Disclaimer: I own Daenerys Aerilyn Ramsey, Jared Russel, Derrik Kingsley, Margret Grosse and Mimzy. I do NOT own characters or content belonging to Chronicle, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any of the Underworld films. I also don't own The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings. It would be so very, very awesome and amazing if I did but I don't. If I did own the rights to anything other than what I've specifically mentioned, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. Warning: This chapter contains adult content. Discretion is advised.

Chapter 28

Thranduil

Time has never seemed to pass as slowly as it did today. Waiting in that room for her to come back from wherever it was she had gone to was time for thoughts to run rampant. The message had been dire to me when I read it. Daenerys, beautiful and strong, had to be kept from battle by means of an herbal remedy. Because she was with child and refused to rest. She was with child. That made my heart burst with joy and clench in fear. In the long years since we'd first bonded, she had expressed a desire for children to me once. Not to replace the ones she'd been denied but because she wanted to share in the joy of being a mother to my child. She had a voracious appetite for sex, something that I'd nearly forgotten before her arrival into my life. I still remember that day vividly. Being brought before me as the only survivor of an attack by the filthy Spiders that invaded my forest, she was not frightened or a simpering human woman that I would have expected her to be. I looked at her and found her strength had enhanced her natural beauty.

When I saw Itarielle, the Ring of Starlight graced her hand, I had been intrigued that a mortal woman would have such a thing in her possession. Mortals do not simply happen upon magic rings and this one was of special interest because it was not under the purview of the One Ring when it had been forged. It was not as powerful as Nenya, Vilya or Narya but was still a potent magic to be sure. When she denied it to me, I had not the heart to force her to stay and give it up. Something about her made me let her go. I spent the interim years between that first meeting and our next wondering if I should have done something more. Our next meeting was less than ideal and it had come as a surprise that she had not aged a day when I saw her at the end of the greeting party to Imladris. Then the Orcs had launched their attack. I would have been injured, perhaps killed, if she had not taken it upon herself to be speared in my place.

Carrying her wounded body to Imladris had been a privilege. She had saved my life at the cost of nearly ending her own. And I could only sympathize with her when she wept in a delirium over children she'd lost. It had made my own heart ache for her when she begged me to tell her children that she loved them, that she hadn't wanted them to be taken from her. I assumed at first that she had lost them in a tragedy, where they had died and gone to wherever it was mortal souls passed to. When I learned that she was not mortal, as I'd previously thought, that she was something more… it made a strange feeling take root in my heart. She'd not lost her children to disease or death, I learned. She was stolen from them and would likely never see them again, or they would be adults by now if she did.

Once she was on the mend, I had found myself checking on her every day. I would come by while she was sleeping and watch. At first. She had a tendency to speak in her sleep. Some of the things she said were impossible to understand. What was an airplane? Or a roller coaster? She would mutter names of people and places I did not know. Certain names brought her to weep in her sleep. Caeryn. Maelys. Liam. Lucian. When she was awake, she did not seem quite as troubled. The first time I walked near her rooms and heard her singing, I was taken in by her voice. Her song was strange and mournful, yet still had a joyous tune to it. I had committed moment to memory. She still believes to this day that the first time I heard her sing was when she sang that song about being happy. I remember that the first song she sang for Mithrandir was that scandalous song about dragons, knights and kings. The song I first remember hearing from her sounded like a lament and celebration of Men only living 100 years. It was in a rare moment when she'd been alone. For a few weeks after her injury, she'd been forced to sleep through much of the healing process because of how headstrong she was about doing things for herself. She would get up to walk before she was ready to.

The only daughter of Elrond had caught me one evening as I lingered to hear her sing. Though she said nothing, there was a feeling that she saw more than my enjoying a song from a gifted voice. I ignored her and listened to the strange songs that she would impart. At that moment, her song was gentle but told a story. I found it to be fascinating.

"I was five and he was six, we rode on horses made of sticks!

He wore black and I wore white! He would always win the fight!

Bang, bang! He shot me down. Bang, bang! I hit the ground!

Bang, bang! That awful sound. Bang, bang! My baby shot me down!

Seasons came and changed the time. When I grew up, I called him mine!

He would always laugh and say, 'Remember when we used to play?'

'Bang, bang! I shot you down. Bang, bang! You hit the ground!

Bang, bang! That awful sound. Bang, bang! I used to shoot you down!'

Music played and people sang! Just for me, the church bells rang!

Now he's gone. I don't know why. And to this day, sometimes I cry.

He didn't even say goodbye, he didn't take the time to lie.

Bang, bang! He shot me down. Bang, bang! I hit the ground!

Bang, bang! That awful sound. Bang, bang! My baby shot me down!"

Daenerys's voice was haunting to me. When I walked in dreams, I could hear the songs she would sing following me there. It was confusing that I would feel so much for a woman that was not my wife, whom had passed to the Halls of Mandos so long ago. Memories of the Eldar do not diminish over time, as they do with mortals. I still could imagine Gyril, the wife I'd lost so long ago. Her silver-blonde hair, her gentle blue eyes, her delicate hands. She'd been murdered by Orc filth while protecting our son, Legolas, from harm. He'd been perhaps twenty years old, though children of the Eldar grow differently from childhood to adulthood.

His body was that of a boy of seven in mortal terms. They'd been part of a group that had gone to the wood for gathering fruits and berries for a coming celebration. The Orcs had been tracking them since they left the safety of our halls. When they did not return from the excursion, I led a small contingent of soldiers to investigate and found that most of them were dead. Legolas was hiding in the branches of one of the taller trees. Gyril had bade him to stay there until I found him. She was taken and killed to hurt me. We found her broken, violated body several days later. There were many wounds, though none of them should have been fatal. I'd guessed the truth from the thick stains of blood between her thighs when we prepared her body for burial. I had a special hatred for Orcs and for rapists among Men and other peoples. My beloved Gyril had released her hold on her body and the troubles of this world for the Halls of Mandos. Elves cannot bear to remain in physical bodies when they have been abused in such a way; to rape an Elf was to kill them.

