Before Frodo was 'dressing'. I was only slightly amused when Legolas said something about needing to change clothing. It wasn't just him- all of a sudden everyone seemed to be eyeballing their clothing. For some reason this event wasn't casual dress. It apparently was formal.

I waited as the others left, Aragorn, Boromir escaping with a backward glance, and when Legolas shut the doors to 'our' room I felt relief. Not regret, not pity, just relief that he wasn't here. Oh- I was happy to have seen him and to have at least puzzled out SOME of the mystery around his behavior. Sure. Very happy.

I was more happy to be alone with Legolas once again.

"Lock it." I said quietly, as he twisted the handle, and Legolas glanced backwards at me. "Please."

Legolas twisted the key in the door handle with a very satisfying click. Oh yes. That felt good. I was tempted to ask him to 'do it again'. He raised an eyebrow in an unspoken question.

"Just wanted time alone with you."

"We were meant to have the day together." Legolas agreed quietly. He turned to the lock and to my amazement, he actually twisted the key twice without me even having to have asked, before he took the key out of the door and slid it into a pocket in those plain pants of his. "Tomorrow. I will lock the door."

"Promise ?"

"None shall disturb us." Legolas smiled somewhat. "Let me dress for Frodo."

He went into the 'bathing room' and started to open a couple of the little chests there as I followed. They were clearly for him.

"You live with me." I said softly. Why did this surprise me? Except, of course, for how he'd spent so much time separate. I added quickly, so my surprise didn't show, "Why are you changing?"

"I do not wish to be seen in this." He responded. Legolas' was carefully sorting through fabric that I hadn't even known he'd had. He looked fine to me. Yeah- it was the usual Minas Tirith style. Pretty much what you'd see on any man. And maybe from a very far distance Legolas might even be mistaken for a regular man. But ...to be perfectly honest Legolas could have worn a potato sack and he'd still look like a beautiful glowing unearthly creature. Even from a distance. But I wasn't going to be picky.

"You want to look pretty?" I teased, as he stripped off the plain shirt, and watched as he headed for that tiny storage room in my 'bathroom'. I followed. To my surprise he actually had his own chest of stuff in there. "Are all your things here?"

"We share these chambers and I trust you with my bow." Legolas slid his fingers over something. I moved closer as he lifted it up. It was literally his Lothlorien bow, wrapped up loosely in fabric, and without a single scratch. Where was mine? "It is not about being 'pretty. Frodo has saved the world from evil."

This apparently should have explained his desire to dress up. It didn't. I glanced down at my dark blue tunic and the grey pants, wondering if I should put on a dress or something, and as I opened my mouth to ask Legolas answered.

"You are beautiful as you are. I will dress to match you." He gazed up at me, bent over his chest of goodies, and there wasn't any sense of teasing. Just genuine affection.

As he stood, he slid something to one side, and I let my eyes drift down him. Hair. I had to find hair on him. I slid down, to his surprise, kneeling in front of him. This was not as good an idea as I had hoped- my leg buckled and I had to keep my bad leg weightless- but as I gazed up the expression on his face made the effort worth it.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking something." I kept my tone light and innocent, grinning at him, and slid my fingers up his chest. I was rewarded by his hitch of breath, the sudden intense stare, as if the sheer touch of my fingertips was enough to trigger that side of him. As I slid my fingers lower, heading for the waistband of his drawstring pants, Legolas grasped my arm, suddenly, but he didn't seem to know if he was going to push my hand away or to pull me closer.

I slid the tie loose, slowly, and slid my fingers down. Now. Elves. Hair. Hair. Ha... as I grasped him, he shut his eyes, dropping the fabric in his hand.

"Elves don't have hair?"

"Only on our head." He responded, shutting his eyes as I slid my fingers lower still and to his thighs, and I wondered why I hadn't noticed this before. Probably because it hadn't occurred to me to look or care.

"Must be strange... that I did before."

"I did not mind. Before?" He blinked through the haze of lust, gazing at me, and before I could react I felt him push my tunic to one side and slide his hand down. Legolas had caught on fast. The look on his face was priceless as I felt his fingers graze bare skin where there'd once been something else. "Where is it?"

"Gone."

"I want to see." Legolas was sliding his fingers lower, across the top of my thighs, eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Legs too?"

"Everywhere. But... Frodo, Leggy."

I may have as well said that the world was exploding because this was clearly not something he cared about right now. Legolas dropped the chest with a bang, crawling over me, pushing me onto my back on the cold stone as he slid his hands to my waist. With a quick tug the pants were gone. Literally thrown to one side.

Legolas murmured something in Elvish as he stared down at me. I thought he'd laugh. Instead, he seemed kind of surprised, pleased even. Okay then. I supposed this was something I'd try and keep up. I shut my eyes as I felt his finger slide up my bare leg, slowly, and then shivered when a mouth started to kiss its way up the other leg.

"Let us dress. I will … explore later."

I felt disappointment drift through me as he slid up slowly, watching him, but he was already turning back to the chest and lifting it. I sat up slowly and tugged the pants back over. Not fair. "Later?"

"Frodo."

I got it suddenly. He was teasing me. There was a twitch of his lip as he caught the expression on my face. I grabbed him, kissing him hard, pulling him back down.

"Poor old Elf, too tired? Need a nap?"

We mock-struggled against each other, laughing as neither seemed to know who was 'in charge', bodies bumping and lips bruising as I kissed him hard. 'Rushing' made it even harder to resist laughing, at least until he grabbed my legs and managed to get himself inside.

After I sat up slowly,sliding up with his help to get my leggings back on, and waited as he started to sort through his clothing for the perfect outfit.

Legolas held something out to me. It was light blue. I took it and he moved closer, on his knees still, leaning against my stomach, his ear against it. He slid my own tunic up, exposing the matching pale blue lining underneath the dark blue, and out of his way, my pants down, so he could get to my bare skin. I watched, breathing in slowly, sliding my fingers into his hair as he shut his eyes.

