Disclaimer: I own nothing in this marvelous universe; it all belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.

A/N: ::sheepish smile:: All right, I just realized that this may take a few more chapters than I originally thought to complete. It is winding down, and a resolution will be found, but well…these next few chapters may surprise you. I hope you enjoy it!

Reviewers: All 39 of you, thank you!

Reunion: I promise, it is coming, but both Legolas and Aragorn have to work through a few things before they may see each other again. Whether they are successful or not is up to you to decide…::winks::

'Sindarin (Elvish)'

"Westron (Common Speech)"

/Personal Thoughts/

.:A Man Called Hope:.

By Sentimental Star

Chapter V: Requiring a Reason

(Several Hours Later; Peredhil Home in Valinor)

They were just sitting down at the table for the noon meal when a solid knock came at the door.

The two twins suddenly gave identically wide and wicked grins. 'Estel…tithen muindor, go answer the door,' Elladan advised warmly.

Estel had had enough experiences with his Elven brothers' antics to be appropriately wary. 'Why?' he asked suspiciously.

'Nothing,' the younger twin spoke up blithely. He paused, laying a finger thoughtfully against his chin. 'Oh! But an envoy from Thranduil is due to arrive soon…' He trailed off suggestively.

That was all it took. 'Envoy from Thranduil?!' Estel demanded, delight blazing in his eyes as he leapt to his feet. Without waiting for a response, he turned and sprinted out of the dining room.

'That was unwise, my sons,' Elrond stated dryly.

'Oh, but, Ada!' Elrohir protested good-naturedly. 'We are doing them a favor.'

'Perhaps, but I would rather they did not die of shock,' the Half-Elven Lord remarked wryly.

'And if Estel thinks 'tis perhaps Legolas, and then finds it is not?' Celebrían put in mildly.

The twins instantly sobered. However, before they could respond, a tousled dark head poked itself back into the dining room. 'Aren't you coming?' Estel asked impatiently of his Elven family.

Grins quickly flew up onto the twins' faces. 'We're coming, we're coming!' Elladan laughed—though neither of their parents could tell how much of it was affected.

'Well, get moving, you lazy Eldar!' the Human shot back with a grin, pulling his head out.

The laughter this time was assuredly not affected, and shared between the twins.

''Tis good to have him home,' Elrohir murmured as he and his family made their way out of the dining room.

'Aye, 'tis,' Elladan agreed softly, smiling at the mock-scowl Estel shot them that did nothing to belay the dancing of his silver eyes. The Dúnadan turned and practically ran ahead of them as they made their way down the hallway. The older twin glanced at their mother. 'You mentioned Legolas, Nana. Is that what he was brooding about this morning?' Elladan asked quietly.

Celebrían gazed sadly after her Human son. 'Is that not clear? He told me but one event from their friendship, and already I know he shan't be fully at peace 'til Legolas joins us.'

'Aye,' Elrond agreed. 'Their friendship was—is—very strong. You know this, my sons.'

They sighed. 'Would it make any difference if we told you that the last Grey Ship has been spotted just within sight of Tol Eressëa?' Elrohir spoke up softly.

Their parents straightened. 'Aye, indeed?' Elrond asked. 'This is good news!'

'Do not celebrate just yet, Ada,' Elladan advised darkly. 'We know not whether good tidings it bears. If Legolas is indeed on that ship, he knows naught of Estel's return.'

'Then may Eru speed it on its way,' Celebrían murmured swiftly. /For two hearts bound as one should never be severed,/ she thought privately.

A few minutes later, they ducked into the foyer just in time to see Estel hurriedly unbolt the door and eagerly dart outside onto the steps. There was a sudden commotion:

'What the--?' Celethoron huffed.

'By the Valar who--!' Gilaith started to exclaim.

'Goodness, I did not know we were that well missed!' Aries managed to remark amusedly.

And then, amidst it all, a highly affronted Thranduil exclaiming, 'Elrondion! I would thank you very kindly not to…to…' But he ended up stuttering when both twins appeared on the top step, grinning widely at their now gaping friends with their parents right behind them.

Immediately, all eyes went to the third dark-haired being who was currently hanging tightly onto Thranduil's middle, face buried in the former Elvenking's chest.

Deep, familiar, baritone laughter welled up from the figure as a tousled dark head pulled back and dancing silver eyes looked up to warmly regard the speechless Eldar. 'My apologies, hîr-nin,' he chuckled quietly.

