Frodo opened his eyes, feeling very dizzy and somewhat confused. He lay on the bed in his room. Gandalf sat by his side with one hand pressed to his abdomen beneath his untucked shirt, gazing down at him with a frown of concern.
"What happened?" Frodo asked. The last thing he remembered, he'd been on the terrace with the other hobbits, laughing and talking about their plans to return home after Aragorn's upcoming coronation. Frodo had said that, although Minas Tirith was a magnificent city, he looked forward to leaving it. He wanted nothing more than to see the Shire again. As he spoke, he'd gone to stand at the parapet--and as he'd looked out in the direction of Mordor, he'd begun to feel suddenly light-headed. And then... nothing but blackness. "I fainted?"
The wizard nodded. "I brought you inside, and sent Sam to the House of Healing. I want the Master Healer to examine you, and confirm my impressions."
"What impressions?" He placed his hand over Gandalf's, realizing that the wizard's touch was not simply an overly familiar caress. "Gandalf, what's the matter with me?"
Gandalf still looked deeply concerned, and yet somewhat perplexed, as if he didn't know how to answer this question. At last, he decided that the best course was to come out with it. "I believe you're carrying a child."
"I'm what-!" Frodo sat up. His head swam, and he lay down again and shut his eyes. "Gandalf, that impossible," he said once the dizziness had passed. "There must be some mistake. I can't- Boys don't have babies."
"Nevertheless, there is something alive and growing within you. I felt its presence the instant I touched you."
"It can't be," Frodo insisted, struggling between disbelief and his trust that Gandalf would never say such a thing unless he was absolutely certain it was so. "I don't see how..." How indeed? There was only one answer he could think of that made any sense at all. "It must have been Sam."
"Sam?" Gandalf's bushy eyebrows shot upwards.
"Who else could it be?" Frodo replied. "I haven't slept with anyone except Sam since we parted from the Fellowship at Rauros."
Gandalf regarded him in bemusement. "I didn't realize that the two of you were on such intimate terms."
"I didn't think it counted. It's not as if we were married." Then Frodo laughed as an absurd thought occurred to him. "But I suppose he'll have to marry me now!"
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Incarnation by Kathryn Ramage
Story notes: Special Thanks: to Karen, for looking this over.
September 2004
