Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, they belong to Tolkien.
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Estella was holding Elanor, happily cooing and talking to her. She didn't know it, but I was there, watching her. From that moment on, I knew Estella wanted children, and I knew I wanted her to be the mother of mine. I remember how beautiful she was, cuddling the baby Elanor. She then looked up and noticed me watching her, and she just smiled at me. I smiled back. Little moments like that I realized how much I really did love her.
But memories would not comfort me now.
It felt like someone had just kicked me in the stomach. "What?" I stammered, sitting heavily in the chair next to the bed.
"She lost the baby." Rosie said quieter, watching me closely. My gaze fell on Estella, and my hand reached out to grasp hers. "Oh, Stelly.." Was all I could manage before tears started to prick my eyes. Rosie seemed to sense my breakdown.
She crossed the room and placed a hand on my shoulder to try to comfort me. "She'll be alright Merry." She whispered.
"Why?" I asked, my gaze fixed on Estella, tears starting to fall freely. "Why did he do this to her? She doesn't deserve it." Self-hatred started to creep over me. "How could I let this happen?"
"Merry.." She said with a slight intake of breath when she realized what I just said. "None of this was your fault." She said.
"She's my wife, I should protect her." My head dropped into my hands as sobs racked my body.
Rosie took me into her arms and cradled me like a young hobbit. She sensed words couldn't comfort me, so she resorted to rocking me and shushing me.
I wiped my tears on the back of my sleeve and looked up determinedly. I would have to fix this mess, because it was my fault.
"I'll be back." I told Rosie as I stood up.
"Where are you going Merry?" She asked, a touch of concern in her voice.
"To fix this mess." I told her, and started striding from the room.
"Oh, no you don't." She said, cutting me off and crossing her arms.
"Why won't you let me?" I asked, glaring down at her menacingly.
She didn't falter under the look I was giving her. "She needs you here, Merry. Not out there playing hero."
"I'll only be gone for a little while." I said, and angrily side stepped her and walked out of the room.
I could hear Rosie's sigh of disapproval as I stormed out of the house.
"Take care of her for me." I whispered to myself.
"Merry! I.." That's all Sam could utter when he saw my face. Pippin stood there too, holding little Elanor.
"Which way did he go?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
"Who went, Merry?" Pippin asked me.
I shook my head. "No, Pippin. I was asking Sam." Sam looked startled.
"Merry!" A voice yelled behind me. I turned around to see Fatty Bolger come up behind me. He looked a little out of breath. "I came as soon as I heard from Pippin. Where is she?"
I sent a blank look to Estella's brother. "She's inside." I turned back to Sam. "Where did Odovacar go?" I demanded.
Sam tried to protest, but from the look in my eyes he probably wouldn't dare. "When he ran out of this house he headed towards the forest." He said, pointing towards the Old Forest. I nodded determinedly and headed that way.
I could hear Fatty's voice. "What's gotten into him?" Obviously someone explained it to him, because then I heard a curse and him running into the house, calling for his sister.
I ran over fields of grass towards the looming forest. I reached it in what seemed record time and slowed down, only able to hear my breathing. All else was silent. The trees above me wrestled in the wind, seemingly of nervous energy. They blocked out most of the sun, making it seem gloomier then they should be on a bright spring afternoon.
But it did fit my mood.
I slowed down and stopped breathing, and tried to listen to anything that would give clues to this hobbit's where abouts. I started creeping along, but I didn't have to go too far. Sitting next to the running Brandywine was a figure that was familiar to me. One that always struck hatred in my heart. I crept up behind him slowly, waiting for him to detect me.
"Odovacar." I said behind his back, almost casually.
He slowly turned around and grinned at me.
"Meriadoc."
"Why did you do that?" I stammered, demanding answers from him.
He shrugged and looked away from me. I could swear I saw a tear in his eye.
"Are you going to answer me?" Still no answer. "Are you even listening to me?" I said, coming up right behind him and turning him around forcefully to look at me.
"She used to be my little girl." He said softly, with a far away look on his face.
That answer took me by surprise. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"She used to worship me. I was her father, in her eyes I could do no wrong."
"And to make up for that you beat her?" I asked sarcastically, anger boiling over.
He stood up and glared at me. "What do you know about it?"
"Obviously not enough." I said, disgusted with this man.
