A/N Well, I didn't leave you hanging last time! Maybe you will be lucky two times in a row... :) *attempts to raise eyebrow in questioning look, but fails* Whaaat? Why don't you believe me?!

Thank you to everbody out there for taking the time to read!

Disclaimer: not mine.

Chapter Thirteen

All was black, pitch black and silent.

Legolas drifted slowly in this state of mind, perfectly content to stay where he was at as it seemed like far too much effort to pry himself from this blessedly pain free place. Just as he was allowing himself to sink back into oblivion, however, a nagging word pushed itself to the front of his mind.

Aragorn…

The human was probably worrying himself sick over me. Legolas mused, though he made very little effort to pull himself up to awareness. It was all just too comfortable. However, now that the human was in his thoughts, he refused to leave, constantly annoying Legolas to the elf could stand it no longer. Taking a deep breath, Legolas jerked himself cruelly back to reality.

Waking with a gasp, Legolas snapped his eyes open. The sky above him was a dark grey with a faint tingle of pink and blue, but the elf noticed none of its beauty.

The pain hit him hard, knocking the air right out of his lungs and forcing him to let out a strange, wheezing sound. What seemed to be every inch of his body hurt, and never before could he remembering feelings so weak and tired. He couldn't even remember what had happened to cause him to be in such a state.

A soft snore for the prince's left caused him to sluggishly twist his head to the side, a sharp hiss escaping between his teeth as he did so. Aragorn lay not but two feet away, his snores echoing loudly in the still night as he slept.

The man looked terrible, quite frankly, Legolas thought after getting his vision to focus. His eyes had dark smudges lining them and a haggard appearance had etched its way into his face. One of his hands rested firmly against Legolas' chest, the elf noticed.

The man let out another loud snore and Legolas weakly dragged his hand over the blankets that rested across his body and let it fall to the earth, too exhausted to even work up the effort to lift it. Dragging the limb across the ground he stopped inches away from Aragorn's shoulder.

He couldn't handle much more than that at the moment and lay there resting. In a minute…in a minute he would exhort the effort to waken the ranger as it would be horrible of him to leave the human without the knowledge that he had awaken. Legolas knew himself how it felt as he had many times been on the other side of the equation.

However, before he could work up the energy, he had slipped back into oblivion.

The next time that Legolas succeeded at the not so small task of opening his eyes, it was to the gentle probing of Aragorn. The man sat cross-legged, looking much better than before, beside his friend.

"How are you feeling?" he asked anxiously, once the elf seemed to get his bearings. Legolas took a deep breath and winced visibly before replying.

"Terrible."

Aragorn snorted, unsurprised by the words but surprised that the elf was willing to admit it.

"Well you should, considering what you have been though." He stated, cocking an eyebrow as he sat back so he was not leaning directly over the elf. He shook off a shudder as his memory flashed to the day before, when it had been touch and go for quite a while. "Do you need anything? Water, broth, more blankets…"

"Water," Legolas murmured, suddenly feeling very thirsty. Aragorn instantly fulfilled his request, lifting his head and helping the Mirkwood elf gulp down a few mouthfuls of cool, refreshing, and reviving liquid. Most of it ended up on Legolas' chin and chest, however, as the water caused a coughing fit.

Aragorn swore softly, repeating numerous apologies as the elf coughed.

"Don't move, whatever you do." He ordered as his sense caught up with him as he gentle restrained the elf. Legolas' rib was very fragile and he didn't want the elf moving until he could be sure that it had healed correctly.

When the fit had ended Legolas let his head drop back to the ground, more exhausted than before. His eyes began to close and Aragorn sighed as he sat back on his hunches.

"Get some more rest." He said softly, pulling the blanket up higher on the elf. The prince didn't need to be told twice and drifted into a deep sleep.

Aragorn, meanwhile, let out a low sigh and moved back to sit with his back against a rock. Legolas was doing much better than was expected, but he still had a long ways to go.

The afternoon slowly slipped by and Aragorn found many small task with which to occupy his hands and wheedle away the time. He cleaned the camp, cut wood for the fire and prepared a stew for when Legolas would next wake. He frequently checked on Legolas, but the prince remained in a healing sleep.

Finally, though, after the sun was already half down in the sky, Legolas stirred. Dropping the branch he was wheedling with his knife, Aragorn turned excitedly to the prince.

"Legolas…" he called softly, his fingers lightly touching the prince's cheek. The elf feeble stirred again, a low moan leaving his pale lips. His eyelids seemed to fluttered, but than his face blanched even more than it was before and he went still once more.

