A/N: Here we are with chapter two! These updates are going to be a lot slower than usual. I am aiming for once or twice a week at the most. I'm swamped at work and right now I'm flu-ridden so if this chapter lacks sense, I would blame Tylenol day/night. Also guys, there's been a user sending random messages asking if you do fic-requests and then continues to spam with messages saying "Thank you for saying yes" or "thanks for agreeing to do a fic for me".

There's some discussion in the movies vs books regarding the ageing of Bilbo. The books state that he hasn't aged much at all, but in the movies he clearly aged a lot since taking off the ring. I've decided to keep it in the middle.

The bits in italics are either thoughts or memories.

Finally, there's a lot of things happening in this chapter, lots of dialogue and a lot of emotion.

*content warning* Mild adult themes.

TWO

Many Reunions

Maggie watched the stars that night, unable to fall asleep. During her time in Rivendell, she was always amazed by how different the night sky was in Middle-Earth. Sometimes, during rare private moments, Elrond would take her out and they would lie on the grass. There, he would teach her about the constellations in the sky and the stories behind them. Some of them, Maggie learned, were not too dissimilar from constellations in the Earth night sky. For example, there was a constellation similar to Orion, that told the story of a swordsman who was sent out to fight Morgoth. She'd always known stars were sacred to elves but she'd never understood why until she heard the tone in Elrond's voice when he told her their origin.

According to Aragorn, they would reach Rivendell within the next day. They were all glad for the break after a few hours of trekking, especially Nat, Felix and Laura who were unused to the terrain. Even Maggie felt tired when they finally stopped for the night, in a woodland area not too far from Trollshadow. It was an awkward trek to say the least, Maggie and Riley both conversed with Aragorn while Theo stayed in the back with Felix, Nat and Laura who exchanged brief words with him. Mostly, the other three were too busy trying to take in everything that was happening and eventually, Maggie it seemed they accepted that this was not a dream. The girls handled everything fine and Nat was especially filled with questions. She had always been the more inquisitive of the group. That's why it came as no surprise to Maggie when her friend announced she had applied to the police academy a few years earlier. In the past year, she'd been preparing to take the sergeant's exam. Felix was the one who struggled the most with this new reality, which was strange to Maggie because just like her and Riley, he had grown up with reading Tolkien as well as CS Lewis.

Felix wasn't the only quiet one in the odd group. Maggie noticed how Theo took a step back and didn't even approach them. Whenever Maggie caught his eyes, he looked away or spoke to Aragorn. In the past year of being bak in their world, Maggie had almost accepted that she would never see her son again. Now, her son was a grown man and at least sixty years old even though he only seemed to be around her own age, which was a weird thing to accept. It meant the dwarves had been right in their speculations about what genes he would inherit and it seemed like the dwarrow ageing was one of them. Truthfully, Maggie wasn't sure how to handle suddenly having Theo in her life again. A part of her was obviously thrilled to see that her son was alive and seemed to be doing well, all things considered. Another part of her was filled with pain and guilt and wondered what he must be feeling. Theo had never known his father and his mother had simply disappeared from his life, without so much of an explanation. Maggie couldn't help but wonder if he perhaps hated her.

Almost immediately, the hobbits set out to start dinner and with little effort, Sam cooked a delicious stew, using herbs picked from his very own garden. Merry and Pippin bombarded Riley with a million questions, just like Fili and Kili had once done when they first met the Company. Eventually, the hobbits fell asleep and so did Laura, Nat and Felix. Riley stayed up for a while talking with Aragorn until he too drifted into a deep sleep. Maggie was also tired but after an hour of twisting and turning she gave up and turned her gaze to the stars. As she sat up and hugged her knees, the surrealism of it all stirred a bit of nausea within her and she inhaled a few deep breaths. Fili was always so good at calming her down whenever she felt anxious or panicked. Maggie couldn't even begin to explain how much she missed waking up to his strong arms wrapped around her. Feeling his breath against her skin while his beard rubbed against her neck. Those sacred intimate moments in the moment before Theo awoke were some of her favourites.

Maggie wondered what Fili was doing now. Did he still live in Rivendell or had he moved to Erebor? Had he perhaps even taken his place as King Under the Mountain, like Thorin wanted him to. Did he perhaps also hate her for leaving him? Had he maybe even found someone new after all this time? The thought of Fili moving on with someone else was almost too much for Maggie to stand, but was it unreasonable? Sixty years, even for a dwarf, was a long time. She couldn't possibly expect him to remain faithful to her after all that time. Did he not also deserve to be happy, even if it was not with her? Her departure must have caused so many people a lot of grief and heartache.

