A/N: Okay, I lied, I can't say away, my ideas for this are just pouring out of me. That said, I've also caught an annoying cold, so I'm not sure how long it'll be until my next update. I'm kinda annoyed I have to spend my day off this Thursday being sick.
Before we start! Hello and thank you to reviewers and new followers/all the kudos on both and Archive of Our own, where I also publish this fic. I love that you guys are still reading it. I've been a little worried it might be boring as this is kind of a bridge fic between Castaways and the next one (which will also be a rewrite of something I wrote ages ago).
Do you guys feel like the chapters are long enough or too short? How do you feel about the pacing of the plot? Finally, where should my focus be? Would you like more drama or more focus on the romance or on the action? Please let me know, as much as I'm writing this for myself and to properly finish this series, I'm also writing it for you guys!
Anyway, enough of my rambling and on with the chapter!
CHAPTER SIX
"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the lights." - Albus Dumbledore
After the events in the woods, everyone needed a few days to wind down and process what happened. Poor Estel was so traumatized by the whole thing that he spent the next few days staying close to either Elrond or Maggie. He quietly did his studies with Erestor and practiced combat with Glorfindel, but that was about it. He rarely played with either of his brothers and when it came to bedtime, only Elrond or Maggie were allowed to tell him stories and tuck him into bed. Occasionally, he would let Oin tell him a fairytale as the healer checked his temperature and gave him an herbal drink to ease his nightmares. Seeing his son so terrified made Elrond feel helpless and also as if he'd broken the oath he'd made to Estel's birth parents.
Elrond knew that Estel's intentions had been pure of heart, but he had still broken rules that were put in place for a reason. As a result, some of his privileges were taken away from him, but not for too long. For being so young, Estel possessed a strong moral compass and Elrond was continually astounded by his drive to do good. These were qualities that would no doubt make him a good king, one day. That was, assuming Elrond could even protect him within the walls of his own home. It bothered the elf-lord greatly, that not even his own magic could keep intruders from finding ways into the Hidden Valley. What was even more worrying was the fact that it meant more powerful magic aided the cult. They certainly harnessed no magic of their own, so someone or something else was their true master. Upon their return to Rivendell, the cult leader was immediately locked behind the bars of Elrond's prison. Glorfindel and Dwalin had taken it upon themselves to question their 'guest', for which the elf-lord was grateful. It meant that he could focus on making Estel feel safe again.
As for Maggie, she was dealing with the traumatic experience remarkably well. It would appear that her journey with the dwarves and everything she had previously endured had hardened her spirits. Even so, Elrond could tell that what happened to her was troubling and while she hadn't spoken about what actually happened at the camp, Elrond had a guess. The mere thought of someone harming her in such a disgraceful way sent fire and fury through his veins and if he had less self-control, he would have allowed Riley to kill him.
Over the past few weeks and indeed these recent days, Lord Elrond often found his thoughts lingering on Maggie. He was astounded by her strength and determination to heal and move on. She had adjusted to life in Imladris incredibly well, which pleased the brown-haired elf greatly. Secretly, he hoped that Maggie would choose to remain in Imladris after the birth of her son, but his thoughts on the matter were irrelevant. Elrond had his suspicions that Lady Dìs would try and persuade her to live in Erebor, which perhaps was where the child belonged. No doubt, the dwarrows would give the child a royal upbringing, but he would also have a good childhood in Imladris. Not to mention that Estel already saw Maggie's unborn son as his little brother and raising side by side with Estel would mean he was close to his human kin as well.
Truthfully though, Lord Elrond's intentions were nothing but selfish. While he certainly believed that the child would have a happy life in Imladris, the elf-lord wanted Maggie to stay there and specifically with him. Of course, he knew that he had no claim to her whatsoever. In fact, the very idea of trying to pursue something while she was pregnant and focusing on the forthcoming birth of her son was preposterous. Despite this, it was also true that in the months since Maggie's arrival in Erebor, the two of them had grown closer. Elrond enjoyed their private moments during Elvish lessons and being in her company when he could. Pregnancy was a look that suited her and even if Maggie did not believe so herself, despite what everyone else told her, she truly was shining and was more beautiful than ever.
