Second Chances
Gabriel's development had accelerated. Mentally, he was sharp. Speaking to them in both broken Sindarin and common tongue. The Vala was proud of all that Gabriel could understand, which far exceeded his verbal abilities. But soon... soon he would be speaking like any five-year-old human child, walking and singing and dancing. He had marvelled at his son's development. It had fascinated him. For hours he would watch Gabriel sleep, or he would watch the complicated games he would play with Lírë and Ailbhe.
But what he spent the most time observing was the long conversations Gabriel would have with Kelly, using their language of bird song. It... amazed him. And he knew they were speaking to each other because Gabriel could tell him what Kelly needed if he couldn't figure it out himself.
The children... never ceased to bring him to silent awe.
"Blocks! Puppy blocks!"
Námo laughs as Gabriel crawls toward Lírë, bearing an offering of a bright red block.
"Feaho, Lírë doesn't want your block," Nerdanel says with a chuckle, picking him up and nuzzling him as he squeals.
"Ammë! Ammë up!"
"You are up, angel," she says, sitting down beside Námo on the couch. "Up, up, and up some more!"
Námo watches them, content and smiling at his ... family.
Because... she was his family. Part of him in a way he never dreamed she would be.
"Kitty? Want kitty."
"Ada has the kitty," Námo informs his son. "I will ask him to bring her later, ionen."
Gabriel frowns. "Want kitty!"
Nerdanel smoothly places a pacifier in Gabriel's mouth, and the child calmed.
They watch him slowly fall asleep in her lap, fingers curled in her long, copper hair. Námo stares at him, thinking. "Have you... thought of another child, Nerdanel? A blood-sibling for Gabriel?"
"My sons are his blood."
"Only half his blood. He has no other like himself."
Nerdanel brushes the red wisps of hair on Gabriel's hair. Yes, she had thought about that. That he was alone. No other.
She didn't want him to be alone.
"Ask Gorlim," she says quietly, kissing her son's brow. "Make certain he will accept another child as his own as he as accepted Gabriel. If he will... then yes. You're right."
She sighs, only a little worried about what this would mean for her physically and spiritually. Still... "...he does need another like him."
But what he spent the most time observing was the long conversations Gabriel would have with Kelly, using their language of bird song. It... amazed him. And he knew they were speaking to each other because Gabriel could tell him what Kelly needed if he couldn't figure it out himself.
The children... never ceased to bring him to silent awe.
"Blocks! Puppy blocks!"
Námo laughs as Gabriel crawls toward Lírë, bearing an offering of a bright red block.
"Feaho, Lírë doesn't want your block," Nerdanel says with a chuckle, picking him up and nuzzling him as he squeals.
"Ammë! Ammë up!"
"You are up, angel," she says, sitting down beside Námo on the couch. "Up, up, and up some more!"
Námo watches them, content and smiling at his ... family.
Because... she was his family. Part of him in a way he never dreamed she would be.
"Kitty? Want kitty."
"Ada has the kitty," Námo informs his son. "I will ask him to bring her later, ionen."
Gabriel frowns. "Want kitty!"
Nerdanel smoothly places a pacifier in Gabriel's mouth, and the child calmed.
They watch him slowly fall asleep in her lap, fingers curled in her long, copper hair. Námo stares at him, thinking. "Have you... thought of another child, Nerdanel? A blood-sibling for Gabriel?"
"My sons are his blood."
"Only half his blood. He has no other like himself."
Nerdanel brushes the red wisps of hair on Gabriel's hair. Yes, she had thought about that. That he was alone. No other.
She didn't want him to be alone.
"Ask Gorlim," she says quietly, kissing her son's brow. "Make certain he will accept another child as his own as he as accepted Gabriel. If he will... then yes. You're right."
She sighs, only a little worried about what this would mean for her physically and spiritually. Still... "...he does need another like him."