1 Walk On
Part 3: Worry
Note: Thanks for your reviews. I appreciate it. =) This chapter is pretty short, but I felt it was needed to inform the readers about Bilbo's feelings as it relates to the abuse. He suspects something, of course, and that it what this chapter will deal with.
Just as Frodo had expected, sleep did not come again for him that night. For that reason, he was exhausted the next day. At breakfast he trotted into Bag End's spacious kitchen feeling as if an immense weight had been placed upon his shoulders.
He sat at the small table. Bilbo was wake; he had called him for breakfast, in fact, which he was just finishing at Frodo sat down.
"Good morning, Frodo…" Bilbo said cheerfully as he turned around. He was holding a large teapot, which he was apparently going to place on the fire to be heated. Frodo yawned and got up to help.
"No, I can manage," Bilbo said, glancing quickly over at him. Suddenly, a frown came over his merry face. "You look exhausted, dear boy…I suppose you didn't get back to sleep after your nightmare?"
Frodo shook his head. "I didn't – at least it wasn't a very peaceful sleep. I am very tired."
Bilbo shook his head and sighed. "I do hope your next few nights will be better…I'd hate to have you dreaming horrible dreams every night…perhaps tonight I'll send you to bed earlier. I did keep you up rather late last night."
"It's not your fault, Bilbo," Frodo said hastily. "From time to time I have nightmares. I don't know why, nor do I know how they come about…I usually don't scream, however." He smiled weakly.
Bilbo handed Frodo a piece of toast and some marmalade. He patted him on the shoulder. "It is all right, Frodo…you need not feel ashamed. Every hobbit has nightmares from time to time. I've had some, too. I once had the most frightening dream…" His voice trailed off.
Frodo looked up from his toast, which he had been nibbling carelessly, at Bilbo. "What do you mean, Uncle?"
"Oh, it's nothing," he said quickly. Frodo said nothing, but he could see that his uncle was very much troubled, and not only for his sake.
Bilbo walked away from the table to the fireplace. When he came back he was carrying the teapot again. He carefully poured some tea into his and Frodo's cups, politely asking if he would like any sugar or milk or anything else with his breakfast.
As Bilbo put the pot back by the fire, he began to chatter amiably. The light-hearted conversation continued over the course of breakfast, and Bilbo seemed much more cheerful than he had earlier, and yet a shadow seemed to hang over him. Frodo could tell his uncle's moods almost as well as Bilbo could tell his. He could tell that something was still bothering him.
Finally, when Frodo had eaten several pieces of toast, had drank many cups of tea, and eaten some eggs, Bilbo asked, "Aren't you still hungry?"
"I have eaten, Bilbo…very much," said Frodo with a laugh. "More than enough, in fact. I am quite full."
Bilbo frowned. "Are you sure? You always seem to be so thin and small, Frodo my dear, and so pale. But I suppose that I worry about you too much."
"I'm fine," Frodo said.
Bilbo nodded. "Yes, I know."
They fell into silence. Frodo helped Bilbo pick up the kitchen and clean out the dishes. Bilbo had fallen silent and had a rather thoughtful look on his face.
"What is troubling you, Uncle?" Frodo finally asked. He looked so distraught and uncannily thoughtful that it was beginning to scare him.
Bilbo looked at him, an odd gleam in his eyes. "It's you, my dear boy," he said worriedly. "I have the worst feeling that you are not doing well. You are acting so strange, especially lately, and I worry about you."
"You seriously do not have to worry about me, Bilbo," said Frodo, alarmed at the turmoil in his dear uncle's voice. He knew that, if Bilbo were to find out about his life at home, he would probably go mad. "I am very much well, and I will continue to be well for as long as I can perceive." Frodo smiled. Bilbo smiled back, and laughed.
"I suppose you must be wondering if I am well," he said with a chuckle. "I just worry about you, especially since you are so far away. I suppose I must be driving you mad with all my worry."
"I know," said Frodo softly. "I don't mind." He reached over and touched Bilbo lightly on the shoulder and smiled.
There was a moment of silence in which the two stood like that in front of the fire. Finally, Bilbo said, "Well, I suppose that you should get dressed. We have a full day ahead of us. I was thinking that we could go for a walk, perhaps spend the entire day outdoors?"
Frodo agreed to that eagerly. He approached the door and was about to go to his room when he remembered something. "Bilbo?" he asked hesitantly. "I was going to ask you…what was your nightmare about?"
For a moment, Bilbo looked confused. Then he said, "Oh, that…well, I shall tell you a story tonight. How would you feel about camping outside tonight?"
"I would love it!"
Bilbo laughed. "That's what we shall do, then…go pack a light bag so we can start out as soon as possible!"
Frodo hurried out of the room and to his room to pack. He was, for the first time in awhile, excited for the day that was to come.
