Haldir swung the baby in his arms back and forth.

"He does look like me does he not Kate?" he asked kneeling down beside her bed placing the baby in her arms.

"Yes, he is adorable," she sighed happily.

"I noticed that the moment I saw him," Haldir grinned. "He has your beautiful turquoise eyes."

"And your golden hair," she added yawning.

"You need to rest my love, rest," he caressed her forehead.

"Yes, sleep...it sounds so good. I will dream of you, Haldir. And our new son we will name Sean Rumil."

Haldir smiled and softly began to sing an elvish song, and Kate drifted off to sleep...

"Oh I am sorry Mum," Sean apologized attempting to pick up the cut out cookie he had dropped on the floor.

Kate smiled. "I am sure Luna will enjoy it," she laughed as the dog quickly licked up the scrap. Kate took her son's hand. "Come on. There are plenty more cookies to cut out and decorate," she motioned to the dough.

Kate stood in the kitchen a floury apron hanging from her shoulders. She did not even notice Haldir sneak up behind her and place his arms around her waist.

"Haldir," she turned grinning wrapping her arms around his neck. "You'll get all floury."

"Your point?" he asked inching near to her face.

"If we keep having interruptions, we will never be able to finish the cookies or the buckeyeballs," she objected.

Haldir instantly stepped back since chocolate has such an affect upon elves. "As you wish, my love."

Kate turned only to see her five year old son scooped up by his father and swung around the room like an airplane.

"Be careful," Kate warned Haldir even if she had no need.

"Are you ready to get the tree today, son?" Haldir asked.

Sean nodded his head, and the elf rustled the boys blonde bobcut hair. "You want to help me cut it with a really big hacksaw?" he grinned seeing his boy's head nod again shyly.

"Now Haldir," Kate took Sean in her arms and kissed her son's head. "Don't listen to, Daddy. He wont make you cut that big ol' tree down."

"But I get to decorate it, right?" the boy asked.

"Of course," she smiled. "Now why don't you go outside and play with your brother. I hear they're having a snowball fight."

"Yipppeee!" Sean cried jumping from his mother's arms.

"Don't forget your coat and mittens," she reminded him.

Kate turned to Haldir and grinned, but leaned against the counter for a minute touching her side. Haldir quickly took her hand. "Kate are you ill?"

"No, no I'm fine. I guess there is no point in keeping it from you longer," a smile curved over her lips. "Haldir, you are having another boy," she laughed incontrollably.

"Kate, should we stop my love?" he asked smoothing away a copper curl.

"It does not hurt it seems. Varda's drink helps me overcome my pregnancies quickly. That is why we have had two boys in five years. And I doubt you could stop," she said her eye gleaming.

"Then you would not object to another night on Christmas Eve?" he snaked an arm around her waist.

"Oh gosh! You will never stop," she laughed.

Haldir pulled Kate to him and enveloped her mouth in a kiss...

"The time has come, Haldir," the elf saw a tear trickle down his wife's cheek.

Kate had lived long, but she still looked as beautiful as the day they had first met. But Haldir knew she would not last forever. He took her hand in his grasp not wishing to release her yet.

"No my Kate. You will have more years in you."

"You know that is not so, my love. I have lived a full happy life. Our sons are strong and handsome. You taught them well."

"We taught them well, Kate," Haldir told her. "Everything we did here, we did together."

"Yes, but one thing you must do alone."

Kate looked at the big leather chair beside her bed. A little girl with dark golden hair lay upon the chair curled up comfortably.

"I finally have a daughter, but I will not live long enough to raise her."

"She has your spirit and strength though. She has your turquoise eyes."

"But your hair," answered Kate. "Oh my Haldir. I love you. And I am sorry to leave you alone. But do not grieve for me. We have lived a long and happy life, but it is time for me to go now. I do not know where I am to go, but I'm sure it is someplace special. I will wait there however long it may be until you come if you come. You will still have me, Haldir," she motioned to his heart and his head. "The memories will bring pain. But they will bring life, hope, and happiness to you. Remember the good times we had and not the bad."

