A/N: Quick question: what do you guys think about the pacing of these chapters when it comes the in-store time between each chapter? Sometimes it's a few days and sometimes a few weeks and I wanted to see if that makes things complicated?
Thank you so much to all the reviews and comments, as always. You guys keep me going. Especially a shout out to Green and Shylowdeath for their feedback and for always being excited about the next chapter!
We're in for another long one, folks. I'm afraid I got a bit carried away and couldn't find a decent place to stop. I hope you'll enjoy it!
CHAPTER NINE
"Sometimes the darkest challenges, the most difficult lessons, hold the greatest gems of light."
Over the next few days, sleep was elusive to Riley. His nightmares became much more vivid and were filled with taunting voices. In fact, the nightmares had gotten so bad that Riley tried his best to avoid sleeping altogether. At first, Riley assumed he was still suffering from PTSD or Battle Terror, but these dreams were nothing like the one he had following the five armies. These were much worse. It was always in the same place; a dark and desolate dreamscape devoured by moving shadows who seemed to reach out for him as he ran.
"You think having me behind these bars are enough to keep your sister safe?" came Malhas' mocking voice "I very much look forward to seeing her again."
Riley fell on the ground but managed to get back on his feet and kept running.
"I heard a name I have not heard in a very long time. Alatar…"
"The Blue Wizards fell to the will of Sauron and used their magic for evil. Nobody knows what became of them."
Riley fought off the shadows but whenever they disintegrated, more appeared. It was like a thick smoke that wouldn't go away.
"We know your name, Riley son of Amandil. You have been marked."
"Maggie must never know about the prophecy."
"Riley!" A familiar but distant voice called out "Dol Guldur!
"Having trouble sleeping?"
"Oh Jesus…fuck!" Riley cursed and felt his heart almost leap out of his chest. "I really wish people would stop sneaking up on me."
At the sound of Glorfindel's voice, Riley nearly jumped out of his skin. Mistakenly, the oldest Spencer thought he was the only one out of bed. Most people Imladris, however, seemed to be prone to late night wanderings in Elrond's House. Usually, it was his sister sneaking around and munching on food in the kitchens and sometimes it was Estel who mimicked Maggie's bad habits. This was the first time Riley had seen Glorfindel out of bed after hours. When it came to elves, Riley wasn't exactly afraid of them but he did hold them in extremely high regard. They were intimidating and rightfully so. Only on a few occasions had he seen Elrond angry and it was enough for Riley to remind himself never to get on the elf-lord's bad side.
"People would not sneak up on you, Master Riley." Glorfindel said "If you were not keeping secrets in the dark."
Another thing that made Riley slightly nervous around elves, was how they always seemed to know much more than they let on. Of course, the fact that Riley was actually keeping secrets in the dark added to paranoia. He couldn't help but wonder how much Glorfindel knew and if perhaps he had spoken to someone about it. Obviously, Riley didn't think that the blonde elf was the traitor, that was a ludicrous assumption. Who his friends and family were had always been very clear to Riley. Even so, a traitor was always someone you thought you could trust. But Riley also refused to believe anyone close to him and Maggie would willingly choose to harm them. What would be the point?
Having so many doubts in his head and not being able to tell anyone about it made Riley feel nauseated and he'd been struggling to eat lately. Something Bilbo had noticed and instantly asked about. The only two people besides Glorfindel and Gandalf who knew about the supposed traitor, were Dwalin and Elrond. The five of them decided it was best this new concern was kept between them, to avoid panic and more paranoia. Not just for the elves of Imladris and the others, but also for Maggie's sake. Yet another secret he was keeping from her.
"What do you want, grandpa?" Riley asked "You clearly have something on your mind, so please don't hold back on my account."
"You are hiding something." Glorfindel stated "It's been troubling you for some time, I can tell."
"How very perceptive of you, Sherlock. If you hadn't noticed, things have been a little stressful lately what with Gandalf thinking there's a traitor amongst us. It hasn't exactly gone down very well with the general population." Riley ranted "On top of that, there's still a very real possibility that masked assassins could still break in to try and kill my sister and nephew. So yeah, you could say I'm a little on edge, is that allowed? Or do I need a permit with your signature?"
Riley exhaled a deep breath, aware that he had perhaps taken things a bit too far. It wasn't Glorfindel's fault he was struggling to process things and if anything the blonde elf had been a good friend to Riley. During their first stay in Rivendell with the Company, Riley hadn't really spoken much with Erestor or Glorfindel, but now, he saw Glorfindel as something akin to a mentor.
"Goheno-nin, Master Glorfindel." Riley apologised "I get a little moody when I can't sleep and it's been a long time since that happened."
"It's quite alright, mellon-nin." Glorfindel assured him "Come, let us speak elsewhere."
Riley silently followed Glorfindel through the darkened hallways of the Homely House until they reached the bottom of a staircase Riley hadn't seen before. Admittedly with everything going on, there hadn't been much time for exploring. Once everything was over, if it ever got to that point, he was looking forward to some actual time to enjoy Imladris and everything it had to offer.
