Disclaimer: see chapter 1
A/N: okay, so I'm excited that there are more reviews. Thanks to all of you
who reviewed. Again, I'll try update at least once a week, but there's no
guarantee. So, without further delay, more story.
Chapter 3
I woke up the next morning to Lily shaking me fiercely. "Come on, you need to get up!" she yelled at me softly, trying not to wake everyone else. I sat up after batting her arms away. I swung my legs over the edge of the mattress, forcing myself to wake.
"How did it go a the Gamgees' yesterday?" Lily inquired, changing quickly from her nightclothes to her work dress.
"It's nice. Very different from working at the Green Dragon," I replied, noticing that Lily was now hanging on my every word.
"Did you see him?" Lily asked, coming closer to me. She always was one for gossip. I remember her being away at the market for hours once, just talking to people and catching up on all the rumors that circulated throughout the town. I had to pry her away from the other women.
"See who?" I meant to tease her.
"Mad Baggins. Who else?"
"Only briefly." I stood up and changed from my nightclothes to my dress.
"And?"
"Nothing happened. He seems fairly normal."
"Did you see his hand?"
"Lily, I don't have time for this childish nonsense. I have to get going as you said." I gathered up my things and turned around to see Lily's sad face as I left the room. Passing through the cold house, I hurried off towards another day's work.
Fall was making itself quite known throughout the Shire. The newly dried leaves crunched lightly underneath my feet as I made my way down the well-worn path. The trees proudly showed their new, brightly colored foliage, clinging onto what life they had left before winter reaped any remaining life.
I arrived at the small fence around Bag End just as the sun graced the hills. The gate creaked in protest as I opened it to let myself in. I went to the green door and rapped my knuckles upon it as I had the previous day. The door opened to reveal Rosie smiling broadly. She held it open wider to let me in. I entered into the radiating warmth, hanging my shawl in its proper place near the door.
"You can just come in. Don't worry about knocking," Rosie said, closing the door. I followed her into the kitchen where the heat intensified, but it was still pleasant. She returned to stirring a pot over the fire. I helped to chop vegetables into the soup. The dawn poured in through the small window as we worked, cheering up the entire place. The scent of boiled meat and vegetables soon filled the room and signaled that the soup was done.
"Could you fetch Sam? He's in the back room," Rosie asked. I nodded and headed to the back room and found light coming through the slightly open door. I pushed it open and peered inside. Sam turned around and smiled at me.
"Good morning, Master Gamgee. Breakfast is ready," I said, coming into the room a little and looking around.
"Thank you Miss Mirabella," he said, putting some tools in a pile.
"If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing?"
"I'm gathering up some things for when I go to my sister's today. She needs help with her plants. May claims that I got the best green thumb out of the family." His smile crept up on his face again. I wondered if a frown had every graced his cheery disposition.
"Well, you better get your food before it gets cold." I walked back to the kitchen and sat down to eat. Sam arrived soon after. It was a very cheery atmosphere and I felt more at home and welcome there than in my own house. Very little conversation passed during breakfast, just small talk.
The meal ended and the sun was now pouring fully into the kitchen. Sam headed out for the day.
"Mirabella?" Rosie called as I was cleaning the dishes.
"Yes?" I replied, putting a dish into the cupboard.
"Could you go see if Mr. Baggins is up and go wake him if he's still sleeping?"
"Sure." I set down the plate I was drying and walked to the study, knocking on the door. Hearing nothing come from within, I opened the door a crack and saw that the room was empty. I decided that he was probably still asleep and so I went to his room and knocked on the door there. Again silence followed. I opened the door and peered around the room. There was a lump in the bed where his still frame lay. "Master Baggins?" I asked, trying to stir him before actually reaching him. I walked closer to the bed and saw his dark hair peeking out from the covers. I placed my hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly. "Master Baggins, please wake up."
He stirred a little, then rolled over onto his back. I looked at his face, pale and troubled, maybe from a nightmare. I placed the back of my hand on his forehead to feel his skin burn beneath it. His eyes fluttered open to reveal exhaustion and pain beneath the deep blue. He pulled himself up and leaned against the backboard of the bed, running a hand over his face, then staring at me.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, looking around the room.
"Mrs. Gamgee told me to wake you. It's morning and your breakfast is getting cold." I paused, looking at him. His body seemed tired. "Are you feeling alright?"
He glanced at me quickly then looked at the bed. "Yes, I'm alright. I just didn't sleep well."
"Would you like me to bring you your breakfast?"
"Bring it to my study."
"Aye, Master Baggins." I retreated to the kitchen and took a bowl of soup to the study.
