Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

Author's Note: Tissue warning. This I do believe is the most heart-wrenching chapter I have written yet. At least I was crying when I wrote it, so just be warned.

Review Responses:

Deana: You thought leggy was upset in the last chapter, try this one.

manveri mirkiel: Guilty isn't a strong enough word for it.

You think the plot line was insane, wait till you hear the cure. But I'm getting ahead of myself, that's not in this chapter.

And no, no, no you can't kill UglĂșk yet. Remind me to make you a dartboard with his picture plastered on it so you can work out your aggression.

Karone Evertree: Okay that's the first threat I've heard directed towards Elrond. But I can tell you will see anything but magic in the chapters ahead.

Slayer3: Yeah well I think he's gonna break down and take me to see it anyway. He just said that it was not nice for me to want him to take me to see a hot guy for my anniversary present. Man and they say women are touchy.

Don't Turn Away

Against Lord Elrond's better judgment Legolas had made his way out of bed and was sitting on the balcony just outside of the Lord's study. The balcony had the best vantage point for watching the path that entered Rivendell. The sun had set a short time before, but his elvin eyes still allowed him to see as if it was still daytime.

Lord Elrond had joined him a short time before, but had said nothing. "Lord Elrond, what is it you are not telling me?"

The Elf Lord wondered if his son's perceptive nature had begun to rub off on the Mirkwood Prince. He did not want to further trouble the young elf's already troubled mind so he remained silent.

"You fear for her. I can see it. Please don't leave me in the dark." Legolas pleaded.

Elrond sighed knowing the elf would not give up. "Something is very wrong with our Atavus. Something that has nothing to do with being held captive. I am not sure what it is. When I think of her all I see is shadow. My vision will not allow me to see clearly. I fear for her very soul."

The words stunned Legolas. He had been worried about if she was dead or alive, but he was sure that he would know it if she had died. On many occasions she had showed him just how strong she was at keeping her soul intact. She had been through so much hardship, but always her soul came through unscathed. Why now would things be different?

That was something that they would find out soon enough. Due to his strong connection to his friend, Legolas felt it first. Though to others it would feel like a brief chill, to him it was as if a strong cold frost had descended upon Rivendell. He looked up seeing the three brothers returning. He could see that Estel had a cloaked form bundled in front of him on his horse, his arm wrapped protectively around her. "They return." Lord Elrond helped him make his way to the front entrance. When the three horses stopped in the courtyard he sought out Estel's eyes, fear gripping his soul as he saw the utter despair written in them.

Elladan took Atavus from Estel's arms and set her lightly on her feet. She was wearing a cloak that was much too big for her. It looked like one of the twin's cloaks. They could not see her face. The only part of her that was visible was her hands. She did not move towards the two who were waiting for her. She stood waiting for Estel to join her on the ground. When he did he placed a hand on her waist nudging her forward. Legolas could see her hands start to tremble. She was afraid. He could stand it no longer. He made his way slowly to where she stood and wrapped his arms around her pulling her head to his chest. He immediately felt the cold that radiated from her body.

"You are freezing mellon-nin." He whispered.

He could hear the strangled noise she made deep in her throat at his words. She wanted to stay like that forever, bathed in the warmth he offered her, but the aching in her heart would not let her. She felt very keenly how wrong it felt to take the comfort of the elf. She felt unworthy of it.

"No. Please let go Legolas." She said louder than she intended. She pulled herself from his arms, and turned rushing back to Estel. It was easier with the human. She did not feel as unworthy for some reason. Maybe it was because the race of Elves seemed to be untouched by the corruption of evil, where Humans were often easily corrupted. She did not understand it herself. She just knew that when she touched the elves she felt distinctly wrong. She did not feel she had the right to even be in their presence.

If she could see his face it would have even further broken her heart. His expression was that of a faithful pup, whom its master had kicked. He could not hide his feelings of rejection.

Only Estel heard her whispered plea. "Don't let him see me like this. I cannot bare to see the look on his face." She remembered the look of disgust that was evident on his face the first time he learned of her orc blood. It had hurt then to see it, but now, after all they had been through together, she believed it would destroy her.

