Erestor had not strayed far from Elrond's door, but nor did he make it obvious that he was keeping an ear out. He did not trust this Denethor as far as he could throw him. He heard the door slam and aggravated footsteps walking away and relaxed, turning his attention to other matters. When Erestor heard footsteps going up the stairs, he thought nothing of it at first, thinking it was just Estel, though he was glad that Elrond's "third" son had obviously just missed his adversary.

The twins came into Erestor's office first, after seeing their father's door still closed. Both looked a little rough and Erestor took a steadying breath as he realized that they must have crossed paths with Denethor leaving the house. "Please do not tell me that further insulted that man? I do not like him either, but, lads - Oh... who is escorting him back to the border? I sent Glorfindel on ahead just to be sure that he did not cause a political incident."

The twins exchanged concerned glances. "Erestor," Elrohir said gently, "have you been 'taking stock' of adar's wine cellar again?"

"Who is escorting whom?" Elladan asked. "We thought adar would have us take the Man back to his company when he is finished with him."

"He is finished, or at least that door i heard slam and the heavy footsteps going away would tell me so." Suddenly something dawned on Erestor. "Estel drank that lavender tea... he is sound asleep, that was not him going upstairs!"

Neither Elladan nor Elrohir needed hear another thing, they put two and two together easily enough and silently sprinted up the stairs, weapons drawn.

When Aragorn woke that first morning in Imladris to see his son cradled in his father's arms, he thought all was well with the world at last. But when he got out of bed and felt those deep aches, sudden warmth, and that hollow, washed-out feeling, he groaned. He should have known it, this always happened when he pushed himself too hard on the road and only as soon as he was finally getting some rest. His body worked to its utmost to keep him well while he needed it to, but the moment he let his guard down he instantly got ill.

By this time, he had not been out of his chambers in three days and was still spending much of the day asleep. Arwen had offered to take Faramir to her chambers until his father was well again, but Aragorn could not bear having his son out of his sight, even if he knew it would be best. Instead, Faramir's cradle was in his sitting room so that he would not chance illness himself, and Arwen checked on him frequently, often walking with him in the garden while his adar rested.

Aragorn was indeed sound asleep and did not hear anyone enter. Denethor thought it was all too easy. Most of the doors to private chambers were left standing open, leaving much guesswork out of it for him. The first closed door he tried opened and there inside in the sitting room as an infant in a cradle. Denethor grinned frighteningly as he leaned in to get a closer look at the baby. "So you are not mine, eh?" he hissed. "Then i shall have no regrets if you should somehow happen to end up all alone in the wild."

He had not even noticed the sleeping man in the next room, the real target of his wrath, until there was a shifting sound and a low moan as of someone trying to sleep through a fever. In his sleep, Aragorn tried to chase away the dream fragments of a nightmarish Denethor stealing his baby. What a foolish thing to dream, he tried to tell himself, he was home now, safe.

When Denethor saw Thorongil sleeping fitfully in the next room he completely ignored the child, and, burning with madness, grabbed two fistfuls of his rival's shirt, roughly wakening him as he hauled him out of bed. For a moment, Aragorn did not even know where he was, all he felt was a spinning sensation as he tried to get his bearings. When the irate face of Ecthelion's son came into view, Aragorn thought he was hallucinating and reminded himself to sound his father out about whatever he put in that tea.

That pair of hands now gripping his throat was no hallucination though. "You raped my wife and i will kill you for it!" Denethor said in a frighteningly even tone.

Aragorn tried to tell himself to fight back but his mind was not working, all he could get himself to do was choke out the word "not..." Denethor was seriously going to kill him and trying to pull away, clawing at his hands, was doing nothing but wasting his energy, he told himself. Blackness was slowly edging into his field of vision and he frantically looked about for his son. All he saw was Arwen forcefully bringing a bottle to the back of Denethor's head.

ooo

Arwen's chambers were located on the other side of the house, nearer to her father's than her brothers'. She thought she heard Mortal steps going toward the brother's wing and decided to check on her belovéd whom she had been tending back to health whenever she came to check on Faramir. She thought to bring her newest little love a mid-day snack as well.

As she approached Estel's chambers, the feeling that something was not right came over her and she went cautiously. What she saw horrified her, someone was actually trying to murder Aragorn literally with his bare hands. For a half a moment she was so shocked that she could not move, but suddenly as an automatic reaction she found herself lifting the bottle of milk and crashing it down upon this stranger's head.

Both Denethor and Aragorn fell just as the twins came rushing in. For a moment they weren't quite sure which one their little sister had just knocked out, but considering that Denethor was the one with milk all over him they guessed it was him. Neither one had been back to the house in days and did not know that Arwen had forgiven Aragorn his indiscretion and accepted Faramir unconditionally.

Faramir started to cry from all of the commotion going on around him and Arwen looked up at her two gape-mouthed brothers just standing there doing nothing. "Elrohir, find adar, quickly! Elladan, calm Faramir," she ordered, checking Aragorn's vital signs herself. Elladan held Faramir as he settled somewhat, able to hang onto his uncle's long hair, but Elrond and Erestor were already rushing down the hall as Elrohir went out.

"What happened?" Elrond asked immediately, seeing his son's sword still drawn.

"I do not know, adar, i think 'Wen -" Elrohir had not time to explain as his father ran past into Estel's chambers.

Elrond was pressed to keep himself in a rational state of mind when he saw not only Denethor laying in a heap on the floor but also Estel. Quickly and gently he lifted his son up onto his bed and noted that he was all right. All sons, Arwen, and Faramir were alive, that was Elrond's chief concern. He could work from there. "Elrohir, there should be a cloth in a cool tincture in the washroom. Bring it here and hold it to his head until he wakes. Erestor, get that brigand out of my sight so that i may concentrate on those who deserve my care." He wanted to ask Arwen to take care of Faramir, but it was clear that she was not going to leave Estel's side, and Elladan seemed all right with the little one. "Tell me what happened, Arwen," he said while Erestor dragged an unconscious Denethor out of the room after securing his hands.

"I was coming to give Faramir some milk," she started, "but i saw that Man trying to... to... to strangle -" abhorrence evident in her voice. The weight of the situation suddenly hit her that had she not come when she did, Aragorn might have been lost to her. All at once she broke down in Elrond's arms, crying "oh, ada!"

"Sidh, wilwarin-neth, im nev," Elrond comforted her. He used to call Celebrían his wilwarin, and since Arwen's birth she had been his wilwarin-neth. Had his little butterfly not needed his comfort and his foster son his care, he would have been in a rage that would have made Fëanor seem tranquil and sensible. He was fairly certain that the rage would be still to come. For now, though, Denethor could wait until the next age to receive his wrath for all he cared.

ooo

Sidh, wilwarin-neth, im nev - Peace, little butterfly, i am here (neth is literally 'young', btw)

sidhe: Who in Rivendell would really let a madman with a vengence run loose? Arwen might have gotten first crack at Denethor, and for that he is lucky, had it been the twins, he would be more than just unconscious, but he will soon have a very angry Elrond to reckon with.

Jacinthe: Hopefully this was merciful enough on your nerves. I am just as glad as you to be getting these chapters out so quickly.

Elenhin: Could i possibly let anyone harm little Fara'? I've put big Fara' through enough to make up for all sorts of trouble that this little one could go through.

steelelf: I didn't cause you a massive coronary on that last chapter, did i?

Iblis: Sauron's got nothing on angry Elrond, and whatever happens to befallDenethor will indeed make for a very interesting meeting some years to come when Boromir comes to Imladris.

linda: Cut down to size, eh? Perhaps that is just the ticket! wicked laugh