"No!" A small foot stamped on the grass and the child's eyebrows lowered in displeasure.

"He is your son Elrond," Glorfindel laughed as the tiny boy adopted an expression he had seen so many times on his friend.

Elrond gave the blond elf a withering look. Both were kneeling on the soft grass in a secluded glade in the gardens of Imladris. Their tiny charges had been instructed to draw their weapons and hold them out on guard.

Unfortunately this was the point at which Elladan decided that his sword was far too small for his needs.

"Bigger," Elladan tried to hand the sword back to his father, "Want mine."

"No child, it is too sharp. You might cut someone."

"Will not," Elladan shut his eyes so that he could not see Glorfindel's hand.

"Elladan," Elrond tipped up the small chin, "You must use this sword. It is for you."

"No!" Elladan kicked at the ground, catching his brother's moccasin. No was currently Elladan's favourite word.

"Ada," Elrohir tugged at his father's sleeve his grey eyes tearing up, "Kicked me."

Elrond hugged his youngest close to him, hoping the tears would disappear without falling. Elladan glared at his father, arms folded and pouting. Then he turned to Glorfindel.

"Hug Glorfy." With Glorfindel kneeling Elladan could fling his arms around the older elf's waist. Glorfindel returned the hug, thankful of any opportunity to stave off the looming tantrum. A tiny hand crept furtively to the hilt of Glorfindel's sword, attempting to unsheathe the blade.

"No Elladan!" Glorfindel brushed the hand aside, "That is my sword. This is yours."

The hated weapon was again proffered to the child. Elladan glowered at the blond elf and burst into noisy tears. Sobbing, the child flung himself to the grass and beat the ground as hard as he could with his fists and feet.

"No!" Elladan yelled at the top of his voice, "I want a proper sword! A proper sword, Ada!"

Glorfindel looked at Elrond, an unfamiliar emotion crossing his fair face. Elrond nearly choked on laughter as he cuddled Elrohir. Brave enough to do battle with a Balrog, it was strange that his friend would find cause for panic and helplessness when faced by an elfling barely two foot high.

"Elrond," Glorfindel hissed urgently, "What am I to do?"

Elrond shrugged, suddenly finding great need to cuddle Elrohir more tightly. Glorfindel looked at his friend with resignation. Trust Elrond. Gently he eased the struggling child into his arms, holding him until he calmed and the tears dried to sniffles.

"You do not want such a big sword, child," Glorfindel's face lit up with a flash of inventiveness, "For a swordsman must be tickled in proportion to the size of his sword!"

Elladan squealed as the long fingers grabbed hold of his body sending him into happy giggles. Eventually Glorfindel stopped and lent over the little face.

"So, Elladan," he slowly wriggled his fingers over the boy's ribcage, "Would you rather have a bigger sword?"

"No!" Elladan shouted happily wriggling from Glorfindel's grasp and dancing around in front of him, "This is my sword!"

Glorfindel and Elrond smiled in satisfaction, Elrond mouthing his thanks to his friend. Sometimes Glorfindel came up with ideas so appealing to his small sons that Elrond wondered if the elf lord was actually full grown in mind himself.

"Glorfy," Elladan's face lit up with a toothy smile, "You have a big, big sword!"

As Glorfindel hit the ground under the weight of two elflings and the Lord of Imladris he couldn't help wondering why he bothered. Elrond surely did not know the word for mercy.

"Ada, Ada watch me!" Elladan screeched with happiness as he managed to bat Elrohir's rather limply held sword away from his body with his own small weapon.

"Very good, Elladan!" Elrond called from where he and Glorfindel were lounging on the grass a few feet away, deciding that after the skirmish there was little point sitting on a bench to protect their clothing.

Elrohir looked to his father with a woeful look as Elladan's sword again clanged loudly against his.

"Very good, Elrohir!" Elrond elbowed his friend in the ribs to stop the chuckle that was playing on his lips. Glorfindel retaliated by prodding Elrond hard in the stomach.

"Ada," Elrohir came running jumping onto his father's outstretched body. Groaning Elrond sat up and dusted down his son's tunic.

"Are you tired, little one?"

Elrohir answered by placing a grubby thumb into his mouth and climbing into his father's lap. Elrond smiled slightly, cradling the little head against his shoulder.

"Glorfy! You play with me?" Elladan plowed into Glorfindel's side eagerly extending Elrohir's sword.

"Oh all right!" Glorfindel said with as much grace as he could manage as he moved into a kneeling position and accepted the weapon. Elladan leapt around happily grinning. He had quite extraordinary amounts of energy, even compared to his twin.

Elrond however did not have to deal with that and he spent a happy afternoon cuddling a sleepy child, and watching Glorfindel setting up blocks and attacks which Elladan could swing his sword at in an attempt to defeat the mighty warrior.

Celebrian peered sleepily up at her husband. She had had a delightful afternoon reading a book more than one sentence at a time and taking a much- needed nap. Hazily coming to consciousness from the comfort of her bed she had become aware of someone moving within the room.

"Oh you are back," she smiled as Elrond turned to her. He had been trying so hard to be quiet. "Were the boys good?"

Elrond finished rubbing his face dry and lent down to kiss her. Her cheeks were still warm from sleep and he nuzzled his face against hers. Celebrian smiled as she ran fingers through his dark hair and moved to return the kiss.

"The boys were as good as they always are," Elrond reluctantly broke away at last, "Glorfindel is waiting with them in the sitting room."

Celebrian sighed with disappointment. It had been quite some time since she and her husband had enjoyed any time alone without having to keep an ear open for the cries of an upset or frightened child.

"Soon, melin," Elrond gave her a last kiss before releasing her, his hand lingering on her cheek.

When they reached the sitting room Glorfindel was sprawled easily on a bench in his normal fashion. A tiny elfling was cuddled in each arm, a head resting on each shoulder. All three were fast asleep, a thumb in Elrohir's mouth and one of Elladan's tiny fists curled around a handful of blond hair. Glorfindel moved slightly, smiling in his sleep.

Celebrian slipped her hand into Elrond's and moved closer to his body, standing on tiptoes for a kiss.

"Ammë!" Elrohir leapt from Glorfindel's arms, the sudden noise causing his parents to break away guiltily. Glorfindel sleepily grinned and rolled his eyes at his friend. Elrond made a throat slitting motion, causing the recipient to laugh loudly. Elladan woke at the noise, looking reproachfully at the blond elf for disturbing his sleep, only making Glorfindel laugh louder.

"Ammë." Seeing his mother Elladan slipped down off Glorfindel's knees and ran to her, his arms held out for a hug.

Seeing a small child scooped into the arms of each parent Glorfindel got up and rather blearily smoothed his rumpled and dusty garments.

"Thank you Glorfindel," Celebrian kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Oh, I enjoyed it," Glorfindel said ruffling the hair of first one twin and then the other. And he had enjoyed it. No matter how troublesome little elflings could be. They were as close to his family as he would get in middle earth.

With a last grin at Elrond he wandered to the door, wondering how he could manage to accidentally inform the twins that their Ada was also in possession of a very large sword. As he left the room he heard a loud mischievous whisper from one of the twins.

"You'll never guess what Glorfy said Ammë. . ."