Disclaimer- I own nothing!!!

Oh my god- everyone gets a hug- thanks for your awesome reviews people- keep it up and please review!

~~~~~~~~

"Elrond"

Thalia burst into Lord Elrond's study carrying one very unhappy and loud baby. Elrond stood a smile on his face as he watched the distressed mother bounce her baby.

"Elrond he won't stop crying, I don't know what's wrong with him"

He chuckled and crossed the room.

"You have done everything you could think of?"

"Yes, of course I have. He cried all night and he's still crying"

Elrond stepped forward and took the baby from her. The baby quieted and his tears were reduced to sniffles.

"Ahh, he is just a curious elfling. That is all"

"What do you mean?"

"He is merely experimenting with you. He spent a year with your undivided attention. You were always there and now he is exploring the new life. He is unsure of his new surroundings"

Thalia smiled in thanks and hugged him carefully,

"Thank you, I thought I'd done something really horrible to him"

"Nay, you did not. How fares his sister?"

Thalia grinned,

"She is inseparable from her father at the moment, she will not allow him to leave a room without her"

Elrond chuckled knowingly,

"It was like that with Elrohir, he would not let me out of his sight for the first few months. She is testing the bond with her father, she has had a year with you and her brother and now wishes to find out what part Legolas plays in her life"

Thalia laughed quietly, she was glad that it was just that, she had feared that she pushed her daughter away.

She took her son from the elf lord and kissed him on the cheek in thanks before making her way back to her room.

Her worries had been laid to rest after speaking with Elrond and she was more confident as she handled her small baby. She should have listened to Legolas who had said all along that the elfling was merely reaching out and finding new ways of communicating with his parents.

~

Legolas stood out on the balcony with his daughter as the welcome rays of the warm sun met them for breakfast as Thalia sat on the bed nursing her ever hungry son.

Her gaze was tender as she watched her husband talk to his daughter. The two had bonded and were inseparable. He had fallen in love with her. Thalia did not mind this as all Eleni needed when she cried was either to be fed or picked up. Niall was proving to be as boisterous as Elladan. How that had happened she knew not. He constantly wanted to be fed or changed or played with or held, and luckily Elladan had taken up the challenge of keeping him occupied when Thalia couldn't.

She was tired but energetic. She was thriving on the joy that her children brought her, but that was all she thriving on, she had not slept for a week, neither had Legolas.

The occasional hour that they had managed to sleep through had been taken away by Niall.

The babies had not slept in their cribs for long. Instead they slept soundly in-between their mother and father. It was an arrangement that suited all involved, for the most part. Eleni would only sleep next to Legolas so when she needed feeding Thalia had to move up but Eleni would not be separated from her father and Niall would cry because he disliked the noise his sister made. But the situation was manageable, Legolas had to hold Niall with one hand while keeping his other hand on Eleni's back while she fed.

At first Thalia had been jealous of the bond her husband and daughter had forged in such a short time, but after five nights of no sleep she was thankful.

She looked down to see a smiling and now well fed elfling gurgling at her. She smiled as she fixed her dress before rising and joining Legolas on the balcony. He turned to look at her with a tender smile on his face. With a gurgle Eleni lifted her arm and reached for her mother who placed a finger in her daughter's tiny hand.

"They need a bath"

Thalia said with a smile.

Legolas frowned, he was still a little nervous about bathing his very small children. Thalia laughed at the terrified look in his eyes and bid him to follow her to the bathroom where, courtesy of Elrond two small baby baths had been placed. She was still chuckling to herself when Legolas joined her. He stood and watched his wife with a smile on his face. Her hair was unbound and was obviously getting in her way and her sleeves were carelessly rolled up to her elbows. Niall lay, still sleepy from his feed in the empty bath tub. Grinning at his helpless look she beckoned to him as she sat down on her knees, her skirts getting wet. To the side of her lay Niall in the empty tub and the water filled tub sat in front of her.

Shaking his head and glancing at the child in his arms he knelt down and handed her to Thalia while he too rolled up his sleeves.

"Alright, lets do this, I promise that she won't drown"

She said grinning at him. Rolling his eyes he moved to kneel beside her and while his wife held their daughters head up he held her back making sure that she did not slip. As he watched Thalia his confidence grew and he too began helping.

He did not notice that Thalia had stopped and was watching him wash his small child with such care.

He raised his head and silently questioned her,

"I am just watching you my love"

He smiled and leaned towards her capturing her soft lips with his. Eleni gurgled at her parents but remained quiet.

The two laughed at the welcome interruption and kissed slowly once more before returning to attention to her.

After bathing both children they sat on the bed, the babies lying in the middle of the bed while their parents sat and talked.

