A/N There was a time in my life when I was ready to post at a decent time of day... Life... :) Anyway, thanks so much you guys!

Disclaimer: not mine.

Chapter Eleven

The rain truly began to thunder down, its large drops splashing down with the force of arrows that had been released by archers such as Beleg Cúthalion or even Legolas. Thunder was rumbling overhead head and a crack of blinding lighting followed shortly after. Yet, Aragorn noticed none of this. All of his attention was focused on Legolas' dying form huddled protectively in his arms.

"Come on, elf! Cough!" he found himself yelling uselessly as he heaved the prince upright by the shoulders. Legolas' head rolled forward, the horrible gurgling still emitting form his chest. "Legolas, you can't give in now! Not after all…" he broke off. Words were to be of no help, only action would serve and it had better be quick action.

As his mind raced through all the possible ways to save his friend, Aragorn shook Legolas roughly. He half hoped that the simple action would snap Legolas out of it and get him to breath but that was not to be their luck today. The terrible gurgling was intensifying, his lips turning a darker shade of blue if at all possible, as his face turned whiter than fresh snow.

He had to something.

Wrenching Legolas further up against his chest, Aragorn wrapped both arms around the prince's middle. Clenching his right hand into a fist, he placed it against the soft skin of the elf's belly as his other hand came too lay flat atop his fist. Legolas hung limply in his arms, only being kept from doing a face plant by the ranger's arms.

Without warning, Aragorn thrust his first upwards and into the elf's stomach. Legolas jerked, but the gurgling only worsened and the man cursed. Repositioning himself, he flexed his arms before again slamming his first into the soft flesh. Legolas' limp form doubled over, but unlike the last time, he let out strangled cough. Not even a heartbeat after, it was followed by the sound of rapid vomiting.

Leaning over the prince, Aragorn felt his own stomach turn over. A dark red substance was splattered across the ground. Legolas lurched further forward, retching again. The unique smell of iron that filled the air was enough to tip even a blind dog off, and Aragorn knew this smell far to well.

"That's right, cough it up, don't hold it back," Aragorn murmured, running a hand along the elf's back even as he felt his stomach lurch. Legolas jerked violently, and the action was closely followed once more by splattering. A low sob was wrenched from the elf's lips and the ranger shifted closer. He could feel Legolas' stomach muscles grew taunt under his hand, giving him a splint second warning before the elf heaved up more blood.

"Ara—" Legolas managed to choke out, and Aragorn made a soft shhing sound as he laid his chin atop the prince's head. The rain continued to blast them as Legolas hunched forward, allowing all his weight to rest on the man's arms. His breathing was rough, strained, and worsening, but Aragorn was simply counting his blessings that he prince was, in fact, breathing.

"Estel…" The man almost missed the ghost whisper, but the soft tug on his arm caught his attention. Laying the elf lightly back in his arms, Aragorn stifled a gasp. Legolas' skin was translucent and the blood that was coating his lips and chin only added to the effect. Almost unwilling, the man's eyes were pulled to the pool of dark liquid at their knees. Great chunks of what could only be half-formed clots of blood floated there.

"Shh, Legolas, save your breath," he whispered mechanically. The rain was already clearing the elf's face of blood and lightening the color of the puddle, but Aragorn knew that an absence of the blood didn't make reality leave. Legolas only had a very small window of time in which to get to Elrond and receive the antidote.

"Estel," Legolas moaned weakly again, letting out a harsh cough. A new splattering of blood marred his now white lips. At the sight, Aragorn shook himself vigorously free of the paralyzing fear that had seemed to grip his mind.

"It's alright, Legolas. I'm not going to leave you," he whispered, brushing a kiss against the elf's brow before easing his limp form out of his arms and onto the muddy ground. Legolas cried out feebly and he winced. "I'm just going to grab some water, alright?" His voice rose easily above the elf's anguish , and he momentarily grasped his hand tightly before raising to his feet.

"No, Estel…" Legolas managed, his hand weakly crawling along the earth towards the man's voice. His eyes were closed, he was too weak to keep them open, but he could not longer sense the man and it scare dhim. "Estel…" Everything in his body hurt, pain was all that there was to his existence. His body was failing him and he could tell without a healer's aid that his time was coming. "Estel…"

"I'm here." Aragorn's warm comforting voice broke into the blackness and then he felt an arm sliding under his shoulders, lifting his head off the ground. "I'm right here, but right now I need you to drink this." The mouth of a flask was pressed against his lips and Legolas obediently cracked them. A cold liquid trickled into his burning throat and for a split moment he felt a blessed relief. And then his throat was closing shut, refusing to allow the liquid to pass and Aragorn was jerking him painfully upright. The drink began to drain from his mouth as he once again began to cough before the man lowered him gently back.

