Niphrandl: Poor Frodo, but I can't help it! Will someone stop me? I can't
do that alone, not with Elijah's pic on the cover of YM mag staring at me
every time I go to bed!
Andy'sPrincess: Wel, everything won't be normal again.
Alisaundre: Sorry about the flying broom. I hope Pip grew up with that kind of story, too. :)
LadyFoxFire: I think people might start looking for Frodo. But, mmm, that's if they start to get suspicious that something is wrong.
Krista: A place I knew angst for the first time is Frodo's Fantasy () Have you been there?
Aelfgifu: (blush!) Frodo with a hole in his head! OMG! Well, there will be twists but still long way to go.
JohnLEnnonAcrosstheUniverse: How I wish I could play some musical instrument!
Warning: AU, angst
Chapter 28 (Lij's birth date! Never knew the story would go this far!)
While waiting for the soup to boil, Ted decided to cut off the rope around Frodo's wrists. There. Frodo would surely feel better now.
All through the days Ted felt bad about the bonds. He kept seeing Frodo as a small boy. Now, whispered Ted, you could rest more comfortably.
Ted changed Frodo's lying position so now the hobbit lay completely on his back with his arms either at his side or on his chest. Ted smiled. Frodo looked better, too. He was still awfully pale but no longer yellowish. His shirt was still wet thanks to the rain. Yet Ted felt grateful for the rainwater had washed away the big red spot that was Frodo's blood. A reminder of his dead company, Phil's, stupidity. Ted could only hope that the stab wound didn't give Frodo anymore pain.
The man tugged the blanket higher to Frodo's chin. Frodo was still asleep but he constantly frowned and moaned. He looked deeply troubled.
No wonder, again Ted muttered inaudibly. The hobbit had gone through so many difficult situations in the last couple of days and who knew what else would happen to him if Saruman kept his words. Ted shuddered. He promised himself to do his best to keep that from happening. In a way, guilt started to grow in Ted. He couldn't deny that he, too, took part in all of this.
Frodo stirred. His long, curly, dark eyelashes lifted up, revealing tired, blue eyes.
"Sam?" Frodo whispered. But a second later those beautiful eyes glared in panic. No, of course it wasn't Sam! Don't be mad, please -
"Merry?" he corrected himself.
Confused, Ted stared at him. What was going on? Something had definitely disturbed this tiny creature's mind again, and it didn't come from either him or Saruman.
"Ssh, Little one. What is it? Who is Sam? Who is Merry?"
Panic flared in Frodo's eyes again. He tried to get up but a sudden attack of dizziness forced him to lie back.
"No, not Sam. He's dead." He sobbed. "No more Sam. "I'm sorry, Merry."
"Hey," snapped Ted, shaking Frodo gently on the shoulders. "I'm not Merry. It's me, Ted!"
Ted? Oh, Frodo remembered now. This was Ted, the man who had defended him from Saruman, who had saved him from the rain, who had made him warm, and who had unfastened the ropes. He hardly knew, though, when Ted did all of those.
Frodo smiled a smile so small one could think he was only imagining it. But he did, indeed, something that he hadn't done for what seemed like centuries.
Frodo hadn't had any good reasons to do that before. But now he did. Ted had been so kind - no - 'kind' was probably too weak a word to illustrate whatever Ted had been doing to him. The warmth of Ted's blanket almost made Frodo feel like being at Bag End again - or better - being in his mother's cuddling--- The smile now cracked into sobs---
Ted was stunned when Frodo's lip corners lifted up a bit. He never thought the hobbit would ever put his trust on him. The smile changed everything. But it also ruined everything; it ruined Frodo's effort to cover his weariness, despair, and loneliness. Oh, Elbereth! How he felt so weary ---
Frodo broke down, crying silently on Ted's shoulder. Tears were flowing down freely, soaking the man's cape. Ted recalled the last time Frodo did this was when he had been stabbed. He also got Ted soaked at that time but with something stickier.
Ted sighed. Frodo had much more reasons that could justify his weeping. Ted didn't try to hush him. He let Frodo pour down all his misery. He would probably feel better later. Ted even prayed THINGS would get better, too, for the hobbit. He might even be able to escape ---
Ted froze when something crossed his mind. No, that was impossible! He wouldn't be able to do that. He COULDN'T possibly do that - not with that wicked wizard still gawking at Frodo and his direction like - like a devilish crow staring at its prey.
