(A/N: I made a little mistake on the date of chapter two; it was supposed to be TA 2981 December 8 not TA 1291. So chapter two takes place about 4 months after chapter one. I blame that mistake on a lack of sleep.)
Chapter 3
TA 2982 June 14
"Ada!"
Elrond looked up when his foster son strode, or rather waddled, into his study, stomach first, "Yes, ion nin?"
Estel stopped in front of Elrond's desk, one hand supporting his swollen stomach, the other running through his hair, "When is this baby going to be born, Ada? It's been 10 months! I know I was raised by elves but I'm still human and I know for a fact human's only carry their babies for 9 months."
"Estel …" Elrond began.
Estel ignored him, "I mean, he should be here by now. Why isn't he? What am I doing wrong? I've done everything you told me to."
"Estel!"
"How am I going to be a good father if I can't even have my baby on time?"
Estel was working himself into a panic by now. Elrond sighed.
"ARAGORN!!!"
Estel fell silent and blinked, startled.
Elrond shook his head, "Relax, Estel. I know you don't want to tell us who the other father was but … was he an elf by chance?"
Estel remained silent a moment, then, "He … may have been."
Elrond smiled, "Well, then, you must understand, Estel, your child gets Elvish blood from both you and his sire. It may take him more than 9 months to develop fully. Elves carry for a full year."
"Ai," Estel groaned, "I cannot handle this for 2 more months!"
Elrond hid his grin, "Now, Estel, as you said, you are human. Your child may be born …"
Estel suddenly gasped and doubled over clutching his stomach and choked out, "Now!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In Mirkwood, Legolas suddenly stood up straight from the balcony he was standing on and placed a hand lightly on his stomach. His brow was slanted in apparent confusion.
"Legolas? What is wrong?"
Legolas slowly turned to face Thranduil. "I'm not sure Ada. I've been feeling odd all day, but I don't think it's me. I mean I … I think something's wrong with Estel."
Thranduil's eyes widened in surprise. "You've been sensing feelings coming off of Estel?"
Legolas sighed. "It's odd Ada. I've … I mean for the past 6 or 7 months, every once in awhile I've been getting these intense waves of sadness coming off of Estel. And now I … I get the sense that he's in pain!"
Thranduil sighed at the desperation in Legolas' voice. "The fact that you've formed an emotional bond of this sort with Estel, just shows how much you still love him," Thranduil said. "Of course, I'd already guessed that you still loved him," Thranduil added, nodding to the ring on a chain around Legolas' neck.
The same ring Estel had left behind in Mirkwood almost a year ago.
"How long will you keep pining away for this adan?" Thranduil asked.
Legolas stiffened and glared at his father, suddenly angry. "This 'adan' is the only one I have ever loved!" Legolas paused as his eyes turned from anger to sadness. "I will find him again one day Ada. I'll keep looking," he said turning back around to face the balcony, and then adding as an after thought, "as long as it takes."
Thranduil sighed. "I'm sorry ion nin. I just can't bear to see you in this much pain."
Legolas stood against the balcony, not saying anything for a few moments before heaving a deep sigh. "Do you think … if I can feel him … he can … maybe … feel me."
Thranduil shrugged. "I don't know. He's not an elf you know. He's an adan."
Legolas closed his eyes against the night air and closed his fist around the ring that always rested against his heart.
"He is still my Estel."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Glorfindel stood between the twins and the door to Estel's room watching the identical elves pace in opposite directions.
Elrond had given Glorfindel the duty of keeping the twins from bursting into Estel's room when and if the human screamed … which he probably would.
As if on cue, Estel screamed. The twins stopped pacing mid-stride and dived for the door. Miraculously, Glorfindel managed to hold them back.
"Stay elflings. Elrond and Estel don't need you under foot."
"But he sounds like he's dying!" Elrohir said.
Glorfindel sighed, "He's not dying."
"But …" Elrohir started.
Glorfindel shook his head, "Alright. Both of you go. Do something."
"Do what?" Elladan asked.
