Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

Sanctuary

OIOIO

Warning: If you don't know it by now…well…

OIOI

Chapter 28 ~ The Coming Of Wrath

OIOI

When Elrond returned to the room just as evening was drawing in, he found Aldarion being carried around the lounge in Arwen's arms.

"Where is Legolas?" Elrond asked bluntly.

Arwen looked up in surprise at her father's entrance and smiled. "He took a nap earlier but I think he's in the bath now. Don't worry; I've been taking good care of Aldarion."

"I have no doubt," Elrond now smiled kindly, kissing his daughter's cheek. "Can you stay for a moment longer whilst I go check on Legolas?"

"Of course. He's being a real sweetheart today."

Elrond went into the bedroom to find that the bed had now been neatly made so he went straight into the bathroom, knocking only briefly before walking straight in. When Legolas opened his eyes, seeing Elrond standing in the doorway, he sat up straight so suddenly that water sloshed over the sides of the tub.

"Elrond. You're back," the prince exclaimed in surprise.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Elrond laughed softly, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "I'm sorry I'm so late. Erestor is hard to get away from sometimes."

As his partner perched himself smoothly on the edge of the bath, Legolas asked, "Is everything all right?"

"Fine. I thought we could get changed then go to dinner, all of us together. That's if you're not too tired."

"No."

"Arwen said you napped earlier."

"Only for an hour," Legolas told him defensively.

"Did I say it was a bad thing? I'm pleased you're getting some proper rest. You deserve it," Elrond smiled reassuringly, running his hand over the surface of the warm water. His hand never once connected with Legolas' bare skin, for which the prince was grateful. He'd spent all day trying to get those kinds of thoughts out of his mind; he didn't need to be reminded of it right then, certainly not when he was so exposed beneath the water. "Anyway, get changed and I'll get Aldarion ready and relieve Arwen of her duties," Elrond said nonchalantly, unaware of his partner's struggle.

"Thank her for me."

"I will." Elrond went to the door but looked back when he didn't hear Legolas getting up. "Aren't you going to get out of there?" he asked in amusement.

"Yes. Would you like to stay and watch?" Legolas asked teasingly, eyes glinting up at Elrond.

A small smile flitted across Elrond's lips but then he shook his head and laughed openly. "Not at all," he grinned then left Legolas alone again. Although he had purposefully discouraged Elrond from staying, he had to confess to being a little disappointed that it hadn't taken more convincing. With a sigh, he quickly climbed out of the water, dried himself off and pulled on his clothes.

By the time he entered the bedroom, Elrond was already busy changing Aldarion. Leaving him to it, Legolas sat on the bed and started to pull on his shoes and tidy his hair ready for dinner. He knew that, like all the family meals, it wouldn't be a formal affair but he had to make the effort all the same. Five minutes later, they were walking through the corridors towards the dining hall, Aldarion carefully nestled in Elrond's arms where he remained remarkably settled. The twins were already sat at the table arguing loudly about something and didn't bother to allow their father to interrupt their line of thought. Arwen stood politely when the couple entered but she only really did it to say hello to the tiny baby she had been taking care of all day. Legolas pulled a chair out for himself but waited for Arwen to be seated again before he too sat at the table. He also took the time to pull out a chair for Elrond, as the older Elf had his hands full with their son.

Tonight only the Peredhel family and Legolas were in attendance and the invitation had not been extended to either Glorfindel or Erestor, who were presumably making themselves useful somewhere in Imladris. The sound of Elladan and Elrohir playfully arguing over something completely inane and Arwen discussing her day with Aldarion were seemingly so normal that they simply washed over Legolas soothing and calming him. As the waiters leaned over to place their plates in front of them, the twins abandoned their discussion in favour of tucking into their food, although the odd, errant word came from them just to keep the discussion alive until they could properly take it up again. Arwen ate her own starter quietly, glancing over to her father every so often. The sight of the two parents working in easy unison to feet both themselves and their son was heart-warming and yet she couldn't help but feel that still something was not quite right. Of course, they were still grieving for Anara, that wouldn't change for a long time, and she knew that despite his new façade of confidence, Legolas was still adjusting to his new life as a parent. And yet there was something else underneath all that, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She wasn't even sure that Elrond or Legolas knew that anything was wrong. Somehow, though, something just felt different about them.