Very hesitantly, the former king of Eryn Lasgalen and, more crucially, Legolas's father, brushed his hand against the young Man's cheek. 'Aragorn?' he at last dared to breathe.

A grin split the Dúnadan's face. 'Aye, that would be me. But Aragorn is a name I no longer need claim. I am Estel. That is enough.' /For me, 'tis more than enough,/ he thought happily.

'Aragorn!' Thranduil exclaimed in sudden, pleased recognition, tightly embracing the mortal best friend of his as-yet-missing son.

The once-Ranger kept smiling brilliantly even as the Sindar released him and went on to greet Elrond and Celebrían. The two Elven lords exchanged a heartfelt hug. 'I am so glad for you, mellon-iaur,' Thranduil whispered to the Peredhil.

The other Silvan Elves behind them—all three Legolas's cousins, and therefore, well-acquainted with and very fond of this particular Atani—erupted in a flurry of overjoyed exclamations:

'Surely it cannot be!' this from a widely grinning Gilaith.

'Ai, Estel! Is there nothing ordinary about you?' Celethoron laughed heartily as both he and his twin brother—Gilaith—converged on the Human, hugging him between them and almost lifting him clear off his feet.

Estel just grinned fiercely, and squeezed both Silvan twins back with all the strength he could muster.

Eventually, after hugging him well and thoroughly, Celethoron and Gilaith set him properly back on his feet. Still laughing and exclaiming, they each gripped a shoulder before going on to greet Elladan and Elrohir, giving each of their counterparts an equally exuberant hug, and together turned to watch the final greeting—between Aries and Estel.

This was much more serious than the other two greetings. Aries had loved—and lost—two mortal friends during his time on Middle-Earth. He had been completely certain it was three…until Estel had greeted them at the door of the Peredhil home here, in the Undying Lands, where no mortal Man had ever set foot. It was therefore perfectly understandable that for several long seconds he could do nothing except stare, apprehension and uncertainty written all over his face.

Estel himself sobered, smile mellowing and eyes taking on a tender gleam. Of Legolas's three cousins, he was closest to Aries. The only Woodland Elf he was closer to was Legolas himself. He would have said that the older archer was like another older brother, but in fact, that was not exactly accurate. He would have then said that the Silvan Elf was like another father, but that was not accurate, either. Eventually, he had come to the conclusion that the relationship he had with Aries carried within it a little bit of both.

Reaching out, he gently touched the Wood Elf's cheek. As it had with the Peredhil twins yesterday, that touch seemed to register something in the Elven head. Before he could so much as open his mouth to assure his older friend of his reality, Aries grabbed him up in a hug that actually did lift him off his feet, the hot tears streaming down the Silvan Elf's cheeks falling to land among the Human's dark tresses. 'Estel,' he choked, voice wavering and hands shaking slightly.

''Tis me,' the young Man murmured as he was set down—though not released. He at last managed to work his arms out and circled them tightly around the still trembling Silvan Elf's shoulders. Aries's blond head fell lightly against his own shoulder. ''Tis truly me, Aries,' he whispered. 'I shan't be taken away again. The Valar promised as much.'

Aries's grip tightened, but he did not need to say anything. Estel already knew.

From where she stood watching their Human son with her husband, Lady Celebrían gave a wistful smile. /Ai, Estel, so many hearts you have won, and yet so little you believe yourself worthy of them./

-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-

(Some Hours Later)

Sunset found Estel again retreating to the solitude of the roof. This time, it solely was to brood. Overjoyed as he was to once more see Thranduil and his nephews (for indeed, they were his second family), he had nonetheless hoped to find Legolas among them, ridiculous as he knew that thought was. It was because of his friendship with Legolas that he was close to them at all…

'My home is your home. My family is your family, and will continue to be so until the ending of the final age. I do not see what is so difficult to understand about that, mellon-nin.'

'Legolas, I am mortal…!'

Sighing, Estel came out of the memory, shaking his head. His beloved friend, as stubbornly wonderful as he was, had never ceased to frustrate the Dúnadan by giving of himself so much more than he ought to. The young Man could not understand how the Elves he loved could give their own love so freely in return, especially knowing that the child they had named "Hope" would eventually, one day, have to die.

He had tried to ask that once, when he was much younger. He had asked it of the twins and his Elven father, and he had asked it of Legolas: 'Why do you love me?' he had wanted to know.

All four had replied the same thing, 'Oh, Estel. What is there not to love?'