I forced those thoughts from my mind. It only reminded me of the heartaches that Daenerys had endured as well. Instead, I focused on other memories. Like the night her true nature had been shown to me. She'd just finished singing for Mithrandir and was speaking with Arwen and her brothers when she began to groan in pain. We could feel magic brewing in the air and it was centered around her. When her arm broke from an unseen force and a dark portal began to form behind her, through her cries of pain, we heard Mithrandir chanting in old tongues of Men and Elves to arrest the magics that were causing her so much distress. Many of us stepped forward to help her but she cast us all aside with panic in her eyes. The portal closed but her arm was limp at her side and she looked to be in agony. We were all thrown back by a force we'd never felt before and then she leapt from the balcony and flew to the forest. Flew.

I remember that it didn't take long for us to regain our wits and a small host of us began to search for Daenerys in the forest. I saw her then as I'd never seen her before when we found her. Her eyes were not their normal soft brown but a fearsome blue-on-black that glowed and glistened on their own. Her skin was pale and almost a bluish-grey, fingers that bore claws instead of nails, and her mouth was filled with sharp teeth as she hissed. She paused when she was confronted by Elrond and his sons. When she saw me, there was something in her eyes that was both threatening and conveyed strong desire. She threw herself at me and at first I had the upper hand. Then she had me pinned to the ground with one hand, Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir moved to strike but I saw something in her that caused me to give a warning glance to them and they stopped. She cocked her head from side to side as she stared at me and I stared back, refusing to show fear. She dipped her lips close to my throat and I listened while she took in my scent, dragging her nose from one side of my throat to the other. She pulled away and gave me a look of confusion before she let my arms go and jumped back a fair distance. She put her hand to her head and looked to be in some pain before turning and running faster than I'd have imagined.

When we caught back up to her, a deer was in her grasp and she was latched onto the poor creature. Her eyes were closed and her mouth pulled blood urgently from the wound she'd inflicted. When she was done, she stumbled back and fell to the ground, looking truly horrified. I could see that regret and fear when she looked at me especially. I'd been disgusted initially, but Elrond had told me of her strange nature, though I was sure that she'd not discussed this part of it with him. Her arm, which had been horribly disfigured, was completely healed. When we came back to Imladris with her, I tried to see her but she seemed too ashamed. Daenerys refused to see anyone outside of receiving a few meals before she disappeared from her room one night. It was a long time before I saw her again, though she was never far from my thoughts.

When I next saw Daenerys, she looked more vibrant and beautiful as she stood alongside Bard in the ruins of Dale. She'd been there to defend a family she'd helped bring to fruition. A boy she'd found named Arradir was a grandfather now and he fought in the Battle of the Five armies. Watching her fight was astounding. When the battle was over, I had been unable to restrain myself from acting on the feelings that had been growing in me when I thought of her. I kissed her. That first kiss was like the first spark to a flame that burned hotter and brighter than I could have imagined it would. When she came back to my Halls, I would watch her jealously as she spent time with Maedros or others that were not yet bonded. I would listen to her play music and sing. The night I took her, she took me. I remembered the look on her face when she began to disrobe me, the slight tremble in her fingers when she first touched my naked flesh. I saw the surprise and apprehension in her eyes when she saw my length.

I worshipped her body with my fingers, my tongue, my lips every night since then. I gave her every part of me and she gave me every part of her in return. She told me everything there was to know about her life before Middle Earth. She explained the scar I'd noticed on her abdomen the first time I saw her bared skin. She talked of the wonders of the world she'd grown up in, how she'd come to be the type of Immortal she was now. She told me about her pregnancy and how with the devices of her world, she was able to know so much before her children were even born. In return, I laid my own life bare to her, though she respected my wish not to speak of Gyril in too much detail. I showed her the scars I used magic to conceal and told her of my previous experience with dragons. She tenderly kissed those scars and told me that she found me to still be the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. It made me comfortable to release that magic at times around her, for she did not look upon me any differently.

I'd been disappointed to learn that she'd joined the Fellowship of the Ring but I knew Daenerys was more than able to defend herself. I had never feared losing her until that day she'd been found by one of the patrols. I didn't wait for them to bring her inside; I rushed to her side and despaired at the sight that greeted me. Two gaping holes, one in her chest where her heart was beating at a sluggish pace, the other in her abdomen. Her legs and hips were splayed at an unnatural angle and they didn't move at all, though her hands and arms moved some. I ordered for them to find some animal for her to feed from but as fast as she was fading, Daenerys would never have made it. It was not a difficult decision to have her feed from me. She had resisted me at first. She was terrified that she might kill me, that she wouldn't be able to stop. I trusted her with my life.

Her bite had been painful but bearable. When she'd let go after a few mouthfuls of my blood, something happened. She had healed, yes, but her body began to glow brightly and the sounds that she made were horrible. I was grateful that she did not seem to be awake for the pain she was experiencing as she writhed in my arms. When she stilled, I checked frantically for life within her and breathed a sigh of relief when I found it. The spot she had fed from on my own neck healed half a moment later. Bringing her back to the healers, they could only be amazed at her still being alive. They couldn't find anything wrong with her. When her appearance started changing, I was unsure of what to do. Her skin slowly started to become more luminous and her ears were changing from rounded to pointed, like that of an Elf. Her features became softer. She changed slowly like this for three weeks and I was by her side when I could be. Word had reached me that the enemy was coming. I had been making preparations to march our armies to meet them in battle.

Her awakening had brought me joy. Daenerys then told me of a dream she'd had, one where Illúvatar had blessed her and our union. Where she'd been given two other gifts. A blessing upon me so that she may never fear to feed from me again, if she should so desire. The other gift, she did not know what it was to be. She awoke too soon to hear it. Whatever that gift was, I felt as if I had been given the better gift: Illúvatar had blessed Daenerys, so she could follow into the West when it was time for me to depart these lands. I would not have to part from her again.

The night of her awakening, when I kissed her, it was as though our bodies had to unite. She and I were desperate to become one. I had never felt such a hunger for her body before. After that, she could see the mingling of our fëa that I'd seen from our first union. I poured my entire heart into our lovemaking that night and when she left the next morning, I hadn't wanted her to go. Something in my heart had begged me to make her stay. It was so hard for me to let her go. After the battles were fought and my talks with Celeborn were done, I only wished to see her again.

