1 A/N- Okay I only have one thing to say (for once) I'm not exactly sure
about the title of this chapter. It's either that or "m'embrasse encore"
Okies well enjoy :D
Disclaimer- characters not mine blah blah blah…
After working hard in the kitchen making 3 more meals for everyone Caley collapsed into a chair in the sitting room.
"I'm very glad Sam and Pippin are doing the dishes. Cooking and cleaning are harder than I thought. I feel bad for Rosie though, she still has to put Elanor to bed."
"Are you sure you still want to come help Rosie with everything?" Frodo inquired
"Of course I am."
Pippin then came in and sat down next to Caley.
"I'm never going to get married. It is too much work." He said
"I don't believe that at all Pip. I've seen you looking at Diamond when you thought no one saw." Merry said
Pippin began to blush but managed to reply "What about you? Have you given any thought to marriage? About half the lasses in The Shire have set their sights on you."
Merry looked towards Caley and was about to reply when she interrupted him.
"Yes Merry, ever since that title they gave you, now what was it? Meriadoc the Magnificent? More than a few girls have tried to ensnare you. Why at Pippin's birthday party Estella Bolger followed you around all night trying to get you to dance with her."
"Well Caley, it's not as if you have no hobbit lads pining away for you." Merry said, now it was Caley's turn to blush. "You may be made Mrs. Baggins yet my dear."
Frodo and Caley were a bit taken aback by this statement.
"What do you mean?"
"Well Caley, just last week Mosco, Moro, and Minto Baggins got into a fight over who would get to ask you to my birthday party. Then Sancho Baggins came over to try and break it up and declared *he* was taking you. Mosco punched him in the face and the four of them kept fighting for 20 minutes at least."
"Minto Baggins! Why he's only 25." Caley said
"And you're only 31." Merry replied
"Oh yes Merry, I forgot how old you were. You'll be 39 in two weeks, you're practically an old man."
If you think Merry's old than you must think I'm as good as dead." Frodo said, pretending to be hurt.
"Not at all. The only one in this room who I think is as good as dead is Pip."
They looked over to where Pippin had fallen asleep in his chair and they all began to laugh.
"Perhaps I ought to help him to bed" Frodo said
"Would you like some help?" Merry asked
"No, I can handle it, Frodo said while raising Pippin. He then out an arm around him and began to guide him back to his room.
"Merry?"
"Yes Caley?"
"Do you really like Estella?"
"Well she is rather pretty. But I don't think I should like to be married to her and spend all my time with her. Do you care for Mosco, Moro, Minto, Sancho or any of your other admirers?"
"Merry, you know I don't have that many 'admirers' and no I don't really like any of them. Mosco, Moro and Minto all have their fathers nose. And Sancho is so terribly boring."
"Has anyone asked you to my birthday party yet?"
Well only one person, but I don't much like him."
"Who?"
"Ferdibrand Took. Have you asked anyone yet?"
No… I've been to shy to ask the person I want to go with."
As Merry said this Frodo returned but he hesitated at the door to the sitting room. Merry and Caley hadn't heard his return and couldn't see him from where they were sitting. Though he wasn't sure why Frodo just stood there listening.
"Well Merry I think you should hurry up and ask whoever it is otherwise she might go with someone else." Caley said
Merry then took a deep breath and asked, "Then, will you go with me Caley?"
"Of course I will. That was silly of you to be shy about asking me. You've known me since the day I was born."
"I'm sorry."
Then Merry leaned over slowly and softly kissed Caley. After they broke away they just sat there staring into one another's eyes. Frodo wanted to run in there and… he wasn't sure what exactly he wanted to do but he wanted to do *something* anything to stop Merry and Caley form sharing that moment.
Caley was the one who eventually broke the silence
"Merry, I… that was my first kiss. Well first one that counts at least."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well once when we were playing hide-and-seek in the cellars in Brandy Hall. Wilcome Banks tried to kiss me, but he tried to put his tongue in my mouth so I bit him."
Frodo almost gave himself away as he tried to stifle his laughter. Merry too began to laugh.