"That constellation is Valacirca," said Aragorn as he sat down next to Maggie. He lit a pipe and inhaled its tobacco slowly, before exhaling rings of smoke.

Seeing Aragorn as a man, after knowing him for so long as Estel was another shock to her system. Obviously, Maggie and Riley both knew that Estel would eventually grow up to be Aragorn, but to them that fact was so far in the future. Seeing the transformation within a year, was nothing short of bizarre. Yet, there he sat beside her, with his brown curly hair and equally brown beard. He wore clothes suited to a ranger of the north.

"It is also known to the dwarves as "Durin's Crown", the seven stars that Durin saw in the Mirromere." Aragorn continued. "Fili sometimes told me about the stars when I was young. I recall being surprised, because I wondered what dwarves could know of the stars when they spent so much time underground."

"Fee always did like the sky." Maggie remembered. "I used to think it was strange, but then Fili and Kili spent most of their lives living out of a mountain and not under it."

The sound of movement reached Maggie's ears. When she turned around to locate its source, she saw Theo sitting on a rock, staring idly into the forest. His gaze carefully wandered to Maggie's, but when their eyes met, he quickly turned away.

"He must hate me," Maggie whispered and hugged her knees tighter. "All of them. We have been gone for sixty years, Aragorn. That is almost a whole goddamn lifetime."

"Theo does not hate you," Aragorn assured her "You must not forget that 60 years for a human, is not the same for dwarves and certainly not for elves. Theo was raised with stories of you and your love for him. I also remember that love. This is simply a bit strange and unusual. After all, it is not everyday your mother returns from another world, when the only world he has known is this one."

"Yeah," Maggie sighed "Not a day goes by when I don't think about the day we got sent back. There's so much I wish I could change if I'd have known. I thought I was going to live out my life with Fili and Elrond by my side. Instead, I abandoned all of them."

A moment of silence fell between them as a million thoughts whirled around in Maggie's mind. She was angry with her brother, because if he would have told her about the prophecy in the first place, she could have warned everyone. Instead, he kept it to himself and didn't bother telling her before it was too late. Supposedly, he decided to keep it from her in order to protect her, but Maggie didn't need protecting. Riley had thought that Maggie wouldn't believe him, because she was so wrapped up in her own bubble of happiness and perhaps he was right. It still didn't give him the right to keep something so important from her and because of that, Maggie spent the past year being filled with guilt, grief and anxiety.

"Fili and Elrond both knew it wasn't your choice to leave," Aragorn told her "They never blamed you. After you left, Gandalf told them about the prophecy. Riley shared the information with him, in case anything did happen to you two."

"What are you saying?" Maggie asked as she looked up the ranger.

Aragorn's eyes seemed hopeful and he smiled at her. "I am saying that they never gave up hope. Both Fili and Elrond still love you deeply and they have waited for you all this time. All while raising Theo, with the help of your father."

Maggie hadn't forgotten that her father was also still in Middle-Earth. At first, she thought he must surely be an old man, but then she realised that not only was her father a Numenorean but a descendant of the House of Elros, which meant his lifespan was longer than the average human.

"How is my father?" Maggie asked "I can only assume he handled everything pretty well, considering dimension jumping seems to be what our family does best."

Aragorn chuckled. "He has taken residence in Minas Tirith. There was some political trouble regarding the matter of your heritage, which your father was able to settle."

"He didn't stay in Rivendell?"

This surprised Maggie, because she knew her father loved Rivendell, much like everyone seemed to do.

"No," Aragorn said "He does sometimes visit but as Theo grew older, there was not so much a need for parental supervision."

"I can't believe my son is older than I am, yet he looks like he is my age." Maggie said. "This is going to take some time getting used to."

Both Maggie and Aragorn heard Theo shift again. He moved from his place on the rock and poke the ember glowing coals. Maggie heard him exhale a heavy sigh be wanted before he crawled beneath his blanket and turned to his side. She wanted so badly to speak with him, to tell him everything and above all how much she loved him. She was desperate to let him know that not a day went by when Maggie didn't think about him. Every day, she woke up to her heart aching and she still cried at night when she thought about missing out on raising her son with the two loves of her life. There was literally nothing she could do that would make up for all the lost years, missed milestones and birthdays.

"Try to sleep, aier." Aragorn told her. "We should be arriving in Rivendell by midday tomorrow."