Part 3: Worry
Note: Thanks for your reviews. I appreciate it. =) This chapter is pretty short, but I felt it was needed to inform the readers about Bilbo's feelings as it relates to the abuse. He suspects something, of course, and that it what this chapter will deal with.
Just as Frodo had expected, sleep did not come again for him that night. For that reason, he was exhausted the next day. At breakfast he trotted into Bag End's spacious kitchen feeling as if an immense weight had been placed upon his shoulders.
He sat at the small table. Bilbo was wake; he had called him for breakfast, in fact, which he was just finishing at Frodo sat down.
"Good morning, Frodo…" Bilbo said cheerfully as he turned around. He was holding a large teapot, which he was apparently going to place on the fire to be heated. Frodo yawned and got up to help.
"No, I can manage," Bilbo said, glancing quickly over at him. Suddenly, a frown came over his merry face. "You look exhausted, dear boy…I suppose you didn't get back to sleep after your nightmare?"
Frodo shook his head. "I didn't – at least it wasn't a very peaceful sleep. I am very tired."
Bilbo shook his head and sighed. "I do hope your next few nights will be better…I'd hate to have you dreaming horrible dreams every night…perhaps tonight I'll send you to bed earlier. I did keep you up rather late last night."
"It's not your fault, Bilbo," Frodo said hastily. "From time to time I have nightmares. I don't know why, nor do I know how they come about…I usually don't scream, however." He smiled weakly.
Bilbo handed Frodo a piece of toast and some marmalade. He patted him on the shoulder. "It is all right, Frodo…you need not feel ashamed. Every hobbit has nightmares from time to time. I've had some, too. I once had the most frightening dream…" His voice trailed off.
Frodo looked up from his toast, which he had been nibbling carelessly, at Bilbo. "What do you mean, Uncle?"
"Oh, it's nothing," he said quickly. Frodo said nothing, but he could see that his uncle was very much troubled, and not only for his sake.
Bilbo walked away from the table to the fireplace. When he came back he was carrying the teapot again. He carefully poured some tea into his and Frodo's cups, politely asking if he would like any sugar or milk or anything else with his breakfast.
As Bilbo put the pot back by the fire, he began to chatter amiably. The light-hearted conversation continued over the course of breakfast, and Bilbo seemed much more cheerful than he had earlier, and yet a shadow seemed to hang over him. Frodo could tell his uncle's moods almost as well as Bilbo could tell his. He could tell that something was still bothering him.
Finally, when Frodo had eaten several pieces of toast, had drank many cups of tea, and eaten some eggs, Bilbo asked, "Aren't you still hungry?"
"I have eaten, Bilbo…very much," said Frodo with a laugh. "More than enough, in fact. I am quite full."
Bilbo frowned. "Are you sure? You always seem to be so thin and small, Frodo my dear, and so pale. But I suppose that I worry about you too much."
"I'm fine," Frodo said.
Bilbo nodded. "Yes, I know."
They fell into silence. Frodo helped Bilbo pick up the kitchen and clean out the dishes. Bilbo had fallen silent and had a rather thoughtful look on his face.
"What is troubling you, Uncle?" Frodo finally asked. He looked so distraught and uncannily thoughtful that it was beginning to scare him.
Bilbo looked at him, an odd gleam in his eyes. "It's you, my dear boy," he said worriedly. "I have the worst feeling that you are not doing well. You are acting so strange, especially lately, and I worry about you."
"You seriously do not have to worry about me, Bilbo," said Frodo, alarmed at the turmoil in his dear uncle's voice. He knew that, if Bilbo were to find out about his life at home, he would probably go mad. "I am very much well, and I will continue to be well for as long as I can perceive." Frodo smiled. Bilbo smiled back, and laughed.
"I suppose you must be wondering if I am well," he said with a chuckle. "I just worry about you, especially since you are so far away. I suppose I must be driving you mad with all my worry."
"I know," said Frodo softly. "I don't mind." He reached over and touched Bilbo lightly on the shoulder and smiled.
There was a moment of silence in which the two stood like that in front of the fire. Finally, Bilbo said, "Well, I suppose that you should get dressed. We have a full day ahead of us. I was thinking that we could go for a walk, perhaps spend the entire day outdoors?"
Frodo agreed to that eagerly. He approached the door and was about to go to his room when he remembered something. "Bilbo?" he asked hesitantly. "I was going to ask you…what was your nightmare about?"
For a moment, Bilbo looked confused. Then he said, "Oh, that…well, I shall tell you a story tonight. How would you feel about camping outside tonight?"
"I would love it!"
Bilbo laughed. "That's what we shall do, then…go pack a light bag so we can start out as soon as possible!"
Frodo hurried out of the room and to his room to pack. He was, for the first time in awhile, excited for the day that was to come.