A/N: This chapter of my story takes place in the year 2980, so Frodo is
about 12. Almost a tween, but not yet.
Disclaimer: Do you recognize it from somewhere? Good, that means it's Tolkien's.
Piper Took sat in her kitchen, slowly peeling a potato while her mother gathered ingredients to make Supper. For Piper, helping her mother cook was actually the easiest job she had to do in life. As the eldest, at nine years of age, it was supposedly her responsibility to work in the fields instead of her lazy, irresponsible brother Peregrin (more commonly known as Pippin). With few friends to come by and rid her of her daily chores, there was really nothing else for her to do anyway.
Piper's mother, Eglantine Took, hurried about the kitchen gathering the ingredients for the meal. Reaching into a cabinet for some apples, she was rather surprised to find there were none inside. She took up a basket and gave it to Piper, relieving her daughter of her potato-burden.
"Go to the market and fetch me some apples, dear," Eglantine instructed. "And please, if you see your brother, remind him to come home soon."
"Yes, Mum," Piper said quietly before turning and walking out of the house. The sun was still bright in the sky, but was inching closer and closer to the Western horizon. The blue sky was becoming dimmer, shades of pink and purple dancing about its edges. Piper loved the outdoors, but especially the nighttime. At night, she felt she could go anywhere, be anything that she wanted. But most of all, she didn't feel quite so lonely when the whole world was sleeping.
She soon reached the marketplace, where Hobbits of all ages were rushing about wildly. This was normal, but today things seemed a little off. Everyone seemed very solemn and mournful. Of course, Piper had no idea what was going on, so she fetched the apples like she was supposed to, then began to make her way back to her home. As she walked down the dirt road, two boy Hobbits jumped out from a bush and whacked the basket, causing all of the contents to spill onto the ground. Piper turned angrily to see her brother and his best friend Meriadoc (more commonly called Merry) running away, laughing.
With an aggravated sigh, Piper turned and began to collect the apples from the ground. As she reached for the last one, a hand appeared and picked it up. She stood only to find herself staring a young Hobbit boy in the face. He had curly dark brown hair and the most stunningly blue eyes she had ever seen. Blushing, she took the apple from him and placed it into the basket.
"Thank you," she said softly. He smiled and shrugged.
"You're welcome," he said. "Those two really shouldn't have done that. It wasn't a very nice thing to do."
"Oh, them? That's just my brother and his friend; I'm pretty used to it. But, thank you, nevertheless."
The boy said nothing, simply continued smiling. He looked up the road in the direction she had been going. Looking that way herself, Piper began to make her way back home once more. The boy went with her, walking next to her on the path, his head down, his feet shuffling through the dirt.
"Do you live around here?" Piper asked.
"In the other direction," the boy replied, his head still down. "I live with my uncle."
"Where are your parents?"
"Er. . .swimming."
"Oh. . ." Piper didn't really understand the meaning of that answer, but she chose not to question it. The two walked in silence for a time before finally reaching the gate to Piper's home. She smiled at the boy.
"Thank you for walking me home," she said. "I hope we will meet again. Your name is. . .?"
"Frodo," the boy told her. "Frodo Baggins."
"I'm Piper Took," she said. "Good-bye, Frodo. And thank you again."
"Anytime," said Frodo. Then he turned and walked off down the path in the direction of his home, shuffling his feet through the dirt. Piper watched him a minute.
'A bit odd,' she thought, 'but kind nonetheless.'
* * *
Later, as Piper sat with her family eating Supper, she couldn't help but think about what Frodo had told her. He lived with his uncle. His parents were. . .swimming. . . she didn't understand a word of it.
"Mum, do you know the Bagginses?" Piper asked suddenly, interrupting a heated conversation on whether pigs or ponies were more efficient. Her mother looked at her in surprise, then proceeded to answer her question.
"Why, yes, dear, I do," Eglantine said. "And it is a horrible tragedy that just happened. No doubt you heard about it in the market today."
"Actually, no, I didn't," Piper said. "I was hoping maybe you could tell me."
"Drogo and Primula Baggins went for a boat ride," Eglantine began. "One mustn't doubt that's the reason for it. Have you ever heard of such a crazy notion? Boat rides! Anyway, poor Drogo was just a bit heavier than dear Primula, and the boat capsized, and they drowned."
"Drowned?!" Piper cried, a bit louder than she had meant to.
"Yes, drowned," Eglantine said, sighing. "A terrible, terrible tragedy. No doubt it was hard on that son of theirs. He was adopted by that oddball of an uncle of his, Bilbo Baggins, as his heir. Those Sacksville-Bagginses weren't very happy, needless to say. They've had their eye on Bag End ever since Bilbo returned from that 'adventure' of his."
