"Out. Out! OUT!" That last shout would have had orcs tucking tail and fleeing.

The King's Council had never seen him quite so enraged and the best number of them had wisely chosen to move quickly, but respectfully, for the exit. Of those who remained, three were immortal. The other was his own son.

Aragorn stared around the now vacated room before lowering his head into his hands. Weariness was only one word for what he felt. "Water. Could i just have some water?" he muttered into his hand.

Erestor, the ever-ready advisor, had a glass in the King's hand practically before the words left his lips.

"Thank you, Erestor," Aragorn said, finally looking up. "I apologize... to you all."

"There is little to apologize for, mellon. I believe i speak for us all when i say that this extended winter season has us all running short of patience," Legolas replied good-naturedly.

"I thought winter didn't dampen your spirits, tree-squirrel," Aragorn said, attempting to raise a brow at his friend.

Legolas grinned almost manically for a moment. "It does not when i am anywhere but in a city of Men, deer-hunter."

Glorfindel, Erestor, and Faramir simultaneously glanced at each other. "His temper will even once his son or daughter is born," the Mortal reassured the two Elves of Imladris, remembering what things were like for him before his children were born. Elboron and Findiel were now just three months old, and growing more and more every day to Faramir's eyes. As it happened, the Queen of Gondor was currently four months pregnant and the King was ready to go back into exile.

Winter was refusing to give in without an almighty fight and Gondor was seeing the most unpleasant conditions it had seen since before Elendil crossed the Sea and founded the kingdom. It was altogether strange and everyone was beginning to feel a bout of cabin fever. Though Aragorn was clearly the worst afflicted.

"Having been raised in Rivendell," Aragorn began slowly and somewhat lamenting, "I never thought i would understand the custom in Gondor that males and females should keep their chambers separate, but now i believe i see the wisdom of this."

"It will onlybe until late summer, adar," Faramir said comfortingly.

"Until late this year," Erestor corrected dryly. "Elves carry for twelve months."

Aragorn blanched. "Glorfindel? Have you any miruvor?"

---

That evening a host arrived from Edoras which included the King of Rohan, and also the new Queen of Rohan. Aragorn and Faramir greeted them at Minas Tirith's newly finished north gate. Aragorn was glad to see his loyal, if not impetuous, friend, as Faramir was glad that his cousin was in their homeland again.

Lothiriel seemed every bit as pleased as Faramir that she was back in Gondor, and this Faramir noted with trepidation. Perhaps life in Rohan was not all she had hoped and he made a mental note to ask her of it as soon as he could. Faramir had to praise Éowyn for her attempts to fit into Gondorian society, though he could tell that she found that it was not all that she had hoped. Though Éowyn had changed greatly since the birth of their children and now busied herself more often among garden plants than horses and swords, Faramir was well aware that many customs of his kingdom were foreign to her and a good deal of them she greatly disliked.

Now that his life was at last becoming steady, Faramir had started planning for a home in Ithilien, one which his father routinely insisted be in sight of Minas Tirith. The work was slow, to say the least, but he felt there was certainly no rush, especially now that he was a father of two.

Faramir made it a point to spend much time with his little ones, though they were only a few months old and would not remember that he was always there for them, it mattered little to the proud father. By the time they were old enough to recognize how much he loved them, nothing would change, he would still always be there for his children. But in the last several months, the Steward could think of nothing more contenting than holding his sleeping daughter or feeling his son's already strong grip, though that was usual felt rather painfully with a tug on his hair. Faramir's greatest hope for his children was that they would grow up to become happy, proud, confident, and well-learnéd people.

Aragorn and Faramir still carried on their practice of taking their evening repast together and sharing news, opinions, and the occasional lament of any of various aspects of life in the city. When Faramir took into account all that he had lived through in his few short years and all that he had gained in just the last year, the balance seemed to have at long last been struck. There was no pretense of perfection, not by a long shot, but Faramir was quite content to take the ups with the downs, as they might naturally come.

That was until the day the host from Rohan arrived.

---

At long last, the sequel to Chaos Theory has begun. For those who just can't get enough of our dear Fara' and his tear-jerking life... stay tuned, but be warned, there are trials ahead for the young Steward. Losses and gains to be reckoned with.