A/N: Have a sisterly moment between Fiona and Ithilwen while I work on the other stories. :) This little interlude takes place roughly after chapter 42, but it still puts a gap between that one and chapter 43.

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"Have you seen Ithilwen?" had been the question Legolas had asked Fiona not twenty minutes ago. She shrugged and told him that she wasn't sure, until her new father informed them both that she had made a run to the store for her mother. The prince seemed disappointed at this news, as he had been preparing the modern targets in the backyard to shoot. He had hoped that Ithilwen would have been there to see how much better the elven-crafted bows were compared to their "compound" counterpart that she had in her possession.

While Legolas had said it in a friendly manner of speaking, Fiona knew that the elf was really trying to impress her. After the near-falling out they had only days ago it was hard not to see that he was doing everything he could to improve her image of him. She couldn't blame the guy - they had really messed up by completely shutting her out of the loop.

As for herself, she was still waiting on the moment that she would have the unspoken threats carried out by her sister's hands. She had already been terrified by the garish-looking head in the fridge, but she knew there was more to come. There had to be; it was Ithilwen she was talking about.

Fiona heard the declaration of her return from the store from her seat on the back porch. Figuring everyone outside was pretty much caught up in their own conversations, she snuck back into the house to find Ithilwen.

The elleth was unbagging a handful of groceries when she entered, moving the items needing to be kept cold to their appropriate places. "Legolas was asking about you," Fiona told her, moving to put away the canned goods.

"Did he now?"

The tone was so...blase that it made Fiona curious. "What's up with you? I would have figured you would be thrilled to hear that."

"What are you talking about?"

"You guys have a fight?"

"What? No, of course not!" Ithilwen shook her head, tossing the soft tortilla shells in the fridge.

"Then what's the deal? You've got a prince trailing your every step and you act like you could care less. Most girls would sell both their kidneys for that opportunity!"

Ithilwen looked at her sister strangely, almost wanting to correct the statement but held her tongue as she saw the expression on Fiona's face. "There is no deal," she sighed, shutting the door to the fridge. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately, that's all."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The elleth shrugged. "That depends. Are you going to tease me about it?"

"That depends. What's the problem?" Fiona replied cheekily, but upon seeing her sister frown, she backpedaled. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Really, tell me what's going on."

It was a moment later before Ithilwen felt she could speak comfortably, and Fiona knew she had gone too far with the teasing in the past. They usually had serious talks about anything and everything. Then the events earlier in the year had taken place, and it all seemed to dissolve into jokes and snarky comments.

"It's about... It's about Legolas." Ithilwen finally got out.

Fiona knew it. "What's the problem? You guys are courting now, right?"

"Well yeah, but what then? What happens later?"

She had been about to ask what exactly she meant until it clicked. "Do you mean marriage?"

Ithilwen nodded.

"Okay, well Grandma says you two are fëa mates. Doesn't that sort of answer the question for you?"

"How can we be sure though?" Ithilwen tried not to whine. "I've been telling everyone for months that we were just friends, and now we're courting! But I'm not sure if we're courting as 'friends' or if it's going to lead to anything more serious! I just... I don't hate the idea of getting married, but it's not something I've given a lot of thought to, you know?"

"So you're saying you'd like to get married one day, but you won't know for certain until you feel certain that its what you want?"

"Yes! Exactly!"

"Ithilwen, I ask this in all seriousness. Is it the idea of possibly being eternally connected to Legolas that scares you?"

"I'm not scared, Fiona!" Ithilwen crossed her arms and sighed. "Okay, maybe I'm a little scared... I'm scared that what I'm feeling right now isn't real. What if we were to get married and I later realized that we weren't meant for each other? Not only would we both be in a bad position, but I'd break his heart, Fiona! And I'd lose my friend!"

Fiona moved from around the island to join her sister's side. "Why don't you slow down and tell me exactly what it is that you're feeling. Just flat out say what it is, and don't worry because everyone's in the backyard."

Ithilwen's face scrunched in frustration as she moved to look out the kitchen window. From her vantage point she could see many of the house members, but her eye went straight to the archer prince. The fitted shirt did nothing to hide the warrior's build as he took stance and drew back his bowstring. Seeing the muscles along his backside tense and flex with each movement made her whimper lightly, but she wasn't certain the noise was in her mind.

"Right now," she swallowed, "Right now I just want to go get Legolas, take him up to my room, lock the door, and ride him three ways from Sunday."

Fiona's eyebrows nearly hit her hairline. She had heard the noise Ithilwen made, but such a lewd declaration to be voiced was not what she expected. The only response she could come up with was, "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be against that idea".

"What is wrong with me?" Ithilwen groaned in despair. "Friends aren't supposed to like friends like this!"

"Mom and Dad began as friends, if you'll remember."

"Yeah, but-"

"Why is this 'friends' label bothering you so much, Ithilwen? Or is it the fact that sex equals marriage in your culture?" When Ithilwen said nothing, Fiona's eyes lit up with understanding. "Let me ask this then. If elves didn't have this boundary, and sex was practiced like it is here, would you sleep with Legolas then?"

Ithilwen felt her cheeks get hotter than they were. "...Does that make me a bad person if I said yes?"

"No, but you've just established that it's not sex that's got you out of sorts. It's the labels."

