As usual...

Darrinia: Yeah, Blaine desperately needed to see Sam again, and of course they didn't notice Brittany was watching them... We'll see about that! Maybe she won't be a villain, but... she wants Sam :) Un besazo, preciosa!

Mildlifecrissis: yeah, elves can die from grief, so fortunately Sam made it just in time... I think Blaine was only hanging on because he needed to continue Sam's fight, because if that hadn't been the case... Hehehe, we'll see about Brittany. Thank you so much, sweetie!

CHAPTER 7: SO IT BEGINS

Sebastian was getting restless, waiting for his friends. He obviously had given them some time alone, as they needed to come to terms with everything that had happened on the last hours. Poor things, they surely needed the reassurance of each other after such an ordeal. But now all of them needed to start getting ready for the battle that was about to start. And who was he trying to fool? He was dying to see them! He needed to know how they were fairing: Sam physically and Blaine emotionally.

He opened the door to their room and stuck his head in, careful not to make any noise in case they were asleep. But Blaine immediately saw him, smiled at him, and made a gesture with his hand for him to come in, to which Sebastian quietly obeyed.

The Dwarf had to reciprocate the smile at the scene before his eyes: Sam was peacefully and deeply asleep, lying on his back, but the grip he kept on Blaine's waist was surprisingly strong. Blaine, on the other hand, was awake, his head resting on Sam's shoulder, the tips of his fingers idly tracing invisible patterns on his lover's chest. But what warmed Sebastian's heart the most was the blissful smile on Blaine's lips. He seemed like a totally different person from the broken elf of some hours before, when he had lost all hope. Now he had something to fight for again, and that hope filled him and made him shine like ever.

"How is he doing?" Sebastian asked the elf in a whisper, signaling to Sam with a move of his head.

"He's alright. None of his wounds were really serious after all, just some bruises and scratches. And I'm sure this nap will have make wonders for him" Blaine answered, equally soft, his eyes never leaving Sam's face as he tenderly caressed his cheek with the back of his hand.

"And how are you doing?" Sebastian asked pointedly, and Blaine had to smile again at his friend's concern.

"I'm fine, Sebastian, I swear. I had the worst time of my life, but now he's back and everything's alright again" he answered, but Sebastian could tell there was something else he was not saying.

"For now" Sebastian added, and Blaine slowly nodded. The Dwarf understood how worried Blaine was to lose Sam again in the upcoming battle.

"Yes, for now" Blaine answered with a sad smile.

"Well, I came to tell you it's time we started getting ready. I'll leave you to wake him up and I'll see you later, ok?"

"Ok, thank you, Sebastian" Blaine answered honestly, and when the Dwarf was almost to the door Blaine whispered to him again. "Sebastian?"

"Yes?" The Dwarf answered, turning around.

"You're a good friend" Blaine praised him, making the Dwarf blush.

"Well, you're not so bad yourself, laddie" Sebastian couldn't only mumble, embarrassed, as he stepped out of the room, making Blaine smile fondly at him.

Blaine then turned his gaze to his lover again, and thought that the best way to wake him up would be with a kiss, so he lifted his head from Sam's chest and leant over to join his lips with his lover's. Sam's immediate reaction at awakening was to smile against Blaine's lips, and his grip on his lover's waist tightened to bring him closer.

"Morning" Sam said in a hoarse voice, once the kiss broke.

"Not even close" Blaine answered, amused, and captured Sam's lips again.

"What a sweet way to wake up. Did I die and go to heaven?" Sam joked, but he immediately felt Blaine stiffen uncomfortably.

"Don't joke with that" Blaine reprimanded him, lifting himself from him and sitting up on the edge of the bed, his back to his lover as he started putting on his boots, just so he had something to do.

Sam shook the sleepiness out of his system and understood how unfortunate his choice of words had been, considering the events from the previous hours. So he just sat up and moved to embrace his lover, sitting behind him with one leg at each side of Blaine's, his arms encircling his waist and his chin resting on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, love" Sam whispered, genuinely repentant, as he strengthened the embrace to stop Blaine's moves. "It was very stupid of me to say something like that"

"It was" Blaine confirmed with a pout, making Sam chuckle.

"It was" he repeated, and he kissed Blaine's neck as a proof of his regret.

"Don't ever joke about something like that again, please" Blaine pleaded softly, and once again Sam squeezed him to his chest.

"I won't" Sam promised, and Blaine half-turned on Sam's arms to kiss him, reassuring him of his forgiveness.

"We should get going" Blaine said, caressing the arms holding his waist.

"Can't we just stay here and...?" Sam pleaded, jokingly.

"No, we can't" Blaine was quick to answer, a smile breaking into his lips.

"I love you" Sam told him, unexpectedly. "You know that, don't you?"

"Of course I do" Blaine answered confidently, his fingers playing with Sam's hair. "And you know I love you too, right?"

"I've never had a doubt" Sam answered with a smile, kissing the tip of Blaine's nose.

"And you also know we have to get going, don't you?" Blaine insisted, extricating himself from Sam's embrace and making the latter sigh.

