Disclaimer: If you think I own JRR Tolkin's Middle Earth then you need your head read – and fast!

Double, Double

Sequel to Elemmire and Amdir

Please note: the elflings are now a little older, a little wiser and a little more trouble. They're about equivalent of eleven/twelve year old in human terms.

Chapter One. Tantrums and Surprises

"Ellie! Ellie! He's here! Ada's home!"

Elemmire sighed heavily as his twin, Amdir's voice shrieked through the garden. He pushed his long black braids from his eyes and wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Ellie!" Amdir called at the entrance of the smithy exasperated that Elemmire had not answered him.

"I know I heard you all the way from Iuaradar's office door," Elemmire muttered. Amdir hesitated on the step of the smithy. He didn't like the smithy it was too dirty and noisy for his sensitive elvish hearing.

"Ada. Is. Home," Amdir stated annunciating every word carefully.

"Yes," Elemmire agreed, "I know." He roughly picked up the horse hoof he was working on with long tongs and roughly placed the boiling metal into the water. The water hissed and bubbled angrily much like how Elemmire was feeling under the exterior calm surface of his neutral facial expressions.

"You're not still mad are you, Ellie?" Amdir asked resting on the door frame.

"It's Elemmire!" Elemmire snarled.

"Ada and Gwador-Adar have been gone for months, Elemmire, and yet you hold this anger for them all this time?"

"I suppose we better go and greet them," Elemmire replied dejectedly refusing to answer the question. He sighed heavily and glanced about the smithy the other adult elves refused to glance in the twins' direction embarrassed by the personal conversation. Untying the strap of his leather apron which was miles too large for him Elemmire indicated Amdir to lead the way.

Amdir smiled weakly at his twin and turned abruptly on his heel. But underneath he was worried about Elemmire who seemed to be increasingly angry at any mention of their Father.

"I bet, Ada has some fantastic stories to tell us," Amdir started cheerfully to provoke his twin to converse with him. "They've been away with the rangers for many months now."

Elemmire sniffed huffily. "I don't want his stories."

"I miss him terribly too," Amdir argued holding his hands up in surrender.

Elemmire snorted. "We haven't seen enough of him to miss."

Amdir sighed heavily and waited for his twin to catch up with him before draping his arms around his shoulders. "You'll always have me, Elemmire."

Elemmire grimaced weakly. "I know you won't abandon me."

"Ada hasn't abandoned us."

Elemmire pursed his lips tightly in reply as if he could not trust his tongue to say anything.

'

'

'

Amdir stepped forward straight away to embrace first Elrohir and then Elladan. "I've missed you both so," he breathed and added in an undertone, "Elemmire is still angry."

"I heard that," Elemmire snapped where he was watching from the sidelines. Erestor came up behind him and pushed him forwards slightly. "Greet your father like a good lad."

Elemmire would have loved to have rolled his eyes but he was well aware everyone was watching him. He stepped forward stiffly and stood as far as he could from his father without seeming too distance.

"Adar," Elemmire drawled quietly.

Elrohir stepped forward beaming ignoring the surly expression on Elemmire's face. He wrapped his arms tightly around his adopted son who immediately tensed under his touch. Kissing both of Elemmire's cheeks which was still sweaty from his work in the smithy Elrohir whispered in his ear, "I have a surprise for you later."

Elemmire's face brightened considerably. "You're staying here!"

Elrohir smiled gently and traced the line of Elemmire's jaw. "Even better, ion-nin," he said before turning away to embrace Elrond, his own father, who had come down to meet them.

"Do not I get a hug and a kiss from my nephew?" Elladan said by his horse looking slightly scandalised. Elemmire forced himself for the second time that day to step forward.

"Gwador – Adar," Elemmire offered blandly unable to stop the disappointment from showing on his face.

"Elemmire?" Elladan offered creasing his brow with worry. "Are you alright?"

Elemmire could not control himself any longer. "When has it ever been alright?" he spat before turning on his heel and running through the throngs of adult elves.

Elemmire ran through the crowd ignoring the shouts behind him that demanded him to stop. He kept running: the tears of anger and frustration streamed down his face. It wasn't fair! Just not fair.

He found that his feet had taken him to the smithy which was a much too obvious place for him to hide. Instead he scurried around the side of the small building and climbed up the wall using the smooth white bricks. No one would find him on the roof.

Elemmire found a comfortable position on the roof, curled his knees up to his chest and wept.

'

'

'

"Elemmire."

Elemmire glanced up to find himself face to face with his father. "Go away," he said miserably.

"You've been crying."

Elemmire wiped his eyes on his sleeve and action he knew that irritated his father to nigh insanity.

"Well spotted," Elemmire sarcastically snapped. "Go away!"

Elrohir looked down upon Elemmire with mixed emotions of anger and confusion. Instead of revealing his emotions Elrohir sat down beside Elemmire. "Well I like it here and I'm not going until you speak to me properly."

Elemmire swept himself to his feet and glared daggers at Elrohir. "Then I shall leave."

