Disclaimer: I own nothing of Tolkien's work or anything alon those lines. I am definitely not that creative.

A/N: This is not beta-ed. Sorry for all of the mistakes. I went through it all as thoroughly as possible, but Eledhiel is currently bussy with many other things to beta and I am just being impatient in starting to post this story. It is about 1/2 done or so. I plan on a chapter a week, but there are no cliffies and not really a deep storyline. It just a cute fic about Estel and Elrohir. Sorry, I wanted to get the agansty one out first but Laven is not helping me there.

A/N 2: I am well aware that Estel's mother did not die with Arathorn; however, I do not feel competent enouh to give her a workable personality and character, so in this story, she has been killed off. She died with Arathorn. Also, I know that Dilthenor is not the actually translation of "little one." However, I like it and it is only a nickname and at times nicknames are not exactly grammatically correct. So with that... on to the story.

"conversations"

'thoughts'

flashbacks

Talk To Me

Elrohir was suddenly wide awake as he heard a scream coming from the room across from his. He jumped quickly out of bed and was in his brother's room in mere seconds. Elladan was close behind him as they peered into Estel's room and saw the small boy shaking under all of the covers.

"Estel?" Elrohir questioned quietly moving into the room and sitting on the bed with a hand on Estel's shoulder. "What's wrong?" Elladan moved quickly over to the fireplace and got the flame once again burning high. It was the middle of winter and Estel was human; the young boy was probably cold even if that wasn't the cause of his shaking.

"Nightmare." Estel choked out trying not to cry. He was three now and had been in Rivendell for several months. However, he still did not feel completely comfortable around his adopted family. He felt out of place there. He was so different and didn't want to be a weak human amongst the elves. He wanted to be, need to be strong.

"Do you want to talk to me about it?" The boy shook his head as Elladan sat down on the other side of him. "Are you sure?" Elrohir's voice was calm and caring, but Estel shook his head again. He still was lying tangled in his blanket and made no move to let either twin comfort him.

Elrohir sighed slightly. He wished that Estel would accept their help and comfort. He was their brother. Elrohir could not have loved the boy more if he were actually his brother. At times, Estel seemed to be perfectly content with his family and at other times he completely shut them out. When Estel needed help or comfort, he would not talk about it or ask for it.

"Well, do you want a glass of warm milk to help you sleep?" Elladan offered hoping to at least distract his youngest brother. Estel nodded slightly and attempted to untangle himself from the covers. He was stuck and Elrohir and Elladan attempted to conceal their amusement as they helped him free himself. Refusing to be carried to the kitchen, Estel pulled on his slippers and followed the twins down the hall. The twins slowed their pace considerably to make up for the height difference.

Once in the kitchen, Elladan quickly set to work warming some milk, while Elrohir scoured the pantry for anything enticing to eat. He came up with some cookies left over from dessert that night. Estel sat content between the twins drinking the milk from a tiny glass and munching on a cookie. A half hour and a second glass of milk later, Elrohir carried a sleeping Estel back up to his rooms. He had insisted that he could walk, but put up no fight when Elrohir picked him up. He fell asleep almost instantly in the strong elf's hold.

It was now hours later, and yet Elrohir could not force himself from Estel's side. Elladan had gone back to bed a few hours ago and Estel still slept peacefully. Elrohir wished he could figure out the puzzle that was Estel. He wished he could understand the child's sudden mood swings. He was worst than Elladan in that way. Elrohir stood to return to his room when Estel started squirming in his sleep and tossed fitfully.

Elrohir sat on the bed and pulled Estel into his protective grasp. He wished he could walk into the boy's dreams and stop whatever was causing this. Estel awoke with a short scream and tried to pull away when he realized that someone was holding him.

"Ssshhh… it is okay, muindor-nin. Nothing can hurt you here." Elrohir spoke soothingly to Estel. Estel stopped pulling away and turned his head to glance up at the twin. "Are you okay?"

"Uh-huh." Estel replied, but his eyes told a different story.

"Are you sure? You can talk to me, Estel."

