Woah. It has been really long since I last updated, and for that, I am sorry.

This chapter is mostly a filler, though it has a lot of the twins, general Elrond-ness, and Estel comes in here!

Also! Elrond may seem a bit OOC. Just keep in mind that the people he is talking to are his children, his family. He doesn't need to be a stuck-up prick. And this is just my interpretation.

And! I know that I cannot write child!character for anything, therefore I am hoping to make a smooth skip to teenage years without embarrassing myself with my fail child!Lilian.

Please see big-ass A/N at the end of the chapter, but other than that, I just hope you

ENJOY!

Everybody soon grew fond of the little elf-maiden who went under the name of Lilian. The elves of Rivendell stopped treating her like an anomaly quite early on, and started to behave like they should have from the beginning – like family. There was not one elf who did not know of the new arrival, and many of the younger elflings sought companionship with the strange child. Elrond believed that it was mostly due to the fact that it was impossible to stay away from her, or avoid her - the girl just had this almost magnetic pull, and nobody so far has proven to be immune to it.

Almost from the get-go, Lilian made close friends with the twins, aiding the tricksters when they got into trouble and occasionally accompanying them when they went hunting. However, no matter how many times he tried, Elrond just couldn't get her and his youngest daughter, Arwen, to cooperate. Arwen, usually so open to children and everybody around her, avoided the girl like plague. Not that Lilian had anything against it, she too wasn't above scowling at Arwen's back, or making childish faces, but at least she provided a legitimate reason; "Our personalities." She had once told Elrond, in perfectly fluent Elvish. "They clash. Like water and fire, we are opposites. I do not like her, just as fire doesn't like anything that could extinguish it and so I would rather not spend any more time around her than absolutely necessary."

Another trait which Elladan and Elrohir found the most endearing about the little elemental elf was her bluntness and almost brutal honesty; a rare happenstance amongst elves. Lilian had no qualms against straight-out telling somebody she wasn't fond of them, or that they were doing something wrong. A particular trait of hers' which Elrond was pleased with was that the girl was intelligent. Exceptionally young among their kind, but wise. She occasionally mentioned things which Elrond knew not how she knew, or had a particularly insightful comment about something which she would pass off as childish stroke of genius.

But Elrond knew better.

The girl was special, and not merely for her descent as an elemental elf. She had no combat abilities. Elrond soon learned that the bow on her back was a mere keepsake, the only memory she had of her mother. She could not wield it, and no matter how many times she tried, it would seldom even hit the target. Her close combat was also appalling; she knew only the minimum which would aid her immediate survival - and those were amateur kicks and blind punches. She confessed once that, at the village where they had found her, she relied on her speed and small stature to hide from the villagers. To his surprise, she also said that she had little control of the elements, though fire was by far her best forte. Elrond discovered that she was most in-tune with her talent when her emotions spiralled out of her control.

Yet the young elfling, spurred on by the support of the twins, sought to change that. She had been with them for three years, which was a blink from an elf's perspective, but she trained everyday by herself, relentlessly, and though her control improved, her combat abilities had not changed in the slightest.

Elrond sighed. He was certain that, given time, and competent instructors, the girl would grow into one of the finest fighters in Rivendell, elemental affinity or no.

However, the elf-child was dear to him, and so he swore that he would try to keep her from the battlefield for as long as was in his power, though he knew that it would not be nearly as long as he would've liked. Due to the twins' influence, and the girl's natural curiosity, Elrond knew it was just a matter of time until she would crave to see the world outside of Rivendell.

And he had learned, first from his wife, then from his daughter, that if a elf-maiden wanted something, she would go to the ends of the earth to achieve her means. So Elrond decided that he'd let her do what she wanted; that didn't mean, however, that he couldn't ensure that she had all the odds in her favour when she finally did.

Which was why he called his two sons to him, and when they stood before him, all natural grace and patience of Valour, expecting orders to go to Mirkwood, or Lorien, he smiled at them instead. Visibly thrown off, the two brothers exchanged baffled looks, then Elladan spoke. "Father?" he asked in Elvish. "Is everything alright?"

"Lilian has a place in both of your hearts, does she not?" Elrond asked vaguely, answering his son's question with one of his own.

"Of course she does." Elrohir replied, seemingly dismayed that his Father would even ask such a question. "She is, by all means but blood, like a little sister."

Elladan sighed, already used to the fact that his twin lacked the usual composure and poise found among elves. Thus, he found no wrong in lightly clipping his brother on the back of the head. "Act your age." He reprimanded swiftly. "Though I must agree with him. We care deeply for Lilian, and truthfully, recently, she's been more of a sister to us than Arwen has."

Elrond hid a smile at his sons' actions. They were always close, even as children, and he was glad that that bond had not weakened as they grew up. He appreciated the fact that they allowed Lilian into their little world, and he was glad that she seemed to fit in so well, even with the obvious age gap between her and the twins.

Though he sighed soon after at what Elladan said about Arwen. Truthfully, he'd suspected as much when it came to his youngest, but he hoped that it was just a temporary phase.

"I'm sure that it will not be so for much longer." He smiled reassuringly. "I have foreseen it." Now, that wasn't necessarily true, but he valued the twins' reaction – relieved sighs, and the relaxation of their tense shoulders – more than a little white lie.

"Thank you, Father." Elladan said, always the more formal one out of the two brothers.

Elrond nodded. "Now," the Lord of Rivendell began, and both elves stood straight once again, waiting patiently for what he had to say. "The two of you are hereby in charge of Lilian's training. Focus closely on close combat and her skill with the arrow. Simulate battle situations. Do everything you can to stop her from relying on her elemental ability." He commanded.

Silence greeted his words. The two usually composed, though playful brothers appeared to be speechless.