"Where was Mr. Baggins?" Rosie asked as I returned to the kitchen.
"He was sleeping."
"That's odd. He never sleeps late."
"He seemed pale and tired."
"Well, Mr. Baggins can take care of himself." Rosie said, cleaning up the counters.
I resumed my work and finished the dishes. Later that afternoon, Rosie sent me to the market again. I put my shawl around my shoulders and grabbed a basket, heading out into the crisp air. The same lad kept eyeing me. As I neared his table, I could feel his eyes on me more than ever.
"It's not nice to stare," I said as I took an apple from his table. I looked up at him to see his mouth gaping.
"W-Well," he stammered, " I'm not used to seeing such lovely lasses around here." I blushed. "I haven't seen you around here before yesterday," he continued.
"I haven't been out lately. But if you'll excuse me, I must be going," I said, handing him a few coins.
"Will I see you again?"
"I might be around more." I turned around and left, looking back at him to see him waving. I returned to the Gamgees' for a full afternoon of work.
The cooking went fairly smoothly, but unfortunately, it was washing day. My knuckles turned white from scrubbing so hard. Rosie was an expert at it. I guessed that I wasn't made out for common chores, although Rosie and Sam did compliment my cooking the previous day. The day progressed as the day before, only seeing Frodo in his study. He remained silent in there and kept to himself.
I was cleaning the final dishes for the evening when I overheard Rosie talking to Sam.
"Sam, Frodo was actin strangely today," Rosie said, her knitting needles keeping their rhythm constant.
"How so?" Sam inquired.
"Mirabella found him still asleep after you left this morning and he stayed in his study for breakfast."
"That's peculiar." Sam stayed quiet for a while. "Oh, no," he stated softly.
"What is it, Sam?" Rosie asked. The clicking of her needles ceased.
"It's October sixth."
"Really? It doesn't seem like that much time has passed."
"But it has. Gandalf said he'd never fully heal."
"Poor Frodo." Rosie said, resuming her knitting. I put the final plate in the cupboard and put the towel away. I walked out to the sitting room. Sam and Rosie both looked at me.
"I'll be leaving now unless you need me," I said, looking from one face to the other.
"No, that'll be all. Thank you very much Mirabella." Rosie said. Sam nodded. I bid them goodnight and headed to the door where I picked up my shawl and wrapped it around my shoulders. On my journey home, thoughts about what had happened plagued my mind and followed me into the darkness of my sleep.
Chapter 3
I woke up the next morning to Lily shaking me fiercely. "Come on, you need to get up!" she yelled at me softly, trying not to wake everyone else. I sat up after batting her arms away. I swung my legs over the edge of the mattress, forcing myself to wake.
"How did it go a the Gamgees' yesterday?" Lily inquired, changing quickly from her nightclothes to her work dress.
"It's nice. Very different from working at the Green Dragon," I replied, noticing that Lily was now hanging on my every word.
"Did you see him?" Lily asked, coming closer to me. She always was one for gossip. I remember her being away at the market for hours once, just talking to people and catching up on all the rumors that circulated throughout the town. I had to pry her away from the other women.
"See who?" I meant to tease her.
"Mad Baggins. Who else?"
"Only briefly." I stood up and changed from my nightclothes to my dress.
"And?"
"Nothing happened. He seems fairly normal."
"Did you see his hand?"
"Lily, I don't have time for this childish nonsense. I have to get going as you said." I gathered up my things and turned around to see Lily's sad face as I left the room. Passing through the cold house, I hurried off towards another day's work.
Fall was making itself quite known throughout the Shire. The newly dried leaves crunched lightly underneath my feet as I made my way down the well-worn path. The trees proudly showed their new, brightly colored foliage, clinging onto what life they had left before winter reaped any remaining life.
I arrived at the small fence around Bag End just as the sun graced the hills. The gate creaked in protest as I opened it to let myself in. I went to the green door and rapped my knuckles upon it as I had the previous day. The door opened to reveal Rosie smiling broadly. She held it open wider to let me in. I entered into the radiating warmth, hanging my shawl in its proper place near the door.
"You can just come in. Don't worry about knocking," Rosie said, closing the door. I followed her into the kitchen where the heat intensified, but it was still pleasant. She returned to stirring a pot over the fire. I helped to chop vegetables into the soup. The dawn poured in through the small window as we worked, cheering up the entire place. The scent of boiled meat and vegetables soon filled the room and signaled that the soup was done.
"Could you fetch Sam? He's in the back room," Rosie asked. I nodded and headed to the back room and found light coming through the slightly open door. I pushed it open and peered inside. Sam turned around and smiled at me.
