Disclaimer: Here we go again but it's the same old story everyone. I do not own Lord of the Rings of any of its characters. Any characters that you do not recognize belong to me and I am making zero profit off of this story. All characters will be returned unharmed and in one piece, um, maybe that is. Hehehe. Once again I don't own, never have nor ever will, and zero profit is being made.

A/N: Hey there everyone! I told you that I'd be back before you knew it! A huge thank you to all of my reviewers and my ever loyal beta. A few of you have asked about whether this wil be the fic where Estel gets into trouble in Lothlorien. I am sorry to say that no it isn't but that the fic following this one in a few months is. Trust me though, it will be more than worth the wait. As promised, here is Chapter One of That Which Ties Us Together.

That Which Ties Us Together

by:

HarryEstel

It was hard for Elrond to believe that more than a month had passed since Estel had been returned to them from deaths doorstep. Estel had recovered nicely although from time to time he was still plagued by coughing fits, however, they were thankfully decreasing as each day went by. Legolas too had recovered nicely and was back to walking around and causing as much mayhem as possible with the twins and Estel in tow.

Today was one such day and Valar only knew what trouble the twins, Legolas, and Estel were getting into. This moment, however, he was grateful that they were otherwise occupied for it left him free to speak to Thranduil. That was, proving he could find him. For quite a bit now he had been searching the various halls of Mirkwood for her elusive King.

Naturally, of course, the last room that Elrond searched was where he found Thranduil. There, on his desk in his private library Thranduil was fast asleep. "Mellon nin, wake up," Elrond said chuckling softly.

Thranduil blinked a few times and looked up at Elrond's amused face. "Oh! Do forgive me Elrond, I must have been more work out that I had thought," he said.

"It's perfectly understandable mellon nin. It has been an eventful month for all of us," Elrond said sitting down next to Thranduil.

"Aye I know. Who would have thought a four year old could have so much energy?" Thranduil exclaimed.

Elrond laughed. "Oh Thranduil, you have no idea. You believe that Estel is active now? You should have seen him when he was two!"

"I can only imagine," Thranduil said with a shudder. "If he was anything like Legolas or the twins, I am surprised that you are still here and that Imladris is still standing!"

"You have no idea," Elrond said wryly but fondly. "You wouldn't believe the things and the trouble he got into," he said laughing.

Thranduil laughed as well. "That one is only to get into even more trouble as he gets older. Elladan and Elrohir will see to that, as will Legolas I suspect."

Elrond nodded and grinned, his silver eyes sparkling with unhidden mirth.

Seeing Elrond's eyes sparkle like that nearly made Thranduil groan aloud. Every time Elrond's eyes danced like that it meant something was going to happen, something that he wasn't going to enjoy.

"Oh don't look at me like I'm about to announce your own funeral Thranduil," Elrond said rolling his eyes. "Besides, you don't even know what I'm going to say."

Thranduil snorted. "Maybe not but I know that look Elrond and it always spells disaster for me."

"It does not and besides, this is a good thing!" Elrond exclaimed.

"Humph, if you say so," Thranduil said doubtfully.

"Anyway, speaking of Estel getting older, he is going to be five in three short days from now. I had hoped that you would let us have Estel's birthday party here."

Thranduil sighed in relief. "Is that all you wanted to ask Elrond? Of course you can have the party here mellon nin! I simply did not realize that Estel's birthday was soon!"

"Aye, time does fly by," Elrond said somewhat sadly. "Would you be willing to help out with the party?"

"Of course mellon nin. What would you have me do?" Thranduil asked.

"I need you to keep Estel occupied the day of the party. It's a surprise party and I don't want Estel to find out about it," Elrond said in one big rush.

For a moment Thranduil stared at Elrond and blinked in shock. "Elrond, I.." he began to say but Elrond didn't give him the chance.

"Oh thank you mellon nin!'" Elrond exclaimed. "I knew I could count on you," he said before hurriedly leaving room before Thranduil could say anything.

Thranduil stared blankly at the spot Elrond had just occupied only moments before. Just what had he agreed to! He groaned as he realized he would have an extremely hyperactive child to mind for a whole day, a day that was the aforementioned child's birthday. How had Elrond gotten him to agree to this? Oh right, he hadn't. "ELROND PEREDHIL!" he roared at the top of his lungs.

