"Gods, Haldir! I mean...he really scared me!" The elf gave her a sidelong glance as if to say "I highly doubt that!" then continued his stroll down the aisle of books. Anne trailed along. "I mean it! He was looming over me and doing that 'I-am-Legolas-the-one-who-shall-crush-you-like-a-fly' thing! It's a miracle I did not fail with my mission right then and there!"

This time Haldir couldn't hold back any longer. "Mission? Anne...where I come from that would have been deemed 'meddling'."

"Well where you are NOW –that, being New York- it's called 'assistance to fools who can't do it themselves'."

Haldir's gaze glided over the open book in his hands. "I have to agree with that much," he sighed, then closed the item and placed it back on the shelf, resuming his walk. "And what is more important is that you succeeded in finally bringing two poles together." He gave her another glance. "Judging that you managed what Legolas failed to do, I assume that your measures must have been...drastic?"

"Eh...not...really," Anne choked out.

The elf turned to her suddenly. "Then how did you convince him?"

Anne, seemingly having gained a sudden interest in the book in front of her nose, her fingers playing with the back of it, didn't answer right away. She had no intention of revealing her lie about Russel to Haldir. No doubt Haldir, too, would engage in one of those 'I-am-Haldir-you-little-mortal-fly!' things and having witnessed it in Legolas, she disliked the idea very much. "I told him that she is sick," she said finally, adding an innocent shrug.

Haldir gave her a long look. "That's all?"

Anne shrugged again. Since it was kind of hard to lie to an elf in the face, she decided to walk around it. "I think that's enough. And it IS true." Anne rolled her eyes despite herself. "True enough it's only the flu. But I might have...made it look a TAD more serious when I told Legolas." She grinned a little to that.

His dubious look continued for another moment, then Haldir went back to his routine of checking books on the shelf in the vastly large bookstore while the woman kept pace with him. "It is not the flu," he said finally, "and Lord Legolas knows that." His bright blue eyes met hers and held her gaze. "That is why he went as he did."

Anne just stared at him. "How do you mean?" Haldir didn't answer right away so Anne grabbed his forearm. "What is it, then?"

"It is a physical reaction to the violation of the Bond," he sighed, picking up another volume from the shelf, but keeping it closed.

"Bond? What Bond?"

"THE Bond," was the reply. "The Bond between Legolas and Irulan, of course."

"They have a Bond?" The incredulous look she received in return made Anne feel like an imbecile. "You mean the Sharing?" she said, a bit impatient.

"That, too. Sharing is a very strong Bond," he nodded. "But they share the Bond of Love. Nothing can break it. Nothing – other than willing surrender." If she was confused before, she was beyond confusion now and she was certain that it was showing on her face. Nevertheless, he seemed patient enough to wait it out, slowly Haldir replaced the book and turned to address Anne. "Why are you so confused?"

"Well...this seems a bit...I don't understand!" she said, maybe a bit too loud. She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "You mean they are in love, yes?"

"Yes, of course they are in love."

"I know that people who are in love or close friends and stuff...they have bonds. They can sense each other's state even if they are far away from one another. Like twins, right?"

He cocked his head –a strange action for an elf, because it made him look almost young and naive- and thought about it for a moment. "Correct. Ties of such nature are very strong and most people experience it in this or that fashion. But the tie that Irulan and Legolas hold is stronger yet." Again, she didn't fully understand and this time he didn't linger with an explanation. "It is hard to explain. But I can tell you this – there is only one true love for each of us. True, we brush by love many times and we might feel very strong feelings for many different people. But their intensity is never the same and the love you share with your true match is incomparable to the love you will feel to any other."

"Soulmates?" she guessed, feeling at a loss again. These sentimental and romantic issues were not exactly Anne's realm. She liked the matchmaking and the meddling, but when it came to sentimentalism, she was not the best of her gender.

He nodded again. "Yes. Only a handful of us are lucky enough to find our true match. But we have many lifetimes to try and can only hope to meet each other more than once."

"How do we know that it's our soulmate?"

This time it was his turn to shrug. "We don't. You cannot know that until you meet him or her."

