Hello everyone!
Here I am, doing my Saturday morning writing again! Just so you know, there will be only one other chapter after this.
Rosa Cotton: Yes, she will.
Mint Sauce: *does happy dance with Mint Sauce* Yes, Sam IS such a sweetie!
Herculeha: *chants with Herculeha* Fluff, fluff, fluff, fluff . . .
Lady of Ithilien: My, a lot of reviewers have been floating away lately . . . And guess what? The Merry/Estella scene is here at last! I hope it lives up to your expectations!
FallowhidePride: Yay! A new reviewer! Welcome to the place for hobbit romance fluffiness! I hope you enjoy your stay!
Lemondrop: If Sam was real, I suppose you would have some competition for him. *hugs picture of Sam*
Loveofthering: Yay! You're back! Thank you for the kind words, and I hope you continue to enjoy!
Alright. On with the story! Enjoy this extra extremely long chapter!
************************************************
Merry cautiously peeked his curly head around the door. "Mind if I intrude upon this happy scene?"
Rosie and Sam, still locked in each other's arms around Elanor, both smiled. "O course we don't mind, Merry," Rosie insisted. "Please, do come in."
Softly shutting the door behind him, Merry complied, walking over to sit in an overstuffed chair by the window.
"Where are Estella and Mr. Frodo?" Sam inquired.
Before Merry could answer, Rosie interrupted, "Frodo is most likely locked himself in his study with his own 'wife and child'"
"His what?" Merry asked, puzzled beyond belief.
Rosie waved a hand dismissively. "Just what I call that pen and book of his. Spends to much time with them he does, in my opinion."
"Now Rosie . . ." Sam began to intercede cautiously.
"Well," Merry cut in, seeing that pained look in Sam's eye that came whenever someone mentioned his Master and his book. "Rosie guessed right. Frodo is in the study."
"What about Estella?" Rosie pressed her question.
"Do you want to guess that too?"
"Merry!"
"Alright!" Merry laughed in response to Rosie's playful glare. "To be truthful, I do not really know exactly where she is. Last I saw her, she wandered out of Bag End's back door. But then, Estella is very talented at hiding when she doesn't want to be found."
"Do you think that you, knowing her and all, would be able to find where she's off to?" Sam pitched in.
Merry paused for moment, thinking it over, and then nodded. "I would suppose so. I've found her when she's run off before."
Rosie reached over and patted his hand in thanks. "Would you find her for us? We are curious about something, and since you are closer to her, we were wondering if you could ask her about this . . ."
*****************************************************
Estella kicked a rock, and then slumped down behind a tree. She watched a leaf fall slowly from the lofty boughs of the tree. It drifted freely in the air until it landed soundlessly into the small puddle of water at her feet, left from the heavy rains a few days ago. She was content to observe it floating on the surface for a minute, and then struck with a sudden notion, she leaned forward and blew a quick burst of air at it. Caught in her breath, it began spinning crazily, but despite its haphazard movement, it stayed afloat.
Suddenly, hearing a twig crack behind her, she froze. She relaxed, but only slightly when she heard a voice.
"Ah, Estella. There you are." Merry's cheerful face came into view as he rounded the tree. "It happened again, didn't it? How many times have you tried to give me the slip?"
"I have no idea." Estella mumbled nearly incoherently. "But I never seem to succeed to I?"
"Aye." Merry agreed, sitting down beside her. "I'm not an easy person to get rid of."
"No, you're not."
"Thank you for being so kind, my dear Estella."
"You're not welcome."
"You wound me, Estella!" Merry playfully looked shocked, leaning back and holding a hand to his chest. "What did I do?"
She restrained herself for the moment, even though she was tempted to slap him. Finally, she resorted to a simple answer. She sighed. "Nothing."
Surprised by her serious answer, Merry's playful expression faltered. He carefully took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. She squeezed back.
"Sam and Rosie told me about what you did." Merry began.
"Is that so?" Estella remarked nonchalantly.
"Estella."
"What?" She turned her blank face to his. "Why does this concern you? Are you bothered by what I did?"
