Chapter 17
Frodo's warning
After dropping Samwise home around suppertime, Frodo and Angelica made their way back to Bag-End. The day had been fun and both tweenagers were quite worn out. When they entered the smial they found Bilbo dusting the furniture in the parlor. Frodo watched as a cloud of the dust welled up and jumped when Bilbo sneezed.
"We're back, Bilbo." Frodo announced as he and Angelica took off their cloaks and hung them up in the hallway.
Bilbo smiled as they came into the parlor. "Did you two have a good time?"
"Oh yes. Little Samwise is quite a charmer." Angelica giggled as she watched Bilbo set the duster down, and then give Frodo a kiss on the top of the head.
"Lad.could you help me set the table?"
Frodo nodded. "Of course."
"Angelica.you may relax in the parlor. Help yourself to any of the books if you like." Bilbo led Frodo into the kitchen and Angelica took a seat on the couch, stretching out her legs so that her bloomers were showing. She heard Bilbo and Frodo chatting and the clatter of plates, forks, knives and glasses and she folded her arms. She was enjoying her stay at Bag-End but she admitted she missed the livelihood of Brandy Hall. Deciding she'd better find a way to amuse herself, she stood up and went over to the enormous bookshelf along the wall beside the fireplace. She barely reached the bookcase, when out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a flash of gold.
"What in the name of the Shire could that be?" she asked no one in particular as she tiptoed over to the fireplace and pulled over the old velvet footstool usually stationed at the end of Bilbo's favorite armchair. She was a bit taller than Frodo so she could tell what the object was on the mantle without even having to take it down. It was a Ring.a beautiful smooth golden ring that was kept in a clear glass case. She had no idea that this particular object was the pride and joy of Bilbo and that it was of great value, so she gently lifted the case from the mantle and stepped down from the stool.
She walked over to the couch and sat down again, attempting to open the case but was surprised to find that it wouldn't open. Grumbling she peered down at the Ring through the top as though it would look differently from another angle. About ten minutes later Frodo came in and stopped short when he saw what she was holding. "Put that away!" He snapped, hurrying over and snatching the case out of her hands. Angelia glared.
"What is wrong with you Frodo?" she snapped back. "I was just looking at it!"
"Well DON'T," Frodo retorted.
"Dinner!" Bilbo called. The sudden shout caused Frodo to yell and then CRASH. The glass case fell from his grasp and Angelica screamed when it hit the floor and smashed into a billion pieces. Both tweenagers stood with their hands covering their mouths, their eyes wide with horror. The Ring lay in the center of the mess unharmed.
"Oh no." Frodo sobbed as he fell to the floor and attempted to clean up the mess but it was too late.
"What in the name of the Shire.FRODO!" Bilbo yelled when he saw what had happened.
Frodo stood shakily, holding the Ring in his hand and a few piecs of broken glass. "It-it was an accident." he tried to defend himself but he had NEVER seen Bilbo so angry.
"What did I say about not touching that Ring?" he hollered. An inhuman fire raged in the old hobbit's normally calm eyes and he stormed over to the tweenager, smacking him clear across the face. Frodo fell back stunned and suddenly Bilbo realized what exactly he had done.
"Oh Frodo." He whispered after a few moments of awkward silence. Tears slowly began to flow down Frodo's cheeks and he touched his injured one with his right hand, leaning against Angelica who had been in his path when he fell. Bilbo said nothing more but turned and fled for his study and both tweenagers heard the door to the room shut. When they were sure he wasn't listening, Angelica helped Frodo to his feet and led him into the kitchen where they were overwhelmed by the smell of the baking turkey in the oven. Frodo felt suddenly very ill and had to hurry outside so that he could be sick.
"If I had known he would have reacted like that I wouldn't have." Angelica sobbed watching her cousin as he retched violently onto the grass. "I wouldn't have even looked at it."
When Frodo recovered he wiped his mouth with his hand and took a few deep breaths. "It was partially my fault. I didn't warn you about the Ring.and about how he reacted the last time I wanted to have a closer look at it." He sat down, feeling very dizzy and exhausted.
"That was awful.I've never seen him so angry or anybody's eyes look that way!" Angelica gasped. "Luckily smacking you was the only thing he did."
Frodo hugged her and began sobbing again and she hugged him back. "There there, Frodo. I'm sure he'll make amends.let him calm down. Come on.let's go and see to dinner." She helped her cousin stand up and grinned when he sniveled.
