The Road to Middle-earth

A fanfiction by MushrooomsPTook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. You might as well say it owns me!

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Fluff

Most everyone had gone to bed now, but Frodo and I lingered around Bilbo's chair, allowing the old hobbit to reminisce on his adventure, now that he had been talking about it. All three of us were visibly tired, but neither of us were willing to go to bed without a fight. Frodo had been sitting there next to me for about a half hour, and every time his head began to droop, he shook himself awake and breathed sharply, forcing himself to listen to his cousin's babble. Bilbo yawned at nearly every chance he got and I wanted him to stop, because I would also start yawning. His hand was out of his pocket now, but every now and then, I would catch a glimmer of gold in his fist.

"Bilbo," yawned Frodo sleepily, "do you think I'll ever go on an adventure?"

"Hm? Oh, you may yet, dear boy." He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "You may."

"You really think so?"

"Mm-hmm..." Bilbo's sighs fell into deep rhythmic breaths and his head slipped back, allowing his mouth to drop open. A small snore escaped from his throat.

"Aaand this is where I exit," Frodo said, pulling himself up. "See you in the morning, Alayna."

I yawned again. "Goodnight, Frodo."

Either out of sheer laziness or from battling a war that I was bound to lose, I refused to follow the tween and get some shut-eye. Instead I watched Bilbo's chest rise and fall gently with the even sounds of his snores, until it became tormenting. My eyes fell to the hand farthest from me, where it rested on his knee, loosely closed around the shiny object.

It was then that I did something that I would regret for the rest of my life. I leaned over the hobbit, glancing up at him often to make sure he was still breathing evenly, and flexed his fingers open. The hobbit gave a sharp inhale and a particularly loud snore came out. I froze. He murmured something that sounded like, "precious...", but very quickly entered a calm state once again. Finally, I caught the gleaming Ring in my hand and slipped quietly back onto the floor, watching it and touching it with great interest. So, this was the Ring of Sauron, the One Ring, the little object that would eventually cause so much distress.

I dug in my pocket with my other hand and pulled out the fake ring from my Lord of the Rings Monopoly game, holding the two next to each other in silent comparison. I was amazed how similar and yet so different they looked, and I wondered if the real Ring was all that dangerous. After all, it was just a ring, a very small ring—but so...beautiful.

Bilbo stirred awake with a sharp intake of breath. I panicked and fumbled with the rings before tossing one in his lap while shoving the other in my pocket quickly. Thankfully, Bilbo was oblivious to this as his eyes were squeezed tightly as he stretched his arms out over his head, making a noise to alert Bag End that he was awake. I steadied my rapid breaths and tried to figure out what I had nearly done.

Bilbo sleepily looked at me and I smiled guiltily. "Ho! You still awake, lass?" I nodded blankly. "Why, it's surely past midnight and—gracious! What are you and I still doing up?"

"Talking?"

Bilbo blinked and shook his head. "Not to yourself, I hope! Well, we must get ourselves to bed like normal people if we are to see you off at an early start." He rose from his seat and took one step forward when we both heard a small clank. Bilbo looked down at his feet. "Hullo? What's this?" I realized that it was the Ring, and a small gasp from him caused him to bend down and retrieve the shiny thing, stuffing it in his pocket apologetically.

He sniffed and turned his head toward me, but did not make eye contact. "Well, you can do as you like. I'm going to bed." And with that, the old hobbit padded off hastily down the hall, eliciting a crack from his stiff joints.

I sighed. That had been close. I was so ashamed with myself and still perplexed that I'd actually held the One Ring that now, sleep sounded like the only piece of comfort I would get. I got up from the floor, turning once to see that the whole affair had thankfully gone unnoticed by the sleeping Gandalf, and went to my bedroom.

I was in a room, but a room I had never seen before. I was sleeping in the bed when it happened, and I smelled it before I saw it: smoke. It was subtle at first, but then it grew increasingly suffocating. No, I was wrong. I had been here before, but I couldn't remember what "here" was. I opened my eyes quickly and saw myself surrounded by flames, flames of all shapes and sizes. I grabbed the pillow to block out the smoke that threatened to enter my throat. I rushed to the door, but it was blocked by a row of flames. I would have to leap. As I made the great jump over the fire, I realized that I had done this same thing before. I tried to open the door, but it was jammed.
"Help!" I screamed, pulling at the door frantically. "Let me out!"

All of the sudden, there was a creeeaak, as the door gently cracked open. Oddly enough, something in me stirred and I realized that the sound was louder than it should have been.

My eyes shot open, and I was half expecting to find myself surrounded by roaring flames and a cloud of smoke, but I was in the still and quiet of the guest room I had been staying in for the last few days. I lifted my head slightly and saw that the door had cracked open and the very top of a curly head was bouncing softly this way.

I laid my head back down and felt the coolness enter as the comforter was lifted slightly, and the bed shifted under the newly added weight. Then I was warm again, warmer than before, and all at once I felt a small arm slip over my waist, and the sensation of someone's head burrowing into my back. Pippin.

I woke up a few hours later soaked in my own perspiration. I was burning up and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I shifted rather awkwardly on the bed, for there was still a small arm that clung tightly around my waist. I realized that some of the warmth was coming from my companion, for his head was still resting against me, mouth open, and his warm breath came in and out in rhythmic silence. But there was a third occupant that had slipped in during those few hours of restful sleep, and his face was inches from mine, his breath also spreading its warmth on me, and his arm draped loosely around my neck. Merry.