"Father…" Elladan started. "Surely you don't plan to thrust her onto a battlefield so soon…?" he inquired, almost horrified at the prospect. Elrond briefly noted that it was the most emotion he'd seen the elder brother display since the start of their conversation.

"No. I plan to give her a choice." Elrond replied. There were few who dared question him, as normally such behaviour would have been severely reprimanded. However, these were his sons, his flesh, his kin. Some favourable treatment was allowed.

"Choice?" Elrohir echoed, equally confused.

"Yes. Choice: whether she wants a life of an elf-maiden, or an elf-warrior. I have little doubt that she'll choose the latter, and when she does, I want to make sure that she will be as prepared as possible." At the twins' stricken expressions, Elrond smiled lightly. "I too have taken to thinking of Lilian as an almost adopted-daughter. And I am aware that, like Arwen, she too will desire to be treated as your equal."

At that, Elrohir made a sound which Elrond realised, mildly surprised, was actually a snort of laughter. He was about to reprimand his son, but the elf smirked. "At least they agree on one thing."

And Elrond could not find the energy to reprimand his son anymore. Instead, he dismissed the two, and when he was alone, he smiled at the truth in his son's words.

A century went past. Nothing in the eyes of an elf, but still, many things changed. Elladan and Elrohir took control of Lilian's training, and she improved more than Elrond could have hoped for. But she also grew up; she was still a child when compared to most elves, as she was still young, not only in years, but also in appearance. The elfling no longer looked like a child, or behaved like one, but she had not really grown out of her young appearance. She truly looked like Arwen's younger sister, though the girls' dislike for each other held strong.

Seventy more years flew by, and Imladris was peaceful. All apart from one summer, whence it saw the arrival of a dwarf company, joined by a wizard and a hobbit. It was the first time Lilian had seen the other races of the Free Peoples of Middle Earth, and she was understandingly fascinated. That summer, Rivendell also saw the meeting of the White Council, and Lilian was introduced to Galadriel, the Lady of Lorien, who, she was stunned to discover, was her adoptive-grandmother.

A decade later brought to her Estel, who had also been taken under Elrond's wing. The human boy became Lilian's charge, and as he grew up, the two formed a close, sibling-like companionship, almost out-weighing that of Elladan and Elrohir. They often played pranks on the twins, and Lilian taught Estel everything the twins had taught her and the four became close companions.

It was not until Estel reached twenty, in the year 2951 of the Third Age that Elrond told Estel of his true heritage. Shocked that such information was withheld from one so dear to her, Lilian confronted Elrond, one she grew to call her Father in all ways but blood, and announced her decision to part from Rivendell.

"To travel." She explained, Estel by her side. "To assist my brother," she motioned at the man next to her. "To seek out information about my own past. I love you, Father, but there is a seed of doubt that has taken residence in my mind, and it pains me to think that there is something you know about me, but simply withheld from me, for whatever reason."

For the second time in his life, Elrond second-guessed himself. He had not foreseen that respecting Aragorn's mother's wishes and withholding his past would result in such changes. His heart ached as tears glistened in his adoptive daughter's eyes, and Estel's expression remained that of shock, and a hint of disappointment.

Slowly, Lilian removed the silver ring had given her when all four; himself, the twins, and Arwen – accepted her into the Udómiel family. She laid it down on the table between her and Elrond. "Here is the ring you have given me. You are still my Father, and the twins and Arwen are the closest I have ever known of a family. However, I do not know what the future will hold. For now, there is only one thing I can say or do to repay you for all you have done for me… and that is to leave this behind." She paused, wiping off her tears. Aragorn gently grasped her hand, and she spared him a grateful look. "This ring symbolises that, whatever I may discover on my travels, whatever my opinion of you will become, I will not disgrace the name of Udómiel with my actions. I owe you that much, Father."

Aragorn faced Elrond, the one who brought him up and gave him food, shelter, and a purpose. Lilian's words had spurred him as well, the need to justify himself in front of his adoptive father temporarily overweighing his anger at the Elf Lord. "Though I have no ring to symbolise this, I second her words. I have felt at home, here, in Rivendell. I do not wish to seem ungrateful, but, like Lilian, I do not know what the future will hold for me, only what is absolutely certain. I hope that we can part on amicable terms, and that you will not misunderstand our reasoning for our departure."

"We will take out leave now, Father." Lilian spoke, eyes still teary. "Please, forgive us. I can only hope that you will not detest us next time we see each other." Then, she paused, and with a sob, she said the words that made Elrond freeze. "Amin mela lle, atar. Thank you. For everything."

And she turned on her heel, Estel by her side as they walked out of Rivendell Hall, leaving behind the only place they dared call home.

In the solitude of his chambers, Elrond allowed a single tear to slide down his cheek.

Yeah… Weird, I know. But character development is important, and I love the twins ;)

Also, this story started even before the Hobbit, and waaaay before the Fellowship of the Ring, though the – I'd like to call them 'main events' - will take place in the time of the Fellowship.

FYI, TA 2941 is when most of the Hobbit takes place, and 3018 is the year when most of the events in LOTR take place.

I did my research – Aragorn was told of his true heritage in TA 2951. At that point, as seen above, Lilian had been in Rivendel for a 'century' plus 'seventy more years' plus a 'decade'. Also, there's the fact that there is a mention of her being there for three years, so that's already 183 years at Rivendell alone, and the fact that she was seven years old when Elrond found her.

So, when she leaves Rivendell, Lilian is 190 years old, whereas Aragorn is 20.

Referring back to the summary where it clearly mentions Legolas, I can assure you, he will come in next chapter, or the one after.

If there are any further questions, do not hesitate to leave them in your review, or just PM me : )