Authors Note: Hey All,

Guess what?! This is the last chapter!!!! No more of this story, and onto other ones. Though it might be a little while before I come up with a plot for a little while. Those plot bunnies are dratted hard to catch. Even when they are hopping all over my backyard. [shakes head sadly] But that does not mean I am not going to write any stories. I have a few songfics that I plan to write. So I will see ya all after……oh and a great hannon le [thank you] to Arwen-Evenstar! For the past two chapters she has been fixing my grammatical mistakes, as well as helping to help you all understand my little confusing story. So thanks Arwen and hope you all like this LAST chapter.

Chapter 7

A soft wind blew through the open balcony. It stirred throughout the room, fluttering papers and parchments. Outside, the Mirkwood trees waved lightly in the freezing winter breeze.

But inside, snuggled in the bed with all the quilts over him, Legolas slept. His eyes opened, but unseeing.

He smiled happily as his dreams swirled about his weary mind.

"Estel?" he whispered, but then his voice grew horrified and his breathing began to catch in his throat.

With a cry of utter dismay, he shot up. Sweat drenched him from the top oh his body and was slowly making it's way down his neck and back as well as his bare chest.

He heaved his breaths as his once again, alert eyes shot around the large, royally decorated room.

He heard nothing in the next room which was a good sign. One he thanked the Valar for. But something was wrong, he could not hear any living thing next door.

He turned all his senses to that room and waited, nothing. There was nothing to be heard in Estel's room. Not even Estel. Nothing was breathing, moving, walking, talking, scratching, kicking. Nonentity.

Quickly, with all the elven grace he could muster in this dire circumstance, Legolas hopped out bed and grabbed his long elven knife.

Gripping the ivory handle till his fingers looked a part of the marveled weapon, he sauntered over to the door that separated the two rooms.

Taking in a gulp of the crisp winter air, he slowly turned the golden knob. Involuntary sweat began to poor from his face, mingling with the fearful tears that streamed unceasing from his silver-blue eyes.

Carefully, he pushed his slim head through the crack that he had opened.

"Estel?" he whispered, hoping, desperately to get a response.

He got none. This made more worry come from within the prince's heart and he swallowed the horror that catapulted through his entire being.

Gradually he commenced to going through the doorway and looking at the entire room.

All was clean and in place. It was as if no one had ever slept there. The bed was mad, and the extra pillows were back on the chairs. The drapes were drawn closed and the fireplace was dark and hollow. A new piece of unlit wood was in it.

But the one thing, or rather man he was looking for. He was not there, in fact, he was no where in the large room. Where had he gone, had they moved him.

Was that possible? How could they do that without waking up Legolas? It would have cause Aragorn a lot of pain. He would have cried out, even screamed at the amount of pain they would have cause.

'Then that leaves only one explanation.' the prince reeled back a step as he stared at the empty bed.

"He's dead?" it was a broken whisper, His mind shuddered at the horrible words. "How is that possible, I spent just lat night with him. He was fine. Wasn't he?" The pang of the dreaded thoughts haunted Legolas, and crashed on his like ocean upon rocks. Except now he was the rocks, not the ocean.

The elf let out a broken sob as he let himself sink to the bed. He put his face in his hands and wept, for he knew not what else to do. He was stunned.

It felt as if time had stopped, and he could not move away from the moment. It hurt worse than any feeling. It was the feeling that one close to you was gone, and it was your fault.

So entranced in his musings and sobs that he did not hear anyone enter the now dark and lifeless room. The silvery elven eyes stopped as they laid sight on the prince's slumped and shaking frame. The warrior cocked his head to the side and smiled as he pulled back a strand of raven hair from his face.

"Legolas, why do you weep?" he asked, voice sincere and unknowing.

The elven prince shook his head and let out a shuddering breath as the sobbing subsided just enough to tell the elf. "My friend, Estel, h-he died last night." he whispered wearily.

"Died, really." the figure let out a long sigh and shook his dark head. "When will you learn mellon nin, my brother does not leave for Mandos's halls that easily."

The elven prince's head shot up and he smiled as the forgotten tears trailed down his pale cheeks. "Elladan?" he whispered in disbelief. "How? Why?"

"Well it is quite simple…We don't know how he does it." The older twin looked around conspicuously. "But me and Elrohir assume that he has spies watching every move we make." he whispered a look of mock horror growing on his graceful features.

"Elven spies?" Legolas asked, wiping the tears away and a smile finally appearing so that the glee shone in him again. It was like a candle burning bright.

"Yes!" Elladan hissed, while putting a solitary finger to his pursed lips. "But do not tell him we know."

The elven prince laughed at the thought of elven warriors following the three brothers through the woods. And Estel being-

"ESTEL!" he shot up. Legolas had completely forgotten about the boy. Where was he, was Elladan stalling him. Had he been so unbearably distracted by Elladan that he had forgotten Estel.

