"I wonder if we would all be here together like this," said Rumil from his comfortable spot on the couch. The fireplace had a heavy glow, and the occupants of the room watched the sparks chase one another up the chimney. In a corner of the room, wrappings and ribbons were strewn across the floor beneath a large potted pine. Not one of them had figured since the previous year how to remove the tree from the house. It had begun its life further inland, but as a gift to the hobbits, who wanted to celebrate the yuletide the past winter, it was taken from the ground and placed indoors. Winter was too cold to take it out and plant it, and spring had brought its share of excitement. Summer brought odd circumstances, and with fall came great changes. Now, too big to make it through the doorway, the lovingly cared for pine was nearly bursting from its basket.

Time would come when they would eventually come up with a solution. The mulled wine, gingerbread cakes, and warm apple cider were enough to help them decide that this was not the day for that. The elflings were snuggled in their beds, and the grown elves sat in the comfort of the main parlor with drooping eyelids, none of them wanting to be the first to leave the party. Though the hobbits were not present this year at the First Homely House, it was decided that the festivities made a lovely tradition.

But for now, the focus was on Rumil, and Orophin asked, “You mean if the hobbits had not brought to our attention such a wonderful holiday?” He tied another bow to his collection that ran up and down his arms and legs. It was not something he had begun – Tallasinde had toddled over to him earlier in the day and thought her brother would be better suited with a ribbon on his head – but to the delight of the youngster, he had continued to add to the collection as the gifts were opened. The fact that the elfling was now sleeping did not seem to daunt him.

Rumil shook his head. “If the one ring had not been destroyed. Would we have made it here to Valinor? And of course, surely the hobbits would not have been here then,” he added.

Orophin shrugged. “I am glad I do not have to answer that question, my brother. I am content to know it did not fall into the hands of the enemy."

Elrond swirled his wine in his glass. “I have another ponderance for you. Who would have taken the ring, had they been given the chance?”

“Well, Sauron. Obviously,” snorted Orophin.

“I meant of those here in this room.” Elrond took a pull of the pipe he had been smoking, and blew the smoke up into the air thoughtfully. “If given the chance, how many of you would have taken it? And, Galadriel, we already know your story, so no need for you to answer.”

“Oh, poo,” sighed the Lady, gathering laughter from everyone in the room.

"Why would anyone have knowingly taken the ring?" asked Glorcheniel, seated by the fire with her mug of coffee. "Was it not well known in Middle-earth that it was evil?"

"Known, but not exactly understood, and so much of the history was lost in time. We, as elves, were not always seen as wise, but as time went on, we were sometimes feared," explained Elrond.

"Funny how we acquired such a reputation," said Celeborn, to which Galadriel playfully answered, "Are you trying to give me a reason to make you sleep on the couch this evening?"

"So who would have wanted the evil little ring?" asked Beinielien. She was in a chair beside her husband, Celebdreth, having acquiesced to his request of being present at the family's now annual event.

Orophin sat on the floor, madly waving his decorated arm in the air. “Oh, I would have taken it,” he admitted, though there was neither pride nor remorse in his voice. “Then, I would have made myself king of the world. Or, perhaps, I would have made Glorfindel king, but I would have been the one really in charge.” Glorfindel, who was sitting on the floor, but leaned up against Erestor’s legs, considered this, but seemed to accept it.

Celeborn cleared his throat. “I shall admit, I wanted it. I knew enough not to take it, but I did want it.”

“Celeborn, really?” asked Galadriel. She was sitting between her husband and her grandson, Celebdreth, but her focus was completely on Celeborn.

“I must say, I was jealous. Truly, you were basically Queen of the Noldor, fairest in the land, Lady of Light, and I…was just…very tall. I do not see why they needed to give you a ring of power, too. Nobody ever wondered 'Hmm, do you think Celeborn might want a magic ring?’ Bastards...” Celeborn tried hiding his smile, but one poke from Galadriel revealed it, and she laughed.

“Ultimate rule under the Wise and Noble Celeborn…” she mused.

