Two weeks passed in relative peace. Elrohir opened himself up a little since the day of the play. As promised, Erestor wrote down the drama on paper so the sons of Elrond could share it with their father. Elrond laughed aloud at the story, and it lightened everyone's hearts to hear that sound. Elrohir shared a tentative smile as he recalled the event, which made Elrond happier seeing some of his son beginning to resurface.

Elrohir grew more reckless however as time went on…

"You still need that stick to help you stand, brother." Elladan grunted as he hauled Elrohir to sit on the chair.

Elrohir said nothing as Elladan had to do most the work, appearing bitter and angry at the same time.

Elladan frowned at this change of mood. He had found Elrohir on the floor when he walked into their suite, unmoving. He feared a blackout, but when he asked, Elrohir denied it. Velegdal sat nearby her elf and moved away when Elladan came to assist his brother. "You should have said something, and Adar could have checked to make-"

"S-shut up," Elrohir snapped tiredly, eyes closed in a pained way.

"Elrohir?" Elladan asked with increasing concern.

"J-just go…g-get Ada," Elrohir muttered with a resigned voice.

Elladan was reluctant at first but he went to do as requested.

Elrohir started rubbing the place where his skull had holes drilled into it again. His arm trembled as he dug into the skin, hissing in response to the pain, and his fingers unwillingly moved away from the site. He knew it was a result of not rubbing the scarred layers that were cut and moved to reach his skull. As for his leg, it felt weak when he put pressure on it, and it made him frustrated knowing he still had to rely on something just to get around places.

When was this going to end?

Elrohir did not open his eyes hearing Elrond and Elladan come back to the room. Elrond looked at his son as he knelt next to the chair, saying nothing. Elladan stood nearby.

Elrohir felt his face flush in shame: for acting foolishly and unable to control himself.

"Do you want me to test the bone, Elrohir?" Elrond asked calmly.

Elrohir shook his head. "N-no…" he reluctantly said. Instead, his fingers went back to his head again. That he felt more at ease with sharing.

Elrond frowned at the gesture and he stood up. He gently moved the twin's fingers from the site and placed his own there. "I cannot tell you how your leg is without examining it, but I think we can start strengthening it some more. Enough time has passed."

"H-hurts," Elrohir groaned as the fingers pressed into his head. The admission made Elladan want to get closer, just in case.

"I can imagine." Elrond commented in a low tone. "The scarring around the skull has been allowed to harden." The pressure he placed on his son's head lessened as he let his fingers relax. He looked at Elrohir a little solemnly. "Do you think you can handle this now, or do you want to do it later?"

Elrohir shook his head. "P-please…now. Get it done with."

Elrond glanced at his eldest, and Elladan understood the unspoken command. Quietly, Elladan knelt on the floor before Elrohir and held out his arms. Elrohir gripped his forearms as something to hold onto to keep himself from interrupting Elrond.

Elrond started massaging the area in circular motions. Elrohir's hands clenched into fists, and Elladan hoped he was not going to get bruises for it. Elrohir made hissing noises and his shoulders tensed in response to the pain. It was not the extreme pain that he was accustomed to feeling, but it was just enough to incite more physical responses to cope with it.

To Elrohir's relief, it did not last forever. He was not sure if he felt the scarred tissue loosen or if it was the removal of the hands made it feel better. Regardless, the younger twin held his own head with his hands once he was able to.

Elrond rested a hand on Elrohir's shoulder while Elladan stood up again. They shared slightly grim looks with each other before Elrond glanced at the window; a thoughtful expression crossing his features. "They have crossed the Bruinen."

Elladan tilted his head and Elrohir moved his eye to look upward. "Who?" the firstborn asked.

"Gilraen and her company," Elrond said with a smile.

Elladan blinked stupidly before letting out an "oh!" in recollection. "I should get Estel."

Elrohir said nothing and he closed his eyes again.

Elladan looked at his brother and he sobered a little. "Do you want to go with me?" he asked softly.

