A little note: Merry and Estella's son is canonical, even the name.

Chapter Five:

Ten Years Later

Malinda turned around for Estella. As the years passed, Malinda grew fairer but her flaws quickly caught up to her. She was less clumsy, yet the impulsiveness remained. In the mirror, Malinda thought herself as plain. Her light blue hobbit dress and her hair tied up made her seem elegant. Still, she reminded herself of her plainness and didn't feel pretty.

"You look beautiful," said Estella.

A knock was heard at the bedroom door. Merry and Estella's son Periadoc, or Perry for short, entered the room. He had his eyes covered. While Malinda was seventeen, Perry was shy of thirteen. He had brown curly hair, much like most hobbits deemed. Even Malinda could admit she was mostly hobbitish, even if it didn't come across to some relatives.

"Can I come in?" asked Perry, entering the room. "I won't look."

Estella chuckled. "It's all right, Perry. We're pretty much done in here."

Perry uncovered his eyes.

"So, what do you think?" asked Estella, hoping to get a good reaction from him.

Perry shrugged. "She looks all right."

"And that's coming from a thirteen year old boy. I told you we shouldn't have gotten his opinion," said Malinda, a little hurt.

Estella kissed Malinda on the cheek. "Oh, you'll do fine tonight. Your cousin Frodo's coming today to celebrate your birthday."

Malinda felt butterflies rising in her stomach. Ever since her teen years began, Malinda's crush on Frodo hadn't ceased. While she was looking forward to seeing him again, she also knew, somehow, it was wrong for her to imagine being fixed up with him. After all, he was a few decades older than her and he was her cousin. That only meant that it didn't feel right.

Merry called from the hallway, "The cart is here!"

"Come on. Let's go outside and meet him," said Estella. Perry was the first one out of the room. Malinda followed at a slower pace.

Outside a house in Buckland, Malinda saw her parents greet her cousin Frodo. Perry rushed up to Frodo and embraced him. Malinda was about to turn away, thinking Frodo and Merry would discuss matters that were, once again, none of her business. Over time, Malinda simply called them "parental matters". She was called over fast by Estella and Merry, who gestured her over. She saw her father, step-mother, and Frodo were all well-preserved for their age, yet even their age hadn't changed. This led Malinda to much suspicion, but she eventually adjusted to it. While it was odd, Malinda at times wanted to say something, but most of the time let the subject drop. Malinda joined the group in moments. They were already having a conversation.

"Malinda, you remember Frodo," said Merry.

"How could I not? He usually comes at Yule, or us on his birthday," said Malinda.

"Not to mention your birthday," said Merry, serious.

"Right," said Malinda, feeling awkward.

"You forgot Sam and Pippin's birthdays, too," said Frodo.

"How could we ever forget them, cousin?" asked Merry, joking.

"Shall we discuss more inside?" asked Estella.

"Certainly," said Frodo. He eyed Malinda again, who blushed uncontrollably. As they walked back to the house, Frodo laid a hand over Malinda's shoulder, telling her, softly, "You look beautiful, as always."

"Thanks," said Malinda, unsure what else to say.

Merry asked his wife, "How many people did you invite? Do we have everyone?"

"It's a small party. I figured Malinda wouldn't want anymore guests," said Estella.

"Or she doesn't care," said Merry, concerned. He waved to his daughter, who was still be held by Frodo. He told his wife next, "Look at them. Frodo can't keep his eyes off her. Malinda's no help at all to the situation."

"Oh Merry. They're cousins. I'm sure it'll be fine to leave them be," said Estella.

"Leave them be! If Melissa were here…"

Estella whispered, "But she's not, Merry. At least let them enjoy the moment while they can. Malinda may not be of age, but she's a strong young lass. She will do fine, Merry. I've seen it."

Estella allowed Perry to step inside the house first. Frodo soon let go of Malinda, allowing her passage into the house. Estella went on inside, just as Merry grabbed Frodo.

"Don't try anything, cousin. She's my daughter," said Merry.

Frodo pushed Merry's hand out of the way. "And she's my cousin, as are you. It's only fitting…"

"To do what exactly?" asked Merry. "If Melissa knew about your flattering towards Malinda, she would…"

"So, you're still thinking about Melissa? I thought that was long gone," said Frodo, serious.

