Because I Knew You

Aisling sighed as she looked out over the countryside, a smile playing on her lips. She was back home. And she was in dire need of a break from the city and the constant buzz of press that when April came around again, she leapt at the chance to make her annual trip back to the Oklahoma house. She had wanted to do Christmas here, but Hal had talked her into Christmas in London, then New Year's in New York City, her cousins and his sister and brother-in-law in tow.

And well, Owen and Randolph had been part of it, too.

But this trip, it was just her and Hal. At least for the time being. Liam and Tiernan were set to come down for the weekend, all of them invited to Avery and Amanda's wedding, which was - finally - happening.

"I now understand just what you were talking about when you spoke of this place," Hal said.

She looked over, watching as he walked towards her from the back door, two wine glasses in hand. He held one out to her that she took, sipping at it as she drank in the sight of him.

She was still getting used to the fact that he spoke more modernly, but they had very easily - and quickly - fallen into where they had left off. Which had her cousins in a tizzy, neither understanding just how it was they were so completely in love with each other after first meeting. The merger had - obviously - gone through without a hitch. Though Aisling and Hal struggled with hiding their feelings towards each other from her cousins until a time when they would understand.

In the long nights Aisling and Hal spent together after the gala, he had told the entire story to Aisling. Where he was born and his family, the Lloyds. At first, he hadn't remembered anything, thinking he was just Harold Lloyd, younger brother to Gabrielle Lloyd and expected to one day take over the family business. He lived a life of privilege in England - large country house with an almost as large home in London. Only attending the best schools. And then in high school, he began having dreams of another place. He later realized he was dreaming about Middle Earth. One day in university, everything came rushing back to him in one go and he nearly lost it until Gabi came to the rescue, explaining that it was all real. That he was remembering a past life. And that she knew this because she and her husband were actually Galadriel and Celeborn. That somehow with Gandalf's help, they had all been reborn in this life - in Aisling's world.

That was the day he started searching for Aisling. Once he got over the shock, that is.

He finished up university, meeting Owen and Randolph along the way, though he was sad that they didn't recall anything about Middle Earth. It didn't change the closeness they all had, though. He then took over the business, working alongside Gabi and still searching for Aisling at every event he attended, pretty much anywhere he had gone. It was receiving a phone call from Tiernan, expressing an interest in meeting and discussing business while he was on a trip to London that he finally found her. The name had struck a chord with him, so Hal started looking into the Hughes and found a photograph of Aisling. He was then determined to find a way to get close to her, though he was yet unsure if she would know him. They had just made arrangements to come to the gala when he read about her accident in the storm and he knew that it was time.

The rest, as they say, was history. They met, remembered each other, and had barely separated since then, though Hal did have to eventually return to London after they made the deal. Though Aisling finagled a few trips there in the name of business. But then it became far too obvious that her trips weren't merely about business.

Gabi and Callum were happy about everything - as they would be, both of them retaining all their memories of Middle Earth from the get-go. Liam was confused. Tiernan was… cautious. But eventually they both came around, but not before a massive blowout when Hal had proposed on New Year's Eve at the massive party at Aisling and Liam's townhouse, both of them thinking it was far, far too soon for Aisling and Hal to get married.

But they were both now seemingly on board. The wedding was set to take place the week of the gala at the hotel in New York. Then they would set off for a second honeymoon - both of them taking off a few months to travel around the world.

But these two weeks in Oklahoma were about Aisling and Hal. She was dying to show him her home here so he could see with his own eyes all the things she had told him about in Middle Earth. They had just gotten in and ran into Ethan and Elijah in town while shopping, Hal's mouth nearly dropping open when he met the twins. They would meet the rest of the family tomorrow night at a get-together Aisling was hosting at the country house for Amanda and Avery.

Before that, they would go to the cemetery where her parents were buried tomorrow morning, but tonight they were just relaxing.

"Oklahoma is rather peaceful," he said, sitting in the chair next to her, taking her hand and kissing it. Aisling smiled and looked back out.

"Yea, I kinda like it," she said lightly.

