The Choices of Master Baggins
A/N: As promised, here is my post-long-expected-party fic that I've been thinking about and gathering ideas for. Please let me know what you think! Thanks very much. ;) ~Hermione Eveningfall.
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Chapter 1
The hairpin break-in
A/N: This is an AU because Gandalf is not at the smial when Frodo arrives. He will arrive a bit later in this chapter, however. *giggle* Lets out a meniacal laugh: Muwahahahahahaha.
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Frodo Baggins had never run so fast in his life. It was a night he would never forget: the long-expected-party celebrating his coming-of-age and his Uncle (well, cousin technically but that's beside the point) Bilbo's elventy-first birthday. The party had been the most spectacular yet- filled with hobbits from all over the Shire; games, dancing, and not to forget tons of food. Frodo had to admit that he had been having a good time, mingling with his relatives and receiving presents.
After Bilbo's speech and his disappearance, Frodo wanted desparately to get away-to get back to Bag-End and see what it had all been about. Escaping the party had not been the easiest task he'd had to perform. Just as he reached the exit gate he was trapped by his female cousins Pearl, Pimpernel and Pervinca Took and their mother Eglatine. Eventually he had managed to shoo them off with kind words and overly pleasant smiles before bolting away. Samwise was the only friend he'd told that he was leaving-he didn't trust telling anyone else, for fear that they might follow him home.
Another reason Frodo had decided to leave was that he had not been feeling all that wonderful. He'd woken up earlier that morning with a sore throat, and despite the pastilles Bilbo had given him to soothe the soreness, it still hadn't gone away by the time the party had started. He just wanted to climb into bed and fall asleep. When he unlocked the door to his smial he cried out-Lobelia-Sackville-Baggins sat in Bilbo's armchair by the cackling fire, her smile devlish.
"What are you doing here?" Frodo cried in horror.
"A little matter I wish to discuss," Lobelia retorted.
"How did you get in? The doors were locked!"
"I have my ways." She pointed to her hair pins and Frodo growled in disgust.
"Look," Frodo snarled. "I do not have the engery to argue with you tonight. Could you just bring your complaints to me tomorrow when I'm a bit more receptive?"
Lobelia laughed. "No."
"All right, then." Frodo sat down in the chair opposite hers and prepared for doom.
"First of all-why Bilbo left the smial to you, I'll never understand it. That old hobbit came back crazy from that adventures with those disgusting dwarves! He even knows that you are three-fourths Brandybuck, which is NO qualification for a Baggins residence!"
Frodo rolled his eyes as he pulled out his large, white handkerchief embroidered with the initials FB. He was grateful when he felt the urge to sneeze and when he did so, Lobelia gave him a nasty look.
"Don't think that a sneeze is going to get me to leave, Frodo Baggins. Even if it costs me my health I WILL get this smial."
The door to Bag-End suddenly opened and both hobbits turned to see the familiar form of Gandalf-the-Gray. Just before the wizard could say anything Frodo let out another enormous sneeze intercepted by a few coughs.
"Why am I not the least bit surprised to see you here, Lobelia?" the wizard asked, a bushy-gray-eyebrow raised. "Now I will ask you nicely to leave at once. Frodo has a cold and the last thing he needs is your pestering."
Lobelia's lips tightened in a thin line. "What could YOU do to me?" she snapped. "You even THINK about touching a hair on my head, my husband will come after you. He'll have you banished!"
Gandalf chortled as he looked at Frodo, who was wiping his runny nose with his handkerchief. "Lad-go on to bed. I'll take care of things."
"Thank you, Gandalf." Frodo mumbled shooting Lobelia one last nasty look before heading to his bedroom. The wizard took his staff and lifted the fuming old woman high into the air.
"I'll call my lawyer!" Lobelia screamed. "Just you wait, sir! You haven't seen the last of me!" THUD. Gandalf dropped her to the ground before tipping his pointed gray hat and shutting the door. After that, the wizard headed for Frodo's room and found the hobbit leaning up against his headboard reading a book that he held in one hand and in the other he held his handkerchief.
"She's gone, Frodo."
"Thank goodness." Frodo breathed. "I do appreciate what you did, Gandalf, though I am sure I am going to hear about it later. I just feel so awful." He let out another violent sneeze.
"I can see that. Would you like me to spend the night in case you need anything? I wanted to speak to you about something anyway, but you really do not seem up to a dark conversation at the moment."
Frodo shook his head. "I'm not. You don't have to stay-Sam'll be home soon and I'll ask him if I need anything."
"No worries, Frodo. I'll sleep in your Uncle's room."
Suddenly Frodo remembered why he'd wanted to come home so quickly. "Bilbo- where is he?"
"He's gone to stay with the Elves in Rivendell. As I am sure you know, he's left you Bag-End and all of his possessions. But enough about that-try to get some sleep. It is probably going to be a busy morning." The wizard winked at the hobbit before leaving. Frodo watched as the door shut behind Gandalf and then set his book on the nightstand, blowing out the candle and the room dissolved in darkness.