“Sounds pretty good, does it not?”

“I am considering it…” she told him.

Nenniach shook her head disdainfully. “I refuse to answer such a question. That is simply not something I would have done.”

Rumil turned to his wife and looked slyly at her. “You wanted it.”

Nenniach frowned. “I did not.”

“You wanted it,” he repeated. Nenniach rose from her seat and made for the kettle of wine. “Oh, come now. I wanted it. Minute I saw him, I felt compelled to bite it from his hand.”

Orophin looked up in surprise. “He was not even wearing it at the time! You would have gotten a bit of chin or something...maybe a piece of nipple, depending on where it was hanging…”

“Language, Orophin!” scolded Galadriel.

Orophin cocked a brow and gave Galadriel an odd look, “Oh, and 'poo' is suitable for guests to hear?”

Glorfindel was grinning with great amusement to hear Galadriel’s answer. Even Erestor was wearing a bit of a smirk. “We are less like guests, more like neighbors,” spoke up the dark elf. “We are also both at a point where I believe we can handling hearing ‘poo’ and ‘nipple’ spoken without being compelled to roll about the floor in fits of laughter...like... elflings...” Erestor tapped Glorfindel in the back with his toe, but the blonde elf continued to keep his head bowed with his forehead resting upon his knees, shaking with laughter. “I do apologize, I constantly forget Fin’s lack of decorum.”

"You said..." Glorfindel snorted, and had to bow his head again. "You said 'poo' and 'nipple'." He nearly did roll to his side, wiping the tears from his face.

Erestor reached down and stole away Glorfindel’s wine glass, which caused him to sober considerably. “What about you, Haldir?” Erestor asked, keeping the glass just out of Glorfindel’s reach. “Did you desire the one ring?”

Haldir leaned back on the couch he sat on thoughtfully. To his left, Legolas was half dozing with his legs tossed haphazardly across Haldir’s lap. On his right, Elodien was nestled against him, feet tucked under her. There was a purple stuffed rabbit on the arm of the sofa, and all three – two elves and a rabbit – paid careful attention now to Haldir’s answer. “No, not I,” he finally said.

Orophin looked up with shock for a second time that evening. “What? You did not care for the one ring?”

“No. I can say without a doubt I did not want the one ring. The evil that emanated from it was... it felt cold. I felt as if I was choking and drowning when I set my eyes first upon it.” He paused, noting that his companions seemed satisfied with this answer, and added, “I did want Nenya, Narya, and Vilya... but not the one ring.” Legolas grinned and laughed silently and Elodien closed her eyes and shook her head. The rabbit did not seem to have an opinion about this.

Rumil tilted his head thoughtfully. “Always good to have variety.”

Nenniach sighed heavily. “Alright,” she said, as if she had been tortured and her will broken, “I wanted it.”

“I knew it!” Rumil shouted gleefully. “Celebdreth?”

“In a heartbeat," he answered. Beineilien giggled, but somehow, did not seem all that surprised at his answer.

Nenniach, in passing as she went to the kitchen to bring more wine, patted the young elf on the shoulder. “Truly your father's son.”

“No, I would have just taken it. I would not have made a meal of the hobbit,” Celebdreth said, reaching for the plate of cookies.

“Bite him, not eat him,” corrected Rumil. “Hobbit is too hairy to eat.”

“Thank you for that image, dear son of mine,” Galadriel said disdainfully.

“You are most welcome, Nana.”

Galadriel sighed and looked at Celeborn, who raised his hands in front of him. “You admitted it, he is your son. Biting hobbits was definitely not a habit he picked up from me.”

“Nor I,” defended Galadriel.

“Sure it was!” Celeborn wrapped an arm around his wife. “You like short little things... hobbits... dwarves... Haldir... was bound to rub off on one of the children.”

Haldir made to pull a pillow off of the couch to throw at his father, but Legolas got it first and held it out of his reach. Elodien grabbed the bunny and tucked it under her arm in the case that Haldir got the idea to try anything with Nibbles. Instead, he just glared at Celeborn.