"This is your study?" Riley guessed as he examined the room they were in. "How'd you manage a room bigger than Elrond's? Is it an age thing?"
Glorfindel rolled his eyes and ignored Riley's banter. The blonde elf poured two glasses with an amber liquid. From its rich and soury scent, Riley assumed it was some sort of Brandy. Whatever one's personal opinion was about elves, they had undeniably good taste in alcohol. Riley accepted the glass from Glorfindel and drank it.
"Tell me Riley, how is that anger of yours?" Glorfindel asked "Are you still struggling with containing it? Are finding yourself more prone to sudden outbursts of annoyance?"
"What is this, Dr Phil?' Riley replied, but as always his sarcasm was only a shield for how he was actually feeling. "I guess I've been a tad on the grumpy side lately."
"Indeed," Glorfindel refilled Riley's glass "I also notice you have been withdrawing yourself from the others recently. Even your sister. Why is that?"
Riley wondered why Glorfindel even bothered asking questions, to which he already knew the answer. If anything it was probably an attempt to be polite rather than interrogative. Annoyingly, the blonde elf was right because Riley had been avoiding everyone. The most annoying part was that he wasn't even sure why. There was so much frustration and anger bubbling inside him. If he was honest with himself, Riley wasn't entirely sure he trusted himself around them. Certainly not since the incident during the interrogation of Malhas. His sister was preoccupied in her baby bubble, which was more than fair and the last thing Riley wanted was risk hurting his nephew. Bilbo had noticed the change in him and was more attentive to his mood. Riley wished he could tell him but not even Bilbo would understand.
"You think you will harm them." Glorfindel said. It was a statement rather than a question. "And you worry the anger will consume you because you cannot control it. I know these feelings all too well."
"How?" Riley asked
Riley realised he'd been clenching his hand around the glass a little too tightly and cursed when it broke and a sharp shard cut his finger.
"You know my story, I trust?" Glorfindel asked.
"Yeah, obviously." Riley replied as he picked up the broken pieces on the floor. "Who doesn't? You slayed a balrog and survived."
"I did not survive."
A silence fell between them as Riley sank back into the chair and watched as Glorfindel walked up to a window, staring out into the night. He seemed to be recalling a memory from long ago.
"Yes, I fought the balrog and slew the demon, but I too fell." Glorfindel explained "I lost my life in that fateful battle, but the Valar granted me life once more. They sent me back to Middle-Earth to act as an emissary. I took residence in Imladris and have lived here since."
"Why are you telling me this?" Riley asked. He was beginning to feel afraid.
Glorfindel turned to Riley.
"Those first months after I was reborn, I was not myself. I had an anger inside me that I could not wield and it nearly tore me apart." He said "How are your nightmares? Still vivid, I presume?"
"How do you know about my nightmares?" Riley asked
Just as he began to feel uncomfortable about the whole conversation, Riley realised the answer to his question before Glorfindel opened his mouth. He knew Bilbo was concerned over his inability to sleep and while Riley told him it was nothing to worry himself over, naturally Bilbo didn't believe him. Truthfully, Bilbo had been so excited over planning the celebration party over Theo's birth, that Riley didn't want to dampen the mood. Knowing Bilbo, if he knew there were other things going on, he would probably cancel the party altogether. Yet another thing, which Riley didn't want on his conscience.
"What is it you dream about?" Glorfindel asked as he sat down at his desk.
"It's always the same." Riley replied "I'm running through this desolate mountain and there are all these voices calling out to me. Mostly they're voices of memories, things people have told me that for some reason I can't let go of. Recently though, there's always a voice calling out my name, begging me for help because there isn't much time left. That I've got to find them. That's usually when I wake up. All the other bits, they make sense but this one? I don't know…"
Riley stared into his brandy and waited for Glorfindel to say something. As he recounted the dreams to his friend, Riley realised how much they bothered him. He was by no means an expert on dream interpretation, but any fool could figure out that some parts of the nightmares were about his own fears and guilt over everything that had happened lately. The second half of the nightmares troubled him, especially with the voice calling out for his help. Logically, Riley assumed it was just a scared part of his subconscious but another part of him didn't really believe it and that scared him.
"Once you have been touched by evil, especially one as great as Sauron, it stays inside you for a long time. It nests in the very core of your heart and if you are not careful it will destroy you." Glorfindel said
"Comforting, cheers." Riley sassed back at him.
Truthfully though, Riley was terrified. Ever since Dol Guldur, he'd tried to fight the anger and darkness within him. Now, it was becoming more difficult and Riley wasn't sure how long he could contain it. He used to always think about his actions before doing them but lately, that was not the case. First, when the Dunedain village was attacked he didn't hesitate to kill anyone in his path. Then at the Nameless camp, he'd almost decapitated Malhas right in front of Estel. Not to mention having nearly killed him in the cell a few days ago. There were lots of things which Riley had been uncertain of lately, but he knew for that he was not himself. It was a realisation that truly frightened him.
"This voice you hear," Glorfindel asked "Whose is it?
