Disclaimer: I do not own, I will never own. (Only in my dreams)

A/N: Sorry this is so late. I had a touch of writer's block for a while but I had had a break through last night at midnight. I hope all of you enjoy the story. PS- There are no flashbacks in this chapter.

PPS- I refer to Turin and Luthien as being foster siblings. Turin was raised by Luthien's father beginning somewhere between the age of 6 to 9. (I don't have my copy of the Silmarillion right now, so I don't know the exact age.) I just wanted to forwarn anyone who might get confused as to why I refer to them this way.

"Elvish" 'common' thoughts

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"Do I understand?" Elrond said softly aloud. Estel glanced over at his father, his face twisted in a frown.

"Ada are you alright?" Estel asked his father gently, placing his hand on his forearm.

"I do not know Estel." Elrond said quietly. "I think I know what the child asks me, yet I am not sure."

"That is well that we have a lead on that question, but you still have not answered mine." Estel said with a grin.

Elrond laughed. "Elros always used to say that to me when I avoided answering his questions. It was my reply to his attempts as well." He glanced at his son and Legolas. "That was our one strong similarity. We did not let things go."

"No both of you are strong of heart Ada. Loyal and kind to all those that surround you was your strong similarity." Estel whispered. "You just had different ways of showing it. "

"Why do you say that is our similarity Estel?" Elrond asked his son gently.

Legolas was the one who answered. "Because neither of you gave up hope. Elros chose to lead the people who would inherit our world. You chose to guide. You just did not know it at the time."

Estel nodded, "Both of you chose to help those around you. You just chose to learn everything to give the people a guide to look to. So they would have the knowledge to guide their decisions."

"Estel." Elrond said with his mouth agape. "I never even thought a long those lines. I did not want to guide anyone. I just was too afraid to die. I thought that I just felt closer ties to elder then the edain. Now I can not help but wonder if that was just an excuse I made up to cover my fear."

"You chose to learn, that helped with the future. He chose to get into the thick of it, to give his life for the people he was loyal to. You chose to guide the people you thought you turned your back on by giving them your children." Estel had no idea where he was getting this from by the look on his face. His eyes were wide and the words were tumbling from his mouth like a fountain. His shaking hand covered his mouth quickly.

Elrond just stared at his son. Legolas looked equally surprised as he looked at his best friend. Estel lifted his hand from his mouth, "But you still have been avoiding my question. Are you alright?"

"Estel now is not the time for this. We have to answer the question so we can leave..."

"Ada... do you not realize that I do not care so much about getting out of here as much as I care for your welfare. I would rather know if you are alright then if you can answer that child's question."

"He is right Elrond. You should listen to your child." A feminine voice said from behind them. Elrond and company turned, only to see the very woman who had started Elrond's and Estel's line.

"Luthien." Legolas exclaimed. His father had told him many stories about the elven princess who had given up her immortality for Beren. Although his father had not seen the princess, he had heard the very accurate descriptions of her from his father.

"You are always the one who gets noticed first foster sister." Turin complained with a grin. "It is a wonder why I ever decide to travel with you."

"It maybe because then you get noticed as well Turin. But let us face the matter at hand of my grandchildren if we may."

"After you your royal highness." Turin said with a grin. Elrond could not help but stand slack jawed at the sight. Where was the melancholy man that he had seen on the road?

Luthien only rolled her eyes at her friend, and then smiled at her relatives. "Are you going to answer your child's question Elrond or am I going to have to wrestle it out of you?"

Elrond stared at his lovely ancestor before turning to his son. "Aye Estel I am fine. I was just caught in my memories."

After turning back to Luthien and seeing her nod to continue, he smiled, shaking his head. "I think I know the answer to the question."

Estel looked at his father then back at the woman whose beauty rivaled Arwen's. It was easy to see why Beren fell in love with her, for her soul's beauty matched her outward appearance. Then he looked back at his father.

"Hannon lle Ada for answering me." Estel whispered. Elrond smiled gently at this young man that stood in front of him.

"Can I ask why you two are here?" Legolas asked, breaking the fragile silence that lay around them.

"You mean other then the fact that we are dead and are the ones who belong here?" Turin teased with a smile. "We are here because we are needed here. She wants to see you."

"Who wants to see us?" Estel asked his voice shook a little. Elrond looked over and placed an arm around the man's shoulders.

"The lady of this place." Luthien replied to her descendant's question. "She sent us to find you here in the place of waiting."

"Then this is not the city?" Elrond asked the foster siblings. "We entered the city, did we not?"

"Yes Elrond you entered the city, but you cannot look upon it. Only those who have departed the world may gaze upon the future." Luthien replied in a quiet voice. She gave them a smile that did not reach her serious eyes.

Estel looked around at his father and Legolas. "We do not understand what you say. Will you not clarify your words for us, grandmother?" His voice was small, as it had been as a child, but it was strong.

