Summary: A collection of glimpses into the lives of Arwen and Legolas' children. Rated K+ by Caitie

Year 1

A cool breeze brushed dry autumn leaves across the empty passageway before Elrohir and Elladan. The sun was high in the sky, casting Imladris in a soft golden glow. The pathway they followed would emerge into a courtyard surrounded by a forest, which by now was bathed in the hues of the season. The two men followed a trail of crumbs that started in the kitchen where a fresh tray of sweet biscuits had mysteriously vanished. When asked if she had seen the culprit the baker said no, but she had heard an eruption of giggles mere seconds before the discovering that the baked goods were missing.

Eyeing each other suspiciously, Elrohir and Elladan came out in the courtyard. "Shhh!" Thy heard a loud whisper from in the bushes, followed by muffled giggles.

Elladan choked as he stifled a laugh. "I don't know, brother," Elladan said louder than he needed to. The brothers stopped in the center, taking in the quiet woods and muffled laughter. "I don't think the twins are out here. They would never hide in the forest; there's no telling what monsters roam these woods." Elladan had tried to sound serious, but his lips curled up into a smile as he heard Alida gasp quietly.

"Ah yes," Elrohir started, walking closer to the trees where he knew his niece and nephew were hiding behind. "Monsters with red fur and blue eyes and an insatiable appetite for… Agh!"

Two small children dove out from the trees in tandem; one climbing onto a stone bench before launching herself at Elrohir's chest, and the other claiming his legs, knocking him to the ground. Alida let out a ferocious roar as she tumbled to the ground with her uncle, her skinny arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Leonid had struck Elorhir behind his knees, forcing the man to the ground with a shout.

Elladan roared with laughter as he watched his own twin getting attacked by their niece and nephew. Their red hair was lit with firelight in the golden afternoon sun. The children's laughter rang through the trees as they berated Elrohir. Leonid had moved to sit on his uncle's right arm while Alida fought against his left, battling it away as she screamed with laughter.

"Brother! Help me!" Elorhir cried out dramatically.

"Alright, alright," Elladan said, hesitantly approaching the chaos that was the youngest twins. He scooped Alida up with one arm, his free hand immediately diving onto the child and tickling her ribs.

"Laio!" Alida shrieked through her fits of laughter, squirming in her uncle's grip.

"Put her down!" Leonid shouted, leaping to his feet faster than Elrohir could catch him. The little boy grabbed a stick from the ground and brandished it like a sword. He slapped the stick against Elladan's legs until Elrohir grabbed him, tossing the boy over his shoulder as he ran through the courtyard.

Elladan had stopped his torrent of tickles as he watched his brother run around the open space. Alida, having given up her attack was content to curl into her uncle's chest, tucking her hand under her chin as she yawned. Elladan held her tightly to him, one hand rubbing slow circles on her back. Many years ago, he had held his sister, her mother, like this. The thought made his heart ache.

"I'm hungry!" Leonid shouted, making Elrohir stop and pulling Elladan from his thoughts.

Elorhir laughed and pulled the boy from his shoulder to rest in his arms. "You can't possibly be serious?" He asked, panting every few words.

"You need more exercise, brother," Elladan said, chuckling. Elrohir shot him a look that was purely their father. Elrond had given them both that look many times over the years.

"I'm hungry too!" Alida shouted, suddenly wife awake, her head shooting up from Elladan's chest.

"You two just ate an entire tray of biscuits!" Elrohir exclaimed, an incredulous look on his face. "How can you possibly be hungry?"

"Well, we are growing uncle," Alida said matter-of-factly.

Elladan roared with laughter. Alida was so young but already too smart. "They are growing, Elrohir," Elladan repeated.

Elrohir rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. "They get this attitude from you," he said pointedly.

After thinking for a moment, an idea came to Elladan and he smirked just thinking about it. "Did you know, your grandfather has an obsession with lemon candies?" Both of the twins looked up at him with wide eyes, the word "candy" catching their attention. "He hides them in his study. If you are really quiet, you can sneak in and attack him with tickles until he tells you where he's hidden them." Elladan tickled Alida for emphasis. The little girl shrieked as she slid out of his grasp.

Elrohir set Leonid down and Alida grabbed his hand as they ran for their grandfather's study, ready to wreak havoc in search of lemon candies.

..::..

Fire crackled in the darkened bedroom, casting shadows against the walls and floors. The flames leapt as they hungrily devoured a fresh piece of firewood and its light cast an orange glow on a child's sleeping face. Elrond sat in a chair by the fireplace, watching his grandchildren sleeping peacefully in the large canopy bed. He smiled to himself as he memorized their faces, knowing this would be one of the last nights he would be able to watch over them.

