Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Not even the quotes.
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"You can't always get what you want." – The Rolling Stones

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It would be their last night on the long journey back to Rivendell. The day had passed without a significant event and Legolas was glad to see that Annowe had returned to her normal self for the most part. He didn't like it much when she became quiet and brooding. It was unnatural and made him extremely uncomfortable. Besides, brooding was his territory, not hers.

After they had eaten and settled down for the evening, she again brought out her comb and sat behind him to comb his hair. He smiled. He was beginning to enjoy the ritual as much as she did and it soothed them both.

When she had finished combing and re-braiding his hair, she sat down in front of him with her knees touching his and looked at him for a long time. For all her seniority, he could still read every thought on her face. She was simply too honest for deception and he loved her for it.

"I want you," she suddenly said, startling him.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"You heard me," she answered and continued to watch him through her dark eyes.

He was completely stunned by her revelation and didn't quite know what to make of it. Before he could respond, she placed two fingers over his parted lips. "No, don't say anything. I'm tired of dancing around this. There it is. You can take it or leave it but there it is anyway, for what it's worth." She was glad to finally get that out in the open and sighed to be relieved of the burden, letting her fingers fall from his lips.

They sat there staring at each other for several long minutes as a flood of emotions and thoughts overwhelmed his senses. She could see the conflicting thoughts pass over his features and waited patiently for him to digest the information.

"But?" He finally asked, feeling there was a "but" in there somewhere that he had missed.

She swallowed hard, trying to keep from crying. She had started it and she intended to finish it, no matter how deeply it hurt her.

"But," she whispered to him gently and stroked his alabaster cheek. "But I cannot have you."

His hand closed over hers and he tenderly kissed her palm as he closed his eyes. She wished fervently that he would stop doing that – it made her knees weak and threatened to undermine her resolve in the matter.

She sighed heavily and bit back a sob. Why did he have to be so beautiful? "I wish it were not so. I am bound to this world in a way that you are not. No good could ever come of it."

He didn't say anything but continued to hold her hand against his cheek, wanting to remember the feel of her hand on his skin. When he finally spoke, it was in a barely audible whisper. "I know." He said as he opened his eyes to look at her.

"Then you also know that your touch cuts me deeper than any of your arrows could," she chided him softly. "Simply because I cannot fight it nor can I succumb to it."

He didn't say anything. He understood completely because he felt the same way. He must have known it for years but never realized it until they had been alone these last two months together.

"How long have you known?" he wondered and continued to hold her hand.

She smiled sadly, "oh, I've known it for years and years." Characteristically, she tried to lighten the mood by adding, "I was hoping you'd find some nice elf to settle down with so I could forget about it. But you haven't."

He closed his eyes against the pain. "How could I?" he whispered. "My heart had already been stolen although I did not realize it."

Despite her best efforts, a tear slid down her cheek and she pulled her hand away from him to wipe it away. "Don't - don't say anymore. You're not making this any easier on me." She stood up and turned away from him.

"It shouldn't be easy," he countered irritably, rising to his feet. Now that it was out in the open, did she expect him to forget about it? How could he?

"Legolas, please," she begged turning back to him. "I didn't tell you to upset you. I'm tired of dancing around this. It was killing me. I never expected anything to come of it, please believe me."

"So why did you tell me this?" he demanded coldly and drew away from her.

"I wanted you to know," she said quietly, hesitantly reaching for him.

He scowled darkly at her and avoided her touch. "You wanted me to know? Why? You had previously decided that nothing would ever come of it so why bother bringing it up now?"

Her lip quivered and she cursed herself. "I told you because I'm afraid," she sniffed, lowering her eyes from his now cold stare.

"Afraid? You've never feared anything in your life," he snorted, still smarting from her insinuation that he should just forget about it.

With an effort, she held her temper in check. She knew she had hurt him deeply and his sarcasm was his way of masking the pain.

"I'm afraid that Sauron will complete his evil plans and - and lay waste to the land and everything in it. Including and especially you, Prince of Mirkwood," she raised her head and stared at him defiantly.

It took a few seconds before he realized what she had said. "Sauron's evil plans", "lay waste to the land", "especially you," he repeated in his mind and the chill crept over him again. Yes, she had every reason to fear. He could see the fear and pain clearly on her face and cursed his selfishness.

Silently, he drew her into his arms and held her close, murmuring soothing words to her as she buried her face into his chest and cried. Her small hands clung to his back as she shook with fear for him and their world.

"I don't want this again, Legolas," she sobbed. "You were too young to remember the last war against Sauron but I'm not. It was worse than terrible. I lost," here her voice caught and he squeezed her reassuringly. "I lost many friends and, and," the rest of her words were lost in uncontrollable sobs.

He held her for a long time and stroked her hair as her tears soaked his tunic.

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