The Shire February 1429 SR

       "Sam? Are you there, dear?" Rose walked into the kitchen, still wearing her nightgown and rubbing her back. Sam looked up from his task of feeding Merry-lad.

       "What is it? What's wrong?" Rose never walked about in her nightgown.

       "Nothing's wrong. Just that my pains have started. I think you'd best take the children down to Marigold and Lilac, and bring Mum and the midwife."

       "This is early!" Sam started to run around gathering coats and scarves, for it was very cold out.

       "Only a few days. Master Fidgety Bum has decided it's time to come out." Rose smiled. "Stop fussing."

       "Where's Frodo? Does he know?"

       "Yes, he's just dressing Rosie-lass. The little lad can stay here."

       Frodo arrived in the kitchen with the three older children. "Look, I don't mind taking them and collecting Garnet and Mrs Cotton.........er.....Lily."

       Sam snorted. "I'm not going to have you catching your death out there! It's freezing! We'll be fine, won't we?"

       "Yes!!!" chorused the children, rushing for the door.

       "Go and lie down, lass."

       "Lying down isn't always comfortable. Besides, I don't want to be stuck in bed for hours. I'm not an invalid - I'm having a baby!" Rose kissed him and handed him some more blankets to cover the children. He would take the cart so he could bring the two women back as quickly as possible.

       When the door closed behind them she grinned at Frodo. "I thought he'd never go! Fuss-pot!"

       "Still, you can lie down if you want to. I'll light the fire in your room and steep some athelas." Frodo went off to see to that, leaving Rose making her way back to the parlour.

                                                                          ************

       Frodo made tea, and went outside to fetch more logs. He returned to report that it was beginning to snow very heavily. He found Rose in the parlour, bending over a chair. She was panting, her face screwed up in pain.

       "Rose?" He felt his throat dry in sudden panic. "What's wrong?" He supported her, feeling her muscles contract powerfully.

       "Phew! That was a strong one! This one isn't going to wait for the midwife, especially with this weather. There's no hope of driving a cart through this." Outside, the blizzard was swirling, smothering everything and reducing visibilty to nothing.

       "What?!" He felt his stomach flip over.

       "Pains are coming too fast. This one is on his way." She looked at him. "Sorry to do this to you, but it's just you and me, I'm afraid."

       "Let's get you into bed, then." She shook her head.

       "I'd never get there. This one's going to be born here."

       Frodo put on a brave smile. "I'll find a sheet and some towels. Good thing the kettle's boiled. Don't..........don't have him till I get back!" He fled down the passage to the linen cupboard and grabbed some old clean sheets and pillow-cases, and three or four towels. What did a batchelor hobbit know about babies? He had seen foals and lambs being born sometimes but never a hobbit baby. He felt woefully inadequate to the task. On his way back he darted into the study and snatched a book from the shelf. It was one of Lord Elrond's and had a chapter on childbirth. He found some string and a pair of scissors, dropped them into boiling water, then ran back to the parlour and spread a sheet on the hearthrug. He managed to throw a few athelas leaves into water but had no time to sing the invocation.

       Rose clutched his hand as another pain tightened its grip. She grunted as the urge to bear down took over, biting her lip against the squeezing agony. When it was over, Frodo guided her to lie down on the hearthrug, her back propped against a heavy chair with pillows behind her. He made up the fire and went to scrub his hands. He knew that absolute cleanliness was essential, or childbed fever would result. Lord Elrond and Aragorn both stressed the importance of this and he would never be able to live with himself if anything happened to Rose. How could he face Sam and the children.........? He breathed deeply, trying to calm his nerves.

       By the time he arrived back at her side, Rose was in the throes of another contraction.

       "I think you're going to have to fight your gentlehobbit tendencies and have a look," she gasped, still able to give him a sly smile. "Something is certainly happening."

       He looked at her apologetically and she raised her nightgown so he could see how things were progressing. "Oh goodness! I can see the head! I think you're supposed to push between pains now?"

       She nodded, and pushed, groaning softly. She pushed several times, and then paused as another pain began.