As the main course was served and Legolas was wiping Aldarion's mouth free of a couple of stray trails of milk from his bottle. The playful baby gurgled up at his father and kicked his legs at Legolas' wrist merely to amuse himself. Elrond laughed at him and Legolas rolled his eyes, which only seemed to amuse the baby more.

"It's a lost cause, I think," Elrond chuckled, stroking his finger over the soft dark hair of his son.

Legolas smiled softly and pulled away, sending a playful glare in his son's direction. "Very well, ion nin. You win this time."

"That's the first step to coddling, you know, Legolas," Elladan laughed from the other side of the table.

"And what is wrong with that?" the prince asked his friend.

Elrohir scoffed and said, "Ada never spoiled us as children."

"Oh! Not much! Your mother gave you two everything you could ever wish for and you always got whatever you wanted," Elrond protested through his laughter. "There were no more spoiled children on Arda."

This knowledge gave the twins pause for thought. They looked at each other as if somehow having a silent discussion on what to do next and then smirked and rose from their seats. "We're going to see the tailor," Elladan announced proudly to the table.

Deciding to play along with whatever his sons were up to for the time being, Elrond sighed heavily and asked, "What for?"

"To get Aldarion a whole new set of clothes made," Elrohir said as if it were obvious.

"Why?" Legolas grinned at them.

"Because I know for a fact that as children the one thing we weren't spoilt for was clothes. We never had a lot of clothing in our rooms," Elladan pronounced proudly.

Elrond rolled his eyes and stifled a laugh. "You both had plenty of clothing. The reason there was never anything in your closets was that you got into so much filth and scrapes that you went through at least five sets of clean clothes per day."

The twins looked utterly scandalised but retook their seats, ignoring the laughter that rang around the dining room. Even Aldarion joined in, despite obviously not knowing what he was chuckling at. A moment later, identical heads came together as the twins whispered to each other about what they should do next. As they did that, the others returned to what remained of their meal.

Just as Legolas laid his utensils down, the dining room door opened and a messenger appeared. The whole room looked up in surprise. Usually it was frowned upon to interrupt the Rivendell family whilst they were spending private time together so it was quite a surprise to be disturbed so abruptly. Legolas could tell from the thunderous look on Elrond's face that he wasn't at all happy but the messenger stepped fully into the dining room and bowed low to the table.

"Excuse me, my Lord," the messenger said sincerely.

"This had better be good," Elrond warned, holding out his free hand for the note.

The Elf looked startled but said nervously, "The message is not for you, Lord Elrond."

Elrond lowered his hand. "Then who?"

"Prince Legolas, sir." He held out the message to the prince who looked from it to Elrond as if he didn't know what to do next. As far as he was concerned, no one even knew he was in Imladris and even if word of his presence had reached the other Elven realms he had been thrown out of both of them and couldn't imagine who would be brave enough to even make contact with him.

With a trembling hand, Legolas reached out and took the letter from the messenger's hand. Dread filled him when he noticed the royal seal of Mirkwood on the envelope. Now there was only one person this could have come from.

"Thank you," Elrond said sternly, dismissing the rather awkward-looking servant.

Now all eyes – except Aldarion's who was grasping at Elrond's braids in amusement – were fixed on Legolas but he seemed not to notice. With shaking fingers, he broke the royal seal and slid out two sheets of thick cream paper covered front and back in a familiar, sweeping writing. His eyes swept over the first few lines and widened in surprise and anger. A hard blue gaze, burning with fury, turned on Elrond and glared for a moment.

"Legolas…" the Elven lord started, hoping to cool the argument before it even started. He too had noticed the seal of Mirkwood on the envelope and could guess the contents of the letter.

"Did you send my letter?" Legolas ground out, having no desire to hear platitudes.