"Can you hear it?"

"I hear everything. Give me your weight a moment so your leg may rest. We have probably tired it." He responded softly, sliding his arm around my lower back, shifting closer so I was leaning against him. Legolas slid his fingers across my stomach, slowly, and pressed against the bare skin. He blinked, and said something in Elvish slowly, his hand freezing over a specific spot. Legolas slowly pressed against it. "I hear more happening now than last I tried. Our son is growing faster than my sister did."

"He is? How do you know?"

"My mother allowed me to follow my sister's growth. She was not felt in my mother's stomach until a month later. Here." Legolas took my hand and guided it to a spot. He pressed my fingers in, slowly, and I inhaled sharply as I felt it.

Oh my god.

Some lump. Sort of. I was always kind of big down there, even after getting fitter over the past few months, but there was this obvious kind of tenseness. Resistance. This was not normal for a girl who was usually a bit soft in the tummy. I ran my fingers up and down my lower stomach, digging in only a tiny bit, amazed. Hard. Soft. Hard. Soft. Was it not showing as much because I was already big in the tummy? Or was this normal? I didn't know! Where was the internet when I needed it!

"He moves when you do that." Legolas said quietly. He shut his eyes and pressed his head against the side of my stomach, as I felt it, awe filling me and him. It occurred to me that it was the first time I'd really 'felt' emotions Legolas was feeling for weeks. Something between us had dropped. Was it my doing or his? He tightened his arms around my thighs, hugging me hard against him, and suddenly I wanted to cry and ravish him. Do both at once. That would be fun. Well, okay, it'd scare him a little but...

I sank down beside him, Legolas loosening his arms a moment, and leaned against him. "He's really in there, isn't he?"

"More and more."

"I'll need to learn Elvish." Just to talk with my baby. So he couldn't swear at me in Elvish … or something. Did Elves even swear? I twisted his head towards mine, kissing him, not caring. He leaned his forehead against mine. A feeling of warmth flooded over me, comfort, the sense of being complete again.

"You have let me in again."

"What?"

"Into your heart." Legolas said softly. He slid his hands under my tunic to rest on my waist, thumbs brushing backwards and forwards over the waistband. "I was shut out. You have shut me out more and more."

"I have? I mean, I did?" Have meant right now. Did meant the past. Guilt crept up and the warmth faded somewhat. Legolas actually tightened his grip on my waist like I was slipping away, tugging me harder against him.

"Boromir confuses you. I feel it. You draw away from me." Legolas muttered. A knock at the door explained why he'd suddenly spoken softly. He sighed, reaching out to grasp the blue shirt from my hand, and went to tug it over his head. There was sudden insecurity, so unexpected, so unmatching to Legolas' usual 'aloof confidant Elf' thing, that it took me back. Eyes looked away, not meeting mine, his hands dropping from me. "I fear he is taking you away."

Oh crap. "Legolas, no! Okay, yeah, I worry about things, and ...Boromir worries about the same things but..." I grasped his face, twisting it up towards me, "He's not taking me anywhere. You are. To your home, remember?"

Legolas didn't get far with dressing. I yanked the tunic back, throwing it over my shoulder, and kissed Legolas hard. He only hesitated a moment before he returned it, helping me stand, hands grasping my face as he kissed me again and again.

"What do you worry about?"

"You dying when I do! You know I'm mortal and-" I sighed and cut off that line of conversation. Why didn't he get that part? I felt like he hadn't accepted it. Accepted that I only barely more than any other mortal woman here. Was this because Aragorn lived a long time?

A knock distracted both of us. Oh yeah. Frodo. Legolas frowned and dropped his head against mine, once more, his forehead against mine. "Wendy, you are more than mortal. Do not worry. There will be a long life for us both and we will both live to see our son a man. Aragorn waits. Come- we are expected. " His head twisted to the door as it cracked open.

"Why, was it a vision you had?"

"Nay, it is a feeling. You and I will not be parted until it is time for I to leave for the Undying Lands. Then, I will take you, and we will live our lives in peace." He believed it. Every single word.

I wanted to cry. Or vomit. Both felt like a great idea. A feeling. He was so confidant in the belief that I'd live. But it'd take what, a hundred years, even fifty, before this baby was a grown man? Elf? Whatever.

The horrible truth was that Boromir was right. Legolas had no clue. Or if he did, he refused to admit it. My heart sank and suddenly I wanted to cry. He was incredible, smart, sweet, watchful, and ...in complete denial. I was completely in love with someone who thought I'd live for hundreds of years with him. Okay. I might live the rest of my life with him, fifty or sixty years, and … some part of me was okay with that. I would have married him knowing what it was, knowing that was what I was going into, because after all... wouldn't marrying someone else mortal be the same thing?

After all, wouldn't any other husband die?

But then, a 'normal' relationship would involve adult children, and how old would my baby be when we died in fifty or sixty years?

What about Gimli? How could Legolas do the Gimli and Legolas stuff if I'd killed him off so fast? What had I done! Just by coming here...

Anxiety rose. Anxiety and vomit. As I twisted to vomit, Aragorn made a soft noise of pity, and Legolas backed up carefully. Fingers slid into my hair and lifted it back, stroking the back of my neck and my ears gently, Legolas remaining close until it was all up.

"Tis normal for a woman." Aragorn spoke from the door. Second time for him to smell that. Poor man. "Is that why you took so much time? Boromir believed you may need sweet to taste for the condition."

Suddenly I hated Boromir. Irrational, maybe, but any kind of pity or anything just vanished out the window. So what if he was right? About strawberries, about my worry over Legolas and aging, and ...well, stuff. So what? He shouldn't have been saying anything about it to me to begin with. Stupid... vomit... man.

As my stomach relaxed, I sighed and stood up, the comforting hand sliding down my back and resting there. "Are you all right?"