"I've seen the way you look at her, the way she looks at you. Don't think for a second that my eye isn't on you both." He added, courteously, "Please be respectful today; if not for me, then at least for my daughter."

Frodo paused. He then said, "All right, I'll try."

"Good. Now that's settled," said Merry. He followed Frodo inside the hobbit hole.

Pippin and Sam arrived minutes later. Once the two hobbits were inside the house, the party for Malinda began. There was enough food and drink for all, with snacks in-between the meals. Malinda, in hobbit tradition, passed out gifts to her guests. She waited until everyone was busy talking amongst themselves before handing Frodo his gift. When he unwrapped the gift, Frodo found a strange belt with many gemstones embedded to the leather. There was also a strange pendant with red liquid inside a small cordial, attached to a gold chain.

"Malinda," said Frodo, intrigued.

"I knew you would like it," said Malinda.

"Where did you get them?" asked Frodo, curious.

"I found them in the market one day. Some old hobbitess was selling them for a low price. I'm not sure what they're for, but she said the liquid contained in the cordial would heal victims from wounds beyond all hope. The belt is meant for some form of power, but she hoped it would be used for good purposes," said Malinda, sounding just as confused. "They seemed like something you would need."

Frodo embraced Malinda, stunning her for a second. "Thank you." After he released her, Frodo set the gifts down on the table. Frodo asked her, "Can I speak with you alone?"

Confused, Malinda nodded. "Sure."

Frodo took Malinda's hand and led her out of the parlor. They walked down the hallway, straight into a broom cupboard. There, Frodo spoke affectionately to her.

"Malinda, you know I would do anything to protect you," said Frodo.

"What do you mean?" asked Malinda, confused.

"Maia, there's something I've been meaning to do. I feel that I've waited all my life to do it," said Frodo.

"Frodo, I know it hasn't been easy and I'm sure there's going to be many occasions where we're not sure if we're doing the right thing," said Malinda, "but, through it all, we…" She was stopped by Frodo, who kissed her full on the lips. From the kiss, both Malinda and Frodo felt sparks in their hearts. They kissed for a full minute before Frodo released her. All Malinda could say was, "Whoa. I thought my crush for you was bad."

"You have a crush on me?" asked Frodo, a little surprised.

"I didn't expect it to mean anything," said Malinda, being modest.

Frodo kissed Malinda again. Their kiss this time was passionate, more so than the last. They stopped before things became too heated. Just as they did, they heard Merry's voice.

"We have to go back," said Frodo.

"All right," said Malinda, disappointed yet relieved.

Frodo held Malinda's hand as he dragged her back to the parlor. Outside the hobbit hole, Frodo could see a wounded scarred lioness. He rushed outside the hobbit hole almost as fast as Merry, Pippin, and Sam. Perry watched from the front door, as Estella held Malinda back. Frodo stopped in front of the scarred lioness, just as she collapsed.

The scarred lioness looked up, telling Frodo, "We were ambushed. The villains are coming here. They know about the girl."

"Who are you?" asked Frodo.

"My name is Jessica," said the scarred lioness. As she rested her head on the ground, a bright light swallowed her body, vanishing in seconds.

Malinda soon was able to break free from Estella's grasp. She approached Frodo in seconds, asking him, "Frodo, what was that creature?" She saw Frodo's perplexed gaze, but he hardly said a word to her.

Inside the hobbit hole at Newbury, after much consideration, Frodo and his friends finally told Malinda the story she had long waited to hear. Since Malinda already knew well the tales of Bilbo's quest and the War of the Ring, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin skipped it with some reluctance. Instead, they told of the events after the War of the Ring.

Frodo, with help from Sam, Merry, and Pippin, related to Malinda the events at the Evenshire Camp, his meeting with several heroes, some of which would become his friends, and the mission to figure out why the stars were falling. Frodo spoke of his choosing of the six companions, which Malinda grew some interest in hearing. When he got to where the quest began, Frodo spoke of how the creature named Gurgi accidentally joined in on the quest and how he escaped the scarred lions and lionesses, but that too needed explaining on what they were. He spoke of Coral and how she too ended up joining the mission as the heroes' guide.