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At Thranduil's enraged roar, Legolas, Elladan, and Elrohir looked up from their breakfast with amusement. "It would seem that Ada has told Thranduil," Elladan remarked.

"No, whatever gave you that impression?" Elrohir asked sarcastically.

"Hmm, perhaps it was the roar," Legolas said, chuckling poor Estel's confusion.

"Ada told Uncle Thrandy what?" Estel questioned not wanting to be left out of the conversation.

For a moment the twins and Legolas started at Estel before bursting out into hysterical laughter.

"Hey! What's so funny?" Estel asked indignantly.

"Oh tithen gwador, I love you. Where in the name of the Valar did you come up with that name?" Elrohir asked while wiping away his tears of laughter.

Estel looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Leggie told me to, don't you remember Leggie?" he asked.

The twins howled with laughter while Legolas tried to find a convenient hole to crawl into and never come out. When he had suggested the name "Uncle Thrandy" to Estel he hadn't been serious. Apparently though Estel had taken it to heart and was indeed calling his father Uncle Thrandy. Oh when his brothers and sisters heard about this he would never, never live it down and neither would their father.

Elladan and Elrohir knew exactly what the youngest Prince was thinking and grinned. "Hey Estel, what do you say we go and find our dear Prince's eldest brother and... surprise him?" Elrohir said wickedly.

"Yeah!" Estel exclaimed eagerly.

"Who knows Legolas," Elladan said scooping up Estel and putting him on his shoulders. "More members of the royal family may have some new nicknames."

Everyone laughed and proceeded down to the archery fields where an unsuspecting Iaurdil was soon to become a target of one of the twins and Legolas' infamous pranks.

Down on the archery field, Iaurdil grinned as his arrow hit the center of the target perfectly. While it was true that his littlest brother was the best archer in Arda, it was he who had taught Legolas. After all, skill doesn't come from just anywhere.

Drawing back yet another arrow, he smiled as he heard the twins and Legolas creeping up behind him, no doubt intending to "surprise" him. "Mellon nin, that trick only works once," he said without turning around. That was a big mistake.

A second too late, Iaurdil realized he really should have turned around when he heard something that sounded like a war cry. Before he could even turn around and evade whatever was coming towards him, something small and fast barreled into him and knocked him to the ground.

"Oof," Iaurdil said rather ungracefully as he looked up and saw the twins and Legolas grinning at him and Estel beaming at him from his position on top of his chest.

"Did we surprise you Iaurdil?" Estel asked excitedly.

"Aye, that you did tithen pen," Iaurdil groaned. "Now if you would kindly get off of my chest so I can kill your brothers and mine?"

With a grin, Estel hopped off the poor elf's chest and went straight to Legolas. "Leggie, I can't think of a nickname to give Iaurdil, can you help?"

"Oh no no," Iaurdil quickly said. "Estel, if I promise you that I won't hurt Legolas or your brothers, will you agree not to give me a nickname?" he asked rather desperately. Word had already circulated through his siblings of the name that the little one had given his father and Legolas and he had no intention of becoming the third victim.

"Hmmm, ok," Estel said happily.

"Has father heard the nickname yet?" Legolas asked Iaurdil with a raised eyebrow.

Iaurdil's eyes widened in horror at the thought. "Nay tithen gwador! Believe me, if he had heard it we would have known by now."

"Ah good. I had hoped I had not missed its unveiling. I very much desire to see Adar's face when Estel calls him that," Legolas said.

"No doubt from a convenient hiding place," Iaurdil said wryly. "It's nothing short of a miracle that one of our siblings haven't said anything yet."

"They know?" Legolas asked.

"Oh yes, they know. Word travels fast Greenleaf, you of all people should know that," Iaurdil said.

Legolas laughed. "Aye, that I do."

"Excuse me, but speaking of hiding places, I think that we should have an escape route ready just in case," Elladan said seriously.

Estel looked up at him in puzzlement. "Why would we need to hide Dan?" he asked innocently with wide silver eyes that could melt even a Valar's heart.

