A/N: I know I know. I haven't finished my other ones yet but I LUV LOTR and Faramir and Eowyn are just so wonderful. So here is my fic...
"Father?" Faramir heard a small voice ask from the door of his office. He smiled and turned his head to see his daughter Finnola standing in the doorway, a book resting in her small arm.
"Yes Finnola?" He asked almost laughing at how the door seemed monstrous to her tiny figure.
Finnola walked in the room with a serious expression on her delicate face.
"What trouble is your mind wrestling for your face to be so staid?" He asked curiously scooting his chair away from his desk to observe her.
"I have read every book there is and I can't find out why the sky is blue." She admitted with a frustrated sigh.
Faramir threw his head back and laughed.
Her small voice sounded so earnest and sad at not finding the answer to her question that it was comical. She was after all, only seven years old.
He looked at her to see her face held hurt at his laughter and he stopped immediately.
"And why does your mind seek an answer to such a question?" He asked as she crawled into his lap. He did not doubt she had read all the books pertaining to the subject. She read so much it was a miracle to him that she hadn't already asked him for more books.
"I just want to know," Was her reply as she looked at him with clear blue eyes that were so much like Eowyn's.
"And why did you come to me?" He wondered aloud astounded that at her young age she just wanted to know everything.
"Because mother said I should ask you," She told him with such frankness that it made him laugh again.
"She did now?"
Finnola nodded.
Faramir thought for a moment, he as a child had wondered that also but had never asked. Finnola was very much in the image of himself.
"I don't know," He admitted truthfully. "I'm sorry," He apologized at the dejected look on her face.
"Its s'kay." She said her face suddenly brightening puzzling him even more.
"What is it Finnola?" He asked curiously looking at his dark haired daughter.
"Nothing," She said smiling as she sat up and kissed his cheek. "I love you,"
"And I love you," He assured kissing her forehead. Faramir watched with a smile as she scrambled down from the chair, set her book on his desk, and bounced out of the room giggling to herself.
He still stared out the door even after her giggling had dispersed into the halls of their home.
She wasn't like either of her brothers Elboron or Eorl, who were kind but far more aggressive than she. Finnola was a very laid back, happy, extremely kind child that everyone adored.
None more so than her mother, for Eowyn had wished for a daughter many years until Finnola, and Eowyn protected and shielded her from everything she deemed wrong for her gentle daughter, as did Faramir. For Finnola's kind and softhearted nature often got her hurt.
"Father!" He heard two young voices call down the hall. He smiled and once again diverted his eyes from his papers to the door where his two sons stood. Both their clothes were covered in dust as their dark hair unruly.
They still looked very young, though Elboron was twelve and Eorl nine. Though to him they always would.
"And what can I do for you?" He asked with a chuckle.
"Where'd Finnola go off to?" Elboron asked and Faramir detected protectiveness in his son's tone. Even the boys were protective.
"She went off a few moments ago, most likely to help her mother in the gardens." He told them with a smile.
'How Elboron looks so much like Boromir,' Faramir thought sadly noting how tall his son was. 'And the two have the same unquenchable thirst for adventure.'
Faramir's thoughts turned often to his dead brother, the one who had protected him when they were children. Much like Elboron did for Eorl and Finnola.
"If not there you might try to find Arlina, she's taken a fascination with that woman," Faramir told his sons with a laugh as they started to head out.
"Oh and father," Eorl said sticking his head back in the door, a grin spreading on his face.
"Hmm?" Faramir asked scooting his chair back towards his desk not seeing the extremely wicked grin on his youngest son's face.
"Happy birthday,"
Faramir's head shot up but his sons were already gone.
He shook his head and wondered how he could have forgotten that. With a wry grin he picked up the book set down by Finnola and was about to set it aside when he noticed it wasn't one he'd seen before.
It was of dark green leather with the tree of Gondor engraved on the front. Flipping it open he smiled as he recognized it was the account of the war of the ring. A book he'd been wondering about.