When he came to Terrabay Camp, Frodo had help from Sam, Merry, and Pippin, who in turn explained how they ended up at the campsite and meeting heroes, a few weasels, Melissa Snowberry and her first meeting with them (Merry rightly said she was Malinda's mother, which drew great interest for Malinda), meeting Nash Wimble for the first time, and how they came to reunite with Frodo at the sidekick heroes' campsite. What that said, Frodo moved on with the story.

Frodo told little of the journey between the Silent Forest and the village of Prevale, as he said there wasn't much to tell. Once he came to the part at Prevale, Frodo went into his adventures there, of the battle that ensued, caused by the Orcs, and how he was tricked by a pseudo-Rosie into eating poisoned mushrooms. He was hesitant to tell what happened and how he survived the sleeping curse, but eventually he managed to tell the story anyway. This drew suspicion and concern amongst the hobbits, who wondered how he did best the sleeping curse the Evil Queen gave to him. Frodo continued the story, leaving the questions as they were as he did not know the answers himself, only a guess that the kiss he was given in the long deep dream may have led to his awakening. He told as briefly as he could his flight through the underground catacombs of Merswold Camp, Sauron's return, and eventual escape from the villainous encampment, and how Coral knew he needed some time to figure things out on his own accord. Of course Sam was concerned, but Frodo let the matter pass as he continued onto the second part of the tale.

As the tale continued, Frodo told Malinda of his meeting with Radagast the Brown and the red dragonoid Parker Dooley, who he hadn't seen since the Evenshire Camp (but here he was getting ahead of himself). Frodo spoke of Parker Dooley and how he helped him through a few obstacles before returning to the Evenshire Camp. That's when the battle began and ended with the heroes' flight out of the campsite. Sam, Merry, and Pippin beforehand spoke of how the Terrabay Camp had been razed, causing the sidekick heroes to depart for the Evenshire Camp.

After the heroes rendezvous, Frodo and his friends were brought, thanks to the pirate Jack Sparrow and his ship the Black Pearl, to the Animal Headquarters. It was there, Frodo said, everything happened so quickly. Estella joined in on the story, leading Perry to become interested. The five hobbits spoke of how they slept for twenty years, but knew little of what happened to everyone else during that time. When Malinda asked where they were, exactly, Merry and Pippin chimed in by answering that they were in a limbo world and time knew no boundaries there. Frodo explained that during their sleep, the Lion called Aslan sent the worlds into a frozen time, as he did to Middle-earth. This made Malinda understand how the hobbits were frozen in time except for those children who weren't.

When they continued the story, the hobbits spoke all at the same time, confusing both Perry and Malinda. Frodo eventually stopped his friends and, after taking another drink, told them they would speak in turns. Once they managed to get their stories straight, they told the teenage hobbits about their excavation quest to seek the Emerald Diadem. Merry didn't have the heart to tell Malinda about his first wife, now an ex, Victoria, or their firstborn son. They spoke of how they found the portals, met the strange creature named Stitch, and entered the Sheltered Caves. From there, Frodo and Merry spoke of the two final tasks they went through, before finding their friends and coming across the Emerald Diadem. Frodo, still avoiding the subject he felt he should tell Malinda, told of how the villains were eventually stopped by Aslan. He ended the tale with the heroes leaving the Animal Headquarters and returning to their lands and home worlds.

Perry chimed in, "I'm surprised you didn't write all this down. People would be interested in hearing about it."

"Some stories are best left untold," said Sam, wary.

"But the heroes and the wizard Harry Potter…"

"Periadoc," said Estella. "Wizards are meddlesome beings that don't know when to mind their own business. Most of the Shirefolk believes they shouldn't have meddled to begin with."

"Can I have a word with Malinda alone?" asked Frodo.

Merry looked at Sam, Pippin, and his wife Estella. As Frodo brought Malinda out of the room, he was grabbed by Merry, "Just don't take too long."

"I shouldn't," said Frodo.

Once Malinda was brought into her room, she asked Frodo, "I hope you're not planning on stealing another kiss, Frodo."

"I won't," said Frodo. "There's… something I need to tell you." He paused to think. "Before you were born, there's been this prophecy about you and me, possibly several but some I'm sure say the same. We're supposed to stop all evil."

