The Ties That Bind Us

Disclaimer: (In the spirit of Crimson Starlight)

Shana: Setting is same AU as Forsaken. It's a vignette from the Forsaken world I've created.

Erestor: You're doing it again.

Shana: *blinks* What?

Erestor: Talking to yourself cryptically.

Shana: Ooook.

Tal: *jumps up and down* Ooo! Ooo! I get coauthor credit!!!

Shana: *eye roll* You are entirely too proud of yourself.

Tal: *hyper* Well shouldn't I be?

Erestor: *still confused*

Tal: *pats E on the head* Aww, that's ok.

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Chapter 1: Mistaken

Haldir and Glorfindel watched the two women with growing amusement. They had been forced to watch a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon for the past several hours. The only thing that redeemed the show in the two elves eyes was the action and variety of weapons employed. Buffy reminded Haldir of Shar, while Willow reminded Glorfindel of Annanel. (Yes, her parents were hippies.)

The two elves had been bantering back and forth in Sindarin, much to the women's annoyance but the females let it go as they were engaged in their own "lively" discussion, something about Spike vs. Angel. The two Elda halted their discussion as the females' argument turned heated, Shar rising and moving to stand over the other woman.

Two sets of elvish brows rose as Shar reached out and shoved her friend's shoulder harshly. In response, Ann whipped her foot out, catching Shar behind the ankles and sending her sprawling. Ann moved quickly to pin the smaller woman.

Haldir silently grabbed the popcorn bowl in front of him and moved to sit next to the seneschal, offering the other elf the bowl. The golden lord gratefully took a handful of the snack, grins growing on both males faces as they watched their women tussle on the floor. They knew full well the women did not actually mean each other harm as the two sparred together on a regular basis, but the sight was still damn entertaining.

Ann had initially held the upper hand, but Shar, having unarmed military combat experience quickly turned the tables and was executing a painful arm lock on the larger woman demanding, "Tap out! Come on girl, you know you can't beat me!"

The sound of soft snickering over the TV drew both females' attention to the two elves, now sporting shit-eating grins. Shar looked at Ann who vocalized their unspoken thought. "They're enjoying this WAAAAAY too much."

Both elves faces fell, eyes widening at the comment. Before either warrior could react the two women had disentangled themselves and turned their sights on their respective mate.

"Not good…" Haldir managed to say before Shar had grabbed him by the front of his sweatshirt. The small red-head fell back towards the floor, pulling him with her. As she rolled back she firmly planted a foot against his abs and pushed, sending the Marchwarden just over her head onto his back on the carpet.

Glorfindel quickly found himself in a similar position on the floor, looking up at his lover. Annanel had straddled his chest, pinning his hands with her knees, her hands on either side of his head. Glorfindel smiled sweetly up at her, actually enjoying the submissive position he found himself in as she dropped her lips to his in a searing kiss. The seneschal found himself hardening impossibly with her kiss, his jeans decidedly uncomfortable.

Haldir just lay there for a beat, stunned that Shar had actually started this. He swore loudly as Shar appeared over him, grabbing his arm and twisting it painfully, forcing him to turn on his stomach, his arm at an awkward angle, Shar's foot pressed into his back.

"You think that was funny huh? Enjoying yourself? Is this funny too?" Shar demanded.

Both Glorfindel and Ann looked over at the couple, laughter at Haldir's compromised position escaping two sets of lips. Shar glared over at the pair, Ann sticking her tongue out at the other woman before observing, "Well Hal, it seems Shar has this round. Gonna concede defeat?"

Haldir could see Glory's smirking face from his position and uttered a series of rather unbecoming dwarfish curses aimed at both the seneschal and the woman restraining him. Glorfindel's brows rose further as he laughed harder while Shar, comprehending exactly what the Marchwarden had said, proceeded to yank on his little finger, eliciting another muttered curse.

Unwilling to let the display continue Haldir resigned himself to a further humiliation, smacking his free hand loudly against the floor. The tension on his arm immediately disappeared as well as the foot in his back. The Marchwarden sighed, sliding to his knees, rotating his offended shoulder. He looked up at the woman standing over him, coming to a fast decision.

Shar ignored the make-out session taking place on the other side of the room, refusing to be disgusted at the sounds of lips smacking loudly. And I thought WE were loud. She watched Haldir warily as he moved to a kneeling position, massaging his shoulder. Apprehension invaded her as she watched a hardened expression settle on his face as he stood slowly.

