He could not see him. That thrice damnable human, insisting that he should lead a separate battlement! Battlement, Legolas scoffed; a more appropriate word would be rabble. These boys and ancient grandfathers were not trained to defend their people, but to defend their flocks of sheep. They were not trained to kill, and they were dying for that fault. He was using knives; half of his arrows from Lórien had been spent. He had to remember to enlist some people to help him look for unsullied ones after the battle, if they lived that long.

It was not difficult to let his mind wander over to his lover as he fought. He had practised so much in his centuries, millennia, that his reactions were almost robotic as the onslaught of orcs became irritatingly similar. His blades were so stained with Uruk blood that he began to wonder if it would ever clean off. He swung round, regretting not tying his hair up as it fell in his face. He could hear ribs cracking as he caught the orc next to him in a jutting movement.

Suddenly, emotion caught him off guard and he let it carry him to Aragorn. He saw Haldir, the strong guard of Lóthlorien, paling and stiffening in the human's arms. The eyes were dull and he could feel the coldness emanating off the body. Proud, infallible Haldir was dead. Legolas would not have called him a friend, but he had saved them in Lórien, saved Aragorn's life and that of his child. Their child.

Painfully aware of something at his end of the bond, he jerked back. He felt a stinging pain in his side.

He swore as he saw the black tipped arrow in his side and the blood streaming from the wound. He had no time to contemplate this, however, as an orc decided to take him as an opponent. Apparently it did not see the stinking pile of corpses at his feet, but the goblin joined it swiftly. Gradually, Legolas battled his way through the swarms, taking as many orcs down as he could. He found himself at last in a sheltered corner where there were no enemies to savage him. It was an abandoned guard post.

Heavily, he slid down the wall until he was sitting. He pulled the arrow out in a sharp jerk, checking the tip. It was not poisoned, one of man and not orc. He tore part of his under tunic away and made a pad against his rapidly staining skin. He wrapped it with more strips of his shirt.

As he took a moment to steady himself, he became gradually aware of the thudding. It wasn't his head, he realised dully, but came from without. He stood, his body feeling oddly heavy as he did so, and stepped out as lightly as he could manage. When he gazed towards the main door, he saw that the regular thumping was a battering ram. Its progress was only halted by two figures, one short, one taller with a bulging stomach. It took but that glance to recognise those two figures. Heroics were their specialty, and he loved and hated the two of them for it.

Groaning, the pain in his side growing, he ducked his way across the wall between battling pairs, making his way towards the side where soldiers young and old were trying to stem the battering ram's journey. They were struggling, and spiders' webs of orcs began to rise up, promising more difficulties. Purely on instinct, Legolas notched an arrow and loosed it. At once the ladder fell and there was a moment's breathing space where words echoed up.

The words were telling Aragorn to come back inside.

The stupidity of the human King was infuriating. Just because he did not like Aragorn, surely that was no reason to leave him with no way off the bridge. Rope caught his eyes, well-made rope. He threw it down; this was a matter of life and death, one of those moments where it was act or be destroyed, and this thought gave him the strength to drag up both dwarf and human, with the help of the boy next to him.

As they got to the top, Legolas waited until Gimli was up before clasping Aragorn tightly to him. The embrace was short, but his breath caught in his throat as he did so. Aragorn was in his arms, and that meant he was safe, and so alive.

Swallowing to clear the thick emotion from his throat, Legolas said, "Come quickly. They are falling back." His words managed to carry to the dwarf, who was glowering at his undignified rescue.

"Cowards!" Gimli shouted over the din

"Nay Gimli," Aragorn answered, calmingly. He broke away from Legolas' arms, leaving one hand on the elf's shoulder and adding another to Gimli's. "They are using tact, and is it high time they did so. Come."

They ran together through the halls, where soldiers scrambled to keep their lives intact. Aragorn echoed their cries of "Retreat" spreading the word.

000

"Have you lost control of your senses toron?"

"Or your hearing? Your memory? Did you not listen to our warnings?"

They had come with Haldir and the archers, being the messengers of Elrond, and had been placed on a wall far from their adopted human brother. And now they were angry at him.

