Summer In France

Category: Drama, Family

Rating: PG

Warnings: Rebirth Fic

Francis huffed as he ran past the various cafes. Trust Alex to choose such an industrial area. The streets were filled by dime-a-dozen tourists determined to see every famous place in the capital. To top it all, it was an extremely hot day which Francis felt was vaguely unfair. The summer so far had been mild. It always was. But today…

He took the chance to glance at his watch and groaned. He was late already! Alex and Brian better not tease him about it, he thought, or he might remind them of the times they had been late, the pigs…

Francis was so intent on his brothers past misdeeds that he almost knocked a young Frenchwoman down. "Désolée!" he called out as jogged away the Frenchman in him rebelling at the callous treatment of the girl.

Finally reaching the Seine he cast his eyes around for his brothers. He spied Brian first flirting with a pretty redhead. Alex was standing behind him half amused. Their eyes met and Alex rolled his eyes heavenward. Francis pace finally slowed to a walk as he watched his brother use his considerable charms on the girl. Her friends standing behind were giggling too. Four pale men were also watching them, seated at a table in a nearby café. His brothers drew attention to themselves every where they went.

A wicked idea crossed young Francis' mind. He really shouldn't. But really; Brian deserved it. His brothers came all the way from America simply to irritate him. They made such trips several times every year. They would claim it was to check up on him and make sure he was paying attention to his art and not impregnating a girl instead. And what they really did was mess up his apartment, flirt with his teachers and classmates, disrupt his schedule and tease him about everything under the sun. Their promiscuity should be a crime! The most sacrilegious was their utter refusal to stay still while posing for him!

Oh yes Brian utterly deserved it.

Francis grinned. It was the same grin that caused his stepmother to label him the devil. Well, Brian was going to find out how much of a devil he really was.

He broke into a run again and flung himself onto Brian. Startled Brian caught hold of him out of pure instinct. Francis immediately put his plan into action by jabbering in French and English. "Papa! Comment ça va? Tout va bien. Except for Madam Giselle's classes which are très mal."

Brian was gaping like fish out of water and Alex was trying hard not to loose it. The girl in front of him and her friends were baffled. He turned to them and blinked widely and innocently, made himself as non-threatening as he could and said "Bonjour Mademoiselles."

They immediately started cooing over him. "Hello! Aren't you a sweet little thing?" She said as she tousled his hair. He bore it graciously because it was hurting Brian a lot more than it was hurting him. And it would hurt Alex a lot too. If his oldest brother didn't start breathing normally soon he'd get a heart attack. Or a hernia.

Francis smiled sweetly at her and turned back to Brian. "Papa. I hope I'm not too late. I got caught up in traffic and classes ended late today."

"What do you study?" asked one of the girls.

"I study art Mademoiselles."

As the girls gasped in appreciation Francis added. "Papa came all the way here to pose for me!" he said proudly.

The girls cast admiring glances at Brian who was still inarticulate. "How wonderful!"

"Isn't he? And he's been raising me since mama left him for another man 15 years ago." Francis said.

The girls were in raptures now. "Could you do a painting of us?" one of the girls asked hopefully.

"Ah that would be impossible. I do not have the skill to achieve even a portion of your loveliness on canvas. You should not be so gorgeous. It is dangerous for mortals to be exposed to such beauty."

The girls freaked out on this. After many compliments, much cooing and giggling the girls finally took their leave. Francis made a mental note to contact Jack about them. His friend would love to do their portraits. Sans fee and sans clothing.

He schooled his face into innocence and turned to Brian who was probably going over the various places his body could be disposed of. Francis was not mistaken. Brian finally snapped out of his dazed state and grabbed his younger brother around the shoulders and shook him till his teeth rattled. "You- How- How could you? Devil- the de-," when the shaking finally stopped Francis took a moment to collect himself.

"You really shouldn't do that. People will think you're abusing me and you will get thrown in jail for being a child hitter," Francis admonished him.

Thankfully for Francis' continuing life expectancy Alex stepped in. "You deserved it," He told Brian.

Brian huffed. "So Frankie, how are the paintings for the show coming on? Did you even start on them?"

Alex shot Brian another glare, warning him to hold his tongue. "Don't mind him. You said Madam Giselle was still giving you trouble?"

Francis shrugged. "She's fine."

Brian immediately straightened up from his indolent pose. "What do mean fine? Is the old cow-"

"Brian! She doesn't love me but she doesn't hate me either. Nowadays she just ignores me," Francis smiled at his brothers' over-protectiveness. "And I still have a month for the show." Francis frowned. "Is Papa coming?"

His heart began to sink as his elder brothers exchanged frowning glances. "He has business," Brian explained uneasily. If Daniel Drake had been there that very moment Brian would have ripped his head off; father or no father. Alex felt the same.

"You would think he could clear one day off his calendar. Monsieur Drake; so busy that he has an entire month planned out," Francis murmured bitterly. Pushing himself against the railing he began to walk towards his apartment.

Brian and Alex followed him quietly, each plotting various painful and long drawn out deaths for their father.

Alex threw his arm around his youngest brother and said in a cheery voice. "Guess what Brian got you."

Francis turned to them in terror. "It's not another stripper is it?" he asked, panicked.

Brian gave him a wounded look. "Don't you have any trust in me at all?"