"It's my dad's." Riley replied "I know this is going to sound mental, but it doesn't sound like dream voices do. It sounds like it is actually his voice calling out to me and asking for help."
Riley buried his face in his hands and ran them through his sweaty hair. "My dad has been dead for eight years. He cannot possibly be alive. Or in Middle-Earth Yet, I don't think it is a dream. You must think I'm crazy."
The oldest Spencer watched as Glorfindel paced back and forth, considering the words he'd just heard. It felt good, Riley thought, to finally talk about these things that had been on his mind for such a long time.
"Am I right in thinking that you and your sister have both communicated with your father before?" Glorfindel asked
"Yeah, a long time ago." Riley leaned forward in his chair "In this weird twilight zone void-space thing."
"And you know for a fact that your father was dead when you spoke with him?"
The question surprised Riley, as well as Glorfindel's tone. For the past eight years, Riley had known his father to be dead and he had mourned his death for a very long time. How could he possibly be alive again and in Middle-Earth?
"Well, he must be." Riley said. "Maggie and I were both pretty close to death at the time, so I assume it was his ghost or whatever. You don't seem too sure though?"
Glorfindel did not answer Riley's question and immediately, a million thoughts swirled in his mind. All his life, Riley had never believed in ghosts. Since arriving in Middle-Earth, his perception of what was true and what wasn't had changed a lot. Still, even if it was remotely possible that their dad was still alive, why was he back in Middle-Earth? Where was he? Why was he calling out for Riley to help him?
"There are greater powers in this world, Master Riley." Glorfindel said "Than we can possibly begin to comprehend. You and your sister witnessed some of those powers when you were first brought to our world and I am living proof that even if you die, you can be granted life if you are worthy of it. "
"You think my father is alive?" Riley whispered and noticed he was shivering. "How can you be so sure? Where would he be?"
"These are questions to which not even I have then answer. Though, I do know how to obtain them."
Glorfindel searched in his drawers and bookshelves until he pulled out some old rolls of parchment. He unfolded one of the parchment on his desk and it revealed an ancient map of Middle-Earth. Riley peered over the map and saw all the places he had visited during his quest to Erebor with the dwarves.
"Master Riley, are you afraid of blood?" Glorfindel asked as he opened a drawer and pulled out a small, yet sharp dagger.
"Uh...no." Riley replied "I'm going to regret asking this but why do you need the dagger?"
"There is an ancient form of magic we can use to reveal the location of your father, should he indeed be alive. It requires a drop of blood from those who share kin. You have my word that it will not harm you. Give me your hand."
With some hesitation, Riley held out his hand and cursed as the sharp blade cut a small scar in the palm of his hand. As he held his hand over the map, small drops of blood landed on the old map. Glorfindel mumbled words in elvish and as he did, Riley watched as the blood formed a trail that travelled across the map and then settled on a familiar location, slightly south of Mirkwood.
"Oh you've got to be shitting me." Riley groaned.
A red dot formed around Dol Guldur.
For Maggie, the first few days of motherhood was an endless blur of feeding, crying (not just the baby), cooing, cuddling and lots of burping. Not to mention the ongoing struggle to adjust to segmented sleeping. One of the things she found the most amazing, was how quickly Theo seemed to sync with her habits. From what Maggie knew and had heard of parenting, some babies seemed to struggle with sleep, but Maggie thought that all things considered, she was lucky. The first two days had definitely been the most stressful and difficult. Maggie spent Maggie every waking moment making sure Theo was still breathing. After quite some time, Fili and Elrond were able to convince her that turning her back on her son for two minutes, would in fact not kill him. After that Theo slept with ease and Maggie's own sleep didn't suffer that much. Eventually, Maggie was even able to spend more time with Theo outside instead of just staying within the safety of her room.
It soon became very clear that Theo was not a shy baby and even though it was still early days, Maggie was certain his personality began to show. Occasionally, some of the other elves residing in Imladris would come up to Maggie to see the child and congratulate her. Talathel introduced her to some of the elf-maidens and if she was honest, Maggie was glad to have more female company. Talathel still remained a real heroine and it was no wonder Elrohir was smitten with her. While not being a mother herself, her skills as a midwife were invaluable and when Maggie found herself not knowing what to do with Theo, Talathel would often help her out. She sometimes even offered to look after Theo so that Maggie could have a moment to herself, which she appreciated. Naturally, Maggie still didn't like being without Theo for longer than necessary, it was nice to know that there were people willing to help out.
The other thing that surprised Maggie, was how quickly life became normal. Fili had once again taken up combat training with Dwalin and Kili. Sometimes, Maggie watched them practice and it was impossible to notice Fili's rather impressive physique and he certainly enjoyed showing off in front of her. As a result of this, Dwalin had decided to make training even more difficult by enlisting Tauriel and sometimes Legolas as more challenging opponents. Oin still persisted on daily checkup for both her and Theo, but she really didn't mind them now. Her healing was steady and while Maggie still felt tired, Oin assured her that everything was fine.
