Sahara snuggled sleepily into the warmth behind her, and she felt it pull her tighter to him. Her eyes flew open, and she tensed, but soon relaxed upon seeing Erestor looking down at her, gently stroking the fall of her dark hair.

"You're safe." He whispered huskily to her, his eyes never leaving hers. She moved closer to him.

"I need you to keep me here." She whispered. "with you."

He smiled tenderly down at her, the back of his hand brushing against her cheek, her warmth next to his the most comforting feeling in all his years of loneliness he had ever experienced.

"I'm sorry for what I've put you through." She whispered, turning from him, scared of his retribution. He did nothing more than pull her closer.

"Never fear me." He whispered to her huskily, his eyes dark with feeling.

She turned her head to look at him once more, before he slowly closed the distance between them, and kissed her, with little more than a caress of lips, that took her breathe away. He took his lips from hers, and began to leave a tender trail of kisses down her neck, across her collar bone, making her arch her back against him, her head thrown back as his caresses threatened to undo her. His lips rose to hers again. She returned his kiss, desperate for any contact with him at all, his flesh against her own, that their clothing momentarily hindered. She took his hand in hers, and guided it to her waist, her hand on top of his, pushing her robes away slowly. He watched her, as their hands stroked higher and higher, until they rested upon her breast.

"Touch me," she whispered to him, taking her hand from his, and placing it within his own robes, her eyes pleading, telling volumes within their near black depths, a hint of fear, that was quickly replaced with trust as Erestor gently began to caress her. Their breathe quickened. She could feel his arousal press against her through their robes, a discovery that once would have scared her, but now succeeded in only fueling her desire. Her eyes never leaving his, she pulled her robes off, leaving her naked beneath him, and then she rose her hands to his shoulders, and cautiously slid his off. He looked at her then, as though seeing her for the first time, his eyes glistening with some unknown emotion.

He let himself lay between her legs upon the divan, before the roaring fire, and he entered her, so slowly that she could feel every centimeter more he pressed into her. The build up of intensity and feeling was so different to anything she had ever felt before, she arched against him again, encouraging and pleading him to take her, faster and deeper at the same time. The end and beginning of all things collided then in those few precious moments for both, and they felt the world rock around them, taking both to a place where lovers often go in these few seconds of ecstasy, beyond all rapture, and she clutched him to her, as though he were the only solid thing in her world, and she felt a tear trace a path down her cheek. He collapsed over her then, both too spent with the sensations coursing through them to speak. Eventually, Erestor

rose from his position atop her, afraid of hurting her, and pulled her into his arms at his side, cradling her close. Her hand rested upon his chest. His, one at the small of her back, the other laced through her fingers. He placed a gentle kiss upon her brow, and he felt her snuggle into him. And then he realized that he was no longer lonely, nor alone, and never would be again. She had faced her demons, and returned to him. And he thanked the Valar for such a priceless gift.

&$&

"Promise me you'll never leave me again," whispered Glorfindel to Lorasars drowsy form, curled sweetly around him in their rooms. He held her close to him, content for the moment to simply hold her, their passion sated for the time being. She looked up at him. "Promise me you won't leave me" She returned.

He sighed in exasperation. "Always you must be difficult," he said, rolling atop of her. "Close your eyes, turn away from what happened, and let us begin our life together, away from the past."

"Don't tell me to close my eyes, Glorfindel!" She spat up at him. " I won't turn my head away from something that I've bore from centuries. Galadrions death changes little. I still need to come to terms with what happened, and you have helped me recognize that! So don't tell me to just forget it. It is a part of me, and whilst I love you, it will always be a part of who I am." He silenced her then, kissing her. He broke it abruptly.

"Glorfindel! I hate it when you do that!" she said, the fight gone from her.

"I didn't mean forget what happened, love. I meant the argument we had afterwards."

"Oh." She said, after a pause, before a wicked grin replaced her determined scowl.