Daenerys walked into the room slowly and I did not let myself react to her appearance. She was thinner than I had ever seen her and a small bump on her belly told me that her pregnancy was real. The bruises under her eyes and the hollows of her cheeks made my heart ache. She was not drinking the blood they had tried to bring her and she could not keep the food she ate down for long. I gave her my wrist and this time, her bite actually brought… pleasure. It was most strange and satisfying to feel her lips and tongue lapping at the wound her teeth made, the gentle pulling of her mouth. She didn't feed for long but I was pleased that she immediately looked better. The color returned to her cheeks and the bruises under her eyes were less prominent. I laid her in bed and she curled onto her side to rest. I left her there and began to attend to the things I had mentioned to her.

Legolas, though glad to see me, was of a heavy heart. He had heard the call of the Sea. He had the longing now. My son was happy for the news of Daenerys's pregnancy. He looked forward to meeting his new sibling. But he was concerned for Daenerys, too. She barely spoke to him since he'd sent the message that brought me here.

"She was very angry that I was the one who told you about her condition. I think she would have preferred to tell you herself," he looked worriedly towards where she was currently sleeping. I nodded.

"It is something she asked of me many years ago and it is something that she would have wanted to tell me herself," I responded. "She is very headstrong."

"I'm sorry for what had to be done, Adar. She was not listening and we felt it was best to stop her from hurting herself. When Lucian told me, I could not stand by."

"This… Lucian. I have not met him yet. He is the father of her children?"

"Yes. He has not come near her since he first made her sleep. Her daughters and son are the only ones she has visited with since, aside from the Hobbits and Aragorn."

"I wish to meet them. All four of them. Today," I commanded and a slight frown crossed my son's face.

"You wish to meet Lucian?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No, Adar. I was unsure if I had understood your intention," Legolas responded. "I am sure they would be able to meet with you. How soon?"

"As soon as you are able to make this meeting happen." I turned and nodded to him before I walked away. For several hours, I was in council with Elessar, Elrond and the Steward. There were many matters to discuss and we discussed them at length. When we left that chamber, night was coming. When I returned to Daenerys's room, she was still curled up in bed, sleeping. I found a woman in the hallway passing by and commanded her to bring some food. Fruit, bread and hot broth were brought to the room and a full pitcher of water and a bottle of wine for myself. I set the food on the table next to the bed before I climbed in next to her. I woke her with gentle strokes to her hair and soft words. She gave me a tired, bleary look.

"Thranduil?" her voice was thick with sleep.

"It has been many hours, my love. You must try to eat something," I told her as I helped her to sit up. She decided to settle in my lap and curl up against my chest. I picked up some grapes and handed them to her. She ate them slowly before reaching for the bread. She tore off a piece and dipped it into the broth. She ate slowly and with purpose and I watched her carefully. When she could eat no more, I was pleased that there were only a few pieces of bread left on the plate and the broth was all but gone. There was still some fruit, which she offered to me and I ate them from her fingers. I had to smile when I saw that she looked wistfully at the strawberries, as she always did.

"I've said it before and I will always repeat it: I really wish that I had some chocolate to dip this into. Chocolate covered strawberries were always my favorite," her voice was soft. She closed her eyes and took the strawberry into her mouth, chewing slowly and carefully. She once told me that she always imagined it was covered in chocolate when she ate them. Her sigh of pleasure every time she ate them that way was always pleasant to hear and she would often say that she wished she could share that memory of the taste with me.

"Daenerys," I said softly and she looked up to me with a curious expression as I loosened my robes and then shrugged them from my shoulders, then the shirt and undershirt beneath. "You seemed to get better a lot faster once you fed from me. I would have you regain all of your strength."

"Thranduil… you don't have to do this," she said softly. I cupped her cheek.

"I would have you regain all of your strength," I repeated in a more commanding tone. She closed her eyes and sighed before they opened again and her eyes were that strange black and blue and her mouth was filled with sharper teeth.

"Please, tell me if I hurt you?" she asked quietly and I nodded. Her eyes focused on my neck. She leaned in and pressed a few kisses on the right side before she bit down. Her fingers wove into my hair and I closed my eyes. My head fell back against the wall as that strange pleasure filled me again. It should have hurt, like it did the first time. It should have made me feel weak that she was pulling the blood from my body but I felt strong. My arms wrapped around her and a strange purring noise came from deep in her throat. I could feel her body strengthening in my arms, the thinness that had me worried was filling out. When she let go, she lapped up a few droplets that had escaped her mouth. A tingling sensation came from where she'd bitten me and then her fingers probed the flesh there. "Unmarked," she murmured. "Not even a scar."

"I feel perfectly fine," I told her. I examined her as she leaned back to look at me. Daenerys looked as vibrant as the last time I'd made love to her now. The bruises under her eyes were gone and the gaunt appearance was now full and lively. Her lips were slightly redder and her tongue darted out to remove the evidence of her feeding. Her eyes had returned to normal and I pulled her to me for a kiss that she avoided in favor of a drink of water.

"You shouldn't have to taste blood when you kiss me," she was soft-spoken on that. I pulled the cup she was drinking from her and placed it on the table.

"I will concentrate only on the taste of you, then," I replied and pulled her to me. Her scent, her mouth always tasted sweet to me. She smelled of a spring rain and her mouth always tasted of blueberries and raspberries. Before her, I'd forgotten how comforting and enjoyable a lover's touch could be. Our kisses were gentle and chaste and I found myself wanting more. I'd turned to other desires before her appearance in my life. I'd turned to music and art and matters of the kingdom. Thoughts of love were painful and had been pushed from my mind but were never far from my heart. I'd built a wall up around it to keep out unwanted influences. She broke right through, as though that wall never existed. For that, I loved her more. I had been blind to all but my own pain. She gave me the strength to endure and rise above it.

She pulled away from my wanting lips and pressed kisses to my forehead. Though her strength had returned, she still was tired. I removed my robes and we lay in that bed together while she fell asleep. I poured some wine and drank while she slept, just watching the way she curled into my side. She would run her hand over the small bump on her belly every few minutes. When I put my hand over that spot, her hand stilled on mine and she curled even tighter to me. Daenerys groaned softly in distress when I eventually left the bed. I could not stay there all night, not when I had other things I had planned. Legolas was waiting for me outside the door after I dressed. He led me to the courtyard where I found identical twin women that bore a striking resemblance to the woman I loved and a young man that was very similar in appearance to her and the Man that stood further away from us. The courtyard we were meeting in had once bore the White Tree of Gondor and now held only a seedling. I could only assume that the Man was Lucian and these were the children they had together. I narrowed my eyes slightly at him before beginning a very long, tense meeting.


