A/N Very fluffy chapter! Also if you didn't notice I update the chapter before this one. You won't have gotten an alert because I had replaced the Author alert.

Chapter 9: Love of a Family

            Elladan knocked on the door to the guest rooms and peeked inside. He could see his father talking with Estel and he stopped, not sure if should go inside or not. He saw his father beckon to him so he walked inside.

            Estel turned around and smiled at Elladan. He jumped up from the bed, ran over to Elladan, and hugged him tightly. "I am so sorry 'Dan," he whispered.

            Elladan picked his eleven-year-old brother up and held him. Estel laughed and hugged Elladan before he was put back down. "I love you Estel, never think for a moment that we do not."

            Estel took Elladan's hand and walked with him back to the bed he and Elrond had been sitting on. "Ada was telling me about when you and Elrohir found me."

            Elladan smiled at his father who smiled back. "It was raining really hard that day."

            Estel bounced up and down. "Tell me your version, Elladan!" Estel begged.

            Elladan laughed. "Let us wait for Elrohir; I am sure he will want to help me tell the story."

            Estel nodded. "Alright, where is he?"

            "He is talking to Salnor," Elladan replied.

            Estel shook slightly and looked at his father. "Am I in trouble?"

            Elrond shook his head. "No Estel."

            Elladan ruffled Estel's blond hair. "You really did not wish for us to find you, did you?"

            Estel blushed and looked away but Elladan pulled him closer into a tight hug. "It is of no matter Estel." He kissed the blonde hair. "We all love you."

            Estel rarely got this much affection from Elladan and he felt wonderful. He threw himself at the older twin who held him tightly. "I love you Elladan."

            Elladan smiled and brushed some of the short blond hair behind Estel's ear. He pressed his hand against Estel's forehead and frowned. "You have a fever."

            Elrond looked at Estel. "Does he really? I knew he was getting sick but I did not think he had a fever quite yet."

            Estel groaned and rested his head against Elladan who had his arm wrapped around Estel's shoulders. He started to cough and shiver. "May I have my cloak please?"

            "Alright Estel, I think you should go to bed," Elrond told him.

            "Ada, what about the humans?" Elladan asked.

            Elrond looked at his eldest. "Would you talk to them please Elladan?"

            Elladan shook his head. "I cannot do that Ada. They know Elrohir and myself. They think that we tried to steal Estel from them."

            Elrond looked at Estel, who had become very interested in the floor pattern while sneezing. "Take Estel to his room. I will speak with the humans when they come back to the room. I will let Glorfindel know that I need to talk to them."

            Elladan nodded and stood up. "Come on Estel; let us get you to bed."

            Estel nodded and started to cough deep in his lungs. "'Dan hold me," he said quietly. It was the same thing he used to say when he was a little boy and was sick.

            Elladan smiled and scooped the eleven-year-old up into his arms and held him. "Rest against my shoulder Estel," he said quietly. "I have you."

            Estel kissed his brother's cheek and put his head on Elladan's shoulder. "I missed you." He meant more than just when he had been gone for a few days.

            Elladan knew that and he rubbed Estel's back. "I love you Estel, do not ever forget that. I will always be here for you, little brother."

            Estel nodded against Elladan and relaxed in his brother's arms.

            Elladan carried the boy to his bedroom and tucked him into bed. He felt Estel's forehead and found it warm with fever. "Are you cold?"

            Estel nodded and shivered under the blankets. "Thanks 'Dan."

            Elladan smiled and tucked another thick blanket around Estel's small body. "Are you tired?"

            Estel nodded his head vigorously. "Yes, yes, very tired!"

            Elladan laughed. "You look ready to run around in circles. I will bring you some of Ada's famous tea."

            Estel made a face. "Please, just once let me fall asleep on my own."

            Elladan shook his head. "You are too congested; it would be uncomfortable for you to fall asleep like this."

            Estel sighed and looked at Elladan. "I guess it would not hurt. You will stay with me until I fall asleep?"

            Elladan nodded. "Of course. I will be back soon. I must mix up a batch of the tea."

            Estel watched his brother leave and as soon as the door was shut he crawled out of bed and went to his bookshelf. He picked up his stuffed rabbit that he kept there and tucked it under his arm. He wasn't tired enough to lie still in a bed so he walked to his window seat and sat down. He was cold, but he wanted to look outside. He heard his door being opened and he jumped into his bed just as Elladan walked inside.

            Elladan raised an eyebrow. "What were you doing to make you look guilty?"

            "It is the…fever." Estel replied.

            Elladan chuckled. "Oh aye, the fever."

            Estel smiled slightly. "I wanted my rabbit."

            Elladan smiled and ruffled his little brother's short blond hair. He pressed the warm mug of tea into Estel's hands. "Drink, Estel."

