To begin with, Tauriel is extremely difficult to write about, because we know so little about her, so I'm making a lot of things up here, like her thought process etc. Yes we know she's bold, yes we know she's an elf, yes we know she fancies Kili, anything else? So don't be put off if she seems a little OC or different, this is challenging.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, duh.

AU. Nobody dies. Cept Smaug. He ded.

Also, I'm looking for a beta. Anyone up for it?

Creak. The noise of a bow being pulled back, taunt and tight. A hand grasped around the arrow, firm and strong. She holds her weapon with pride and accuracy as she carefully hunts a rather horrifying creature, an enormous spider, dragging its filthy body along the Earth.

She doesn't wait.

It's over, she hears its screams and smells the blood. She wrinkles her nose, she will never adjust to the scent of fresh arachnid blood, and jumps down from her perch in a webbed tree. She walks over to the beast, watching as it takes its last breath. She turns her head and begins to saunter off, her mind disgusted but pleased in a sense.

Yet she feels anxious, even as she has killed another monster, her fifth today, as if she has not done enough. But she has, she thinks, she has helped to rid the last of the scum from the forest, she has helped her people, helped her king, done her duty. Although, she has spoken to him less and less, and she knows Legolas has whispered in his ear about her actions with the dwarfs two years ago-but she assumed that the man would forget and forgive, although, two years is little time in the life of an elf.

She frowns. She thinks that this hunger, this longing, could never be satisfied by increased conversation with her ruler. Mainly because, she feels no guilt in her actions with the dwarfs, it is not a sin to heal a wound to save a life, nor to converse with others about the joys of starlight and memories and love. Those are good things, no? Their race seems incredibly insignificant in that sense.

Thranduil thinks otherwise, and she knows Legolas does as well. Although he has changed, his eyes are more open to the world, his hands are a bit more experienced and a bit bloodier, he still stands firmly beside his father.

She wishes they would accept the dwarfs, that there could be a bridge. She shakes her head and begins to ascend the trees, heading for the clearing at the top. She feels spots of sunlight on her cheeks, and she grins. She bursts out of the leaves, pushing her knees so she can jump high into the air, before crashing down onto the treetops and laughing.

She knows none of the other elves would appreciate her fondness of leaping out of the treetops, and she hates it. She shakes her head and turns, just to see the sight of the Lonely Mountain.

She tortures herself, looking at the home of her, well, what was he? Her beloved? Perhaps. More like a problem, a problem that was festering between her and Thranduil and their differing opinions. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. That is why she isn't satisfied, damn it, she realizes this. Why does she always pretend she doesn't? Kili is her problem, Kili is why she feels this longing, that she has not done enough.

"Is it because I do not follow my heart that I feel this way!" She yells. She is frustrated, all sweating and angry and cross, and she is angry at herself suddenly, and angry at her king, and angry at her race.

And mostly angry at Kili, for being so charming and handsome and utterly sweet to her.

You flirted back. Her conscious calls.

"Ugh!" Her pointless thoughts, what is the good contemplating her problem if she never did anything about it?

She began to climb out of the trees, moving from branch to branch, trying to distract herself. She wanted to push all of her troubles away, maybe if she could just get away.

By the time she had approached the gates, she felt more twisted and cross than she had before. She decided to hang up her bow and sleep, and forbid herself from doing any more treetop jumping for a long while, perhaps if she stayed holed up in her true homeland she would forget her foolish thoughts. But she knew it was pointless, this was not an anomaly, she had these thoughts every day. Every day in her life, her mind would wander to the Lonely Mountain and the dwarf king's handsome nephew.

And she had other ways of remembering, and she never let Kili stray too far from her mind.

You'll never truly forget.

Legolas was exhausted. As if his entire body was wrapped in a heavy blanket, stifling and hot, lulling him to sleep. He tried to keep his shoulders straight as he approached Tauriel, who was returning from an outing. He raised an eyebrow at her irritated expression, watching as her eyes darted around the room before spotting him. She quickly fixed her annoyed facial features before smiling softly at him and nodding. He opened his mouth to speak, but she began before him.

"Legolas." She stated.

"Tauriel."

She was about to stomp past him, she had not yet gotten control of her feet, before he stepped in front of her and touched her arm.

"Could I talk to you in private please?" He requested. She looked perplexed, but nodded nonetheless.

He led her into a hallway, small and usually bereft of any elves.

He turned to her. She was rigid, her hands behind her back, eyes alert and unmoving, her expression lacking any type of emotion. He almost sighed in exasperation.