"But you can love nevertheless?"

"Of course! You will fall in love many times – but never like that. And only when you fall in love like that, will you understand that what you thought was love before, was a silly infatuation compared to what hit you now."

She thought about this for a minute and Haldir waited in silence. "Then maybe theirs is not true love either? I mean, how can we know? Maybe Legolas will meet someone else some day and discover that SHE is his true love?"

The Marchwarden shook his head. "No. When it hits you, you know. You know beyond a doubt. Especially when you are an elf. And if you have any doubt – the Bond proves it."

Again, Anne hesitated. "What is it like, this Bond?"

"Nothing is stronger," Haldir said slowly, gazing down at her.

"Because Legolas is an elf?"

"No. It is equally strong between humans. But the Sharing has, no doubt, added to it."

He turned around and began to walk leisurely again and Anne followed in deep brooding. "But you said it is being violated! So it CAN break."

"I never said it can break. I said it can be violated – by a willing surrender. Irulan, in her heart, has begun to lose hope in Legolas, in their relationship and in herself."

"And it made her sick?!" was the incredulous question.

"Why is that so strange?" Haldir said, looking down at her. "People get sick from grief. From longing. Even from suppressed anger and fear."

"Yes but..." she found nothing to say to that, so she shut up.

"The violation of such a Bond will, no doubt, have its physical toll."

"Will it get worse?" was her next and rather anxious question.

"I doubt it," he sighed, pulling out another book and reading the back cover. "The illness itself is nothing too serious – for a human, anyway. Since elves do not naturally get ill, it might have graver consequences for my kind. But anyway – her body and her spirit will get over it and she will heal in time."

"What will happen to the Bond?"

"I do not know," he said and for the first time sounded concerned. "But," he added a moment later, seemingly eager to delve into merrier avenues, "Legolas seemed very happy when I saw him afterwards. He told me that she did not refuse him this time. It would not surprise me if, with his intervention, she would begin to heal again very soon."

"Thanks to me!" she beamed and Haldir chuckled, shaking his head. "I should have known! So Legolas immediately knew that it wasn't the flu? He knew that she was giving up on him?"

Haldir halted in his steps then. "See...that is the part I am confused about," he mused. A moment later his eyes fixed her and Anne tried with all her might to put an innocent expression on her face. "Why would he assume that? Why would he jump to that conclusion so fast?"

Haldir looked at her with such penetration that she was certain he could see the Russell scenario easy enough. But until he came out and said so, she would not be fooled into admitting it. True enough, now she knew why Legolas had reacted with such panic – after being told that Irulan was getting engaged and THEN hearing that she was also "very" sick, it was no surprise that he had automatically assumed that she was finally cutting her bond with him for good. That –if he didn't act fast enough- the road would be closed to him forever. "Well...they parted really badly last time," she mumbled, waving her arm in a gesture of elaboration. "And...I told you – I made it sound a bit more serious."

Still, he didn't seem convinced. Anne should have known that Divine Luck had a rather large role in her success with playing Legolas. The amount of jealousy and panic that she had managed to wake in him with that silly Russel plot had overshadowed his judgment rather well. No matter how coolheaded a man like Legolas normally was, Irulan was not something like any of those Circle related matters handed out to him every day. It was far more personal and due to his sentiments, he couldn't be objective and rational even if he wanted to.

Haldir, on the other hand, was not personally involved and therefore far harder to persuade. She could tell just by the way he was looking at her that he knew with certainty that Anne was hiding something, and that this particular something was not good. For a moment she thought about admitting it. But to admit that she had intentionally made Legolas jealous was like signing an acceptance for a spanking from Haldir. Because both of them knew and had learned rather recently that Legolas could be dangerous when he was jealous. And deadly, too.

She swallowed and looked away, suddenly unsure about what she had done. Legolas had promised not to tell anyone, so she was safe. Russel, Irulan and Haldir would never find out. It was intended to be a slight nudge – a little push. Soon Irulan would be healed –thanks to Legolas taking his place in her life once more- and therefore Russell wouldn't be needed. He would disappear from the scene and the two could make up for their lost months. And sometime in the future she would tell Legolas. In the FAR future, when things were so good that nobody could be angry with her and instead, would thank her for doing the right thing at a dreadful time like this.