Maggie only nodded in response as the ranger kissed her forehead and returned to see to the fire.

As Maggie pulled the soft blankets over her and glanced at the sky one last time, briefly spotting Earendil glowing in the distance, she finally fell into a deep slumber.

The trek to Rivendell was much more arduous than Maggie remembered. She was definitely not as fit as she once was. It was a silent journey for most of the time, only interrupted by the hobbit quietly talking among each other. Even the usually chatty Merry and Pippin didn't ask Riley quite so many questions as the day before. As the events of the previous day sunk in, Maggie was finally able to take in her surroundings and she had almost forgotten the beauty of Middle-Earth. Even Felix, who struggled to adjust the most, was breath taken by the environment around them. Woodland turned into moor-like plains and then autumn sun made the temperature comfortable enough.

After a few hours, they reached plans which were particularly familiar to Maggie. Her eyes caught Riley's and they both realised they were on the same plains where they were chased by Azog and his orc pack. Maggie recalled falling over and then saving Balin while also being injured in the process. That was the first time she saw her father in that dream-like voidspace and the first time he told them about their true heritage. It was still strange to comprehend that to Maggie and Riley, those events took place maybe 2,5 years ago while sixty years passed in Middle-Earth. She wondered how the Company were doing, if all of them were still alive and how life had fared for them since their departure.

Aragorn brought them through the secret passageway beneath the ground and when they came to the end of the tunnel, Maggie finally saw a sight that she had not seen in a long time. The group paused and they all stared out over the view that was the Hidden Valley. Suddenly, a million different memories came flooding back to Maggie and her heart immediately began to rard, face faster. By the time they reached the courtyard, Maggie exhaled a breath she realised she'd been holding. Rivendell looked exactly the same and nothing had changed since their departure. She could hear the roaring waterfalls in the background, saw the stables where Aragorn would spend hours at a time as a child. She saw the gardens where Fili and Elrond would often spar, as a way to gain her attention. She heard the river not too far away and she recalled the picnic by the riverbed for her birthday. So many happy memories and yet her mind felt anxious at the thought of seeing Elrond and Fili again. Even though Aragorn told her that their feelings for her had not changed, she was still nervous.

"I will go and find Elrond," Theo said "And let him know our guests have arrived."

"Take the hobbits with you," Aragorn suggested "No doubt they are hungry after a long day's trek."

Theo left with Sam, Merry and Pippin and as Maggie was about to speak the sound of cheerful humming interrupted their conversation. Maggie thought the voice sounded familiar, if slightly changed and when she turned around she saw a familiar face sitting on a bench not far from where they were. Once again, Maggie's heart jumped. Bilbo Baggins hadn't changed much since they last met. You could tell that he was older but, he still had the familiar curly hair, wore a golden waistcoat and brown trousers. There were more wrinkles on his face, but that was the only real sign of ageing Maggie noticed. He seemed to be the same old Bilbo.

Maggie watched as her brother took careful steps forward and she saw the look in his eyes, which was a mix of excitement and nervosity. As Riley walked up to Bilbo, the hobbit seemed to be deep in his own thoughts as he was writing in a large leatherbound book. Regardless of her current feelings towards her brother, Maggie knew what this moment meant to Riley and she took a few steps back as she watched the scene unfold in front of her.

"I see you're finally working on that book," Riley said carefully. "You always did say you wanted to record our adventures."

The moment Bilbo heard Riley's voice, he snapped out of his own voice and looked up from his work. For a while, the hobbit just stared at Riley as if he was looking at a ghost. Then, Bilbo put the book down beside him and used his walking stick to help him get up. Riley stood still in his place and when Bilbo finally walked up to Riley, she saw hints of tears in both of their eyes. Carefully, Bilbo reached up and touched Riley's face to make sure it was real and not some otherworldly apparition. Then, Bilbo closed the distance between him with a hug and for what seemed like ages they remained there.

"I always knew I'd see you again." Bilbo whispered "Nobody believed me. Except the elves. They know these things. Oh Riley how I've missed you."

"You always were a sentimental old fool, Master Burglar." Riley replied.

"I know Bilbo." Riley held the hobbit tightly as Bilbo sobbed into his shoulders. Riley remembered a time when the roles had been reversed and he was the one crying into Bilbo's arms.

"I am so sorry, my love." Riley didn't bother holding back the tears. "I am sorry I abandoned you. I never wanted to leave you."

"No." Bilbo said as he dried his own tears. "No you mustn't think that. I never did. I knew there was a reason and Elrond too. He asked if I would stay in the Shire but I had to go back. My cousin Frodo, you see.."

