There was someone stroking my hair. I smiled and stretched languorously before bothering to open my eyes. Boromir was sitting on the bed in front of me, looking as tired as I felt as he stroked my hair. Our eyes met, and I rolled onto my back, catching his hand to press a kiss to it. A glance to the window told me that night had fallen.

"The Council has been in session all day debating your law," he said as I lay there. "Lord Saulos has a great deal of influence, but your demonstration made quite an impression. You seem to have acquired friends among the nobility. For every argument he or his associates make against the law, there seems to be an equally persuasive rebuttal regarding the need for your project. Aragorn dismissed the Council for the night, but we reconvene in the morning." He rubbed his face tiredly. "Sometimes I find myself wishing I were back on a field of battle. At least there, you know who your friends are."

I sat up and kissed his cheek before starting to massage his shoulders. "Clearly, there is only one option here." He grunted, and I took that as a sign to continue. "Clearly we have to kill him." Startled, Boromir turned around to look at me in shock, and I raised my eyebrow at him before he realized I was teasing.

"Don't tempt me, woman. After his treatment of you this morning, it was all I could do not to use your device to shoot him myself."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. "Oooh, you know how much I love a protective man," I teased.

He rolled his eyes. "Do not let it go to your head. If you had spent all day in a sweltering Council Chamber listening to the old man ramble on for hours, you probably WOULD have shot him." I kissed his head, but didn't disagree. He was probably right. "Have you supped yet," he asked as he pulled me into his lap.

"Not yet," I said. "I was waiting for you. Actually, there is something slightly more urgent that I wanted to speak to you about."

"'More urgent', Madam?" He said incredulously as I climbed off his lap and stood.

"Don't smirk at me, you egotist," I retorted, beginning to pace nervously. Boromir raised an eyebrow as he watched me. "The last few days, I've been feeling really sick to my stomach, and then I threw up twice today, and then one of the maids said something, and I went to the Houses of Healing, but they said there was no real way to know for a while, but that they were pretty positive," I babbled as I wrung my hands. Boromir frowned and stood, taking my hands in his as he stopped me.

"Spit it out, Rose. You've never been any good at buildup." I looked up at him nervously.

"I think my eggo is preggo."

He frowned and looked at me wariliy. "I can honestly say I did not understand a word of that."

"I'm pregnant, Boromir." When he didn't say anything, I began to pace again, tears filling my eyes as I worried my dress. "I mean, we've been going at it like bunnies. What did we think was going to happen when we auditioned for the Karma Sutra Olympics without using any protection? But I was so distracted that I didn't notice anything, and then I started throwing up, and then the maid put the idea in my head, and so I went to Ioreth, and she confirmed it, and now I can't STOP noticing things, like my boobs hurt and I'm always sick to my stomach and the pork cooking in the kitchen smells bad and I want a Twinkie but GONDOR DOESN'T HAVE THEM!" My voice had gradually been getting higher and higher in pitch as I spoke, finally ending up in a wail as I burst into tears and buried my face in my hands.

Boromir, for his part, had been listening in shock this entire time, and now burst into laughter and pulled me into his arms and rubbed my back. "I shall be a father," I heard him breath as I buried my face in his chest. And then he whooped and lifted me in the air, grinning like an idiot and spinning me around in his delight. "I will be a father," he yelled, and then we were both laughing.

He set me down and kissed me. Then fear clouded his face, and he scooped me up again and set me on the bed, frantically putting pillows around me. "Are you ok? I shouldn't be flinging you about like that in your condition. Is it too cold in here? I can start a fire. What am I thinking? It is already too warm in here. I shall open the window."

At this point, I was laughing so hard I couldn't catch my breath. "Boromir, calm down. I'm not fragile, and I'm not gonna break," I said, laughing at the frantic father-to-be as I climbed out of the bed. I took his face in my hands. "Ioreth was the one who saw me, and she said that I'm healthy as the proverbial horse."He kissed my forehead.

"We should celebrate," he said.

"We should," I agreed. "But right now, I need you to do me a favor."

"Anything," he said promptly, making me smile at his enthusiasm.

"Feed me. Seriously, my stomach thinks my throat's been cut." Boromir laughed and kissed me again.

