Disclaimer: I do not own LotR.

Warnings: Slash, A/L, obviously.

And here you all go. Sorry it's taken so long. Things have been pretty crazy recently.

Hope you enjoy this, though. It's the last chapter. n.n

Jealousy Wrought

Chapter Ten: In Between

Estel blinked, his eyes filled with tears. Worried faces looked down at him.

"…Thranduil? King Thranduil," Estel said in shock, his voice weak. He was there, and alive. He lowered his gaze and tried to reach for the elder elf's hand, the right hand, the one with the queen's ring.

Thranduil saw what the man was trying to do and grabbed his hand, puzzled. Estel seemed amazed at that simple gesture. "Estel?"

The man was in silent awe for a good two minutes before he suddenly shouted, "Legolas!" Fear clearly rang in his raspy voice as he struggled to get up, despite the pain and how stiff his body was.

Surprised, Thranduil pushed the hysterical man back down, holing him by his shoulders.

Estel continued yelling Legolas' name desperately, eyes wide with terror.

"Estel, be calm. Legolas is well," Thranduil tried to help the man. It must have been one horrible nightmare for him to become this out of control and he didn't dare think of what it entailed.

Words had no affect on the fevered man, so the king forced Estel's head to turn to the bed near his. "See? Look. He is well, merely sleeping," he said slowly, calmly.

Finally, the stormy eyes fell upon the one he needed above all else. His breath came in quick pants, and one hand still held him down, enabling only his head to move, no matter how much he wished to be by Legolas' side.

"They are closed," he stated, staring at his love.

Thranduil blinked at the human, wondering what he was talking about.

Then he looked over at his son.

Oh. His eyes. They were closed while he slept.

The king sighed. "He was exhausted, Estel," he explained, matter-of-factly, but sadness was plainly heard. He then had to wonder how much the dark-haired man actually remembered from the whole ordeal he and Legolas had gone through, with his fever and injuries it was questionable.

"Eildan…" the king started, unsure of how he should continue, or if he even should. He needed Estel to focus for a minute, however. He needed to see if he could focus.

Estel just stared at Legolas as if he didn't hear Thranduil. He hadn't heard his shouts, his eyes were tightly shut, and he was pale, lying perfectly still. If not for the rise and fall of his chest… He didn't even want to finish that thought.

A thoughtful look crossed his features moments later. And the king sat there in silence. He had let go of the man's shoulders and merely watched, letting the young man collect his thoughts.

Both of them needed information. Thranduil had no idea of what had happened, and wanted to know. Why hadn't Legolas shown up when he was supposed to, and why hadn't Eildan for that matter? Why was Eildan now dead? How had Legolas and Estel ended up in such horrible conditions?

Estel groaned, his head fell back and a hand rose to cover his eyes.

Thranduil was deeply concerned by this and leaned above the human. "…Estel?" he inquired uncertainly, watching closely.

"I… I killed him," Estel said, sounding torn, the words choked up as if he had to struggle to get them pass his chapped lips. He had no idea what to do now.

The king was taken aback by the abrupt… confession? He wasn't sure. Maybe it had been a fevered dream that had stuck with the man; made him believe that he had committed murder. Had it been him who had killed Eildan? But why?

"Who, Estel?" he tried to make sense of things.

"I did it. I killed him—Eildan. He… Legolas—" The man took a deep, shuddering breath.

Thranduil, thinking Estel was putting too much strain on himself, too soon, gently placed a caring hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, penneth. Take rest," he hoped to calm the man. His breathing had increased dramatically and he was fearful the man would pass out.

"Nay," Estel said and started to get up, gritting his teeth. "I must go to Legolas."

The elder elf could tell he was determined, but he couldn't permit it in his condition. "He's right next to you…" He stopped. No point in coming across from that angle. "Here," he said with a sudden idea, standing up. "I shall push you closer to him."

Estel flopped back as he realized just how bad his body ached, the injuries sending stabbing pain throughout. It was all he could do to stop from crying out in pain.

