All for the One I Love

By: karushna5

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one. Does anyone else find these disclaimers depressing. That they only serve as a reminder that we didn't come up with these characters.

Summary: Aragorn would do anything for the ones he loved, but what if he had to choose between his family and the woman of his dreams. Who would he choose? How would they react to the choices made?

A/N: This is another one that I wrote to take a break from my other more popular story, Cats and Elves. I came up with this while listening to a business lecture which I later failed the quiz over (oops), but hopefully it was worth it.

Elrond walks out: You failed a quiz for this story?

Authoress meekly: Yes, but it was only 1 quiz. I made up for it with the next one I made a 10/10 on it.

Elrond: It Doesn't matter. Now stop stalling and go study for your Spanish quiz tomorrow (Authoress pouts and walks off)

Elladan: Hope people like this story then

Elrohir: Yeah, if they don't then the authoress will cry and do something really horrible to us.

Twins look at each other and gulp

Elrond also gulps: Please review. She can do pretty mean things when she wants to.

On with the fic.

Chapter 1: End Before Beginning

A dreary day upon a blood soaked plane. The once green grass was littered with bodies of orcs, wargs, elves, and men. Only three beings were left in the middle of the blood soaked battle field. Two of which were among the living, but the third would soon depart the waking world. A dark haired elf was tying off the final bandage to a gaping stomach wound of a equally dark haired man. A blonde elf in battle attire stood by with bow in hand in case the enemy once again came upon them.

Elrond couldn't believe what he was seeing. His youngest son, his baby boy was dying before his very eyes and he was powerless to stop it. For the first time in two months Elrond did something he thought he would never do again.

He cried for Aragorn.

Glorfindel stood nearby watching the seen before him, his sense to the surrounding woods incase something tried to attack the ones he was now watching over. Glorfindel had watched as Elrond tried to save his adopted son, but it was all for nothing. Even Glorfindel, not being one with a great knowledge of the healing arts, knew the man could not be saved the wounds on his flesh and spirit were too great. He watched as Elrond broke down and pulled his unconscious son into his arms.

The twins and Legolas were chasing after the remaining orc riders. They would have stayed to aid their father and brother, but the pure rage they felt had gotten to them. They craved revenge and gave chase to the survivors. Elrond pitied any who got in their way right now.

What would he say when they returned to find their friend and brother departed form here? How could he tell them? He didn't want to, it was hard enough for him to except the fact that his son would die before his time, how could he possibly explain it to them. Aragorn's mother was still looking for her son in Rohan. The job would fall to Elrond to tell her what had happened to her only child. Then there was Arwen. What would she do?

In his heart Elrond knew that his family would not survive this loss, sure they would go over the sea, but only to die there among their long departed friends and family. Gilraen would in all likely hood die of a broken heart in a year or less. Salty tears flowed in rivers down his cheeks, stalling for only seconds on his chin before dropping onto the rangers quickly paling face. He pulled his son's seemingly lifeless body to him, in one last hug, and buried his face in his sons hair. Crimson blood seeped through the once white bandages into Elrond's clothing. Elrond felt the warm, quickly cooling blood soak through his clothes and trickle down his chest and stomach.

A soft moan escaped Aragorn's purple tinged lips, Elrond barely heard it. He eased his son back away from him. Aragorn's mouth opened and closed as if he was trying to say something through all the blood welling up in it. Elrond leaned down close to hear his whispered voice.

"I'm… I'm s…sorry ada." he started to cough violently, Elrond tilted his son's head to the side so he wouldn't choke on his blood, but he knew the process for that had already started. Aragorn continued when the fit had passed, "I s.. should never h.. have tried t.. to take her from you."

Elrond shook his head, how could he be apologizing to me? It was my fault he left, my fault he was injured, my fault that he was now dying, my fault he would die. He wanted to tell his son that everything would be alright, that he could marry Arwen if he wanted. If allowing him to have his daughter would save him from this fate Elrond would allow it without ever having a second thought.Before more could be said Aragorn's eyes rolled back to show their whites as his consciousness once again left him.

Fear cut through Elrond's heart, the thought that this time the ranger might not wake up scared him. He began to shake Aragorn's unresponsive body, hoping to get some form of reaction from him.

Glorfindel watched in sadness, he would never admit it, but he had enjoyed having the mortal around. The Balrog slayer thought back to all the times little Aragorn had gotten into trouble, fights he didn't start, pranks he had pulled, and many others. Tears fell from his eyes as he wondered if Estel ever knew how much of a joy having him around was, that they had and always will love him despite those incidents, and thought back to the beginning where this had all began.