Despite everything that had happened over the past few weeks, the general mood in the Hidden Valley had taken a turn for the better. At night time, everyone usually gathered in either the kitchens or the Halls of Fire, sharing in food and laughter. Bilbo told them stories of his recent stay in the Shire. Legolas and Tauriel talked about their adventures in the North. Having everyone together, well almost everyone, was a feeling Maggie enjoyed. Since Theo's birth, she had began to miss the other dwarves and often found herself thinking about them. She missed Bofur's daftness, Sweet Ori's innocence and Balin's wisdom. They were her family too and it had been far too long since she had seen them.
Another person who had been elusive of late, was her brother. Riley had barely spent time with her and Theo over the past few days and other than Bilbo, nobody else seemed to know what he was up to. Maggie could tell something bothered Riley but she also knew her brother well enough to know that if he wasn't ready to talk about it, there was no point in pushing him.
Besides, Maggie's mind had also been preoccupied lately. Ever since her conversation with Fili and Elrond, she had been in a bubble of childish glee. There was still a lot to figure out about their situation but for now, the fact that Maggie could spend time with both of them without worrying about jealousy, guilt or tension, was still sometimes a bit surreal.
"Maggie, do not get me wrong, I am indeed very happy that you, Fee and adar have figured things out between yourselves. Not to mention, I enjoy teasing as much as the next elf." Elladan said. It was a warm mid-morning and they were wandering around Imladris with Estel running ahead of them. "But if you and adar don't find more privacy and free time to explore this new found lust, we are all going to suffer his grumpiness. And by all, I specifically mean 'Ro and I."
"Elladan!" Maggie felt her cheeks blush. "He's your dad. Should you be talking about his very private lovelife?"
"Seeing as it embarrasses you so, most definitely." Elladan teased. "Elves aren't as prude as humans, no offence, we often talk about the affairs of the heart and give advice. Besides, you're also my friend and therefore it is my sacred duty to torment you."
Maggie playfully punched Elladan's arm. The dark-haired elf was right though, there had been a lot of teasing going on over the past few days. Particularly from Maggie's side and she had to admit she rather enjoyed it, especially as lately, Elrond had been occupied with other duties. It was all fairly innocent, a lingering stare here and there or fingers briefly touching as the elf-lord walked by.
"Have you kissed yet?" Elladan pried "Either of them? Because if not, you really ought to."
"Really Elladan, have you no shame?" Maggie scolded him mockingly.
"No." Elladan admitted "And you know that I do not, so stop avoiding the question."
Maggie thought about her answer for a while and was a little surprised that Elladan had managed to embarrass her so much
"No." She replied, "I'm just waiting for the right moment, you know?"
"Indeed." Elladan said "You're scared, it's understable, but sometimes there is no right moment. Besides, how long has it been since you shared a...shall we say intimate moment with someone? Because if I were you, I'd be feeling-
"OKAY! FINE!" Maggie admitted and covered her ears, as not to hear the rest of the sentence.. "I get the point 'Dan! Yes, it's been a while and yes, maybe I am feeling a little touch-starved and just a smidge tense about it. So sue me, elf!"
Maggie breathed out and realised that actually voicing her feelings on the matter, was weirdly therapeutic. One of the things Maggie still missed after all this time, was having her girlfriends to talk to about more intimate conversations.
"See? That wasn't so hard now was it?" Elladan triumphed. "So are you going to complain about it or are you going to do something about it?"
"In case it escaped your attention," Maggie reminded him "I've been a little busy lately, trying to figure out how a baby works. I don't exactly have time for sex, right now."
"Well, I think you should make time. In fact, Elrohir and I will gladly look after Theo for a while."
Maggie raised an eyebrow and studied Estel, sceptical of this sudden generosity. Just like Kili and Fili, the elf twins were equally as mischievous and when the four of them decided to gang up on Maggie, it was impossible to escape it.
"Why are you being so helpful?" She asked "What's in it for you?"
"It is as I said before." Elladan explained, "Adar has been a bit shall we say...tense lately. Might I remind you that it's also been some thousand years since he was last active in that...what did you call it….department?"
Maggie groaned and once again felt her face turning red.
"Oh god, kill me now." she pleaded.
Elladan simply laughed and Maggie knew there was no malice or hurt in his banter. In fact, she did enjoy her conversations with Elladan. Elrohir had been a bit more elusive lately and spending more time with Talathel than performing his duties. Maggie noticed it was something that annoyed Elrond a little but perhaps it was simply because the two of them hadn't had much time together lately, not even with Elvish lessons although they had decided to pick that up again later that evening.
"What of your brother?" Elladan asked as they sat on the grass. Estel was I haven't seen him much lately."
"Neither have I actually." Maggie realised "Maybe he's just been spending time with Bilbo? I guess they have some catching up to do."
Truthfully, Maggie was beginning to worry about Riley. She reminded herself to speak with Gandalf next time she saw the wizard. There was no telling how long Gandalf would be around so she figured it was best to make the most of his company.
