So… apparently, I stink at guestimating how many chapters a fic will be. And just a personnel service announcement: Once started, Gandalf Will. Not. Shut. Up. until he is ready to. So, this chapter is a little shorter than normal because this is where I could cut it before it ran into some massive ginormous monster of a chapter that the Plot Bunnies tried desperately to help me create. Thanks Jess, for your help! One more chapter after this and then an epilogue… unless the Plot Bunnies get involved yet again.
A/n 2: I use an elvish phrase (marked by a *) that I cobbled together from an Elvish dictionary I found online. I don't know how accurate it is, and I KNOW my grammar is atrocious. It's supposed to mean slimeball. I'm using one of my creative license cards to justify the phrase's creation. :D
Disclaimer: Last I checked, I am a girl not a man and am not married to a woman named Edith. So, I don't own it.
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A few hours later, Frodo was startled when the door to his room began opening. After they had gotten home and taken their baths, Bilba had sent them all to their rooms with the command not to come out until either she or their father came to get them. Gandalf wasn't due back until the next day, and Frodo was sure they were going to be in their rooms at least that long if not longer. Needless to say, his door opening was the last thing he was expecting, especially with his reticence when it had come to apologizing to Lobelia.
The door hadn't opened very far before his sister Mirninhen slipped in. She clicked the door closed behind her, then turned to face Frodo.
"What are you doing in here, Mir?" he hissed. He shot a worried look to the door, afraid that their parents would show up at any moment. "You're not supposed to be in here. We're going to get in so much trouble."
"No we're not." Mir grinned. "Naneth is busy talking to Adar in the living room. They'll be talking for a while yet. And we're so far away from the living room they won't hear us."
Frodo's anxiety increased tenfold at his sister's news, "What! Papa's back? He wasn't supposed to be home until tomorrow!"
Mir shrugged, "He finished his business early. He and Naneth have been talking for a while. You guys broke a lot of rules today."
Frodo sunk down onto his bed with a groan, "Don't remind me. Is he mad?"
"He was totally angry with Lotho. You should have heard some of the things he said about the Sackville-Bagginses! I don't think he realized I was listening. He looked ready to spit fire."
Frodo rolled his eyes, "I meant was he mad with us? I already knew he'd be mad at the Sackville-Bagginses."
"Oh." Mirninhen threw herself onto the bed next to Frodo, then rolled onto her back. "Well, he wasn't happy, but I couldn't tell if he was mad-mad, disappointed-mad, or just Naneth's-mad-so-he-has-to-be-mad-to-mad. He and Naneth are still trying to figure out what punishment to give you guys. Naneth was especially frustrated by your 'reticence' to apologize to the hag." She rolled onto her side to face him. "Why'd you do it? She didn't deserve an apology."
"I didn't want to, but Mama said I had to. She gave me the Look when I didn't."
"I wouldn't have cared. I mean, I wouldn't have wanted to disappoint Naneth, but Lobelia deserves any trouble she gets. She brings it on herself. So does Lotho."
"I agree."
The two fell silent for a few minutes. Frodo picked at a loose thread in his shirt, trying to keep his thoughts from what punishments his parents were coming up with. He knew he deserved whatever they decided, well kinda, he still didn't think he should get in trouble for not apologizing to Lobelia at first, but the suspense was making it worse.
"Have you seen Iris and Dahlia?" He asked to break the silence.
Mir nodded, "Before I came to see you. They're not happy, but Dahlia's stopped crying at least. They're just sitting on their bed waiting."
Silence once again reigned in the room.
"I'm happy you punched Lotho." Now it was Mirninhen's turn to disrupt the quiet.
"You are?"
Mir pushed herself up, faced her brother, and crossed her legs, "Uh-huh. That coron ast loen* deserved it. What did you guys do exactly? Naneth didn't say anything other than he was hurt bad."
Frodo grinned as he remembered what his cousin looked like, "Dahlia gave him a fat lip - it was swollen nearly twice its size. I blackened both his eyes. Iris bloodied his nose. It was so bad I thought she had broken it. You should have heard him squeal."
"I wish I had! Why do you guys always get into the most fun when I'm not around."
"I'm glad you weren't around for this one, Mir."
"Why?!"
"Cause then none of the rest of us would have been able to get a shot at him. You would have sent off one of your fireballs, and he would have turned tail and run."
"True." Mirninhen acquiesced. "But then you guys wouldn't be in trouble."
"It was worth it to be able to punch Lotho."
Mir laughed, but Frodo quickly stifled it by throwing his hand over her mouth.
She pushed it away, "Relax." She said around giggles. "I told you. They can't hear us. You have to promise that next time you'll let me have a go at him."
"I doubt there will be a next time. At least not for us. Mama made us promise that we would never fight with him again when we got back home from apologizing."
"Well, if he starts it first, you have to defend yourself, right?
Frodo shook his head, "Mama's not gonna accept that excuse."
Mir shrugged like it was no big deal. "As you said, it will be worth it. Lotho's the worst."
"Yeah. I hate how he treats you guys. It's not right."
"Mama said he's just naive. He doesn't like what he can't understand."
"Maybe that's why he's always frowning. With a brain the size of his that has to be most things in life."
Now it was both kids' turns to laugh, rolling over to muffle the sound in the comforter.
It was right in the middle of their giggle fest that the door to Frodo's room opened. They both sat up, eyes wide, to see Gandalf standing in the doorway. He frowned when he saw his daughter sitting next to Frodo.
"Mirninhen Bella Baggins, did or did your mother not tell you to stay out of your siblings' rooms?"
Mir ducked her head, "She did. But-"
"No buts. Your mother's word is law in this house. Go to the kitchen and explain to your mother what you've done. You have dishes for the next two days. Do not leave until everything is put in its place, the counters are organized and washed, and the floor swept. Get."
"Yes, Sir."
Mir threw one look over her shoulder at her brother before she left. Frodo flashed a small grin at her. However, it fell away as soon as she disappeared. He gulped as Gandalf entered the room and shut the door behind him.