"Legolas, can you not prevent this folly?" Elladan asked the elf, who was standing a little behind Aragorn. They were in the hall, the doors had been barred and they were locked in the citadel. Horses were being readied for them. When the pale elf did not respond, Elladan repeated "Legolas!"

The Mirkwood Prince swayed slightly, looking even paler than normal. Elrohir frowned as he watched a bead of sweat trickle down Legolas' face, and when the Silvan shook himself and looked back at the gathering, he stuttered when he spoke. "I believe… I must… take a moment…" He could not help but drop down on the chair by his knee, one that was almost stolen by a guard trying to barricade the entrances.

Then, without warning, Aragorn dashed forwards to Legolas' side.

"Melda you are injured!" he exclaimed, suddenly scared for his husband. He felt it through the bond, and knew where the pain was immediately. Legolas' moment of weakness had revealed it to him.

Their argument forgotten, all three sons of Elrond, all Healers, swooped down upon Legolas. Gently, with careful hands, Aragorn lifted up the elf's tunics to discover the make-shift bandage. All three hissed in sympathy as he pulled the blood soaked cloth away to see the deep wound caused by the arrow.

"We do not have the time to heal me. If we tarry much longer…" Legolas began to argue. Aragorn shook his head, refusing to listen to his husband's words. "We must depart."

Aragorn ignored him as he called for water, linen, thread and a needle. Elladan and Elrohir examined the blonde elf's wound, and Aragorn, seeing that he was not needed to help with that, merely knelt and slipped his hand into Legolas' comfortingly. He could see how much Legolas was hurting.

"Aragorn this is larger than me. Go saddle up," Legolas demanded, slightly pleading. Elladan's cold, probing fingers stung as they explored the raw wound, which did not need encouragement to hurt. He tried to focus on Aragorn's thumb rubbing the soft, fine hairs on the back of his hand up and down, bringing him comfort.

"Stop talking, your flesh moves," Elladan mumbled, prompting Elrohir to put his hands on Legolas' back and stomach, trying to keep the elf still.

Sighing deeply, Legolas sat up straight, giving in to the Healers. He had been stupid, trying to stay on his feet, and then loosing his grip on his self control. If he could not talk out loud, he would talk silently. 'You are also hurt melda-nin.'

"Nothing that will not heal easily. They are just small cuts, grazes… bruises. I am not bleeding to death," Aragorn muttered, gritting his teeth as he threaded the needle and passed it to Elrohir. He received odd looks from the twins. For a moment his eyes flickered to them and merely explained, "The bond," before turning back to Legolas. 'I will take care of you later.' There was silence before Legolas breached the subject closest to the surface of Aragorn's mind.

'I saw you with Haldir. You were friends with him?' Legolas asked. He knew exactly where Aragorn's hurts were and knew that the human was right. He sunk deeper into the bond and felt the butterfly light movements of their child. Satisfied, he came back to himself.

'He fought Celeborn for me, the only one who did. He had the ear of the Lord and tried to make him let us remain,' Aragorn sent through the bond. 'He fought for me and I could not fight for him.'

Legolas squeezed Aragorn's hand gently, trying to comfort back. 'I am sorry melda. I wish I could have helped you. But so many died tonight. Yet so many will be saved.'

'If we ride out,' Aragorn replied. He only spoke out at all because it was distracting Legolas from the pain of Elladan sewing up the wound with nothing for the pain but the balm he had pulled from a pocket.

Legolas remembered how it had felt inside the bond, Aragorn's exhaustion and pain. 'You are too tired to be riding out.' Every one of Aragorn's muscles in his body had been aching.

'It is riding out or dying without honour,' Aragorn replied, feeling disheartened, even as Elladan finished sewing up the wound. 'You gave me the energy to fight before, and this wound is my fault. Do not do it again, your mind is straying to that, I know. It is far too dangerous for you. I have strength enough.'

"I can not, I know this. I just wish I could," Legolas said this out loud at last, the blood having been wiped away, "And there are people with worse injuries than mine."

"But they are not as important as you."

"How am I any more important than any other?" Legolas asked.

"We will help them when we can," Elrohir promised, "But your life is more important. It keeps Aragorn fighting, and without him fighting, would any of these others? And we must ride now." He removed his hands which had been keeping Legolas' skin in the right place for Elladan.