"No." Merry said simply. "But Sam and Rosie are curious about why."
"Why what?"
"Why you did it!" Merry burst out. "Estella, don't act dim-witted. I know you know what I'm talking about."
"Alright then." Estella's voice turned frosty. "Fine. If you want to know, I'll tell you!"
Merry, a little disconcerted that he had forgotten how quickly she could get angry, softened his voice. "Estella, I'm sorry . . ."
"Hush!" She snapped. "You are not sorry. You wanted to hear why, and I know that you do not want stop me now that I am about to talk."
Merry halted his apology, but could find no other words to say.
"Merry," Estella said, suddenly earnest. "Have you ever witnessed a birth?"
Merry had not been expecting this. "Uh . . . no."
"Neither had Sam." She explained. "Rosie hadn't either, so she had no idea what she was getting herself into."
Merry pondered this. "Estella, I'm not following. How does this explain . . ."
"Merry!" Estella shouted. "Don't you remember my cousin!"
Slowly realization dawned on Merry.
"Remember what happened?" Estella continued. "My Uncle insisted on being with my Aunt during the birth." A quick pained look crossed her eyes. "Do you remember how he was for days afterward?"
Merry nodded sadly. "He was pale and frightened. I think he was on the verge of shock. Hardly anyone could even get him to speak."
Estella gripped his hand harder. "A new child should be celebrated." She whispered. "But my cousins birth was overshadowed with the gloom of his father."
"But Estella, your Uncle was never a very strong hobbit. Did you really think that Sam . . ." Merry paused. "Estella, Sam is a lot stronger than he appears."
"I know . . . but . . ." Estella stammered.
"Estella," Merry said firmly. He slowly lifted her chin so he could meet her eyes. "Just know that I'm proud of you for caring." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
Immediately, she shoved him away, her eyes blazing. "What do you think you are doing!?" She demanded. "Do not plant your slobbering kisses all over my cheeks!"
She examined his hurt expression for a moment, before lightly touching her lips. "Here is much better."
Merry was all to eager to comply.
***********************************************
TBC
One more chapter!
Here I am, doing my Saturday morning writing again! Just so you know, there will be only one other chapter after this.
Rosa Cotton: Yes, she will.
Mint Sauce: *does happy dance with Mint Sauce* Yes, Sam IS such a sweetie!
Herculeha: *chants with Herculeha* Fluff, fluff, fluff, fluff . . .
Lady of Ithilien: My, a lot of reviewers have been floating away lately . . . And guess what? The Merry/Estella scene is here at last! I hope it lives up to your expectations!
FallowhidePride: Yay! A new reviewer! Welcome to the place for hobbit romance fluffiness! I hope you enjoy your stay!
Lemondrop: If Sam was real, I suppose you would have some competition for him. *hugs picture of Sam*
Loveofthering: Yay! You're back! Thank you for the kind words, and I hope you continue to enjoy!
Alright. On with the story! Enjoy this extra extremely long chapter!
************************************************
Merry cautiously peeked his curly head around the door. "Mind if I intrude upon this happy scene?"
Rosie and Sam, still locked in each other's arms around Elanor, both smiled. "O course we don't mind, Merry," Rosie insisted. "Please, do come in."
Softly shutting the door behind him, Merry complied, walking over to sit in an overstuffed chair by the window.
"Where are Estella and Mr. Frodo?" Sam inquired.
Before Merry could answer, Rosie interrupted, "Frodo is most likely locked himself in his study with his own 'wife and child'"
"His what?" Merry asked, puzzled beyond belief.
Rosie waved a hand dismissively. "Just what I call that pen and book of his. Spends to much time with them he does, in my opinion."
"Now Rosie . . ." Sam began to intercede cautiously.
"Well," Merry cut in, seeing that pained look in Sam's eye that came whenever someone mentioned his Master and his book. "Rosie guessed right. Frodo is in the study."
"What about Estella?" Rosie pressed her question.
"Do you want to guess that too?"
"Merry!"
"Alright!" Merry laughed in response to Rosie's playful glare. "To be truthful, I do not really know exactly where she is. Last I saw her, she wandered out of Bag End's back door. But then, Estella is very talented at hiding when she doesn't want to be found."
