Unexpected Joy

Title: Unexpected Joy
Author: Taelin
Pairing: Elrond/Frodo
Warning: ELROND mpreg.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The lord of Imladris and Frodo Baggins learn they have more in common than they thought.
Author's Notes: Yes, I'm back, and hopefully I will manage to finish this story afterall.

Darkness. The feeling of peacefully floating. Voices
sounded in the distance. Becoming closer. A sudden
light flashed as the drapes were pulled back.

Lord Elrond groaned softly at the harsh assault upon
his sensitive eyes. A deep crease appeared upon his
brow as his eyes fluttered once, then twice. Within a
moment, the elven lord’s eyes opened fully and blinked
at the face before him.

“Ada, why did you keep this from me? I could have
helped,” Estel stated, hands upon his hips.

Another groan was the answer from Elrond, as he
attempted to sit up. His entire body ached, and he
found his head spinning as he collapsed back against
the soft pillows of the bed he was now laying on. /How
did I get here?/

“I’m waiting, Ada,” Estel reminded, near to tapping
his booted foot upon the wooden floor.

“Penneth, I’ll kindly ask you not to speak to your
elders in such a way,” Elrond admonished gently,
raising an elegant hand to his brow and rubbing
softly. “Would you tell me how I came to be in this
bed?”

Estel raised a brow in a very good imitation of his
adoptive father. “Why don’t you tell me? You’ve been
hiding your condition from everyone. I doubt it can be
kept secret any longer.”

Closing his eyes, Elrond sighed softly and pinched the
bridge of his nose. There was truth to Estel’s
words, and his own foolish pride and fear had t hit him from speaking of what he had truly known
since that fateful night. After recent events, he
knew that he must tell Frodo of the child he carried.
To keep such important information from the hobbit
would be unfair of the one they had asked so much of.

“Estel, listen to me. I make no excuses for my
actions, but until only moments ago, I denied what my
heart was telling me.” Steel gray eyes rose to look
seriously at the King of Men. “I am with child. It’s
true.”

“I had heard stories as a child, Ada,” Estel said, awe
filling his voice as he came to kneel at the bedside.
“I never believed them to be truth. Elven power
cr
create a male quickening?”

Elrond’s face softened into a rare smile as he looked
at his adopted son. “Yes, penneth. It is rare, but
also possible.”

Tentatively, Estel reached out and touched Elrond’s
stomach in awe. His gaze rising to look the the elf
lord’s face at last as he spoke his soft question.
“What of the father?”

Elrond sighed, closing his eyes. He had hoped this
question could be asked later when he’d had time to
think things through. There were so many questions
running through his head, and yet he knew that Frodo
deserved the right to know, even if it meant the
hobbit might give up all he desired simply to ‘do the
right thing’.

“He knows not of my condition, Estel. Not as of yet.”
Elrond finally slid up onto his elbows to look around
the room, realizing he had been brought back to his
chambers.

“Who is he, Ada? Do I know him?”

Another smile graced Elrond’s face, and he placed his
hand upon Estel’s over his growing babe. “Yes,
penneth. You know him. Although I will not disclose
his identity until I have spoken privately with him.
If he does not desire to be a part of this, then I wish
that option open to him.”

Estel’s eyes grew wide. “If he wishes not to be… Ada,
how can you say such a thing? Surely it is his
responsibility to…”

Elrond cut off the King’s speech, gently. “Precisely,
Estel. It is his ‘responsibility’. I do not wish to be
anyone’s ‘responsibility’. If the father of this child
would wish his freedom, then I will say nothing
otherwise. He is young, still, and needs the chance to
choose for himself.” /Far too much has been
decided for him, as of late./ Elrond added, silently
in his head.

Estel’s hand moved softly over Elrond’s stomach as a
thoughtful look came over his face. The elf-lord
watched as the man closed his eyes, as though
concentrating hard upon something. A lump of
apprehension began to form within Elrond’s throat, and
then Estel opened his eyes and looked up to his
father.

“Frodo?” he whispered.

A nod was the only response Elrond could give, for he
felt the first prick of tears and refused to show such
weakness in front of his son. Attempting to push
himself up to a sitting position, the elf-lord
succeeded this time. He gently took Estel’s hand and
was about to speak when there was a soft knock upon doo door.

Elrond cleared his throat softly and finally called,
“Enter.”

The door swung open slowly, and a tentative looking
Frodo Baggins entered. His face was a picture of
concern, as though he seemed to be afraid he was
interrupting something.

“My apologies, my lords.” The hobbit bowed formally.
“I shall return later, I had not meant to interrupt.”