"It's the perfect place to raise children," Hal then said, causing her to look back at him, her eyes wide and cheeks flushed. He only smiled as he took a sip of his wine. "I do recall you saying something about hoping to someday be the mother of my children on our wedding night."

"I did, didn't I," she replied. "But we should probably wait until after the second wedding. I'm pretty sure both Liam and Tiernan would lose it. I mean, part of the reason behind that blowup was because they thought you had already knocked me up."

Hal chuckled and shook his head.

"It's not as though we haven't put in the effort," he said, winking at her. Aisling rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, I'm surprised I didn't end up pregnant in Middle Earth. Not like I brought my pills with me," she said. "And well… certainly put in the effort there."

"That we most certainly did," Hal replied with a chuckle, though she could see the simmering of desire in his eyes. "And well, I wasn't sure, but I'm very happy that things in that department remain the same."

Aisling blushed as she looked down at her wine glass, sure that she was about one second from pulling her clothes off and riding him in his chair there on the deck if she kept looking at him. Even though Hal was most definitely mortal here, the bond they had shared as husband and wife in Middle Earth was still there, connecting them in exactly the same way. Even when they were on different continents, she could feel him. Knew when he was upset or happy. And it made it very difficult to leave his hotel room those first few days after they reunited.

"Right, so this Avery and Amanda… they are the doppelgangers of Aragorn and Arwen," Hal then said, sensing it was probably best to change subjects. Aisling looked over at him and nodded.

"And you've already met those for her brothers - Ethan and Elijah," she said.

"They're very much the same as Elladan and Elrohir, aren't they?" he asked. Aisling chuckled and nodded.

"Just like Owen and Randy are pretty much the same as Orophin and Rumil. Though I think modern times have only made Or-Owen worse. Now he's free to sleep with whoever," Aisling said. "By the way, has Randy decided whether or not he's bringing Dana?"

"I believe he had finally mustered the courage to ask her, last I spoke to him," Hal said. A contemplative look came over his face as he remained silent a few moments. "It's strange, isn't it? All these people we knew in a different time - a different world - they're all here. Similar in a lot of ways, but yet different in others."

"You have no idea how hard it is to remember to call them Owen and Randy," Aisling said, agreeing.

"And there was the time I nearly bowed to Tiernan," Hal said. Aisling couldn't help but laugh at the memory.

He thankfully caught himself before he had gone through with it, but Tiernan had picked up on it and for a moment looked confused.

"Thankfully, he is much warmer than Thranduil. And Liam seems far less serious than Legolas," Hal mused. "The fact that you hugged them when you first met them in Imladris now makes complete and perfect sense. And how close you grew to Legolas. He to you. It seems Liam's desire to protect you made its way to Legolas… or vice versa. I'm not completely sure how that works..."

"I honestly try not to think about it too hard, or it gives me a headache," Aisling admitted. "You think Gandalf will show up at the wedding?"

"He does have a way of popping up in the most unexpected ways," Hal said. "I wouldn't be surprised." He took a sip of his wine. "Did you make your final decisions on the wedding party?"

Aisling sighed, realizing that even though they were here to try and relax, with a wedding as big as the one they were planning, it was going to follow them. Though this time she was able to contribute a hell of a lot more. She had actually been enjoying it, working alongside the planner they had at the hotel.

"Ages ago. Amanda - obviously - and then Gabi as my matron of honor. My friend Melissa from university. And well… I was thinking about Dana, but I wasn't sure if she would be comfortable with it. We're still getting to know each other and all," she said.

Hal thought it over a moment and then smiled.

"I'm sure she would like that. You two have grown fairly close, even if she doesn't know that you were once great friends. And well, it would help out Randy," he said. Aisling couldn't help but giggle, finding it beyond entertaining that Hal had picked up on the nickname she had quickly bestowed Randolph with.

The man was obviously not completely happy with it, but tolerated it because it was Aisling.

