A/N:  We managed to get two chapters written because of the Thanksgiving weekend.  But don't get used to it.  It will probably never happen again.

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Chapter 24

TA 3019 March 3 afternoon

Faramir was already in a foul mood as he approached Henneth Annun, and his attitude wasn't improved when his second in command, Madril, and another ranger, Dered, came running up to him right away.

"Captain Faramir, there's a company of Haradrim passing through Ithilien as we speak." Madril said.

"And three orc spies are up on the ridge," Dered added right after Madril had finished speaking.

Faramir rolled his eyes skyward as he listened to their quick report, "Ai Valar, can't we even get a moment of peace!"

Both rangers looked after their captain in surprise as Faramir stalked off and Dered asked, "Isn't he usually in a good mood after one of his rendezvous' with Eomer?"

Madril shrugged, "I think the loss of Boromir has hit him harder than any of us realized."

"That loss hit all of Gondor really hard." Dered said quietly.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By the time the rangers of Ithilien had returned to their secret base at Henneth Annun they all had to admit that there was much more bugging their captain than just his brother's dead.  Faramir had fired arrows at the Haradrim with a ferocity that had made his fellow rangers actually feel sorry for the enemy for once.  Then he'd been so angry at catching two out of three of the orc spies that he'd barely restrained himself from killing the two remaining spies on the spot.

The whole way to Henneth Annun Faramir had been snapping at the other rangers and he kept rubbing his forehead as if he was in pain.  This combined with the fact that Faramir was unusually pale and fatigued made his rangers think that their captain's health was also responsible for his current mood.

Unfortunately none of the rangers were brave enough to broach the subject with Faramir.  Instead they stayed out of his way as he poured over battle plans and maps with Madril.  When Faramir felt he'd worried his 'guests' long enough, he left Madril and walked back into the main hall to interrogate the spies.

The two he had managed to catch looked human but were much shorter and seemed more irritated than afraid.  Interesting.

"My men tell me you are orc spies," Faramir said as he walked toward the pair and sat down on an upturned crate.

"Spies?!" Sam said in outrage, "Now wait just a minute!"

"Well if you're not spies then who are you?" Faramir interrupted curtly, getting more irritated by the minute.

Sam remained silent this time, feeling like he'd overstepped his boundaries.  Frodo also remained silent, but for different reasons.  The men of Gondor made him nervous.  The situation with Boromir had made him realize that the ring would call to them more than anyone else in Middle-Earth because of their need.  Frodo could see desperation in the eyes of every man around him.

"Speak!" Faramir said harshly, growing weary of the silence.

"We are hobbits of the Shire," Frodo started, "Frodo Baggins is my name and this is Samwise Gamgee."

"Your bodyguard?" Faramir asked tilting his head at Sam.

"His gardener!" Sam snapped back with pride, which made Faramir look at the hobbit with both amusement and skepticism.

"And where is your skulking friend?" Faramir asked, "That gangrel creature?  He had an ill-favored look."

Frodo hesitated before saying, "There was no other."

However, from the way Faramir narrowed his eyes at Frodo, the hobbit knew the man wasn't fooled so he decided to talk before the ranger could ask any more questions.

"We set out from Rivendell with seven companions," Frodo paused as he remembered Gandalf, "One we lost in Moria…two were my kin.  An elf there was also and a dwarf…and two men.  Aragorn, son of Arathorn and Boromir of Gondor."

Dead silence engulfed the cave as all the rangers waited to see their captain's reaction.

'I am not going to break down.  Not here!' Faramir thought as he sucked in a breath, "You were a friend of Boromir?"

Frodo hesitated once again as he heard the tremble in Faramir's voice, "Yes…for my part."

Faramir suddenly stood and faced the wall before he stared crying.  His men, sensing that their captain didn't want to become the focus of a public scene, quickly went back to work.

"It would grieve you then to know he is dead." Faramir stated loudly as he turned back to Frodo and Sam.  The hobbits were completely stunned.

"Dead?!" Frodo asked, "How?  When?"

"As one of his companions I'd hoped you would tell me," Faramir said with a hint of sarcasm.

