-Half Blood-

-ElvenHope-

Document XI

Elladan's face paled considerably and Elrond felt panic race through him. Rael hadn't been telling the truth had he…?

"Elladan, look at me," Elrond said in a tone which proved that he was used to people listening to him, and had been so for a long time. The younger elf obeyed, though he couldn't look his father in the eye. "I can't believe it's true. I really can't, and you've said that it isn't and I believe you, but things aren't adding up."

"So… you want me to tell you I was lying?" Elladan asked confused.

Elrond shook his head. "No, I'm not saying that. I just want to know more. Why did he slip? And why were the pair of you out there together?"

Elladan looked a little lost for words. "I… he... we were just talking. He was the one who found me yesterday in the woods. He wanted to know how I was." Elladan bit his lip and the action didn't go unnoticed. "He just slipped. I don't know why."

Elladan prayed that his father would believe him even though he was lying through his teeth. It wasn't fair he was letting Rael off the hook and the other boy was trying to blame him! He knew there were cracks in his lies and he didn't know what on earth to do.

"You know that elves don't fall unless they are pushed," Elrond said softly and Elladan threw him a dark look.

"So you do think it was me?" he asked incredulously. "You think that I would actually…" The boy trailed off unable to finish.

"No Elladan, I never said that," Elrond replied quickly, realizing his mistake all too late.

"Yes you do!" Elladan snapped unable to control the hurt and anger which flooded through him. "You and Glorfindel both think it was my fault! You want me to admit it, don't you?" Elladan whispered disbelievingly, finally finding the courage to look his father in the eye. "If I said that I did push him then would that make you feel better?"

"Elladan," Elrond said firmly, trying to calm his son as he gripped his shoulders. "What are you saying? Why are you acting like this? Just calm down a minute-"

"I am calm," the boy said sharply pushing his father away and rising to his feet. "Just leave me alone! I don't care if you want to blame me, go ahead and do it! It'll save you the time and trouble trying to figure out what actually happened!"

"Elladan, can you tell me what did actually happen?" Elrond asked calmly as his son rounded the bed heading for the door.

"I've told you what happened!" Elladan yelled. "You just won't believe me!"

"Elladan!" Elrond shouted, making the boy stop mid step. The Elven Lord had had enough of his son's behaviour. He needed to know what was wrong and he couldn't find out if Elladan didn't help him.

The younger elf turned slowly to look at his father waiting to hear what he had to say. Inwardly Elladan was confused and frightened. He was frightened of his father when he was angry like this. Elrond rarely became angry and that was even more cause for concern.

Elrond saw the terror on his son's face and faltered. "Elladan," he sighed, sitting down on his son's bed. "I just want to make sure that you're alright 'Dan."

"I'm fine Ada!" Elladan fumed still angry. "Can I go?"

"No, I want you to tell me the truth," Elrond said softly looking his son in the eye. "You're lying to me Elladan."

The boy paled and turned to go, unable to stay there any longer lest he admit the truth. Elrond saw this immediately and hurried over grabbing his son rather roughly by the wrist. Elladan cried out in surprise and pain and Elrond let go in his surprise.

"Elladan what on Arda is the matter with you?" he asked catching his son's wrist again, a little more gently this time. Elladan saw that his secret was in danger of being revealed and tried to make a run for it, but Elrond only tightened his grip. The boy yelped and clawed at his father's hand desperate to get away.

"Elladan!" Elrond shouted gripping the boy by the shoulders and shaking him lightly in an attempt to calm him. "Ssh, calm down." The younger elf looked up at his father stunned and Elrond took a second to snatch his son's wrist and turn it over, pulling back the sleeve quickly.

The Elven Lord's eyes widened in shock as he saw the scars on the boy's wrists; bright rings of red on porcelain skin.

"Oh by the Valar," the elder elf breathed as tears pooled in Elladan's eyes. He had been found out! Now Elladan would have to tell his father the truth, Rael would kill him! He was terrified. "Elladan who did this to you? Elladan?"

"I-I…" Elladan couldn't speak, tears running down his cheeks. He knew that he was being a wuss, his father probably expected him to be stronger, but he couldn't stand it. He didn't know what to do.