"Then it's settled. I'll give her a call tomorrow and then let Gabi know so she can take her in to get fitted for a dress. Or, maybe I could fly over and help… ah, no. I can't. I barely got these two weeks away," she said, grimacing slightly.

"Gabi would be delighted to help," Hal said. "She is beyond excited about the wedding."

Aisling snorted slightly. Even though she had always known that she was Galadriel and there were still a lot of characteristics that carried over, Gabi was far more lively in modern times. She and Aisling had grown close rather quickly in a way that they hadn't in Lorien. Probably because in this world, they were about to be sisters-in-law.

"So, anything else I should know before tomorrow?" Hal asked.

Aisling thought a few moments before answering.

"Well, I've pretty much told you everything. Avery is Aragorn. Amanda is Arwen. The twins. And well, their dad Eric is Elrond, though he's definitely a bit more… scruffy. And well, he's been against Avery and Amanda getting together since we were in high school," she said.

"Not completely different from Elrond," Hal said.

"Yea, I guess that's right. But Gabi said that he eventually came around," Aisling said, remembering the night she and Hal had spent with Gabi and Calum in their suite, the four of them reminiscing and then Gabi and Calum filling her in on everything that happened after she left.

Namely that the Fellowship had been successful. Gandalf had come back from the dead. Boromir had died. Sam and Frodo had gone into Mordor on their own and destroyed the ring, saving the world and ushering in peace. Aragorn became king and married Arwen, though the rest of the elves had sailed west, including Legolas along with Gimli.

It seemed pretty much everyone had a happy ending. And now Aisling and Hal were getting theirs.

"I suppose in that sense, he's still very much like Elrond. Took a pretty big fight and Amanda threatening to cut him out of her life to get him to come around, though," she said.

"Thank god we didn't have to go through the same thing," Hal said, a smile playing across his lips. Aisling just gave him a look. "They never outright disapproved of me. Just thought we were rushing into it."

"Okay, yea. I'll give you that," she said. "And now they're both on board. Though I could seriously do without the press." Aisling rolled her eyes as Hal chuckled. "We had to hire someone just to deal with all of it so I wouldn't have to."

Hal motioned to her and Aisling stood, placing her glass on the table as she walked over and sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Don't you know? This is a society wedding, Ash. You're a Hughes and I'm a Lloyd. It's quite the love story, according to the papers. We meet while working out a deal to merge our hotels, then fall in love, merging our two families. Besides, as I recall, our first wedding garnered just as much attention," he replied lightly.

Aisling could only laugh in response.

"Okay, yea. That's true," she admitted. She then looked deep into his eyes, once again not quite believing that all of this was happening.

She had somehow been transported to another world where she found the man of her dreams. And then when she thought she had lost him, he came waltzing back into her life. And here they were. Sitting on the back deck of her family home. Set to get married - again - in a few months.

Life honestly couldn't get any better.

"What are you thinking?" Hal asked softly.

"Just that… in my wildest dreams, I could never dream this up," she replied. Hal smiled up at her, reaching up to place his hand on her cheek.

"Nor I," he said, before pulling her face down to his and kissing her. He then pulled away, staring deep into her eyes. "I love you, Ash."

"I love you too, Hal," she replied before kissing him again.

All too soon, he was pushing her away again.

"Before we get carried away, I want you to listen to something. I think I have found our song," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his iPhone.

Aisling waited patiently as he maneuvered through it and then placed it on the table, the soft sound of guitars playing.

"Take it… if she gives you her heart, don't you break it… let your arms be a place she feels safe in… She's the best thing that you'll ever have…"

Aisling felt tears prick at her eyes as she listened, finding the song really was their song. Almost as though it was written just for them.

Hal pushed her out of his lap and stood, then pulled her back into his arms as they began to dance around the deck.

"It's perfect," she said.

"I thought you would like it," he replied. He then spun her around and dipped her back, causing Aisling to laugh softly.

"We really are getting our happily ever after, aren't we?" she asked softly, staring up into his eyes.

"That…" Hal replied. "And so much more…"

OOOO

Three Years Later

Aisling could hear murmuring. She blinked open her eyes and looked across the room. She felt so tired and worn out that she could barely move, but her heart was so full that she thought it would burst.