"Perhaps we should…" Elrond gestured to the door, hoping to do this in private rather than at the table in front of his children.

Clearly Legolas disagreed with this as he asked again in a tense tone, "Did you send my letter to Thranduil?"

Realising that this wasn't going to pan out the way he had hoped, Elrond sighed and answered, "Yes, I did. But if you would just…"

"When?"

"Legolas…"

"When?" the prince demanded in a harsh voice.

Elrond dropped his gaze to the table but answered softly, "Just after Anara died."

The whole table tensed as Legolas' expression flickered rapidly from anger to sadness then back to anger once more. "You told him? You told Thranduil about Anara?"

"I did."

"Why?" Legolas shouted suddenly, making every startle. "Why would you do that?"

"I…"

"You know what he did to me."

"He deserved to know that he had a granddaughter and that she died. He was her grandfather, Legolas," Elrond tried to defend his actions.

"He deserves nothing!" Legolas yelled. "He abandoned his grandchildren when he threw me from my home and turned all my friends against me."

"Melleth nin, please listen to me…"

"No!" Legolas shouted, slamming his hand down hard on the table and then standing up. "You had no right, Elrond! No right!" He shoved his chair aside and strode to the door, clutching Thranduil's letter in his hand, the paper already rumpled.

"Legolas?" Elrond called after him, starting to follow, but then he realised that a rather agitated Aldarion was still in his arms. He didn't want to have to argue this out in front of their baby even if Aldarion was too young to understand his parents' words.

Arwen appeared at his side and gently took the child from his arms. "Go after him, Ada. Aldarion will be fine with us," she assured in a soft voice.

"Thank you," he smiled, and, after a final glance at his son, rushed from the room to find Legolas. The very first place he checked was in the gardens, figuring that the prince would go to the place he felt most at home, in the trees. The garden was empty though so Elrond resumed his search within the House instead. After checking the library, the Halls of Fire and Glorfindel's rooms, Elrond decided to return to his own rooms and hope that once Legolas had cooled off a little he would return there so they could talk this through properly. When he pushed open the door, though, he was shocked to see Legolas in the bedroom, throwing his possessions into a travelling pack. "Legolas? What are you doing?" Elrond asked, stepping slowly into the bedroom.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Legolas snapped angrily, although Elrond could see tears streaking down his cheeks.

Cautiously, Elrond said, "It looks like you're leaving but that can't be true because just last night you swore that you would never leave."

"Actually, I think I said that I'd never leave with Aldarion."

"Where are you going?" the older Elf asked tentatively, trying to keep his pounding heart in check.

"Anywhere," Legolas said bluntly. "Anywhere but here."

"And you're not taking Aldarion with you?"

Legolas shook his head and swallowed back his tears. "He's safer here with you."

"Safer?" Elrond asked thickly. He didn't know which was worse – that Legolas had considered taking Aldarion or that he had to leave him behind. "Why will he be safer with me?" Legolas ignored him completely this time, shoving a couple of shirts into the bag and squashing them down tightly so there was more room in the small bag. "Legolas, why are you leaving? If it is because I contacted Thranduil then I am sorry. I shouldn't have done it. But it is done now and we can talk it through…"

"It's not that!" Legolas shouted, throwing a tunic down in anger. He met Elrond's gaze and demanded, "You have no idea what you've done, do you?"

"I…"

"You told him I was here in Rivendell. He wasn't certain before but now he is."

"So?" Elrond shrugged in confusion.

"So you told him I had the babies! You told him about Aldarion, about his grandson. He knows where we are and now he's coming here too!"

"What?" Elrond breathed.

Legolas nudged the letter that now lay on the bed, "He writes that he wants to see me and Aldarion."

Drawing himself up to his full height, Elrond said, "So let him come. What can he do?"

"What can he do?" Legolas exclaimed in disbelief. "He despises me, Elrond. You honestly think that after throwing me from Mirkwood and turning everyone I care about against me he's just popping by to say 'congratulations' and 'good luck for the future'?"

Elrond watched as Legolas resumed his frenzied packing. "No…I…"

"He'll take Aldarion and do who knows what with him," Legolas stated with certainty.

