Chapter Twenty Two
(Seven months later)
Seven months of torture went by in the Shire. The Ropers and the people of Hobbiton grew more and more excited as the approach of the birth was soon to arrive. But for Nina, Frodo, Holly, Merry, Pippin, Sam and Rose . . . the situation was too much to bear.
And it had been a living nightmare for the past seven months . . . an endless circle of sneaking around, quick check up's, kisses, hugs . . . it was soon going to drive them all insane.
"We're going to have to do something soon" Sam sighed, pulling out his pipe. Rose didn't even scold him.
"I don't think I can take this much longer" Frodo added. "What kind of gentlehobbit am I?! Leaving her with him all this time . . . and he's probably been doing things to her that she's too scared to tell me about. I don't deserve her if I behave like this. I promised her I'd take her away and marry her . . ."
"Look, Frodo, we all wish we could have done something . . . I've tried talking to the Ropers, I've tried talking to Portia but they won't do anything, they still believe Friado is this wonderful gentlehobbit . . ."
"And he's not, and we all know it" Rose sighed, sitting down beside Samwise. "And I for one am not going to watch him raise Frodo's baby"
Frodo paused before he added anything, he just stared out of the window sighing.
"Look," Holly spoke up. "We can't live like this for the rest of our lives now can we?! These past seven or eight months have been driving me up the wall and I'm sick and tired of sneaking around there and avoiding the Broadbeams. We're going to do this now, we're going to go to the Roper's and tell them EVERYTHING!"
"And is that really a good idea sis?" Merry said. "Go around there and tell them everything just like that?" he clicked his fingers. "You think they'll be happy about all this?! Do you think they'd just let Frodo have her?!"
"Merry, all I'm bothered about is getting her away from that poor excuse of a hobbit. He's not even fit enough to live in filth, no, he deserves worse than that"
"Holly's right" Frodo turned around. "I'm sick and tired of this and I promised her that we'd end all this sneaking around . . . if anyone wants to come with Holly and I to the Roper's . . . they are more than welcome to"
Everyone, in unison stood up.
"I'm coming," Merry said enthusiastically. "I don't want no Broadbeam's going near my cousin or my sister"
Frodo smiled to all his friends and thanked them more. No other friend would go through all this for him.
Just then, as if from no where, a knock was at the door.
"Hopefully it's a Roper" Rose mumbled, walking to open the door. It was. Nina Roper stood there, tears streaked down her face. "Nina?!" Rose gasped.
"Nina?!" Everyone else leapt up and rushed to the door.
"Come in, come in," Rose helped her in the house, almost glad to see her. Rose never did go around to the Broadbeams to check on her.
Frodo couldn't believe that she was stood there right in front of him. He hugged her tightly and sat her down beside him, admiring her big, round stomach where their baby was growing.
"Nina . . .?" Holly started, choking back tears, trying to keep strong for her friend. "Nina, where's Friado?"
"At my parent's house," she answered weakly. "He forgot to lock the door, I guess"
"And he didn't see you as you past the house?!"
"No, I would not be stupid enough to let him catch me. I think he trusts me not to leave the house, because he knows that I know what he wants to do to Frodo . . ." she paused, as Frodo held her tighter against him. "I don't want him to hurt you Frodo, but I had to see you . . . I've missed you all so much and I couldn't bear it in that wretched house anymore."
"It's okay," Frodo stroked her hair as she started sobbing again. "You stay here; we aren't letting then take you away again"
"Yeah, we're going to tell them everything Nina. No more sneaking around . . . you and Frodo can marry and raise the child together . . . no more secrets" Holly added, trying to sound merry and happy. Everyone smiled along.
"Thank you . . . but, what will they say?"
"They can say what they want to Miss Nina, but in the end, you'll have to marry Mr Frodo here" Sam said with a smile.
"But what if Friado . . ."