Elrohir grabbed Elemmire's sleeve and pulled him back down to a seated position. "No," he said sternly. "You shall speak we me in the proper manner."

Elemmire ground his teeth together in anger and turned his face away.

"I can wait all night if I have to," Elrohir offered.

"So can I," Elemmire pointed out. "Or haven't you noticed that I'm an elf like you?"

Elrohir sighed raggedly and ran his fingers through his hair. 'Help me, Elladan, he's provoking my anger.'

'Stay calm. Stay silent,' Elladan replied. 'He's bound to start yelling at you sooner or later.'

'That makes me feel so much better.'

'Well would you prefer him to remain silent and distant?'

Elrohir looked over to Elemmire who turned his body slightly away and was sitting hunched over.

'I'll take the yelling.'

Elrohir didn't know how long they both sat on the roof of the smithy. The sun was wanning and the sky was a painting of pink and purples before Elemmire finally broke the silence. "You're going away again, aren't you?"

Elrohir sighed again trying to grasp onto the remaining threads of his sanity. This was how all his conversations with Elemmire started. "Yes. But…"

"When will you stay…?"

"I don't know, Elemmire."

"Don't you like it here?"

"Elemmire…"

"Don't you like me?"

"Ellie…"

"What have I done wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Then why do you care more for your dead mother than you do for me?"

Elrohir sucked in his breath as if he had been struck. Inside he felt his fury bubbling at being spoken to like this from Elemmire. As he got up abruptly to leave Elemmire, Elrohir felt his brother's presence in his mind. 'Don't leave. Stay. Face the problem.'

'I want so much to strike him now.'

'But the anger you feel is for yourself because deep down you know we are hurting him.'

Elrohir sighed and turned slightly to catch a glimpse of Elemmire's head in his lap and his shoulders shaking from the sobs that were racking his body.

"Elemmire," Elrohir whispered. Elemmire didn't answer.

"Elemmire I was only young when I lost my mother to the wiles of the orcs," Elrohir started taking a seat next to his weeping son. Elemmire looked up his large green-blue eyes still full of unshed tears. "I have a vision of my loved ones being safe from that threat. I fear for you and your brother. I only wish I can contribute by creating a safer world."

Elemmire sniffed. "But why must you leave?"

Elrohir shifted slightly and wrapped his arms around Elemmire's shoulders. "Because I am driven to protect those I love."

"It's not fair. You never used to leave us."

"You were only babes then. You are growing into independent young elves now. You do not need your Ada like you used to…"

"I curse that sometimes," Elemmire mumbled.

Elrohir wrapped his arms around Elemmire once more and Elemmire let his head rest on his father's shoulder lightly.

"Now come," Elrohir stood stretching his back and offering his hand to Elemmire, which the young elf accepted. "Your brother is impatient to hear about my surprise."

'

'

'

Elemmire sat at the small wooden table dipping berries into cream watching his father as he expertly clasped his braids with long elegant fingers. He used to love the feel of an adults finger's in his long dark hair. It made him feel safe a notion that Amdir would laugh off.

Amdir and Elladan soon entered Elrohir's chambers Amdir speaking adamantly the whole time. Elemmire knew they had been in the hall of the fire after dinner but he refused to go tonight; he could not bare the thought of facing Elrond or Erestor. Elrohir had stayed behind playing a friendly game of chess with Elemmire. Elemmire claimed that he had allowed Elrohir to win the game.

Elladan raised his eyebrows at the bowl of berries and cream. He clicked his tongue loudly in disapproval.

"I had dinner, Gwador-Adar," Elemmire protested.

"Yes, berries I suppose." Amdir rolled his eyes and Elemmire grinned sheepishly.

"Berries and cream isn't good for growing youngsters' bodies," Elladan started.

"Ow, you're not going to tell, Grandfather, now are you?" Elemmire pouted and stared pleadingly at Elladan. "Ada is the only one that succumbs to my charms. You can't ruin my fun!"

"There's cook," Amdir countered.

"Hush!" Elemmire said his eyes sparkling playfully. "What they don't know won't kill them."

"Hmm… I guess that means no more berries and cream," Elrohir stated breezing past the table and retrieving the disappearing berries and the bowl of cream.

"Ada," Elemmire whined. "I was eating those."

"Now you have finished," Elrohir stated. "I cannot have it said that I have allowed my son to develop into lazy tub of lard."

"Ow, I work it off in the forge," Elemmire complained. "And I work hard."

"Anyway what's the surprise, Ada?" Amdir asked as usual taking the attention away from his brother's complaining.

Elrohir and Elladan exchanged knowing glances.

"We'll be going to Lorien soon," Elladan said watching as both the younger twins' faces fell.

"Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel have voiced their interest in seeing you both," Elrohir added. His grandparents had not seen either of his twins since the first time they met quite a few years ago. "Therefore you'll accompany us!"

Elemmire whooped loudly in delight and launched himself into Elrohir's arms. "Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!"