"Well," Maggie stifled a yawn. "Thanks for the awkward yet surprisingly sex-positive peptalk, 'Dan. Time fo
"You will consider my offer?" Elladan asked
Maggie replied with a wave as she walked back to Elrond's house. Having a larger nursery and bedroom made all the difference, Maggie realised as she walked past her old room. There was no way her previous bedroom was big enough for her and Theo. She remained ever-grateful to Dwalin for taking the time and effort to expand the room she was in now. One of her favourite moments over the past few days, of which there were many, was when Dwalin met Theo for the first time. For someone so stoic and proud as Dwalin, it surprised Maggie to see him so soft and the first time he held Theo in his arms, the warrior had cried. Theo grabbed his nose and simply just stared at the older dwarf but eventually just fell asleep in Dwalin's arms.
"Talathel, I'm so sorry." Maggie apologised as she entered her room. "I got carried away by a conversation. Actually, I got dragged into a conversation I couldn't escape. How is he?"
Talathel was a tall elf-maiden with long braided, chestnut hair that cascaded down her shoulders. Given that she was an elf, Maggie had no idea how old she actually was and she figured it was rude to ask, but at a guess, she was young by elf-standards. Maybe around the same age as Tauriel and the two had been spending some time together since Tauriel arrived in Imladris. Talathel had a good sense of humour and was kind. She often put Elrohir in his place when he was being ridiculous.
"There is no need to apologise." Talathel assured her, "Theo has been asleep for a while. You are blessed to have a son who favours sleep."
"I just feel bad," Maggie explained "You're not a babysitter and I'm sure you have many other things to see to, other than my son who isn't much company."
Talathel laughed and Maggie knew she was being silly, but she didn't want to take advantage of Talathel's good nature. Theo was her son after all, and if she was ever going to get truly comfortable with motherhood, that meant having to get used to the lack of free time she used to have.
"It's no problem, truthfully." Talathel said.
The elf-maiden took Maggie's hand and the two sat on the bed. From the crib, Maggie could hear Theo's steady breathing and she relaxed. One of the more difficult challenges, she found, was not being able to figure out what was wrong when Theo cried. Seeing as he couldn't use words to communicate, he couldn't tell her what was wrong. Those moments were often stressful and Maggie hoped they would get easier, the more she got to know her son.
"May I ask what conversation you got dragged into?" Talathel wondered "I saw you were walking with Elladan."
"Yeah, Elladan was giving me some honest and incredibly awkward advice about a topic I'm not always good at talking about." Maggie replied
"You mean about physical intimacy with Lord Elrond and Master Fili?"
For the third time that day, Maggie blushed. It was ridiculous really, she felt like a schoolgirl who was experiencing having a crush for the first time. In some ways, it was also amazing to her that she was able to feel like this at all. At one point, Maggie had all but given up on any notion of finding love again and she hadn't been sure she wanted to. Now, she knew of course that healing from one thing didn't mean having to give up on another.
"I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, but if I may so, Elladan is a man." Talathel said, "If you want advice from another woman and also a friend, I would be happy to talk about it."
"This whole situation is just so new to me and I am pretty scared." Maggie admitted, "Not because I'm not sure about how I feel about Fee or Elrond. It's just that I haven't been with anyone in that way since Thorin."
Maggie paused and then continued. "I don't know much about Fee's love-life before me and I know for a fact that Elrond hasn't been with anyone since Celebrian. Elladan made that very clear. I just worry that I won't….that I've forgotten how to...you know."
Talathel chuckled. "Lord Elrond and Master Fili are both good men. If you are not ready or if you feel nervous, they will understand. It is natural to be a little scared as the last time you were with someone, you concieved your son. But perhaps taking this next step is also a part of the healing process."
Maggie exhaled a relieved sigh, once again grateful for being able to speak open about issues that she was normally terrible at voicing.
"Ahem," it was Fili who cleared his voice. "Am I interrupting? I can always come back?"
"It is alright, Master Fili." Talathel got off the bed. "I was just filling Lady Margaret in on how Theo has been doing today. I'm just leaving."
As Talathel left, Maggie mouthed the words "thank you" to her and turned her attention to Fili. He stood in the doorway and seemed to be in a particularly good mood. Maggie also noticed he wore brown leather trousers she hadn't seen before and a grey tunic over it. While Maggie studied the handsome dwarf he greeted her with a warm embrace. It was the first time she'd seen him that day and as Fili's arms wrapped around her, Maggie's heart fluttered.
"How was your day, amralime?" Fili asked as he leaned his forehead against her, as he so often did.
"It was good," Maggie replied. "I've mostly been figuring out how to tell the difference between the 'Mummy I'm hungry' cries and the 'Mummy I pooped myself again' cries. I think we're making progress though."
"He is sleeping now?"
Fili's finger tousled Maggie's hair and she felt his breath on her skin.
"Yeah," she nodded. "Talathel was looking after him while I went for a walk with Elladan."
"Mhmm." Fili mumbled
When Fili's nose gently rubbed against Maggie's, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Just like with Elrond, Maggie and Fili's interactions over the past few days had been innocent. That seemed to have changed now and Maggie found herself struggling to form words.