“Sorry,” Celeborn said, “but you have become such an easy target now.”

"Darling?" asked Celebdreth, looking at his wife in the chair beside the couch.

"No, I would not have taken it," she replied. "I would have expected you to have given it to me after you had taken it. For safekeeping," she added amid the laughter.

Glorcheniel nodded her head as she refilled her mug. "I do not want to be the only one without a ring of power. I would have taken it, but being the business-minded elleth I am, I would have put it on display and charged admission to see it. Wait," she added, "I could have done that disappearing thing if I put it on, right? That would have been a wonderful bar trick."

"No, the disappearing only worked on men, hobbit, dwarves, I think, not us," corrected Celeborn.

"Well, what good is it if you cannot play with it?"

"So, you would not have taken it?" prodded Elladan.

"Oh, I still would have taken it, but I would have pouted that it would not make me invisible," grinned Glorcheniel.

“Is there anyone who would not have taken it?” Elrond wondered aloud, surveying those in the room.

Valarda spoke up. “Not me. Too tacky, in my opinion.” Orophin snorted loudly and looked up at his wife with a grin. “Maybe if it had been mithril,” she finally said.

Gimli, who had preferred to listen to the banter, raised his head upon hearing the word. “Ah, excellent choice. A wise woman you have there, Master Orophin.”

Orophin nodded his thanks to Gimli for the comment, but raised his brow at his wife knowingly. She winked down at him. “Would have been fun to be scary and powerful and everything. Yes, alright, you pressured me into it. I would have taken the ring. I guess we all would have taken the ring.”

“I said I would not have,” pouted Haldir from the couch.

“But you could have taken the one to get to the other three,” reminded Orophin, motioning for Celebdreth to pass the cookies ‘round to the other side of the room.

Haldir blinked at this revelation. “That is brilliant... then I would have had four...”

Celeborn looked at Galadriel. “That one is also your son, my dear.”

“Pity that it is only Orophin that you will take responsibility for...” she answered him.

“What of you, Legolas?” Haldir nudged the other elf’s legs from him so that he could get to the cookies and refill his glass of wine. “Did you think to take the ring? You likely had the best chance of us all.”

Legolas straightened up in his seat, looking quite hurt. “I was on a quest, sworn to protect the bearer of the ring! I would not have dreamed to take it.”

Haldir slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder. Legolas fidgeted a little, looking down at his hands in his lap.

“Though, the opportunity was ever present. Many a time did the fellowship slumber while I was left awake to keep watch.” Legolas glanced up, seeing that Haldir was still watching him, now narrowing his eyes. “Alright, yes, I thought to take it! To give to my father, to cleanse Mirkwood! Of all the fellowship, it was I who was most sympathetic to Boromir's cause.”

“But you knew the power was too great, and did not take it because of this reason,” Galadriel comforted, reaching a hand out to pat Legolas on the shoulder. She was barely able to reach, but Legolas sighed in defeat.

“It was not the ring I feared, nor the bearer.” Legolas frowned. “Something told me if I tried anything, Sam would have killed me..."

Gimli growled a little, and Haldir, who was closest at the moment, actually jumped back. “Well, this is a fine thing! All this talk of elves and their piety, and behind the backs of mortals, I now learn that they conjure up dreams of power.”

“You never thought to take the ring for yourself?” asked Legolas.

“No, never!” Gimli announced, banging a fist on the arm of seat he was in. “Although...that mithril shirt he had was very nice...”

Orophin tied the final bow to his left foot. “And if the shirt was attached to a torso that happened to have the ring attached, he would have taken that, too.”

Gimli shrugged, taking a drink of his wine. “I would have given the ring to the elf.”

Elrohir, who had been sitting on the floor while Elladan sat on the chair behind him braiding his brother’s hair, said to the group, “We would not have taken it. Simple mathematics. Two of us, only one ring.” Behind him, Elladan made a face, and shook his head. Freeing one hand for a moment, he pointed to himself and mouthed, ‘I would have taken it.’

