Disclaimer: See default chapter

Chapter 6:

Healing for the future

---

The next morning, or mid-afternoon actually when Legolas awoke, he found himself in a familiar clean white room. But this time his Adar was sitting next to him and not Aragorn.

The blonde haired archer prince blinked sleepily at the woodland King, then gave a bleary smile, his dreams had been filled with memories some happy, but many more sad…

"Hello Ada." He whispered, his voice raspy from the previous day of tears and sorrows.

"Hello my little leaf." Thranduil whispered in return, gently brushing a stray strand of hair from the face. "How are you feeling?"

Legolas yawned. "Tired." He blinked sleepily. "And hungry." He rubbed the rest of the sleep from his eyes.

Thranduil chuckled. "Aragorn just sent over some broth he said he wants you to eat."

Legolas grimaced. "Chicken broth?" He asked.

Thranduil nodded and reaching over took the lid from a tray revealing steaming broth along with some watered down wine.

He very carefully lifted the bowl of broth on his hand and carefully balancing it lifted the spoon up full of broth.

"Ada." Legolas protested. "I can feed myself."

Thranduil looked skeptical. "Hold up your hand."

Obeying, the Prince was surprised to see that his hand was shaking just enough to ensure that he would not be able to hold a spoon without spilling. He scowled at his hand, his attention turned away so he didn't see his father's quickly buried smile.

Heaving a sigh, Legolas allowed his father to carefully spoon-feed him. Blue-gray eyes watched the other elf, wanting to ask a question, but feared the answer.

After the broth was finished, and the wine drunk, Thranduil helped Legolas settle back in the sheets. He fussed over the sheets making sure that they were straightened and smoothed.

Legolas gently reached out and took one of the slender hands in his own, stilling it.

"Ada?" He asked quietly, turning trusting eyes upon the blonde haired figure before him.

"Yes?" Thranduil replied.

"Am…Am…" The weakened Prince struggled for the words.

"Yes?" Thranduil gently coaxed, he had a feeling he knew what his son was about to ask, but hoped it wasn't it.

"Am I really an accident?" The Prince whispered.

Despite himself, and the gravity of the situation, Thranduil smiled. "Oh Legolas." He brushed an errant strand of blonde hair away. "When your Naneth came to me and told me that she was expecting you, I must admit I was very surprised. I didn't realize that she had wanted a child and I must admit that I didn't want a child then. I was already weighted down with the burdens of the kingdom and I didn't know how I could ever raise a child. But your Naneth knew exactly how I would react when you were born."

He smiled, a far off smile full of memory. "I would often sneak away from my office just to hold for a few moments then sneak back. Your Naneth would have you run errands to me, just so that I would get distracted from my work." He sighed. "As I look back now, I thought you were an accident." He said bluntly. "But now I know that you are a precious gift that your Naneth gave to me." He searched the blue-gray eyes carefully.

"You are far more precious to me than any silver, mithril or gold in the entire Middle Earth." Thranduil said softly. "And I am ashamed to say that it has taken me most of your life for me to finally realize that."

Tears welled up in the gray-blue eyes as Legolas gave his Ada a trembling smile. "So I am no accident."

"No." Thranduil replied simply.

Leaning forward in a gesture from childhood, Legolas touched his forehead against his Adar's in a deed of absolute trust, allowing his Adar to see within the very depths of his soul.

 There, Thranduil could see the absolute trust and the unconditional love within his son.

And it shook him to his very core.

He had never asked for such a gift, yet here it was. Staring him in the face, asking, pleading, begging to be accepted and returned.

Gently removing his hand from his son's, he laid it against the side of the fair face before him. Identical eyes stared at each other, as Thranduil processed the joy of the knowledge that his son did indeed love him.

"I love you so much." Thranduil whispered. "And I am so very proud of you."

Legolas blushed, red staining the white pallor of his cheeks. He looked downward as thoughts plagued him. Funny, he had always wanted to hear those words of pride and love, but now that he had heard them, he wanted to know why his Ada loved him, what made him so worthy of his Adar's love and pride?

Thranduil smiled as he lifted his son's chin up so that they were once more eye-to-eye.

"Do you think that I would hate you for living when your mother died? The king asked softly, mistaking the look downward for shame."No." The Prince shook his head. "I was afraid you might hate me for not protecting her."

"Legolas." Thranduil said quietly, drawing his son's full attention back to him. "You were barely old enough to even hold a sword let alone have the full training. The guards were all shocked that you killed them all and didn't receive hardly a scratch."

"But if I would have just done something sooner…" Legolas' trailed off helplessly.

"Legolas" Thranduil lifted his son's chin with his thumb and forefinger. "What would have happened if you had listened to your Naneth and run when she had told you."

"I would have gotten back to the guards and told them where Nana was and they would have come and saved her." Legolas replied steadily.

"The orcs would most likely have followed you and already easily outnumbering the guards they would have probably killed all the guards." Thranduil painted a different scenario. "Then they would have killed you as well, I would have lost not only my wife, my guards but my only son and heir." He smiled sadly.

"There is no certain way what happened that day would have turned out any different Legolas." Thranduil continued. "You did your very best that day, and I am so very proud of you for doing so."

"Even though Nana still died?" Legolas whispered.

"Even though Nana still died." Thranduil replied.

With a shuddering sob, Legolas fell forward into his Adar's strong embrace, finally coming to grips with that one horrific day that tore his Nana from him.

-----

It was a few hours later when Aragorn finally felt he had given the King and Prince enough time to reconcile.

