Of all items of furniture in Imladris, Elrond was especially fond of his bed. It was over-proportioned and did not match the other furniture in the room, having been made hastily when Imladris was first founded. The ornately carved headboard had literally come from another age than the wardrobes and cupboards. And yet he liked it. The soft feather mattress was comforting and the bed was strewn with blankets of the softest wool and smooth pillows were scattered across one end. It had been their bed. And there were so many memories.

Wrestling with Glorfindel after a rather too merry evening and the priceless expression on Gil-galad's face as he had come to investigate the noise.

Celebrian flopping down on the mattress late in the evening after their wedding and hiding her face in the pillows to stop her nervous giggles.

Tiny twin elflings jumping on the bed, waking he and his wife from their well-deserved slumber.

The starlit evening that he had finally been able to sit by the bedside and hold a tiny, bawling child. His daughter.

~*~

It was gloriously warm and comfortable under the soft blankets and Elrond smiled in anticipation. A pleasant day had led on to a delightful evening of food, wine and song. With his small sons tucked up in their beds, happily thinking about fish and ponies, he had been free to change for dinner and meet the others at his leisure.

Even a day's separation had left him longing to see his wife, and the sight of her talking and laughing with her parents had made him feel so happy, so lucky. She had chosen him, and the smile that had lit up her face when he had entered the room had been only for him to see.

Lazily he propped himself up on the pillows to watch as Celebrian brushed out her hair and removed her gown. She was so special. No other elven princess could have taken on Glorfindel in a verbal sparring match and won. And she was his.

"Peredhil." She blew out the candle and climbed into their bed, snuggling close to his body.

Elrond kissed her ears and drew her closer to him, using one hand to tilt up her chin to enable him to kiss her.

"I love you." Celebrian whispered as she slipped one hand down his back and across his thigh.

"Ammë?" Elrohir slipped silently into the room and tugged at the corner of the blankets. Guiltily his parents broke apart wondering how anyone could have opened the door without making so much as a creak.

"What is it darling?" Celebrian sat up in bed, brushing her hair back from her face.

"I had a bad dream." Elrohir walked round to stand opposite his mother. "Elladan fell."

"Did he?" Celebrian drew back the covers, allowing the elfling to scramble into the bed. On her left there was a grunt as Elrond turned over, forgetting all thoughts of some time together

"It was frightening. It was a big big distance." Elrohir's voice grew quieter as his mother cuddled him closely, not bothering on this occasion to correct his word usage.

"You're my brave boy." The blonde head leant to kiss her son lightly on the cheek. Soon he would be asleep but there would be little hope of him returning to his own bed tonight. Careful not to disturb the child she reached back, joining hands with her husband and placing his arm around her waist.

Elrond smiled in spite of his annoyance. He could sleep now, and maybe in the morning little elflings would feel a need to play elsewhere.

~*~

Elrond shifted in his bed, careful not to wake his wife or son. He had been just drifting off to sleep when a small noise had disturbed him. Propping himself up on one elbow he listened to try and find the source of the noise.

Barely audible over the gentle breathing next to his ear, Elrond heard the noise again. A slight sniffle followed by the rustle of blankets. Curious he slipped out of bed, tucking the blankets in around his wife.

As he walked lightly down the corridor to the boys' room the noise stopped suddenly. Elrond grinned to himself in the dark. Elladan had not yet grasped that even if he was quiet, if the noise of his breathing stopped then people would know that he was still awake.

"Elladan?" Elrond spoke softly as he pushed the door ajar. Little was visible in the dim light of the moon, but he could make out a hunched figure sitting on the bed rather than sprawled in slumber.

Elladan's breathing resumed. To Elrond it sounded rather rapid and would catch every so often as if to hold back a sob. Wondering what could have upset both twins so badly, Elrond strode over, sat down on the lumpy heap of tangled sheets and blankets and wrapped a warm arm around Elladan's shoulders.

The boy practically leapt at his father, clinging as closely to the larger body as he could. Elrond held him tightly, rubbing the shaking back in comforting circles. He had obviously been awake for some time as he was no longer warm and cuddly from sleep, and his teeth were chattering slightly.

"Do you want to come back to bed with me and Ammë?" Elrond asked as he gently shifted the child to enable a proper cuddle.

Elladan shook his head, rubbing the dark hair into tangles against his father's chest. Elrond sat back with a sigh. At the age of six Elladan had decided that he was far too old to run to his parents when he woke after a nightmare. Unfortunately he was not too old to have nightmares. Elrond and Celebrian had then had to spend cold hours sitting in the boys' room, cuddling a terribly distressed child until he calmed. For in his attempts at bravery Elladan would not call for help until he was almost beside himself in fear. Elrond missed having a warm child to cuddle in the comfort of his bed, especially since it was usually he who had to soothe Elladan back to sleep.

"No?" Elrond stroked back the silky hair from his son's forehead. "Would you like me to stay here with you?"

"Yes." Elladan said his voice muffled.

Elrond attempted to disentangle a blanket and wrap it around the pair of them. Elladan wriggled, taking most of the blanket for himself, and moving cold toes against his father's warm legs. Smiling wryly Elrond scooped up the boy and turned him around, wrapping the icy feet in a fleecy blanket.

"What was in your dreams Elladan?" Elrond asked calmly, wondering what could have caused this upset. As far as he knew neither child had heard any tale about any particularly foul creature lately, and Glorfindel had been too busy lately to indulge in bedtime stories. Glorfindel's bedtime stories had a curious knack of producing nightmares in impressionable elflings.

"Nothing." Elladan spoke truthfully. He had not slept yet that night, lying silently in the dark whilst he pondered what his brother had said.