It was the first time she had been in a hospital room since the tornado. But this time it was for vastly different reasons.

A soft smile came over her face as she watched Hal across the room, in the midst of a grand story told in a soft voice, aimed at the tiny bundle held in his arms.

"And then the great elf came to a stop, the most unusual of creatures before him. She was mortal and covered in scratches and dirt, but yet… he could not help but think that it was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen," he said.

"Telling that story again," Aisling said as she pushed herself up in the bed. Hal looked over at her, a wide smile on his face as he walked over, sitting next to her in the bed.

"He likes it," Hal said, returning his gaze back to the baby. "He always moved around the most when I told this one."

"I remember. Kept kicking my bladder," Aisling replied wryly as she leaned her head on his shoulder and looked down.

It was hard to believe that up until several hours ago, this tiny human had been inside her body. And now he was here. In their arms. She reached out and gently ran her fingers over his chubby cheeks as the baby yawned.

"How long have I been out?" she asked with a yawn of her own.

"Few hours. Tried to send everyone home, but you know Liam and Tier. Think they're off getting coffee," Hal replied, his eyes still fixed on the baby.

"Or buying out the gift shop," she said. "Have they seen him much?"

"Wouldn't leave the nursery. Granted, I was there with them," he replied with a chuckle. He then looked over at her, awe and love in his eyes. "He's here, Ash."

"I know," she replied softly as she looked back down at their son. "God, we did that. He's perfect."

"Imagine what our daughter will look like," Hal said with a sly smile.

"Nope. We're waiting at least five years before I go through that again. I do not know why I was so keen in Lorien. There is no way I'd survive childbirth without drugs," she said, though she already knew that she was fighting a losing battle.

She was enraptured with their son and already she was thinking they should add a few more to the family.

"You would have fared. You're far stronger than you give yourself credit, Ash," Hal replied, still smiling. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

They then both looked back down at the baby.

"We still haven't given him a name," Hal said, glancing at her.

Aisling chuckled. They had spent the last nine months or so going over every possible name in the baby books, but none of them seemed right. Finally, in a fit of frustration, she had thrown all of them out the window and declared that when the baby was born, the name would just come to them.

Hal had agreed, kissing her. And then running out to grab the books from the sidewalk and making sure she hadn't accidentally hit anyone. Pregnancy hormones, man.

Now that he was here, she stared down at him, finding that a name hadn't magically popped up in her head. She furrowed her brow slightly. Names were important. They meant things. Especially with the elves, even though Hal was most definitely human now. But Haldir meant Hidden Hero - and he had certainly been her hero. Her own name meant dream or vision, something that she now found all too fitting. Or ironic.

"He needs a good strong name," she murmured. She glanced at him. "Maybe we should name him after his dad?"

Hal chuckled.

"I never liked Harold," he replied. "Why most everyone calls me Hal." He glanced at her with a mischievous look that had her chuckling. "Found I preferred it."

"We could call him Haldir," she offered. "Though not sure the other kids would get it…"

"How about something from both our worlds?" he said, a contemplative look on his face.

Aisling thought a few moments and then sat up, smiling. Finally, a name had come to her. Thought she supposed it had always been in the back of his mind.

"I got it. Finn. Finn Haldir Lloyd," she said, looking at him. Hal looked at her in confusion a bit, but Aisling was already running her fingers over the soft patch of blonde hair on her son's head. "He's got your hair, so… He'll be our little blonde warrior hero."

Hal then looked back down at the baby, a soft look coming over his face.

"Yes… Finn…"

Aisling looked up at him just as he met her eyes, though she could already fill tears filling her own.

"We're a family, finally," she whispered. Hal chuckled softly as he leaned over and kissed her gently.

"We've always been a family, Ash…"

OOOO

Ten Years Later

"Aiofe! Niamh! Get over here and stop pestering your uncles!" Aisling shouted across the large yard at the Oklahoma house.