Estel could see the hurt look on Legolas' face. He knew his friend did not understand her reaction. He spoke so they both could hear him. "No Atavus, he must see. He will not reject you. Your friendship is too strong for that."

A look of confusion crossed Legolas' face. "Why would I reject her?"

Lord Elrond interrupted them then. "I think the rest of this discussion would be better continued inside in my study." Whatever the girl was hiding would probably be best revealed in privacy.

"Yes Ada, it would be." Elladan agreed trying to push them towards the house. He noticed the commotion had brought many elves closer to where they stood.

Lord Elrond again helped Legolas to his study seating him in a chair towards the side. He then motioned for Estel and Atavus to sit on a small couch facing his favorite chair. He took his own seat as Elrohir closed the door to prying ears. The twins remained standing protectively behind the couch where Estel was holding the shivering girl.

"Now Atavus please answer Legolas' question from outside." Elrond directed.

"Please, coming here was wrong. I must leave." She said trying to stand. She wasn't sure what the blood inside her was doing to her, but she felt crazed, like a caged animal.

"No Atavus. You must stay. If anyone can help you it is Ada." Estel ordered pulling her back to the couch.

"Atavus I can not help you if you turn away from us. You must be open with me. What do you hide from us now?" Elrond said reaching forward and taking one of her hands. He also felt the cold that Legolas had felt.

She flinched at his touch. He let go of her hand. She knew she would not get out of the room without revealing herself, but she felt so ashamed. A great sigh left her as she slowly reached up and pulled her hood back. Her eyes were closed. Neither Elrond nor Legolas could see anything out of place other than dark smudges on her cheeks.

Legolas was sitting close enough that he could reach out and touch her if he wanted, and he did. He cupped her cheek with one hand wiping away the dark smudges he could see. "Atavus open your eyes. I see nothing to fear. What brings you such sorrow?"

Her eyes did not open immediately, but one silent tear streamed from under her lashes, and he could see that it was black. She opened her eyes staring into his own blue eyes. She could see the look of horror cross his face. She pulled away from his hand turning to the side so he could no longer see her eyes. "Don't look at me." She cried.

He looked to Lord Elrond who also held a shocked look at first, but after a moment understood what Legolas wanted. He stood moving behind his chair so Legolas could sit there in front of her.

"Atavus. Don't turn away from us. I'm sorry. I was shocked." He said reaching out and taking her chin in his hand, pulling her face to his again. The tears were truly flowing now, and he could now see where the black smudges on her cheeks came from. "We do not reject you. We love you. We will do every thing possible to help you through this. No matter what happens none of us will stop caring for you. I will not stop caring for you mellon-nin." He again pulled her into his arms kissing her brow. "Stop crying please. It will be all right. We can make it through this."

She didn't pull away this time. No matter how wrong she felt, she needed the comfort her friend was providing. She needed to be told that she would make it past all this. She didn't even care that his arm was draped over the lash wounds on her back that had not healed. The pain in her body was nothing compared to the pain in her heart, and that heart needed the comfort he offered.

But Estel had seen the rips in her tunic that coincided with lash marks. He knew she must still be in great pain. "Ada, she has wounds that don't heal. I think she needs to be treated for those before we try to figure out what has caused this."

Legolas pulled away looking down at her, for the first time seeing the cloth they had wrapped around her forearm. He wondered what other wounds the cloak hid. He remembered his own experience with the orc and his lash.

They left the study, making their way to Atavus' room which stood across the hall from Legolas'. She stopped before entering, with a nervous look on her face. Legolas had not let go of her yet. He was half afraid she would bolt for the door if he did. "What is it Atavus?"

She looked at the men surrounding her and her cheeks turned scarlet. "I have to remove my shirt to be treated." She swallowed hard. None of them seemed to understand her discomfort. "I know you all think of me as a sister, but I am a woman." She reminded them.

