Here's the next chapter for you, ASAP as promised! You seemed to like the last chapter, so I hope you enjoy this one just as much.

By the way, after this chapter, there are only 2 left! I know, it is very short. But…there is a sequel! I just haven't got a name for it yet! ^_^

Thanks you for all my lovely reviews, and replies are below. ^_^

~Lainfaer~

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Kept-Secret – Definitely! Did I update soon enough? Hope so! ^_^ Thanks for reviewing.  

SEP – You like rum? SO DO I!!! I also lurve getting hyper. Can I get hyper with you? *pulls out bottle of coke* Yep, it's the Coke that gets me most! Heehee….

Two of my stories? Cool. ^_^

Thanks for reviewing. I hope I posted this chapter quick enough. ^_^

seeing-spots- I love your name! Heehee, it's great! I'm glad you liked it. Here's the next chapter for you. Thanks for reviewing. ^_^  

Starlit Hope- I know, *sniff, sniff* poor Leggy! Everyone seems to call him that. It suits him, don't you think? ^_^

Thanks for reviewing. ^_^

The Marauders Dragon – Depression? Uh oh….my readers are passing out on me *makes a quick getaway*

Just kiddin!

I inspired you?! Wow, I'm an inspirer, (if that is even a word!)  I'll tell Astalder to watch out for you. It seems many of my female readers are after him. Hmm…

Yeah, I got Cheysuli's review! I was literally dancing! Heehee. I'm glad you like my story, and thank you very much for reviewing. Do so again please! ^_^

TheSilentSenshi – The twins wanted Haldir because he has seen a raped Elf before. More of that will be in the sequel to this story. In time, (hopefully) I will be able to answer all your questions. Haldir's just going to try and make our dear Leggy see sense. After all, he does love Astalder. Well, not any more…

Thank you very much for reviewing. You always give me nice ones!  ^_^

Legolas4me – Wonderful? COOL! I couldn't make Thranduil anything but nice. Anyone who is related to Leggy has top be nice, surely? Else, where would he have got his innocence and sweetness from? ^_^

Thank you very much for reviewing. ^_^

Elerrina – Yeah, SuperHal. Like it? Heehee…

Thanks for reviewing. ^_^

Cheysuli – *fans Cheysuli's face, trying to wake her up after she passed out*   

Yay, you again! *dances*

*composes self*

Anyway…

Yes, of course you are a legend! I have been told to tell you from 'The Marauders Dragon' to update, because (in her words) 'his/her story kicks butt'. Ok? Good. I totally agree by the way. Keep Breathing that is. ^_^

I tried to make all the lines touch peoples' hearts, ya know? I ended up getting a bit too deep, and had to change it a bit! But I think the end result was ok.

You can wake up now. I hope you didn't hit your head when you passed out from shock! ^_^ *fans again*

Thanks again for reviewing! ^_^

Haldir's Heart and Soul – Keep your fingers crossed, cos its gonna be a rough ride for our littlwe Leggy. But, I'm sure with friends like his, he'll make it. Maybe…

Teehee…

Thanks for reviewing. ^_^

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Chapter 5: Watching and Waiting.

The twins and Haldir decided to take it in turns to watch over Legolas. Haldir was tired from his journey, and so rested first, as did Elrohir. Elladan wanted to stay with Legolas first.

When the other two left, he sat back in silence for a while, pondering what he should say to the Prince when he did wake up. Would he shout at him, for believing Astalder really did love him? Would he comfort him, because he would certainly need comfort? Or would he let Legolas cry on his shoulder, and give him advice on what to do about everything.

He couldn't shout at his best friend, no matter how unwisely he had acted. He would comfort him, and be a shoulder to cry on. Legolas would need one, after his ordeal. He would be weak again, alone and frightened. He would have to re-live the entire thing for Lord Elrond, then decide whether or not to place charges against his lover. 

//Soon-to-be former-lover.//

Elladan grinned at this thought. Yes, Astalder had brought it upon himself. He would lose Legolas' love completely now. Legolas was no longer under his control. He would be in charge of his own life again, once he was back on his feet. Elladan would help him, as would everyone else. The true Astalder would be brought to light, and the population of Rivendell would surely turn against him. After all, nobody wanted a rapist in their midst.

