A/N Everything, and I mean everything, was due today (and thus the late update) but the nice thing about that is that I had nothing to do besides post when I came home.

Guys, thank you so much for sticking with this story. It has meant the world to me.

Chapter Ten

The twins returned later that night, looking tired and haggard.

"Bella's going to go away to prison for a long, long, time," Elladan said, plopping down next to Aragorn and reaching for a tin plate. Their dinners were staying warm near the fire and he began to eat it hungrily.

Aragorn nodded once before passing a plate of stew over to Elrohir. The younger twin took it gratefully. Aragorn dished himself a plate and moved over to sit next to them.

"How's Legolas holding on?" Elrohir asked, dipping a hunk of dried bread into the bowel. Aragorn made a face.

"He woke up in the early afternoon but...I don't know, he worries me," he confided, watching the sleeping elf a mix of worry and fear.

"I know," Elladan said softly. "He worries me as well. As do you," he added and Aragorn did a double take.

"I'm fine," he said shortly, turning back to Legolas. Elladan and Elrohir shared a silent conversation as they ate their soup. Aragorn hadn't forgiven himself yet, that was clear.

Legolas took a turn for the worse that night. A fever gripped him firmly in its grasp and refused to let go. The three sons of Elrond stayed up into the early hours of the morning, trying desperately to break the fever or to waken Legolas from his violent dreams. When the fever finally did break, Legolas was left lying limp and exhausted.

Aragorn sat diligently at his friend's side for almost three days even as the elf didn't show any sign of life. Gradually, the ill elf began to gain some color back to his cheeks and his breathing eased. His heart stopped pounding and returned to a more normal pace and at long last, he began to fight the drug-induced slumber.

Legolas awoke first to the soft sounds of someone crying out, as if in terror. His head hurt and his body moved sluggishly to his demands, but his mind had no trouble recognizing the signs that something was off. Forcing his eyes open, he was moving before he could even think, searching for his knife. He couldn't see anything except the stars overhead and his heart pounded wildly. Someone gasped and Legolas twisted violently. Pain seared through his chest and he froze. After several tense seconds, it faded and he let out a long breath.

Aragorn was sitting next to him, leaning against a tree and half asleep. The human shuddered; sweat beading his brow and he moaned in his sleep, twisting. So they weren't under attack…

Legolas looked around. The two lumps near the dying fire were probably Elladan and Elrohir, but they appeared to be sleeping soundly. A wet rag was clenched in Aragorn's fist and Legolas could only guess that the man had been on duty, watching over him.

Aragorn groaned again and Legolas winced, trying to get his limbs to move accordingly.

"Estel," Legolas hissed, his voice weak even to his own ears. The man stirred, his brow furrowing. "Estel," he tried again a little louder. Aragorn jerked awake, his eyes wide and searching. They found Legolas and all the breath left the man's body.

Legolas frowned, calling the man's name again. The words caught in his throat and harsh cough ripped through his body until tears blinded his vision. When he blinked clear his eyes at long last, Aragorn's was leaning over him, looking worried but fully awake.

"How's the pain?" Aragorn was asking in a low whisper, his hands quickly rewetting the cloth he was holding and folding it. He placed it gently over Legolas' brow, his hand holding it in place as he gazed at the elf. "Don't lie to me," he warned as Legolas opened his mouth.

Legolas simply shrugged, his head pounding as his chest once again expressed its unhappiness with him. "I've haven't been awake long enough to say," he finally settled on as Aragorn continued to stare at him.

"Well, you look terrible," Aragorn stated with a slight smile on his face. His eyes were still dark with faint terror, but Legolas couldn't work up the energy to frown as he searched the man's face. Aragorn's arm was bound tightly up in a sling, his face bruised and cut in places.

"I think you are simply looking in a mirror," Legolas teased, holding his breath stiffly. Aragorn turned for a minute and came back with a tin cup.

"It's just water." Aragorn raised Legolas' head, allowing him to rest it in the crook of his arm. Legolas sipped at first, but once the water wetted his tongue he realized how thirsty he was and began to gulp. Aragorn pulled the cup away much too soon.

"You can have some later," he insisted, setting the cup aside and then fell silent, simply staring at his friend. Legolas couldn't help but feel that he had missed something very important. Aragorn's eyes were magnified by unshed tears and Legolas reached out, searching for the man's hand. Aragorn took it, clasping it tightly in his own.