Riley interrupted Bilbo's ramblings with a kiss and ran his hands through the curly hair.

"It's okay Bilbo." he assured him. "You did what you had to do."

Bilbo let out a heavy sigh and placed a hand on his back. "I'm sorry." he apologised "I fear I am not as energetic as I once was."

"Let's go back to your room," Riley suggested "I'm assuming it's our old one? You can have a nap."

The hobbit nodded and stifled a yawn. Age, it seemed, had finally caught up with Bilbo Baggins. It was heartwarming to Maggie, to see her brother reunited with his love.

"Yes, I'd like that." Bilbo said "Will you still be here when I wake up?"

"Of course, my love."

Riley took Bilbo's hand as they walked back towards the Homely House, his eyes met Maggie's. She knew then that whether she liked it or not, the two of them would need to have a very long conversation when they had some time to themselves.

"Maggie," Felix said after staying silent for most of the journey. "Was that…"

"Yes." Maggie replied, knowing exactly what her friend was asking

"Shouldn't we…"

Maggie shook her head. She knew that Felix, Laura and Nat must have a thousand questions but, it wasn't her business to tell them about her brother's romantic relationship. Especially when she knew the hardships Riley and Bilbo had been through.

"No, Felix." she said calmly. "It wasn't our queue."

"But why was it Riley's?" Nat asked

"Because, " Maggie turned to her friends. "He is Bilbo's husband."

"I...don't understand." Laura said. "Riley Spencer is married to Bilbo Baggins. Of the Shire? Mr. Respectable hobbit who said good day to Gandalf the Grey."

"The one and the same."

"I know you guys briefly explained it earlier but I don't get it." Laura added "How do you guys know him...Aragorn...all of this? How is any of it even possible?"

Maggie had been dreading this moment. How could she possibly explain to her friends that over 2 years of her life had been spent in a world that was, to them, fictional. Maggie's eyes fell on a familiar window by an equally familiar balcony, looking out over the garden. The

"I will explain, I promise." she sighed. "Right now though, there's someone I've really got to see."

"Who?" Felix asked

"Perhaps," A familiar voice said from behind them. "While you are away, I could explain everything to your friends."

"Gandalf."

Maggie barely dared to believe her ears. At first, she heard the tapping of a staff as it hit the ground. From the vicinity of her eyes, she also saw a long grey robe cascading down the stone steps of the courtyard. When her gaze travelled up the figure, a pair of familiar and kind blue eyes met hers. Maggie practically ran into Gandalf's arms and the Grey Wizard embraced Maggie into a warm hug. He greeted her almost as if she was an old family member, which in some way she was. The smile on Gandalf's face told Maggie that he had missed his friends and was happy to see them once again.

"My dear Lady Maragaret. Long years have passed since I last saw you. It seems the Valar have blessed us with your presence once again." Gandalf said and when he released her from the hug, he greeted her with a respectful bow "It is wonderful to see you."

"Oh." Felix said. "You're friends with Gandalf the Grey, nothing strange there at all."

"Ah." said the wizard "So you have heard of me, Master Felix?"

Felix gazed at Gandalf in shock and the wizard merely responded with a chuckle. "My dear boy, you look like you have seen a ghost."

"At this point, I'm wondering if we're all dead but no such luck, I'm afraid."

Maggie shook her head. "Don't mind him, Gandalf. He's a bit grumpy sometimes, but mostly harmless."

"I will look after them while you are gone." Gandalf put his arm on Maggie and smiled. "He is waiting for you. I also believe we are awaiting the arrival of Master Fili."

"Who is waiting?" Natalie asked. "Also? Fili son of Durin?"

"Come walk with me, Lady Natalie, Lady Laura and Master Felix." Gandalf invited them to follow him. "We have much to discuss."

Sixty years, Maggie thought as she made her way up the stairs to Elrond's house. As she walked through its familiar corridors, she almost saw shadows of the past and distant memories echoing between the walls. He hasn't seen me in sixty years. For her, it had only been a year and that thought alone was enough to fill Maggie with anxiety. Even with Aragorn's words of comfort at the back of her mind, she wondered if perhaps Elrond had forgotten her and maybe with that forgotten his feelings for her. What right did she have to just ask him to take her back? After all, she had chosen to leave. It took ages until Maggie actually gained enough courage to walk through the halls until she reached the room that was Elrond's study. Of course, once she was outside it took her another good few minutes to get herself together. She was nervous because she wasn't sure what to expect. Would he be happy to see her? Was he angry with her? Had he moved on? She didn't know and the thought of that terrified her. Finally, after convincing herself it would be alright, Maggie raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Enter," said Elrond's familiar voice from inside.

