Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

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Mirkwood's Plague II:

Aftermath

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A/N: Thank you for reading and please review. This chapter explores the relationship between Legolas and Glorfindel.

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Chapter 4 ~ Past Relations

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It didn't take long for Glorfindel to find Elrond's rooms in the guest quarters. Every door but Elrond's on that floor was open and the rooms contained a couple of patients each. Glorfindel knocked on the door and waited until he heard Elrond mumble, "Come in," in a rather annoyed tone. Bracing himself for getting yelled at by his over-tired Lord, Glorfindel opened the door and stepped inside. The room was only half-lit by the silver moonlight flooding in from the open windows. "Glorfindel," Elrond muttered, sitting up in bed and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked unusually shortly.

"I am sorry to disturb you, my Lord."

Elrond looked up to his seneschal and instantly knew that something was wrong. He sat up a little straighter, bracing himself for whatever Glorfindel had to say. "What is it?"

Glorfindel pulled himself together and answered, "I was hoping you could come and take a look at Legolas."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I…I'm sure it's nothing. I just think he's…I don't know, a little overwhelmed."

"I see. You spoke with him," Elrond stated knowingly.

The blonde nodded. "Yes sir."

Elrond frowned and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "Sir? I can't remember the last time you call me 'sir'."

Blue eyes swept away from Elrond's probing brown ones. "Sorry. I…I just wasn't expecting…" Glorfindel closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not knowing when he had suddenly lost the ability to put a full sentence together.

"Alright," Elrond saved him. "Let us see to our young prince. And then you should rest. The journey from Imladris can't have been easy on you."

"I am fine, my Lord," Glorfindel assured, helping Elrond shrug into his dressing gown.

Elrond smiled up at him. "Yes, of course you are, my friend."

The Elven Lord followed his seneschal through Mirkwood's deserted corridors, admiring how confidently the tall blonde walked despite what was going on around him. Perhaps it was because he had not yet seen the full extent of the horror and damage, or maybe he was just stronger willed than most. Either way, Elrond couldn't help but admire him.

When Glorfindel and Elrond entered Legolas' rooms they were greeted with a very annoyed looking King Thranduil. The healer just swept past the fuming Thranduil and went straight to Legolas was still lying in bed staring vacantly into space.

"Legolas, can you hear me, mellon nin?" Elrond asked quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Legolas?" The prince didn't move or respond to Elrond though. Honestly, he hadn't really been expecting an answer. From the look of him, Legolas was barely aware of their presence. "Alright, you don't have to speak if you don't feel up to it. I'm going to give you a sedative. It's going to knock you out for a few hours, allow you to get some proper sleep. It'll stop the pain," Elrond explained simply.

Elrond took Legolas' silence as an affirmative and stood up to retrieve the medication from the healing pack that had been left in Legolas' room in case of emergencies.

Before he could return to Legolas though, Thranduil grabbed his arm, stopping him. "What is wrong with him?" he asked in panic. "Tell me Elrond, please."

"There is nothing wrong with him, Thranduil. He's exhausted. He's had a lot to cope with. I'm going to give him something to help him sleep."

"And that…that'll make him better?"

"No, it won't make him better. But it'll get him through tonight, which is as far forward as I'm willing to look at the moment. Take one day at a time."

Thranduil continued to stare at Elrond even after he turned away to administer the sleeping draught. That had not been the answer he had been hoping to hear. He had expected Elrond to tell him that he would make everything alright.

Meanwhile, Elrond had already moved over to Legolas. He sat back down on the bed. "Just drink this down. It'll help you sleep, alright? Glorfindel, can you help me please?"

"Of course, my Lord," Glorfindel said, quickly stepping forward. He slipped his arm under Legolas' back and carefully eased him into a sitting position so he could drink the thick liquid Elrond put to his lips. Gently, Glorfindel laid him back down whilst Elrond found another blanket under the bed and placed it over him.

"I suggest we leave him to get some sleep," Elrond said kindly, smiling down at the semi-alert prince.