"If something has happened to Boromir we would have you tell us!" Frodo said angrily, now getting irritated himself.

Faramir took a deep breath, "No word has yet reached Gondor, but I know in my heart that he must be lost."

As Faramir hesitated, Frodo stared at the man in sympathy and realization.  From the moment he'd laid eyes on Faramir he'd thought there was something familiar about him.  Now he knew for sure.

"He was my brother."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Early evening had already rolled around when the remaining Rohan warriors reached Helm's Deep.  Boromir rode Roch with Legolas held securely in front of him.  Farothen, with Gimli behind him, rode Arod, having lost his own mount during the battle.

As the group of warriors reined their horses to a stop inside the keep Farothen looked at his husband questioningly, "Legolas?"

Boromir shook his head sadly as he somehow managed to slide off Roch without dropping his precious burden, "He's been in and out of consciousness but he doesn't respond to anything.  He just shudders and whispers Estel over and over."

Farothen slid off Arod and helped Gimli down before turning back to Boromir and lightly ran his fingers over his Elven father's cheek.  When Legolas seemed to turn into the touch Farothen felt a surge of love for him as he realized that at some point in the last few weeks he'd begun to think of the elf as his father as much as Aragorn was.

Suddenly an idea came to him and he met Boromir's gaze, "We must get him settled on some type of bed.  And we must wake him up.  If we don't…"

He cut off abruptly and closed his eyes as he swallowed a sob before trying again, "If we don't…I fear we will lose him too."

"He just passed out, Farothen." Boromir said, "How…"

"Elves can die of a broken heart." Farothen interrupted, "With Ada gone…"

Farothen's words tapered of but there was really no need for him to finish them.  It was quite obvious what he'd been about to say.  Without Aragorn Legolas could very well decide he didn't wish to live either.  There was a moment of silence between them as the words hung in the air, unspoken.

Finally Boromir shook his head and subconsciously held the elf in his arms tighter, "No.  We won't lose him too."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Farothen sat on the edge of the cot set up for Legolas in a small room off the main hall of the keep.  Boromir sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, a couple feet from the cot.  Gimli paced back and forth just inside the door, making sure they weren't disturbed.  Legolas lay on his back on the cot, shifting restlessly every few moments.

Farothen sighed and leaned down to whisper in Elvish, "Do not leave us, Legolas.  Live for the baby, for me."

The elf gave no indication that he'd heard and Farothen tried again, "Please, Legolas.  We need you.  Come back to us."

Still no reaction beyond a small shuddery sigh and a weak head shake.  Boromir shook his own head, his eyes a little damp and his voice rough when he said, "I don't think it's working, Farothen."

"No," Farothen growled, "I won't lose him.  I can't lose him."

He turned back to Legolas, tears falling unchecked and fisted his hands in Legolas' tunic, "Come back to me.  I lost Ada, I can't lose you.  I won't lose you."

Farothen choked out a sob, laying his head down on Legolas' chest, "Please, Ada, please.  Don't you leave me too.  Please don't leave me."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Legolas felt as if he was floating in water.  Dark, cold, morose.  As if from a distance he heard familiar voices.

Farothen, pleading for him to not leave him.

Boromir, sounding as if he'd given up hope.

Farothen again, refusing to give up.

And then…one word, whispered among the pleading, caught his attention.  Ada.  Farothen had called him Ada.

Suddenly he knew he couldn't let go.  Not yet.  The baby needed him.  Farothen needed him.  But most of all, he knew Estel would not want him to give up so soon, so easily.  Not when he still had so much to do.

Slowly he began his long fight back.  His quest wasn't finished yet.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It was late at night when Faramir stalked down the hall toward the room where the hobbits were staying.  The look on his face as he passed was enough to make every one of his rangers jump away from him.

First Boromir had died.  Denethor seemed to hate Faramir even more.  Eomer had left to go into battle.  More of the enemy were marching on Gondor's lands every day.  He'd caught Frodo and Sam in a lie once their skulking companion had sown up at the Forbidden Pool.  Then, of course, the creature, Gollum, had filled in the details that Frodo had left out.  And to top it all off, Faramir hadn't gotten any sleep 'and would this headache never go away?!'