They didn't speak, and Aragorn simply clung to his friend's hand, reassuring himself that his friend was alive, that he hadn't killed in him and that he would live to see another day. The elf's hand was warm in his and he could feel his fingers squeezing his. The nightmare had startled him and Aragorn didn't want to continue to see himself stabbing Legolas again and again. The elf's blood had been heavy on his hands, staining them an irreparable red. Blowing out a long breath, he raised his eyes to the stars.

"Don't tell Elladan or Elrohir that I fell asleep. I was supposed to be keeping an eye on you and keeping you drugged." His voice caught, and he continued to stare up, blinking ferociously.

"Don't talk, Estel," Legolas whispered, drawing the man's hand up to rest against his chest. His face was tight with pain and Aragorn moved to gather something for it, but Legolas remained holding tight to his hand. "Don't ruin the moment; let us just watch the stars." He turned his head to face Aragorn and offered a weary smile in return. "Whatever you want to discuss can wait for later. Right now is right now."

He turned his head back to the stars and Aragorn silently turned his head back up towards the glittering expense. Legolas was breathing, he was talking to him, why on earth could he not erase his feelings of guilt and shame? Taking several breathes he tried to dislodge the lump in his throat and was glad for the moment that Legolas didn't desire to talk. He gripped the elf's hand, grounding himself, and felt relief as Legolas' hand tightened in return. The burning sensation in his throat grew.

Silently, Legolas reached out and began to tug at Aragorn's sleeves. "Come here," he whispered. He still did not quite understand all of what was troubling Estel, but he was sure he would find out when the time was right.

Aragorn folded, allowing the elf to pull him down until his head rested against Legolas' chest. He curled up in a ball next to his friend rather like a cat and simply listened to and felt the elf breath. He couldn't stop his own shuddering breathes that shook his shoulders but Legolas made no mention of it, his hand resting lighting atop Aragorn's head.

"The stars are bright tonight," was all he said, his eyes fixed upwards as his fingers began to lightly trail through the man's ragged and dirty hair. Aragorn's shoulders were shaking in earnest now and he began to rock slightly. How could he explain to his brothers that Bella's words hadn't left his head, that he still felt like he had snapped and killed Legolas? He could hardly understand it himself and all he knew was that it hurt. It hurt, and he didn't know how to fix it.

Aragorn didn't know how long he laid there, pressed against Legolas' side. He began to calm after a while, hiccupping himself into silence. Legolas' hand had stilled against him and from the calm, even breathes he figured that the elf's weakness had overcome him into sleep once more.

Lifting his head, he tried to move but Legolas shifted, his fingers tightening in his hair and Aragorn laid back down gingerly. Turning skyward, he couldn't help but notice that the stars were indeed bright. They glinted, shinning down hopefully upon them.

He watched them shift across the sky until sleep claimed him once again.

THEDEADLYONES

"Eat, please," Aragorn insisted, setting his own bowl aside and staring at Legolas. The elf only shook his head, pushing it back aside and looking faintly ill.

"Don't push it, little brother," Elrohir recommended and Aragorn only frowned, laying his chin on his knees.

"Please," he repeated but Legolas still shook his head.

"Occupied," he stated, gesturing to the pile of arrows near him. The twins had gone back and searched the house until they had found the elf's weapons and their packs. Legolas was in the midst of repairing some of the more damaged arrows. Aragorn glared at him and left the bowel of stew next to him with a pointed glanced.

The fire crackled merrily, lightning the clearing as darkness began to fall. The twins and Aragorn struck up a discussion about the best way to travel back to Rivendell and it didn't take Legolas long to lose interest. His focus on the arrows slowly faded as well as the nagging pain in his body gained an edge that put everything else out of his mind. So he sat there, staring dully into the flames with a hand wrapped around his waist, the arrow he had been halfheartedly working on lying in his laps. He pushed a hand further against his side, feeling more and more ill. The others kept assuring him that the pain and symptoms would pass, given time, but it was frustrating all the same.

Their soft words rolled over him and Legolas curled up on his side, watching the fire and eventually closing his eyes. He might have slept for the next time he opened his eyes, the embers were smoldering and his friends were wrapped in their bedrolls. A blanket had been draped over his shoulders and the arrows removed, stacked neatly in a pile next to him.

Progress had been made; they were no longer having someone stay up to monitor him, just in case.

Sighing, he gingerly rolled over, his breath catching. It hurt more than he was letting on and Legolas rubbed at his eyes tiredly, trying to get them to focus on the night around him. He couldn't see the stars through the cloudy sky and he frowned.

