She, sorry they, will be back

Eleanor's POV

The next day we went back to the fair thingy and once again monopolised Celeborn, which was made much easier by the large number of us.

We go for the gentle approach as we have a little while to do this, we want to have got him at least mostly convinced before we go on to the next one.

By what I expect is not really coincidence, Thanduil turned up on day three.

Someone should not have invented phones!

Or aeroplanes for that matter.

The one person we had held back a bit was Myrwen, for reasons pertaining to not warning Thanduil of her presence as, for fairly obvious reasons, she was our main weapon to get Thanduil just where we wanted him.

When we see the Lord of Lorien engaged in conversation with a frown on his face and Gil-galad standing nearby with an unusually serious expression on his, we converge on the group from all directions, trying to make sure someone who is best to get there first while leaving them with back up.

I got selected again.

I insist on my husband coming with me for this one.

Thanduil has changed little more than Celeborn.

Ginny holds Michael back, probably worried Thanduil's famous temper will happen.

The gaze he turns on us is quite dark, but it lightens up when he sees his son coming towards him.

I think he missed his family.

He greets us fondly.

Well, that is a better start than with Celeborn.

We get through the niceties like 'how are you' and whatever.

Through my husband's telepathic link, I feel his sense of humour jump and we make a silent plan, and then carefully guide him over to his wife.

Everyone watches us, having realised that we are going to bring about a very special reunion any minute now.

When he lays his eyes on his wife, they open so wide it should be impossible and he stops dead, totally amazed.

"Breathe, Thanduil," I whisper. Fainting would be such a bad entrance.

She comes over to him hesitantly, not really sure of what he is thinking. They have not seen each other for so long and lost each other in such a tragic way.

My heart goes out to the pair.

Good god, what is Adindel going to be like when he sees both Myrwen and Ginny, both of whom he thought were dead?

Anyway...

When Myrwen reaches her husband, he reaches out a hand and gently strokes her cheek.

"How is this real? Why have you been sent back to me now? I am not just seeing things, am I? Please tell me I am not seeing things." My romantic side (yes I do have one, I just keep it under wraps most of the time) goes out to the pair.

Her response is to lean in and kiss him gently.

This soon degenerates somewhat and I decide to take this opportunity to tell them to get a room.

I have to admit to being slightly embarrassed when they take me up on that and disappear off.

Though I am not half as embarrassed as their children are, not to mention grandchildren.

That evening they come down to the bar of the pub near where we are staying, glowing in a way I associate with newlyweds and are rather too close. It is really embarrassing.

"They newly married?" The barman leans over and asks.

It looks like we are not the only ones to notice.

"No, they have just been separated for a very long time because of circumstances. They are being embarrassingly happy about being together again."

"Ah," he says simply, he smiles at me mysteriously in a way that is a little too knowing.

Why is everyone out to embarrass me?

The next morning leave the little village near Bodiam, but migrate instead to a large country house to have a bit of privacy with what we need to do.

Yes, we do bring Michael along for the ride.

Previously we have not had the opportunity to let Thanduil in on the whole group or drop our disguises properly as we had been in public and the elfin king had been more than a little distracted by his wife.

We also have to deal with the weird factor of both Celeborn and Thanduil in jeans and t-shirts.

They look oddly sexy like that.

Not that I am looking – already taken!

The looks on his face as he is introduced to the older elf-lords in our party are amusing.

He knew Gil-galad and famously didn't like.

The High King also died at the same time as his father so that adds interest.

My father just about manages to be civil to him, but you can see his prejudices trying to get out in his expression.

Then we introduce both sets of twins.

He is suitably proud of his grandchildren, and he suddenly seems to be an eighty year old human when he realises who they are.

He also insists that they need Sindarin names as they are half-Sindar.

I definitely think that does not impress my father.

Tough luck, honey.

Judging by the way he carefully ignores the fact that before us, only one elf ever has returned from Valinor, but suddenly there are fifteen of us means that he probably already knows why we are there.

In the afternoon a day or so after we have arrived, Ginny, Miriel, and I sit down with him to talk.

"You know we haven't told my brother you are here yet?" he asks.

"Why?" Miriel asks.

"Because we thought that it wouldn't be a good idea to tell him Ginny is back, considering the way he feels about her."

"What, the fact he wants to kill her slowly and painfully?"

We look at each other. Someone at least, has not worked out that Adindel fancies Ginny.