"Elladan," Elrond said firmly taking his son's chin in his grasp, making the young boy look him in the eyes. Elrond's heart was going a mile a minute. How had this happened? These scars had to be at least two days old and they would have been painful when his son first received them. Who would dare to harm Elladan, and more to the point, who would want to? "Who did this to you? Elladan!"

Elladan flinched in his father's grasp when the elder elf shouted. He knew that his father worried about him and that was why he was shouting, but it wasn't helping him. Elladan was finding it hard to even think straight. More tears ran down the boy's cheeks and he pulled out of his father's grasp, wiping them away with the back of his hand and hiding behind a curtain of hair.

The elder elf gently took hold of Elladan's arm again and studied his son's wrists closely wondering how on earth this could have happened. Then another thought flashed through Elrond's mind and his eyes widened. "Elladan…you didn't do this to yourself did you?"

Elladan's heart sprung into his throat at that. It made his stomach sink, and he wanted to deny it. He didn't even know how his father could think that of him. An idea sparked in the back of his mind though, and he couldn't dislodge it. The scars were so faded now it was impossible to tell what had caused them. If he said that he'd done this to himself then Elrond wouldn't ask any more questions, he wouldn't need to.

"Elladan!" Elrond snapped, his heart twisting painfully in his chest. "Tell me that you didn't… please ion-nin."

The younger elf let out a strangled sob and then cried out when his father grabbed him by the shoulders once again. "Elladan, please tell me that you didn't do this to yourself."

The boy sagged in his father's hold sobbing and Elrond pulled the boy to his chest holding him tightly. Elrond's heart hammered in his chest and the elder elf closed his eyes running a hand through his son's ebony hair. The Lord of Imladris felt sick to his stomach. What was he going to do? How could this have happened? Why hadn't he noticed? He felt ashamed, not of his son, but of himself for being such a bad parent. He should have noticed that there was something wrong with his son sooner.

Elladan couldn't help the tears pouring down his face though he tried desperately to hold them back. He was in such a mess and it was only getting worse. The situation was spiralling out of control and he could tell that all these lies weren't only hurting him. It didn't matter though, he wouldn't give in to Rael and he wouldn't give the other boy an excuse to harm his siblings.

Elrond let go of him suddenly and Elladan slumped forwards a little before righting himself and hugging his waist instead. He peeked out from under his hair at his father and watched as Elrond hurried about the room gathering his bow and quiver alone with a blunted ornamental knife on the wall.

"What are you doing?" Elladan asked confused and a little shocked.

"I'm taking all your weapons away until I can trust you with them," Elrond replied swiftly. "You will not be allowed to go to weapons training or enter the armoury until I am certain that you will not try to harm yourself again."

Elladan felt as though he had been winded. He had not anticipated this and he knew that he had been stupid for not doing so.

"Ada I won't-"

"No Elladan," Elrond said sharply, cutting his son off. His mind was racing, he did not want to leave Elladan alone, but he did not want to drag the boy around the halls whilst he was in a state like this. Deciding that the room was secure and there was nothing the boy could use to hurt himself with he shut and locked the balcony doors before returning to the bed where Elladan sat.

The younger elf stared at his father through red-rimmed eyes. Elladan was terrified. He had just opened a can of worms, and he wasn't sure what would happen now. Would his father ever trust him again?

"Ada I-"

"I'm going to leave you for a few moments now, I will be back, I just have a few things to take care of," Elrond replied still holding his son's weapons. Before the boy could say anything the elder elf crossed the room and left without another word.

The click of the lock as his father shut him in made Elladan feel sick to the stomach and he flopped down on his bed completely and utterly miserable. Everything was going wrong! If only his father hadn't found the scars on his wrists, everything would have been fine in a few days.


A/N: I wasn't quite sure about this chapter, I never had a firm decision that it was the right thing to write when I wrote it if that makes sense, but I honestly don't know where the story would have gone if I hadn't written it the way I did. Anyway we are approaching the end. I think this may only reach fourteen chapters unless I once again decide on some new plot twist... And I've decided - thanks to some help from reviewers - that I'll make Elladan around 10, as suggested by Viresse. Once again thanks for all the reviews they really help to keep me going :)

-ElvenHope