"I hate it when you're right..."

After they left the room, Blaine and Sam had little time for themselves, as they were very busy preparing the battle that was about to begin, which both were afraid was going to be the greatest ever since Sauron had been defeated so many centuries ago. However, Sam could not help but worry about Blaine, as the usually independent and confident elf didn't seem to be even close to his usual self. He was very quiet, nervous, and unable to remain separated from him longer than a minute, following him around the fort everywhere he went.

King Burt had given the order that every man of Edoras who could stand would fight. Unfortunately, that included many old men who had never grabbed a sword before and some little kids who still played with toys. They were prepared with armors and swords, while their wives and mothers, being sent to the caves, could only pray for them to remain alive.

"Farmers, farriers, stable boys..." Sam observed, as the three travelling companions visited the armory where the men were getting ready for battle around him. "These are not soldiers"

"Most have seen too many winters" Sebastian added.

"Or too few" Blaine spoke for the first time since they got out of their room. Sam looked at his loved one intently. It was fear what he found on Blaine's eyes, something he had never found there before, and that scared him to death. But now that he had begun talking he didn't seem to be able to stop. "Look at them. They're frightened. I can see it in their eyes"

Sam looked at him again, confused, half surprised and half disappointed, seeing as his lover had finally succumbed to despair. He had always relied on him, he had always thought that it would be Blaine comforting him if he lost hope, not the other way around.

"And they should be. Three hundred against ten thousand" Blaine went on, almost defying Sam with his words and his gaze, but he spoke on Elvish so the men wouldn't understand him and be even more frightened, if that was possible.

"They have more hope of defending themselves here than at Edoras..." Sam tried to reason with him so he would regain some of his great courage back.

Blaine looked at him as he had never done before, eyes filled with fear, confusion and desperation.

"Sam" he continued, "they cannot win this fight. They are all going to die!"

"Then I shall die as one of them!" Sam couldn't resist it anymore and shouted at his lover, angered about having to experience the same fear he had seen in those beloved golden eyes, but for different reasons. Had Blaine really lost all hope? Elves could die from grief, was that going to be his lover's case if they survived the battle?

He looked at him, and now in Blaine's eyes he saw a terrible sadness that he knew he had caused by yelling at him when he was the most vulnerable. Guiltily he turned and stormed out of the room, making his way between the masses of men who were watching them.

Blaine, who felt guilty too about taking Sam to his limit, made to follow him, but Sebastian stopped him gently by grabbing his arm.

"Let him go, lad. Let him be"

Blaine decided to listen to Sebastian and let Sam be for a while, so he went out to have some fresh air, the only thing that could offer him some relief of the tension he was feeling at the moment. But even that didn't work. He wasn't sure what he would tell Sam, anyway. That it was fear what had made him talk like that? He was sure Sam knew this, for he had always been pretty good at reading him. He just hoped Sam understood that it was not fear of getting hurt, or even dying, for this he could not care less for it was for a greater good. He was afraid they were going to lose the war, and that Sauron would get the ring and all the beauty and the peace in Middle Earth would end. And above all, he was afraid of losing Sam again, for he was sure he could not stand it again.

On the other hand, Sam sat in some stairs, also deep in thought. He had experienced fear before, having been in many life threatening situations in his life. Blaine had also been in danger some times before too, but Sam had never seen him frightened. What was different this time?

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Sebastian until he was sitting next to him.

"Sebastian, what are you doing here? Are you ready for battle already?" Sam asked him.

"I could ask the exact same question to you, but I haven't come to talk about that" the dwarf answered.

"And what do you want to talk about? Please don't tell me you think is a lost battle too"

"No, I want to talk about the one you cannot stop thinking of"

Sam smiled at Sebastian. It would never stop surprising him how Sebastian seemed to know everything going on around him, even if he was not aware of his talent.

"I can't seem to understand him" Sam explained, feeling the need of talking about it with his friend, so worried he was about Blaine. "He has never been afraid of anything since I've known him. What is different this time?"

"That you don't know the answer to your own question tells me that you are not as smart as I thought you were" Sebastian answered, kind of reproachfully.

Sam looked at him, confused.

"Why do you say that?" Sam asked.

"What has taken place recently that scared the hell out of him?" Sebastian didn't give Sam time to answer. "He thought he had lost you. For a whole day and night he experienced his worst nightmare: having to go on without you. And when he finally gets you back, a battle that could take you away from him again is about to begin"

"You mean... he is only afraid for me?" Sam asked, starting to understand.

"Of course he is afraid for you! His own life doesn't have any worth for him if he can't spend it at your side!" Sebastian was almost yelling, such was his need to make his friend understand.

"I never thought that was the cause of his fear... I should have not yelled at him" Sam regretted.

"No, you should have not. But he will forgive you, for he loves you more than anything in the world"

"I feel the same about him" Sam confessed with a fond smile.

"I know. I just hope you'll take care of him and make him as happy as he deserves" Sebastian answered.

"I'll try... no, I will" Sam affirmed confidently.