So...it was a good idea. And it had served its deed. But...what was that itch? That discomfort? That unexplainable tinge of fear? Why, if not a foreboding of dark days to come, as a result of such an action?

Her eyes found the elf again, who was still gazing down at her, trying to read what was going through her head. "Is there something you want to tell me, Anne?" he said finally, and it came out both gentle and alluring.

Any other would be tempted to confess when asked in a velvet tone like that. Any other but Anne. "Yes," she sighed. "Where is that lunch that I won?"

Haldir smiled slowly, giving her a last, doubtful look. But after he returned the book to the shelf and locked eyes with her once more, the hesitation was gone and there was only a joyful tinkle in those crystal orbs. He offered her his arm and Anne grinned, placing her hand on it. "I must admit, you earned it."

"This is for laughing when I called you to ask where Legolas was staying and told you about my intention." She gave him a sidelong glance. "You should apologize for that, you know."

Haldir chuckled. "My sincerest apologies!" he exclaimed then. "I will not lie. I thought it was silly, to say the least, to claim that you could accomplish what Legolas had been trying and failing at for more than half a year." Anne grinned up at him and he smiled back. "Where would you like to go?"

"Silly you, Haldir! The MOST expensive restaurant in all of New York, of course!" she laughed. "I will not pass up a chance like this!"

"You deserve no less," he complimented softly as they stepped out of the bookstore and walked down the crowded sidewalk of New York.

"I have outdone myself again!" he yelled from the kitchen. Irulan grinned to herself, then sneezed into the tissue. Barely moments later Russel strode into the living room with a bowl in his hand. Irulan groaned with mock frustration when he placed it under her nose. "Taste it!"

"Not AGAIN!"

"Oh, come on! You will beg for more, I promise!" She took a spoonful. "Well?"

"It's good, Russell." She looked up at his disbelieving expression and sighed. "It's very good."

"That's it?"

"What else do you want me to say?"

"It's more than good, damn it! It's fabulous." She just stared back at him. "Did you ever have better Italian onion soup, huh?" was the mocking question.

"Well...I had one that tasted fabulous."

"Oh yeah?" he said dryly. "Where? Italy?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

His eyebrows rose to that with clear surprise. He gave the bowl in his hand a long look. "Was it better than this?"

"Well..." began Irulan, trying to walk around the matter, "I mean...I'm sure they had more practice, Russell."

He groaned in frustration and placed the bowl on the table when the doorbell rang. "You are so damn hard to please!" he yelled from the corridor, then opened the door.

Unfortunately, instead of the expected Anne, Legolas stood at the threshold with a bundle of wild violets in his hand. This time, he didn't even linger and just said "Russell," acknowledging him with a slight nod of the head, and walked right in.

The other remained at the door with clear disbelief and only found the sense to bang the door shut a moment after the visitor had glided in.

"Who is it?" Irulan shouted from the living room.

"It's me, Irulan," he said gently, stepping into the chamber. She was sitting on the sofa, her legs stretched out before her and a blanket spread over them. A box of tissues stood on the nearby table as well as a bowl of steaming soup. She looked up at his voice and to his surprise Legolas read a fleeting expression of excitement and glee before she stuffed it away. It was more than he expected and it felt fantastic. He smiled broader and glided to sit on the edge of the sofa. A moment passed between them and finally he placed the bundle of wild violets on her lap. "Your favorite," was the whisper of a statement.

Irulan smiled and nodded, taking the flowers. Their smell was overpowering and hung in the room. "Thank you. Where did you find these? It's way past their time."

"Only in the States," was his amused reply. Irulan grinned and shook her head to that, but said nothing. "You are better today?" he said, inching closer and grasping her hand once more. She gave the grip a look, but didn't pull back her hand.

"I am," she said finally, "and Russell is doing a fantastic job helping me."

