I finished setting in the last brick for Merry and Pip's living room fireplace flue. Within the week, I firmly expected to finish off their home. But I checked the sun's position and decided to call it a day, cleaning up and putting my tools away. Balik and Reason had finished caulking the tub and its surrounds so the bathroom was finished. Tomorrow they'd finish the kitchen while Cincall installed the last of the bookshelves there.

All in all, I was satisfied with our work. The Hobbits had worked harder than any of us and I followed a pair of voices to the room that Merry had chosen as his workroom. We'd laid in tiles for the floor since they'd be easy to clean. Once he'd fitted it out with a worktable and shelves for all his tools, he'd begun to work on the furniture they would need to fill the other rooms.

Pip sat on the workbench and chattered away about dinner while Merry fitted a complex inlay of dark cherry into a lighter shade of oak door. The clothes cupboard would be a work of art by the time he was through.

"I'm done with the chimney, Merry. There had better be a lot of dinner, Pip. I'm starving." I teased him with a growl and he threw me an impudent look.

"There's enough for a dozen hungry Dwarves." He told me with a twinkle. "And dessert's a surprise. Hey, Gimli, what are you doing for your anniversary tomorrow?"

"Anniversary?" For a moment I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Oh-oh, looks like somebody forgot the day that Aragorn got crowned." Pip shook his head in mock sorrow while the memory hit me like an ax. "Sam is taking Frodo on a picnic while we keep the babies."

Durin's Beard, it was May Day. I stood stock-still and thought about that day. The night that our children were conceived and our lives had changed forever.

"Don't worry, Gimli. You still have time to think of something." Merry said cheerfully.

"I don't know about that, Merry. I'm very bad at remembering such dates." I sighed and ran through a list of gifts that might be good enough for my love. Nothing came to mind for my beautiful bonded. "I think it's time I checked in with my father. Maybe he'll be able to think of something. Thank you for reminding me."

"It's our pleasure, Gimli. If we can help in any way, let us know tonight." Merry finished gluing in the last piece of cherry in the intricate lover's knot pattern that adorned the left-hand door. The right-hand was finished and propped against the paneled wall.

I said my farewells and left their partially completed home for the walk back to my own. Legolas had gone back to work in the library with Frodo. My father had had to make another extra-wide cradle so that both sets of twins could sleep in between nursing and pooping. That was all they seemed to do except for a few moments every day when they looked right at us and seemed to know who we were.

All four of the babies would snuggle close together and sleep for an hour at a time before waking up and demanding to be fed. Poor Clothile was at his wit's end at the clutter they brought into his pristine domain. But Lorrin had taken to dropping by and explaining what some of the scrolls were about before they had to start translating. That seemed to reconcile the archivist to the taking over of his library.

Walking slowly, I thought of the last year with almost disbelief. Where had the time gone? It seemed like yesterday that we were fighting a war that we almost lost and here it had been over a year since we'd admitted our love to each other. Detouring to the snug home that my father had finished and moved into before the worst of winter hit, I knocked on the front door and listened for his 'come in'.

I found him sitting by the fire with a cup of tea in one hand and some of my favorite crumble cake in the other. He laughed at my needy look and pointed to the chair across from him. I poured a cup from the teapot on the hearth and almost inhaled the piece of cake that he'd baked. Explaining my dilemma, I waited for him to come up with some ideas.

"Hm-m, that's a tough one, son. I know what a Dwarf maiden would like but Legolas is not at all maiden-ish." His dark eyes so like my own twinkled a little. "Perhaps you should just ask him what he'd like?"

I sighed. "I know I can do that but he deserves something more than just a bouquet of flowers, which is the first thing I thought of."

He chuckled. "Roses are good, son. A good start, that is. How about I give you two uninterrupted hours tomorrow evening? Lorrin and I could take the twins so you can have some time together. Alone."

"Thank you, Papa." I said gratefully. "Sam is taking Frodo for a picnic while Merry and Pip watch their little ones. Legolas loves the forest so much, maybe I could take him somewhere that he'd enjoy outdoors."

A triple tap on the door and Lorrin entered before my father could even call out. "Gloin, Gimli."

"Lorrin, do you know of a place that Legolas would particularly enjoy in the forest that he hasn't found yet?" I sat up and eagerly asked the ancient Elf.

"Perhaps there is a spot not so near as some or as far as others." He shrugged fluidly and dropped down to the hearth to sit cross-legged. "There is a hot springs near the smaller Shanon river. A small grove of beech trees surrounds it and I think my Prince would enjoy it. I would be glad to take some supplies there so you and he could take a walk and have a private picnic."

"Yes, that would be perfect. Will we need to ride there or is it really close enough to walk there? Why didn't we know of it before?" I thought we'd explored all the land near the settlement.

"It is hidden and quite small. No bigger than your bath although the water is heavily mineralized and very warm. While the Prince was pregnant it wouldn't have been safe, but now he would take no harm. Actually, it might even help the last stages of his healing." Lorrin said quietly and I flinched a little.

