Disclaimer: Characters and world belong to the great JRR. Tolkien, I'm just playing around with them.

The doors closed with a thick thud and Legolas could hear the shuffling of feet from outside. Sighing heavily, he turned to Gimli.

"This, my friend, is home to me." Legolas said motioning around the room. They were in a long hall. Windows and doors lined the walls. At the end of the hall were two thrones. One large, with a dark wood finish. The seat was covered in a deep green fabric embroidered with exquisitely detailed leaves. The other was smaller with a similar finish.

In the large throne sat an ellon. He was tall. To Gimli he looked exactly like the ellon beside him, only slightly older. He had heard stories of Thranduil. Mostly from his father. These stories weren't exactly kind. But, that was when Bilbo Baggins was younger. Before the ring. A different age entirely.

He was dressed in flowing fabrics of greens and grey. A silver circlet rested on his head. His hair was golden, much like the colour he had passed onto his son. He stood when he saw the two enter. The elder ellon had waited for this moment. The moment his son came home again. Thranduil barely noticed the dwarf beside his son.

Barely.

The dwarf had a presence about him that was hard to ignore. He strongly resembled his own father. Thranduil wondered if it was the beard. He hardly noticed that he was moving towards them until he stood in front of his son.

They met in the middle of the hall. Legolas shot a quick glance at Gimli before his father pulled him into an embrace. One which he warmly returned. His father looked older then he remembered. Weary. Exhausted. Could it have been the Orc attacks? Or something else?

"My son. It brings me great joy to see you alive and well." Thranduil said when their embrace broke. The months that Legolas had been gone were long. Thranduil had missed his son. Missed the way that his spirit sang to the trees. A song that made Mirkwood what it was. And now he was back.

"I am glad to have returned father. Please meet my companion and one I call friend," Legolas said motioning for Gimli to come closer. "This is Gimli, son of Glóin."

Thranduil nodded in return. The dwarf looked uncomfortable. Gimli's father had told him of unpleasant events in and about Mirkwood. Glóin was never one for forgiving and forgetting. He had told Gimli about his imprisonment many years ago. Through his fathers stories, Gimli learned to hate the elven people, a hate that all other young dwarves learned. He was slightly concerned that his experience may end like his fathers. Legolas had assured him many times that it wouldn't. But the stories his father passed on still rang in his mind and he worried still.

"Welcome Gimli, son of Glóin. It is an honour to have you in my home and city." Thranduil said motioning around the hall. As he said this two other ellons moved forward. They too were dressed in grays and greens. However their garb was not as regal. Their movement caused Gimli to grip his axe even tighter. They weren't taking this dwarf easily. "This is Nolofinwë and his brother Castien. They will be at your service while you are here. If you like they can show you to your rooms. You must be tired from the long journey."

"That would be most appreciated Thranduil King. I thank you for the generosity." Gimli bowed. His grip never faltered. Thranduil had yet to earn Gimli's trust and Gimli his. Gimli followed the two ellons through a series of hallways and passages until they came upon a door. One of the ellons - who Gimli thought was Castien - opened the door and waited for Gimli to enter. Taking a deep breath Gimli peaked into the room.

It was bright. A large bed was against one wall. Against another was a large window that opened onto a balcony. It had an earthy feel. Stepping fully into the room Gimli noticed smaller details. It had been prepared with a dwarf in mind. Objects that he would find in his own city littered the room. It was very appreciated. He dismissed the two ellons that had been assigned to him, telling them that if he needed their help he'd call. He glanced around the room one last time and left wondering what there was to actually do around here and where he could get some fine ale.

The two had begun to walk around the forest. Legolas was trying to find the right words to say to his father. None of them flowed the way that he wanted them too.

"Speak your mind, my son." Thranduil said as they walked around the river's edge. It was close to the mountains. The trees were thick and many. Legolas looked around grasping for the right words.

"Father, do you remember the conversation we had before I left for Rivendell? I asked you to watch over something. Keep it safe." Legolas asked looking towards the sky.

"Yes I do remember that conversation. Before when we thought that you would only be gone a few weeks. Time changes many things, my son. However I kept her safe and watched over her as if she were my own." Thranduil answered. He remembered when Legolas came to him about Nienna. He had expected it much earlier. The two had been inseparable since they were very young. When the creature Gollum escaped Thranduil knew that Legolas would be the wisest person to send. He was a fast rider, and had an excellent relationship with the elves there.

The night before he was to leave Legolas came to him and all but ordered him to make sure that no other ellon went near Nienna. Thranduil had promised that he would keep the elleth safe. And watch her. At the time they only thought he would be gone a short period of time. Watching the other ellons for a small period of time would have been easy. Yet when the time went from short to long, that task grew difficult.