Turning around, Elrohir pulled his hair free of Elladan’s grasp and tilted his head. “I heard that, El,” he said, tapping this side of his head. A number of the occupants of the room snickered.

Elladan crossed his arms. “And I can hear yours, El. You would have taken it, too.” But Elladan’s face fell after a moment. “You really would have dropped it into the fires?” Elrohir nodded seriously.

Glorfindel, resigned to the fact he was getting no more wine this evening, stood and made his way to the cider. “Well, Elladan always was more his mother's child,” he told Elrond as he neared the fire and passed the half elf.

“Please, Glorfindel, surely you jest,” Elrond laughed. “Celebrian would not have taken the ring.” He smiled and looked lovingly at his wife, who had turned away her blushing face. “What madness is this?” huffed the elf lord. “You cannot tell me you would have taken the one ring! The ring of doom!”

Celebrian slowly turned back as her cheeks cooled, a mirthful look upon her face. “Celebrian...The Silver Queen of All of Arda...” Elrond threw his hands into the air in exasperation.

“Yeah! Go Nana!” cheered Elladan, who was warded off of any further joyful outbursts by one look from his father.

Erestor slid down to the floor gracefully when Glorfindel made his way back and accepted the second glass of cider that had been brought. “I would not have taken it. I still think we should have given the ring to Bombadil. Of course, Glorfindel's idea wasn't all that horrible, either, now that I consider it further.” His head rested on Glorfindel’s shoulder for a moment, but only for a moment.

The fair Noldo laughed and said, “I was not going to take the ring to the sea!”

Erestor sat back up in alarm. “You weren’t!?”

“No!” Glorfindel drew an arm around Erestor and pulled him back to his shoulder. “I was going to keep it... a precious thing like that... what a waste to destroy it!” Elrond’s mouth was hanging open in a most unelfly fashion, and Gimli gave the peredhel a nudge to get him to close it. All around, there was quite a buzz that such an esteemed elf should have thought to take the ring of power. Glorfindel, looking quite pleased with himself, continued with his reason. “I would like to try and see a Balrog try to pull me off a cliff with that pretty little thing on my finger.”

“Well, I never,” whispered Erestor as he shook his head and freed himself from Glorfindel. Erestor looked at Glorfindel a moment and clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“Not only that,” continued Glorfindel, standing up now to gain the full attention of those present, “but I would rebuild the greatest fortress and elf dwelling ever in all of Arda!”

“Gondolin?” guessed a few of those present, but Glorfindel laughed.

“Gondolin? Oh, no, far more captivating than Gondolin, and a great deal more beautiful as well."

“Doriath?” asked Celeborn.

“Nay, not Doriath.” Glorfindel stepped one foot onto the table in the middle of their gathered chairs and couches, with his back to the fire. The light from the flames lit up his form, though shadow cast before him created quite a frightening look. He lifted one hand in the air, looking up at some distant point. “A place from my childhood, mighty fortress hidden within the boughs of the pines.”

“Your... tree house,” answered Erestor with little amusement.

“Aye!” Glorfindel thrust his hand upward once more. “My tree house!”

“I think he is jesting,” whispered Elladan to Elrohir.

“Once my tree house was rebuilt, I should rule from it as King of All of Arda.” He stepped down from the table. “I should have liked to have made Asfaloth my chief counselor.”

“Now I know he is jesting,” laughed Elrohir to Elladan.

Erestor, who had found better things to look at than Glorfindel’s performance, watched the glass he swirled his cider in. “What treatment might the rest of us expected during your reign?"

Glorfindel strolled around the table, waving his hand to those around the room. “Oh, bring me enough pretty, shiny things, I probably would have made all of you lords and ladies of realms of your own.”

“How kind of you,” said Erestor dryly.