Elrohir shook his head again.

Elladan frowned, but understood why Elrohir said no. "I will be back in a while." And with that he took his leave.

Elrond watched Elladan go before shifting his attention back to Elrohir. Elrohir's breaths were shaky as if he was on the verge of losing control over himself.

"I-I'm so tired with this," he said eventually. "It's e-eating away at me."

Elrond did not answer.

Elrohir sighed and his voice steadied out again. "It's like this…is all I have known. It's so short but so long…"

"It will not last forever," Elrond reassured. "I think you have hit another milestone in this walk."

Elrohir let his hands drop to his lap. "When will it stop? I want it to stop…"

"I think it will be soon, my son, sooner than you may think." Elrond removed his hand and walked a few steps before turning his head. "Will you be alright alone?"

Elrohir nodded this time. "I-I won't try again…"

"You know where we will be," Elrond said as he left the suite.

Elrohir sat in the chair feeling numb for quite some time. He did not know how to feel, or how he had felt these past couple weeks. He thought he felt better, but this cloud still hovered. And then there was him falling onto the floor, which ruined his mood and outlook on things. Maybe this act of boldness was a good sign?

He hoped so.

Elrohir noticed Velegdal that approached him, standing on her back feet like a puppy with her front paws on his knee. The elf leaned down to pick the bunny up, and he held her close to his face.

"Nana!" Estel cried for joy as he skipped down the steps towards his mother.

Gilraen had only been on the ground for a moment before she was dogpiled. She wrapped her arms around her son. "Oh Estel, I have missed you."

"And I you, nana," Estel answered in a muffled voice.

Elladan stood by the steps smiling at the reunion, and he turned his head to see Elrond walking out too. The elf-lord looked happy. "It is good to see you returned, Gilraen."

The woman looked at the elf-lord and his son with a nod and a smile. "I would have been back sooner, but the snows were deep, I doubt our horses could have made it through alive."

The elves noticed the other party-member that apparently escorted Gilraen back. Halbarad was being smothered with hugs from the adolescent, and Estel did not look like he was going to let go of his friend anytime soon.

Elladan laughed and approached the man. "Mae govannen, mellon nín."

"I return the greetings, but I cannot voice them yet." Halbarad took a step back. "We are going to fall over if you do not let go, boy."

"Fine," Estel sighed reluctantly and pulled away. "Are you here to stay for my birthday, Halbarad?"

The older ranger hummed. "Maybe not this trip, but I could come back next month."

Estel grinned widely before he went back to his mother.

Elladan glanced at Halbarad when Estel was out of earshot. "Is being an escort your new business?"

Halbarad lifted his chin up. "Only for one, mellon." He sobered up a little bit. "There is a little more reason for my visit, but not here." He looked around. "Where is your duplicate? I do not see him."

Elladan became serious at the implications, and even more so at Elrohir's whereabouts. The twin looked back to Estel and Gilraen as they approached Elrond. "Elrohir cannot be here at this time."

Halbarad frowned though it disappeared when Elrond spoke. "Come, my friends. I am sure there is much to share from your journey."

Elladan and Halbarad stepped to lingering behind the elf-lord, Estel, and Gilraen.

Elrohir did watch the proceedings from a balcony and out of sight. Erestor's dog rested at his feet while he sat in a chair. The thought of Gilraen becoming a constant presence again unsettled him: she had to become part of this new normal, a normal he did not want to change too often. But Halbarad, oh no…he did not like that.

It made him quite agitated to think about it.

There were only so many places he could linger around in for so long before the inquiries grew more frequent and the others would have to cave in eventually. Elrohir's grip on his staff tightened and he pressed his forehead into the wood. He did not want to deal with this, he did not want these changes to be happening. He felt disgusted with himself when frustrated tears started to brim in his eyes.

Elrohir wished it would all just go away…

The fog weighed down enough to make him unaware of people coming. Dolmardo whined in excitement as she stood up and made her way over to her owners. Someone brushed a hand against Elrohir's forehead and it was enough to rouse him from his stupor.