"SHIT!" Shar cursed, turning on her heel and sprinting for the bedroom, Haldir close behind. As she entered the room she looked for her katana. Not finding it, she grabbed the next best thing, her 5-D-cell Mag-lite, whipping around and holding it before her. Upon turning she discovered exactly where her katana had gotten to as the Marchwarden held it loosely in his hands.

"Didn't know you were planning on sparring today," shrug, "but I'm up for whatever you have in mind," Haldir taunted, swinging the blade before him.

Need another weapon. This isn't going to cut it. Shar thought quickly. She knew she wasn't in actual danger, but Haldir always played rough. Both highly competitive individuals, they each bore minute scars of previous contests.

Shar remembered something, sliding toward the foot of the bed, maintaining her defensive posture. She swept one foot under the edge of the bed, exposing a box. She moved quickly, dropping to open the carton and retrieve the vicious-looking dagger, a replica of the one employed by Kano in the Mortal Kombat movie.

Haldir chose that moment to strike, while Shar still knelt. She reacted instinctively, bringing the steel flashlight up to deflect the blow. The force the Marchwarden put behind the blow took her by surprise, forcing her back on her heels, completely on the defensive.

She brought the dagger up, joining it with the steel cylinder, the blade curving back over to protect her hand. She had crossed the pieces of metal in such a way to keep the katana blade away from her hand that was exposed holding the flashlight.

Haldir registered the move and decided to press his advantage. He exerted further pressure on the joined weapons, knowing Shar could not hold out against such an attack. Her hope lay in breaking away and putting distance between them. He suddenly shifted the pressure to the side, sending the dagger sliding down the steel cylinder into her exposed hand.

Shar cursed loudly as she tried to release the flashlight fast enough to avoid taking the cut and letting Haldir draw first blood. She didn't succeed, receiving a shallow scratch from her own blade as she dropped the flashlight, a thin line of scarlet beading on her skin.

Haldir backed off, knowing he had won the short contest. He watched Shar suck on the injured finger, eyes blazing. Wrestling is one thing. Besting me before another warrior is another. His pride had been stung at her easy dominance of him. Haldir had felt an uncontrollable need to reassert his position as the superior fighter and simply sought to drive his point home. He silently returned the katana to its sheath, placing it next to the doorframe.

As Haldir turned back Shar fixed him with a baleful glare, her eyes conveying to him her refusal to completely back down, despite her position on her knees. He approached her with his hands spread wide, while she still held the dagger before her defensively, her injured hand by her side. Valar she is beautiful even when she is pissed.

Shar eyed the elf warily as he approached, hands spread. Why do you always have to take things so damn personally? I THOUGHT we were just playing around. In the wake of the sudden, but not wholly unexpected match Shar refused to back down, her own pride wounded by what she interpreted as a lack of trust on the Marchwarden's part. Her actions had not diminished his prowess in her eyes. She had merely taken him by surprise and pressed her advantage.

She hissed at him, sliding back on her knees as he got closer, still on the defensive. Now thoroughly pissed she sought to elicit a reaction from him spitting, "Bastard!"

Taken unawares by the sudden epithet directed at him, Haldir's eyes darkened the lids narrowing as he perceived the spoken challenge. His face twisted in a smirk as he conjured a way to end this standoff.

In the outer room Annanel heard Shar's curse and immediately disentangled herself from Glorfindel, the golden lord following her as she made her way to the bedroom. The two peered in the room, watching Haldir advance on Shar, catching each of her wrists in his hands. The Marchwarden pushed Shar onto her back, pulling her hands over her head, his knees straddling Shar's hips.

Glorfindel smirked as Shar cried out in indignation, dropping the dagger above her head. The seneschal watched approvingly as Haldir shifted his grip, both of Shar's wrists in one hand, the other sliding the dagger well out of the way. The golden lord pulled Ann away from the sight as the Marchwarden slid his hand down Shar's side and caught her lips in a clearly searing kiss.

Shar protested loudly as Haldir ran his hand across her body, still refusing to submit. She heard Annanel's shouted comment from the outer room. "Oh give in already. You know you can't hold out against him!"

Shar redoubled her efforts to escape, writhing in Haldir's grip shouting, "Oh yes, I can! All night if necessary!"

Oh really? Is that so? I will just have to prove you wrong then. Haldir continued his exploration of his lover's body despite her increasingly adamant protests, her struggles only serving to increase his already raging desire.

"GET OFF HALDIR!" Shar screamed at the elf restraining her. She could hear Glory and Ann laughing in the outer room. "This is NOT funny! Get the FUCK OFF OF ME!"

