A/N: I am in a really, write-y mood right now, so I decided to post the final chapter a little earlier than expected.
The elf was brought back to attention at the sound of footsteps approaching him, loud enough to be human or dwarven. Why couldn't they leave him alone? All he wanted was ten minutes peace, and even that the Valar would not give him.
"Legolas?" said a voice, and he recognized it as Aragorn's. He remained where he was sitting comfortably in the branches in a tree, not bothering to reply. Maybe if he couldn't find him, Estel would leave, he thought, and he squashed the rational thought that the man would be more likely to panic and send the entire company searching for him.
"Ah, there you are, mellon-nin!" said Aragorn, and he began to climb up the tree, eventually sitting next to the elf.
Legolas shied away from the human, leaning almost desperately into the trunk of the tree.
Why wouldn't they leave him alone?
"I brought some breakfast, Legolas," said Aragorn cheerfully, holding out a piece of bread for his friend to take. "I know you said you weren't hungry, but you need to keep up your strength." His happiness in such a sorrowful world was irritating.
Why wouldn't they leave him alone?
Aragorn looked at Legolas, who had not responded the entire time, and the elf was staring at him with unreadable eyes, not taking the bread.
"Legolas?"
Why wouldn't they leave him alone?
"What's wrong, mellon-nin?"
Why wouldn't they leave him alone?
Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone. That was all he wanted.
Why wouldn't they leave him alone?
Aragorn put his hands on Legolas's shoulders in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture. But the elf did not see it as that, he saw it as Aragorn trying to make him stay, and not letting him escape into his solitude.
Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone. That was all he wanted.
"Why won't you leave me alone?!"
Aragorn was so startled that he drew back sharply, looking at the elf in horrified surprise as he screwed his eyes shut and began to shudder with, what was that, anger?
And then he was gone, into the branches above. Aragorn watched his shrinking figure in worry, and he knew that even if Legolas wanted to be alone, he needed all the support he could get.
So Aragorn began to climb.
When he reached the elf, he was in the very top of the tree, looking out over the wood they were in, and the wind was whipping his hair around his face.
"Legolas."
There was a pause as Aragorn stood on the branch below his friend, and Legolas looked down on him.
"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?"
"Yes. But I did not, because though you do not think so, leaving you alone is the worst possible thing I could do for you right now."
"And why is that? You know nothing of my needs or wants."
"I do know that if we are going to stop your soul from fleeing to Mandos, you cannot be left to grieve all alone," said Aragorn firmly, but then his face softened. "I really want to help you, mellon-nin, and you do not need to hold onto your pride in front of me. Please let me in, Legolas."
Legolas looked down on him for a moment, before turning back to the horizon and motioning for the ranger to come and sit beside him.
Aragorn smiled widely at the acceptance and climbed onto the branch, sitting cautiously on the perch where only a wood-elf could feel comfortable. The view was good, however, and he could see the sun, which was in the process of struggling to rise high enough to start the day. A strangled sob from beside him made him turn to Legolas, who was struggling not to cry, a hand over his mouth.
"I…I have borne it all these centuries, and yet a dwarf's conceited words manage to break me. How weak I have become!"
"No, Legolas, you are not weak," said Aragorn, taking the elf's hand in his own. "You are the strongest person I know. I have no idea how you do it, but you've managed to stay cheerful and good-natured despite everything you've been through. Your spirit is just as resilient as your body."
"Estel, what's happening to me?" Legolas said. "I don't want to die. I never have, other than that one time. I don't want to! Why does Mandos call for me so?"
"I do not know, mellon-nin, but you must tell him that you want to stay with us. You cannot leave us behind!" Aragorn said, taking Legolas into his arms and holding him close to his chest, noticing with a smile that Legolas's hair was damp from being washed. He was still the same old germ-phobic elf, despite everything.
"Ada…" Legolas murmured, and he leaned into Aragorn more.
"It is not your Ada, Legolas. It is me, Estel," said Aragorn firmly. He gave a wry smile. "I hope that will suffice."
Legolas looked up with pleading eyes.
"I…I know this sounds childish, but…"
"Do not worry if it is childish, if it makes you feel better I will do anything."
"Could you…be my ada? Just for a minute? I could be me and you could pretend to be Ada."
Aragorn was left speechless at the request.
"I'm sorry. I should not have asked," said Legolas, hanging his head in shame.
"No, ion-nin, it is alright. You can ask me anything," said Aragorn, trying to make his voice a little deeper to imitate Thranduil. Legolas gave a little chuckle and leaned into Aragorn, closing his eyes and trying to imagine that the person holding him was his father.
"I'm scared," he admitted, and Aragorn felt out of place. Here was his friend, pouring his heart out in the way he could only do with his father, and he felt like he was treading on sacred ground.
"Do not be," he murmured. "You have everyone trying to support you, and if you accept it and trust them you will have their strength as well as yours. You will pull through. You always have."
Aragorn felt like he was comforting himself as well as his friend. Legolas snuggled into his tunic, and he put his hand on the elf's unbraided hair.
They remained like that for a while, and after a few minutes Aragorn realized the elf had fallen asleep in his arms. He smiled, looking from his friend's peaceful face, his eyes slightly open at last while he slept, to the sunrise, and the promise of new beginnings.
THE END
A/N: And that is the end of this little story. I hope you all liked it. I have midterms this week, on Monday, Thursday, adn Friday, so I probably won't write as much becuase I will be studying. But you can expect the beginning of the sequel to Caught (still haven't thought of a name yet, I tend to come up with those on the spot when entering story info) by the end of the week.
Please review! It means a lot to me.