After what could have been an hour of tossing and turning, Legolas rolled over again with a huff. It was useless; he wasn't going to sleep anymore tonight. Glancing around at his friends, he very gently eased himself upright. The world spun for a moment, but it didn't last long and Legolas eased himself to his feet.

His legs were shaking, but it wasn't worse than before and he began to totter a little way into the trees, brushing his hands along the bark to further his balance. It felt good to be on his feet again despite what Aragorn would say. He didn't go very far, for all of Elrond's sons would have his head if he did.

The overprotective bunch would lock him in his room as it was. Shaking his head with exasperation, Legolas gently pulled himself up into the branches of a tree. This—this was where he belonged and he leaned his head back, staring up into the night sky.

It didn't take long for his head to start pounding again and Legolas allowed the cool night air to wash over his face.

"Legolas?" the scared half whispered reached his ears easily and he half turned. Aragorn was winding through the trees, looking slightly panicked.

"Right here," he called, watching with a small smile as Aragorn turned towards the sound of his voice.

"You stupid elf!" the human hissed, eyes scanning the treetops until he found Legolas' form. Shaking his head, he jammed his hands on his hips. "Am I coming up or are you coming down?"

Legolas grinned, leaning his head further back against the wood.

"You can go back to sleep, Estel. I didn't mean to wake you," he said. Aragorn snorted.

"Right. I guess I am coming up," Legolas frowned, watching carefully as Aragorn made his way into the tree. He eased himself upright, ready to make a quick grab if Aragorn slipped as he climbed with only one hand. The human made it safely and perched lightly on a branch just lower than Legolas.

"How are you feeling?" Aragorn asked, glancing up Legolas.

"Better," Legolas said truthfully. Aragorn sighed, tugging absentmindedly on the leaves next to him.

"Really?"

Legolas rolled his eyes. "I am aware of my limits." Smirking, he began to also tug at a few of the leaves.

"I think we have very different viewpoints on what is acceptable, Legolas," Aragorn said stiffly. Still smirking, Legolas leaned over the edge and dropped one of the leaves. It floated down, landing in Aragorn's dark hair.

"Maybe," the elf agreed lightly, dropping another leaf. They set in silence for several minutes, only the sound of the wind in the trees filling the air.

"I want to talk to you," Aragorn finally said, shifting and pulling his legs up to his chest. Legolas frowned as some of his carefully places leaves were dislodged and began to drift towards the ground.

"What about?" he asked, grabbing another few leaves. Aragorn sighed, putting his chin on his knees.

"About what happened before Bella and Ralf's, something I probably should have told you before now." Aragorn broke off a twig, twirling it in his fingers. His gut shifted nervously, despite the fact that the twins had assured him again and again that he hadn't been the one to do it. He still hadn't had time to discuss it with Legolas, and the twins had respected that.

Legolas frowned, sitting up straighter.

"But—but I was scared, scared that—that you might," Aragorn didn't finish his sentence, his stomach curling up into a tight knot.

"Aragorn—"Legolas began but Aragorn cut him off, raising a hand.

"Please, let me just speak for a moment. Please."

Legolas nodded, seeing the serious look in his friend's eyes. Aragorn began to speak quietly, looking back down at his boots. He told the elf all about how he had found his friend, how it was very likely he was the one to have stabbed the elf and almost end his life. If it hadn't been for him then Bella and Ralf likely would have captured them.

When he finally stopped speaking, he once again refused to look at Legolas. His heart pounded anxiously, waiting for the elf's verdict. If Legolas told him that he wanted nothing to do with him then he would accept that and move on. It hurt more than he liked to think, but if that was what the elf wanted then he wouldn't blame him.

He waited with bated breath.

Legolas frowned. "I don't believe that," he stated emphatically, shaking his head. "I don't believe that for a second and I hope to the Valar that you don't either, Aragorn." There was a touch of anger in his voice and Aragorn looked up, trying to find his face in the shadows.

"Is it, though?" he asked.

"Yes!" Legolas snapped. "Listen, maybe it was your sword that caused my wound, doesn't mean you held the handle. Doesn't mean a thing. And if maybe you did do it? Well, I don't think for a second that you wanted too."

The man didn't say anything and Legolas clumsily dropped down onto the branch below him. He sat lightly on the branch in front of Aragorn, the limb easily taking his lightweight.

"Aragorn, look at him." He reached out, putting a hand on his knee. "Look at me." Aragorn kept his gaze diverted and Legolas shook him lightly. "At me," he repeated and at last the man's eyes rose. He met Legolas' kind blue eyes, searching their depth.

