Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

A/N: Hey there everyone! Thank you so much for all your reviews, I can hardly believe how many there are! Well, this is it folks, the chapter everyone has been waiting for. The last one! I can hardly believe that it has taken me almost a year but this fic is now completely finished! Not to worry, I'll have a preview of my next fic called That Which Ties Us Together at the bottom. Ah! Don't you dare go to the bottom until you finish this one, ok! Love you all and I look forward to hearing from you in my next story!

In the healing wing Elrond and the twins looked up sadly as Thranduil's children, Galadriel, Celeborn, and Haldir came in. Without a word, Elrond got up and pulled the reluctant twins away from their brother. "Come, give your grandparents some time," he said with tears in his eyes.

"Elrond, do not give up hope just yet," Celeborn said sternly. "So long as Estel still draws breathe there is hope, you must remember that."

"But," Elrond started to say only to have Galadriel interrupt him,

"My husband is right Elrond. So long as Estel is still alive there is hope, you of all people should know that. Now, I don't care how critical my grandson's condition seems for he will pull through in the end. He has too," she said.

"Grandma's right Ada," Elladan said angrily. "We are not giving up, not now, not ever."

"You are both right, forgive me," Elrond said wearily. The fight to keep Estel in the world of the living had taken a lot out of him and it still seemed that they may lose Estel this night. He could not give up now, however, for if he did then Estel truly was lost and that he just could not allow.

"I don't suppose that I would be able to convince both you and Himband to go and take some rest?" Glorfindel said. The glares he received from Elrond and Himband told him all he needed to know. "No, I didn't think so but it was worth a shot."

"I don't think any of us will be getting any rest this night, save for Legolas of course," Iaurdil said as he gently smoothed back Estel's hair.

"Speaking of Legolas, how did he take the news?" Fuina asked softly.

Elrond, the twins, Himband, and Thranduil all winced.

"I'm not surprised he took it badly," Aruviel said through her own tears. "Estel is practically like his twin despite all their physical differences."

"That's just it iel nin," Thranduil said. "We have not told Legolas yet."

"I drugged him almost the second he walked in the door and had some of the junior healers take care of his injuries so that I could concentrate fully on Estel," Himband explained.

"Oh no," Fuina gasped. "If, if Estel..." she started to say but could not bear to finish. Everyone knew what her thoughts were however. If Estel was to pass this night, Legolas would never forgive himself for having been asleep as his best friend lay dying.

"How powerful was the drug that you gave Legolas?" Galadriel asked.

"Unfortunately it was very strong," Himband said knowing where Galadriel was heading with this. "We can not wake him until after the drug wears off which should be in about eight hours from now."

"This night just keeps getting better and better doesn't it?" Thilloth muttered angrily.

"So there is nothing we can do? For either of them?" Delelen said for once ignoring Thilloth.

"There is nothing to do now but wait young ones," Elrond said wearily as he sat down next to Estel's bed. "It's all up to Estel now."

Everyone sighed as they found various seats around the healing wing and dragged them over to Estel's bed. Waiting was the last thing any of them wanted to do but what choice in the matter did they have? It was up to the Valar and Estel himself if he were to live or die this night.

"I know none of you particularly want to wait and believe me, neither do I, but there is one thing someone can do," Celeborn said quietly.

Everyone turned around to face and look at him questioningly. "Elrond, I know that Gorothdil was a vile, malicious, and insane villain but he was once one of us. I think that we should retrieve his body and bury him," Celeborn said.

Elrond thought quietly for a minute before agreeing with Celeborn. No one, not even Gorothdil, deserved to be left to the wargs for dinner. "I agree but I will not force anyone to go, especially not right now," he said softly.

"I will go Elrond," Glorfindel said softly. "I am not much use here and I would rather be doing something than sitting anxiously here."

"I had figured as much," Elrond said gratefully. "You may go whenever you feel the time is right mellon nin."

"I shall leave now and make all haste back. When Estel wakes, and he will wake up Elrond, tell him that if he ever scares me so badly again I just might chain him to his bed back home in Imladris," Glorfindel said.

"Thank you mellon nin," Elrond said clasping him on the back.