"Killing her, in any way is not really on his agenda. There are other more entertaining things he wants to do with her." I say slowly. The blank expression on her face gives away that she doesn't get it still so I elaborate,

"He fancies the socks off her and has done so ever since he first saw her sleeping topless in that clearing in Australia when he kidnapped us." Ginny is glaring at me like no tomorrow. Thanduil raises an eyebrow at me,

"How did you find out about him looking at her while she was topless in that clearing? I know because he told me, but..."

"Legolas."

"Ah, I get it."

Miriel is looking at Ginny very wide eyed.

Ginny is glaring at Thanduil and I like she wants to kill us slowly and very, very painfully.

She is also as red as a tomato.

Ginny's POV

Everyone else spends the next couple of days trying to persuade Celeborn to come back to Valinor with us – I say everyone else as I don't participate. I'm pretty certain Celeborn will come with us – I've seen even the Valar quake with the thought of Galadriel's reputation, so he will have no chance.

I haven't said anything about either of my conversations with Galadriel or Celeborn so he's most likely just toying with everyone – probably the most fun he's had in quite a while.

This is the best reason I can think of when Thanduil arrives on the scene somewhat unexpectedly.

We initially see him from behind; he's talking with Celeborn.

At first, I don't realise that his companion is Celeborn for the latter is leaning against one of the stalls so we can't see his whole shape.

For one wild moment, I think that it's Adindel – I'm still not prepared for meeting him. Hell, the rate I'm going, I'll probably never be ready to meet Adindel.

Hopefully my gasp was covered up by a similar sound from Myrwen when she sees her husband.

I also hope my look and sigh of relief when we see Celeborn's profile was not noted.

I hold both Michael and Myrwen back when everyone surges forward to confront Thanduil.

The reasons for this are many and varied:

I doubt that Thanduil's explosive temper has been dulled at all over the last x-number of years – I like having Michael around and don't want him scared off.

Myrwen is going to be our main weapon for getting Thanduil back to Valinor and we don't want him noticing her until just the opportune moment.

I'm nervous myself about meeting him, not only because he was never more than polite to me, but also because several millennia of loneliness and alcohol-fuelled, depressive conversations could loosen anyone's tongue when talking about their feelings. I doubt even Adindel is immune to situations like that.

Anyway, we three watch as Thanduil greets his children and their spouses.

Myrwen gasps again, but this time, it's a sound full of longing – however much she missed her children, I think it was always Thanduil who she yearned for the most.

We then see Ellie and Legolas each take one of Thanduil's hands and guide him in our direction; Michael and I do the same to Myrwen.

I needn't have worried about Thanduil – he has eyes only for his wife.

I watch their reunion with a soft smile on my face. I know Ellie would call their kissing a 'degeneration' or something, but I just think it's romantic.

Somehow, it's rather hard to hate someone when you see them being so open and carefree with their feelings.

When Ellie tells Thanduil and Myrwen to get a room, I suddenly feel someone's eyes on me and turn to look. Everyone is still turned towards Thanduil and his wife, but I'm convinced I saw Gil-galad's head move slightly.

We don't see either Thanduil or Myrwen until the evening.

Gil-galad and I are with Ellie when the barman asks about them.

We're ordering drinks, well Gil-galad is; Ellie, Legolas, Elladan, Miriel, and I are going to help him carry the drinks back to where everyone else is sat. We're also ordering some food – the landlord seems to have become very friendly and chatty for some reason.

When Gil-galad sees the embarrassment flit across Ellie's face after the barman has said 'ah', he gets a nutty grin – the kind of grin that I've come to associate with mischief.

Carefully, he leans over and whispers (not that he really needs to whisper as he speaks in Quenya),

"May I be the first to offer my congratulations?" At the questioning looks, he elaborates, "The impending addition to the family."

He nods in the direction of Myrwen and Thanduil and then waits and watches as the comprehension begins to dawn on everyone's faces.

"But they already have children, why would..." Miriel trails off, I answer before Gil-galad as I also feel like teasing.

"Oh come on, Miriel. They have a lot of catching up to do; you may find that their passion gets the better of them."

Gil-galad smiles and nods approvingly; we collect some drinks and hastily make our way back to where everyone is sitting – they will not want to compound their embarrassment further by discussing such a subject in front of the pair in question.

My suspicions about Thanduil are confirmed in the morning at breakfast. He initially looks kind of surprised to see me – despite my transformation and the illusion, you can still tell it's me.