He could dimly hear Aragorn telling him to keep holding on, that they were going to make it to Imladris yet, but Legolas was done.

"No, Estel," the words tore at his abused, aching, throat and he allowed himself to admit to the pain just this once.

"Yes, Legolas. We are so close. I'm not going to let you die," Aragorn's cool fingers were pressing against his face, clasping his hand, before moving to slide underneath his legs.

"Please…please…five…fiv-min…" His voice faded off, but Aragorn seemed to understand because after a few seconds he was lowered back to the mud. The human's calming voice washed over him in waves and Legolas clung to his last bit of consciousness.

Aragorn didn't even know what he was saying anymore as he swiftly yanked the fastening on his cloak free and bent over the elf. He tried to use the material as a makeshift tent to protect against the pelting rain, but they were both already soaked.

Legolas wasn't moving, but Aragorn could tell that he hadn't been lost into darkness as of yet. The rattling, sucking, breaths unhinged the man's nerves and he found himself glancing up at the dark sky, gauging the time. His eyes were routinely flicker back to the elf's face, before sliding down to his chest and watching him work so hard for such small reward. They didn't have time to rest.

After barely two minutes had past, Aragorn had had enough. Reaching down to grab Leoglas' arm, he was halted mid-action as Legolas let a single, shuddering word pass between his lips.

"Estel?"

"I'm here, Legolas," Aragorn soothed. Grabbing the elf's lax arm, he wrapped it around his neck and began to lift the elf.

"Does…El…Elrond… need me…alive…?" The halting, forced, question froze Aragorn in his tracks once more, with Legolas half in his arms.

"What kind of question is that?" he blurted out, his heart rate picking up speed. "Of course he does!"

"No." The elf's voice was so quiet that Aragorn was forced to put his ear almost direction against his lips. "Is…a…live…body nee...needed to find…the cure?"

"Yes, Legolas! Do you hear me?! We need you alive!" Aragorn's voice caught, breaking in the middle of his sentence as he clutched the elf's unresisting body to his chest. "You are not allowed to die!"

Legolas only smiled feebly.

"Do not…lie to me…Aragorn…you aren't…any good…at it." He coughed once, and squeezed his eyes further shut, moaning.

"I'm not! I'm not! Legolas, please…"

The prince shook his head, cracking an eyelid long enough to give Aragorn a simple glare. The human caved.

"Yes, Legolas. Ada could glean the information needed from just your body, but you listen to me! You listen to me you stubborn elf!" Aragorn never had a chance to finish his statement. As soon as Legolas knew that his death would not be for nothing, he blindly reached out. Finding Aragorn's hand and squeezing it he felt the man return it crushingly. He smiled hazily at where he thought the man's face was. And then his eyes slipped shut and his head lolled limply back.

"NO! Legolas, come on, wake up!" Aragorn shook the elf harshly, panic seizing him. "You are not allowed to leave, not yet! Mirkwood still needs you. Thranduil needs you! For crying out loud, Middle-earth needs you…I need you." His voice caught in his throat as he titled the much to still prince's head back. His free fingers sought the pulse point on Legolas' hand that he was still clutching.

For a heart stopping moment, he felt nothing, and then a weak thump met his fingertips. The elf was still alive. Clutching Legolas' body to him, he allowed a short sob to be torn from his throat. "No, Legolas...come on, just stay with me." Gathering his friend's still body into his arms, Aragorn stumbled towards the horses.

Lightening flashed and thunder rumbled, yet Aragorn did not seek a place for shelter. Not even as the winds picked up, lashing the rain blindly back and forth did he stop. He shielded Legolas as best as he could, but all to soon both were soaked to the skin. That wasn't even the worst of it, however, for it wasn't long before it began to hail. The small balls of ice stuck them with welting force and Aragorn gave a cry of rage. This was all so unfair. Hunching completely over Legolas and using his body as a barrier, the man cursed.

"Why!" he shouted at the weather as the hail thumped harshly against his back. He could fell the elf's body struggling to breath beneath his own and clutched the elf closer, resisting the urge to sob into the elf's tunic.

They had come so far.

Legolas didn't deserve to die, not him, not like this. He deserved life, a life free of war. He felt Legolas' chest freeze, only to start again. His intake was too shallow, he couldn't go on much longer like this.

Gritting his teeth, Aragorn lifted his head and gave a yell of despair, fear and angry all rolled it one. It was only then, and only because of his vantage point atop a hill and his keen eyesight, that he caught sight of something in the distance. A of light was shinning out in the darkness close to the bottom of the hill and moving ever closer at a steady rate.