Haldir ignored Shar's words, drawing her shirt up and twisting so he could suck on a lace-covered, pierced nipple. He undid the front clasp of her bra, freeing her breasts to his gaze.

Shar screamed again as Haldir exposed her. "Stop it! Let me GO already!" She gasped as his hand brazenly shifted down toward the apex of her thighs. She immediately twisted her legs, crossing them twice, endeavoring to keep his hands from straying further. Desperation entered her voice as she pleaded, "STOP! Please God NO!"

Haldir completely missed the tone of Shar's voice, so intent was he upon his decided course of action. It never crossed his mind that she truly did not want to couple with him then and there. She had played the role of the reluctant lover before. Haldir simply believed she wanted more persuasion.

Oh Gods NO! This is NOT happening! Not here, not now, not HIM! No nononononononononononononononono. Shar's mind simply could not accept what was happening and she withdrew. Going limp under Haldir's hands she ceased her futile struggles, letting him do what he willed. She began murmuring nonsensically, "La la la la lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala…"

Haldir took her sudden stillness as the submission he had been seeking from her. Lost in the taste and feel of her skin he failed to notice her eyes screwed shut painfully, the occasional tear slipping out the edges. He mistook her gasp as he entered her as one of pleasure. Already painfully turned-on he found his release faster than usual, suddenly wondering at the fact that she did not cum with him, as she always did.

As soon as Haldir released her wrists, Shar shoved him off of her, a gasp of surprise escaping the Marchwarden's lips. She snatched a huge towel off the laundry pile next to them, wrapping herself in it. Covered, she stood and directed a kick at Haldir's solar plexus, connecting with the muscles. He doubled up at the assault, all the air leaving his lungs. Shar stumbled out of the room screaming, "YOU FUCKING BASTARD! I HATE YOU!!!"

Glorfindel instantly withdrew his hands from under Annanel's shirt as Shar staggered out of the bedroom and collapsed on the couch, sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. Ann rushed to her friend's side murmuring softly, not comprehending what had just happened. Glory turned his gaze toward the bedroom where Haldir stood framed in the doorway, one arm wrapped around his midsection. Completely unmindful of his nudity the Marchwarden's eyes were fixed on the red-head shaking in Ann's arms.

Ann turned questioning eyes on Glory before moving to Haldir as she tried to calm her friend who had buried her face in Ann's shoulder. Ann took notice as Shar shrieked when Haldir tried to take a step toward them. Something clicked in Ann's mind and she looked at Glory to see if he had made the same connection. From the now feral look on the seneschal's face she knew he had.

Glorfindel was beyond enraged. He had known Shar longer than Haldir and protectively viewed her as a little sister and trusted friend. The red-head had introduced him to Annanel. He owed his current happiness to the small woman. The thought that his long-time friend had betrayed and harmed her was more than the golden lord could bear.

"No. Oh God no. Please tell me what I think just happened didn't. Tell me I'm wrong." Ann directed the demand at the clearly confused Marchwarden. "Tell me you did NOT just force yourself on her."

Shar continued to curse in Ann's arms, "Fucking bastard. Motherfucking son of a bitch…"

As Annanel spoke Glorfindel had slowly stood and was advancing on Haldir, watching as sudden realization dawned on the Marchwarden's face. The golden-haired elf caught the Marchwarden by the arms as his legs gave way, a strangled cry leaving his lips. Glorfindel's fingers dug painfully into Haldir's arms, but the Lorien elf didn't even notice the already-forming bruises, as he was lost in reliving the past few moments with Shar, reanalyzing every word, every move.

"You bastard!" Ann cried as her suspicions were confirmed.

Glorfindel released one hand from Haldir's arms and backhanded the Lorien elf across the face, growling, "How could you? She trusted you!"

Haldir didn't even try to fend off the blow as he visibly paled. The Marchwarden dropped to his hands and knees as Glorfindel released his grip on Haldir's arms. He watched as Glory stepped away in disgust, the golden elf clearly not wanting any contact with the other.

"Shar…" Haldir murmured, trying to crawl closer to her.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Shar suddenly screamed, her hands twisting in Ann's shirt.

Haldir winced visibly, paling even further as he fell back against the wall next to him, tears streaming silently down his face, his skin suddenly gone visibly translucent.

Glorfindel perceived the level of pain the Marchwarden was experiencing and looked at Ann, sudden fear shining in the seneschal's eyes. Ann nodded eyes widening, suddenly realizing what was about to happen.

Glorfindel barely made it to Haldir's side as the Marchwarden toppled forward, the seneschal's strong arms catching him. Haldir weakly buried his face in Glory's lap, sobbing inconsolably.