I gasped for air and threw off my covers, hoping to cool myself down without waking the children. But this only caused both hobbitlings to stir and snuggle closer to my body. I didn't know how to take this. On one hand, my heart melted and I wanted to give each of them a kiss on their curly heads, but on the other hand, I was suffocating, and I couldn't give them that kiss if I was dead. I stirred and tried to sit up gently, but each hobbit was fastened to me so tightly that all I managed to do was lift my head.

"Help," I croaked to no one in particular.

Merry's little body stretched in his sleep, so that he had used my neck to pull himself closer, his face now touching mine. I lifted my head for another much needed breath of cool air. I tried to fan myself down with a part of the blankets, but doing so caused my lower back to feel particularly cooler (and stickier) than the rest of my body. I turned my head slightly to see a part of Pippin's head stir as he slept, and he muttered something. The little imp had been drooling on me!

Enough was enough. I pried Pippin's arm from around my waist, but it bounced back into place like a magnet, only tighter. I tried to do the same with Merry, but he only squirmed and whimpered, and now wrapped his other arm around me, so that my head was forced into his little body. We stayed like that for several seconds, before survival instincts kicked in. My arms and legs flailed about, while I tried to surface my head for oxygen.

I glared at Merry, and lifted his arm forcefully, but gravity pulled it back down, only his arm missed my neck and his hand came down upon my face. I grimaced. His breathing was now not so even as it had been before and I saw a hint of a smirk etch itself on his face.

"Merry," I whispered. "Are you awake?"

The smile disappeared and the child was breathing deeply again, but forcefully. I watched him suspiciously before giving his nose a pinch. Merry sucked in air for another breath, but what came out was a snort. He turned his head into the pillow, forcing me to let go, so I pinched his pointed ear instead, pulling gently. The hobbit shook my fingers loose. There it was again, a smirk that betrayed him, and it wasn't as subtle this time.

"Merry, I know you're awake."

"Am not," he whispered, eyes still closed.

"You are too, squirt," and I tickled him. The hobbitling shrieked and squirmed out of my reach. Pippin's arm clasped around me tighter at the sudden movement.

"Not fair," said Merry, his eyes now fully open, but in the moonlight they looked huge.

"Neither is suffocating me, you know."

Merry shrugged. "Sorry, but I really was asleep until you woke me up. I was having the most lovely dream."

I smiled. "What did you dream?"

"I dreamt that I was a brave knight, the bravest in all the Shire, and you were an evil monster and had kidnapped Pippin. So I stormed your cave and killed you, and rescued Pippin, and he was so happy that he became my servant forever!"

"Merry, how is that a lovely dream? That's a nightmare!" A small giggle squeaked from behind and I threw a glance over my shoulder. "Ah, so you're awake too, huh?" I poked Pippin and he lifted his curly head.

"Nooo," he said sheepishly. "I'm fast asleep."

"Sure you are." I took the opportunity and pulled myself up into a sitting position, casting an arm over each of the hobbits as they copied me, pushing themselves into my body. "So what's this about anyway?" I pointed a thumb from one hobbit to the other.

"'Layna, why do you have to go?" Pippin asked seriously.

"Because I don't belong here, Pip. I live in Chicago."

"You don't have to live in...Shi...Shicado. You can stay here wit Cousin Fwodo."

"But what if he doesn't want me here all the time?"

"Then you can stay with me!" Merry piped. "Brandy Hall has lots of rooms."

"Or wit me," said Pippin hopefully.

I smiled and pulled them closer to me. I was still dreadfully hot, but now that their arms were not choking me to death, I had graciously been given enough air so I could provide the hobbit lads a little of my sleeping time. I couldn't deny that the invitation was awfully tempting, but there was no way it would work out, not with the Quest at stake. I couldn't accompany them. But maybe...maybe one day. I shook my head at the thought. Stop that, Alayna Porter, I said to myself. You don't belong here and neither does Alice. Think of her parents. Think of your father. Remember the promise you made to Bilbo. I sighed.

"Don't you wuv us anymore?" asked Pip, gripping onto me urgently.

I winced, but gave them each a kiss on their curly heads. "Of course, I do!"

"I know!" said Merry, slightly bouncing in his seat. "What if we go back with you?"

I laughed outright at this. Oh, how I had hoped that were possible. "But what about Frodo?"

"He can come! He'd love to visit Shicagy."

"Chicago," I corrected. "But what about his sisters?" I gave Pippin a little nudge.

"They can stay here," said Pippin. "Then they won't make me pway dwess-up."

"But Sam, we couldn't leave him, could we?"

Merry and Pippin exchanged looks. "He'll come if Frodo does," said Merry.

"Hmm, I think you're right about that. But hey—" I squeezed each of their shoulders. "How about this...If I tried really hard to visit you again, would that be okay?"

Pippin bounced up and down. "Can—Can you come tomowow?"

"Pip, I'm leaving tomorrow—er, today."

"Oh," said the hobbits together.

"I guess that would be all right," said Merry. "But you have to promise."

I swallowed. "Of course, Merry. I promise." I grimaced at my words, for whether or not I could actually hold that promise, I wouldn't know. But the hobbits must have been satisfied, for they each laid a head on my shoulders, and slowly the peace and quiet of Bag End pulled me back into a dreamless sleep.

Sandy-wmd – I don't think he gets it either, but you're right. Little hobbit lads are indeed a bundle of fun, hence the reason for this short chapter.

Daddys number 1 girl – You are silly, but your review made me smile. Pippin is indeed a funny one.