Chapter 9
Change
A/N: Wow.even I am getting a little misty-eyed as I sit writing this! I love pre-LOTR fics.I enjoy reading about Frodo's childhood, something Tolkien really doesn't tell us much about with the exception that the dear hobbit's parents died when he was 12. Other than that his early years are a mystery. Anyway.for those of you who might not know who Angelica is she is the hobbiltlass Bilbo gave the mirror away to in the FOTR book version. I'm not sure if she actually lived at Brandy Hall but who knows? Oh and keep those reviews coming! Thanks!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Before Frodo knew it the month had ended and it was time to move into Bag-End. The night before he was to leave he sat in the library and cried. He knew what he would be leaving behind.so many cousins he had grown up with. He was also afraid.what would life at Bag-End be like? Would his cousins treat him differently because he was rich? "Frodo?"
Frodo lifted his head from the pillow he had been resting on and saw Merry standing in the doorway of the library. "Uh?" Frodo asked quietly.
"Are you all right?"
Frodo turned away from him. "I'm fine." He insisted.
"Why are you crying? Aren't you excited about going to live with your Uncle Bilbo?"
Frodo drew his knees up to his chest and stared at the enormous bookshelf in front of him. "Yes."
"Then why are you crying?"
"I'm scared I guess. I've lived here my whole life and." he wiped his eyes with his sleeve before hugging Merry tight. "Please promise me you'll always be there for me. I'm going to miss you so much."
Merry wiped his own eyes as they began to tear. "I'll always be there for you, cousin Frodo. I'll come and visit you.I promise."
Esmerelda came into the library a moment later to see the two boys hugging and crying and put her hands on her hips, a duster sticking out of one pocket. "What is all this about?"
Frodo and Merry let go of each other both wiping their eyes with their sleeves. "Hello Auntie." Said Frodo standing.
"Have you been hiding again?"
Frodo smiled sheepishly. "I needed to be alone to think."
"He was cryin' Mama." Said Merry.
"Are all of your things packed?" Esmerelda asked seriously.
"Yes Auntie."
"Are you sure? If I went into your bedroom to check."
"Maybe a few books."
"Go on then." She teasingly bopped him over the head with the feather duster and watched the tweenager bolt off in the direction of his bedroom. When Frodo was gone, Esmerelda lifted Merry into her arms and kissed her son on the forehead.
"Mama?" asked Merry.
"Yes pumpkin?"
"Does Frodo really hafta go?"
Esmerelda sighed. "Merry.you know Frodo has to leave. He made a promise to his Uncle Bilbo."
"A-a promise?" Merry whimpered as his mother dried his tears.
"Mmm hmm. And you know that breaking a promise is not very nice. Come, dear.you can help your Mama in the garden." She carried Merry out of the room.
The following morning a horse and carriage waited outside and all of young Frodo's belongings were piled inside of the carriage, leaving a seat for the passanger. Everyone who lived in Brandy Hall stood outside to see the young lad off. Frodo's Aunt Dora and Uncle Dudo, his father's brother and sister-- were very misty-eyed when they kissed and hugged him. "Do be good for your Uncle Bilbo will you?" asked Dora, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
"I will, Auntie."
"Come along Frodo. It is time." Saradoc announced as he stood by the carriage with his wife. Frodo turned back and waved to his family one last time before climbing into the carriage. Even when the carriage began moving, Frodo turned around and waved feverishly to his cousins who were shouting "GOOD BYE FRODO! GOOD LUCK! WE'LL MISS YOU!"
When his family disappeared Frodo leaned back against his seat and watched the head of the carriage driver bob up and down with the motion of the pony. It was a three- hour carriage ride to Bag-End from Buckland and Frodo was grateful when his Uncle's home came into view. Bilbo was waiting for him on the doorstep, puffing on his old wooden pipe.
Frodo hopped out of the carriage when it pulled to a stop at the old wooden gate and Frodo burst through it, running straight into his Uncle's arms. "Oh my dear boy.welcome home." Bilbo whispered as he hugged Frodo tightly.
"I have never been so happy," said Frodo.
"Good, good.let me help you with your things. And my, my.you do have a lot of things don't you?" the old hobbit laughed. "Inherited my trait."
Frodo blushed a little. "Well.I couldn't leave anything behind."
"No matter! Plenty of room for it."
The cart was unpacked in no time and when it left Frodo helped his Uncle carry the fifteen bags into Bag-End. "I have set up a room just for you-right next to mine," said Bilbo as they walked down the corridor. "One of the larger rooms.I thought you might like it."
