Ok, after many trials and tribulations, broken laptops and lost words, it's finally here: the reunion! After I finished writing this I was literally shaking in relief and excitement! Hmm, so, anyway, here it is!!!

Disclaimer: The characters (except A/As 5 girls), places etc. and extract from Appendix A belong to Professor JRR Tolkien - if it wasn't for him none of us would be here today!!

Dedication: Cerridwen-Evereven (aka LaLa, Sunshine etc. etc.!) is one of the best friends I've ever had - she's such a brilliant writer (I mean it - go read her stories NOW!!), she's so funny and I couldn't ask for a better friend! So I think, LaLa, you know just why I love you so much, and however many dedications I give you, it'll never be enough! :):):) Now let's get this show on the road before I go totally OTT and cry... you know what I'm like!!!!!

Chapter content - tragedy and sorrow naturally, but happiness at the end!!! :)

Don't worry, there are more chapters to come! I wouldn't leave you all like this!

Thanks are at the bottom. Now let's get it on!

Chapter 3: To Catch A Falling Star

The forest of Lothlórien was deadly still. The magical light that once shone from every leaf was gone, taking with it all life and sound. It had been over a century since the Galadhrim had left for the Forest of Greenleaves with their Sindar King Celeborn, grandfather of the Elf that now walked solemnly between the tall Mallorn trees.

Black were her clothes and hair, graceful was her movement, beautiful was her face, yet the light that once shone in her eyes was quenched and her heart was now weary of its years.

Long ago Arwen Undómiel had come here, to see her grandparents' smiling faces, to laugh, run and enjoy life. Much later she met a Man who called her Tinúviel, and although she didn't know it at the time, he would steal her heart and soul, give her six wonderful children and his kingdom, and love her more than life itself. She had met that Man here again and they had made a promise then, one that she now came to honour, and to fulfil.

On the evening of Midsummer Aragorn, Arathorn's son, and Arwen daughter of Elrond went to the fair hill, Cerin Amroth, in the midst of the land, and they walked unshod on the undying grass with elanor and niphredil about their feet. And there upon that hill they looked east to the Shadow and west to the Twilight and they plighted their troths and were glad.

And Arwen said: "Dark is the Shadow, and yet my heart rejoices; for you, Estel, shall be among the great whose valour will destroy it."

But Aragorn answered: "Alas! I cannot forsee it, and how it may come to pass is hidden from me. Yet with your hope I will hope. And the Shadow I utterly reject. But neither, lady, is the Twilight for me; for I am mortal, and if you will cleave to me, Evenstar, then the Twilight you must also renounce."

And she stood then as still as a white tree, looking into the West, and at last she said: "I will cleave to you Dúnadan, and turn from the Twilight. Yet there lies the land of my people and the long home of all my kin."

She had been right: Estel had been among the fellowship of nine who destroyed the Shadow. She had always placed her hope in him, and he had never let her down. Now it was her turn to prove herself to him.

As she lay herself down atop the hill, memories of her time with Estel flashed through her mind, so may they were almost an agonising blur. The first time they met, his coronation, their wedding, the look on his face the first time he held each of his children, all the adventures they had together, painful goodbyes and tearful reunions, how he helped her when she was down, his touch on her bare skin, how his eyes lit up when he was happy about something, his smile, the taste of his lips, his voice, the last words he said to her, his final promise...

Clutching the Evenstar pendant, she whispered those words over and over: "I give you this back with a promise. A promise that one day I will find you again, and you can return it to me. You can return to me." Tears clouded her vision and with every word she felt her voice become thinner, her body grow weaker. She had thought there would be pain, but there was none.

"I am coming Estel, my life, my heart," she said, closing her eyes. "I am returning to you."

Gradually darkness began to seep through her, eliminating grief and sorrow, leaving only warmth. And still there was no pain. All she sensed - if it could be called a sensation - was complete and utter peace. The coolness of the pendant in her hand began to fade against her fingertips, as she felt her heartbeat slow beneath her chest.

If this is my destiny, she thought in her dying moments, then maybe it is not so bad after all. And then she saw Estel, and called out his name, and he heard her.

And as her soul slipped from her body, floating, falling, he caught her.

And it seemed then that a gentle breeze blew, and hope blazed in the hearts of everyone who had ever been blessed in knowing Arwen Undómiel, the Evenstar of her people, King Elessar's Queen, and the most kind, caring, compassionate, gentle, beautiful, loving person that had ever lived.

Over one hundred leagues away in Minas Tirith, King Eldarion Telcontar and his five sisters felt their hearts life, and all their sorrows slip away. They smiled at each other for the first time in weeks, together realising what it meant.

"He has found her," Eldarion whispered. "They are home."

And as they sat together at dinner that night, they raised their glasses in a toast to their Naneth and Adar, and to everlasting love, each of them hoping that one day they might find someone to love them as completely as their parents loved each other, and they knew that only then would they be truly blessed.

To Be Continued....

Cerridwen - aah yes, tissues are an essential item for everyone.... gah, ok it's just me then!!! But seriously, I know you, you're gonna say 'that dedication was so sweet but you're just as good a friend etc.' - STOP BEING SO MODEST!!! evil voice: I mean what I say..... mwah ha ha ha haaaaa!!! ;) L&H XxX

viviana - thank you, more is here!

Dark Borg Drone - of course! and thank you! I always love a good bit of Elvish!

lindahoyland - yeah, I always thought she was a bit of a bitch leaving her children the way Tolkein wrote it, so I tried to make her a lot more loving and caring as I'm sure she would be, and make the decision seem as hard as possible for her, even though we all know her obvious choice! I'm glad you think I did it well! Thank you!

ME132 - hehe yeah they were rather productive weren't they?! In the epic kinda fic I'm writing at the mo (look out for it, called The Soul Has No Rainbow) you kinda see just how productive they were - lol! well, this chapter was sad and sweet in a way, and you got your wish, they're together!!

Malethwen - sorry it took so long to update, its a long and very boring story, but its here finally!! thanks! and your story is great btw!

Strider's Girl - this is the only story that has ever made you cry?! wow! Should I feel somehow honoured?! I cried writing it, this chapter too, but then I cry at everything so that's not really a very good comparison! Somewhere I read/heard that last bit, more along the lines of, "my father's passed away and I will never be loved like that again" and it made me think about it and its true, and really quite sad.... anyway... thanks!