"Sam, do you know who that is?"

From their garden in Bag End, Samwise Gamgee rose his head to his wife, Rosie, as she stood by their vegetable patch with a hoe in her hand and looking outside their garden gate. His blue green eyes took in his wife's beauty as he stared at her, his rounded face smiling, making the lines on it more animated. His curly, sandy hair became ruffled in the wind, as he huffed and stood up, using his trowel to push himself off his tomato patch, for he had gotten slightly chubby. "It's probably the Took and Thain. He always rides towards here."

"No…" Rosie said, her face paling a bit, "They're awfully tall, much taller than Merry or Pippin. And they have great, big horses…"

He looked to where she was looking, and raising his eyes to shield them from the sun, grinned and said, "Well, I'll be… It's Lady Meiou!"

Sam broke into a slow run down their gate and pushed them open, just as Meiou and Ranthoron dismounted. A Hobbit was leading their way and nodded slightly to Sam, "These foreigners wished to speak to you, Mayor Samwise…"

"Yes, yes. They're my friends." Sam said as he came nearer. He turned to the hobbit and said, "Ride off to Buckland, my dear boy, and call for Meriadoc the Magnificent and the Thain. Tell them to come here, for visitors have arrived."

The hobbit broke off into a run down the hill, and Samwise embraced Meiou around her waist, "I'm glad to have seen you again, Lady Meiou. I haven't seen you since your wedding to Mister Legolas!"

"It has been a long time, Master Samwise." Meiou smiled down at him. She moved to show him her son, and he gasped softly, "This is my son, Ranthoron… he had been very eager to meet you…"

"And I thought he was Legolas, standing behind you like that." He took out his hand and shook with Ranthoron, the elven hand capturing it wholly. "Very nice to meet you, Ranthoron."

Ranthoron's eyes shone with wonder, "And I am very, very honored to meet you, Master Samwise." He bowed down at him, "I am proud to have finally met you, for your bravery and strength has ever been my inspiration."

Sam blushed in pleasure, and he waved his hand, "Now, no need to be all formal on me, Sir Ranthoron, we are all friends here." He nodded towards his wife, "This is my Rosie, she's my life…"

Rosie came forward and shook Meiou's and Ranthoron's hand. She was exactly like her name, for she was rosy in complexion, and possessed bright green eyes and red smiling lips. Her hair curled about to her shoulders, and ribbons were woven through her locks. Meiou liked her immediately.

Sam spoke as he pointed to his house, "Would you like to rest for a while, as Pippin and Merry wouldn't be here, for Buckland is a bit far. We have ale too, if you would like some."

Meiou looked at Ranthoron, who looked excited at the thought of dining with Hobbits, and she nodded, "That would be wonderful, Master Samwise."

Rosie and Sam grinned as they made their way into the house. Both she and Ranthoron bent over as they entered the door, and they kept their heads slightly bowed as the two hobbits hurried around and fixed them food and drink.

Meiou noticed a crib, and within it, a wriggling bundle. She made her way to it and cooed, for in it lay a beautiful child, fair of face and chubby. "Samwise, what is this child's name?"

Sam smiled as he came over to the bundle and carried the child. "This is one of my boys, Tolman. We call him Tom…named him after Tom Bombadil." He grinned up at her as he asked, "Would you like to hold him?"

"Oh, certainly." Meiou said as she sat down to the floor, and Sam placed the child in her arms. "Hello, Young Master Tom." She whispered as the child in her arms, barely filling her long forearms, smiled up at her, "You shall be as great as your father, won't you?" She smiled as Ranthoron sat down beside her and played with the child. She looked up at Sam, slightly rocking young Tom, as she asked, "How many children do you have now, Sam?"

"Tom there would be my thirteenth…"

"Thirteenth!" Meiou said incredulously. Even Ranthoron stared up at him in surprise. "You've had thirteen children!"

Sam nodded, "Yes, Lady Meiou. Five daughters and eight sons. Only Tom is here with us now, the others are probably out playing. My eldest, Elanor, is Queen Arwen's maid of honor." He seemed really proud of the idea, for he beamed as he said this.

Meiou was speechless for a while, but she regained her composure and smiled, "That's really… something, Sam. You've been very…"

"Progressive?" Sam laughed as he took Tom from Meiou again. She gave him back to his father, and she watched as he placed the child lovingly back to his cradle, "I know, but what can I say… that's how much I love my Rosie. Can't seem to get enough of her."

Meiou smiled, and for a moment, she wished Legolas had been more like Sam. Her face became saddened a bit, and Ranthoron, noticing his mother's sadness, reached up and squeezed her shoulder. She looked behind her, smiled at her son, and squeezed his hand in return.