"So, how was your-"
Suddenly, Fili closed the space between them by gently pressing his lips against Maggie's and this time, she allowed himself to truly feel them. At first, Maggie was tense but then she relaxed as she welcomed Fili's touch, his grasp on her waist tightened as he pulled her closer to him. During the first few seconds, it was a gentle and careful kiss but then, Fili got more confident. He backed Maggie up against the wall behind them and her arms wrapped around Fili's broad shoulders. She wasn't sure why the blonde dwarf's strength surprised her, but when he lifted Maggie and wrapped her around him, she gasped.
"Fee…" Maggie mumbled as she tugged at his hair.
"Be gentle, Gehyith ." Fili whispered into her ear. "That braid has been in my hair for a very long time."
"Sorry.."
Fili stopped Maggie's apology with another kiss, more passionate than the last. Mere seconds later, Maggie hungrily pushed back, her mouth open, tongue pushing past his clenched teeth to the moist space within. The bristles of Fili's blonde beard scratched against her soft cheeks as she gripped his head firmly, as if to keep him from escaping. She worked her mouth against his, their tongues battling back and forth. Every now and again, Fili let out small grunts of arousal and tightened his grip around Maggie. Using his much superior strength to his advantage, Fili carried Maggie over to the bed. As he lay her down on the soft mattress, Maggie hooked one leg around Fili's waist as he leaned over her and let his breath tickle her ears.
In the middle of the heated moment, Theo began crying. Maggie's hand was about to hike up Fili's shirt but instead, he gently let released her from his grasp and they sighed. Maggie walked to Theo's crib and picked up her crying son, trying to understand if this crying was because he was hungry. Maggie gently rocked Theo back and forth, whispering calming words until the crying turned to cooing. She spent the next few moments feeding Theo and when that was done it was Fili who tucked his baby cousin back into crib.
"I have a feeling that's going to happen a lot." Maggie realised as Fili wrapped his arms around her.
"Probably," Fili murmured into Maggie's hair and playfully nibbled at her ear. "Do you have Elvish with Lord Elrond later?" he asked
"Yeah," Maggie sighed and suddenly remembered her conversation with Elladan, which brought back her previous nervous feeling.
Fili turned Maggie around so that she was facing him, then placed her arms around his neck while his rested on her waist. It was amazing to Maggie, how normal something that should be so strange really was. If she was completely honest with herself, she could have bet money on how awkward things would be and at one point she even thought that either Fili or Elrond would change their minds, yet neither of them did. Sure, it was still very early days, but as far as Maggie could tell, things were going well but her anxious mind was always looking for problems where there were none.
"You do not seem excited," Fili assumed "What's the matter?"
"I am excited, but this is the first time Elrond and I have been alone since I revealed how I feel about you guys." Maggie explained "And as I'm sure you remember, there's some old tension between Elrond and I that was never really resolved."
During their first visit to Rivendell with the Company, Maggie and Elrond had shared in some brief moments of tension. When it was clear that Maggie's heart was truly with Thorin, the elf-lord had backed away but now, those old feelings made themselves known and Maggie became aware of how nervous she really was.
"Of course you're scared, Amralime." Fili said "This is new to all of us and I know you worry, but don't you think perhaps Elrond is scared too? If anything, he's probably more terrified than you are. Because as you said, you have history and now he finally has you. Not to mention, I hear it's been a while since he-"
"Yes, I get it.' Maggie cut him off "Goddamn, Elladan has a big mouth."
Fili sat down on the bed again and pulled Maggie onto his lap.
"My point is," he said and trailed playful kisses along her neck "Perhaps instead of learning Elvish, you two should spend some time learning about each other again."
It was a strange feeling, having Fili kissing her neck while also talking about her intimate relationship with Elrond. Strange but not uncomfortable and Maggie wondered how she'd gotten so lucky.
"The party plans are coming along nicely."
Bilbo was sitting on his favourite veranda, smoking a bit of Old Toby which had been a gift from the Old Gaffer himself. It was a bright sunny day, he'd just enjoyed some afternoon tea with Oin and all things considered life was pretty good. Even so, Bilbo knew that not everything was as it should. Especially not with Riley who wasn't sitting down, instead he stood and looked out over Rivendell. Bilbo could always tell when Riley was lost in thought and this was one of those moments. In fact, there had been rather a lot of them lately and Bilbo would be lying if he said he wasn't worried. Riley wouldn't talk about it and perhaps he thought Bilbo didn't notice the nightmares.
If he wanted to, Bilbo knew there were several ways he could find out where Riley went at night. But, he respected his privacy enough to not breach the trust and follow him. He just wished that Riley would trust him to talk to him about what was truly going on. A couple of days ago, Bilbo had even talked to Gandalf out of worry but Gandalf merely guessed he was dealing with remnants of Battle Terror. Bilbo knew the wizard well enough to tell when he was lying and felt frustrated about the lack of knowing. But, seeing as nobody would tell Bilbo what was going on, he would simply have to wait until such a time arrived when the truth would reveal itself. It usually always did.