At once, Legolas stood and gulped down the water offered to him by his husband gratefully. He slipped his arms gently around Aragorn's burdened waist for a moment. Their cheeks rubbed against each other as they embraced, soft and warm.

"I am unspeakably glad that you are well love. But you can sleep when time is allowed," Legolas murmured.

Replying quietly, Aragorn said, "If I am with you. Yet we must go to the saddle now."

"Very well."

Aragorn spoke to Legolas as they walked forwards. "If anyone should not be riding, that is you. If you tear your stitches…"

"You should not be riding either, you should be in bed, wrapped in silks, stars shining outside your window, tucked in my arms. At peace, and safe," Legolas argued back.

"Yet still we both ride," Aragorn sighed. "What are we doing with our lives?"

Messengers were approaching them to take them to the stables. The twins shared amused smiles at the protective nature Legolas had developed since their last meeting in Rivendell. Aragorn had become quieter and more reserved, not as quick to laugh and more cautious. The weight of war had bent his shoulders ever so slightly, and added worry in his eyes, but these dissolved when he was with Legolas. For Aragorn, the sun rose when he was with the elf, bringing light to his eyes and a perfect smile to grace his features. They were right together, Elrohir thought to himself. That smile never appeared when he was with Arwen: only Legolas could make it appear. They had been in love for almost half a century, and now they were constantly so close, that love refused to dim, not even in the slightest. He was glad that they were happy now. All that remained was for Aragorn to tell his father, and the Fellowship - if they came across any of them again – of their relationship and their child.

After a quick conference with them, they followed the messengers and pulled their wearied bodies into the saddle. Gimli came over and joined Legolas on Arod.

Ironically, Aragorn instructed Gimli to get Legolas away from the fight if he seemed to falter, using the exact same words Legolas used to tell the twins to rescue Aragorn.

"His timing may be off, he may go white; if he gets injured at all, the least of grazes, I care not. Remove him. I charge you with the one dearest to me. Protect him, for I fear I may not have the strength."

000

When Legolas thought about it later that morning in their quarters with the sons of Elrond, he realised he knew why Aragorn had wanted Gimli to go with him to guard the gate. Even after Legolas' reassurances, Aragorn was still scared of being alone. Theoretically, it all stemmed from being alone as a young child, left alone in the woods after the raid which killed his parents. Then being alone, almost dead, in the freezing River waters. And just hours previously he had watched Haldir die. He kept running it through his mind. He decided to check on Aragorn that night to see if he dreamt of the loneliness again. He knew the reason for the dream of Arwen: Aragorn had hoped she had sailed, but the dream was the Enchantresses' way of saying that she was staying. Legolas had overreacted, because, having been reminded of the past only the previous day, he had felt insecure when Éowyn started to advance. From there on it had all built up.

However, right now, they had been given an hour for preparations for riding to Saruman. Strictly, the Éodreds were the ones who needed to prepare, and Legolas and his friends were relaxing in the time before, recovering. They sat back against the wall, looking up at Elladan and Elrohir who were on stools, Aragorn leaning into Legolas' chest. The elf's arm was tight around his shoulders, and he leant into the touch. Legolas pressed in closer to Aragorn, whose chest was vibrating as he spoke animatedly about the baby. He latched onto the conversation just as Elrohir asked a question.

"Have you decided on names yet?"

"Or last names?" Elladan added, "Haldir informed us that you married – congratulations."

"I apologise for not inviting you, my brothers. We wished to be wed before we had to continue our journey," Aragorn said truthfully, "And as for names, nothing has struck me. I have not been able to spare the matter much thought. What of you Legolas?" He prodded his husband gently.

"For first names I have had no inspiration," Legolas started slowly, "But for last names I have just this moment thought of one."

Aragorn pulled away, looking curious, "What are your thoughts?"

"Combine Thranduillion and Telecontar, the name you were thinking of taking for your house," Legolas explained, "And you get Tellion."

"Tellion." The word rolled easily off his tongue as Aragorn repeated it, "I… I like it."

Elladan looked at them thoughtfully. "It is also a combination of tella and ion, last son."

"It fits you," Elrohir agreed, "Legolas and Aragorn Tellion."

