A/N Since I lost the chapters to my other two fic I decided I ought to give you all something to read. I have wanted to write one of these fics for the longest time and I thought you might enjoy it! Please note that the conversations between the elves and Estel/Aragorn/the little boy, are in common. The conversations between the elves are in Elvish. I don't know much Elvish though, sorry!

Chapter 1: Tear Stains

A little boy, not quite three years of age, walked down the halls of Imladris clutching a blanket. He had tears streaming down his face, but he made no noise other than the sound of his bare feet softly hitting the floor. It was past midnight and few were still awake in the house. The little boy was looking for his parents but he didn't know where they were. He pushed the door open to a random room.

"Mummy? Daddy?" He cried softly. Not seeing his mother or father he continued down the hall pushing doors open. Many of the rooms were empty so no one heard the child's cries.

Elladan woke to the sound of his door being opened and a child's quiet voice asking for his parents. He pushed himself out of bed and walked out of his bedroom. The child who had pushed his door open was walking down the hall leaving teardrops in his wake. Elladan rubbed his eyes and sped up so that he could reach the boy before he opened any more rooms.

The little boy turned around and saw Elladan only a few feet behind him. He stopped where he was and started sniffling. The little boy sat on the floor and pulled his blanket over him while he started to cry. He was scared of the twin who had brought him back to Rivendell.

Elladan's heart broke when he heard the desperate cries of the young boy. He didn't know what to do though! He was a warrior not a father; he didn't know how to talk to a child.

"Daddy…" The little boy ventured. He had seen the twins a few times before and he knew that they knew his father. He was scared right now but he still wanted his parents.

Elladan squatted down next to the little boy and gently lifted the blanket to uncover the little boy's head.

The little boy lifted his head up and his red-rimmed eyes full of tears locked into Elladan's own grey ones. "Want Mummy."

  Elladan hesitantly touched the little boy's cheek and wiped away some of the tears. "Shh little one," He whispered. 

Hearing the soothing voice the little boy crawled over to Elladan and into his lap. "Hold you," He cried, lifting his hands up.

Elladan scooped the little boy up into his arms and wrapped him with his blanket. He had never cared for a child before and the trust this one had, was amazing. His father had often told his twin and himself about the unconditional love a child offered, but he had never experienced it.

"'Dan? Is everything alright brother?" Elladan turned at the sound of his twin's voice. Elrohir was standing in the doorway to his bedroom, his hair sleep tousled and his eyes drooping. Elladan figured he looked no better himself.

"Little Aragorn was crying." Elladan replied, showing his twin the crying child he held in his arms.

Elrohir walked over to his twin and stroked the little boy's soft curly hair. "He is scared."

Elladan nodded. "I know."

The little boy whimpered and dug his head into Elladan's chest. Every few seconds, small sobbing noises would come from the child while he shook in Elladan's hold. "Daddy," he whispered.

"What should we do?" Elrohir asked quietly.

Elladan gently rubbed the child's back absently and looked at his brother. "Let us take him to my bedroom. We should not wake Ada at this time of night."

Elrohir nodded his agreement. "I am going to get another blanket for him."

Elladan agreed and watched as his brother walked down the hall. Elladan whispered soothing words of Elvish to the little boy while he walked back to his bedroom. Elladan entered his room and placed the little boy on his bed. Elladan was horrified when the little boy began to scream and sob loudly.

"No!" The little boy wailed. "Hold you!"

Elladan picked the child back up and held him protectively. He had held him this way when they were riding back to Rivendell earlier that night. The child had been in shock and had said nothing. He had made no noise the entire ride.

The rain poured down and Elladan shielded the tiny child as best he could from the cold rain. He hoped that the little boy would be alright after witnessing the death of both of his parents.

"Elladan hold him tightly! You do not want him to fall from the horse!" Elrohir shouted over the sound of the pouring rain.

"I have him Elrohir, he is not moving at all." Elladan responded.

"Is he hurt?" Elrohir asked.

"He has a few scratches from where his mother hid him in the thorn bush but other than that he is fine." Elladan replied.

Elrohir nodded. "Ada will want to know what happened."

Elladan agreed. "I know, let us make haste. We do not want little Aragorn to get sick from the cold rain."

Elladan felt the boy's forehead for a fever. He let out a sigh of relief when he found none. Elladan could feel his sleeping shirt becoming damp. He looked down to see the child using it as something to cry into. He sighed and kissed the child's curly-haired head. "It will be all right little one, I am here right now." He whispered.

The door opened and Elladan looked up and watched his brother enter with a thick feather blanket. "Wrap him in this, he is shivering."

Elladan smiled at his brother. "When did you learn about children?"

Elrohir smirked. "Ada told me long ago about them. He told both of us when Arwen was born but you would not listen. You wanted nothing more than to go play outside."

Elladan rolled his eyes. "I guess I should have paid more attention to child care."

Elrohir nodded. "Yes I dare say you should have."

The little boy whimpered again and looked up at Elladan. "Mummy here?" he asked hopefully.

Elladan's face softened and he shook his head. "No little one, Mummy is not here."

The little boy began to sob again and Elladan hugged him tightly; whispering soothing words.