But the door burst open suddenly, and two hobbits came out from it. They were a foot taller than Sam, but from the way they looked, she was sure they were Hobbit folk. Meiou stood up suddenly, hit her head against the ceiling, and rubbing her head, greeted the two beings. "How are you, Master Meriadock? Master Peregrin?"

The two hobbits gave a shout of happiness before launching themselves around Meiou's waist, their heads reaching to her shoulders, knocking her back a few steps and making her head hit a nearby chandelier. She laughed as she bent down and hugged them in return.

"We have been waiting for you to visit, Lady Meiou!" Pippin said, his aged, jovial face smiling broadly and his green eyes shining in mirth. His brown hair was now also flecked with gray, but Meiou marveled at how dexterous he still was, despite his old age. She smiled down at him as she ruffled his hair.

"I was afraid I might not be able to come here at all. The other hobbits have told me that the Shire had been protected by the Northern scepter and cannot be entered by Men…"

"There's the mistake of it!" Merry said as he continued to embrace Meiou. He still had his slightly thinning face and clear blue eyes, but were just as jovial as Pippin's, and he was blushing slightly, for Merry had taken a great liking to Meiou when he saw her at their wedding. While Pippin's hair had been brown, Merry's sandy hair were also flecked with gray. Meiou noticed that the two still wore their ceremonial clothing… Merry wore his uniform during his days as an Esquire of Rohan, while Pippin wore his Minas Tirith's Citadel Guard uniform.

"What mistake?" Meiou asked them as she sat down at a low chair that Sam offered. Behind her, Ranthoron sat down on a similar chair, gazing at the two newcomers in wonder.

"The mistake is that the Shire can never be entered by 'Men'," Pippin explained, "'Men', Meiou… not Elves…"

"Which makes it valid for you to enter!" Merry laughed, "You're not mortal, you're Elf-kind!"

She also laughed, "Yes… I suppose that is a mistake…" She felt Ranthoron nudge her from behind, and she grinned at the two hobbits, "By the way, this is my son, Ranthoron. He…"

"Looks much like his father." Pippin said, as he came forward and offered his hand to the elf, "Welcome to the Shire, Ranthoron… I believe this is your first time here?"

Ranthoron smiled widely at Pippin as he shook his then Merry's hand, "Yes, it is Master Peregrin."

"Call him Pippin, and call me Merry." Merry said as he lowered his hand from greeting Ranthoron, "Using our full names can make you lose your breath sometimes, you know."

Ranthoron laughed, "Yes, I suppose it does…"

Rosie came out from the kitchen then, and raising her arms, showed them that she was carrying a tray of mugs. "Ale, anyone?"

The three hobbits and the two elves sat around a long table, with Rosie handing out drinks, after which she retired to the kitchen to get started on their dinner. All three hobbit males took out pipes for smoking the finest weed called Old Toby, but Ranthoron, after being elbowed by his mother, merely watched the smoke rise to the air.

"I permit you to drink, but never to smoke." Meiou chided as she stared her son down.

"Yes, Mother…" Ranthoron said a little sulkily, and he returned to drinking his brew.

Merry and Pippin laughed, "Why don't you let the boy smoke? He is of elven age, isn't he…?"

"He will someday…" Meiou answered, "But while he still lives within my house, I will not let him."

"Good wisdom, if I may say so myself." Sam said, "He'll live his elven years healthily, he will."

Merry blushed again as he whispered, "It seems that motherhood fits you, Lady Meiou…"

Meiou smiled at him, "Hannon lle, Merry…" She then turned to Pippin as she asked him, "What about you, Pippin? Have you had any children?"

"Yes, I have, Lady Meiou!" He beamed with pride, "My son, Faramir I and my wife, Diamond, are in Buckland right now, as is Merry's wife, Estella."

Merry shrugged, "I have not been given children…", he said, the look on his face a bit melancholic, "But it's alright… Sam's children keeps us busy sometimes… as they play near Buckland and get lost often."

Ranthoron chuckled, "Must be quite a crew you have, Master Samwise…"

Sam chuckled, "Quite a crew they are! But I love them all, and would never let any harm come to them." His face saddened a bit as he whispered, "It would've been nicer if Mister Frodo was here… he would've had a wife and children too…"

Meiou smiled and reached over Sam. She squeezed his hand to comfort the troubled hobbit as she whispered, "I'm sure Frodo the Ringbearer would be happy, as Bilbo and Gandalf are with him. They will not let him feel melancholy in the Undying Lands…"

The three hobbits seem to like the idea, as they all grinned, rather hesitantly. Then Sam raised his ale and whispered, "For Frodo the Nine-Fingered Ringbearer… may he be happy in the Undying Lands with Gandalf and Bilbo…"

"And Lady Galadriel and her kin!" Added Pippin.