0o0o0o0o

I ate ravenously, much to Boromir's amusement. Throughout the meal, the staff kept offering us congratulations, which we accepted with grace. As we ate, we chatted easily about names and the Council and my experiments and further plans and even Boromir's horse, and Boromir wouldn't stop staring at me.

"We should visit Dol Amroth," he said suddenly. I stopped the goblet half way to my mouth and cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I don't think that's going to convince your horse to stop biting people," I said dryly before bringing the goblet the rest of the way to my lips. He rolled his eyes and shot me a look, and I grinned into my goblet.

"Before the birth, I want to take you to Dol Amroth. It is one of the wonders of Gondor, and I am sure my uncle would very much like to show you his home. As children, Faramir and I spent many summers there with our mother, when the Kings of Gondor returned to their provinces."

"I thought you couldn't leave Minas Tirith," I said as I hacked at a particularly stubborn piece of meat.

"The Council will be disbanding soon to see their homes through the harvest season. Imrahil has mentioned his plans to return home within the week. Aragorn seems to have acclimated himself to his station, and Faramir shall be here if he requires assistance. The trip should be only a month or two; I can be spared that long, at least."

."Ok," I said with a shrug. Boromir looked surprised.

"I expected you to insist on staying here for the duration of the pregnancy," he said by way of explanation. I gave up on the meat and offered it to Boromir, who shook his head.

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Babe, I'm pregnant, not bedridden. Besides, after everything we have been through, what's the worst that could happen? Plus, so long as you're there, you'll take care of me." I could practically see his male ego inflate, and I shook my head with a smile. "I do need a favor from you, though," I said. "Arwen and her wedding escort will be arriving in the next few days, and I wanted to let Aragorn know. With everything going on, I completely lost track of time. If you don't mind, I'd like you to help me write a letter to Aragorn telling him about their arrival."

Boromir nodded at a butler in the corner, who left to get pen and paper. "Come, let us sit by the fire," he said, standing and pulling out my chair. I followed him to a couch that sat in front of the hearth. "Who will be escorting Arwen besides her father?" He sat on one side of the cough, watching with amusement as I repositioned him, then sat so I could lean against him with my feet tucked under me.

"Everyone, actually," I replied as I wrapped his arm around me. "The entire household of Rivendell. Plus, they stopped in Lothlorien, so Galadriel and Celeborn will be here as well. They'll arrive on Midsummer's eve, and Aragorn and Arwen will get married the next day."

"So soon," he asked. "Engagements typically last a year out of tradition. You and I were the exception simply because the Council wanted to use the wedding to boost morale. Faramir and Eowyn will not be married until next summer, at least."

. "Do you know the story of Aragorn and Arwen?"

"I confess that I do not," he admitted with a shrug. "I know only that he loves her greatly."

I smiled and grabbed a pillow, placing it on his lap and scooting my butt down so that my head rested on his lap. "Get cozy, my love, and I shall give you an education about the royal couple. Arwen is known by her people as Undomiel."

"Evening Star," Boromir translated as he stroked my hair.

I nodded. "From what everyone says, she's the spitting image of Luthien. In fact, her lineage is much greater than his, and she was much older as well. Aragorn was only twenty when they met. He was walking in the woods singing the lay of Beren and Luthien, when he caught sight of her, and he thought he had strayed into a dream. He was in love with her from that moment on, but Elrond told him that he would have no wife until he proved himself worthy of it. So Aragorn left Rivendell and went out to live in the wild to come into his manhood. Aragorn and Arwen wouldn't meet again for thirty years. When they did meet again, it was in Lorien, the home of her grandmother Galadriel. They spent the fall together, and on Cerin Amroth, they…I believe the term is 'plighted their troth'," I said with a frown. Boromir nodded, long used to me stumbling over unfamiliar terms. I continued. "Elrond heard of his daughter's choice, and told Aragorn that he would not let Arwen marry any less than the king of both Gondor and Arnor, because Arwen is half-elven. She is immortal only as long as Elrond stays on Middle Earth. By marrying Aragorn, she becomes mortal."

Boromir shook his head. "Much of what Aragorn has done becomes clear. How then, does their story end?"

I opened my eyes and looked at him. "You really want to know?"

"I do."

I took his hand and kissed it. "You can't tell anyone." He nodded. "Aragorn and Arwen have a son, Eldarion, and at least two daughters. They rule for six score years." I paused here, and looked at him as he ran an amazed hand through his hair. "How long is that? We don't use terms like that anymore."