Daenerys

I woke feeling better than I had in days. It was still dark out and I looked to see where Thranduil had gone but he wasn't in the room with me. I hopped out of bed with a stretch that went through my whole body. All my strength had returned. I was feeling as strong as I had ever before. I'd filled back out into a more natural shape and realized that the clothes I'd been given no longer fit right. They were a little too tight. It wasn't too big of an issue though. A little bit of time spent letting it out would do the trick. But first, there were more important things to tend to. Such as food. I was hungry again. I ate the remaining pieces of fruit and the bread had gone hard. There was no more broth in the bowl for me to dip those pieces in. Wandering out to the hallway and looking for the pantry was my next goal. I'd been there a few times and had foraged for snacks with the Hobbits more than once.

Cold chicken, carrots and broccoli were placed into a pot of water to boil as I toiled in the kitchen to make a bit of soup. Onions and potatoes were chopped and added in. My spirits were up and getting brighter by the moment. I placed a hand over my bump and smiled. I was in a very good mood indeed. I began to hum my favorite song from childhood, 'Magic Dance' from the film Labyrinth. It wasn't long before I was singing the song, dancing to the imaginary music of the tune. I added herbs to the boiling pot and the aroma coming from it was making my hunger grow. So far off in my own world, I did not realize I had an audience until I'd begun singing all of the songs I'd loved as a child. I was in a spirited rendition of 'Hakuna Matata' when I heard a cough. I turned with a start and gasped in surprise.

"Such a spirited song!" laughed Liam. "I've never heard the like before!"

"If you'd been raised by me, you would have. That and many more," I said as I stirred the pot, my heart returning to normal. "I would have loved to teach you and your sisters all of the great songs of my childhood. There were so many I think you would have liked. I still can."

"And they will learn these songs," my eyes widened as I realized that Thranduil was there behind my son, as were my daughters. "Forgive us. We were speaking of our return to Eryn Lasgalen and heard you singing."

"I woke and you were gone. I was hungry," I felt a little foolish now for having sung so loudly. I pulled the finished soup from the stove and found some bowls. I gestured to them to see if anyone wished to join me. My children took bowls but Thranduil did not. "If we are talking about returning home, how long until we make the journey?"

"We will begin our journey in two weeks. I wish to be sure that you are fully recovered before we leave," Thranduil spoke in the tones he used around others when he was being a King. I'd learned long ago that there were two different sides to him: the gentle husband and lover that would tenderly hold me and kiss me in private and the prideful warrior King that showed no quarter to his enemies, strong and fierce.

"Very well," I smiled slightly as I finished ladling soup into the bowls. I took some buns I found and passed them out, keeping two for myself. While my children watched with slightly wide eyes, I ate at least three bowls of soup and four buns. I was surprised by my own appetite. It had increased markedly from before. Even Thranduil's eyebrow was raised by the amount of food I just packed away. "By the Valar, has my appetite grown to Hobbit sized or what?" I laughed with a little blush staining my cheeks. "My body must be making up for what it was missing before."

"You need not worry, Daenerys. It is natural with the Eldar to crave so much more in the first few months," Thranduil assured me with a slight smirk. There was pride in his eyes as he spoke. "Your hunger will return to normal before the sixth month."

"I don't know if I should be worried or relieved," I muttered as I snagged a strawberry from the pantry as I placed the bowls we'd used into a basin meant for cleaning the dishes. Caeryn laughed at me, causing Maelys to laugh as well. I shook my head and smiled.


Time could truly pass quickly when you were happy. I learned this lesson well and enjoyed the fruits of it. When we finally reached Eryn Lasgalen, I was reaching my fifth month and I was starting to need help in getting on and off the horse, though I often found myself riding in front of Thranduil. He enjoyed wrapping his arm around and rubbing my belly every so often while we rode. Caeryn, Maelys and Liam were coming with us and Lucian had decided to stay in Gondor. Apparently, Thranduil and Lucian had met and spoken very plainly with each other. Lucian had measured the kind of man, or Elf, that Thranduil was based on that meeting and he was satisfied that I was being well loved. He told me later that he wanted to make sure I hadn't been coerced into anything and for that, I gave him a kiss on the forehead and a hug. Making up with Legolas was not hard, just embarrassing. Thankfully, he was very understanding and gracious. He was very surprised when I hugged him. I didn't show affection to him usually, so it was something he was not expecting from me.

The forest seemed brighter as we rode through. I leaned back into Thranduil's chest and turned my face up to the sunlight that filtered down through the leaves. I sighed in enjoyment of the movement of the elk we rode, of the warm air and of the feeling of being held. I gasped slightly as I felt a kick. The first kick. It happened again and I didn't want Thranduil to miss it, so I pulled his hand from my hip and placed it in the perfect spot for him to feel what I hoped would happen again. Looking up at his face while I did this, I saw curiosity and then joy fill his eyes at the movement. We exchanged grins.

Reaching the Halls of the Kingdom, it spread through quickly that the Queen was with child. It was known that I had been returned to the King a few months ago, so it wasn't a scandal. Guards and healers surrounded me and I was taken to where I could be examined and fawned over. Once satisfied that I was fine, I was able to make my way to the dining hall. Although I was able to dine in finer accommodations, I preferred the company of the Elves I'd grown fond of and friendly with. My appetite was still very strong but it had begun to wane. Thranduil and I had gotten into a nightly routine where he would let me feed from him, at his insistence. We had discussed the strange pleasure he seemed to derive from my bite but we had no idea what it meant. I theorized that because Illúvatar had given him the ability to nourish me from his own blood at any time without the consequence of death that he did not want one of his children to suffer in the process. Making it into a pleasurable experience made sense that way.