"Nothing at all? Not even a fire breathing slime spewing dragon from Dunland?" Elrond pretended to be surprised. As he had predicted Elladan giggled and hugged him more tightly.

"No Ada!" Elladan wriggled round to look at his father, dragging the blanket from his shoulders. "I would hit monsters with my sword!"

Elrond tried to grab some of the blanket for himself again before Elladan gathered it into a hood for himself. If not a dream then what could have bothered the child so much?

"Could you not sleep?" Elrond cupped the pointed chin in his hand and surveyed the pale face. The boy's eyes were wide but had grey shadows under them. It was not through lack of tiredness that Elladan had not slept.

"No." Elladan attached himself even more tightly to his father. Elrond sat for a while, cuddling him, while he wondered what had disturbed his son so. The way that he was clinging, desperate for affection, just wasn't right for Elladan.

"Do you wish to sleep now?" Elrond asked eventually as Elladan relaxed into his arms and his breathing grew deeper and steadier. The eyelids that had been flickering to their half-closed position flew open suddenly.

"No Ada! I am not sleepy." Elladan spoke with alarm as he hugged his father almost painfully tight. "Do not leave me Ada."

Elrond's eyebrows rose in surprise as he tried to breathe normally under the choking embrace.

"Would you like to go for a walk until you feel tired?" Elrond gave up all thoughts of a good night's sleep.

"Yes." Elladan smiled slightly as Elrond lifted him onto the ground and passed him his cape and moccasins.

~*~

It had been a long time since he had walked the paths through the forest of Imladris in the black hours of the morning, Elrond reflected. The memory of the last time made him chuckle softly, causing Elladan to give him an enquiring look. Glorfindel had really been surprisingly understanding when he had burst into his chamber in a blind panic the night before his wedding. That had not however prevented him from teasing him about it ever since.

"Why are you laughing Ada?" Elladan asked a little reproachfully.

"Oh, I was just remembering something a long time ago." Elrond took his son's warm hand in his own as they walked along the moonlit avenues.

"Something funny?" Elladan's voice rose hopefully. He clearly expected to be told the story.

"Not so very funny." Elrond looked down to see if his son would be prepared to leave it at that. The look on his face spoke otherwise. "I was just remembering when I couldn't sleep and Glorfindel and I came and walked out here."

"Glorfy is nice." Elladan said contentedly. Elrond ruffled his hair, he had clearly forgiven the blond elf for his temper and for that he was pleased.

"Yes Glorfy is very nice." Elrond reached forwards to catch the sleepy child as he stumbled on a stone. "Would you like a ride?"

"Yes!" Elladan hopped up and down eagerly as his father bent down, enabling the boy to scramble onto the back of his 'stallion'. Elrond walked slowly around the gardens hoping to lull the child into sleep, however when he paused near the riverbank and eased him into his arms, the eyes that looked up at him were very much awake.

"Are you still not sleepy?" Elrond asked him with a sigh. He was getting weary of the game that Elladan was playing. Although elves needed little rest, he still enjoyed the time to himself to think over his thoughts.

Elladan looked at him then shut his eyes suddenly as he turned away from his father.

"Maybe I am tired. I shall sleep now." A tear at the corner of his right eye glinted in the moonlight and his lips clamped tight.

Elrond bit his cheek in frustration. At times like this he felt that he should be branded a bad father and be done with it. His child had already been upset and now he had made it worse for what. . . a few hours of silence? Elflings were all too perceptive.

"No no. Oh Elladan." Elrond hugged the little boy tightly but got no response. "Would you like to stay here and watch the sunrise with me?"

Elladan swallowed hard a few times before speaking with an arrogant tone that he only assumed when trying to avoid crying.

"No. Do not worry father. I am quite tired."

Elrond winced at the word 'father'. In all nine precious years that he had shared with the twins they had never referred to him as such. He did not need to consider the phrase deeply to realise that it was not a term of endearment.

"Elladan, come here." Elrond scooped up the boy, glad that he was still able to outrun the child and overpower the attempt to escape, and sat down on a bench. "I am sorry. It is just that I am tired."

"Then why do you not return to bed?" Elladan refused to return the cuddle, drumming his heels against the bench, or rather deliberately missing and hitting his father's shins.

"Because I would not leave you alone." Elrond bent to kiss his son's forehead only to have the target jerked violently out of the way. Elrond closed his eyes. How had he managed to hurt his son that badly? It had been but a small irritation.

Elladan sat on his father's lap in silence, not willing to submit to a cuddle in his hurt, but unable to walk away in case his father did not pursue him. Then he would know that what Elrohir had said was true.

"Ada?" A tiny voice asked at last. Elrond's eyes jerked open, relieved at this small sign of forgiveness.

"Elladan?" Elrond look down into the earnest face. Elladan's eyes darted up and down, each time making eye contact, and each time losing courage. Eventually with his eyes on his father's boots he managed to uncertainly whisper to the floor.

"You. . . you would not sit with me if you did not love me would you Ada?"

"Elladan!" Elrond exclaimed as he wrapped his arms his eldest child. "Of course I love you. What made you think otherwise?"

Elladan happily sank back into the hug, suddenly feeling extremely sleepy.

"I. . . He. . . I love you so much Ada."

"I love you too little one. More than all the stars in the sky. More than anything."

Elladan smiled up at him sleepily, wrapping his arms around his neck, the dark lashes flickering lower.

"Was that what upset you?" Elrond kissed his son as he tried to think what could have been said to make Elladan doubt his parent's love.

"It was nothing." Elladan snuggled into his father's cloak. His Ada loved him after all and that was all that mattered right now. He loved him more than anything. Satisfied Elladan fell at last into a deep sleep, not even waking as he was undressed and tucked into bed.

Unfortunately his father was unable to find like peace, and as dawn broke he was still awake, worrying about what had been said.