A/N: Ah, we're finally back with the next chapter of 'Second Chance'. Sorry about the long wait and that it's one of our shorter chapters but we wanted to get it out for all of you. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 27: Eomer has found out Faramir may be able to carry a child at some point. The five hunters, plus Gandalf, Theoden, Eomer and Gamling have begun their journey to Isengard. And Faramir, having caught the ring-bearer, has sent the ring, along with Frodo and Sam, on it's way.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Chapter 28

TA 3019 March 5 early evening

The heart can make mistakes.

Aragorn's words reverberated through Legolas' thoughts as he followed the line of riders through the woods toward Isengard. His mind knew that the ranger hadn't been speaking of him, merely of the short time Farothen and Boromir had known each other and the risks to Farothen's heart, as yet fairly innocent to love. Legolas' heart, on the other hand, refused to agree with his head. And his fluctuating hormones didn't help any either.

He knew he should talk it out with Aragorn but, unfortunately, along with his quick temper there was a stubborn streak a mile wide. On top of that there was his pride to boot.

Boromir, riding beside Legolas, carried on a quiet conversation with Gimli. Legolas knew they were discussing the very thing occupying his thoughts but he remained silent, not wanting to discuss it. He much preferred to sort his thoughts and feelings out first. Then he would have it out with Estel. If there was one thing that ranger should have guessed by now it was to never make such a stupid, if innocent, comment around his quick tempered, pregnancy induced hormonal husband.

Especially when Aragorn had no right to comment on the quick development of Farothen and Boromir's relationship in the first place. After all the relationship between the two younger men had developed at merely half the rate that Aragorn and Legolas' had. It seemed Aragorn had forgotten that.

'Yes,' Legolas thought grumpily, he and Estel would have a nice, long talk about that 'innocent' comment.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Boromir sighed as he glanced at Legolas for the fifth time in twice as many minutes. The elf seemed almost as if he was somewhere else. It was obvious he was brooding about Aragorn's unknowingly insensitive comment.

Shaking his head Boromir made up his mind to break the elf out of his dismal mood and cleared his throat, "So, Gimli, Legolas said in Fangorn that the trees were speaking to each other when they started groaning."

"Aye," Gimli said giving Boromir a questioning look, silently asking, 'Where did that come from?'

Boromir threw a meaningful glance at Legolas and asked, "What do you think trees have to talk about?"

Understanding, Gimli gave a thoughtful hum before replying, "Perhaps the consistency of squirrel droppings or some such nonsense."

Boromir pretended to seriously consider that as he kept one eye on Legolas, noticing the elf tense slightly, listening while trying to appear as if he was not doing so. The Gondorian gave a small nod, "I suppose that is a possibility. Or perhaps they inquire of one another whether the present shade of their leaves make them look...fuller."

Gimli looked up at the trees they traveled through, "Well, the green does seem to blend together and make them look fairly full. But having not seen any other colors I could not say for sure."

Boromir just barely hid his grin as he heard Legolas fail to hide a small chuckle. He nodded to Gimli with a wink, "You do have a point, Master dwarf. Of course, men and dwarves are no experts on trees. That is the elves' area of expertise." The man looked at his Elven father-in-law, "Wouldn't you say so, Legolas?"

"Of what do you speak, mellon nin?" Legolas asked as innocently as he could.

"What do trees have to speak of?" Boromir replied, "As an elf I would expect you to know that better than a dwarf or man, as you are a creature of nature."

Legolas took a breath, "Trees speak of the happenings in the forest. They warn of danger when needed or they speak of the peace they crave in times such as these...of war and death. Their language is one only they can fully understand, mellyn nin. Not even the First Born know fully."

There was a moment of silence in which Boromir and Gimli shared a congratulatory glance of a job well done, after which Legolas added, "Thank you...for trying to lighten my mood."

Boromir smiled, "No thanks necessary, friend. It was nothing."

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Eomer stared blankly into space, letting Fara follow the others of her own accord, as his mind wandered over his recently acquired knowledge that some males of Numenorean descent could carry a child. He wasn't sure if he could come to terms with the fact that Faramir could one day come to carry his child. It was a hard concept to adapt to.

Although, Eomer and Faramir had been a couple for nearly eight years (Eomer having barely entered his twentieth year when he'd first met Faramir of Gondor) and there had been no child yet. Perhaps Faramir was not one of the few Numenoreans who had the gift of child-bearing.

That thought gave Eomer a small sense of comfort. Not that he didn't want a child, it was just...he found it hard to imagine one of his own gender in that situation. He even found it hard to believe that Legolas carried a child as surely as he, Eomer, was sitting in Fara's saddle at that very moment.

Eomer would be the first to admit that, though he had killed many orcs and other creatures of evil intent, he would not be able to carry a child. Men were wimps when it came to that type of thing, and though he would never admit such a thing out loud, he had no qualms about admitting it to himself.

He had wandered so far down the lane of imagining Faramir growing round with his child – a truly...intriguing, if unnerving, picture – that he was nearly tipped out of his saddle as Fara jerked to a stop behind Gandalf, Aragorn and Theoden. Looking past Aragorn he realized they'd reached Isengard. He blinked when he saw two children sitting on a large boulder...smoking.

One of the children stood up and held his arms wide in a show of greeting, "Welcome, my lords, to Isengard."

He pointed over his shoulder with a somewhat unsteady wobble, obviously not quite sober. Eomer jumped when there was a gruff gasp that sounded suspiciously Dwarven coming from right beside him seeing as Legolas had reined Arod to a stop right beside Fara.

Legolas merely smiled at the strange little creatures and whispered to Eomer, "Our hobbit friends. Merry is the one standing. The other is Pippin."