The weeks progressed with great ease after our return. The triplets were spending a lot of time wandering through the kingdom and with me. My daughters were talented singers and my son was fair with a piano. They would sit and listen to the music I'd play and the songs I'd sing before begging for me to teach them. Nights were joyous because I'd get to tell them stories that I'd always wanted to tell them. I told my favorite Grimm fairy tales and I would tell them the Disney version, the singing of all the songs included. Thranduil was there for some of this and let out a rare laugh when I started singing "Under the Sea" in an accent that was supposed to sound like Sebastian's Jamaican accent. It startled some of the people who'd been there at the time. I was used to him laughing when we were in private, so his smooth tones lifted in mirth weren't such a shock.

Of late, our private time together had become more intense than ever. At night, Thranduil would caress my body tenderly or he would kiss burning trails across my skin. When we made love, it was slow and torturous to me. He knew my body well and he played it to his advantage that he would make me sigh and cry out from his ministrations. I was at his mercy and found I didn't feel the need to put him at mine as much anymore. He would stare at my growing belly with unrestrained joy and pride. He had taken to laying his head on my chest as I fell asleep at night so that he could listen to my heartbeat and, with his keen hearing, hear that of our child.

Our lovemaking stopped at the eighth month when I had a scare that I was going to give birth early. Elvish pregnancies last for one year and when I had started feeling like I was having contractions, it had scared me silly. The midwife told me that I likely had another two months left, taking into consideration that my heritage could shorten the time by a month, perhaps more. By the size of my belly, I was sure that I might be carrying twins again but I couldn't know without an ultrasound and when I tried to listen for the child's heartbeat with my own superior hearing, I couldn't figure out if it were one heart or two that I caught. Either way, I was excited at the prospect. Legolas returned to Mirkwood to gather volunteers to move to Ithilien and rejuvenate the forest there. I suspected that his motives were also to be present at the birth of his younger sibling.

On the day that I finally gave birth it had been eleven months to the day. I was busy tuning a new guitar when the string snapped. I jerked my hand back in pain. There was a nice little red mark on my skin, just below my wrist on my left hand from where the string had snapped back. At least I'm not bleeding. Still stings, though, I thought as I rose to grab another string from the supplies. I was huge. I felt like the Titanic and knew any day this ship was sinking. Whenever I waddled through the kingdom, there were always Elves that were trying to help me walk. I had no balance anymore and fell over easily. It amused Thranduil endlessly that I was unable to keep standing for more than a few minutes without tipping to one side or another. I told him that there was something that people did in the countryside of my world called 'cow tipping,' and that's how I felt these days. Except there weren't any rambunctious teenagers tipping me over, it was my own equilibrium that was causing it for me.

On this day, Maedros was there to help me stay balanced and he already had a new string in hand for me. I took a step forward to grab it and hot liquid rushed from between my thighs. Looking down, there was a growing puddle of clear fluid that soaked my slippers and spread across the floor. With wide eyes, I looked up and saw the confusion on my friend's face.

"Get Thranduil. Now. The child comes!" I whispered as I took a seat again. I wasn't moving from this spot. I wasn't taking chances this time. This child would be born naturally, not by a dagger. Maedros nodded and took off in a sprint, hair fluttering behind him. I was shaking with excitement and nerves by the time Thranduil arrived. His hauntingly beautiful face was twisted into a mixture of excitement, nervousness and joy. He gently caressed my cheek.

"It is time?" He asked softly. I nodded. Already I was getting some tension in the muscles of my belly. Contractions were starting. He moved to pick me up but I shook my head.

"I want to walk. It's supposed to be good for the birth if I'm up and walking," I muttered as I concentrated on standing up. I required a little help standing up again. He walked behind me, hands on my waist to keep me steady as we walked to our room. I stopped several times, grasping his hand desperately while a contraction burned through me and garnered stares and whispers of excitement from the people as we passed them. There was a thin sheen of sweat on my forehead by the time we reached our destination and I could hear the steps of the midwife behind us. She smiled at me and led me to the bed. Maedros was dismissed, though he had a concerned look on his face. I smiled and waved at him as he left.

"My lady, you are correct. Please, lay back and I will examine how far along you are in the process of birth," she said to me while I followed her instructions. She lifted the skirts that were in her way and examined me carefully. A small smile crossed her lips. "You are in just the beginning stages, my lady. I would say that for now, you should continue walking around. I will monitor your progress every hour."

For several hours, I would walk around and she would check my progress. Caeryn and Maelys visited with me, as did Liam. Friends to Thranduil and myself would come by to see if the child had arrived yet. Sixteen hours passed before I was ready to push. It was obvious that Thranduil was concerned that things weren't going faster. Elves must not have such a long labor if he's looking so worried. I didn't lay on the bed when it was time. I had changed into an older shift and Thranduil was standing behind me, giving me support and holding my hands. The midwife, Cíwel, was at my feet coaxing me. I was soaked through with sweat as the next contraction burned through me. I pushed as I was bade to and was rewarded with an exclamation of excitement as the child's head could be seen. With the second push, the head emerged. Thranduil was the only reason I was still standing. He was bearing my entire weight. I was grateful that Elves were naturally so much stronger than humans.

"One more push, my lady!" Cíwel encouraged. I leaned my head against my love's chest and took a breath as another contraction ripped through me. I pushed with a cry of determination and felt the child slip out into the midwife's waiting arms. I sagged and panted as she tied off the umbilical cord and then cut it. She cleaned the ichor from the child's face and we looked on eagerly. "A daughter, my King! You have a daughter! Praise Eru Illúvatar!"

I laughed and was guided to the bed to rest. I still had to pass the placenta but I could rest for the moment while I got the chance to hold my new daughter. As I held out my arms to hold my child, I felt a deep pressure in my pelvis. I hadn't yet laid down on the bed and cried out in surprise when my body demanded I push. The placenta? Already? I thought. Cíwel gently handed Thranduil his first-born daughter and rushed to me. Another healer was on hand in case of an emergency and he stepped forward to assist.

"My lady! Another head is crowning!" cried the midwife in surprise. Thranduil's eyes widened and he looked to me in wonder. I was giving him two children. He gently rocked the weeping babe he already cradled in his arms. I moaned as I pushed a second time. Moments felt like hours as another contraction came and I pushed a third time. The child was guided out by the experienced hands of Cíwel and I leaned back against the bed for the support I needed. "Another daughter!" cried the surprised and joyful Elf.

