"Gweyr?" I call out quietly as I walk through the darkened house. I rub my arms, my skin feeling light and tingly from where 'Dan held me for so long. I smile dazedly as I think of him and the wonderful feeling of being wrapped in his strong, warm arms. But my smile instantly disappears when I hear Gweyr crying.

"Gweyr?" I call again, racing to her room to see her sitting up in bed, her body shaking as she sobs, "Gweyr! What is the matter?"

I sit down beside her on the bed, wrapping my arm around her. She is clutching a metal bucket, holding onto it like it is her lifeline. She gasps in between sobs, trying to calm down. "I-I," she begins but begins crying again, "I think- I think I am-"

She stops talking as sobs wrack her body again. "Pregnant?" I finish, quietly.

She nods, placing her hand on her face.

I fall silent, allowing her to cry since I do not know what to say. I rub her arm comfortingly, waiting for her to stop crying. After several long moments, she finally calms down enough to speak. "Oh, Taenya, what will we do?" she whispers miserably.

"We will await the baby's arrival with excitement, and we will not worry," I tell her quietly.

She looks at me with tears in her eyes, and my own eyes burn seeing her so upset. "How can we not worry, Taenya? We barely have enough money to sustain ourselves!"

I inhale slowly, trying to put together my thoughts. "'Dan said his family would help us. He is apparently wealthy. He promised that he would not allow anything bad to happen to our family, so there is no need to worry, sister," I tell her softly.

Her eyes widen, and she stands abruptly, still clutching the pail she was using to throw up. "What?" she whispers, "They are going to help us?"

I nod, smiling. "Yes. He is so kind, and his family seems to be, also."

"His family is going to help us," Gweyr whispers, and I nod, "Oh! How will we ever be able to repay them?"

"We will not have to. They are being generous, Gweyr. When you do kind acts for someone, you do not ask for anything in return," I tell her patiently.

She nods. "Yes, I know. This is all just so-so... unreal," she sits back down beside me and looks at me, "I have wanted a child for so long, Taenya, but I never allowed myself to pray for that. I could not live with myself knowing I brought an innocent child into certain poverty. But now... oh, I cannot believe the kindness that ellon possesses. Surely you realize he is doing it for you."

"For me?" I question her, "Whatever do you mean? I am not the pregnant one!"

She laughs, the sound weak with her morning sickness. "Oh, Taenya, how naive you are! 'Dan cares so much for you, it is so obvious. I could see it in his eyes when he looked at you. Ellith usually have that look for several people before they find the one that was created for them, but when you see an ellon with that look in his eyes, you know it is real."

I blush. "You think 'Dan is the one who was created for me?" I ask her.

She smiles softly, her hair sticking to her face due to the sheen of sweat on it. Even when she is sick, she is still somehow beautiful. I have always longed to look like her, even when I was a small child, but 'Dan has made me feel beautiful just how I am.

"What does your heart tell you?" she asks, her voice quiet.

I look forward, contemplating my answer. The truth is, I have known since I first laid eyes on him, somehow deep in my heart, that he is the one for me.

"My heart tells me that 'Dan is my other half," I respond quietly.

Gweyr's smile widens. "Never doubt what your heart says. It knows much more than your mind ever will," she says, "You went and saw him today." The question is more of a statement.

I smile bashfully as I remember his eyes gazing at me with such fiery passion and the way he held me so tightly like he never wanted to let me go. "Yes. Things are changing between us quickly, and it scares me," I admit quietly, "I know that 'Dan cares for me. He told me such sweet things. But I do not know if I am ready to court him. I am scared that maybe my heart is wrong and he is not the one for me. I do not want to be heartbroken. I do not want him to hurt me by leaving me someday."

"I was afraid of that with Falenas. I was in charge of you, and I was scared that my feelings for him would get in the way of me properly caring for you. I was terrified after we started courting and I realized I loved him that he would leave. If he left, I would have certainly faded, and where would that leave you? You would have had no one," she says, "The point is, we are all afraid in love. We are scared to fall for another who can so easily change their mind and break us. But you have to let go of that fear sometime, Taenya. You cannot let your fear keep you from experiencing the wondrous feelings and memories and moments that love brings. You will regret such a mistake."

I stay silent for a long time, thinking over what she said. She is right, of course, but is it really that easy to just stop fearing? I look over at her, sensing the fatigue she is trying to mask. "Lie down, Gweyr, and get some sleep. You cannot be crying and stressing when you tell Falenas that you are pregnant," I say softly.