Aragorn didn't know who besides them would be crazy enough to be out in the storm, but he was determined to find out. Legolas' chest again stopped moving for a longer than normal period of time before starting up and he his fear became palpable. Kicking the horse into action, Aragorn guided the horse down the hill and towards the light. Maybe, just maybe, help was below. They were too close to Imladris for it to be orcs, or at least he hoped.

As they reached the bottom of the hill, the wind lessened somewhat.

"Hello?" Aragorn called out, throwing cation to the wind. The trees around them were growing thicker, helping to block the storm and he sat up straighter, pulling Legolas with him. "Hello? I know you are there!" No one replied to his please and they continued on. Aragorn began to rub the elf's chest, trying to assist his short, shallow, breathes. "Please!"

"Estel? Estel, is that you?" To his shock, Aragorn heard an answer to his prayer and his head jerked up

"Elladan! Elrohir!" he began to shout, wonder filling his heart.

"EStel, stay where you are at!" That wasn't one of the twins, and Aragorn's heart dropped in disbelief.

"ADA! ADA!" he yelled ecstatically over the storm.

"I'm here, Estel! Just stay put, we will come to you." Confusion was clear in their voices, but Aragorn's heart was soaring, soaring higher than it had since before he had taken step into Mirkwood more than two weeks ago. His father was here, everything would work out.

"Have hope, Legolas, cling to it," he whispered into the elf's ear as he energetically pressed a kiss to the crown of his head.

"Elladan! Elrohir! Ada!" he called again, watching for the light to shine forth. "Please, hurry. We need help." Their voices drifted back to him, clearer and louder than before. He still had no clue what his brothers and father were doing out here in a storm, but he didn't question it.

"We?"

"I have Legolas with me. Ada, he needs help, now. I'll explain everything else later." Aragorn kicked the horse forward into a walk, scanning for the light.

"Estel!" And then he saw them. Three figures on horseback, lighted by glowing lanterns, were making their way swiftly towards him. The rain continued to come down upon them but Aragorn lifted his head back, laughing lightly as the rain speckled this face. It no longer seemed disastrous, but refreshing.

"Aragorn, are you alright?" Elrond's worried voice came clearly and Aragorn nodded. The elf lord wore a simple traveling tunic instead of his normal robes, as were his brothers.

"It is Legolas. He needs you, Ada," Aragorn voiced, keeping a firm grip around Legolas. The fear and strain in his voice must have obvious because Elrond was off his horse and at his side within the blink of an eye.

"I assume this is what Thranduil wrote about?" Elrond asked a he hurriedly tilted Legolas' head to the side, motioning for Elrohir to bring the lantern closer. "He didn't say what…" Elrond stopped, a deep frown creasing his brow. "Estel, did you know he was bleeding?" Indeed the soft glow of the light fell upon dark blood, both dried and fresh, that lined Legolas' mouth and chin.

"I—" But Elrond overrode his third son.

"I see what you mean. He needs attention, but I would rather not do it in the rain. You may explain everything as we go, Estel." Removing his hand from the elf's neck with his face visibly worried, the lord took a step back. The twins shared a look as they hurried back to their own horses. Elrond, however, took the reign's of Aragorn's horse and ordered firmly. "I will ride with Legolas. Take my mount."

Aragorn quickly followed the directions, his heart thudding with internal fear as he looked at Legolas' sickly face. His relief was rapidly diffusing as fear once again soared to the surface, but this time around he wasn't alone in his suffering. Elrond shifted into place behind the prince and kicked the tired horse into action, spraying mud across Aragorn' already muddy clothes as he did so. Elladan immediately followed suit, but Elrohir waited for the human to mount Elrond's stead before also taking off back towards Imladris.

TBC...

Elrond and the twins finally made their appearance! Doesn't that make you guys happy!

Review Replies:

WoodElfJedi: Haha. I may or may not have intended to scare. What can I say? And yea, I completey understand the whole cliffie/joke thing. Trust me, I was an am a reader. :) But thanks so much! I am so glad that you enjoyed the chapter to that extent!

ElvenPrincess: Suffocating is never fun. Well, actually I really love suffocating in FF, but that is besides the point! :) Life is one looong round of craziness... Thanks so much!

Guest(1): Oh my goodness, I love that movie! Hehe, I am glad that you thought of it. :) And no. The lack of cliffies wasn't going to last, they are just too much fun to use, if you get what I mean. Thanks so much!

Guest(2): OH yes, I do! :)Aw, thanks so much! I am thrilled that you like my story! Well...hopefully the above wasn't too traumatic. :) Thanks again!

Lord Illyren: Haha, well, don't get to comfortable! This story isn't over yet... :) Good luck with that time machine! Thanks so much!

ElvenChicken: Aw, I am so glad that you like it that much! I promise to post everyday for the near future. :) Trust me, your mind isn't strange, or at least join the club of people with strange problems. ;) Thanks so much! P.S. I understand that reference!