Leonid was sprawled on his back, his short limbs outstretched all around him, taking up as much room as he was able to. His mouth was open and Elrond could hear the soft snores of childhood. He smiled and stood up from his chair to approach the bed. The blankets had been ripped from the young boy's body by his sister and Elrond could see goosebumps on the child's arms. Elrond grabbed the fur throw from the foot of the bed and tucked it around his grandson. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Leonid's fiery head.

Hiding in the roll of blankets beside Leonid was his sister. Alida was notorious for stealing the blankets, and to this day they weren't sure if she was cold or if she just savored their comfort. "It's like a hug," Elrond could hear Alida say in his mind. He could even see the mischievous sparkle in her eye that she had inherited from her father in his mind. Elrond walked to the other side of the bed and knelt down on the floor beside it. Gently, he pulled back on the blanket to reveal the mess of auburn hair that was his granddaughter. He pushed the hair away and revealed Alida's round, sleeping face; her skin practically glowing in the soft moonlight coming in from the window across from her. He kissed the tip of her now exposed nose, his hand still resting on the top of her head.

Elrond rose and looked down at the children once more, remembering a time when they were even smaller, asleep on this bed. A sad smile graced his face at the memory & the realization that he wouldn't be able to watch them grow. He could clearly see the memory in his mind. Alida and Leonid were just over a year old and fast asleep, much like they were this night. Arwen lay curled at the foot of the bed, just watching their peaceful faces. "They're perfect," she whispered to the night. "Absolutely perfect."

Tears welled up in his eyes at the thought of Arwen. Between those tears he saw Legolas sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand resting softly on Arwen's back. "Perfect," he echoed, even though his eyes were on her.

Elrond had watched that moment from the opened door, quietly watching the little family. He blinked away the tears, but he couldn't take his eyes off the children. He sat once more in the chair by the fire. He closed his eyes and mindlessly hummed a wordless tune as he often did in his melancholy moods. He would stay here tonight, he decided, one of his last nights in this place. His heart ached at the thought of leaving them, the only pieces he had left of his daughter; of leaving his sons alone too. But at the same time, he smiled, knowing soon he would be in the Undying Lands. Soon he would be with his Celebrian again.

..::..

Year 17

Daylight streamed without mercy, blinding Leonid even through his closed eyelids. He groaned and threw an arm over his face, trying to shield the light out. Maybe if he moved his bed to the other side of the room the sun wouldn't assault him like this every morning, he thought to himself.

"Good morning," a voice said and he felt a body shift beside his.

Leonid was wide awake now as he searched his mind for the name of the woman beside him. Loreaia? That wasn't it. Elraine? That one sounded right to him. He pulled his arm away from his face and turned away from the sun to the dark-haired beauty that shared his bed. Elraine, that it was it for sure, he thought to himself when he saw her face. "Hello," he said, his voice low and husky as he became more awake. He leaned over and captured her lips with his. The sheets feel around his waist and he felt her warm hand rest on his chest. "What day is today?" He asked sleepily.

Elraine squinted her eyes, thinking. "Thursday, the twenty-fifth of September, I believe." She leaned in for another kiss.

Leonid sat up suddenly, Elraine falling off his chest onto the pillows unceremoniously. "The twenty-fifth?" He asked, throwing the blankets off of him and launching himself from the bed.

Elraine watched him from the bed as he grabbed his clothes and started pulling them on. "Is there somewhere important you need to be?" She asked, holding the sheet up to her chest as she sat up.

"Yes, actually," he answered. Leonid sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his boots. He laned back over and kissed her cheek. "Very sorry, darling, but I have to find someone." Leonid rose from the bed and left the room without another thought.

..::..

"Happy birthday!"

Alida's world erupted with those words. One moment she was sound asleep, her world quiet and undisturbed as she rested in peace. And then Leonid was shouting without warning and she felt the bed shake as he undoubtedly leaped into it. She groaned at the abrupt awakening and tried to pull the blankets up over her head.

"Oh no," Leonid said, pulling the blankets away from her face. "I will have none of that."

"Laio," Alida growled out the nick name she had given him as a child.

Leonid grabbed and Alida and pulled her towards him as he made himself comfortable in her bed, his back resting against the wall. "Twenty years ago today," he started the story he'd made tradition for the past three birthdays now. "I came into this world alone, the picture of perfection to our parents. The Valar however had other plans, and seventeen minutes later you came crying into the world, so afraid of everything because you never been without me." Leonid paused for dramatic effect. "And ever since that day we have remained together." He pressed a rough kiss to the top of her head.

