Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, ideas or anything else from Lord of the Rings. I do however lay claim on Elrond's twin daughters as Tolkien never wrote about any twin elven girls anywhere in his books. Everything else though, as much as I wish it, is not mine and belongs to the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien (a wonderful, wonderful man). Except for a 2-year-old toddler by the name of Estel (forever called tithen min by his siblings) who needs looking after.
AN: Well, here it is…the end. Jeez, it's only taken me 15 months! Will never write another story this long ever again, I swear. It's been a nice ride, except the instances when the muse ran off and left me hanging. :D
Thanks for everything!
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Epilogue
He tried to remember if he had ever been more nervous in either of his long lives, but nothing was readily coming to mind. He had certainly never been this scared; even during times when he was sure everyone else around him had been, but this was not one of those times.
The lack of anyone else pacing the floor with an anxious look on their face, told him he was in the minority this time. Of course, she wasn't anyone else's wife, and it wasn't anyone else's child being born today.
He had just begun his thousand and eightieth lap of the hallway when the door he was observing so intently was opened from inside. His feet stopped immediately and the anxious look on his face multiplied ten fold; for he was sure he had heard no baby's wail nor any other sound one expected from a birthing room. But then, he hadn't exactly been focused on anything except his to and fro pacing.
But Elrond smiled at him, and he relaxed a bit, if only enough to realize the Half-Elf held something bundled in his arms.
"Congratulations meldir, you have a son," and he placed the child into Ereinion's waiting, but slightly shaking arms. "He is perfectly healthy, and Rómë is doing just fine. You need fear for her safety no longer."
Ereinion sent a sharp glance at Elrond at that comment, but quickly realized his father-in-law not only had five children of his own, but had delivered dozens more. No doubt he was quite familiar with the terror a waiting father experienced.
"Come inside," Elrond motioned towards the door. "Rómë wishes to see you."
The former High King followed the healer into the room he had, until then, been barred from; and as the door shut behind him he vaguely heard the shouts of congratulations and happiness from the hall outside.
"He's beautiful, iell nin." Elrond stroked the soft raven hair of the infant's head.
"He's perfect," Celebrían agreed, sitting on the other side of her daughter. "As perfect as you."
Their youngest smiled wearily at her parents. "No doubt you said the same thing about all of us when we were born." Her mother's smile gave her away. "Ada, will you take him to Ereinion? Let him hold him?"
"Of course, iell." Elrond lifted the child gently from its mother's arms and disappeared through the closed door.
"How do you feel?" the elf-lady asked her. Rómë smiled again, she could not seem to help it. "More exhausted then I thought possible, but happier than I can remember."
The door opened again, and Ereinion and Elrond entered, the babe held tightly in her husband's embrace. Celebrían moved to allow Ereinion to sit down upon the bed. The movement cause the little one to open his eyes to his father for the first time and let out a sharp cry.
Three sets of light laughter drifted through the room as Rómë took her son back and put him to her breast. Her parents quickly vanished from the room, leaving them alone.
"Are you happy?" she asked suddenly, eyes focused on her son.
Ereinion said nothing for a moment until she turned to look at him and then he nodded. "Perfectly," he said and kissed her softly on the forehead.
"I am glad. For I am perfectly happy as well."
~The End~