The pain was unbearable but stopping felt like it would kill her. 

"Breath... breath, Willow," Amber said as she wiped the sweat from Willow's brow and went back to check the progress of her labor between her legs. 

With her knees raised and pushed to her side, Willow bore down painfully. She felt her daughter's body tearing through her. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. She grasped the bed rail for added measure. 

She wished with everything she had for Legolas to be with her. She was robbed of him, they both were. Her baby shouldn't have to come into this world without him. Her life should not be going on without him in it. 

A sharp pain cut through her distracting her from her wayward thoughts. She screamed again using all her strength to bring her child to life. The building around them shook violently, dust and debris falling all around them.

"Oh my God, earthquake! Hold on, Willow, the baby, she's crowning, you're almost there. I'll get the doctor, just hold on!" Amber cried as she ran from the room, calling loudly for help. Willow panted to letting her head fall back, taking a few moments to catch her breath.

Amber was followed into the room by an elderly man in a white coat. He was followed by two other women in scrubs.

"Hi there, Ms. Dubois, I'm Doctor Flanagan and I'll be assisting with your delivery. Looks like you've made some progress here. Let's see if we can't move this along." He said smiling. His perfectly white teeth standing in stark contrast to his tan skin and shock of salt and paper hair. If she weren't in so much pain, she might have noticed how handsome he was. 

He took Amber's place and sat between her legs. He gave quick and firm instructions to the nurses who scurried about their tasks. Amber came to her side, clutching her hand and encouraged her to push. A stretching feeling, burned between her legs she felt like she'd split from stem to stern, then relief came just as quickly. A baby's wailing filled the tense silence of the room. 

"Oh ho! She's a beauty. Congratulations Ms. Dubois you have a gorgeous baby girl." The tall man rose from his seat and handed her a squealing bundle of arms and legs kicking wildly. 

He tucked the blanket tightly around the child whilst Willow cradled her in her arms. Her thickly lashed eyes were shut tightly. Her pale skin was wrinkly, and her little hands barely the width of two fingers, as they grasped for purchase. Her head was a mass of thick brunette curls, streaked with blonde, they reached beyond her slightly pointed ears. 

"There my love, don't cry, Mama is here," Willow said bringing her lips to the child's cheek. 

Her eyes opened and a pair of dark blue eyes caught hers. Willow gasped, as a vision of a tall and statuesque elfish woman clouded her vision. She wore the armor of Mirkwood, finely crafted shining gold metal over her chest, arms and muscular legs. 

Her leather jerkin was molded to her shapely form like a second skin. She clenched a bow in one hand and dirk in the other. She turned to Willow and smiled. The sunlight behind her caught her honey blonde locks, braided and ornamented in the elfish style. It seemed to grow lighter in color towards the ends of her waist-length hair. Her luminous golden skin was tattooed at the thigh, the bold symbol of her station. When the vision ceased, Willow realized she'd seen her daughter's future. She had seen what she would become, the warrior Turin Turambar reborn.

Willow smiled and clutched her sweet baby closer. There would be time for her to grow into the warrior queen she was meant to be, for now, she was hers, perfect and pure. She was everything she and Legolas hoped she would be. Willow couldn't decide who the child favored herself or Legolas but everything they suffered seemed to make sense with the baby in her arms. 

"She's adorable," Amber the nurse interjected, "What are you going to call her?" She said touching the baby's chest soothingly. 

"I think I'll call her, Maia Thurin Greenleaf," Willow said smiling down at her child.

"That is a beautiful name. What does it mean?" Amber asked curiously. 

"Maia means 'The beautiful' and Thurin means 'Secret one' That's who she is, my beautiful secret. Greenleaf is her father's name. Isn't that right my little Maia." Willow knew that Amber wouldn't understand but it felt right to give her the name that belonged to her father. 

"I won't ask you why he's not here Willow and I can see how much pain it causes you." She said placing a comforting hand on Willow's shoulder. 

"Amber, you have been incredibly kind to us, and I have no way to thank you for everything you've done but you're right I'm not ready to talk about him." Over the final weeks of her pregnancy with no one and not a penny to her name, Amber had been instrumental in finding her clothing and necessities for the baby and herself. She had gone far and beyond what any patient advocate would do. She even offered her a place to stay knowing that Willow had nowhere to go. 

"Willow, once upon a time, I was in your shoes. It's because someone helped me that I have what I have today. Anyway, the detectives came by, but you had already gone into labor. I asked them to come back when you've had a chance to rest. "

"Thank you so much, Amber. You're an angel." Willow said smiling at the woman who had not only been her caretaker but her only friend in the weeks past. 

"It's time for Maia to be cleaned, weighed and to get her antibiotic eye drops. I'll bring her back to you for feeding in a bit." She said taking the baby in her arms and rolling her out of the room. The physician and other nurses had been long gone. 

Willow was again plunged in silence and left to contend with her despairing thoughts. "I wish you were here to see her or that we had a way back home." She said tears running down her cheeks once more. She sniffled wiping at her face vigorously. There was no more time for tears. Maia needed her now more than ever. She resolved to be the mother, teacher, and protector the girl needed.