"She found other people to worship and it drove me crazy." He shook his head.
"So you loved her until she bruised your ego?" I snapped.
"I loved her till she loved you." He glared back at me. "You ruined my little girl, Meriadoc. She always talked about you, admired you so much more then she ever could admire me. I was so scared I was loosing my little girl that I tried to intimidate her into loving me.."
"But that blew up in your face."
Tears flashed across Odovacar's face. "You took away my little daughter, now I have to take away you from my little girl. Then she might love me."
"You're messed up." I said and laughed. Odovacar's face hardened and threw a punch, which I stepped back to avoid. But as I stepped back I tripped over a root and lost my balance, and I fell backwards. To my horror Odovacar fell on me and placed his hands around my neck, attempted to choke me. I kicked and squirmed to get loose, gasping for air. I finally wiggled free after I kicked him hard in the shin and struggled free, the world spinning around me. He then got up and started running towards me. At the last minute I rolled out of the way and Odovacar fell into the river.
I turned around and watched him struggle in the water. He struggled and gasped for breath.
"Help!" He cried to me. "I can't swim!"
I watched him indifferently. His struggles became less and less frequent until they stopped all together.
I was still staring at the spot where I had last saw him surface.
Was this it? Were Estella and I finally free of this monster? A smile slowly crept over my lips as I realized he was gone.
I don't remember much of returning back to my house, but I remembered it must have been a little while later because the sun was setting. I entered the house and Sam, Fatty, and Pippin were sitting at the table sharing cheese and bread. They became silent as I came in, and watched me carefully. I didn't give them any clues as I strolled past them and a sleeping Elanor. Pain shot through my heart as I saw her. I wanted my own chance at fatherhood, but my chance for that was taken away.
Rosie looked up as I walked into the room. "Merry!" she said, and it seemed to stir Estella.
"Meriadoc?" Estella asked softly, and I was immediately by her side. "Please, call me Merry." I teased her gently, squeezing her hand.
She gave me a small smile. "I love you."
"I love you too sweetheart." I said, and I meant it with all my heart. I took her hand and brought it to my lips. I softly kissed it.
"You won't ever have to worry about him anymore sweetheart. He's gone forever."
The End!
Estella was holding Elanor, happily cooing and talking to her. She didn't know it, but I was there, watching her. From that moment on, I knew Estella wanted children, and I knew I wanted her to be the mother of mine. I remember how beautiful she was, cuddling the baby Elanor. She then looked up and noticed me watching her, and she just smiled at me. I smiled back. Little moments like that I realized how much I really did love her.
But memories would not comfort me now.
It felt like someone had just kicked me in the stomach. "What?" I stammered, sitting heavily in the chair next to the bed.
"She lost the baby." Rosie said quieter, watching me closely. My gaze fell on Estella, and my hand reached out to grasp hers. "Oh, Stelly.." Was all I could manage before tears started to prick my eyes. Rosie seemed to sense my breakdown.
She crossed the room and placed a hand on my shoulder to try to comfort me. "She'll be alright Merry." She whispered.
"Why?" I asked, my gaze fixed on Estella, tears starting to fall freely. "Why did he do this to her? She doesn't deserve it." Self-hatred started to creep over me. "How could I let this happen?"
"Merry.." She said with a slight intake of breath when she realized what I just said. "None of this was your fault." She said.
"She's my wife, I should protect her." My head dropped into my hands as sobs racked my body.
Rosie took me into her arms and cradled me like a young hobbit. She sensed words couldn't comfort me, so she resorted to rocking me and shushing me.
I wiped my tears on the back of my sleeve and looked up determinedly. I would have to fix this mess, because it was my fault.
"I'll be back." I told Rosie as I stood up.
"Where are you going Merry?" She asked, a touch of concern in her voice.
"To fix this mess." I told her, and started striding from the room.
"Oh, no you don't." She said, cutting me off and crossing her arms.
"Why won't you let me?" I asked, glaring down at her menacingly.
She didn't falter under the look I was giving her. "She needs you here, Merry. Not out there playing hero."
"I'll only be gone for a little while." I said, and angrily side stepped her and walked out of the room.
I could hear Rosie's sigh of disapproval as I stormed out of the house.
"Take care of her for me." I whispered to myself.
"Merry! I.." That's all Sam could utter when he saw my face. Pippin stood there too, holding little Elanor.