Just as she expected, his eyes turned a cooler shade of blue at that and he diverted his gaze to the caress on her fingers. The reaction was expected, yes, but Irulan still didn't understand why her best friend bothered Legolas so much. He was not an unreasonably jealous person and had, for instance, never shown this kind of sharp and edgy mood in the presence of Baeron, who had been far more suggestive.

"Irulan," intervened Russell just then, "you should have your soup."

"Russell," she moaned, wiping her nose with the tissue, "I tasted so much that I must have eaten at least two bowls in total!"

"You don't say," was his dry reply. "Eat one more. It's..." he gave Legolas a sidelong glance, "...it's rather good, don't you think?"

She smiled deftly. "Yes, it's fabulous. I know you don't cook for any woman." He grinned at that leaving the bowl at the table, returned to the kitchen.

"I think maybe we can eat out," Legolas said finally. "Surely you can use...better...food." He gave the steaming bowl a displeased look. "I know very good restaurants."

"Oh quit it," Irulan hissed with urgency, throwing a glance in the direction of the kitchen. "It would break his heart."

She was surprised to see cold blankness in Legolas' face. "So?" was his frosty question.

"So?" said Irulan, baffled. "So I'd rather stay." A fleeting expression of anger pulsed out of him for a moment. "What is it?" she said finally. "I thought you would like Russell. He is a great guy." Legolas said nothing in reply. "He is doing me a big favor, Legolas," she nudged on.

"I could do that favor instead," he said, locking eyes with her, "and it would be an utmost pleasure."

Irulan threw her tissue away and took out a new one. "Legolas," she said slowly, "I have been thinking...about...about..."

"About what?" he said when she would not continue for a few moments.

"About us," she said, feeling very disturbed and relieved at the same time.

"About us," he repeated, stupefied. His eyes twinkled with pure joy before he inched closer yet, her hand still in his grasp. "Yes?" he said, amazed at how excited he felt at the moment. 'Us' he thought, his heart beating furiously. 'She thinks there is an 'us'!' How amazing it was that for months he had fought and struggled and battled and just when he had been ready to give up hope, she had proven him wrong yet again.

"I think," she exhaled and bit her bottom lip, "I think I was wrong in my treatment of you." She looked up to see his fascinated expression. His hair hung loose today and brought incredible youth to his appearance. "It was just...I mean you were so...PERSISTENT!" she whined, looking away. "And I was so...bitter," she finished with a whisper.

"I know that it is hard," he whispered, raising his hand to glide his palm across her cheek. His voice was gentle and soothing. "I have witnessed it before, Irulan." She knew right away that he meant Aragorn and Arwen and merely nodded, failing to speak under the pressure of her own excitement. "A second chance is all I need," he said with urgency, placing a kiss on her hand. "I have changed. You must believe me."

"I believe you," she said, watching him grip her hand with gentle desperation. She took a deep breath. "I'm afraid," she whispered a long moment later. She met his surprised gaze and held it. "Afraid to go through the same things once more."

"You won't," he whispered hotly, inching closer yet. Irulan gave him an uneasy look, then tilted slightly back to keep a comfortable distance.

"Irulan," Russell intervened right then, "drink your soup!"

Legolas pursed his lips. It took an incredible amount of self-control on his behalf not to jump up and strangle the man. He felt her flinch with surprise at the sudden intervention and exhaled in frustration. Legolas stood up very slowly and faced the other, who stood leaning on the wooden doorframe, absent-mindedly wiping his hands on the apron he was wearing, looking both charming and absurd in that attire. "She doesn't want to drink that soup," the elf seethed, blistering with fury. "Will you go on forcing her?"

The other stopped wiping his hands and took a step forward. If Legolas were calm enough, he would feel a certain admiration at the man's boldness. But in his current state it only served to intensify his irritation. "How funny," was Russell's mock amused statement, "I thought YOU were the one who keeps forcing her." Legolas clenched his jaw and a peculiar vein began to pulsate in his neck.

Irulan swallowed and made to sit up straighter. "Well, come now you guys…" she tried, glancing from one to the other and wondering why the hell it was so intense in the room.