"It must not taste nice and dinner is yet some time off. Here." Aragorn was offering me something. Grapes? No, strawberries. I opened my eyes and gazed down at the little pink ones. "They are the first ripe."

I bit into them as Legolas dressed, pretending they were Boromir's head, and watched as Aragorn helped Legolas hurry.

Once he was all pretty, braids perfect once more, satisfied that he was going to look even more unearthly and beautiful, the three of us headed outside once again. The sun was getting low in the sky now. The sun? As if I cared about that. Something might have happened to Frodo, which I may have caused, and I was also screwing up Legolas' fate.

Frodo was two buildings away. He was tucked in against the edge of the platform- at the far end of a tiny garden courtyard that sat between the wall of the Hall and his building. There, almost everyone was gathered, everyone dressed in the best clothing they could find. Or, in the case of the hobbits, the cleanest.

It was such a simple little place compared to mine that I had to admit I relaxed again. Hard to not relax in a garden filled with fragrant flowers and hobbits that were cracking jokes.

"He will be awake within the hour. Before the sun sets." Gandalf said softly, gentle, and there was geninue relief and peace on his face. "Do not go too far. We will eat dinner here."

"Before dinner? He's joining us?" Merry asked hopefully.

"I believe so." Aragorn responded from where he leaned against the wall. He was peeling off an apron. A literal apron. It was over his beautiful velvet clothing. "I have tended to him one last time. Faramir has already set aside a special feast for us. And Sam has prepared something special."

Sam nodded. His gaze was distant though, at his hands, and he didn't seem able to speak at a normal level. "I thought Fr... Mr. Frodo might awaken to the smell of cooking. Make it easier. He has not had a decent meal for too long."

"No, but he has had food, and your broth, and is already gaining weight." Gandalf placed a hand gently on Sam's shoulder. "He will awaken."

"How do you know?" Pippin moved across the little courtyard to sit beside me in the sunshine, his feet clean and washed, his clothing stain free.

"Aragorn knows. I will sit with him. Sam?" Gandalf looked to where Sam sat. It was the first time I'd seen Sam for days. Sam was surprisingly composed. "Do you want to sit with Frodo?"

"I think..." Sam hesitated. He gazed at us all, slowly, and said softer, "I think I might just sit here a moment. In the sunshine. If that's all right by you."

"If that's what you want." Gandalf chuckle softly. He nodded to me. "I am sorry I have not spoken to you."

"You had to watch out for Frodo." The thought, the doubt, that perhaps... that maybe Frodo had endured worse somehow, it drifted across my mind. I smiled weakly. Sam and Gandalf had both more or less vanished to spend all their time with Frodo. I told myself off for the negative thoughts. Silly me. Okay. Big smile.

"When he has awoken, you and I will talk properly." Gandalf rested his hand on my shoulder. "I promise."

He wasn't quite awake yet. Gandalf was inside the little bedroom with him. I hadn't realised it earlier, when I'd 'seen it', but when I glanced in I was surprised and amused to see that the entire room was hobbit sized. The bed, the chairs, even the chest of drawers. There was a little mirror.

"Did this all get made for him?" I asked Aragorn/

He had moved to sit on the ground against the wall. Twisting around to peer in through the door, Aragorn smiled, and nodded as he rested back on the ground. "I believe so."

"We got hobbit sized beds too." Pippin spoke up. "You haven't seen them yet, have you?"

"Dwarf size too."

"And strength." Legolas cut in, Merry sniggering, and the elf shot a teasing look at Gimli. Gimli snorted and ignored him.

"He broke one of the beds made for him. Middle of the night. BOOM. Dwarf, cursing, waking everyone up, shards of wood in his-"

"Merry." Boromir aimed a kick for him. "Language."

"So they got a spare one. And... same night, same thing." Merry whispered to me. "Then the next one. So they made a strong one out of metal."

I laughed at that. I felt Legolas come to stand beside me, felt more than saw, his side against my side. Tucking some hair behind my head I gazed sideways and up at him, his grey eyes meeting mine, and as I smiled, he mirrored it with his own genuine warm smile. I could still feel him on my skin, still taste him, and … it made me feel so content. I could have curled up in the sunshine like a lazy cat.

Okay, yeah, I was worried too. But right now? Sunshine, contentment, and a sense of being all satisfied. I could sense the same from him. Literally the same. Contentment, warmth, but also a trace of anxiousness. I hoped it wasn't because of my anxiety.

He slid an arm around my shoulders, drawing me close, kissing me gently. I leaned against him and avoided Boromir's eyes. I could feel them on me. I shut my eyes and focused on Legolas. The warm sunlight. The laughter of Merry and Pippin as they joked around, teasing each other, harassing Gimli.

Occasionally we'd hear Frodo talk. I'd open my eyes, everyone would stand, several times Pippin and Merry would rush up onto the balcony and open the door a little. Three times, same enthusiasm, and it was usually a false alarm. Not quite yet.

This continued for a while. It was late in the afternoon, the sunlight streaming down against the little courtyard, when we heard something.

"Gandalf?"

Like every other time, it was Merry and Pippin who rushed up onto the balcony and pressed against the door, pressing their ears to it, Pippin's hand ready on the handle once more. Everyone had frozen, waiting, Gimli mid-puff on his pipe, Aragorn raising his head, and …

Gandalf started to laugh.

Legolas met eyes, his smile widening, and he squeezed me before releasing me. "It is time."

Sam froze.

"Go!" Merry hissed at Pippin.

Pippin and Merry charged in at Frodo.

"Frodo!"

Gimli wasn't far behind, literally dropping his pipe as he charged up the steps, Frodo's relieved 'Gimli' echoing out.

I followed the calmer Legolas up the steps of the balcony. Funny- it was only now that I realised he'd more or less changed outfits for this. When? Who knew. He did a lot of surprising things.

