PART III
(4 more years later)
Chapter 30 Growing Pains
A/N: I borrowed this chapter title from Meldewen Ice's story "Growing Pains". I hope she doesn't mind! Plus there is a TV show called "Growing Pains" also. Hope everyone enjoys this! This is a direct parody from Little Women as I am sure you will be able to pick up. :o) If not, then rent the 1949 version of the Little Women movie with Margaret O'Brien and Elizabeth Taylor. Such a cute film!
One particuarily bright and sunny afternoon in early September, Pearl stood in the hallway of the Great Smial, gazing into a mirror as she brushed her long, brown curls, humming softly. She heard the sound of footsteps and the noticed that Pimpernel had come in to join her, but the silence that filled the room was a tad uncomfortable.
"Where are you going?" Pimpernel asked, folding her arms, tapping her foot on the floor. "You're all dressed up and I doubt Mama and Papa would let you sit outside in that silk dress."
Pearl blushed a little and cleared her throat. "Um-n-nowhere." She quickly turned away and proceeded to fasten half of her hair into a silver clip.
Pimpernel walked up so that she stood right beside her sister. "You must be expecting someone then."
"I?" Pearl asked innocently-a little too innocently for Pimpernel.
"Yes, YOU. Are you expecting that lad?"
"I don't know WHAT you're talking about, Pimpernel. Will you stop pestering? I am really quite busy and do not need you to interrupt me."
Pimpernel snorted. "I hope you don't think you're in love with Falco, because I can tell you that you're NOT." She said in a definite voice.
"In love with WHO?" Pervinca skipped down the hallway in her playclothes, prepared to go outside.
"Get out of here!" Both Pearl and Pimpernel snapped in unison.
"Do you MIND?" They both added, glaring at each other.
"I think you BOTH have problems," Pervinca giggled, sticking her little red tongue out at them. Pearl grabbed her hairbrush and threatened to smack her little sister over the head with it.
"OUT!" She snapped. "Go on-now!"
Pervinca gave a short little huff of "Well THAT'S nice." before heading the rest of the way outside. SLAM-the door shut behind her a bit harder than was necessary. When their irritant of a sister was gone, the two elder lass's turned to each other.
"What do you MEAN you know I'm not in love with him? What do YOU know about love?"
"I'm a writer so I do know. Plus Frodo taught me from the books he's read. You have none of the symptoms. You eat all right, you sleep like a log, you're not twittery or cross and you don't mope in corners. Well-you ARE twittery and cross anyway, but that's beside the point. You have neither of the other symptoms, so therefore you're not in love, Pearl!" She leaned forward, staring her elder sister in the eye. "So THEREFORE-don't go and marry that lad!"
Pearl gasped. "FRODO taught you the ways of love?" She burst into laughter. "Please!"
"Now that's not funny." Pimpernel snapped.
"You have to admit, Pimpernel, that the last person in the Shire that would know about love is Frodo."
"He knows more than you think he does!" Pimpernel snapped angrily.
"What is wrong with you, Pimmie? Are you jealous?" Pearl teased, using her baby voice.
"No! There are-p-plenty of boys out there and I could snag one anytime I wanted. I just don't-I don't want to."
Pearl sniggered. "Well then. If you are not jealous, let me deal with Falco in my own way then."
"What are you going to say to him if he asks you for your hand today?"
Pearl thought this idea very funny and rather rediculous. "How do you know he will ask for my hand today?"
"Answer me, Pearl."
Pearl sighed, shaking her head, before puffing out her chest a bit and looking so serious that Pimpernel had to fight the urge to laugh. "Thank you, Master Boffin-you are very kind. But I quite agree with Mama that I am too young to marry you at present. So let us say no more, and remain friends as we were."
"Good!" Pimpernel laughed. "That's stiff and cool enough! Then when he hands you the mitten-things will be the way they were around here and...." She was cut off by the sound of rapping on the door. Before they could stop him, Pippin bolted down the hallway from the kitchen and answered the door. The little hobbit stepped back, his grey eyes wide and his mouth open. Sure enough, Falco Boffin stood in the doorway, almost as dressed up as Pearl herself. Pimpernel nudged Pearl and winked at her before hurrying out of the room.
"Who are you?" Pippin asked.
"Falco. Is your sister Pearl there?"
Pippin turned to look at Pearl, who was smiling and blushing again. "That's just my little brother Peregrin," Pearl explained, ignoring the grimace on Pippin's face. He hated it when anyone used his full first name.
"Ah yes-I have heard a great deal about you. You go by Pippin, don't you?"
Pippin nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Scurry away, now, dear. Falco and I need a few moments alone." Pearl encouraged.
"But..."
"Pippin....don't make me hang you upside down in the pantry. Go on."
Pippin gasped and then turned and fled. When the little lad was gone, Falco turned to Pearl. "Shall we?" He asked, offering her his arm. Pearl accepted it and the two of them walked out of the smial. From her spot in her father's study, Pimpernel heard the door shut and she bolted off to see what had happened. She peered out of the window and her mouth fell open-her sister and Falco were walking towards the lake-and they were KISSING!