"Well..." Sebastian said, and Sam could see that he was close to tears, but his dwarfish pride would not let it show, "we should get ready for battle, don't you think?"

Sam and Sebastian went directly back to the armory to get ready. Sam knew Blaine hardly wore any armor, and only used his own bow and his two knives in his fights, but he had hoped to find him there. He was disappointed when he didn't.

Sam began to dress, putting on an armor underneath his clothes. He had to protect himself both for Blaine and his own sakes.

Having entered in the room without been noticed, Blaine advanced towards Sam while he was getting dressed, and took his sword before Sam could even realize he was there. As the man turned around, he smiled as he saw Blaine standing there, handing him his sword, confidence showing once again in his eyes.

"We have trusted you this far, and you have not led us astray" Blaine said looking at him straight in the eyes, absolutely sincere. "Forgive me. I was wrong to despair"

"There is nothing to forgive, Blaine" And with that Sam embraced Blaine with all his forces, hoping to erase some of the tension in Blaine's body and offering some comfort to his still troubled mind. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I know it's me you fear about"

"It is" Blaine admitted.

"And you know I can't assure you nothing will happen to me"

"I know"

"But I can promise I will try my best to come back to you"

Blaine broke the embrace to look intently at his lover's eyes, and then he kissed him strongly, deeply, with a passion born both of love and fear at the unknown.

"That's all I can ask" Blaine mumbled when the kiss broke and Sam rested his forehead against his.

Sam went to make sure everything and everyone was ready, after promising Blaine that he would see him soon. The elf had a mix of feelings in his heart at the moment: he was glad he had made amends with Sam and they were alright; but trepidation and fear for the battle ahead of them made him nervous. In need of the company of a friend, he went in search for Sebastian.

The dwarf was already dressed to fight, with a strong armor and his axe grabbed with both his hands. He, too, had been looking for the elf, and together they went to pick up the spot where they would be standing once the battle begun. Finally they decided to stay at the top of the entrance, next to the Lothlorien elves, Mike amongst them, who had arrived shortly before to assist the men in their fight honoring their antique alliance –surprising King Burt greatly–, as from there they had a good view of everything happening around them. Blaine was sad he couldn't greet his childhood friend as he deserved, as talking and joking with Mike would probably put his mind at ease a bit, but he knew it was not possible at the moment so he contented himself with waving at him from the distance.

The night was cold, and the sky threatened to break in a storm with some distant thunder and lightning that intermittently lighted up the faces of all the soldiers –men and elves. They were anxiously waiting for the night to be over, one way or another, fear clutching at their hearts when they started to see thousands of Uruk-hai appearing in the horizon.

"You could have picked a better spot" Sebastian protested in a mock anger when the first drops of rain fell upon them, trying to break the silence and reducing the tension. Blaine could only smile, appreciating the dwarf's efforts.

Sam, not standing being separated from his lover for too long, found his way towards the friends for a moment before the battle started, trying to show them his support and wanting to reassure himself with theirs.

"Well, lad, whatever luck you live by, let's hope it lasts the night" Sebastian told him once he noticed his presence behind them.

A long loud thunder resounded above them, with its light illuminating them briefly, fear reflecting in their eyes.

"Your friends are with you, Sam" Blaine told him, without looking at him, sensing that if he saw any fear in his beloved's eyes, he would never be able to get rid of the vision and concentrate on the battle ahead.

"Let's hope they last the night" Sebastian added.

Sam turned to leave but, before he did, he clasped Blaine's shoulder and whispered a quick 'I love you' in his pointed ear, to which Blaine shuddered slightly. Sam didn't miss the action, and could not help but smile. They had seen so much death and destruction on their way, and still Blaine's innocence remained intact, so much that he shuddered if he told him that the loved him, something he had told him a million times before. That reminded Sam how much younger in Elven terms Blaine was, and he prayed they could survive the night and explore that innocence and youth for many years.

As the Uruk-hai approached dangerously fast, rain started to fall on men and elves. Sam took the chance to harangue the men, to give them some courage, before moving to stand proudly in await. The tension was almost unbearable, and Sebastian decided to joke a bit in hope of lightening Blaine's mood a bit.

"What's happening out there?" he asked, pretending to having to clean his eyes from the water that kept falling on them.

"Shall I describe it to you?" Blaine decided to go on with the joke; as worried about Sam as he was, he cared about Sebastian very much too, and could not help but pray this would not be the last time he would see him. "Or would you like me to find you an umbrella?"

Sebastian laughed at the poor attempt of joking, glad that if he died tonight, at least he had had the chance to meet this precious elf.

Everybody was silent, expectant, waiting for the enemy to begin the fight. But then a very frightened old men accidentally let go of his tensed bow and an arrow made his way down the fortress. An Uruk-hai died immediately, and all madness broke. The Uruk-hai, angry that one of them had been killed before they had even attacked, began shouting as they ran towards the gates to start fighting.

'So it begins' King Burt, face full of apprehension, whispered from above the walls. There was no turning back now.