Disclaimer: don't own…groan

A/N: Yes, I meant April 30th…sorry I was talking on the phone at the time I wrote that….

Jennifer Bloom: lol, no, there's nothing wrong with the name, I was just curious if 'jennifer' was the same as 'Jennifer Bloom'.

Mryi78: geez, sorry…lol. I didn't mean for that to happen….

sunni07: lol, don't worry…I haven't updated in a while…

Dimonah Tralon: lol…that was my fave part to write….giggle ne way, I was tlkn on phone when I wrote that part, and I got my months mixed up….it was April 30th , but yeah, it was awesome!

fire-vampire: sorry bout spelling…no spell check on the comp I was using….well, it wasn't a good spell-check…yes, THE Sean Astin. Dead serious.

Now for the feature presentation….Chapter 21….

Aragorn and Arwen returned within two weeks. When the news reached Gwyn she immediately confronted her father. 'Where have you been?' she demanded when she reached the stables.

Though fearful of what the conversation could lead to, Aragorn answered, 'The messenger brought news of a threat of attack on Gondor, so your mother and I had to return. Fortunately, it was a false alarm; mis-gathered information.'

Gwyn frowned. 'Why did you not tell me directly when you left?' she asked, unsatisfied with his first answer.

Now Aragorn hesitated. 'I was afraid your reaction would hinder me,' he admitted truthfully.

Gwyn made an impatient noise. 'Why are you always treating me like a child?' she groaned, her voice beginning to rise. 'You really do not trust me, do you?'

'Given your past reactions,' Aragorn retorted, 'I'd say I have every reason not to trust you.'

Gwyn stared at him, her mouth slightly open. 'You know,' she said softly, 'I honestly thought you were past that.'

'Past what?'

She rolled her eyes. 'For one: not trusting me; two: treating me like a child,' she stated obviously.

'You have not supplied me with any reason to trust you,' Aragorn defended. 'You are rash, you're argumentative, and your temper…' he let out a breath.

Gwyn felt that temper flare. White-hot anger licked her insides as she began to yell. 'Neither of those reasons give you the right to treat me like a child!'

'Being your father and your elder gives me that right,' said Aragorn quietly.

Gwyn ignored him and continued. 'I am already twenty—nearly twenty-one, and you still have not acknowledged me as an adult!' Tears sprang to her eyes. 'For Valar's sake, Legolas treats me like an adult, his parents, and Mother. Everyone in the Fellowship treated me like an adult—except you!' Her voice cracked and she lowered it to a level just above a whisper as she cast her eyes to the ground. 'The only things I've ever wanted from you were your trust, your approval…and your love. Is that too much to ask for? To even hope for?' With that question and with tears in her eyes, Gwyn ran from the stables, leaving Aragorn standing there, shocked at her sudden outburst. After a few minutes, he quietly left.

Meanwhile, Gwyn, in the process of heading to her and Legolas' room, ran into Arwen. She quickly shook her hair to cover her tear stained face. But by a mother's instinct, Arwen knew that something was amiss. Gwyn stopped at an open hallway window and leaned gently over it. Arwen came up beside her. 'What happened?' she asked quietly, brushing a tear from her daughter's soft cheek.

Gwyn took a moment to regain her voice. 'Why can't he—just once—treat me according to my age?' She ran her fingers through her hair. 'Why can't he—just once—trust me? I hate him, Mother, I hate him!'

Arwen gave a little sigh. 'No, you don't,' she reprimanded soothingly. 'You are just very upset with him right now.'

'No,' Gwyn said vehemently, 'I hate him and I never want to see him again!'

Arwen's face saddened. 'I see,' she murmured quietly. 'I suppose we will return to Gondor, then.' She turned to leave.

'No,' Gwyn said suddenly, 'don't go, Mother, please. It is only Father that I do not wish to see again.'

'I am sorry, iell-nin (my daughter), but if you banish your father, you banish me.' Arwen's deep blue eyes were pained.

Gwyn stared at her mother disbelievingly. 'You side with him, then?'

'I side with no one,' Arwen responded. 'This is what you will.'

'It is not my will that you should leave, it is my will that my father should leave.'

Arwen shook her head gently. 'Have you learned nothing from being married?' she questioned. 'In matters like these, Aragorn and I are not separate beings; we are one. Ill will towards him is ill will towards me.'

Gwyn looked disbelieving, still, and her eyes hardened. 'Since I harbor ill feelings towards Father, I see no way around ill feelings towards you.'

