A/N: Yes…um…well, now that you mention it, it does seem like Gimli made remarkable time to Edoras (author goes to hide under her desk in embarrassment only to slip and fall through an enormous plot hole). Sorry, guys; I was thinking too much about when I wanted our dear dwarf to show up to consider the logistics of two little things called space and time. All I can do now is ask that you suspend disbelief and promise that I'll try to do better next time.

Sleep apparently was going to be elusive for Eomer, at least for the immediate future. "Master dwarf," he said in a deliberately steady voice that didn't hide the undercurrents of apprehension in it, "welcome to Edoras."

"Are you deaf, Man?" snapped Gimli furiously, barely restraining himself from swatting at Eomer's side when the Man deftly moved with him to continue blocking his way into Meduseld. Through his emotions the dwarf knew that he shouldn't be speaking to the king of Rohan in such a matter in his chief city; Eomer might tolerate that for their friendship's sake but he could never let him get away with striking him in public for not obeying an order without the Rohirrim thinking that he's weak. "Get out of my way! I have a few words to say to that wayward elf."

Eomer pursed his lips as he wondered how much about Legolas' plight he should reveal to Gimli now. "Perhaps it would be best if you waited –"

"Wait? You want me to wait?" roared Gimli. "What do you think I've been doing? I've waited for five years and that amounted to nothing!"

"You're here now," Eomer pointed out, hoping to both calm the dwarf and stall him. "I wouldn't call that nothing; rather, your patience is finally paying off and having just a little more wouldn't hurt now."

Gimli was tired. As soon as he'd gotten over the shock about hearing that the eored who'd come to the Glittering Caves had found a gravely ill Legolas in Fangorn Forest not a day earlier (though he didn't for the life of him understand why the Men had gone into that accursed forest in the first place; Léod had been notably cagey with the details) he'd insisted on leaving for Edoras as soon as Arod could be made ready. That exhaustion was now mixing with his relief, elation, anxiousness, anger, and hurt feelings until they all jumbled together to form the general emotion of cranky.

Fortunately for Gimli, dwarves wore crankiness well. "I'm starting not to care that you're king here," he said, his voice even but threatening to erupt with every word. "And I don't care if you want it to be all sunshine and happiness around here; and I certainly couldn't care less if you've been nursing your little crush on that laddie for years now –"

The Man's face flushed a bit. Did Gimli really have to yell that out for all of Edoras to hear? "I beg your pardon?"

"You're trying to stall me and I won't have it, no matter what your reasons are for it, Gimli told him. "Aüle! Haven't I been through enough? Five years – five years – of worrying about an elf of all people and I wouldn't even have found out now that he was alive and here if a bunch of dunderheads hadn't needed an excuse for being late to our meeting! Now I demand some answers and I expect you to be as forthcoming as possible: where is Legolas?"

"I swear that you will see him soon enough," promised Eomer firmly. "But first you must calm yourself. Whatever drove Legolas away in the first place, I don't believe that he's moved beyond it. I fear that he'll only flee again if you or anyone else who isn't thinking rationally confronts him."

The dwarf's face screwed up; for a moment Eomer thought that he was going to start yelling again. He braced himself but then Gimli's featured slackened and his shoulders slumped. "He didn't have to run," he mumbled, his tone giving away the years of despair and confusion he'd just gone through. There hadn't been a day that had gone by when Gimli hadn't tried to figure out why his friend felt like he had to vanish and wondered what he could have done to stop him. "I would have helped him, no matter what it was. I would have done almost anything for him, and I wouldn't have judged him for it either."

"I know," said Eomer, his face and voice softening as he let his sympathy filter through. "And I'm sure that Legolas understands that too. I've only begun to realize – maybe – what he's gone through and I wouldn't be surprised if he left everyone behind because he wasn't ready to share his burden with others. He could use a friend now, though, and you two can have a nice, long conversation as soon as he wakes up –"

"What?" demanded Gimli, suddenly livid and incredulous again. Eomer automatically squared his shoulders and planted his feet to stand up to the perceived hostility. "Did you just say what I think you just said? You seriously think that I should have to wait until he wakes up all nice and peacefully before I let him have it? You mean after five years of me tossing and turning through sleepless nights and just going through one very wearying ride to Edoras I can't see him now because he's sleeping? That tears it!"

With surprising nimbleness Gimli maneuvered his way around the Man; the fact that Eomer had just dug his feet in made him slower to move and soon the dwarf was charging up the stairs that led into Edoras. A few of the guards who were close at hand and had been watching the dwarf's rude exchange with their king made a move to follow him. Eomer, knowing that he didn't want to bring anyone else into what was a personal issue, quickly signaled for them to remain where they were before setting out after the dwarf himself.

