Authors note: Again thank you for all your reviews they all mean a lot to me. Thank you grumpy for your comment I wanted Estel to appear as a caring father with out making him seem soppy *grins*.

Chapter Thirty

Estel did not look up as his father turned to leave reporting that he would return shortly, he did not even move when Elrohir walked out of the chambers and made his way, with the infant in his arms to Arwens rooms.

He just curled closer to Legolas, resisting the urge to rip off the carefully laid, fresh bandages and run his fingers as his father had done over the enflamed but slowly healing skin of his lover's lower stomach.

The hope that had all but left him over the past few days had suddenly returned in full force. His heart that moments ago had felt heavy was now beating with a new strength.

He moved his had slowly up and gently caressed the soft, pale skin of the side of Legolas's face. He felt a smile escaping his own features at the warm he felt under his fingers instead of the chill he had been used to finding.

"Come back to me soon my prince, your son and I are waiting for you, but our patience is beginning to wear thin." He leaning up and brushed his lips across his forehead, before leaning back and placing his head back on the pillow as close as possible to his sleeping beauty.

It was not long before he heard the door to their chambers open and the close. Lifting his head from the pillow, Estel took in the sight of his father carrying a silver tray before laying back down again his Elrond would understand that he was not ignoring him.

"He will improve with out your constant watch over him." Elrond remarked softly, placing the tray down on the bedside table.

"I know but I want to be here when he wakes." He answered, his eyes glued to the slow rise and fall of the elf's chest.

"He may not wake for days yet Aragorn, you should venture outside even for just a short while your skin is far to pale."

Estel just buried his head further in to the pillow.

Elrond sighed. "I have brought you food please make sure you eat it this time or I while be forced to feed it to you myself."

"Yes Ada." Estel whispered half heartedly, sighing with relief as he heard his father's foot steps leaving the room.

~*~

Elrohir knocked on the door to Arwens chambers as best he could with the use of his elbow, since his hands were full of child, and he did not have to wait long before the door was slowly opened to reveal a half dressed Lysander on the other side.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Elrohir smirked, glancing up and down Lysander's body.

The dark haired elf stood wearing little more than his leggings.

"Come in Elrohir, it is alright." Arwen called out from the depths of the room.

Lysander sighed heavily and opened the door fully admitting them into the room. As Elrohir passed him Elrohir watched as Lysander stared down at the infant in his arms and caught sight of a strange look in the dark elf's eye but it was gone in a moment.

Ignoring it, Elrohir ventured further into the room until he saw Arwen, dressed in a simple yet beautiful floor length casual robe, sitting on the edge of the large decorative bed with Elladan on a chair opposite her.

"This is insane." Lysander growled loud enough for them all to hear as he walked across the room to pick up one of his tunic's that had been hanging on the back of another chair. "This is my sleeping chambers not a meeting hall!"

The others in the room watched as he quickly pulled on his tunic and walked out of the chamber, closing the door firmly behind him.

"I did interrupt something did I not?" Elrohir asked some what concerned for his sister. "Were you arguing?"

"Oh no." Arwen smiled gently beckoning her other brother to sit beside her, cooing softly at the sight of the young child. "He has been of a strange temperament ever since you came back from fighting. Ever since this little one came into our world." Arwen reached out and softly petted the child's sleeping head.

"Arwen!" Elrohir scowled good naturedly. "He is not a horse!"

"Thinking back over the past few days." Elladan began seriously. "I would say after the strange look he gave the babe when you came in Elrohir that Lysander is worried that our dear sister will start feeling broody." He sniggered. "And what a horror that would be! Can you imagine Arwen bloated with child and Lysander force to comfort her every whim?"

Elladan was forced to duck suddenly as a well aimed feather pillow flew his way.

"Hay!" Elladan called out. "Remember I am still injured."

Both his siblings glared at him, it was true he had sustained a serious injury to his left arm whist battling the orc's and Uruk-hai with in the palace shortly after Legolas's accident but due to his elven ability to restore to health quickly it had long since healed. Yet Elladan still played on it persuading the majority of those around him to feel sympathy towards him. This majority did not include his family who knew him to well to fall for his antics.

"Hush Elladan you will disturb our beautiful nephew!" Arwen scolded leaning across to turn all of her attentions back on to the child in question. "I can foretell you breaking many hearts when you are older young one." She sighed wistfully, gently stroking her finger tips across the soft skin of the infant's cheek.

"How is Legolas?" Elladan asked after a moment's silence watching his sister.

"Better." Elrohir smiled. "Father noticed a change in him this morn, his wounds are beginning to slowly heal."

"That is good news." Arwen all but squealed right in the infant's ear causing him to stir and moan in the twins arms.

"Arwen! Now who is to blame for disturbing him?" Elladan admonished mockingly.

Elrohir just sighed gently, ignoring the other two and began to slowly to rock the child from side to side, humming in relaxing, soothing tones in order to calm him.

~*~

"Maybe you should return him to Estel." Elladan groaned for the third time in as many hours. "If he continues like this for much longer I may just cut off my ears."

"Hush Elladan!" Arwen cursed as she paced back across the room for what seemed like the thousandth time. "You are not helping." The tiny elf-ling moving restlessly in her arms releasing an almost continuous grizzling cry.