All things considered, Faramir was already two seconds away from killing someone as he walked into the storage room the hobbits were in and immediately drew his sword.  The hobbits backed up into a corner.

"So this is the answer to all the riddles," Faramir said as he advanced on Frodo.  Both hobbits eyed him nervously.

"Here in the wild I have you.  Two halflings and a host of men at my call," Faramir continued as he slightly lifted the ring from Frodo's neck with the tip of his sword, "The Ring of Power within my grasp."

Unbeknownst to Sam, the ring was working it's evil in two ways.  Against Faramir and Frodo.

Take the ring!  Your father will finally recognize your quality!

"A chance for Faramir of Gondor to show his quality," Faramir whispered to himself, repeating both the ring's words and his father's words of so long ago.

You'll be just as admired as your brother!  You're more worthy of it!

Meanwhile, Frodo was backing away from both the sword and the strange gleam in Faramir's eyes.  However, he soon came under the trance himself.

Don't let the man take it!  It was entrusted to you!  It's all yours.  Your own.

"NO!!!" Frodo shouted as he pushed away Faramir's sword and ran to another corner.  The action had the affect of drawing Faramir out of his stupor.

"Stop it!" Sam said, stepping in front of Frodo.  He was the only one capable of speech at the moment, "Leave him alone!  Don't you understand?   He's got to destroy it.  That's where we're going.  To Mordor.  To the mountain of fire."

Faramir had said nothing during Sam's speech and then Madril came into talk to him as well, "Osgiliath is under attack, Captain.  They call for reinforcements."

Faramir, still undecided, turned to look at Sam once again.

"Please," Sam begged, "It's such a burden.  Will you not help him?"

"Captain?" Madril asked urgently.

"Tell the men to pack up and be ready to leave when the scouts return at first light." Faramir said to the other ranger.  As soon as Madril was gone Faramir turned to Sam and delivered his verdict.

"The ring will go to Gondor."

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March 4 dawn

Farothen jerked awake to find himself curled up in Boromir's lap.  He must have fallen asleep with his head on his father's chest.

His father!  Farothen's gaze flew to the cot only to see it was empty.  Not wanting to wake Boromir Farothen slowly untangled himself from his husband's arms and got to his feet.

With all but silent footsteps he rushed out of the room and approached the first guard he saw, "Have you seen my father?"
The guard stood straighter, "You mean the elf who looks like you?"

Farothen rolled his eyes and kept his words deliberately slow, "Yes.  The elf who looks like me.  Did you see him?"

"Yes," the guard replied, well aware that Farothen was being purposely rude, "He walked out onto the wall saying he needed some fresh air."

Without replying to that Farothen ran toward the steps leading to the wall.  As the guard had said Legolas was standing just outside the keep on the wall, gazing out at the surrounding land.

"Legolas?" Farothen asked stepping up to the elf, "Ada, are you okay?"

"I am fine, my son," Legolas whispered, "But I fear…the baby…she has not moved since Estel fell."

"What…" Farothen started.

Legolas met his gaze, tears pooling in his cerulean eyes, "She feels my pain.  She waits.  As do I."

There was a moment of silence as Legolas looked back out at the land once again before he whispered, "There is still hope.  I can almost feel him.  He may yet live."

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Aragorn wasn't sure how long he'd been floating down the river before his body connected with shore.  Weakly he pulled himself further onto land until he was completely out of the water and let himself fall blissfully unconscious again.

The next thing he knew he was being woken up by a not so gentle nudge to his shoulder that turned him onto his back.  He cracked his eyes open the slightest bit and sighed when he saw his rescuer.

"Brego," he whispered, for once glad he'd suggested that Eowyn have the stallion set free after he'd gone wild back in Edoras.

Nickering quietly Brego lowered himself to the ground beside Aragorn and looked at the ranger expectantly.  Slowly, Aragorn reached up to pull himself onto the horse's back.  Once he was settled Brego got back to his feet and they set out, Aragorn slumped against the horse's neck.

They'd been traveling for a couple hours at least when Aragorn pulled Brego to a stop at the top of a ridge as a large army of Uruk Hai caught his attention.  Several thousand in number…and they were marching toward Helm's Deep.  He had to get there before they did.  Silently, he motioned for Brego to continue their journey at a quicker pace.