He froze in front of me, staring inside, moving inside slowly. It was almost like he was trying to keep a measure of calm after Gimli and the hobbits had charged in. I wanted to charge in. I grinned, Frodo's stunned face meeting mine, moving to stand beside Legolas. I felt shy suddenly. Why? No clue.

Gimli actually was crying, I realised, as I stood between him and Legolas. He kept sniffing and dabbing at his eyes with his sleeve.

The look on Frodo's face when Boromir strode in, right behind Aragorn, made the whole ordeal with Boromir worth it. That was right. He'd believed Boromir was dead too. No hate, no fear, just sheer relief as he gasped, "Boromir!"

Boromir stood beside Aragorn, grinning,like he'd just played the best prank ever on Frodo. But when he glanced sideways at me... it faltered. Was it because I'd kissed Legolas? I suspected so.

Oh fucking hell. Frodo was awake and ... I kept my smile on but Legolas was right. I had to stop … I had to keep away from him a while

"What happened!" Pippin threw up his arms as he threw himself back onto the bed, laughing, and adding, "We saw walking trees!"

Gandalf laughed, leaning back, a low relieved sigh as Frodo tried to speak. He cut in- "Do not trouble Frodo right now with stories. He will be too hungry to speak."

Sam slid in, slowly, and kept his distance. But he was smiling, Frodo and him suddenly only for eyes for one another once again, and I wondered... I grinned. Who knew. He met Frodo's eyes and they gazed at one another a long time.

"Tell him what we've been doing, Pip!"

"Well." Pippin laughed, throwing himself onto his side, Merry bouncing up and down. "You won't believe the adventures we've had."

"I bet he will..."

Pippin started to fill Frodo in about our fight against the Uruk Hai, after Frodo had run, as we all found a place to sit down, chairs being dragged around th bed from a table nearby. Only Legolas decided to stand beside the wall next to me and Gimli. Sam slid down to sit beside Frodo on the bed, watching quietly, the two of them pressed against each other.

"Oh, food." Sam blinked. The daze he was in seemed to vanish somewhat. "I had something special for everyone warming beside the fire..."

"Where are the bowls?" Boromir asked, standing, "I will help."

The smell of chicken filled the air as Sam lifted a very large heavy pot up from the coals and set it on the table at the edge of the room. Boromir's face was tense even for his smile. I knew him well enough to know that. I felt Legolas reach out to touch my arm, his fingertips brushing against the inside of my arm gently, as if he was aware of what was happening inside my head. Maybe Legolas did know.

"Did you really, Wenduin?"

I blinked, as Frodo's soft voice cut in, and turned to see Merry, Pippin and Frodo staring at me. "What?"

"Marry Legolas in Lothlorien! Why didn't you tell anyone?" Frodo laughed, sitting up, and as tired as he was I'd never seen him happier. Never in my life. "We could have celebrated."

"Well, Legolas didn't actually tell me we'd married until Rohan." I admitted. This statement made Boromir stiffen, Gimli laugh, Aragorn shake his head, and clearly only added to Frodo's amusement. Legolas squeezed my arm gently before he released it again, only to come to stand closer to my back, close enough to feel his stomach brush against my arm.

"And," Pippin continued as if this was the best part of his whole story. "She's pregnant."

"What!" Sam nearly dropped the pile of plates he was carrying to the table from a cabinet. "She is?"

I rolled my eyes at that.

"But what happened? I heard Boromir was dead!"

"First, I think..." Gandalf cut in before the other two could start, his voice that perfect measure of amused calm. He gazed to Sam who was opening the big metal pot's lid. A rush of hot steam and roast chicken smell rushed out. "Frodo should be allowed to bathe and dress before we get into the stories. Sam, can that roast wait?"

"It could do with a few minutes more, I think." Sam agreed, prodding it, wrinkling his face in concentration. "The taters need a while yet."

"Good. Tonight, we will stay together, and talk. Boromir, I think a few bottles of that wine we've saved should be right, and Aragorn?"

"I'll bring the goblets and the cake."

"Cake?"

Gandalf's smile widened at Merry's interest. "We have decided tonight is for the Fellowship alone. Half an hour and we will meet here once more."

"Okay. Wendy! Come on,." Pippin slid to his feet in a hurry and grabbed my hand. "We've got our own treats for tonight. Come help us bring them."

"Um, okay." I followed them, half dragged out of there, towards the kitchen. Luckily my leg held up their enthusiasm. When we rushed back, arms full of some kind of food hidden within a couple of little bags, Legolas was waiting for me outside. Aragorn was smoking with Gimli further along in a kind of small garden, relaxing in the late afternoon sunshine, the smell of food starting to really waif out of the room.

I could hear Sam talking with Gandalf now, louder, something about how he knew food would wake Frodo.

"He is bathing." Legolas took the sack from me and held it out to Merry. "Wendy can come with me for a walk."

Ah, yeah, I didn't need to see that. For some reason Pippin and Merry went in anyway, not even without a hesitation, and I followed Legolas to stand with Aragorn and Gimli.

We relaxed beside them, I found a step to sit down in the little green area, the smoke no longer bothering me. The grass was soft under my feet, the smell of something sweet nearby, and when I went to sniff a flower, I found it was the most innocent looking yellow flower that created this strong scent.

"Tis jasmine." Aragorn came to sit down beside me. He put his pipe down and reached out to pick some, gently sliding a few pieces into the back of my hair, before he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"I can't believe we all made it." I said quietly. Everyone.

Holy crap. Frodo was alive. Everyone was okay.

Tension faded from my body and I let Aragorn hug against my side, listening to Gimli and Legolas start up a conversation about the most basic, most casual thing, some random half-hearted argument about whether dwarves or Elves were better pipe makers. I didn't know Elves even smoked.

"Do Elves smoke?" I asked Araogrn, who had raised his pipe back up, and he shook his head.

"No, but many an Elf craft is traded with men. Rivendell and Lothlorien do not trade but the Elves of Mirkwood have long had a trading relationship with the villages around them. The weed grown by Elves is treasured."

