Hey guys! So unfortunately, these chapters aren't going to get any longer till school gives me a break. Also, I will love you forever if you go check out my other book, Hide But Don't Seek! :) Enjoy, comment, and vote! -Joann

Aragorn slid open the glass slider door the Legolas' balcony.

"What's wrong, mellon-nin?" he asked. A piece of parchment was crumpled in Legolas' fist and his eyes were screwed shut. Wordlessly, Legolas offered Aragorn the letter. In his peripheral vision, he saw Aragorn's face betray a look of surprise and sadness.

"Go."

"What?" Legolas asked, bewildered.

"I know you want to return," he said softly.

"She doesn't care," Legolas said, his voice cracking slightly.

"She does. And you still love her, don't you?" he asked, smiling slightly.

Legolas didn't respond.

"You know you can't just let her die," Aragorn pressed.

Legolas nodded slowly. "I'll miss you," he murmured to his friend.

"So will I."

"Hey, what's going on?"

Gimli appeared suddenly at the door, frowning. "It feels like somebody just died."

Seeing how the two's faces darkened, he said uncomfortably, "It was a joke!"

Aragorn gave him the letter, and when the dwarf finished reading, gave Gimli a pointed look.

"Sorry Legolas, I didn't know," Gimli muttered bashfully. "Say, you are going to return, aren't you?"

He nodded.

Gimli shook his head mournfully. "Never thought I'd be saying this to a pointy-eared elf, but I'll miss you."

Legolas gave him a small grin. "So will I."

A brilliant thought hit him. "Wait! Why don't you two come to Valinor with me?"

Aragorn looked at him regretfully. "I can't, Legolas. I can't leave Gondor."

However, Gimli looked at him more thoughtfully. "I don't see why not, laddie. I think I will go with you."

"Then I must go tell my father," Legolas said delightedly. "Aragorn...I really will miss you. Really."

"And I really will miss you too," Aragorn said back unhappily, but a tiny smile was at the corner of his mouth. "Really, Legolas, you want to make me cry in front of my entire kingdom?"

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Swish. Swish Swish. The rhythmic, calming noises of the waves splashed softly against the wooden boat gave a sense of peace and quiet, a welcome feeling after the clamor and harrow of war.

"Laddie, how far is this darned trip going to take?" growled Gimli one day. "I do think we've been on this stupid boat for years!"

"A month, if the Center Sea allows us to travel swiftly," replied Legolas somewhat worriedly. He hoped Tauriel would stay strong till he could arrive. Often, he had nightmares of what might happen if they didn't arrive quickly enough. Still, he managed to hide his feelings from Gimli so far. Friends they might be, but he didn't want to explain his feelings to Gimli, as many of them included feelings of anger toward Kili, Gimli's father's friend.

"I know," said Gimli sadly.

"What?" asked Legolas, caught off guard.

"I know. I know why you don't like Kili," Gimli puffed a long puff of his nasty-smelling pipe. "And I know you were thinking about them. You always have that look on your face when you do."

"I do?" Legolas nervously wondered. Who else had figured that out?

"You do. You know, it wasn't Kili's fault that Tauriel loved him." Gimli said pointedly.

"I can't help it though. I can't help but pin the blam on him, even though I know he's not at fault." Legolas argued pointlessly.

"I know how you feel, lad, believe it or not." Gimli stared depressedly into the sparkling blue waves of the sea. "There was this dwarf. Her name was Ralina. I thought she liked me, but I thought wrong. Another dwarf, quite a funny one, came and took her. One look at him, and she forgot all about me."

Gimli shook his head slowly. So the two friends sat side by side, silently lamenting their woes.

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"My lord? My lord Legolas? Is it really you?"

Legolas and Gimli turned surprisedly as they walked to the front doors of the Valinorian Palace.

A small, meek-looking servant was staring at him in utter awe.

"Yes, it is me," Legolas smiled kindly at her.

"Oh my god! Lineth! Releitha! The prince is back! The prince is back!" she gasped, calling out the other servants.

Within minutes, swarms of servants and guards had gathered excitedly before him, chattering excitedly. They two looked around nervously at the crowd that had surrounded them.

"Thank you, everyone, for the welcome, but I really do need to go- must talk to my father- excuse me, coming through- no, that's my foot, not your bag," Legolas said as they squeezed their way out of the mob. The ecstatic group turned as they practically ran away, fortunately not following them.

"Come, we must inform Father," Legolas told Gimli as they walked down the thankfully empty halls of the quiet palace.

Gimli snorted. "You're telling me I must meet the pointy-eared princess of Mirkwood?"

"It seems that every dwarf on earth calls him that," he grumbled jokingly, crossing his arms in mock defense of his father.

They laughed as they went, although, underneath their mirth, both were nervous in each their different way, and both afraid of what might happen, though neither would ever admit it.

But after what seemed like centuries, the duo reached the large light brown oak door with a golden, embellished border on which were engraved the words, "Thranduil Oropherion, King of Mirkwood".

Legolas reached for the large brass elk's head knocker and knocked twice, each knock sounding extremely loud.

"Come in!" they heard Thranduil shout. So with a deep breath, the two entered.