This story contains MPREG, which means that a male character will be pregnant. I understand that a lot of people HATE this type of story. This is fair WARNING so that you can make the decision to HIT THE BACK BUTTON now instead of flaming me. Don't tell me that I need to take REMEDIAL BIOLOGY, as I've taken biology classes (and gotten A's, thank you very much). I know that men can't get pregnant in the real world, but I'm using my IMAGINATION, where it can rain gumdrops, kittens can sing baritone, and males can get pregnant (FYI, the first two things won't be happening in this story). Don't write me and tell me that both the mpreg genre and I are IMMORAL because, unless you're God, you don't have the authority to pass that judgment. I'm just posting my story here; it's UP TO YOU whether or not you want to read it. If someone is forcing you to read this story against your will, CALL THE POLICE; don't flame me.

Title: What Love Brought Into Being

Author:ak-stinger

Rating: R (see Warnings)

Pairing: Aragorn/Legolas

Disclaimer: I own none of this (except for a made-up character here and there). It belongs primarily to the estate of the brilliant J.R.R. Tolkien and secondarily to Peter Jackson, et al. I'm making no money off of this (in fact, with all the pens I go through, I'm losing money), so don't sue me. You won't get anything much anyway, since I'd be homeless and hungry without student loans. The only thing I own outright is every movie that Orlando Bloom's made that I could get, and I'll put up a fight for those.

Summary: Sequel to What Is Meant To Be, although it's probably not vital to read that to understand this (but you can if you want!) Four years have passed since Aragorn and Legolas wed, and what four blissful years they were! But now, as representatives from the different lands gather in Gondor, the couple must deal with the growing political pressure to provide the kingdom with an heir at all costs – and what happens when that becomes a possibility in a rather unexpected way. (That's very muddled, I know – summaries are not my forte and I don't want to give away too much!)

Warnings: Just in case you missed that first section, MPREG (if you did miss it, scroll back up and read it now – I don't want anyone getting any nasty surprises). There is also SLASH of the M/M variety, complete with some sex. This is an AU and Arwen never existed. A mixture of movie and book elements, although the movie stuff will probably be more prominent. I have METTLED with the timeline and other aspects, so don't bother correcting me on those points, because I know and love the books and movies and every change I make is either deliberate or would be so if I had all the information.

On that note, there's someone out there who really took offense when I stated that Legolas' age was just under 3,000 in WIMTB. He's that age in this story as well, so I'll add a special warning just for whoever that was.

Feedback: I love reviews. Compliments are always flattering and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. However, I won't beg for reviews and I won't hold a chapter hostage until I get a certain number of them. I believe that one review given by someone who's genuinely interested in my story is worth more than a thousand given by people who feel obligated to do so. Quality, not quantity!

Which leads us to flames. There is no such thing as a quality flame. You're just wasting the energy it takes to type and send a flame because all it does is make me roll my eyes and call you a pathetic loser. Then I delete the e-mail and, if you flame anonymously as most flamers do, remove it from my story reviews. Bottom line? Don't bother.

Sorry that took so long! Onto the story!

The common room of the Prancing Pony in Bree was filled with the sound of a voice singing a very strange song:

"But Troll don't care, and he's still there

With the bone he boned from its owner.

Doner! Boner!

Troll's old seat is still the same,

And the bone he boned from its owner!"

The very small, very beautiful young blonde girl perched on the singer's lap clapped her hands with delight. "Again!" she commanded in a squeal.

"And perhaps this time, Aragorn," added the blonde elf who sat at the singer's side, "you should select a more, ah, appropriate song."

The singer, Aragorn, laughed as he planted a wet kiss on the elf's – his husband, Legolas – cheek. "I will have you know, my love," he said with mock seriousness, "that it couldn't be more appropriate. After all, this child's father made that song up!"

"That may be," scolded Legolas playfully. "And maybe Elanor can handle it, but what about baby Frodo here?" He smiled down at the tiny, brown-haired hobbit infant that was nestled in his arms. "He might have nightmares about grave-robbing trolls."

"He won't, Legolas, I promise!" swore Elanor Gamgee as she bounced all around Aragorn's lap. "Sing the troll song again. Please Strider?"

"Elanor!" The children's mother, Rose, sounded mortified. "My dear, it's not proper to call them Strider and Legolas. They are King Elessar and Prince Legolas." She looked up sheepishly at the couple. "I do apologize for my daughter's boldness, my lords."

""No need to apologize," declared Aragorn joyfully as he lifted the girl into the air. "She's entirely correct; I am Strider. Uncle Strider! Yaaaaaaay!"

Legolas gave Rose a sympathetic look as she stared dumbfounded at the image of one of the most powerful Men in all the lands spinning her Elanor around. She wasn't exactly used to the situation or entirely comfortable around them yet. After all, she was just a normal hobbit lass who just happened to be married to the famous and renowned Samwise Gamgee. Because of that, her family was always sent letters from all sorts of people, her children received more than their fair share of strange and exotic toys all year round, and now this. The king and prince consort of the ever-expanding realm of Gondor doting upon little Elanor and Frodo was a little hard to take in.

"Don't worry about it," he told her kindly. "Neither of us wish to be addressed so formally by the children of a dear friend. And your Sam is a very dear friend."

"I know," replied Rose. "All of this is just very strange." She sighed as she continued to Aragorn and Elanor. "He is good with her though, isn't he? He'll make an excellent father." Her eyes got round when she realized what she'd just said. "Oh, I'm sorry – I guess – I guess that's not possible..."