Her mother nodded slowly. 'So it must be, and so you must live with the consequences.' And with that, she left, leaving Gwyn alone and feeling destitute of family. She burst into bitter tears and ran to her shared bedchamber, where she threw herself on the bed. Several minutes she lay there, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. Suddenly, her hair was being caressed gently by soft, strong hands. 'I hate him, Legolas, I hate him!' she cried, though her voice was slightly muffled by the covers. She sat up and allowed Legolas to draw her close to him supportively. 'I'm sorry,' she mumbled after ten minutes or so.

'Sorry for what?' Legolas asked, running his fingers through her hair still.

'For crying like this,' Gwyn answered, 'I know it's childish.'

'Is it childish to show your emotions, then?'

'I think it is.'

Legolas looked thoughtful. Then suddenly, he turned her chin up and kissed her deeply, surprising her. He kissed her passionately for several minutes. 'Was that childish?' he asked when he pulled away.

Gwyn laughed. 'No, of course not.'

'Yet I was showing my emotions; my love for you. Is love not an emotion?'

Gwyn looked as though she had just been slapped. She took a moment before saying, 'Yes, but—'

Legolas held up a hand to silence her. 'What would you think of me if I never kissed you; never showed you that I loved you?'

'Well—I suppose…I'd think you were cold-heated and unfeeling…'

'Exactly,' said Legolas. 'Yet you would not think me childish if I did show my love for you.' A statement, not a question, but Gwyn shook her head anyway.

Legolas continued softly. 'What would become of us if we lived in a world without emotion—especially without love? We would become, cold, heartless beings and no one would understand one another.'

'But what about hate?' Gwyn interjected. 'Hate is what causes wars. If there was no hate, would there be no wars?'

'There would be no wars,' answered Legolas, 'but there would also be no peace; for love is needed to spread peace.'

Gwyn's eyes glittered with allurement.

'But we digress from my point,' Legolas said suddenly. 'What I want you to know is that it is not childish to show your emotions.' He smiled at her. 'In private, that is,' he added.

Gwyn laughed. 'Would you like to show some of your emotions, my lord?' she said slyly.

'It would be my pleasure, m'lady, I assure you,' Legolas replied, and leaned down and kissed her perfervidly, but gently, as though she were a precious diamond (in his eyes she was) that he might break if he was too rough.

Three weeks later…July…

Though it seemed like it should be sweltering hot, it was bearably warm in the forest. Legolas was grim as he prepared to confront Gwyn that late Saturday night. He had staggeringly upsetting news, and he wasn't quite certain of how she would take it. He entered their bedroom and pain pierced his heart when he saw his beautiful wife sleeping peacefully, unaware that Legolas was bearing ill news. She stirred as he slipped under the covers with her. Her eyes fluttered open and she gasped. 'Legolas, I'm so sorry!' she exclaimed. 'I was waiting for you, but I suppose I feel asleep.'

Legolas chuckled slightly as he kissed her forehead. 'It's alright, darling.' He suddenly frowned.

Gwyn sat up. 'What's wrong?'

Legolas cleared his throat. 'It's just—I'm afraid I have...bad news.' He paused, and Gwyn looked at him apprehensively. 'Gimli has sent word that he and his kin plan to re-claim Khazad-Dûm.'

'But isn't that something good?' Gwyn seemed confused.

'I wish it were,' Legolas sighed. 'But he asks that I aid them.'

Gwyn bit her lip.' 'I see...' she said softly. 'Are you going to?'

Slowly, Legolas nodded. 'It should not take more than a month,' he said quickly.

'When do you leave?'

'At dawn tomorrow.'

'What if you do not return?'

Legolas hushed her gently. 'Do not say such things,' he chided. 'I will return, I promise you.'

'How can you promise, Legolas?' Gwyn's voice cracked, and she received no answer, only a kiss. As she kissed Legolas back, her hand lingered briefly on her stomach.

Sunday morning…

'Be safe,' Gwyn whispered as she stood close to Legolas as he prepared to mount his horse.

'I will,' he answered, squeezing her hands reassuringly.

'Promise?'

'Promise.' He kissed her long and gentle before turning to mount.

'Wait!' Gwyn cried suddenly, and grabbed his hand.

He turned.

Gwyn hesitated a moment, then said, 'When you--when you return could--could we have a child?'

'So soon?' was his nervous answer.

'You don't want a child?'

Legolas hesitated. 'I think it's a little soon, don't you?" he asked.

Gwyn shook her head. 'No, I think it's a perfect time.'

The elf sighed and shook his head. 'We will talk when I return.' He turned again to mount.

This time, Gwyn grabbed his arm. 'No, we will talk now,' she stated, her voice strangely desperate.

'When I return,' Legolas repeated, kissing her softly, then finally mounting, 'I promise.' And with that he rode off, leaving Gwyn standing there, her face scared. She prayed silently to the Valar that her husband would return safely to her.