Here goes nothing, Maggie thought as she opened the door. It was a familiar sight, Elrond sat by his desk writing down something on a parchment. Whatever was written on the parchment had him completely focused, like he often used to be when something was on his mind. Still so handsome, Maggie thought. Her gaze wandered around the room and filled her mind with memories. Some of them were sad and heavy but most of them were happy memories. Even though Elrond had a bed chamber, it was his study that had become an intimate place for them. Maggie recalled times when she would perch on the side of his desk, running her hands through his dark hair, trying to steal a moment of his attention. Elrond would pretend to ignore her and she would walk behind him and put her arms around his shoulders.

"You are very serious today, my lord."

"Even the Lord of Imladris must do paperwork, sometimes."

"I see. So there's no chance it can wait?"

"I am afraid not, meleth-nin."

"That's a shame. I guess I'll just go see if Fili is busy."

As the memories played in Maggie's mind, she smiled. Suddenly she wasn't afraid anymore and put her worries aside as she stepped over the threshold.

"Some things don't change do they?"

I know that voice, Elrond looked up from his desk and the sight in front of him was unmistakable. She looked unchanged, the same auburn locks (albeit a bit longer) her round face and the same enchanting brown eyes. Instantly, the Elf-lord got out of his seat and walked over to Maggie. At first he embraced her and they remained so for a while as the elf-lord listened to the increasing beats of Maggie's heart. He had missed the warmth of her body and the touch of her skin. Elrond ran his hand through her hair and for a while they stood there staring into each other's eyes until Elrond sealed the space between them with a kiss. The kiss was one of love, want and one of desperate need. Tightly, Maggie wrapped her hands around Elrond's neck and promised herself she would never let him go again. They had been through too much together

"I've been waiting for you," said Elrond after they finally broke off the kiss. Maggie knew Elrond as somebody who always remained stoic, but even then his voice quivered. "I was not certain when you would be back. Prophecies aren't always specific."

"I'm sorry I took so long." Maggie replied as she tousled his long brown hair. It felt good to inhale his scent. ."I had no idea when or even if we'd be back here."

As he wrapped his hands around Maggie's waist, Elrond effortlessly picked her up and in one swift movement placed her on his desk. Another familiar memory surfaced, to a time when the two of them had acknowledged their lust and attraction for each other.

"Do you remember the games we used to play?" Maggie asked as Elrond placed a kiss on her neck, while his hand trailed the inside of her thigh.

"I remember you were particularly mischievous at times." Elrond's hand found its way to the zip of Maggie's jeans and seemed confused at first at the strange garment of clothing. She never wore such clothes during her time in Rivendell.

Maggie chuckled as the elf-lord struggled to undo the fly of her jeans, but he finally did, Elrond pulled them off her.

"Hir-nin Elrond." Maggie whispered in his ear and let her finger trail down his back. "You seem impatient?"

"Long years have I waited to see you again." Elrond kissed her lips. "To touch you again." he kissed her nose.. "To love you again." he kissed her neck. "To have you again." he whispered in her ear and bit Maggie's earlobe and she felt herself trembling.

"I am so confused…." Felix said as they walked. "Who is Maggie going to see and why is Fili's arrival important?"

"Maggie and Elrond are lovers," Gandalf replied frankly. "As are Fili and Maggie. They have not seen each other in a very long time."

Felix heard what Gandalf was saying but he wasn't sure he understood it or knew how to react to it. Parts of it made sense, when it came to how strange both Maggie and Riley had been acting over the past year. He wondered if their ongoing feud had something to do with this as well. In all the years he'd known Maggie, she was someone who never wanted to be a mother, yet now she apparently had a grown up son and not just one but two partners. Not to mention Riley was apparently married to Bilbo Baggins. It was all a bit much for Felix and he began to feel nauseated again.

"I thought dwarves weren't too keen on sharing things?" Nat asked

"Most of them are not, Lady Natalie." the wizard confirmed "Heaven knows Thorin was not"

"Wait...what?"Laura asked "You're gonna have to start at the beginning."

"So." Felix said. "How does this story begin?"

Felix, Laura and Natalie walked with Gandalf through the gardens of Rivendell. It had taken time but eventually, Fili began to accept that all of this was not a strange dream or a mass hallucination. This was real. Middle-Earth was a real place and whether he liked it or not, he'd have to deal with that. Natalie and Laura seemed to have accepted it far easier than he did.

