my friendship back.

After I had asked him in the small palace study to somehow talk his father into letting Jesse stay, that the plan would fall through; but he didn't fail me. I suddenly realized how convenient it was to have friends in high places. I picked up the letter and read it over to myself; thinking that now, Legolas and I could pick up where we left off in our friendship.