In this chapter, you get to meet Oropher, and see what Gil-galad and Glorfindel were talking about in the second chapter.  Elrond drugs Thranduil, but it's all good, Thrandy really needed it.  More years had passed.  The brothers appear 17, Thranduil is 16ish.

Don't own em

E/T pairing takes effect this chapter.

Child abuse also occurs.

Nasty Oropher, we hates him, we do!

When Elrond Met Thranduil

Thranduil collapsed laughing between Elrond and Elros.  All three were covered in dirt, twigs, and crushed leaves from their romp in the woods.  Elrond squinted at the setting sun.

            "What time did Gil-galad say supper was?"

            "Seven sharp.  He made it very clear he didn't want us late this time."

            Elrond cursed and leapt to his feet.  "It's nearly seven now!"

            Thranduil tried to shake his clothes off.  "We'll never have time to clean and change!" he wailed.

            "Never fear," Elros grinned.  "We'll just run through a waterfall.  I'm sure Gil-galad would prefer us wet and on time rather then dirty or late."

            Gil-galad winced and groaned as the three young elves squished into the dining hall behind him.  Turning around, he prayed the boys looked better then they sounded.  No such luck.

            "Boys, the reason I told you to be on time and emphasized it was because Oropher would be dining with us tonight."

            Thranduil's eyes widened in fear and Elros and Elrond glanced at him, worried.

            "Oropher's coming here!?  Now!?"

            "Yes.  I'll hold him off as long as possible, but you'll have ten minutes max to make yourselves presentable.  Hurry!"

            Only three puddles were left to mark the boys' presence.  Glorfindel touched Gil-galad's shoulder.  "Oropher is here."

            Gil-galad groaned.  He hated diversionary tactics.  Never was any good at them.

            Thranduil was shooed into his room.  Elros and Elrond were everywhere at once, stripping him down, toweling him off, redressing him, dragging a brush through his tangled hair, and pulling his hair into a tight, thick braid.

            "Done!" they cried at the same time, shoving him back out the door.  "Hurry!  We'll meet you there!  Don't wait for us!"

            Glorfindel and Gil-galad were both struggling to keep Oropher occupied when Thranduil slid in.  Oropher beckoned for him.

            "Father?"

            Oropher tucked a stray lock behind Thranduil's pointed ear and frowned.  "Your hair is soaking."

            "Oh, I, uh . . ." Thranduil hoped his father couldn't hear his heart racing in fear.

            "I wish to talk to you in my room after the meal.  Please try to be prompt."

            Thranduil nodded.  Oropher turned back to Gil-galad and Thranduil took his seat next to Elrond.

            The brothers sported wet hair in a thick braid like Thranduil's.  Their skin was red from being rubbed vigorously with towels and their clothes were rumpled and twisted.  Under the table, Thranduil could feel Elrond trying to switch his shoes to the right feet.

            "Everything okay?" Elros asked quietly.

            "If you don't talk to me, maybe he won't kill me," Thranduil hissed back, not looking up from his plate.

            "Father?  You wished to see me?" Thranduil stood in the doorway uneasily.  Oropher was nursing a glass of wine.  How much has he had already?

            "Yes.  Thranduil, your hair was wet and your clothes looked hastily put on."  Oropher's word were slurred and Thranduil winced.  Well, that answers my question.  Too much.  "I noticed those half-breed sluts were in a similar condition.  What were the three of you doing prior to dinner?  Fooling around in the bath together?"

            "Father, we never . . ."

            "Thranduil, I want to know what happened."

            "Nothing happened!  We were taking a walk and lost track of the time!  We had to prepare for supper quickly!"

            "I SAID I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!" Oropher roared.  "DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME, THRANDUIL OROPHERION!"

            "I'm not lying!  I'm telling the truth!"

            Oropher flung his wineglass at Thranduil, who ducked.  IT shattered, spraying him with crystal shards and wine.  Thranduil stood carefully, trying not to cut himself on the crystal.  Oropher advanced on him.

            "I'll ask you one more time.  What happened?"

            "Nothing!  I  . . ." Thranduil's words were cut off as hands wrapped themselves around his throat.

            Thranduil managed to limp back to his room and lock the door.  Someone threw his bed curtains back from within and he stumbled backwards with a cry of surprise and pain.  Elros leapt to his side instantly.

            "Thranduil, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!  Are you alright?  Oh Thranduil, I swear, I never meant to get you in trouble, nor did Elrond!  We really didn't know, we're so sorry!"

            Thranduil whimpered and clung to Elros.  "Where is Elrond?" he finally managed to whisper.

            "He's at the tree.  Think you can walk, or should I carry you?"

            Thranduil tried to put weight on his injured ankle and cried out from the pain.  Elros helped Thranduil onto his back and leapt from the window.

            Thranduil smiled in relief when they reached the large willow tree that served as so much in their lives.  The long branches brushed the ground, creating a living tent.  This was their shelter.  It was Elros' make out spot and Thranduil's reading nook.  It was Elrond's infirmary and the perfect size for a sparring rink.  The majestic old tree for picnics in the hot summer days and private meetings of the EET Prank Files group.  More secrets had been whispered into its knotholes then could be counted.