Elrohir rubbed the little boy's back while Elladan spoke and held him. "He is calming down." Elrohir noted.

Elladan nodded. "I know; we do not want him to get ill from crying too much."

Elrohir shook his head. "He looks so fragile."

"All children are fragile. You two were no exception." The twins turned around to see their father standing in Elladan's doorway.

"Adar we did not mean to wake you." Elladan told him.

Lord Elrond shook his head and walked over to his children. He had heard the sobbing from the child and he noticed that Elladan held him protectively in his arms. "Is the child alright?"

Elladan shook his head. "He wants his parents. How do I tell him that they are gone?"

Lord Elrond sighed sadly. "I do not think we can do that. As long as we are here and we comfort him, it should help."

"He is so little Ada. We were fully grown when naneth left." Elrohir said quietly.

Lord Elrond was pained at the reminder of his wife. He nodded at his son. "Yes, you were." He agreed. "This little one is no more than a child though. He will not understand the death of his parents."

The little child in Elladan's arms was sniffling softly again. He lifted his head and saw Lord Elrond speaking with his sons. At the sight of the Elf Lord the child gave a watery smile. When he had first ridden into Rivendell with the twins only six hours before, Lord Elrond had spent a few hours with him before putting him to bed.

Elrond watched as his son's walked towards him. Elladan held a bundle in his arms and Elrond had a suspicious feeling he knew what it was. "Did you find Arathorn and the other rangers?"

Elrohir nodded sadly. "They were dead, slaughtered by Orcs. We have their son."

Elrond's eyes were full of pain. He looked down at the tiny child in Elladan's arms and picked him up. "You two go change into dry clothes. I will look after Aragorn."

The twins nodded and left.

Elrond held the little child to his chest. It had been many years since he had held a child in his arms but he wished that it could be on better circumstances. He didn't want to think of how the child's parents had been killed mercilessly by Orcs.

The little boy in Elrond's arms nuzzled against the elf lord's chest and began to cry. He didn't know any of these people and he didn't see his parents anywhere. He remembered seeing them fall to the ground with red stuff on them but his childish mind convinced him it had been a game.

"Shh little one, I am here for you." Elrond whispered while he walked to his bathing room.

"Daddy?" the child cried.

"Daddy is not here." Elrond replied kindly. The boy began to sob uncontrollably but Elrond soothed him. He spoke kind words into the child's ear until the boy quieted.

His sobs were reduced to sniffles and he looked up at Elrond. "Cold." He shivered from the wet clothing that clung to his small body.

Elrond smiled and stopped one of the servants in the hall. "Please bring me warm water and children's clothing."

The servant nodded and smiled at the little boy. "Yes milord." He hurried off to do as he was told.

Elrond entered the bathing room and set the little boy on the floor. He quickly knelt beside him so the boy would not cry. He removed the wet clothing and diaper and then wrapped a soft towel around the child's body. He dried him off and held the child to his chest whilst he waited for the servant to return with warm water.

"Ah nice," the little boy muttered while Elrond held him.

There was a knock at the door and Elrond opened it to find the servant with a big tub of water. "Thank you; please place it in the bathing chamber."

The servant did as he was told and then left the elf lord and human child.

Elrond unwrapped the boy from the towel and placed him in the empty bathing tub. He poured a little less than half of the tub water in with the little boy who fidgeted. He washed the little boy with soap and lavender oil to calm him down. Elrond smiled as he saw the boy yawn. He rinsed him with the rest of the water, careful not to get any of the soap in his eyes.

The little boy giggled as the warm water poured over his head. He tried to hold some of it in his hands but it slipped through his fingers. He laughed and looked up at the elven lord. He reached his hand out and wrapped his tiny hand around three of Elrond's fingers. With his other hand he rubbed his eye, signaling that he was sleepy.

Elrond picked the little boy up and wrapped him in a towel. He cuddled the boy and dressed him in the clothes the servant had brought him. They were too big but would do fine as something to sleep in. He put fresh linen around the boy to serve as a diaper. He was pretty sure the boy knew how to use the bathroom but he didn't want to risk it. After the child was dressed he carried him to a room close to where his son's slept and laid him on the bed. The boy instantly fell asleep and Elrond watched him sleep before he silently left the room.

"Hold you!" the little boy said loudly, reaching for Elrond.

Elladan handed the child to his father who held him with practiced hands and years of experience. "He likes you adar." Elladan commented.

Elrond smiled. "He needs to sleep."

The child rubbed both his eyes with his small fists. "Sleepy." He muttered before nestling into Elrond's chest and closing his eyes.

Elrohir and Elladan chuckled at the child's antics whilst their father held him.

"What are we going to do with him Ada?" Elrohir asked.

"What else could we do with Isildur's heir?" Elrond asked. "He will stay here. He is a distant relative of ours."

Elladan nodded; they knew that. "He will live with us then?"

Elrond nodded. "Yes, he will grow up with us."

"As our charge?" Elrohir asked.

"As your adopted brother," Elrond answered.

The twins smiled contentedly and looked at the little boy with tear stains on his face. He was their brother, their adopted brother.

How did you like it? More chapters are on their way! Please read and review! Thanks for looking over my fic Lauren!