"MAMA!" Pimpernel cried out, dashing for the kitchens. "Mum!"
Eglatine nearly dropped an entire barrel of apples she had just brought in from the orchard and stared at her daughter who had burst through the door. "Sweet Eru, Pearl! What is it?" Eglatine asked, her eyes wide with concern.
It took a few moments for Pimpernel to adjust her voice and she said, "Falco is acting DREADFULLY-and Pearl likes it!"
This statement caused everyone to burst into laughter. "Oh Pimpernel- you are a trip." Laughed Leah.
Pimpernel blushed crimson. "Wh-what's so funny?"
"Don't you know, Pimpernel?" asked Pippin, giggling. "I wanted to tell you, but you wouldn't let me. Falco asked Pearl to marry him last week."
"She was trying to find a nice way to tell you, dear." Said Eglatine. "And she asked us not to say anything."
"M-married? Pearl?" Pimpernel choked.
"Your sister is twenty-five now, Pimmie. She is old enough to marry."
Without another word, Pimpernel's eyes rolled into the back of her head: THUD. She hit the ground in a dead faint.
She woke up about ten minutes later and found that she had been moved to the couch in the parlor. "Pimpernel-you should be happy for your sister." Paladin told the partially-with-it tweenager.
"Why didn't she just come out and tell me? She even came up with a wonderful thing to say to Falco when he "asked" her for her hand. She said that she was too young to..."
"What is bothering you, love?" asked Eglatine.
"Our family is breaking up. I don't want it to."
Eglatine and Paladin glanced at each other with worried expressions. "Growing up is not an easy thing, Pimpernel. You must understand that." Paladin began. "Things change-people change. It is something we can not control."
Pimpernel knew this-she really did, but she had been determined not to think about it. Now the idea that she was an adult had hit her straight on in the face, and she didn't like it one bit. How she wished cousin Frodo was here-she wanted to have him hug her and tell her everything would be all right. He always seemed to be the perfect person to talk to about troubles, for he had had plenty of his own. However, Frodo wasn't around now, and the closest she had to him was....
"Oh dear Pip," She sobbed, throwing her arms around her little brother. "Promise me you'll never leave us. Promise me you'll always be our Pippin."
Pippin stared at his sister, frowning. "I'll try, Pimmie. Really I will."
"Well then." Said Paladin with a smile. "Who is ready for some fresh apple cake?"
Pippin let go of Pimpernel and Pimpernel sat up. "We are!" The two of them cried, laughing, and followed their parents into the kitchens again.
(4 more years later)
Chapter 30 Growing Pains
A/N: I borrowed this chapter title from Meldewen Ice's story "Growing Pains". I hope she doesn't mind! Plus there is a TV show called "Growing Pains" also. Hope everyone enjoys this! This is a direct parody from Little Women as I am sure you will be able to pick up. :o) If not, then rent the 1949 version of the Little Women movie with Margaret O'Brien and Elizabeth Taylor. Such a cute film!
One particuarily bright and sunny afternoon in early September, Pearl stood in the hallway of the Great Smial, gazing into a mirror as she brushed her long, brown curls, humming softly. She heard the sound of footsteps and the noticed that Pimpernel had come in to join her, but the silence that filled the room was a tad uncomfortable.
"Where are you going?" Pimpernel asked, folding her arms, tapping her foot on the floor. "You're all dressed up and I doubt Mama and Papa would let you sit outside in that silk dress."
Pearl blushed a little and cleared her throat. "Um-n-nowhere." She quickly turned away and proceeded to fasten half of her hair into a silver clip.
Pimpernel walked up so that she stood right beside her sister. "You must be expecting someone then."
"I?" Pearl asked innocently-a little too innocently for Pimpernel.
"Yes, YOU. Are you expecting that lad?"
"I don't know WHAT you're talking about, Pimpernel. Will you stop pestering? I am really quite busy and do not need you to interrupt me."
Pimpernel snorted. "I hope you don't think you're in love with Falco, because I can tell you that you're NOT." She said in a definite voice.
"In love with WHO?" Pervinca skipped down the hallway in her playclothes, prepared to go outside.
"Get out of here!" Both Pearl and Pimpernel snapped in unison.
"Do you MIND?" They both added, glaring at each other.
"I think you BOTH have problems," Pervinca giggled, sticking her little red tongue out at them. Pearl grabbed her hairbrush and threatened to smack her little sister over the head with it.
"OUT!" She snapped. "Go on-now!"
Pervinca gave a short little huff of "Well THAT'S nice." before heading the rest of the way outside. SLAM-the door shut behind her a bit harder than was necessary. When their irritant of a sister was gone, the two elder lass's turned to each other.
"What do you MEAN you know I'm not in love with him? What do YOU know about love?"
"I'm a writer so I do know. Plus Frodo taught me from the books he's read. You have none of the symptoms. You eat all right, you sleep like a log, you're not twittery or cross and you don't mope in corners. Well-you ARE twittery and cross anyway, but that's beside the point. You have neither of the other symptoms, so therefore you're not in love, Pearl!" She leaned forward, staring her elder sister in the eye. "So THEREFORE-don't go and marry that lad!"