"I'm sure I will," said Frodo. Bilbo opened the door to the room right next to his bedroom and stepped aside so Frodo could have a look-see.
"It's huge!" gasped the tweenager as he walked inside. "Oh Uncle.I just adore it! Thank you!"
Bilbo laughed. "I can never spoil my favorite nephew enough. You'll find some new clothes in your closet. I wasn't sure what your wardrobe looked like at Brandy Hall."
"Thank you."
Bilbo kissed him on top of the head. "Just settle in while I take my batch of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven."
Frodo watched his Uncle leave the room before deciding to have a look around. Blue wallpaper with a white border, a large oak desk, a soft feather bed right by the open window, a bookshelf.something caught Frodo's eye. On the nighttable beside his bed sat a vase filled with bright- coloured flowers. Leaning against the vase was a note and Frodo went to look at it. When he opened the piece of old parchment, he recognized his Uncle's handwriting. It read:
Dear Frodo: I hope you find everying to your liking. Remember.I have not had children before so I am going to be new at this whole business. Please try and bear with me.we can learn from each other. I am very glad to have you here.
Love, Uncle Bilbo
Frodo immediately felt the tears begin to fall down his cheeks again as he re-read the letter. "Frodo my lad! Your snack is ready.come and eat!" Bilbo called from the kitchen. Not bothering to wipe his tears away, Frodo went into the kitchen and saw that Bilbo had set out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for each of them.
"Frodo.what on Earth is the matter?" Bilbo asked, noticing his nephew's tears. Then he noticed the slip of paper in the lad's hand and smiled.
"I see."
"In a million years I could never find a proper way to thank you for everything, Uncle." Frodo told Bilbo in a whisper.
"We've been here already my boy and no thanks are required. Now sit down and eat your cookies."
"I wanted to stop by and see Mr. Gamgee today.he doesn't know I'm living here now."
Bilbo smiled. "I am afraid today is out of the question.little Samwise has a cold and they are indoors for the afternoon."
Frodo frowned. "Oh."
"But perhaps tomorrow."
The tweenager nodded as he began to eat the cookies, feeling as though he were home at last.
A/N: Wow.even I am getting a little misty-eyed as I sit writing this! I love pre-LOTR fics.I enjoy reading about Frodo's childhood, something Tolkien really doesn't tell us much about with the exception that the dear hobbit's parents died when he was 12. Other than that his early years are a mystery. Anyway.for those of you who might not know who Angelica is she is the hobbiltlass Bilbo gave the mirror away to in the FOTR book version. I'm not sure if she actually lived at Brandy Hall but who knows? Oh and keep those reviews coming! Thanks!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Before Frodo knew it the month had ended and it was time to move into Bag-End. The night before he was to leave he sat in the library and cried. He knew what he would be leaving behind.so many cousins he had grown up with. He was also afraid.what would life at Bag-End be like? Would his cousins treat him differently because he was rich? "Frodo?"
Frodo lifted his head from the pillow he had been resting on and saw Merry standing in the doorway of the library. "Uh?" Frodo asked quietly.
"Are you all right?"
Frodo turned away from him. "I'm fine." He insisted.
"Why are you crying? Aren't you excited about going to live with your Uncle Bilbo?"
Frodo drew his knees up to his chest and stared at the enormous bookshelf in front of him. "Yes."
"Then why are you crying?"
"I'm scared I guess. I've lived here my whole life and." he wiped his eyes with his sleeve before hugging Merry tight. "Please promise me you'll always be there for me. I'm going to miss you so much."
Merry wiped his own eyes as they began to tear. "I'll always be there for you, cousin Frodo. I'll come and visit you.I promise."
Esmerelda came into the library a moment later to see the two boys hugging and crying and put her hands on her hips, a duster sticking out of one pocket. "What is all this about?"
Frodo and Merry let go of each other both wiping their eyes with their sleeves. "Hello Auntie." Said Frodo standing.
"Have you been hiding again?"
Frodo smiled sheepishly. "I needed to be alone to think."
"He was cryin' Mama." Said Merry.
"Are all of your things packed?" Esmerelda asked seriously.
"Yes Auntie."
"Are you sure? If I went into your bedroom to check."
"Maybe a few books."
