Galaxy3 - Don't worry, a lot more of Merry is coming. He's going to be very involved in the upcoming chapters =)

Eamane-elf - You should definitely write your own story. Let me know if you do -- I'd love to read it!

Everyone else... thank you for comments, and for reading! I deeply appreciate it! Here's a nice, somewhat long (okay not all that long... bear with me here), and hopefully enjoyable chapter for you all!

-Chapter Six-

The Perfect Gift

As time went by and realization slowly sunk in, Estella became ecstatic for several different reasons. One, the mere thought of having a younger sibling around, and two, because she clandestinely hoped that with all the work that came with a baby, perhaps she would be forgotten and left to her own for at least a while. The latter slowly came into effect, and as weeks went by in a blur, Estella's punishment dwindled away and her workload lessened. She had more free time to herself, which she spent idly. Now and then she would study the intricate drawings she so wished to complete herself, although she didn't try often. As it was, Fatty had already spotted one of her attempts and informed her that there were extra candles so she didn't have to draw in the dark.

Their mother's stomach eventually began to bulge as the nice weather disappeared for good and rains came down nearly every day. It was a smooth, ripe ball that Estella would often run her hands over wondrously, pondering over the fact that a life was being created within her mother at that very moment.

"It's like magic," she commented to Merry one day dreamily, her mind filled with visions of little hands and feet, a small head with tousled curls, plump red cheeks...

"Aye, that it is," Merry agreed indolently. The two were strolling along and chatting idly, feet slapping against the mud on the road beneath as a light misty rain fell about them. Estella shivered suddenly, partly with glee and partly from the chilly wind, snuggling further beneath her cloak and tightening her scarf (which she had made, she noted absentmindedly to herself, a touch of pride worming through her as she briefly thought back on the tedious task which she had so hated while she was performing it). She laughed aloud and skipped a few paces ahead of Merry, before reaching back and clamping her hand around his own.

"Come on," she instructed, urging him along. "Let's go look at in the shops in town. I want to get something for my sister."

"Wait just a minute!" Merry burst out, stumbling along behind the urgent Estella. "First of all, how do you know it's going to be a girl? Second of all, you have months to get her -- if it is a her -- something, and third..." his brow furrowed in sudden thought. "there was a third thing, I promise you..."

Estella giggled and slowed, allowing him to walk beside her once more. "I know it will be a girl because... because I know. I can tell. And I want to get her something now, Merry, now, because if I don't do something I think I may just burst from it all!"

"Do I have to come?" was Merry's strident response, and only received a dark look from Estella for his answer. "I'm just saying," he went on in a hurry. "that it would be much more sincere if you were to make the babe something."

"You just don't want to spend any more time than necessary within a shop," Estella accused, but slowed her pace slightly at his suggestion.

"That's true, I don't, but that's not why I'm saying it," Merry insisted. "If you make something then the babe can keep it for years, and it will always mean something dear to her."

Estella frowned thoughtfully, as her fingers, numbing from the cold, idly fingered the scarf she wore. "I suppose I could make her something like a scarf..."

"No," Merry said at once. "You hate doing those kinds of things. It should be something you enjoy doing."

"Like what?" Estella questioned, thoughts of going into town now completely forgotten.

"You could draw her a picture," Merry pointed out. Estella opened her mouth at once, originally intending to ask Merry how he knew she wished to be able to draw and how much she enjoyed it, but instead found another problem rose to her lips instead.

"I can't draw, Merry!"

"Everyone can draw. You can draw."

"Yes," Estella pursed her lips. "But not well."

"Show me something you've done," Merry ordered, and Estella, thinking of her previous attempts and Fatty's remarks, blushed a heated red.

"No... I haven't really done much," she lied feebly.

"Then how do you know you can't draw?" Merry demanded. Estella paused a moment, then sighed.

"I just do," she said weakly.

"I'll help you," Merry offered. "Here, look, you can draw a picture of your family..."

"But that will be hard!" Estella interrupted.

"No, it won't. I'll help you," Merry repeated. Estella stopped walking completely at this, glancing up at Merry through the slowly thickening-rain, water dripping down her face, nose and ears tingling from the cold.