Until then, he'd decided to throw himself into planning Maggie's surprise party. Not only was it to celebrate the birth of Theo but her birthday was coming up soon and so Bilbo figured it was a good a reason as any to have a party. He'd already sent out all the invitations by ravens to Erebor and to Dale. With the permission of Lord Elrond of course, the Company would arrive on the day of the party. Elrond and Fili would find a suitable way of keeping Maggie unaware and when the time arrived, there they'd all be. Bilbo really hoped she would like it and he was even getting excited about seeing all the dwarves again. Even Lady Dis had received an invitation because if anything, she was excited about seeing her nephew.
"It will be lovely," Bilbo said "Seeing everyone again. It's been such a long time and I've even missed Bombu, would you believe it?"
"Hmm…" Riley replied distantly. "Bilbo…"
"Yes, love?"
Finally, Riley turned around to Bilbo and seemed slightly more focused than before but with thoughts still weighing on his mind.
"Do you really think it's a good idea?" Riley asked quietly. "Having a party, with everything that's going on? Should we really be letting our guard down?"
Bilbo raised an eyebrow, not understanding where this was coming from. The Riley Spencer he knew and loved would never say no to a party.
"Of course I am sure!" Bilbo replied, somewhat more sharply than he'd intended. "What has gotten into you lately? Do you not want to celebrate the birth of your nephew? With whom you have hardly been spending any time, by the way!"
"You're tracking my whereabouts now?" Riley snapped "Yeah, that's real trustworthy."
Bilbo was getting annoyed now and didn't like Riley's sudden change in temper.
"I am not tracking your whereabouts!" Bilbo defended "I am worried about you and so is your sister! You have not been yourself lately! You think I don't know. but I can tell that you're not alright. I don't know what they're about, but I know you have nightmares! I know you walk around at night looking for answers to something I don't understand. But I want to help, because I love you."
Riley fell silent for a while and Bilbo wondered if perhaps he'd finally knocked some sense into him. He hated seeing Riley acting so far from the man he loved and if Bilbo was honest, it even frightened him a little.
"You can't help me, Bilbo." Riley replied, his voice no louder than a whisper. "No one can. In fact, you shouldn't try to help me at all.
"Why?" Bilbo demanded "Why can't I help you? Riley, you can't push people away because you're scared or going through something."
Bilbo realised his was grew louder because some of the elves walking past would stop now again to see what the commotion was about. He didn't care though. He was angry at Riley for pushing him away, when Bibo just wanted a chance to understand what was going on
"Bilbo.." Riley sighed "Let's not do this right now."
"No, let's!" Bilbo protested "Because I would like to know what is going on!"
"I just don't think this is a good idea…"
Bilbo couldn't believe what was hearing and felt his face turned red with anger.
"That what isn't a good idea?" he asked "The party or us?"
A silence fell between them and for a while, Riley didn't say anything but it was enough of an answer for Bilbo. The hafling wasn't sure whether what he felt in that moment was rage, sadness or confusion. Perhaps a mix of all three but he felt tears began to well up behind his eyes. In his heart, he knew what Riley said wasn't true, it couldn't be true after everything they'd been through and everything they'd shared.
"Oh, I see…" Bilbo whispered. "I'll leave you to it then."
Riley didn't try to stop Bilbo when he walked off in a huff. He was halfway up the stairs leading back to Elrond's house when the sound of footsteps reached him.
"Bilbo!" Maggie called after her friend "Bilbo, where are you going?"
"You heard your brother!" Bilbo said, knowing Maggie had definitely heard their argument. "Back to the Shire! Where I belong! This was a mistake!"
Maggie ran in front of Bilbo to block his path. She was out of breath and for a moment, Bilbo did stop if only to hear what she had to say.
"Bilbo, please don't listen to my brother." Maggie begged "He is a fucking idiot! He loves you and you he does"
"It certainly doesn't seem that way anymore!" Bilbo said
Bilbo kept walked but every time, Maggie blocked his path.
"Riley is scared!" Maggie told him "I don't know why or what's changed, but he hasn't been the same for a while. He's done this before but it was for slightly different reasons. When he's scared and thinks he's hurting people, he pushes them away. Trust me, it's kind of a classic Spencer family trait."
Bilbo sighed and listened to Maggie. Deep down, he knew she was right about Riley being scared. Nonetheless, his words stung and Bilbo was beginning to feel afraid that maybe a part of Riley had meant was he said.
"Please stay, Bilbo." Maggie pleaded desperately. "He needs you. Riley is lost without you."
Truthfully, Bilbo also knew that he was lost without Riley
One of the downsides to being a ruler, was the lack of free time. Lord Elrond seldom complained though and took great pride in his role. He loved his people and ruling over Imladris was his duty as well as his birthright. Lately though, Lord Elrond wished there were less errands of diplomacy and paperwork, so that he could enjoy more time with his family. And with Maggie. Since she confessed her feelings to himself and Fili, she had filled many of the elf-lord's thoughts and focusing on his duties was difficult. Maggie had awoken something within Elrond, which thought had long since been forgotten. Both of them had known lost love and the pain of it. It seemed as though that was something that brought them closer. The teasing had become almost a game between them, one that he was determined to win. A lingering glance here, a brief stolen moment there They hadn't had any chance for privacy for days and Lord Elrond could feel the frustration building up. He was like a love sick elfling of his youth.
