Summary: The time has come for Arwen to have her baby. Rated K+ by Caitie (Arwen & Legolas)

3015

Arwen's eyes flew open as a sudden pain exploded in her lower abdomen. The autumn air was crisp and still, not a single breeze tonight. As the pain dissipated Arwen took in the small decrepit cabin they had found for the night. It was exceptionally small, and there were spaces in between the slats of wood that made up the four walls, the door didn't even hang straight on its hinges anymore. Inside there was only a narrow bed which everyone had insisted Arwen take no matter how uncomfortable she had found it, and a rickety table. Legolas slept on the floor beside the bed, as close to Arwen as he could get without actually being on the bed, seeing as it was too small for the both of them.

Another pain crashed down on Arwen and her hand fell from the low bed to touch Leoglas' shoulder. He woke up easily, never being a very deep sleeper. "What's wrong?" he asked, always assuming the worst. He sat up, and looked at her. They had always been able to communicate without words and now was no exception. "Aragorn!" He shouted, even though he slept just a few feet away with Eowyn.

"No," Arwen said. "It's too soon." She started to sit up but another pain had her lying on her back again within seconds. Legolas climbed up onto the bed and sat beside Arwen, holding one of her hands tightly in both of his.

Aragorn was by the bed within a minute. "Is it time?" he asked, looking down at Arwen.

She nodded. "But it's too soon, isn't it?" she asked worriedly. The worry of a mother already in her.

Aragorn laughed. "Try telling the baby that. It seems, your child is eager to come out, which doesn't surprise me with you two as its parents. Patience is clearly not your strong suit." He turned to look at Eowyn who was slowly, but surely, waking up. "Eowyn," he said smoothly. She looked up, her eyes groggy. "We need water and cloth." She nodded silently before rummaging through their packs. Turning his attention back to Arwen, he put his hand on her stomach, feeling for the baby's head. "Can I take a look?" he asked. Arwen nodded, bending her legs at the knees and lifting her skirt. "How long have you been having pains in your stomach for?" Aragorn asked, looking up slightly concerned.

"All night," she answered.

Aragorn cocked and a smile. "And you only just thought to tell us now?" he asked. "Arwen, you could have this baby at any second now?"

Another pain in Arwen stomach had her squeezing her eyes shut and grabbing at Legolas' hand tightly. She let out a small weak sound that broke Legolas' heart to hear.

"Eowyn, we need it now!" Aragorn shouted, an urgency in his voice that she had never heard before. She dropped all the blankets and water skins she could find on the rickety table in the corner then dragged it over to the bed, ignoring the creaking floorboards as she went. "I need light," Aragorn said. Eowyn looked around the room, there wasn't a single window or anything she could use for a torch within sight. She sighed before her eyes came to rest on the wall behind Aragorn. She smiled as she grabbed at one of the wooden slats that was clearly rotting away and pulled at it with all her strength till it came loose. Moonlight flooded the small cabin and she smiled proudly to herself.

"Destroying somebody else's property, I see," Arwen said weakly.

Eowyn turned to look at her friend, sweat covered Arwen's brow and her hair was in disarray, but she still looked beautiful. "I don't think the owner is going to mind," she answered. "It's an improvement."

Arwen laughed. "Of course it is."

"You're supposed to be focusing on having a baby," Eowyn pointed out. "You're not supposed to be commenting on my redecorating skills."

"Well it's hard to focus when you're making so much noi…" She stopped mid-word as another wave of pain hit her.

"It's time to push, Arwen," Aragorn said. Arwen nodded without saying a word.

Eowyn stood off a bit, not knowing what to do or where to go. The next few minutes seemed to stretch on as she watched Arwen's face, she was in so much pain but there was nothing anyone was able to do about it. She looked to Legolas, it clear the pain that Arwen was in was eating him alive. He had shifted to sit behind her, supporting her as she tried to push her baby out.

Aragorn's face was a mask of concentration. "I see the head," he said loudly. "Just a few more pushes, Arwen."

Within the next minute they heard a tiny cry, so pure and innocent. Aragorn held the small infant up so Arwen could see it. "It's a boy," he said. Arwen laughed amid the pain she was still in. Eowyn grabbed one of the blankets from off the table, delicately she and Aragorn wrapped the baby to keep him warm before Eowyn carried him over to his mother. Arwen's arms were outstretched as she reached for her son. The baby's cries stopped as he was held by his mother, as if knowing that Arwen was his mother already.

Tears fell from Arwen's eyes as she held her son in her arms, his eyes closed as he slept in his mother's arms. She looked up at Legolas, smiling so brightly that it could have lit the night sky. Legolas kissed the top of her head, still sitting behind her.

The moment was perfect, but perfection can only last so long. Another wave of pain hit Arwen so bad that she reluctantly passed her son back to Eowyn. Aragorn came back to Arwen. "There's another baby," he said suddenly as he inspected Arwen once more.

"Twins!" Legolas exclaimed.

Arwen cried out in pain. "Yes, twins," Aragorn answered. As the baby in Eowyn's arms started to cry. "You need to push again, Arwen."

"I can't," she said, her tears of joy replaced by tears of pain. "I can't anymore."

Aragorn looked at Legolas. "Yes, you can, Arwen," Legolas said soothingly. "You can do it. Think of family we'll have, it's just a couple more pushes." Arwen cried out again as she pushed. "You're doing great, Arwen." He kissed the top of her head. "Just a couple more."

With one more push and a cry the baby came out. "This one's a girl," Aragorn said, smiling. He grabbed a blanket from the table and wrapped the little girl in it. He leaned forward, handing the infant to Arwen. Eowyn walked back over to the bed and passed the little boy to Legolas.

Aragorn and Eowyn took a step back and watched the new parent with their babies. "They look perfect," Eowyn said. She turned to look at Aragorn who was rinsing the blood off of his hands.

"Yes, they do."

..::..

Pale sunlight filtered into the one room cabin through the makeshift window Eowyn had created. Arwen sat cross legged on the bed, her daughter resting in her lap asleep. Legolas was sitting on the bed against the wall holding their son who also was fast asleep. "We never even thought about names," Arwen said quietly.

Legolas looked up. "I suppose they do need names." The corner of Arwen's mouth turned up in a half-smile. "What about Tauriel?" Arwen looked at him, the half-smile gone. "I was kidding," he said laughing.

"That's not funny."

Legolas chuckled to himself. "How about Alesse?"

Arwen scrunched her nose and shook her head. "Alida," Arwen said quietly.

"What was that, Arwen?" Legolas asked.

"Alida," she said again.

"I like it. Now for your name," he said, looking down at his son. "He needs a good, strong name."

"Leonid," Arwen suggested.

"Yes," Legolas held his son up. "Leonid, that's a name for a warrior." He cradled Leonid against his chest once more before leaning towards Arwen to kiss her lips. "Leonid and Alida," he said their names slowly. "We make good looking babies."