Disclaimer: I own Grace/Jean and Iskalistari/Vicky. All others are
Tolkien's.
Chapter 8
Just Before the Party
One Year Later
A quick rap on the door woke Grace from her sleep. After another knock, she shouted an "I'll be ready in a minute!", just before jumping out of the bed, and putting on a skirt with a floral pattern along with a pale blue shirt "Alright, but hurry!" Frodo replied from the other side of the door. Grace did. After a quick breakfast of burnt toast that Frodo had hastily prepared, they both ran out the door, making quite a bit of noise. "We'll be back as soon as Gandalf gets here!" Frodo promised Bilbo as Grace grabbed one of Frodo's suspenders in an effort to slow him. "We'll also be borrowing your second book on Elven poems!" Grace shouted, grabbing a book on the wooden shelf with her hand that was not grasping Frodo's suspenders. "Fine! Fine!" Bilbo called from the next room. Then Frodo broke away from Grace's grasp, and bowled out the door. Grace then quickly reached out and took two or three blank sheets of paper from the shelf as well, and headed out the door.
"Frodo, wait!" Grace called as she struggled up the small hill, "I didn't wear pants under my skirt today!" Frodo simply laughed, and continued at his present pace. Any who might have seen the two hobbits running and laughing, would immediately recognize them, and label them siblings, though Grace had not been in the Shire for over two years. Finally, they reached the hill where they often read. Frodo laid down under a tree, opened to the place marked by a red ribbon, and began reading out loud. Grace was nearby. Not at the base of the tree, but within it's shadow, laying on her stomach sketching a flower as Frodo read. When she'd finished, she rolled over onto her back and listened to the flowing poems. After nearly an hour, Frodo's voice stilled after a particularly long poem. "I would have thought that Gandalf would be here by now." He admitted, propping him back up against the tree. Grace shrugged, and idly plucked a few strands of grass, which she then tossed onto Frodo. Frodo brushed them off, and continued reading. After two and a half poems, Grace suddenly sat up. She put a hand on the book, and Frodo paused to listen as well. "Gandalf!" Grace smiled, and they began running towards the sound of a cart being pulled behind a horse. Grace lagged behind because she kept tripping over her skirts, and Frodo ran on ahead. He jumped onto a small hillock on the edge of the road, crossed his arms and announced "You're late," as a cart with an old man and a young woman in it passed by. "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." Gandalf replied, emphasizing the 'precisely'. "You're often late." The woman sitting next to him the cart corrected. "This is Iskalistari." Gandalf introduced the she-wizard next to him. "Pleasure to meet you." Frodo smiled politely just before Grace pushed into him. "Frodo, next time I tell you to wait for me, wait!" Grace demanded, as they stood up. "Hello, Gandalf." She added as an afterthought. "Hello, Grace." Gandalf replied. "Might we ride along?" "Of course, why not?" Gandalf chuckled. "Thank y-" At this time, Grace looked up and saw Iskalistari. For about twenty seconds she stared, and Iskalistari found herself unable to brake the trance as well. "Grace...?" Frodo queried, putting a hand on her shoulder. Grace blinked, then shook her head. "Just a headache," she lied.
While they road along they spoke of this and that, but when they were nearly at the party field, Grace stood up and announced that she had to go. "Take these back to Bag End." She ordered Frodo as she handed him her papers, and hopped out of the cart.
Grace ran across the field, and finally arrived at the party tree. She sat at the stump to wait. As she waited, her eyes happened upon the ring on her hand. She'd had it in her pocket when she had been found in the forest, and she had kept it close to her because it was her only link to her past. She was staring into its rusty-rose gem, when Merry and Pippin ran across the field, and touched her shoulder. "What are the plans?" Pippin asked, barley seeming able to keep from jumping up and down. Grace jumped, then replied "Well, Gandalf is here, and I saw plenty of fireworks in the back of his cart." Then she frowned. "But Bilbo is going to do something. I haven't been able to figure out what yet." "Then we'll just have to make sure that whatever we do will put whatever he does to shame." Merry grinned. They talked a bit more, then Grace announced that she had to return to Bag End, and hurried off.
