I wrote this story almost two years ago, and I figured I should go ahead and post it. This is my own little version of how Aragorn came to Rivendell. I have taken the liberty of killing off Gilraen. I know it isn't canon. Forgive me. Aragorn is also three or four instead of two, which fits better into my Ion Nin Series.

This could be better, but I have fooled with it enough!

Please Read and Review! I hope you all enjoy :)

Hope

At the bitter end darkness gives way

And it is only then that we truly treasure the light.

Running was below his status. Elrond knew this. He had heard it many times from a multitude of people in his youth, and he was hardly the Elfling he had been then. But the love of a father for his sons overcomes all.

Elrond was sure he had heard horses enter the courtyard. His sons had been gone far too long as it was. And of late it was their habit to come home only at the brink of death and leave far from well.

It had started on their return journey from the Gray Havens. The entire trip to the havens, he had feared he was taking his entire family to their passing. Elrond cried as he told his wife goodbye, and nearly cried again in relief as each of his children bid farewell to their mother and stayed with HIM.

The journey back had been somber and uneventful until they encountered a band of orcs. He had never seen his sons fight so viciously. When the last three orcs fled, Elladan and Elrohir were intent on following. It was only their father's plea that he would be traveling alone that forestalled their hunt. They were barely to the gates of Rivendell when the twins abandoned him.

It felt like he really had lost them all. Arwen had left the Havens with her grandparents going to Lothlorian. Elladan and Elrohir, well, they would have been better off with their mother. He was a terrible father!

Elrond paused for just a moment to collect himself before sweeping into the courtyard.

It was not his sons.

Glorfindel made his way toward Elrond leading his horse, his companions already dispersing behind him.

Elrond's disappointment must have shown on his face. "Well, I thought I was welcome here." Glorfindel teased looking back at his horse as if he meant to ride away again.

Elrond sighed. "Of course you are welcome, Glorfindel."

"But you are not glad to see me." Glorfindel continued.

Elrond smiled for a moment before it slipped away. "I am glad you made a safe return, my friend. I just thought..."

Glorfindel turned serious as he realized how worried his friend was. It was not like Elrond to trail off. "Elrond?"

"I just thought it might be the twins."

Glorfindel passed his horse to a stable hand and followed Elrond into the house.

"Elladan and Elrohir? They have not returned?"

"Not since before you left."

The two elves entered the Hall of Fire. Forgoing his need for a bath and change of clothing, Glorfindel poured himself a drink from a canister of wine that had been left on the table for them by, no doubt, the ever perceptive cook, Thalendur. Settling himself in a chair beside his friend he thought on how best to reassure Elrond when he felt no such reassurance himself.

"They have been gone this long before, have they not?" He offered a poor excuse.

"When they were elfings visiting their grandmother. But by this time, I would at least have a letter from Galadriel insisting that I 'come collect my wayward offspring, before my warriors cause them bodily harm'. Her words not mine. I... at least I knew they were safe."

"They know how to protect themselves, mellon nin."

Elrond snorted. "Then why are they in the habit or returning to me more dead than alive? One of these days they will not make it back at all." "I fear that day is fast approaching."

Fortunately for Glorfindel, he was saved from trying to find comforting words for his friend when shouts broke out in the courtyard.

What a fool he had been, Elrond thought to himself to ever have thought the calm entrance of Glorfindel could have been his twin sons. They could have been a horde of orcs for all the noise they made.

This time he did not run. He rose from his chair and strode to the door, but only to linger in the doorway. He stopped from going towards the ruckus outside. Knowing for sure his sons were finally home, he feared in what shape he would find them.

He did not have long to wait before they spilled in the front door in a rush of legs and voices. At least they were walking on their own. Elrond noted darkly.

Darkness had fallen while he and Glorfindel had conversed. And while the fire was bright, it took him a moment to realize Elladan was cradling a small person in his arms. The voices finally made their way to his brain.

"Ada"

"Come quick."

"He is injured."

"We have been riding for hours"

"...Afraid to stop."

"Please help him."

"Orc attack."

"Injured."

Elladan thrust the bundle in his arms into Elrond's knocking him into the chair behind him.

"Can you help him?"

"Will he be alright?" Elrohir finished

"Quiet!" Elrond hushed the room. Looking over the twins he determined that they were not about to drop dead on his floor. Only then did he turn his attention to the ball in his lap, which turned out to be a small human child. The child was unconscious and shivering badly. His right forearm was heavily bandaged.

"Glorfindel, get me some blankets. No less than three. Elladan, I assume you know the basic medicines I need. Go." No one hesitated when Elrond was in healer mode.

"Elrohir, help me lay him by the fire."

Elrond gently laid the boy on the floor and Elrohir slipped a pillow under his head. Elrond quickly checked him for injuries before covering him with the blankets Glorfindel returned with. Elladan was not far behind, and Elrond went to work on the boy's arm. Besides a few scratches his arm seemed to be the problem. Seeing the infected cut, he knew this was the work of morgul poisoning.

Elrond slowly slipped the newly bandaged arm under the blankets and stood from the boy's side. With the fire and blankets the boy's shivering had already ceased. This was a good sign.