Glorfindel nodded before hurrying out of the room and out into the courtyard to see his mission done.

"So now what?" Delelen asked.

"Now, we wait and pray to the Valar that they will be able to help Estel seeing as we cannot," Elrond said heavily.

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The next morning Legolas awoke from his drugged sleep and for the first time in his life he found that he did not have someone hovering over him. For a few moments he blinked and tried to get his eyes to focus on something, or rather, someone. He was not bothered by the fact that there was no one hovering over him but he was worried about it.

Slowly, he raised himself up from the bed only to be greeted with dead silence. No one in the room was blinking, speaking, or listening. To Legolas, it seemed that they were barely breathing as well. Their attention was completely riveted on Estel who was lying on the bed right next to Legolas.

"Ada, what's going on? Is Estel all right?" he finally asked when still no one noticed that he was up.

Thranduil whirled around and stared at his blissfully ignorant son as tears streamed down his face.

"Ada!" Legolas exclaimed as Thranduil sat down on the bed and embraced Legolas fiercely.

"I am so sorry ion nin, I am so sorry," he murmured.

"Sorry about what Ada?" Legolas asked as he started to get a horrible feeling that lodged itself deep within his heart.

"It's Estel Legolas, his condition is failing fast and there is nothing further that we can do. We're loosing him Legolas," Thranduil said hugging Legolas close as the tears started to flow.

"NO! It cannot be!" Legolas said as he threw himself out of bed and over to Estel's. "He is too young! There is so much more for him to do, to see!"

"I know Legolas, believe me, I know," Elrond's usually wise and calm voice said sounding anything but.

"There is still hope yet, isn't there?" Legolas said looking around the room in desperation.

"There is always hope young one," Galadriel said. "So long as he breathes there is hope."

"We have been trying to talk to him and convince him that leaving us is a very bad idea," Elrohir said wiping away his tears.

"People in comas have been known to respond to their family and closest friends. If Estel responds and wakes up, he may just yet live," Elladan said clinging to the last shred of hope he had.

"Have you talked to him yet?" Legolas asked.

Everyone nodded their heads sadly. "Yes, but he has not responded. He may respond to your voice though. You were with him the longest out of all of us when he was captured. He probably doesn't even remember when Elrohir was captured as well or his subsequent rescue by us. Your caring for him is most likely the last memory he has and you just might be able to use that to get Estel to come back to us," Elrond said in tears.

"Elrond is right Legolas," Celeborn said cupping Legolas' chin so that Legolas was looking straight into his eyes. "You may be Estel's last hope."

Legolas' eyes hardened with determination. "I will bring him back to us if it is the last thing I do," he affirmed.

"Would you like us to leave while you talk to him?" Elrond asked gently. After all, there were some things between friends that one did not share with ones family.

"No, I will need all of your help," Legolas said. "It is true that I may be the last memory Estel has from when he was coherent, but he has a lifetime of memories of his family and closest friends. I believe if we are to bring him back, we all must call for him and support him."

Turning back to Estel, Legolas sat down on one the chairs and took Estel's hand in his own. "All right Estel, listen well because I am only going to say this once. We love and need you Estel Elrondion and not because of what you are destined to become but because of who you are!" Legolas cried out in anguish.

"You are a young, brash and foolish, but you are also one of the most brave, kind, and loyal person I have ever known," Thranduil continued for Legolas when he saw that Legolas couldn't keep on going.

"You're my son Estel," Elrond said with tears in his eyes. "I care not in the least that you are human and you know that ion nin! Legolas is right that we need you and not just because of your destiny. We need you Estel Elrondion because of the joy you have brought into our lives. You have helped our family heal Estel and if you leave us now, it will all have been in vain for another loved one will have left us. There is only so much heartbreak a person can take Estel. I promise you Estel, that if you fade tonight, we shall not be long in following you."

"You are a part of this family baby brother and where one goes, we all go," Elladan said.

"When our Amme left, we knew that it was not our time to leave for there was still more to do on Arda. We had to avenge her death but that was not the only reason we stayed here on Arda. We were waiting for you Estel, our little Solstice miracle. If you leave though, there is nothing to keep us here and you heard what Ada and Elladan said. Where you go, we all follow. The only way for you to prevent us fading is well is for you to come back, you hear me?" Elrohir said through his tears.

