Hello everyone!
Lemondrop: Thanks again! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Rosa Cotton: No offence taken! I fall behind the same way sometimes. *Looks sheepishly at Shieldmaiden of Helm's Deep*
Lady of Ithilien: Yay! You're favorites list! I'm immensely flattered! Thank you! Hehe. I told you that the Merry/Estella scene would be in this chapter, but the Sam/Rosie scene became too long. Looks like it's going to be in the next chapter. Sorry! *ducks*
Mint Sauce: And the fluffiness continues . . .
Herculeha: Thank you very much!
Okay. On with the story!
Enjoy!
***********************************************
Still, Sam sat by the bed, Rosie's hand clasped in his. A short while ago, both had woken, for Rosie had needed to feed Elanor. But now, both were sleeping once more, and they're slumbering faces were contented.
Sam sat up straighter when he felt Rosie move. Her eyes fluttered open, and then she turned her head towards Sam, her face even now, still glowing with joy.
"Sam," She whispered. "You don't know how wonderful it is to wake up to your face."
Sam blushes slightly and looked down. "It is enough, Rosie love, for me to know that you're happy."
Her smile grew wider, and she looked down at Elanor. "Well, I have a very good reason to be happy right now!"
Sam nodded, agreeing. "Yes, Elanor."
Shaking her head, Rosie tugged at his hand gently, pulling him closer. "No," When her face was just inches from his, she continued. "Both Elanor and you. My family."
Sam felt tears build up in his eyes, and he pulled away quickly, digging for a handkerchief in his shirt pocket.
Rosie laughed softly, as to not wake up the baby. "My dear Sam!"
After blowing his nose and discarding the soiled handkerchief, Sam smiled slightly at his wife. "Have I done something to amuse you, Rosie love?"
She waved her hand dismissively. "You always amuse me, Sam, I just chose now to laugh." She giggled. "Sam, you're such a dear. I really was a lucky hobbitess when you chose me."
"I thought you did most of the choosing!" Sam muttered jokingly under his breath.
"Aye!" Rosie responded. "That I did!"
They're giggles died down over the next a moment, and in the silence that followed, Sam looked away, his brow furrowed in thought. Rosie watched him carefully.
"Something's bothering you, Samwise." She ventured carefully. "I know that look."
Sam bit his lip a little nervously. "I was just wondering about something, Rosie love."
When he didn't continue, she prodded him lightly. "Go on, Sam, I won't bite. Well, unless you suddenly turn into a muffin."
Rosie relaxed as she saw Sam's nervousness dissipate somewhat, and he laughed. It didn't last long, before his somberness returned. He waited a minute, and then asked Rosie, unable to hide the tiny portion of sadness in his voice.
"Rosie dear, why didn't you want me in here with you?"
Staring at him with her mouth wide open for a long time, Rosie didn't answer right away. When she did, she sounded shocked. "Of course I wanted you in here Sam! More than anything else, I wanted you here beside me as you are now, holding my hand!"
Now it was Sam's turn to be stunned. "Y-you did?" Sam stuttered, "T-then why didn't you call for me to come and be with you?"
"Indeed, I tried." Rosie told him. "But Estella told me that she had talked it over with you, and that you had decided to stay outside! And of course, she told me many times that 'it was not a lad's place to be there when a babe is born.' Oh, I swear that at least one of my screams was simply from hearing that phrase too much!"
"She told me the exact same thing!" Sam exclaimed. "Except, she never talked anything over with me. The most she ever talked to me, it mostly amounted to 'Go away, Sam.'"
"Well," Rosie declared. "My friend Estella has some explaining to do!" Her angry facade faltered. "Although, she did tell me that it was better for you to be outside. And in a way I agree with her. It was not a pleasant experience, Sam. I am almost glad that you weren't here to see it. It would have been selfish of me to demand of you to stay here with me through it all." She grinned suddenly, and clasped his hand harder. "But near the end, my selfish side won over. I was begging for you to come."
Sam, struck by the thought of his Rosie begging for him, pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it tenderly. "Well, don't worry about anything now, Rosie love. I'm here."
"And I am glad for it." Rosie added.
"Here," Sam said suddenly. "I think it was not selfish of you. I wanted to be with you all the same."
"I know!" Rosie volunteered. "Next time, why don't you just stay in here? Discard all thought of the proper way of 'it's not a lad's place to be there when a babe is born.'"
"And since when have we ever cared if we broke tradition?" Sam asked.
"Never." Rosie affirmed. "But there is an always in the formula in there somewhere, Sam."
Sam looked puzzled. "Where?"