Puzzled he scratched his chin and wondered why his peaceful daughter had a book of such a war.
"Eowyn?" Faramir called walking out into the gardens.
"Yes?" Eowyn asked standing up from where she sat on the grass and looked for her husband.
Faramir grinned as he came up behind her and circled his arms around her waist.
Eowyn turned her head and gave his arms a playful slap.
"Have you not yet learned not to sneak up on me?" She asked raising an eyebrow at him when he gave her frown.
"That I have trouble remembering." Faramir told her, his grin reappearing as he captured her lips with his.
"And what notion has gotten in your head that you may be so bold?" Eowyn asked teasingly thoroughly enjoying his unpredictable mood.
"Tis my birthday, is it not?" He asked feigning a hurt expression. Eowyn smiled and nodded.
"It is, but you shall not have your way with me my dear husband," She told him attempting to remove his arms from around her waist.
"So you will deny your husband?" Faramir asked playfully.
Eowyn smiled and shook her head.
"For you I would give anything."
"Anything?" Faramir confirmed making Eowyn blush at his tone.
"Help!" A small voice cried interrupting them. Immediately Eowyn and Farmir raced around the garden to see small Finnola cornered by a large black snake.
Finnola's eyes were large and fearful and her face was pale.
Before either Eowyn or Faramir could say something two arrows flew out from behind them and stuck the serpent in the head. The snake shook a few times before it fell to the ground dead.
Farmir and Eowyn both turned around to see Eorl and Elboron with bows in their hands and somber expressions on their faces.
Eowyn then rushed and picked up Finnola who was still afraid the snake was alive.
"I'm sorry," She whispered to Eowyn as she picked up her daughter.
"No love, its is alright now." Eowyn assured smoothing her dark hair.
"How did you two get here so fast?" Faramir asked his sons curiously.
"We heard the birds making a huge fuss then we saw Finnola go into the woods and followed her. That's when we saw the snake and ran to get our bows." Elboron told him.
"Good shots, I appreciate you both looking after your sister," He told them then glanced at Eowyn who stood by holding Finnola listening to her sons.
They both nodded and ran off to go find other things to shoot at.
Faramir walked over to them and ruffled his daughter's hair. "What possessed you to go into the woods?" He asked gently.
"I heard a baby bird crying and I wanted to help it." She told them lifting her head from her mother's shoulder.
Faramir gave her a small smile and motioned for Eowyn to set her down. Eowyn did so.
"Finnola you are not to go into those woods alone ever again."
Finnola's face became curious again and she frowned. "When I get bigger?"
"We'll talk then, but for now no." Eowyn told her daughter knowing exactly where Faramir was going with this.
"Well, I must finish looking over some papers but Eowyn you and I shall talk later." With the last words Faramir winked at his wife making her smile.
"Finnola come with me," Eowyn said after Faramir had disappeared from sight. Finnola took her hand and they walked to the edge of the garden where the woods began.
"Would you still like to help the bird?"
Finnola nodded.
Eowyn smiled and led her daughter into the canopied forest.
And faintly Eowyn could hear the calling of a baby bird and she and Finnola walked that way.
Presently they came into a small clearing where they saw a tiny blue bird trying to fly into the trees calling out desperately for its mother.
Finnola let go of her mother's hand and walked slowly over to the little bird.
"Is your mother gone?" She asked the bird. The bird stopped crying when it heard Finnola and looked at her.
Eowyn smiled and watched as Finnola went and picked up the tiny bird and brought it to her.
"Its mother's abandoned it," Eowyn explained.
"How sad," Finnola said petting the small ball of fluff in her hand.
Eowyn nodded.
"Can I keep it?" Finnola asked almost immediately.
Eowyn laughed and nodded. She could not deny her gentle daughter this.
Finnola smiled and walked back to the house alongside her mother carrying her precious cargo.