When she arrived back at the hole, she entered quietly, thinking that perhaps Bilbo was writing, and she did not wish to disturb him. She headed into the kitchen that adjoined the dining room to get an apple, then paused. There were two people inside the room, talking. "You will tell them, won't you?" One voice asked. It was old and raspy, and Grace couldn't place it right away. "Yes, yes..." The second voice replied busily. Grace smiled. That was Bilbo. "They're both very fond of you." The first reminded softly. 'That one is Gandalf.' Grace realized, but then she frowned. Who were they speaking of? "I know." Bilbo said quietly, "They'd probably come with me if I asked them,-" 'Who are "them"?' Grace wondered. "-but I think in their hearts Frodo and Grace are still in love with the Shire. The woods, the fields, little rivers." So they were speaking of her and Frodo! But 'come with me'?! Was Bilbo leaving? He couldn't! He had become like a father to her! And he wasn't even planning on bringing her?! "I'm old, Gandalf. I know I don't look it, but I'm beginning to feel it in my heart. I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread. I need a holiday, a very long holiday, and I don't expect I shall return. In fact, I mean not to." Grace frowned. She didn't want Bilbo to leave, and she half thought that he was just talking as he did often enough. 'But he sounds so serious this time...' One part of her said. 'He's just talking. He always does, and you know that!' Another part said. 'I know but—' 'Cummon! Put those sill thoughts out of your head! Besides, you've got things to do, and preparations to make!' 'True...' 'Common! Get your apple, and get going! They've changed the topic anyways!' Grace pressed her ear to the door again, and noticed that they were now speaking of the year's weather, and such things. With a sigh, she stood up, grabbed her apple, and quietly ran out the back door to help the Hobbits that were already in the fields, putting up tents and banners.
Chapter 8
Just Before the Party
One Year Later
A quick rap on the door woke Grace from her sleep. After another knock, she shouted an "I'll be ready in a minute!", just before jumping out of the bed, and putting on a skirt with a floral pattern along with a pale blue shirt "Alright, but hurry!" Frodo replied from the other side of the door. Grace did. After a quick breakfast of burnt toast that Frodo had hastily prepared, they both ran out the door, making quite a bit of noise. "We'll be back as soon as Gandalf gets here!" Frodo promised Bilbo as Grace grabbed one of Frodo's suspenders in an effort to slow him. "We'll also be borrowing your second book on Elven poems!" Grace shouted, grabbing a book on the wooden shelf with her hand that was not grasping Frodo's suspenders. "Fine! Fine!" Bilbo called from the next room. Then Frodo broke away from Grace's grasp, and bowled out the door. Grace then quickly reached out and took two or three blank sheets of paper from the shelf as well, and headed out the door.