Legolas stirred in his sleep, and Elladans' eyes darted to look at him. But he looked no different than five minutes ago. Elladan sighed. Astalder was definitely going to pay this time, no matter what it took to get Legolas to press charges.

Two hours later, Elrohir arrived to take watch over their friend. No words passed between the brothers, just a curt nod of the head, and Elladan left the room, Elrohir sitting in his seat beside the bed. 

Haldir relieved him two hours later, and this continued throughout the course of the following two days. Still, Legolas did not wake up. They began to worry. Surely he should not be sleeping for this long.

"You would be surprised," Elrond told them when they questioned him about it. "Legolas has been through an awful lot of pain and distress. His body needs to recover, and so he will need to sleep for quite a long time. He should wake up in the next day or so."

So, they kept up their routine of staying with him, increasing the amount of time to three hours each. Even though he had hardly spoken to Legolas, Haldir felt as if he was bonding with him already. He felt a great sadness overcome him when he saw the state the young Prince was in, and even more so when he heard of everything that had happened to him, and if there was more besides…he did not know how Legolas had stood for it all. He was clearly a very strong character, but had been weakened dramatically over the past few weeks. Haldir would make sure he recovered fully, and would stay by his side as long as he was needed there.

It was during the change of watch between Elrohir and Haldir that Legolas began to show signs of waking. The two Elves watched with baited breath as he stirred, his eyes flickering a little.

"Fetch your father," Haldir told Elrohir. He nodded and ran to get Elrond.

Haldir swept over to Legolas' side and sub-consciously took his hand. At first, he had been as cold as ice, but had been slowly getting warmer over the past few days. Haldir gripped it affectionately.

"Legolas, echuivo. Saes Legolas, edro-líncín hends an nin. Echuivo Legolas. (Legolas, wake up. Please Legolas, open your eyes for me. Wake up Legolas.)"

Legolas stirred again, hearing a voice calling his name from somewhere far away. He could feel a warm hand encircling his, and he squeezed it in question.

He got a squeeze in return, and slowly opened his eyes.

There was a light-haired Elf sat beside him, and for a brief moment, panic seized him as he thought it was Astalder. But another look told him it wasn't.

The hair was much lighter, the eyes greyer. The face friendlier, the expression warmer. The smile more welcoming…

Legolas smiled thinly back, opening his eyes a fraction further.

Haldir smiled down at him again. "Thanks for joining us again Legolas."

"Mmm." It was all the Elf-Prince could manage to mumble at that point.

Just then, Elrohir arrived back with Elrond and Elladan on his tail. Haldir moved aside for Elrond to get to the Prince, but once again, he did not break eye contact with Legolas.

Legolas was sure he recognised the Elf that had awoken him. He had definitely seen him somewhere before. He just couldn't think where.

"Legolas," he heard Elrond say. He turned his gaze to him.

"How well can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," he whispered in answer.

The twins and Haldir breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Legolas was going to make a good recovery.

Elrond smiled, and proceeded to check Legolas' outer wounds. "These are healing well," he observed. "How do you feel inside?"

"Bruised."

"You're bound to. Don't worry, in a few days, you will feel much better."

Legolas smiled. But it quickly faded. "Where is Astalder?"

Elrond frowned. "We don't know Legolas. He has not been seen since the incident. Why?"

"I want to strangle him personally."

The twins then proceeded to jump around the room happily, cheering. Legolas grinned at them.

"He's finally seen sense!" Elladan yelled. 

"At long last!" Elrohir added. They embraced each other, tears of joy streaming down their cheeks.

"Calm down you two for goodness sakes. Legolas needs to rest. Having you jumping around his room like a pair of maniacs won't help." They immediately stopped at the stern tone in their fathers' voice.

"Thank you. Now Legolas, you just get some more rest, and I'll shall return in a couple of hours."

Legolas nodded. "Thank you my Lord."

Elrond smiled. "No problem Legolas." He gave his sons one last glance, then returned to his study.

The three went back to Legolas' side. "We were so worried," Elrohir whispered, taking his friends' hand. 

"We really thought we had lost you this time," Elladan added.

"You'll never get rid of me, sorry."

"That's the whole point you idiot! We want you to stay!" Elrohir chided.

Legolas just grinned again, then looked at Haldir. "Who are you?" he asked softly.

