Legolas and Gimli sat together on the ornate bench, as perfect as the rest of Lothlorien, except the fever-ridden room that Aragorn resided in. The night darkened and then the dawn lightened, and the elf and dwarf sat in companionable silence. No words could make things better except the arrival of a Healer, saying that Aragorn was well.
But that did not happen. They were left, shivering, in the cold dawn wind, until, at about an hour past sunrise, a Healer came out.
"I promised I would tell you when he changes, and he has changed my Lord."
Legolas stood and inclined his head, then, in a hoarse voice, said, "Gimli, would you come with me?"
The dwarf shook his head, "I have some business to attend to, and this should just be you and your… mate."
Legolas had nothing to say at the courtesy he had not expected from the dwarf, and followed the Healer through the halls.
000
They walked back to the room that Aragorn was in and Legolas heard a muffled moan from the behind the doors. He darted forwards, but the Healer blocked his path.
"I cannot let you in like that."
"Like what?" Legolas asked.
"You are soaking wet, go and change," she ordered, pointing to a small door. Not wanting to waste time, Legolas traipsed through it. In the small washroom he found a change of clothes, in the silver of Lorien, a comb and a cloth.
He changed into the perfectly fitting tunic, washed his face and hands, and combed his hair. It would have to do, he thought, he would clean up properly from the journey when Aragorn was well. He emerged and the Healer nodded and swept open the door.
Aragorn was buried in sheets and downy covers, the room was stifling. Legolas rushed over to his lover, who was still worryingly pale, face sallow. Legolas put his hand on the forehead of the Ranger. He was as cold as death.
"The fever broke early this morning, but then this chill set in," the Healer explained. "He has been delirious."
"Can you not do anything?" Legolas' voice was broken with grief, dropping down onto the bed.
"We do not know what is going on. Sometimes he raves about an enchantress, others he groans and yells in agony and sometimes he is just still, a lot like this."
"And the child?"
"We cannot say. It moves inside him still and his waters have not broken. He does not bleed, but we cannot say."
"Have you had any experience in… in this?" Legolas demanded, "A male pregnancy?"
"No my Lord, no one has."
"Than how can you know."
"We just have to assume, it is what all Healers must do."
"Leave us," Legolas instructed, ever the Prince.
"My Lord?"
"Go."
The Healers bowed or curtseyed, and left.
"Oh Aragorn," Legolas whispered to the empty room and the unhearing Ranger, gripping his hand. "Why is this happening?"
He uttered a heartfelt sigh.
"I have lost count of the number of times I have nursed you back to health, but now I do not know how to help. Now I am not even permitted to help," Legolas fought to keep his voice steady, "But you have to get better, you have to carry on, both of us do. Where would the hobbits be without you? Boromir wants you to come back to Gondor, and what about me? I need you too. And so does our child. You take on too much Aragorn, you think you are superhuman, but you are not. Though you will always be superhuman to this elf, and you have carried a superhuman feat this far, you have to take care of yourself. You always get ill when you take on too much. You can't do everything. I can help you lead the fellowship, I can give you energy, I will defend you with my life. All you need to do is look after our child. You are pregnant, Aragorn, you need to look after yourself, but most of all you need to get better
"Please Aragorn."
Tears and exhaustion overwhelmed the elf – he had not rested in three days and had given energy to Aragorn twice yesterday, something one should never do. The tears coursing down his face stung until tiredness engulfed him and he reeled into darkness, curling up against his lover.
000
A cry, and Legolas jerked his head up, ashamed. Aragorn was awake and staring, and the human had called out in terror. Frantically, he looked around the strange, out-of-focus room.
"Legolas!"
"Meleth, how are you?"
Aragorn opened his mouth to proclaim that he was fine, but gasped immediately and doubled over, tears springing to his eyes.
"It is alright my love," Legolas said. Smoothly, he guided the Ranger so that sat up straight, and held him in the crook of his arm, "Where does it hurt?"
"Between my thighs," gasped Aragorn.
Determined not to show and weakness, Legolas kissed his hair gently, "All right love, I must take off some of these quilts, ok?" he felt Aragorn nod and delicately rolled back the sheets, an intricate operation as he was trying to keep Aragorn as still as possible, as the human groaned slightly whenever he was moved.
Legolas hissed, the sheets were soaked in scarlet blood.
"Oh no, oh no," spluttered Aragorn, and then his face crumpled as he felt the pain in his belly, "I am losing him."
"It is just the illness. I'm sure it is just the illness," said Legolas, "I am going to get a Healer."
Aragorn grabbed Legolas' hand, "Don't you dare, don't you dare leave me for one moment," he demanded before he cried out again. "Please," the human sobbed, "Do not leave."
"Ok melda, I will not go, just lay down nice and steady," as he assisted his lover, the elf yelled, "I require help in here!"
At once three Healer's rushed into the room, faces aghast.
"Move," the only male yelled at Legolas, but Aragorn clutched his wrist tighter.
"Never," said Legolas venomously.
"Don't go," came Aragorn's weak voice.
"See, he wants me to stay. As the father of his child, I have a right to stay." Gently, Legolas smoothed down Aragorn's hair, and murmured to him, "It will be alright."
"Have you not done enough, putting him in here in the first place?" the Lorien elf said.
Legolas recoiled, "What?"
"I am sorry, that was out of place." The other Healers busied themselves working around Legolas to examine Aragorn.