"And…you're going where?" Elrond asked again, still unclear as to what Legolas was doing.

"Back to Mirkwood."

Panic suddenly raced through Elrond at the thought of Legolas leaving and he quickly approached the bed so he was stood next to the blonde Elf. "You're going back to your father? Why, Legolas?"

"Because if I'm there then he doesn't have to come here," the young Elf told him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He won't come after Aldarion if he has me," Legolas explained, his voice cracking slightly at the thought of having to leave his son and Elrond behind where he knew he would probably never see them ever again. "He'll be safe here if I go back."

Elrond watched Legolas' frantic hands stuffing things in the bag, mesmerised by the movement, but then the words properly sunk in and he reached out and grabbed Legolas' hands to get his full attention. "Legolas, will you please stop this?"

"What?" Legolas demanded angrily, tears shining in his eyes again.

"Sit down," the Elven lord encouraged kindly, guiding Legolas to sit down on a clear part of the bed. "Take some deep breaths and calm yourself down." He strode into the bathroom and poured a glass of water and took it back to Legolas. "Take a sip of this," he instructed, handing the glass to the trembling blonde Elf. Legolas managed to take a couple of gulps before the panic over-ruled common sense and he shoved the glass back into Elrond's hands before going to stand up. "Melleth nin, please sit down."

"No. I have to go!"

"You don't have to go anywhere," Elrond said calmly now he understood what Legolas was doing and he'd had time to consider the possibilities.

"But Thranduil…"

"Is coming here, I know," Elrond finished.

"Elrond, let me go!" Legolas yelled, pushing the Elven lord back and jumping to his feet. Elrond grabbed his arms to keep him from moving away. "Let go of me."

"I'm not letting you return to Mirkwood," Elrond stated firmly.

"Well, it's not your choice. I'm leaving."

"You are not."

"You can't stop me!" Legolas yelled, wishing he could make his partner understand that this was the only way.

""Actually, I can. When you came to Imladris you made an official request for asylum and I granted it so under Imladrian law I am obliged to protect you no matter what."

"Not once I step outside Rivendell's borders," Legolas easily countered.

"I won't let you, Legolas. Who knows what Thranduil will do if you return to Mirkwood."

"Better me than our son."

"Thranduil will not get Aldarion," the lord of Imladris said with such confidence that it made Legolas stop trying to get away and actually listen.

"How can you be sure?" the prince asked tearfully although in little more than a whisper.

"Because I won't let it happen," Elrond said almost fiercely. He eased Legolas to sit down again the crouched in front of him, taking his hands and squeezing tightly. "I have protected you this long, haven't I? If I have to summon every guard in Imladris to surround this room day and night to keep Thranduil away from you and Aldarion then I will do so gladly. I will not let him hurt you again, melleth nin. And he will not touch our son if you don't want it. As long as you're in Imladris you are safe, I swear to you."

"What if he tries to take him away?" Legolas asked around a sob.

Elrond smiled soothingly, reaching up his hand to caress Legolas' damp cheek. "Then I will personally tackle the mighty king of Mirkwood to the ground then throw him out of Imladris myself." A small, shaky smile tugged at the corners of Legolas' lips. "It will be all right. I promise you."

The younger Elf nodded gently but at the same time sobbed, "I can't face him. I just can't."

"Shh," Elrond soothed, moving to sit up on the bed and pulling Legolas into his arms. "You won't have to if you don't want to." Legolas laid his head against Elrond's chest as he cried, pleased for those strong arms wrapped around him. "I'll always take care of you and Aldarion, I swear it. Nothing will happen to you, my love."

"I'm sorry," Legolas sighed, closing his eyes.

"No, I'm sorry. You were right. That letter was private and I had no right to even read it let alone send it to your father," Elrond said softly.

"It doesn't matter now."

Elrond decided not to push further, not wanting to risk exciting Legolas' anger again. Instead he just held the prince close until he felt ready to sit back. "It will be all right, Legolas, I promise."

