Title: No turning back

Author: B-witched83uk (bwitched83uk@aol.com)

Rating: PG

Summary: Sequel to Luthien's flute. Aragorn, Arwen and the family visit Rivendell.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings. The whole of Middle Earth belongs to Tolkien.

Chapter 5

If only she knew

Lothvain wrapped his soggy wife in a blanket. "You could have caught your death!" He looked at Legolas, who was standing quietly behind him.

"It's a good job you two found each other, I would have hated to think of you alone in this storm." Lothvain stroked a hand over Galadwen's hair and moved her to sit in front of the fire. Everyone had retired to bed when Legolas and Galadwen returned, except for Lothvain and Eldarion.

"Legolas." Eldarion held out his hand for the Elf to take. "It has been a long time."

Legolas shock his hand and smiled at his friend.

"Eldarion, I hear you have a family of your own now."

Eldarion smiled and nodded, there was clearly something unspoken between them.

Legolas moved to the other side of the room and motioned for Eldarion to do the same. Once out of hearing range Legolas leaned closer. "She does not know. You did not tell her." It wasn't really a question more like making sure.

"I felt it best not to. I saw no point in mentioning it, no point in drugging up past hurts." He glance towards his sister and wondered if he had done the right thing all those years ago.

Legolas saw the frown and clasped Eldarion's shoulder. "You did the right thing. She can never know what happened. I do not wish to cause her more torment."

Eldarion shock his head. "For years now I have kept this secret from her. Though it pains me to do so, I will not brake your trust."

"She can never know."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was bright, drying all evidence of the storm from sight. Aragorn held his two year old Granddaughter as she picked daisies from the ground. He was smiling at the look of innocence on her pale face. Her hair was like Ithiliwen's, a golden wave. He dipped his face to smell her hair and hugged her tighter to him.

"Should I be jealous?" Arwen came to sit beside him and kissed him lightly on the mouth. Aragorn handed the toddler to his wife, who beamed at the mere sight of her. Estelai giggled as Arwen's fingers tickled her. Aragorn watched the two of them. Arwen's long dark hair mingling with the child's fair hair. They were both so beautiful.

He smiled as he remembered the first time he had really bonded with Eldarion.

"Do you remember when Eldarion was two moths old and you were out visiting the houses of healing?"

Arwen smiled back at him. "Of course, it was my first day away from him and I was terrified."

"So much so that you would not leave him with a nurse maid, you made me stay with him." Aragorn held his wife's hand as they watched their first grandchild toddle over to a patch of flowers.

Arwen moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I came back to find you telling him the tale of the war of the ring. Poor little thing was probably terrified."

Aragorn chuckled and held his wife closer. "He was not, he loved it. He even smiled at me."

Arwen laughed and stroked her hand over his rough chin. "He was two months old, no child so young can smile. He was probably wincing at being told such a gruesome tale as a bed time story."

Aragorn frowned slightly. "I'm telling you he smiled at me. It was the first time I felt like a father."

Arwen decided to let him keep his fantasy, if it made him happy.

"If you say so love."

Estelai came back to them with her dress held up, filled with flowers. She dropped most of them along the way and looked extremely confused when she reached her grandparents. Aragorn pulled her on to his lap, kissing the top of her sweet smelling head.

Arwen turned towards them. "Do you remember the night Eldarion was born?"

His face broke out in to a grin. "How could I forget. I had defeated a thousand Orcs, faced unspeakable evils and yet I had never been so afraid."

Arwen giggled at the memory. "Yes, you would not even hold him at first."

"He was so small and soft and my hands were so big and rough. I thought for sure I would drop him or hurt him."

They sat there a while lost in happy thoughts until Aragorn again spoke. "But then when I did hold him, I knew that everything would be alright when he opened his eyes and smiled up at me."

Arwen stood and threw her hands up in the air. "Elesser, I was happy to indulge you in believing that a two moth old child might smile. But there is no way that a babe, less then an hour old, can!"

Aragorn smiled at his wife as she began to walk away. "Very well love, you know best."

Once Arwen had left, Aragorn looked down at the child in his lap and grinned. "But we know the truth don't we."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the window, Legolas watched Galadwen walk with her husband, hand in hand. Legolas' blood boiled at the sight of another man touching her in such an intimate way. He moved away from the window and sat on a bench as the memories began washing his soul.

"She can never know."