The five of them toasted for the missing companion and drank heartily. When at last they put their tankards down, Merry let out a loud burp and said to Meiou, "Now then, Lady Meiou… what really brought you out here to the Shire?"

Meiou stared at the three hobbits, all seemingly waiting for her answer. Finally she sighed and said, "I was that noticeable…?"

"No, not really…" Pippin said as he puffed on his pipe, letting out clouds of smoke as he spoke, "It's just that we thought you had the same pattern with Aragorn."

"Same pattern?" Ranthoron said, his tankard empty.

Sam explained, "Aragorn came over only twice…" he said, "First time was when he pronounced that the Shire was now a Free Land, protected by the Northern Scepter and that no man would allowed entrance to our land…"

"Except for him and the others, of course." Merry quipped.

"And the second was when he gave me the Star of the Dunedain and to make Elanor Arwen's maid of honor." Sam finished. Again, he looked proud as he spoke of his daughter's name. "We thought that you might need something from us…"

She looked around at the three hobbits, before finally grinning and said, "Yes, I do need something from you."

Merry and Pippin smiled, "We knew it." They chorused together.

"And what would it be, Lady Meiou?" Sam said.

Meiou took out the parchment containing the spell, and the three hobbits put their heads together to read its contents. After a few moments, all three nodded in understanding.

"So you mean you need our tears?" Sam asked.

Ranthoron waved a hand, "A hobbit's tear, to be precise. But if you're willing to give some then, we would be most thankful."

Pippin shrugged, "All right."

Meiou raised an eyebrow, "'All right?' That's it?"

Merry looked a bit confused at her, "Yes… were you expecting something?"

She shook her head, "No! It's not that. I thought you were going to ask me if the spell is a hoax or a joke someone made."

Sam laughed, "In any other day, we would." Then he sobered up and told Meiou, "But after seeing Middle Earth and all the wonder it contains, we figured we should believe in what we see more. The world is not as boring or normal as you think it is. This kind of magic lurks everywhere, so why not give it a try?"

She smiled, "Thank you very much…"

Merry pulled her off her seat, "Now if you don't mind, Lady Meiou, we would really want you to stay here and rest."

Meiou looked around the three hopeful faces as she slowly shook her head, "No…I…"

"You won't be able to get our tears until tomorrow, actually." Pippin added, patting Ranthoron's back as he too was pushed up by Sam, "We need to get ready. Besides, it's nearly nightfall. It would do good for your safety to rest here the night. Our borders are well protected."

She looked at Ranthoron, who shrugged. She nodded slightly then, and smiled, "Very well. If that is your counsel, then I shall obey it."

"That would be wonderful!" Merry and Pippin cried together, as they put an arm around each other.

"We shall be waiting for you tomorrow morning then, to see you off." Pippin said. "We'll give you a vial of our tears then…"

"But for now rest here a moment." Merry added, "I'm sure Sam and Rosie would be glad to have you."

"Buckland's pretty far off, and we know you're weary." Rosie said, "You'd be most welcome to sleep here for the night."

Ranthoron's face lighted up, "Yes! We would be honored to be your guest, Master Samwise."

"That's settled then!" Sam cried, and Merry and Pippin went out the door, waving at them as they entered the darkness of the night, to return to Buckland and their wives. He pointed down the hall, leading the two elves into a back room. "There is a room here that is a good size for the two of you. It looks like Saruman made it when he came here…"

Sam suddenly quieted, for he knew that he has spoken a memory not worthy of remembrance. He stopped walking down the hall for a minute, and Meiou watched with a pained expression as Sam forced a grin in their direction and started guiding them to the room again.

"There is a bathroom there also, should you need to tend to nature or simply to bathe." He said again, and both she and Ranthoron looked at him with pity. Meiou bent down to look Sam in the eye, and as their faces leveled, Sam said, "I am alright, Lady Meiou. I'm just tired." He smiled again as he stood a bit straighter and said, "You will get our tears by tomorrow morning. Don't worry. You should rest now…"

Meiou smiled at the hobbit as she said, "Thank you, Master Samwise."

Sam smiled again, this time his face tranquil, as he bowed a bit to Meiou and said, "Done in friendship, Lady Meiou."

And he closed the door silently.