A/N: I hope this update was quick enough for everyone. In this chapter I thought it was appropriate to spark something between or favorite elf and Amara.

Crystal Clear Apology

"Again."

Amara shook her head.

"Again."

"I can't."

"You must!"

Amara took her glasses off and stared at the slightly blurred image of the old wizard before her. All of her attention was focused on finding the wizard's particular emotion. Usually she could pick up anyone's emotions at the drop of a dime, but Gandalf's seemed to be buried deep inside somewhere.

"It has been easy for you because every emotion you've picked up has been on the surface. It is time for you to now learn to pick up emotions that are held deeper," said Gandalf.

Amara switched positions in her chair. The two of them sat at a long oak table in a secluded library at night. The fire in the fire place was roaring away, giving a faint glow to the huge room.

Putting her glasses back on Amara said, "I know but why did we have to do it so late at night?"

Gandalf folded his hands on the table and gave the young woman a look. "Would you rather do this during waking hours when everyone is around? I swear Amara; although I've just met you yesterday you are the most complaining young lady I have encountered.

"What? You take that back!"

"Lord Elrond has come to me with high expectations of you."

Amara crossed her arms and yawned. "Alright, bring it on."

Gandalf smiled and began to bury the emotion that he wanted her to find deep within himself. Amara burned her eyes into Gandalf's image. She searched not the surface but his inner self to find the hidden emotion. This was easier said than done. There were certain barriers that she had to break through, which was hard because Gandalf had quite a few.

She shook her head. This was damn near impossible. Her brain ached and begged for rest, while the wizard sat there looking smug. Amara broke through a few times but each barrier was replaced with another. The palms of her hands began to sweat and she placed them on the cool surface of the table.

"I-"

"Do not say you cannot do this. Focus! Your power will be needed," Gandalf shouted.

Amara bit her lip and strained her brain. She never wavered from Gandalf but felt like she should. In all her years of school, she was more advanced than most kids, now she was being challenged and believed that she would never understand the depth of her power.

"Focus," the wizard stressed.

Amara shook her head. It was just too much.

Gandalf seemingly thought Amara had gone through enough, for he ordered her to stop. He unfolded his hands and got up from his chair. Amara looked up at him as he came over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"In due time you will master this ability. Until then I suggest you get some rest, the sun will be rising soon."

Getting up from her seat, Amara let the wizard lead her to the door.

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Legolas paced the archery field; his bow held in his hand had been forgotten of its purpose. It had been a whole day and he had not even seen Amara so that he could speak with her. He ran his hand through his hair. Never in all his long years of living had one girl caused him to think so much. Why was this?

The fact that she was Aragorn's sister somewhat surprised him, but he knew she had to be his kin. Amara and Aragorn resembled each other a great deal.

"Legolas, mellon you keep pacing and you will manage to have dug a trench." Aragorn stood sleepily before Legolas, watching his steps. On his way to bed he had seen the elf outside and decided on going to see him. Never had he seen the elf look so upset. Legolas stopped pacing and looked at Aragorn.

There was clearly a hurt expression on the elven prince's face.

"Legolas, what is it?"

"I'll tell you what it is." Andir stood from beneath a tree and walked over to Aragorn. "Our friend here is upset over your sister."

Legolas shot Andir a glare. Andir shrugged his shoulders.

"What did she do," asked Aragorn.

Legolas shook his head, "I am afraid that I have done something to her, but what I did I do not know."

Aragorn stepped up and placed a hand on the elf's shoulder. "It is late, why don't you get some rest and speak with her tomorrow after the council.

"She will not want to speak with me."

Andir studied his fingernails. "The little lady returned the gift Legolas had given to her."

Aragorn pinched the bridge of his nose. "Talk to her-"

"Right now, if you feel so strongly about this." Andir nudged Legolas towards the palace and took his bow from his hand. Andir believed that this Amara had to be an improvement from Phona. He did not want to see Legolas sitting on a thrown beside Phona. That girl was up to no good.

"Legolas it is late, whatever you decide to do tread lightly. Amara is going through a lot, more than I can tell. I am going to bed," said Aragorn. He made way into the palace.

"Do not worry Aragorn. Legolas is going to talk to Amara right now," Andir said after him, still pushing Legolas toward the palace.

Legolas broke free from Andir's pushes and prods. He couldn't see Amara. The look on her face when she threw her necklace at him was a look he did not want to see again.

"I cannot see her. She is so angry with me. You should have seen her face."

Andir looked into his best friend's face. "Can you sincerely tell me that you love Phona?"

Legolas wrinkled his brow. "What does Phona have to do with-"

"Everything, now can you tell me that you love her?"

"Love is a bit strong. I have only known her for two years. An elf usually does not base love on two years of knowing the other person." Legolas looked at Andir as if he of all people should know.

"So you cannot tell me you love Phona, but yet whenever you and she quarrel it never bothers you this much. So can you tell me now, after being with Lady Amara for less than a year that you love her?"

Andir stared now at the blank face of Mirkwood's prince. Legolas took his quiver from his back and thrust it into Andir's chest. "I haven't time for you."

Andir laughed at Legolas' retreating form as he had his answer. It seemed that Legolas had found love in less than normal time, it was just that he had come to realize it at a later point in time.

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Quickly Legolas had found out which room was Amara's from a tired maid. He thanked her and made his way to her room. Andir was right, he knew that he did not love Phona. All along he had just been using her to fill the void that was empty in his heart. Phona did not belong in that void, he was on his way to see the person who did.

He stopped outside her door and made to knock but his hand stopped. What if things would never go right between the two of them? What if she never wanted to speak to him again?