"Shar?" Ann murmured, "Have you ever seen Haldir cry?"

"Yes. Once," came the muffled reply. Shar suddenly jerked from Ann's arms, voice accusing, "You should cry you bastard! How does it feel knowing you betrayed our love?"

A choking sound escaped Haldir as he shook terribly in Glorfindel's embrace, not even raising his head.

Shar suddenly turned a horrid shade of green as Ann snatched a trashcan in front of her. Shar emptied the contents of her stomach into the plastic basin in great coughing heaves, Ann holding her hair back from her face. Apparently finished, Ann wiped Shar's mouth with the edge of the towel.

Ann looked up, making eye contact with Glory. She mouthed silently, "Clothes." Glory nodded in acknowledgement, carefully placing the shaking Marchwarden on the floor and running into the bedroom. He returned seconds later tossing a flannel night-shirt to Ann and started to help Haldir into a pair of sweatpants.

Shar looked up pleadingly at her friend as Ann pulled the night-shirt over her head and whispered huskily, voice raw, "Why? I want to know why he did it."

Haldir cried out again as he heard Shar's whispered plea. A forming bruise was already evident on his face where Glory had backhanded him. He knew he deserved it... and worse.

The Marchwarden weakly raised his head from Glorfindel's lap, his voice catching in his throat. He spoke haltingly in between gasps. "Please... my love... I did not know. You are… my everything. Words… cannot… express… how sorry… I am."

Haldir could feel his heart breaking as he realized the gravity of what he had just done. He knew her past. It had been all he could do not to seek those men out and kill them after Shar had told him about it. Now I'm one of them. He knew better than to try to justify his actions. "My heart. My soul… is nothing… without you. You… are the air… I breathe."

Shar suddenly bent over the trashcan again, emptying what was left of her stomach contents and continuing to dry heave as Ann held her hair back. The brunette retrieved a glass of water from the end table and directed Shar to rinse her mouth out and swallow some. Ann spoke soothingly to the woman; growing anxiety rising in the brunette's chest as both Shar and Haldir visibly lost more of the little color left in their skin.

Years previous, after the red-head and the Marchwarden had bonded Glorfindel had commented to Annanel that he had never seen the likes of their connection, but for two exceptions in all his millennia, Legolas and Janessa and Elrond's twin sons. It had annoyed Glory to no end when Haldir would finish Shar's sentences. The two completed each other like few others were ever capable.

Ann met Glory's eyes over Shar's head, a silent understanding passing between them. They had to stop what was happening or they would lose both of their friends to a stupid mistake. Ann bent her head next to Shar's ear murmuring, "Hal made a terrible mistake. He knows that. He's already fading, he is so broken at having hurt you so."

Shar brought her head up, meeting Ann's gaze. She paled even further, eyes widening as she whispered, "Fading? Is that why I feel like this?" Ann could only nod as a strangled sob tore loose from Shar's chest, the sound shaking the smaller woman's body.

Ann watched silently as Shar's gaze turned on Haldir, the red-head's eyes tearing as she beheld the diminished form in Glorfindel's arms. Ann released her as Shar pulled away, sliding to the floor. Haldir's head rose from Glory's lap as Shar crawled toward them. She did not make it far, a gasp escaping her lips as her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed to the carpet.

Some color had returned to Haldir's skin with Shar's realization. He wanted to hold her, needed her to feel safe in his arms again. He watched her approach, daring to hope for forgiveness when she collapsed.

The Marchwarden shot from Glorfindel's embrace, not sparing a thought to where the sudden energy came from. He closed the distance between them, scooping her into his arms. He held her in his lap, rocking them back and forth, murmuring into her hair over and over, "Please be okay..."

Ann silently moved out of Haldir's way as he slowly and carefully rose, carrying Shar the few steps to the large couch, fatigue showing in his slow movements. The Marchwarden laid her down on the cushions, curling his body protectively around her, her head pillowed against his chest. He whispered softly into Shar's ear, "You are the air I breathe. My soul screams for you. Come back to me."

Glorfindel left Ann to keep an eye on the pair, returning quickly with a soft flannel comforter from the linen closet. The Marchwarden looked up gratefully as Glory laid the blanket over them. Ann swiftly deposited the fouled trashcan outside. The seneschal retreated to the other couch, Annanel joining him, molding her to his side.

The golden lord held her, suddenly struck by the fear of losing her. While they were totally committed to one another, the pair had not bonded. A mistake I will soon remedy he swore to himself. They silently kept watch over their friends, somehow sensing that the turmoil was not yet at an end.

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