"Go on then." She teasingly bopped him over the head with the feather duster and watched the tweenager bolt off in the direction of his bedroom. When Frodo was gone, Esmerelda lifted Merry into her arms and kissed her son on the forehead.
"Mama?" asked Merry.
"Yes pumpkin?"
"Does Frodo really hafta go?"
Esmerelda sighed. "Merry.you know Frodo has to leave. He made a promise to his Uncle Bilbo."
"A-a promise?" Merry whimpered as his mother dried his tears.
"Mmm hmm. And you know that breaking a promise is not very nice. Come, dear.you can help your Mama in the garden." She carried Merry out of the room.
The following morning a horse and carriage waited outside and all of young Frodo's belongings were piled inside of the carriage, leaving a seat for the passanger. Everyone who lived in Brandy Hall stood outside to see the young lad off. Frodo's Aunt Dora and Uncle Dudo, his father's brother and sister-- were very misty-eyed when they kissed and hugged him. "Do be good for your Uncle Bilbo will you?" asked Dora, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
"I will, Auntie."
"Come along Frodo. It is time." Saradoc announced as he stood by the carriage with his wife. Frodo turned back and waved to his family one last time before climbing into the carriage. Even when the carriage began moving, Frodo turned around and waved feverishly to his cousins who were shouting "GOOD BYE FRODO! GOOD LUCK! WE'LL MISS YOU!"
When his family disappeared Frodo leaned back against his seat and watched the head of the carriage driver bob up and down with the motion of the pony. It was a three- hour carriage ride to Bag-End from Buckland and Frodo was grateful when his Uncle's home came into view. Bilbo was waiting for him on the doorstep, puffing on his old wooden pipe.
Frodo hopped out of the carriage when it pulled to a stop at the old wooden gate and Frodo burst through it, running straight into his Uncle's arms. "Oh my dear boy.welcome home." Bilbo whispered as he hugged Frodo tightly.
"I have never been so happy," said Frodo.
"Good, good.let me help you with your things. And my, my.you do have a lot of things don't you?" the old hobbit laughed. "Inherited my trait."
Frodo blushed a little. "Well.I couldn't leave anything behind."
"No matter! Plenty of room for it."
The cart was unpacked in no time and when it left Frodo helped his Uncle carry the fifteen bags into Bag-End. "I have set up a room just for you-right next to mine," said Bilbo as they walked down the corridor. "One of the larger rooms.I thought you might like it."
"I'm sure I will," said Frodo. Bilbo opened the door to the room right next to his bedroom and stepped aside so Frodo could have a look-see.
"It's huge!" gasped the tweenager as he walked inside. "Oh Uncle.I just adore it! Thank you!"
Bilbo laughed. "I can never spoil my favorite nephew enough. You'll find some new clothes in your closet. I wasn't sure what your wardrobe looked like at Brandy Hall."
"Thank you."
Bilbo kissed him on top of the head. "Just settle in while I take my batch of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven."
Frodo watched his Uncle leave the room before deciding to have a look around. Blue wallpaper with a white border, a large oak desk, a soft feather bed right by the open window, a bookshelf.something caught Frodo's eye. On the nighttable beside his bed sat a vase filled with bright- coloured flowers. Leaning against the vase was a note and Frodo went to look at it. When he opened the piece of old parchment, he recognized his Uncle's handwriting. It read:
Dear Frodo: I hope you find everying to your liking. Remember.I have not had children before so I am going to be new at this whole business. Please try and bear with me.we can learn from each other. I am very glad to have you here.
Love, Uncle Bilbo
Frodo immediately felt the tears begin to fall down his cheeks again as he re-read the letter. "Frodo my lad! Your snack is ready.come and eat!" Bilbo called from the kitchen. Not bothering to wipe his tears away, Frodo went into the kitchen and saw that Bilbo had set out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for each of them.
"Frodo.what on Earth is the matter?" Bilbo asked, noticing his nephew's tears. Then he noticed the slip of paper in the lad's hand and smiled.
"I see."
"In a million years I could never find a proper way to thank you for everything, Uncle." Frodo told Bilbo in a whisper.
"We've been here already my boy and no thanks are required. Now sit down and eat your cookies."
"I wanted to stop by and see Mr. Gamgee today.he doesn't know I'm living here now."
Bilbo smiled. "I am afraid today is out of the question.little Samwise has a cold and they are indoors for the afternoon."
Frodo frowned. "Oh."
"But perhaps tomorrow."
The tweenager nodded as he began to eat the cookies, feeling as though he were home at last.