Notes: This chapter is dedicated to my dearest beta Undomiel. Domi wanted to see more of the sparrows, and more Arwen / Éomer interaction. Hope this is to your liking *snuggles*

Translation of Elvish: Meleth - love. Ada - daddy. Peredhel - half-elven. Melethen - my love. Mellonen - my friend. Mellynen - my friends. Aye - yes. Seron vell - beloved. Pen-neth - young one.

Chapter 18 - A New Beginning

It was early in the morning, and Anor had not yet risen, when three groups of sparrows flew towards their targets. Sitting down on windowsills or branches, they waited for the signal. A low tweet was the only thing the big folk might have heard, had they been up and about already, that is. As it was, the sudden chirping came as quite a surprise - and an infallible wake-up call.

"What in Morgoth's name is this!" The blond head of Arda's most insane elf appeared in one of the three windows, shortly followed by his lover's. "Will you stop this racket? Shush!" It was Elrohir who realised who else was being harassed. Breaking down into fits of laughter, he soon found himself faced with Glorfindel's glare. "And people call me cracked. Are you quite alright, meleth, or do you want me to fetch my Lord Ada?"

Tears streamed from stormy grey eyes, and all the peredhel could do was shake his head. Only gradually the laughter abated, and he was able to for words again. "I do not think that Ada will be able to help us at all... I think he is busy taking care of his personal waking committee. Just like Haldir and Éowyn. I think our feathered friends did not appreciate our, ehm, nightly activities, or rather the noises that were involved."

Peering out of the window again, Glorfindel joined his mate in another round of silly giggling. "I believe it is the fault of our guests... Remember, the tree in front of their window is very popular with our dearest sparrows." Catching his mate's gaze, he whispered, "Then again, some might blame us, since we sort of forced them to indulge in carnal activities last night..."

---

"This is all your fault," Haldir had finally managed to chase the sparrows away, and now turned back to Éowyn. "Why did you have to throw the cushion at it? No wonder it wanted to avenge itself." Gazing out of the window again, he saw two more flocks of sparrows coming from other windows. "However, on second thought... It looks like we were not the only ones harassed, melethen. If I am not mistaken, Lord Glorfindel and Elrohir, and also our host and Master Erestor have had a lovely waking song as well..."

The blond Shield-maiden smiled sweetly, "It would seem that you had just as much to do with this attack upon our ears as I did. Of course," she shrugged, "If you prefer to sleep in, we might have to stop celebrating our love." Haldir's startled expression made her chuckle uncontrollably. "I believe we interrupted them in their sleep last night, so..."

With two steps, the March Warden was by the bed. Throwing off the light robes he had put on just minutes ago, he lowered himself onto the soft bedding. "Who needs sleep anyway..."

---

"Elrond was not amused at all..." Erestor's dark eyes were sparkling mischievously as he finished his recount of certain incidents that had occurred earlier. Leaning back in the comfortable chair, he studied the elf sitting opposite of him.

Thranduil was chuckling softly, obviously trying hard not to laugh out loud. "So he actually fell out of bed? I am appalled, mellonen. You should have come to his rescue." Mirth made his eyes shine almost like mithril. "But then, how funny it must have been to see the always so dignified Elrond of Rivendell waving his arms, trying to keep himself from landing on his nose... Priceless."

The advisor shook his head, "I never thought you had it in you, Thranduil. This gloating."

The Sinda smiled sweetly, "Oh, but that is all the fault of Ereinion. Remember how he loved to tease everyone around him if given the chance? I guess he was very much like your dear brother." He winked at the raven-haired elf, "They must have become very good friends in Mandos, do you not agree? Poor Námo. First Glorfindel and your brother, and once at least Glorfindel was gone again, Ereinion..."

Erestor was just opening his mouth to speak again when the door burst open to reveal... "Elrohir? Glorfindel? Are you quite alright, mellynen?" The young peredhel was only able to mouth the word 'ada' before another laughing fit caught him. The famed Balrog Slayer and Head of the House of the Golden Flower was holding on to the doorframe while bout after bout of laughter shook his body.

It was then that Lord Elrond himself appeared. The moment Elrohir beheld his father, he broke down completely, tears flowing from his eyes - again - while he sank to the floor. Erestor turned to his lord and lover, and, bestowing the sweetest of smiles upon him, inquired, "How is your nose, melethen? I hope you did not break it..."

---

The sunlight made the water drops on the last roses sparkle like small diamonds, but compared to the warm gleam of Éowyn's eyes the roses seemed almost dull. A strand of flaxen hair had fallen into her face, and Haldir lovingly brushed it back, tucking it behind her ear. The smile upon her lips seemingly begged to be kissed, and the Galadhel did so without a moment's hesitation.