"You see Estel! Your family, which includes mine, loves you! If you die, we all shall die as well from heartbreak. You are a son, a brother, and grandson, and the best friend that any person in this world or the next could ask for. We will not leave you, not now, not ever! Don't you see Estel? We need you, we love you!" Legolas exclaimed. "You must hear us Estel, you must!"

"I think that he does Legolas," Galadriel said eyeing her grandsons sadly. "He has heard all of us and now, it is up to him whether he wants to come back home to us or not."

"One way or the other, we shall find out shortly," Celeborn said seeing that no one else was truly capable of speaking at the moment. "There is only so long one can hold out when so grievously wounded and tortured. By tonight, we shall know whether Estel will live or die. Whatever is going to happen, it will happen tonight."

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Voices, beautiful melodic voices laced with urgency was the first thing that Estel heard for what had seemed an eternity. Briefly, he thought that he heard Legolas telling him that he was loved because of who he was and not what he was destined to be.

Next, Estel would have sworn that he heard his Ada crying and saying that his family would follow if were to fade. His family wouldn't allow themselves to fade away because of him, would they? For a while, there was no sound and then he thought that he heard one or both of the twins threatening to follow him to to the after world. His brothers too? Why would they do that? None of this made any sense not that it mattered. It was nice to hear though.

He couldn't keep going though, there was too much hurt, too much pain. He loved his family and friends more than life itself but he just couldn't go on. Just as Estel was about to embrace the light once more, Legolas' voice cut in and stopped him short. He couldn't quite hear the words but what he did hear was the anguish in Legolas' voice and the rest of his family.

There were two paths here he could take. One was a cheerful, bright, and beautiful path while the other was dark, shadowy, and full of uncertainty. The cheerful path would lead to Mandos' hall and the shadowed path would lead back to his family and back to his uncertain future. How he knew this, Estel could not explain, but he knew for sure that he was correct.

Could he honestly leave his family for the bright path that would lead to Mandos' Hall? If he did he knew for sure that he would never see his family or friends again, which was a thought that tore his heart to pieces. On the other hand though, if he was to go back he would have to face a world of pain and uncertainty that came with being Isildur's heir. So many times had he wished to rid himself of the burden and now he had his chance. Which was it to be? A lifetime filled with sorrow and uncertainty yet with those whom he loved or an eternity of happiness in the Halls of Mandos but without his loved one?

Looking at the two very different paths, he noticed that the shadowed path was slowly disappearing. He had to choose, now. Never in his life had Estel Elrondion been a coward and he was not about to start now. Without looking back, Estel stepped onto the shadowed path and walked forward to face his uncertain future and his destiny.

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It was nearing sunset when Estel's senses began to come back to him for the first time in what seemed a very long time. Vaguely he remembered having to choose between two paths but for the life of him he couldn't remember why. Maybe he would remember later when his body didn't feel like it had been trampled on my several Oliphaunts and wargs.

Inwardly he scowled when he realized he wasn't able to open his eyes or move around at all. True, he felt like crap and wanted nothing more to slip back into peaceful oblivion but there was this nagging feeling that he needed to wake up and reassure his family and friends.

As he tried to move his limbs and open his eyes, Estel shuddered inwardly at his last few memories. It wasn't all to clear but Gorothdil had done something to him, something about poison. Hadn't Elrohir been there as well as Legolas? He couldn't remember because his mind was still so fuzzy.

Estel was determined though. He was going to open his eyes and by the Valar he was going to find out what had happened to him, his brother, and Legolas. Slowly, oh so slowly, his eyes finally opened to a mere slit. Blinking a couple of times to try to focus his vision, he tried to say something but his throat was too parched. The only noise that came out was a dry croak that under normal circumstances could never have belonged to him.