As he possessed longer legs, a vastly better knowledge of the building's layout, and a clearer mind, the Man had a natural advantage over Gimli and he caught up with the fuming dwarf very quickly. "I could have you imprisoned for entering my hall without my consent," he warned.

"But you won't," returned Gimli with grim confidence. "Too complicated, and the payoff wouldn't be worth it. Now where is he?"

"I will tell you when you calm down," Eomer told him insistently. "Not one moment before then."

Gimli stopped short and spun to face the Man. "Eomer, you've got to understand where I'm coming from," he ordered in frustration. "Imagine, if you will, how you would feel if Eowyn suddenly went missing and turned up years later just as abruptly. You then forgo sleep and comfort to get to her as soon as possible. By the end of your trip you feeling like you're two seconds away from clawing your own skin off lest you go mad and someone – a person who isn't as close to her as you, who has no authority over her, and just ended up with her in his presence because of happenstance – is telling you that you can't see her until you've calmed down enough to suit his standards. Tell me, Eomer: do you really think that it's possible to get that calm under those circumstances?"

That was a good point; Eomer's stomach was twisting at the mere thought of his beloved sister vanishing one day. Wordlessly the king shook his head.

"Well then, I think we finally understand each other," said Gimli in a tightly controlled tone. "Now I'm going to see Legolas right away, even if I have to take out my axe and reduce this fine hall to kindling to do it. Can't we just save ourselves some time – both now and later – as well as some bad blood and additional hurts by you just telling me where I can find him?"

"He's staying in the suite that's down the corridor to the back left of the throne, seventh door on the right," Eomer told him after a moment more of consideration. Gimli instantly spun on his heels and stalked off in that direction. "But wait! Master dwarf, I must insist! You must not go in there when you're filled with so much rage…"

Gimli ignored whatever the Man who was following him was blathering on about, for he was too busy counting doors. They were few and far between, leading the dwarf to conclude that he was in the royal quarters. Furthermore, Eomer had given the wayward elf in one of the living quarters instead of just one of the honored guest suites. The thought was as comforting – at least he had some assurances that Legolas was settling into somewhere safe – as it was maddening. "Why should that blasted elf – five – be rewarded for pulling his – six – vanishing act," he muttered as he counted under his breath. He stopped as he breathed out the last number – "seven" – and looked determinedly at the door before resolutely grasping its knob.

"Gimli, wait!" Eomer rushed up to get in one last, probably futile plea. "I you heed nothing else I've said here today, please heed this: speak softly at first and let him help you understand what he's gone through."

"Oh, I'll speak softly all right," glowered Gimli, steamed. With no further ado he wrenched the door open and stormed inside. "You pointy-eared…"

His voice trailed off as the insult died on his lips, as he was too stunned and bewildered by what he saw on the bed before him to speak. Legolas was lying down, his eyes vacant as he drifted around in elvish dreams, but that was not what robbed Gimli of his speech. There was another person – a child that was almost like a smaller version of his friend – who was curled up next to the elf in a similar sleep.

That was, in a similar sleep until the dwarf's fairly noisy sudden entrance. Legolas was too exhausted to do more than stir before slipping deeper into sleep but Caladel had awoken as soon as he heard the dwarf's shout. The elfling rubbed his eyes sleepily and looked up to see who had disturbed him. He was comforted a little bit by the sight of the somewhat familiar face of Eomer in the doorway but soon was staring straight at the intruding Gimli. "Who –" the boy started; but then his eyes lit up and he smiled at him. "You're a dwarf!"

Gimli managed to get out a cough and nodded, still goggling at the unexpected child.

"I knew it!" exclaimed Caladel excitedly. "Ada shows me a book that has pictures of your people in it all the time! And you look like one too – because you are one, of course – but he described one of your kind a few times…are you Lord Gimli?"

He needed a drink of water, or better yet something stronger – his mouth was very dry and his nerves were very close to being shot. "I – I am," he croaked out, stumbling toward the foot of the bed awkwardly.

Caladel crawled out from under the covers. Eomer was sure that the skittish boy was about to do something like throw himself protectively over his prone father's form, but he shocked both the Man and Gimli both by stepping lightly to the end of the bed and throwing his arms around the dwarf. "I'm so gland that I finally get to meet you!" he declared happily. "I feel like I know you already from listening to Ada's stories, of course. You're always so good in those and I can tell that he loves you so much. I didn't think I'd ever get a chance to meet you because we lived in Fangorn and he said that you didn't like trees and they didn't like you but now you're here! I can't wait to find out all about you. Is it true that you sprung out of rock to be born?"

