September 1462

Fari and Goldi stepped out onto the street in front of The Mended Drum and Fari looked around to get his bearings. The center of the city, which was most likely the oldest part, seemed like the best place to look for some sort of official to marry them. He took Goldi's hand and started up the street. They'd only gone a few steps when he heard a familiar voice.

"Fari!"

Fari turned, briefly met Merry's eyes, then tugged at Goldi's hand, pulling her into the crowd of Big Folk to try to lose him. He didn't get far, though, because he walked right into his father.

"Fari!" His father grabbed his arm, holding on tight. Fari sighed and didn't even bother to try to get away. They were caught.

"What do you think you're doing, lad?" his father asked, leaning over to look him in the eye.

"We're going to get married," Fari said defiantly. "Let us go, Dad."

Pippin shook his head. "No, Fari. We'll go home and we'll figure this out."

"I'll go find Sam," Merry said behind them. "Are you staying here?" he asked, pointing towards The Mended Drum. Fari nodded and Merry walked off into the crowd.

Fari's dad sighed. "Well, let's go back to your room then. We've got a lot to discuss."

Fari blanched, realizing the confrontation he'd been most dreading was coming. "Sam's going to kill me, Dad."

His father sighed. "Probably."

-o-O-o-

They led his father back to their room. Goldi leaned in close as they climbed the stairs. "Don't tell them, yet," she mouthed, giving a subtle touch to her belly. Fari nodded.

His dad left the door open, probably so that Merry and Sam could find them. Fari saw his father frown at the rumpled bed. He cringed. There was really only one way to get a bed to look like that. Goldi, feeling much better after her confession the night before, had woken him in the most lovely way. Fari turned away to hide his flushed cheeks and went to sit at the little table with Goldi.

His father took off his cloak and tossed it onto the pillow. Then he turned to them. "You both had us all quite worried," he said. "Your mums are beside themselves." He sighed. "Did you think we wouldn't come after you?"

Fari sighed. "No, we--."

"We saw the mayor when we got into Bree and he told us you were going to Rohan." His dad shook his head. "Did you really think we'd believe you'd go to Éomer King?"

"No, but--."

"Hugh still offered to ride south to see if there was any sign of you, so the Underhills lost a few days work at the mill because of your adventure."

"Sorry," Fari mumbled. It's not like he made Hugh ride south to look for him.

"Then we find out Celeborn let you go. I understand why he did it, but Sam was furious."

As if to prove his point, the door flew open and Sam rushed in. "What do you think you were doing?" he yelled, crossing the room towards Fari, his face red with anger. Fari stood up and braced himself to get killed

"Wait, Sam!" Merry was there suddenly, grabbing Sam's arm. Fari cringed. He probably wanted to give Sam pointers on how best to kill him. But Merry pulled Sam back, holding tight to his arm. Sam looked over at Fari's dad and his eyes lit on the bed. He turned back to Fari, scowling. "You made a promise to me, Faramir!"

"Dad," Goldi pleaded. She stood up and went to face her father, standing between him and Fari. "We didn't do anything wrong! We're betrothed!"

"But you're not yet married," said Sam. "You know how your mother and I feel about that." Sam glared at Fari over her shoulder. "And you know as well, Faramir!"

Faramir sighed in frustration and stared at his feet, his hands clenched at his sides. Didn't they understand what they'd had to do? That they had to run away? That Diamond was going to ruin all their lives if he didn't give up his inheritance and run off to marry Goldi?

"Don't you have anything to say to Sam, Faramir?" his father asked. He sounded angry himself, now. "You had made a promise to him, correct? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Fari glared at his father, anger suddenly rising up in him. His father was going to lecture him on bedding a girl before they were married? He couldn't stop himself from saying the words, they just seemed to come out all on their own. He took a few steps towards his dad. "At least she's not my best friend's daughter."

