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The days passed quickly and turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months as the seasons flew by and the inhabitants of Rivendell began preparing for the leaving of their lord. Alassë worked hard with the other woman to prepare for their part after Elrond would leave.

As the last days of summer nearly gave way to fall, she found herself at one warm night looking at the stars once more, thinking about her own family. The bond between her and Elrohir continued to grow even as he was drawn in further into memories of his father and their time spent here. He was still struggling with his choice but never voiced his worries.

Word had come from Gondor concerning Arwen and her wish to see her father one last time. Alassë had remained behind together with Elrohir as the rest of the household travelled south to Gondor to say goodbye to their queen.

The party had returned this morning and she had seen Erestor rushing across the courtyard to throw his arms around Glorfindel, at which the golden warrior spinning them both around, laughing with joy. Elrond had merely smiled in his own way before making his way inside, claiming to be weary.

She had seen the far away look in her father in law's eyes as he passed her and his sons on the way to his room. The goodbye with Arwen had wearied him more then he dared to admit. She turned away from the stars to see Elrohir had taken up the whole bed now, sheets sprawled over his hips, leaving his chest bare and the thin sheet of sweat making him look all the more delicious to her eyes.

She smiled as she gathered up her hair to put it in a quick bun at the back of her neck before walking into the hall barefooted, intend on finding some relief from the summer heat. She passed open doors whose people searched for a breeze which was not there.

She eventually ventured outside, towards the fountain that stood in the middle of the courtyard. A person sitting there made her stop in her tracks. She turned but stopped when she noticed Elrond had not even heard her coming. "Elrond?" She called softly as the brown head snapped up and sharp grey eyes settled up her.

The features soon softened into a smile as the lord gestured for her to join him. She sat down on the cool stone and watched him as he dipped his hand in the water before running it through his hair, giving her a smile. She saw the golden band on his hand but choose not to comment on it. He had lost much of his power when the time of the Rings ended.

"Is there anything you need, my dear?" He eventually asked, looking at her.

She shook her head as she drew up her knees to her chest. "No, merely relief from the heat and my burning thoughts,"

"What thoughts are these then?" Elrond's voice was soft as he looked to the fountain.

"Thoughts about home and about Atar, They have been in my mind frequently since the day nears when you sail." Alassë looked down at the water that shimmered black in the pale moonlight.

"You regret that you stayed behind?" She did not notice as Elrond looked at her.

"Nay, never once did I save when my nights are cold and lonely and I long for my family. Even with Elrohir at my side now, I can still get lonely sometimes." She shuddered it off and cast an uncertain smile towards Elrond.

"Yes, no matter with people at our sides, we can still miss people we need or want." Elrond answered sadly. The next moment the elven lord regarded her again and softly asked. "In all the years since I have known you, you have called me many things but never which you have the right now."

Alassë looked up surprised as she asked. "What do you mean?"

The next moment Elrond's hand came to rest upon her knee as the lord spoke. "I have tried to take up the role as your father although I know better then to replace him. I have tried to offer you a home when you needed one but there was always the need to travel to see a new horizon. But always you returned to us. After your binding with Elrohir it changed the relationships with all in this family but you seem to keep your distance from me, when I would have you as my daughter, young one."

"I am sorry, Elrond. I thought it would bring you pain to have another one as your daughter when you lost your own to mortal doom." She looked down, stilling her own words.

"I would always have you as my daughter, Alassë. I have seen you at your strongest and your weakest but there are always defences in place that I cannot seem to breach. Are you afraid that I might hurt you?" Elrond forced her to look back at him.

His eyes were kind but weary with the passing of many years even as her own filled with tears as she spoke the words long buried in her heart. "You will leave me as well and thus there will be hurt. I cannot keep you here for I do not have the right. I care for you, Elrond, as I have done all these long years since you first accepted me into your household. But I do not know if I can allow myself to be comforted by you even if it would bring me peace."

"You fled many times, little one, from me as well as from the rest of us. Never staying long enough to allow your soul to feel peace, you have rested your mind and your body before leaving once more. This will be the last change I will get in Middle Earth to speak to you in such a way."

"But I do not want it to end, Elrond." She called out desperately as he leaned forward to accept her into his embrace.

"It will not. It will never end. And when you do reach Valinor, I will be there to hear your tales of how you spent your years here. But you will see your own family again and I do not know if I can resume the role again. The only ways would be for you to accept me as your father now." Elrond said soothingly as she trembled in his arms.

"I do not have the right…" She said softly, her voice muffled.

"Yes, Alassë, especially now, darling, Now that you bonded with Elrohir, you have been given the right to call me Atar. A right I have given to you freely." Elrond stroked her hair, gently rocking her as he had done with his own dark-haired child not so long ago.

She allowed herself to be comforted as her tears flooded freely. Tears for the family she had lost and gained and would soon lose a part of again. As gentle sobs began to wrack her slender frame, Elrond began to sing softly. The song as much a comfort to himself as to the one he was holding.

Eventually the song died on his lips as he sighed deeply, grief clouding his eyes. Alassë had relaxed against him and had curled up, as only an elf could, on the stones. "My beloved daughter, a heavy task awaits you, to bring my son happiness as you have done in the last months even when the choice shall weight heavily upon him and his brother."

"I have tried already to bring him happiness but the Valar have not yet seen it fit for us to be blessed with child." She answered softly as Elrond looked down in surprise.

"It will take years, Alassë, for you and Elrohir to receive a child and I cannot foresee if you will have one on these shores. But the time is not yet ready for you to be parents." Elrond smiled gently as she looked up content.

"But we will eventually have children?" She asked as Elrond laughed softly.

"Of course, you will. You will bear his children, my dear, and then at the end of that pregnancy I am quite sure you wish you did not." Elrond smiled at her as she sat up.

"But it is a miracle to carry children. How can anybody not wish to carry them?" She exclaimed, looking at him in surprise. Elrond merely laughed softly to say. "Oh you will see, I am right, daughter. You will see." And with those puzzling words Elrond gestured of her to go back to her bed, which she did, leaving a hopeful elven lord behind who knew everything would be alright with his family.

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