"You really would?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, of course," Merry said, lips curling into a smile at her expression.

A large grin suddenly broke out on Estella's own face. "Meriadoc Brandybuck, I think I love you!" she exclaimed, and giggled as she changed course, headed back to her own house. "Come on, let's go."

"Now?" Merry asked in disbelief.

"Of course now!" Estella said indulgently. At the look on Merry's face, she frowned, impatiently shoving her now sopping curls from her face. "It's either that, Meriadoc, or we're marching straight into town to buy something." And it was only after that comment that Merry relented, and together, the two scurried from the rain and into the warmth of the Bolger's house.

"This is not working," Estella complained a few hours later, angrily shoving her paper aside. She sighed and dropped her head into her arms. Merry, who was sitting across the table in the Bolger's kitchen, snatched the paper and brought it towards him.

"It's working fine," he justified. He pointed to the paper. "That's you, see? I can tell."

"Fatty looks like a potato," Estella moaned miserably, raising her eyes to Merry's face. "A fat, lumpy potato with absolutely no resemblance to a hobbit. I can't do it."

Merry set the paper down and met Estella's gaze quite seriously. "Estella, dear, I have to be perfectly honest with you. You don't give yourself enough credit. Fatty is a fat, lumpy potato. Therefore, you've done a simply outstanding job."

Estella glared, attempting to be mad, but at Merry's grave expression and solemn tone, she burst into laughter, and that got Merry going, and for the next few minutes, the two tried desperately to catch their breath.

Calming slowly, Estella shook her head and eventually drew the paper back towards her. "Seriously, Merry, I can't do it." She tilted her head and squinted her eyes, surveying the rest of her drawing briefly. She had to admit, she had done a pretty good job, with Merry's help. Her parents and herself were actually looking like hobbits; their curls seemed to bounce upon their shoulders, their clothes seemed to bend and fold with the curves and contours of their bodies, and their faces seemed to hold expressions with much more meaning than immediately comes to mind. Estella was proud of it, there was no doubting that, even if Merry had done a lot of it.

"Yes you can. You said you couldn't do the rest and you've done an excellent job."

"You helped me with that," she moaned. "You did a lot of it... so come over here and help me with Fatty."

Merry grinned, shifting his chair around and sitting closer to Estella, critically eyeing her work. "You've made him too large," he said at last. "He's not as tall as your father... he needs to be shorter. And thinner," he narrowed his eyes. "and his shoulders aren't quite that broad."

Estella sighed and hurried to make the needed corrections. Merry watched her closely.

"I thought you said that you couldn't draw," he commented softly after a while.

"I can't," Estella said automatically, and Merry merely shook his head. Estella caught this motion out of the corner of her eye and raised her head questioningly. He grinned at her in return, a lopsided sort of grin that took over his whole face and suited him perfectly. Estella was suddenly struck with the realization that she had never noticed his smile before, never in detail, and she found herself studying it fully for reasons she couldn't quite explain. It was the sort of smile that was easily contagious, she decided, and could fill an entire room with joy with even the smallest hint of it.

"What?" Merry asked suspiciously after Estella hadn't looked away again.

"Nothing," Estella said with a small smile of her own, and went back to her drawing. One day, when she was good enough and could draw without the help of Merry, she would have to draw his smile just like she saw it today, with the all the radiance and blithe of it. And maybe, just maybe, if it was good enough, she would show it to him.

It took nearly three weeks (and a lot of help from Merry) for Estella to be satisfied with her picture. Finally, she declared that every line was where it needed to be, every expression was correct, every stance, every piece of clothing, every curl hung in just the right spot, and that she wouldn't be all that embarrassed showing it to other people. Merry himself was deeply relieved when Estella announced her approval.

"Finally!" he cried, and then added quickly, "Stella, it looks wonderful. I knew you could do it." Estella simply beamed, looking quite pleased as she gave her picture the once over yet again. Merry slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "Your younger sibling will be quite lucky, that's for sure. Shall we show your parents and Fatty?"

Estella shook her head. "No," she said at once. "Not yet, anyway. Perhaps when the babe is born. It's a perfect gift, don't you think Merry?"

"I do," Merry agreed, nodding and smiling down at her. "It's definitely perfect."