"Tauriel, this is no such meeting, please, relax. I wish to speak to you about a much more personal matter."

She shrunk back instantly, her eyes becoming soft once more. She gave him a small smile and quietly nodded, letting her back fall into a better position, and crossing her arms in front of her chest. He tilted his head and smiled as well. Her eyes instantly changed, orbs filling with wonder, curiosity, and apprehension. He knew she was suspicious of his actions, of what he may say. He was nervous, and this led him to the reason of why he was so exhausted.

"Tauriel. I've known you for many years now, and I, I must speak to you with all honesty." He took a breath. "I am worried for you, I feel that you are venturing too far out of our lands."

Her eyes narrowed. It was a few painful moments before she had composed herself and was able to reply. "You have pulled me aside to express concern of my outings? Legolas, I believe that there is a much deeper reason behind this."

He hesitated. "Yes. I suppose there is. I think that the dwarf has bewitched your mind."

"What!" She yelled, uncaring of her actions. "It has been two years! Do you not think I would have been taken before then? And dwarves cannot bewitch elves! That is foolish nonsense Legolas."

"Can you explain the dwarfish texts I discovered in your room?" He replied softly, his voice light and quiet after her outburst.

She scrambled to find words. "I was curious about the outer lands, I wanted to research other cultures."

"This is why I have pulled you aside Tauriel! You should not be inquiring into dwarves cultures, and those texts did not discuss locations, nor did they speak of any type of dwarven custom that would be relevant to you!"

He was beginning to lose his temper. "Those texts expressed the rituals of dwarf courting. I know your motives Tauriel. Do not doubt me!"

"Do not doubt me Legolas! I was simply curious, must I be berated and punished for such curiosity?" Her words held fervor, but she was shaking, desperately embarrassed.

"No! It is nothing you should be concerning yourself with. I do not know how you were able to obtain such documents, but I have disposed of them." He replied bitterly.

She held her breath. She was furious now. Kili had given her those texts, obviously a hint, when she had seen him two years prior, just as she was about to depart for Mirkwood. She had been slightly offended and perplexed at the time, but they had taught her much, and were small reminders of her distant relationship with the dwarf. She had been stupid to leave them out, she had forgotten. But still-! They were her reminders, they were her texts, and they showed her a side of Kili that she longed for. They were part of the reason Kili never left her mind. She adored them.

She continued to defend herself. "You went through my belongings, and then disposed of them? How dare you Legolas, how dare you violate my life in this sense!"

"Enough!" Legolas yelled. "I must protect you, and I wish I had not, but it needed to be done. You have been distant, almost cold, to me and my father, as well as many of the others. You have ventured much farther than would ever be permitted, you have continued to ignore any types of conversation or festivals, and you have been constantly distracted and utterly entranced with Erebor!"

He was breathing heavily now, never had she seen him this furious. It was astounding, and rather incredible, to see an elf this angry, but she was too upset to analyze Legola's emotion. Much too overwhelmed with her own. She was upset and embarrassed and angry and sad, she had been caught and wrapped and accused and shouted at and scolded. She felt small and wanted to fall and sob at his feet. But she held her ground, she could not fall to him. She knew Legolas was confused, she understood that he was trying to comprehend her and her interests, while being true to his father, but she was extremely cross at his actions.

It was too much. She turned her back to him.

"I have waited many months to speak with you. Father is still slightly irritated at your actions before, but I believed that they were insignificant to your true opinions and beliefs. I believed that you would abandon this foolish behavior, but you have not."

She did not reply.

"Tauriel, I would not be speaking with you if I did not believe something was truly wrong." He tried.

"There is nothing wrong Legolas. You are a fool. You do not understand their culture, nor do you understand me. Dwarfs are not as ugly and innate as you believe they are. And I am not as bewitched and cold as you believe me to be. I am simply curious, and now you have made me angry. Legolas, you must speak carefully."

He shook his head and breathed out through clenched teeth. "I am trying to understand, but I cannot. My mind is warped, and this is what I have decided to do, this is what I believe is right."

"Then you have a twisted sense of right and wrong." At that moment, she did not care if she was sending daggers into his heart.

He seemed quite stunned at that statement, and did not reply. After a long few moments, she sighed and spoke softly.

"Will you tell the King?" She asked, fearful of his answer.

"Tauriel. I am not sure. I may have to."

She spun back around, eyes full of venom. "You do not have to do anything! You did not have to do this! You did not need to accuse me of these things and you certainly did not need to scold me in a small hallway!"

She stormed off, her eyes full of tears, fueled by hurt and pain, anger and sadness, and a heart aching with emotion.