Title: Coming Home

Author: Morgana  ---  morganalebeau@yahoo.com

Website; http://www.paranoid.nl/avalon
Pairing: Glorfindel/Erestor and Elrond/Celebrían

Rating; nc-17

Summary; Imladris’ newest addition proves to be a handful and quite a mystery.

Disclaimer: These characters are all Tolkien’s.
Warning: AU, angst, mention of physical abuse. No rape.

Author’s Note: All mistakes are all mine; yeah, I am greedy! And remember; this is AU!

Beta read by Lady Mirfain, thanks!

Coming Home

Part 9

Erestor nervously fidgeted with the fabric of his leggings. Elrond, Glorfindel and he were seated on the balcony and Ithil’s soft, silver rays still dominated the dawn sky. It had taken him most of the night to work up the courage to follow through.

“Are you certain you want us to see it?” asked Glorfindel, knowing Erestor needed a last way out. He had never experienced the raven-haired Elf as tense as today.

“I don’t want to do this,” clarified Erestor. “But I must.” Seated next to Glorfindel, he used his good hand to guide his lover’s fingers close to the ring. “Undo the knots and take it out.”

Glorfindel complied and exchanged a worried look with Elrond, but the half-Elf nodded, encouraging him to remove the ring.

Elrond couldn’t help being worried. Erestor was only slowly improving. Although the shoulder ligaments had finally settled and had begun to heal, the broken arm remained a source of constant discomfort for Erestor. Being a half-Elf was the only plausible explanation as to why it took the dark-haired Elf so long to recover.

Erestor swallowed, convulsively, feeling Glorfindel’s fingers undo the knot, which held the ring. “I don’t want to be here when you look at it.”

Elrond sighed. He just didn’t understand why Erestor was this apprehensive about finding out his father’s identity, but he respected the raven-haired Elf’s decision nonetheless.

Glorfindel removed the ring and closed his fingers over it. “Love, don’t stray too far. You are still under orders to rest.”

“I will go to the stables,” said Erestor, resolutely rising from his chair. “And please don’t tell me my father’s name should you find out.”

“I thought you wanted to know?” But then again, Erestor had changed his mind constantly. Glorfindel figured Erestor would want to know in the end, but first, his lover needed to build the necessary courage.

Erestor gave them both one last look and then left the balcony. He didn’t know how he felt; too many different emotions were running through him and they ranged from curious to terrified. “Don’t tell me… Just don’t.” He closed the door behind him and headed for the stables, hoping Asfaloth’s presence would settle his raging nerves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Glorfindel slowly uncurled his fingers and revealed the ring to them. Elrond scooted closer to study it. The ring was made of mithril and shone brightly.

“What is all this?” Glorfindel raised the ring between two fingers to get a better look at it. His eyes narrowed as he tried to identify the symbols on it. “Is this a bird? And if it is, what is it carrying in its beak? Are these stars?” He counted nine of them.

Elrond’s heart stopped beating for one terrible moment. “I know this ring.”

Glorfindel’s eyes narrowed at his friend’s horrified tone, and when Elrond opened his hand to collect the ring, he placed it on his friend’s palm. “You do?” Elrond had grown awfully pale and the hand that held the ring shook violently. The gray eyes had turned large and a nervous twitch appeared near the corner of Elrond’s mouth. “Elrond, what is amiss?”

“This cannot be, Glorfindel. I cannot be holding this ring in my hand; it is impossible!” Shivers traveled down Elrond’s spine and he released a strangled sob. “This cannot be… It is impossible!”

”Elrond!” Realizing his friend was slipping into some sort of shock, Glorfindel grabbed hold of Elrond’s shoulders and shook him. “Why do you know this ring? Do you know who it belongs to?”

Elrond shook his head in disbelief and his fingers closed tightly over the ring, pressing the mithril into his flesh. “I do, Glorfindel. I know who it belongs to!”

“You know who Erestor’s father is? Tell me!” What had shocked Elrond in such a way?

“*I* am Erestor’s father. This ring belongs to me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erestor almost reconsidered his destination, finding Elladan was already present in the stables. He was about to turn around and leave, but then Asfaloth neighed, drawing Elladan’s attention to the new arrival.

Elladan turned around and immediately spotted Erestor in the doorway. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to their guest since Erestor had rescued Arwen and he was grateful he had finally received a chance. “Please come closer… I am just about to finish this up.”

In spite of his timidity, Erestor grew curious to what Elladan was doing. “Isn’t that Elrohir’s horse?” He moved a little closer and frowned, finding Elladan had worked bright, pink ribbons into the mare’s mane.