Legolas wiped away his tears with the back of his hand and said softly. "I am sorry, Elrond."

"What for?"

Blue eyes swept up to meet Elrond's brown ones. "For not trusting you. I know you will always keep your word to keep us safe and I do not doubt you, melleth nin. It's just…" His gaze drifted down to his lap as he considered his words but Elrond remained respectfully silent, waiting patiently for him to feel ready to continue. Legolas' voice was barely audible when he spoke again. "I fear him, Elrond. I know it's ridiculous – he's my father and he loved me and raised me and I do still love him in return – but I fear what he will do to me, what he will say."

Elrond took Legolas' hand and squeezed tightly. "It is not ridiculous. But you do not have to be afraid here. So long as you are in Imladris you are under my protection and I will not let him hurt you in any way."

Letting out a deep sigh, Legolas leaned back into Elrond's arms again, resting his head against Elrond's broad chest. "Why are things never simple anymore? I miss the times when all we had to worry about was keeping our relationship from your people and compared to this, that was easy."

"I know," Elrond whispered, smoothing golden hair back. He was content to just hold Legolas for a long while and the prince laid against him, feeling loved and protected in those arms. After a few minutes though, Elrond looked around the rooms and smiled. "I think we should clear this place up then get some rest. It has been a…trying day," he said carefully.

"Wait. Where is Aldarion?" Legolas asked suddenly, sitting up straight.

"Relax. He is with Arwen and the twins. They said they'd watch him whilst we…talked," Elrond assured and Legolas' tension eased again. "Why don't I go fetch him whilst you put your things away then we'll go to bed."

Legolas nodded in agreement so Elrond stood and went to relieve Arwen, Elladan and Elrohir of Aldarion, who seemed totally enraptured by his sibling's antics. Elrohir and Elladan in particular seemed sad to see him go; they didn't really get to spend much time with their younger brother, which was a shame because they were both very good at keeping their baby brother entertained. After thanking them all for looking after Aldarion and assuring them that all was well with Legolas, Elrond went straight to Glorfindel's office and threw the door open without bothering to knock.

At first Glorfindel looked up idly from his paperwork, ready to give whoever had just entered his office without announcement a lecture about manners, but when he saw it was Elrond he leapt to his feet in respect and bowed. "My Lord…"

"Thranduil is coming to Imladris. Ensure the scouts are informed and make it clear that I want to know the very second he sets foot inside my realm," the Elven ruler ordered firmly. When Glorfindel opened his mouth to speak, Elrond said coldly, "I don't want to hear any questions or excuses, Captain. Do I make myself clear?"

Realising that he was now speaking to his lord and ruler rather than his old friend, Glorfindel bowed again and replied formally. "Yes, my Lord."

Elrond turned to leave but then thought of something else. "And don't you dare say 'I told you so'."

Before Glorfindel could respond, Elrond was out the door, slamming it hard behind him. "I wouldn't dream of it, my Lord," he muttered to himself with a smile.

He had always had an enormous amount of respect for his lord but there were still times when he felt a little annoyed at being put down by Elrond. He was, after all, far older and far more experienced than the Half-Elven. And yet it was Elrond who had led the Elves to what was now known as Rivendell, it had been he who had built the beautiful Elven haven, and despite all the guards, it was Elrond who protected through the use of his Ring Vilya. For those reasons – and many, many more besides – Glorfindel not only respected Elrond greatly but admired him also. His open house policy for those of any friendly race seeking sanctuary within Imladrian borders was looked upon by some as a lack of sensibility but Glorfindel saw very early on that the trained healer had a genuine desire to help those in need. He had stood resolutely by Elrond's side as he stood up to his critics and guided his people in the construction of Rivendell in the idyllic valley.

At first he had been there to merely support his friend but as Elrond spoke so passionately about a haven from the harsh reality of the world, of a place of peace and healing, Glorfindel had come to share in his vision.