"What? How does one person stop all evil?" asked Malinda, raising her voice. Frodo shushed her. Quieting down, she told him, "That's ludicrous. One person couldn't do all of that, let alone two." She was still shocked by the news.

"I know. It sounds farfetched," said Frodo. "But because of the prophecies, villains have already tried to stop me before and they've failed. They tried to kill me in the past, and I'm guessing they'll do the same to you."

"Then let's take them down, destroy them," said Malinda.

"It's not as easy as it sounds," said Frodo.

"Why not? Haven't you stopped them in the past?" asked Malinda.

"You're too eager and you don't know what you're getting yourself into. But yes, I did and so far evil still wanders across all lands," said Frodo. "Maybe one day you'll understand better. This isn't some game. Those villains will kill you if given the chance. So far, the Shire has been safe, but for how long, I hardly know. Very few heroes have passed through these lands." He told her, "I will not lose you, Malinda. I'd stake my life on protecting you."

Malinda sighed, "I know you would. I would do the same for you, if given the chance."

Frodo chuckled. "I'm glad to have a friend such as you." He said, "Hopefully, the Shire stays safe and we won't run into any danger."

"What?" asked Malinda, stunned by the news. "If villains are out there, why don't we take them down? We have the advantage."

"You're too young. You hardly know the world or its dangers," said Frodo.

"Coming from you, but I feel…"

"Malinda! You don't understand," said Frodo, serious. He paused. "I'm not going to let you go out on a whim, just because you feel it necessary to put yourself in danger."

Malinda spoke over him. "I feel that we need to find those villains and stop them." She soon had a breath to speak at last, "We need to find them, Frodo. We can't run and hide from them. They'd find us. Please believe me."

Frodo sighed. "When we hear word from another hero, we'll see what happens. For now, we stay here." As he approached the door, Frodo said, "You truly are stubborn, Maia." He left Malinda's room, with Malinda sitting on the bed alone with her thoughts.

Later that evening, Malinda found it hard to fall back to sleep. Getting out of bed, Malinda opened the door and crossed into the hallway. There, she saw a flicker of light coming from the parlor. Malinda found her way into the parlor, where she found to her surprise her father Merry still awake.

"Having trouble sleeping?" asked Malinda.

Merry turned to her. "I was only resting and thinking."

Malinda joined him, taking a seat in a chair opposite from him. "Frodo said when another hero gives word, we would be traveling." She asked, "What heroes are there?"

Merry grinned. "Only the some of the best and brightest to be found. Frodo's adjusted to the fact that there are other worlds out there, besides our own. That we're not the only ones there are. It makes you wonder who else is out there."

"Do you know?" asked Malinda, curious and concerned. "Or don't you?"

"Only those who I've met. So far, there hasn't been word from them," said Merry. Getting Malinda's attention, Merry asked her, "Frodo told you, didn't he, about that strange prophecy?"

"It can't be true, can it?" asked Malinda. "I mean, who in their right mind would stop all evil? Is it possible?"

"It could be. We don't know everything," said Merry.

"Something tells me someone else knows," said Malinda.

"Malinda, it's just a prophecy. It doesn't mean it will come true." Merry told her, "You should get some sleep."

"All right. How long will you be up?" asked Malinda, standing up.

"Give me a couple of minutes," said Merry. After Malinda left the room, Merry heard a low growl. He told the presence, without looking, "You can't take her. It'll lead to an onslaught. The alarm will sound off and you'll be dead."

A gruff voice told him, "I wasn't interested in the girl."

"Then what are you interested in?" asked Merry, nervous.

The gruff voice paused. "There will come a time when the girl will be needed. In her twenties will they find her and bring her back, but she will have no memory of what happened before. She'll be a beacon to all, just as your cousin is."

"I don't understand," said Merry.

"It will come," said the voice.

Merry turned around once, but saw no one. The voice had faded. Confused, Merry told himself, "Must have been nothing." He peered at the fireplace as the flames dimmed. Merry grabbed a candle and lit it, moments before heading down the hallway. He heard footsteps coming from the end of the hallway. Merry rushed into his and Estella's bedroom, right as the pursuer vanished. Relieved, Merry went to bed, blowing out the candle.