Disclaimer: Wakabe Writing Firm doesn't own Lord of the Rings

A/N: Natsumi's still running away from Gabrielle. It's rather amusing, especially when Gabrielle has to drag the demon dogs away from the little goblins and faeries that Natsumi keeps throwing over her shoulder. It's really amusing, what Natsumi's willing to do in order to avoid NaNoWriMo Camp.- Onoro(Elf Secretary, Wakabe Writing Firm)

So, this is for Ithilethiel, who has so wonderfully inspired this fic, with her request for this and lovely conversation. Many thanks.

When Estel woke up that morning, he did so with all the swiftness and enthusiasm of a child who knew today was going to be special. After a brief moment of sleepy peacefulness he blinked away the last lingering clouds of dreams and stared at the ceiling for one last moment of blessed quiet before it hit him. Then, after taking in a huge breath of air over the course of several seconds, he bolted out of bed, running down the halls squealing in glee.

"MAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!" He burst through the doors, too excited to take notice of the muffled sound of bodies hitting the floor and the curses that followed.

Without a second thought he attacked the bed, not stopping his conquest over blankets and sheets until he found himself secure in his mother's lap.

"Estel, what has you so energetic so early?" Gilraen asked, smiling at his energy despite the early hour. Her eyes flickered up for a moment, taking note of the twin elf guard dogs at her door before returning her attention back to the bouncing boy.

"It's today!" he burst out before squirming from side to side in his excitement."It's today! It's today!"

"What is?" He stopped his squirming dance of excitement, but continued to smile brightly at Gilraen. She returned the smile, not bothering to resist swooping in for a quick kiss. He laughed, wiggling away from her lips but was caught in the end. Then, he turned eager and sparking stormy eyes on her.

"We're going on a picnic!"

"We are?" one of the twins asked, faking confusion. It wasn't hard to pull off, considering that his hair was still bedraggled and knotted from sleep.

"I never heard of this," the other played along.

"But Dan!" Estel exclaimed from the bed. "Ada said so! Ada said we're going on a picnic today!"

"Are you sure he meant today?" The wide eyes quickly went from joy and exasperation and excitement to shock and then to watery pleading. His rosy little lower lip quivered at the thought of not going on a picnic with his family.

"Easy, my love," Gilraen soothed, turning Estel's chin so that he was facing her. "You are right, we are going on a picnic. After we're all dressed and ready."

With that sentence, Estel flew from the bed, running back to his room to get dressed. Behind him, the sound of laughter light and happy rang out, accompanying his hurried journey to his room. The twins retreated to their room while Gilraen started to get ready, already looking forward to the day.

By the time everyone else had finally arrived at the dining hall, Estel was already there, bouncing impatiently on the balls of his feet. Just because they knew that it would irk their little brother, Elladan and Elrohir went extremely slow, exasperating their movements as they teased Estel. In retaliation, Estel grabbed both of them by the pants and started to drag them to the table, pulling with all his weight, a look of fierce concentration on his face. The twins laughed, and Elrohir scooped him up, and let Elladan tickle their pushy little brother as they continued to the table at a normal pace.

Once everyone was seated and served, the twins and Estel started scarfing down the food as fast as they could, all three of them excited over a day of fun. Elrond tutted at them and reminded them the twins that they were civilized folk and told Estel to take smaller bites. Gilraen laughed at their enthusiasm, smiling at the three of them.

After they were done, they went to the kitchens (after Gilraen got a hold of her son and had him wash up after the mess he had made of himself with breakfast). There, the cook was kind enough to provide them with a basket of good food and drinks that would keep mostly cold. Then, while the adults were talking among themselves, she was able to sneak Estel a muffin with a wink. The smile she got in return was more than reward enough. As they left, they greeted various elves that went about their day. Then, they were on their way.

"Estel, don't wander too far!" Gilraen called, her eyes tracking her wandering child ahead. Even within the safety of the borders, she knew better than most that danger could come from anywhere, regardless of how well protected a place was. But still, she could not begrudge her child his fun. Even so, Elladan and Elrohir went to catch up with him. She watched them, feeling a slight pang in her chest as she remembered a similar sight from four years earlier, a lifetime ago.

"He seems so happy," she breathed. Her eyes were slightly glazed, the sadness that never completely left them coming in a bit more.

"Yes, he is." She turned to him, forgetting for a moment that Lord Elrond, being an elf, would have been able to hear her.

"It's a good thing," she said softly, feeling just a touch defensive for some reason.

"Indeed it is."

"It just seems like yesterday that..." She cut off, still unable to really talk about what happened the day her vision went black.

"Yes, but children are resilient, and such happiness should be treasured."

"Yes, it should be. It just is so amazing that he can still laugh and play, even with what lies before him."