In those days, Elrond had been confident in his abilities as a lover but these days, he was out of practice as it were. The dark-haired elf rarely got nervous and refused to admit as much as to anyone else, but when it came to this particular matter of the heart, he was indeed nervous. In some ways, Elrond still couldn't believe that his feelings were reciprocated and it took much of his self-control to maintain calm when Maggie expressed those feelings a few days earlier. The other thing that surprised Elrond was how little it bothered him that Fili shared them too. It would be interesting to see how their arrangement unfolded but for all intents and purposes, Elrond was genuinely happy for the first time in a very long while.
But, as a mother to a newborn, time was something Elrond knew Maggie wouldn't have much of in the next few months. He knew the first few weeks were hard and that Maggie struggled with trying to read young Theo's body language and decipher his cries of attention. So, when he promised himself that when they did see each other, he would give her his undivided attention.
Three knocks on the door interrupted his thoughts and he exhaled a deep breath.
"Enter."
"Well, this is deja vu." Maggie said.
Elrond looked up from his books and saw Maggie there, as expected. The elf-lord looked at her, allowing himself a moment to take in her beauty. She was in her nightgown, her hair out of her usual ponytail. It was a mess but he liked it that way as it enhanced the features of her face. Elrond was both happy and relieved that lately, Maggie had returned to her normal self; the woman who was full of warmth and laughter. The woman who had captured not only Estel's heart but his own.
Lately, Elrond had found his thoughts lingering on Maggie, in moments when he really ought to be focusing on something else. Sometimes, he caught her looking at him for a bit longer than normal and then smiling. There were many times when Elrond had wanted to just kiss her, but he often worried about being too forthright, even after the conversation with her and Fili.
"Maggie." Lord Elrond leaned back in his chair. "I've been thinking.."
"Maybe we should stop thinking?" Maggie suddenly sat down on Lord Elrond's lap, one leg on either side. She leaned in to kiss him, fearing he would stop her at first but instead he welcomed it.
"Is this a dream?" asked the elf-lord.
"I hope not." Maggie teased and they kissed again. Elrond grabbed Maggie by her waist, lifting her up and placing her on the desk. Both hands behind her on the desk as he loomed over her while she lay down on the oak table. He kissed her lips, her neck and her collarbone. Maggie grabbed the corners of the table as his lips gently covered her breasts and moved down the space between them. When he reached her legs, Elrond pushed them up so that Maggie's feet rested on the edge of the table. The Elf-lord gently kissed the inside of her thigh and Maggie let out small moans of satisfaction. Then, Elrond pulled Maggie to him and she her legs wrapped around him, placing her hands on his chest, playing with the buttons on his robe. She pulled him in for a kiss and he replied. Maggie ran her hands through his dark hair and then she reached for the buttons on her nightgown, popping them off one by one, allowing the gentle fabric slip off her shoulders.
At the sight of Elrond's jaw dropping, Maggie smiled and felt very pleased with her victory.
"Do you like what you see, hir-nin?"
"Yes." Elrond said "Very much."
"Are you going to stare all night?"
The question surprised Elrond at first but then Maggie caught a glint of mischief in his eyes. In one movement the Elf-lord picked her up and carried her towards the bed.
"Where do ya think yer going?"
After supper, Glorfindel and Riley made plans to meet at the stables. Dol Guldur wasn't too far away but there was no point waiting around. Riley left a note for Maggie to not worry about him and that he would be back as soon as possible. As for Bilbo, well, Riley figured he would deal with that when he returned, assuming Bilbo was still there. Riley hadn't told any other the others about his plans because truthfully, he wasn't sure if there was much substance to them. But if the map was right and if there was even a small chance that his dad was alive, he would be daft to not at least explore that possibility. Even if it meant returning to Dol Guldur. The sound of Dwalin's voice didn't surprise him, In fact, Riley should have guessed one of the dwarves would use their stealth to follow him.
"Sorry Master Dwalin," Riley said "Only Glorfindel and I are going this time."
"Like Mahal you are…" Dwalin protested "I can't let this blonde princess get ya killed."
"Thank you for your confidence, Master Dwarf." Glorfindel teased as he saddled the second horse.
Riley was about to protest but a second voice joined the conversation.
"Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of dwarves?" Legolas asked. "We are going with you, muindor-nin."
Riley sighed and admitted defeated but at the same time counted himself lucky to have found such incredible brothers-in-arms.
"I can't believe I'm going to say this," Riley told them "But let's go rescue my dad."
To be continued…..
Okay, whew! There we go! A LOT happened in this chapter and I'm sorry if it was all a bit haphazard but I hope you enjoyed it. So, there's a few things to unpack.
Riley's growing darkness - how will he cope with it? Is their dad really alive and does it have anything to do with the religious cult?
Maggie exploring her new relationship with Fili and Elrond? What do you guys think about that? What sort of things should I cover?
Bilbo and Riley fighting - will they figure things out? Let me know what you think!