She nods wearily. "I know, I know," she says, and once she is settled in bed, I pull the covers up to her chin and place her pail on the nightstand incase she gets nauseous again. I also open up the window to allow some fresh air inside.

I walk to the door, but her voice stops me before I can leave. "Taenya," she calls, and I stop, "'Dan is very special. Do not let him go."

I smile as I shut the door to her room, knowing that she is correct. He is, indeed, very special, and I do not plan on letting him go.

_________

"I am pregnant," Gweyr says, her voice sounding strong and determined.

Falenas just stares at her for long moments, his eyes appraising her in disbelief. He starts walking toward her, shaking his head slightly, and he falls to his knees in front of his wife. I look closely at him, and I am shocked to see that he has tears in his eyes. Falenas never cries. The only time I have ever seen him weep was on their wedding day, and it was tears of joy, for he loves my sister so.

Gweyr looks down at him, her own eyes wet with tears, and neither says anything for a moment. I peer into the living room, hoping that they will not see me since I am intruding on their privacy. But I just had to see his reaction. I had to be there to see if he would be just as happy as Gweyr and I are.

"I was not expecting this," he says, his masculine voice shaking with suppressed tears.

He reaches up, placing his hands on Gweyr's waist gently. He leans in, pressing a tender kiss to her flat stomach which is covered by the material of her pink dress, and I bite my lip as tears come to my eyes. I knew he would react this way. I just know that he is going to love that baby more than anything in the world.

"I-," he begins as he pulls back to look at her, but his voice falters, "We do not have enough money right now, but I promise to work harder. I will ask Lord Elrond if he will give me a job of any sort that will pay better than the one I have now. Our child will have a good life, Gweyr. I promise you that."

She reaches out and strokes his jaw with her fingers. "There is no need to be in such a hurry. Taenya has saved us all," she says, and I see her eyes flicker indiscreetly toward me. I feel heat travel up my neck at being caught, but she does not give away my hiding place.

"Taenya spoke to 'Dan today, and he promised that his family would help us in whatever way they could. From the way she spoke, he seems as if he was very sure of his words."

Falenas slowly stands. "They will help us?" he asks, and I can barely hear him, his voice is so weak, "How can we- how can we ever repay such kindness?"

I bite my tongue to keep from laughing. He and Gweyr are so much alike, always thinking the same way and saying the same things. I roll my eyes slightly, smirking. I long for a love like theirs. Just watching them causing a fire of loneliness and longing to erupt in my chest.

Gweyr laughs quietly. "As Taenya wisely told me, when you do kind acts for someone, you do not ask for anything in return. I believe those words, but I think 'Dan is doing this for her."

Falenas pulls Gweyr to him, wrapping his arms around her snugly and burying his face in her hair which cascades down her right shoulder. "Bless her," he says, laughing boyishly, "Oh, bless her and her innocence."

Gweyr laughs delightedly as she wraps her arms around him, and I back away from my hiding spot in order to retreat to my room, a wide smile on my lips.

I sit by my window, staring out into the night. I watch the fireflies flash throughout the forest, and I hear the sounds of many animals wandering through the trees. I braid my hair over my shoulder absentmindedly, thinking back on the scene I witnessed earlier.

The door to my room creaks open just as I am tying off the end of my braid, and I turn to see Falenas peering inside. When he sees me, he opens the door, closing it behind him, and he approaches me silently. He plants himself on the end of my bed, right beside the window where I am sitting.

"Gweyr and I are to travel to Rivendell in the morning," he says softly, staring at me with an unidentified emotion swirling in his eyes, "We will be gone for quite sometime, I believe, in order to make sure that she really is pregnant and that she is healthy. I think we will stay about a week, but I am not completely sure, yet. Will you be alright on your own?"

I nod. "Of course. I think it is a good idea for the two of you to travel to Rivendell. The healers there know much more than anyone in town would," I respond, feeling a tad bit awkward. Falenas does not specialize in conversing. He is a bit shy, like me, and the two of us are better off in silence most of the time.

He nods, not saying anything, and he continues to stare at me with that strange look in his eye. After a few moments of painful silence, he opens his mouth to speak. "Thank you, Taenya. Gweyr told me what you have done for us. You do not realize now just how much you have helped us all. I cannot thank you enough," he says, and his voice shakes a bit. I can tell that he is trying not to cry, and the thought makes my heart warm inside of my chest.