“Aye, it is. It is our begetting day tomorrow and this is my gift for him.” Elladan winked, mischievously. Erestor’s expression however, spoke of confusion, so he explained. “It is a practical joke, Erestor.”

“Ah…” He didn’t have any experiences with practical jokes. Asfaloth snorted and Erestor walked over to the mighty war horse. Affectionately, he rubbed the warm nose and then settled for rubbing behind the ears. “Does that mean Elrohir will try to play a ‘practical joke’ on you too?”

“I hope so.” Elladan laughed and joined Erestor’s side. “You know, except for Glorfindel, you are the only Elf he is willing to carry.”

“It’s an honor that he accepts me.” Erestor slid his hand down the powerful neck. “I wish I could take you for a ride, but Elrond forbad me to move about too much. I hurt my shoulder, you see.”

Aye, Asfaloth had noticed the bandages and was extremely carefully when playfully pushing his nose against Erestor’s good shoulder.

Erestor giggled. “I promise to make things up to you and take you for a long ride when I am better.”

Oh, he would keep Erestor to that! Asfaloth pushed his nose beneath Erestor’s hand, urging the Elf to pet him, which Erestor promptly did.

“Erestor, I haven’t had the chance to thank you for…”

“Please don’t. I didn’t do anything special.” Erestor had felt surprisingly comfortable with Elladan close – until now that was.

Elladan noticed the sudden tension between them as well. Fine, he would show his gratitude in another way. He was certain he would come up with something. “How are your shoulder and arm? Are they finally healing?”

“Slowly, your father seems displeased with the healing speed, but he promised to remove the majority of the bandages tomorrow. However, he wants me to continue to use the sling.”

Elladan nodded; his father had told him that he worried about Erestor’s recovery. “Maybe you would like to join me for a walk in the gardens? We could find a nice, shaded spot and take a nap.”

“Nap?”

“I just returned from a two-day patrol and I must admit I am bit tired.”

“Then I shouldn’t keep you! Go to bed and sleep.”

“Nah, I like it best in the gardens. Come with me?” Elladan saw doubt in Erestor’s eyes, but he still hoped the other Elf would accept.

“A walk in the gardens sounds like a splendid idea,” said Celebrían, who had overheard part of their conversation. She knew what was happening in Glorfindel’s rooms and that Erestor was jittery because they were examining his mother’s ring. This was no time for Erestor to be alone. “Join us.”

Erestor knew it would be impolite to reject her invitation and nodded his head. He would accompany them. Maybe they could distract him from his worries for a little while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shocked, stunned and speechless, those were the motions Glorfindel was going through whilst staring at a pale-looking Elrond.

Unable to remain seated any longer, Elrond jumped to his feet and began to pace the balcony. “I should have remembered, but I tried my best to forget that night!” Yestarë, the name finally came back to him and he felt the overwhelming urge to explain. “It happened the night after Ereinion died. I was crushed because of the loss I had suffered. I wished it had been me, who had died on the battle field instead of my best friend.”

Glorfindel listened, fascinated, as Elrond’s tale took him back in time.

“I wandered through the encampment for hours and was about to collapse due to grief and exhaustion when a pair of arms caught me. I had seen Yestarë several times before, but we had seldom talked. She was Ereinion’s favorite niece and had insisted she stayed with us – mostly to support Ereinion. She was one of his confidants you see, one of his advisors. I never paid her much attention, because I was solely focused on our ultimate goal – destroying Sauron.”

Glorfindel moistened his lips. “Carry on.”

“That night, she comforted me. We mourned Ereinion’s passing together. We cried and held each other tight.” Elrond’s eyes swam with tears, reliving those moments. “In the end, she took me to her bed and we…” Elrond gave Glorfindel an apologetic shrug. “We both needed the comfort, the intimacy. In the morning, I gave her this ring. Ereinion had it made for me and I valued it highly, but in order to be able to begin a new life I wanted to burn my bridges behind me, so I gave it to her, hoping she would keep it as a memory of her uncle – and maybe of me.”

“She conceived that night,” continued Glorfindel, grimly.

“Aye, she must have. She stayed longer in the encampment than I did. When I left for Imladris she was still there.” Elrond collapsed onto his chair and shook his head, sliding the ring down his finger. A perfect fit. “I never knew she conceived, Glorfindel. If I had, I would have stayed with her and wedded her. I would have made her my wife and have taken her to Imladris to live here… To see my son grow up.”

