Chapter Two

"Your mother Caroline and I met shortly before the War of the Ring. She was the most gorgeous of all the Tooks. Her eyes were the same color as yours,her hair a fair blonde. : We married in the beginning of the Fourth Age,around the same time Sam and Rosie. Most of all,Caro wanted a daughter. A few months later,she announced she was pregnant. We were overjoyed,but it was not to last long."
Merry paused,his eyes clouding over,as if the memory hurt him for some reason.


"Merry? What happened?"


He cleared his throat,and with an effort,continued the story."Her last leg of pregnancy did not go well. She came down with the Black Fever. In her eighth month of pregnancy,she went into labor,which was really that for her. Labor. She could barely push. We thought we were going to lose you both. Miraculously,you lived. She did not."


Here,her father paused again,a look of grief clear on his face."I couldn't even look at you,Molly. It wasn't healthy for you,so I gave you to your Took relatives. I guess it was too much for them as well,so they put you up for adoption,and you wound up with the Gamgees. There you remained until two days ago."


"Adopted? Is that what Peregrin told you,Merry? That's not how it happened." Broca finally spoke up,looking at Merry.


"You did say there was more....tell me now." Merry still didn't trust Broca,but had to give him a chance,for Molly's sake.


"They did not give her up for adoption,Merry. They sold her." Broca said gently.
"WHAT?! They sold her?! Why?!" Merry was outraged,as he picked up his daughter,and held her close.


"I don't know the details of it....but I was looking through my father's things,and I found a slip of paper that said bill of sale,and had her name:Melanie Brandybuck." Broca was looking at Merry sympathetically. "I'm sorry,Merry."


Merry smoothed Molly's hair,and looked at him. "Don't be. I owe you an apology,Broca. Please,come and dine with me at Brandy Hall. You may stay as long as you like."


"I'd like that,Merry. Thank ye."


"Sam will come for me,Merry. If they truly bought me,I'm thiers legally."


Merry looked down at Molly,and shook his head. "Oh no he won't,Molly. He can't touch you while you're in my Hall. I have legal birth records of you being born here in Buckland,and I have several witnesses that will back me up in saying that he's malnourished you and everything else. No,you're not going back to that kind of life,and I'm sorry I didn't come and take you sooner."


She nodded silently,two tears fell as she buried her face in Merry's shirt.
Merry sighed,and held her tightly. He'd known this transition wouldn't be easy on her. "It's going to be ok,Molls. I promise you that. You're going into a very loving community now. They're all anxious to meet you,and will do anything you ask. Your nurse will love you. Her name is Martha." Molly didn't reply,and when Merry looked down,he saw that his child had fallen asleep. He looked up at Broca. "It's a shame Pippin won't get to see her grow up properly...." "Aye,but he's watching over all of us now,Merry. He's probably smiling right now,watching that child curl up so comfortably in yer arms like that."


"I miss him so much,Broca....he was my other half. I mean,I loved Caro to death,you know that. But when Pippin died....I died too. The last thing he said to me was to get Molly away from Samwise."


"I know. Tis a hard thing,losin' your bes' friend. I lost all of mine,because of some silly notion my relatives got into thier heads." Broca paused,and looked at Merry."Let's go home,Merry. Ye and the girl need some rest."


"Right...we all do."He carried Molly out of the Inn,and up the street towards Buckland.