Legolas still had some occasional pain and although he tried to hide it, I almost always could feel his ache. There were times when I wondered just how close we were growing that we so often reacted to something that happened to the other. But that thought was pushed to the back of my mind for later. Now was for planning a surprise dinner in a romantic spot for my bonded.

Papa took over the task of getting our dinner ready while Lorrin promised to take me to the springs the next day so I'd be able to find it. I left for home with a lighter heart although I took a quick detour to pick some of the blue bells that grew near Jallico's home. They were one of Legolas' favorites and I picked a small bouquet of the sweetly scented flowers he enjoyed.

The sound of humming led me to our bedroom when I got home. Legolas was just tucking Pharin in beside her brother and I joined him in time to brush a kiss across their cheeks. Handing the flowers to Legolas, I watched him smile and take a deep breath of their fragrance. They were the same blue as his eyes but I thought not half as beautiful.

"Thank you, beloved. I'll put them here near our bed so we can enjoy them and the children can, too." He dropped a kiss on the top of my head before going to the kitchen to get a vase.

I stayed where I was, watching our children sleep. At 32 days old they were all ready showing their different personalities. Pharin was quiet and reacted badly to loud noises. Glimmer liked to touch everything around him. She had Legolas' sight and I often had to look much farther away to find what was fascinating her. He had surprising strength in both hands, squeezing hard around a finger or a lock of hair.

But for all their differences, it was quite evident that they were our children. They loved to listen to Legolas sing to them. When they heard my voice, they'd get really agitated and start waving their arms around. I'd have to pick them up so they could snuggle against me. Maybe it was because we were new parents and they still seemed like miracles to us, but they liked being held more than anything else.

Rhea said that they'd grow out of it but I was secretly enjoying it so I just kept on picking them up and holding them close. Babies have a scent all their own and it didn't matter if they were Dwarf, Elf or Hobbit. Legolas came back in and interrupted my musings. The flowers were arranged just so and he put them on the table between the bed and the cradle.

He was moving easier now and his graceful movements were almost back to pre-pregnancy days. I had expected him to fret over his slow healing but instead he'd shown that vaunted Elvish patience that seemed so much a part of his race. He rested when he should, took naps with the babies, ate the iron enriched foods that Lorrin had prescribed for him and still had time to take care of me.

Legolas Greenleaf was a constant revelation to me and yet still a mystery that I wanted to solve. And somehow I knew that he always would be.

*********

I was excited and nervous all at the same time. Papa and Lorrin had showed up at dinner time and that's when I told Legolas that we were celebrating May Day with a special treat. His eyes lit up and he kissed me sweetly before taking my hand and letting me lead him towards the mountains. We passed through the gardens, crossed the Lesta and headed into the heavily wooded foothills in the opposite direction of White Cap.

Lorrin had shown me the way earlier and we'd both carried everything that I thought we'd need for this anniversary tryst. There was still a nip to the air even though daylight grew longer each day. So we'd taken a warm blanket and towels to dry ourselves after we soaked in the mineral springs. The water bubbled a little and when I dipped my hand in it, it felt tingly like little zaps of lightning hitting my skin.

He was going to love it. Jallico had produced two different dinners meant for leisurely eating with fingers instead of forks. All of Sam and Frodo's favorites went into their picnic basket while the cook and my father collaborated on our basket. Lorrin had contributed a bottle of wine that he promised would not get anyone pregnant. He and Rhea were adamant that Legolas wait at least a year before even thinking of having any more children.

I thought maybe three years would be too soon.

"Gimli, are you ever going to tell me where we're going?" His teasing voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about how impossible it seems that it's been a year since you got pregnant." I kissed the hand I was holding and he chuckled.

"It does seem as if the last year flew by on eagle's wings, beloved. I wondered if you'd want to celebrate this momentous day." His nostrils flared and he turned his head as if to catch a distant sound. "It sounds and smells like hot springs ahead."

"Close your eyes, my love." I waited until he'd closed them then led him through the thicket of sweet smelling lilacs to the grotto where I'd set up our dinner. "Surprise!"

He gazed about the dense grove of slender beech trees that stopped about six feet from the small pool of steaming water. Our blanket was spread over a soft carpet of grass and held the basket of food, towels and our robes in case we didn't want to get dressed right away. The temperature was much warmer than the outer forest but I knew we'd get chilled after leaving the bubbling water.

"It's beautiful, Gimli. Lorrin must have shown it to you." He went down to one knee and hugged me close. "I do adore you, my thoughtful love."

"I love you too, my Legolas. But I can't take all the credit. Merry and Pip reminded me of the date, my father offered the babysitting and Lorrin showed me the way here."

He chuckled and took a deep breath of lilac scented air. "I now know how truly I am loved, Gimli. All of you are such a blessing to me."