Before long, but after what seemed like hours to Aragorn, they crested the last hill and were able to see Helm's Deep several yards away.  Aragorn patted Brego's neck, "Mae carnen, Brego, mellon nin.  Let's go."

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Legolas stood just inside the door of the hall Theoden had chosen for the council room.  Boromir and Farothen were both talking to the king of Rohan and had practically ordered Legolas to stay where they could see him.  After his latest episode of unconsciousness they weren't about to let him out of their sight for anything.

He sighed and closed his eyes, 'Ai, Estel.  Where are you, my love?'

His eyes flew open when he felt a sort of mental tug on the bond he had with his husband.  Estel was alive…and he was close.  Spinning on his heel he ran out of the room, unintentionally slamming the door behind himself.

As he got into the main hall he could hear Gimli outside yelling, "Where is he?!  Where is he?!  Get out of the way!  I'm going to kill him!"

Taking a breath Legolas stopped inside the hall to compose his sudden rush of emotion.  The last thing Aragorn needed after falling of a cliff and metaphorically returning from the dead was a crying elf throwing himself at him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Aragorn slid off Brego's back just in time to find himself the object of a dwarf's bear hug as Gimli grumbled, "You are the luckiest, the canniest and the most reckless man I ever knew.  Bless you, laddie."

Aragorn put a hand on Gimli's shoulder, "Where is Legolas?"

Gimli stepped back, not quite meeting Aragorn's gaze, "He is inside.  Farothen and Boromir watch him closely.  He collapsed after you fell…"

"Is he…" Aragorn started, panicked.

Gimli held up a hand, "He's awake now, but very quiet.  He won't talk to anyone."

Aragorn released a sigh and made his way toward the door to the keep, "I must go to him."

He ended up stopping a few feet inside the door as he came face to face with the elf he was looking for.  Legolas forced a small smile, "Le ab-dollen."

One look at his husband's expression and Aragorn knew Legolas was using humor to hide the depth of his feelings, not wanting to seem weak or overwhelm either of them.  He stood still as the elf gave him a slow once over to make sure he was actually whole.

After a moment Legolas met his gaze with a small grin, "You look terrible."

Aragorn released a breathy laugh as Legolas reached over to lift one of his hands so it was palm up and placed something in it.  He looked down and felt his heart squeeze when he recognized the crest ring of Mirkwood.  He'd thought it was lost forever to the river.

Aragorn met Legolas' gaze, "Hannon le."

In the next second they were in each others' arms, their mouths clinging.  After a moment they broke apart and Legolas gave Aragorn a stern look, "If you ever do this to me again I will hunt you down and kill you myself."

Aragorn remained mock serious, nodding, "I would expect nothing less, meleth nin."

Legolas nodded as well, before turning serious, "Estel…our daughter has not moved since you fell."

Aragorn narrowed his gaze worriedly and pressed a hand to Legolas' belly.  As if on cue there was a flutter.  Aragorn blinked as Legolas sighed and slumped into his arms murmuring, "Oh thank Elbereth!  I thought she was lost to us."

Aragorn sighed, hugging Legolas tight, but before he could say anything they were ploughed into by their son, who wrapped them both in a tight hug, "Ada!  You're alive!"

Chuckling, Aragorn kept one arm wrapped around Legolas and put the other around Farothen to pull him into the family hug, "Of course I'm alive, ion nin.  It will take more than a little cliff to kill me."

Aragorn placed a fatherly kiss on Farothen's temple before looking over his son's shoulder.  Boromir stood a couple feet away, looking as if he wanted to join the little reunion but didn't know how.  Aragorn motioned him over.

"Come, Boromir," he said, "I even missed you, my friend."

With a small smile Boromir crossed the couple feet between him and his family and let Farothen and Legolas pull him into the hug.

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Elvish translation…

Mae carnen, Brego, mellon nin – Well done, Brego, my friend.

Le ab-dollen – You're late.

Hannon le – Thank you.

Meleth nin – My love.

Ion nin – My son.