"Faramir!" Merry scolded. Fari ignored him. It wasn't like Uncle Merry could say a whole lot about it either, considering how he got Ivy in the first place. He watched his father, his face stricken, turn away from him. Within him, a feeling of satisfaction warred with intense guilt.

"Come along, Goldi," Sam said sternly. "We'll go for a walk. We need to talk, and I think Fari and Pippin need to do the same." Goldi nodded. She took Fari's hand and gave it a little squeeze, then followed her father out the door.

"I'll leave you two, as well," Merry said.

"Don't bother," Fari grumbled. He walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. "There's nothing to talk about." He looked up at Merry defiantly and they exchanged glares. Then he noticed his father was standing at the window, staring out into the street, his shoulders slumped. Fari's stomach twisted with guilt again, the anger disappearing. He'd lashed out at his father and he didn't quite know why.

Merry glanced over towards Pippin, then turned to Fari. "What has gotten into you, Faramir?" he asked.

A spark of anger came back. "I don't know, Uncle Merry. Maybe it has something to do with Diamond trying to ruin my life!"

"So you run away?" Merry asked. "Worrying your family and Goldi's family!"

"We were only going to go to Bree, but the Mayor wouldn't marry us."

Merry shook his head. "Fari, you can get married in the Shire!"

"And risk what she would do to the Gamgees?"

"You don't know that would happen. I doubt most hobbits would go along with Diamond. Sam and Frodo are too respected."

"But what if she does succeed? Then its my fault they lose their jobs. It's already my fault this whole thing started! Because I couldn't keep my mouth shut!"

Merry threw up his hands. "You couldn't have known someone would overhear, Fari! Besides, plenty of people had figured it out already."

"But they didn't go blabbing it in taverns so it would get back to Diamond, did they? It's my fault, Uncle Merry! She's using me to hurt Dad and the Gamgees." He sighed and let his shoulders slump. "That's why I had to leave. Dad is better off without me."

"No!" His father whirled around and came towards him. "Don't you ever think that, Faramir!"

"It's true, though," he said. His eyes were stinging--gods, he didn't want to cry. "If you'd never had me, she would never have had a hold on you. You could have gotten rid of her a long time ago. I know she threatened to take me away if you kept pushing for the divorce. You should have let her do it."

"No, Fari..." His father reached for him, but Fari scurried back on the bed, away from his father.

"Why do you want me?" he asked. "You've got four other sons. Ivy's sons. But I'm from her."

"You're my son, Faramir. Mine!" his father said fiercely. "And you're Ivy's son, too, and there are seven signatures on that paper to prove it!"

"But Diamond said--"

"I don't care what Diamond said! I will fight her with everything I have for you. And even if the adoption is voided, you will still be Ivy's son!"

"I'm not, really." He fell back to lie on the bed. "I'm just her cousin," he mumbled. His father's cloak was on the pillow and Fari lay his head on it, breathing in the familiar scent that had comforted him his whole life. He wished everything was back the way it was, before Diamond had come back. He didn't like the feelings he had now.

"Faramir?" his father asked softly. Fari felt a hand on his leg, squeezing gently.

Fari squeezed his eyes shut. Part of him wanted to kick the hand away, the other part wanted to sob in his father's arms. "I want to be alone," he mumbled. He opened his eyes. His father and Merry were both looking at him, concerned.

His father took his hand away and straightened. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

Fari nodded. "I'm fine, Dad. I won't run, if that's what you're worried about. I just...need to be alone."

Merry put his hand on Pippin's shoulder. "Come on, Pip," he said gently. He looked over at Fari. "We'll just go down to the common room for a while."

His father sighed and nodded, then looked at Fari. "I love you, Faramir."

Fari nodded, although he didn't know why his father loved him, after all Fari had said and done.

They left, closing the door behind them, and Fari rolled over, punching the pillow. Why was he such a mess right now? Why was he feeling so angry at his dad? His father wasn't the one who had messed everything up.