Epilogue IV

"There must be some alternative." Elrond said, pleading slightly. "Surely this was just a dream."

Elizabeth stopped and gave her father a glare. "Ada, you of all people should know that what I saw was no mere dream."

Elrond sighed and turned to his dear friend in the corner. "Gandalf, perhaps you could reason with her."

"I cannot, unfortunately. This is Elizabeth's decision and frankly I agree completely with her choice. Her world has better medical facilities for giving birth and there no other-worldly threats to worry her." Gandalf answered. "She will be watched over."

Elizabeth glared at her mentor and dearest friend. "Gandalf, I'm not a child anymore. I don't need anyone to watch over me."

"But you will have two children of your own very soon and they are the ones I'm concerned about. If they are anything like their mother was when she was young, then they will need constant guard. I think you should give birth in your world and bring them here." Gandalf suggested.

"But the dream…" Elizabeth started.

"We will tell them nothing of the dream." Gandalf said sternly. "And they will both be kept away from the forests. One will be sent to the Lorien wood and one will be kept here under the watchful eye of your father."

Elizabeth sighed. It couldn't be that easy. There was something else in the dream. Something she had not told them. She had not told Gandalf and Elrond about the ring that the Witch King had been wearing or about the fact that the Witch King had been in her dream. No, she had told them that dark creatures had kidnapped her children. Half of the truth had been shared, half hidden.

"I'll think about it. I don't want my children to grow up not knowing me." Elizabeth said, packing clothes into her closet for use when she returned to the Undying Lands.

Her father and Gandalf were silent. That was the only answer they would get from Elizabeth at the moment.

Imagine having to swerve out of the way of a semi-truck, and perform and tail spin to head back towards home and ask for your grandfather's forgiveness right after returning from the Undying Lands. Hectic, right? Well that's what Elizabeth had to do.

"Holy pickles," she muttered as she settled down from the adrenaline of swerving and doing a tail spin, then gunning her engines towards home. "I ought to be more careful."

She pulled up in front of her grandfather's London flat and sat in her car, anticipating the worst from her grandfather. With a sigh, she pulled out her keys, grabbed her purse and exited the car, locking it behind her. She entered the lobby, stuffing her keys into her purse and looked at the secretary.

"Is my…uh…is Ian in?" Elizabeth asked.

The secretary smiled warmly. "Yes he is, Miss. Go right on up. He told me you might be by to pick up some belongings."

Elizabeth felt a pang of guilt in her heart. So he had believed her when she said she was leaving. She took the elevator and put her key in the lock, but pulled stopped to think. What if he told her to leave and never return? What if he hated her for what she had said? What if he didn't love her anymore? Elizabeth shook the thoughts away and turned the key and entered. The flat was dark except for one room: the library. It's door was usually closed when her grandfather was inside but now the door was wide open and the blanket that covered her grandfather's lap while he read had been thrown onto the floor in haste. Elizabeth's first thought was that there was a burglar in the flat. She deftly snuck into the living room to look around. She relaxed when she found no one in there. She turned around to look elsewhere and saw a candlestick flying towards her head.

Letting out a scream, Elizabeth ducked and held her hands up for protection. She readied herself for another blow when she felt the darkness leave as the lights came on.

"Elizabeth?" a warm voice asked.

Elizabeth looked up as she lowered her arms. Her grandfather stood next to the light switch with a candlestick in his hand looking as if he'd seen a ghost. But the look of fear immediately fled and was replaced with a look of worry.

"Are you all right?" her grandfather asked, immediately worried. "Did I get you?"

"No…no you didn't." Elizabeth answered. "I'm just a little shocked, that's all."

"Well I thought you were a burglar." Her grandfather answered.

"And I thought there was a burglar in here that had rendered you unconscious, or worse." Elizabeth answered. "I see now that I was wrong."

An awkward silence was endured by the two until Ian spoke.

"I suppose you came back for your things." He said.

"No…" Elizabeth whispered. "I didn't."

Ian remained silent.

"I'm sorry, grandfather, for saying those mean things. I was just so angry and frustrated and everything was happening at once. I didn't want to be pregnant. But now…now I've decided to go through with it. I have a friend that wants a baby, so I'm taking it to her after it's born." Elizabeth said, being careful not to reveal the fact that she already knew that there were two children and that they were both girls.