He was holding an elf child who, judging by the way he spoke, apparently didn't need to breathe very oftenand seemed to know him (or at least of him). Gimli had never been so baffled and off-kilter in his life. "I – you – don't – know – who are you?" he sputtered out. "How did you get here?"

"I sprung out of Ada, like you did out of that rock," replied Caladel cheerfully.

Eomer shook his head in amazement. He had provided Legolas and Caladel with shelter, had the city's finest healer see to the elf immediately, and plied the boy with his favorite food and still he could sense some suspicion whenever the child looked at him; and all Gimli had to do was confirm his identity and Caladel welcomed him as one of the family. There was something inherently unfair about that, but the Man could see the humor in it. "Well, the young one here seems to know who you are so it's only fair that you're introduced to him now," said Eomer with a wry smile. "Gimli, this is Caladel – Legolas' son."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As Legolas slowly came out of his elven dreams, he sensed that something was once again off. But unlike the earlier rude awakening when he didn't know where his son was he now felt – safe. He couldn't quite put his finger on it; it almost seemed like there had been something off-kilter about the world that had somehow righted itself while he slept. It was tempting to lay there and soak in the feeling indefinitely, just passing the time by listening to that comforting rumbling – that reminded him a bit of Treebeard's wise voice – that was coming from his bedside.

It took him a moment or two to realize that the Treebeard-ish rumbling was actually words made by another friend's voice. "…now forty-two isn't a bad score, especially not for a pointy-eared elvish princeling, but it's not as good as forty-three," the beloved gruff voice that Legolas had long missed was saying. "But your father just couldn't graciously accept defeat. He went so far as to shoot a dead orc lying beneath me to even our score!"

Caladel's laughter mingled with Gimli's during that last exclamation. 'Gimli's met my son,' thought Legolas. That realization didn't seem as crushing as he feared that it would be. 'He called me Caladel's father. He knows.'

A strange feeling of calm washed over him, followed by a warm glow as hope filled his heart. Gimli had not only accepted the fact that the elf had a child but also seemed to open his heart to Caladel right away, sharing embarrassing stories with him like a…grandfather would. Maybe he hadn't totally destroyed his relationship with the good dwarf all those years ago; after all, Gimli was being more receptive to his son than Elrond had ever been.

Of course that didn't mean that Legolas was going to stand for Gimli making such mortifying comments to Caladel – there were going to be some rebellious years ahead and he couldn't have the boy armed with all these tales of his own wayward youth. "He was twitching," he argued quietly, rolling over to look at them. The sight of his son sitting on Gimli's lap, braiding his beard as the dwarf patted his head fondly, was altogether darling.

"Laddie," whispered Gimli in a choked voice as every one of his emotions tried to rush out of him at once.

"I met Gimli, Ada," announced Caladel happily, waving his hand to gesture at the dwarf as if Legolas didn't know who he was talking about. "He's so nice, and funny, and smart too!"

"And this boy has an ingenious intellect to go with that incredible taste of his," chimed in Gimli warmly as his eyes brimmed with tears. "I can't see where he gets those from."

"Don't start teasing now when you haven't even said hello to each other yet – it's rude!" admonished Caladel. He shook his head at Gimli – though the scolding gesture lost most of its power due to the broad smile that was spread across the boy's face – before turning back to his father. "You said some great things about him before but he's even better in person. The same goes for Eomer," he added, nodding toward the door.

Legolas turned his neck and was somewhat surprised to see that the king of Rohan was indeed standing in front of the closed door. "You tell a lot of great stories, Ada," the boy continued. "But I think that I like being around the people more than I like just hearing about them."

"I do too," Legolas told him, sucking in a deep breath in an attempt to stem the flow of tears that were threatening to break through his defenses. After all of the trauma Caladel had just been through he didn't want to further confuse or scare him by dissolving into sobs right in front of him. Besides, the last time he'd willingly let his emotions get the better of him was when Caladel was born and he wasn't about to let that happen again now.

Thankfully Eomer apparently recognized his internal struggle. "Well, I can see that you and Gimli have a lot to speak about," he said a little too casually. With a gentle smile walked forward and extended his hand toward Caladel. "Come, Caladel; let's give them a little privacy. We have somewhere better to be anyway; usually by this time of day the royal cook has some treats all prepared and out on a plate in the kitchen."

Caladel looked at his father, who nodded encouragingly. Very cautiously he rose to his feet, gingerly took the Man's hand, and let Eomer lead him to the door. "What is this treat?" he couldn't help asking suspiciously.