Aragorn dropped back, visibly disappointed and patted Legolas' cheek softly. The human suddenly rocked forward again, flipping his handover and resting it more firmly against the skin while his other hand came up, brushing back the disheveled blond locks and testing his temperature.

"No, no, no!" Aragorn exclaimed, the fear that had disappeared to the back of his mind after Legolas had woken returning with full force. "Don't you dare to this to me, elf!" he cried, swiftly working the ties on the bandage that surrounded Legolas' chest, prying that this was not what he thought it was.

To his great surprise, the elf's chest wound was not infected, as there was no sign of swelling or redness, but that didn't make sense. Once again touching the elf's forehead, Aragorn frowned. The prince definitely had a fever, not a bad one, but it was still here.

It has to be the stress on his body. Aragorn decided after a minute of thinking. Legolas always had been prone to fevers after being injured, and this last injure would have put tremendous amounts of strain on his body to heal itself and keep Legolas alive.

There should have been on surprise here. Aragorn thought sourly, for this did not make the blow any easier to bear. A fever, with Legolas being so weak, was a great hindrance in the prince's recover.

"After all I have been through for you, and you decide to throw this in as well." The man said softly, the worry and gentleness clear in his face as he dunked a smaller piece of bandage into a bowl of cold water that he had just poured out of his flask. Taking the cloth he laid it firmly against the prince's over heated skin, trying to catch this fever and nip in the bud before it got out of hand.

Late into the night Aragorn sat up with Legolas, struggling to keep his fever in check. He kept the elf cool with a wet rag, and held him as the hallucinations began sometime after midnight. After that, though, Legolas seemed to calm and his fever began to lower, allowing the man to breathe more freely.

"I swear I'm going gray before my time." Aragorn finally muttered as the sun crested the horizon, rubbing at the shadows under his puffy eyes and yawning widely. Stretching his arms he felt the gratifying pops in his arms and back, and then rotated his head loosening the tension in his neck as well.

Standing, he moved closer to the fire and sat back down, warming himself near the fire for an hour or so until a low groan, sounding almost like his elvish name, brought his attention jerking back around to the elf behind him.

"Legolas! How are you feeling?" the man cried, scrambling back to the prince's side and laying a gentle hand on his brow, covering the cold cloth that still sat there.

"Hmm…" Legolas grunted, eyes still sealed shut as he twisted his head towards the direction of Aragorn's voice. His breathing was ragged and uneven, attesting to pain he was in.

"I'm sorry," Aragorn murmured, transferring his grip to his friend's shoulder and gripping tightly, "The pain will get better, I promise. In the meanwhile, do you want anything?"

"No." the elf croaked out in a raspy and weak voice as he forced his eyelids open and squinted up at Aragorn's face.

"Are you sure?" the human pushed, his face concerned. The elf needed nourishment. The quicker they fixed both this problem, the better. "I have some water, broth too."

Legolas made a face, turning slightly green at just the thought of food and shook his head jerkily.

"Take some broth." Aragorn said firmly, pulling the I-know-best face as he started the elf down. "You are going to have to take medication herbs any way; you might as well just take it in the broth." He pointed out as an afterthought.

"What kind…of herbs?" Legolas asked, striving to put the meal off as long as possible as his stomach churned uneasily.

"The usually ones, —and yes, they will put you back to sleep." Aragorn said truthfully, scooping a cup full of the warm broth that was simmering on the fire. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. Turning back, he glared the elf into silence.

"Fine." Legolas stated after only a few seconds. He felt horrible, there was no denying it, and, to be completely honest, it would be a relief to slip into the non suffering world of darkness. Aragorn frowned when the elf gave in easily, but pushed his advantage anyway.

"I'm going to have to help you, Legolas, because you can't sit up on your own right now." He stated firmly, though there was an apologetic note. Legolas shrugged stiffly, his mask slipping further and further apart the longer he stayed in the world of the living. He hurt, really bad, and to add to it the need to be sick was pressing in on him.

Aragorn raised Legolas' head and held the cup to his mouth, tipping it forward so that its contents slide in-between the elf's parted lips. It was a slow, tedious process and once or twice Aragorn thought that the prince was going to be sick, but in the end the evlish pride won out and the food stayed down.

"You're doing just fine." Aragorn kept reassuring the elf when Legolas would glance up at him with pain written across his features. Soon, however, the prince began to nod off and the human let him drift into sleep, a peaceful, if pained, expression on his face.

The next several days passed much in the same fashion, with Legolas steadily improving and Aragorn carefully mentoring his progress. At last the day came when the human deemed the elf could sit up on his own.