"That is not for us to say. You must go farther in, only she can give you the answers you seek." Turin replied.

"Then let us not speak any more idle words and take us to the Lady of this wood." Elrond said with quiet authority.

"Follow us then kindred. We will show you the way." Luthien stated and then with Turin walked east towards a thick grove of beech trees. The three travelers looked at one another before taking a deep breath and following the siblings.

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'Elrond where are you muindor?' Elros asked his brother's death still body. Elrond's cold hand lay in his warm one. 'Why is it that we must play one another's parts now? I am not strong enough to be left behind gwanunig-nin. (My twin)'

Elros looked down at his brother. Tears formed in his eyes and his melodious voice choked with emotion. 'Why did it have to be this way? Did Illuvatar place a brand upon our family? Is there a reason why we bear so much trouble?'

Getting up from his perch on the bed, Elros began to pace back and forth. He slipped into his native tongue of Sindarin. He spoke rapidly and the faster he spoke the quicker his pacing became.

"Manke naa lle autien? (Where are you going?) Mankoi naa lle autien? (Why are you going?)" He turned back to the bed where three people he cared about lay.

"What did they do to my nephew Elrond? Did they hurt you as well?" Elros knelt by the bed. "I am not a fool gwanunig-nin, not at all Elrond. I saw the welts and felt them land upon you. Your other sons felt the whip fall upon muindor sen (their brother)."

"Is there nothing I can do to stop this pain?" Elros asked his silent brother. His head fell down onto the bed in front of him. The sheets muffled his words, but they were still easy enough to understand. "Is there no where that I can turn for help? No way for me to lend strength to my brother's son and brother?"

"You can pray." A voice came from behind him. Elros lifted his head and turned to see his sister-in-law standing in the doorway. "Pray Elros that Elrond-nin, Estel and Legolas are returned safely to their home."

"Celebrian I did not realize that you were up once more. I thought you would have slept longer." Elros said in a choked voice, he did not bother to wipe the tears from his eyes and cheeks. Let them be seen.

"I cannot sleep any more Elros, not until my husband and son are returned to me." Celebrian replied in a barely audible voice.

Elros nodded in understand, and then turned back to the bed. "It is strange. It is as if Elrond and I have switched places. It is he that chose mortality and it was I that chose immortality. I cannot help but wonder if this despair was what he felt when I died. I cannot help but think that it is how he felt when his niece died; then long after his nephews. One death after another, it is a wonder that he survived the heartache."

"But he did. Elrond survived and lived Elros." She paused for a moment before continuing. "As will we if they do not return."

"I do not know if I will be able to survive without Elrond again gwenthal. (Sworn sister)" Elros said turning back to his brother on the bed. He brushed his had across Elrond's cheek lovingly. Then he looked at Estel and Legolas, touching each of their cold hands in turn. He then turned back to Celebrian with fresh unshed tears in his eyes. "I do not know if I will be able to tell his children that their brother and their father will not be coming back. Or tell Thranduil that he has once more lost one of the most important people in his life."

Celebrian crossed over to where the former king of Numenor leaned on the bed from his position on the floor. She fell to her knees and took his hand into her own. "They will come back."

Elros looked over at her, his fingers entwined with hers. Then his eyes met hers with a determined look to them. "Aye they will come back."

TBC

Spanishgoddess68: I am glad that you like my story. Don't worry the trio will be waking up soon. If not in the next chapter then in the one after that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as you enjoyed the rest of my story.

LalaithoftheBruinen: I am glad that you enjoyed the last chapter! I hope you loved this one as much as the last one. Thank you for the hugs and bunnies, they were very useful last night!

grumpy: I am glad that you enjoyed the last chapter. I love having Elros and Elrond together. I am glad you loved Elros' explanation of why he chose the way he did. I hope you enjoyed Elros' little monologue in this chapter as well. Thank you for reviewing!

trustingfriendship: Well we don't know if he has answered correctly yet. Appearances can be deceiving. As for the child's identity, we'll have to wait and see. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as you enjoyed the last. I am glad you love Elros and his family. I thank you greatly for your review!! (smiles and laughs.) Now I only have to write more, don't I? PS- I am glad you are biased because I am as well. I love both of the twin's families.

radbooks: Thanks! grins I love the conflict between those two as well. I feel really bad for placing them in such a conflict, but it was the natural thing to do. You would have chosen to be an elf? That's cool. I don't know how I would have chosen, because I can see both sides of the coin. I wouldn't want to spend forever here watching people I love die, but I wouldn't want to choose to die either. It's a hard choice, one that both of those two should be respected for making. No, I will not tell you who the little girl is. You'll have to guess or wait and see. grins (No I am not trying to torture anyone.) I hope you liked this chapter and I hope to have the next one out for you soon.

Elven Kitten: Thank you for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as you liked the last. I have more soon. But you better work one your story as well, I can't wait to hear more of it. smiles see ya soon.

Please review, I do write faster if I have reviews!