Alida laughed despite herself and shoved away from her brother. "It's too early for this," she said.

"Nonsense!" Leonid shouted "It is never too early to wish your sister a happy birthday."

"You're old," Alida said, sticking her tongue out at her twin.

"And you need to learn to respect your elders. Get dressed, I'm sure the uncles have plans."

..::..

Elrohir sat at his father's desk, eyeing the wooden surface with sad eyes. He always felt uncomfortable sitting her, this wasn't his place. He may have been the oldest but it had been obvious to everyone that Imladris would have been left to Arwen had she still been here. He shifted in the chair and muttered a curse under his breath. A hand fell to his shoulder and its weight brought a comfort that Elrohir savored. "Celyn," he said the name slowly.

"You're doing it again," the soft male voice said in his ear. Celyn walked to the side of the chair and perched on the armrest, a devilish smirk hiding in his green eyes.

"I can't help it," Elrohir answered. He slid an arm around his partner's back. "I don't know how my father ever sat here, the chair is too stiff and why must the back be so straight?"

Celyn chuckled, having heard these comments many times before. "You know, replacing the chair would not be difficult. But you insist that nothing in this room changes, including the torturous chair."

Elrohir huffed out a sigh, his brow furrowed as he once again beheld the items displayed on the desktop. He felt Celyn's hand brush his cheek. "She would be honored by this," he said reverently. "They both would be."

Elrohir sighed, his hand absentmindedly resting on Celyn's knee. "You're right," he said, tearing his eyes from the desk and meeting the forest green ones that watched him back. "You always are."

Celyn laughed, his head tilting back and his blonde hair falling away from his face. "Remember that please, I beg of you." He pressed a kiss to Elrohir's lips with a smirk.

The door the office burst open and Elladan sauntered in with a smile. "Good morning, brother," he announced as he made himself comfortable in one of the high-backed armchairs across from the desk. His eyes found the desktop and his heart skipped a beat. "Celyn." He nodded to his brother's partner with a smile.

"Elladan," Elrohir said, his voice hinting at his annoyance with his brother's untimely arrival. Elrohir threw a blanket across the desk, hiding its surface from view.

Elladan smirked at the couple. "Our niece and nephew are on their way," he said, once more eyeing the desk. "I walked past Lida's room this morning as Leonid decided it was time to awaken his sister." He chuckled.

A knock sounded at the door that had closed behind Elladan. The twin brothers looked at each other, a silent understanding being communicated in that gaze. Celyn took Elrohir's hand from his knee and squeezed it reassuringly.

"We know you're in there!" Leonid said through the door.

"Laio," Alida said and Elrohir could just see the expression she was shooting her brother in his mind.

"Come in!" Elladan shouted as he rose from the chair.

Alida walked in first with a swish of her sage colored skirts, Leonid following her, his blue eyes filled with light.

"Happy birthday!" Elladan exclaimed as he grabbed both of the siblings, pulling them into his chest. "Twenty years," he said, spinning towards his own brother with them still in his arms. "Can you believe it, brother? Twenty years old. Ah, to be that young again!" He released them and took a good look at his niece and nephew before him. They looked so much like each other that you knew they were twins with a single glance. They both had hair like fire, a deep red speckled with gold when the sun shone on it. They both had their mother's deep blue eyes and it broke his heart every time he looked into them. And they both were graced with their father's bright smile, able to light any room.

Leonid was tall, even for an Elf, he towered over his uncles by several inches. Elladan knew the height was from his father who had also been taller than him, although not as tall as Leonid. His shoulders were broad in the leather jacket he wore and the muscles of his arms bulged in his sleeves. He reminded everyone of Legolas; from the way that he talked with an easy charm to the passion with which he had shown more than one woman in Imladris.

Alida was shorter than her mother had been, coming up just to Leonid's shoulders. Her hair was so long it brushed past her hips and she braided some of the front pieces to keep it from falling in her face. She was so much like her mother that it hurt. She disappeared into the woods to read and would be gone all day sometimes. She was watchful in a way that was reminiscent of her mother and she too had adopted her mother's gift of sight, but her gift was already stronger than Arwen's had been.

They were two sides of one coin. Alida calm and level headed, Leonid passionate and untamed. Elladan chuckled, he felt bad for anyone who set their sights on Alida, Leonid's passion could easily turn to anger when it came to watching over his sister, another trait he had adopted from his father.