Glorfindel sigh-moaned and rolled his eyes, "Go boil water."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Aragorn felt like he was about to be torn apart. He'd been in labor since early that morning, and it was now approaching mid-evening with no clear end in sight.
"Ada, … I have … one … question … for you," Aragorn stated. Having to pant out the words in the midst of a vicious contraction.
Elrond sighed. "Do you really think this is the right time Estel?"
Aragorn screamed as the contraction came to it's end and grabbed Elrond by his collar with a murderous look on his face. "Ada, … when you said that a birth canal would form in my lower abdomen for the baby to come out, I assumed that it would form before the birth, not during!"
Elrond sighed as he pried Aragorn's hands off of his collar. "Estel, … you're going to have to relax or this will just be harder on you."
It was the wrong thing to say. "Relax?! I'm about to squeeze something the size of a melon out of a hole that wasn't even there two hours ago, … and you're telling me to relax?!"
Elrond rubbed his hand across his temple as Aragorn's exclamation ended with the human screaming and arching his back off the bed.
"Please tell me this is almost over," Aragorn mumbled weakly.
"Do you require some assistance Lord Elrond?"
Elrond sighed in relief as he recognized the voice from the door.
"Ai Elbereth, Gandalf, you have no idea how thankful I am to see you here."
Gandalf chuckled as he walked to the foot of the bed where Elrond was seated beside Aragorn. "Has he been at this long?" Gandalf asked.
"Try most of the whole day," Aragorn groaned and bit his lip as his stomach tightened once again.
Gandalf quickly sat down at the foot of the bed near Elrond to examine Aragorn. He looked up at Elrond with wide eyes. "Elrond, go and help Aragorn sit up … this baby is coming."
Elrond quickly did as he was told just as Aragorn yelled, "Coming?!"
Gandalf looked straight at Aragorn as Elrond got him into a sitting postion.
"Aragorn, when the next contraction comes I need you to push right away."
Aragorn's eyes went wide. "With what?!"
Gandalf sighed. "Your stomach muscles of course."
"Ai Elbereth, you have got to be …"
"Aragorn just do it! Now!"
Aragorn clenched his teeth against the waves of pain and pushed like he was told, with Elrond supporting his back. The human's entire focus and concentration was focused on the child about to be born, and he could barely work up the energy to breath let alone continue to scream.
"Ada, I thought you said I wasn't dying!"
Elrond rolled his eyes. "Estel … you're not!"
"WELL THEN JUST KILL ME!!!"
Aragorn finally found the strength to scream as he finished that proclamation and pushed again. Although this time Aragorn's scream was joined by the healthy wailing of a newborn child.
"Good Aragorn," Gandalf said, holding up the infant. "You have a son."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Outside in the hall, 3 elves spun to face the door when they heard a baby cry.
Glorfindel yelped in surprise when the twins pushed him to the side and rushed into the room shouting, "What is it?!"
Sighing, Glorfindel followed at a slower pace. He got inside the room just in time to see Gandalf hand a swaddled infant to Aragorn.
The twins plopped down, one on each side of Aragorn and cooed at the infant. Aragorn swallowed as he studied his child.
"I'm an ada," the human choked out, tears rolling down his face. "I have a son."
"Aye," Elrond said, "You are. Congratulations ion nin."
"What are you going to name him, Estel?" the twins chorused.
Aragorn thought a moment, his gaze fixed on his son. Something Elvish for sure he thought.
"Farothen." Aragorn finally whispered.
"A good name," Elladan whispered, gently running his fingers through the thick, silky dark hair on Farothen's head.
Gandalf suddenly cleared his throat. "I think we should give Aragorn some time alone with his son. I'm sure he's tired as well."
"Yes." Elrond said, herding Glorfindel, Gandalf, and the twins out. At the door he stopped and looked back, "I will check back later, Estel."
That said, Elrond left, shutting the door silently behind himself.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A couple other notes:
These first four chapters are kind of like a prologue leading up to the core story. The main story is supposed to be how Aragorn and Legolas find each other again, and their son's story.