Glorfindel and indeed also Erestor had noticed Elrond's growing lust and took immense joy in his bemused suffering. Once during an important meeting with an emissary from Lothlorien, Glorfindel caught Elrond's lingering stare out the window. After that meeting, Glorfindel had wacked Elrond on his head with a large book, scolded him and let him know in no uncertain terms, that if he didn't have enough spine to confess his true feelings to Maggie, he needed to at least have enough self-control to pull himself together and carry out his duties as a ruler. The Balrog Slayer then proceeded to tell Elrond that while his love sick behaviour was rather amusing, it wasn't very discreet and sooner or later Maggie and certainly everyone else would find out. Annoyingly, his friend was obviously right, but taking his mind off Maggie proved to be rather a difficult task.
Which is why Elrond found himself in the kitchens on that warm evening in May, rummaging the pantry and lighting the fire over the wooden stove. One of the perks of being a ruler, was that he didn't need to trouble himself with making food or other similar such duties. On the contrary to what others might think, Elrond did rather enjoy domesticity and didn't find it beneath himself to occasionally prepare food or work with his hands, as it were. It provided a distraction from his buzzing thoughts and gave him something else to focus on. Bilbo had brought along some new foods from the Shire and Elrond thought nobody would notice or question him for inviting himself to these treats.
"What are you making?"
Seeing Maggie in the kitchens came as no surprise. She had practically made it her second home, especially since they'd discovered Master Dwalin's talent for baking. It was a few hours past supper and Estel had long since been tucked into bed. There was little noise or movement in the Homely House as most of its residences had retreated to their chambers for the evening. While most of the elves in Imladris enjoyed the company of their guests, Lindir had made it no secret that once again having so many dwarves around, was not something he particularly enjoyed. But, Elrond noticed that even the young elf was beginning to open up and be less reserved towards their guests.
"Seriously, what is it?" Maggie asked "It smells delicious."
Maggie tried to peer over Elrond's shoulder but his superior height and her pregnant clumsiness made it an impossible task. The elf-lord purposely moved in front of Maggie so that she couldn't see what he was cooking over the fire.
"Have patience, penneth." Elrond said as he moved from one side of the kitchen counter to the other.
"You should know by now, that patience is not one of my virtues." Maggie said
"That, I do know." Elrond teased as he moved toward the wooden stove. "One can hardly miss out on that."
"I've never seen you cook or do anything vaguely domestic before." Maggie remarked as she leaned against the counter. She quickly realised perhaps she sounded a bit more rude than she'd meant. Elrond didn't seem to take it to heart though.
"I seldom do," Elrond admitted "Although occasionally, I find that it relaxes me. Here you go."
Elrond passed Maggie a metal mug that contained a hot, brown liquid Maggie recognised instantly. It had been nearly a year since she'd last drank hot chocolate and she couldn't believe she was holding a mug of it in Middle-Earth. Maggie inhaled the rich scent of the cocoa and gently placed her lips on the edge of the mug, carefully sipping it. It might just be her heightened pregnancy senses, but it was undoubtedly the best chocolate she had ever tasted. She was immediately overcome by a deep sense of nostalgia and comfort. Something she hadn't felt in a while. Lord Elrond seemed to enjoy it too, Maggie noticed as she looked up.
"Oh my god….is this hazelnut hot cocoa?" Maggie asked "Where the hell did you get hazelnut? Or cocoa for that matter?"
Elrond nodded. "One of the many treats hobbits tend to harvest and then store for winter."
It didn't surprise Maggie that hobbits harvested such luxury crops. They were creatures of comfort after all, but it appeared that elves too enjoyed a bit of indulgence from time to time.
"Estel would love this." Maggie said "How is he doing?