At the sound of her voice, two little red-headed girls froze and turned her way, appearing mostly innocent, though she knew they were about two seconds away from dropping water balloons on top of Liam's head. As much as Aisling would have loved the sight, she didn't want him sopping wet in the photos.

"Sorry, mum!" they shouted - somehow the twins had gotten their dad's accent despite the fact they spent most of their time in Oklahoma now - smiling at her as they backed away. Liam turned in his chair, seeing the balloons.

"Where did you even get those?" he asked, starting to get out of his chair.

"Uncle Owen," Niamh said with a giggle. Aisling looked over, seeing a grinning Owen standing with Randolph and Dana.

"Eyes like a hawk. You were meant to be a mum," he called out, looking over at Ash as he raised his beer to her. Aisling just rolled her eyes and chuckled.

She then looked around the crowded yard, taking in all of her friends and family there. The kids were running around laughing and shouting. For a moment, she couldn't believe so much time had passed. Most everyone was married now - save Owen and Liam, and she was pretty sure they'd never settle - and had kids of their own. Tiernan followed not long after she and Hal married, and now had three kids with his wife Laura. The twins had married local girls and had two each. Avery and Amanda had four kids in rapid succession after they had married, which seemed to have softened Eric. He was currently running around chasing their oldest as Ethan and Elijah's kids jumped on his back, taking him down to the ground.

"I now understand just why you love this place so much. It really is perfect for the children," Gabi said as she walked up to Aisling. "Reminds me a bit of home…"

The two women shared a conspiratol smile, knowing that she wasn't talking about Britain.

"Yea, it really is kind of perfect," she said, looking around the yard. But there were two people missing. "Where is my husband and the birthday boy?"

"I believe Hal was showing him his birthday present," Gabi said, pointing towards the horse barn. Aisling looked over and her breath caught in her throat a bit

Finn was beaming up at his father before throwing his arms around him and then rushing into the barn. With a chuckle, she started across the yard, hearing Finn excitedly talking to his new horse inside.

"He loves it," Hal said, sliding his arm around her. "Still think we should have gotten him a horse sooner…"

"Yea, and have him fall off and break his neck, no," Aisling said, glancing up at him. He grinned down at her and she felt butterflies in her stomach.

Thirteen years and three kids together, and he still turned her into mush when he smiled.

"I thought we were going to do it together," she said, raising an eyebrow at him. Hal shrugged and looked into the barn.

"He figured it out. Our son is rather smart, in case you haven't noticed," he said. He then glanced over her shoulder. "Just as our daughters are brilliant. Brilliantly talented at getting into mischief."

Aisling heard a shriek and turned, seeing Owen and Liam now chasing the twins around the yard with water balloons of their own, both of them sporting wet hair. The girls' red curls were flying behind them as they ducked in and around guests, just barely missed a pregnant Dana.

"Girls! Careful!" she shouted. They glanced at her, then each other, still grinning.

Coming to a stop, they spun around and threw more balloons at the two men.

"This is my favorite shirt," Owen said, mocked disapproval on his face.

"Not anymore," Niamh giggled. He then growled and started after the two girls again, causing them to shriek in laughter and take off at a run.

He and Liam followed them until they both hid behind their second grade teacher, who happened to be a friend of Amanda's.

"Save us, Ms. Leigh!" they shouted. The young woman looked at them and then over at Owen and Liam, who had come to a stop just in front of her, a bewildered look on her face.

Aisling immediately recognized the looks on her cousin and friend's faces.

"Oh no," she said.

"What?" Hal asked.

"I think we're about to see a competition," she replied, still watching them. Owen had puffed out his chest slightly as Liam offered up one of his signature smiles.

While the two got along rather well, as the last bachelors in the wild group they called family, at times they could get a bit competitive. Especially when it came to women.

"Good to see you again, Alissa," Liam said. A faint blush painted her cheeks.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting," Owen then said, flashing a scowl at Liam before smiling at the woman. "Owen."

Aisling laughed again as she turned to Hal. His face was lit up in amusement as he watched a moment longer and then looked down at her.

