Disclaimer: I do not own the song lyrics nor do I own LotR. The characters are not mine so please do not get angry!

Chapter 7: Pain

Most of us are sad
No one lets it show
I've been shadows of myself

How was I to know?

-Eagles

Elrond wrapped his son's injuries tightly after coating them with a salve. He was worried about what Legolas had told him but he knew that he would only be able to hear the whole story from Aragorn. He didn't know what was troubling his son but he hoped that they could work through it. Since Aragorn had learned of his heritage not too long ago he knew that he would be a little upset over that. He didn't think that he would be feeling dejected just from that, though.

Aragorn stirred and could feel someone with a steady hand working on his chest wound. His eyelids felt heavy from the drug-induced sleep and he wanted nothing more than to fall back to sleep. He decided he should open his eyelids, though and they fluttered open to rest on his father. He watched his father work before closing his eyes again; he didn't want to speak right now.

"Estel?" Elrond asked. He had felt his son stir and had seen his eyes flutter open. "Estel, please open your eyes."

Aragorn sighed and opened his heavy eyes to gaze at his father. "Yes, Ada?"

Elrond sighed and ran his hand through his son's shoulder length dark hair. He frowned when his son flinched. "What is bothering you, ion-nin?"

Aragorn looked at his father for a long time; pondering whether or not to say anything. "I am changing."

Elrond nodded. "Yes, everything changes."

Aragorn shook his head but regretted the movement when his vision started to blur. His head wound seemed to be causing more of an impact on him than he had thought. "No Ada, I mean that I am not who I used to be. I do not mean from last year; everyone changes. All humans change. I mean that I am different from the person I was three weeks ago. I am not happy like I used to be, things I used to enjoy are not as important."

Elrond nodded. "What is causing you to feel this way?"

Aragorn had to bite his tongue to keep from snapping at his father. His temper was rising and wanted to yell. "I do not know," he replied curtly.

Elrond frowned. "Estel, look at me."

Aragorn looked up at his father. "Yes Ada?"

"Talk to me. Tell me what is bothering you, tithen-pen," he said.

It was a simple command but one of the hardest things his father had ever asked of him. How was he supposed to explain things to his father? How was he supposed to explain things that were hurting him? He was an adult; he was supposed to be able to deal with things on his own. He wasn't a child anymore; his father didn't need to know. "Things hurt, Ada."

The answer wasn't good enough for Elrond. He loved his son too much to be brushed off that quickly. "Tell me what is bothering you, Estel."

Aragorn shook his head slightly. "I do not want to trouble you."

Elrond took Aragorn's hand. "It is not a trouble. I love you Estel. It is a pleasure to speak with you."

Aragorn didn't believe him but he decided he should tell his father a little of what was happening. "I cannot sleep well and I feel more restless than usual. I rarely have enough energy to do things with Elladan and Elrohir. I do not even want to be with them anymore. Most things seem so trivial and I just cannot enjoy myself in their company. I really upset Elrohir about one week ago. I was trying to talk to him but he became so angry..."

Elrond nodded. He understood why Aragorn had gone to Elrohir; the younger twin had always been so affectionate with him. When Aragorn had been a child Elrohir had been the one to play with him and to sing to him when he was sick. Elladan had been so protective; he still was. "What did Elrohir do?" Elrond hadn't heard a fight between his children and he wanted to know what had happened.

Aragorn sighed. "I tailed Elrohir for a few days until he finally exploded. We got into an argument after he hit me. We fought for a little and then he shoved me out of the room. It was my fault; I should not have been bothering him."

Elrond frowned. It sounded as though Elrohir had overreacted and Aragorn was taking the blame for something that really wasn't his fault. "I do not think that it was your fault. It sounds as if Elrohir was just a little annoyed. Do not blame yourself, Estel."

Aragorn nodded. "It is hard to be myself Ada. I am not interested in the things I used to love."

Elrond looked at his son. "How have you been feeling emotionally?"

Aragorn looked at his hands. "I have been feeling emotionally drained. I am often tired and I have to exert myself to do things. Sleep rarely comes to me and when it does, it is restless. I am no longer happy."

Elrond rubbed his son's hand and looked at him sadly. "I do not have anything to make you feel better. Nothing I can give you will ease this pain, Estel."

Aragorn nodded. "It is not a physical pain. It is an emotional one. I know this."

Elrond kissed his son's forehead. "I love you Estel."

