Faramir had few dinner companions that first evening back home. In fact, it was just him and his nephew. At one point Gimli had stalked in muttering something about trailing vines, then offering a welcome to Faramir with a mouth full of some manner of meat that the Steward had been tactfully avoiding, before swigging back an ale and stalking back out again.

"From what i have gathered," Belthil said, "Master Legolas has been training flowering vines about some of the newly reconstructed stonework in the city. Master Gimli is not at all pleased."

"Ah well, as long as nothing has changed," Faramir said with a smile. For a while Faramir spoke of the wonders of Imladris, saying that he now had some design changes for the place at Emyn Arnen.

Belthil discussed some of the business of the Stewardship. Though he had tried to be judicious in handling the simpler things such as routine requisitions, much he had decided to set aside for Faramir. He also informed his uncle of the incident with Lord Gwaithir, but said that he did not consider much of a problem any longer since naught else had been heard of him. Belthil talked of how he had been helping the younger Faramir learn his letters, apparently the lad was quite helpful as a messenger about the city. When his uncle began to look a little tired Belthil decided to wait until he saw the King to deliver his report of the Council.

Faramir had to admit that he was rather tempted to sneak off to Rivendell more often, considering how well things had gone in his absence. He thanked Belthil again for his dutiful care of so much (oh to be that young again! Faramir remembered the days when he could manage several stations at once), and headed back to his chambers to spend some more time with his son. He was joined by a pair of uninvited twins who suddenly seemed bored and Faramir wondered if his father was still assisting with the delivery - why else would these two be bothering him.

"Hope you do not mind, but most of the baggage we brought up here to your sitting room since your father is not in a good mood right now. Is Estel really that mad at us or is he always this ill-tempered now that he's a king?" Elrohir asked, taking the liberty to stretch out on Faramir's bed.

Faramir really did not know how to address that. In his opinion, his father had a most agreeable disposition. On the other hand, he was really starting to get annoyed by these two himself. He loved them dearly, yes, for he could see plainly how very loyal they had always been and would always be to their little brother, his father, but still... sometimes they just did not know when to quit.

"I think it's neither, 'Ro," Elladan said thoughtfully. "I think something was bothering him. Did something happen at supper, or..." he started to ask Faramir then thought again, "oh, i bet 'Wen is not in a good mood."

"At supper? It was just Belthil and i at supper. No, father is not back yet, to my knowledge," Faramir said softly, stroking his sleeping son's cheek.

"Back? We thought he had finished supper and came to the stables to drag us up here where he can keep an eye on us," Elladan said.

"No, he was called into the Houses of Healing by some frantic nurse before we started through the tunnel. She said something about a difficult delivery," Faramir said, really paying more attention to Elboron than the twins.

Elladan jumped up off the bed and left the room so quickly that Elrohir had no idea what he was doing. Trying the door to his little brother's chambers, he found it barred and cursed those damned Mortal doors. He knocked frantically until Aragorn answered the door, rather annoyed.

"What happened?" Elladan demanded.

Aragorn looked confused. "What? What do you -... oh, about that, i am sorry, i did not mean to take it out on -"

"What happened, Estel?" Elladan pressed.

Aragorn shook his head. "I spent an hour trying to help a woman stay strong enough to deliver her child, but she did not survive. I spent the next hour trying to console her husband."

"Her husband? Then 'Wen is all right?" Elladan said, relief evident in his eyes.

"Yes, she is doing quite... oh, 'Dan, she's fine, i am sorry i worried you," Aragorn said, just then understand his brother's fear. Elrohir only just decided to catch up to his twin and was completely confused. "Go on and see her, i need to take some supper," Aragorn ushered his brothers into his chambers before leaving.

That evening just about everyone was ready for an early night. Anything that had waited for the attention of the King and/or Steward the last two months could surely keep until morning. By his bedside that night Faramir found that Belthil had returned Boromir's book. Faramir noted that his nephew had been careful to keep the book marked where his uncle had left off before leaving for Imladris, and a small slip of parchment inside the front cover read simply, "Thank you for introducing me to my father." Faramir intended to read more of his brother's words that night, but sleep claimed him swiftly, and against his will, after he'd read the date of the next entry for the fourth time over.

The next day Faramir was tempted to skip breakfast and get straight to work, but having a son who needed to eat so frequently was a reminder that he needed to take care of himself as well. Just as he was getting ready to head down to the dining hall, there was a knock upon his front door. Answering the door he found he could only open it about six inches or so and as he was trying to figure out what was the cause of this the door mysteriously slammed in his face. Faramir stood for half a moment in sheer perplexity before trying the door again. Still it would only open about six inches and again the door was swiftly pulled shut from without, highly aggravating the Steward. Someone was up to no good and he had a rather fair idea who it might be.