"Mum, their son, what's his name?" Piper inquired.
"Oh, it escapes me at the moment." With that, Eglantine stood and gathered up the dishes. Piper followed, carrying some dishes herself. "Why do you ask, Piper dear?"
"I think I might have met him today," Piper told her. Eglantine stopped and turned to face her daughter.
"You stay away from that boy," she said sternly. "Living with such a bizarre Hobbit like Bilbo, it'll only be a matter of time before that child turns out just like him. He'll be bad news before his time. You promise me that you will never talk to that boy again, Piper. Promise me."
Piper, though a bit saddened, was not about to go against her mother. "I promise, Mum."
* * *
Piper's eyes opened slowly. There was something outside of her window. Rising from her bed, she slowly crept over to the window, then pushed it open.
"Frodo?" Piper whispered upon seeing the person outside her window. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to show you something," Frodo said, his voice equally as quiet.
"You have to leave, before my parents wake up," Piper said quickly.
"Why?"
"Just, please, you have to." Piper checked to make sure no one was coming. "Come on, we won't be long," Frodo pleaded. "I promise." Piper looked at him a moment, then gave in. She closed the window, got dressed, then opened her window and climbed out. The two ran off into the darkness, soon leaving Piper's home behind and entering a small grove of trees. In the center of the grove was one very large tree.
Frodo went up to the tree and began to climb it. Piper followed, but continually slipped back off of the tree. Frodo finally took her hand and helped her up to the top, where there was a large space for two Hobbits to sit. Frodo sank into one side of the space, and Piper slid down next to him. She gasped.
They were looking out upon the entire Shire, sparkling in the twilight. It was the most beautiful sight Piper had ever seen. She never knew how amazing her home actually was until that moment.
"Oh, Frodo," she whispered. "It's breathtaking. How did you find this place?"
"I used to come here with my mother and father," Frodo told her.
Piper looked over at him. "Frodo. . .I know about your mother and father. You must miss them terribly."
Frodo shrugged. "I do. But, then again, most would. Uncle Bilbo is helping me to get past the pain, though. He tells me stories about his adventures and treats me just as my father or my mother would have."
Piper nodded, leaning back against the tree. She sighed deeply, then absent-mindedly placed her head on Frodo's shoulder, slowly drifting off to sleep. He placed an arm around her shoulders and looked out upon the Shire, a small smile touching his lips.
Disclaimer: Do you recognize it from somewhere? Good, that means it's Tolkien's.
Piper Took sat in her kitchen, slowly peeling a potato while her mother gathered ingredients to make Supper. For Piper, helping her mother cook was actually the easiest job she had to do in life. As the eldest, at nine years of age, it was supposedly her responsibility to work in the fields instead of her lazy, irresponsible brother Peregrin (more commonly known as Pippin). With few friends to come by and rid her of her daily chores, there was really nothing else for her to do anyway.
Piper's mother, Eglantine Took, hurried about the kitchen gathering the ingredients for the meal. Reaching into a cabinet for some apples, she was rather surprised to find there were none inside. She took up a basket and gave it to Piper, relieving her daughter of her potato-burden.
"Go to the market and fetch me some apples, dear," Eglantine instructed. "And please, if you see your brother, remind him to come home soon."
"Yes, Mum," Piper said quietly before turning and walking out of the house. The sun was still bright in the sky, but was inching closer and closer to the Western horizon. The blue sky was becoming dimmer, shades of pink and purple dancing about its edges. Piper loved the outdoors, but especially the nighttime. At night, she felt she could go anywhere, be anything that she wanted. But most of all, she didn't feel quite so lonely when the whole world was sleeping.
She soon reached the marketplace, where Hobbits of all ages were rushing about wildly. This was normal, but today things seemed a little off. Everyone seemed very solemn and mournful. Of course, Piper had no idea what was going on, so she fetched the apples like she was supposed to, then began to make her way back to her home. As she walked down the dirt road, two boy Hobbits jumped out from a bush and whacked the basket, causing all of the contents to spill onto the ground. Piper turned angrily to see her brother and his best friend Meriadoc (more commonly called Merry) running away, laughing.
With an aggravated sigh, Piper turned and began to collect the apples from the ground. As she reached for the last one, a hand appeared and picked it up. She stood only to find herself staring a young Hobbit boy in the face. He had curly dark brown hair and the most stunningly blue eyes she had ever seen. Blushing, she took the apple from him and placed it into the basket.
"Thank you," she said softly. He smiled and shrugged.
"You're welcome," he said. "Those two really shouldn't have done that. It wasn't a very nice thing to do."
"Oh, them? That's just my brother and his friend; I'm pretty used to it. But, thank you, nevertheless."