Aragorn smiled at his father. It was the first real smile he had given in weeks. Being around his father eased the pain he carried in his heart; if only he could completely rid himself of it…

~*~

Legolas looked at his friends. "Elrohir, when you got angry with Estel I think you really hurt him more than you did physically."

Elrohir snapped his head up to look at Legolas with a mournful gaze. "It was my fault, I know. I was having trouble with the border patrol and Estel kept following me. I took my frustrations out on him. I never do that." The twin dropped his head into his hands.

Elladan rubbed his twin's back. "What did you do to Estel? I know something happened but Estel would not tell me."

Elrohir looked at his brother and shook his head. "I was so mean to him. I lost my temper with him 'Dan. I struck him and then screamed at him. I told him he was acting like a spoiled child and that I wanted to be rid of him."

Elladan held Elrohir by his shoulders. He looked a mixture between stunned and angry. "Why did you tell him those things?"

Legolas walked towards the door. He had told them everything he could and he thought he should leave the brothers alone. He opened the door and silently slipped out. He walked down the hall towards the rooms he normally stayed in.

Elrohir looked at his twin sadly. "I did not mean it. I was so furious that day, Elladan. Do you remember how I felt when Delnir was shot by Orcs and nearly killed? That was the day Estel began to follow me. He kept pestering me and telling me how he wanted to talk but I would not listen. I ignored him and did not want to speak with him at that moment. I was so angry and I lost my temper with him."

Elladan nodded and pulled his brother into a tight hug. "You should tell him that."

"It is not an excuse for me to strike him or to speak those words. I should never have said those things but I could not think. I was too upset," Elrohir said quietly into his brother's chest.

Elladan stroked his brother's long dark hair. "I know it is not an excuse, but I think we should both speak with Estel and tell him he did not cause any of these things. We must tell him how much we love him."

Elrohir nodded. "I cannot believe I did that. I did not mean to hurt him."

Elladan sighed jadedly. "Neither one of us did. We did hurt him though; we caused him to feel unloved and unwanted."

Elrohir broke the embrace and stood up. He pulled his brother to his feet. "Let us go wait for Estel to wake with Ada."

Elladan smiled. "We must remember to thank Legolas. He is a good and loyal friend to Estel."

Elrohir nodded. "He is the kind of person everyone needs in their life."

Elladan agreed. "Aye brother. Everyone should have such a caring friend."

Elrohir squeezed his brother's hand. "Let us go talk to Estel and Ada."

Elladan nodded and followed his brother down the hall and to Aragorn's bedroom.

The twins knocked on the door and pushed it open. They saw their younger brother sleeping and their father relaxing in a chair by his bed. Estel had a somewhat troubled look on his young face. The blankets were rumpled and he was curled up on his right side away from the window. Their father had a book in his hands but his eyes were not traveling over the pages in reading. Sunlight streamed through the window and illuminated the room. The curtains were moving from the slight wind that blew through the open windows.

"Ada, is he alright?" Elrohir asked concerned.

Elrond looked up at his sons and motioned for them to come over to him. When they were sitting on a large chair together he told them what Aragorn had said to him. "I think mostly he is hurting because he thinks we do not want him around. He mentioned how he feels you two are pushing him away now that he is grown." He looked strictly at his sons when they started to protest. "I know that is not true but I think he needs to hear it told to him over and over many times. This is not something we can treat with medication. It seems like an illness of the heart more than of his body."

"How can we help him Ada?" Elladan asked.

"We must be here for him. I think that just letting him know how much we love him will help," Elrond said to them.

The twins nodded and looked at their younger brother, who was in a light sleep. They jumped when someone knocked at the door, making Elrond chuckle.

"May I come in?" It was Legolas' light voice.

"Yes Legolas, you are most welcome," Elrond said quietly, knowing the younger elf would hear him.

Legolas opened the door and walked in. He smiled slightly at the three elves and sat down in a chair. "Are you two alright?" he asked the twins.

They nodded.

"Yes Legolas, thank you, Elrohir told him.

Elladan nodded his agreement. "Thank you for telling us."

Legolas smiled slightly. "I hope everything becomes better."

"In time, Legolas; it will become better in time. His pain will lessen and it will become easier for him," Elrond replied.

Legolas nodded and settled into the chair. He would stay with Elladan, Elrohir, and Lord Elrond while they waited for Aragorn to wake. He wanted to be with his friend.