"I will do whatever you ask me to."

"And you will not be able to keep our daughter here for long."

"I know," he sighed. "She must go back to Valinor with me," Haldir brushed aside a strand of golden hair from the child's face revealing her tipped ears. "I do not know how it happened, but she bears immortality."

"Promise me something. Do not raise her to be like me. I wish her to be like you, strong but loving, independent yet caring."

"Kate you are perfect."

"I still have my flaws, Haldir. And before I met you, I had many more. But you changed me, Haldir. I do not know how or when, but you did," she smiled and brushed a hand across his cheek. "Yet I know I shall still love and adore you even parted in death."

Tears flowed from Haldir's eyes and he took her hand in his grasp pressing it against his cheek.

"Youve laced my heart with happiness, we've cried the happy tears, you are someone I wont forget through my life my immortal years."

"Oh my Haldir."

Kate's eyes closed, and her hand dropped gently to the bedside. Haldir took her face in his hands and let his tears fall upon her cheeks. Kate was now gone. A great light disappeared from the world and from Haldir's heart.

"Daughter," Haldir said to Constance as he opened the door to her room. "I have something for you," he smiled.

"Come in, father," she said. "I am finishing up a drawing for art class."

He observed the sunset over the mountains and the reflection of the peaks upon a lake. "It is beautiful, Constance. But I must tell you something."

Haldir set the little gift beside his daughter and nodded for her to open it. She unwrapped the paper and beheld a small white box. She lifted the cover and gushed taking her mother's necklace into her hand.

"But Father, you cannot give me this."

"She would have wanted me to give it to you, Constance. You have well earned it."

"But why are you giving it to me now?" she asked.

"Daughter, it is time for me to tell you of who you truly are. You know you have been different from many other girls. It is because you are. I have told you the legends of Middle Earth."

She nodded.

"They are much more than that. Middle Earth is real, my daughter."

"Well of course it is, father. I have always believed it is."

"What you do not know is that you have come from that land."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Daughter, Constance, you are an elf."

A shocked expression came onto her face. He continued, "Tis not so difficult to believe. You have come into girlhood very slowly. You are still only one hundred. I have tried to keep it hidden from you informing you that one year was more than three hundred and sixty five days. You bear the mark of tipped ears and the starlight is in your turquoise eyes my daughter. You have the beauty of the elves, and it shall never fade."

"Father, I do not know what to say."

"You do not need to say anything now, but it is time we left America, my daughter. It will be difficult I know for you. But it is time you return to your homeland."

Constance looked into her father's eyes. "You are right, Father. I do need to return with you. And I must do what you say. I will come with you. I love you, Father, and I will do anything you wish me to."

Haldir held his daughter in his arms.

The white sails blew strongly in the wind as the ship bearing the two elves approached the shore of Valinor. Varda allowed them to pass beyond the borders of the world, and Haldir felt refreshed and invigorated as he came to his homeland. They stepped off the shore, and instantly Haldir was greeted by old friends and his two brothers who were very interested in meeting their niece. But as he greeted old friends, a sense of familiarity swept over the elf, and he turned, and his heart leapt from his chest.

"Is this the Haldir you keep telling me of, Rumil?" asked the girl who stood before him.

She was undoubtedly elven, but Haldir knew well who it was. He took her soft hand and kissed it holding it within his a few moments longer.

"Yes this is my brother, Haldir. Haldir, this is Katiel. She is a young elf and came to us on Midsummer's Eve."

Haldir grinned at the date. It was the same day when Kate left him. Here before him stood his love reborn. She would not remember him perhaps, but he would love him all the same, and perhaps she would grow to love him as well.

"Well I do suppose we will be seeing each other again," smiled Haldir.

"You never know," she began to walk away, but a sudden grin swpet over to her face, and she approached him again and whispered in his ear, "Haldir, you raised our daughter Constance well."