"They'll never change," he said with a shake of his head.

"And I have a feeling we're about to see both of them in Oklahoma more often," she replied.

"The kids will love it," Hal replied.

"Can I take Gwaedal out for a ride?" Finn asked, suddenly hopping in front of them, a hopeful look on his face.

"Maybe later. Don't you want to play with all your cousins?" Aisling asked. He looked at the party and then back at his parents.

"But… Gwaedal really wants to go now," he pushed. Hal chuckled and crouched down until he was eye level with the boy.

"I promise. If it's not too late after the party, we'll all go out together," he said. "Besides, wouldn't you like to see your other presents?"

Finn's face lit up and he nodded eagerly before running off to rejoin the party. Hal straightened up and put his arm around Aisling, pulling her close to him.

"Tell me you didn't get the bow and arrow set," she said, though she was smiling.

"Thought it safer than a bb gun," he replied easily. "Though I do believe we will have some words for Ethan and Elijah later." Aisling rolled her eyes and shook her head.

She then looked over, seeing Finn at the present table, picking up boxes and shaking them as he spoke animatedly to his best friend and partner-in-crime Jacob - Avery and Amanda's oldest.

She couldn't believe that he was already 10. That they were here in this moment. And all of it because she had gotten hit in the head all those years ago during a tornado…

OOOO

"What are you thinking?" Hal asked, watching as various emotions played across Aisling's face.

"Just… happy," she said, settling into a smile.

Though they were older and time was beginning to show just a bit on both of their faces, he found her still just as beautiful as the first day he had come across her in the woods. The day he had seen the tattoo on her back and knew that somehow their lives would be entwined.

Though there came a time when he thought they had too little time together. And then he had spent years searching for her in this world. But now they were together. Married. And finally had children.

He looked across the yard, seeing all of their friends and family gathered. It had taken a bit of time to adjust to everything. Seeing all the familiar faces, but getting to know them in a new light here in Aisling's world. Well, their world, he supposed.

"And what are you thinking?" Aisling asked. Hal looked down at her, smiling.

"About how incredibly happy I am," he said. He then kissed her gently, though there was a hint of heat behind it. A heat that had only grown the longer they were together.

"Far cry from Lorien," Aisling said softly, her eyes still locked on his.

"Yes, but… I feel that we are where we're meant to be," he said. Aisling chuckled and then nodded, looking back out at the party.

"Yea, I think we are," she said. "God, some days I still can't believe it… We finally got everything that we wanted…"

Hal chuckled as he pulled her closer to him and kissed her cheek.

"Well… almost," he said. Aisling frowned as she attempted to look back over her shoulder at him.

"What else could you possibly want?" she asked, an amused smile on her face.

"Perhaps more children," Hal mused before pressing a swift kiss to her neck.

"Oh, my god. I seriously did create a monster," she said with a laugh.

"EW! STOP KISSING!"

Both Aisling and Hal looked over, seeing the twins giggling madly as Finn grimaced.

"I think it's time for cake," Aisling said, already starting to walk over.

But Hal's arm shot out as he grabbed her and spun her around, then pulled her flush against him. Aisling's eyebrows rose in surprise, though she couldn't help but smile.

"I believe our son must learn that his parents are still very much in love with each other," Hal said before pressing a firm kiss to her lips. He could feel her smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck and more squeals and laughter sounded around them.

"Knock it off before I have to get the hose!" Liam shouted.

Aisling broke away from Hal, laughing. She then looked at him and yanked him along as they made their way to the rest of the party. She then let go of his hand as she walked over to a food table and started putting candles in the cake. Finn came up on one side as the twins stood at the other, both of them attempting to steal pits of icing.

A smile came over Hal's face as he watched them. His wife and children. His family.

Yes, it truly could not get any better than this.

OOOO

And we're done! I really hope you've enjoyed the story and I know that I've really liked having you guys along for the ride. Really touched all the love that this story has gotten (go Team Haisling!). But here we are at the end. Again, thank you for reading, following and commenting! Love you readers!