Just a few years after Rivendell had been founded and its people had started to settle, Glorfindel had gone into Elrond's half-completed office to find him staring out at his new realm through the pouring rain. It was then that Elrond had finally confided in the Elda in hushed tones that he possessed the Ring Vilya, given to him by his own lord, Gil-Galad before he fell in battle. For the first time since they had entered the empty valley and started to build the realm of Imladris, Glorfindel saw the heavy burden Elrond had been landed with and how much he still struggled to come to terms with the responsibility.

There, in the cold, dark office as rain hammered on the roof and wind howled outside and thunder rolled around the valley, Glorfindel had sworn his unfailing allegiance to Elrond's cause and vowed to support him no matter what. It was only after that that Elrond had walked with a lighter step and made peace with his decision to form Rivendell and bear the responsibility of yielding the Ring. Not long after that night, Elrond had asked Glorfindel to act as his chief advisor, captain of his guard and seneschal, keeper of his House. Glorfindel had accepted instantly and without hesitation, ignoring Elrond's suggestion that he should take some time to think upon his decision. He had informed the dark-haired Elf that it would be his honour to serve under him.

There were, however, still times when Glorfindel wished he had more control over his lord. But Elrond, as always, had a mind of his own and once a decision was made he didn't backtrack on it. Glorfindel understood that; he had knowledge of Imladris and his people that no other person could ever possess. Not that he didn't make mistakes – there had been plenty of those over the centuries of varying degrees of severity. Like, for example, sending word to King Thranduil in Mirkwood.

When Elrond had ordered Glorfindel to send it via messenger Glorfindel had advised against it but he had done so because he trusted his lord knew what he was doing.

Now, a probably somewhat wrathful Thranduil was bearing down upon them and they were powerless to prevent his coming. Of course, Glorfindel would protect both Elrond and Legolas with his life, as would almost every other faithful Elf in Rivendell if it came to that, which Glorfindel hoped it would not.

Unfortunately, Legolas had said so little about what had actually happened when he had been banished from Mirkwood that Glorfindel didn't know what to expect when Thranduil arrived. No doubt the king would be angry but what exactly he would do remained a mystery and would probably remain that way until Thranduil came pounding on their door.

This made Glorfindel intensely nervous. He wasn't afraid of Thranduil, he could look after himself even up against the mighty king, but he did not relish being on the receiving end of the king's temper either. And nor, he suspected, did Elrond.

OIOI

The next couple of days passed quietly. Legolas remained subdued although he threw himself entirely into the task of caring for their son. The only thing that prevented him from spending the entire day with him was his exhaustion, which still got the better of him to the point where he could simply no longer keep going even a moment longer. Thankfully, Arwen came by in the afternoons after she had completed her duties in the House to allow Legolas some time to rest. He usually ended up sleeping most of the afternoon away after having lunch with Arwen and his son. It was an annoyance and he felt bad having to burden his friend but she seemed glad to help and even enjoyed looking after the delightful Aldarion.

If it hadn't of been for the impending arrival of Thranduil, Legolas would have considered himself contented with his situation in Imladris. Since the evening two days ago, Elrond had tried several times to talk to him about what might happen when his father arrived in Rivendell but he had refused, wanting to just put the whole thing out of his mind for a while. He had shoved the offending letter in the back of the drawer of Elrond's desk in the lounge, not wanting to even think about it. His exhausted mind couldn't handle it yet. Just a few more days of denial wouldn't hurt.

The one good thing that came out of this was that he was no longer having inappropriate thoughts about Elrond. In a way he missed that, though. At least they had only been about something base and simple. His mind now was filled with so much that he could hardly make sense of any of it.

OIOI

Legolas' afternoon sleep was interrupted by a cool hand being placed on his cheek. He moved away from the hand and tried to shove the blanket off him, wondering when it had suddenly gotten so hot in the room. He hadn't been so hot when he'd lain down earlier.

"Legolas, are you all right?" Elrond's voice made him open his eyes. "Legolas?"

"What?" the prince mumbled tiredly.

"It is getting late; do you want some dinner?" Elrond asked quietly and Legolas noticed for the first time that he was sitting on the bed next to him. "Legolas?"

"Late?"