"I don't blame you. I couldn't blame you if I tried, and I most certainly can't blame you for something that you didn't do. All the evidence could be pointing toward you and I still wouldn't believe it because I know you. I know what your soul is like and that counts for so much more than any evidence that you can shove in my face. Now, I just need you to believe it."

Aragorn sighed again, shaking his head. "I almost killed you, Legolas."

The elf sighed, gripping his knee tightly. "No, you didn't and I think that you will come to see that, you just need to work through it first." He sat back, staring at the man. "Think about it, and then come talk to me again." He smiled gently at the man, not moving.

Aragorn nodded once. That was extremely similar to what the twins had told him and he guessed he should have seen it coming. Sighing, he reached down and pulled something from his pocket, turning it over in his hands.

"I was bored, and well. I mean, after all, you did spend a lot of time sleeping, anyway…" he trailed off and awkwardly shoved a small wooden token at the elf. Legolas took it, turning it over in his fingers and examining it.

It was simple and had been wilted from an oak branch. An intercut symbol of Mirkwood had been carved one side and the other was Imladris'. Aragorn watched the elf hesitantly, biting his lower lip.

"I mean, it's not much and if you don't like it—That's fine too. I was just thinking about how uptight you get about leaving Mirkwood recently and well, this way you carry it with you." He was rambling and knew but he couldn't help it.

Legolas shook his head mutely. "Hannon le," was all he said as he rubbed the rough wood with his thumb. He closed his fist around it, before tucking it carefully away in a pocket. "Thank you, Estel," he reached out, covering the man's hand with his own.

Aragorn jumped. "By the Valar, your hands are cold!" he complained, snatching at the prince's hand and wrapping his own around it. "What are you doing out here? How much of an idiot are you?" he chided and Legolas rolled his eyes.

"You're just having problems with it now?" he asked, trying to scoot away from the man. Aragorn refused to let go.

"It's like two in the morning. What on earth are we doing? We are both idiots."

"You don't say?" Legolas once again tried to pull free and this time the man let him. "Come on, let's get back to camp before the twins wake up and tell us that we are both idiots as well." Climbing stiffly to his feet, he held out a hand for Aragorn. He took it and together they descended back to the ground.

Legolas wavered slightly on landing, a hand going to his side with a wince. Aragorn frowned, steadying him with one hand. Legolas smiled, moving away from him.

They ambled back to camp, going at a slower pace than they might have as Legolas looked tired to Aragorn's eyes. The fire was almost out by the time they got back and Aragorn went to work building it back up. Legolas lowered himself to the ground with a small groan, his face going pale.

Aragorn bustled back over, grabbing one of the spare blankets and wrapping it around his shoulders and tucking it into place.

"Stop fussing, Aragorn," Legolas rebuked, settling further into the warmth. "By the way—you have leaves in your hair," he reached up, pulling an offending leaf free and showing it to the man. Aragorn frowned and Legolas pressed his lips together, trying not to smile, and pulled another one out.

"Thanks?" Aragorn frowned going back to the fire. He put some water on to heat as well, throwing different herbs in at what looked like random to Legolas.

He chuckled, turning back to his friend.

"You know our children and grandchildren are never going to believe us when we talk about how we faced down the 'Terrifying knitting killers.'

Legolas laughed lightly, wrapping his hands in the folds of the blanket. 'The great baking butcherers,' he added.

Aragorn giggled, pouring the water into two different cups.

"The home-making homicidal horror."

THEDEADLYONES

Not very many miles away, Bella sat in her cell, staring up at the sky. She clutched a rock that if you squinted hard and titled your head to the right looked like a bird. She scrunched up her knees close to her body, turning the rock over and over again in her hands.

Two little birds soar high and free,

Won't you come down and play with me,

Two little birds land in the big tree

Won't you come down and play with me?

.

One little bird said oh yes please,

I'll come down and play with thee,

The other little bird says that's not for me,

I won't come down to play with thee.

.

The second little bird tried to flee

Never coming down to play with me,

But the first little bird stays in the big tree.

Always there to play with me.

THE END

That's it! It's a wrap!

THANK YOU SO MUCH again for reading this and feel free to drop off a review on your way out! In the next few weeks, you can look forward to another story with Legolas, Aragorn, and the twins involving-well, it has something to do with a dead guy, jewelry, and summer homes. Oh, and pain. Don't forget the pain. :)