He breathed heavily, and nodded reluctantly, knowing he could not win this battle.

Thranduil smiled. "Hannon le." For he was extremely grateful he didn't have to argue with the man further.

Estel watched Legolas sadly, his face was pale, grievous creases carved into his sleeping features; even a slight trace of dried tears could be seen as if he had cried in his dreams.

He felt horrible. What else could he have done? He couldn't have let Legolas die. All he wanted was to wrap his arms around the archer and hold him tightly.

Would Legolas be able to forgive him? He had killed one of his closest friends, one of his oldest friends.

A tear slid down his face, and he closed his eyes.

He appreciated it when King Thranduil stayed silent and didn't question him. He didn't want to have to explain anything.

Thranduil frowned deeply. He didn't question, but that didn't mean he didn't want to.

Rubbing a thumb over Estel's cheek, he removed the tears. It was incredibly lucky that he hadn't tried the gesture when the man was awake, for who knew how he might have reacted after his nightmare. However, he had no reason to suspect that something negative might come from it.

Whatever Legolas and Estel had gotten themselves into this time definitely wasn't the usual. He could tell how strenuous it was on the man and he had seen how his son was before… He felt he had only scratched the surface.

Thranduil lost count of the hours that passed since Estel or Legolas had last stirred.

The king had thought it over and decided it was best to send a messenger to Elrond, telling him what had happened to their sons. Since he hadn't wanted to leave the youths, he had sent one of the maids to fetch the messenger (the paper and pen were already in the chambers). He didn't know if Estel was expected home at any specific time and he knew how terrible that kind of wait could be. He also figured that, when the man did return to Imladris, the elf-lord would know what to expect and possibly be able to help. While he had no idea what exactly had happened, he still knew it had been traumatic from their behavior, especially Legolas' when they had first found the two.

Thranduil didn't know how long Estel had planned on staying, for he liked the man being around so gave him permission to do as he pleased. He and Legolas had formed a strong bond from the beginning and there would be nothing he could do to keep them apart even if he was so inclined. He was glad his son had found someone.

Thranduil sighed heavily and turned towards the two, their beds now touching.

He wished Legolas would awaken, for he needed to know he was well. However, he knew it would be a long while before he archer did so with how wearied he was, how he had been close to a complete breakdown. Anyone could tell that to be true with just one glance at the young elf.

During the evening of a few days after Thranduil had sent the letter to Elrond, both Estel and Legolas were finally awake and coherent. Before, they had been conscious at different intervals and not aware enough to say much of anything, much to the king's frustration. Rest was important, though, so he had left them alone, even when they had been awake.

Legolas was sitting up in bed, tired of lying down and feeling so weak, his features still pale and torn. Estel was forced to stay how he had been because of the wound on his chest… and everyone pushing him back down with words of caution and concerned hands.

The healers were present now and checking over the two. They came in every so often to do so and to replace the bandages since they had other patients to attend to.

There seemed to be no problems and they were finished; even Estel's fever was lowering, and the healers were asked to leave.

Thranduil smiled at the two and they gave him one in return. However, it never reached their eyes. Legolas then turned to the wall, staring at nothing and an emotionless mask was put in place.

Thranduil turned and looked at Estel. The man was staring at Legolas as well, a frown on his pale face.

"Legolas…" the king said but words failed him. After another minute of silence, he tried again. "Will one of you please tell me what happened?" He hated seeing them like this, for whatever reason there seemed to be a barrier between the two.

Neither said anything, though, and he felt the only reason Estel didn't was because of Legolas, and that made him even more curious.

Estel's gaze had dropped to his calloused hands and every once in a while they would shift to the archer.

"Ion-nin—" he started again.

"Ada, please… don't," the young elf cut him off, sounding younger than ever, with his voice broken and lost.

The king looked pleadingly at Estel, alarmed by his son's behavior.