Her grandfather came forward and drew Elizabeth into a warm and tight embrace. "All is forgiven, Elizabeth. I forgave you the minute I saw it was you who entered the flat."

Elrond was jerked into consciousness when he heard a child's cry and the unsheathing of a sword, then a whiney and the sound of a horse galloping away. He hurried to the door of his main home in the Undying Lands thinking the worst and found a child lying on the step in a basket, wrapped in several blankets. Beside the child was a long elven sword that had been stabbed into the dirt to hold down a note. The note read:

Ada,

Here is one of the twins. Her name is Felicity. This is her birth gift – one of the elven swords I used a long time ago. Its name is Astalder (valiant one). It will not fail her as long as she is taught correctly.

Elizabeth

Elrond slid the note into his pocket and gathered the baby with his left arm, holding it close. The sword lay in his right hand. He slid it into a sheath and hid it in the back of his wardrobe. Then he went to bed, and held the child, Felicity, close to his chest.

Halfway across the Undying Lands, another child was left. But there was no note this time. When Elizabeth arrived, Galadriel, Celeborn and Haldir were waiting for her. She gave up her child to her grandmother, calling it Aurelia. The sword she gave to her daughter was named Helkaer (icy one), for the blade was cool as ice and killed swiftly as ice did.

"Must you leave us so swiftly, child?" Celeborn asked. "Why not stay and raise your daughters under the protection of the Undying Lands?"

Elizabeth shook her head and stepped back. "I cannot. My dreams were not dreams, but premonitions. I do not want what I saw to come true. Especially when it involves my children."

"I know what it is you saw, dear one." Galadriel said. "Fear not, I have not revealed that which you wish to keep hidden. But know this: if you choose to hide these facts forever, your children might find more danger ahead for them."

Elizabeth nodded and stood firm. There was no way her grandmother would sway her decision.

"My decision is final." Elizabeth said. Haldir stepped forward.

"Then at least allow me to escort you to the place you plan to depart from us." The Marchwarden said.

Elizabeth smiled at her dear friend and brother and bowed her head. "I would be honored."

Haldir took her arm and helped her onto her horse before mounting his own. They trotted down the path, away from the mock Lorien wood in the Undying Lands towards the small clearing where Elizabeth had appeared months before.

"I shall watch over your daughter with great care." Haldir said softly. "There will not be one day where I do not see her."

"I have no doubt of that. You were so able to take care of me when I was young, now I force upon you another child."

"No, Elizabeth, you are not forcing her upon me. I take her willingly and hope that you enjoy your life." Haldir said.

Elizabeth smiled. "Goodbye, Haldir."

"Namárië, aieramin." Haldir said, bowing. "I shall see you in your dreams."

Elizabeth gave her brother one last smile and walked into the appearing magic circle before it disappeared with a flash. Haldir sighed. She was gone now and the only remnant of her was her children.

Elizabeth reappeared in the forest and found her car waiting for her. She got in and drove back home to her grandfather's London flat.

"There you are, my dear." He greeted warmly. "I see your friend took the little ones in."

"Yes. I thought it would be best." Elizabeth said. "Now we can look towards the future and not worry about media."

"Indeed. I'm glad you came back Elizabeth." Her grandfather said. "It's nice to have someone to spoil."

Elizabeth laughed. "Thanks…I think."

In another world, two children cried for their mother, but were satisfied with their replacements. Elizabeth sighed happily and fell into slumber against her grandfather, thinking of nothing else besides the wonderful life she had ahead of her. Her children were safe with people she loved and trusted. There was no way that the Nazgul would go after them unless she was there, because that was what had happened in the dream.

Elizabeth was confident that her plans were foolproof and that she had outsmarted the Witch King and his new master……at least for now.

Finis?

Author's Note: That's it! It's done! I know this was a short chapter, and I want to know if the ending sucked, so let me know in a review. Thankoo all. It's been a lovely ride, but now it's over. I won't be starting the sequel until I finish my Harry Potter fic...so don't be looking for anything soon. Although, that fic is almost done too. So perhaps by the summer? I don't know. But when the first chapter is posted, you will know. Thanks again everyone!

Music is my Muse