A/N: As promised, here is my post-long-expected-party fic that I've been thinking about and gathering ideas for. Please let me know what you think! Thanks very much. ;) ~Hermione Eveningfall.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 1
The hairpin break-in
A/N: This is an AU because Gandalf is not at the smial when Frodo arrives. He will arrive a bit later in this chapter, however. *giggle* Lets out a meniacal laugh: Muwahahahahahaha.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Frodo Baggins had never run so fast in his life. It was a night he would never forget: the long-expected-party celebrating his coming-of-age and his Uncle (well, cousin technically but that's beside the point) Bilbo's elventy-first birthday. The party had been the most spectacular yet- filled with hobbits from all over the Shire; games, dancing, and not to forget tons of food. Frodo had to admit that he had been having a good time, mingling with his relatives and receiving presents.
After Bilbo's speech and his disappearance, Frodo wanted desparately to get away-to get back to Bag-End and see what it had all been about. Escaping the party had not been the easiest task he'd had to perform. Just as he reached the exit gate he was trapped by his female cousins Pearl, Pimpernel and Pervinca Took and their mother Eglatine. Eventually he had managed to shoo them off with kind words and overly pleasant smiles before bolting away. Samwise was the only friend he'd told that he was leaving-he didn't trust telling anyone else, for fear that they might follow him home.
Another reason Frodo had decided to leave was that he had not been feeling all that wonderful. He'd woken up earlier that morning with a sore throat, and despite the pastilles Bilbo had given him to soothe the soreness, it still hadn't gone away by the time the party had started. He just wanted to climb into bed and fall asleep. When he unlocked the door to his smial he cried out-Lobelia-Sackville-Baggins sat in Bilbo's armchair by the cackling fire, her smile devlish.
"What are you doing here?" Frodo cried in horror.
"A little matter I wish to discuss," Lobelia retorted.
"How did you get in? The doors were locked!"
"I have my ways." She pointed to her hair pins and Frodo growled in disgust.
"Look," Frodo snarled. "I do not have the engery to argue with you tonight. Could you just bring your complaints to me tomorrow when I'm a bit more receptive?"
Lobelia laughed. "No."
"All right, then." Frodo sat down in the chair opposite hers and prepared for doom.
"First of all-why Bilbo left the smial to you, I'll never understand it. That old hobbit came back crazy from that adventures with those disgusting dwarves! He even knows that you are three-fourths Brandybuck, which is NO qualification for a Baggins residence!"
Frodo rolled his eyes as he pulled out his large, white handkerchief embroidered with the initials FB. He was grateful when he felt the urge to sneeze and when he did so, Lobelia gave him a nasty look.
"Don't think that a sneeze is going to get me to leave, Frodo Baggins. Even if it costs me my health I WILL get this smial."
The door to Bag-End suddenly opened and both hobbits turned to see the familiar form of Gandalf-the-Gray. Just before the wizard could say anything Frodo let out another enormous sneeze intercepted by a few coughs.
"Why am I not the least bit surprised to see you here, Lobelia?" the wizard asked, a bushy-gray-eyebrow raised. "Now I will ask you nicely to leave at once. Frodo has a cold and the last thing he needs is your pestering."
Lobelia's lips tightened in a thin line. "What could YOU do to me?" she snapped. "You even THINK about touching a hair on my head, my husband will come after you. He'll have you banished!"
Gandalf chortled as he looked at Frodo, who was wiping his runny nose with his handkerchief. "Lad-go on to bed. I'll take care of things."
"Thank you, Gandalf." Frodo mumbled shooting Lobelia one last nasty look before heading to his bedroom. The wizard took his staff and lifted the fuming old woman high into the air.
"I'll call my lawyer!" Lobelia screamed. "Just you wait, sir! You haven't seen the last of me!" THUD. Gandalf dropped her to the ground before tipping his pointed gray hat and shutting the door. After that, the wizard headed for Frodo's room and found the hobbit leaning up against his headboard reading a book that he held in one hand and in the other he held his handkerchief.
"She's gone, Frodo."
"Thank goodness." Frodo breathed. "I do appreciate what you did, Gandalf, though I am sure I am going to hear about it later. I just feel so awful." He let out another violent sneeze.
"I can see that. Would you like me to spend the night in case you need anything? I wanted to speak to you about something anyway, but you really do not seem up to a dark conversation at the moment."
Frodo shook his head. "I'm not. You don't have to stay-Sam'll be home soon and I'll ask him if I need anything."
"No worries, Frodo. I'll sleep in your Uncle's room."
Suddenly Frodo remembered why he'd wanted to come home so quickly. "Bilbo- where is he?"
"He's gone to stay with the Elves in Rivendell. As I am sure you know, he's left you Bag-End and all of his possessions. But enough about that-try to get some sleep. It is probably going to be a busy morning." The wizard winked at the hobbit before leaving. Frodo watched as the door shut behind Gandalf and then set his book on the nightstand, blowing out the candle and the room dissolved in darkness.