Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

A/N: Hey there everyone! Sorry about the delay in updating but I hit a bit of writers block which I have thankfully gotten over. I'm telling you though, the holiday season fried my brain at work. Yeesssh! Some people are absolutely crazy I tell you. Anyway, thank you all so much for your reviews, they mean the world to me! A huge thank you to my wonderful beta enb2004 for being so supportive and patient with me! As promised here is Chapter 3! Enjoy!

When Thranduil and Elrond walked into the private dinning room where Estel's party had been set up, Thranduil almost didn't recognize it with all the bright and festive decorations.

"Wow, you really out did yourself this time Elrond," Thranduil murmured softly.

Elrond was paying him no heed, however, for he was too enraptured with watching Estel take in everything.

"Is this all for me Ada?" Estel asked with wide silver eyes. The only time he had ever seen so many gifts and decorations was during Yule but that had long since passed!

"Of course it is tithen pen!" Elrond said with a smile. "After all, it isn't every day that you're young little man turns five."

Estel giggled and shook his head in agreement while continuing to look around the room in awe.

What Estel didn't know was that Elrond had decided to go all out this year for two reasons. One reason of course was that Estel had reached a turningpoint in his childhood. The other, however, was due to the trauma that Estel had suffered all to recently. Between Gorothdil and his misadventure with Legolas in the woods, Elrond had felt the need to spoil Estel somewhat and everyone had agreed.

"So, what would you like to eat first birthday boy?" Elladan asked.

"Cake!" Estel exclaimed predictably.

Everyone laughed and headed over to where a very large cake was sitting upon the table. "Ah, I see your chef has somehow found out Estel's favorite kind to cake," Elrond laughed upon seeing it. His youngest had somewhat of an odd (or so he thought anyway) taste for cake. Somehow, Estel had gotten it into his head that cake and ice cream should be made into one large dessert.

The twins and Legolas snorted while Thranduil and the rest of his children looked at the cake in confusion.

"What is it?" Iaurdil asked his nose wrinkling in distaste.

"It certainly doesn't look all that appealing," Fuina agreed.

"I must agree," Thranduil said. "Tell me tithen pen, what kind of cake is this?" he asked Estel.

Estel beamed at him proudly. "It's my own invention! It's an ice cream cake."

"A what cake?" Aruviel said in disbelief.

"An ice cream cake! You know, a cake with both ice cream and cake!" Estel said enthusiastically.

"I know that it may not look all that appetizing but it is actually quite good," Elrond said with a smile.

"Truly it is, although I must admit we had a similar reaction when we first saw it," Elrohir said with a laugh.

Thranduil gave him a skeptical looked but resigned himself to his fate. "All right then, let us have some of this... ice cream cake."

Glorfindel chuckled and began to cut the cake. "Here you go birthday boy," he said heaping a large piece onto Estel's plate.

Thranduil's eyes widened in alarm at the size of the piece. "Elrond, tell me he won't be able to finish that whole slice."

"Oh I'm afraid he will but it is his birthday, so we'll just have to put up with the sugar rush that is sure to follow," Elrond murmured back.

Thranduil gulped but took a piece of cake for himself without further comment. Once everyone had their slice, Estel and his family immediately dug in with everyone else looking on with trepidation.

"Come on Legolas, aren't you going to have some?" Estel asked when he noticed that no one else save his Ada and brothers were eating the yummy cake.

"Yes, I shall have some," Legolas said with a sigh. "As will everyone else," he said with a glare. If he had to suffer through this then it was only fair that the rest of his family should suffer as well.

"You first ion nin," Thranduil muttered softy to Legolas so as not to hurt Estel's feelings.

Legolas grimaced but picked up his fork and reluctantly put a tiny bite of the cake in his mouth while Elrond and the twins watched with glee. Much to his, and his family's surprise, he did not have to spit out the cake. The cake had a very pleasant cool taste to it and the chocolate cake did seem to go well with the mint ice cream much to his shock.

"Ummm! This is very good Estel," Legolas said as he dug in heartily.

Thranduil looked at his youngest in disbelief but he knew now for sure he would have to try the cake.

Reluctantly he did so and he too found it was incredibly delicious!

"Is that mint I taste?" Iaurdil asked beating his father too the punch.

"Yep!" Estel answered gleefully. "It's my favorite flavor!"