Elrond opened his mouth to reply, most likely with something profound and great, but (thankfully) they were interrupted by Estel.

"Mama! Hurry! I wanna get to the water falls!"

"Coming, Estel!" Gilraen hiked up her skirt and quickly made her way to her child, scooping him up and cuddling her close. "Are you so excited, my love?"

"A ha!" And then Estel went into a large babble about what they could do and how wonderful the falls would be and how he wanted to go swimming. And Gilraen let his words calm her heart, and push against the door that she tried to keep locked in her heart.

"Estel, we don't eat bugs." The six-year-old giggled, and made a show of fake-eating the insect he had captured between his fingers. Then he rolled onto his stomach and let it escape into the grass.

"It's such a nice day," Elladan commented where he lounged lazily at the edge of the picnic cloth that had been hidden at the bottom of the basket the cook had given them earlier. "Not a cloud in the sky."

"Just a brother that's about to scream like a girl." It took Elladan to realize what the sentence meant, but it was too late. Even as he began to bolt upward, cold water from the river came splashing down, soaking him to the bone within seconds. And while he did let out a somewhat high-pitched yell, it was not a little girl scream. Nope, not at all. Gilraen, who'd been sitting next to Elladan and hadn't seen the obviously more evil twin, was also hit by the water, which drenched the top half of her body. Though she did not make a sound, the look of surprise as she futilely attempted to shield herself from the water spoke volumes. As she stayed frozen in her position, blinking away the drops of water, lips pushed together and hair blond hair dripping, Estel gaped at what had just happened. He was amazed that Elrohir would have risked his mother's wrath. Elrond, who had hastily thrown himself from the scene to the other side of the blanket, stared in surprise.

For a moment, silence ruled the area, as Elrohir stared at the doom he had placed himself in, eyes never straying from the fury in the form of a woman. All was still only for a moment more before Elladan launched himself at his twin, with Gilraen hot on his trails. Estel watched in amazement, as the woman that regularly sang him to sleep and played with him went against an elven warrior brother who was obviously in fear of his life, and catching up to him.

"Elrohir Elrondion! You get here right this moment and take your punishment like a man!"

"No! Help! Help! I'm sorry, Lady! Sorry!"

"Gwardor, you better be a very fast elf, or so help me, I'll-"

"Nooooooooo!"

The three of them were making a mad dash around the entire area, Elrohir pulling maneuvers usually only seen on the battlefield, with Elladan matching them, move for move, and Gilraen showing off a few moves of her own. Estel, however, stared in wonder and awe at the scene before him, his respect for his mother growing with every moment.

"She is quite good, isn't she?" Estel didn't bother to answer his foster-father verbally, just nodding as his large eyes tracked them. "Hopefully, this will teach you to never make a woman mad."

" 'Specially mama."

"Yes, especially your mother."

The chase went on for quite some time, becoming less about revenge and more for fun as it went on. Eventually, between the efforts of Elladan and Gilraen, Elrohir ended up beneath the combined weight of both his pursuers, all three laughing in their little pile, joined by the giggles of Estel and Elrond's chuckles.

"Are you ready to be punished?" Elladan asked, grinning down at his squished twin.

"No! Please don't punish me! I'm the good twin!"

"I don't think there is a good twin."

"Hey!"

"I resent that!" Laughter and playful arguments went on for a few minutes, before there was a rumble from the sky, silencing all of them.

"Was that-" Whatever else Elladan was going to say was lost in the sudden onslaught of rain as the heavens suddenly emptied themselves on the party below. Immediately, the adults sprang into action, packing up the picnic and trying to herd a little boy toward the shelter of home. A little boy who was taking too much delight in the rain.

"It's raining, it's raining, it's raining!" He danced around the grass, arms outstretched and spinning in circles, face turned up to catch more drops. "It's raining!"

"Estel, get back here!" Elladan said as he chased after him.

"You'll catch a cold!"

"It's raining!"

Gilraen and Elrond watched the three boys, taking in their laughter and smiles, things that they had both once thought lost forever to grief and death and loss. They watched, both silent but together in their love for the new family they now had, even if it was a work in progress still after four years. Gilraen turned to Elrond, swallowing before gathering her courage to say something important to him.

"You're right." Elrond turned to Gilraen, surprise and a question on his face. "It is a good thing that he can smile, that he is mostly untouched by such loss. And I want him to keep that for as long as he can, even if I can't go back to such innocence... And I think that you and I can give that to him, together."

She smiles, a whimsical, beautiful smile so full of warmth and love that tragedies melted from her face, as she let go of the responsibilities of a widowed mother and went dancing with her child. Elrond watched for a moment, a bit shocked, before smiling as well. He raced after his family, playing with them in the rain, knowing that all was well today.

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