Their answer had frustrated him, and at that time, he had not known why. Only when he turned sixteen, and had been dragged home half-dead by Legolas, did he finally understand why he had been so frustrated.

'I am beginning to think the twins are correct,' a warm voice spoke up as a blond head poked itself over the edge of the rooftop and interrupted his musings before they could become even darker. 'You do brood entirely too much.'

Estel managed a faint smirk for the Elf's sake as Aries nimbly made his way up onto the roof to sit beside him. 'Which brothers, mine or yours?'

Aries rolled his eyes slightly. 'Does it matter? Honestly, sometimes the only way I can tell the four of them apart is by their hair.'

'I heard that, Aries!' came Celethoron's muffled shout from below, where the two sets of twins were conversing on the balcony.

Aries rolled his eyes again. 'See what I mean?'

That at last won a quiet laugh from the Human.

Aries grinned and stretched out to his full length on the warm roof, arms folded behind his head and gazing up into the orange sky of sunset. The silence stretched between them, until, finally, the archer prompted, 'So…?'

Estel turned towards him and raised an eyebrow. 'So?' he countered.

Aries gave him a wry look. 'You know what I mean, Estel.'

'I assure you I do not,' the Dúnadan replied innocently.

The Silvan Elf merely raised his own eyebrow in response. 'Really now?' he returned dryly. 'Then I suppose my little cousin's absence from these shores is of no consequence?'

Estel went rigid, glancing quickly out towards the sea—but a thin strip of sand and white foam from here.

Aries sighed in fond exasperation, leaning up on his elbows and giving the young Man a penetrating look. 'I knew it. Estel, Legolas loves you. Please tell me you know that.'

The Human's shoulders dropped as he remained gazing out to sea, face clouded. 'I know it,' he whispered in defeat. 'I've known it my entire life.' He at last turned pained cerulean-streaked silver eyes to his fair companion. 'What I have never been able to understand is why.'

The Wood-Elf shook his head, sitting all the way up. 'Ai, Estel! Surely he does not need a reason!'

'And why not?' the young Man challenged, voice agonized. 'He is immortal, I am not. He is Elven-kind, I am Edan…or was,' the last part muttered.

'Aye,' Aries retorted stubbornly. 'You are of the Firstborn now. You always were, tithen gwador. Before you went to the Men, before you became a Ranger, Captain, or King, you were Elven. You were our child first, Estel!'

'And yet that child was still mortal,' Estel choked quietly. 'No matter what you say, no matter how much you loved me, I was still mortal.'

Aries muttered a curse in Dwarvish. 'Ai, Elbereth, Estel! Do you truly think it mattered that you were mortal, that you would someday die? It made us love you no less—we loved you all the more for it!'

'Aries, the entire reason Legolas is not here now is because of me!'

'I somehow doubt that, Estel. Gimli yet lives, and for a while, so did the Hobbits. You are not the only tie he had to Arda.'

'He could have gone, Aries. He could have crossed over the sea when he first heard the gull's cry at the Pelennor Fields! I would not have kept him there, nor Gimli or the little ones. And I tried, Aries! I tried to convince him to go, but he would not! You remember what he promised me when twenty I turned, and found out my heritage! 'Twas not Gimli or the Hobbits he countered with, Aries! 'Twas that promise! You cannot say that had nothing to do with his refusal of the sea's call!'

Legolas's oldest cousin slowly shook his head again, eyes softening and voice gentling, 'Oh, Estel, you wonderful, infuriating Human. Need I really tell you why?'

The Dúnadan subsided. 'I would know, Aries,' he requested softly.

The Silvan Elf sighed, but a small, affectionate smile touched his lips as he reached up to brush his fingertips against Estel's cheek. 'Very well then. Shall I tell you a story?'

Estel blinked at him in surprise, but inclined his head in silent acquiesce.

'You know this story already, Estel. Or at least parts of it. But I shall tell you it my way…'

TBC

Elvish Translations:

Estel (Hope; one of Aragorn's many names, given to him by Lord Elrond)

Tithen muindor (Little brother)

Ada (Papa)

Nana (Mama)

Elrondion (Son of Elrond)

Hîr-nin (My Lord)

Eryn Lasgalen (Forest of the Green Leaves)

Mellon-iaur (Old friend)

Atani (Secondborn)

Mellon-nin (My friend)

Edan (Man)

--(Please note that I've used a mixture of online Elvish dictionaries, Tolkien, and my own experience to create these words and phrases, as well as those within the story—SS)