Disclaimer, Tolkien made them up, I am borrowing them just for fun.
Summary: This is Frodo's point of view. He has heard bits and pieces of a conversation between Bilbo and Hamfast Gamgee and is now wondering what will become of him.
I was trying to sleep when the Gaffer came to the door to tell Bilbo about Sam. Bilbo thought I was already asleep, I'm sure. I heard little bits of their conversation and could tell that it was about me. Bilbo was asking his advice on getting rid of me. That hurt like anything! When he came back, we talked for a little bit, then I told him that I was tired, but I really just needed to think. I had the measles, so he couldn't send me back just then, but afterward what would happen to me? I had messed Bilbo's life up so much that he wanted me gone, but I'm sure the Brandybucks wouldn't want me back there. Maybe he would send me over to Tookland and see if they would want me, which I doubted. Why didn't anyone want me? Was I that bad of a person? I decided to straighten up and try to behave myself a little better. I would be anything that Bilbo wanted me to be, if that would make him want to keep me. Painfully, I sat up and looked in the looking glass on top of my dresser, "Frodo Baggins," I said to the reflection, "Hobbit, orphan, nuisance."
I reached for my handkerchief and started to blow my nose forcefully into it, but stopped myself just in time. I remembered the look that Bilbo gave me the last time I did that. It was a look of utter pained disgust. I settled for blowing it softly, which took a lot longer, but it was a small price to pay if I could only stay here. I told myself that I was not to do anything that may annoy Bilbo. I would speak only when spoken to, I would not be noisy when I played outside, I would not touch any of his belongings and most important of all, I would not ask pesky questions like if he would do something with me or what happened on his adventures. I was sure that he was bored to tears by those questions by now.
I was telling my reflection my list when Bilbo came into the room "Who are you talking to, Frodo." He looked confused.
Oh no, if I talked to myself he wouldn't send me to the Brandybucks, he would send me to the mental hospital! I blushed ferociously and mumbled something.
"What was that, my boy?" He sat down in the chair beside my bed and looked intently at me.
"Um, I was talking to… I was talking to myself. I'm really sorry and I won't do it again. I'm sorry if I annoyed you or anything."
I looked up and him and saw that he was smiling, "Let me tell you something. If I became annoyed at all those who talked to themselves I would have to be most annoyed with myself all the time. Now that you're awake, would you like me to read to you?"
I thought about that, "Only if you really want to. If you have something better to do, I would understand."
He grinned at me and reached for the book the he had started to read to me the day before. It had a lot of good stories in it, and almost before I knew it I was caught up in the world of Elves, pixies and dragons. I was yawning after the second tale, and Bilbo told me to go to sleep.
When I woke up, I felt a bit worse. My throat was very scratchy and I was more stuffed up. I didn't want to open my eyes, they were too sore and the light hurt them, but I could feel someone in my room. I groaned softly. "Bilbo?" I managed to croak. I could hardly recognize my voice.
"Yes my boy?"
"Oh, I was just wondering if that was you. I knew someone was here." I started to cough again, a really hard, deep one that made my already burning lungs hurt worse.
"Of course it's me. Do you anything."
I shook my head, I didn't want to appear to be a demanding nuisance, just a sick, whiney one. "Besides," I reminded myself, "If you behave he might not want to get rid of you." I knew that the chance of him not wanting to be rid of someone who just waltzes into his home and upsets it's routine was slim, though. I wondered how the Brandybucks ever convinced him to take me off their hands. Maybe they offered to pay him or threatened to sue him if he didn't. I had his last name, after all, I guess that's how it works.
"Frodo? Are you alright? Were you listening?"
Oh no! "Frodo Baggins," I upbraided myself, "You've done it again! How often were you told to stop daydreaming and pay attention when someone was speaking to you?" I hung my head, "No Uncle. I was letting my mind wander. I'm so very sorry. It won't happen again, I promise."
Again, that smile of his was almost, well, almost understanding. "My mind often takes trip without my permission. I was just asking if you would like some tea. I made a pot and can't possibly drink it by myself. Besides, it's much better to have some company at tea time."
"Tea sounds lovely, thank you Bilbo."
He smiled again and left the room. A few minutes later he was back carrying a tray with the cups and other tea things. Sugar, honey and the like. Was it really tea time already? I glanced at the mantle piece clock. It was past tea. I had made his tea late. I just didn't seem to be able to do anything that wasn't annoying or causing someone to be put out of their way.
"There you are Frodo, it's not too hot, I hope."
I gratefully accepted the cup and brought it to my lips. It tasted wonderful. We were having a very nice tea time, when, before I knew what was happening, I dropped my teacup! The tea spilled everywhere and the cup smashed into a million pieces. It could never be repaired. Bilbo was looking at me in horror. It had belonged to his mother, and he was very proud of his set. I couldn't replace it, either. "Bilbo, I am more than sorry. I… it was an accident. Please forgive me."
"There now my boy, I forgive you. I'm going to go get something to clean it up. We wouldn't want you to cut your foot."
As soon as he left, I burst into tears. Of course he was going to make me leave now. He might forgive me, but he wouldn't want to keep someone who is so clumsy and stupid. I lay back down and cried myself to sleep before he even came back in the room.