"I-I can't cook," he choked and she giggled.
"Come on, you." She pulled him inside the smial and was not surprised to see that Bilbo had not returned to the kitchen. The two of them ended up eating dinner alone and cleaning up the dishes together before saying goodnight and retreating to their bedrooms. Frodo lay in bed reading one of his books of Quenya (Bilbo had been teaching him how to translate the language for quite some time now and he was finally getting the hang of it), saying the word aloud and then looking it up in the dictionary. After a half hour had gone by there was a knock on the door and Frodo quickly sat up, leaning against the headboard, his heart pounding. "Come in." he said quietly. When he looked up he found Bilbo standing in the doorway. Bilbo's skin was pale and his eyes were red from crying.he looked very tired.
"Oh Frodo." he whispered. "I'm so sorry my dear boy."
Frodo didn't respond and he didn't move.
"Please forgive me. I am so so sorry. I do not know what came over me.it's this dreadful.that Ring. Something about it.I'm not sure what it is but I become this hideous monster when anyone tries to touch it other than myself." He noticed that he hadn't made a dent in his nephew's expression and sighed. "Frodo lad.I." he took a shaky breath. "I need help. This Ring has been growing on me more and more lately. I am so sorry that you were the one I took out my troubles on."
Frodo hopped out of bed and immediately threw his arms around Bilbo in a tight hug and the two of them knelt on the ground crying softly. "I'll help you as much as I can dear Uncle." Frodo whispered. "As much as I can." Bilbo kissed the tweenager on the forehead and brushed his bangs away from his eyes.
"That is all I can ever ask for, Frodo." He replied smiling softly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: I got this scene from PAY IT FORWARD, when Helen Hunt's character tells her son Treavor that she has a problem with alcohol after smacking him when they have an argument. I thought it was a very emotional scene & it kind of fits in with the Ring slowly starting to abandon Bilbo. Hope you all are enjoying this story (and are still reading it as I haven't gotten too many new reviews.that's probably because I haven't updated this story in a while so I apologize for that.) & I would appreaciate it if you would review.reviews help me write faster you know!
After dropping Samwise home around suppertime, Frodo and Angelica made their way back to Bag-End. The day had been fun and both tweenagers were quite worn out. When they entered the smial they found Bilbo dusting the furniture in the parlor. Frodo watched as a cloud of the dust welled up and jumped when Bilbo sneezed.
"We're back, Bilbo." Frodo announced as he and Angelica took off their cloaks and hung them up in the hallway.
Bilbo smiled as they came into the parlor. "Did you two have a good time?"
"Oh yes. Little Samwise is quite a charmer." Angelica giggled as she watched Bilbo set the duster down, and then give Frodo a kiss on the top of the head.
"Lad.could you help me set the table?"
Frodo nodded. "Of course."
"Angelica.you may relax in the parlor. Help yourself to any of the books if you like." Bilbo led Frodo into the kitchen and Angelica took a seat on the couch, stretching out her legs so that her bloomers were showing. She heard Bilbo and Frodo chatting and the clatter of plates, forks, knives and glasses and she folded her arms. She was enjoying her stay at Bag-End but she admitted she missed the livelihood of Brandy Hall. Deciding she'd better find a way to amuse herself, she stood up and went over to the enormous bookshelf along the wall beside the fireplace. She barely reached the bookcase, when out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a flash of gold.
"What in the name of the Shire could that be?" she asked no one in particular as she tiptoed over to the fireplace and pulled over the old velvet footstool usually stationed at the end of Bilbo's favorite armchair. She was a bit taller than Frodo so she could tell what the object was on the mantle without even having to take it down. It was a Ring.a beautiful smooth golden ring that was kept in a clear glass case. She had no idea that this particular object was the pride and joy of Bilbo and that it was of great value, so she gently lifted the case from the mantle and stepped down from the stool.
She walked over to the couch and sat down again, attempting to open the case but was surprised to find that it wouldn't open. Grumbling she peered down at the Ring through the top as though it would look differently from another angle. About ten minutes later Frodo came in and stopped short when he saw what she was holding. "Put that away!" He snapped, hurrying over and snatching the case out of her hands. Angelia glared.
"What is wrong with you Frodo?" she snapped back. "I was just looking at it!"