Also Farothen is pronounced: (fair-oh-thain)
Thanks for the reviews!
Chapter 3
TA 2982 June 14
"Ada!"
Elrond looked up when his foster son strode, or rather waddled, into his study, stomach first, "Yes, ion nin?"
Estel stopped in front of Elrond's desk, one hand supporting his swollen stomach, the other running through his hair, "When is this baby going to be born, Ada? It's been 10 months! I know I was raised by elves but I'm still human and I know for a fact human's only carry their babies for 9 months."
"Estel …" Elrond began.
Estel ignored him, "I mean, he should be here by now. Why isn't he? What am I doing wrong? I've done everything you told me to."
"Estel!"
"How am I going to be a good father if I can't even have my baby on time?"
Estel was working himself into a panic by now. Elrond sighed.
"ARAGORN!!!"
Estel fell silent and blinked, startled.
Elrond shook his head, "Relax, Estel. I know you don't want to tell us who the other father was but … was he an elf by chance?"
Estel remained silent a moment, then, "He … may have been."
Elrond smiled, "Well, then, you must understand, Estel, your child gets Elvish blood from both you and his sire. It may take him more than 9 months to develop fully. Elves carry for a full year."
"Ai," Estel groaned, "I cannot handle this for 2 more months!"
Elrond hid his grin, "Now, Estel, as you said, you are human. Your child may be born …"
Estel suddenly gasped and doubled over clutching his stomach and choked out, "Now!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In Mirkwood, Legolas suddenly stood up straight from the balcony he was standing on and placed a hand lightly on his stomach. His brow was slanted in apparent confusion.
"Legolas? What is wrong?"
Legolas slowly turned to face Thranduil. "I'm not sure Ada. I've been feeling odd all day, but I don't think it's me. I mean I … I think something's wrong with Estel."
Thranduil's eyes widened in surprise. "You've been sensing feelings coming off of Estel?"
Legolas sighed. "It's odd Ada. I've … I mean for the past 6 or 7 months, every once in awhile I've been getting these intense waves of sadness coming off of Estel. And now I … I get the sense that he's in pain!"
Thranduil sighed at the desperation in Legolas' voice. "The fact that you've formed an emotional bond of this sort with Estel, just shows how much you still love him," Thranduil said. "Of course, I'd already guessed that you still loved him," Thranduil added, nodding to the ring on a chain around Legolas' neck.
The same ring Estel had left behind in Mirkwood almost a year ago.
"How long will you keep pining away for this adan?" Thranduil asked.
Legolas stiffened and glared at his father, suddenly angry. "This 'adan' is the only one I have ever loved!" Legolas paused as his eyes turned from anger to sadness. "I will find him again one day Ada. I'll keep looking," he said turning back around to face the balcony, and then adding as an after thought, "as long as it takes."
Thranduil sighed. "I'm sorry ion nin. I just can't bear to see you in this much pain."
Legolas stood against the balcony, not saying anything for a few moments before heaving a deep sigh. "Do you think … if I can feel him … he can … maybe … feel me."
Thranduil shrugged. "I don't know. He's not an elf you know. He's an adan."
Legolas closed his eyes against the night air and closed his fist around the ring that always rested against his heart.
"He is still my Estel."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Glorfindel stood between the twins and the door to Estel's room watching the identical elves pace in opposite directions.
Elrond had given Glorfindel the duty of keeping the twins from bursting into Estel's room when and if the human screamed … which he probably would.
As if on cue, Estel screamed. The twins stopped pacing mid-stride and dived for the door. Miraculously, Glorfindel managed to hold them back.
"Stay elflings. Elrond and Estel don't need you under foot."
"But he sounds like he's dying!" Elrohir said.
Glorfindel sighed, "He's not dying."
"But …" Elrohir started.
Glorfindel shook his head, "Alright. Both of you go. Do something."
"Do what?" Elladan asked.
Glorfindel sigh-moaned and rolled his eyes, "Go boil water."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Aragorn felt like he was about to be torn apart. He'd been in labor since early that morning, and it was now approaching mid-evening with no clear end in sight.