"Not now. Not yet," the human answered the unasked question almost pleadingly. He didn't want to bring up the sensitive subject with Legolas able to hear it, for he knew the elf was hurting.

Forgive me, Legolas. Please, forgive me, he silently begged his elf. He needed to be forgiven. He needed Legolas to become well again.

Thranduil sat back in a chair and resisted the urge to sigh. He had to give them their space for now; he had to listen to them, to their pleas. Waiting was never easy, especially since the two were suffering so much and he was completely helpless.

A few days later, Estel asked Thranduil to stay with him while Legolas took a bath. The bathing chambers were connected to the healing wing so ill and injured patients could wash themselves (or have assistance) and still be within hearing distance should anything go wrong. Legolas also liked to take long baths recently so he could think, which Estel didn't exactly agree with, but he was still confined to his bed.

The human told the elf king about what had happened on their trip and how Eildan had died. He was extremely careful about what he said about his and Legolas' relationship, though, trying to make it seem like it was less pronounced than it really was. However, it seemed as though the elf king already knew about them and had accepted it. That did not mean he was less cautious, though.

Thranduil had sat silently during the explanation with wide eyes. He never would have thought it was because of Eildan that this whole ordeal had happened, why his son and Estel suffered so much. He had had no idea that the guard had liked Legolas like that. He knew that there really was nothing he could have done to prevent it, but… It was all just so shocking.

When Estel was finished, the elder elf pulled the man into a gentle hug, mindful of his injuries.

After moments of stunned silence, Thranduil finally spoke, "I sent a letter to your father."

It was then that Legolas walked into the chambers, but it barely registered in Estel's mind with the shock he felt at the sudden statement.

The dark-haired man blinked at the king at first, unsure if he had heard correctly. "Why?" he queried softly. He hadn't been planning on telling Elrond anything until it was absolutely necessary.

"I thought he should know. The way you and Legolas have been acting recently was alarming and I knew not what to do," the elf king explained himself. "Worry not, I told him there was no need for him to ride here."

Estel let out a deep breath, suppressing a wince. He gave a small smile to the elder elf as grabbed Legolas' hand and squeezed it in a reassuring manner. He really hoped the prince didn't mind him telling his father what had happened, but Thranduil needed to know. He could tell it had been tearing the king's mind apart, not knowing what had happened to change his son so drastically.

The man knew that Thranduil had meant well by sending the letter to Elrond so he couldn't blame him for it and it didn't exactly hurt for his father to know, it just meant they would smother him when he got home, and ask a lot of questions.

"Please do not send another messenger. I would rather tell him myself," Estel said softly, looking into the king's eyes.

Thranduil nodded in understanding. He could respect that. He could tell Estel hadn't agreed with the decision, but there was nothing he could do to change it and he still thought it was the right thing to do. Who knew how long it had been since Elrond had heard from his son. He knew if he was the elf-lord he would want to know what had been going on recently. It was always nice to hear from Legolas when he visited Imladris.

The elder elf squeezed Estel's shoulder and then sat back down in his chair, keeping the two company. Legolas had already sat on his bed and was silent once more.

…………

Days passed and, while Estel and Legolas continued to heal, their relationship didn't. Legolas had been given permission to walk wherever he wished; not just the healing wing. Estel was still stuck in bed, but he had been moved to the bedchambers he had been staying in. Legolas practically lived there; even if he wouldn't talk that much, he needed to be with his love. That he could not deny.

Estel couldn't help but notice that the elf still slept with his eyes closed.

Every time he would try to talk about Eildan, Legolas would change the subject, making things even more difficult.

Two days later and Estel could no longer stand it. Legolas wasn't in the chambers and that had made matters worse, for it had given him time to think. No one else was there either since they had thought he was sleeping. Therefore, he brushed the covers off and slowly sat up, bringing his legs to the edge. He gritted his teeth, sucking air in between them, trying to keep silent.

