It was hours before anyone said or did anything. Faramir began to nod, all his strength spent, and Erestor noticed. The Elf nudged Aragorn who then noticed too. He went to his son.

"Faramir," he said, resting a hand on his shoulder, "Come, you need to take some rest." Aragorn was prepared for a fight, but Faramir rose in numb obedience, though the action of standing shook loose more tears from his very heart. He was not even aware that he was crying as his father walked with him back to the Steward's chambers.

Faramir sat down on his bed and stayed still as though he did not even know to lay down. Aragorn sat beside him, silent for a few moments before he spoke. "We will get through this together, Faramir, all of us."

"What am i going to do, father?" he asked, hoping that there would be a good answer to his question.

Aragorn looked up into Faramir's eyes. "You're going to live, my son. Believe me, i know it seems impossible now and it may seem so for a long time. But i am always here for you. Never hesitate to come to me, all right?"

Faramir nodded almost automatically.

"Come, Faramir, let yourself rest," Aragorn said gently. Faramir pulled off the travel gear that he had been in since the night before and laid down. Aragorn nodded and started to leave saying, "I will be back later with something for you to eat," but Faramir caught his hand and looked pleadingly.

"Will you bring Elboron in? I want to have my son near me," Faramir said, tears threatening yet again.

Aragorn agreed, promising to be back quickly. Aragorn went back to the nursery to find Berethil nursing the boy. "I will take him to Faramir when he is done, Berethil," he said, the woman nodding in deference to her king. He then went to the bedchamber where Arwen, Erestor, Éomer, Lothíriel, and Belthil still were.

Aragorn took his wife into his arms and held her, stroking softly her hair as she wept. "I nearly regret my decision to have you come with us immediately Belthil," Aragorn said, still holding Arwen close against him. "It would have been wiser of me to have you come along with Legolas, Gimli, and Glorfindel. This most certainly is not fair to you."

The young man shook his head. "Please do not be concerned for me, my Lord. I have already buried my mother and i am no stranger to grief."

Arwen turned, drying her eyes, noticing Belthil for the first time. He bowed deeply to her.

Suddenly Aragorn remembered that he had not made any introductions and was glad for the distraction, as was everyone else. "Belthil, Lothíriel, wife of Éomer, was Boromir's cousin."

Lothíriel lifted her head from her husband's chest at the mention of her dead kinsman who she so rarely ever saw. She looked at the young man, realizing how strongly he resembled Boromir, as did Arwen and Erestor who had only known him while he was in Rivendell. Éomer had never met Boromir and did not realize why they all looked amazed.

"According to Lord Faramir, who remembers my mother, i am the son of Boromir," said Belthil, not out of boastfulness but as an explanation.

As greetings were offered to the young man, Berethil brought Elboron in, tentatively letting Aragorn take the baby boy. Though she was reassured by the King's love for the child, she too was shaken deeply by the sudden losses.

It seemed that Aragorn shared the woman's thoughts about the suddenness of their losses. He turned to Erestor, looking resigned, and said, "I truly hate to ask it of you, mellon-nín, but someone will have to do something about arrangements...." Aragorn trailed off, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

Erestor sighed. "Estel, i hate to tell you, but i do not know anything about funerals. I have never had to make any sort of arrangements. Though Rivendell was home to many mortals over the years, Elrond always handled those matters himself."

Aragorn was about to say something else, when Éomer interjected. "You have no need, Lord Erestor. I will send for my men and she will be borne home the day after tomorrow." His voice sounded as though he had spoken no words in the last week.

Aragorn closed his eyes, knowing where this was going to end up, and thinking that he would not be able to handle the situation at that time. Elboron, apparently, was feeling quite left out and made his displeasure with everything known to the King with a forceful tug on his hair. Aragorn kissed his grandson's forehead as tiny fingers tried to grasp at his beard. The man smiled sadly, looking at Arwen. "Elboron would love Gandalf," he said, laughter wrestling with a fresh batch of tears. Aragorn then turned to Éomer before leaving and said hastily, "I can not give my approval of that, for you and Faramir shall have to discuss the matter... later."

By the time Aragorn finally got to Faramir's chambers again both his son and grandson were asleep. He laid the little one down securely beside his father and decided to stay in the next room. He needed time to himself as it was as he internally fought with the fact that his son's wife was dead and so was his granddaughter. He would have taken walking into Barad-dûr unarmed two years ago over this.

Within Éowyn's chambers, Erestor was the first one whose head cleared enough to usher everyone out and elsewhere. He showed Belthil to a free apartment in the King's house for which the young man was grateful, also wishing for some time alone to think of the realities that had come at him all at once in the last several days.

Éomer and Lothíriel went to their chambers (which had separate bedrooms). The King of Rohan had thought several times to get up and go seek his squire about preparing a march for his sister's funeral, but every time the thought entered his mind it brought more tears with it. It was only Lothíriel's presence that kept Éomer from reacting to his grief as he had for so many years - rashly and without reflection.

Erestor, now alone, found himself in Faramir's office, rather sure that we would be spending a lot of time there in the coming days, weeks, perhaps even months. Suddenly, more than anything, he just wanted Glorfindel to be with him. The advisor hated feeling helpless or as though he had failed someone. This day he was feeling both strongly, as were so many others in the Citadel.

Evening was swiftly approaching, time for supper to be served soon, but the only people who noticed it were those who were not aware of what had happened.

---

linda: Yes, Faramir did get to say goodbye, and she to him. Unfortunately for him, each goodbye he has had to say only gets harder for him. As far as the wisdom of my statement goes, it is often a curse to be able to see things from both sides so clearly.

Elenhin: Indeed, you shall just have to wait and see. And yes, the line to comfort Faramir is miles long. Though just now, he does not want any comfort. It's easier for him to just hurt now.

Voldie: Yes, both mother and daughter have gone on to their eternal rest. I do work, and in fact, it is probably my job that made it so easy for me to write this death. I am the secretary for my parish, an aging parish, which means i make a lot of calls to various ministers to let them know about funerals. The music director/organist gave me my most favorite title: The Cheery Voice of Death. As for my age... how many answers to that there are: legal, old enough to know better, too young to collect social security....Perhaps i shall give clues to my age, or perhaps i won't. I am older than my birth, though. I always have been.