"Ada, … I have … one … question … for you," Aragorn stated. Having to pant out the words in the midst of a vicious contraction.
Elrond sighed. "Do you really think this is the right time Estel?"
Aragorn screamed as the contraction came to it's end and grabbed Elrond by his collar with a murderous look on his face. "Ada, … when you said that a birth canal would form in my lower abdomen for the baby to come out, I assumed that it would form before the birth, not during!"
Elrond sighed as he pried Aragorn's hands off of his collar. "Estel, … you're going to have to relax or this will just be harder on you."
It was the wrong thing to say. "Relax?! I'm about to squeeze something the size of a melon out of a hole that wasn't even there two hours ago, … and you're telling me to relax?!"
Elrond rubbed his hand across his temple as Aragorn's exclamation ended with the human screaming and arching his back off the bed.
"Please tell me this is almost over," Aragorn mumbled weakly.
"Do you require some assistance Lord Elrond?"
Elrond sighed in relief as he recognized the voice from the door.
"Ai Elbereth, Gandalf, you have no idea how thankful I am to see you here."
Gandalf chuckled as he walked to the foot of the bed where Elrond was seated beside Aragorn. "Has he been at this long?" Gandalf asked.
"Try most of the whole day," Aragorn groaned and bit his lip as his stomach tightened once again.
Gandalf quickly sat down at the foot of the bed near Elrond to examine Aragorn. He looked up at Elrond with wide eyes. "Elrond, go and help Aragorn sit up … this baby is coming."
Elrond quickly did as he was told just as Aragorn yelled, "Coming?!"
Gandalf looked straight at Aragorn as Elrond got him into a sitting postion.
"Aragorn, when the next contraction comes I need you to push right away."
Aragorn's eyes went wide. "With what?!"
Gandalf sighed. "Your stomach muscles of course."
"Ai Elbereth, you have got to be …"
"Aragorn just do it! Now!"
Aragorn clenched his teeth against the waves of pain and pushed like he was told, with Elrond supporting his back. The human's entire focus and concentration was focused on the child about to be born, and he could barely work up the energy to breath let alone continue to scream.
"Ada, I thought you said I wasn't dying!"
Elrond rolled his eyes. "Estel … you're not!"
"WELL THEN JUST KILL ME!!!"
Aragorn finally found the strength to scream as he finished that proclamation and pushed again. Although this time Aragorn's scream was joined by the healthy wailing of a newborn child.
"Good Aragorn," Gandalf said, holding up the infant. "You have a son."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Outside in the hall, 3 elves spun to face the door when they heard a baby cry.
Glorfindel yelped in surprise when the twins pushed him to the side and rushed into the room shouting, "What is it?!"
Sighing, Glorfindel followed at a slower pace. He got inside the room just in time to see Gandalf hand a swaddled infant to Aragorn.
The twins plopped down, one on each side of Aragorn and cooed at the infant. Aragorn swallowed as he studied his child.
"I'm an ada," the human choked out, tears rolling down his face. "I have a son."
"Aye," Elrond said, "You are. Congratulations ion nin."
"What are you going to name him, Estel?" the twins chorused.
Aragorn thought a moment, his gaze fixed on his son. Something Elvish for sure he thought.
"Farothen." Aragorn finally whispered.
"A good name," Elladan whispered, gently running his fingers through the thick, silky dark hair on Farothen's head.
Gandalf suddenly cleared his throat. "I think we should give Aragorn some time alone with his son. I'm sure he's tired as well."
"Yes." Elrond said, herding Glorfindel, Gandalf, and the twins out. At the door he stopped and looked back, "I will check back later, Estel."
That said, Elrond left, shutting the door silently behind himself.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A couple other notes:
These first four chapters are kind of like a prologue leading up to the core story. The main story is supposed to be how Aragorn and Legolas find each other again, and their son's story.
Also Farothen is pronounced: (fair-oh-thain)
Thanks for the reviews!