Pearl gasped. "FRODO taught you the ways of love?" She burst into laughter. "Please!"
"Now that's not funny." Pimpernel snapped.
"You have to admit, Pimpernel, that the last person in the Shire that would know about love is Frodo."
"He knows more than you think he does!" Pimpernel snapped angrily.
"What is wrong with you, Pimmie? Are you jealous?" Pearl teased, using her baby voice.
"No! There are-p-plenty of boys out there and I could snag one anytime I wanted. I just don't-I don't want to."
Pearl sniggered. "Well then. If you are not jealous, let me deal with Falco in my own way then."
"What are you going to say to him if he asks you for your hand today?"
Pearl thought this idea very funny and rather rediculous. "How do you know he will ask for my hand today?"
"Answer me, Pearl."
Pearl sighed, shaking her head, before puffing out her chest a bit and looking so serious that Pimpernel had to fight the urge to laugh. "Thank you, Master Boffin-you are very kind. But I quite agree with Mama that I am too young to marry you at present. So let us say no more, and remain friends as we were."
"Good!" Pimpernel laughed. "That's stiff and cool enough! Then when he hands you the mitten-things will be the way they were around here and...." She was cut off by the sound of rapping on the door. Before they could stop him, Pippin bolted down the hallway from the kitchen and answered the door. The little hobbit stepped back, his grey eyes wide and his mouth open. Sure enough, Falco Boffin stood in the doorway, almost as dressed up as Pearl herself. Pimpernel nudged Pearl and winked at her before hurrying out of the room.
"Who are you?" Pippin asked.
"Falco. Is your sister Pearl there?"
Pippin turned to look at Pearl, who was smiling and blushing again. "That's just my little brother Peregrin," Pearl explained, ignoring the grimace on Pippin's face. He hated it when anyone used his full first name.
"Ah yes-I have heard a great deal about you. You go by Pippin, don't you?"
Pippin nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Scurry away, now, dear. Falco and I need a few moments alone." Pearl encouraged.
"But..."
"Pippin....don't make me hang you upside down in the pantry. Go on."
Pippin gasped and then turned and fled. When the little lad was gone, Falco turned to Pearl. "Shall we?" He asked, offering her his arm. Pearl accepted it and the two of them walked out of the smial. From her spot in her father's study, Pimpernel heard the door shut and she bolted off to see what had happened. She peered out of the window and her mouth fell open-her sister and Falco were walking towards the lake-and they were KISSING!
"MAMA!" Pimpernel cried out, dashing for the kitchens. "Mum!"
Eglatine nearly dropped an entire barrel of apples she had just brought in from the orchard and stared at her daughter who had burst through the door. "Sweet Eru, Pearl! What is it?" Eglatine asked, her eyes wide with concern.
It took a few moments for Pimpernel to adjust her voice and she said, "Falco is acting DREADFULLY-and Pearl likes it!"
This statement caused everyone to burst into laughter. "Oh Pimpernel- you are a trip." Laughed Leah.
Pimpernel blushed crimson. "Wh-what's so funny?"
"Don't you know, Pimpernel?" asked Pippin, giggling. "I wanted to tell you, but you wouldn't let me. Falco asked Pearl to marry him last week."
"She was trying to find a nice way to tell you, dear." Said Eglatine. "And she asked us not to say anything."
"M-married? Pearl?" Pimpernel choked.
"Your sister is twenty-five now, Pimmie. She is old enough to marry."
Without another word, Pimpernel's eyes rolled into the back of her head: THUD. She hit the ground in a dead faint.
She woke up about ten minutes later and found that she had been moved to the couch in the parlor. "Pimpernel-you should be happy for your sister." Paladin told the partially-with-it tweenager.
"Why didn't she just come out and tell me? She even came up with a wonderful thing to say to Falco when he "asked" her for her hand. She said that she was too young to..."
"What is bothering you, love?" asked Eglatine.
"Our family is breaking up. I don't want it to."
Eglatine and Paladin glanced at each other with worried expressions. "Growing up is not an easy thing, Pimpernel. You must understand that." Paladin began. "Things change-people change. It is something we can not control."
Pimpernel knew this-she really did, but she had been determined not to think about it. Now the idea that she was an adult had hit her straight on in the face, and she didn't like it one bit. How she wished cousin Frodo was here-she wanted to have him hug her and tell her everything would be all right. He always seemed to be the perfect person to talk to about troubles, for he had had plenty of his own. However, Frodo wasn't around now, and the closest she had to him was....
"Oh dear Pip," She sobbed, throwing her arms around her little brother. "Promise me you'll never leave us. Promise me you'll always be our Pippin."
Pippin stared at his sister, frowning. "I'll try, Pimmie. Really I will."
"Well then." Said Paladin with a smile. "Who is ready for some fresh apple cake?"
Pippin let go of Pimpernel and Pimpernel sat up. "We are!" The two of them cried, laughing, and followed their parents into the kitchens again.