Frodo sensed Ted's changed of behavior. He quickly drew back and turned away.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, still sobbing a little. "I'm sorry I acted like a child. I shouldn't have -"
"Frodo," stopped Ted. "You have the right to do everything you want, including the thing you have just done. Life has been so cruel to you."
Ted cursed himself for having rejected the idea of helping Frodo run away. Now he felt like a total jerk. He was worse than Saruman and the hobbits that had hurt Frodo. They, at least, didn't pretend to be nice to him. Or did they?
"Halfling," called Ted. "Eat this - before it gets cold - I made it myself," he said haltingly while offering a bowl of soup to Frodo.
Ted wasn't used to being friendly. His job required him not to. He also never knew love of parents or a family. He had grown up alone, a flower in the wild jungle that turned up to be wild, too.
"This can warm you a bit, I hope." Ted smiled sheepishly. "Don't count on the taste too much, though. I'm not a good cook."
As if struck by a lightning, Frodo broke his grips on Ted's blanket and yanked himself backward. His breaths grew short. So, was this why Ted had become so nice to him? The Isengarder wanted to make sure he would voluntarily swallow the entire drugged liquid for Saruman's later use? What - what else did they want to know from him? Frodo stared wildly at Ted with both hatred and desperation.
In the mean time, Ted had no idea what was happening to the little hobbit. He went berserk out of the blue and now he was gazing at him like a trapped animal.
"Frodo, what's going on? That's all right if you don't want the meat. But please have the broth. It's warm. It is good for your body." Ted kneeled closer to the terrified hobbit.
"Stay away!" screamed Frodo. "Do you think I will fall for the second time?!"
"What are you talking about?" Ted became more and more bewildered. But he was getting impatient, too. He took a spoonful of soup, put the bowl down, and brought it to Frodo's mouth.
"I will make you eat the soup one way or another, Frodo! You are sick and you will die if nothing gets into your stomach."
"Aaaahhh!" Frodo was about to jump up but Ted grabbed his wrist and held him down. "Let me go! I will surely die anyway. Your soup -"
"What about it?!"
"Please," Frodo cringed from Ted's strong grip. "The soup - the drug - whatever you put into it. What do you want from me?" He realized he couldn't fight the man that was twice as big as him. His struggled weakened.
Meanwhile, from the place where he was sitting, Saruman was observing what was happening to Frodo and Ted. A weird, evil smile formed in his lips.
"Drug?" Ted was beginning to see. "As in the bread? But Frodo, even I didn't know it had been more than just usual bread. I swear I didn't know anything about that. Besides, Saruman doesn't need to visibly put anything into something like that, or ask me to help him do it."
Frodo was silent. Could he trust his man? After all the man had done before, maybe he could.
Time passed slowly as Frodo considered and reconsidered whether or not he was going to believe Ted. He shivered slightly.
Ted fixed the blanket spontaneously.
"You're cold. Come. Let me help you with the soup?" Ted laughed nervously.
At last, Frodo gave up. Ted did seem nice. He had also never intentionally hurt Frodo. He even saved him from Ted.
The first spoonful went smoothly down Frodo's throat. It felt nice. Warm and comforting. At the same time, he also didn't detect any foul magic in it.
Frodo had finished almost half of the portion when he felt something strange in the stomach. He ignored that at first. But he couldn't anymore as the feeling eventually turned into a searing pain.
"OH!" It felt as if his stomach were squashed inside. Frodo lay flat on his back, sometimes arching it and throwing his head to the back.
"Ted - help me," he pleaded, out of breath. His body was soaked all over with sweat. "What hap - pened?" His voice was becoming fainter and fainter. Frodo was fading into oblivion.
Ted was shocked with the halfling's sudden fit. Had he again caused his agony? Then without realizing it, he turned to the pot where he boiled the soup.
"For Eru's sake!" Ted started. The soup was now full of small, squirming snakes and other tiny but poisonous animals Ted thought better not to know the names.
