The following months passed like an arrow from a Lorien bow. About 8 months

after the announcement of Arwen's pregnancy, several invitations arrived at the dwellings of

the Fellowship and Co.

"Mr. Frodo, did you get one of these too?!" Sam burst through the door of Bag

End, ignoring the unspoken rule of knocking first.

"The courier just dropped it off!" Frodo came running to the door with a wine red

scroll, trimmed with gold and a silver and black ribbon in his hands.

"What do you suppose it is?" Sam asked as he delicately fingered the bow like it

was a piece of fragile crystal.

"What, you haven't opened it yet?" Frodo asked Sam with a slightly surprised

look.

"No, have you?"

"Well, no, but."

At that moment, the ground started to vibrate beneath their feet. The shaking rapidly

got stronger and stronger until Bag End's front door was blown off its hinges and Merry

and Pippin skidded into the room.

"DID YOU GUYS GET THESE TOO?!?" Pippin yelled while trying to recover

from having just simulated a small earthquake.

"Yes, Pippin, take a breath before you pass out on the floor," Frodo answered very

icily. It was bad enough that Sam had busted in without knocking, but at the very least

Frodo was NOT thrilled about having his front door at the wrong end of the hallway.

"Sorry Frodo," Merry panted, "but the ribbon, it's Gondor's colors!!"

Frodo looked at the scroll in his hands. "You're right, it must be from Aragorn.

Do you think something's happened?"

"There's only one way to find out," Sam motioned for the others to gather round.

"OK, everybody open his scroll on three. Ready? One, two."

"Wait, wait!! Is that the one after two?" Merry, Sam, and Frodo froze.

".o.O.Yes, Pippin."

"Oh, OK, just checking."

Merry rolled his eyes. "Let's try this again. Ready? One, two."

"Hold it!! Do you mean ON three, or directly AFTER three?"

"Enough Pippin!!!" The others snapped at him.

Frodo let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, who cares?! Onetwothree!!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Your highness, a message for you, sir!"

"WAAAAAAaaaaaaAAAAAAAA!!!!!" *Thud*

Legolas and Gimli had been sitting up in a tree with a pair of binoculars, innocently

pointed in the general direction of the Ladies' bathing area, when Mr. Random-Elf-Chosen-

to-be-Messenger decided to scare the bejeezus out of them. They both fell headfirst into an

ungraceful heap at the bottom of the tree. This prompted a very weirded out look from Mr.

Random Elf. Legolas, still upside-down on his upper back, hips and legs propped up

against the tree, gave Mr. Random Elf a nervous smile and held out his hand.

"Thanks, uh. Mr. I'm-Not-Important-Enough-to-be-Remembered!"

"Close enough" Mr. Random Elf handed Legolas the scroll and left him to pick

himself up off the ground. "There's one for you as well, Master Gimli. Master Gimli?"

The fall from the tree left Gimmeister's face implanted about 6 inches into the ground.

"Um."

Legolas managed to pick himself up, dusting off his tunic, while trying to hide that

he was a bit perturbed about having his little "party" crashed. *Of course, though,* he

told himself, *it really wasn't MY party as I could see that sort of thing whenever I want to.

I'm like the Elven James Bond, women just flock to me! enter cheesy smile here Gimli

on the other hand.*

"You OK now, sir?"

"What, oh, yeah. Just leave it with me. I'll give it to him after I pry him out of the

ground with a spade."

"Okey Dokey Dr. Jones!!" Mr. Random Elf squeaked in a very chirpy, sugary

voice before handing him the second scroll and taking off. Legolas just stood and stared

after him as a few million synapses in his brain shut down as a result of Post-Traumatic

Stress Symdrome. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elrond paled slightly as he held the wine red scroll in his hands. He turned it over

several times, as if trying to decide whether or not to open it. He was so preoccupied with it

that he did not hear a soft knock at the door, which eventually turned into a loud bang and a

voice on the other side yelling,

"Elrond, I know you're in there!!! Open this door before I open it

PERMENTANTLY!!!"

Elrond casually shuffled to the door and opened it. Gandalf was standing on the

other side, sporting a camera, and a death glare that could have frozen the Balrog for

eternity. Elrond, however, was unfazed by this.

"Is it that hard for you to turn the doorknob by yourself?"

"Look, unlike you, there are SOME of us in this world that are plagued with

Arthritis!!"

"Ah, I see. I'm guessing you got one of these as well?" Elrond held up the scroll.

"Yes I did. I've already read mine, but I thought I'd come and watch you open

yours. I have a feeling this is going to be quite the Kodak moment." Gandalf held up his

camera and took off the lens cap.

".Why do I get the feeling that I don't want to open it at all?" Elrond nervously

glanced at Gandalf, who had his finger in the button, ready at a moment's notice. Sighing,

Elrond fiddled with the bow a little, swallowed hard, and opened the scroll.

To my Dearest Father-In-Law (or Rather My ONLY Father-In-Law)

You are cordially invited to Arwen's Baby Shower, a celebration for Arwen in anticipation

for the coming child. The festivities will take place at the Royal Palace in the City of

Gondor on Midsummer's Eve. Unless the postal service screwed up AGAIN, that should

give you about a month to get here. Arwen would greatly appreciate it if you could attend

(this should be read as DEMANDING that you attend).We look forward to seeing you on

Midsummer's Eve.

Elessar, King of Gondor, Aragorn, Son of Arathorn, Isildur's Heir, the Elfstone, Strider,

Estel, Your Favoritest Foster Son, etc.

P.S. PLE~ASE try to make it!!! Arwen's putting a lot inot this and she's made it my

responsibility, for Elbereth knows what reason, to make sure that you come to the party, so

there'll be hell to pay for BOTH of us if you don't. Trust me, you've yet to see the mood

swings pregnancy has brought upon your daughter.

The shutter on Gandalf's camera clicked as Elrond blanched white as the snows of

Caradhras. The invitatoin fell silently from Elrond's hands and onto the floor. Gandalf

picked it up and skimmed over it quickly.

"Well, that sounds like an order from on high to me. You're going aren't

you?.Elrond?"

Gandalf waved his hand in front of Elrond's unmoving eyes. No response He then

gave him a tiny nudge, making the Lord of Rivendell's frozen form fall backwards onto the

tile floor with an echoing thud.

(A/N: Well, what do we think so far? Next chapter's R.S.V.P.'s!! ^_^)