Elrond pondered the question for a while, as he gently stirred the cocoa in his mug, using his finger. Like most children, Estel did indeed have a sweet-tooth, but they had always been careful to make sure he didn't indulge in it too much. But, considering how upset Estel had been lately, perhaps it made sense to go easy on the rules for the foreseeable future.
"He is getting better." Elrond replied "But he still has nightmares, though they are not as frequent nor as bad."
"I feel guilty." Maggie admitted, as she tapped the mug with her fingers, staring down into its chocolatey content. "If the assassins...cult or whatever they are, weren't after me, then no harm would have come to Estel."
While Elrond certainly understood why Maggie thought it was her fault, nobody else did. The only people to blame for what happened were the cult-members themselves. Even with the powers of foresight, some events could not be foreseen.
"Neither you nor anyone else is to blame," Elrond told her. "Yes, Estel knew better than to follow you out into the forest. No one could have foreseen what would happen, not even I. I do not wish for you to blame yourself."
Lord Elrond spoke the truth and he knew that Maggie believed him, but still he could see that the guilt sat with her. The elf-lord knew that Maggie loved Estel as though he was her son too. The bond the two had created was stronger than anyone could have guessed. If it wasn't for Estel, no doubt Maggie would not have healed as much as she had. He brought her light and joy even during times when things were difficult. Especially in those early days in Rivendell, when Maggie's heartache after losing Thorin was still great.
"What about you, penneth?" Elrond asked "How are you? Master Oin tells me the baby is doing fine, which must be a relief."
It was a question Maggie had been asked many times over the past few days, but she didn't mind hearing it from Elrond.
"Yeah, he is still growing and seems healthy, thank God." Maggie replied and sipped another bit of her cocoa. "And I'm fine, I mean, I'm not fine but I will be, I think. It'll just take time. Honestly, it could have been a lot worse."
As Maggie spoke, Elrond clenched his fist and tried to diffuse the growing anger inside him. Perhaps that monster in the dungeons deserved to die for what he had done to Maggie. The elf-lord exhaled a deep breathe and felt the anger dwindle. It was an emotion that usually lay dormant within him.
"You know what the strange thing is?" Maggie continued "When I was tied up there, at the camp, I assumed my thoughts would go to Thorin, wishing he was there to save me. That's not where they went."
Elrond raised an eyebrow. "And who did you think of?"
"I wanted you to save me." Maggie half-chuckled and stared down on her feet and shifted her weight. "Isn't that ridiculous?"
A sudden flutter in his chest caught Elrond by surprise. Even at six thousand years old, lust still had the ability to make him feel like a young elfling again. He cleared his throat and composed himself, with Glorfindel's words of caution echoing in the back of his mind.
"Why is it ridiculous?" he asked
"I don't know," Maggie sighed "It's probably just the pregnancy making me more emotional than usual."
Maggie stretched out her arms and stifled a yawn. The dark circles under her eyes revealed how well she'd been sleeping lately. For the first time since Maggie entered the kitchens, Elrond allowed himself to look at her in the light of the fire. She worse a long nightgown, which had been custommade made for her by one of the young elf-maides. Normally, she had her auburn hair tied in either a messy knot or a ponytail, but this time her hair cascaded down her shoulders. Maggie rested one of her hands just beneath her pregnant stomach. Elrond tried his best not to stare, but she had no idea how perfect she was in that moment.
"Thank you for the cocoa, it was truly delicious." Maggie said between her yawns. "And for the conversation. I should try to get some sleep."
"Your company is always an enjoyable pleasure, Lady Maggie." Elrond told her "Good night, I wish you sweet dreams."
"Maer Daw, hir nin Elrond."
Maggie smiled and to Elrond's surprise, she stood on her tip-toes and placed a friendly kiss on the elf-lord on his cheek, before leaving the kitchen. Elrond stood there for a moment, touched his cheek with one hand and felt himself blush.
"'Your company is always an enjoyable pleasure?' Really adar, that's the best you could do?"
