Disclaimer: I don't own The Lord of the Rings, but if anyone would give it to me I would gladly accept it.

Timeline: The story takes place way before the Lord of the Rings. Aragorn has just lost his father and he and his mother are staying now in Imladris. They started staying there just a couple of days ago.

I'm not a native speaker so sorry for my mistakes.

The Twins

"Did father not tell us to stay away the next years?", Elrohir asked his twin-brother while riding down the narrow pass that leaded to Imladris.

"He did", Elladan said, "but what harm could us do staying one night at home?"

"I don't know. But father told us…"

"It's OK. We are coming in just for tonight and we are leaving in the morrow."

This time Elrohir said nothing.

It took them another half an hour to reach the Last Homely House. When they entered, Elladan sighted. "It is good to be home again", he said.

"It is", Elrohir replied.

At this moment they saw a little men-boy of two or three years running down the stairs of their father's house. At the bottom the boy stopped for a moment, looking back to the top. Fast footsteps could be heard from above.

Then the boy ran to Elladan and Elrohir and hid behind their legs.

"What?", Elladan asked stunned.

"Shht", the boy said, "a-da looking for Estel."

This stunned the two half-elven sons even more. The boy had spoken Sindarin as if he himself was an elfling.

"Ada?" Elladan asked, "who is your ada?"

The question was answered when they saw their father coming down the stairs.

"Elladan, Elrohir", Elrond looked startled to see his sons standing in the entrance of his house, "what are you two doing here."

"We had been looking for shelter for this night, adar", Elladan replied looking from the boy to his father. Elrond also looked to the boy.

"Estel" he said, "what are you doing here in the entrance? Haven't I told you not to go out here?!"

"I'm sorry, a-da", the boy said not sounding very sorry. Elrond sighted. "He's nearly as terrible as you two were in his age."

Elladan and Elrohir laughed and then looked at the boy again.

"How come that he is calling you ada, adar", Elrohir asked.

"That's a long story, ion-nin", Elrond answered, sighting again.

As a reply Elladan went down on his knees so that he could look in the eyes of the little boy. Beautiful big, grey eyes were looking back. For a moment Elladan could feel his heart ache and suddenly he knew why his father let the boy call him ada. There would be now living person in this world who wouldn't do what these grey eyed boy wished for. The strength and beauty of the boy could easily match an elfling and the purity of the child's soul was something not a single person in the world could withstand.

"Hey, you're Estel", Elladan found himself saying, "aren't you?"

"I am" the boy replied in beautiful Sindarin.

"I'm Elladan", Elladan said, "I'm your big brother, you know?"

"Big brother?", the boy asked.

"Aye", Elrohir said, "we are. I'm Elrohir, your other big brother."

Elrond sighted.

"Because of that I told you not to come", he murmured. Elladan looked at his fathers eyes. "Why not?", he said, "even if Estel will grow and grow old and die. Don't you think it will be better to have a little brother for just a few years than never having one at all?"

Elrond sighted again.

"You two are just here for a little more than a little moment and he already has captured your heart."

Elladan and Elrohir shrugged.

"Of course he has, adar.", Elrohir replied smiling, "after all he is our little brother."

"But…"

"And now we have someone to teach all our pranks to", Elladan said happily, "this will be fun!"

Elrond sighted again. Estel was a nice child but he also could play pranks in a while. With his brothers here it would increase.

"How long are you staying?", he asked his grown up sons.

"We thought of staying for the night", Elladan replied.

"But now we will stay a little longer", Elrohir finished the sentence of his brother, "after all, we can't let our poor baby brother stay in a house full of old elves with no-one to play around!"

Elrond sighted again. But it was good. Estel needed someone to play with and when his brothers would stay here a little while Elrond wouldn't complain.

"I hope my daughter stays away", he thought, "it's enough to have three prank playing children in the house. I don't need the queen of mischief to join them."

And he definitely needn't that little Estel also stole the heart of his daughter…

Nearly eighteen years later little Estel also captured the last remaining heart of Elrond's family. Arwen, who stayed away like she was told, was caught by Estel the moment she returned to Imladris.