So I couldn't resist updating. Here she be, Part II. I'm thrilled that I'm getting so many hits...but a review would be wonderful. Please, make a starving authoress happy and REVIEW the fruit of my labor, my lovelies!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, yadda yadda, copyright the estate of Mr. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, etc., etc. Scenes from the movie are replicated as accurately as possible and are of course copyright Peter Jackson et al. It's also worth noting that "Into the West" is itself the property of Fran Walsh/Annie Lennox.

1: Still Sharp

Legolas pulled his mount to a stop outside the gates of Imladris, the stronghold of Lord Elrond in Rivendell. It had been centuries since his last visit, but it felt as if he had not been away so long. He gazed at the beautiful arches and changing leaves around him, somehow feeling more at home than he ever had in Mirkwood.

Elrond had invited almost two dozen others to this strange "meeting" of his. There were several other Elves, none of whom Legolas recognized. He figured they were from Lórien or something, maybe even Rivendell itself. There were a few Men, tall and proud but made rugged by too many rough years defending their territories. To Legolas's extreme displeasure, there were far too may Dwarves. Stubby, bushy-bearded gluttons.

Elrond himself greeted Legolas at the gates, looking very grim and even scarier than usual. "Mae govannen, Legolas," Elrond said, taking the reins of Legolas's horse. "I greatly appreciate Mirkwood's input on this dark matter. Make yourself at home; I will take care of your horse. We are holding council tomorrow."

"Thank you, Lord Elrond," Legolas said with a slight bow. Always an enigmatic Elf, Elrond obviously was in no mood to give any details about the reason behind the council. At least he was hospitable.

Elrond led Legolas's horse to Rivendell's stable, leaving the Prince of Mirkwood free to wander Imladris. He decided to find the Shards of Narsil, an ancient relic Elrond liked to leave lying around for some odd reason. Where was it? If memory served, it would be somewhere around…

Legolas turned a corner and saw exactly what he had been looking for: a few shards of shattered steel, nestled reverently in the folds of some black velvet. The pieces of the ancient sword of Isildur still gleamed faintly in the semidarkness of the hallway, almost as if they were alive. The princeling hesitantly reached out a hand to pick up one of the shards, the very steel which had cut the One Ring from the hand of Sauron himself. The Elf held it up to admire it in the light, marveling at its beautiful craftsmanship. As he set the shard back in its place, one corner nicked his fingertip.

"Ow," Legolas blurted out, quickly dropping the shard and popping his finger into his mouth.

"Still sharp?" a familiar voice asked.

Legolas spun on his heel and came face-to-face with none other than the Marchwarden himself. "H-Haldir!" Legolas exclaimed, accidentally backing into Narsil's pedestal in his excitement.

There was the insufferably arrogant smirk Legolas had missed so much. "Surprised to see me, little princeling?" Haldir said smoothly.

"Were you invited to sit on the council?" Legolas asked, shifting his weight shyly.

"Yes. Unfortunately for Lord Elrond, I will not participate. I refuse to speak of a thing so evil." He tilted his chin up pompously. "An Elf has to have some sense of morality, after all."

Now Legolas was especially curious. "Elrond never told me what we will discuss."

"Probably because he hates you," Haldir joked. "You should have guessed. It passed through your borders some decades ago."

In a secretive half-whisper, Legolas said, "The Ring?"

Haldir smiled. "Still sharp, I see. The Ring will bring us all nothing but grief. I would prefer to keep it at a safe distance from my family, my country, and my own heart."

"I think I can handle a little grief for the sake of saving Middle Earth from the clutches of evil."

Haldir stared evenly at Legolas, his expression betraying nothing that was on his mind. "You know nothing of grief, Legolas Greenleaf."

2: The Stubbournness of Elves

"It will be perfectly safe," Legolas insisted. Haldir crossed his arms, not at all convinced. "We'll send some Man into Mordor—Aragorn, or even that bumbling Boromir from Gondor—and leave it at that."

"If you go gallivanting off to save the world from certain doom, you will bring grief upon the both of us," Haldir warned crossly.

"It is my obligation as a prince and a gentle-Elf to see that this deed is done. Anyone with a sense of duty would recognize that."

"Don't mock me, Legolas," Haldir snapped, his eyes narrowing to slits. "You think I do not know my duty? Do you really think that it is not painfully clear to me? I am merely trying to protect you. You underestimate the might of Mordor. I will not have it all come crashing down over your head."

"I think you underestimate my intelligence. I am not nearly so naïve as you like to think. This is not a problem we can simply ignore! It will only get worse, and Sauron's power will increase. Don't you understand that?"

"Of course I understand it!" Haldir shouted, grinding a fist against the wall in exasperation. "Sauron could snap us both like twigs with a blink of his Eye. And it terrifies me. The thought of losing my home, my brothers…you…"

Legolas put a gentle hand on Haldir's shoulder. Haldir had not realized how much he had missed the princeling's touch. "That is exactly why I have to do this. I will never let that happen. I promise."

Haldir just shook his head, feeling his heart rip out of his chest. Legolas's heart was obviously in the right place, but in such a state of mind he could not be reasoned with. How could he make the princeling see the error of his ways? "You adorable imbecile," the Marchwarden sighed. "How many times must I say it? If you go, you will die, which coincidentally may also be the death of me. If you will not heed my advice as a warrior, listen to me as your friend. No matter what happens, no matter how these impending battles rage, stay in Mirkwood where you'll be safe."