       "Now pant," he murmured, although privately he thought she knew far more about it than he did. As soon as the contraction was over, she pushed again with Frodo's encouragement. "That's it! You're almost there! One more push, Rose." He held out his hands, praying that this would be straightforward, with no complications such as a twisted cord.

       Rose arched back with a cry, and the baby's head emerged. The next contraction delivered the shoulders and the infant slithered out into his uncle's waiting hands.

       Frodo wrapped the slippery baby carefully in a towel and tilted him slightly, to allow any fluid to drain from his mouth and nose. There was an indignant squawk and a grizzle, followed by a yell which was probably heard in the parlour at the Green Dragon. Frodo heaved a sigh of relief and placed him in his mother's arms. Rose peered down at the red-faced infant and smiled.

       "Nothing wrong with his lungs at any rate," she chuckled. "Hello, little Pip. As impatient as your namefather, I see."

       "And as noisy. He could be heard at the other end of Great Smials if he tried. Pip had a pair of lungs old Smaug would have envied!" Rose giggled at this.

       Frodo brought in the saucepan with the string and the scissors. He washed his hands again, then pressed gently on Rose's abdomen, as the book indicated, and a few minutes later the afterbirth arrived. He tied the cord very tightly in two places and then cut between them and tied it off carefully, according to the helpful drawing. Then he put the afterbirth in a bowl to show the midwife, lowered the nightgown, draped a blanket round her shoulders and another over her, and threw more logs on the fire.

       "I'm sorry I didn't have time to do the invocation with the athelas. Did it help?"

       "Yes it did. It always smells of haymaking and warm sleepy children to me."

       "Mmmmm. Sounds lovely. It smells of the Shire on a hot summer day for me, Sam says roses and earth, and dear old Gaffer always said it reminded him of really fine taters! Pip swears it's ale and Merry says pipeweed." He fetched a small basin of scented water and wiped Rose's face and hands, and re-tied her hair ribbons.

       "You're so thoughtful, Frodo dear. I don't know about you, but I could kill for a cup of tea," Rose said. "And thank you so much for staying with me and seeing this one into the world. I don't know what I would have done without you."

                                                                         ************

       In the kitchen, Frodo sank on to the bench, his legs shaking. He waited for the kettle to boil and placed cups on a tray with the teapot. He added a plate of bicuits and made his way back to the parlour. Rose smiled tenderly down at the baby, who was already trying to feed.

       "Taking after Pippin in more ways that one. He's hungry already."

       Frodo carefully handed her a cup of tea and she drank it gratefully. She nibbled a biscuit and glanced up at the window. "Looks like it's stopping. Won't Mum and Sam be surprised when they find the baby's here?"

       "They certainly will. I must say I can't wait to see Sam's face." He refilled her teacup.

      "Birthing babies is thirsty work. Is Merry alright? I haven't heard much from him."

       "Yes, he's asleep in his cot. He sat and watched the snow for a while and when I last peeped in he was snoring away like an old gaffer." He looked up to see Rose watching him with a little smirk. "What?"

       "You're so capable these days. You coped with delivering a baby and still found time to look in on the other youngster, make tea, collect logs ......... Even our dear, efficient Sam might have been in a fluster with all that."

       "Now that is a first - me being even half as capable as Sam! Not that I had much choice where delivering the baby was concerned! Didn't have much time to think about it either." He looked down at the scrunched up little face. "May I?" Rose handed the baby to him, and helped herself to another biscuit.

       The baby had not yet been washed. Frodo had simply wiped him and wrapped him in a towel. Washing a new-born baby was a task he would leave to Garnet Tunnelly and Mrs Cotton when they arrived. He looked at the red face of the new arrival and grinned as he recognised some of Sam's features. The hair was closer in colour to Rose's, a soft honey brown, but the nose and mouth were pure Gamgee. One small fuzzy foot protruded from the wrapping and he stroked it gently before drawing the towel over it.

       He had just made another pot of tea when the sound of a cart was heard in the lane. Sam opened the door and ushered the ladies in, shaking cloaks as they did so.

       "Sorry we're late. Couldn't see a thing in that snowstorm. I expect things are well along now," he said, smiling at Frodo. "You know your way to the bedroom," he added to the two women.

       "Rose isn't in the bedroom," Frodo told him. Sam looked puzzled and turned to him, questions forming in his eyes although he was reassured by Frodo's smile.