At the sound of Elladan's voice, Elrond groaned. He should have known one of his son's would be sneaking around at night, eavesdropping where it was none of their business. It was no wonder really, he thought, that Estel picked up such bad habits from them.
"If you have something to say, ion-nin," Elrond said. "By all means, do not be shy."
Unfortunately, Elrond had raised his sons to always be truthful, which more often than not was a trait that came back to bite him. He loved all his children deeply, but Elrond also knew that if it were at all possible, they would give him grey hairs.
"Does it even matter at this point, adar?" Eloladan asked, his voice was more serious this time. "Glorfindel has already told you what we are all thinking, yet you do not listen. People often seek you out for counsel, but it is you who should heed the advice of others."
Elrond crossed his arms and turned to Elladan. "What advice would you give?" he replied, somewhat apprehensive.
"Truthfully adar, you really need to pull that stick out of your rear-end-" Elladan said and could tell Elrond was about to protest but he cut him off " -and stop fearing whatever it is that worries you so. It's not doing you any good and we can all see that it bothers you, even if you think we cannot."
Perhaps, Elrond thought, he had raised his sons annoyingly well because Elladan's words made sense. He couldn't even find a good combat and he could see the smug, victorious grin on his son's face.
"Hmph.." Elrond muttered, "Perhaps I shall consider it. Although if you think I'm ever forgetting that 'stick' comment, you are sorely mistaken, Elladan."
"Yes, well, what else is new. Goodnight, adar."
As much as Elrond hated admitting it, Elladan had definitely given him much to consider.
To say that Fili was excited to have his little brother back was a grave understatement. Pretty much since birth, the two had been inseparable, a fact that often annoyed their mother and indeed their uncle. This was the longest time Fili and Kili had been away from each other, and Fili was relieved to see that for once, his brother was unharmed and alive. Once they returned to Rivendell and the chaos of the attack settled, the two brothers were able to catch up on everything that had happened since their departure from Erebor back in November. So much had happened and Fili could tell his brother had changed. He was no longer the hot-headed young dwarf that Fili knew so well. Now, Kili was calmer and a lot more patient. His words were chosen with more care and he somehow even seemed a bit wiser. Fili wondered how much
Tauriel was an influence on this new and improved version of his brother. In the past few days, he'd carefully watched how the elf-maiden interacted with Kili and despite his prior misconceptions and doubts, they were a really cute couple. It was incredibly clear that Kili was completely smitten with her and even if Tauriel was more reserved in how she showed it, Fili could tell the feelings were very much mutual. Even Legolas seemed to have put aside his previous grudge towards Kili and simply accepted that Tauriel's heart was with his brother.
Just like the past couple of nights, Fili had spent that one talking with Oin, Dwalin and Kili. They reminisced over old times, especially about events that occurred during the quest to Erebor and laughed at events Fili had almost forgotten. Of course they also spoke about how things had been in Rivendell and the newly arisen problem with their strange new enemy. Kili explained how the Dunedain village was attacked a few weeks ago, presumably by the strange cult who for some reason were after Maggie and Riley. Of course, they also talked about Maggie and the baby and Fili was able to tell his brother that the baby was growing just fine and so far, no complications had made themselves known.
The baby, it seemed, had inherited his parents combined strength and if everything continued to go according to plan, he would be born a healthy child. Fili knew that their mother would want a progress report on how things were going and he was overdue writing her a letter, which he knew he would get reprimanded for eventually. Truthfully, with everything that was going on in Rivendell, writing to his mother was the least of Fili's worries. If anything, he knew that Oin would happily take on that responsibility as Lady Dis often pestered him with detailed news of Maggie's pregnancy and every symptom she displayed. Fili knew their mother meant well, in her own somewhat possessive way, but she could be extremely overbearing and stubborn when she wanted.