"NO!" Francis and Alex exclaimed in unison before all three of them burst out laughing. They were nearing the quartet Francis had noticed earlier. They apparently were paying the three brothers no particular attention but Francis still felt uneasy. His whole body was tingling. He observed two of them were twins. All of them were unnaturally pale. Just as they were passing their table one of the aforementioned twins looked up and locked gazes with him. It was only for a second though and Francis was grateful, for the experience he went through for that one simple moment of concurrency was enough.

"The Orcs will be on the west bank."

"Captain Faramir? Your orders?"

"We will attack six hours after dusk."

The gaze of the stranger immediately passed to Alex and fixed on him almost hungrily. Observing that gaze Francis wanted to scream- but he had no idea why.

"Ithilien is always so hot during the summers."

"It is not always so Boromir. You picked an unlucky day to visit," An amused voice answered.

It was only his brothers' tight grips on his arm that made him aware that he had stumbled, his legs unable to support him. The four strangers leapt up gracefully from the table to help him. But only the man with grey eyes and grey (silver mithril) hair actually touched him. The rest stayed back respectfully making no effort to come near him.

"Is it always so hot in Ithilien?"

"No, Sire, you picked an unlucky day to visit us. We usually have mild summers here."

Grass was shredded as the Prince remembered a similar conversation with his now dead brother.

"Boromir must have hated it."

A snort.

"He always chose the hottest days to travel to Ithilien. He had exceedingly bad luck concerning the weather."

"I have a feeling he blamed you for it."

Amusement.

"Oddly enough he did. He claimed I controlled the weather. You did not tell me you were a mind reader Aragorn."

Laughter.

The man's touch on his body brought Francis an inexplicable mixture of terror and exhilaration. Looking into those extraordinary eyes Francis felt as if he had lived a entire life those few moments. He was sure of one thing though. "You are the oldest one." The voice did not seem as it came from his throat at all. It was rough as if he had been screaming for hours. The man did not look startled; in fact, it looked as if he had been expecting it the cryptic statement.

Aragorn (Alex) on a throne looking majestic. Boromir (Brian) fighting with a sword. Lying in a boat. His father older than he looked now.

"Are you alright? Francis!"

Fighting the Orcs. The hot weather did not deter them. Arrows slinging through the trees finding their mark. His in particular.

"Faramir!"

"Eoywn?"

"Elboron is hiding in the pantry refusing to come out."

"What did Legolas tell him now?"

Clear, beautiful laughter. No sound so beautiful could exist. No woman so beautiful could exist.

"He told Elboron the hot sun would burn him till he turned black!"

"Francis!"

Francis took a deep breath and pushed himself away from everyone. Right now he did not want anyone to touch him. He felt as if he woken from a dream and any solid touches of the real world would dispel the few traces left.

"I'm fine," Francis was relieved that his voice was back to normal. He wanted to stay and talk to the four men but his brothers convinced he was coming down with everything from polio to cancer to viral fever hurried him off.

"You just can't keep to yourself can you dear brother?" Elrohir mocked Elladan as the two eldest Drake brothers dragged their protesting sibling away.

"I didn't do anything," Elladan pouted. "How was I supposed to know that the Steward would have any paranormal abilities?"

"None of us did," retorted Glorfindel. "Which is why we must stay away."

The three of them turned towards the man Francis had called the oldest. The man quirked a silver eyebrow and said, "What is life without fun?" At the disbelieving looks the other three gave him Celeborn laughed.

An Article From The French Times,

By Pascal Herve

Cultural Correspondent

Last night an eagerly anticipated event came to pass, for me at least. The annual Students Arts Appreciation Society finally put its show with its marvelous paintings on display for the whole of Paris to marvel over. The gallery was filled with several distinguished guests for the paintings were done by the most talented students the Sorbonne has to offer.

Many works were exclaimed over and some received attention more than others, richly deserved. Malfoy's painting of a naked woman waiting by the stream for her lover was one of them. The painting 'Italy' by Eugene was another. 'Mercedes' by Lily Potter is an excellent example of the influence of post-impressionism on the current generation of artists.

But of all the pieces on display none received more attention and praise than the landscape painting 'Summer In Ithilien' (oil on canvas) by Francis Justin Drake. It may be implied by some that the painting received such attention due to the fame of the young painter. After all being the youngest son of the famous industrialist Daniel Drake who is one of the richest men in the world is enough to make even the most mediocre person interesting. His mother too was no stranger to fame. Besides the highly publicized affair Francoise Fournier engaged with Daniel Drake while he was still married she was also an extremely successful painter. Called a modern day Freda she was the most celebrated female artist of her time.

But it seems that Francis Drake has inherited not only his parents' fame but also his mother's talent. 'Summer In Ithilien' is most realistically done. You feel as though a person could simply walk in and rest in the shade of one of the trees or hide in a bush. We are also treated to the tantalizing glimpses of the strange men in green hiding among the foliage; perhaps waiting to ambush an enemy? I would not have been surprised if they walked out of the painting too.

As I mentioned before the painting is very realistic but it seems to me as though it is but a dream, for such a place must have existed in another life.

The End.

Authors Note:

Daniel Drake-Denethor

Francoise Fournier-Finduilas

Alexander Scott Drake-Aragorn

Brian Daniel Drake-Boromir

Francis Justin Drake-If you don't know this one I'm gonna kick your ass.

Okay so most of the names are blatantly ripped off from many books and even one or two TV shows. Can anyone guess them all?