"A score is twenty. They rule for 120 years?"

"Yes, and then Aragorn will go to the Silent Street, and lay down in a bed long prepared for him, and he will give Eldarion his crown and scepter. Arwen alone will stay with him, and she will beg him to stay with her. But he will reply that he would not stay until he is old and witless and unmanned, because he has been given the gift of choosing when he dies. And only then will Arwen truly understand her choice, because no ships will then bear her to the West and to her people. So, when Aragorn lets himself die, Arwen will return to Lorien, now empty and silent, for by that time all the elves had left Middle Earth. And she'll stay until winter comes, then lay herself to rest upon Cerin Amroth."

Boromir was silent for a moment, though he still stroked my hair. "You confuse your verb tenses," he said at last. I looked up at him in question, so he elaborated. "You sometimes speak of events as things that will happen, and other times speak of them as though they had already passed."

I shrugged. "For me, they already have, in a way."

He shook his head. "Sometimes I forget that you are not truly from some little known country with unusual customs."

I wished bitterly that I could, but I forced the thought from my mind and sat up. "Come on, let's write that letter."

He pulled the pen and paper from the table where the butler had set it, and quickly wrote down what I told him. As he sealed the note, he said, "do you wish for me to teach you to read and write?"

"Well, yes, but I thought you were too busy."

"Now, perhaps, that is true, yet when we visit Dol Amroth, I shall have the time. Your expression when Lord Saeros mentioned your illiteracy did not escape my notice. I have seen that it is a source of frustration for you."

I smiled, thrilled at the idea, and straddled his lap to kiss him soundly on the mouth. "That would be great. I can't thank you enough," I said, kissing him again as he wrapped his arms around me. "You have no idea what this means to me. I was always an avid reader. I wish I could do something for you in return." He smiled at my enthusiasm.

"Perhaps you could teach me your language," he suggested. He kissed my nose when he saw my expression of surprise. "Why so astonished? Every morning, I hear you sing to yourself as you dress, and cannot understand what you sing of. Many times, too, when you are excited or afraid or muttering to yourself, you lapse into your native tongue without realizing it. You have also been known to berate me in English," he added sarcastically. I laughed and kissed him again.

"I will teach you my language, and you will teach me to read," I said with a satisfied smile.

"I propose we start tonight," he said. "I can think of another situation where you cry out in English," he leered. I giggled and let him carry me upstairs.

0o0o0o0o0o

And so it was that, a week later, Boromir and I clapped politely as Aragorn and Arwen entered the ballroom to their wedding reception. Well, Boromir clapped politely. I whooped as loud as I could, startling the dignitaries around me. My husband just looked at me in amusement.

We partied (well, as much as you can in Middle Earth) for a few hours. I couldn't drink, though, and pregnancy symptoms had started with a vengeance, leaving me tired and queasy, so for me, the reception was pretty boring. I danced once or twice with Boromir, but I was too exhausted to want to do more than sit, so I wound up chatting with the Fellowship for a few hours. Eventually, fatigue won out, and I offered my congratulations to the new couple (and took great pleasure in elbowing Aragorn and muttering dirty jokes), before telling my husband that I was going home to work for a while. Parties are no fun for pregnant women, and I knew I could have a much more pleasant evening working on my next project: the printing press.

I began my long walk down to the streets with Tauron at my side, mulling things as we journeyed. The Council still had not reached a decision on my law, and the waiting was driving me crazy. To pull my mind off of it, I had begun to think of what I could invent, and what landmark inventions had changed my own world's history. At first, I had thought of the lightbulb, but as I knew practically nothing about electricity, I figured it wouldn't be a likely candidate. Then I had thought about advances in medicine, but I didn't know much about that either, other than the hypodermic needle. But even if I created a working one, I didn't know anything about medicines. I had brainstormed for days, going further and further back into history, until I realized I needed to go back to the very beginning. Gutenberg's printing press had revolutionized the world, because for the first time, books (and subsequently, knowledge) were readily and easily spread throughout the world, sending research into hyperdrive.