Elladan and Elrohir stood on the other side of the boy clearly anxious.

Glorfindel had long since left giving the healer room to work.

"Will he be alright?" Elrohir ventured.

"Follow me to the medical cabinet while I replace these supplies," Elrond evaded.

"I will look after him while you two go," Elrohir indicated the boy.

"I am sure Elladan can look after him. I would know who he is and how he became injured thus? And do not think I have not notice you favoring your right arm as well. You can tell me what happened as I look it over."

"Yes, Ada," Elrohir looked back at the sleeping boy before following his father from the room.

"It was broken." Elrohir sat on the small medical table in the medicine cabinet while his father diligently inspected his arm.

"Broken? That must have been at least several days ago. Instead of taking the time to set it properly, you went in search of more fighting." Elrond could not keep the anger from his voice. "Why did you not come straight here?"

"We did, Ada. We came straight here." Elrohir winced as pressure was applied to his arm.

Elrond let up slightly in his ministrations.

In coming straight here you had time to pick up a present for me. No doubt you were in more fighting obtaining the child." Elrond was in no mood to be generous to anyone much less a child that was not his own.

"No, Ada, you do not understand. I got the broken arm rescuing Aragorn. He noticed I was hurt before I did. Elladan started to patch me up when the boy fainted. We tried to help him, but when we realized it was morgul poisoning we came to you. I did not have time to worry if I over used my arm."

Elrond sighed, "I am sorry I doubted you, my son." He continued to wrap Elrohir's arm. "How long ago was this?"

"Three days I think. They started to blur in our haste to get here."

"Three days." Elrond murmured in thought.

"Yes, Ada. What is it?"

"Aragorn – That is his name?" Elrohir nodded. "He must be made of nothing more than stubborn will to still be alive at this point. Any Human, especially a child would have succumbed by now."

Elrohir paled, but Elrond was quick to reassure his son. "He is alive for now, and I see nothing that should change that anytime soon. Now, how did you come upon this child?" Elrond finished wrapping his son's arm and started to fashion a sling around Elrohir's neck.

"We spend a lot of time riding with the Rangers when we go...hunting."

Ah, Numenorean blood that could partly explain the child's resistance.

"But we parted ways to track a horde of Orcs. "Elrohir continued. "We were only gone a fortnight. We heard the screams and the fighting before we even made it back to the village. There were so many of them. I do not know how they found the rangers camp." Elrohir trailed off.

Arathorn, Gilraen – they were dead before we got there."

Elrond's heart clenched. He had not know Arathorn and his wife well, but Isildur's heir was dead.

"That is were we found Aragorn...trying to wake his father up."

Oh. The pieces clicked into place for Elrond. Aragorn was Arathorn's son. Elrond silently breathed a sigh of relief. Not all hope was lost for his brother's people.

Elrohir finished his story as Elrond gently placed his sons arm in the sling.

Elrond lifted his son's chin. "Do not even think about using this arm until it is healed. And I will be the judge of that."

Aye, father."

Elrond steered Elrohir back the way they had come.

They found Elladan sitting beside Aragorn watch him as he slept.

"How is the arm?" He asked his twin. Elrohir merely indicted the sling.

"Elladan?"

"I am fine, Ada." Elladan protested

"He really is fine." Elrohir placated their father.

Elrond''s glaze lingered a little longer before turning to Aragorn. This small maybe three year old human was now Isildur's heir. Elrond checked the boy's forehead. No fever. "Is there anyone of his kin that we should make arrangements with for him to be taken in?"

"No!" The Twins cry in unison.

"We cannot send him back there."

"He will not be safe."

"He should stay here with us."

If not for the gravity of the situation, Elrond would have laughed. It sounded like Elladan and Elrohir were begging to keep a puppy.

"We will take care of him." Elrohir put in.

His son's pleas surprised him. It had been awhile since either had the desire to stay in Rivendell for any extended amount of time.

In truth, the twins were right. It would not be safe to send Aragorn back now. Whatever was left of the rangers were scattered and lost. Let Sauron believe the boy lost with his parents.

"How will you take care of him? Take him Orc hunting with you?"

The twins shared a glance before Elladan spoke up, "What good is our hunting if we cannot protect a child? No, we will stay here and look after him and teach him to protect himself."

"If he is to stay here we must hide his true identity as Isildur's heir. He can no longer be known as Aragorn son of Arathorn." Elrond considered the sleeping boy. "We will call him Estel."

"Estel? Hope?" The twins protested. "It sounds like an Elf maiden's name."

Elrond smiled teasingly at his sons, "You want to keep him, I get to name him. Now you two may stay here with him. I am going to retire." He took the glow globe from the table. "Let me know when he wakes."

Elrohir nodded.

"Hope? Because he is the hope of men?" Elladan asked still hung up on the name.

Elrond paused and turned in the doorway to look back at his sons. "That is a thought, but not because he is the Hope of men, but because he is my hope. He has brought my sons back to me." Blowing out the glow globe, Elrond left the room.

Finis