That night, Fili wandered through the darkened corridors of the Homely House, as he had done so many times before. Like most dwarrow, darkness was nothing Fili feared and night was his favourite time of the day. As a young dwarfling, Fili often had trouble falling asleep at night and his uncle would sing him lullabies to send him into a deep slumber. Over the past few months, Fili had taken it upon himself to recall those lullabies so that he could sing them to Maggie's baby when he was born. At least it would be one way of passing on dwarrow culture, if Maggie decided to stay in Rivendell. Fili already knew that Dwalin was staying with Maggie no matter what choice he made. He knew it was what Thorin would have wanted and Fili knew that only a fool would willingly fight Dwalin once his mind was made up. As for himself, Fili was still unsure of what path to take. For now, all he knew is that he wanted to stay close to Maggie and the baby. Life in Rivendell was different from life under the mountain, but nonetheless Fili enjoyed the tranquility it offered. He would be forever grateful to Lord Elrond for opening up the doors of his home to them. Especially seeing as not so long ago, the Company had not acted so graciously towards the elf-lord. Yet now, that seemed to be water under the bridge.
"Why are you awake, Mizim?" Fili asked. He stood in the doorway to Maggie's bed chambers and saw that she was awake, despite the late hour. There was no need to ask the question though, because Fili knew Maggie had been struggling with sleep lately, but she was hiding it.
"I tried and then I failed." Maggie looked up from her journal. "I think maybe having that hot chocolate was a bad idea. So worth it, though."
"You've gone off Dwalin's cookies? He'll take offense to that."
Maggie chuckled and put away her journal. "I thought he was annoyed about having to make them all the time? Is he ever satisfied with anything?"
Fili raised an eyebrow. "You really have to ask?"
Dwalin was indeed a particularly broody and grumpy dwarf most of the time, but his heart was always in the right place. Mostly, the tough exterior was just a shield and once you got to know the true dwarf behind those walls, you would have a friend for life. Truthfully, Fili was a bit jealous of Maggie because if he wanted a favour from Dwalin he would have to beg for days and sometimes that still didn't work. Maggie only had to bat her eyelashes and that was that.
"What's your excuse for being awake?" Maggie asked after a while.
"I was talking with Kee," Fili replied "We have to write a letter to our mother and come up with some sort of explanation for the recent delay in communication."
"Oh…." Maggie's face fell suddenly "Are you going to tell her about the attack? Only, I'm not so sure she'd take it all that well and she already doesn't think I should be here."
Sensing Maggie's worry, Fili took a seat next to her on the bed. Regardless of his mother's thoughts, Fili agreed with Lord Elrond and the others; Maggie should be in Rivendell. Humans weren't meant to live underground in mountains, but he also knew his mother had a flare for the dramatic. If she thought for one moment Maggie's safety was compromised or that Lord Elrond was keeping his word, she would kick up a storm like no one else. Given how far along in the pregnancy Maggie was and the recent events, his mother could wait.
"Don't worry, Gehyith." Fili assured her and took her hands. "Whatever happens with my mother, Kili and I will deal with her. You have nothing to be concerned about."
Maggie exhaled a relieved sigh. A part of Fili wondered if perhaps he needed to have a word with his mother about how her behaviour really seemed to scare Maggie. They sat in silence for a while and Fili felt his eyelids becoming heavier. All the adrenaline over the last few days had settled and finally caught up with him. Now that they were all together again, Fili hoped he would be able to relax a bit more and stop being on high alert all the time.
"Umm, Fee." Maggie said "Do you think...maybe you could sleep here tonight?"
The request caught Fili by surprise and Maggie must have noticed it, because her gaze shifted as if she suddenly felt self-conscious. In the months that passed since their arrival to Rivendell, Fili knew that his relationship with Maggie had changed and they were much closer than they'd been during the quest to Erebor. In the early stages of her pregnancy, when the nausea and morning sickness had been at its worst, Fili was the one who kept a close eye on Maggie. He was the one there for her through the nights when her heartache was the most painful and all she could do
was cry. He recalled holding her for hours, until eventually she fell asleep in his arms, exhausted. She had also been there for Fili when he was struggling because he too missed his uncle. At first, he felt like he had to remain stoic and strong as he was an older brother. Maggie made him realise it was okay to show emotions and to cry, which he did many times. Those nights of shared hardship had forged a bond between them, different from anything else Fili had experienced before.