Elrond swallowed the significant lump in his throat as
the hobbit turned to go. “Frodo, wait. I…we need to
have a word…please?”

The hobbit turned back with a slightly curious look
upon his face. He had been sure that he would be
dismissed for interrupting what seemed to be a rather
private moment between elf and man. A pang of concern
ran through Frodo as he took a better look at Lord
Elrond.

“Of course, Lord Elrond,” he said quietly, folding his
arms before him and standing in place.

The elf-lord and Estel exchanged a glance. No word was
spoken, though it seemed a whole conversation had
taken place in the span of that single look. Estel, at
last, nodded and rose to his feet. He made his way out
of the room, placing his hand upon Frodo’s shoulder
and giving it a slight squeeze in reassurance as he
left.

“Come, Frodo.” Elrond smiled softly, and gestured to
the chair by his bedside. “There is something of
rather great importance I must tell you.” Frodo
nodded and took a seat upon the chair, looking
slightly curiously at Elrond as he continued.

“I am assuming you have noticed that I have not
been well these past few days.” Frodo nodded in
acknowledgement, and Elrond continued. “It is the
cause of this that I must discuss with you,
Mas-…Frodo.” Elrond sighed at his near slip into
formalities. This was proving far more difficult than
he’d first imagined.

“Frodo, do you remember the night we shared togr?
r?
The night of the royal wedding?” Again, Frodo nodded,
his face growing slightly flushed at the memory.

Elrond smoothed the blankets over his lap,
unconsciously brushing across his stomach, as he
gathered his thoughts to proceed.

“That night, something happened. Something I must
now inform you of. I believe it to be good news,
though how you will take it, I cannot say.” Elrond
again sighed at himself for stalling. He could conduct
formal councils, and yet he could not bring himself to
explain his condition to the hobbit sitting beside
him.

Elrond took a deep breath, squared his shoulders
slightly and spoke softly. “Frodo, I am with child.”
Fearful blue eyes gazed across at Frodo, and Elrond
took another deep breath. “It is your child I carry.”

Frodo’s large blue eyes grew wider still. His gaze
fell to where Elrond’s hand rested upon his still-flat
abdomen. “M-my child? I beg your pardon, my lord, but
how is that possible?”

“Male elves can sometimes possess the gift of
fertility, Frodo. I knew not that I was capable of
such, until this very afternoon. It appears that we
shall be parents.” Elrond resisted the urge to worry
his lip, and glanced at Frodo.

The hobbit sat in shocked silence, simply staring at
the blankets covering the elf-lord. His mind was
reeling, spinning with thoughts and questions. Finally
his gaze rose to look at Elrond, he cleared his throat
softly in preparation. “W-what happens now?”

Elrond sighed, beginning to fold and re-fold the
blankets overtop of himself. “I know not. I do not
wish you to feel tied to me, Frodo. I know you had
plans to return to The Shire with your friends. I will
not stand in the way of such.” He glanced over at
Frodo, and then down again. “I will return to
Imladris, as planned. My envoy shall escort you, if
you wish it. You are free to choose, Frodo. I hold you
to nothing.”

The elf lord sat back against the pillows. His mind
reeling with thoughts and questions. He refused to
look up at Frodo, afraid to see the first signs of a
decision upon the hobbit’s face.

“Elrond, I would…that is…you are right in saying I had
planned to return with Sam and the others. After such,
I truly did not know where I would go. I had thought
to finish Bilbo’s book, but from that, I still have no
direction.” Large blue eyes filled with tears as a
delicate scholarly hand gently grasped the elf’s. “I
believe I have now found my direction.”

The lump once more formed in Elrond’s throat as his
gaze rose and met Frodo’s. “What are you saying, Frodo
Baggins?”

“I am saying, that I wish to return to Imladris with
you. I wish to assist you throughout this pregnancy,
and I wish to help raise our child.” Frodo then took
Elrond’s hand, squeezing it gently, and smiled through
his tears. “I want to be a part of your life, my
lord.”

Elrond’s heart clenched in his chest, the lump of
emotion in his throat becoming nearly unbearable. Soft
tears slid slowly down his cheeks, and he smiled
slightly at the near declaration Frodo had made.

“You have no idea how long I have waited to hear those
words, Frodo Baggins.” With that, Elrond pulled the
hobbit upon the bed, and hugged him close, finally
giving into his tears.

A fleeting thought passed through his mind. /I now
hold my new family within my arms./ With that, the
elf-lord hugged Frodo tighter still, and whispered
into the slightly pointed ear, finally ready for Frodo
to know.

“Le veleth nin, Frodo.” He softly kissed the hobbit’s
cheek. “I love you.”