A look of concern grew on Elladan's face as he watched the blonde elf before him go visibly white. The elven twin knew of Legolas's past, the prince had been through much in such a short elven life.

"Legolas." he put a reassuring hand on the elf's shoulder, trying to softly shake him out of the stupor he was now held in. It was like a trance. Legolas's eyes were dark and aghast. His mouth slightly open and Elladan almost laughed, but the mood kept his emotions at bay.

"Legolas!" by now the elf was not responding. Sure he was standing there, but he had said not a word in the whole minute they had been standing.

"It's my fault, Elladan." he whispered as more unwanted and much unneeded tears flowed from his worry filled eyes.

The older son of Elrond knew immediately what Legolas spoke of. He still thought Aragorn was deceased. Inwardly he shook his head and grasped both the elf's shoulders firmly, shaking him as he spoke.

"Legolas! Listen to me! Estel is not dead!"

Those last words brought the still slightly entranced elf out of his daze. "Not dead?" he asked, eyes glistening with a new found hope.

"No! He lives!" the raven haired eldar half screamed in the Prince's face.

Legolas looked up, watery eyes and all. "How?"

"Ada is here, he is taking care of Estel as we speak. And if you are wondering why he is not here. We needed a room with a closed window. It was getting to cold and Estel never would have made it if we left him in here." He moved his head in the direction of the window. "Estel has a question for you when we go to see him. It has something to do with elves and windows." Elladan laughed lightly and took his strong, vice-like grip off Legolas's shoulders and his face turned serious. "He asked for his friend to be with him while Ada works on him."

The elf prince looked up, all traces of mourning still apparent. He opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly silenced when Elladan put an arm around his shoulders and escorted the elf out of the room.

They began to walk down the hall, Legolas felt as if he needed desperately to tell someone. The guilt in his heart was eating away at his soul and mind. It kept the horror filled word that had been said rolling through his mind, and the pictures of finding Estel on the ground. His broken body sprawled out on the snowy ground.

"Elladan?" he spoke so softly that the other elf's ear twitched slightly trying to hear what he said. "I did it." he let out a sob. "It is my fault that Estel is hurt."

"How so Mellon nin?" The older son of Elrond knew well that Legolas would not just let him say 'no you did not.' He had to draw it out first.

"I just stood there." Legolas shook his pale blonde head in disbelief. "I did not even notice. I just watched him push me out of the way, I let him give his life for me."

"Stubborn Greenleaf." Elladan shook his head ruefully and that stopped Legolas's. The older elven twin turned playful silver eyes on the elven prince. "He would have done it anyway Legolas. Estel lives on honor, he would give his entire life to a friend. No matter the real bond between them. You could have said he was a slimy, low-life, slug and he would have only tried harder."

The prince's emotions shot out and clamped him hard around the throat making him choke and stumble. "I did." was his solemn answer.

The other's eyes went wide, then he sobered. "Well should be no matter to him." a soft laugh emanated from him. "We call him that all the time."

Legolas let out a short laugh and smiled somewhat wickedly, and by that, Elladan knew he was coming around.

"Me and Estel played a game." The blonde elf said wiping away the forlorn tears.

"Really? Estel usually hates games. Unless they have to do with swords and knives. Ada doesn't like those kind of games though. The results are never good ones. I remember one time for certain; Estel and Elrohir fought against one another and in the end Elrohir had to be helped off the training fields. Broken leg."

The other elf laughed and looked in mock surprise. "How so?"

"Seems Elrohir is the first elf Ada had ever seen with bones like twigs."

"Really? What of the edan?" This story had much taken Legolas's weary mind off the guilt, as well as postponed it.

"Well, we found Estel in the creek. He had hurt himself also, seemed the young one had fallen from a tree and hurt his back. It wasn't anything to serious, just painful and hard to walk with." Elladan smiled at the memories of him sitting in the bedrooms trying hard to entertain both brothers, the fire roaring behind him and the two grumpily sending pillows and food at him.

"Hmmmm? Interesting." the elven prince smiled to himself as he came to a door that Elladan was leading him too. It was made of the same as all the other doors. Oak. Carving adorned the fine heavy wood and the fire from the torches leapt off the shining wooden door.

In truth he wanted to see Estel again, he had worried about him all night and from his dream he had had. He did not want to leave him alone another minute. Even when he knew how silly the dream seemed. The dark Lord was dead after all. There was no way that he could have done what he did in the dream. Was there?

Elladan calmly reached out and grabbed the door handle and turned it soundlessly. He let the door swing slowly open, and as he did sweet smells and gentle sounds of elvish tongue filled the air. The scents calmed his frazzled nerves and aching head. The elvish song that was being quietly sung was sweet and of a caring voice that seemed to be loving to whom ever they were singing too.