I was given a few moments before I was ready to birth the placenta. There were two of them, which told me that they were fraternal twins. I was cleaned up and helped into the bed by the other healer while Cíwel looked over my newborn infants. The youngest was gently laid in my arms wrapped in a bundle of small warm blankets. She opened her eyes as she cried and I was joyful to see her father's blue shining back at me. Thranduil came beside me and knelt down so that I could see the older of the two. She would have my darker eyes when she grew up, I could tell. They were beautiful, the most beautiful infants I had ever seen. They had delicate features that I couldn't stop looking at and their leaf-shaped ears stole my heart on sight.

"I never dreamed I would have more children," Thranduil murmured softly to me, to them. His eyes were alight with a joy and fire that raised my own heart. "And then you came and changed everything. My wife! My daughters! No gold, no silver, no gem is more precious than my children! Send word to the people! There are two new princesses of Eryn Lasgalen!"

The other healer was smiling and left with a bow. From behind the door that he left through, Legolas came in and a surprised look crossed his face when he saw two bundles instead of one. I was exhausted as I gestured for him to come closer.

"Twins?" he asked softly. I nodded and smiled.

"You have two baby sisters to visit as often as you can," I murmured. I looked to Thranduil and his eyes were glued to the bundle in his arms and a gentle smile was plastered to his lips. His gaze shifted to the squirming infant in my arms and the smile grew. He was alight with love. Unexpectedly, he put an arm around Legolas and in an unusual show of affection, placed a kiss on his eldest son's hair before placing a gentle kiss on each of his daughter's foreheads. Then he kissed me sweetly on the lips. Nothing but joy shown in him.

That night, we could hear the celebrations from our room as the people rejoiced at a safe birth and at the unexpected joy of the twins. I had pillows piled on either side of my body and one babe suckled my breast on each side under my watchful eye. I had trembled briefly after they were born. I was terrified that a yawning black portal would open up behind me and steal me away as it had before. When none came, I was slow but happy to let myself enjoy these pleasant moments as much as I could. Thranduil did not leave my side as I nursed, nor did he care if he was missing the celebrations. He was enamored with his daughters.

We had spoken at length on what we would name our child. He told me that it was traditional for the father of the child to name it and later, when it was older, the mother could give a second name based upon the child's personality. I had been disappointed at first but I didn't argue. I only asked that I could give input on the meaning of the names. The ceremony where we would name our daughters would be taking place in a few days' time. I was exhausted and loved every second of it. It was no small fear I had, however, that Liam, Maelys and Caeryn would see how I was with their new sisters and become envious. I was afraid they would be angry that they could not receive my attentions in the way their sisters would and they were right to be angry, if they were to become so. They should have had the chance to be loved by their mother in this way.

"They are so tiny, so beautiful," I sighed as my fingers delicately stroked their tiny hands. For the thousandth time, and certainly not the last, Thranduil leaned in to kiss me chastely on the lips. I could practically see the pride in his eyes when he looked at the three of us, the love and adoration. I'd seen such looks before but now it was very intense. I knew that he would never let harm fall upon any of us, ever. And my heart broke a little with the knowledge that eventually, I was going to be pulled from his grasp, from this world. He was an Elf with renewed purpose since I'd become his wife. When I left this world, whenever that might be, I feared he would crumble. I hadn't the heart to tell him that I feared being taken again. I think we both had assumed that because Gandalf had stopped it the last time that the cycle was broken.

I felt the younger of the two detach from my breast and motioned for Thranduil to take her. He easily and gently lifted her and with a cloth on his shoulder began to rub and soothe her back until she burped delicately. I pulled my breast back into my shift and waited until the other was no longer suckling before I lifted her and did the same. The crib that Thranduil himself had constructed was large enough to accommodate both children for now but there would need to be a second crib soon. I looked tenderly upon the infant in my arms. Dark eyes looked back and a yawn erupted from her delicate lips. I was in love all over again.

Days passed and soon the naming ceremony was upon us. Thranduil named the eldest Síriel and the youngest Lírel, River and Song. I refused to feed from Thranduil when offered for the next few weeks. My body slowly returned to its natural shape in its own time. Time passed so quickly for us. The budding romance between Elrohir and Caeryn became a full-blown courtship. It wasn't more than a few years before he came to me and quietly asked for my blessing in his desire to pledge himself to her. I told him that she was an immortal, like myself, and that he could choose the life of the Eldar. He was pleased to hear this and smiled. He'd wished to ask Lucian's blessing as well but he could not be found. After the War of the Ring, he had left civilization and gone back to the Wilds. None had heard of him since.

The one year engagement was over before I knew it and Elrohir and Caeryn wed in Eryn Lasgalen so that I might not need to travel away from my young ones. Nothing ever became of Maelys and Legolas. They became good friends but nothing more. Lírel and Síriel were like night and day as they grew. Amazingly, Síriel grew to have dark blue eyes that mirrored the rivers she had been named for. They were stormy and perilous. Her hair was blonde, though a darker blonde wavy than either her father or her brother. Lírel had the exact same shade of blue eyes as her father and dark brown curly hair that fell in rivulets that any hair stylist would have been envious of. There were natural red highlights that shown brightly when she stood in the sunlight. Every day, Thranduil and I marveled at the children we were raising. Síriel was becoming a vibrant and passionate elleth that loved learning the art of war from her father, who trained her personally in sword work. When Legolas would visit, he would test her skills in archery and in close-quarter combat. She was becoming a most proficient and deadly warrior.

Lírel was a more gentle soul and had a passion for art and music. She was especially gifted with the cello and had caught many eyes as she grew into adulthood. She learned to fight, as all Elves did, but she enjoyed musical pursuits far more. She was oblivious to all other things, including those ellons that tried to gain her favor. Her music was all. Both of them were able to take after me, if they got angry enough. Their strength was frightening when they fought for their lives. I'd only seen it on one occasion. We were traveling to Imladris together to speak with Elladan and Elrohir on familial matters. Elrond, Galadriel and Gandalf had long since departed to the West and the twin sons were the Lords of the Last Homely House now. We were capable of making the trip with just three of us but we were given a strong escort on command of the King.