"I would never force Irulan to anything," the elf seethed, completely disregarding Irulan's attempt to soften the atmosphere.

"No," Russel said dryly, "of course not. Instead you would insist and persist until she gives in."

That was it! Legolas moved so fast, neither man nor woman saw him taking a step. A blink later he was right before Russel, that dreadful threat emanating form him again. "I will only take so much disrespect," he growled. Russell, though disturbed to do so, felt forced to take a step back. "My affair with Irulan is none of your business. I suggest you stay out of it." A moment passed as he tilted his head and gave the man a more penetrating look. "Why would you be so interested in her relationships, I wonder?"

He straightened his shoulders a bit to that. "I told you – I happen to be her friend," was the dry reply.

"That's it?"

"That's more than enough."

"Heath!" Irulan said from behind him and he tried to regain his nerves at her terrified tone. This was not the time to act harshly and destroy the ground he was gaining here. Not at all! "Please, you guys! What is going on here?"

"Nothing," Legolas sighed finally, the jealousy in him pulsing and pushing madly. But this sort of jealousy had led him to the murder of a dear friend. He would be wise not to give in to its mad call again. "Nothing," he repeated, trying to tear himself away from the temptation to make Russell eat that damnable apron. He turned to give her a wry smile. "I'm sorry. Though I face it often enough, some things I simply cannot get used to." He glared at Russell again. "Such as rudeness."

To his amazement Russell just smirked deftly at that.

"Look...I'm sure Russell didn't mean to be disrespectful," Irulan said slowly, giving her friend a rather meaningful look.

The man just stared back, refusing to apologize in any manner. He didn't like Legolas. He didn't like the fact that Irulan was showing weakness to him, either. "All I'm saying is," he seethed and walked up to her sofa, giving Legolas a glare along the way, "we are out of fresh ginger root."

A short silence issued. Irulan gave him a look laced with heavy disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"Ginger root," he repeated nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh," she managed, glancing at Legolas who was looking at Russel as if he was observing a madman.

"And you know I don't like just ANY ginger root."

"Okay," Irulan mumbled, still not certain how to handle the situation. "So?..."

"So," Russel sighed and sat at the edge of the sofa, wiping the hair from her face, "we should go to Chinatown and get some." He didn't need to be supersensitive to feel Legolas boring holes into his back, but he showed no hesitation as he continued to caress her hair.

Irulan cleared her throat and gave him another meaningful look, but he remained oblivious to it. "Chinatown? Come on, Russel!"

"They have the best one," he grinned. "And well...it would do you some good to leave these walls."

"All right then," she groaned and he chuckled at that. He gave her a kiss on the forehead, then stood up, turning to give Legolas an amused glance. The other was in no state to return that glance. He swallowed and turned away, his emotions humming in him like some wild song. Never had he envied anyone as much as he envied Russell this moment. Russel! Who was a nobody! An ordinary human being! Too bold and too daring for his own good. And yet...he had a friendship with Irulan. He had her trust and her intimacy. He was allowed to move closer and to step back at his whim. Russell would go to Chinatown with Irulan to do silly shopping. Legolas was lucky to have ever stepped into her house. If Russell asked it of her, she would even go to China with him to buy the damn ginger root. But she would probably never even step into the same car with Legolas once more. In the end, she would say 'yes' to a ring from Russell, while all he would ever get from her was an endless string of 'no's.

He pursed his lips and remained embedded in his thoughts, not aware that the room had grown quiet. "Heath," she said finally, and he turned to look at her, praying silently that the desperation he was feeling at the moment would not show. "Would you like to come, too?"

If joy could be embodied as a moment, this would be it. Legolas exhaled and looked down at the floor, desperate to regain his wits. 'A second chance' he thought, baffled and stupefied. 'Who would have thought that I would be this lucky?' For months he had pursued Irulan with the modesty, determination and passion he couldn't have imagined himself capable of. No other woman had rejected him so repeatedly and so absolutely. No other woman had refused to be enthralled by his offers and his manipulations. And it had been a series of agonizing defeats day in and day out, for him. For Legolas was not used to losing battles. As someone who had tasted only victory for millennia, her bitter rejection over and over again was not only heart breaking, but also humiliating in every sense. All in all, Irulan had stripped him of his status, his pride and his glory quite effectively in a matter of weeks. It had taken him thousands upon thousands of years to build it, but it had taken her only a few months to tear it down and stomp on it.