He quietly peeked in the doorway and smiled at the scene in front of him.

Legolas had his head pillowed on his Adar's lap; his eyelids half closed in a manner telling the healer in Aragorn that the elf was healing, but not quite healed.

Thranduil was leaning back against the headboard; his eyes were glazed signifying that he was fully asleep as well. One hand rested upon Legolas' head and the other held his hand.

It was a perfect picture of simple trust, love and affection between father and son, and Aragorn knew in that instant that they had reconciled.  He knew that there were many things that would take days, months and even years to fully heal, but he also knew that the two were well on their way.

 With a smile on his lips, the King of Gondor exited, leaving the father and son to rest and fully heal.

----

As the sun slowly sank beneath a pink dusted sky two elves stood at the very edge of top level of Minas Tirith. Neither had any fear of the dizzying height and stood very close to the edge.

"Do you think she can see us Adar?" The younger elf asked inquisitively.

The older elf wrapped his arms around the younger, resting his head against the gold hair. "I think she can."

"Do you think she is happy?" The younger questioned.

"I know she is."

As the wind swept the long blonde hair into disarray, the young elf could almost imagine her laughter and her warm embrace gently enfolding him and his Ada.

Suddenly the world seemed a little brighter and life was no longer something to live through, but to live in.

He grinned broadly, then closed his eyes, lifting his hands up to enfold his Ada's.

For the first time in many, many years he was once more happily within the warm protecting embrace of his loving Adar, and knew at last, that his Adar did indeed love him.

---Flashback---

"Ada can you read me a story?" The tiny blonde haired elfling bounced eagerly on the balls of his feet.

Thranduil could not help but smile at his only son and heir, his pride and joy. "And what story would you like me to read?" He asked in return.

"When Grandada lead the charge against…" Legolas started in a rush, but was stopped by a single raised hand.

"How about when your Grandada was just a little elfling just you are now?" Thranduil suggested smoothly.

The blonde haired head nodded eagerly and scrambled to sit on his Ada's lap, his legs between his Ada's and his hands already playing Ada's hands.

"A long time ago there was a little elfling." Thranduil began.

"Grandada!" Legolas cried out excitedly.

"Yes." The King chuckled. "Your Grandada. He had a Ada and a Nana too."

"Just like me." Legolas nodded confidently.

"Just like you." Thranduil agreed. "He had lots of friends and liked to play with them everyday." He waited for an outburst from his son, but Legolas just settled himself down content to just listen.

"But one day, he was a very naughty elfling and he went outside without his Ada or Nana or anyone else." Thranduil continued. "He got lost in the big forest and he was all alone and couldn't find his way home."

He continued to weave his tale together, not only telling a story but also instilling hopefully a lesson in his son's heart. Not to go outside without a parent or guardian.

He held the little elflings attention easily as he spoke, the words flowing together smoothly as he pieced together a story about his own Ada.

Neither realized that another was listening to the story as well. The Queen of Mirkwood stood by the doorway, watching her two 'boys' as she affectionately called them.

There were many times that she knew that her husband didn't know how to handle Legolas, but she also knew that Legolas held a special place in his Adar's heart where not even she could pry.

Legolas would do anything for his Adar, Thranduil only had to ask, and sure enough it was vice versa as well.

With a smile upon her fair lips she quietly closed the door and continued on her way, knowing in the depths of her heart that no matter what if one fell, the other would be there to pick the other up,

"Ada?"

"Yes Legolas?"

"Will love me until the day I die?"

 Thranduil smiled, Legolas had yet to know what being immortal meant, but until then… "No." He replied softly. "I'll love you until the day that I die." 

                                 "Understanding (Wash It All Away)" by Evanescence

"You hold the answers deep within your own mind.
Consciously, you've forgotten it.
That's the way the human mind works.
Whenever something is too unpleasant, to shameful for us
to entertain, we reject it.
We erase it from our memories.
But the imprint is always there."

(Can't wash it all away)
(Can't wish it all away)
(Can't hope it all away)
(Can't cry it all away)

The pain that grips you
The fear that binds you
Releases life in me
In our mutual
Shame we hide our eyes
To blind them from the truth
That finds a way from who we are
Please don't be afraid
When the darkness fades away
The dawn will break the silence
Screaming in our hearts
My love for you still grows
This I do for you
Before I try to fight the truth my final time

"We're supposed to try and be real.
And I feel alone, and we're not together. And that is real."

Can't wash it all away
Can't wish it all away
Can't cry it all away
Can't scratch it all away

Lying beside you
Listening to you breathe
The life that flows inside of you
Burns inside of me
Hold and speak to me
Of love without a sound
Tell me you will live through this
And I will die for you
Cast me not away
Say you'll be with me
For I know I cannot
Bear it all alone

"You're not alone, Ion." (son)
"Never... Never."

Can't fight it all away
Can't hope it all away
Can't scream it all away

It just won't fade away, No

Can't wash it all away
Can't wish it all away
Can't cry it all away
Can't scratch it all away

(Can't fight it all away)
(Can't hope it all away)
(Can't scream it all away)

Ooh, it all away
Ooh, it all away

"But the imprint is always there. Nothing is ever really forgotten."

"Because I'll die if you do."
"Because I'll die if you do."
"Because I'll die if you do."
"Because I'll die if you do."
"Because I'll die if you do."

The End

A/N: Thanks to all who have read and reviewed! I will be back with thanks for everyone who reviewed, comments on the story and ect:-) And perhaps a sneak peak of a new fic!