"I know it's silly," Maggie said, "And if you're uncomfortable, forget I ever said anything. It's just..I've been having trouble sleeping lately and...
"I'm not uncomfortable and you certainly don't have to explain yourself to me." Fili assured her. "Have you forgotten that dwarves sleep in piles?"
A slight chuckle escaped Maggie's lips and Fili could tell she relaxed a bit more. Maggie moved over, allowing Fili space to crawl under the warm blanket. Maggie blew out the candle on the bedside table and lay down her head on the pillow, with Fili next to her, staring up at the ceiling.
"Fee…." Maggie mumbled
"Yes, love?"
"Thank you,"
"You're welcome." Fili told her "Try to sleep now." Maggie was already fast asleep before Fili finished his sentence.
Despite his previous words, it took Fili some time to make himself comfortable next to Maggie. She was a heavy sleeper and he did not want to wake her by moving around too much. Yet, figuring out where to place his hands and the worry of crossing some unspoken boundary caused him a bit of unrest. However, when he heard her gentle snores, the awkwardness vanished as if it was never there in the first place. Instead, Fili carefully wrapped his arms around Maggie, one hand resting gently on her stomach, and the other on the pillow above her head. In her sleep, Maggie shifted her weight so that she was snuggled up to Fili and subconsciously exhaled a relaxed sigh. Finally, Fili also relaxed and closed his eyes.
None of them noticed Estel's curious eyes peering in from the doorway.
When Maggie awoke the following morning, she guessed it was only a couple of hours past dawn, because the sun had still not fully risen. The first thing Maggie noticed was that for once, she had woken up actually feeling rested and had energy. A feeling that for a while had seemed almost mythological and she wondered how long it would last. The second thing the youngest Spencer realised, was that a young blonde dwarf lay asleep next to her, with one arm still wrapped around her waist. Maggie recalled falling asleep with Fili nuzzled into her neck and how remarkably comfortable it was. Carefully, Maggie removed Fili's arm and sat up. She knew dwarrows had no problem with intimacy between those they held dear and those of kin. Maggie knew this from her travels with the Company so really, it was no surprise to her at all. Yet, she still wondered if perhaps this had been unwise. Regardless of her doubts, it was the best night sleep Maggie had enjoyed in a long while.
"Are you feeling self-conscious?" Fili asked, his voice hoarse from sleep.
"No," Maggie lied "I mean, maybe...I mean."
"You're making much too big a deal out of this." Fili told her. "Breakfast isn't for another while, so there is no need to get up yet."
"Don't you think we should?"
Maggie turned to Fili who now sat up and studied her, as if he was trying to make sense of what she was saying. Honestly, Maggie struggled to meet Fili's eyes and found her own gaze darting across room, finding anything else to focus on. It was difficult to focus on anything else though, when there was a shirtless dwarf in your bed. A shirtless, rather handsome, dwarf.
"It's okay, Maggie." Fili said calmly. "Let's go have breakfast, I'm sure Estel is already waiting for you."
Maggie nodded, relieved that Fili wasn't pressing the matter any further.
It took only a few moments for them to get dressed and head down the corridors to the Great Hall, where breakfast was usually served. Almost everyone else where there; Bard was enjoying a lively conversation with Elrohir, Riley was sitting next to Bilbo who was chatting with Tauriel. Even Legolas was unsually talkative seemed to be consumed by a conversation with Lord Elrond. It was still strange seeing evryone together and Maggie thought it was like walking into a family meal with relatives she hadn't seen in a long time. It was a feeling she loved and hoped she would get used to.
As she joined the others at the dining table with Fili, Maggie noticed the air of the room change, ever so slightly. She sat down on the empty seat next to Riley and hugged her brother, who poured her some tea. Maggie looked around her and saw Estel sitting opposite her at the table, between Elladan and Lord Elrond.