Thankfully, or perhaps not so thankfully, the croak had been to soft to hear even for an elf. His eyes were barely open and they could not tell he was awake Estel realized frustratedly. From what he was able to see his Ada had his head lying on his arm while Legolas held the other. Estel couldn't see who else was in the room with him but he knew that Thranduil and the rest of his children had to be there as well. Maybe, just maybe if he could move one of his arms slightly it would get their attention. With intense concentration, Estel tried to move his left arm but all it did was twitch ever so slightly, much to his annoyance. However, the twitch seemed to have paid off for suddenly Legolas was on his feet and was staring at him hopefully.

"Elrond! Did you feel that? His arm twitched!" he exclaimed.

Estel watched with frustration and worry as Elrond turned sadly towards Legolas. "Tithen pen, it is not unusual for one who is in a coma to twitch every now and again."

He had been in a coma? Oh dear, no wonder he was having such a hard time moving or even opening his eyes fully. As a healer, Estel knew the effects of a coma all too well. Estel realized he probably had scared the wits out of everyone, particularly his Ada. Even with his limited vision he could tell that Elrond looked horrible. He had to let his father know that he was all right!

Focusing on the arm that his father was leaning on, he put all his energy into making it twitch and to open his eyes wide enough for his family to see that he was actually awake and not on the verge of dying.

Desperation to assure his family gave Estel the strength he needed and his arm moved and his eyes did open wider. "Ada," Estel managed to croak out weakly.

Elrond and Legolas nearly jumped three feet in the air when Estel's other arm twitched, his eyes opened, and he called out.
"Estel!" Elrond said hurriedly pushing the twins and everyone else out of the way who had jumped when he and Legolas had.

"Estel?" he asked again.

Estel nodded tiredly and tired to raise his hand to comfort his father but Elrond was having none of that.

"No! Estel, lay still, you were seriously injured and we almost lost you ion nin," Elrond said with tears in his eyes. "You do remember who I am obviously but what about him?" he asked pulling Legolas into Estel's vision.

"Legolas," Estel whispered knowing that his father was checking for brain damage.

"Good," Elrond whispered relieved. "And these two?" he asked as Elladan and Elrohir suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Dan, Ro," Estel whispered again slurring a bit on the r as his eyes drooped.

"Oh thank the Valar," Elrond exclaimed as he gently hugged his son. There was a little damage done as apparent with Estel's difficulty with R's but that was a small price to pay indeed and could be corrected quite easily.

"Oh Estel, you scared us half to death!" Elladan cried out as everyone joyously crowed in on his bed.

"Do that again young one and you'll find yourself permanently locked in your room," Thranduil threatened as tears of joy streamed down his face. He couldn't believe that Estel was back and was going to be fine. It was truly a miracle and one he had never been happier to receive in his entire life, aside from Legolas of course.

"All right, all right, enough of this everyone. Estel needs his sleep for he has a very long and arduous recovery ahead of him," Elrond said tearing up with joy again.

"I'm all right Ada," Estel whispered.

Everyone burst out into laughter. "That's our Estel!" Iaurdil exclaimed.

"No you're not and you know it Estel," Elrond said through his grin. "Go to sleep so you can get better faster."

"I love you, all of you," Estel said as he closed his eyes and drifted off into a true deep sleep.

"As we love you Estel," Elrond said kissing his brow lovingly.

"All right, now that the crisis is over, all of you back to your respective rooms and go to sleep!" Himband ordered.

Just as everyone was about to protest, Glorfindel rushed into the room. "He..." Glorfindel started to say but Elrond interrupted him with a smile.

"You just missed him waking up Glorfindel. Estel is going to be just fine in time. Like I was saying to to the others, he has a very long recovery time ahead of him but he will be well again. The Valar have been kind once more."

Glorfindel breathed a sigh of relief. As he had searched for Gorothdil's body the thought that Estel could die while he was away had haunted his every step. To return to the palace to find Estel would be just fine in time was everything he had hoped for but hadn't believed possible. Once again he had been proven wrong and never had he been so grateful to be wrong.

"I take it then that you delivered Gorothdil's body to the junior healers," Elrond said as he embraced his friend. "Come, now that Estel is fine, you shall help me prepare the body for burial."

Glorfindel swallowed hard as he prepared to tell Elrond what he had found when searching for Gorothdil's body. "Let's talk about this elsewhere shall we?" he said in an effort to stall.