We'd barely made it half way there when a band of Orcs came upon us. They were a larger group and they had set their sights on destroying us. When cornered and disarmed, Lírel and Síriel had changed before my eyes. The light of the Eldar within them was always luminous to the eye but it became brighter in them both, their eyes both turned to the electric blue irises I would sport when I let my Hybrid nature take over. The whites of their eyes remained. Their canine teeth and the teeth next to them became more pointed but not all of them would change. They became more beautiful in this state, almost entrancing to look at. They tore the armor and flesh of the filthy creatures like tissue paper with their bare hands. I'd never seen anything like it but I did not fear it. I was grateful that they had never tasted blood before. If they ever were to prefer that over normal food, they would be terrifying in the pursuit.

We spent a good amount of time there, at least a year, before visiting Gondor and returning home. We spent several months there. I enjoyed spending time with Arwen, who was looking the same as ever. Aragorn, now called King Elessar, was growing more and more silver-haired every day. Legolas and the Elves that had followed him to Ithilien had done a marvelous job in rejuvenating the forest there and it was beautiful to walk among those trees. It was a relief to return to Thranduil, though. We remained in Eryn Lasgalen for a long, long time. It was nearly Síriel and Lírel's birthday, which I insisted be marked as well as the day they were conceived, when they requested to travel to Imladris again. They wished to spend that time with both of their sisters and brother at once. Liam had taken a human wife after visiting Dale some hundred years past, a woman whom was also the descendant of Arradir as it turned out. Her name was Anwen and she was a solemn but sweet woman. He asked me to turn her, for he was fearful that he would kill her by accident. She was brave and didn't turn away from my fearsome countenance.

Maelys had not yet found love but had been living among Men in Gondor for some time and sent word that she would be with us on the appointed day. Caeryn and Elrohir were still there with Elladan in Imladris. They were waiting to cross into the West until after the passing of Arwen's grandson, the current King of Gondor. I sighed as I thought of the time I'd spent in this world. 848 years. The years have been kind. I've found love, true love. I've gotten to know my children and bared the children of the one I can no longer live without. I have found my happiness, I thought with a little smile on my face. We were just about to clear the forests of Eryn Lasgalen for the first leg of our journey. Thranduil had insisted on escorting us through to the edge of our lands and rode beside me on his elk. My own horse was a sturdy white mare that I'd had for the last several years. Her name was Miss Edwina. One could easily guess what the name would have been if he'd been a stallion.

We had just cleared the border and were about to speak our last parting words when a sensation I hadn't felt since Gandalf had stopped it all those years ago. I had ridden a few yards out and turned to look back at the silver-blond haired Elf I loved with a smile that he returned with only a slight quirk of his lips. And then the pain came. It was far more intense than it had ever been and I fell off Miss Edwina with a gasp. The burning and freezing on my chest outweighed the agony of my arm. Thranduil and other Elves rushed to my side and I held up my hand to prevent them from coming closer.

"Daenerys, let me help you!" he cried and I shook my head.

"I can't! I don't know what will happen if you get too close! I won't risk it!" I cried. I screamed in pain as the black hole opened behind me. "I love you! Forever!"

The last thing I saw of Middle Earth was Thranduil's horrified expression and Síriel's hand reaching out to me. I was falling between the worlds and when the falling stopped, I was in the office I once knew so well. It was empty of people and I saw that it was dark outside. I curled up on the floor and began to sob. I gave up on being here! I wanted to be with Thranduil! I thought brokenly. I felt the pain in my heart from this separation tear at me. Not since the quest I'd set out on with the Fellowship had I been so far from my love. I don't know how long I lay there, curled up into a quivering ball of sorrow. It must have been hours because when I heard the thick book drop from his hands, I looked up to see Rupert Giles with his mouth wide open in shock. He stepped forward and slowly reached out to me and I threw myself into his arms.

"Danni?" he whispered and I just cried harder. I didn't want to be here. "Where have you been?"

"How long?" I croaked through the tears I shed against his vest. He stroked my hair comfortingly, like a father would a daughter. "How long was I gone?"

"Several months," came the quiet answer. "Today is Halloween."

"Only a few months?" I asked faintly.

"How long were you there for, Danni?" he asked as he pulled away to look at me. I'd had short hair the last time he saw me.

"848 years," I responded after a moment. His eyes widened.

"Good lord," he whispered. "You must have expected your children to have been completely grown up when you came back."

I looked at him in surprise and then felt the grief wash over me again. Caeryn, Maelys and Liam. I'd been taken from them again. And now Síriel and Lírel. I ached for Thranduil to be here and knew that there was every chance that I would never see him again. The time I'd spent in Arda had changed me. I was no longer willing to kill people to get what I wanted. Even if they were scumbags, I couldn't bear the thought of killing without just cause any more.

"Danni… You should know that they disappeared…" Rupert began.

"I know. They were brought to the world I was just in," I replied with tears falling down my cheeks.

"When they were here, Snyder made it very difficult for us when they are brought over. Buffy was in a panic when they disappeared," he replied as he detangled himself from me and my travel clothes. Although I was dressed for traveling to Imladris, I was still wearing a shimmering, elegant gown that was tailored to my body. It flowed to the floor and dragged a little behind me. My boots went to my knees and were well formed to my calves and were of a similar color to the shimmering oranges and golds of my dress. The cloak I wore was warm and golden on the exterior but a flaming orange on the interior. I wore a jeweled circlet on my head that was crafted with one of the Jewels of Lasgalen at its heart, a gift from Thranduil on the first anniversary of our union. I had the sword I'd been given by Elladan and Elrohir strapped to one side and the sword Thranduil had given me on the other.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and rubbed at my eyes as I stood up. If today was Halloween, then no one would look at me twice for wearing this out in public. "Who is Snyder?"

"Principal Snyder. He's taken over since you were last here. He's a deplorable little weasel, if you ask me," Rupert said as he lent me a hand to help me get steady. I would have laughed if I'd had the heart.

"What did you guys tell everyone when I disappeared?" I asked more out of curiosity than actually caring. It would be nice to know if I still had a job, I supposed.