"You young rascals!" Gimli griped loudly, "A merry hunt you've led us on and now we find you feasting and...smoking!"

Pippin took his pipe out of his mouth and gave the dwarf a somewhat smug grin as he bragged, "We are sitting on a field of victory enjoying a few well earned comforts." He took a bite of some type of meat in his hand, chewing and swallowing before adding, "The salted pork is particularly good."

Gimli's grumbling lost it's bluster and he blinked, "Salted pork?"

Aragorn chuckled as Gandalf shook his head in affectionate disgust and grumbled, "Hobbits."

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Boromir urged Roch forward so he could see the hobbits and gave them a mock glare as he grumbled, "A fine pair you are. I get shot with three arrows and here you sit in perfect health and..."

That was as far as he got before the two hobbits dived off the boulder at him shouting, "Boromir!"

All three hit the ground in a tangle and ended up wrestling. Eomer cocked a brow and exchanged a look with Gamling. They'd both had the privilege of seeing Boromir wrestle with Faramir a time or two so neither of them thought twice about seeing him do so with the hobbits. Legolas and Gimli chuckled while Aragorn fought to hide a grin. Gandalf and Theoden looked on with sighs of abject amusement. Farothen glanced between his husband and the hobbits' to his fathers, noting their obvious amusement.

After a moment Gandalf cleared his throat, "We really must continue."

When Boromir and the hobbits failed to listen Aragorn heaved a sigh and slid off Brego's back, stepping toward the three friends, unwittingly playing out the scene of nearly three months before by leaning down to pull the hobbits off Boromir. In a split second the Gondorian and the hobbits shared meaningful looks.

"Gentleman, we must continue..." Aragorn cut off when he realized his mistake. He had just enough time to moan, "Ai, not a..."

In the next second he was on his back, vaguely aware of Boromir, the hobbits, Legolas, Gimli and Eomer roaring with laughter. Gandalf was a little more successful at hiding his laughter with just a chuckle. Theoden narrowed his gaze in slight annoyance but there was a hint of mirth underneath it. Gamling covered his laugh with a cough. Farothen gaped, too stunned to do much more.

Boromir had just tripped Aragorn. It wasn't the best way to impress an overprotective father. Especially not when there was a secret marriage involved. A marriage that said overprotective father would not be happy about.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

March 6 Afternoon

Edoras

After riding through the night and all morning the nine travelers were all ready to rest as Edoras came into view. With the battle at Helm's Deep, the trip to Isengard and the following ride back to Edoras the group had been on the go for nearly three days straight with only short stops to rest. The result was they were nearly dead on their feet. But no one was feeling the effects of the long ride more than Legolas.

His body was practically screaming for rest and was further weakened by the fact that he hadn't been eating much over the past three days. With the still lingering nausea and his mind fretting over Aragorn's comment Legolas hadn't even thought to eat. And everyone else had been preoccupied with their own problems so they hadn't noticed that Legolas was once again not eating.

Except for Boromir, who after getting one too many death glares from the elf had taken to finding more subtle ways of getting the elf to eat. Such as handing him scraps, leaving food for him in the morning and slipping some of his own supply of lembas into the elf's pack. Nevertheless, Legolas still became weaker and Boromir was expecting a complete collapse.

As the nine riders rode into the royal stables in Edoras Boromir quickly jumped out of his saddle and ran to Arod's side just as Legolas slid out of his own saddle.

Gimli, who was sitting behind Legolas, was so surprised that he wasn't even able to make a move to catch his friend. Which left it up to Boromir, who fell onto his rump after having Legolas' dead weight basically fall on top of him.

"He seems to do that a lot lately," Boromir said in completely monotone, belying the worry in his eyes.

Aragorn, whose attention had been drawn by the sound of Boromir hitting the ground, ran up to the pair in a panic. Farothen was right behind his father.

"What happened?!!!" father and son chorused.

Boromir climbed to his feet with a completely unconscious Legolas in his arms and replied, "He's gone three days with barely any rest and he's still not eating properly. Plus, the lingering nausea renders what little he does eat obsolete more often than not so he has taken to avoiding food as much as he can."

Aragorn fisted his hands in his hair, not knowing whether to panic or scream in frustration at the fact that his love was being so stupid. Farothen was similarly frustrated and tired so it was up to Gandalf to take control of the situation.

Turning to Theoden the wizard asked, "Do you, by chance, have a guest chamber ready?"

"I doubt it," Theoden replied, "But Theodred's room has been left pretty much undisturbed and considering the circumstances I'll allow you to use it."

"Thank you," Gandalf said as Boromir turned with Legolas in his arms and was followed by Aragorn and Farothen.

"Gamling." Theoden said turning to the younger man.

"Yes?"

"Head up to Meduseld and inform Eowyn that several guest chambers must be prepared."

With a half bow Gamling headed on ahead while Gandalf and Theoden followed at a slightly more sedate pace, already deep in discussion.

This left Gimli, who was still astride Arod with no one to help him down, and Eomer with nine saddled and unstabled horses. The two companions looked around at the horses, looked at each other then looked at the retreating figures.

"So we'll take care of the horses then?"

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Elvish translation...

Mellyn nin – My friends

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Replies to reviews...

Vuaryn: Out of curiosity, why do you hope Farothen isn't pregnant?

Landos Star: Sorry, not going to give either way, you'll just have to keep reading to find out if Farothen/Faramir are or are going to get pregnant.

Enelya Aldarion: You read our minds! We were wondering the same thing about Legolas sliding down the oliphaunt's trunk and Aragorn's reaction. evil chuckle here We're going to have some fun later with that scene.

Arch-Nemesis: Let's just say I think you'll enjoy the scene when Aragorn "finds out" about Boromir and Farothen being married. Or at least part of it.