Oh, I bet it was. But it was good news. Legolas' elves, as I'd started to think of them, were kind of used to men? "I won't be a big shock."

"You will not be the first woman within Mirkwood, no, and many Elves will not be shocked by you. Not until they hear of your marriage will you need to worry."

This got Legolas' attention and his smile faded somewhat, as he and Aragorn locked eyes, Gimli's joke fading somewhat about 'length of pipes' or 'thickness' or something. Legolas said quietly, "There is nothing to worry over."

Aragorn didn't respond. Instead he just took another long inhale of his pipe smoke and gazed back out across the landscape, free arm still over me, and I gazed out in the same direction. The sunset was incredible, rich peach, purple, pinks, oranges, probably enhanced by the volcanic dust still in the air. Mount Doom had been erupting for some time. It was a miracle the wind hadn't blown the dust this way.

Or was it?

"Can Gandalf affect the way the wind blows?"

"I do not know." Aragorn replied.

I kind of suspected he could. Or if not him, someone, and it may have been why we hadn't been covered in volcanic ash. Or maybe not everything was about magic. Maybe it was just luck. Who knew.

"Come on! Sam's cooked us roast chicken." Pippin shouted. We turned, his excitement having him nearly trip as he skidded across to us, apparently not just content with shouting. "Salt. From the shire! He carried it all the way to Mordor!"

"From the shire? That's great." It was impossible to not smile, as Pippin grabbed my hand, and dragged me to my feet. Oh yeah. Sam had lugged a little container of seasoning across Middle Earth. I was amazed he still had it. I nearly fell over as Pippin started to pull me back towards the house.

"Careful, she's injured." Aragorn stood up too, easily steadying me as I wobbled, before we headed after him.

"You would like the shire. Food, good company, the weather's warm and green grass everywhere. No one wears shoes." Pippin looked down over his shoulder at my bare feet, which were obvious under the baggy dark grey pants, and he nodded as if this was the best choice of footwear he'd ever seen. "I never saw so many shoes as I have here."

He was continuing on this as all of us sat around a table inside Frodo's building. Big and little chairs crowded in, somehow the right size for everyone, Frodo sitting in the middle of it all and looking both exhausted and overwhelmed. But happy. Somehow that one chicken was divided up amongst the ten of us, though I noticed Sam gave Frodo more than the rest, and food started to appear. Aragorn headed outside with Boromir at one point, as we ate the chicken and talked, both of them returning with great platters of food. Nothing that fancy but it was amazing and hot.

It was mostly Pippin and Merry who talked. Aragorn gor a word in, here and there, but they started to recount everyone's adventure for Frodo as fast as possible, twisting and mixing it up as they ate, at one moment Aragorn, apparently dead, was riding to Helm's Deep... and the next, we were in Fangorn and Merry and Pippin had lost me.

"You left Wendy behind!"

"It was so dark, see, and we couldn't tell if those feet were Wendy or Orc." Merry glanced at me with an apologetic smile. "Figured we'd hear if the Orc got her first."

"Yeah and come back for her."

"But the Orc missed her."

It was bloody lucky it had too. I doubted I'd have lasted three seconds with a blood thirsty orc. I felt a hand squeeze my leg and was tempted to shove it off. A quick glance relaxed me- it was Legolas- but with Boromir on my other side I felt crushed suddenly. A little crowded.

This wasn't unnoticed by Legolas. Of course not. He slid his arm around my shoulder once more, drawing me into his side, and I tried to ignore the flash of something across Boromir's face. Should I have ...been kinder? I didn't know. He got up, sudden, and headed outside with a goblet of food, muttering something about needing to smoke and not wanting to do it in such a crowded place.

"He must get used to it." Legolas said softly against my ear, arm tight, but his fingers gently stroking my arm through the fabric. "Soon you will have a curve that he cannot ignore."

He was right, of course, but I didn't relax for some time. When I looked like I was carting a baby around then Boromir would have no choice but to face it. I hoped he was okay though. I could see him there- just in the courtyard, the glow of the pipe in his hand, and he just … stood there. Outside a storm was starting to rise, wind dancing around the building, rain occasionally falling in hard bursts on the roof.

"Stop jumping!" Sam's voice cut in. It was the loudest he'd been all evening. Everyone froze to stare at him, and I grinned, his face was red and his cheeks splotchy. He'd been drinking a little more than he'd eaten. "Just tell Mr. Frodo from start to finish. You're confusing him and me!"

"Let me tell Frodo." Gandalf cut in. He'd sat there, laughing and smiling away in the corner side the window, this picture of calm as he puffed away. Now he leaned forward, voice rising, easily cutting over every other sound. The wind, the rain, as both increased, we barely noticed. As tired as Frodo was, he was captured by the story, and I had to admit I was too. Particularly as I hadn't been there for all of it. Gandalf didn't do all the talking. At some point Aragorn took over for himself, Gimli and Legolas, while Boromir seemed to cheer up long enough to add his own comments. The wine in his hand was probably helping- Either he wasn't drinking, which I doubted from how red his forehead was getting, or he kept topping it up.

I didn't know how much of our stories Frodo was actually able to take in, he seemed overwhelmed, but he was at least laughing and smiling. As the wine came out, the ale, the conversations started to get a little more... random. We managed to reach the last battle, more or less, but Gimli was pretty much drunk by now and Boromir was once again right behind him.

"I love you. All of you." Pippin exclaimed, during his recreation speech and act about his part of the battle for Minas Tirith, slumping down. He'd already said it twice before. This time though he was adding visual effects to the story.

"No, I love you." Merry retorted, leaning against Pippin, his eyes shut as he grasped onto a goblet. It was empty or he'd have spilt it all over his clean stuff. "Warrior Pip."

"Warrior Merry."