"I'm not sure if I can describe it to you if you haven't tasted one already," replied Eomer as he opened the door. "Let's see; have you ever had a pastry before?"

Gimli waited until the pair had left and the door was safely shut again before he trusted himself to look at Legolas again. "Well, laddie," he began.

Never had two fairly generic words held so much meaning. Legolas could feel the last of his defenses crumbling and he forced himself to steel up before the tears started to flow. He couldn't blink them out of his eyes, though. "Oh don't start doing that," complained the dwarf as he watched the elf's eyelids flutter rapidly. "It makes it hard for me to yell at you when you look about ready to break down."

"One moment, please!" requested Legolas in an unsteady voice. "I just need to – to calm down a little. Believe me, I'm not bringing on the tears to keep you from scolding me."

"I never said that I couldn't yell at you," Gimli told him dryly. "I just said that the threat of tears makes it a little harder. But you should know by now that the prospect of doing something difficult never scared me off before; especially when it's one that will make me feel a whole lot better. And I think that letting an inconsiderate, selfish, cruel elf who thinks nothing about his friends will make me feel the best I've felt in years."

"Gimli –"

"No," Gimli cut him off sharply. "You don't get to say anything. You've already held a good share of my mind for far too long and I won't let you take up this time now before I get my say." He stared hard at Legolas as he decided where to start. "Would it have done any harm to tell someone that you'd decided to drop out of the world of the living for awhile instead of just disappearing and leaving us to wonder?"

"Please –"

"Don't go saying that this was an impulsive decision because it wasn't," admonished Gimli. "The packs you prepared, setting yourself up in Fangorn, giving me Arod: you planned all of that out very carefully and all to make it easier for you to slip away. Why, Legolas? Did you get Caladel's mother pregnant and decide that there was only room in your life and heart for her and your son?"

Legolas knew that he deserved that but Gimli's tirade still stung him badly. "No," he answered, his voice trembling almost beyond control as he shook his head emphatically. "My son – my son – he doesn't have a mother. He doesn't have one, Gimli; it was I who bore him. I had to be without his sire and – I don't know; I think I got so afraid that someone was going to try to take him away from me that I ran."

The room fell into absolute silence. Legolas took advantage of the pause in the conversation to take in several deep breaths and try to rein in his emotions. This had been the first time since Caladel's birth that he openly acknowledged that he felt anything about Aragorn leaving him and he was deeply ashamed of himself. Yet, in away it felt so good to finally share those feelings with someone who wouldn't let him hide from them.

Of course, he'd also feel better if the dwarf would say something – anything – instead of just goggling at him. "I – I think that we're going to have to start this conversation over again," Gimli finally stammered out. "What – what's this all about there being no mother and bearing and sires?"

"Male elves have the ability to bear children, Gimli, and I did," explained Legolas, fighting himself to not lose it now. "There was no mother and no sires either," he added defensively, inadvertently shuddering as the remembered his last conversation with Lord Elrond. In his worst nightmares he heard the elf lord's veiled accusation about sleeping with several people coming out of the mouths of the people that he loved most and he couldn't stand the idea of that coming true in any way. "There was only one sire and there's never been any question about who he is."

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it," replied Gimli, startled by the strength of Legolas' declaration. The elf had seemed so contrite just moments before; there must be something more to this than a simple misunderstanding. "Give me a minute to take all of this in, laddie; it a bit of a shock, you know." He sat quiet and absolutely still for a full thirty seconds and then exhaled loudly. "This sire isn't with you two, then. Has he ever been?"

"Well, he had to have been to help create Caladel in the first place," replied Legolas sullenly, still thinking about Elrond. He shook his head to rid himself of the bad thoughts. "I'm sorry, Gimli; I shouldn't be so short with you. No, it's always been just me and Caladel. The sire – he – we couldn't be together."

The only thing that Gimli could think about was that ridiculous story that the twins and Arwen had told him over five years earlier. "It's not King Theoden, is it?"

"What?" Legolas stared at him as if he'd grown two extra heads. "King Theoden? No! Why would you even think that?"

"Well, I was never convinced that it was true," Gimli defended himself lamely. "But Queen Arwen and her brothers were certain that you two had been involved and that his death was the reason why you were acting so oddly. And now that you have a sire-less child…"

"King Theoden was a good and honorable Man but nothing ever happened between us that even the most imaginative gossip mongers would ever consider to be remotely romantic," stressed Legolas. He gave Gimli an incredulous look and shook his head. "Ai Elbereth; Arwen, Elladan, and Elrohir aren't spreading this around, are they? I'd hate to think that the king's memory was being marred in any way by a rumor about a fictitious illicit affair."