"It began like the best stories do." Gandalf explained. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. But I believe you know this story already."

"We do." Nat acknowledged "But I don't understand what it has to do with Maggie and Riley."

"Sixty years ago, myself and a company of dwarves were on our way to Rivendell. We were passing through to seek help from an old friend before continuing our journey to Erebor. I was gone at the time, but when I returned, Riley stumbled into the dwarves' camp while Maggie had been taken hostage by the three mountain trolls. When we eventually arrived in Rivendell, we had to stay there for two weeks and wait until Midsummer's Eve where Elrond could decipher a very old map. During these two weeks, Maggie became close with Thorin Oakenshield and throughout the journey, they fell in love. Riley and I were away on a separate adventure to seek out the Necromancer in Dol Guldur but Maggie travelled with the Company. It was during their time in Lake Town that Maggie found out she was pregnant. "

The trio listened carefully to Gandalf's story. They knew it well of course, all of them (except Laura) had grown up with the works of Tolkien and had seen the Lord of the Rings many times. It was strange to hear their friends being part of such a familiar story.

"Wait...you're telling me Maggie and Riley helped the dwarves reclaim Erebor?" Nat said

"And Maggie fell in love with Thorin Oakenshield?" Laura added

"Yes." Gandalf said "They loved each other very deeply and had things been different, no doubt our Maragaret would be Queen of Erebor now. But, fate is cruel and Thorin's was already sealed."

"What happened next?" Felix asked

"After the Battle of the Five Armies and Thorin's funeral, Maggie fell into a deep depression. She had lost their baby and buried her lover. For days she was inconsolable. The only one she allowed to see her was Bard. In the end, we decided it was best if she came to stay in Rivendell while Master Riley sought out their kin in Dunedain with Bard, Tauriel, Kili and Legolas."

"What about Bilbo? Did he go back to the Shire?" Natalie wondered, she had been completely engrossed by the the story.

Gandalf nodded. "Temporarily, but when Riley returned to Rivendell, Bilbo decided to join him there."

"And Maggie? Did she recover?"

At Laura's question, Gandalf sighed and briefly focused his glance to Lord Elrond's window. Then he turned around to the three friends and continued the story. "The first few months were hard. She would often wake up at night, screaming from nightmares and it took a while before she would even speak to anyone. At one point, her Battle Terror and grief was so great, I know she thought about taking her life but thankfully she never acted on those thoughts. Eventually, with the help of Elrond and Fili she began to see the light again and when Theo was born, everything changed for her. I still remember the look of love in her eyes as she held her son for the first time."

"Oh my god…" Laura whispered and felt silent tears running down her face. "I never knew."

The wizard gently wiped the tears with his thumb. All this time, they never knew what Maggie and Riley both had been through. There were still some questions left unanswered, but the bigger picture started making sense.

"Aye, but our Maggie is strong." said the wizard "After Theo's birth, Maggie told me she had a dream of Thorin. There, he told her that he wanted her to be happy and to have a life filled with love for both herself and their son. After that, things got better."

"She needed closure." Felix guessed. "Where is she now, Gandalf? Who did she have to see? I know that's not all there is to the story. You said there was some tension between Thorin and Elrond?"

"You catch on quickly Master Felix." Gandalf chuckled. "But yes, you are. Thorin and Elrond did not see eye to eye at first, certainly not where Maggie was concerned. When the dwarves spent time in Rivendell, before Thorin and Maggie even knew how they felt about each other, Elrond and Maggie formed a bond. They were and still are very close. As Maggie was healing her grief and near-death, they found each other again. I believe that right now, Maggie and Lord Elrond are having a long awaited and well deserved reunion."

"You mean...she's with Elrond?" Nat asked. "Right now?"

"Well, I certainly hope so." the wizard chuckled. "He's been rather grumpy of late."

Later that evening, Maggie found herself wandering the halls of Elrond's House, exploring every corner and every corridor. When her initial nerves and anxiety settled down, she realised it felt good to be there again. To be home. Her intimate moment with Elrond had been nothing short of perfect and exhilarating. She couldn't explain how good it was to see her love again and she could tell he was just as excited. There was a slight chill in the evening air as she came to a familiar corridor, with a mural painted on the wall.

"Neither of you are elves." he said. Maggie saw the skeptic look in his eyes as he studied both of them.