"Well DON'T," Frodo retorted.
"Dinner!" Bilbo called. The sudden shout caused Frodo to yell and then CRASH. The glass case fell from his grasp and Angelica screamed when it hit the floor and smashed into a billion pieces. Both tweenagers stood with their hands covering their mouths, their eyes wide with horror. The Ring lay in the center of the mess unharmed.
"Oh no." Frodo sobbed as he fell to the floor and attempted to clean up the mess but it was too late.
"What in the name of the Shire.FRODO!" Bilbo yelled when he saw what had happened.
Frodo stood shakily, holding the Ring in his hand and a few piecs of broken glass. "It-it was an accident." he tried to defend himself but he had NEVER seen Bilbo so angry.
"What did I say about not touching that Ring?" he hollered. An inhuman fire raged in the old hobbit's normally calm eyes and he stormed over to the tweenager, smacking him clear across the face. Frodo fell back stunned and suddenly Bilbo realized what exactly he had done.
"Oh Frodo." He whispered after a few moments of awkward silence. Tears slowly began to flow down Frodo's cheeks and he touched his injured one with his right hand, leaning against Angelica who had been in his path when he fell. Bilbo said nothing more but turned and fled for his study and both tweenagers heard the door to the room shut. When they were sure he wasn't listening, Angelica helped Frodo to his feet and led him into the kitchen where they were overwhelmed by the smell of the baking turkey in the oven. Frodo felt suddenly very ill and had to hurry outside so that he could be sick.
"If I had known he would have reacted like that I wouldn't have." Angelica sobbed watching her cousin as he retched violently onto the grass. "I wouldn't have even looked at it."
When Frodo recovered he wiped his mouth with his hand and took a few deep breaths. "It was partially my fault. I didn't warn you about the Ring.and about how he reacted the last time I wanted to have a closer look at it." He sat down, feeling very dizzy and exhausted.
"That was awful.I've never seen him so angry or anybody's eyes look that way!" Angelica gasped. "Luckily smacking you was the only thing he did."
Frodo hugged her and began sobbing again and she hugged him back. "There there, Frodo. I'm sure he'll make amends.let him calm down. Come on.let's go and see to dinner." She helped her cousin stand up and grinned when he sniveled.
"I-I can't cook," he choked and she giggled.
"Come on, you." She pulled him inside the smial and was not surprised to see that Bilbo had not returned to the kitchen. The two of them ended up eating dinner alone and cleaning up the dishes together before saying goodnight and retreating to their bedrooms. Frodo lay in bed reading one of his books of Quenya (Bilbo had been teaching him how to translate the language for quite some time now and he was finally getting the hang of it), saying the word aloud and then looking it up in the dictionary. After a half hour had gone by there was a knock on the door and Frodo quickly sat up, leaning against the headboard, his heart pounding. "Come in." he said quietly. When he looked up he found Bilbo standing in the doorway. Bilbo's skin was pale and his eyes were red from crying.he looked very tired.
"Oh Frodo." he whispered. "I'm so sorry my dear boy."
Frodo didn't respond and he didn't move.
"Please forgive me. I am so so sorry. I do not know what came over me.it's this dreadful.that Ring. Something about it.I'm not sure what it is but I become this hideous monster when anyone tries to touch it other than myself." He noticed that he hadn't made a dent in his nephew's expression and sighed. "Frodo lad.I." he took a shaky breath. "I need help. This Ring has been growing on me more and more lately. I am so sorry that you were the one I took out my troubles on."
Frodo hopped out of bed and immediately threw his arms around Bilbo in a tight hug and the two of them knelt on the ground crying softly. "I'll help you as much as I can dear Uncle." Frodo whispered. "As much as I can." Bilbo kissed the tweenager on the forehead and brushed his bangs away from his eyes.
"That is all I can ever ask for, Frodo." He replied smiling softly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: I got this scene from PAY IT FORWARD, when Helen Hunt's character tells her son Treavor that she has a problem with alcohol after smacking him when they have an argument. I thought it was a very emotional scene & it kind of fits in with the Ring slowly starting to abandon Bilbo. Hope you all are enjoying this story (and are still reading it as I haven't gotten too many new reviews.that's probably because I haven't updated this story in a while so I apologize for that.) & I would appreaciate it if you would review.reviews help me write faster you know!