Ch 13
I spent most of my pregnancy in Rivendell and Sam and I had a very good time. I slowly came to accept the death of my husband and Sam came to accept Rosie's death as well. Although, most of our time was spent talking about the ones we had loved and lost.
"It isn't right that Frodo had to die after all we've been through, if you take my meaning," Sam said one evening as we sat by the waterfalls. "It just isn't right."
"I know, Sam."
"How are you feeling today, Miss Berythna? I'm trying to take care of you the best I see fit."
"And you have been wonderful. Thank you, Sam. I really appreciate all you've done to help me in these past few months. I know Frodo would have appreciated it too."
"It's the end of October and the weather is starting to take a turn for the worse, if you know what I mean. I hate leaving Rivendell, but don't you think we should be heading for home soon? You will be ready to give birth here very soon at the beginning of January. Shouldn't we be heading off home?"
"Yes. You are right, Sam. I have lingered too long in Rivendell. We should head for the Shire tomorrow morning. Don't you think?"
"Yes. We should leave as soon as possible. I want us to get home before any winter storm may hit, though they are rare in these parts. You never know. You should not be out traveling in the cold weather either, in your condition."
It was settled. That night, Sam and I went before Lord Elrond to tell him that we would be leaving the next morning.
"If you ever decide to come back to Rivendell," he said gravely, "you will find that the elves have left. All of us are leaving to either the Undying Lands, or to different places of the world. Rivendell is to become a barren wasteland in only a few short years. The time of the elves is over."
"Where will you go, my lord?"
"To the Undying Lands, Berythna," he replied sadly.
I bowed my head and left, the Undying Lands still lingering in my mind.
The next morning, Sam and I strolled through Rivendell one last time. Then, we packed some food that Lord Elrond had given us onto Frodo's pony, Strider. With a wave good-bye, Sam and I turned our attention to the Shire, me riding on Strider and Sam walking beside.
We reached the Shire only a few short days later, just in time. As Sam predicted, there was a massive storm that hit only the day after we returned. Snow was almost unheard of in the Shire and all of the hobbit children were out playing in it. Sam came over in the afternoon and we had tea together as we watched the snow falling outside and the children throwing snow balls at each other. I enjoyed watching the snow, for I have never seen snow in all my years of living, but would have enjoyed it much more if the baby hadn't been so restless that day. I could feel it moving and kicking viciously inside of me throughout the afternoon. It is the most odd feeling I had ever experienced.
"Is something wrong, Miss Berythna?" Sam asked. He must have seen me hold my stomach with a worried expression.
"He is restless today. That is all."
He then did something he had never done before. He came around to my side of the table and placed his hand on my stomach.
"Yes, I can feel him moving."
"I hope he is not ready to come out quite yet."
"No, he has a couple more months before that."
"Sam, will you be here for me when I give birth? I'm very scared."
"Of course I will be here for you Miss Berythna. I wouldn't think of being anywhere else but here."
"Thank you Sam. You are truly a wonderful friend. Of course, Frodo told me that many times."
He blushed and turned away from me.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sam rose to answer it as I sipped the last of my tea and gazed outside at the falling snow. Before long, Pippin and his love Diamond came walking into the kitchen area.
"Where have you been?" Pippin asked. "I was worried sick about both of you. I came looking for you, Berythna and when I couldn't find you at home, I went looking for Sam. When I couldn't find Sam, I thought maybe the two of you had run off together."
Sam blushed even more at this.
"We did, didn't we, Sam? We went off to Rivendell with Lord Elrond, Aragorn and Gandalf. We just got back last night. Would you like some tea?"
As I stood up, I saw the look on Pippin and Diamond's face change from a smile to uttermost shock.
"When did you become with child?" Diamond asked.
"Oh, you didn't know?"
"No!" they both exclaimed together.
I lowered my head and whispered, "I found out right after Frodo died. I'm due to give birth in January."
"So Frodo is the father then?" Pippin asked.
At this remark, I think Sam became a little angry because he said rather forcefully, "Did you think it was mine?"
"I'm not sure what to think at the moment," Pippin replied as I poured both of them some tea. "But this is not why Diamond and I came over to see you. We've been wondering about you two because we want to invite you to our wedding. We're going to be married this spring."
All four of us sat at the table and talked about the wedding and also about the rarely seen snow that was now covering the ground. They stayed for most of the afternoon and left just before dinner. I invited Sam to stay for dinner and we ate our meal in silence.
During the next couple of months, Sam stopped by every day to see how I was doing and to keep me company. By the end of December, I started to become very nervous, as did Sam. One night in early January, the time came.
Since the middle of December, Sam had been staying with me twenty-four hours a day in case I started giving birth. I gave him our spare bedroom and he began to take up residence. After dinner that evening, I announced to Sam that I was not feeling well and went to bed early. Throughout that entire day I felt as if something was different inside of my body and that I would perhaps give birth that night. I could still hear him cleaning up the dinner plates when I felt that I might be in labor. A few hours later, as I lay in bed listening to Sam snore softly in the room beside me, I had no doubt that this was the night that my child was to be born.
"Sam," I called out in the darkness.
I immediately heard him come into my bedroom and kneel at the side of my bed.
"What is it, Miss Berythna?" he asked anxiously.
"I think it's time, Sam. Can you go fetch the midwife?"
"Of course."
A half an hour later, Lily Boffin, Dr. Boffin's daughter, came through the bedroom door with her mother. They asked me how I was feeling and examined me.
"It looks as if you are in labor, miss," Lily exclaimed. "Just relax as much as you can and do exactly as I tell you to do, all right?"
I nodded as another labor pain came and I screamed. They were getting worse and closer together.
About two hours later, I felt something break inside of me and something wet and sticky between my legs.
"You're water broke, miss," Mrs. Boffin explained when I questioned her. "Now comes the actual birthing."
I screamed in terrible pain as I started to give birth to Frodo's and my child. Luckily, this agonizing pain only lasted about an hour and a half, but to me, it seemed as if it took an eternity. Just when I thought I could take it no more, I heard Lily exclaim, "I can see the head. Keep pushing!"
I did as I was told and felt the most horrific pain I had ever felt in my life tear through my legs. I literally thought I was dying, but then as quickly as it came, it was over, though I was still extremely sore. But suddenly I heard the most beautiful thing in the world. I heard the first cry of my child.
"It's a boy!" I heard Lily exclaim.
As she handed me my baby everything else in the room became a blur to my eyes because I was so entranced by his beautiful features and his gorgeous blue eyes that he had inherited from his father. They must have cleaned me up and covered my body because the next thing I remembered was that Sam was beside me, staring in wonder at this new arrival.
"What are you going to name him?" Sam asked.
"Frodo," I replied. "His name is Frodo."
"That's what Rosie and I were going to name our baby if it had been a boy."
"Would you like to hold him, Sam?"
Sam eagerly took Frodo from my arms and held him as I dealt with the payment to the midwives. When they had left, I asked Sam if he would watch over Frodo while I slept. He answered that of course he would be more than happy to, and I slept somewhat peacefully that night despite being incredibly sore.