Hello all. I thank anyone who has stuck with this story, this is going to be the final chapter. I had other plans for this story but time and ideas have run out for me. I plan on finishing all unfinished stories, but that will probably be it for me. I have enjoyed writing for everyone but I just don't have the time anymore. Thank you again and I hope you enjoy this last chapter.

Through a Child's Eyes:

Chapter 7

Aragorn knelt down close to the ground, his eyes searching for any sign of his child and friend. The tracks of the orcs were easy enough to follow, but trying to find a sign of his loved ones was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. With one last pleading look at the ground, he stood and walked back to where his horse and Archer awaited.

"My Lord, did you find anything?" Archer asked, eager to see what his king had learned. To the young boy, it seemed that there were just a bunch of marks on the ground. Aragorn sighed, pausing at his horse's side, his weathered grey eyes following the horizon.

"Alas, my friend, I have found no sign of either of them. Come, we must ride hard and fast. These tracks lead towards Isengard. Saruman's influence I fear has remained and I wish not to encounter whatever master these orcs have." With that being said the king leapt back onto his horse and began galloping as fast as he could in the direction of Isengard.

-V-

For a moment all Legolas could do was stare at the former white wizard.

"You! You were killed! Frodo and Sam… Merry… Pippin… they saw it! They saw you stabbed in the back!" Saruman laughed cruelly at Legolas as he spoke. The Elf jumped to his feet, attempting to rush at the wizard, but a wave of his white hand sent the elf crashing back against the wall.

"Legolas!" I shouted, rushing to his side. Legolas shook his head, attempting to clear the cobwebs. He turned slightly to me, moving me behind him.

"Whatever you do, do not step in front of me. I'll try and protect you but you have to trust me." He spoke gently to the frightened boy. I nodded.

"Fool! What protection can you offer him? How many people's lives have been taken because of a decision you have made? Before and after the quest so many fell because of you, not to mention the people that died during the quest because an elf could not lower himself to the level of mere humans!" Saruman spat , motioning one of his orcs forward. Legolas watched carefully, never letting down his guard and refusing to show Saruman how much the words had hurt him.

I felt tears fill his eyes. My father had often spoke of how Legolas hurt from the deaths. How his comrades from Lothlorien had come to fight alongside and die with Rohan's people during the battle at Helm's Deep. Of leading his people in Mirkwood to fight against the growing dark and losing hundreds, if not thousands of elves to keep the rest of his people safe. I knew Legolas suffered because his father suffered alongside of him.

Saruman smiled. It was easy to break an elf's spirit if you knew where to hit. The blonde may not be showing it to the rest of the world but Saruman was no idiot. He knew that the elf was hurting deeply and he wanted the boy, the son of Gondor's King, the son of the man who had helped defeat his master, he wanted him to hurt like no other. And he would, he promised that. He wanted the boy to watch his protector fade and die in front of his very eyes.

"How did you live?" Legolas whispered finally, lifting his eyes to the wizard.

"A bit of magic. I made it look like I had been stabbed when I was standing to the side watching everything unfold. Who do you think really killed that miserable little coward? It was me! I did and I shall again if I ever meet him in any afterlife!" The wizard was spitting mad as he spoke about it.

"You don't have a staff any longer. Mithrandir destroyed it!" The elf desperately tried to find a way out of this situation. Without a staff, a wizard was suppose to be severely weakened or destroyed. IF that were true, he could get Eldarion out, even if it meant he did not get out himself.

"Tokens of status, no more. I do not need a staff to do my bidding. Just enough will." Saruman smiled at the elf. Legolas closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them, a reborn fire burning deep inside of him.

"Release us. We have nothing you want and will give you nothing. Release us and I will ensure that no one will come after you."

"Oh no, time has passed for returns to be made. If you will not succumb to your grief of those you have lost, then tonight I shall sacrifice your life for you! It matters not to me which way you will die, for either you will die at my hand or your own tonight, and that boy will watch. Then we shall release him with your body to your precious lover! Soon, Gondor will be mine!" Saruman took the bundle from the orc he had summoned earlier and tossed it at Legolas' feet, then turned and left the room.

I reached over and pulled to bundle towards me. Legolas' twin knives sat there in the cloth. I looked at the shocked elf.

"He means for you to kill yourself." I whispered, showing him the contents. Legolas swallowed, turning away.

"Please, Legolas. Don't do it. We can get out. We have weapons now…" I stopped talking. Legolas was so pale, huddled into himself.

"Legolas…" Still no response came from the elf. I moved over, trying to get close to him. Legolas shot to the corner of the room.

"Eldarion, don't. I can't. I would sooner fade than let you witness my death at the hands of that monster." Words that should have been spoken with contempt where barely whispered. I felt the tears start down my face. I walked over and sat next to the elf.

"Please, I beg of you. Don't die. Ada needs you. Please… I need you. I was scared. I didn't know what to do. You were always there and then Nana left. I knew you loved ada. I never realized that I loved you to. Please don't leave me here. Please." Seeing no response from the elf, Ifinally laid his head down on his chest and sobbed as I felt another piece ripped apart inside me.

