Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.  Tolkien created them, and I'm simply borrowing them.

Written for Marigold's Challenge #9

Always Rose
by Rosie-Ann

Part I: Seedling

The day Samwise Gamgee was left alone with Mama and The Baby dawned bright and cheerful.  It was a beautiful spring morning, and Sam's da, Ham, had taken the four older children to visit their Uncle Andy for the day.  Sam, though, was left home with clear instructions not to get in Mama's was and to help with The Baby.  'The Baby' was his sister Marigold, barely a year old.  Sam always tried his very best to help with the tiny creature, but there was only so much a 4-year-old could do, even if he was strong.

"Sammie?  Could you bring me one of The Baby's nappies?" Bell Gamgee called from her bedroom.

"Yes, Mama!" Sam called back, and cheerfully pulled a clean nappy from a low shelf in a wardrobe and trotted into his parents' room.

"Thank you, love." Bell said, scooping Sam up in a big hug.  Sam beamed proudly, glad to be of such help.  "Oh, and dear, could you answer the door while I change The Baby?"  Sam opened his mouth to protest, having not heard a knock or a ring at the bell, when there came a frantic combination of knocking and ringing.  In truth, Bell had heard the creaky gate at the lane swing open, but to Sam, it was his mother's magic.  He ran to the door and opened it to find Tom Cotton standing there.  Tom was the same age as Sam, and lived a fair walk away (for a little lad).  Sam had often wished to go to the Cotton's farm on his own but had never been allowed, and now here stood Tom by himself.  Sam was, needless to say, extremely jealous.

"Sammie, is your Mama here?" Tom asked breathlessly.  "My Mama's sick an' she said to come an' get yours right away!"

"She's here." Sam sulked.  "But she's busy changing The Baby's nappies."  Tom, not knowing what else to do, burst into tears.

"B-but Mama's real sick, an' she s-said right away!" Tom sobbed.  Sam immediately stopped sulking (although he would likely pick it up later) and grabbed Tom's hand.

"C'mon, we'll get my Mama, and she'll fix yours up all better!" Sam said reassuringly.

"Goodness!" Bell exclaimed when Sam led Tom in, still crying.  "What's wrong?"

"Missus Cotton's got sick!" Sam cried out urgently.  "An' Tom came t'get you, so we hafta go!"  Bell nodded and grabbed her healing bag out of her wardrobe, bouncing Marigold on her hip.

"Alright, lads." Bell said briskly.  "Off to the Cotton's we go."  They began walking to the Cotton's farm.  While it was really only a 15-minute walk, Sam felt as if it were much longer, and was awed that Tom had been able to find his way.  When they finally reached their destination, Sam was out of breath--his mother had been in a real rush.  The small group didn't bother knocking, and the boys followed Bell as she strode purposefully in.

Lily Cotton was sitting on a small ottoman, her stomach swollen to (what Sam considered) gigantic proportions, and she was breathing heavily.

"Bell..." she gasped, her face contorted in pain.  Bell quickly settled Marigold in a nest of cushions, shooed the boys into a corner, and went over to Lily.

"Isn't Mr. Cotton home, Lily?" Bell asked gently.  Lily shook her head and groaned.  Bell helped Lily lie back on some extra cushions and pillows and, to Sam and Tom's shock, reached up Lily's skirt and pulled off her petticoats.  "Tom, is there a kettle on?" she asked.  Tom nodded slowly.  "Alright, now listen closely, lads," she looked seriously at Sam and Tom.  "I need you to go and very very carefully bring the kettle in here, and a large washbasin and towels.  Can you do that?"  the boys nodded solemnly, and Bell turned back to her patient.

The boys started with the washbasin and towels, which were taken carefully to Bell, then they tackled the kettle.  Wrapping wash rags around theirs hands, the two four-year-olds carefully lifted the kettle and - ever so slowly - took it into the little parlor.

"It's...too...early." Lily panted as the boys handed the kettle off to Bell.

"Not for two, it's not." Bell said, grinning.  "Now PUSH!"  Neither Tom nor Sam could see what was happening, except that Bell was hidden within Lily's skirts.  Suddenly, Bell drew her hands out, and to the lads' surprise she was holding a baby.  She lifted it up by its ankles and smacked it lightly on the back, and a shrill cry filled the room, frightening Marigold and causing her to cry as well.  Bell's hands moved quickly, and she did something with string and scissors that Sam couldn't catch.  She then cleaned the baby with a towel and warm water, wrapped it snugly in a blanket, and handed it to Tom.

"There's a brother for ye, Tom-lad." she said.  "Sit down as you hold him, and be gentle."  Tom did as she asked and Bell disappeared again into Lily's skirts.  Lily was still screaming and groaning.  After a few more minutes of commanding Lily to "Breathe!" and "Push!" (during which the two babies in the room were continuing to cry), Bell drew out another baby and reapeated the smacking and washing process, the newest baby's cries mingling with the others.  Once it was swaddled securely in a blanket, Bell sat Sam down next to Tom and placed the baby in his arms.  "This," said she, "is Tom's sister." 

"My babies..." Lily pleaded.  "My Wilcome and my Rose.  Can I hold them?"

"Not yet, love," Bell helped Lily slowly to her feet.  "We must clean you up and get you into bed first.  Tom and Sam are responsible lads, for all their youth.  Wilcome and Rose-lass will be just fine."  Bell continued speaking soothingly to Lily as they walked down the hall. 

Tom and Sam stared at the babies in their arms.  Marigold had stopped crying and had decided to take a nap, and Wilcome (though undoubtably hungry) seemed to be following suit.  But little Rose-lass in Sam's arms seemed to show no sign of quieting down.

"You should sing t'her.  That's what mamas do with their babies." Tom said, as if he were an old hand at baby care.

"I ain't a mama!" Sam pouted.  All the same, he looked down at the crying baby in his arms and wondered if he should try singing a lullaby.  He decided against it, and just started to talk.  "C'mon, baby, stop crying please?  You're givin' me a headache!" he complained to her.  Surprisingly, she quieted down and, sucking on her fist, seemed to be scrutinizing him.  "That's good." Sam said softly.  "You need t'be quiet like The Baby over there," he said, nodding in Marigold's direction.  "Although I guess you're The Baby now, and she's just Merri-gold." Sam tried to fit his little mouth around his sister's name.

"I think she likes you!" Tom exclaimed as Rose-lass snuggled contently in Sam's arms.  Wilcome squirmed and let his empty stomach keep him from napping.

"Well, we're enjoying this, aren't we?" Bell came back in, scooping up one baby in each arm.  "Bring your sister, Sammie, and we'll let Missus Cotton see her little ones."  Sam woke his little sister up and helped her toddle back to the bedroom.  When they got to the bedroom, they found that Wilcome was happily nursing under the cover of a blanket.  Rose-lass was, however, squirming and complaining.

"What's wrong, lass?" Lily asked her daughter.  "Don't like sharing with your brother?"  Rose-lass started crying loudly, and Bell picked her up, rocking her gently.  She didn't quiet down.  Finally, Bell sighed with exasperation and sat Sam on the bed.

"She was quiet when I came and got her, lad." Bell said, placing the baby in Sam's arms.  "Maybe you can quiet her down again."

"Baby, be quiet." Sam ordered.  Rose-lass didn't comply.  "C'mon, Rosie, please?"  Rose-lass hiccuped a couple times and quietly looked up at Sam's face, trying to bring it into focus.  She awkwardly waved a fist in recognition - this was the first thing she'd seen after coming out of the warm.  Sam smiled crookedly as Bell and Lily happily watched the sweet scene unfold.

"Hullo Rosie."