       "Why not? What's going on? Is she being stubborn again?"

       "I think you need to see this for yourself," said Frodo, indicating the parlour. He led them down the passage, keen to see Sam's expression when he saw the new babe.

       At first Sam could barely take in what he was seeing. His beloved Rose, tired and flushed but laughing at his shock, lying on the floor by the fire with blankets over her, and a babe at her breast. He ran to her, scarcely able to believe it, kissing her tenderly and stroking the downy curls almost hidden by the towel.

       "But........he's.......he's here already? How did that happen? Why was it so quick? Who............." He turned to Frodo, whose breath caught at the expression of love and gratitude on Sam's face. "You took care of them. You brought this one into the world. Oh Frodo, thank you, my dear, dear friend!" He strode over, tears streaming down his face, and embraced Frodo tightly.

       Frodo felt his own tears on his cheeks. "I was glad to be able to do something. Rose has looked after me so wonderfully since you wed - you both have - and I was thankful to repay some of that care. She is the most precious thing in your life.I would never have been able to face you if I'd not done what was needed." He found himself pulled into Mrs Cotton's arms as she thanked him with a mother's gratitude.

       "Mr.Frodo, you're a marvel. Thank you for looking after them."

       Garnet was examing her patients. "All seems very well. The afterbirth is complete and you've tied the cord perfectly." She glanced at the book, which was still open on one of the chairs. "That's a useful book. What fine drawings."

       "It belonged to Lord Elrond and came from the library at Rivendell. The Twins gifted it to me - one of many. I was careful to wash my hands thoroughly at every stage, and I boiled the scissors and the string. I know that is essential." Garnet nodded, her smile widening by the minute.

       "You did a wonderful job, Mister Baggins. If I ever need an assistant I'll know who to ask. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse us for a few minutes, we'll tidy mother and baby and then get Mistress Rose into bed for a while. I'm sure she could do with a rest. And Mr.Baggins looks as though he could do with a very large drink."

       Sam and Frodo went into the kitchen and drank strong, sweet tea with a little plum brandy in it. Both felt they needed it.

       "Were you frightened?" Sam asked. He tipped another measure of brandy into their second cups. It had been a favourite with the Old Took.

       "Terrified. But I didn't have time to think about it because everything happened so quickly. I'm sure Rose knew more than I did anyway. I just managed to grab the book and some old sheets and towels and throw scissors and string into a saucepan of boiling water. I was a shaking wreck afterwards, but thankfully everything was straightforward, the cord wasn't round the baby's neck and there was no serious bleeding. I'm not sure what I would have done if those things had happened, but I think the book would hopefully have an answer. I'm so relieved I didn't need to find out."

       "Lily was right. You are a marvel.I don't know that I'll ever be able to thank you, or repay you for what you've done today......." Sam gazed steadily at his master, his hazel eyes over-bright.

       "Sam, after everything you and Rose have done for me over the years, it seems little enough. I was scared rigid but I'm so glad I was there and that I was some help. Perhaps I'm not such a useless old hobbit after all."

       "You're not useless. I'd have been hopeless. I reckon."

       Frodo laughed. "Rose said I'm very capable. I even kept an eye on Merry-lad."

       "Has he seen his brother yet?"

       "No, he was asleep, which was good. Wouldn't really have wanted him around while it was happening." He rummaged in the pantry. "I am starving! I think I used up all the energy from first breakfast, and missed second breakfast and elevenses altogether."

       "No wonder you're hungry. So am I, now I think about it. Let's get lunch ready and then the little lad can see his new brother. Can't quite believe there's five of 'em now - and you say there's more to come?" Sam shook his head.

       "I think I'd better read that book thoroughly, so I'm prepared in case this sort of thing happens again." He took a tray in to the midwife and Mrs Cotton, and then he and Sam began to prepare lunch.

       In her bedroom, Rose snuggled under the covers and sighed contentedly. She would have lunch and then a nap before baby's next feed. Little Pippin was asleep in the cradle beside the bed, his tiny hands flexing gently in the blanket, and she watched him lovingly. Another new life in the world, to bring even more joy and laughter to Bag End.