"I'm going to stay here, just in case he needs anything," Thranduil said and Elrond knew there was no point in arguing with the stubborn king over the matter of his son.

Meanwhile, Glorfindel was bent over Legolas, smiling gently. He smoothed the prince's hair back and Legolas looked blearily up at the blonde Elda. "Go to sleep now, mellon nin. You'll feel better in the morning."

Legolas blinked slowly, his eyelids already becoming heavy. His hand sought Glorfindel's and the seneschal gladly took ahold of it, squeezing slightly. He leaned closer when he realised Legolas was trying to speak. "It's alright, don't try to talk," he assured when Legolas' first attempt failed.

Legolas had another go though and was a little more successful this time. "Thank you," he whispered.

Glorfindel pulled back and smiled kindly. "I didn't do anything really. But you are welcome all the same. Sleep now."

Elrond cleared his throat behind the seneschal and prompted, "Glorfindel."

One last squeeze of Legolas' hand and a sweet smile and Glorfindel released Legolas' hand and backed off the leave Thranduil to comfort his son. Once they were outside the door Elrond sighed deeply and ran his hands through his long, loose hair. He hadn't realised until Glorfindel had woken him just how tired he was. It had been a long few weeks and he was ready to go to sleep and not wake up for days. He had had to take on a lot, what with the Royal Family in tatters and Mirkwood in ruins. Not to mention the fact that he had assigned himself as lead healer, having to organise the other healers as best he could. It was only natural that they should seek to promote him as leader – he was by far the most experienced among them. But even the best healers needed rest and he had had a distinct lack of it of late.

"My Lord?" Glorfindel startled Elrond from his thoughts on the third time calling his name.

Elrond smiled tiredly. "He'll be alright," he assured, seeing the worry swirling in beautiful eyes. "Don't worry, Glorfindel. He just needs time."

"I know." Glorfindel watched his Lord for a long moment, taking in his tired features and stooped shoulders. "Perhaps you should go and rest now, my Lord."

"What?" Elrond asked, shaking his head. He hadn't been paying any attention to his seneschal.

"I said you should go back to bed. You look terrible."

Elrond laughed at his old friend's bluntness. "Thank you. I'm sorry, Glorfindel. It's been…."

"…A long few days," Glorfindel finished for him, having heard those words several times already.

"Yes."

"I'm sure I can keep things running smoothly until you wake," Glorfindel offered. "Go and get some sleep, my Lord."

"Thank you, Captain. I will be in my rooms should you need me."

"I won't disturb you," Glorfindel said firmly, going to turn away.

"Glorfindel."

"Yes sir."

"What Legolas said to you…"

"My Lord, I really don't think it is my place to…"

"No, of course not. He trusts you and I think he'll need a friend in the next few months. Take it easy, Captain."

Glorfindel smiled. "Goodnight, my Lord."

"Goodnight, Glorfindel."

"Sleep well." With that Glorfindel turned away and swept down the corridor in a flurry of confident blue and silver finery. With a sigh, Elrond returned to his own bedroom where he promptly collapsed gracelessly onto the bed and fell instantly into an exhausted sleep.

Glorfindel spent the night restlessly exploring Mirkwood and he didn't like what he found. Throughout his search he became more and more aware of what Elrond and Gandalf had alluded to upon his arrival – just how vast the damage was. Wandering the grounds was even worse. A couple of funeral pyres were still smouldering but Glorfindel didn't stick around long enough to get a good look. By the time his tour came to an end he almost wished he hadn't started.

"Not what you were expecting?" Gandalf's low voice boomed from behind him, making him jump.

"Gandalf! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I am sorry. I didn't realise I was sneaking," the Wizard smiled slyly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You did not scare me. You just startled me, that's all," Glorfindel corrected, straightening out his robes.

"Well, I'll see that it doesn't happen again." Glorfindel nodded smartly. "How is Legolas?" the Wizard changed the subject as they walked down the corridors together.

"He was sleeping when I saw him earlier. Elrond gave him something."

