"Now it listens to Smeagol," The creature hissed, "Smeagol wants to know where the Baggins is!"

"The Baggins, Frodo? What do you want from Frodo!?" I demanded through the pulp in my mouth.

"Do not question us! Tell Smeagol where the Precious is!"

"The Precious!? Why is Frodo precious to you?" I Demanded when the thing hissed bitterly.

"We HATES the Baggins! WE HATES IT HATES IT HATES IT!!!!" It shrieked stamping its feet. That was too much for me, I spat out the chewy pulp out of my mouth and tried escaped but Smeagol was faster and stronger than I was. He gave a snarl and grabbed me.

"No, Smeagol no let it and its eggses leave us! Will stay and help us, yessss," It hissed in my face as I tried to escaped by twisting and turning and squirming.

"LET ME GO!!!" I screamed when the pocket next to my hip began to feel hot. It began to glow! Smeagol let me go, covering his face and hissing like mad cat. I reached into the pocket and pulled out the small orb that Galadriel gave me and then a voice was heard.

"Gollum, you foul creature, be gone before I do more than make elvish trinkets glow!!!" A being of glowing white seemed to have suddenly appeared from behind a tree. Gollum gave a hiss and scurried from sight. My legs gave out from under me and I tried to shield myself from the being. I had heard from the others only one man was donned in shining white. Saruman.

The man moved towards me, a long pointed hat on his head, the brim covering his face. Soon he was just inches in front of me and the orb clutched in my hand was horribly bright.

"Shhh, there, there, Lady Meia, I mean you no harm. Don't you know me?" He asked softly kneeling down and lifting up the brim of his hat. I burst into tears.

"GANDALF!!!" I sobbed and fell into the wizard's arms. "I had heard you died, I thought it was my fault! Oh, Gandalf I'm so sorry! Forgive me!"The orb rolled out of my hands as I clutched him around the neck. The wizard hugged me in return, rubbing my back slowly as my hiccups subsided.

"It was no one's fault but my own. I tried to use your powers before you were ready, but I think you are ready now, but now just a moment Lady," He looked me over, and brushed my hair out of my face to look deep into my eyes. He reminded me of Allanon then as he seemed to stare straight into my soul with his pale grey eyes. "Where is your parasite, Lady Meia?" Gandalf asked softly, "And it seems you've acquired something else,"

"I don't know what you mean," I said softly, "Rash is gone, Lady Galadriel gave him a body of his own, but I have nothing else except this ragged dress, my clothes, and the gifts she gave me,"

Gandalf turned in his crouching position and picked up the orb on that had fallen on the grass. "That orb, you made it glow, you said it yourself,"

"I was bluffing," Gandalf smiled, "A bit," The orb glowed dimly but when he handed it to me it shone brighter.

"Am I making it glow?" I asked and he shook his head, and held the orb against my belly where it shone like a star. "I'm hungrier than I thought," I mused.

"No, Lady Meia, its not you at all." He stared into my eyes, "Tell me, is the father Allanon?" I went white as a sheet then a flustered red.

"What are you talking about!?" I squeaked and he laughed.

"Lady Meia, surely you've felt it by now. Aren't you aware that your carrying a child?" As I gaped at him he continued, "It is your child that made the orb glow. It felt me and in response made it glow brighter. I felt the magic and came this way to see what was going on. If the Lady of the Wood gave you this she surely knew you would have a child that would manifest some sort of magic powers. Now who's the father?" I couldn't speak. I thought I would faint. The orb in my hand dulled in my hand and finally went out. "Lady Meia? Who is the father? This was a conception of your choice, right?"

"Of course!" I blurted out in anger to think he thought the baby was conceived by force, "Frodo would never do a thing like that!" And it was out. Gandalf positively beamed.

"A true halfling, a mixing of races, a new chance for man," He breathed his eyes sparkling, "Lady Meia, do you realize what you have created. Truly a child of peace and fortune, but- um- that will come later," He said hastily as if we were suddenly in a hurry. "I take it, the Lady gave you other gifts?" He asked and I nodded sadly.

"Oh, yes but they must be ruined, " I reached into my pocket to pull out the quill and parchment. They were in perfect condition other than being a bit wrinkled. "OH!" I gasped and Gandalf smiled.

"Thank you, Lady," Gandalf whispered to the wind and then turned back to me, " I need you to take this down." He smiled and I began to write on the parchment.

************************************************************************

It was morning before the two hobbits knew it. Frodo lied lazily in bed, his thoughts trouble and clouded. This was the last inn, they would now have to sleep outside and on the ground, but that wasn't the thought that bothered Frodo the most.

He wondered about Meia and the baby, should he have brought her with him? No, Mordor is no place for her and you don't know how long this trip could take, imagine her giving birth in the Cracks of Doom. He thought bitterly.

He didn't keep it secret though, he had told Sam. The gardener was absolutely thrilled and the first few days of their journey had been brightened by thinking of the baby, pondering names. They had had them chosen by the end of the third day, if Meia like them. If it was a girl they would name her Bodkin, a hobbit term of endearment, and if it was a boy they would name him Boady ("A sensible hobbit name, if I do say so myself," Sam had said when it came up.), and what Bag End would be like with patter of little feet. That's where the thinking was turned upside down in Frodo's head.

After all, he knew Meia's past now. He knew she came from a different world. What if she wanted to go back, what if she didn't want to stay in Hobbiton or Middle-Earth for that matter. Maybe she was right, Frodo thought, Maybe we did move too fast.

If only he could see her just to now she was okay. He gave a sigh and turned on his side towards the wall and let out a yelp of surprise.

Sam was up and out of bed, his knife unsheathed when he heard his master's cry from the other side of the room. "What is it, Master Frodo?" The rounder hobbit asked hurrying to his master's side. Frodo sat up in bed, the sheets flung back and his eyes full of tears. "Master?"

Sam sidled up to the bad and dropped his knife s his hands flew up to his mouth in surprise. There in the bed was Lady Meia.