"Nightmare."

"The same one as before?" Estel nodded. "What happened?" Estel hesitated and wondered whether or not to tell the elf. He was didn't want Elrohir to see him as weak. He wanted his muindor to love him. "You know what, Dilthenor?" Elrohir asked after Estel did not answer.

"What?" Estel replied quietly glad that Elrohir was no longer questioning his dream.

"We all have nightmares at times. The trick is to know that it is not real, that it can not hurt you. It's all fake."

"Do you have nightmares?" Estel's eyes were wide as could be. He didn't think that any warrior elf could have his dreams invaded by scary images. In fact, he was certain that nothing could scare the twins.

"Yes, I do. We all do."

"Do they scare you?"

"Yes. It scares me because I feel so helpless."

"What do you do?"

Elrohir laughed slightly. "I run to El's bed and wake him up."

"You do?" Estel looked up at him wide-eyed and a little awed. Elrohir nodded. "I didn't think either of you could get scared."

"We all get scared at times, Dilthenor."

"What's that mean?"

"Dilthenor?" Estel nodded. "It means Little One."

"Ohh."

"Do you mind the name?" Estel shook his head. His own mother and father had called him that just not in elvish. "So, do you want to tell me what scared you?"

"My nightmare." Estel looked at Elrohir like he was stupid. 'He should know that, shouldn't he?' Elrohir glared at him trying to look mad, but it didn't work and sent Estel into a giggling fit.

"Well, I know that. What was in your dream?"

Estel took a shuddering breath and clung tightly to Elrohir. If Elrohir had nightmares, then he wouldn't be weak for having them. He could tell him now, and Elrohir would help him fight off the monsters. Elrohir stroked his hair and held him tightly letting Estel speak in his own time. "I saw scary looking creatures. They were destroying everything." Tears sprang to his eyes, but he continued talking. He needed to tell his muindor now. "Daddy was trying to protect me. He was trying to protect Mama and me. He couldn't. The monsters killed him. Him and Mama." Estel cried and cuddled up to Elrohir.

"Sshhh… Ssshhh, Estel. It's okay. They can't get you now." Elrohir spoke soothingly to Estel. He spent the next half hour calming the boy's fear and suppressing his own memories. Estel's dream had been exactly what he and Elladan had stumbled upon months ago. They tried in earnest to kill the orcs off and save the people that were attacked by them. They succeeded in some ways, but failed miserably when it came to Estel's parents. They found Estel, and knowing his parents were dead, took him home. Elrond adopted the boy and he was now as much a member of the family as he or Elladan was.

"Are you okay, El?" Estel had stopped crying and now was looking at Elrohir's face. It was grimacing as if in pain. Estel's voice shook Elrohir from his memories and he smiled at the concerned look on Estel's tiny face.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Dilthenor."

"No you're not. You're…" Estel tried to put emotions to the look, but couldn't. "No you're not. Come on." Estel jumped off the bed and pulled Elrohir's hand so that he would follow him.

"Okay, okay." Elrohir got up off the bed and followed Estel as he walked across the hall and into Elladan's room, which was connected to Elrohir's. Estel jumped on to Elladan's bed and woke him up.

"What is it, Estel?" Elladan asked tiredly and saw an apologetic look on his twins face.

"He's…. I don't know how he feels, but I'm scared and I think El's sad."

"Really?" Elladan eyed his twin and caught the hidden look of torment on Elrohir's face. "Well, then, I guess you can't go back to your own room, then can you?" Estel shook his head empathically. Elladan simply moved over making room for both Estel and Elrohir. He, also, silently thanked his ada for making his and Elrohir's beds extra big for just such occasions. Estel fell asleep quickly in the protective grasp of the twins. "What scared him?" Elladan mouthed more than spoke to his twin.

"Orcs. He saw his parents death." Elrohir mouthed back. Elladan nodded and remained silent. Estel talked to them about his nightmare. They were making progress at least.

To Be Continued

I told you. Not much depth and storyline. It was just in my mind begging to be written.