Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the Lord of the Rings.
Note: Thanks for the reviews. I am going to start wrapping this story up. Anyway let's begin.
Aragorn greeted his father polity, masking his surprise when Elrond had suddenly knocked on the chamber door to his study and the king's messy head rose. The smile that lid the clean shaven cheeks of the King of Gondor was breathe taking as he cried out. "Ada, what a pleasant surprise."
Aragorn rose quickly, crossing the room on quick feet before catching his slender father in a quick embrace, startling the serene elven lord who was taken aback a moment at the sincere greeting. "Estel…" Elrond murmured before wrapping his own arms around his foster son, closing his eyes and inhaling the man's unique scent.
Much too soon Aragorn pulled away from him, smiling again and saying. "I did not expect you to return to Gondor….We would have gone north in the spring but Rohan called for aid so we could not leave the country undefended…." Aragorn sighed for a moment.
The winter had been harsh in Gondor, even more so up north where the Dunedain still lived. They had been driven out of their encampments by the orcs that still roamed those lands with regularity. In the spring when the snow finally melted Rohan had asked for aid and Aragorn had to rise out to battle. He had been gone for most of the spring time; five weeks later had seen him returned to Gondor with a bandaged leg and a very bloody sword and armor.
Legolas and Eldarion had greeted him warmly and Aragorn had been glad to notice that his husband had been doing his paperwork as he made sure that Legolas knew just how happy the elf made him.
They had been planning to travel up north for the spring but the battle had thrown their plans away. Aragorn was glad that Elrond was here but it was unexpected as he wrapped an arm around his father's shoulders and he led Elrond to the couch in his study.
"We should probably move to the sitting room soon so that Legolas and Eldarion may join us. Legolas is teaching our son about the garden. He is doing well, developing well after his first birthday. The whole kingdom has celebrated with Legolas and the prince's father could not be here. I was away…"
Aragorn sighed and Elrond placed a hand over the man's as he said. "I would speak to you in private before we are joined with Legolas and Eldarion." Elrond's voice was slightly higher then normal and not as calm.
Aragorn met his father's sharp grey eyes and he swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling the tension in the room tightening as he forced out. "Of course." He gestured for Elrond to sit down and he sank down next to his father.
He turned to Elrond, wondering if he should offer Elrond some wine but when he saw Elrond's face, ageless as through it appeared, it was filled with anxiety and sadness. Aragorn knew that what Elrond was going to say was going to break his heart.
His trained eyes took in the shallowness of Elrond's skin. The elven lord looked pale and the weariness in his eyes could no longer be hidden. Aragorn glanced down at the golden ring with the blue sapphire that was visible on the slender hand.
Elrond took a deep breath and then spoke. "You know that the destruction of the Ring unmade the Three Rings of Power. My souls has been intertwined with Vilya that when the Ring was destroyed the barriers from my soul fell away. For days I had to rely on Glorfindel to strengthen my soul. In time I learned to guard my mind and my weariness disappeared when I spent time with my family. I am glad that all of my children have found happiness and that our work can be continued. The time of the elves has ended and I do not know how long I can hold onto these shores anymore. My light has diminished and I long to be with my wife again…"
"You mean Celebrian who is in Valinor?" Aragorn knew that his voice sounded confident but it did not feel like that. He felt like a small lost child and Elrond reached out to touch Aragorn's hand, allowing the man to pull strength from it.
"Do you understand what I am saying to you?"
Aragorn took a deep breath and then met his father's concerned grey eyes. "You are telling me that you will sail soon and you have come to say goodbye."
Elrond sighed and looked away for a moment, blinking into the strong light of the sun before he turned back to Aragorn and pulled his hand back to run it through his long hair before he laid it back on the man's knee, saying. "I have come to say goodbye indeed, Aragorn. I am so proud of you, more then I can even say of words. I know that we will never see each other again except for when the Song ends and we shall be reunited again. It pains me to know that I shall not see your son grow up but I am so very glad to see that you have found happiness."
"You should come and spent time with your grandchild then. It is a privilege of memories that I would not wish to keep you from." Aragorn rose to his feet, allowing his father's hand to fall away and he turned to the door when Elrond caught his hand, halting his movement.
"I would rather spend more time with you, Aragorn. To talk before we are joined by your husband and child. Legolas knows…that is why he has not come calling." Aragorn turned back to find Elrond glancing up at him.
He suddenly understood why Legolas had not come to find him. The elf normally knew when somebody of their friends arrived and he would fuss over Aragorn before their friends arrived. But now his elf had been absent and the reason must have been because Elrond had told him. Legolas had kept away to give Aragorn and Elrond some privacy.