Summary: This is Frodo's point of view. He has heard bits and pieces of a conversation between Bilbo and Hamfast Gamgee and is now wondering what will become of him.
I was trying to sleep when the Gaffer came to the door to tell Bilbo about Sam. Bilbo thought I was already asleep, I'm sure. I heard little bits of their conversation and could tell that it was about me. Bilbo was asking his advice on getting rid of me. That hurt like anything! When he came back, we talked for a little bit, then I told him that I was tired, but I really just needed to think. I had the measles, so he couldn't send me back just then, but afterward what would happen to me? I had messed Bilbo's life up so much that he wanted me gone, but I'm sure the Brandybucks wouldn't want me back there. Maybe he would send me over to Tookland and see if they would want me, which I doubted. Why didn't anyone want me? Was I that bad of a person? I decided to straighten up and try to behave myself a little better. I would be anything that Bilbo wanted me to be, if that would make him want to keep me. Painfully, I sat up and looked in the looking glass on top of my dresser, "Frodo Baggins," I said to the reflection, "Hobbit, orphan, nuisance."
I reached for my handkerchief and started to blow my nose forcefully into it, but stopped myself just in time. I remembered the look that Bilbo gave me the last time I did that. It was a look of utter pained disgust. I settled for blowing it softly, which took a lot longer, but it was a small price to pay if I could only stay here. I told myself that I was not to do anything that may annoy Bilbo. I would speak only when spoken to, I would not be noisy when I played outside, I would not touch any of his belongings and most important of all, I would not ask pesky questions like if he would do something with me or what happened on his adventures. I was sure that he was bored to tears by those questions by now.
I was telling my reflection my list when Bilbo came into the room "Who are you talking to, Frodo." He looked confused.
Oh no, if I talked to myself he wouldn't send me to the Brandybucks, he would send me to the mental hospital! I blushed ferociously and mumbled something.
"What was that, my boy?" He sat down in the chair beside my bed and looked intently at me.
"Um, I was talking to… I was talking to myself. I'm really sorry and I won't do it again. I'm sorry if I annoyed you or anything."
I looked up and him and saw that he was smiling, "Let me tell you something. If I became annoyed at all those who talked to themselves I would have to be most annoyed with myself all the time. Now that you're awake, would you like me to read to you?"
I thought about that, "Only if you really want to. If you have something better to do, I would understand."
He grinned at me and reached for the book the he had started to read to me the day before. It had a lot of good stories in it, and almost before I knew it I was caught up in the world of Elves, pixies and dragons. I was yawning after the second tale, and Bilbo told me to go to sleep.
When I woke up, I felt a bit worse. My throat was very scratchy and I was more stuffed up. I didn't want to open my eyes, they were too sore and the light hurt them, but I could feel someone in my room. I groaned softly. "Bilbo?" I managed to croak. I could hardly recognize my voice.
"Yes my boy?"
"Oh, I was just wondering if that was you. I knew someone was here." I started to cough again, a really hard, deep one that made my already burning lungs hurt worse.
"Of course it's me. Do you anything."
I shook my head, I didn't want to appear to be a demanding nuisance, just a sick, whiney one. "Besides," I reminded myself, "If you behave he might not want to get rid of you." I knew that the chance of him not wanting to be rid of someone who just waltzes into his home and upsets it's routine was slim, though. I wondered how the Brandybucks ever convinced him to take me off their hands. Maybe they offered to pay him or threatened to sue him if he didn't. I had his last name, after all, I guess that's how it works.
"Frodo? Are you alright? Were you listening?"
Oh no! "Frodo Baggins," I upbraided myself, "You've done it again! How often were you told to stop daydreaming and pay attention when someone was speaking to you?" I hung my head, "No Uncle. I was letting my mind wander. I'm so very sorry. It won't happen again, I promise."
Again, that smile of his was almost, well, almost understanding. "My mind often takes trip without my permission. I was just asking if you would like some tea. I made a pot and can't possibly drink it by myself. Besides, it's much better to have some company at tea time."
"Tea sounds lovely, thank you Bilbo."
He smiled again and left the room. A few minutes later he was back carrying a tray with the cups and other tea things. Sugar, honey and the like. Was it really tea time already? I glanced at the mantle piece clock. It was past tea. I had made his tea late. I just didn't seem to be able to do anything that wasn't annoying or causing someone to be put out of their way.
"There you are Frodo, it's not too hot, I hope."
I gratefully accepted the cup and brought it to my lips. It tasted wonderful. We were having a very nice tea time, when, before I knew what was happening, I dropped my teacup! The tea spilled everywhere and the cup smashed into a million pieces. It could never be repaired. Bilbo was looking at me in horror. It had belonged to his mother, and he was very proud of his set. I couldn't replace it, either. "Bilbo, I am more than sorry. I… it was an accident. Please forgive me."
"There now my boy, I forgive you. I'm going to go get something to clean it up. We wouldn't want you to cut your foot."
As soon as he left, I burst into tears. Of course he was going to make me leave now. He might forgive me, but he wouldn't want to keep someone who is so clumsy and stupid. I lay back down and cried myself to sleep before he even came back in the room.