For a moment, Aragorn paused, then said, "So it shall be." He gazed fondly at Legolas before stealing a quick kiss from the elf's lips. When he drew back, it was with worry in his eyes. "You are cold meleth. How is your wound?"

"All is fine, Aragorn," he assured his husband. It hurt, of course it did, but he swallowed it down. He would not show his pain. "The three of you deserve more thanks than I can give for healing me at a time when…"

The twins pushed away his praise, interrupting him and saying, "You are part of the family now, and our duty is to our kin."

"And Aragorn can not live without you by his side."

"That much is clear."

"And we wish for Aragorn to be happy."

"Because when one of our kin is glad, so are we."

"So, when it ends, we purely did it for selfish reasons."

Legolas raised an eyebrow at this, but did not comment, simply leant back and closed his eyes, feeling the rumble of Aragorn's voice through his clothes as he continued to talk. He felt a rare moment of pure peace, and so, was glad.

000

Lying on his back so that the sleeping roll did not touch his wound, Legolas felt Aragorn twisting from where the man's head lay on his chest. They had bathed in a stream near where the company had camped, and Aragorn's hair was a damp mess splayed across the elf's shoulder and neck. The human kept twitching. Legolas wondered if he should wake him, but the pregnancy was making any position for Aragorn to sleep in uncomfortable. If this was working for him, he was going to let the ranger sleep. In unconsciousness, Aragorn's hand moved over his stomach and onto Legolas' arm. It wrapped itself around the muscled appendage and held on tight.

"I am not going to leave you," Legolas murmured into Aragorn's hair, and the grip relaxed slightly. Aragorn's stomach was resting on one of Legolas' hips, and he could feel the baby shifting inside. "Be still little one, your Ada needs to sleep," he whispered.

Slowly, both settled down and Legolas let his mind wander to other things: Frodo and Sam struggling in the wilderness; Merry and Pippin in supposed safety; Gandalf's prediction of yet more destruction. The twins had spoken to him alone for a time whilst they rode. Elrond was getting suspicious and had wanted the twins to spy on Aragorn. They had also stopped an envoy from Mirkwood on their way to Rivendell to "celebrate the bonding of our two families" and sent them back to Thranduil.

Soon, Elrond would be visiting, when he realised that Elrohir and Elladan would be staying with their brother. Lóthlorien had not admitted to marrying the couple. He began to think of Saruman, who must know they were approaching, but was interrupted by a small moan from Aragorn. It took a moment for Legolas to discern the word "home."

Home, where was home now? Rivendell? Where Aragorn felt insecure both about Arwen and Elrond? Legolas' home was the Greenwood, but Aragorn had always felt slightly tense there. There was always the wilderness, but it was not safe or comfortable. Which left… Gondor. Buildings upon buildings, stone upon stone. Cold and dark. They would have to plant gardens inside, he thought, somehow. If they ever got there. Aragorn moving on all the time and it was obvious that he was always tired.

And he was not sleeping well now. He moved around, shifting and twitching.

"No!" The sharp exclamation startled Legolas, but when he checked, Aragorn's silver eyes were closed, though flickering under the creased eyelids; "please." The grip on Legolas' arm became painfully tight.

Gently, with the hand he was able to move and with as much reassurance as he could manage, Legolas began to caress Aragorn's bare neck and shoulders, whispering, to him. "You are safe meleth, the fight is over. No one is being killed, no one is being hurt. I am with you." The nails of Aragorn's hand were biting into Legolas' skin and he had a feeling it was drawing blood. "Love, it is all well. I am here, you are safe with me, I promise melda."

Aragorn started muttering in his sleep, "Please… don't… come back… no… go… Ada!"

His words went over Legolas as if he had been doused with ice cold water. It took a second of internal debate before he decided to wake his husband. He raised his voice, but not enough so that it might be heard outside their small canvas tent, "Aragorn, wake up love."

Almost immediately, the silver eyes fluttered open, "What must I do now? What… which?"

"Hush," Legolas soothed. His hand slipped under Aragorn's chin and caressed gently. "You were dreaming, melda."

In response, Aragorn blinked several times before focusing on his lover, "Ai, Elbereth… I…" he stuttered, feeling the confusion that always came after being awoken suddenly.