"I only spoke to him of Gweyr being sick," I admit, "I was scared. I did not realize that she is with child. 'Dan is the one who made me see that. I thought- well, I was terrified that she had gotten the same sickness Adar and Naneth had."

Falenas's eyes widen in surprise. He pulls me to him in a comforting embrace, and I wrap my arms around him in return. "Gweyr is perfectly fine, I promise you. It hurts me to know that you thought of such a thing," he says, "What happened to your parents was rare. You need not worry about your sister."

I nod, my cheek rubbing against the soft material of his tunic. "I know that now. I cannot help it, though. The slightest cough from anyone flares up anxiety in my mind, and I woke up to find her puking over the porch railing this morning. You can only imagine how concerned I was!"

His arms tighten around me. "I know, but everything is fine. Just remember that," he says, his deep voice vibrating in his chest.

Silence falls around us like rain.

He pulls away from me a bit, holding onto my shoulders and looking at me seriously. "Now, Taenya, I am not your father and I know that I can never replace him in your life, but as the only male of the house, and as your guardian, I have to tell you this," he begins, and I immediately know where this is going from the tone of voice he is using, "Whilst Gweyr and I are in Rivendell, I do not want anything happening between yourself and 'Dan. Do you understand?"

I nod, already feeling a blush creeping up my skin. Tears of embarrassment fill my eyes, and I blink, willing them away. I have always hated that about myself. When I get extremely embarrassed or angry, I start crying. It is horrible.

His eyes soften as he looks at me. "I am not trying to be mean. I am only looking out for you," he says, wiping away a stupid tear that trails down my cheek with his calloused fingers, "Sometimes, I do not think you see the bad in people, Taenya, and there are many males who would take advantage of that. Now, 'Dan seems like a respectable young ellon, but looks can be deceiving. He is allowed to come in this house, if you wish it to be so, but he is not, under any circumstances, allowed in your bedroom. Understood?"

I nod again, blushing harder at his words. Little does Falenas know that 'Dan and I have not even kissed. There is definitely no danger of anything further than that happening. Sitting here, being lectured by my sister's husband, I feel as if I could die of mortification.

"Good," he says, sighing in what seems like relief, "I know you would not do anything like that anyway, but I had to set the rules just in case. Your sister and I will most likely be gone when you wake up in the morning, so I am telling you goodbye now."

The door to my room creaks open again, and Gweyr comes in, walking over to us and sitting on the other side of me. Falenas releases me from his hold after I give him a quick hug, and I turn to my sister, throwing my arms over her shoulders. She laughs lightly, embracing me tightly in return.

"Please, do be careful while you are here alone," Gweyr says, "I wanted you to come with us, but I know you would be happier here."

I nod. "You are correct. And you should not worry, I will be perfectly fine," I reply, pulling away from her.

"Did Falenas tell you the rules?" she asks, and I groan.

"Yes, yes! He told me the rules! Now, will you both stop trying to embarrass me?" I exclaim, and they laugh loudly at my reaction.

"We are just looking out for you," Gweyr says, reaching out and running my braid through her fingers, "You and I both know how protective Falenas is."

Protectiveness. That is the emotion I saw in his eyes. He simply is worried for me.

We both laugh, and Falenas grumbles something I cannot hear over our laughter.

We stay sitting there together for long hours into the night, talking of the baby and our how our lives are going to change drastically. Falenas insists that the baby will be a girl, since, apparently, 'the gender is always opposite what you hope it is', but Gweyr and I both believe it is going to be a boy. Speaking of the baby causes excitement to overcome me. I have always loved children, and I try to picture in my mind what the baby will look like.

The excitement in our house is so thick, 'tis almost tangible, and laughter fills the home once again. Sitting there on my bed, I cannot help but think of how happy we will be when the baby arrives. Our small, three person family will grow, just like our love for one another.

I just wish my parents could be here to share in the excitement of our little blessing.

______________

A/N: So, Gweyr is pregnant! So excited! I hope y'all liked this chapter. Comment if you did, and tell me what you think is going to happen while Gweyr and Falenas are away. ;) Love y'all, and hope you have a great New Years! I'll try to get the next chapter up asap.

Love,

Josie <3