"He'll have to get past us before he can get to Mr Frodo . . . I would not let that scoundrel in my household disrupting the happiness. He'll never get in here"
"I can't believe you're all doing this for us . . ." Nina answered quietly with a smile. "I'm sure it's a lot of trouble for you"
"Nina, if there is trouble it is not caused by you and Frodo!" Holly let out a chuckle.
"First things first!" Rose called. "You need to get out of that filthy dress! Just what has that Friado Broadbeam been subjecting you to?!"
Rose helped her up and linked her arm with hers. "Come on . . . I have some clean dresses for you to choose from . . . comfy one's at that. Now you are this far pregnant, you'll need something comfy to wear"
Nina smiled gratefully. "Oh thank you Rose, I-"
"No thank you's please!" Rose laughed. "I'll take you to my bedroom where you can change"
Nina smiled back to Frodo quickly before Rose whisked her away.
"There, you see? Told you she'd be fine" Pippin said, sitting back down, more at ease.
"Yeah, suppose," Holly sighed.
"What's the matter with you?" Merry frowned.
"Well . . . there's going to be trouble isn't there?"
"As I said Miss Holly, no Broadbeam is getting through my front door to cause mayhem" Sam said.
"What was that?!" Frodo leapt up as a scream came out from the bedroom.
"That was Nina" Merry said, but everyone had already leapt up and burst through the bedroom door.
There was Nina, laid out on the bed, looking in pain and sweating tremendously. Rose was next to her, trying to calm her down.
"What's happening?!" Frodo called, rushing to her side.
"She's in labour" Rose declared. "I want everyone out except Frodo and Holly"
Sam, Pippin and Merry obeyed.
"Right," Rose rolled up her dress sleeves. "Let's get this baby delivered."
"W-what?" Holly stammered. "Don't we need a real doctor?"
"Don't worry, I have delivered quite a few babies in the past, this one shall be no exception. However, Holly, I need you to help me"
"W-what? Me? I don't know anything about birthing babies!"
"I'll tell you what to do okay?! But you need to relax. Just relax now Nina, come on, Frodo's with you. Frodo, you need to hold her hand and comfort her best as you can. I've got nothing to ease the pain"
"Can't you get a doctor who has something to help the pain?"
"There's no time, this baby wants to come out now . . . Come on, Nina, it'll be alright soon, just push for me okay?"
"Come on, it'll be over soon . . ." Frodo stroked her hair and held her close, trying to soothe her as bet he could.
~~~
"So, Meruda, I do believe that if we move the wedding to about . . . a week after the birth, everything shall be in order"
"A week? You love my daughter so much don't you?"
"Well, there's no time like the present" Friado grinned.
"Well, we will need to sort out the ceremony, the guests, the food, the dress, the cake . . . that's an awful amount of planning Friado" Meruda didn't look too sure.
"Yes, but . . . why not invite any hobbit who wishes to attend? As for the food, well, I shall leave that in the hands of your lovely wife. She makes the most delightful buffets I have ever eaten. And I'm sure Portia could pick out a lovely dress - your eldest daughter has a lovely taste in items such as those"
"Hmm . . ." Meruda thought for a while. "Well you seem to have it all arranged in the meantime"
"Well Nina and I want to wed as soon as possible. After all, the sooner the better, right? You have two more daughters to wed off!"
Meruda smiled. "I do believe I am an excellent judge of character Friado Broadbeam. I knew form the moment you walked into my house that you would be a fantastic husband to one of my daughters. I guess Nina was the lucky one"
"That you are, Meruda, that you are. And you have raised all your daughters so well, it was almost impossible for me to choose from such well mannered, well brought up, beautiful young ladies"
"You are a gentlehobbit, your parents must be proud"
Friado let out a chuckle. "I hope I have made them proud"
"I'm sure you have my boy, you've even made me and my good wife proud. Thank you fro making our Nina so happy. We didn't know what the cause for her sudden happiness was when you first came out"
Friado forced a smile. "Yes," he just answered.
Then a sound of a baby crying erupted through Bag End. Meruda and Friado looked to one another, before rushing up to the door, and without even knocking, rushed inside Bag End. Meruda was the first into the bedroom.