            Currently the tree sheltered Elrond and his healer's bag.  Elros set Thranduil down by his brother before climbing the tree to be a lookout.

            Elrond's fingers ghosted over Thranduil's battered face before trailing down his bruised neck.  "Take off your shirt."  Thranduil raised an arm, but it fell back limply to his side.  He didn't have the strength to do anything.  Elrond frowned and leaned forward.  His nimble fingers undid the clasps and slid the shirt from Thranduil's shoulders.  He hissed at the extent of the damage before helping Thranduil sit up so he could check his back.

            "How can any father do this to his child?"

            "Easily," Thranduil mumbled into Elrond's shoulder.  " 'M tired."

            "Don't sleep!" Elrond cried, pulling Thranduil away from him.  "You can't sleep with those head injuries!  Wait until I'm done!"  Thranduil nodded.  "Now, how bad is it below the waist?"

            "Just my leg," Thranduil whispered.  "Lower right."

            Elrond got to work, relocating Thranduil's shoulder, binding his twisted ankle, cleaning and bandaging his many wounds, rubbing ointment into his bruises, and generally getting him high on pain-killing herbs.

            Thranduil rested his head against Elrond's shoulder again as Elrond rubbed the bruise ointment into his back.  "Mm, feels nice. . ." he purred.

            Elrond turned to look at the golden head pillowed against him.  "The ointment?"

            "Your hands."  Thranduil turned slightly to meet Elrond's amused gaze.  "Nice hands."

            Elrond noticed their lips were only a few inches apart.  He wondered what would happen if that gap was closed.  He decided to find out and leaned closer to Thranduil.

            I'm loopy! Thranduil giggled inwardly.  Elrond isn't really going to kiss me!  It's just a figment of my distorted image of realimmph.  Hmm, I got a really active imagination!  This feels real!

            Elrond wrapped his arms around Thranduil and pulled him fully into his lap.  He held Thranduil as he deepened the kiss.  Thranduil moaned and wrapped his arms around Elrond's neck, parting his lips.  If this was just a very realistic figment of his distorted image of reality, then he would make the best of it.  If he wasn't, he'd wait to figure out the logic of it when he didn't see pink monkeys standing behind Elrond.

            Elros peered from between the branches and smiled.  "It's about time they got together!" he whispered to himself.  He leapt out of the tree lightly and tugged them apart.  "Hate to break it up, lovebirds, really, I do, you two are so hot together," Elrond hit him, "but Oropher's coming and I don't think he'd be pleased with me tending to his son.  Elros, get in the tree!  We have to help Thranduil up!"

            "Who's there?  I hear voices!"

            "So do I!" Thranduil giggled.  Elros clapped his hand over Thranduil's mouth.

            "Elrond, how much of that stuff did you give him?"

            "A double dose!  He needed it!"

            Elros pushed Thranduil against the trunk.  "Stay!"

            Elrond knelt and pretended to be looking for more herbs for his bag when Oropher walked in.  "So it's you, half-breed," he drawled.

            Elros cringed.  "He's drunk!"  Thranduil wiggled and nearly fell out of the tree.  Elros held him tightly.

            "Hello, Your Majesty," Elrond said politely, glancing up at Oropher.  Oropher slapped him.  Elros tensed.  Elrond stood slowly, cupping his injured cheek.  "You're Majesty?  Why did you . . . "

            Oropher slammed Elrond against the tree.  Above him, Elros did the same to Thranduil to pin him.

            "You little slut!  You and that brother of yours!  Rotten to the core!  How dare you infect Thranduil with your vile ways!  It's bad enough he's become a disrespectful little rebel, but now you've lured him into your bed too!  But it's not just you, is it?  OH no, you and your brother must do everything together.  He's just another of your playthings, isn't he?"

            "Why do you care?" Elrond spat against the tree.  "Are you jealous because he actually likes us, while he runs from you, knowing you'll hurt him?"

            Oropher shoved Elrond harder against the tree, pinning his hands together and kicking his feet apart.  Elros was torn between keeping Thranduil in the tree and leaping to his brother's defense.

            "Are you scared of me?" Oropher asked.

            "No," Elrond replied defiantly.  Oropher dropped him.

            "One day, you will be."

            "I hope I'm dead before then!"

            Oropher kicked Elrond hard in the ribs before slipping into the night.  Thranduil fell from the tree.  Elros dropped more gracefully.  "Elrond, are you okay?" he asked.

            Elrond sat up stiffly and nodded.  "A few bruises and scratches, not to mention a couple cracked ribs.  I'll be fine, and now we have an explanation for Thranduil's face.  We got in a fight because I was worried about your latest girlfriend and Thranduil thought I shouldn't be panicking.  I got out of control and took it out on him, but we're friends again."

            Elros picked Thranduil up carefully.  "Sounds good to me.  I'll take him back to his room and leave him a note.  You take care of yourself and get back to your own room.  You both need sleep."

            Elrond smiled up at Elros.  "Yes mother!"

Tenshiamanda, you wrote Mirkwood Prank Files, right?  I'm thinking of writing a companion piece to this story entitled "The Mixed-Up Prank Files of EET."  Would you mind if I used that title which is similar to yours?

~Crawler