"I think I can see why, particularly with the chocolate," Thranduil said as he helped himself to more.

"See? Told you Leggie!" Estel said.

"Aye, so you did," Legolas said shaking his head in disbelief. He had learned of Estel's fondness of ice cream cake back in Imladris but up until now he had never had occasion to try it. Before, he hadn't thought that too bad a thing at all but now it seemed like a crime that he hadn't had it before.

"How did you come upon this concoction Estel?" Fuina asked curiously as she ate.

"Well, I've always loved mint ice cream and I've always loved chocolate, so I mixed them one day all by myself!" Estel said proudly.

Thranduil winced and shot a sympathetic look at Elrond. He had learned through hard earned experience that young ones and the kitchens never, never mixed.

"He actually made it quite well considering his age," Elrond said with a shrug. He had long since become accustomed to Estel's occasional odd quirks and talents. It didn't stop him from being surprised from time to time, however.

"Well, now that we've all had our cake, I do believe that it is time to move on to the gifts!" Elladan exclaimed happily. He loved seeing his little brother react to the different gifts and his joy in receiving them.

"Yah! Presents!" Estel said happily.

Everyone laughed at his enthusiasm before moving into the sitting room to open up the gifts.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two hours later all the gifts had been opened and Estel was curled up in Thranduil's lap after having the King read to him the book he had given Estel.

"Ada, I do believe that little one has you wrapped around his little finger," Iaurdil said fondly.

Thranduil smiled and nodded. "Yes, I suppose he does but you are one to speak ion nin. Do not think for a moment that I have not noticed how you dote on his as you once did and still do on Legolas."

"Ada!" Iaurdil and Legolas exclaimed quietly together.

"Iaurdil does not dote on me," Legolas said disdainfully. "Overprotective of me? Yes, in the extreme. Doting on me? Hardly. I would never allow it."

"Agreed!" Iaurdil stated vehemently. "Doting indeed. That is a job best left to females. It is their job to be the mothering sort."

Every sane male in the room winced at Iaurdil's last comment. "Iaurdil, I love you very much but not even I will make an attempt to defend you," Thranduil said.

"What?" Iaurdil said confused.

"Gwador, I do hope that you have made out your last will because you are about to die a very, very painful death," Legolas said looking nervously over at his sisters.

Iaurdil saw where he was looking and turned towards the females in the room only to find them glaring at him as though he were Sauron himself.

"What exactly did you say about us dear older brother?" Fuina hissed.

"Yes, what did you say? For I would have sworn you said something about leaving doting to females for they are the mothering type," Aruviel said in a dangerous soft voice.

"I mean no disrespect of course," Iaurdil said hastily backpedaling. Stupid! He couldn't believe he just said that in front of his two highly volatile sisters. He was dead, that was a certainty.

"Ah my dear ladies, I do beg you to forgive your brother for now. After all, we have a sleeping child in the room. There is no need for him to witness Iaurdil's massacre," Elrond said hastily.

Thranduil's daughters huffed but they agreed. The last thing they wanted to do was spoil Estel's birthday.

"Very well, but don't expect us to forget this Iaurdil Thranduilion," Fuina hissed as she jabbed her finger into his chest.

Iaurdil paled but nodded as both his sisters left the room with their heads held high while making plans for their brother to suffer horrendously.

"Congratulations Iaurdil, you have done something I had not thought possible," Glorfindel said in awe.

"Oh, and what is that?" he asked dejectedly.

"You have made a female more infuriated than the twins, a feat I had not thought possible," Elrond said.

"Aye, we have never made Arwen that mad before. Then again, though, we never made a comment like that to her either," Elrohir said with a laugh.

"I would be careful if I was you mellon nin. Women when infuriated are a relentless force. The only thing we innocent people can do is wait out the storm while you face it head on," Elladan said.

Iaurdil grumbled but he knew that the twins were telling the truth. There was nothing he could do but wait for his sisters to do to him whatever it was they were planning. "This is going to be a very bad few weeks for me isn't it?" he asked.

Thranduil shook his head sadly. "You have no idea ion nin, you have no idea."

As it would turn out, however, none of them knew just how bad the following few weeks would be.

Translations:

Ada: Dad/Daddy

Ion nin: My son

Gwador: Brother

Mellon nin: My friend