"Sleep well, sis?" Riley asked and Maggie noticed he was trying to hide a bemused grin.
"Uh….yeah." Maggie replied and reached for a bowl porridge that Oin handed her across the table. "Really well, actually."
"Yes, indeed." Elladan remarked but Elrohir kicked his brother under the table, which in turn made Elladan's knee hit the table.
"What's going on?" Maggie asked and cooked at her brother. "Why is everyone acting weird?"
Riley held up his hands in defense and chuckled. "Oh no, Mags. This one is on you but maybe you should ask Estel?"
Maggie looked over at Estel, who rather angrily ate his breakfast without so much as looking up at her. Usually, he was the first one to greet her in the morning but today, he was upset and Maggie had no idea why. Everyone else seemed to know though, but they all carried on with their conversations, ignoring the growing awkwardness.
"Estel," Maggie asked gently "Why are you upset?"
"Like you don't know!" Estel snapped surpisingly and stabbed the table with his spoon. His actions even startled Lord Elrond. "I saw you last night! How could you?!"
"Ion-nin," said Elrond gently, "Let us remain calm. There is no need to blow things out of proportion."
Maggie's heart began racing and she couldn't for the life of her understand why Estel was so upset. By now, tears welled up behind the child's eyes and he was crying uncontrollably and Maggie was struck by an indescribable feeling of guilyu.
"Estel….I'm sorry if I've done anything to upset you." Maggie said gently, "But you need to tell me what it is, so that perhaps I can explain and we can be friends again."
"No! No we can't!" Estel protested. "I hate you and him!"
Estel's words stung in Maggie's chest and she almos felt tears build in her own eyes. Before Elrond could stop him, Estel got off his seat and ran away from the dining room. Everyone else stopped what they were doing and Maggie felt their eyes on her. Suddenly, she knew why Estel was so upset and she felt like an idiot. For the past few weeks, Estel had found safety in falling asleep next to Maggie whenever he was scared and last night, he must have come to her bedroom but instead of finding an empty space next to Maggie, he found a sleeping dwarf. Across the table, Maggie's eyes met Elrond's and he merely nodded at her. Without saying anything, Maggie left the dining room and went in search of Estel.
It didn't take long for Maggie to find Estel in his usual hiding place by the stables. He was standing by a booth, patting one of the ponies' while also crying.
"Go away!" Estel said sharply "You are not my friend."
Estel's words still hurt Maggie, much more than she thought they would, but still she stayed. She knew childrens' emotions were much more raw and pure than aduls. Sometimes they didnt' always understand what they were feeling and Maggie hoped that if she got a chance to explain herself, Estel might understand. His anger made sense though, because Maggie knew how scared Estel still was after the attack and they had both relied on each other for security. Perhaps somewhere inside, Estel felt as if Maggie had betrayed him.
"I know you're upset, Estel." Maggie told him, calmly. "It must have been quite a shock to see Fili in my room, huh?"
Estel didn't reply but Maggie heard him sniffle and saw him dry away the tears. Carefully, Maggie walked up to Estel and knelt down so that she was at his height. He still avoided her eyes but Maggie kept talking.
"Why was he sleeping in your room?" Estel asked, rather accusingly.
"Fili slept in my room, because I asked him." Maggie replied "I was a bit scared and perhaps also a bit lonely. Just like you come to me when you feel lonely and scared, I also have Fili."
Estel paused for a while as he pondered Maggie's words.
"Don't you like it when I sleep in your bed?" he asked as he continued patting the pony in front of him.
"I do, very much." Maggie replied "But Fili provides a different kind of feeling."
Another silence fell between them and this time Maggie noticed that Estel had stopped crying. He wiped the remaining bits of his tears and then turned around to Maggie.
"I thought you loved ada?" Estel said "Just like he loves you."
"Oh…." Maggie didn't quite know what to say and truthfully she felt a bit embarrassed. She sometimes forgot that children had a way of being rather brutally honest. "Oh, God. Umm..Estel...the heart is a complicated thing and doesn't always make sense. There is so much more to love than just sharing your heart with one person."