"Oh for goodness' sake, get a room why don't you?" Éomer clearly wasn't amused. He'd been glaring daggers at the two lovers for some time now - ever since they had retreated into their own little world for the third time, not paying any attention to what he was saying.

His remark not only won him the glares of his sister and her beloved, but also a smack to the back of his head, "You wanted to spend some time with Haldir and Éowyn, now do so and do not scare them away." The King of Rohan just mumbled something unintelligible into his beard, which resulted in another smack to his head. Smiling and winking at Éowyn, Arwen urged the Shield-maiden to join her in her new favourite pastime - torture Éomer.

The look of hurt that suddenly appeared on his betrothed's face made Haldir snort and mutter something that sounded like 'women'. A kick to the elf's ribs later, Éowyn all but whimpered, "Here I thought my honourable king and beloved brother wanted to spend some time with his little sister. But now it seems as if the great Éomer of Rohan is annoyed by his wraith slaying sibling."

Arwen, who had begun chuckling the moment Éowyn had started to speak, was now shaking with laughter. "Oh, you are really good. I think I may have to take lessons with you... Not even my brothers can do that." And if the Twins actually could not do something that was worth mentioning in the 'Annals of Imladris'.

Éomer had turned, and was now glaring daggers at the raven-haired elf-maiden. "You know, you're not helping." Arwen just gave him a 'and what exactly is your problem' look, so he went on, "I'm really happy for you, Éowyn. Not that I didn't enjoy beating..."

"Finish that sentence, and I will not consider you a family member anymore!" Éowyn cut in, clearly enraged.

"I was going to say 'beating some sense into our dear elf's thick head'. Looks like it helped, after all." The elf in question was looking rather annoyed, and Éowyn had taken to imitating Lord Elrond's most lethal glare. Arwen just stood next to Éomer, face in hands. "Anyway, my point was that no matter how elated I am about your regained happiness, I don't have to witness it..." 'Especially when Arwen won't allow me to touch her,' a small voice in the lower areas of his body added. But he was smart enough not to voice that thought.

Éowyn all but giggled, "Oh, has poor Éomer seen something he didn't want to see? Poor little Éomer..." Already during their childhood she had been able to drive him mad with that particular nickname, and apparently it hadn't lost its effect on the new King of the Riddermark - if that vein that was becoming visible on his forehead was anything to go by.

"You will pay for this, Wyn!" Without another word, Éomer pounced. Éowyn, anticipating her brothers reaction, had whirled around just in time, and was running away as if the King of the Dead with his entire host was on her heels.

The two elves, who now found themselves alone all of a sudden, shook their heads and muttered, almost simultaneously, "Humans..."

---

"You are sleeping on the couch tonight!" Elrond sat in the library, treating his lover to a performance of 'The Grumpy Peredhel'. Which might have been intimidating - to anyone safe Erestor - had his nose not swollen to the size of a small peach, which also affected the way he sounded.

As it were, Erestor had to bite his knuckles to keep from laughing. That surely would not go down well with the miffed half-elf. Censoring his reply until it did not contain any mentioning of 'nose', 'falling', and 'broken', the Chief Advisor answered in a pleading tone, "Meleth, I meant no harm. I only wished to make Thranduil feel welcome here..." And if he could achieve that at Elrond's expense, he was all for it. But he was not going to mention that little detail just yet. "He once was a friend to me, Elrond. One with whom I could share my darkest secrets..." And who confided in Erestor as well.

At the peredhel's questioning gaze, the Noldo nodded, "Aye, he knew. It was one of the reasons why he was so very fond of you."

Erestor knew exactly how his lover's mind worked, so he was prepared for the question that followed, "That is why they trusted you to keep their secret, was it not? Because, despite your love for me, you would do the right thing, no matter how wrong it must have seemed."

The Noldo nodded again, "It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. At times, I wanted to scream at you; tell you everything. Tell you how blind you were." The hurt of millennia finally broke down the walls Erestor had erected around himself. The slender form of the raven-haired elf began to shake while he sobbed uncontrollably.

Strong arms came up around him, holding him tightly. A hand was gently combing through long hair, and a soft voice whispered, "We cannot turn back time, melethen. No matter how much we wish we could. I would give anything ... if only I had known my own heart sooner. Or rather, if I had only listened to it sooner. I could have spared you so much heartbreak; you, Thranduil, Celebrían, my children..." Tightening his hold on the precious creature in his embrace, he went on, "There has never been anyone for me - but you. And now that I have you, I will never let you leave again. Never."

---

Thranduil gazed into the dancing flames of the large fire. Only a few weeks ago they would not have been able to warm him. Grief had turned his body to ice while his soul was slowly fading away. Who would have thought then that he would be sitting in the Hall of Fire again, Vilya sparkling on his finger?