"Hey, hey, no Broadbeams thank you!" Sam called, but Friado pushed past him and looked at the bed.
Nina looked up wide eyed at her papa and Friado; Frodo tightened his grasp on his new child, looking at Friado coldly.
"Well now!" Meruda called happily, seating beside his daughter. "Nina, darling, you've done it! But couldn't the baby have waited until Friado was there?! No matter!" he chuckled out. "Who delivered the baby?!"
"I did" Rose said quietly, knowing what was to happen very soon. Frodo held out his hand and grasped Nina's protectively . . . there was no way they were going to take his child and his fiancé.
"Boy or girl?!" Meruda was still rambling.
"A girl" Rose answered. "And she's quite healthy for a premature"
"Well, how about that Friado?!" Meruda patted Friado's back. "You have a daughter! Come now Mr Baggins! Do not hog my granddaughter!"
But Frodo would not let her go. Nina shut her eyes tightly.
Meruda held out both hands so he could hold the baby. "Give her to me Mr Frodo! Give her to her granddad!"
Frodo snuggled closer to his daughter.
"Papa, please," Nina pleaded.
"What?! Is it so wrong that I wish to hold my first grand daughter?"
"Just, let Frodo have her . . ."
"No, she should be ion the hands of her father!"
Still, Frodo would not give her up. Friado sighed.
"See, here, give me my daughter"
"She's not yours" Frodo said, looking to Friado with unfriendly eyes.
"What are you talking about Mr Baggins?!" Meruda called.
"Look, Sirs, could you please leave my house" Sam said.
"No, not without my grand child" Meruda said. "Mr Baggins, give me my grand child or I'll have the Sheriffs around to take her by force"
"I'm not giving her to *him*" Frodo answered.
"She should be in the hands of her father!" Meruda yelled impatiently. "Now give her up! She is not yours!"
"She IS in the hands of her father!" Nina screamed, unable to take it anymore.
Everyone froze. Meruda especially.
"Are you telling me that -"
Nina closed her eyes and nodded. "Frodo is her father"
"Is this true?"
Frodo nodded.
"How could you do this to us? You've disgraced our family" Meruda said, shaking from the shock, staring at Nina with angry eyes.
"I'm sorry Papa, let me explain"
"You've betrayed us and you've betrayed your fiancé. I cannot imagine the shock he is in right now"
"He knows" Merry blurted out.
Meruda turned to Friado. "You knew Friado?"
Friado nodded. "I wanted this child for my own and I did not want your family to be distraught. I made believe it was mine and my aim was to keep Nina away from him. But in the end it did not work" he glared at Nina, who held onto Frodo's hand tighter. Meruda gasped as the baby opened her eyes; and he could see that they were blue. The eyes she could only have inherited from Frodo . . .
"Papa, I can explain everything," Nina pleaded. "Just please, listen to me. I didn't mean to hurt you"
"You are a disgrace" Meruda said again. "Do not talk to me"
"But, I-"
"Let's go, shall we Friado?"
They both turned and left Bag End, leaving only the silence and the soft weeping from Nina.
"I'm sorry," Frodo said, holding her close. "He's wrong"
"We'll leave you two alone" Holly said, ushering Pippin and Merry out of the room. "And he's wrong Nina," she added. Nina just nodded.
"Here," Frodo handed her their baby daughter. "Isn't she beautiful?"
"Yes," Nina kissed the baby's forehead. "She has your eyes, I see"
"And your nose," Frodo kissed her cheek. "What shall we call her?"
Nina smiled, thinking in thought. "I don't know . . . do you know any Elvish names?"
"Elvish?!" Frodo's blue eyes widened. "I know a lot of Elvish names" he added with a smile. "But none more beautiful than Lömadia"
"Lömadia," Nina kissed her daughter again. "I love it"
"I love you" Frodo kissed her sweetly, a kiss that made her forget nearly everything. "No more secrets," he whispered to her as she smiled and pulled him back for another kiss.