Legolas gave Haldir a quick peck on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "No."

Then he sprang away, smiling over his shoulder, leaving Haldir to fume next to the shards of Narsil.

The Marchwarden heard the voice of Aragorn behind him. "Have you learned nothing of the stubbournness of Elves?" the Man inquired.

Haldir heaved a little sigh of frustration. "Evidently I have not."

3: Departure

Haldir met Legolas with a swift punch in the jaw. "You fool!" the Marchwarden screamed. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"Do not lecture me, Haldir, not you," Legolas snapped, wiping a smear of blood off of his lip with the back of his hand.

Haldir paced nervously. Judging by his panicked breathing, he was hyperventilating. Legolas had certainly not expected that. His intention had been to do the right thing, not send the dear Marchwarden off the deep end. "I told you not to do this! Why didn't you listen to me?" Haldir demanded. There was a definite panicked edge to his voice.

Legolas stuffed some arrows into his quiver. "I considered your advice and overruled it because it was erroneous. What are you, my father?"

Haldir whirled around, his eyes ablaze with anger. "You brainless bastard! I love you!" he shouted.

Legolas's heart did a somersault. He blinked with surprise. "What?"

"I love you," Haldir repeated, softer this time. "That is why I answered an invitation to a council I would never attend. That is why I begged you not to become involved. That is why I do not want you to risk your life protecting a measly Hobbit." His gaze fell, and his voice shook when he continued. It dawned on Legolas that Haldir was on the verge of tears. "You think I am so strong, you think I'm brave, but you are sadly mistaken. I am not who I pretend to be. It is one of the many masks I wear, a necessary persona for an Elf in my position. If there is one thing I know, it's that I will not be able to handleit if anything happens to you!"

"It's too late now! I have already sworn my services to Frodo!"

Haldir collapsed on Legolas's shoulder and sobbed, "Please, do not do this!"

Legolas put both arms around the Marchwarden's shoulders and hugged him close. He felt Haldir's own arms wrap around his hips, evidently grateful for the comfort. He could feel every sob Haldir stifled against his shoulder vibrate through his chest. Each one sent shockwaves of grief coursing through Legolas's entire body. Before long, he could also feel the dampness of the Marchwarden's tears through the thin material of his tunic. Legolas gently stroked Haldir's hair with one hand, perplexed and concerned by the other Elf's sudden and wild display of emotion.

Legolas cradled Haldir's head in one hand and murmured, "What you do not realize is that I only chose this path to protect you. I know I do not belong in a motley crew of Hobbits, a couple Men, and a Dwarf. I know I'm not strong enough to carry the weight of Middle Earth on my shoulders, but there is no reason I should not make an effort to defend you and your homeland."

Haldir looked up suddenly. There were still a couple of tears brimming in his emerald eyes, and his cheeks were a little flushed. "I see no weakness in you, Legolas Thranduilion. Only in myself," he whispered, choking on a final strangled sob.

Legolas was unable to suppress a smile. A compliment at last.

Haldir threw his arms around Legolas's neck and pressed a kiss to his lips. The Marchwarden's lips tasted salty from the tears he had shed. He lightly traced the edge of Legolas's jawbone with his fingertip, grinning through his kisses as the princeling quivered at his touch. Legolas's thoughts raced, accelerated to a blinding speed by the euphoria he felt whenever they chanced to touch. A soft moan escaped his lips when Haldir kissed him more deeply. He submitted willingly, letting his eyes slip shut as the other Elf's kisses traveled along his jaw to behind an upswept ear.

Haldir lingered there for a moment, resting his cheek against Legolas's. "Fetch your bow, princeling," Haldir murmured in his ear. "The time has come to pursue your fate."

Legolas let a soft kiss fall on Haldir's cheek and said, "The Fellowship is departing tomorrow. We will traverse the Misty Mountains, go through the Gap of Rohan, and plunge into the heart of Mordor. And then I will return for you. Meanwhile, comfort yourself with the thought that…that I love you too."

"I know you do. Your eyes always betray that which you attempt to conceal." He gave Legolas a final kiss goodbye. There was no longer any sign of sadness in his eyes, only a glimmering of adoration. As the Prince of Mirkwood headed for the door, Haldir added hastily, "I swear to the Valar, if you ever tell anyone how I sobbed on your shoulder, I will strangle you with your own bowstring."

Legolas imitated Haldir's own self-assured smirk. "That would be the least of the scandal."

Legolas's heart was heavy with sadness when the Fellowship filed out of Rivendell the next morning. He could not help feeling a twinge of fear too. Not for himself, but for Haldir, for what could happen to him if their mission failed. He wondered apprehensively whether he would ever see his beloved Marchwarden again.

Legolas looked over his shoulder. Haldir was leaning smugly against one of the gates, the typical wry smirk on his lips. "Namárië Ná Elbereth veria le, meleth nîn. Avo labo vi Orodruin![snp1 " he said, his eyes glittering feistily.

Aragorn turned upon hearing the Elvish, no doubt wondering who would say such a thing to one of the Fellowship. But Haldir had already disappeared.

[snp1Farewell. May Elbereth protect you, my love. Don't jump into Mount Doom.