"Don't worry," Gimli told him quickly. "It was only between me, them, Aragorn, and Lord Elrond and I'm sure that none of them said anything."

A shadow fell across Legolas' face. "Good," he said in a hard tone.

"Is Caladel's sire one of the elves from Lothlorien?" persisted Gimli. Legolas could practically see the wheels turning in the dwarf's head. "Perhaps one of the ones who fell during the Battle of Helm's Deep? That's why you can't be with him, right: because he's dead? Oh, Legolas – was it Haldir?"

"It wasn't Haldir or any other elf," answered Legolas tersely, still in a dark and pensive mood. "Caladel is part Man."

Gimli threw his hands up in the air. "Well, I don't know who it could be then!" he declared. "I was with you almost constantly since we left Lothlorien to the day of Aragorn's coronation and I don't remember you being alone with any Man long enough to, uh, do what you have to do to get pregnant, except Aragorn…."

Cold realization washed over him when he saw Legolas bite his lip. "Oh, laddie," gasped Gimli in dismay. "What did you do? How could you let yourself get into a situation of sleeping with someone who'd promised himself to another?"

"He told me that it was over!" burst out Legolas with a good deal of anger. "He told me that she'd left for the Undying Lands and that we could finally be together. We – we were involved for a time decades ago and I still loved him. I never pursued him when I thought that Arwen was still around but I couldn't deny my heart when he told me that she was gone. I shouldn't have believed him but I won't be blamed for it anymore!"

"Blamed for it? What are you talking about?" asked a perplexed and horrified Gimli, certain that he wasn't going to like the answer.

Legolas pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lord Elrond," he mumbled. He was too worn down to keep these secrets from his dear friend any longer and wasn't inclined to protect the elf lord anyway. "I went to him for help when I realized that I was pregnant. He – asked me if I knew who the sire was even though he knew about my relationship with Aragorn, then implied that I got pregnant on purpose, and finally suggested rather strongly that I take some herbs that would have killed my baby." He turned his pleading eyes on the dwarf. "Please don't turn against me too, Gimli, no matter what I've done to deserve it. I couldn't bear it if you did."

"I would never do that," vowed Gimli resolutely. It was no wonder now why Legolas had vanished like he did – after being betrayed and mistreated by the person he'd been in love with for so long and the elf who was like a second father to him he must have felt as if the whole world had turned against him. "I'm right here by your side and ready to make things right for you again. I only wish that Lord Elrond hadn't gone to Valinor already; I would have taken my axe to him after I had a little chat with that dishonorable son of a bitch who lied, used you, and abandoned you. Now I can only do the latter."

"No!" cried a panicked Legolas. "Gimli, please, you can't! I can't risk losing Caladel. Besides, Aragorn didn't mean to do it – he thought that she'd left."

"Why are you defending him?" Now it was Gimli's turn to look at the elf as if he had extra heads. "You're not still in love with him, are you?"

"It's complicated," replied Legolas, not wanting to delve into the task of sorting through all of the emotions that coursed through him whenever he thought about Aragorn. "Please just don't tell him about Caladel, or me, or anything."

"I promise, laddie," said Gimli reluctantly, his insides twisting a little as he did so.

The door was thrown open suddenly and Caladel bounded in, carrying a tart; Eomer came in behind him, bearing another one. "I love sweets, Ada," the boy announced happily, jumping up onto the bed. "We brought two of them back so that the both of you could have one each – you have to try this!"

"Why, thank you, ion nin," smiled Legolas as he took the pastry.

"Yes, thanks, lad," added Gimli, casting a meaningful look Eomer's way. "I'll go get mine from Eomer right now; feel free to dig in, Legolas."

He got up and crossed the room to discreetly lead Eomer to the farthest point away from the bed without actually going out the door. "I take it you wish to stay on for a bit," said Eomer.

"For a few days right now," nodded Gimli. "But what's more important is that I want you to convince him to stay here until I get back from Gondor."

"He doesn't want Aragorn to know," Eomer told him, although a part of him wished that Gimli would tell the other king everything. He felt very uneasy about keeping this secret, even though he instinctively knew for some reason that it was important for him to do just that.

"It's not like that," replied Gimli darkly. "You must know by now that Queen Arwen has had another child and I've already promised that I will visit soon. Don't tell him where I'm going! I don't want him disappearing again while I'm gone. And don't worry, Eomer; I can find a way to say all that I need to say to Aragorn without saying anything about Legolas and Caladel. I have the eyes of a hawk, the ears of a fox, and the uncanny ability to keep a secret no matter what happens."

To be continued…