"Good morning, Master Gamgee. Breakfast is ready," I said, coming into the room a little and looking around.
"Thank you Miss Mirabella," he said, putting some tools in a pile.
"If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing?"
"I'm gathering up some things for when I go to my sister's today. She needs help with her plants. May claims that I got the best green thumb out of the family." His smile crept up on his face again. I wondered if a frown had every graced his cheery disposition.
"Well, you better get your food before it gets cold." I walked back to the kitchen and sat down to eat. Sam arrived soon after. It was a very cheery atmosphere and I felt more at home and welcome there than in my own house. Very little conversation passed during breakfast, just small talk.
The meal ended and the sun was now pouring fully into the kitchen. Sam headed out for the day.
"Mirabella?" Rosie called as I was cleaning the dishes.
"Yes?" I replied, putting a dish into the cupboard.
"Could you go see if Mr. Baggins is up and go wake him if he's still sleeping?"
"Sure." I set down the plate I was drying and walked to the study, knocking on the door. Hearing nothing come from within, I opened the door a crack and saw that the room was empty. I decided that he was probably still asleep and so I went to his room and knocked on the door there. Again silence followed. I opened the door and peered around the room. There was a lump in the bed where his still frame lay. "Master Baggins?" I asked, trying to stir him before actually reaching him. I walked closer to the bed and saw his dark hair peeking out from the covers. I placed my hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly. "Master Baggins, please wake up."
He stirred a little, then rolled over onto his back. I looked at his face, pale and troubled, maybe from a nightmare. I placed the back of my hand on his forehead to feel his skin burn beneath it. His eyes fluttered open to reveal exhaustion and pain beneath the deep blue. He pulled himself up and leaned against the backboard of the bed, running a hand over his face, then staring at me.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, looking around the room.
"Mrs. Gamgee told me to wake you. It's morning and your breakfast is getting cold." I paused, looking at him. His body seemed tired. "Are you feeling alright?"
He glanced at me quickly then looked at the bed. "Yes, I'm alright. I just didn't sleep well."
"Would you like me to bring you your breakfast?"
"Bring it to my study."
"Aye, Master Baggins." I retreated to the kitchen and took a bowl of soup to the study.
"Where was Mr. Baggins?" Rosie asked as I returned to the kitchen.
"He was sleeping."
"That's odd. He never sleeps late."
"He seemed pale and tired."
"Well, Mr. Baggins can take care of himself." Rosie said, cleaning up the counters.
I resumed my work and finished the dishes. Later that afternoon, Rosie sent me to the market again. I put my shawl around my shoulders and grabbed a basket, heading out into the crisp air. The same lad kept eyeing me. As I neared his table, I could feel his eyes on me more than ever.
"It's not nice to stare," I said as I took an apple from his table. I looked up at him to see his mouth gaping.
"W-Well," he stammered, " I'm not used to seeing such lovely lasses around here." I blushed. "I haven't seen you around here before yesterday," he continued.
"I haven't been out lately. But if you'll excuse me, I must be going," I said, handing him a few coins.
"Will I see you again?"
"I might be around more." I turned around and left, looking back at him to see him waving. I returned to the Gamgees' for a full afternoon of work.
The cooking went fairly smoothly, but unfortunately, it was washing day. My knuckles turned white from scrubbing so hard. Rosie was an expert at it. I guessed that I wasn't made out for common chores, although Rosie and Sam did compliment my cooking the previous day. The day progressed as the day before, only seeing Frodo in his study. He remained silent in there and kept to himself.
I was cleaning the final dishes for the evening when I overheard Rosie talking to Sam.
"Sam, Frodo was actin strangely today," Rosie said, her knitting needles keeping their rhythm constant.
"How so?" Sam inquired.
"Mirabella found him still asleep after you left this morning and he stayed in his study for breakfast."
"That's peculiar." Sam stayed quiet for a while. "Oh, no," he stated softly.
"What is it, Sam?" Rosie asked. The clicking of her needles ceased.
"It's October sixth."
"Really? It doesn't seem like that much time has passed."
"But it has. Gandalf said he'd never fully heal."
"Poor Frodo." Rosie said, resuming her knitting. I put the final plate in the cupboard and put the towel away. I walked out to the sitting room. Sam and Rosie both looked at me.
"I'll be leaving now unless you need me," I said, looking from one face to the other.
"No, that'll be all. Thank you very much Mirabella." Rosie said. Sam nodded. I bid them goodnight and headed to the door where I picked up my shawl and wrapped it around my shoulders. On my journey home, thoughts about what had happened plagued my mind and followed me into the darkness of my sleep.