"Caley, that is so… so you."
Caley began to giggle as well and moved from her to chair onto the large couch. Merry followed and the two just sat there for some time savoring the other's embrace, all was silent until Caley spoke.
"Merry, do you remember the first time I saw you? After… after you all returned."
Though Caley Probably couldn't be vaguer both hobbits listening knew exactly what she was talking about.
"Caley, you know I could never forget it."
Frodo too knew he would never forget it. That day would be forever engraved in Frodo's mind. It had been 5 days after he, Sam, Merry, and Pippin had returned to The Shire, 2 days after the battle of Bywater. Caley had ridden her pony up to the very door of Bag End.
"You don't even sat hello to your favorite cousin when you return from holiday!" she yelled with mock anger as she ran into the front hall.
Though she had been trying to act like her usual self as Frodo came out into the hall he could see the pained look in her eyes. Frodo remembered his surprise at seeing her. She had changed so much since he had left The Shire. She was much taller than he had remembered, though not as tall and Merry and Pippin had become, she was taller than him. Frodo had remembered her always being very pretty but now she was beautiful. Even though she was dirty and tired and in her traveling clothes Frodo thought she was the most beautiful things he had ever seen.
The biggest difference he noticed though was in her eyes. They had always been bright and had a twinkle in them. As if she was laughing at everyone else for some joke none of them knew. But then, as she had walked into Bag End her eyes held this sadness. It had hurt Frodo to see that sadness and pain in her eyes.
Looking at her she seemed so thin, and exhausted, Not to mention is she was cold, wet, dirty and hungry. By the look of her she must have ridden straight from Buckland to Hobbiton with out stop or rest. That way she could cover the trip, which usually took two days, in only one day. But also more then that it looked as if for the last few months she must have been eating and sleeping less.
When Frodo had walked out into the hall Caley had ran at him and embraced him with such force it knocked them both to the ground. She had clung to him as if her life depended on it and began to cry. Managing only to say
"Oh you're back, you're really really back."
The Merry, Pippin and Sam came into the hall as well. After another minute Caley got up and ran over to hug each of them as well. It took the other four hobbits nearly an hour to get Caley to stop crying. Then she started to ask questions and slowly she began to learn of their quest. She stayed at Bag End with Frodo for a week as did Merry, Pippin and Sam. Sometimes she would look at one of them with a far away look. Then she would embrace them, clutching to them, afraid is she let go they would disappear or she would wake up and find it was all only a dream.
Though neither Frodo nor anyone else knew it Caley still felt like that sometimes. The difference was she now only cried when alone. She didn't want her friends to know how she felt.
When the time came for Merry and Caley to return to Brandy Hall after that week was up the good-byes were very hard. Caley had hugged Frodo for quite a long time and she had tears silently running down her cheeks. Frodo remembered how he wanted to kiss those tears away, to take Caley into his arms and make sure she never cried again. He didn't though; he was interrupted in his thoughts by Caley's voice. She spoke quietly to him, her voice barely a whisper
"Frodo, Please don't leave me again. You know how much I love you"
He looked into her usually laughing eyes and saw them pleading with him. She kissed his cheek and backed away a few steps before mouthing "Please" one more time, then mounting her pony. She and Merry waved and said good- bye one last time before riding off. Frodo had stood looking down the road for a long while after they had ridden out of sight, tears stinging the corners of his eyes.
These thoughts only took a moment to pass through Frodo's mind and he was soon awakened from his remembrances by the sound of Caley's voice.
"Why didn't you come see me when you first got back? Why when you fist came to Buckland you stayed in the Shirrif's house and not at Brandy Hall? I didn't even find out you had returned to The Shire… that you were still alive for five days.
"I don't know… I'm so sorry Caley."
Frodo felt tears beginning to form in his eyes and decided his heart couldn't stand to listen to this conversation any longer. As he slowly went back to his room he regretted lingering so long. He could still hear Caley's high clear voice and what he heard made the tears begin falling freely down his cheeks.