I think the first thought running about his head goes something along the lines of: 'what in the hell is she doing here?' (I think mostly stemming from the fact that he'd thought me dead for thousands of years).

The second probably pertains to confusion as to why I would willingly come back from Valinor in order to go and get the elves that still remained, especially as some never really tried to hide their dislike of me.

It also looks like I was right before: Thanduil must have had many heart-to-hearts with his brother over the years. I notice that he keeps glancing over at me all through breakfast – he doesn't seem confused anymore, he almost seems to be sizing me up.

If Adindel's feelings towards me ever stretched to anything more than desire, Thanduil may well be becoming conscious of the fact that there is now a vastly increased chance of his brother making those feelings plain for all to see. I can't quite make out whether he considers this a good or a bad thing.

After breakfast, we all decamp to an ornate Elizabethan mansion in order to let Thanduil in on our mission.

The official story is that Celeborn inherited the house, but everyone in our party realises that he was probably the one who had it built in the first place.

When we're all grouped together in the sunny drawing room, all members of the hunting party (well we are sort of hunting these elves down) lifts their illusions.

We have actually got it down to quite a fine art now – we all stand in a line or semi-circle or whatever and one-by-one lift our illusions; if we time it right, we can actually get a sort of Mexican wave effect – it's rather entertaining to see the eyes of whoever we're in front of following each change.

I notice Thanduil's eyes pause slightly when Gil-galad reveals himself; the smiles and greetings from both parties are rather strained when they're properly introduced.

I don't suppose you can really blame Thanduil for his animosity seeing that (as it were) Gil-galad is one of the Noldor big wigs.

The day passes pleasantly enough and I'm almost certain that Thanduil wants to talk to me about something (I wonder what).

Apart from being a highly embarrassing subject matter, I'm not really all that sure whether I actually want to talk to Thanduil about it, given the state of our relationship and everything.

Consequently, I spend as much time as possible avoiding any sort of situation which could enable Thanduil to get me on my own.

I can't avoid him forever though and he eventually corners me whilst I'm in the library with Ellie and Miriel.

What surprises – as well as unnerves – me is that he asks Ellie and Miriel to stay with us.

I'm unnerved because I highly doubt that several millennia after the event has Ellie's amusement over the revelation that Adindel not only ogled, but also fancied me all the time we were in Middle Earth, abated.

And what would Miriel say? She may be initially shocked at the turn of events, but then she may begin to see the situation as a gossip's dream. I think she's been looking for a way to get her own back after Gil-galad and I teased her about her parents' steamy reunion. Out of deference, she won't go near Gil-galad with a ten-foot barge pole, but I'm fair game.

However, seeing as both Ellie and Miriel are present, there's a little part of me that hopes that Adindel won't be mentioned.

That hope is killed off pretty quickly, however, when Thanduil (after a telling glance in my direction) asks,

"You know we haven't told my brother you are here yet?"

Obviously, I can't do anything more than look as nonchalant as I can (very hard given the circumstances) and try to brace myself for what I know is just around the corner.

"Because we thought that it wouldn't be a good idea to tell him Ginny is back, considering the way he feels about her."

Wait a minute, did he just say 'we'? Who on the earth would he tel ... oh god, he hasn't told Celeborn has he?

I can tell you that I'm now mentally bashing my head on the table in front of me.

I'm not helped of course by Miriel's evident belief in the fact that all her uncle wants to do to me is 'kill ... slowly and painfully' – Miriel's naivety has a nasty habit of showing itself at the worst possible times.

I feel my face begin to colour as Ellie explains to Miriel (as though she were a five year old) exactly how and why 'the Adindel hates and therefore wants to kill Ginny slowly and painfully' version of events just won't do anymore.

What other option is open to me now other than glare at both Thanduil and Ellie?

Usually, I'm rather happy and proud when I find out that what I thought was right; not so in this case.

Why oh why do people feel the need to have all these little heart-to-hearts? And don't say it's because of our highly developed brains – that sort of excuse really doesn't wash with a girl who's about to die of embarrassment.

Everyone is now staring at me; I can tell my face is aflame.

I can't really gauge either Thanduil or Ellie's expressions – the latter certainly seems to be on the amused end of the spectrum.

Miriel, on the other hand, although she's very wide eyed at this piece of information, is looking as though all her dreams have come true...