Legolas already knew that the singer was Lord Elrond. He did not often sing, Legolas had once asked him why, for the elven prince loved to sing and did it as often as he could.

Elrond had replied with a slight smiled upturning the corners of his mouth. "Not enough time in the world tithen Greenleaf. [young]" he had answered before continuing his poultice making.

The elf prince smiled and entered the room before Elladan, the raven haired elf had let him walk in first for it was respectful, and besides. Legolas had not seen Aragorn for a while and when he had seen him gone, it was a horrid sight Elladan had found him in. White as a ghost and shaking with sobs. He never wanted to see that again.

Legolas looked about the room. It was the finest room in all the palace, not including his own of course, but it had windows that could open and close. The bed had the finest satins and silks in all of Mirkwood, Laketown, and Erebor. A barrage of silky pillows lay behind the prone figure on the bed.

Estel's breathing was raspy and worn, but Elrond who was checking his heartbeat, did not look too worried. The elf lord smiled lovingly at his son's form and whispered a few words in the elven tongue.

"Na- na sîdh ion nin. [Be at peace my son]" Elrond's loving look traveled to the door, which was creaking slightly as the elves swung it open. "Mae govannen tithen Legolas. [Well met young Legolas]"

"Welcome hir nin Elrond. [My lord]" The blonde elf said with a somewhat hasty bow and then looked up at the horizontal form of the young mortal. The tongue of the elven filled the air once again as Legolas questioned lord Elrond. "How does he fair?"

"You forget elf! I can speak your tongue just a s well as you."

A smile crossed all the rooms occupants faces when they heard the raspy, tired, and drained voice of the young mortal. Aragorn coughed and tried to rise up but was pushed back down by Elrond.

"Ala Tyul Tithen pen. [Do not rise young one]" the elf lords voice was stern and his lips in a fine line. Estel let himself be pushed back down against the soft sheets and pillows. He moaned and tried to speak again, but before he could, Elrond put a gentle hand over his mouth and shushed his son.

Legolas walked over to the bed side, his eyes glimmering in the firelight. He took his seat on a beautiful red wood chair.

Elrond looked up at Legolas with distressed eyes, the firelight danced on them like waves on the ocean.

"I need to set the bones, but it is going to cause him pain, if you could talk to him while I do my work-"

Elrond need not say anymore for the elven prince already had Estel's hand in his and was bending over to talk to him. He nodded to the elven lord and his bright, lamenting blue eyes drifted down onto the broken form of Estel's body.

He began to speak softly to the human while squeezing the unbroken hand as tightly as he could without causing him more pain.

"I had a dream about you Estel." he began, not planning to tell the whole dream to the mortal.

Elrond looked up and whispered to Legolas. "He does better with elvish, if it comes to the point where he will not listen…..he does when it is in the elven tongue." he nodded and went back to his ministrations.

The elven prince nodded in understanding and repeated the words, this time in the beautiful elven tongue.

"I had a dream about you Estel." he whispered

Aragorn cried out as Elrond grabbed his other arm with gentle healer's hands.

"What was the dream?" He cried half screaming as the elven lord pulled and prodded his broken arm.

"You were sleeping peacefully in your room at first." the elven prince clenched his teeth as he talk, Estel was squeezing his own hand so hard, he feared the boy might break it. "Then you…..you awoke." he whispered the elegant elvish into the mortal's ear.

"Hold on Estel!" Elrohir said as he and his father set the arm as best they could, hoping desperately, that they had set all the breaks.

"It hurts Legolas, it hurts!" The young man sobbed as tears of pain streaked his cheeks.

The prince squeezed the mortal's hand tighter. "I know Estel!" He whispered as he worked to keep his own emotions at bay. "I know! But hold on, not much longer…..and once it is over we can talk normal again and I will not have to cover my ears." Legolas tried to joke with Aragorn, a fake smile came over his face.

"And why….do you have to….do that?" the boy asked with much difficulty as Elladan splinted and wrapped the arm tightly.

"Well your screams are none to peaceful to listen too." Despite the pain, the mortal laughed. But quickly sucked in again when his father and brother painfully made it known that they were at his leg.

The blonde elf saw this and abruptly tried to get the man's mind off his broken leg.

"I am sorry Estel."

"Sorry for what?" it worked, the mortal turned his hurtful sight to the elf and gulped down another moan as his brother and father pulled at his injured leg.

"Sorry for cursing you." the prince felt a trickle of a tear come from his eyes and he hastily wiped it away. "Sorry for calling you dense, and evil, and a edan!"

"Do not be sorry Legolas," the man bit at the air as the two healers set the bone, he let out a cry. He looked up with pain glazed eyes, a brightness flickered in them that the elf had not seen for , what had seemed like a century. "I will miss you Legolas."