"Leave," Legolas commanded.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Leave us now. Get out of my sight," Legolas repeated, louder this time.
The spiteful elf turned on his heel and left. Legolas fumed, but his temper disappeared with a yell from Aragorn. He was howling loudly, not a short scream but a long and drawn out wail. Legolas held him, rocking gently from the side, as pain racked the Ranger's body. The two remaining Healers busied themselves with harsh-looking instruments.
"I have to push," gasped Aragorn, "I can feel the child Legolas, it is time, oh Eru, I can feel him."
Legolas didn't know what to do, it was too early for the child to be born. It would not survive at this age. "Whatever you need to do," one of the Healers said, saving Legolas from the responsibility of answering.
Raising distraught eyes, Aragorn said, "I can not push, I will lose him."
Once more the Healer spoke up, as she spread Aragorn's legs and examined him, "And your husband will lose you if you do not do what your husband instructs."
The human started to worry his lip, and Legolas turned his face up to meet his. He summoned strength into his voice, and murmured, "I do not want to lose you melda."
"But our child." A pulse of pain ripped through Aragorn, and he cried out.
"You can not stay like this," reasoned Legolas, but his heart felt as though he was breaking. "I can't bear to see you in pain like this."
So, a few moments later, Legolas was supporting Aragorn. The human's back to his chest. Though he held him close, Legolas could feel Aragorn shaking with effort, straining. With all his might, Aragorn pushed down, though pain raged at his body. All Legolas could do was press a cooling hand down against Aragorn's sweat drenched forehead, and gently stoke has back, that was paining him enormously, or so he said.
Every time he pushed, he groaned, and it seemed like an eternity before a Healer said, "The head is emerging, you're close now."
"I can not do it anymore," the birthing human sobbed, and his mate saw the exhaustion in his silver eyes. "I can not get rid of him, but I can not stay in pain anymore. I do not want it."
"I know melda, I know," Legolas had to bite his lip to stop his tears from flowing free.
"It's dead Legolas, he's gone," the Ranger panted, his breath catching in his throat each time he tried to breathe.
"Deep breaths melda. You need to get that baby out of you, the sooner the better," Legolas said through a sinking heart, "Come on love, not long now."
He pushed twice more, moaning long and low, and the body slithered out. Aragorn slumped back onto Legolas, boneless. He had shut his eyes closed, and Legolas held him tightly. They both knew what had happened. Pressing his cheek against Aragorn's sweat drenched hair, Legolas spoke with barely contained grief. "You are OK, and that is what matters. We can try again. It is alright."
"It's not, I failed you and our son is dead." As if to prove it, he gestured blindly to the limp, white form the Healer was removing from its connection to the human
"You did not fail anyone, Eru obviously deemed it fit that our child's time to live was not now. That is all, there will be more chances I'm sure. You did all you could," said Legolas fiercely.
The Healers retreated silently from the room, unnoticed, and placed the shrouded form of the dead child on a table.
"I did not, I should have never gone on this quest. I should never have… This was our only chance."
Legolas stopped the flow of self-pity with a kiss. "It is fine, we are still together, you are still living, there is still hope in the world." He knew that his words were a lie. It was not fine.
Smiling wryly, Aragorn said, "Estel."
Legolas swatted at him, "Do not try Aragorn, you know I was not talking about that."
Aragorn's face fell solemn again, and suddenly tears spilled over. "Oh Elbereth, Legolas." He covered his face with his hands. "He is gone."
Sadly, Legolas slipped out form behind his husband, but Aragorn grabbed at his wrist and protested, "Do not leave. I can not bear to be alone Legolas. Do not leave me."
"I am no good for you, I just… I caused you pain, this Healer was right. You can have a better future, one without me," Legolas said brokenly.
"Do not make me comfort you, please meleth nin. Just… hold me. I need you."
Legolas looked as though he was about to break down too, but instead, slipped back into bed, and let Aragorn bury himself in his arms, pressing himself against his chest. He trembled, despite Legolas' long hands stroking his back soothingly. The elf waited until Aragorn was asleep, and slid out of the bed again. He froze when he heard Aragorn's whimper.
For the last time as his husband, he gazed at Aragorn's sleeping form. Normally, the pain was wiped away by rest, but this time there was a grimace fixed there. For a moment, Legolas' resolution failed; he wanted to kiss away all that agony for him, and hold him forever, but he could see the marble doll-like form of his son, and resolution flooded back. He lifted up the child, and left the room.
000
The twins had told him that Aragorn could only get pregnant once. He, Legolas, could not be responsible for the fall of Gondor and the end of the race of Nûmenor; he would have to leave Aragorn.
He saw Galadriel outside the room, and he bowed.
"Do what you must," he said.
"He will not remember you as a lover."
"I know."
"Just as a friend."
"I know."
"He will be in love with Arwen."
"I know."
"Nothing will make him remember."
"I know."
"Very well, if you are sure."
"Do what you must, please, take away his pain."
And he left her, and left his lover, forever. He left her, and he left his friend, for a while.
000
It was so small, and so beautiful, this child that they had created. From love. Love had started it, and it had ended with an act of love. Legolas would keep the love buried deep inside his heart, and would never tell another soul. Galadriel would get to Gimli too, and everyone would forget this hidden pregnancy.
A/N: COMPLETE! This is of course the short tragic version of the story, I also have a different ending that's about 18 chapters longer than this. Please comment, I enjoy hearing your views. Thank you