"Which way did he go?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
"Who went, Merry?" Pippin asked me.
I shook my head. "No, Pippin. I was asking Sam." Sam looked startled.
"Merry!" A voice yelled behind me. I turned around to see Fatty Bolger come up behind me. He looked a little out of breath. "I came as soon as I heard from Pippin. Where is she?"
I sent a blank look to Estella's brother. "She's inside." I turned back to Sam. "Where did Odovacar go?" I demanded.
Sam tried to protest, but from the look in my eyes he probably wouldn't dare. "When he ran out of this house he headed towards the forest." He said, pointing towards the Old Forest. I nodded determinedly and headed that way.
I could hear Fatty's voice. "What's gotten into him?" Obviously someone explained it to him, because then I heard a curse and him running into the house, calling for his sister.
I ran over fields of grass towards the looming forest. I reached it in what seemed record time and slowed down, only able to hear my breathing. All else was silent. The trees above me wrestled in the wind, seemingly of nervous energy. They blocked out most of the sun, making it seem gloomier then they should be on a bright spring afternoon.
But it did fit my mood.
I slowed down and stopped breathing, and tried to listen to anything that would give clues to this hobbit's where abouts. I started creeping along, but I didn't have to go too far. Sitting next to the running Brandywine was a figure that was familiar to me. One that always struck hatred in my heart. I crept up behind him slowly, waiting for him to detect me.
"Odovacar." I said behind his back, almost casually.
He slowly turned around and grinned at me.
"Meriadoc."
"Why did you do that?" I stammered, demanding answers from him.
He shrugged and looked away from me. I could swear I saw a tear in his eye.
"Are you going to answer me?" Still no answer. "Are you even listening to me?" I said, coming up right behind him and turning him around forcefully to look at me.
"She used to be my little girl." He said softly, with a far away look on his face.
That answer took me by surprise. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"She used to worship me. I was her father, in her eyes I could do no wrong."
"And to make up for that you beat her?" I asked sarcastically, anger boiling over.
He stood up and glared at me. "What do you know about it?"
"Obviously not enough." I said, disgusted with this man.
"She found other people to worship and it drove me crazy." He shook his head.
"So you loved her until she bruised your ego?" I snapped.
"I loved her till she loved you." He glared back at me. "You ruined my little girl, Meriadoc. She always talked about you, admired you so much more then she ever could admire me. I was so scared I was loosing my little girl that I tried to intimidate her into loving me.."
"But that blew up in your face."
Tears flashed across Odovacar's face. "You took away my little daughter, now I have to take away you from my little girl. Then she might love me."
"You're messed up." I said and laughed. Odovacar's face hardened and threw a punch, which I stepped back to avoid. But as I stepped back I tripped over a root and lost my balance, and I fell backwards. To my horror Odovacar fell on me and placed his hands around my neck, attempted to choke me. I kicked and squirmed to get loose, gasping for air. I finally wiggled free after I kicked him hard in the shin and struggled free, the world spinning around me. He then got up and started running towards me. At the last minute I rolled out of the way and Odovacar fell into the river.
I turned around and watched him struggle in the water. He struggled and gasped for breath.
"Help!" He cried to me. "I can't swim!"
I watched him indifferently. His struggles became less and less frequent until they stopped all together.
I was still staring at the spot where I had last saw him surface.
Was this it? Were Estella and I finally free of this monster? A smile slowly crept over my lips as I realized he was gone.
I don't remember much of returning back to my house, but I remembered it must have been a little while later because the sun was setting. I entered the house and Sam, Fatty, and Pippin were sitting at the table sharing cheese and bread. They became silent as I came in, and watched me carefully. I didn't give them any clues as I strolled past them and a sleeping Elanor. Pain shot through my heart as I saw her. I wanted my own chance at fatherhood, but my chance for that was taken away.
Rosie looked up as I walked into the room. "Merry!" she said, and it seemed to stir Estella.
"Meriadoc?" Estella asked softly, and I was immediately by her side. "Please, call me Merry." I teased her gently, squeezing her hand.
She gave me a small smile. "I love you."
"I love you too sweetheart." I said, and I meant it with all my heart. I took her hand and brought it to my lips. I softly kissed it.
"You won't ever have to worry about him anymore sweetheart. He's gone forever."
The End!