“Ah, not you.” Glorfindel approached Erestor and watched the dark elf widen his eyes in surprise at the sudden bold move his lover was making. Everyone was well aware that Erestor preferred Glorfindel not make any overtly sexual moves in front of anyone else – any contact had to be merely on friendly terms. Backed up against the chair, Erestor had no where to escape to at this moment.

“Alright, moving along, who have we not heard from yet?” Erestor looked around the room in certain panic trying to find someone who had yet to give their opinion. Only Orophin raised his hand.

“You, I would have kept for my own,” purred Glorfindel, and Erestor blushed instantly, trying to scoot backwards and up into the chair. Everyone else looked on with amusement, especially Elrond. It was a complete change from how he had seen the two act to one another in Imladris, and he was secretly pleased by it. Normally, he frowned upon such activities in his house in mixed company, but being yule, he said nothing. No one seemed quite put off by their behavior, but then it seemed nothing in the House of the Pink Sea Birds was odd these days.

Erestor managed to make it into the chair, and pointed toward Orophin, “Yes, go ahead, Oro!” he said as he tried to block Glorfindel’s advanced

“We have heard from Orophin already,” smirked Elrond.

“Ah, but what of you?” Erestor let out a relieved sigh as Glorfindel sat back down on the floor in front of the chair. The dark elf pretended to ignore the hand that brushed up and down his leg. “Did you desire the ring?”

Elrond settled back into his seat. “No, no I...” He stopped, really and truly considering it for a moment. “I suppose... I did... That is why I sent it away from Rivendell as fast as I was able. We could have concealed it a bit longer, held things in Imladris for a time. But I feared it would overtake me. Still, I would have cast it into the fires."

Elodien, who usually remained quiet as she was unfamiliar with most topics of discussion, spoke up as her grandfather finished. “I really do not seem to understand all of this. Why did Sauron - I mean, why a ring? That someone else could get a hold of? Why did the power need to be embodied into a physical object?”

“Sauron was big on accessorizing,” Orophin explained very seriously. “All black wardrobe is slimming, but you need a little 'wow' added to it. The one ring was a fabulous addition.”

“Because if there had been no ‘The One Ring’,” tried Elladan, “Your father would not have gone on a quest and gone to Gondor and fought in battles and become king and married Arwen and had you, and that is why.”

“What?” Elrohir scratched his head, then turned and snatched Elladan’s glass from him. “You have had too much wine,” he said pointedly, setting the glass onto the table.

“Have at it, then,” Elladan said, spreading his arms out. “You explain why Sauron used a ring.”

Elrohir opened his mouth, and then shut it. He opened it again, and this time, Elladan sat back smugly as it was shut. Elrohir then set his own glass onto the table.

“What a fine group we make,” said Celeborn, shaking his head. “Among the lot, there are but two who would have destroyed the ring.”

“Destroy? I never said destroy.” Erestor was back to swirling the liquid in his glass. “Give to Bombadil, yes. Destroy, no. No matter the trouble they cause, did anyone ever think to destroy the palantiri? The silmarilli? We covet that which causes us the greatest pain, and why this is, even I do not know.”

"Someone please give him more wine, he is far too sober," insisted Elrond. Erestor rolled his eyes as Glorfindel plucked away his cider and Glorcheniel replaced it with a full goblet of wine, but he began to drink from it regardless.

“Perhaps we misjudge the hearts of men,” Legolas said as he looked to Elrohir, who had become suddenly quite shy. The younger of the twins smiled and scratched at his beard nervously as he shrugged.

“To Elrohir,” said Celeborn, lifting his glass, “and to the hearts of men.”

Elladan smiled and retrieved his wine. “I shall drink to that,” he said, kissing his brother on the top of his head before they toasted.

“To the yuletide,” added Elrohir, blushing slightly. “To family, and friends, and to the Fellowship for getting that horrible ring to the fires so that Glorfindel did not have the chance to get a hold of it!”

“To the Fellowship!” repeated Erestor with more than a little enthusiasm as he drained his glass of wine.

“Here, here!” agreed Glorfindel, raising his own drink high in the air, and managing to slosh a bit over the side and onto the rug.