Author's note : Sorry for typo in last chapter, was Marigold not Rosie.
CHAPTER 14 : Icicles in the Night
Frodo was queasy and miserable as he looked up at Marigold, wide eyes filled with tears. Marigold eyed the young master of Bag End and was not sure what she should do. With a small sigh, she helped him back onto the couch and gave a small exclamation when he curled up against her and rested his head on her shoulder. All this energy was gone…all anger and emotion drained from his system. Frodo whimpered and clung to the Gamgee with what he had left. "Marigold…" Frodo said at last his body shuddering a little.
"Its alright Mr. Frodo." she told the young master softly. She did not know what was bothering him or why he was acting so oddly though she was sure that most of it was to do with drinking too much wine. She held him in her arms and stroked his curls gently. He reminded her of a small child, one of her little cousins that she often took care of, and she knew that he must not be used to being this way. Something awful must have made him do it.
"Marigold, thank-you." his voice was barely above a whisper. He was beginning to calm down now, and being close to her was warming him up.
Her heart went out to him…poor Mr. Frodo. He really had no body but himself to depend upon and had lost his parents when he was really young. She had a huge family so she couldn't imagine living in this big Smial with only one person rattling around in it. She rubbed his back to warm him as she pulled a second blanket over both of them, finding one underneath the couch.
She had meant to clean him off…but Frodo was so tired, his eyes were drooping and he was looking at her strangely. Frodo smiled and nestled his head against her bosom as he tried to drift off to sleep. Marigold went bright red but after a little while she realized that it really wasn't so bad. He was not quite as cold now as he was when she first found him, and she had a feeling that he would be alright.
"Marigold?" he opened his eyes to look up a her. He was having trouble relaxing, the night had brought his emotions to the forefront and tangled them all up inside. He knew he'd been unforgivable a couple of times...and was surprised that she was still here. He knew he shouldn't be leaning against her like this, but it felt so good….
"Yes Mr. Frodo?"
"I'm sorry…" he whispered softly.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for Mr. Frodo." she said sternly, "We all get under the weather now an' then, so don't you be frettin' about it. Bad things happen, they do. And you can't always rely on yourself to work through them. You may not have any of your own family to depend upon, Mr. Frodo, but we Gamgee's know what you've done for Sam and how much Mr. Bilbo has always helped us. There ain't nothing we wouldn't do for you, Mr. Frodo. You can always count on us." Marigold's voice was softer now as Frodo let his lips rest into a contented smile. "Sleep now, we'll get you in a nice hot bath in the morning when you're stronger for it, and by then the storm will be over."
"Don't leave?" He had a feeling things would not be easy in the morning as she said they would be. His body ached, and he was feeling feverish. How stupid he had been to drink on an empty stomach. He really did deserve what he got.
"I won't leave, Mr. Frodo." Marigold told him quietly, "Just you rest now. There's a good lad."
Lad. Frodo finally felt the world of dreams creeping up on him as his eyes slid closed again. He was far from a lad. And he hoped that things would work out when morning came truly and the Gamgee's realized Marigold had not come home yet.
TBC
CHAPTER 14 : Icicles in the Night
Frodo was queasy and miserable as he looked up at Marigold, wide eyes filled with tears. Marigold eyed the young master of Bag End and was not sure what she should do. With a small sigh, she helped him back onto the couch and gave a small exclamation when he curled up against her and rested his head on her shoulder. All this energy was gone…all anger and emotion drained from his system. Frodo whimpered and clung to the Gamgee with what he had left. "Marigold…" Frodo said at last his body shuddering a little.
"Its alright Mr. Frodo." she told the young master softly. She did not know what was bothering him or why he was acting so oddly though she was sure that most of it was to do with drinking too much wine. She held him in her arms and stroked his curls gently. He reminded her of a small child, one of her little cousins that she often took care of, and she knew that he must not be used to being this way. Something awful must have made him do it.
"Marigold, thank-you." his voice was barely above a whisper. He was beginning to calm down now, and being close to her was warming him up.
Her heart went out to him…poor Mr. Frodo. He really had no body but himself to depend upon and had lost his parents when he was really young. She had a huge family so she couldn't imagine living in this big Smial with only one person rattling around in it. She rubbed his back to warm him as she pulled a second blanket over both of them, finding one underneath the couch.
She had meant to clean him off…but Frodo was so tired, his eyes were drooping and he was looking at her strangely. Frodo smiled and nestled his head against her bosom as he tried to drift off to sleep. Marigold went bright red but after a little while she realized that it really wasn't so bad. He was not quite as cold now as he was when she first found him, and she had a feeling that he would be alright.
"Marigold?" he opened his eyes to look up a her. He was having trouble relaxing, the night had brought his emotions to the forefront and tangled them all up inside. He knew he'd been unforgivable a couple of times...and was surprised that she was still here. He knew he shouldn't be leaning against her like this, but it felt so good….
"Yes Mr. Frodo?"
"I'm sorry…" he whispered softly.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for Mr. Frodo." she said sternly, "We all get under the weather now an' then, so don't you be frettin' about it. Bad things happen, they do. And you can't always rely on yourself to work through them. You may not have any of your own family to depend upon, Mr. Frodo, but we Gamgee's know what you've done for Sam and how much Mr. Bilbo has always helped us. There ain't nothing we wouldn't do for you, Mr. Frodo. You can always count on us." Marigold's voice was softer now as Frodo let his lips rest into a contented smile. "Sleep now, we'll get you in a nice hot bath in the morning when you're stronger for it, and by then the storm will be over."
"Don't leave?" He had a feeling things would not be easy in the morning as she said they would be. His body ached, and he was feeling feverish. How stupid he had been to drink on an empty stomach. He really did deserve what he got.
"I won't leave, Mr. Frodo." Marigold told him quietly, "Just you rest now. There's a good lad."
Lad. Frodo finally felt the world of dreams creeping up on him as his eyes slid closed again. He was far from a lad. And he hoped that things would work out when morning came truly and the Gamgee's realized Marigold had not come home yet.
TBC