"Why should I have to?"

"You must be the one to back down in this Thalia"

Legolas sternly told his wife who looked at him as a child would their parent when being told something they did not like.

"She will be here in a month, what choice do I have Legolas?"

He watched as she picked up their son as he began crying. He sighed and picked up Eleni before she had a chance to voice her opinion.

Thalia lay down, her back resting against the pillows, she was tired. Katlin had sent word that she would arrive in a month; it was an arrival that nobody was looking forward to. The air around Imladris had changed with the birth of the twins. It was joyful, the birds sang with the dawn and the sun and the stars glittered with new life, and nobody wished to disturb the peace.

"I will speak to her"

Legolas smiled and kissed her forehead,

"That is all I wish. It will do you no good to hold misplaced anger towards her"

She frowned at him but she knew he was right. Her anger was misplaced. She had realised her mistake and vowed to rectify the damage. She could not forgive Katlin just yet, but she would not behave like a child.

Without knocking Glorfindel, Haldir, Elladan and Elrohir entered the room,

"Oh stop that I don't want to watch you two doing things that I can't"

Elladan complained as the two on the bed kissed.

Niall opened his eyes as Elladan picked him up. Yawning, the elfling closed his eyes and settled into the strong arms.

Thalia laughed at the sight of the two boisterous males in a rare moment of peace. Elladan truly looked content with the elfling in his arms.

Haldir lifted Eleni who was asleep so that he could sit down on the bed. The others followed suit and the bed was taken up by everybody, leaving no room for one the babies to lie down, but they were content to be held.

Glorfindel leaned over and took his grand-daughter from Haldir as she began to stir. She opened her eyes and looked quizzically at him. She gurgled and reached for a lock of his hair which she held tightly and would not let go.

Haldir watched Legolas lean over and kiss Thalia softly, his heart rejoiced. His little sister was happy and after the things she had suffered she deserved to be.

Glorfindel stood and watched the emotions flicker across the stern marchwarden's face. He too felt the same. His daughter did indeed look every bit the mother she was. He silently recalled the morning after the birth,

'Glorfindel tapped on the door lightly so as not to disturb those who should be sleeping. Silently he opened the door to a sight which he had not seen the likes of since the birth of Elladan and Elrohir.

Legolas sat holding one sleeping baby while Thalia sat up and nursed the other. Both looked tired but happy. The smile that played on his daughters lips was beautiful. She had not yet noticed him but he caught the eye of Legolas who grinned at him. They shared a look and moved their gazes to Thalia. Her hair cascaded over one shoulder and blocked her view of her adar. She looked at Legolas as if he'd suddenly grown another head but soon caught on and followed his gaze.

She grinned at him and waved him over but didn't speak as she didn't want to disturb the babe at her breast.

He sat down and took the baby from Legolas.

"This is Niall. Our son, your grandson"

Legolas said with pride in voice. Glorfindel chuckled as the baby turned and settled in the crook of his arms. It looked rather strange, a renowned warrior sat holding so small a child.

"So what is her name?"

Thalia looked up pride shining in her clear eyes,

"Eleni"

"It is beautiful"

The three sat in silence. Glorfindel was almost overwhelmed. She had only been a mother for less than a day and already he could see a great change within her. Legolas met his eyes once more and a silent agreement was passed between them.

~

She had become somebody else that morning and it was something that Glorfindel would not forget.

He could not help but feel sympathetic to Katlin. Word had been sent to her of the birth but it was not Thalia who had sent it. Everyday that passed he could feel Thalia's hatred wane and he knew that if she allowed herself to forgive Katlin she would see the purpose of Katlin's confession.

In truth Glorfindel loved Katlin and she loved him, but there was much that was still to be said between the two women and it would do no good to pursue a relationship with her.

Haldir turned to look at him with a grin. Haldir had become attached to the children as well, from the minute he had laid eyes on the tiny elflings he had been enchanted.

"Have you informed your mother and father of your new arrivals?"

Elrohir asked Legolas, who nodded his head.

"Yes they shall visit when they can, unfortunately there have been a few…disturbances at home and they cannot get away"

Legolas said, a hopeful look on his face. A look of confusion took over as he watched the faces of his companions; they all sat quietly, smiling. He followed their gaze to Thalia beside him and smiled. She had fallen asleep. Her head lay sideways on the high cushions, her hands still clutching Niall's blanket. Her eyes were closed in exhaustion but her features were peaceful.

"It would seem that somebody is beyond tired. Legolas we are taking the children, we shall bring them back later. Get some sleep"

Glorfindel said, leaving no room for arguments. Legolas nodded and watched with some relief as the elves left him and his wife to some much needed rest.