Title: Just a Family

Author: Psalm 136 (Coaltrain was kind enough to put this up for me, seeing how my account is disagreeing with me at the moment)

Rating: K+

Summary: See first chapter

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except the plot, but this is mostly just a PWP, because I am hopeless at plots.

A/N: I am so flattered by the quick reviews! THANKS GUYS! Well, because I love you guys so much… here's another installment of "Just a Family". And keeping with the Estel-needing-a-family theme, I hope this lives up to your guys' standards. AND THERE IS NO SLASH! LEGOLAS AND ESTEL ARE FRIENDS! THE TWINS ARE BROTHERS! NO SLASH! Just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page.

Just A Family

Story Two

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Estel was recovering quite nicely after his slight run-in with the bear. His leg was nearly healed and his side didn't hurt as much any more. And he was happy, most of all. Elrond was always the one to tend to him, Elladan and Elrohir came in and read him stories and told him jokes and bragged about how they continually beat Legolas, while the modest Prince would stand to the side and roll his eyes, Glorfindel told him stories of Arda's history and Erestor even came in and read to him. But Estel was glad Legolas was always present in the room. He regretted being hurt, or they could be hunting or riding or taking walks like they always did whenever the Prince visited.

Estel grinned brightly as he was carried out of the room by his older twin brothers. Seeing how their father told him he couldn't walk, they saw fit to give him another means of travel. Despite their laughing exteriors, it was not all fun and games for Elladan and Elrohir. They weren't going to let their baby brother (even though he wasn't much of a baby anymore) get hurt.

"Ow, my leg hurts!" Estel gasped as a sharp pain shot through his leg.

Legolas, who was walking behind the brothers, took the young boy into his arms, shushing the twins and comforted the boy. The twins smiled at each other. It was precious to see how Estel would only be comforted by the blonde prince and it could be said Legolas was more than happy to take on such a role. He had two younger siblings and loved playing the part of the older brother, even to one not of his own race.

Estel snuggled into his friend's arms, despite his insistence he was fourteen and no longer a child. He would always be a child at heart around Legolas and Elladan and Elrohir. And he didn't mind too much, until his leg stopped paining him and he grinned.

"Let's go!" The twins had prepared a surprise for him and he was anxious for it. They HAD promised him, after all, and the little brother inside wouldn't let that go.

Laughing, the quartet made their way through the halls of Imladris. It was raining, so everyone was inside, even the elflings. Estel didn't know this, but Elladan and Elrohir always went ahead as Legolas followed with Estel in his arms so they could check for elflings. All the young elven children delighted in teasing Estel about him being human and the fact he was adopted. And the young human boy would never give names or faces and bore it silently and strongly. As the protective older brothers they were, they weren't going to let anything happen to their brother, if they could help it.

Legolas finally set Estel down on a bench in a covered outdoor area. He took off his cloak and put it around the boy, since elves didn't feel the cold. With huge grins, the blonde and dark haired hellions ran off and Estel laughed, excited for whatever they had in store.

Until six elflings (four male, two female) entered the hallway and laughed mockingly at the sight of him. Estel sighed, since these were the main offenders and they always seemed to have the most cutting remarks to torment him with. But he remembered that his Ada and brothers and friends loved him. He absentmindedly rubbed his sore side and wished the pain would just go away. Stupid bears.

"Oh, look who it is! It's the unwanted dirty human!" One of the elfling females said, and the elflings snickered.

"Yeah, look at those round ears. He's so stupid, too, I don't understand why Lord Elrond took him in. Probably because he feels bad for humans." One of the boys snapped.

"My Ada took me in because he cares about me. He loves me. He told me himself. And Elladan and Elrohir and Glorfindel and Erestor and Legolas love me too!" Estel said, though his voice wavered. Why would these elflings lie to him? He shook his head. They loved him.

"Look at you! You're a human. You're stupid and ugly and clumsy and unwanted and unloved!" The other female remarked in a shrilly tone.

"Just because you have nothing better to do doesn't mean you can be mean!" Estel hissed, not wanting to attract attention. "Just leave me alone, my brothers and Legolas will be back in a few minutes, so you better scram before I tell them what you've said!" He threatened, though his silver eyes were filling quickly with tears.

"Ooh, look at the little stupid human boy. He's crying! He's a PANSY!" One of the other boys grabbed onto Estel's rounded ear and pulled hard.

Estel let out a cry, soft as it was, and stood up off the bench, on his injured legs, trying to shake the elfling off. As his bad luck would have it, the elfling was taller than him and still pulled, forcing him to put pressure on his injured leg. His legs collapsed from underneath him and he lay on the floor, sobbing from the pain and from the horrible humiliation of crying.

The elflings ran off just as Estel heard Legolas' lilting laugh and Elladan and Elrohir's deeper voices as they told their good friend jokes. Elrohir was first to spot Estel and he ran towards him, sliding on the floor in a manner most unfit for an elf but in his haste, Elrohir could have cared less. He gently picked his younger brother up and sat him on the bench. His azure eyes searched Estel's tear-filled silver ones.