Wind gushed in, suddenly, as Gimli headed for the door. Boromir was quick to join him with an open stare at Legolas and myself. Legolas had not let go of me. If anything, the more Boromir drank, the more Legolas hung on. Now he released me a moment, drinking from a drink, his eyes down and face calm.

I knew better. Boromir was getting drunk again. Hell, everyone was a bit off their face right now, but the last time Boromir had drunk? Legolas could pretend to be 'calm' all he liked. I suspected he was doing his superhero hearing thing as he drank that wine.

"Relax." I said softly, very softly, brushing my leg against his tense thigh.

A knock at the door made Aragorn rise up slowly and open it. The wind gushed in beautifully now, bringing in a cold wind that made me shifer, and I watched as Aragorn and a man clad in that silver metal armour speak briefly. Faramir was with him.

I tensed.

Was it Boromir? Already? He'd been gone two minutes and …

Aragorn didn't seem concerned.

"Lord Elrond has arrived. He does not expect for Aragorn to come tonight." It was Legolas turn to relax me. His hand brushed against mine.

I sighed and went back to eating cake. Yummy cake. Natural food dye even. Who knew that Middle Earth could have cake? "Good."

"Faramir has already had Boromir taken to his home. They were waiting."

Oh, I bet they were after last time. Elrond was pretty fast to have come though. "He must have rushed here."

"He was prepared, I believe, with his kin, and waiting for the outcome not far from Minas Tirith."

This was news to me. I blinked and tried to search what memories I had about this. Was there anything in there about this? Not that I could remember. So either this was new, that Lord Elrond had come and waited for the battle to be over, or I didn't remember it. I didn't know everything after all.

Having a full tummy also didn't help. Brain did not want to focus.

Aragorn came back over and rested back down on his chair with a heavy sigh, patting his bloated stomach, resting back. He was also a little buzzed, he'd not quite walked in a straight line, but at least he seemed to more or less be mentally here still.

"Glad he's not expecting you tonight?"

"I can barely walk straight. Lord Elrond seeing me in this state..." Aragorn chuckled and rubbed his head. He eyed the drink and then my goblet of water. "Can you spare a glass? I would talk with him tomorrow with a lighter head. I believe he wishes to speak to you as well, Wenduin."

I poured him a glass and slid it across.

Boromir didn't return. I ended up lounged against Legolas, no big surprise, against the floor as Merry and Pippin tried to show off their sword skills to an increasingly half-asleep Frodo. Sam seemed to be alert to everything Frodo did- he'd bring him water, food, always there. Gimli laughed, joining in, retelling the tales of every Orc he had killed.

It was late when everyone started to go their separate ways. Sort of. Gimli was fast asleep and snoring against the chair he'd fallen off, Frodo had been more or less carried to bed by Sam, and Pippin was being covered by a blanket by Merry, who took one long glance at the door before he collapsed beside his friend.

Gandalf caught my eye and stood, subtle, but his meaning clear. It was time for the two of us to talk. Legolas released me slowly, his eyes on my back as I followed Gandalf into another smaller room, and I expected to stop there or for Legolas to follow.

We didn't stop and Legolas didn't follow.

"Come." Gandalf said softly, hand on my arm, and guided me out a side door into the pouring rain. No magic powers stopping the rain from pouring on us- we just hurried with our feet sliding somewhat on the wet stone. It was difficult to do, I grasped onto the walking stick, following behind the old wizard.

When we reached my room, Gandalf moved past it to a small library, and when I was inside he shut the doors securely. Darkness cut across the room- the lights from the halls outside vanished.

"Forgive me for asking you to walk all the way out but we have privacy here." Gandalf moved across the room, lighting candles, the little book filled room slowly warming up once more. He gestured to a chair and I sunk into it. "Lord Elrond will need to speak with you tomorrow. It seemed wise to speak to you first."

That sounded sort of ominous. I shifted, tense, waiting for ...well, I wasn't sure. "What kinds of things will he speak to me about?"

"Leaving Middle Earth."

Reality struck me hard. The words, three words, and somehow they just knocked the entire world out from under my feet. Gandalf didn't look at me, he was gazing out the window, but I knew where his focus was. That was right. I didn't come from here. I didn't belong here.

"Leaving."

"The baby complicates this. I do not know if Lord Elrond kn-"

"He does."

Smooth, calm voice, and not at all unexpected. Not really. Lord Elrond was sliding in through the previously closed doors, so silent, so strange to me, that I suddenly realised how MUCH Legolas had let his guard down. Sure- he still had that Elf thing happening, but nothing close to Elrond. In the warmth of the candles, his dark hair glinted, the traces of grey showing, and for all the signs of 'aging' he was clearly no closer to being like me than he had been when I'd first met him.

His robes were stained with mud, wet, hair slightly askew, and as he moved closer I caught the distinct scent of horses. It meant he'd literally not even bothered to change.

"So, you are now pregnant. With Legolas' child?" It was more of a statement than a question but still. It kind of bothered me that he'd even have to ask.

"Yeah."

"This was not ...expected." Elrond muttered. He stared over me to Gandalf, his face not giving away anything, and he moved past me to speak to Gandalf. In Elvish. I gritted my teeth and tried to not ...demand him to speak so I could understand too. Their tones grew slightly more... intense. Loud. Was it an argument or just a heated debate?

Course it was about me. They kept glancing at me.

The two of them spoke for a good ten minutes while I stood there, feeling awkward, watching the candles slowly melt and drip down the candle holders. The door opened again, silent, quiet, and I turned to see Arwen.

Oh yeah. Arwen was here.

"Do not tell Aragorn that I have come." She said softly. Even Arwen had 'masks' on but … but truthfully, she was closer to Legolas for me. As she slipped in I saw something. Compassion. She actually slid her arm around mine and her hand into mine. As Elrond turned, she spoke in Elvish, spoke with a kind of soft passion that made his eyes soften. Then, as she met my eyes, she added, "I told them to speak to you as well."