"No, it isn't," said Legolas, hoping that his expression didn't show how much this very thing had been weighing heavily on his mind as of late. No male elf had become pregnant since Sauron almost succeeded in covering Middle Earth in shadow during the Second Age. "I suppose we'll have to make do by spoiling your children."

"Really?" asked Rose with a quirk of an eyebrow. Legolas smiled his most irresistible smile and kissed her hand.

"Now don't go charming my wife, Legolas," teased Sam as he sat down next to them. "I'm going to start thinking that you had some other, more sneaky, reason for wanting to come see us besides just meeting Rosie and the kids in person."

Aragorn slid Legolas an almost guilty glance as he stopped twirling. "We did have another reason," he confessed.

Sam's ears twitched a little. "Oh?"

"Yes," Aragorn confirmed. "It's been on our minds for a long while – almost since the moment we all went our separate ways after the war, in fact. I just wish we'd done something about it before Frodo and Mithrandir took – took the ship."

A sad silence fell over the group. "We want you to come to Minas Tirith," Legolas told Sam and Rose as he rested a comforting hand on his husband's arm. He'd heard the hitch in Aragorn's voice and knew that he wasn't just thinking about the hobbit and wizard. The Man's foster father, Elrond, and Galadriel had left for the Undying Lands on that same ship. "You two and your family, plus Merry and Pippin."

"Permanently?" squeaked Sam.

"For a visit," chuckled Legolas. "Of course, we wouldn't mind if you made your stay permanent, but that probably won't happen. We can be content with a visit."

"I don't know," demurred Sam. He cast a torn look at Rose. "There's so much going on in the Shire and we'd feel so out-of-place..."

"Not at all!" protested Aragorn. "In fact, if you come with us when we depart from Bree, you'll make it to the White City in time for a great meeting. Peoples from all across the land are going to be there to discuss the future of Middle Earth. My brothers will be there, as will Eomer. Think about it as representing the Shire. Please?"

"You haven't seen Minas Tirith since just after the coronation and wedding," added Legolas. "The change is amazing, with all the stonework the dwarves have been doing and the trees and gardens being tended to by the wood elves. It's all really quite beautiful."

They could see the hobbits' protests breaking away. "It would be nice to see what work's been done there," hedged Sam. "And Merry would probably like seeing King Eomer again."

"The feeling, I know, is mutual," Aragorn informed him. "He will always consider Merry to be a true rider of Rohan after what he did for Eowyn."

"Who, incidentally, also wants to see Merry," Legolas enticed further. "And Faramir has been longing to see both you and Pippin, Sam. I do believe he holds your opinion in the highest regard."

"I wouldn't mind getting a look at the place that Sam's talked so much about," admitted Rose. "I'm curious to see if my husband's really as famous there as Mister Frodo always said he was."

"Shall we go, Rosie dear?" Sam asked his wife with growing excitement.

Rose nodded impulsively. "Let's do it," she agreed.

"Splendid!" cried Aragorn as Legolas grinned in agreement.

"What's going on?" asked Elanor, who was still in Aragorn's arms and confused by all the grown-up talk.

"We're going to see Minas Tirith, my lass," explained Sam, standing up and gently lifting her into his own arms. "That's where Strider and Legolas live, where all those ceremonies were before you were born."

"Neat," she said sleepily. "And Uncle Merry and Uncle Pippin are coming too?"

"We might have to pester them about it when they get here tomorrow morning," he told her, "but they'll be coming." She smiled and yawned again in response.

"Oh dear," said Rose warmly. "Sam, I do believe it's time for the children to go to bed."

Legolas politely rose to his feet as she did the same. "Thank you for allowing me to hold baby Frodo," he said as he handed the infant back to his mother. Frodo smiled in his sleep, causing something much too complicated to deal with at this time of night to stir deep within his heart. "He's so adorable; they both are. You two have been most blessed."

The couples bid each other goodnight and headed off to their rooms. "I told Butterbur that we wanted the room I usually stayed in when I came here as a ranger," Aragorn told his husband. "He got all tongue-tied and embarrassed, saying that it wasn't anything fancy or special."

"You didn't torment that poor innkeeper, did you?" inquired Legolas suspiciously as Aragorn unlocked door.

"Would I do that?" responded Aragorn innocently, batting his eyelashes. Legolas couldn't contain his laughter. "Quick, inside before you wake up everyone!"

Legolas hurried into the room and looked around. "Not much in here," he commented. "Just a table, a fireplace, and a bed."

Aragorn grinned a naughty grin as Legolas sat down on the edge of the bed and took off his boots. "That's all we really need," he purred suggestively. Legolas immediately caught onto his tone and pulled off his tunic as well in response.

"I'll have you know," he continued, kicking off his own boots, "that I had some very wonderful dreams in this bed. A good many of them involved a certain gorgeous elf waiting all naked in here for me after a journey. By the time I would come into the room, he'd need me so badly that he just barely takes the time to pull my pants down before knocking me to the floor."

The elf removed his leggings and sprang to his feet. "I'm so glad you've finally returned to me," he gasped desperately, easily slipping into the dream persona. He dashed the short distance to where Aragorn stood and undid his pants, sliding them down just enough to free his arousal. "I need you, meleth. Don't make me wait any longer."

To be continued...

A/N: I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this, but what the heck? My brain is totally fried from doing homework all afternoon and I need to do something I enjoy.