"What happened, toror?" 'Brother'

"I-I-I accidentally stood up, I'm sorry, Ro!" Estel leaned against his brother and sobbed.

Legolas knew that Estel was lying, it was evident in his clear silver eyes that he had grown to adore. He was hiding something. The elf just needed to figure out what it was. But in the meantime, he decided, he would just play dumb and let the human open up himself. It would do no one good if Legolas just demanded answers. And besides, that was just not something he would do.

"What's my surprise?" Estel asked and they all chuckled.

"Here." Elladan said, and held out the package for the boy to take.

It was much heavier than Estel expected, but he opened it easily and then his heart stopped. It was a beautiful painting of a beautiful woman and he knew exactly who it was. It was the woman he dreamt of many nights out of the year. It was his mother. With shaking fingers, he traced her face and then looked up at the other three.

"Who painted it?" He demanded, in an almost angry tone.

Elladan raised his hand slightly, for he had some skill with a paintbrush and Estel hugged him tightly, whispering his thanks in a mixture of elvish and common. The eldest smiled and brushed back some of Estel's curly dark hair and hugged him tightly in return. He knew what it was like to be without a mother, and knew that seeing her likeness helped the heartache.

"Come Estel." Elrond's voice came from further down the hall. "Time to change your bandages."

Estel groaned but was lifted up by Elrohir and he carried his brother back to the healing wing like he had when the boy had scraped his knee when he was five. The trip was quick, but seemed like an eternity for the teenager. They all pitied him. He really was worthless. Why was he even alive? He could never do anything worth remembrance. He was just a human. Those of noble blood were born for such deeds. He was a worthless boy. It really wasn't much of a negative thing. He was merely accepting what he believed to be truth, which was in fact a lie.

Estel barely whimpered as Elrond changed his bandages. The salve the elven Lord put on burned like fire, but supposedly helped the healing. That was laughable. It hurt so much, the young mortal wished to rip the bandages off and scratch as if there was no tomorrow. He bit his lip and clasped his hands tightly together to keep him from actually going through with his thoughts. He nearly shook with the effort, but he managed to not do so.

"You alright, little one?" Glorfindel asked as he entered the room.

"No." Estel snapped.

"What happened?" He inquired further, taking a seat on the chair by the boy's bedside.

"NOTHING." He stated forcefully.

"Peace, Estel. I wish only for your well-being." He gave the human a small smile that infuriated him further.

"SHUT UP!" He burst out, feeling no remorse. "YOU CARE NOT FOR ME! IF YOU DID, THEY WOULD NOT TELL ME THE TRUTH!"

Despite the teenager's outburst, Glorfindel remained calm and peaceful, if only on the exterior. "What truth?"

"I am worthless. I am clumsy. I am stupid." Estel listed off.

"Speak not those words." The blonde's eyes had closed and his voice was a barely controlled whisper.

"Why?" Estel asked, curiously and angrily.

"Because you are none of those things. You have worth, more than you know. We all love you. You love us in return. That alone gives you worth. Whoever told this to you is a liar. Tell me, how could someone worthless survive a bear attack?" He asked calmly, but the human boy detected an undertone of great rage.

"Someone with great luck." He spat in return.

"There is no such thing as luck."

"SHUT UP! YOU LIE!" Estel tried to stand up but Glorfindel's cat-like reflexed enabled him to restrain the boy.

"Elladan!" Glorfindel roared.

The elder twin ran in and surveyed the situation and in the next second, he was administering his brother a ready-made sleeping potion. Elladan sighed as Estel stopped struggling and fell into a dreamless slumber. The blonde patted his young friend on the shoulder gratefully.

"Thank you, my friend."

"Tis no trouble, Glorfindel. What was he screaming about?"

Glorfindel sighed. "He was telling me that he was worthless, clumsy and stupid. He seems to think that he is right. I wonder how he got the idea."

"There are elflings who have been teasing him. He will not give names or faces, but they have always tormented him, according to a slip of tongue from Estel himself."

The two elves left the room, heading off to lunch.

XXX

Arador, one of the chief teasers of Estel, crept into the sleeping boy's room and snickered. This would be a great joke. He and his friends delighted in seeing the boy cry. What a sniveling weakling he was. Arador himself could EASILY take on a bear and take a victory, AND bring back the bear for supper. The stupid boy nearly got killed. Shame, really,

He switched the tea prepared for Estel with a drink that caused extreme hyperness and even sometimes insomnia. He sniggered as he finished the switch. He didn't realize the human was awake.

"What are you doing?" The human's voice cut through the silence of the darkened room, for it was night.

"Shut up, human."

"Tell me now."

"No, stupid."

"I'm not stupid."

Arador 'accidentally' sat on the boy's broken leg, watching the tears fill his eyes and a broken whimper come from his lips. "You are stupid and ugly and worthless and such a crybaby. An elf wouldn't be bothered by a broken leg, idiot!" He smacked Estel over the head and left.

XXX

Estel had trouble sleeping that night. He tossed and turned as best he could with his injured leg. He couldn't help but think about what Arador had said. Was he really worthless? What had he done to make the elflings hate him so much? Well… maybe that was it. He didn't do anything to help. He went to his lessons and practiced sparring and archery, but he never helped around. Not that he had ever seen any elfling help around, but he assumed that they did, simply because he didn't. What a little worthless brat he was.