“But instead, her escort was slaughtered, she herself was killed and Erestor faced a lifelong imprisonment at the hands of humans.” Glorfindel’s voice was deadly sharp.

“I didn’t know I had sired a son, Glorfindel!” said Elrond in a shaky tone. “I didn’t.”

Glorfindel drew in a deep breath. “Of all the possible outcomes I never foresaw this one.”

“Neither did I,” admitted Elrond in a broken voice. Oh, this revelation had upended his entire life. He had a son he had never known about! A son much older than Elladan and Elrohir. “He is my rightful heir, Glorfindel,” said Elrond, shaken.

This revelation had enormous consequences, realized Glorfindel, suddenly. Elladan was no longer Elrond’s firstborn son and no longer entitled to inherit Imladris. “Will you tell your family?”

“Glorfindel, I don’t know!” Elrond raised his arms in surrender. “I just found out myself! I need to think about this!” Fear suddenly spread across Elrond’s face. “Erestor, does he want to know?”

“The last time we spoke, he didn’t, but he changes his mind constantly. If he asks, I am not certain I can lie to him.” Glorfindel shook his head. “He deserves to know the truth, Elrond. He suffered for it.”

“I know that!” Elrond’s voice was high-pitched and revealed panic. “News reached me that Yestarë had been murdered in an Orc attack, but I never realized there was a child – a son.”

“I won’t tell Erestor, unless he asks for the truth. I suggest you make good use of the little time you have and consider your next step.”

“I need to tell Celebrían first,” decided Elrond. “We will decide what to do – we will make that decision together.” He needed his wife at his side now – and even more importantly, he needed her advice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Is he asleep?” Celebrían cocked her head to study Erestor’s features. She couldn’t tell Elladan of their suspicion that Erestor could be half-Elven, but she could observe Erestor and gather information that way. “Elladan?” A sweet smile formed on her face, finding her son asleep with his head resting on Erestor’s thigh. When had that happened? “You two are more alike than I thought,” she whispered, amused.

“Celebrían? We need to talk.” Elrond swallowed, hard, finding Erestor and Elladan asleep and his wife watching over them. They could have passed for a happy family and he wondered if that dream would ever come true. “Something urgent has come up, and we need to discuss it.” His gaze came to rest on Erestor and he flinched, seeing the bandaged arm and shoulder, the gaunt face and the deep lines, etched onto Erestor’s brow. /My son… Erestor is my son… my firstborn./

Sensing her husband’s tension, Celebrían rose from the grass and joined her him. Elrond walked away from the sleeping Elves and she followed, wondering what had upset Elrond this much. “What is amiss, husband-mine? You know you can tell me.”

Elrond drew in a deep breath and looked over his shoulder at Erestor and Elladan, wondering if they would still be on friendly terms after the truth had been revealed. By the Grace of the Valar, he didn’t want to lose his family over this!

“Something is wrong,” realized Celebrían. “Terribly wrong. What is it, Elrond?”

He was about to tell her when they came across Arwen, wandering the rose gardens. “Arwen, would you head for the kitchens, pack a picnic basket, find Elrohir and join Elladan and Elrohir in the gazebo? Having lunch together might be a nice idea. That way you can get to know Erestor better.”

Arwen raised an eye-brow, showing she was truly her father’s daughter, but didn’t ask any questions. She nodded once and smiled, puzzled. “That does sound lovely, father. I think I will do that.”

Elrond watched Arwen head for the kitchens and he waited for her to be out of hearing range before addressing Celebrían once more. “You are right; something is wrong… Or maybe it isn’t. All I know is that I am terribly confused.”

She guided him to their private spot, close to the waterfall. Settling down, she leaned against him. Her back rested against his chest and she relished the feel of his strong arms enfolding her. She leaned back and rested her head against his shoulder. She didn’t know what was amiss, but it was obvious that he needed more time to sort out his thoughts.

Several long minutes passed by and Elrond eventually cleared his throat. “I don’t know how to tell you.”

“Does this have anything to do with Erestor?” She affectionately rubbed her cheek against the fabric of his robes and pressed closer to him.

“Aye, it does.” Elrond drew in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said, “Glorfindel and I examined the ring and I recognized it. I gifted it to Yestarë, one of Ereinion’s nieces, after I bedded her.”

Celebrían’s eyes widened. “What?” What had Elrond just said? She turned in the embrace to make eye-contact with her husband. The first thing she saw was the guilt-ridden expression in his swimming eyes and the nervous twitching of his lips. Telling her was hard on Elrond and took most of his courage, she could tell that much.