TBC
AN: Sorrrry! Again, no Merry, Pip, Sam, or Strider. I'm running out of energy just writing this.
Andy'sPrincess: Wel, everything won't be normal again.
Alisaundre: Sorry about the flying broom. I hope Pip grew up with that kind of story, too. :)
LadyFoxFire: I think people might start looking for Frodo. But, mmm, that's if they start to get suspicious that something is wrong.
Krista: A place I knew angst for the first time is Frodo's Fantasy () Have you been there?
Aelfgifu: (blush!) Frodo with a hole in his head! OMG! Well, there will be twists but still long way to go.
JohnLEnnonAcrosstheUniverse: How I wish I could play some musical instrument!
Warning: AU, angst
Chapter 28 (Lij's birth date! Never knew the story would go this far!)
While waiting for the soup to boil, Ted decided to cut off the rope around Frodo's wrists. There. Frodo would surely feel better now.
All through the days Ted felt bad about the bonds. He kept seeing Frodo as a small boy. Now, whispered Ted, you could rest more comfortably.
Ted changed Frodo's lying position so now the hobbit lay completely on his back with his arms either at his side or on his chest. Ted smiled. Frodo looked better, too. He was still awfully pale but no longer yellowish. His shirt was still wet thanks to the rain. Yet Ted felt grateful for the rainwater had washed away the big red spot that was Frodo's blood. A reminder of his dead company, Phil's, stupidity. Ted could only hope that the stab wound didn't give Frodo anymore pain.
The man tugged the blanket higher to Frodo's chin. Frodo was still asleep but he constantly frowned and moaned. He looked deeply troubled.
No wonder, again Ted muttered inaudibly. The hobbit had gone through so many difficult situations in the last couple of days and who knew what else would happen to him if Saruman kept his words. Ted shuddered. He promised himself to do his best to keep that from happening. In a way, guilt started to grow in Ted. He couldn't deny that he, too, took part in all of this.
Frodo stirred. His long, curly, dark eyelashes lifted up, revealing tired, blue eyes.
"Sam?" Frodo whispered. But a second later those beautiful eyes glared in panic. No, of course it wasn't Sam! Don't be mad, please -
"Merry?" he corrected himself.
Confused, Ted stared at him. What was going on? Something had definitely disturbed this tiny creature's mind again, and it didn't come from either him or Saruman.
"Ssh, Little one. What is it? Who is Sam? Who is Merry?"
Panic flared in Frodo's eyes again. He tried to get up but a sudden attack of dizziness forced him to lie back.
"No, not Sam. He's dead." He sobbed. "No more Sam. "I'm sorry, Merry."
"Hey," snapped Ted, shaking Frodo gently on the shoulders. "I'm not Merry. It's me, Ted!"
Ted? Oh, Frodo remembered now. This was Ted, the man who had defended him from Saruman, who had saved him from the rain, who had made him warm, and who had unfastened the ropes. He hardly knew, though, when Ted did all of those.
Frodo smiled a smile so small one could think he was only imagining it. But he did, indeed, something that he hadn't done for what seemed like centuries.
Frodo hadn't had any good reasons to do that before. But now he did. Ted had been so kind - no - 'kind' was probably too weak a word to illustrate whatever Ted had been doing to him. The warmth of Ted's blanket almost made Frodo feel like being at Bag End again - or better - being in his mother's cuddling--- The smile now cracked into sobs---
Ted was stunned when Frodo's lip corners lifted up a bit. He never thought the hobbit would ever put his trust on him. The smile changed everything. But it also ruined everything; it ruined Frodo's effort to cover his weariness, despair, and loneliness. Oh, Elbereth! How he felt so weary ---
Frodo broke down, crying silently on Ted's shoulder. Tears were flowing down freely, soaking the man's cape. Ted recalled the last time Frodo did this was when he had been stabbed. He also got Ted soaked at that time but with something stickier.
Ted sighed. Frodo had much more reasons that could justify his weeping. Ted didn't try to hush him. He let Frodo pour down all his misery. He would probably feel better later. Ted even prayed THINGS would get better, too, for the hobbit. He might even be able to escape ---
Ted froze when something crossed his mind. No, that was impossible! He wouldn't be able to do that. He COULDN'T possibly do that - not with that wicked wizard still gawking at Frodo and his direction like - like a devilish crow staring at its prey.