Little did he know that in a linen closet directly across the hallway from his chambers a certain Silvan Elf from the kingdom of Mirkwood woke most bewildered to the sound of someone pounding on the door. The last thing Legolas remembered was being surprised to see the twins in Minas Tirith for a visit, and they brought some wine from home... When he tried to open the door, more in the interest of exacting some kind of revenge on Elladan and Elrohir than actually answering the knock, he found the door would not open without a good, strong pull, and only several inches then. Suddenly the door slammed shut again in his face. Oh yes, this had the mark of the Terrible Two all over it!

Faramir sighed deeply. He should not have been surprised and he knew that. "Keep your door closed for a moment," he called across the hall when he figured out that two doors were tied by a length of rope between them.

Instead Legolas opened the door again and Faramir was coming to his wit's end. "Keep yours closed," the Elf called. "You will not be able to untie the knot they have tied. I probably will not either."

Faramir opened his door, thus causing the linen closet door to close. "If we both open the doors at the same time, with a good, swift pull, it may break the rope. It looks pretty thin actually." The door then closed in his face again.

"It is hithlain, a wild mûmak could not break this," Legolas said.

"Then how are we to get out of here? I've got work to attend to this day, i can not be trapped in here until those two miscreants decided to let us out," Faramir said, opening his door and slamming Legolas's again.

"How do you think i feel trapped in this little cupboard? There is not even a window in here!" Legolas said closing Faramir's door again. "And i, too, have things that must be accomplished... i've two Elves to strangle and i do not care if it is kinslaying. Even the Valar would understand my motives!"

Presently, they heard someone coming from the far end of the hall way. Immediately Legolas recognized the rhythm of the pace. "Aragorn!" he called out, hoping to slow his friend's ordinarily swift stride. It did not exactly work as planned, instead distracting the King's attention and causing him to trip directly over the length of rope, which he had not noticed anyway, it being made from hithlain and all.

Fortunately for all involved the sound of all the havoc drew out a very pregnant she-Elf who'd had enough of the slamming doors down the hall from the royal couple's private chambers. Seeing her husband lying there in the hallway in a heap and a length of rope tied to two door knobs, she knew at once what was up. It had been years since the twins had pulled that on her; in fact, it had been years since they tried out any of their tricks on her. Genteel and placid as Arwen normally was, she learned very early in life just how one had to deal with Elladan and Elrohir.

Arwen freed Faramir and Legolas, confiscating the rope to make sure there was no further scheming on the part of her brothers, but she insisted that when Legolas, Faramir, and Aragorn came up with suitable revenge that they let her in on it as well. One had to wonder if the twins stood a chance when those four joined forces.

Once they managed to recollect themselves, and after taking their morning meal, Faramir and Aragorn decided to see what had gone on, administratively speaking, in their absence. Though Faramir was sure Belthil had done well in keeping his office running smoothly, he did not truly hold out hope that it would be as immaculately kept as when Erestor had taken up his tasks. And Faramir felt a little guilty about Belthil taking on the extra work while he was also keeping busy as an official Citadel Guard as well, not to mention keeping his little baby cousin entertained and helping young Master Faramir in learning his letters. If only Erestor could have stayed, but having now seen Imladris for himself, Faramir could understand very well why the Elf lord had not stayed in Minas Tirith.

Still, the Steward of Gondor smiled warmly as he sat behind his desk for the first time in a while. He could not help but grin at the stacks of requisitions which required his approval, the petitions that needed to be sorted before he took them to his father, the various reports and correspondences. Faramir sat back and took up a report prepared by Belthil. He'd gotten halfway through it when Aragorn almost wandered in to his son's office, reading a copy of the same report. Both men seemed utterly dazed by it's contents.

ooo

Elenhin: Twins... brave or stupid: depending on what sort of revenge they end up receiving, i am leaning toward... less than wise. And wasn't Elboron the dearest last chapter? This story is coming to an end so soon, and i need to find a way to get more Elboron in! But then again, there is always Separation Chaos withour babyFaramir and poor Aragorn.

linda: It was a sad situation for Aragorn to have to deal with just returning home, especially now that he is just, just starting to get a little nervous about becoming a father again. But he should be ok now that he's got the love of his life and his son and grandson... of course, the twins, for levity's sake.