(Seven months later)
Seven months of torture went by in the Shire. The Ropers and the people of Hobbiton grew more and more excited as the approach of the birth was soon to arrive. But for Nina, Frodo, Holly, Merry, Pippin, Sam and Rose . . . the situation was too much to bear.
And it had been a living nightmare for the past seven months . . . an endless circle of sneaking around, quick check up's, kisses, hugs . . . it was soon going to drive them all insane.
"We're going to have to do something soon" Sam sighed, pulling out his pipe. Rose didn't even scold him.
"I don't think I can take this much longer" Frodo added. "What kind of gentlehobbit am I?! Leaving her with him all this time . . . and he's probably been doing things to her that she's too scared to tell me about. I don't deserve her if I behave like this. I promised her I'd take her away and marry her . . ."
"Look, Frodo, we all wish we could have done something . . . I've tried talking to the Ropers, I've tried talking to Portia but they won't do anything, they still believe Friado is this wonderful gentlehobbit . . ."
"And he's not, and we all know it" Rose sighed, sitting down beside Samwise. "And I for one am not going to watch him raise Frodo's baby"
Frodo paused before he added anything, he just stared out of the window sighing.
"Look," Holly spoke up. "We can't live like this for the rest of our lives now can we?! These past seven or eight months have been driving me up the wall and I'm sick and tired of sneaking around there and avoiding the Broadbeams. We're going to do this now, we're going to go to the Roper's and tell them EVERYTHING!"
"And is that really a good idea sis?" Merry said. "Go around there and tell them everything just like that?" he clicked his fingers. "You think they'll be happy about all this?! Do you think they'd just let Frodo have her?!"
"Merry, all I'm bothered about is getting her away from that poor excuse of a hobbit. He's not even fit enough to live in filth, no, he deserves worse than that"
"Holly's right" Frodo turned around. "I'm sick and tired of this and I promised her that we'd end all this sneaking around . . . if anyone wants to come with Holly and I to the Roper's . . . they are more than welcome to"
Everyone, in unison stood up.
"I'm coming," Merry said enthusiastically. "I don't want no Broadbeam's going near my cousin or my sister"
Frodo smiled to all his friends and thanked them more. No other friend would go through all this for him.
Just then, as if from no where, a knock was at the door.
"Hopefully it's a Roper" Rose mumbled, walking to open the door. It was. Nina Roper stood there, tears streaked down her face. "Nina?!" Rose gasped.
"Nina?!" Everyone else leapt up and rushed to the door.
"Come in, come in," Rose helped her in the house, almost glad to see her. Rose never did go around to the Broadbeams to check on her.
Frodo couldn't believe that she was stood there right in front of him. He hugged her tightly and sat her down beside him, admiring her big, round stomach where their baby was growing.
"Nina . . .?" Holly started, choking back tears, trying to keep strong for her friend. "Nina, where's Friado?"
"At my parent's house," she answered weakly. "He forgot to lock the door, I guess"
"And he didn't see you as you past the house?!"
"No, I would not be stupid enough to let him catch me. I think he trusts me not to leave the house, because he knows that I know what he wants to do to Frodo . . ." she paused, as Frodo held her tighter against him. "I don't want him to hurt you Frodo, but I had to see you . . . I've missed you all so much and I couldn't bear it in that wretched house anymore."
"It's okay," Frodo stroked her hair as she started sobbing again. "You stay here; we aren't letting then take you away again"
"Yeah, we're going to tell them everything Nina. No more sneaking around . . . you and Frodo can marry and raise the child together . . . no more secrets" Holly added, trying to sound merry and happy. Everyone smiled along.
"Thank you . . . but, what will they say?"
"They can say what they want to Miss Nina, but in the end, you'll have to marry Mr Frodo here" Sam said with a smile.
"But what if Friado . . ."