"The shock of Principal Flutie's death caused you to go into premature labor and you have been slowly recovering at home. Snyder tried to get rid of your position but I took it up with the school board and there was also the threat of a lawsuit in there. You've been getting paid your salary in your absence."

I nodded faintly. I felt another wave of grief wash over me and I sat in my office chair. Although there were a few things I didn't recognize in there, my office was exactly the same as when I left it. I would have preferred to be back in Arda.

"What's wrong? You look terribly sad," he asked as he knelt down in front of me.

"I've been gone for more than 800 years, Rupert. Here, it's been just a few months. During the time I was gone, I found my soulmate. My soulmate. I had two daughters with him. I'd thought that you all had turned to dust by now. I want my soulmate. I want Thranduil," Rupert gathered me into his arms again and I wept brokenly.

It wasn't until a student came into the library looking for something that Rupert let me go and I felt like a part of me had frozen. I stared off into nothing, my arms wrapped around myself, as though they were holding two broken halves together. I barely noticed when Rupert came back, so lost was I. I didn't even notice when he returned a short while later with his keys to his car. He quietly helped me up and led me out into the empty hallways. It was between classes. I didn't care. I was destined to become a shell without Thranduil. I'd still be able to perform any tasks appointed to me but the burning fire had gone out.

Rupert guided me to the passenger seat of his small car. He buckled me in and glanced at me worriedly. I didn't even blink when the door was shut. I stared blankly out the window, my arms wrapped around my middle, my heart breaking with every beat against my breast. A single tear traced the dried paths of the tears from before down my cheek. I didn't register anything until he stopped at a stoplight on the way to the apartment. I unbuckled my seatbelt and hopped out of the car while it idled behind a smaller blue Honda. I ignored Rupert's indignant and pleading calls as I wandered over to the woods behind the mall. I would feel more comfortable there, I was sure of it. I could take the time to be reminded of the joy I'd felt in the woods of Mirkwood, now called Eryn Lasgalen. I found myself running deep into the forest until I came upon a small clearing. I collapsed to my knees and let the wail that had been begging to be freed race from my lips.

"Thranduil!" came my anguished cry and I fell to my side in a fetal position. I must have been there for some time but I didn't notice that sort of thing anymore. I only looked towards the other end of the clearing and shook with silent tears. By the time I finally had the strength to stand up, night had fallen. The woods were dark and had an air of mystery that went completely ignored. The sounds of children laughing and begging for candy as they went from door to door filled the air. In my formal traveling clothes, with my circlet and swords, I was not even slightly out of place. Walking through the streets brought a little clarity I'd needed sorely. I will never see him again, I thought with an ache in my chest. That hole that existed right where my heart had been would never heal. I must tend to the duties I have here. I have to remember how to do what I did before.

I was nearly to the apartment when the first terrified screams ripped through the once joyous night. Drawing my swords, I put myself into a defensive position that I'd learned from Maedros. Children were running around and so were dozens of small demons. More than I'd ever seen in my life. Unsure of what to do, I started heading down the street towards where I knew Buffy lived. If nothing else, she might know what in the hell was going on. My sorrow would have to wait. As I passed a group of children, I thought I saw a familiar face with long silver-blond hair wearing a dark suit but shook my head and blinked. It was impossible. It was my longing that made me imagine it was him. I turned away and continued down the street until I found Willow dressed in a maroon top that showed far more skin than I'd ever seen from the girl and a short black skirt. Her red hair was tied up on her head and she looked distinctly panicked. Xander was there holding a rather real looking military grade machine rifle and green fatigues. He pointed the gun at me as I stepped forward and Willow looked terrified.

"Xander! Stop! She's a friend!" the girl cried out before turning to me and beginning to babble, "Your name is Danni and you're our friend and you're not out of medieval times, okay? You are the assistant librarian at the school and you… Hey… when did you get back? I mean, you are Danni, right? You look like Danni but she got sucked into a black portal-y thing and that was months ago. Oh, I'm getting confused…"

"Willow, it's me," I told her gently. "I know who I am. Why would you think I don't?"

"Because Xander dressed up as an army guy and now he doesn't know who he is and neither do any of the other people I've seen. All these little demons are really kids! I saw the kids I was taking around turn right before my eyes!" she replied.

"And what did you go as…?" I asked with a raised brow. She looked down and used her arms to cover herself.

"I went as a ghost," Willow responded self-consciously.

"The ghost of… what?" I frowned.

"N-nothing," she ground out and then looked around. "We need to find Buffy!"

"What is a Buffy?" Xander asked as he shot off a few rounds into the air. It scared some of the demon children away from them for a moment but that wouldn't last long.

"Not what, who. She's—BUFFY!" Willow cried and our eyes were drawn to a tiny woman in a very bright fuchsia 18th century gown with long brown hair that had been shaken from whatever had held it up. She looked sorely confused and scared. When Willow approached and Xander behind her, she cried out in fear. I had to roll my eyes. If she became her costume, then she became the most helpless and idiotic creature imaginable – a noble woman. Most noble women I'd known in my life were morons that could barely breathe without someone telling them how. Why Buffy had chosen such a costume made me want to cringe. These were not smart people. Their job was just to look beautiful and hope that the person they married had enough money to sustain their lifestyle. I'd played the part of one of these nimrods for a short while after arriving in the new Americas and had probably lowered my IQ in the process.

"By all that is good in the world, please tell me that she didn't really become one of those simpering idiots?" I questioned as I used the flat side of my swords to slap at the bottoms of some smaller demons that got too close. Surveying the area around us, I noticed that the tall man in the suit with the long blond hair was staring at me still. He hadn't moved since settling in his place save to step out of the way of the transformed children when they got too close. Something about him was familiar to me. I tore my eyes away as Willow suggested that we go someplace nearby. It was a relief to see that she meant Buffy's house and I looked back to see the man was not following. I followed closely behind and only stopped to fight off another transformed child that had a pair of wicked looking swords. I overpowered him and kicked him back, pulled the swords from his hands and dug them into a nearby tree. The door to the kitchen was slammed shut as soon as I was inside. I walked into the living room to discover that Cordelia was there as well, having been rescued by Xander moments before. She was dressed in a cat costume and Willow was trying to explain that she was still a human, not a feline. I sighed. This was going to be a long, very irritating night.