Nienna was a well sought after elleth. Her ada had been someone of importance to Thranduil. It made her an elleth young ellons wanted to pair themselves with. Getting close to her was getting close to the king. While she herself did not welcome the attention, the ellons surely gave it. And when Legolas did not return, they tried ever harder to win her affections.

"However, while I kept her safe, I can not say that I knew her mind while you were away. Many of the ellons asked of her. I kept as many away as I could. But I could not watch her all the time. To know if you have her heart still, can only be answered by her." Thranduil spoke again watching the way his son's face went from relief to worry. "This war affected us all in different ways. Nienna fought like many of the other elleths that reside here. And she waited. For you. There were many different stories about what happened to you. That you had run off. That you were dead. Married. That you had been to the Grey Havens. Many things that reached the ears of the elleth you love."

"What do I do father? How do I tell her that I had to go? That I still love her. How do I get her to love me again?" Legolas said, his gaze moving from the sky to his father.

"I can not tell you my son. For those answers you must ask her."

She had found him trying to learn archery. It took all her willpower not to laugh at his attempts. She suspected that he had never really held a bow before. The dwarf's posture was all wrong and he had a bow that was much to big for his stature. She debated whether or not to approach him. It seemed that many of the other elves who usually practice in the fields were missing. Shaking her head and walking forward Nienna quickly came up behind the dwarf.

"It might be better to try a shorter bow Master Gimli." Nienna said giggling a tad when the dwarf jumped. Her own bow was on her back with a quiver of arrows. Gimli was facing her now. He was slightly tangled in the large bow he had selected. There was a smaller bow resting off to the side, but Nienna presumed that he took one look at it and laughed.

"You know, I first learned how to shoot with a bow like this." Nienna said picking up the discarded short bow. "In fact when the time came for me to start shooting with a larger bow I almost quit right there."

"Why lass?" Gimli asked. He couldn't believe she hadn't laughed at him. He must've looked a right fool tangled up in a bow. Yet there she stood talking about archery.

"Well the shorter bow was safe and it was my first bow. When you first start archery... your bow becomes your life. It keeps you safe and fed. Archery is all about trust Master Gimli. You need to trust your own aim and you must trust that your bow will have enough strength to get your shot across. While I knew that I could put more power into my shots with a larger bow, I just wouldn't give up my short one. It was a continuation of me. It wasn't until Legolas finally convinced me to try a large bow did I return to archery." Nienna said wistfully. She could almost see the two of them. Hitting targets and trying to split the other's arrows. She remembered the day that he convinced her to try archery with a larger bow.

"And how exactly did he convince you to do that lass?" Gimli asked hoping to not only learn more about Nienna, but also of her relationship with Legolas.

"Well he stole my short bow and held it hostage. Looking back now it was quite funny. He wrote a note pretending to be someone else. We spent the whole day searching for it. Until he placed a large bow in my hand and said 'Just try this one'. I let go of my short bow that day. He did eventually return it to me. Though, it was dirty and an animal had gotten to it." Nienna said remembering Legolas handing her the bow back. It had teeth marks in it. She told him to put it somewhere else.

"Stole it? Didn't think he was capable of that." Gimli responded untwining the last piece of the bow from his left arm.

"Oh he was more than capable. It wasn't the first time he did something like that. When we were younger we would run all over this city. A few of the merchants still wont sell to us because we terrorized them when we were children. We once put spiders in an uncooked pie that was being made by the baker." Nienna said as she tried to show Gimli how to properly hold the short bow. She could still remember the lecture Thranduil and her father gave them that day. They hadn't been allowed to speak to one another for a week. One of the longest times they had gone without communication. Until he left.

Gimli laughed. He couldn't imagine his friend as a trouble maker. After all he called them all children. Speaking with Nienna gave him a new perspective on Legolas. He was learning. He wondered how Legolas would react to him telling this story. Maybe the next time the Fellowship gathered he would let slip a story or two. If he could get them out of Nienna.

"What else did the two of you do to the poor people of Mirkwood?" Gimli asked. Nienna smiled in return to his question. And with that smile as encouragement, the dwarf had finally managed to hit the target with the arrow he had just shot. Delving into her memories Nienna told Gimli stories of her and Legolas's childhood. From horse riding lessons to grand balls. With every story she told, Gimli would tell one in return.

It was an interesting afternoon. When the evening sun began to set Nienna suggested that they head inside. After showing Gimli back to his room Nienna excused herself and went to her own chambers. She moved around the room trying to determine and gather her wardrobe for the evening. After dressing and styling her hair Nienna studied her form. She was ready.

A/N: I am so sorry that this chapter took so long! If it helps its over 2,000 words :) Anyways read and review and let me know what you think! Quick question: Should Nienna and Legolas reconcile in the next chapter? Or do you guys want some more "I hate you but I love you" stuff?