On this happy day, the two of them were found sitting around the fire, the flames low and hot to contend against the chilly morning. Aragorn was busy sharpening one of his many knives, assuring that the edge was sharp as his life might just depend on it. Legolas sat against a rock, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a piece of bread in his hands which he was lethargically eating his way through.

The whistle of blade on stone stopped and Legolas glanced up, finding the man watching him with an interesting mix of humor and seriousness on his face.

"What?" Legolas asked, arching an eyebrow effortlessly.

"I was just wondering when you where planning on telling me that you had sucked the soul out of my body?" the human deadpanned. Legolas chocked on the bread he had just swallowed and began to cough, laughing in-between spluttered intakes of air.

"After I had told you about all the humans I've done it too in the past." Legolas wheezed out as Aragorn pounded him on the back with a grin.

"What are you going to do now? I mean, I might just fight back." the human asked in the same teasing tone.

"Kill you. I can't have my secret getting out after all." The elf returned in mock seriousness, laughing heartily even as his chest burned from the movement. The ranger joined in and it was several minutes before either of them quieted down.

When at last they did, Aragorn turned to Legolas, a now serious expression on his face.

"How, in the name of the Valar, did those men believe all that rubbish about elves that Damrod threw out there?"

Legolas paused before answering, his face thoughtful.

"People fear that of which they don't know and will more easily believe a story of terror and evil that justifies that fear rather than that of goodness and light which would contradict their thinking." The elf said wearily, leaning back against the rock and picking at the bread once again. Aragorn heaved an old man's sigh, cupping his chin in his hands as he mused over what the elf had said.

"But men jump to conclusions much faster than other beings." He said a minute later, a frown creasing his brow. It was then that Legolas realized that what was truly bothering the man was that humans had exhibited so much cruelty, just because they didn't know.

"It is not just men, Estel." Legolas said softly, leaning forward so that he could look at his friend. "Everybody does it. Elves do." When Aragorn gave a snort, the elf pressed his point deeper with a confession. "I did it. I use to judge men because of my own lack of knowledge."

"Yes, but you didn't throw us into a cellar and beat us for no reason except for the fact that we are different." Aragorn pointed out with a dry chuckle.

"Well, no," Legolas consented, an arm coming up to wrap around his still tender ribs. Aragorn's sharp eyes didn't miss the movement, but he let it pass without saying anything. Turning back to his knife he watched the knife fly across the stone with a determined expression.

Legolas bit back a sigh. He was grateful that Aragorn didn't question him on his well being, but at the same time the sideways glances and worried looks that would now continue for a while would be almost as annoying.

"I'm fine, Aragorn there is no need to worry." He stated exasperatedly.

"I didn't say anything!" the human protested with a grin, holding his hands up in defense.

"But you where thinking it!"

"Don't you talk back to me, Legolas Thranduilion." Aragorn teased. "I have just granted you the power to even sit up, I can, and will, revoke that right." He watched with appreciation as Legolas' eyes grew wide and his let his mouth fall slightly open with shock.

"You wouldn't dare." The prince exclaimed lightly. He half rose from his sitting position and made as if to move threateningly towards the human. Aragorn shot up, his face striking a scarily close impersonation of Lord Elrond himself.

"Sit. Back. Down." He said with a dire warning in his low and dangerous voice. Legolas complied meekly, lowering himself back down with a pained intake of breathe, his face perhaps a little paler than before. Aragorn relaxed, letting the finger that was pointing at Legolas drop back to his side and sat back down also.

"I keep telling you, Legolas; you have got to be extremely careful while you heal. You do as I say, and nothing else."

"Alright, alright!" Legolas said, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender, "I won't do it again." Aragorn grunted in satisfaction and turned back to his knife. Out of his corner of his eye he caught sight of Legolas rolling his eyes.

Without turning to face his friend, and determined to get in the last word in, he called over his shoulder.

"And I am not afraid to spike your dinner with sleeping herbs, either, so you had better do what I say!"

To Be Concluded...

Yep, that's right. Next chapter is the last chaper :( Do not fear, though! More stories will follow! :)

Review Replies:

Nameless: haha, oh dear. Well, this chapter ended happily, so hopefully not as many teras where shed this time around. :) I seem to be the cause of much pain and anguish for you, I should buy you a new pillow to make up for it ;) My friends also can get tired of hearing about my books/fandoms/stories as well, so I understand that! Thanks, as always mellon-nin! (i love using elvish, though mine is very limited. :) )