-V-

The sun was setting. I saw it through a small window at the very top of the room. The elf next to me was cold as ice, his eyes unseeing, chest not moving. I kissed the top of his head, wishing more than anything that he would come back to life and that this would all be a dream. Still the elf did not move. The door slammed open, but I did not pay attention. I reached for the knives that Legolas had forsaken, moving them next to his body.

"A shame that such a beauty had to die. I had hoped at one point to make him one of mine. Now he is gone, trusting the word of a wizard to ensure that you leave safely." Saruman laughed cruelly, grabbing me by the hair. I let out a loud cry of pain.

"Hush little one. No one is here to hear you scream. Actually, go ahead. My orcs are on the move again. Soon you will join them." Saruman stroked my face with the back of one hand.

"You said you would send me back to my father with his body!" I cried, squirming in the wizard's hold.

"I did and you will. However, I did not mention what shape you would be in when you returned to him." Saruman pulled out a knife from his white robes, laying it across my face.

"Don't… please don't kill me.." I whispered. Saruman laughed.

"Kill you? No, I think not. I am going to do so much worse than that to you."

"You won't lay another finger on him!" A new voice joined to the conversation.

"Legolas!" I cried, my eyes wide and fixed on the elf that I had thought was dead. Legolas tilted his head slightly to the side to acknowledge me, but his eyes remained fixed on Saruman.

"Release him. Now!" He demanded. Saruman applied pressure to the knife, cutting into my face.

"Do you still think you are in the position to demand anything?" he began moving the knife down my face, leaving a painful bloody mark from the top of my right cheek to the bottom of my chin, cutting straight through the corner of mys lip. Legolas' eyes filled with fury. With a loud cry he launched himself at the wizard.

I was thrown to the side, but Saruman retained his grip on the knife. The elf and wizard grappled for dominance, throwing each other side to side, fists flying. I saw too many glimpses of knives as they fought but could not make heads or tails out of who was doing what. Then they both stopped.

Still, I sat against the wall, hand over his bloody cheek, eyes wide. Neither elf nor wizard moved. I slowly pushed myself off the wall and walked towards the two still combatants. I hesitantly reached out a hand, intending to grab Legolas and move him away when Saruman's body was launched towards me. I barely managed to duck out of the way before being hit.

Legolas sat up, his bloody knives still in his hands. He eyedme lightly, his eyes still dark with rage.

"My apologies, I didn't realize you were right there." I stared at him from my position on the ground a few feet away for several seconds before starting to laugh. I launched himself at Legolas who barely managed to move the knives before I impaled myself on them. The two sat there for a while, just hugging. Legolas finally pulled back, looking at the wound on my face.

"You look terrible. Estel is going to kill me!" He moaned, ripping part of his shirt to use as a towel to begin to clean my face. I laughed again.

"No he won't. I won't let him." I paused, watching the elf as he tried to stop the bleeding, "I meant it you know."

"Meant what exactly?" Legolas asked cautiously.

"That I love you. If you want to be with my ada, I give you both my blessing."I barely got the words out of his mouth before Legolas grabbed me in a huge hug. He kissed the top of my head, smiling broadly.

"Now that that's out of the way, can we go now?" I demanded.

-V-

It is funny how the small things are completely forgotten in the face of danger. I should know. Legolas had gotten me out of that terrible place without another incident. I still remember when we ran into my ada on the way back to Gondor. I had never seen my father afraid until that day. He held me so long I thought I would suffocate! Then he turned to greet Legolas, much to both of our surprise he kissed him right then and there. That's when I got two fathers. Now, I don't much consider Arwen my mother. She gave birth to me, than abandoned me. It was my father's that took care of me, even when I didn't want to admit that Legolas had. I already said I had a reputation for being hot-headed. What more do you want from me?

Guess what today is?

Today is the day that Legolas and Ada are finally getting married! Legolas isn't sure about the whole king thing, but he's definably taken to the idea of changing the city up a bit, making it more green, he says. And he's going to take over archery lessons! I know that he is sad that one day Ada and I will die, we are mortals. But as he says we have several years left and he is going to make every one of them count.

Somehow I get the feeling that it won't just end with my Ada's death, or even mine. My children, and their children, and even their children, as far into the future as I can see or even think, I know that Legolas will be there for them, even if it means without Ada or me.

But I don't wanna think about that. Legolas doesn't either. He says as long as no more orcs attack me he will be fine.

I think it's just cause he's afraid that if he gets scared again he's going to get grey hair and wrinkles.

Hmmm, we can't have that, now can we?

The End

Thank you again everyone, I hope you all enjoy this. I really did enjoy writing this and will miss it deeply. Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers and to everyone who stopped by to read the rest of this story. And Thank you to Melba and Anna, wherever you are for helping me start this story, though you are not here to finish it with me.