"Kiss Me again Merry"
A/N Sorry this chapter took so long. It's just I've been picturing it in my mind for so long that I wanted it to be perfect. I think it came out pretty well.
Disclaimer- characters not mine blah blah blah…
After working hard in the kitchen making 3 more meals for everyone Caley collapsed into a chair in the sitting room.
"I'm very glad Sam and Pippin are doing the dishes. Cooking and cleaning are harder than I thought. I feel bad for Rosie though, she still has to put Elanor to bed."
"Are you sure you still want to come help Rosie with everything?" Frodo inquired
"Of course I am."
Pippin then came in and sat down next to Caley.
"I'm never going to get married. It is too much work." He said
"I don't believe that at all Pip. I've seen you looking at Diamond when you thought no one saw." Merry said
Pippin began to blush but managed to reply "What about you? Have you given any thought to marriage? About half the lasses in The Shire have set their sights on you."
Merry looked towards Caley and was about to reply when she interrupted him.
"Yes Merry, ever since that title they gave you, now what was it? Meriadoc the Magnificent? More than a few girls have tried to ensnare you. Why at Pippin's birthday party Estella Bolger followed you around all night trying to get you to dance with her."
"Well Caley, it's not as if you have no hobbit lads pining away for you." Merry said, now it was Caley's turn to blush. "You may be made Mrs. Baggins yet my dear."
Frodo and Caley were a bit taken aback by this statement.
"What do you mean?"
"Well Caley, just last week Mosco, Moro, and Minto Baggins got into a fight over who would get to ask you to my birthday party. Then Sancho Baggins came over to try and break it up and declared *he* was taking you. Mosco punched him in the face and the four of them kept fighting for 20 minutes at least."
"Minto Baggins! Why he's only 25." Caley said
"And you're only 31." Merry replied
"Oh yes Merry, I forgot how old you were. You'll be 39 in two weeks, you're practically an old man."
If you think Merry's old than you must think I'm as good as dead." Frodo said, pretending to be hurt.
"Not at all. The only one in this room who I think is as good as dead is Pip."
They looked over to where Pippin had fallen asleep in his chair and they all began to laugh.
"Perhaps I ought to help him to bed" Frodo said
"Would you like some help?" Merry asked
"No, I can handle it, Frodo said while raising Pippin. He then out an arm around him and began to guide him back to his room.
"Merry?"
"Yes Caley?"
"Do you really like Estella?"
"Well she is rather pretty. But I don't think I should like to be married to her and spend all my time with her. Do you care for Mosco, Moro, Minto, Sancho or any of your other admirers?"
"Merry, you know I don't have that many 'admirers' and no I don't really like any of them. Mosco, Moro and Minto all have their fathers nose. And Sancho is so terribly boring."
"Has anyone asked you to my birthday party yet?"
Well only one person, but I don't much like him."
"Who?"
"Ferdibrand Took. Have you asked anyone yet?"
No… I've been to shy to ask the person I want to go with."
As Merry said this Frodo returned but he hesitated at the door to the sitting room. Merry and Caley hadn't heard his return and couldn't see him from where they were sitting. Though he wasn't sure why Frodo just stood there listening.
"Well Merry I think you should hurry up and ask whoever it is otherwise she might go with someone else." Caley said
Merry then took a deep breath and asked, "Then, will you go with me Caley?"
"Of course I will. That was silly of you to be shy about asking me. You've known me since the day I was born."
"I'm sorry."
Then Merry leaned over slowly and softly kissed Caley. After they broke away they just sat there staring into one another's eyes. Frodo wanted to run in there and… he wasn't sure what exactly he wanted to do but he wanted to do *something* anything to stop Merry and Caley form sharing that moment.
Caley was the one who eventually broke the silence
"Merry, I… that was my first kiss. Well first one that counts at least."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well once when we were playing hide-and-seek in the cellars in Brandy Hall. Wilcome Banks tried to kiss me, but he tried to put his tongue in my mouth so I bit him."
Frodo almost gave himself away as he tried to stifle his laughter. Merry too began to laugh.
"Caley, that is so… so you."