Frodo sensed Ted's changed of behavior. He quickly drew back and turned away.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, still sobbing a little. "I'm sorry I acted like a child. I shouldn't have -"
"Frodo," stopped Ted. "You have the right to do everything you want, including the thing you have just done. Life has been so cruel to you."
Ted cursed himself for having rejected the idea of helping Frodo run away. Now he felt like a total jerk. He was worse than Saruman and the hobbits that had hurt Frodo. They, at least, didn't pretend to be nice to him. Or did they?
"Halfling," called Ted. "Eat this - before it gets cold - I made it myself," he said haltingly while offering a bowl of soup to Frodo.
Ted wasn't used to being friendly. His job required him not to. He also never knew love of parents or a family. He had grown up alone, a flower in the wild jungle that turned up to be wild, too.
"This can warm you a bit, I hope." Ted smiled sheepishly. "Don't count on the taste too much, though. I'm not a good cook."
As if struck by a lightning, Frodo broke his grips on Ted's blanket and yanked himself backward. His breaths grew short. So, was this why Ted had become so nice to him? The Isengarder wanted to make sure he would voluntarily swallow the entire drugged liquid for Saruman's later use? What - what else did they want to know from him? Frodo stared wildly at Ted with both hatred and desperation.
In the mean time, Ted had no idea what was happening to the little hobbit. He went berserk out of the blue and now he was gazing at him like a trapped animal.
"Frodo, what's going on? That's all right if you don't want the meat. But please have the broth. It's warm. It is good for your body." Ted kneeled closer to the terrified hobbit.
"Stay away!" screamed Frodo. "Do you think I will fall for the second time?!"
"What are you talking about?" Ted became more and more bewildered. But he was getting impatient, too. He took a spoonful of soup, put the bowl down, and brought it to Frodo's mouth.
"I will make you eat the soup one way or another, Frodo! You are sick and you will die if nothing gets into your stomach."
"Aaaahhh!" Frodo was about to jump up but Ted grabbed his wrist and held him down. "Let me go! I will surely die anyway. Your soup -"
"What about it?!"
"Please," Frodo cringed from Ted's strong grip. "The soup - the drug - whatever you put into it. What do you want from me?" He realized he couldn't fight the man that was twice as big as him. His struggled weakened.
Meanwhile, from the place where he was sitting, Saruman was observing what was happening to Frodo and Ted. A weird, evil smile formed in his lips.
"Drug?" Ted was beginning to see. "As in the bread? But Frodo, even I didn't know it had been more than just usual bread. I swear I didn't know anything about that. Besides, Saruman doesn't need to visibly put anything into something like that, or ask me to help him do it."
Frodo was silent. Could he trust his man? After all the man had done before, maybe he could.
Time passed slowly as Frodo considered and reconsidered whether or not he was going to believe Ted. He shivered slightly.
Ted fixed the blanket spontaneously.
"You're cold. Come. Let me help you with the soup?" Ted laughed nervously.
At last, Frodo gave up. Ted did seem nice. He had also never intentionally hurt Frodo. He even saved him from Ted.
The first spoonful went smoothly down Frodo's throat. It felt nice. Warm and comforting. At the same time, he also didn't detect any foul magic in it.
Frodo had finished almost half of the portion when he felt something strange in the stomach. He ignored that at first. But he couldn't anymore as the feeling eventually turned into a searing pain.
"OH!" It felt as if his stomach were squashed inside. Frodo lay flat on his back, sometimes arching it and throwing his head to the back.
"Ted - help me," he pleaded, out of breath. His body was soaked all over with sweat. "What hap - pened?" His voice was becoming fainter and fainter. Frodo was fading into oblivion.
Ted was shocked with the halfling's sudden fit. Had he again caused his agony? Then without realizing it, he turned to the pot where he boiled the soup.
"For Eru's sake!" Ted started. The soup was now full of small, squirming snakes and other tiny but poisonous animals Ted thought better not to know the names.
TBC
AN: Sorrrry! Again, no Merry, Pip, Sam, or Strider. I'm running out of energy just writing this.