"I told you I'm not afraid of marriage-"

"But you're afraid of the word 'fëa mate', aren't you?" Fiona cut in. "You're scared to death that Grandma's wrong about this and that it'll ruin not only your relationship but your friendship. That's why you've been in denial for so long." She nudged her sister gently with her shoulder as they continued to watch out the window, "You forget that I know you almost as well as you know you," she grinned.

"But what am I supposed to do, Fiona?"

"I say you embrace what you both have between you. I've never seen you as happy with any other guy you've dated, so Legolas is doing something those others haven't. Forget any prophetic things and just go with what you heart says. Anyway, from the stories I've heard, Grandma's pretty much right about things."

Ithilwen smiled for the first time since she returned home. "Thanks, Fi."

"No problem. Glad I could help," Fiona replied. "And it doesn't help that he's a stack of raw muscle in tight jeans either," she added cheekily, watching her sister blush harder. "I couldn't help notice when I developed those pictures we took that he's pretty packed - I mean it's hard to miss!"

"That's NOT helping!" Ithilwen shrieked.

"I heard that whimper you made! You can't deny that you're one big walking tumblr post of 'UNF' whenever you stare at him!"

Ithilwen somehow went even redder, and Fiona was certain that her roots would begin to change color any minute. "I can't help it," she mumbled. "I just want to explore every muscle on him and see where they lead, like he's my own private model or something-"

"That you want to do unspeakable things with," Fiona finished.

The t-shirt Ithilwen was wearing had been pulled up to cover her face in embarrassment. "Sweet Elebreth yes..."

"You know I bet that's what he'd say if he knew you were showing your tatas to the backyard right now." Fiona took hold of her sister's hands and pried them loose from the shirt before it stretched beyond repair. "Is it okay if we switch topics now, cause this is kinda creeping me out."

"By all means," Ithilwen agreed. "Please do before my pores excrete lava. But how did you manage to take those pictures if my talking has messed you up?"

"Because I saw what I saw. I didn't have to imagine, which just gets outrageous when I talk with you." Both she and Ithilwen returned to watching the activities in the backyard silently, until, "I think I might have a crush on your cousin."

"Which one?" Ithilwen knew, but she just wanted to mess with her.

"The one with the dark hair."

"That's about as helpful as asking me what Tim Burton movie had Johnny Depp in it."

Fiona flushed pink. "Fine, it's Elladan. Happy?"

"Was it really that hard to admit?"

"He's your cousin? I'm your sister? Think woman, can you hear the banjoes playing in the distance?!"

Ithilwen laughed. "I don't think the no-cousin-love rule applies when you're not blood related in our culture, Fiona. What do you think of him?"

"I think he can be really immature at times, but then again I'm not exactly a saint," she answered. "I find him handsome, and he's funny. He's very nice to me as well. And I think I might have enjoyed that kiss goodnight more than I should have, considering I barely know him."

"Nana and I got zapped out of middle-earth when I was infant-size, remember? I'm getting to know my own cousins just like you are. Furthermore, didn't you just tell me not ten minutes ago to 'go with what my heart says'?"

"I really hate it when you throw my words back at me."

"That's what older sisters do," Ithilwen smiled smugly.

"Oh, is that how it is?" Fiona asked. "Then I ask this: you and Legolas still share that empathic connection, right? How do you know that he didn't feel the UNF moment you had earlier? Or that he somehow heard what you said?"

What color had been in Ithilwen's cheeks drained just as quickly as it came.

"I bet Legolas would find it interesting to learn that his little 'melamin' had such a dirty mind."

"Fiona-"

"And to think, you looked so pure and innocent in that white gown yesterday."

"Fiona, I swear to god-"

"I mean 'three ways from Sunday'? We're talking a three day weekend here!"

"FIONA!" Ithilwen hissed.

"What?" Fiona whipped around to look at her sister, whose eyes looked positively lethal in that moment.

"You'd better run."

"Sorry?"

"You're not getting another warning."

"Now hang on-"

"I meant it."

When Ithilwen took a step towards her, Fiona knew right then that shit just became serious. With a startled yelp she managed to duck out of the elleth's reach and fly out of the kitchen into the adjoining room, but Ithilwen was right on her heels. It took some effort for Ithilwen's light footed steps to leave an echo to match her sister's, but it was the only noise she made as she chased her sister around the dining room table and into the hall.

Outside, all action and conversation halted as a sudden scream echoed through the house. Before anyone could move, the back door flew open, and out came a terrified Fiona who stumbled down the steps of the porch. Seconds later the screen door banged open again and Ithilwen had appeared, complete with wild hair and a flushed face. She cleared the porch steps like they were nothing and tore through the grass in bare feet after her sister, who began to pray to everyone from Jesus to Buddha to Duffman to save her from her crazy sister.

Morwen, looking more put out than surprised, called out across the yard. "For Eru's sake, Ithilwen! Whatever she did this time, just let - it - go!"

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A/N: And just like conversations with my own sister, I'm usually the one to take the sudden left turn into Weird City. Did you honestly expect it to stay serious? XD

I'm in the middle of a pile of work right now that includes fanfic, but the headache I've had all evening is killing inspiration to do any of it. But I'm going to keep going because it needs to be done! I have a growing pile of art I want to share too, but I haven't gotten around to scanning it yet. Lol So hopefully by the time I get the next chapter for Lead Me Home written, it will be on my tumblr!