            Estel took a sip of the tea and made a slight face. "Why must it always be so bitter? I am sick, should it not taste good?"

            "I cannot really help the taste, Estel. I am sorry. It is the herbs used. Sugar would not improve it; if anything it would taste worse." Elladan replied.

            Estel nodded and gulped the last bit of tea. "Why did you not take me when you found me with the humans?"

            Elladan pulled a chair over and sat next to his brother. "You did not want to come."

            "I was angry and scared," Estel replied.

            Elladan took Estel's hand, which was clammy from sickness, in his own. "Would you have been happy if Elrohir and I had taken you?"

            Estel shook his head. "No," he admitted. "I would have been furious."

            Elladan nodded. "Elrohir and I thought as much."

            "But you left me!" Estel protested. His body tensed as though he had been offended.

            Elladan squeezed Estel's hand. He was slightly hurt at Estel's words but he needed to help him understand. "Oh Estel we did not want to go. We wanted to bring you back here where you belong. You need the love of a family; everyone does."

            Estel nodded. "I thought you might have left because you no longer wanted me."

            Elladan looked heartbroken at the suggestion. He loved his little brother so much and the suggestion that he didn't, made him feel hurt. He gathered Estel in his arms and held him, blankets and all. "Oh Estel, there will never be a time when we do not want you anymore."

            Estel looked up at Elladan. His eyes were sad and tears had started to gather in the corners. "That is what Ada told me."

            "He meant it," Elladan told him, brushing away the unshed tears.

            Estel nodded and nestled against Elladan. "I know he did. I just wanted to see if you did too."

            Elladan felt tears in his eyes and he rested his head against Estel's. "Never think that, tithen-pen."

            Estel turned around and looked into Elladan's eyes. He saw the tears Elladan was holding back and not shedding. Estel touched Elladan's face. "Are you alright?" Estel asked concerned.

            "Yes Estel, I just realized how close I came to losing you. I love you so much; if you had not come home I would never have been able to tell you this." Elladan replied.

            Estel wiped away a few tears that had leaked from his brother's eyes. "I will never leave again," he whispered.

            Elladan wanted to let his tears loose. If only that were true, Estel, he thought, If only that were true. 

            Estel rested his head against Elladan's chest and listened to his heart. He had nothing more to say to his brother but words were not needed. He had the love of a family - more importantly, his family. Estel drifted off into sleep while his oldest brother held him tightly.

            Elladan kissed Estel's head. "Sleep well brother," he said softly. He continued to hold Estel; he didn't want to let go of the child who had so recently returned to his home.

~*~

            Elrohir walked in through the door and pulled the wet cloak off. He put it on the coat rack and removed his boots as well. He didn't want to get into trouble with the servants for tracking a mess of wet footprints through the house. Elrohir walked towards his bedroom so that he could change from his wet clothes. He walked inside and sighed. It was nice to be in a warm bedroom.

            Elrohir put on a green shirt and brown breeches. He was dressed for comfort, not style like most people did. He had no one important to meet, so he figured he could wear his 'prank clothes' as his father called them.

            He walked from his room and stopped when he heard Elladan's voice coming from inside Estel's bedroom. He opened the door and saw his twin holding a sleeping Estel in his arms and speaking to him softly. He noticed that Estel was wrapped in a thick down blanket. He walked inside the room.

            Elladan turned around when he heard someone enter. "How did everything go, Elrohir?" Elladan asked quietly.

            Elrohir looked at Estel. "I will tell you later."

            Elladan nodded. He noticed that his twin was staring at Estel. Elladan decided he should explain. "He is sick. I think he has a chest infection that was brought on by exposure to too much cold weather without the proper clothing."

            Estel started to cough and Elrohir could hear the deep cough that was coming from Estel's chest. "You are probably right. We should ask Ada." His voice held a note of concern and his eyes softened when he looked at Estel.

            Elladan nodded. "Estel was feeling hurt because we left him with the humans."

            Elrohir looked at his twin. "Did you explain why we left?"

            Elladan nodded. "Yes."

            Elrohir looked closely at his twin. "Were you crying?"

            Elladan shook his head but nodded slightly from the look Elrohir fixed him. "Some things Estel said made my heart wrench."

            Elrohir nodded sadly. "I know." He ruffled Estel's hair affectionately. He kissed Elladan's head and hugged his twin tightly. "I love you Elladan."

            Elladan smiled at his twin. "I love you too."

            Elrohir put another blanket over Estel when he noticed the boy shiver. "He is home."

            Elladan sighed happily. "He is home."

Sorry guys I don't have time for Reviewer Responses. I am going to Paris on Friday and I have to do a ton of school work and I have to pack and everything. I'm really sorry! I will update before I leave though! Promise!