Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
A/N: Hey there and thank you all so much for your lovely reviews. I know I promised action but this chapter is more fluff. Let's just say within the next couple of chapters that Estel is not going to be a happy camper if you get my drift. Thanks to my beta enb2004 and here is Chapter 15. Enjoy!
After Estel was dressed properly, the three elves and one little boy went in search of their grandparents and father.
"Hmmm, you know, I think Ada will respond better to Estel than he will us," Elladan said thoughtfully.
"You're right, he knows that all four of us are planning something but he will be hard pressed to deny Estel's request to play in the snow with him," Elrohir said, eyes sparkling with mischief.
" You two are horrible. Using our little brother to get our Ada to play in the snow with us," Arwen said teasingly.
" Of course we're horrible. As I recall we used you Arwen, when you were little, to get Ada and Amme to come out and play in the snow with us," Elrohir said, smiling fondly at the memories of that time.
Arwen laughed and playfully hit Elladan. "Go on Estel. I'm sure that you will be able to find Ada, and we will find Grandmother and Grandfather," she said.
"Okay!" Estel said happily skipping off in search of his Ada, leaving his siblings to find his grandparents.
Estel skipped away cheerfully, hoping to find his Ada soon. He was beginning to feel too warm in the heavy clothes he was wearing. They were meant for outside wear, not inside where it was nice and warm.
Estel first headed to his Ada's office, knowing that was where his Ada spent most of his time.
To his surprise, instead of his Ada, he found Glorfy and Restor working in the study.
"Glorfy, Restor? Where is my Ada?" Estel asked curiously.
Erestor and Glorfindel looked up from their work, grateful for the interruption.
"Why do you wish to know Estel," Erestor asked cautiously. He too had heard Elrohir's proclamation this morning. Elrohir had said all four of Elrond's children and Estel could be quite devious when he wanted to be.
"It's snowing Restor! Dan, Ro, and Arwen are getting Grandmother and Grandfather, and I'm supposed to get Ada so we can all go out and play!" Estel said excitedly.
Erestor and Glorfindel let out silent sighs of relief. They had worried that the twins would use Estel to get Elrond into whatever prank it was that they, along with Arwen, had planned this time, but if Galadrial and Celeborn were going to, it had to be safe. The twins and Arwen were not insane enough to play a prank on Galadrial and risk her wrath.
"Alright tithen pen, we'll find your Ada together. In fact, I do believe that he has most likely retreated to his private inside garden," Glorfindel said.
" Come, we will take you," Erestor said grabbing one of Estel's little hands while Glorfindel grabbed the other.
Giggling the entire way, Estel was lead to his Ada's private gardens.
Elrond looked up from his collection of herbs. He could have sworn that he had heard Estel giggling, but that was impossible. Estel knew not to come in here.
Shrugging, Elrond went back to examining his collection of herbs when he heard it again. This time, he was positive that he had heard Estel.
" Oh Valar, what is he doing in here? He knows that he is not supposed to be in here without an adult," Elrond thought frustratedly.
Turning away from his various herbs, Elrond walked towards the direction where he had heard Estel's laughter coming from.
" Ada! There you are! We've been looking all over for you," Estel said still giggling.
Elrond relaxed when he saw that both Glorfindel and Erestor were holding Estel's hands, and were gently swinging him back and forth.
" Why have you been looking for me ion nin?" Elrond questioned.
"It's snowing outside Ada, and I was hoping that you could come and play with me outside?" Estel asked, hope shinning in his eyes.
"Well ion nin, I don't know if I can today," Elrond said teasingly.
" Oh please Ada, you have to come! Grandmother and Grandfather are coming too," Estel pleaded with Elrond.
"Of course I'll come with you Estel. I was only teasing. I see the twins got you dressed properly," Elrond said, running a critical eye over Estel's clothes, in order to make sure that they were warm enough.
"Oh yes Ada, I'm plenty warm, come on!" Estel said impatiently.
Glorfindel, Erestor, and Elrond all laughed at Estel's impatience.
" I am coming now tithen pen. Let us go have a snowball fight," Elrond said laughing.
These were the moments that he lived for. To spend time with his children was truly a blessing, and having his in-laws here made the family almost complete. He loved his family dearly, and would do anything to protect them. These were good times, and Elrond could not help but wish that these times would last an age.
Elrond and Estel had just made it outside when both were pelted with snowballs.
"Ha! That's for showing up late. What took you so long," Elladan asked, while preparing another snowball.
"Ada was in his private gardens and Glorfy and Restor had to help me find him," Estel said, while being pelted by more snowballs.
Elrond opened his mouth to confirm what Estel had said, only to find a snowball had went directly into his mouth.