"It's gone sunset," Elrond explained patiently, growing rather concerned by Legolas' slow response time. As the blonde Elf mumbled something incoherent, Elrond laid his hand against Legolas' forehead. "You're hot, my love," he commented softly, moving his hand down to the prince's wrist to take his pulse. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Legolas confessed, blinking lethargically up at Elrond.

Elrond nodded in understanding but asked, "Any pain anywhere?"

A frown creased Legolas' forehead as he considered this. "My head aches."

"What about your stomach?" he asked gently, unbuttoning Legolas' shirt to examine him. He pressed down on the soft flesh, noting Legolas flinch.

"Aches," Legolas muttered but he hissed sharply when Elrond continued to prod him.

"Sorry," Elrond said, removing his hand. Really Elrond wasn't massively surprised at this sudden bout of illness. His previous – although admittedly limited – experience of male Elven pregnancies had taught him that fathers often suffered even after the pregnancy and birth were over with. After receiving such a beating of course, the body could not return completely to normal. Even so, the thought of Legolas being in pain hurt Elrond too.

"I'll make you something up for the pain and for that fever." Elrond got up and went to fetch his medical bag, which he had decided to keep in their rooms just in case. As he retrieved a pre-prepared vial of medicine, Legolas had struggled to sit up and was trying to push himself to stand. "Stay where you are," Elrond advised, noting how Legolas had paled even further. He returned to the bed and held out the vial for his partner. "Take that," he encouraged but noticed how Legolas looked doubtfully at the liquid, obviously remembering the last time he had swallowed one of Elrond's concoctions – during the kidnapping crisis, Elrond had drugged him into sleep. "Don't worry; it's just a painkiller, nothing more."

The blonde nodded carefully, suggesting his head hurt more than he let on, and swallowed down the liquid. Trying not to wince at the taste, Legolas did hope that it would start to work soon. He had felt fine – or as fine as he ever did these days – when he had laid down for his afternoon nap but now he had to admit to feeling terrible.

Elrond pulled the bed sheets back and quickly plumped up the pillows then patted the mattress gently.

"Come and lie down, melleth nin."

Unable to find the strength to protest, Legolas did as he was told and slid under the covers with a sigh. Elrond tucked them around the Elf and stroked Legolas' hair back tenderly.

"Try to sleep some more, all right?"

Legolas nodded and let his eyes slip closed although he concentrated on the feel of Elrond's hand stroking over his forehead and hair, soothing him until he drifted off to sleep again.

Later that night, long after Elrond had put Aldarion to bed and he himself had fallen into sleep beside the still-sleeping prince, the silence of their rooms was disturbed enough to wake Elrond up. At first, Elrond thought it was Aldarion and he sat up ready to go to the nursery. However, he no longer heard anything and he knew that his son would not stop his screeching until he got the attention he wanted. Then he realised that Legolas' side of the bed was empty. Thinking that maybe he had been more deeply asleep than he first thought and Legolas had been forced to get up and see to their fussing son, Elrond climbed out of bed and went on silent feet to peer around the nursery door. Aldarion remained sound asleep in his crib and apart from him the room was empty.

Frowning, Elrond returned to his own bedroom, carefully closing Aldarion's door behind him so he didn't disturb the baby. He went to the lounge but that also remained dark and empty. With only one last place to check – unless Legolas had left their chambers entirely, which was unlikely seeing as he had been feeling unwell – Elrond went to the bathroom door and tapped on it gently.

"Legolas, are you in there?" his suspicions were confirmed when he heard someone moving about in the bathroom. "Melleth nin, are you all right?" All he heard in response was a retching, indicating that Legolas was anything but all right. "Legolas, I'm coming in." He didn't hear any protest so Elrond slowly opened the door and peered inside.

He found Legolas sitting on the floor in the dark, bent over a bowl into which he had been vomiting. Elrond rushed over and fell to his knees next to the younger Elf as he started retching again. Obviously he had nothing left in his stomach anymore but it still protested. One of Elrond's hands immediately went to Legolas' back in support whilst the other was raised to the prince's forehead.