"He'll have to get past us before he can get to Mr Frodo . . . I would not let that scoundrel in my household disrupting the happiness. He'll never get in here"
"I can't believe you're all doing this for us . . ." Nina answered quietly with a smile. "I'm sure it's a lot of trouble for you"
"Nina, if there is trouble it is not caused by you and Frodo!" Holly let out a chuckle.
"First things first!" Rose called. "You need to get out of that filthy dress! Just what has that Friado Broadbeam been subjecting you to?!"
Rose helped her up and linked her arm with hers. "Come on . . . I have some clean dresses for you to choose from . . . comfy one's at that. Now you are this far pregnant, you'll need something comfy to wear"
Nina smiled gratefully. "Oh thank you Rose, I-"
"No thank you's please!" Rose laughed. "I'll take you to my bedroom where you can change"
Nina smiled back to Frodo quickly before Rose whisked her away.
"There, you see? Told you she'd be fine" Pippin said, sitting back down, more at ease.
"Yeah, suppose," Holly sighed.
"What's the matter with you?" Merry frowned.
"Well . . . there's going to be trouble isn't there?"
"As I said Miss Holly, no Broadbeam is getting through my front door to cause mayhem" Sam said.
"What was that?!" Frodo leapt up as a scream came out from the bedroom.
"That was Nina" Merry said, but everyone had already leapt up and burst through the bedroom door.
There was Nina, laid out on the bed, looking in pain and sweating tremendously. Rose was next to her, trying to calm her down.
"What's happening?!" Frodo called, rushing to her side.
"She's in labour" Rose declared. "I want everyone out except Frodo and Holly"
Sam, Pippin and Merry obeyed.
"Right," Rose rolled up her dress sleeves. "Let's get this baby delivered."
"W-what?" Holly stammered. "Don't we need a real doctor?"
"Don't worry, I have delivered quite a few babies in the past, this one shall be no exception. However, Holly, I need you to help me"
"W-what? Me? I don't know anything about birthing babies!"
"I'll tell you what to do okay?! But you need to relax. Just relax now Nina, come on, Frodo's with you. Frodo, you need to hold her hand and comfort her best as you can. I've got nothing to ease the pain"
"Can't you get a doctor who has something to help the pain?"
"There's no time, this baby wants to come out now . . . Come on, Nina, it'll be alright soon, just push for me okay?"
"Come on, it'll be over soon . . ." Frodo stroked her hair and held her close, trying to soothe her as bet he could.
~~~
"So, Meruda, I do believe that if we move the wedding to about . . . a week after the birth, everything shall be in order"
"A week? You love my daughter so much don't you?"
"Well, there's no time like the present" Friado grinned.
"Well, we will need to sort out the ceremony, the guests, the food, the dress, the cake . . . that's an awful amount of planning Friado" Meruda didn't look too sure.
"Yes, but . . . why not invite any hobbit who wishes to attend? As for the food, well, I shall leave that in the hands of your lovely wife. She makes the most delightful buffets I have ever eaten. And I'm sure Portia could pick out a lovely dress - your eldest daughter has a lovely taste in items such as those"
"Hmm . . ." Meruda thought for a while. "Well you seem to have it all arranged in the meantime"
"Well Nina and I want to wed as soon as possible. After all, the sooner the better, right? You have two more daughters to wed off!"
Meruda smiled. "I do believe I am an excellent judge of character Friado Broadbeam. I knew form the moment you walked into my house that you would be a fantastic husband to one of my daughters. I guess Nina was the lucky one"
"That you are, Meruda, that you are. And you have raised all your daughters so well, it was almost impossible for me to choose from such well mannered, well brought up, beautiful young ladies"
"You are a gentlehobbit, your parents must be proud"
Friado let out a chuckle. "I hope I have made them proud"
"I'm sure you have my boy, you've even made me and my good wife proud. Thank you fro making our Nina so happy. We didn't know what the cause for her sudden happiness was when you first came out"
Friado forced a smile. "Yes," he just answered.
Then a sound of a baby crying erupted through Bag End. Meruda and Friado looked to one another, before rushing up to the door, and without even knocking, rushed inside Bag End. Meruda was the first into the bedroom.