“I am Erestor’s father. Yestarë must have conceived during that night and she gave him the ring as a momentum. She said it would lead him to his father.” Elrond shyly looked at his wife. How would she react to this news?

Her head spun with all this new information. “When did this happen?”

“The night after Ereinion’s death. We were both hurting and she offered herself to me. I accepted.” Elrond trembled over his entire body, hoping Celebrían would remain at his side and not desert him. Hearing he had a son was quite a shock to her and he didn’t blame her.

“Erestor is *your* son?” She blinked once, trying to accept this startling truth. “Are you absolutely certain?”

“He is half-Elven, just as we thought. That is why it takes him so long to heal. We were right about that. And yes, I am certain he is my son.” Elrond moistened his lips and gave her a look that spoke of fear of losing her. “Can you accept this?”

“I must,” realized Celebrían, frowning deeply. “But this has huge consequences! Elladan is no longer your firstborn! We raised him to be the future Lord of Imladris, Elrond. How will he take this development?” Celebrían felt bewildered; she had never expected this kind of news! She had thought Erestor was one of the sons of Ereinion’s Captains… not his Herald’s!

“We have to tell our children the truth, but I would prefer doing that with you at my side. Celebrían, love of my life, where does this leave us? What has changed between us?”

“Much,” she said, pensively. “I don’t blame you for seeking comfort the night after Ereinion died…”

“But you blame me for…?” Elrond’s heart felt like it was about to break.

“You should have inquired about her condition! You know as well as I do that one night is enough to conceive!”

“I never considered it. I was hurting and…” Elrond closed his eyes, deeply ashamed of his past behavior. “I tried to forget about her and that night. It is not something I am proud of.”

Celebrían shook her head and glared at him. “It was your duty as her lover to keep an eye on her to see if she was with child! Males!”

Elrond’s face flushed a delicate crimson. “I was on my way to Imladris and Celeborn had mentioned a possible marriage to you. I wanted to concentrate on wooing you.”

“I simply cannot believe you!” Celebrían freed herself of her husband’s embrace and got to her feet. Pacing in front of Elrond, her hair danced wildly against the small of her back. “Does Erestor know yet?”

“He told us that he didn’t want to know his father’s identity. But Glorfindel also said he changes his mind a lot. I don’t know how much time we have to prepare our children.”

“They have a half-brother… I have another son.” Celebrían ran a hand through her hair. “Erestor must become a part of this family and assume his rightful position.”

“There is always the possibility that he doesn’t want to rule Imladris in the future. That way, Elladan…”

Celebrían interrupted her husband in an angry tone. “Elrond, Erestor is your firstborn! He is your heir! That doesn’t mean that you love Elladan less, and he knows that!”

Elrond bowed his head – his shame still growing stronger. “I am afraid I will disappoint Elladan.”

“Oh, Elrond!” Celebrían returned to his side and knelt in front of him. She took his face between her hands and lifted it so he had to look at her. “You have been the best father a child can hope for. Arwen, Elrohir and Elladan know you love them! The fact that Erestor is your rightful heir will take some adjusting on their part, but they will make you proud. I promise you that they will accept this and even more, they will come to love Erestor and to care for him.”

“You accept this, then?” Elrond had been afraid to hope that much.

“Oh, beloved! Erestor is flesh of your flesh. Your blood runs through his veins! How could I not accept this? I wish his life had been less harsh, and that he had found his way to Imladris a long time ago. Then, his wounds might not have been that deep!”

“Oh, I love you so much!” Elrond wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close and showered her face with butterfly-light kisses. “I was so scared to tell you!”

“There was no reason to be scared, husband-mine. Our love will always pull us through.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erestor smiled, upon wakening. It hadn’t been his intention to fall asleep, but Celebrían’s voice had gently lured him into sleep. It was one of the best naps he had ever had. The one thing that would have made it even better, would have been having Glorfindel at this side. Moving slightly, he tried to stretch before getting up, but then found something was weighing him down. Something rested on his right leg – something heavy.

“Will you stop moving? You make a nice pillow, but not when you are twitching.”

/Twitching?/ Curious, Erestor looked at Elladan, whose head rested on his thigh. How had they gotten into that situation? “I am not a pillow…” He didn’t know where the words had come from, or the teasing note, but he giggled, hearing Elladan sputter his protest.

“Can we not stay like this a little longer? I am still tired.” In order to stress his words, he yawned.

“Elladan? How did this happen?”

“You fell asleep and I was in need of a pillow. You didn’t protest!”