The boy said nothing, simply continued smiling. He looked up the road in the direction she had been going. Looking that way herself, Piper began to make her way back home once more. The boy went with her, walking next to her on the path, his head down, his feet shuffling through the dirt.
"Do you live around here?" Piper asked.
"In the other direction," the boy replied, his head still down. "I live with my uncle."
"Where are your parents?"
"Er. . .swimming."
"Oh. . ." Piper didn't really understand the meaning of that answer, but she chose not to question it. The two walked in silence for a time before finally reaching the gate to Piper's home. She smiled at the boy.
"Thank you for walking me home," she said. "I hope we will meet again. Your name is. . .?"
"Frodo," the boy told her. "Frodo Baggins."
"I'm Piper Took," she said. "Good-bye, Frodo. And thank you again."
"Anytime," said Frodo. Then he turned and walked off down the path in the direction of his home, shuffling his feet through the dirt. Piper watched him a minute.
'A bit odd,' she thought, 'but kind nonetheless.'
* * *
Later, as Piper sat with her family eating Supper, she couldn't help but think about what Frodo had told her. He lived with his uncle. His parents were. . .swimming. . . she didn't understand a word of it.
"Mum, do you know the Bagginses?" Piper asked suddenly, interrupting a heated conversation on whether pigs or ponies were more efficient. Her mother looked at her in surprise, then proceeded to answer her question.
"Why, yes, dear, I do," Eglantine said. "And it is a horrible tragedy that just happened. No doubt you heard about it in the market today."
"Actually, no, I didn't," Piper said. "I was hoping maybe you could tell me."
"Drogo and Primula Baggins went for a boat ride," Eglantine began. "One mustn't doubt that's the reason for it. Have you ever heard of such a crazy notion? Boat rides! Anyway, poor Drogo was just a bit heavier than dear Primula, and the boat capsized, and they drowned."
"Drowned?!" Piper cried, a bit louder than she had meant to.
"Yes, drowned," Eglantine said, sighing. "A terrible, terrible tragedy. No doubt it was hard on that son of theirs. He was adopted by that oddball of an uncle of his, Bilbo Baggins, as his heir. Those Sacksville-Bagginses weren't very happy, needless to say. They've had their eye on Bag End ever since Bilbo returned from that 'adventure' of his."
"Mum, their son, what's his name?" Piper inquired.
"Oh, it escapes me at the moment." With that, Eglantine stood and gathered up the dishes. Piper followed, carrying some dishes herself. "Why do you ask, Piper dear?"
"I think I might have met him today," Piper told her. Eglantine stopped and turned to face her daughter.
"You stay away from that boy," she said sternly. "Living with such a bizarre Hobbit like Bilbo, it'll only be a matter of time before that child turns out just like him. He'll be bad news before his time. You promise me that you will never talk to that boy again, Piper. Promise me."
Piper, though a bit saddened, was not about to go against her mother. "I promise, Mum."
* * *
Piper's eyes opened slowly. There was something outside of her window. Rising from her bed, she slowly crept over to the window, then pushed it open.
"Frodo?" Piper whispered upon seeing the person outside her window. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to show you something," Frodo said, his voice equally as quiet.
"You have to leave, before my parents wake up," Piper said quickly.
"Why?"
"Just, please, you have to." Piper checked to make sure no one was coming. "Come on, we won't be long," Frodo pleaded. "I promise." Piper looked at him a moment, then gave in. She closed the window, got dressed, then opened her window and climbed out. The two ran off into the darkness, soon leaving Piper's home behind and entering a small grove of trees. In the center of the grove was one very large tree.
Frodo went up to the tree and began to climb it. Piper followed, but continually slipped back off of the tree. Frodo finally took her hand and helped her up to the top, where there was a large space for two Hobbits to sit. Frodo sank into one side of the space, and Piper slid down next to him. She gasped.
They were looking out upon the entire Shire, sparkling in the twilight. It was the most beautiful sight Piper had ever seen. She never knew how amazing her home actually was until that moment.
"Oh, Frodo," she whispered. "It's breathtaking. How did you find this place?"
"I used to come here with my mother and father," Frodo told her.
Piper looked over at him. "Frodo. . .I know about your mother and father. You must miss them terribly."
Frodo shrugged. "I do. But, then again, most would. Uncle Bilbo is helping me to get past the pain, though. He tells me stories about his adventures and treats me just as my father or my mother would have."
Piper nodded, leaning back against the tree. She sighed deeply, then absent-mindedly placed her head on Frodo's shoulder, slowly drifting off to sleep. He placed an arm around her shoulders and looked out upon the Shire, a small smile touching his lips.