PART II
Chapter 5 The Secret Garden
(Four years later)
A/N: A quick note: I apologize for my mess up w/ the ages in chapters 5 & I think 12. When I was writing chapter 12 I didn't even remember that I had already put a Part II four-years-later bit on Chapter 5. So now Chapter 12 is going to be Part III but still 4 years later.
"Peregrin Took.you get back here this instant!"
Pippin, five years old, scurried down the corridor. In his hand he held Pimpernel's flower-print garden glove. He barely reached the end of the corridor when his father scooped him up.
"What mischief have you gotten into this time, Peregrin?" he asked and noticed the glove. "Did you steal that from your sister?"
"Mine!" Pippin screeched.
"It isn't yours save by a happy chance!" Pimpernel snapped back. "Papa.make him give it back."
"Give the glove to me, Pippin." Paladin ordered. "We'll find you a new toy to play with. How does that sound?"
"MINE!" Pippin refused to give his treasure up and clutched it tighter in his hand.
Paladin managed to wrench the glove from his son's grip receiving a wail and handed it back to Pimpernel. "Shhh.I know you want the pretty thing but it's not yours lad." He comforted bouncing the tot in his arms. Pimpernel put her glove into the pocket of her dress. Paladin looked at her. "Pimpernel.if you don't want Pippin to take your things, put them in a place out of his reach. He's at that age now where he's into everything."
Pimpernel grumbled something inaudible and jumped three feet at the sound of her other sister's screeches. "PAPA!" Pervinca cried. "You must see my garden.sunflowers are coming up and they look beautiful!"
"Pimpernel.take your little brother and find him a new toy to play with. I'm going to inspect your sister's garden."
Pimpernel's mouth fell open. "Make Pearl do it! He never listens to me!"
Paladin gave his daughter a warning look and she complied.unwillingly, and picked her baby brother up fighting him as he struggled to get down. "Pippin.stop it.OW!" She cried when he grabbed hold of her hair. Pervinca stifled her giggles as she led her father outside. "Daaaaaaa!" Pippin screamed when she dragged him off to the nursery. "Daaaaaaa!"
"Who is screaming?" Eglatine stood in the doorway of the nursery with her hands on her hips.
"Pippin," Pimpernel grumbled watching as her little brother threw one of his tantrums.a block went sailing through the air and Eglatine had to duck.
"Pippin! That is enough!"
"I hate him!" Pimpernel sobbed. "I hate him!"
"Pimpernel.that's a terrible thing to say!" Eglatine snapped as she went over to her son and lifted him. "Shhhhh.darling.Mama's here.that's a good boy." Pippin's screams quieted and he burried his face into his mother's blouse sobbing. "What in the name of the Shire caused that to happen?"
Pimpernel wiped the tears that had begun to fall down her own cheeks. "Pippin stole my favorite garden glove.I chased after 'im and Papa gave it back to me and then told me I had to bring him to the nursery to find him a new toy while he went to see Pervinca's garden. Papa likes Pervinca more than he likes me.I know it." She sat down on the floor.
"You know that's not true Pimpernel! Your father loves you just as much as he loves Pearl, Pervinca and Pippin. You just had a bad day.why don't you go and take a nap?"
Pimpernel's lower lip stuck out. "A nap? But Mummy.I'm too old for naps!"
"You are never told old for a nap." Eglatine chuckled. "In fact.I may take one as well. And it looks like Pippin's ready for one too."
"NO!" Pippin sobbed.
"Oh yes you are my dear. How about the three of us take one together?"
Pimpernel smiled. "I'd like that."
"Good. Let us go then."
Pervinca followed her mother out of the room, her solumn mood effectively broken.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Now you take it like this and dig a little hole.that's it!"
Merry, now 13 ½ sat in the garden in back of Brandy Hall. His mother stood beside him and watched as he helped plant the new box of marigolds. "Mum.how long till the plants grow big?" Merry asked after he covered the seed with soil.
"It depends darling. It could take as long as two weeks for anything to sprout up."
"Can I keep my garden a secret, Mum?" Merry asked.
"A secret? Why?"
"I want it to be all my own.I don't want anyone touching it but me."
Esmerelda laughed. "Well Merry.if that's what you want.then I don't see why not." She tapped him on the nose. "Unfortunately." she turned to look at the little patch not far away from Merry's and frowned. "Frodo's garden is not holding off too well."
Merry stood up and went over to inspect it. When Frodo lived at Brandy Hall, he kept his own patch of flowers and herbs. Esmerelda often said it kept Frodo's mind off of his parents' death and it did seem to do the trick. He grew marigolds, violets, and daisies. His little herb box was nearly empty: it had once contained rosemary and lavender. "I could keep Frodo's garden from dying Mama." Merry offered. "When Frodo comes back to visit I want him to see it look real pretty."
Esmerelda pulled Merry to her. "That is quite a bit of work for such a little hobbit."
Merry grinned. "Say.can we make a spot for Pippin when he gets older?"
"I don't see why not."
Mother and son continued to work in the garden till the sun turned into a firey red ball in the sky.