He fought his tears, he really did. Aragorn was not a man prone to crying. He could count on one hand home many times he had cried in the last few years in his life. He had tears in his eyes when Eldarion had been born and when Legolas had said that he had loved him. He could feel his eyes burning, taking deep breaths to calm himself.
The rustling of clothes caught his attention and then Elrond was standing before him, tall and eyes soft, face open and pity in the grey eyes as he wrapped strong arms around his child. He pulled Aragorn towards him, his heart aching as the man melted against him with absolute trust that Aragorn only displayed in the nearness of his closest family.
Aragorn could feel his breathing hitching in his throat. Sobs were overcoming him and he felt Elrond cheek against the top of his head, his father's own breathing faster then he had anticipated. He closed his eyes, allowing Elrond to hold him for the moment as it endured.
He felt the years fall away between them, the old closeness between him and his father coming back to him. For years after Elrond had told him about his true heritage and when he had met Arwen and had fallen in love with Legolas, he had felt removed from Elrond. Their relationship had been strained but when Elrond had given him his support in his love for Legolas, their relationship had returned stronger then even.
Elrond had been a good father to him. He had been kind and he had been stern to Aragorn when the man needed him, raising his protectively because of the threat of Sauron that loomed over them all. Now that he was a father Aragorn understood Elrond's reasoning even when he did not always understood it when he had been younger.
Elrond continued to hold him, allowing Aragorn to draw strength from him and the man to pull away when he was ready. Aragorn was trembling in his arms but Elrond knew that Aragorn would not cry in his presence. No, his child would wait until he was alone or with Legolas before he would allow the tears to fall.
He felt sadness overwhelm him again but he was glad for his child that Aragorn felt secure enough and strong enough in the relationship with Legolas to cry in the presence of the older elf. Legolas had always been a friendly elf, kind and confident in his abilities. The love that was between Aragorn and the elven prince was strong and would overcome all boundaries that life threw at them.
"I love you, Estel." He whispered in the man's ear, feeling the shudder going through the man's body.
"I love you, Ada." Aragorn pulled away and he could see the tears in the silver eyes of his foster son. Aragorn smiled at him and then said. "I know that the years will be hard without your guidance but I would rather know that my father was at peace then to know that he spent his life here and without peace…Come, I would beseech you to join Legolas and Eldarion in the garden. I wish to spent time with my family as well as Eldarion with his grandfather. Even if it might be the last time that we will have together."
Elrond recognized the fact that Aragorn needed time to spend with his own family and that he wanted to share this time with Elrond, even if it was just the last time. Elrond finally nodded and they made their way outside, speaking softly to one another as their steps took them to the family's private gardens.
Legolas was speaking softly to Eldarion, trying to coax the small child to eat some fruit. Aragorn called out a greeting. Legolas inclined his head as he focused upon his son but Eldarion turned to his father, a smile lighting his messy face as he held up his hands, expected to be lifted up.
Aragorn merely shook his head, saying to his son as the sharp blue eyes focused upon the face of his father. "No, Eldarion, eat first and then I will play with you."
The child hesitantly lowered his arms, keen gaze shifting back towards his other father who merely lifted a golden eyebrow. Legolas held up the spoon again and Elrond took a step closer as Eldarion turned to look at the newcomer.
The child coked his head to the side, eyes locking with Elrond as the elven lord crouched down, saying. "Hello there, Eldarion. You do not wish to eat?"
The child then smiled hesitantly, gifting Elrond with the wide smile that he had seen on both Aragorn and Legolas' face when he had seen them when they had been younger. Elrond suddenly felt much lighter of heart, as it always did when he was around children. Wordlessly Legolas handed him the spoon with the food.
Aragorn next to Legolas at which the elf immediately raised a hand to push the man's hair away from his face. Aragorn gifted him with a smile as Eldarion opened his mouth to allow his grandfather to feed him.
"Have you spoken to Elrond?" Legolas asked softly, nodding at Aragorn and smiling as the man met his gaze.
"Yes, we have spoken to each other. I want him to spend some time with Eldarion before he sets sail. To create memories to take with him to Valinor and to tell Celebrian about our son." Aragorn could feel his breathing hitching again but he smiled calmly at Legolas.
"I am glad that you and Elrond have been given the change to say goodbye." And as Legolas' hand tightened on his shoulder, Aragorn knew that as he watched as his father this image would be forever in his heart and mind and while it would hurt to lose his father to the sea, it would be worth it as long Elrond was happy.
I hope you liked it. Please send some ideas, let's begin.