Tathardes kept her hand on the crown of his head while Erestor crouched to be eye level with the twin.

Elrohir felt angry and he jerked away from the touch. "Why are you here?"

"I think you were close to fainting," Erestor answered smoothly. "You appeared out of it."

Elrohir felt his chest tighten. "H-how long?"

"Only a moment," Tathardes provided.

Elrohir shook his head. "No…I am r-regressing, am I?" He panicked.

"No. Try to stay calm and stop thinking about it." Erestor said firmly, "Just breathe."

Elrohir closed his eyes and did that, again feeling the hand brush against his head in a slow manner. It was soothing, and it tickled at the same time, as the nerves around his head still were rather sensitive. A few minutes passed before the younger twin opened his eyes again, feeling tired and it showed.

Erestor seemed thoughtful before he spoke in a softer tone. "I doubt the idea of you getting worse, Elrohir. You may be hiccupping a little due to stress, but it is not the same thing."

"I know," the half-elf replied, irritated again. "S-stop assuming I don't know."

Erestor bit the inside of his mouth. "I apologize for my choice of words." He paused, "Why do you think you are feeling this way?"

The irking increased immensely when Elrohir thought about the question, and if he answered, it essentially was the reason Erestor just stated: stress. He remained silent on the question and the tears came back. "I shouldn't feel or act this way…" he finally admitted.

"There is not much that can be done about that other than letting it play out," Erestor stated that simple truth. Elrohir always denied that truth and tried his hardest to stay in control. More often than not it always backfired. "It is hard to let it be that way, but it is. Our heads are beyond our comprehension."

"I-I wish I wasn't aware." Elrohir said sourly. "I wish I d-didn't have to experience it."

Erestor and Tathardes shared brief looks of alarm, although they got their composure back quickly. Erestor sighed softly. "If you were not conscious, you would be in a worse state than you are now. I am pretty sure that is not something you want."

Vague memories surfaced in Elrohir's mind and his spine shivered at the strange half-nightmarish dreamscape he had been stuck in those six months and the hallucinations from only being half awake all that time ago. No…he did not want to experience that again, even if it meant not being aware of how dire the situation could be.

Elrohir exhaled. "I don't know what I want…"

"I think you do not want to be alone right now," Tathardes said softly.

Elrohir mentally affirmed it, but he was too tired to do much else. Erestor and Tathardes held their vigil as Elrohir quietly drifted.

Elrond, Elladan, and Halbarad held a quiet conference with each other. Earlier Gilraen and the ranger shared what happened while they were journeying and what they encountered. Estel ate it up, and eventually, he and his mother left to spend some time together. The air became a bit more serious as they began to discuss Estel's future and some concerns in the Ettenmoors to the north.

Elladan suspected Halbarad assumed Elrohir was not in the valley at all, and this brought some temporary relief.

"The orcs keep coming, and they are starting to gather and become organized once more."

"Do they suspect something, still looking searching for any heirs?" Elrond asked slowly.

"Perhaps, perhaps not…but within the vale, he should be safe from that." Halbarad shook his head. "But this is still concerning, their numbers are too many to leave unnoticed."

"How many do you need?" Elladan spoke up finally.

The older ranger glanced at the twin. "A party of ten at least, and I would like you to be with them as well."

A/N Fix your website FFN. Stop the Network 1 Errors when I want to put a new document to update my story. ._. I had to erase one just to post this, and I hope the formatting didn't screw up because of it.

But oo, scary: cliffhanger? Also, I don't know if Halbarad and Estel knew each other before Estel was an adult, but for my purposes, yes, they did. I also have a poll up on my profile that relates to this story...so if you can vote, much appreciated. :)

...I have been doing a lot of heavy research on comas and traumatic brain injury in general, and survival stories. I got to say...it's pretty serious stuff but also interesting at the same time. That's why this has the tragedy label on it.