"There is not much else to say." Gandalf sighed. He came across to me slowly. "You should not have married Legolas."

"Well, I didn't know it was marriage, and-"

"You did not know?"

This clearly was something I should not have said. I shut my mouth as Elrond turned on me. "Then you have not married him in spirit? Or willingly? Do you share your body with others? Is it possible this is not the child of an Elf?"

"No! I meant that …. of course I …" Oh god, describing my sex life with Elrond. I suddenly wished Legolas was here to back me up. "I didn't do it just for fun. Of course it's his child. I just didn't know that ...that moment... was marriage. Usually there's more involved."

"With our kind as well. But the act is what creates the bond." Elrond was dismissive, staring right through me,and he turned to Gandalf. "There is little we can do but to have her birth at Rivendel. There will be too much conflict between her and Legolas Greenleaf's father to have a safe birth."

"Delay her leaving."

"She cannot remain here. This is not her world. But yes. At the end of the crowning of Aragorn she must return with myself to Rivendel. There, we will await the birth."

Hang on. What happened to Mirkwood? Baby? What about my baby? "Hang on a second, you two, what do you mean? I can't stay here?"

"You do not belong here. You should not have ...married one of our kind. Nor should you have been given a life. All these things are wrong. The fate of Legolas Greenleaf has been torn short with your own short life."

Ow. Being told this so bluntly...I swallowed. I felt Arwen's hand clutch mine, gentle, squeezing it. "I didn't … mean for that to happen. Is he going to die young?"

"I do not know. When we spoke alone last, I told you, you were not Elf. Nor are you from the world of man. You are not one of us."

Greeat. Unhelpful. "Is Legolas going to die when I do?"

"He will." This was Arwen, voice soft, her arm around mine, and the fact that she was trying to comfort me... "If he makes the choice before his kin and the Valar, he and you will live side by side, until the last days of your life."

Her attempt at comforting me was what really struck this whole situation home. Yes- I knew that no one lived forever. But some Elves, specifically, Legolas, were supposed to be doing other things. I had fifty years. Maybe sixty. "He was supposed to be off with Gimli. Doing things. Taking Gimli to the undying lands."

"That future can not happen now. Not with you and the child."

I shut my eyes. I was trying to remember 'my world'. Fast cars. Dad. Brian. Archery as a sport. It made me feel ...sad. That was all. Drained. Out of place. The baby, it wouldn't fit there, it would... "You want me to leave the baby with you?"

"When it is born, we will send word to Legolas, and he will come take his son home." Elrond's voice had softened. Maybe the Elf had a heart after all. "You need not fear for his future. He will live a long life, either as a mortal or as I did, and the choice will be his own."

I nodded, feeling my words vanish, as a lump in my throat increased. Felt Arwen squeeze my hand. Everything, except that lump, was starting to go numb. I'd only just felt that baby before. That hard lump in my tummy. I hadn't even really felt it properly and they were already suggesting... no... making it pretty obvious I had to go.

"I can't stay here?" Legs weak, I found a seat and sat in it, staring at them.

"You change too much. Do you not miss your home? Your family? Do you not recall any of it?" Elrond slid a chair across to sit in front of me.

"Do not think we are punishing you." Gandalf spoke up. He hadn't spoken. He seemed quiet though, sad even, as he moved closer to me. "Wenduin. None here doubts your contribution to the Fellowship. But you always had to return."

"But I'm not the only one who sees the future." I felt helpless. Like a kid who was being told by adults what to do. They'd already decided.

"No, but the only one who changes it. This is not something the Elves could or would do. It is wrong to change paths, except in dire need."

I had more memories of Middle Earth than I did 'the other world'. Basically, I recalled two relationships, neither of them had been a joy to remember, and a career. Sort of. It was getting hard to speak. Hard to say anything. My chest was starting to feel empty. I had to leave. Now, nine months, either … either reality was going to break my heart. "I don't know. Some things."

Arwen said something softly to Elrond and Gandalf, Elvish slipping through the hair, and they nodded. I watched them retreat. Heard the lock in the door. It left the two of us alone.

"You're here for Aragorn."

"I am." Arwen agreed quietly.

"I saw our son, you know." It felt weird to talk. Like it wasn't me. I sat there, staring ahead, and I wanted to cry suddenly. "I saw him. Now you guys want me to pop him out and go somewhere I barely remember or care about."

"He made himself seen to you? I too... have seen our son." Arwen breathed out and stared ahead. "What does your heart tell you of Legolas' future?"

I wanted to stay 'STAY WITH ME'. Now, now that they were going to make it clear it wasn't going to happen, I wanted to cling to him.

"Would I really change his future by staying?"

"Yes." One word. No sugar coating. Nothing. "He would not take Gimli to the Undying lands. Nor would he heal the forests. His last days would be spent beside you. There would be many trials and conflicts, for his father also knew his future would be different, but there would be the joy between you and your child. My father spoke of this to me as we came here, hoping I would..."

"Change my mind. Didn't you change Aragorn's future?"

"Yes, and no. If the Valar gave me this son, that I will meet, then our fate was one already decided." Arwen smiled sadly. "This is one place my father struggled to see. I had long felt in my heart that it would be Aragorn. But … I could not find the strength to break my father's heart. Not until I met our child."

Great. She knew that Aragorn would be with her. She 'felt it in her heart'. And I'd … the truth was I'd always felt like … like this couldn't happen. I'd been anxious about it since ...well, literally since Lothlorien.

"I kept worrying about the future. For him. I didn't want to..." I couldn't speak.

"He is still immortal." Her words hurt. "Legolas has not lost the gift of the Elves and has not chosen to release it yet. I believe both your hearts warned you of this long before my father spoke to you."

"He hasn't..." Hurt. Relief. Anger. Hurt. I wanted to punch Boromir suddenly.

"No."

Neither of us spoke for a very long time. I couldn't speak. I hurt and my throat was too blocked up to get words out.

