(-)Chapter 5(-)

Aragorn slowly knocked on the door, the Steward had called for him and so here he was, back in the citadel.

"Come in!"

Aragorn opened the door and cocked his head to the side slightly, "You called for me?"

"Ah yes, Thorongil, that I did," he smiled, "we have good news for you."

Denethor glanced up and, for the first time Aragorn had ever noticed, the judgment seemed almost gone from his eyes and he stared at the other man with a slight curiosity.

Aragorn smiled at him slightly nervously.

The younger man made a slight smile, "We have caught the man who killed the children. It didn't even take long to get him to admit to it."

Aragorn's eyes widened hopefully, "Then my a- friends are free?"

Ecthelion frowned slightly at the mix-up.

Denethor didn't even seem to notice and nodded, "They are free to go."

Aragorn smiled brightly, "Thank you both so much!"

Even Denethor couldn't help but smile at the other man's unusual happyness.

Ecthelion nodded and stood, "May I speak to you a moment?"

Aragorn nodded, immediately fixing his slight outburst and pulling the mask over again.

Ecthelion lead the other man into an adjoining room and closed the door behind them, "Thorongil... I must thank you, it was only with your help that I was able to have my son finally look at things in a different light."

"Me? I did naught sire."

"Ah but you did. He finally realised after your outburst and a couple of words the two of us shared that he would not make a good leader the way he was acting. He only wants the best for Gondor and has realised this means changing his attitude."

Aragorn nodded slightly, "Is this what you wished to tell me?"

"Partially," Ecthelion said slowly, "I also wish to know this... who is Lord Elrond to you?"

Aragorn frowned, "To me? I have told you, he is a friend."

The Steward frowned, "You have slipped one too many times in saying that Thorongil and I do not appreciate being lied to, but it is your personal business so I will not pry, but tell me this... is he somehow your father?"

Aragorn blinked in shock, "I..." he sighed, "aye... he is."

"So, you were not an orphan as you told everyone?" the Steward was not angry, more amused really.

"Nay," Aragorn blinked in shock, "I was... you... think he was my... nay, he adopted me as a child... the only reason I felt I should keep it secret is... well I... some men do not accept the elves... or any that live with them. Though it pained me to hide this it was for both of our safety."

Ecthelion sighed slightly, "Aye, I know, I understand," he chuckled slightly, "I was almost convinced he was your real father. You are so like an elf sometimes."

Aragorn chuckled, "A great compliment I will take this as."

"And that it is," the man smiled, "now, surely you wish to tell them your good news? And do not worry, if it is what you wish your secret is safe. From everyone."

Aragorn smiled, "Thank you sire."

The man was allowed out but just before he left the main doors he heard someone following him and turned with a slight frown, a moment later Denethor rounded the corner and paused slightly when he noticed the other staring at him.

The future steward shifted and walked over to the man, "Thorongil," he said slowly, "I must apologize to you. I have been cruel to you for many years. You are a good man, I wish I had seen what my father had. Please accept my apology... and my friendship, though it be late."

"Accepted readily," Aragorn nodded, smiling slightly, "and your friendship will be highly valued."

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

Aragorn smiled as he joined Teralin and the two elves outside.

"Good news I take it?" Teralin laughed.

Aragorn nodded, "Aye, indeed it was, they caught the man who did it. He confessed, you are both free to go."

Relief flashed over the two elves faces.

Legolas smiled, "Great! So, now that we are free, what say you we go do something interesting?"

Aragorn half laughed half groaned, "Is this going to end in further injury?"

The archer attempted to look innocent, "Of course not!"

"No one will be hung from trees or end up in the middle of a lake?"

"There is a lake near here?"

"...There is a pond leading off the Anduin we can go if that is what you wish. But I am serious if anyone comes out of this half-drowned you will not think it funny."

The elf just grinned.

Teralin laughed at the look, "Somehow I doubt that anyone will come out of this not half-drowned."

Aragorn rolled his eyes, "I must agree with you there... but if that is what we are doing let us go now."

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

Aragorn grumbled to himself as he waded out of the water, he should have known better than to trust the elf near water.

Legolas was just grinning, he'd managed to throw his friend off a large stone that over hung the deepest parts of the pond. The human hadn't dared go anywhere near the water so after a while when Legolas had realised this he just picked the man right off his feet and thrown him over.

He was obviously displeased.

Aragorn walked right up to the elf and stared at him a moment, "You... are a cruel elf Legolas," he grumbled then smirked slightly, "and as you said... I'm a cruel human," with that he shoved the elf off the edge of the rock and into the water.

The elf came up sputtering slightly, he'd expected the human to try to push him off but he didn't think he'd manage to succeed.

Aragorn smirked when he saw the shocked look the elf was giving him, "Never underestimate the cruel human."