Legolas rubbed his thumb down Aragorn's jaw line, and quietly assured him, "I am here, your Ada is not, and we are done with fighting for now." He felt Aragorn's body, which he had not even realised was as tense as that, relax. Aragorn rolled over onto his side but held onto Legolas' arm, so the elf rolled with him. Carefully, Legolas prised the fingers away and slipped Aragorn's hand into his own, "Do you wish to tell me about it?" he asked, pressing himself up against Aragorn's back, comfortingly, one arm under the roundness of Aragorn's stomach.

Tentatively, Aragorn decided, "Yes." He raised the hand inside Legolas' and leant them against his cheek, "Ada was there, he tried to take the baby away from me. He wanted to make me stay with him and… he showed me…" Aragorn was faltering, but when Legolas pressed his lips to Aragorn's cheek, he continued, "He showed me all the dead and… he left me alone with them. He came back, but… he said unless I gave up the baby and you, I would be left alone forever."

Legolas moved his lips to kiss Aragorn's ear, "I am right here. No one is going anywhere. I am not leaving you."

"Ada is going to come back," Aragorn whispered in haunted tones, "Dan and Ro did, the past is going to catch up with us. We have been together comfortably, and we have not had to worry as much as before. And our rest is now over."

"He will not touch you if you do not wish him too. I am here to protect you. And peace will be here again," consoled Legolas. "We have not been in paradise yet, so we can look forward to that, meleth."

"We just have to get through everything else first," Aragorn said, and he sounded more than depressed.

Legolas shook his head miserably and sighed, "Try to go back to sleep Aragorn, I am right here for you. I am anywhere you want me to be." Aragorn leant back and waited for sleep to come. It would come with Legolas keeping him close, and though the images persisted in his mind, he would try because Legolas would help. Legolas could stave that pain away.

000

When Elladan found the glade where Aragorn and Legolas walked to in the morning, he found the two of them sitting on the turf. Aragorn had his legs crossed and he was sitting up straight. Legolas was behind him, his legs creating a semi-circle around the human's, and was pressed against Aragorn's back. Legolas' hands were under Aragorn's stomach, Aragorn's on top of that. They both had their eyes closed. Elladan realised how fertile and happy Aragorn looked, especially in the rosy glow of dawn light filtering through the leaves.

"They look good don't they?" Elrohir had followed him

"What are they doing?" Elladan asked in a whisper.

"I do not know."

"He is healthy." They both knew who Elladan meant.

"And happy," added on Elrohir

"For now."

"We are able to hear you," Legolas said, opening his eyes and letting his smile reach them, "We were going through the bond to feel each others'… fëa. The deepest core of our feelings. It helps Aragorn relax and makes him feel better, he says. We attempted it a few times last night, and now we have done it again."

Aragorn opened his eyes as well, a content smile on his lips. "Greetings." He turned and placed a tender kiss on Legolas' cheek. "Hannon le," he murmured, his nose against the elf's ear. He did not move from where he was relaxed against Legolas.

Suppressing a shiver from the warm breath inside his ear, Legolas asked, "When must we leave?"

"You have time to eat." Elrohir grinned.

Suddenly, Aragorn said, "Whilst I have the two of you on your own, you said Ada is coming to see me. He suspects something, has he seen something?"

"He may have. He will not say," Elladan said quietly, feeling that the conversation had taken a bad turn, from where they had been relaxed. "Aragorn, Arwen…"

"Will one of you, will you see him first? Please? And…" Aragorn grappled for the words, "Tell him that… I will never, ever marry Arwen. I can not, I will not. Please will you tell him that. I want this life, inform him of this, and if he can not agree on that then he should not try and be part of it."

"I will go, but only if Ro stays with you," Elladan said, using the nicknames family used for them, "And you name me guardian of baby Tellion."

Elrohir gasped, whirling around to glare at his twin. "I wanted to be guardian. You knew that!"

Legolas interrupted, feeling embarrassed. "Forgive me, but I promised Gimli he could be. I swore it by oath. He saved Aragorn's life in Lórien, and he prepared Boromir after he died, when I needed to be with Aragorn."

Aragorn chuckled as the argument continued; it was menial, it was about ceremony and the future. Maybe the coming storm cloud could be kept at bay for a little longer.