He was grateful when he saw dawn's rays filtering through the curtains that hung in front of the windows. He looked around the room and pushed the covers off himself. He could be strong. He was strong. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, leaning heavily on his uninjured leg. No matter how strong he was, he wasn't stupid. Oh wait, he was. He sighed, wondering why he was even alive. He could never do anything to alter anything. He was just a stupid human.

He hopped on one foot over to the small table across the room and grabbed a large stick, just the right size for him to walk with. He didn't care that he would be punished for being out of bed. The healers were notorious for being very particular about their patients and when they could stand or sit up and what they could eat or drink to quicken their healing. And if they caught anyone disobeying, they would be like a flustered mother and the patient was a naughty elfling.

He hobbled out the door and clumsily and noisily clunked to his room, wincing each time he made a loud sound. He was very tired, and he just wanted to be in his bed, where he was safe. His room was his sanctuary and where he hid when he needed to hide away from the world. And now, he wanted – no, needed – to be there even more so now. He couldn't care less what his—nay, what Lord Elrond would say. His father had been a human. He was a charge of Elrond, not his son. What a fool he was to think elves could love him. They lied just to make him feel loved.

He collapsed on his bed, but it just so happened a blonde already stood in his room. It was Legolas, and he did not look very pleased. Estel gulped.

"Estel, what are you doing in here?" He asked sharply.

"What are you doing in here, elf? This is my personal space, you're not supposed to be in here!" He yelled.

"You should be in the healing wing." Legolas pointed out.

"You should be in Mirkwood." Came Estel's biting reply.

"What has happened to you? You won't allow anyone near you, even when we just want to love and care for you." The elf looked mournful and it sent pangs to Estel's heart. Damn elves and their expressive eyes.

"You lie." He muttered.

"I cannot lie. I am a prince of Mirkwood and lying is punished most severely." He reminded the young human.

"SHUT UP!" He screamed.

The elf crawled onto the bed beside Estel, as he had done when the boy was much younger and had awoken from a frightening nightmare. Estel burrowed into the covers, putting it over his head and telling Legolas to continuously to go away, but the elf was stubborn and would not leave, despite the human's pleas.

"Estel, what happened?" He asked softly, putting his hand on the boy's back.

"They called me stupid. Worthless. Ugly. Human."

"Yes, you are human. But that does not make you the other things they said to you. You are the most intelligent young man I have ever known. You have more worth than most elves." Legolas whispered softly, drawing the covers from Estel's sobbing form. He brought the boy to his chest and held him as he cried, letting out all the emotions.

"I just want… I just want…. I just…"

"Everyone needs to be loved. And everyone needs to realize they are loved. You are loved, by your father, brothers and by all your friends."

"What friends?" Estel asked bitterly.

"Me."

Legolas smiled as Estel curled up and fell asleep, content with the reassurances that he was worth something. The elf tucked him in, like the times he would when Estel was four and five and pressed a soft, brotherly kiss to his brow and then left the room, to be faced with two concerned faces.

"What was wrong?" Elladan asked, glancing apprehensively at his littlest brother's door. "What happened?"

Legolas shrugged slightly. "He never told me, but he said 'they' told him he was stupid and ugly and worthless."

Elrohir sighed and nodded. "I know who they are."

Elladan and Legolas rounded on the youngest twin. "WHO?" They asked insistently.

"Come with me."

Elrohir led them through the hallways to a small courtyard to where a small group of elflings were playing hide and seek. He pointed to them. "They're the ones who have teased Estel. But he never said a word."

"Why?" Legolas asked, baffled Estel never said anything about him being teased.

"He doesn't want anyone to get in trouble." Elrohir shrugged.

"Again I ask you… why?"

"He's noble." Elladan said suddenly. "He doesn't want anyone to be in pain or to have reason to grumble."

The three elves were silent and then Legolas went off to practice archery and the twins sighed in unison. Elladan looked at his younger brother and they walked back to Estel's room. They opened the door and entered silently. They laid down, one on each side of the sleeping human.

Estel stirred and he awoke. He yelped when he realized his brothers were by his sides. He nestled into his blankets as he scooted closer. He looked at both of them, his eyes wide and questioning as he tried to decide whether or not to tell them to leave.

"Estel, they won't tease you ever again." Elladan promised solemnly.

"Who?" Playing dumb worked sometimes.

But not with his brothers. Elrohir shook his head. "Stop pretending, little brother."

"Thank you." He whispered.

Elladan and Elrohir grinned together. The eldest ran his hand over his human brother's head. "We love you, brother."

"Why?"

"Because you are strong and you have courage. You stayed strong despite tormenting and you have a mind of your own. And we love you because you are Estel. You don't have to be anyone to earn our love." Elrohir answered and hugged his brother to himself.

Estel cried in his brothers' arms, letting out all the pain and suffering and he also wept from joy. Joy that he had somewhere to be safe always, and where he could be loved no matter what he did.