And now, just when he had lost the final crumbles of his strength and his faith, his self-confidence and his hope, she had turned to him and offered a hand! Never would he understand women! Neither would he understand how they were capable of delivering such deadly blows along with such gentle caresses!

"Heath?" she said and he blinked to return to reality. "Did you hear me?"

"Of course I did," he whispered and chuckled a little before he inhaled and gave her a look that spoke of incredible love. "I would love to," he added slowly.

"Now wait a minute!" Russell protested, placing a hand on his hip. "I think you and I alone will be fine, Irulan!" Irulan just gave him a glare. Legolas didn't bother even to do that. He was too fixed on her, a perfect smile on his lips. "He doesn't need to-"

"Don't be ridiculous," she cut in with a dry voice.

"Believe me, darling," he seethed a long moment later, "I am not the ridiculous one here."

"What time shall I come?" Legolas said, ignoring the man and walking to loom over the couch to look down at her.

Russell groaned and threw up his hands, then folded them over his chest again and remained glaring down at Irulan, as well. She sniffed into the tissue, looking from one to the other, finding her current state rather uncomfortable and a pain in the neck - literally. Just when she was about to answer, Anne walked in, exhaling in frustration "I swear some day I will kill a cab driver! I will! They are ALL insane!" Her voice trailed when she lay eyes on the trio. "Oh..." she managed a moment later. "Hi, guys."

The reaction to her was very versatile. Legolas beamed with pleasure and smiled a genuine smile while Irulan inhaled slowly and stared back in suppressed anger. Russel, on the other hand, seemed stunned and caught off-guard. He shifted on his feet, then scratched his head as he usually did when feeling uncomfortable.

"Hello Anne," Legolas said finally.

"What a nice surprise to see you here, Heath," she chuckled nervously and pretended not to see the fiery look Irulan was giving her.

"Likewise," was his gentle reply.

Russel rolled his eyes to his smooth way and scratched his neck in annoyance. A short silence set in. "Just the missing piece of the group," said Irulan with mock pleasure then. "Come in, join us…my FRIEND."

Anne pursed her lips and gave Legolas a fleeting glance, but received nothing in return. "So..." she trailed, stepping closer, "...what were you guys doing?"

"Planning a trip to Chinatown," the elf said with obvious pleasure.

"Really?" was her surprised reply. "Wow. What's the occasion?"

"I ran out of ginger root," Russel mumbled and bit his cheeks.

"Well," she said, nodding thoughtfully, "sounds very urgent. So when are we going?"

"Tomorrow," he sighed and scratched his neck again. It took him a while to get used to the excitement that Anne's presence brought and during that while, he would avoid eye contact as if his life depended on it. Irulan had seen him even blush on rare occasions and he threatened to kill her slowly and painfully if she ever but dared to give a hint of that to Anne.

"Great!" She turned to grin at Heath. "You are coming, too?"

"Yes," he smiled in return. Irulan glanced from one to the other, but decided to keep her mouth shut instead of shouting her fury right there and then.

"Good," Anne exhaled, obviously relieved.

"Indeed," seethed Irulan. "I'll see you tomorrow, Heath," she added finally, not turning to give him a glance. Legolas smiled wider, then picked up her hand to give it another warm kiss. Irulan, baffled by that, broke her eye contact with the other woman for a moment and looked up to meet his penetrating gaze. "Thank you, Irulan," was all he said. He gently squeezed her fingers, and once again only gave a nod to Russel, and a smile in passing to Anne before he glided out of the chamber and left.

"So...." Irulan croaked, crossing her arms on her chest with dangerous grace. "Is there anything you wish to tell me, Anne?"

"Well…uh….oh yes! The cab driver!" the other hollered, rolling her eyes in mock frustration. "One of these days…"