Reggie awoke slowly, wondering for a moment where in Middle-earth she was. She took in her surroundings groggily. 'I'm at Bag End!' Then, 'Frodo is here!' And, 'What time is it?' She thought in rapid succession. She was immediately awake. She jumped out of bed and put on her day-robe. Then she remembered, 'Gandalf is coming. I'll have to change into something nicer, later.' She didn't know why she wanted to impress Gandalf, but she felt like he had to approve of her. 'Odd... There's certainly no reason for that.' She thought as she wandered into the kitchen. Bilbo was the only one in there. He was humming to himself.
"The road goes ever on and on... down from the road where it began.... hmmhmmmhmmm... pursuing it with weary feet... and I will follow if I can."
"That's lovely, Bilbo!" Reggie said when he'd seemed to stop. Bilbo's head snapped up in surprise. "Oh! I'm sorry if I startled you."
"Regina! Good morning, love! No, no, it's fine, lass, I just didn't know anyone else was awake. Thank you, I wrote it myself. Up already, eh? Frodo is still a-bed; he's such a lazy lad sometimes." He winked. "Though I am surprised he's not up to greet you, it being your first morning at Bag End and all." Bilbo replied.
'Does he ever say just one sentence at a time?' Regina wondered curiously. Then she smiled conspiratorially and said, "Well, we shall simply have to wake him up then! It's already," She paused, looking at the old clock on the wall. "Nearly 7:30! With Gandalf coming soon, too. Hmmm... How shall we wake him?" Bilbo looked at her as if she was the silliest lass in Middle-earth.
"Why, my dear, with cold water down his back! How else could we do it?" Bilbo stated, matter-of-factly. "Fetch me that pitcher of water, there." He pointed. Regina was horrified.
"But, but Bilbo! I just meant pounce on him or ring a loud bell in his room or something, but this... won't he be angry?" She sputtered.
"Nonsense, lass! A pitcher of water is the only thing that will do on this occasion. You go ahead and pounce on him, after I poor the water. As for him being angry, of course he will! That's the idea. Living in Brandy Hall, I thought you'd learn these things. Of course, they don't do things proper over there so it's no wonder you don't know. Ah, well, it's time for you to learn. Come on, Regina lass!" With that, Bilbo trotted off in the direction of Frodo's room, assuming Regina would follow with the water. Reggie considered.
'How could I do that to Frodo?' Then, 'Yet how could I not do it?' She grinned maliciously, grabbed the pitcher, and dashed after Bilbo.
Frodo was having a good dream. He and Reggie were at Brandy Hall, in a parlor, their parlor. Two little lasses were playing at their feet. Somehow he knew that those lasses were his own; his and Regina's children. He was sitting with his arm around her, and she was staring contentedly at the lasses, while he, in turn, was staring at her. She was so beautiful. He wanted it to go on forever, just all of them sitting there together, content and happy. But suddenly, it began to rain. 'Inside?' Frodo wondered in his dream. A drop trickled down his nose. More rain. It was so cold!
Frodo spluttered himself awake. He opened his eyes. There was Bilbo, happily pouring water down his younger cousin's back and face. And neck. And chest. Frodo was vaguely aware of Reggie in the background. Then she pounced from a few feet away from his bed and landed on top of him.
"OOOMMPHF!" Frodo gasped as the air was completely knocked out of him. Regina laughed with amusement. She hovered over him, smiling that wonderful smile that brightened her entire face. Frodo wanted to kiss her so badly. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, a moment of pure truth between them. Regina shook it off.
"Frodo, you sleepy-head! Gandalf is coming, silly! Bilbo and I have been up for just forever and you've been in here sleeping the day away, lazy thing!" She reached down to give him a good-morning half-hug. "Get up!"
'This,' Frodo thought, 'Is why I love her.' He said, "Do I really have a choice, especially now that I'm so wet? Thank you, Bilbo, you're a wonderful rooster." Regina laughed happily. Bilbo put on a hurt face.
"Why, Frodo, really! That's not fair at all! It was all Reggie's idea! The water, the pouncing, everything! I'll swear it upon Smaug's dead body, I will!" Bilbo finished his statement with a curt nod of his head. Regina merely rolled her eyes, making no attempt to argue.
"Of course it was her idea." Frodo began. He winked at Regina. "Only Reggie here could have come up with something as devious as pouring ice cold water on a poor sleeping hobbit." The tables turned, Bilbo just opened and closed his mouth like a gasping fish. Frodo and Reggie burst into hysterical laughter. Bilbo looked hurt again, only this time it was a bit more genuine.
"Really, now, be nice to an old hobbit! My mind isn't as quick as it used to be. Frodo, you know it was me, don't you? They never would have come up with something like that in Buckland." Bilbo said defensively. Reggie grinned.
"Bilbo, dear, the day your mind isn't quick is the day you cease to breath. We'll just hope your tongue doesn't last that long as well." Regina winked at Bilbo. Frodo laughed again. Reggie looked at him and remembered that he was still all wet and it was starting to get cold in the mornings. "Frodo, do go change into some dry clothes. I'm going to treat both of you old bachelors to a true Brandybuck breakfast. Hurry now, Gandalf will be here soon!"
Frodo stopped laughing and stared. Regina was still in her night-gown and day robe. Her fire-red hair was in a sloppy braid and frizzing out in little wisps of curls around her face. Her sea-grey eyes were filled with laughter and something else Frodo could not place. She was smiling.
She was so beautiful.