Chapter 5 The Secret Garden
(Four years later)
A/N: A quick note: I apologize for my mess up w/ the ages in chapters 5 & I think 12. When I was writing chapter 12 I didn't even remember that I had already put a Part II four-years-later bit on Chapter 5. So now Chapter 12 is going to be Part III but still 4 years later.
"Peregrin Took.you get back here this instant!"
Pippin, five years old, scurried down the corridor. In his hand he held Pimpernel's flower-print garden glove. He barely reached the end of the corridor when his father scooped him up.
"What mischief have you gotten into this time, Peregrin?" he asked and noticed the glove. "Did you steal that from your sister?"
"Mine!" Pippin screeched.
"It isn't yours save by a happy chance!" Pimpernel snapped back. "Papa.make him give it back."
"Give the glove to me, Pippin." Paladin ordered. "We'll find you a new toy to play with. How does that sound?"
"MINE!" Pippin refused to give his treasure up and clutched it tighter in his hand.
Paladin managed to wrench the glove from his son's grip receiving a wail and handed it back to Pimpernel. "Shhh.I know you want the pretty thing but it's not yours lad." He comforted bouncing the tot in his arms. Pimpernel put her glove into the pocket of her dress. Paladin looked at her. "Pimpernel.if you don't want Pippin to take your things, put them in a place out of his reach. He's at that age now where he's into everything."
Pimpernel grumbled something inaudible and jumped three feet at the sound of her other sister's screeches. "PAPA!" Pervinca cried. "You must see my garden.sunflowers are coming up and they look beautiful!"
"Pimpernel.take your little brother and find him a new toy to play with. I'm going to inspect your sister's garden."
Pimpernel's mouth fell open. "Make Pearl do it! He never listens to me!"
Paladin gave his daughter a warning look and she complied.unwillingly, and picked her baby brother up fighting him as he struggled to get down. "Pippin.stop it.OW!" She cried when he grabbed hold of her hair. Pervinca stifled her giggles as she led her father outside. "Daaaaaaa!" Pippin screamed when she dragged him off to the nursery. "Daaaaaaa!"
"Who is screaming?" Eglatine stood in the doorway of the nursery with her hands on her hips.
"Pippin," Pimpernel grumbled watching as her little brother threw one of his tantrums.a block went sailing through the air and Eglatine had to duck.
"Pippin! That is enough!"
"I hate him!" Pimpernel sobbed. "I hate him!"
"Pimpernel.that's a terrible thing to say!" Eglatine snapped as she went over to her son and lifted him. "Shhhhh.darling.Mama's here.that's a good boy." Pippin's screams quieted and he burried his face into his mother's blouse sobbing. "What in the name of the Shire caused that to happen?"
Pimpernel wiped the tears that had begun to fall down her own cheeks. "Pippin stole my favorite garden glove.I chased after 'im and Papa gave it back to me and then told me I had to bring him to the nursery to find him a new toy while he went to see Pervinca's garden. Papa likes Pervinca more than he likes me.I know it." She sat down on the floor.
"You know that's not true Pimpernel! Your father loves you just as much as he loves Pearl, Pervinca and Pippin. You just had a bad day.why don't you go and take a nap?"
Pimpernel's lower lip stuck out. "A nap? But Mummy.I'm too old for naps!"
"You are never told old for a nap." Eglatine chuckled. "In fact.I may take one as well. And it looks like Pippin's ready for one too."
"NO!" Pippin sobbed.
"Oh yes you are my dear. How about the three of us take one together?"
Pimpernel smiled. "I'd like that."
"Good. Let us go then."
Pervinca followed her mother out of the room, her solumn mood effectively broken.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Now you take it like this and dig a little hole.that's it!"
Merry, now 13 ½ sat in the garden in back of Brandy Hall. His mother stood beside him and watched as he helped plant the new box of marigolds. "Mum.how long till the plants grow big?" Merry asked after he covered the seed with soil.
"It depends darling. It could take as long as two weeks for anything to sprout up."
"Can I keep my garden a secret, Mum?" Merry asked.
"A secret? Why?"
"I want it to be all my own.I don't want anyone touching it but me."
Esmerelda laughed. "Well Merry.if that's what you want.then I don't see why not." She tapped him on the nose. "Unfortunately." she turned to look at the little patch not far away from Merry's and frowned. "Frodo's garden is not holding off too well."
Merry stood up and went over to inspect it. When Frodo lived at Brandy Hall, he kept his own patch of flowers and herbs. Esmerelda often said it kept Frodo's mind off of his parents' death and it did seem to do the trick. He grew marigolds, violets, and daisies. His little herb box was nearly empty: it had once contained rosemary and lavender. "I could keep Frodo's garden from dying Mama." Merry offered. "When Frodo comes back to visit I want him to see it look real pretty."
Esmerelda pulled Merry to her. "That is quite a bit of work for such a little hobbit."
Merry grinned. "Say.can we make a spot for Pippin when he gets older?"
"I don't see why not."
Mother and son continued to work in the garden till the sun turned into a firey red ball in the sky.