"Hey, hey, no Broadbeams thank you!" Sam called, but Friado pushed past him and looked at the bed.
Nina looked up wide eyed at her papa and Friado; Frodo tightened his grasp on his new child, looking at Friado coldly.
"Well now!" Meruda called happily, seating beside his daughter. "Nina, darling, you've done it! But couldn't the baby have waited until Friado was there?! No matter!" he chuckled out. "Who delivered the baby?!"
"I did" Rose said quietly, knowing what was to happen very soon. Frodo held out his hand and grasped Nina's protectively . . . there was no way they were going to take his child and his fiancé.
"Boy or girl?!" Meruda was still rambling.
"A girl" Rose answered. "And she's quite healthy for a premature"
"Well, how about that Friado?!" Meruda patted Friado's back. "You have a daughter! Come now Mr Baggins! Do not hog my granddaughter!"
But Frodo would not let her go. Nina shut her eyes tightly.
Meruda held out both hands so he could hold the baby. "Give her to me Mr Frodo! Give her to her granddad!"
Frodo snuggled closer to his daughter.
"Papa, please," Nina pleaded.
"What?! Is it so wrong that I wish to hold my first grand daughter?"
"Just, let Frodo have her . . ."
"No, she should be ion the hands of her father!"
Still, Frodo would not give her up. Friado sighed.
"See, here, give me my daughter"
"She's not yours" Frodo said, looking to Friado with unfriendly eyes.
"What are you talking about Mr Baggins?!" Meruda called.
"Look, Sirs, could you please leave my house" Sam said.
"No, not without my grand child" Meruda said. "Mr Baggins, give me my grand child or I'll have the Sheriffs around to take her by force"
"I'm not giving her to *him*" Frodo answered.
"She should be in the hands of her father!" Meruda yelled impatiently. "Now give her up! She is not yours!"
"She IS in the hands of her father!" Nina screamed, unable to take it anymore.
Everyone froze. Meruda especially.
"Are you telling me that -"
Nina closed her eyes and nodded. "Frodo is her father"
"Is this true?"
Frodo nodded.
"How could you do this to us? You've disgraced our family" Meruda said, shaking from the shock, staring at Nina with angry eyes.
"I'm sorry Papa, let me explain"
"You've betrayed us and you've betrayed your fiancé. I cannot imagine the shock he is in right now"
"He knows" Merry blurted out.
Meruda turned to Friado. "You knew Friado?"
Friado nodded. "I wanted this child for my own and I did not want your family to be distraught. I made believe it was mine and my aim was to keep Nina away from him. But in the end it did not work" he glared at Nina, who held onto Frodo's hand tighter. Meruda gasped as the baby opened her eyes; and he could see that they were blue. The eyes she could only have inherited from Frodo . . .
"Papa, I can explain everything," Nina pleaded. "Just please, listen to me. I didn't mean to hurt you"
"You are a disgrace" Meruda said again. "Do not talk to me"
"But, I-"
"Let's go, shall we Friado?"
They both turned and left Bag End, leaving only the silence and the soft weeping from Nina.
"I'm sorry," Frodo said, holding her close. "He's wrong"
"We'll leave you two alone" Holly said, ushering Pippin and Merry out of the room. "And he's wrong Nina," she added. Nina just nodded.
"Here," Frodo handed her their baby daughter. "Isn't she beautiful?"
"Yes," Nina kissed the baby's forehead. "She has your eyes, I see"
"And your nose," Frodo kissed her cheek. "What shall we call her?"
Nina smiled, thinking in thought. "I don't know . . . do you know any Elvish names?"
"Elvish?!" Frodo's blue eyes widened. "I know a lot of Elvish names" he added with a smile. "But none more beautiful than Lömadia"
"Lömadia," Nina kissed her daughter again. "I love it"
"I love you" Frodo kissed her sweetly, a kiss that made her forget nearly everything. "No more secrets," he whispered to her as she smiled and pulled him back for another kiss.