When Legolas climbed in the window, I was not surprised, I just met his eyes as he hoisted himself into the library. Soaking wet. Boromir must have taught him a handy trick there. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or felt worse when I saw him. He probably knew something was wrong. Hell. He always knew.

"What is wrong?" He strode across, hand on my shoulder, the rain having soaked him all the way to his pretty skin. "Lady Arwen?"

Arwen's eyes went from myself to Legolas. Something flashed across her face. Pity? "Something between us for now. Lord Legolas, you look well."

"As do you..."

"I am here in secret and remaining with Lady Wenduin. Aragorn must not know I am here. It is a ...surprise." She smiled softly, or tried to, but that pity was still there.

"You are staying with her in her chambers?"

"For a time, yes."

"You can not."

Legolas' statement made Arwen blink, and I stared at him, seeing something. A tenseness? I wasn't sure. He didn't cross his arms, he didn't grit his teeth or anything, he didn't do a childish foot stop, but … it sure as hell felt like he'd done all those things and more. No. He looked the perfect picture of Elf serenity.

"I sleep with my wife there."

"Then I will find another place." Arwen didn't even bother putting up an argument. She just nodded, adding something in Elvish, which Legolas was quick to respond to. "So long as Aragorn does not see me, I will be happy."

"He doesn't sleep far from here, I think."

"I have long learnt to hide from him." She smiled somewhat at that, at her own statement, "He will not know I am around until I am ready to be seen." Arwen seemed to wait for one of us to speak. I couldn't. Legolas didn't. She added, "I will take my leave."

I felt a wet hand slide into mine and let Legolas guide me out of the library, he only stopped long enough to take one of the candles, and out the door. I was vaguely aware that we had Elrond and Gandalf staring at us from some unseen place. Felt it even as Legolas pushed me inside my... erm, our, chambers and shut the door. Heard him lock it.

"You are upset." He turned to me, reaching up to clasp my cheek, concern on his face as his eyes searched mine.

I stared at him. I was upset. And … what if they were right? How could I speak to him about any of it? Any of it? I couldn't. Could I? It'd upset him and anyway, I wasn't sure myself, I was so damn conflicted. But I could tell him... at least part of it.

"Rivendell." I said quietly. "Lord Elrond wants me to give birth in Rivendel. Not Mirkwood."

This news did not sit well with him and only reinforced my idea to stay quiet about the rest. Legolas frowned, glancing over his shoulder, before he let me go. I watched him as he quietly moved around the room, lighting candles with the one he'd still had clasped in his other hand, our room slowly coming into view. There was already a small fire in the fireplace, burnt down, which I had to assume had been lit for me by someone.

I also noticed that the bedding had been changed. The fabric was now a light green with a dark brown cover. Was that because Boromir had slept there? Who knew. I sat down on the bed, quiet, as he sat down beside me.

"I would have wanted you to be at home. With my sister there to be beside you. I would want him to be born in the trees as I was."

He didn't even argue it, funnily enough, he just seemed to accept it. I shut my eyes as I felt some kind of sadness wash over him through our 'bond'. Was it because Lord Elrond was a Lord? Or did Legolas suspect I'd have an easier time in Rivendell than with his father, as Elrond had suggested?

I didn't want to leave Legolas. I didn't want to leave my baby. And … strangely enough, Boromir. I didn't want to leave him like this either. The whole situation seemed wrong. The thing was, it hadn't really just been me that had felt like something was wrong with this. Legolas had kept talking about having nightmares.

"Legolas. Do you still see me dying at night?"

Legolas' eyes darkened and something crossed his face again. Shutting me out. As he turned his head, hiding whatever it was that had come into his mind, I grasped his head with both hands and twisted it to face me again.

"Leggy?"

"As I told you. It is ever changing vision and nothing is clear." In other words, yes. He was still seeing me dying in all kinds of ways.

"I'm going to die." The words actually made him flinch. Legolas slid down to his knees again, staring away, as I said quieter, "You know that."

"Not for-"

"Fifty or sixty years."

"No. Tis not so short a time. I will not believe that."

"Legolas, ask anyone. Anyone. I'll be lucky to make seventy years." In this kind of world? Sure, it was beautiful, but even I knew that this was a rough world. I hated this. Hated saying this. I suddenly wished I hadn't even started the conversation. Wished I hadn't brought it up. "Will you die when I do?"

No answer for a very long time. Legolas stared forward.

"What about our baby? Gimli? You have things to do. You always did. And … if you die, who'll be there for the baby?" With a horrible heart crushing moment I realised they were right. I had already messed up so much. I still wasn't sure if Frodo was supposed to have been unconscious that long, or if the black breath was supposed to be apart of his whole illness, and … and he was right. They were all right.

Boromir was right.

And I hated him for it.

"We can't do this. Not any more. It wasn't right to begin with. You can't make that bond to me. Maybe that's why you never did." The words slipped out before I could hold them in. Words that had been waiting to come out for a very long time. Legolas didn't argue. He didn't even answer me. He just stood up, quiet, and walked out of the room.

I hadn't even thought about it before. But he hadn't. He had never actually committed to being mortal. Never accepted that it was apart of this.

I curled up in bed, shut my eyes, and tried to breathe. When I started to cry, I couldn't stop it, it was like deep hysterical sobs mixed with gasps for air, and the noise was half-drowned out by the heavy rain outside. I suddenly wanted to call Brian. I wanted to turn my phone on and call him. I didn't know why. I didn't care. I wanted ...

"And... up..." A soft voice and a shape hoisting himself up into the window with a heavy groan. He collapsed, lay there panting, a puddle easily spreading from his wet clothing. "Getting too old and too drunk for this. Wendy, are you crying?"

Boromir. Of course.

A/N: Surprise... one more chapter before Nanowrimo starts tomorrow. :)

What a place to leave it at!

There'll still be updates, of course, but as I'll be writing a novel too... for this month it may not be as speedy. :)