"Frodo, wait!" Grace called as she struggled up the small hill, "I didn't wear pants under my skirt today!" Frodo simply laughed, and continued at his present pace. Any who might have seen the two hobbits running and laughing, would immediately recognize them, and label them siblings, though Grace had not been in the Shire for over two years. Finally, they reached the hill where they often read. Frodo laid down under a tree, opened to the place marked by a red ribbon, and began reading out loud. Grace was nearby. Not at the base of the tree, but within it's shadow, laying on her stomach sketching a flower as Frodo read. When she'd finished, she rolled over onto her back and listened to the flowing poems. After nearly an hour, Frodo's voice stilled after a particularly long poem. "I would have thought that Gandalf would be here by now." He admitted, propping him back up against the tree. Grace shrugged, and idly plucked a few strands of grass, which she then tossed onto Frodo. Frodo brushed them off, and continued reading. After two and a half poems, Grace suddenly sat up. She put a hand on the book, and Frodo paused to listen as well. "Gandalf!" Grace smiled, and they began running towards the sound of a cart being pulled behind a horse. Grace lagged behind because she kept tripping over her skirts, and Frodo ran on ahead. He jumped onto a small hillock on the edge of the road, crossed his arms and announced "You're late," as a cart with an old man and a young woman in it passed by. "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." Gandalf replied, emphasizing the 'precisely'. "You're often late." The woman sitting next to him the cart corrected. "This is Iskalistari." Gandalf introduced the she-wizard next to him. "Pleasure to meet you." Frodo smiled politely just before Grace pushed into him. "Frodo, next time I tell you to wait for me, wait!" Grace demanded, as they stood up. "Hello, Gandalf." She added as an afterthought. "Hello, Grace." Gandalf replied. "Might we ride along?" "Of course, why not?" Gandalf chuckled. "Thank y-" At this time, Grace looked up and saw Iskalistari. For about twenty seconds she stared, and Iskalistari found herself unable to brake the trance as well. "Grace...?" Frodo queried, putting a hand on her shoulder. Grace blinked, then shook her head. "Just a headache," she lied.
While they road along they spoke of this and that, but when they were nearly at the party field, Grace stood up and announced that she had to go. "Take these back to Bag End." She ordered Frodo as she handed him her papers, and hopped out of the cart.
Grace ran across the field, and finally arrived at the party tree. She sat at the stump to wait. As she waited, her eyes happened upon the ring on her hand. She'd had it in her pocket when she had been found in the forest, and she had kept it close to her because it was her only link to her past. She was staring into its rusty-rose gem, when Merry and Pippin ran across the field, and touched her shoulder. "What are the plans?" Pippin asked, barley seeming able to keep from jumping up and down. Grace jumped, then replied "Well, Gandalf is here, and I saw plenty of fireworks in the back of his cart." Then she frowned. "But Bilbo is going to do something. I haven't been able to figure out what yet." "Then we'll just have to make sure that whatever we do will put whatever he does to shame." Merry grinned. They talked a bit more, then Grace announced that she had to return to Bag End, and hurried off.
When she arrived back at the hole, she entered quietly, thinking that perhaps Bilbo was writing, and she did not wish to disturb him. She headed into the kitchen that adjoined the dining room to get an apple, then paused. There were two people inside the room, talking. "You will tell them, won't you?" One voice asked. It was old and raspy, and Grace couldn't place it right away. "Yes, yes..." The second voice replied busily. Grace smiled. That was Bilbo. "They're both very fond of you." The first reminded softly. 'That one is Gandalf.' Grace realized, but then she frowned. Who were they speaking of? "I know." Bilbo said quietly, "They'd probably come with me if I asked them,-" 'Who are "them"?' Grace wondered. "-but I think in their hearts Frodo and Grace are still in love with the Shire. The woods, the fields, little rivers." So they were speaking of her and Frodo! But 'come with me'?! Was Bilbo leaving? He couldn't! He had become like a father to her! And he wasn't even planning on bringing her?! "I'm old, Gandalf. I know I don't look it, but I'm beginning to feel it in my heart. I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread. I need a holiday, a very long holiday, and I don't expect I shall return. In fact, I mean not to." Grace frowned. She didn't want Bilbo to leave, and she half thought that he was just talking as he did often enough. 'But he sounds so serious this time...' One part of her said. 'He's just talking. He always does, and you know that!' Another part said. 'I know but—' 'Cummon! Put those sill thoughts out of your head! Besides, you've got things to do, and preparations to make!' 'True...' 'Common! Get your apple, and get going! They've changed the topic anyways!' Grace pressed her ear to the door again, and noticed that they were now speaking of the year's weather, and such things. With a sigh, she stood up, grabbed her apple, and quietly ran out the back door to help the Hobbits that were already in the fields, putting up tents and banners.