'I love her. I can't let that happen,' his brain thought automatically.

Legolas' heart began to thump rapidly. He loved Amara.

"I love Amara," he whispered. He admitted it to himself and when he did, his hand rapped lightly on her door.

A great thump reached his ears and he heard much fumbling. Amara opened the door, her hair ruffled, glasses lopsided on her face and wearing a long night gown. Upon seeing who was at her door she made to close it but Legolas pushed the door open.

"Amara, I need to talk to you."

"Well I don't need to talk to you." Amara crossed her arms feeling exposed. She wished she had a pair of her Spongebob pajamas.

"I just want to talk. Why are you being so stubborn?"

Amara fixed her glasses. She didn't say anything but looked at the floor. A man from Gondor who was passing by, looked at them oddly. An elf and a woman in her night gown, standing in the hall appeared a bit strange.

"Amara please." Legolas took her hand and guided her away from the door. He led her down the hall and into a deserted room filled with old chairs and broken tables.

Amara wrenched her hand free from Legolas' and sat in a dusty chair. She faced herself away from him, not wanting to see his face. The dork in her began counting to a hundred by prime numbers. There was silence between the two and it was apparent to Legolas that Amara had no intention on talking to him.

Legolas stood behind Amara. "Why are you so angry with me?"

"Why do you think?"

The elf sighed. His eyes roamed over her as he thought and came to a blank.

"I do not know."

Amara snorted.

"Will you tell me?"

The empath rubbed her face. "It would have come up sooner or later," she said to herself. It was late and she was tired, but part of her knew that keeping the elf in the dark like this was wrong. Did she want to end up like the people she thought were her parents for seventeen years? Did she really want to be like them and keep the truth from Legolas?

"I graduated from high school. You know, after you left. I got accepted to every top school with scholarships and everything. I was blown away that these schools thought so highly of me that they'd be willing to pay my way through college. I could finally get away from who I thought were my parents, but you know what, I didn't go to a top college. I enrolled at UCLA so that I could be with Nathan."

Nathan, the reason Legolas had felt it was time for him to leave Amara. She had found someone who would take care of her, who would do anything for her. He was no longer needed.

"Brittany had been accepted to her dream college in London." Amara swallowed, not daring to stand from her dusty chair to face the elf. "I saw her off at the airport and went back to my dorm. The next day I got a call from Brittany's mother and she sounds shaken up."

There was a tremor in her voice but she continued. "She told me that Brittany's plane never made it. The plane had crashed," Amara swallowed. "There weren't any survivors.

"Amara I'm-" Legolas started but was interrupted.

"You can imagine I wasn't myself. I wasn't myself for a whole year maybe more. Nathan. I guess got sick of me. I barrowed one of his books, went to his room to put it back. I guess I should have knocked, but who would think he would be with another girl?

A course of emotions ran through Legolas but his face was clear. Amara tried to sense these emotions but again could not pick up anything. He must have felt something. She pondered for a split second on why she couldn't sense anything. The hurt and pain that came from the past events in her life began to pick at her again.

"Why did you leave without saying anything?" She stood from the chair and turned to face Legolas. She looked into his blue eyes and her sadness was amplified.

"I know you would have had to leave, but maybe if you had stayed a little longer things would have turned out different."

The gap between the elf and the empath closed as Legolas engulfed Amara in a hug.

"I hate you for leaving me," Amara said, not hugging him in return.

"What if I made a promise to you to never leave you."

"I'd say don't make promises you can't keep." Amara knew for a fact that Legolas would not keep a promise such as that. He was to join the fellowship, not stay bound to her. Why would he promise such a thing anyway? If she could only read his emotions...

"I am sorry. I am sorry that Brittany passed, that Nathan was not the one for you," Legolas breathed in her sweet scent. "And I am sorry that I left you."

His voice was sincere. She had no choice but to hug him back.

"Why is it that everyone I seem to care about disappears from my life?"

Legolas was lost for words. He released her and looked down at her. Quietly he said he did not know. The prince held the empath's face in his hands and studied her deep blue eyes. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the corner of her mouth.

"I'm sorry."

He kissed the other side of her mouth.

Amara could not believe what was happening. This was more than an apology. She figured Legolas had felt bad, but never this bad.

"What are you doing-"

He whispered another apology and kissed her cheek. Each time Legolas placed another kiss upon Amara's feather soft skin, he felt warmth coarse through him. A feeling he had not felt with Phona. Amara went tense with each kiss Legolas placed on either of her cheeks. Perhaps Legolas was confused and thought her to be the elven maiden he was in love with, as farfetched as it sounded.

"Legolas, I'm Amara."

Legolas smiled briefly against her cheek. "I know."

He could only imagine what she had gone through over the past two years and having to deal with it by herself. He just wished that with every kiss that he gave her a piece of her pain would go away.

He looked into her face and could no longer hold back. He placed his lips onto hers, locking her into a kiss. His hands trailed from her face down to the small of her back.

Amara's head reeled. The cold air and her being in a nightgown made her welcome Legolas' body pressed against her own. She felt herself falling into the kiss and forgetting everything.

Legolas broke the kiss to look into her eyes. The eyes he loved so dearly.

"I-I forgive you," Amara said hoarsely.

The fact that she could talk surprised her, but what surprised her even more was when Legolas kissed her bottom lip. He pulled her even closer and his lips trailed down to her neck. Her body was racked with shivers.

The sun had long since risen and the empath was wide awake.

A/N: I would love to thank every single reviewer individually for taking the time to type a review, but I want to get started on the next chapter! So I swear in the next chapter I will thank everyone individually. Tell me what you thought of this chapter. Until next time...