Disclaimer: not mine, don't sue.

Author's note: um, since the thanks were starting to take up quite a lot of space (which is good! Lol) , I've shifted them to the bottom after the chapter… so that people who only want to read the fic can get straight to it… ^_^

Dedication: To Maia for appreciating Legolas… when appreciating means swooning uncontrollably over him and wanting to jump his bones everytime you see his image… hee!

As Faramir stared at Legolas's dazed, innocent eyes, he was transfixed, held by the power of the purity that was radiating off the elf.

Wrestling with his inner lust, his yearning to possess this fair creature, he inhaled deeply, harshly.

Faramir clenched his hands, fisting them so tightly that his veins stood out starkly, rigidly.

His nails pierced his palms forcefully, causing a trickle of blood to slip between his fingers, falling softly onto Legolas's bare chest.

The crimson drop fanned out across the creamy white skin, mesmerizing in its startling contrast of colors.

Faramir's lips trembled as his tongue snaked out and licked away the drop of blood.

Reaching out a tremulous hand, he gently stroked Legolas's face, savoring the very sensation.

*******

Legolas was drowning uncontrollably.

He clawed desperately for air, begging for strength to drag himself out of this mire he was trapped in.

He couldn't see a way out of this abyss of darkness and he seemed to have relinquished all control of his limbs.

Legolas felt oddly disconnected from his body, unable to discern any sensation at all from his usually intensely responsive senses.

He was willing to swear that his eyes were wide open but everything was blurred and indistinguishable as formless shapes vacillated before his eyes.

His senses had all deserted him and he was overwhelmed and stricken by this unpreceded incident.

In a corner of his mind, he supposed he was petrified.

However, in the midst of all the fear, confusion and bewilderment, only one thought engulfed Legolas's mind.

I did not even bid Aragorn farewell.

********

The faint tangy taste of the blood remained in Faramir's mouth as he bowed his head, his nerves torn and his mind overwhelmed.

Finally, he raised his head, a new spark of light igniting his eyes as he made a final decision.

I would not act on this basest, most despicable desire.

I could not.

Pressing his lips softly against Legolas's delicate, pliant lips, Faramir smiled bitterly.

Slipping his arms under the elf's body, he laboriously clothed Legolas, his movements jerky and reluctant.

Faramir had to constantly battle his thoughts that were belittling him for his lack of courage, his lack of manhood.

Shut up! He screamed inwardly.

I will make him give himself to me willingly one day. Faramir promised himself, holding the lifeless elf possessively.

I will.

********

Aragorn paced feverishly outside the stone walls that entombed Helm's Deep, his eyes constantly searching the wide expanses for any sign of Legolas returning.

He was so confused, so torn that he could not keep still. Fidgeting uneasily, his darting eyes suddenly caught sight of figures on the horizon of his vision.

Blinking rapidly, he wondered briefly if his eyes were deceiving him.

Inhaling swiftly, harshly, fear swept through his chaotic mind as Aragorn grasped the reins of a snorting, startled horse.

Ignoring the yells of protest from the even more astonished warrior that was previously leading his horse into the compounds of Helm's Deep, Aragorn urged the horse on, praying that no harm had befell his beloved.

*********

"Legolas!" Aragorn gasped as he reached Faramir who was possessively holding a seemingly unconscious Legolas.

Reaching out a trembling hand to caress Legolas's ashen, lifeless face, Aragorn's heart wrenched with pain.

"What happened?" Aragorn demanded, smoothly dismounting from his horse.

His face grim and solemn, Faramir replied in a convincingly sincere voice, "Legolas appears to be stricken with some illness."

"Elves do not succumb to illness," Aragorn snapped, his eyes suspicious and wary.

Faramir merely shrugged helplessly, only a brief flash of emotion flickering in his eyes as he reluctantly relinquished the elf in his arms to Aragorn.

Aragorn reverently, carefully placed Legolas on the horse and settled himself firmly behind him, his arms protectively wrapped around the elf's slender waist.

"Everything will be fine," Aragorn whispered into Legolas's delicately pointed ears, pain twisting inside him at the sight of the lack of spirit, vivacity that normally resided in his lover's eyes.

#########

Author's note 2: *heh* I realise it's kinda anti-climatic… but I couldn't write the ahem, ahem scene… I felt it would be too brutal… ^_^

Cheysuli- Thanks for liking it enough to post it! Hee… I used to love the books by Jennifer Robertson about the cheysuli…*day-dreams*

Jadey- hee! Yep, am afraid Aragorn's secret will come out someday… and in the most terrible way too… *heh* Thanks so much for your praise about Faramir… *giggles* am afraid he didn't do it after all… hope you weren't too disappointed! Thanks again for being so sweet!

Ami Winner- *grin* dun, dun, dun finally ended… *beams* Legolas reminds me of an angel so much… esp in this picture where he's in white and there's this light just shining on him… he looks like he's glowing… *sigh* do angels glow? Lol!

Yuzira- *giggles* yes, yes, Faramir's misguided… but at least he's being quite nice now huh? Hee, I guess you really do detest Eowyn… thanks for liking the fic!

Goddess of death- *backs away slowly* so you're already nuts? *gulps* I hope you continue to like this enough to not kill me… lol!

MoroTheWolfGod- *giggles* Aragorn didn't save Legolas but there wasn't really a need to … and he's not little is he?! Haha…

Ethelea- hmmmm… I never thought of whether Eowyn might have pretended they ahem-ahem… *heh* I'm afraid they did… hee! Yes, Haldir must have felt terrible when they killed him… *giggles* but on the bright side, people were so upset about it and made such a fuss that he became really popular! Lol!

Aislinn- hee! Actually I think Legolas's eyes change colour… they were violet and blue and brown… but I like violet best!

Mystical elf- Thanks and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^_^

Nibintaur Greenleaf- thanks… and I hope you liked what happened… hee!

Loanshark- *giggles* I didn't hurt Legolas! Hee! I couldn't… I just wanna protect him.. *heh* thanks for liking it!

Dutchysgoil- hee! The pain is just starting…*drools* yep, I also wanna give Leggy hugs and kisses… and ahem, ahem… haha… thanks!

Moonfairy2000- Thank you! ^_^

Fleur101- I will! Thanks! *beams*

Padme Sky- *giggles* Faramir seems to be quite a wanted man… everybody wants him dead! Hee! *grin* awwww, I'm glad you feel sorry for Eowyn… I do feel kinda sorry for her, to be in love with someone that's never going to love you… *sigh* thanks for being so supportive!

MaluElvellon- hee! This fic is getting eek?! Haha… it sounds so scandalous… yep, they should be smacked for attempting to break up the cutest (and hottest) couple in MiddleEarth… *grin*

Lena- I'm not gonna stop! Thanks for liking it! *beams*

Miss CJ- Thanks so much for your praise! I'm glad you're in love with Legolas/ Aragorn again… they're just so hot together… *dreamy sigh*

Mako- hee! I though you were gonna say, "His? As if! He's mine!!!!!"…. haha, I guess that's just what I would say… *giggles* hope you liked chapter 10!

Lighthouse- This is ASAP for me! *beams* hope you liked it!

Blue Mystic Moon Warrior- Thanks… and I'm sorry but I'm really not into that fandom so I didn't read the fic you recommended… I had no idea who was who! ^_^

OrlibloomedMe- *hugs* you were grounded?! Poor thing! Was it because you were doing ahem-ahem things to the Legolas chained to your bed?! *giggles*

Bittersweet angel- *beams* you had chills?! How cool! *giggles* here's more!