“I was asleep!” Erestor shook his head, suddenly realizing they were bantering. Did he really feel that comfortable around Elladan? That was quite a surprise. Looking about he realized something. “The Lady Celebrían has left.”

“Aye, father collected her for a walk. Damn, too bad this nap has to end.” Reluctantly, Elladan pushed himself upright and stretched like a cat. “We are about to get company.” His eyes had made out the forms of his sister and brother. “And they are bringing food! Good, for I am hungry!” Elladan rose from the grass and waved at his siblings to attract their attention. “We are over here!”

Erestor struggled to his feet as well. “I should leave, then.” He didn’t want to impose on them.

“Nonsense, stay!” Elladan firmly shook his head.

Erestor wavered; he was hungry and he wanted to befriend them further, but he wasn’t certain if they were interested in his company.

Arwen arrived first and hugged Elladan close. “Did you encounter the enemy on your patrols, brother?” She sat down and gestured for Elrohir to put down the heavy picnic basket.

“Thankfully not. Our borders are safe.” Elladan playfully elbowed his twin in the side. “Tomorrow is the big day!”

Elrohir marginally smiled at Elladan. “What have you been up to this time?” He opened the basket and unfolded the blanket. After that, he placed the bread, fruits, meats, cheeses and pies on it. He handed each of them a bottle of spring water and then sat down in between Arwen and his twin.

“You will find out soon enough,” said Elladan.

“Erestor? Please sit down.” Arwen smiled, sensing Erestor’s inner battle. Her father had been right; this was a good opportunity for them to get to know Erestor better. “I hope you are hungry. The cook baked an apple pie, especially for you.” She pushed the plate with the pie on it into Erestor’s direction.

Realizing they wouldn’t allow him to leave, Erestor sat down on the grass. His arm throbbed and he used his good arm to support the injured limb. Surprised, he looked at the large amount of food Arwen and Elrohir had brought. It was enough to feed a starving family!

Elrohir correctly interpreted Erestor’s expression and shrugged his shoulders. “There has always been plenty, Erestor. Plenty of food, water, clothes… We never had to want for anything. We are taking this for granted, aren’t we?”

“Perhaps,” whispered Erestor. “I am still getting used to the idea that I don’t have to go hungry.”

Arwen bit her bottom lip at hearing the repressed misery in Erestor’s voice. “Do you like it here in Imladris?”

“What my sister wants to know is if you will stay,” explained Elrohir, taking a huge bite out of a buttered slice of bread.

Erestor selected some of the fruits and ate them. “I think I will.” He felt bashful now that they were asking him personal questions.

“And I reckon that has everything to do with our dear Captain? Glorfindel?” Elladan gave Erestor a playful wink before setting his teeth in the cheese.

Erestor nodded, blushing. “Aye, it does.”

“You are in love with him.” Elrohir pointed a finger at Erestor. “And he is head over heels over you!”

The blush deepened and Erestor’s nervousness increased. “I believe he loves me back.”

“What is it like?” Arwen inched closer. “To have such a strong warrior for a lover? Is he forceful in bed, or gentle?”

Her questions made Erestor spit out the fruit and he shot her a glance filled with disbelief. Had she really asked him that?”

“What my sister wants to know,” said Elrohir, wickedly, “is if he is… well-endowed. Let’s put it that way.”

“Aye, tell us, how mighty *is* his sword?” said Elladan, chuckling.

“Children!” Celebrían realized she had returned just in time to spare Erestor more embarrassment. “One doesn’t ask such questions!”

Elrond managed a weak smile and directed it toward Erestor. Thinking of Erestor as his son still felt odd, but he was getting used to it.

“We just wanted to know if Glorfindel is hung like a horse!” Elladan, sensing something was wrong, but unable to label it, decided to continue the banter.

“Elladan! If you were younger I would put you across my knee!” Elrond tried to look stern, but his emotions were making it hard for him to appear controlled.

Erestor cast timid looks in Celebrían’s direction. “We shouldn’t discuss this in front of a lady.”

Arwen was about to comment on that, when Elladan beat her to it. “A lady doesn’t ask such questions, dear little sister.”

Arwen’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Then I am not a lady! But would you kindly answer the question, Erestor.”

Erestor smiled, realizing this bantering meant they had accepted him into their circle. That realization made him feel warm inside. “Aye, my Lady, the Valar certainly ‘blessed’ him in that way.”

Erestor’s answer drew laughs from all of them and Elrond allowed himself to hope that his son would accept and want him in his life. /I am your father, Erestor. I hope you will be able to accept that./

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