"Do you think that you, knowing her and all, would be able to find where she's off to?" Sam pitched in.
Merry paused for moment, thinking it over, and then nodded. "I would suppose so. I've found her when she's run off before."
Rosie reached over and patted his hand in thanks. "Would you find her for us? We are curious about something, and since you are closer to her, we were wondering if you could ask her about this . . ."
*****************************************************
Estella kicked a rock, and then slumped down behind a tree. She watched a leaf fall slowly from the lofty boughs of the tree. It drifted freely in the air until it landed soundlessly into the small puddle of water at her feet, left from the heavy rains a few days ago. She was content to observe it floating on the surface for a minute, and then struck with a sudden notion, she leaned forward and blew a quick burst of air at it. Caught in her breath, it began spinning crazily, but despite its haphazard movement, it stayed afloat.
Suddenly, hearing a twig crack behind her, she froze. She relaxed, but only slightly when she heard a voice.
"Ah, Estella. There you are." Merry's cheerful face came into view as he rounded the tree. "It happened again, didn't it? How many times have you tried to give me the slip?"
"I have no idea." Estella mumbled nearly incoherently. "But I never seem to succeed to I?"
"Aye." Merry agreed, sitting down beside her. "I'm not an easy person to get rid of."
"No, you're not."
"Thank you for being so kind, my dear Estella."
"You're not welcome."
"You wound me, Estella!" Merry playfully looked shocked, leaning back and holding a hand to his chest. "What did I do?"
She restrained herself for the moment, even though she was tempted to slap him. Finally, she resorted to a simple answer. She sighed. "Nothing."
Surprised by her serious answer, Merry's playful expression faltered. He carefully took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. She squeezed back.
"Sam and Rosie told me about what you did." Merry began.
"Is that so?" Estella remarked nonchalantly.
"Estella."
"What?" She turned her blank face to his. "Why does this concern you? Are you bothered by what I did?"
"No." Merry said simply. "But Sam and Rosie are curious about why."
"Why what?"
"Why you did it!" Merry burst out. "Estella, don't act dim-witted. I know you know what I'm talking about."
"Alright then." Estella's voice turned frosty. "Fine. If you want to know, I'll tell you!"
Merry, a little disconcerted that he had forgotten how quickly she could get angry, softened his voice. "Estella, I'm sorry . . ."
"Hush!" She snapped. "You are not sorry. You wanted to hear why, and I know that you do not want stop me now that I am about to talk."
Merry halted his apology, but could find no other words to say.
"Merry," Estella said, suddenly earnest. "Have you ever witnessed a birth?"
Merry had not been expecting this. "Uh . . . no."
"Neither had Sam." She explained. "Rosie hadn't either, so she had no idea what she was getting herself into."
Merry pondered this. "Estella, I'm not following. How does this explain . . ."
"Merry!" Estella shouted. "Don't you remember my cousin!"
Slowly realization dawned on Merry.
"Remember what happened?" Estella continued. "My Uncle insisted on being with my Aunt during the birth." A quick pained look crossed her eyes. "Do you remember how he was for days afterward?"
Merry nodded sadly. "He was pale and frightened. I think he was on the verge of shock. Hardly anyone could even get him to speak."
Estella gripped his hand harder. "A new child should be celebrated." She whispered. "But my cousins birth was overshadowed with the gloom of his father."
"But Estella, your Uncle was never a very strong hobbit. Did you really think that Sam . . ." Merry paused. "Estella, Sam is a lot stronger than he appears."
"I know . . . but . . ." Estella stammered.
"Estella," Merry said firmly. He slowly lifted her chin so he could meet her eyes. "Just know that I'm proud of you for caring." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
Immediately, she shoved him away, her eyes blazing. "What do you think you are doing!?" She demanded. "Do not plant your slobbering kisses all over my cheeks!"
She examined his hurt expression for a moment, before lightly touching her lips. "Here is much better."
Merry was all to eager to comply.
***********************************************
TBC
One more chapter!