" I would never ask you to forget what happened love. That is as much a part of you as your sword hand. Which at the moment, I suspect is doing very naughty things with a certain part of my anatomy. But on the subject, maybe it's time to move on from this chapt-ERRRR!" his last words were cut off with a loud moan, as she continued to tease him.

"You are insatiable," he whispered to her, as he moved her hand, and held both wrists high above her head, entering her once more. "Someone should teach you a lesson, elleth!"

"Is that so?" she purred at him, her eyes hooded with desire, as she arched against his ardent thrusts. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a life long promise my love." They both reached their completion, and it ripped through both like a firestorm, with nothing but feeling, leaving both momentarily senseless. And as the last of the rippling sheets of flame burnt out, they lay shaking within each others arms. Where each belonged. And neither was too concerned with leaving for a long, long time.

&&5

Allarah was still tied to the bed. The twins were eating their mid day meal from either side of the bed, and neither were too concerned about the continuous stream of threats she directed at them.

"Mother loving, two faced pair of…"

"You've said that already," commented Elrohir, which was meant by a growl from Allarah. It seemed her little game of 'hard to get' had reaped different yields than she expected. She twisted again against the bonds.

"You've already tried that." said Elladan, not looking up from the piece of meat he was cutting.

She fell back on to the bed, exhausted. She tried something different. "Please" she whispered, her body stopping it's writhing, and her eyes turning to plead with first one then the other. The two twins looked at each other over her, than at her, and they shook their heads. Another loud growl of annoyance rose from the bed.

"Just be glad that we had enough respect for you to leave your clothes on!" commented Elladan. Elrohir suddenly looked up, his eyes shining. Their eyes et, and simultaneously, they turned to grin at Allarah.

"Oh No!" she said, trying to twist away from their questing hands. It was then a loud knock came from the door. Elladan sighed in exasperation, and shook his head, and went to open the door. There stood their father.

"Hello adar," said Elladan, trying to block the view of what was happening in the room from his father. "How's Lorasar?"

Elrond just massaged his temples with a sigh of exasperation. "My sons, I thought I had long ago given up asking why you do the things you do, but I find myself once again asking; why. Why do you have Allarah tied up upon your bed when she obviously is not happy about it."

Elladan grinned innocently, and then Elrohir thought he'd try to explain. And so he did. Badly.

"So you're telling me," Elrond said, disbelief playing across his features and filling his voice. "That she asked you to?"

"Nice story Elrohir," Elladan muttered sarcastically to his brother, elbowing him in the ribs.

Elrond smiled at his sons, a look they weren't at all sure they liked. He had the same look upon his face that they themselves often got right before they were about to get up to a particularly genius piece of mischief. Elrond went over to the bed. "Would you like me to untie you Allarah?"

"Yes, my Lord, if you wouldn't mind." She said, her eyes never leaving the two figures who were edging their way out the door.

"Before I do, my sons, wait. It's high time you made honest ellons of them Allarah. So stop playing with their affections, and tell them"

Allarah rolled her eyes, sighing loudly. "Alright, alright! I love you two mother…"

"Ähem!" Elrond cleared his throat loudly.

"ahhh…I love you. Alright? Happy now?" she said to Elrond, grimacing as though just saying the words had cost her something. The twins faces broke into twin expressions of joy. They had shared her bed for a while, but she had never old the how she felt for them in all that time.

Elrond nodded appreciatively. "Now, my sons, I will give you ten seconds before I release her…"

A/N : Now all that's left is the Epilogue. Arghhhhhhhh! It's taken me so long, I can't believe it's nearly finished! It's sad. Now I have to think of a whole new idea and everything. Who to include in my next story? Hmmmm…..I'm playing with some ideas about Thranduil, but I think I may just have to write little ficlets for a while before undertaking another large scale story. Something with Ardenia and Haldir next I think. I miss those two. Then we'll see how all goes in Imladris. So what do you think of the chapter? Feedback would be good.

Any of the characters you'd like to know more about? Let me know.