"No more so than you are to us, my love. You and Frodo are the heart of this place." I'd thought about this a dozen times over the last year. "Frodo, because he understands failure and yet keeps going with his head held high. You, because you cherish each soul here, including the very trees and flowers that grow around us."

"More than just I do that, Gimli." He blushed a little and I leaned in to kiss him.

We always tasted good together but right now his sweet taste overwhelmed my senses. His silky hair caressed my hands where I held the long elegant throat. His skin felt warm and smooth beneath my questing lips. His clean scent was faintly overlaid with the talc that we used on our babies' bottoms but then we both smelled of that. I smiled into his lips and he matched it before pulling away to gaze at me.

"I'm thinking that we should soak for a bit in the hot springs then eat our dinner." I told him and he agreed.

Undressing took more time than it rightly should but without the babies nearby hurrying us along, we could afford to savor each piece of skin unveiled. His lips ghosted over my skin and left tingles in their wake while he shivered slightly when I gently licked his sensitive nipples. Eventually though we slid into the pool and were greeted with an explosion of bubbles.

"Goodness!" Legolas exclaimed before beginning to laugh out loud. "This is wonderful, Gimli. I've never felt anything like it."

"Me, either." I moved my arms experimentally and each movement brought a fresh onslaught of tingles. I chuckled. "We must share this with the others, my love. Although we need a bench for those of us shorter than tall Elves."

He went to his knees so we were face to face about six inches above the water. "Papa will think of something since wood would eventually dissolve in this water. Perhaps a granite bench here at the back like the tub in Minas Tirith. The two of us fill it quite well but once Glimmer and Pharin get bigger, I think they would like it, too."

I pulled him closer to me so the bubbles tingled from his skin to mine and back again. Kissing those wet lips, I slowly slid my hands over his body and took special care of the thin white line that was all that was left of the birth. He sighed into my mouth and began to copy the caresses onto my body. I will never get enough of him, not if I live to a thousand.

The heat built between us until it felt like we were boiling. He gasped or maybe it was me but with one accord, we broke apart and levered ourselves out of the pool. The towels took care of the drips but the blanket finished the drying job when we rolled back and forth in a mock battle for dominance. He finished above me, his long blond hair flowing like silk over my heated skin.

We kissed slowly, savoring each languid caress of tongue to tongue. My hands stroked his back, massaging the long lean muscles that rippled beneath his silky smooth skin. Breast to breast, he moaned just a little when my chest hair teased his nipples to hard peaks.

"Gimli, dear heart, we should eat our dinner or make love. We don't have time for both. My breasts are beginning to ache." He said apologetically with a rueful look.

"They'll be hungry within the hour." I said with a sigh. "You decide."

His smile grew slowly and he went nose to nose with me. "Make love to me, my virile Dwarf. We can eat after they go to sleep. Remind me of the day a year ago when we made wild ..." he kissed me, "beautiful ..." another kiss, "love."

I rolled him beneath me and reached for the oil that I'd packed in with our dinner. He spread his legs for me and stretched beneath my gaze with a sultry look that hardened me to stone. I stretched him carefully, looking for any sign of pain after our long abstinence. But he just smiled up at me and began to run his fingers over my shoulders, combing through my long hair.

"Black silk," he said idly, "your hair is so beautiful. Have you noticed Glimmer's hair is just as soft as yours? Oh, love, in me ... now."

I nodded and replaced my fingers with my cock, sliding into a channel hotter than the springs beside us. We both moaned at the connection remade and I slid in until I could go no further. He pulsed around me like a living sheath and I felt our hearts beat together.

"Beloved Legolas," I sighed his name and those blue eyes opened to gaze into mine.

"Beloved Gimli," he cupped my face with those long fingers of his. "Make love to me on this our one year anniversary. May we be just as happy a hundred years from now."

"We will be." I vowed and began the slow retreat out of him only to thrust back in. Our rhythm was back as if it had never been away and we soon found the perfect in and out motion. The flush returned to his skin and I could see small drops of liquid appear on his nipples.

Temptation was too much and I leaned in to gently tongue the milk from them. He shivered all over and came between us at the first touch of my lips. That took me by surprise and I flooded him with my seed, shamefully quick to spend myself within his depths.

"Oh, love, how very erotic it is for you to nurse from my breast." He blushed. "I did not know they were so sensitive still."

"Perhaps once they've nursed, there might still be some for their father?" I teased him just a little, licking my lips at the sweetness of his milk.

"There will always be some for their father." He pulled me down for another kiss. "However, we need to get back before they send out search parties for us."

I nodded and gently pulled from him. We dressed and repacked the second picnic basket with our supplies. Leaving the small enchanted glade, we promised each other we would come again but next time with the babies so we could spend more time playing. I was already planning the bench for the pool and wondering if there was a way to leave some supplies there so we didn't have to carry the blankets and towels back and forth.

This anniversary had been a success and I was already looking ahead to our next one.

******************
The end for now