Every conversation with Elrond made him see his own folly now. He should have listened to Ereinion, should have looked beyond the half-elf's obvious dislike of him and his entire realm. 'How young and foolish we were then, and how foolish we remained...' A smile spread across his features. They were slowly leaving the past behind, focussing on a future that would finally bring them both the happiness they had so longed for. Once in Valinor, Elrond and Celebrían would sever any bonds that still tied them together, and then...

Before he could lose himself in dreams of years filled with love, the door to the hall opened and closed with a soft 'click'. Turning his gaze toward the intruder, he beheld both his son and Aragorn. The human king bowed his head, and Legolas smiled, his eyes sparkling like the Long Lake on a summer afternoon when the light of Anor danced upon the dark water.

"I guess you have already heard?" So the news about Lord Elrond's fall had indeed reached everyone within the walls of the Last Homely House already, only a few hours after the actual incident. "The Twins and Lord Glorfindel just told us. Or rather, Elladan did. Elrohir and Glorfindel were too busy laughing and holding on to each other."

Thranduil had to chuckle at that. "They deserve some silliness in their lives. How long did they have to hide their love..." Not that he could not understand Elrond; he had been afraid his son might be hurt. 'Just like me.' But then, Legolas had chosen a mortal lover, not a fellow elf. And Thranduil had been blind to anything safe his own suffering...

"Legolas, my sweet Greenleaf ... forgive me. I ... I only wanted you to be happy. I did not believe that you might find it with a mortal. I hoped... One of Haldir's brothers, or Elladan..." Rising from his chair, he approached the two lovers. "Now I can see how wrong I was. You are stronger than I gave you credit for. Your light will not fade when death takes your love, no. It will sustain the both of you, and will take you to the distant shore."

Tears clouded deep blue eyes, and words fled Legolas as he threw his arms around his father. What had begun that fateful night in the Caverns of Greenwood was now at an end. His father had met Aragorn and had accepted him, or so it seemed. And even if it was not so, Legolas did not wish to know.

Aragorn, who had until now remained silent, caught Thranduil's gaze, "I'd never have allowed him to bond with me had Lady Galadriel not told me that, no matter how little of the noble blood still ran in my veins, it would still be enough in the eyes of the Valar. That I was not sentencing Legolas to death. A slow and most cruel death. She said then once my time had come, we both would be allowed to take a ship..."

The Mirkwood King smiled, "My son can be proud to have a bonded such as you, King Elessar."

---

"Think we missed anyone?" Elrohir was studying a list of all inhabitants of Imladris while his twin ticked off names. His lover was sitting on a small bench, gazing at one of the many fountains that graced the gardens around the house. His gaze was distant, as if Glorfindel had sunken into reverie, but Elrohir knew that he was quite awake and aware of everything around him.

Stormy eyes, so very similar to his own, caught Elrohir's. "Let us see then. We covered the guests quarters, all of the servants have heard, we were just now in the kitchen and the stables. And Glorfindel took care of the guardians. Looks like everyone knows."

"Could you two convince the cook?" the Balrog Slayer asked as he approached. Slipping his arms around Elrohir's waist, he continued, "A cake in the form of a nose, a broken nose? I am sure everyone will think it is very funny indeed. Well, maybe not my Lord Ada." There it was, that wicked gleam in the azure eyes. To Elrohir it felt like those carefree days of their childhood when 'Unci Glorfy' had helped them plan their plots and tricks.

Elladan grinned, "If he takes offence, it is not our fault, is it? We did not force him to do ... you know ... with Erestor." Despite their involvement in getting their father and his advisor to see what was so very plain, neither of the Twins wished to ponder on what that particular relationship involved.

Glorfindel, who knew that very well, still feigned ignorance. "You mean, we did not force them to make sweet and tender love." Elladan turned slightly green while Elrohir kicked his lover, "What is wrong, melethen? They were harassed by the sparrows just like we were. And we both know that we were woken in that charming way because of our lovemaking. Our passionate and so very beautiful lovemaking." He could hear how Elrohir's breath grew more erratic with every word, and Elladan was covering his pointed ears. "And since we know that our dearest guests did something similar, I do not think it is wrong to assume that your Ada and Erestor..."

"Glorfindel! Stop it!" Elladan was taking flight, and Elrohir had broken away from the Elda, glaring daggers at him. However, no matter how wrong the thought of his father and Erestor appeared to him, part of him apparently had not minded one bit.

"Are you sure you wish me to stop, seron vell? I would rather take you to our bed now, repeating the things we did last night, with the slight alteration that I will do the taking. But if you wish me to stop..." He turned and strode towards the nearest entrance of the house, knowing full well that Elrohir would follow him.

And he was not mistaken. Only moments later, his younger lover had caught up with him, grumbling, "You know that I hate you, right?"

Glorfindel just smirked, "Not as much as I hate you, pen-neth." With that he took hold of Elrohir's hand and dragged him to their chambers.