The elf almost laughed hysterically, "You are not going to die you filthy little man."

"It sure feels like it……whoa!" he grit his teeth against the pain and let out a moan through the clenched teeth.

"Well you can't die on me. We still have to explore the friendship between men and elves." Legolas smiled and gave the mortal's, now extremely pale hand a firm squeeze. "And I do not plan to do that with any other sick minded edan."

"Well that is too bad for you, isn't it?" a wicked, but more of a glint of a smile came over the ranger's face before he let out a faint whimper as the two related elves finished setting Aragorn's leg.

The elf prince looked up and glared at the lord of Rivendell. "Why did you not drug him?"

Elrond wiped his brow and made his way over to Estel's charcoal and purple colored right side. He gave the elf a glare before setting his hands on the blackened areas, making the young man that lay below his fingers bite back a pain filled howl.

"Well, I tried. But Estel insisted on being awake. So stop giving me impudent looks Greenleaf." This comment earned a snarl from Legolas and he stood up, still holding on to the man's sweaty hand.

"My name is Legolas! Sure it means Greenleaf, but that is the reason I am an elf, to have an elven name." he snorted softly before taking his seat and looking down the boy, who's eyes were now wide.

"I have an elvish name too." The edan was more sober, now that it was all over and Elladan was wrapping the brakes carefully. "Does that make me an elf?" he gave Legolas a wicked smile and raised his eyebrows. "hmmm?"

"All I am saying is, everyone has been calling me Greenleaf all week! And I am sick of it….I would like to be called by my elvish name. How would you like it Estel is everyone called you Hope all the time?"

Aragorn winced at the thought, and frowned as he heard his brothers sputter and begin to laugh. "You had to bring that up, didn't you!" he growled.

"Bring what up?" The elven prince was obviously confused. "What is he talking about?"

Elrond looked to his sons, but they were in no condition to explain. Both figures were sprawled out on the floor, tears of mirth coming from there half closed eyes. Giggles, cackles, and laughs of all kinds spilling from their mouths.

He sighed and tried his best to keep a straight face. "Well once, Estel fell in love with this girl in a neighboring town. But once he told her his name she told her friends and he was basically laughed out of the town. No one knows how they found out what it meant." Elrond shrugged.

"I know! It was them!" The injured boy pointed to the two hopelessly mirthful elves . "They spilled it."

"N-now…why…would….we do….such a thing." Elrohir managed to say rubbing his teary eyes. "We love you way too much."

Elladan winked, but only Estel saw it.

"So why did you name Estel, hope?" Legolas looked to the lord of Imladris. But he only shrugged. "First name that came to mind I suppose." He lied and inwardly winced at how that had sounded. Glorfindel would be on his back when they got home, The twins would tell Glorfindel and then he would give Elrond a lecture on how you think of better excuses. Adenen probably would be too.

He sighed, he knew that there was a better reason. Elladan and Elrohir knew as well. But while they were all about Estel, he could not tell Legolas. Maybe later, when the time was right. But not now.

"Now I believe that it is time for you to get some sleep tithen pen. [young one]" The elf lord, gingerly brought the heavy quilts up to Aragorn's chest.

Legolas's thoughts hit him again, the dream! He had totally forgotten it. Slowly he pushed it aside and decided that it was probably nothing. Just his overactive imagination.

He watched with a smile as Elrond kissed his youngest son lightly on his bandaged forehead. "Nin meleth le." he whispered before brushing his hand caressingly on the side of the boy's face.

"Nin meleth le, Ada." he whispered back as consciousness fled him and he fell away from the room.

The last words that heard were sweet and played a melodious tune in his ears, calming the frazzled nervous.

"Maara loo, mellon nin, Estel."

End

Authors Note: Yes, this story is indeed over. But there should be a sequel coming soon! I am not sure how soon! But Soon! Hopefully!

But anyway, "Maara loo, mellon nin, Estel." means- "Good night, my friend, Estel."

And yes I looked it up….I am not learned in the language of the elves as I so wish I was.

Oh, and The dream Lego' had, [cackles] I originally put it in, but then thought I would wait and tie it together with the next story. But it was a very dreadful dream!!! I think that chapter will be rated R. I have a sick mind.

And about Elrond's healing, before Lego' came he gave Estel some kind of medicine that helped with the pain, but did not put him to sleep. So I guess in a way he was drugged. And it helped with the pain afterwards more than while it was happening that is why Aragorn was so quickly feeling better. And next story, there will be Lego' angst!!!!!!

Gotta go! Thanks ya 'all for the great reviews!!!! You are the best!!!! I will post again soon, though it may not be what you want. I gotta iron out the kinks for the next one, so sit tight and be patient. J