"You're still warm," he said softly. "How long have you felt sick?" he asked as he quickly lit the lamp so they could at least see what they were doing.

"A while," Legolas answered in a quiet, thick voice.

"Why on earth didn't you wake me if you weren't feeling well?"

Legolas just shook his head softly, bending closer to the basin but bringing up nothing but water now. Elrond sat back next to Legolas, soothing the young Elf through the worst of it. His comforting could continue no more than a few minutes before he was interrupted by a loud squealing from Aldarion in the nursery. Suddenly, Elrond found himself being torn between staying with his partner and seeing to his fussing son. The healer in him told him that Legolas needed him more but the parent part of him knew he couldn't leave his child crying.

Thankfully, Legolas solved his dilemma a moment later. He had also heard the crying and looked up at Elrond. "Go see to him."

Elrond was reluctant to leave Legolas sitting on the bathroom floor but knew he didn't really have a choice. "Are you sure?" The younger Elf nodded but he didn't speak again, suggesting his stomach was churning ominously once more. Elrond got to his feet and promised, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

He strode into the nursery and gently picked up the crying Aldarion. "What is the matter, little one? You're not upset about your ada, are you?" he asked, rocking the baby gently in his arms. Big blue eyes looked up at him as if in understanding. Really Elrond knew that sometimes Aldarion merely needed to hear a familiar voice to settle him.

Sure enough, fifteen minutes later Aldarion was asleep again and Elrond was able to put him back into his crib, safely tucked in amongst the blankets. Carefully, so as not to disturb Aldarion, Elrond backed out of the nursery, planning to return to the bathroom to see to Legolas. However, when he entered the bedroom he now found Legolas laid on his side on their bed, one arm draped across his abdomen. Elrond sat next to him and laid his hand on Legolas' cheek. Tired eyes opened and looked to his partner.

"Aldarion?" Legolas asked quietly.

"He's asleep now. It didn't take him long to settle this time. How are you feeling now?" Legolas just nodded gently. "Do you still feel sick?"

"Not as bad."

"Good," Elrond smiled kindly, running his fingers through soft blonde hair. "How is the pain?" This time, Legolas merely closed his eyes, and that told Elrond everything he needed to know. "I'll get you something to ease it then," he said, immediately reaching for his bag. Glad that he had previously prepared plenty of the important pain-relieving herbal mixture, Elrond retrieved one of the glass vials. Normally his bag of supplies would only hold the essentials but with his concerns over Legolas' health after the birth – not to mention his position as head healer – had convinced him to ensure that he was prepared for pretty much anything when it came to the prince. "Drink," he instructed gently and Legolas pulled himself up so he could take the medicine. Once he had drained the vial, Elrond advised, "Lay back down and try to get some rest, my love."

Legolas nodded and slid down the bed with a sigh of relief. He heard Elrond replacing the bag and then slipping into the bed next to him. A tentative hand was placed on Legolas' arm, as if Elrond was uncertain whether he would be better to comfort the prince or merely stay back and give the young Elf some space. His silent query was answered when Legolas took his hand and shifted back a little. Right away, Elrond shuffled forwards, wrapping Legolas in his embrace. With Elrond's warm body pressed against him and strong arms surrounding him, the pain was helped by the distraction enough for him to slip into sleep.

Elrond waited until he felt Legolas' tension ease and his breathing deepen before he allowed himself to also drift off to sleep. He knew this wouldn't be the last time Legolas suffered one of these episodes and that it would probably take him a few days to recover from this. He'd have to ask Arwen in the morning if she could stay with Aldarion tomorrow; Legolas would need to rest for at least another couple of days before he'd be well enough to look after a baby on his own again.

Yes, they had gotten a beautiful baby boy out of it but Legolas really had paid a great price for it. Elrond could only hope that the young Elf didn't regret it all. If he was honest, he wasn't sure that he could say that if he had been in Legolas' position he wouldn't have had that very thought. Having thought that, he doubted he would have had the strength to go through what Legolas had been through and come out the other side with the same strength.

He held Legolas a little tighter, once more marvelling at his love.

To Be Continued…