Forever Young

By Jo March

Disclaimer: See chapter one

Summary: Elrond is now a little kid and his children do not know what to do with him. Arwen is at her wits end trying to take care of a little terror who thinks it is fun to tell everyone what to do because he is Lord of Imladris. Will peace ever come to the Last Homely House again?

Chapter One: My Life Has Come to an End

'Wen, we can explain. It wasn't our fault he found out.' Elrohir tried to calm his ballistic sister who was ranting and raving about nothing imperticular.

'How in the name of all sane things did you not notice that he was awake! You two are complete idiots, I cannot believe I am related to you. What are we going to do now?' Gandalf walked in on the middle of Arwen's ranting.

'My dear, child, I believe we should settle down and think this out in a calm matter. Yelling at your brother's will not change anything. Elladan, will you please go get your father and bring him in here.' Elladan left to go find Elrond and Gandalf started his pipe up.

Elrohir happened to be sitting a little to close to Gandalf when he started to smoke and some of it came towards him. He tried not to cough, but it was in vain. The smoke choked him, how could anyone stand it? 'I think I'll move over here.' Elrohir pulled his chair over to where Arwen was sitting.

She was still very upset at the twins. Men could be so dense at times, then so wonderful at others. Arwen sighed, Aragorn was always wonderful. Why couldn't her brother's take after him a bit more?

Elladan and Elrond entered the room, smiling and laughing. They also sat up wind from Gandalf so the smoke wouldn't asphyxiate them. Elrond looked up at his son wondering what they were going to do now. Elladan gave Elrond a little squeeze that told him everything would be all right.

'Well,' said Gandalf, 'how are you, Master Elrond?' Elrond's right eyebrow shot up in surprise, how did he know his name? He looked up at Elladan for advice.

'Go on, answer him.' Elladan hit him with his elbow in the ribs.

'I am, uh, fine thank you. How do you know my name?' Gandalf had to chuckle at this. Indeed how did he know his name.

'Well, it seems to me that after having known each other for over the period of about two thousand years I should know your name.' Gandalf smiled at the little boy who sat swinging his feet, which dangled over the edge of the chair, not yet long enough to touch the floor.

'Oh, I guess that does make sense, but why am I younger now? They wouldn't explain anything to me,' Elrond said with a pout and glared at his children. 'It's not fair. Everyone is a lot bigger than me, but that does not mean I cannot figure things out.'

'Oh no, we know that you are very smart. We just thought it best if you were free from worry. It was not to hide your true identity from you it was rather to protect you from all the burdens have to bear from day to day.' Gandalf used the voice that he usually reserved for talking to Hobbits with, but it seemed to satisfy Elrond's curiosity for the moment that is.

They sat for a while in complete silence. The distant rumbling of the numerous waterfalls around Rivendell made for a tranquil setting. But it sorely reminded Arwen of the day when her father had told them that their mother would be sailing over the sea, never to return to Middle Earth. She thought of her mother almost everyday, trying to recall everything she could remember of what she had been like. It was useless, Arwen had been so young that she could barely remember what Celebrian had looked like, but for the picture in her father's study she would not have remembered at all. The lunch bell rang.

'It is time for lunch.' One of the twins spoke up.

'I'm not very hungry,' said Arwen. It was in times like these that she wished her mother was here to comfort her. 'Go on without me, I will be fine.' She gave her brother's a reassuring smile and waited for them to leave.

'All right, we will go. Come, Elrond, let us go see what the cook has prepared us for lunch.' Each twin grabbed an arm and swung him up in the air. Gandalf followed at a more reasonable pace.

Arwen watched them leave; they all seemed so happy and carefree. Her heart was burdened, she loved them all so very much, it hurt her to know that one day they would leave these shores, but she would remain behind. She turned and walked away slowly and headed for her and Estel's favorite place to be.

When she reached the bridge so many memories assaulted her as she looked out over the valley. What if he never came back? He could die out there and she would never know. It was all hopeless. What was the use living anymore? Estel was probably already dead and the animals and drug away his bones so he would never be found. She had no purpose without him. Life was no longer wanted by the evening star of the Elves.

Arwen looked around for one last time no one was around. She prepared to jump into the rushing waters of the Bruinen it would all be over in a moment. Arwen closed her eyes and jumped, but her feet did not hit the water. She looked up to see what had caught her. It was.....

A/N: Really short chapter, but I just had to leave off with that cliff hanger it seemed like the right thing to do. So who is it that caught her? This is a little strange and different but I am listening to the FotR soundtrack and it is really depressing. Don't know why Arwen went all physco on me, but she did.