Elrond chuckled slightly at their antics and glanced over at Teralin who was trying his best to keep from laughing.

Aragorn glanced back at him father and turned back to Legolas, "He's laughing at us you know. It can't be left unpunished."

The two dripping beings then made their way over to the elf and the three stared at each other a moment before the other two jumped on the elven lord.

Elrond's eyes widened, -Okay that I had not expected.-

Aragorn jumped back and the two grabbed the elf and pulled him to his feet then started pulling him back towards the rock.

Once they got there though the elf simply dug his feet in and refused to move, a slight smirk on his face.

Aragorn rolled his eyes, "You're not even going to let us have proper retaliation?"

Elrond smirked again, "Nay," with that he ducked down causing the two to stumbled forwards slightly, then jumped to his feet and shoved them both off the edge.

The two resurfaced, gasping slightly.

"Ada!"

Legolas just blinked.

"You should have known better," the elf laughed, "living with the twins this long will teach you many things."

Aragorn snorted, "Indeed..."

The two swam to the edge and laughed slightly.

Aragorn sighed and sat down in the grass, staring in the direction he knew Imladris was yetbeing able to see little other than Mt. Mindolluin. He shook his head and glanced over at the only dry being in the area.

He stood and went to sit on the edge of the stone, keeping his ears open and listening very closely for any footsteps, knowing Legolas probably wouldn't be able to ignore this. To anyone else he looked quite at ease.

He knew when Legolas was coming from the exasperated sigh from his father and listening for the elf's very breathing waited for him to come near. As soon as he was close he turned and stared at the elf.

Legolas just smiled innocently, wondering vaguely how he had been heard coming. Instead he just sat next to the man.

A while later Teralin joined the two. Elrond stayed where he was, knowing full well what his son was planning and not wanting to get any more wet from the splash he was sure would happen any second now.

The three sat silent for a moment, Aragorn watched the other man out of the corner of his eye and the second he knew he wasn't being watched he reached out and shoved the man off the rock.

Legolas laughed at the shocked look on the now wet human's face.

Aragorn stood and smirked, "There, now it's fair," he joked, "we didn't want to leave you out Teralin!"

Teralin glared at them good-naturedly, "I'm sure you didn't. You weren't just bored?"

Just as Aragorn went to retaliate the noise of an approaching horse reached his ears and he frowned, they had come here on foot, after all the pond was only a fifteen minute walk from the city.

Aragorn and the two elves turned to stare in that direction.

Teralin attempted to pull himself up onto the rock but it was slippery from all the water and he ended up slipping back down and creating quite the splash just as the rider entered the area.

"Lord Ecthelion?" Aragorn blinked in surprise, "what brings you here?"

"Well," the man started slowly, "the man we had caught is insisting he didn't do it again, which means... these two are going to have to come to the trial anyhow. They are no longer in the clear..."

A/N

Elven Kitten: HELLO:) How's everyone? Good? I hope... :) Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and if anyone's crazy enough to ceck it out, I have a horrible short story (Ignore it...) and a bunch of poems I've done on fictionpress. But yeah... XP

Kalayna - Cha:) I'm glad you're enjoying it! And I think you might have said that before! Lol but they are :) :)

IwishChan - Lol, it's cute. :) Hope you enjoyed:)

sielge - Maybe... maybe not... XP lol I wont say... XP

Bubble-Sheep - So glad you're still enjoying it:) And it only has seven chapters so... two more to go...

marbienl - :) I like Ecthelion too, to bad Denethor wasn't more like his father... XP lol, oh yes, and it's so much easier to just blame all the trouble on one person. :). Lol, thanx for the idea! I like it! Will make an interesting tale at one point perhaps:) lol Thanks and I am! For now... colds are evil... at least mine are... the second I think it's getting better it gets worse again... XP

MicroCHips - ... what secret? Ish cunfuzled I've been trying to figure that out since I got your review and it's driving me insane... or was it just an empty threat? ...Or were you trying to drive me insane! O.O... Is paranoid lol, glad you liked the violence... XP (I'm sure you'll like the next story in that case... XP)

Nessa Ar-Feiniel - I'm glad you liked it:)

Aranna Undomiel - :) Yay! So glad you liked it:) Lol, cha... poor pathetic menz... there's an interesting alternate ending...

Elrond sighed and shoved the men off him, grumbling to himself about the pathetic strength and paranoia of these men. Did they really think they could hold him back from his son?

Stupid humans...

The elf made his way over to his laughing son warily, leaving seven paranoid men flat on their backs.

and so on... lol:P

E.K.: Lol! So! That's it then:) Hope you all enjoyed! Only two chapters to go! Namarie! Goes off to do battle with ebil friend who insists upon pulling Melkor out of The Void to defeat my captured Maia and killing off all my elves... (Cry)

Elenmeoi