The twins, Legolas, and Iaurdil all just grinned. "My friends," Legolas began. "I do believe that we have just found our protection and his name is Estel."

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While his sons, Iaurdil, and Legolas were plotting when to reveal Estel's new nickname for Thranduil, Elrond was taking refuge in one of the various palace gardens when Glorfindel came up to him grinning.

"Judging by Thranduil's horrified expression and ramblings about killing you, I take it that you told him about watching Estel for the whole day," Glorfindel said.

Elrond grinned wryly. "Aye, I told him and then left before he could refuse which was probably one of the smarter moves I have made in my life."

"Mellon nin, you are treading in dangerous waters," Glorfindel said while laughing. "He is not likely to forgive you for this for a long long time to come."

"Oh believe me, I know," Elrond said grimacing. "However, I am about to enter even more dangerous waters now."

Glorfindel raised a golden brow. "Oh, is that so?"

"Aye, tis so most unfortunately. I must write a letter to Galadriel and Celeborn explaining all that has happened this past month. I am hoping the news that we are coming to visit may deter them from dismembering me piece by piece," Elrond said with a wince.

"Ouch," Glorfindel said sympathetically. "Valar knows that I wouldn't want to write that letter."

"Most sane people wouldn't want to either," Elrond said wryly. "However, I have no choice in the matter seeing as they must be informed that we are visiting and informed of everything that has happened as of late."

"I do not envy you when you get there Elrond," Glorfindel said shaking his head while laughing.

"Oh, I wouldn't laugh just yet if I were you Glorfindel," Elrond said with a wicked sparkle in his eyes.

Glorfindel stopped laughing immediately as a feeling of dread invaded his body and settled down at the bottom of his stomach. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean that you are coming with us my dear friend," Elrond said. "You did not think that I would really travel to Lorien without some form of an escort did you?"

"Well, no, but I thought that you were going to send me back to Imladris and relieve Erestor before he goes out of his mind," he said desperately. He would rather face a mountain of paperwork than have a hand in explaining to the Lady of Lorien what had happened to her youngest grandson.

"I am sorry mellon nin but you are coming with us and that's final," Elrond said not looking sorry at all.

Glorfindel scowled at Elrond. "Just you wait until we return to Imladris after this visit. There will be no hiding for you!"

"Yes, yes, my doom and death will be upon me," Elrond said unconcernedly.

Glorfindel just glared at him. "I think that I will go find Thranduil so that we can commiserate our bad fortunes together."

Elrond smirked. "You go on right ahead and do that mellon nin. I'm sure that Thranduil would love the company."

With one last glare at Elrond, Glorfindel walked way muttering about elf lords and their unfortunate tendency to drive anyone in their path mad.

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Dinner that night proved to be quite the entertaining affair with both Glorfindel and Thranduil glaring at Elrond while Elrond simply smirked. Predictably, Estel picked up on the tension between the three elf lords and gave them odd looks.

"Ada, why are Glorfy and Uncle Thrandy glaring at you like you usually glare at the twins?" Estel asked.

Iaurdil nearly choked on the bite of meat he had just taken and he was not the only one. All around the table his siblings and Elrond's sons were coughing and spitting out pieces of their dinner as shock set in. For a moment, there was dead silence as everyone looked at Estel and then to Thranduil, and then back to Estel. King Thranduil would never, never live this down. Never.

Thranduil surprised them all, however, by laughing and moving over to Estel and giving the young boy a large hug. "Oh Estel, you are too precious for words. Hannon le tithen pen, hannon le. I cannot remember the last time I saw my family or yours so shocked."

Estel looked at him with puzzlement but shrugged it off. Adults were just plain odd sometimes.

The rest of the night proceeded with out incident, unless one counted Thilloth choking on his heavily spiced potatoes, compliments of Elladan and Elrohir of course.

Once again, things had become rather interestring around Mirkwood and her residents couldn't wait to see what would happen next.Translations:

Ada: Dad/daddy

Tithen pen: Little one

Tithen gwador: Little brother

Mellon nin: My friend

Mellyn nin: My friends

Ion nin: My son

Arda: Middle Earth