He stood unsteadily and held on to the back of the chair Legolas often occupied for balance as he waited for his head to clear. It had been nearly a week since he had actually stood up, let alone walked around. Because of this, he took it slowly, trailing his hands along the walls for support while he tried to keep an eye out for anyone who might stop him, and the other for his golden-haired elf.

Estel was relieved when he found the archer, for it hadn't taken a short amount of time; he hadn't expected him to be in the library. He was just lucky he hadn't gone any farther.

Legolas was standing near a bookshelf, holding a book open, but he was staring at it blankly as if he didn't see a single word on the page, and Estel didn't doubt that was the case.

Estel watched for a moment longer, the guilt twisting his stomach into knots. "Legolas…" the man said uncertainly, softly, his voice wavering. He had finally found the elf, but now he didn't know what he could say.

Said elf started at the abrupt sound, turning to look at the one who had spoken. "Estel! What are you doing out of bed?" the blonde exclaimed in concern and surprise. With one look at the man, he quickly moved to his side, for he swayed and trembled like he was about to collapse.

Gently, Legolas led and lowered him into a chair, watching him worriedly.

"I… We have to talk," Estel said solemnly after regaining his breath, staring directly into his love's sapphire eyes.

The archer immediately dropped his gaze to stare at nothing. He still kneeled in front of Estel, though, so it was easy for the man to lift Legolas' chin and force him to meet his eyes.

"Blame me if you want, Legolas. I understand and am sorry it had to come to that," he stated with the utmost sincerity, never looking away. "I could not let him get to you, though. I could not let him hurt you again."

Silence reigned, but Estel was glad to know the archer didn't try to shift his eyes away from his own.

"Please forgive me," he finished quietly. "Forgive me." He didn't know what to do. Tears started to well-up when Legolas broke their truthful gaze and actually started to pace in front of him. He closed his eyes.

When Estel opened them, he was shocked to see Legolas crying. Despite the protests of his aching body, Estel rose from the chair and wrapped his arms around his love, holding him tightly. This was what he had wanted to do the entire time, more than anything. He wanted to hold his elf together, stop him from falling apart before it was too late.

Minutes of silence passed between the two again, the only noise was the slight sniffling from Legolas as he tried to stop his tears, feeling foolish.

"I do not understand why he did it. Why?" the young elf asked, distraught.

Estel was surprised it was this that was on the elf's mind. Smoothing the golden hair, the man tried to soothe him, while he shook his head, wishing he had the answer. Estel knew it was Legolas' exhaustion that had him so emotional and distressed, for he knew he had hardly slept.

"I wish I knew how to answer that. I wish things had turned out differently, too, love. I really do." To save Legolas all this heartache, he would have done anything differently at this point so long as the blonde would have lived.

After another moment, while Legolas tried to sort out his confusing thoughts, the elf lifted his gaze with deep concern etched in sapphire eyes. "You are shaking," he stated.

Estel had tried to hide it but his body couldn't take much more of this. He wouldn't admit he was still that weak. "It's alright. I'm fine," he brushed it off.

Legolas shook his head. "No, let us get you back to your bed."

Having no choice, Estel was led back and into bed. He would never say it aloud, but he was grateful to be lying down, the pain in his chest was nearly unbearable. It had been for Legolas, though.

Once he had lain down, Legolas took off his shoes and crawled in bed beside him, gently placing an arm on his chest above his wound.

"I'm sorry, love," the elf whispered in his ear, and Estel tightened his hold, closing his eyes.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been forgiven.

Well, there ya have it: the last chapter. Yeah, it was a pain. I don't much like it. (I mean, I might edit it again for all I know. -.- ) Sorry. Let me know what ya think, though, alright? n.n

I hit a terrible wall, with this and everything else I try to write; its name is Writer's Block. An exciting thing. Because of this, I have no idea how soon I'll be able to get another fic out. I have a part written, but… well, we shall see. Just keep an eye out if you're interested. n.n

I do hope some of you enjoyed it, though. n.n Thank you for the wonderful reviews. I hope to hear from you guys again. n.n

Ja ne