Caley began to giggle as well and moved from her to chair onto the large couch. Merry followed and the two just sat there for some time savoring the other's embrace, all was silent until Caley spoke.
"Merry, do you remember the first time I saw you? After… after you all returned."
Though Caley Probably couldn't be vaguer both hobbits listening knew exactly what she was talking about.
"Caley, you know I could never forget it."
Frodo too knew he would never forget it. That day would be forever engraved in Frodo's mind. It had been 5 days after he, Sam, Merry, and Pippin had returned to The Shire, 2 days after the battle of Bywater. Caley had ridden her pony up to the very door of Bag End.
"You don't even sat hello to your favorite cousin when you return from holiday!" she yelled with mock anger as she ran into the front hall.
Though she had been trying to act like her usual self as Frodo came out into the hall he could see the pained look in her eyes. Frodo remembered his surprise at seeing her. She had changed so much since he had left The Shire. She was much taller than he had remembered, though not as tall and Merry and Pippin had become, she was taller than him. Frodo had remembered her always being very pretty but now she was beautiful. Even though she was dirty and tired and in her traveling clothes Frodo thought she was the most beautiful things he had ever seen.
The biggest difference he noticed though was in her eyes. They had always been bright and had a twinkle in them. As if she was laughing at everyone else for some joke none of them knew. But then, as she had walked into Bag End her eyes held this sadness. It had hurt Frodo to see that sadness and pain in her eyes.
Looking at her she seemed so thin, and exhausted, Not to mention is she was cold, wet, dirty and hungry. By the look of her she must have ridden straight from Buckland to Hobbiton with out stop or rest. That way she could cover the trip, which usually took two days, in only one day. But also more then that it looked as if for the last few months she must have been eating and sleeping less.
When Frodo had walked out into the hall Caley had ran at him and embraced him with such force it knocked them both to the ground. She had clung to him as if her life depended on it and began to cry. Managing only to say
"Oh you're back, you're really really back."
The Merry, Pippin and Sam came into the hall as well. After another minute Caley got up and ran over to hug each of them as well. It took the other four hobbits nearly an hour to get Caley to stop crying. Then she started to ask questions and slowly she began to learn of their quest. She stayed at Bag End with Frodo for a week as did Merry, Pippin and Sam. Sometimes she would look at one of them with a far away look. Then she would embrace them, clutching to them, afraid is she let go they would disappear or she would wake up and find it was all only a dream.
Though neither Frodo nor anyone else knew it Caley still felt like that sometimes. The difference was she now only cried when alone. She didn't want her friends to know how she felt.
When the time came for Merry and Caley to return to Brandy Hall after that week was up the good-byes were very hard. Caley had hugged Frodo for quite a long time and she had tears silently running down her cheeks. Frodo remembered how he wanted to kiss those tears away, to take Caley into his arms and make sure she never cried again. He didn't though; he was interrupted in his thoughts by Caley's voice. She spoke quietly to him, her voice barely a whisper
"Frodo, Please don't leave me again. You know how much I love you"
He looked into her usually laughing eyes and saw them pleading with him. She kissed his cheek and backed away a few steps before mouthing "Please" one more time, then mounting her pony. She and Merry waved and said good- bye one last time before riding off. Frodo had stood looking down the road for a long while after they had ridden out of sight, tears stinging the corners of his eyes.
These thoughts only took a moment to pass through Frodo's mind and he was soon awakened from his remembrances by the sound of Caley's voice.
"Why didn't you come see me when you first got back? Why when you fist came to Buckland you stayed in the Shirrif's house and not at Brandy Hall? I didn't even find out you had returned to The Shire… that you were still alive for five days.
"I don't know… I'm so sorry Caley."
Frodo felt tears beginning to form in his eyes and decided his heart couldn't stand to listen to this conversation any longer. As he slowly went back to his room he regretted lingering so long. He could still hear Caley's high clear voice and what he heard made the tears begin falling freely down his cheeks.
"Kiss Me again Merry"
A/N Sorry this chapter took so long. It's just I've been picturing it in my mind for so long that I wanted it to be perfect. I think it came out pretty well.