"The men of the South are welcome here." Aragorn said gently

"Who are you?" Boromir's voice was sharp, almost as if he was a bit scared.

"I am friend to Gandalf the Grey."

"Then we are here on common purpose." Boromir turned his attention to Maggie. "And you My Lady? What brings a fair maiden to these parts?"

"I am a friend to Lord Elrond." Maggie replied. "Here for a visit."

Boromir was no fool, Maggie realised and she saw a brief smirk appear on his face as he stepped forward and studied her closer.

"I was not aware elf-lords sought companionships in humans?"

"And I was not aware it's any of your business."

Boromir must have realised he'd crossed a line, but instead of apologizing he turned around and walked up to the stone table which kept an old broken sword.

"The Shards of Narsil. The blade that cut the ring from Sauron's hand"

Boromir grabbed the sword with his hands and seemed to be awestruck by it. Maggie exchanged glances with Aragorn, who said nothing. Suddenly, Boromir winced as he accidentally cut himself on the blade.

"Still sharp," he whispered "But no more than a broken heirloom."

Without so much as a care, Boromir dropped the piece of the sword he'd been holding and left. Maggie decided in that instant that she was no fan of his or his manners. Aragorn didn't seem to mind and quietly went to pick up the sword and put it back in its place. The ranger turned around to Maggie.

"Theo is in the gardens," Aragorn said as if he'd read her mind. "Go and speak with him. Now is a good time."

Maggie nodded and sure enough, she found Theo sitting on a bench in the garden. He was leaning forward, with his chin resting on his hand. He was deep in thought as he stared out over the darkened landscape of Rivendell. As Maggie saw him sitting there, she couldn't help but stare in amazement. In the moonlight, Theo was almost a spitting image of Thorin, except younger. He carried his father's posture, one with a lot of pride. He had braids in her hair, one of them was similar to the family braid shared by Thorin, Fili and Kili. She wasn't quite sure what the other braid was for, but perhaps it held a different significance. Theo must have heard her coming long before Maggie reached him, because he moved over to make space for next to him.

For a while, they sat in silence and Maggie figured out how to even begin to say what was on her mind. Finally, it was Theo who broke the silence.

"He has missed you," he said "No doubt cousin Fili will be equally excited to see you."

"Theo, I know that no words I can say will ever change how I must have hurt you by disappearing. I'm not expecting you to forgive me but please know that I never wanted to leave. Not you, not Fili or Elrond. You were my whole life and I love you endlessly. I would do anything to have that lost time back."

Maggie knew she sounded desperate but it was beyond important to her that Theo knew that she never wanted to

"All my life growing up, I never understood why Fili always looked so sad and why Elrond never smiled. Except when they spoke of you. I know the love you have for them is great and even Aragorn always talked about you with such high regard. I do not remember any of it, except sometimes you would sing to me. I was angry for a long time but I am not angry with you, mother. I am angry with them." Theo said as he sat down "Gandalf once explained about the prophecy and what expect people to follow them so blindly, yet they have the power to play with our lives."

Theo's voice filled with anger, a similar kind of anger Maggie used to hear in Thorin. He clenched his fist and Maggie saw silent tears streaming down his face. She placed a hand on his cheek and stroked it gently. For the first time since their arrival, Theo looked up and their eyes met and then, he embraced Maggie. The hug took her by surprise but then, they spent ages just holding each other and Maggie too realized she was crying. To her surprise, it was Theo who wiped the tears from her face with his thumb.

"You look so much like him." Maggie whispered. "He would be so proud if he saw you now."

"Fili says he is always watching," Theo said "From Mahal's Hall."

Then, Theo seemed to remember something and as he briefly let go of Maggie, he reached inside his pouch and took out something that surprised Maggie. All this time, she'd almost forgotten about Riley's old iPhone they'd left behind the night they disappeared. What amazed her even more was that Theo was able to start it and unlock its display. It should be impossible for the device to still have batteries after sixty years, but if it was one thing Maggie knew about Middle Earth was that it was full of surprise. As Theo unlocked the phone, he tapped on the Gallery icon on the screen and opened up photo albums.

"Granddad showed me how to use this." Theo explained "When I was very little and he tucked me into bed, he would show me photos of you. Here, this is my favourite one."