I entered the study that Boromir and I shared. As a gift, my wonderful husband had commissioned a large oak desk for me, a more feminine model of his own, and the two were pushed together. We had spent several hours over the past few days working quietly in the room, and my desk was now covered in parchment, drafts of my new project. In contrast, the Steward's desk was extremely organized. Still, I preferred my chaos, and I sat down to work on my latest draft. I knew nothing about printing presses, so I was literally starting from scratch.

A few hours later, Boromir found me sleeping soundly at my desk, fatigue having overcome my desire to work. I woke to find myself being lifted from the chair.

"Snerfuffle?"

"You are tired, love. Give it up for the night. You can start fresh in the morning," he murmured as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Mmkay," I said, before yawning. He carried me to the room and laid me gently on the bed. As I watched him get undressed, I kicked off my slippers and pulled my dress over my head, then slipped myself under the blankets to wait for him. When he lay down, I promptly draped myself over his chest, eliciting a throaty chuckle from him and a kiss on the head. I fell asleep with his arm still wrapped around me.

Early pregnancy is the pits. Seriously. By the time I finally woke up the next morning, he was already gone, and the sun had risen high in the sky. Ten o'clock, maybe? I couldn't remember the last time I had slept so long. Nausea forced me from the bed and to the bucket in the corner. I had found that I always felt better after throwing up, so it no longer fazed me. After cleaning up and getting dressed, I walked down to the study, where I found a grinning Boromir sitting behind his desk.

"What are you doing here still," I asked in surprise as I gave him a kiss. He pulled me onto his lap and kissed me again, eliciting a laugh from me. "And so happy, too."

"The Council went to a vote this morning. They passed your law, Rose. You did it."

I sat there for a moment in shock. "They passed the law? Are you sure? This isn't some stupid joke or something?"

"No, Rose. Wait, why are you crying? Don't cry! You never cry! I thought you would be happy at the news," Boromir said frantically. I gave a pathetic sniffle.

"I AM happy! I'm really really happy! I'm just so HAPPY," I explained tearfully, sobbing harder. Boromir was beginning to look panicked.

"Well, just stop it," he ordered. I practically wailed at that, and he looked so unsure of what he should do that it made me cry even harder.

"Here is your breakfast, milady," said a maid as she set down a tray. My sobs stopped abruptly as I eyed the food laden plate.

"Oooooh, biscuits!" I hopped off Boromir's lap and happily shoved one in my mouth, chewing cheerfully. Boromir looked so startled at the sudden change of mood that I started laughing, nearly choking on my food.

"Are these the mood swings I was warned of," he asked tentatively.

I shrugged, wondering what he was talking about. "What mood swing? I feel fine. Are you ok, honey? You look a little confused."

Boromir rubbed his forehead tiredly. "I'm never going to make it to the birth," he muttered. I shrugged again and shook my head. Honestly, and they say pregnant women have mood swings. Men are so weird sometimes. He was happy and grinning when I came in a minute ago. Ridiculous.

We set about our work, he on the repairs of Minas Tirith, I on my schematics, and fell into an amiable silence. Sometime after lunch, he received summons from the King regarding something or other, and left after kissing me on the head and promising to be back for dinner. I smiled as I watched him leave, thinking how wonderfully everything had turned out. My hand drifted vacantly across my still-flat belly as I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. Right now, life was perfect. Frodo and the Fellowship wouldn't be leaving for a few weeks yet, so everyone I loved was safe and happy in Minas Tirith. I was happily married to the man of my wildest dreams, carrying his child, had fulfilling work, and was looking forward to a quiet, blissfully happy future. Absolutely nothing could ruin this moment. I sighed contentedly, and began to think of baby names.

A loud whump! shocked me out of my reverie, and I opened my eyes to see an equally startled woman laying across my desk. My shock only grew deeper as I took in her wild red hair, glasses, superman t-shirt, jeans, sneakers, and lab coat. For all her nerd-tastic apparel, she appeared to be in her late twenties, and looked to be as horrified and confused as I was.

"What just happened," she asked.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A/N: I'm writing a sequel to this story, from the perspective of our new arrival. I don't have any idea what's going to happen in it, but my muse has decided that Rose has been through enough, and should get her happy ending. So, this is the last chapter, and now we will get to see what happens to the new girl.

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers who kicked my butt into completing this story. Cookies and kisses for all! Let me know in a review who you think the new girl should end up with!