"I am Haldir, my Lord," he replied, tilting his head towards him.

"Marchwarden of Lothlórien?"

"Aye, that is me."

"It is an honour to meet you."

"As it is you my Lord." Legolas blushed slightly. He hated the term 'my Lord'. It sounded so formal and boring.

"Please, just call me Legolas," he insisted, smiling.

"Very well. Legolas it is."

"Have I seen you before?"

Haldir looked at the other two before answering. "Briefly. I found you a few days ago, just after…"

"I was attacked?"

"Yes."

Legolas smiled. "I thought I recognised you. You took care of me."

"I only put a blanket over you to keep you warm."

"So? You still helped a great deal. Hannon lle."

Haldir smiled. "If you say so." 

Legolas yawned. "Get some sleep," Elladan told him firmly. "You're still weak."

Legolas scowled, but did not reply. He relaxed, and eventually drifted into a light sleep.

"He likes you," Elrohir told Haldir.

"Does he?"

"Yes, you can see it in his eyes. When he looks at you, they sparkle. That's always a good sign. And he smiles when he talks to you. You're going to get on well."

"That's good." Haldir smiled down at the sleeping Prince. "He looks so peaceful now, as if he has forgotten everything that has happened to him. Don't you think so?" The other two looked at their sleeping friend, and Haldir was right. Legolas looked completely at peace, as if he had no troubles at all.

"He is healing much faster than we thought he would," Elladan said. "It normally takes much longer for a ravaged Elf to regain that much strength. He was talking plentifully. It's a good sign. He will eventually heal completely I hope."

"With you two by his side, I am sure he will," Haldir told them, smiling.

"And you," Elrohir answered, smiling back. "You will stay for quite a while, won't you?"

"Of course I will. I will stay for as long as he needs me. but I will have to return to Lothlórien eventually. I have an important role there."

"We know that, and we are very grateful to you for coming. But we didn't know who else to turn to," Elladan replied.

"Fair enough. How long since he saw his family?"

"Over a century. Astalder cut off all his letters home, and wouldn't let him travel back to Mirkwood. That's how much power he had over Legolas." 

Haldirs' eyes narrowed. "Its disgusting, it really is. I hate it when I see people hurt like this. It's not right."

"It's immoral," Elrohir agreed, still holding Legolas' hand. "But he's safe now. We have achieved what we set out to do. Now there's just the long road of recovery and recuperation."

"Not quite," Elladan reminded him. "There's still Astalder to deal with."

"Once we find him, Legolas will press charges, and he won't be seen ever again inside the borders of Imladris," Elrohir assured him. "Adar will make sure of that, not forgetting our dear King Thranduil of course, who is very protective of all his children."

They laughed. "He will most likely throttle Astalder on the spot," Elladan pondered aloud.

"I wouldn't blame him personally," Haldir agreed. "I'd probably give him a hand. It's no less than that brute deserves."

"There's going to be rather a long queue for asphyxiating Astalder then,?" Elrohir asked. "Me, you two, Legolas, King Thranduil, Legolas' brother and sisters, Adar, Astalders' dear brother Glorfindel, Arwen…"

"The list is endless," Elladan concluded. They all laughed again.

"What body part would you like to mutilate then?" Elrohir asked Haldir.

"I'm having his head!" Elladan butted in.

"I'll have his legs then," Haldir said. "You can twist legs into all sorts of nice positions when you try."

They then progressed onto which parts of Astalders' anatomy they would each like to disfigure as best they could. 

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"What am I going to do now?"

"Whatever you wish Legolas."

"But everything is so messed up. I don't even know what day it is; my memory has deserted me. I feel numb, weak, and helpless. I don't know what to do, what to say, or where to go. Everything's just a blur."

"Don't worry yourself too much Legolas, it won't help your recovery. You must relax, and let your mind forget."

"But I cannot forget! How am I meant to forget about everything he has ever done to me? How can I just…move on, leave it all behind me? How can I do that so easily Haldir?"

The Marchwardens' expression softened. "I know it is hard Legolas, but you must believe me when I say this. I have seen this kind of thing before, lovers being abused, but never this bad. What has happened to you over these past years is unforgivable. You will never fully move on, totally forget what he has done to you, but you will eventually get over it in a sense. Your body will learn to improve, mend itself. You will recover, I promise." He took the Princes' hand in his own, noting how thin Legolas felt beneath his touch.