"Good. That's good." They walked in silence for a while. After a few not so discreet glances across at the tall blonde Elf – which he noticed but chose to ignore – Gandalf finally spoke up reluctantly. "So…"

"Gandalf, please stop stalling and speak what is on your mind," Glorfindel said, becoming frustrated by the delay.

The Wizard smiled broadly. "Very well, my friend. I was just wondering…your relationship with Legolas…"

Glorfindel stopped dead, startling the Wizard at the suddenness of his halt. Blue eyes boldly met twinkling grey orbs and for a second Gandalf was shocked by the sudden guard put up around Elrond's seneschal. "I beg your pardon?" the Elf said once he had recovered enough to speak without choking.

"Ah," was all the Wizard said and Glorfindel grimaced when he realised he had just unwittingly confirmed his friend's suspicions. "So…"

"It's not what you think," the blonde said a little too quickly. Gandalf raised his eyebrows in question. "It's not…I mean, I don't…"

"You don't have to explain."

"I am aware of that."

The seneschal's whole demeanour had changed from warm and friendly to defensive and frosty in a matter of seconds and as usual when he was around Elves Gandalf never knew what to expect. They changed too quickly to keep up with.

"There's no need to get defensive. I didn't intend to offend you, to over-step the mark." Glorfindel nodded curtly and started walking again. "Captain, whatever there is – or was – between you two, Legolas could really use your help right now. I know everyone here is trying to remain optimistic but he's not doing as well as he makes out."

They reached the main lounge and Glorfindel sat down with Gandalf sitting opposite him. The Elf sighed and put his head in his hand. "I know he's not."

"You could tell then?"

Glorfindel leaned back in his chair and thought for a long moment, undecided as to whether or not to confide in his old friend. When he opened his eyes he had apparently come to a decision as he sat forward.

"It…We started it when he came on a visit to Imladris nearly a thousand years ago."

"Before the Fellowship?" Gandalf interrupted, much to Glorfindel's displeasure.

"Yes, before the Fellowship," the Elf replied tersely. "It wasn't…the attraction wasn't physical. Not really. We just sort of…" Glorfindel didn't know exactly how to word this. "It just kind of happened. It wasn't about the, well, the…"

"Sex?" Gandalf finished bluntly.

For a moment there was another tense silence then Glorfindel ground out, "Yes." Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he continued. "He needed…comfort. After that, things just sort of progressed." He looked down at his hands, twiddling his thumbs. "No one else knows. We didn't tell anyone."

"Nobody else knows? Not even Thranduil or Elrond?"

"Can you imagine Thranduil being anything other than outraged if he found out the truth? Elrond would understand but I don't think he'd be over the moon about it." Gandalf nodded understandingly. Another long silence followed and Glorfindel watched Gandalf deep in thought. When he could no longer stand the tension in the room, the Elf asked shortly, "Well?"

"Well what?" Gandalf asked, startled from his thoughts. Glorfindel sat back with an exasperated sigh of disbelief. "Forgive me, Captain, I didn't realise you were waiting for a response."

"I…I just thought you would have…you know, questions, comments."

"Criticisms?" Gandalf asked knowingly and Glorfindel nodded. "Well, I do have one small one."

Glorfindel looked nervously at the Wizard, bracing himself for the lecture he had been expecting. "You could have gotten here a little sooner."

Glorfindel immediately relaxed and smiled. "My apologies."

"Are you two…Are you still…?"

Once more Glorfindel's mood changed and Gandalf tensed slightly, knowing the answer from the Elda's body language. "No. It didn't work out."

"May I ask why?" As soon as he said it, Gandalf knew he had touched a nerve. His suspicion was confirmed when Glorfindel merely smiled thinly at him. "I am sorry. That's really none of my business." He watched the Elf for a couple of minutes before standing up. "Well, I really have to get going. There is still plenty to do in the Great Hall. Perhaps you would care to join me a little later. When you're ready, of course."

"I'll come now. It will give you the opportunity to catch me up on everything that's been going on."

To Be Continued….

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Translations

Mellon nin – My friend