"I promised we would keep him until Estel was fully rested I will not go back on my promise." Elrohir lay face down on his sisters bed, a spare pillow pressed tightly against his ears did little to block out the noise. He sighed heavily before sitting up and glaring at his sister. "Are you sure you have tried everything?"

"Elrohir!" She all but growled, trying desperately to keep the volume of her voice to a minimum. "He will not fed more than a few drops of the mixture Ada has created for him and I have changed him what else do you suggest?"

"Maybe I should fetch Ada." Elladan stood and started making his way towards the door. "Just to check whether..."

"You will not leave this room!" Arwen barred his exit by standing in front of the door and refusing to move. "You know Ada is in a meeting and can not be disturbed. If we have to suffer you will as well!"

"Arwen I never knew you had such an evil streak." Elladan grinned stepping back a few paces to sit on the edge of the bed. "I am so proud of you."

Shaking her head she moved forward and placed the sobbing infant into Elladan's arms. "Your turn!"

"But..." Elladan struggled to grip the moving child properly. "Arwen I have not held a babe since you were little!"

"Then it is about time you remembered is it not!"

~*~

Legolas drifted slowly back and forth to consciousness. His mind was attempting to flee from the pain that his body held by forcing him back into sleep.

Fighting another wave of exhaustion and ignoring the pain Legolas strove to regain his awareness. His blurred vision gradually restoring itself, allowing a flood of colour to suddenly assault his tired eyes. He immediately closed them again and this time opened them slowly, allowing him to adjust to the brightness of the room.

For this moment his mind was clear, he was awake but still felt slightly strange and extremely fatigued.

Legolas struggled for a second in order to gain a sense of where he lay but was alerted to another's presence close beside him by the soft sound of an exhaling breath near to his ear.

Breathing in deeply he tried to move on to his side but froze as a sharp throbbing pain shot across his lower abdomen causing him to yelp out loud and fall back into his original position.

The person beside him sat up immediately at the sound of his pain, and Legolas turned his head gently to meet at pair of stunned, tear-filled eyes that he knew so well.

Estel! He tried to speak the others name but his dry throat as well as his increasingly weary state robbed him of the strength needed to do so.

"Shh." Estel whimpered his voice clearly unsteady. "Do ... Do not try to speak yet Ada said that... that you would be tired." The young man shifted on the bed next to him, Legolas groaned softly as Estel's movement caused the blanket to catch against his stomach. "Are you in pain?" Estel's eyes searched the blonds face frantically for any sign of distress. "What is wrong?"

Legolas tried to smile and reached up his arm in an effort to calm his worried lover.

Estel grasped hold of Legolas's hand carefully and brought it to his lips softly grazing each of his finger tips.

"I missed you so much," He whispered. "You have had everyone worried. Do you remember what happened?" At Legolas's confused nod he continued. "You fell and..."

"B...Ba...Baby!" Legolas struggled to say his expression full of terror. Had he lost the child? He would never forgive himself if he had!

"He is well my heart." Estel smiled and placed his lover's hand back down on the bed. "My foster father had to help birth him shortly after your fall but all is well." He lent forwards and kissed the elf's forehead. "Our son is beautiful just as you are." At the confused look Legolas's eyes he added. "He is in Elrohir's care at the moment."

As if hearing his own name the door to their chambers opened and Elrohir's head appeared.

"Estel." He whispered. "Have you rested well?" He moved to stand just inside the door his hands twisting together almost nervously.

"Yes what is wrong?"

"Thank goodness." Elladan interrupted matching into the room and past his brother the still unhappy infant failing about in his arms. "I intend no offence when I say here you can have him back now." He lent forward and lay the babe down in his father's arms and the infant instantly stopped its tears. "I do not believe that!" He glared down at the child. "If I had known that would happen I would have ignored Arwen and Elrohir and brought him back to you sooner!"

Estel ignored his brother and moved carefully so that he could show Legolas the tiny child that he held.

The child in question began to gurgle contentedly, his tiny arms stretching out in random directions and attempting to grasp anything with in reach. His small fingers on one hand managed to tangle themselves up in the soft blond hair of his elven father.

"No." Estel whispered gently. "Careful with your Ada he is in a delicate state."

Legolas managed a snort in response but his eyes were once again beginning to feel uncomfortably heavy.

Finally noticing that Legolas was in fact awake Elladan gasped.

"Legolas! You are awake!" He stated the obvious. "How are you feeling?"

Legolas merely smiled tiredly allowing Estel to answer for him.

"He is very tired." He sighed, glancing up as Elrohir rushed forward towards them. "Maybe you should fetch Ada."

"I will go." Elladan said backing towards the door. "It is good to have you back with us my friend." He called out before finally leaving the room in search of his father.

"Legolas." Elrohir whispered gently, drawing his brother's lover's attention. "Perhaps you should sleep you are still tired. We will wake you when Lord Elrond arrives."

Legolas nodded slowly before almost instantly falling back into sleep, although this time Estel noted gladly that warmth was returning to the blonds face.

He was indeed healing.

~*~

TBC...

I hope you enjoyed this part please Review.

Only one more chapter to go until the end and I promise that all loose ends will be explained/tied up e.g. Lysander's behaviour!