"I really don't understand you Haldir," Legolas smiled at him, gripping the Elf's hand weakly. "You say you have seen this before, yet you don't seem affected by it."

"Of course I am. I have seen my kin, other Elves, beaten and raped. I have lived on this Earth long enough, believe me. It has caused me to put up walls, barriers against love. I am frightened to love, and be loved in return. I have seen what love can do to a person. It can either give them great joy and happiness, or fill their lives with sorrow, tear away at their heart and soul. It can destroy a person Legolas." 

"Is that what was happening to me?" Legolas asked, fear shining clearly in the deep blue depths of his eyes. "Was my heart being torn, my soul being ripped from me?"

Haldir sighed. "It is hard to tell, but I believe it was. You were so in love with him that you could not see that all he was doing was bad. You thought he loved you, and you had every right to think that. Perhaps he did at first, I don't know, but maybe that's all he ever wanted you for. Power. He had a great sense of dominance over you, and it had spiralled out of control. He was using you for his own pleasure. Any love that had been between you was long gone."

Legolas looked down at his other hand that lay upon the bed-sheets. He felt tears well up behind his closed eyelids. So many people had warned him, told him what Astalder was really like, but he had ignored their counsel. He was paying for it now. He had almost paid for it with his life.

Haldir saw the look of defeat on Legolas' face, and felt his own heart break in two for the young Prince. He knew not how to comfort a broken-hearted Elf, not properly, and he feared to touch Legolas, in case he rejected him. He just squeezed Legolas' hand, and slid a little closer to the bed on his chair.

Legolas looked back at him, the tears now falling. "Hold me Haldir," he begged in an undertone. "Please? I need someone to…hold me, but not in the way that Astalder used to. I need a friend."  

That was Haldirs' breaking point. He slid up onto the bed beside Legolas, and held the Prince in a strong embrace as he cried onto his shoulder. His arms fitted easily around Legolas' slender frame, and he could feel his ribs through his nightshirt. Legolas had lost an incredible amount of weight, and he needed to put it back on.

He whispered soothing words in the Princes' ear, trying desperately to help him find solace in his arms. He could feel his own tears forming, and chided himself for being so emotional at a time like this. Legolas needed him to be strong, and here he was, almost crying!

Legolas gripped the back of his tunic like a child clinging to its mother. His hair had been cut shorter, as the blood had dried and was impossible to wash out. He hated having it so short, and as he cried onto Haldirs' shoulder, the older Elf fingered it in his hands. It was soft and feathery now, like it should always be. It had no braids, and curtained Legolas' face as he leant against Haldir for support. //A golden wave of silk// Haldir thought.

Soon, Legolas pulled away, wiping his eyes. "Hannon lle Haldir. Im baur tó. (Thank you Haldir. I needed that.)"       

"Ista-im. (I know)." He cupped Legolas' cheek gently in his hand. "Get some sleep. You need it."

Legolas nodded and lay down, but before Haldir stood up, he grabbed his arm. "I meant it. Thank you Haldir. You're being so kind to me, yet I hardly know you."

Haldir just smiled and laid Legolas' hand back down on the bed. "Sleep, Legolas. I will see you later."

Legolas nodded, and fell into a restful slumber.

Haldir sat back in his chair and watched the sleeping Prince. There were obvious tearstains on Legolas' cheeks, but they would soon fade. Along with all the other bruises and marks from his various beatings. Everything would fade, and one day, there would be no evidence of such a horrible incident ever happening. One day, Legolas would be free of the pain, the sorrow. His bonds would be cut loose, and he would no longer be bound to the fate that had succumbed him over the past century. He would no longer be the quiet, misguided Prince miles away from home. He would be Legolas; Prince of Mirkwood, a strong and capable warrior, able to withstand whatever life threw at him.

Haldir smiled at his thoughts. He was right, he knew he was. Legolas would recover, and return home. He would be reunited with his family, and would soon forget all about Astalder, and everything that had happened in Rivendell. Haldir felt proud that he was being a part of his recovery. He would help him get better, and would even take him home personally.   

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Next chapter coming very soon, as long as I get plenty of reviews of course! Heehee… ^_^

~Lainfaer~