"You like Fee too, don't you?"
Estel put it in such a simple and straightforward way that it caught Maggie off guard. These were all thoughts that Maggie had only scratched the surface of. For obvious reasons, her mind had been occupied with other things, like the fact that she was due to give birth in the next two months and then everything that happened with the kidnapping.
"Truthfully Estel, I'm not even sure what my heart wants." Maggie admitted "I do know that I care very deeply for both your ada and for Fee, but those feelings also really scare me."
"Because of Thorin?" Estel assumed. "But Maggie, wouldn't he want you to be happy? Glorfindel says everyone deserves a second chance at love."
Estel was a lot brighter than Maggie and the others gave him credit for. Now, it was Maggie who cried and Estel hugged her tightly. In all her life, Maggie would never have imagined that the child who would one day become King Aragorn Elessar, brought her so much love and so much joy.
As Estel let go of Maggie, she reached for him again and tickled him. Estel laughed so hard they both fell over on the ground.
"I love you Maggie." Estel said when his giggling finally ceased.. "I'm sorry I was mean, I was just angry."
"I love you too, Estel." Maggie replied "Very much."
Estel sat up and helped Maggie back up on her feet. All previous signs of being upset faded and he was back to his normal self again.
"Is it okay if Fee tells me a story tonight, instead of you?" Estel aske carefully.
"Sure," Maggie replied "But you have to be the one to ask him. Run ahead, I'll catch up with you."
Estel did as he was told and as Maggie watched him, she knew he was also healing from the trauma of the kidnapping. The fact that he wanted someone other than her or Elrond to tell him a story was a good sign that he was going to be okay.
Sometime later, after Maggie finally finished breakfast and had her weekly check-up with Oin, she found some time to just sit down and enjoy the peace. Spring had always been her favourite season and Maggie enjoyed watching the changing of the seasons in Rivendell. As she sat on one of the many verandas, with a cup of tea next to her, Bilbo came and sat next to her. For a while, they sat there in a comfortable silence, which they'd often done before. Maggie knew immediately Bilbo had something on his mind, because that was usually why he smoked his pipeweed.
"I love your brother." Bilbo said as he inhaled the tobacco from his pipe and exhaled a giant smoke ring, being sure to direct the smoke away from Maggie.
"This is news to you?" Maggie teased
"No, I mean I love him, Maggie." Bilbo said again "I love him with every fibre of being and my soul. I want nothing more than to be with him and I never wish to part from him again."
Maggie fell silent for a while and finished the last bit of her tea.
"Things are getting pretty serious with you, huh?" she stated "Have you told him?"
Bilbo shook his head and twiddled with his thumbs. Maggie realised that the hafling was suddenly nervous.
"I wanted to talk to you first." Bilbo said
"Why?"
Bilbo cleared his throat.
"Well, in Shire culture it is customary to talk to the father of the bride and ask for their blessing. Since Riley is neither a woman and your parents are not here, I wanted to ask for your blessing. It is my wish to ask Riley to marry me, if you will allow it."
Maggie was both dumbfounded and overjoyed. Her immediate reaction was to throw her arms around Bilbo, which she did and then she cried for the second time that day.
"Of course you have my blessing Bilbo." She told him "This is wonderful news. When will you ask him?"
"I don't know yet." Bilbo said "I haven't thought that far ahead. Do you think he'll say yes?"
"You even have to ask?"
Bilbo didn't reply but instead exhaled a relieved sigh and they continued to sit there, enjoying the peace and the tranquility of spring.
Valar knows it wouldn't last long.
To be continued…
Another long-ish and sort of unexpected chapter. I wasn't entirely sure in what direction I was going with this one and I'm still not really sure, but I hope you like it. I'm taking suggestions for things you want to see happen. How do you feel about Maggie's interactions with Estel? Do they seem natural? Are there any other points of views you'd like me to highlight? Did you love it or hate it? Leave a comment/review :)