Alida laughed and she walked to the other side of the desk to embrace Elrohir and Celyn who kissed her cheek fondly "Happy birthday, lovely," Celyn said with a smile.

Leonid threw himself in Elladan's vacated chair. His eyes had seen the shrouded surface of the desk and he eyed it curiously. Alida settled herself in the chaise by the balcony, tucking her legs up into her skirts.

Elrohir rose and settled a hand on the desk, he could feel the hilt of the blade under his hand and for a moment, words escaped him. He looked between his niece and nephew, taking in the glow of their youth. His eyes settled on Alida, as they often did; he saw his sister in her in so many ways. But where Arwen was the night, Alida was the day. She radiated a golden light that her father had certainly given her, but this light was entirely her own. Elorhir cleared his throat, he grabbed the cloth and pulled it away. "They would have wanted you to have these."

The sunlight glittered on the polished metal that rested on the desk. Leonid froze as he took in what lay before him. He had seen these items many times before, had watched them sit on display for year, always afraid to get too close.

Closest to Elorhir was their mother's sword, Hadafang, gold lettering sparkling in the wooden carved hilt. The Elvish characters followed the blade almost to its tip. Even from a distance you could see that the blade was still razor sharp. Crossed in front of the sword, a set of shorter twin blades rested. Pale wood inlaid with a traditional Elvish swirling pattern that crept across their blades. To the left of the blades was a dark wooden bow, detailed leaves were carved into the grip and collection of dark wood arrows with red fletching. Finally, on the right side of the desk was the last bow, a wood so dark it was almost black. Faint etchings of stars were carved in its surface at the top and bottom of the weapon, fading to nothing. Arrows with white fletching speckled with grey were arrayed by the bow's side.

"Are you sure?" Alida finally asked. She had straightened her back when the weapons were uncovered, her eyes never leaving the table. Leonid too was tense in his seat.

"They would want nothing more than for these to be yours," Elladan said from behind the twins.

Leonid looked up suddenly, his eyes catching Elrohir's. He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. In that moment he reminded Elrohir of when he was a small child and refusing to do something, as obstinate as his parents. "We can't."

"You can," Elrohir stated. "They are yours to do with what you will. And though I hope you will choose to wield them; I hope you never need to use them."

Leonid rose abruptly and he walked around the desk to his uncle. "Thank you," he said, embracing the older man. "To you both." He turned to Elladan who rested a hand on Alida's shoulder as she watched him, a sad light in her eyes.

"Well, we should get you two fitted," Elladan said smiling.

..::..

Year 20

Green grass stretched out as far as the eye could see, rolling over hills throughout the open plain. The grass was so vibrantly green this close to river Bruinen, especially at the Ford where the river forked in two. Upstream, the river's waterfalls beat thunderously above Imladris, the water flowing in and around the city. The air was warmer here than in the valley, Alida thought to herself, she was farther from the mountains here so it made sense.

Alida sat astride her white mare, it's coat so pure and bright except at her hocks where she was dappled with grey and her mane which streaked with silver. Alida ran a hand along Isilme's long neck, winding her mane through her fingers. The wind rushed around them in a cool breeze that just chilled the skin. Winter had just passed and early spring still had a chill in the air, even though the was no longer in the valley. She tilted her face to the sky and felt the pale light of the springtime sun kiss her skin.

The water of the river rushed endlessly, spanning mountains and fields, through cities and valleys, all to get to the ocean. Closing her eyes, Alida imagined the ocean, an endless field of blues in varying colors and hues, turquoise at the shores and a deep blue where you can no longer see or reach the bottom. She had never seen the ocean with her own eyes, but she saw it in her dreams. She saw her mother standing at its shores, watching a ship sail sadly away. She saw Arwen's tears as she stood alone, arms wrapped around herself. Behind her, Legolas watched, with sad blue eyes, not offering comfort but also unwilling to leave her completely alone. He took a step towards her and the dream would end. Alida had seen this moment many times, it was when her grandmother had left for the Undying Lands, but she was never able to see past that step, she would never know if he made it to her or not.

The sound of galloping pulled Alida from her reverie. She could clearly hear the beat of a horse's hooves pounding on the ground; if she closed her eyes, she could practically feel that beat in her bones. Opening her eyes, she saw the rider on his brown steed, following the river on the other side of its banks. Focusing in on the rider, Alida could make out the white tree of Gondor emblazoned on his chest.

"From Minas Tirith," Leonid said as he pulled his horse up beside her, his grey stallion whinnying as he stopped.

"It seems we may have company soon," Alida said quietly, watching the rider past them, not giving the other side of the river a single glance.