"In the part where I say I will always love you." Rosie leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
TBC
Lemondrop: Thanks again! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Rosa Cotton: No offence taken! I fall behind the same way sometimes. *Looks sheepishly at Shieldmaiden of Helm's Deep*
Lady of Ithilien: Yay! You're favorites list! I'm immensely flattered! Thank you! Hehe. I told you that the Merry/Estella scene would be in this chapter, but the Sam/Rosie scene became too long. Looks like it's going to be in the next chapter. Sorry! *ducks*
Mint Sauce: And the fluffiness continues . . .
Herculeha: Thank you very much!
Okay. On with the story!
Enjoy!
***********************************************
Still, Sam sat by the bed, Rosie's hand clasped in his. A short while ago, both had woken, for Rosie had needed to feed Elanor. But now, both were sleeping once more, and they're slumbering faces were contented.
Sam sat up straighter when he felt Rosie move. Her eyes fluttered open, and then she turned her head towards Sam, her face even now, still glowing with joy.
"Sam," She whispered. "You don't know how wonderful it is to wake up to your face."
Sam blushes slightly and looked down. "It is enough, Rosie love, for me to know that you're happy."
Her smile grew wider, and she looked down at Elanor. "Well, I have a very good reason to be happy right now!"
Sam nodded, agreeing. "Yes, Elanor."
Shaking her head, Rosie tugged at his hand gently, pulling him closer. "No," When her face was just inches from his, she continued. "Both Elanor and you. My family."
Sam felt tears build up in his eyes, and he pulled away quickly, digging for a handkerchief in his shirt pocket.
Rosie laughed softly, as to not wake up the baby. "My dear Sam!"
After blowing his nose and discarding the soiled handkerchief, Sam smiled slightly at his wife. "Have I done something to amuse you, Rosie love?"
She waved her hand dismissively. "You always amuse me, Sam, I just chose now to laugh." She giggled. "Sam, you're such a dear. I really was a lucky hobbitess when you chose me."
"I thought you did most of the choosing!" Sam muttered jokingly under his breath.
"Aye!" Rosie responded. "That I did!"
They're giggles died down over the next a moment, and in the silence that followed, Sam looked away, his brow furrowed in thought. Rosie watched him carefully.
"Something's bothering you, Samwise." She ventured carefully. "I know that look."
Sam bit his lip a little nervously. "I was just wondering about something, Rosie love."
When he didn't continue, she prodded him lightly. "Go on, Sam, I won't bite. Well, unless you suddenly turn into a muffin."
Rosie relaxed as she saw Sam's nervousness dissipate somewhat, and he laughed. It didn't last long, before his somberness returned. He waited a minute, and then asked Rosie, unable to hide the tiny portion of sadness in his voice.
"Rosie dear, why didn't you want me in here with you?"
Staring at him with her mouth wide open for a long time, Rosie didn't answer right away. When she did, she sounded shocked. "Of course I wanted you in here Sam! More than anything else, I wanted you here beside me as you are now, holding my hand!"
Now it was Sam's turn to be stunned. "Y-you did?" Sam stuttered, "T-then why didn't you call for me to come and be with you?"
"Indeed, I tried." Rosie told him. "But Estella told me that she had talked it over with you, and that you had decided to stay outside! And of course, she told me many times that 'it was not a lad's place to be there when a babe is born.' Oh, I swear that at least one of my screams was simply from hearing that phrase too much!"
"She told me the exact same thing!" Sam exclaimed. "Except, she never talked anything over with me. The most she ever talked to me, it mostly amounted to 'Go away, Sam.'"
"Well," Rosie declared. "My friend Estella has some explaining to do!" Her angry facade faltered. "Although, she did tell me that it was better for you to be outside. And in a way I agree with her. It was not a pleasant experience, Sam. I am almost glad that you weren't here to see it. It would have been selfish of me to demand of you to stay here with me through it all." She grinned suddenly, and clasped his hand harder. "But near the end, my selfish side won over. I was begging for you to come."
Sam, struck by the thought of his Rosie begging for him, pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it tenderly. "Well, don't worry about anything now, Rosie love. I'm here."
"And I am glad for it." Rosie added.
"Here," Sam said suddenly. "I think it was not selfish of you. I wanted to be with you all the same."
"I know!" Rosie volunteered. "Next time, why don't you just stay in here? Discard all thought of the proper way of 'it's not a lad's place to be there when a babe is born.'"
"And since when have we ever cared if we broke tradition?" Sam asked.
"Never." Rosie affirmed. "But there is an always in the formula in there somewhere, Sam."
Sam looked puzzled. "Where?"
"In the part where I say I will always love you." Rosie leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
TBC