Theo opened a photo which immediately brought a smile to Maggie's face and a flutter stirred in her stomach. It was a photo taken at her 26th birthday party. The one planned by Bilbo where the Company of dwarves visited from Erebor, as well as Bard, his children and Brenna. Even Dis had made the effort. She remembered the night fondly and especially the few hours following the party when she'd spent the night with Elrond and Fili at the same time. It was a group photo, by the looks of it taken by Lindir who must have been instructed by Riley because the photograph was a little blurry but you could see everyone. Maggie was standing between her two lovers, with baby Theo in her arms. She saw the smile on her face and suddenly felt a little sad, because she hadn't smiled like that for a long time.

"It is my favourite photo because my whole family is in it, except father." Theo said "You all look so happy."

"It was a wonderful night," Maggie remembered "I can't believe you kept this or that it still works after all this time. Hell, they barely last a year in our world."

"Gandalf was able to use some magic to alter its...lifespan."

"I bloody love wizards."

Theo got back up on his feet and reached out his hand to help Maggie up.

"Come naneth," he said and Maggie felt another wave of flutter at the elvish word for 'mother'. "Let's go to the kitchens, it's too cold a night to stay outside and I believe hazelnut hot cocoa is your favourite?"

"Middle-Earth huh? I'll be damned,"

"It kind of explains a lot though; why Maggie's been acting so off lately and why Riley won't really speak about it." Laura, Felix and Nat were all sitting in Nat's bedchamber, which she could not believe the size of, talking things through. Sleeping seemed impossible as they were all still too wired up.

"I'm still not sure I understand what's going on." said Laura "You're forgetting I haven't read or seen Lord of the Rings. I never got the big deal with it."

There was a knock on the door and when Riley came inside, Laura crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. "And just where have you been?" Laura asked

"Chill out Mrs Weasly," Riley teased as he sat himself down on the floor next to Felix. "If you must know I've been out having a chat with Gandalf. Do you have any idea of what's happening tomorrow?"

Felix shrugged "You got me, but do tell."

"Tomorrow is the Council of Elrond. You know the meeting where they decide what's going to happen with the ring."

Felix almost felt a bit excited

"Shit, we've got here in perfect timing. Don't suppose there's any chance we could listen in on it?"

"Actually," Riley replied "Maggie and I have been asked to join." Elladan had explained everything to him a short while earlier. People had been arriving throughout the day and some would arrive in the early hours of the morning to attend the council and given the current circumstances, Riley and Maggie had been asked to participate.

"Why do you get to join when we don't?" Felix asked

"I guess because, well, we're family."

Nat had been sat in silence for while with a warm cup of tea in her hands until she finally spoke.

"What happened between you guys, Ri?"she asked "You and Maggie used to be so close, but you've barely spoken in a year. You still aren't really speaking and I know it's got something to do with all of this."

Riley sighed and twiddled his thumbs, while considering how to explain. Chances were his friends would also be angry with him and they had all rights to be, but at least then his conscience would finally clear.

"I was an idiot." Riley explained "When I travelled with the Dunedain, I found a prophecy which told of us returning to Middle-Earth. Something about 'Five more will come to aid their fight.' Anyway, I decided that the best thing to do was to keep the prophecy from Maggie because she was so happy. Elrond and Fili had both confessed their feelings to her, Theo was born and she was finally over all the grief and sorrow from Thorin and the Battle of the Five Armies. I thought the best thing to do was to not divulge that information with her, because I also knew she wouldn't believe me. A part of me also though that because we changed fate once, we could change it again. The Valar are quite stubborn about their decisions so one day, we were simply yanked back to our world and I had to tell Maggie the truth."

"Let me guess," Felix said "She didn't take it well?"

Riley shook his head. "Not at all. She thought I was selfish for keeping something so crucially important from her, based on assumptions of how she might react. I tried explaining my reasons but she said that if I'd have told her, she could have warned Elrond and Fili. The more I tried reasoning with her, the more she shut me out and I know how stubborn she can be. I eventually got more annoyed and you guys know the rest."

"Oh Riley…" Laura said

"I still can't believe it," Nat added " All that time and we never knew."

"Would you really have believed us even if we told you?" They all agreed it was a fair enough point. It wasn't something you really brought up in any conversation.

"You guys have to talk about it now that you're here." Felix knew "You can just let it fester, it will just rot and turn into more anger."

Felix knew his friend was right of course, he just had to wait for the righ time.

To be continued….

Whew! That was a longer chapter than I expected! It is also a significant improvement on the original chapter I wrote years ago. A lot happened, many reunions and lots of conversation. I decided to add bits of information from "Melamar" that didn't really make the cut in the final version. What did you think? How did I handle everything? Can you spot which bit I added from the extended DVD edition? Next up: Council of Elrond and perhaps another long awaited reunion.

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