Sputtering in surprise, Elrond coughed on the snowball, accidentally swallowing some of the snow.
Estel was shrieking with laughter at the sight of his father spluttering from the snowball, and the twins and Arwen were in quite a similar state.
" I must say Elrond, that snowball quieted you immediately. Perhaps I should have shoved snow in your mouth much earlier," Galadrial said teasingly, two snowballs in each of her hands.
"Galadrial," Elrond growled in warning, gathering a handful of snow himself.
"What? Oh don't worry Elrond, these are not for you," Galadrial said, and with ruthless accuracy, pelted Elladan and Elrohir, while Celeborn, pelted Arwen, and Elrond got Estel.
"Ada!" Estel cried out in surprise at the sudden attack from his supposed ally, with the twins and Arwen saying much the same thing.
"CHILDREN verses PARENTS!" Elladan yelled.
Elrohir quickly grabbed Estel and took him over to where Arwen and Elladan were waiting.
Elrond, Galadrial, and Celeborn looked at each other and all nodded. They were a team against their children and grandchildren.
Together, they began to throw snowballs at Estel, Arwen, and the twins.
Elladan saw the snowballs coming and yelped in alarm, managing to duck quite a large one.
His sister was not as fortunate however. The snowball had hit her right in the chest and was soaking right into her gown.
"ADA! I'm going to kill you!" Arwen threatened, creating a monster snowball while she was yelling at her father.
Estel ducked behind Elladan, as another snowball came after him. Using Elladan as a shield, Estel created a rather large snowball, for his size, and threw it as hard as he could at his father in retaliation for the snowball his Ada had sent him.
Elrond was too busy watching his daughter to bother with his youngest. He did not think that Estel could throw a large snowball that far. That was his undoing.
So busy was Elrond defending his front, that he never watched what was happening to the side of him.
Estel, despite only being four years old, saw his opportunity and threw the snowball with as much strength as his four year old body had.
Elrond sputtered once again as a large snowball hit the side of his face, with a good deal of the snow, going into his ear.
Elrond looked to see who had attacked him so and was shocked to see it was Estel who was standing to the side of Elladan and grinning madly at his success.
"Estel! You're in for it now ion nin!" Elrond exclaimed heading right for Estel.
Estel squealed when he saw his father coming right at him, with a snowball at hand. Estel quickly hid behind Elladan, using him as an Elven shield.
"Estel! What are you..." Elladan started to say but never got to finish as Elrond's snowball hit Elladan right in the face.
Elrohir, Estel and Arwen laughed as Elladan sputtered.
Seeing this, Elladan grabbed some snow, and threw it at his little brother.
"That's for using me as an elven shield!" Elladan exclaimed.
With Elladan freely throwing snowballs at Estel, Elrohir and Arwen quickly leapt to their little brother's defense, and soon, a free for all snowball fight had started.
An hour later, Elrond noticed that despite the warm clothes that Estel was wearing, he was shivering from the cold.
"Alright everyone, I do believe that is enough for now," Elrond said.
"Oh but Ada, Arwen and I were going to make a snow elf," Estel said disappointedly.
"Don't worry about tithen gwador. We can make it tomorrow, if fact, it will probably be much more funny if we make it tomorrow," Arwen said.
"Okay then," Estel said, teeth chattering.
"You three go on in the house, and have the chefs prepare some of their delicious hot cocoa. I'm going to go give Estel his bath before he catches cold from being out here to long," Elrond said.
"Alright Ada," Elladan said cheerfully.
"Oh, do I have to take a bath Ada?" Estel asked while pouting.
"I'm afraid so ion nin. You wouldn't want to be sick right before the Winter Solstice, now would you?" Elrond asked.
Estel shook his head no. It would be no fun at all to be sick during the Solstice, no fun at all.
"It won't be that bad Estel. Once you have had your bath, there will be a nice batch of hot cocoa waiting for you downstairs in the kitchen. I promise we won't have any until you get there," Elrohir said.
Estel thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "Okay Ro," Estel said.
"That's a good boy Estel. Now go on and enjoy you're nice hot bath," Arwen said, gently kissing his brow.
Estel nodded and looked up at his father.
"Come ion nin, let's get you back to the house and out of those dripping wet clothes and into a hot bath," Elrond said picking Estel up.
"Okay Ada but I still say I'm fine," Estel said while shivering from the cold.
Elrond laughed. Oh how very stubborn his little one was.
" Whatever you say Estel, whatever you say," Elrond said, walking into the house with the freezing child in his arms.
Translations:
Ada: dad/daddy
Ion nin: My son
Tithen pen: little one
Tithen gwador: Little brother