Summary: Children follow their own rules, the ones created through the innocence of youth. Will it help or harm Estel and Legolas?
Disclaimer: I do not own them for they would be covered in drool.
A/N: This fic is AU, not canon.
Chapter 25
After over an hour the twins and a now stunned Thranduil and Legolas came from the room. Glorfindel informed them that Erestor had followed Estel and was now sitting in the study with him. The twins gulped. They did not know whether to tell Estel now or wait until he was settled in, but once they opened the door neither one could bear to break the heart of the child before them.
"Estel?" Elladan called from the doorway. "We have spoken to King Thrandul and Legolas and they understand now."
Estel looked up from Erestor's lap where he was sitting and missed the glare the advisor sent the wood elves. Erestor was nothing if not very overprotective. Estel slid from his lap and walked over to where they stood. He spoke no words just stood in front of Thranduil, his eyes speaking the pain and hurt that he did not.
Thranduil had hated men and their kind for as long as he could remember, but the child standing in front of him provoked none. When he stared down at the tear filled grey eyes of the child his heart melted. This was the child who had helped him remember to be a father, as much a to be a king. Leaning down he grasped Estel, noticing the advisor reaching for his sword should he hurt him.
Ignoring the pointed stares Thranduil spoke to Estel. "You have given me a lot to think about today. I have only known you as Estel, a son to me and that is how you shall remain."
Estel wrapped his arms around Thranduil's neck and cried. It shocked everyone in the room when Thranduil returned the gesture, and wrapped his arms around Estel, but what they did not see were the two tears escape his eyes and fall silently to the floor.
"I think it is time to get some food in you young one, for we have traveled many days and I am also in need of something more than what we have been eating."
Everyone stood and Estel ran back over to Elladan, grasping his hand firmly, and placing his other one in Erestor's. Elrohir led them all out the door, and down to the kitchens where a table was laid out with many delicious things to eat.
The twins watched as Estel picked at his food, and it did not sit well with anyone when he asked to be excused. Elladan thought this was the time to tell him and motioned for Elrohir to follow him.
"Estel, how about we let you sleep in Ada's bed tonight?"
This brightened Estel's face and he ran off up the stairs to his father's room, never knowing the truth that was to come.
"Are you going to tell him Elladan or should I?" Elrohir asked.
"Tell him what?" Thranduil inquired.
"Ada, has sailed. He no longer dwells in Arda, the pain of losing Estel had been to great for him."
"Lord Elrond is not here?" Legolas said, his voice squeaking a bit as he choked back the lump in it. "He cannot have sailed! Estel has spoke of nothing but his Ada since I first met him. All he spoke of was getting back to him. He will be crushed, devastated."
"He must be told, and I would have him hear it from us, rather than someone else."
Thranduil and Legolas followed the twins up the stairs and only stopped as they stood in front of the huge oak doors of Lord Elrond's room. Neither one of them wanted to enter an intrude on the family affair, but both lingered outside the door.
Erestor was inside the room, readying Estel for bed, tucking him under the covers of the massive bed, and talking to him. When he saw the twins enter he knew what was to come and went to take a seat opposite them both.
Elladan sat down on the bed an Elrohir sat beside him.
"Estel, there is something I have to tell you," Elladan said, his eyes misting up.
Estel wiggled out of the covers and crawled into Elrohir's lap, his eyes staring intently at Elladan. "What is it Dan?"
Elladan swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to figure out a way to explain to Estel. Knowing there was no way to do it other than straightforward he began.
"Estel, you know how much we love you right?" After seeing the child shake his head yes he went on. "Well, Ada loved you more than you could possibly know and when he thought you were dead, he cried for many days. It was a sight I have not seen in many centuries."
"Don't worry Dan. I am home now and I will make sure Ada knows I am all right."
Elladan let a tear fall from his eye knowing how the next part would crush the small child.
"Estel, when you did not return Ada sent out people to look for you, I looked for you, even Erestor and Glorfindel, but you could not be found. Ada was heartbroken." Elladan gathered his remaining courage and went on.
"Estel, Ada sailed to The Undying Lands. He could not bear to be in Arda any longer without you. Estel, ... Ada is gone."
Estel looked all around at each person in the room. He noticed Elrohir had the same look as Elladan, but he could not imagine his Ada was not here.
"No Dan, Ada has to be here. He can't have left me here, he just can't," Estel said his chin starting to tremble.
Elladan placed Estel's hand in his own, "He is gone Estel, I am sorry."
Estel looked first to Elladan and then to Elrohir both of whom had tears rolling down their faces, but it was when he looked to Erestor and saw even the stoic advisor with tears that the truth sunk in. Snatching his hand out of Elladan's, Estel jumped from the bed.
"You are wrong Dan! Ada would not leave me here alone. He promised he wouldn't leave me ever, he promised!" Estel screamed.
Elladan went to say something to hopefully comfort the child but Estel bolted out the door.
Estel ran as hard as he could down the hallway, his lungs burning, the tears streaming from his eyes so fast he could not see where he was going. His father had left him, and he would never see him again for he was not allowed in Valinor. Estel's young mind could not accept it, he could not until he ran outside to the gardens. He only stopped when he got to his father's favorite rose bushed the ones he an Estel had planted together and saw them wilting. It was there that he fell to his knees, and sobbed.
"You promised Ada! You promised you would not leave me, and now I am alone," he said before pulling his knees up and laying down next to the dying rose bushes.
This is how Elladan found him. Elladan could not imagine what it would do to Estel, he couldn't think of losing someone so close to him, someone who would never come back. Estel had fallen asleep, tears still wetting his face. Elladan picked him up and walked back into the house. No one would sleep this night.
A/N: See you next week!