The four younger men began to blush also. Lord Elrond just shook his head. "Atavus please go in and remove your shirt. Lie down on the bed on your stomach. Cover yourself as much as you have to, to feel comfortable. Let us know when you are ready. Estel and Legolas will help me." He could see the twinkle in the twin's eyes, and knew it would be best to keep them out of the room. The girl felt embarrassed enough as it was. "Would that help you?"

She nodded moving into the room and doing as he instructed. Other than when she dislocated her shoulder before first coming to Rivendell she had never had to be treated for anything. It was a very new and embarrassing experience for her. She called out when she was ready for them to enter.

Lord Elrond knew after seeing her back that the twins would have never made any teasing comments even if they were allowed to enter the room. Though not as bad as Legolas' wounds had been, they were just as disturbing to see.

Legolas and Estel looked to each other when they saw the sight and each silently vowed to kill the orc who had done such a horrible thing to her. Estel moved around the room getting the supplies Elrond would need, while Legolas sat beside her on the bed cleansing the wounds.

"Atavus I know why you traded yourself for me back in the cave. I understand that. You were afraid I was going to die, but I wish you had not done so." Legolas said watching the reactions on her face. Her face was turned towards his side of the bed, away from where Elrond was treating the warg bite. "If you had not, none of this would have happened to you." She knew he was talking about her blood, not the wounds.

"No matter what has become of me Legolas, I would not go back and change that moment for anything in this world. You were being used as bait for me, by the orc. If you had died, it would have been because of me. I would not have wanted to live anymore." She admitted.

"You probably wouldn't have." Elrond suggested. Legolas looked to him questioningly.

"This morning when I had the vision of where she was, she was close to fading. If Estel hadn't found her so soon she might have."

Legolas had not been told that part. He looked to Atavus who just closed her eyes, not wanting to see his face. "I did not know she could fade."

"Neither did I. There must be enough elf blood in her to make it possible. But if you had died in that cave it would have caused the same reaction from her, only I do not believe that even Estel's friendship would have brought her back to us. With you both still alive there is still hope. You know that don't you Atavus?" Elrond wanted to be sure that she was far from that danger.

"Yes Lord Elrond. If I did not still hold but a little hope for my future, I would have never came back here willingly." She said turning her head towards him.

"That is encouraging. And please call me Ada, my child. Lord Elrond sounds too formal on you lips." He said stoking her hair for a moment. She truly seemed like a child to him at that moment. She held so much fear in those disturbing black eyes.

"Thank you Ada." She whispered. He could see she was exhausted.

Legolas had smeared a healing salve over the wounds on her back, and then bandaged them. Elrond had mixed up another salve that would be good for drawing the infection out of the bite wound. "What kind of animal bit you?"

"Warg." She answered.

"We must keep an eye on that wound. Warg bites can cause great illness." He said wrapping the forearm again. "For now I want you to put on a clean dressing gown, and get some sleep. One of us will come back in a few moments to sit with you. We must watch for fever. We will speak in the morning about what happened."

She nodded drowsily.

Lord Elrond directed them into Legolas' room across the hall. "Legolas you are still too weak. I know you want to sit with her, but I suggest you let Estel take the first watch." Legolas could tell that it was an order not a request, so he nodded. "Estel I'm going to go brew some tea that will ease her pain. I'll bring it to you when it is done." With that he left the room.

Legolas sat on the bed staring at the closed bedroom door across the hall.

"Legolas I know you feel responsible for this. So do I. But it is better to have her with us now, even as she is, with the hope that she can overcome this, than to have lost you both." Estel said sitting beside his friend draping one arm over his shoulder.

"But what if she can't overcome this? No matter how often we tell her that it does not matter to us, she will not be able to accept it. She almost faded this morning. It will happen again." Legolas said not looking to Estel.

"We have to have faith in her, and in my Ada that he can figure out what did this, and reverse it. I refuse to think about the possibility that she might not get back to where she was, until that is the only option left. If we show her that we won't give up on her, maybe she won't give up on herself." Estel tried to reason.

"You are becoming wiser my friend." Legolas smiled at the optimism of his young friend. "Sometimes you seem wiser than I."

"I could have told you that." Estel smiled teasingly.