Elrond rolled his eyes at Glorfindel. "Mellon nin, I realize that Gorothdil died a horrible death but I never imagined that you would be the squeamish type."

"Elrond, I, I'm afraid that the Valar have not been as kind as you think they have," Glorfindel said tiredly.

At Glorfindel's statement, everyone in the room suddenly focused on him. "Whatever do you mean by that Glorfindel?" Elrond questioned. "Gorothdil is dead, Estel shall be just fine in time, and everyone else is in relatively good condition. If that is not a gift from the Valar, I do not know what is."

Glorfindel took a deep breathe and looked at everyone in the room with sorrowful eyes. "My job was to find Gorothdil's body so that we could prepare it for a proper burial. I'm afraid that I never found the body."

Galadriel shook her head sadly. "I am not surprised by that actually Glorfindel. It occurred to us too late to retrieve the body. By the time you arrived the wargs had most likely already taken care of it."

"No, I'm afraid they didn't," Glorfindel said tightly. "I found where Gorothdil's body hit but I didn't find the body, I found something else."

"What did you find then Glorfindel?" Elrond asked with a feeling of dread.

"I didn't find his body, but I did find his footsteps and a dried path of blood," Glorfindel said looking ill. "Gorothdil is still alive and is currently somewhere in the wild planning Estel's demise. This isn't over Elrond, not by a long shot and until it is, we are all in danger."

The End,
or is it?

Translations:

Ada: Dad/Daddy

Ion nin: My son

Iel nin: My daughter

Tithen pen: Little one

Arda: Middle Earth

A/N 2: Hehe, um, don't kill me! Remember if you kill me, who will write the next part of the story? That means you can't maim me either! Okay, here's the preview for the next fic. It's a sequel to Estel and Greenleaf. Have fun!

That Which Ties Us Together

Oh Valar, this couldn't be happening! Not now, not after everything they had gone through already! Elrond and Glorfindel could only watch in horror as they descended upon them all too quickly. They had no chance of out running them.

"Elladan! Elrohir! Take Estel and get out of here!" Elrond yelled.

"We can't!" Elladan shouted back making sure to keep Estel behind him at all times. "They've surrounded us!"

"Elrond," Glorfindel said uneasily.

"I don't like this either but what choice do we have?" Elrond said unsheathing his sword.

Moments later the orcs and wargs attacked forcing Elrond and Glorfindel to separate. The orcs and wargs were many and Elrond and Glorfindel were beginning to get overwhelmed. The twins were fighting the best that they could but they had to protect Estel.

"Ada!' Estel's frightened voice shrieked.

The twins, Elrond, and Glorfindel all turned around and saw to their horror that more orcs were coming from the other side and were heading right for Estel and the twins. With a vicious curse Elrond turned back to the orcs that were approaching towards him so that he could finish them off so he could get to his children.

"Glorfindel! Go and protect my children! I will hold them off!" Elrond shouted.

"Nay! There are far too many Elrond! You'll never be able to keep them off of you!" Glorfindel shouted back.

"I care not Glorfindel, go and that's an order mellon nin!" Elrond shouted.
> >

Glorfindel cursed but vaulted his way over to the twins and Estel. After this was over he was going to have a few sharp words with Elrond over this. "Estel, stay where you are tithen pen!" he said when he saw Estel hiding in one of the tall trees right above the twins.

With Estel in the tree, it gave the twins and Glorfindel more room to maneuver and soon enough all the orcs and wargs were dead or fleeing for their lives.

"It's all right now Estel, you can come down now," Elladan called softly to the terrified little boy.

While Elladan was trying to coax Estel out of the tree, Elrohir looked around and noticed that his Ada wasn't standing with them. "Glorfindel, where is Ada?" he wondered aloud.

"ADA!" Estel screamed but it didn't come from the tree. At sometime without any of the other elves noticing, he had climbed down the back of the tree and had run over to the other side of the field.

"ADA!" he screamed again and started to shake the elf gently.

Glorfindel and the twins paled and ran over to where Estel was crying. There, lying on the bloodied ground was Elrond with an orc dagger imbedded in his stomach and bleeding profusely.

A/N 3: Curious? I certainly hope so. The first chapter will be up shortly! Love you all!