Chapter 19 Jealousy

"Come on, Vinca! We're going to be late!" Pearl hurried into the front hall of the Great Smial and grabbed her cloak. Frodo was coming to visit for the week and was taking the ferry from Hobbiton to Tookland. Little Pippin had suddenly come down with a nasty cold and was not allowed to go with his siblings to meet his favorite cousin, and was angry for it.

"I want to go too!" Pippin sobbed as he sat in his father's overstuffed armchair wrapped in a thick patchwork quilt. Pimpernel kissed Pippin on top of the head.

"Sweetheart-Mama said you're too ill to go."

"But I want to go to the f." Pippin sneezed suddenly, cutting off his sentence. "It's not fair-I never get to go anywhere!"

"You're NOT coming," Pervinca snapped. "Even if you weren't ill we wouldn't have taken you anyway. You're too little."

Pippin's cheeks turned pink with rage at the comment. "I am NOT too little. You're just hogging Frodo! Mama!" Pippin yelled and Eglatine immediately hurried to her son's aid.

"What is it, pumpkin? Feeling worse?" She asked, placing a hand against his forehead.

"C-can I go to the ferry with Pearl, Vinca and Pimmie?"

"No sweetheart-not with that cold. Now hurry girls-the ferry is arriving at the dock in twenty minutes and you need a good." She barely finished her sentence when all three sisters flew outside. Pippin scowled as he blew raspberries after them and folded his arms against his chest. Eglatine understood that Pippin wanted to join in everything his elders did but had to find a polite way to tell him that not all was availible yet.

"That was not very nice, Peregrin." Eglatine scolded softly. "Your sisters are only looking out for the best for you. You know that." She lifted him into her arms. "Let me take you to bed and I'll make you a nice cup of ginger tea. How does that sound?"

"I want to go to the ferry too." Pippin snarled.

"Pippin-you heard what I said. That's enough."

"How come I never get to do anything or go anywhere special?" He asked. She smiled gently at him.

"Now sweetheart-you know that's not true. Papa and I do many special things with you. Remember that time when Papa let you keep the little baby duck a few months ago? Or the fair in Hobbiton last spring?"

Pippin thought for a moment. It was true. His parents did try to make him happy. Still that did not keep him from feeling jealous about not being able to meet Frodo right away when he arrived. So he figured he'd follow his mother's advice and take in some tea and a nap before he was able to do anything else. He allowed his mother to lift him and watched the front door disappear as they turned a corner and headed for his bedroom.

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Pervinca, Pearl and Pimpernel stood at the dock waiting for the ferry each filled with excitement. Frodo rarely came to stay for a great length of time but when he did it was always a pleasure.

"I see it! I see it!" Pervinca cried, jumping up and down. When the wooden transport system came to a stop, Frodo paid the ferryhobbit before hurrying to embrace his cousins in big hugs.

"It's so good to see you," he laughed as Pervinca hugged him around the middle. "Where is Pippin? I'm surprised he didn't come to meet me."

Pearl shook her head. "He has a cold so Mama made him stay indoors." She said. "You sound like you have a bit of a cold too." She noticed that the edges of Frodo's nostrils were a bit red and dry-clearly from blowing his nose often.

"I just found out I am terribly allergic to Uncle Bilbo's roses," he said. "Everytime I went outside I started sneezing so Mr. Gamgee is coming to take them away."

Pervinca giggled. "Poor Frodo. I like Uncle Bilbo's rose garden. Your rotten nose." She teased and received a pinch on the cheek.

"My rotten nose in deed." He laughed. "Let's go-could one of you help me with these?" He handed a suitcase to each of his cousins and took one for himself and they made their way back to the great smial. Frodo filled the Took sisters in on everything that had occurred-from mild colds he'd had to the new friends he'd made and adventures he took.

"Sam and I thought we'd take a walk to Bywater because there was a carnival," Frodo started. "But his parents wouldn't let him any further than the town of Hobbiton. Which was a shame because I heard later from Fredegar Bolger that the fair was brilliant. I just couldn't leave dear Sam out of the fun, though."

Pearl smiled. It was very much like Frodo to think of others before himself. "I only glanced at Sam. I haven't actually met him yet," said Pimpernel. "But I should like to. He seems like quite the gentlehobbit."

Frodo definitely had to agree. The little lad always made sure Mr. Frodo had everything he needed and was always asking to do little things such as "Can I fetch you somethin' from the market, Mr. Frodo? My Da' says I'm old enough to help with the shoppin' now!"

From the Brandywine ferry to the Great Smial it was a twenty-five minute walk. They entered the hole and Eglatine and Paladin smothered Frodo with hugs and kisses, leading him into the kitchen for freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and milk, compliments of Leah.

"Wonderful to see you again, Frodo!" The maid greeted cheerfully as she watched Frodo seemingly enjoy his snack.

"FRODO!"

Frodo looked up to see Pippin, in his feetie pajamas, running towards him. "You're here! You're finally here! I want to show you everything."

Frodo laughed as he lifted Pippin into the air and placed a kiss on his cheek. "You are getting so big!"

"Papa measured me the other day and I'm almost as big as you!" Pippin added. The comment caused all of the girls in the kitchen to burst into laughter and Pippin laughed along with them. "What did you bring me?" He added.

"Pippin!" gasped Pearl in alarm. "Sorry, Frodo. You know children." She clucked her tongue and shook a finger at her little brother.

"Let's see. What do I have for you?" He reached into one of his bags and pulled out a toy soldier.

"Ooooh." Pippin hugged Frodo before lifting his prize.

"You didn't think I'd forget to bring presents for all of you, did I?" Frodo asked seeing the looks on the faces of Pearl, Pervinca and Pimpernel.

"Oh! Oh no-we're sorry if we came across that way," laughed Pearl. "That was very sweet of you to bring a toy for Pippin. Goodness knows he has tons already."

Frodo raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "This is for you, Pearl." He handed her a small wooden box with a carved wooden rose on the top. "It's a jewlery box but a music box as well. Bilbo had it made specially tuned. Try it."

Pearl turned the wind-up crank and gasped as the tune to "The road goes ever on and on-down from the door where it began." began to play. Pervinca received a new hair clip and Pimpernel a stuffed dog.

"Thank you Frodo!" All three girls shouted at once. Eglatine came into the kitchen and saw her children with their gifts and then kissed Frodo once again.

"You are wonderful." She laughed. "Now go on and let Frodo settle in. Pearl-show him to his guestroom, will you?"

Frodo stood and followed Pearl into the corridor feeling as though this was going to be one of the best weeks of his life.