One Month Later
Merry held the unruly five year old in his arms. She squirmed to get free. "No, Clover!" He turned to her twin, who was throwing handfuls of flour in the air. "Daffodil! Stop that! Pippin, grab her!"
Pippin, who was caring the twins little brother, 6 month old Wilcomb, better known as Wil. The baby was wailing his lungs out. "I can't, Merry! Do you have any idea how to keep him quiet?"
Merry shook his head. Just then, Clover bit his arm in an atempt to get away. "Ouch!" He sat her down so he could inspect the bite. She, and Daffodil, ran off in the direction of his bedroom. He ran after them. "Girls! Come back here! Pippin, if we get out of this alive, I'm going to kill you!"
Why was he going to kill Pippin? Well, it was his idea to sit for Pearl and Everard. Pearl was Pippin's oldest sister, and Clover, Daffodil, and Wil were her children. Merry'd had no idea how wild they were. 'Now you know how your parents felt when you and Pippin were this age.' That voice, that sounded an awful lot like his Mother, said. Merry was an only child, and had little experience with children. Pippin, being the youngest child, had never taken care of another Hobbit. Why, oh why, did they volunteer to do this? The children had only been here for a little over two hours! That meant they still had at least four hours before Pearl picked them up. What were they going to do? Then it hit him like a bolt of lightning.
"Estella!" He said, over the racket Wil was making. Pippin rolled his eyes.
"Merry, this is no time to talk about your crush-"
"No!" Merry interrupted him. "She could help us! She used to babysit for her Aunt Hilda all the time, remember?"
Pippin's eyes lit up. "That's right! She did!" He handed Wil to Merry. "You hold him, I'll run and get Estella!"
"What about the girls?" Merry asked. He could hear them in his bedroom. Lord only knew what they were up to in there.
"Leave them be." Pippin replied. "Whatever damage they do, we can just fix later." Pippin grabbed his cloak, and wrapped his red scarf around his neck. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
After Pippin left, Merry walked back and forth with Wil, trying to calm him down. 'I've fought Orc's and Witch Kings, but a tiny baby is getting the better of me!'' He thought to himself. Finally, after what felt like five hours, even though it was probably only fifteen minutes, Pippin returned with Estella.
"Here, give him to me." She said, taking the baby. "Did Pearl leave him any bottles?" Merry nodded and handed her one of them. "Do you have any honey?"
"It's in the top cabinet." Pippin told her. "Why?"
Estella grinned. "You'll see." She got the honey, added it to the warm bottle of milk, and then gave it to the baby. "You two go get those girls under control." She sat in a chair, and began to rock the baby, singing him a song. Merry didn't reconized it, and wondered if Estella had made it up herself.
You been lookin' for love all around the world
Don't you know that this girl's still free?
Why not me?
So, you finally come down to your old hometown
Your Shire girl's been waitin' patiently
Why not me?
Why not me on a rainy day?
Why not me to love your cares away?
Why not me?
Why not me when the night's get cold?
Why not me when your growin' old?
Why not me?
You've been searchin' from here, out to old Gondor
Ain't it time you noticed the girl next door?
Why not me?
You just had to see if the world was round
It's time to see how could settlin' down could be
Why not me?
Why not me on a rainy day?
Why not me to love your cares away?
Why not me?
Why not me when the night gets cold?
Why not me when your growin' old?
Why not me?
By the time Estella had finished the song, all three children had quieted down to listen. The baby was fast asleep in her arms, the nipple of the bottle still in his mouth. The twins were still standing, but the two of them were eating the cookies Pippin had given them, and being quiet. Merry was in shock. It seemed like Estella had been singing that song to him, especially that part about 'old Gondor'. He never knew that she had such a pretty singing voice.
"Where did you learn that song?" He asked. Her face turned slightly red, and she shrugged.
"I just picked it up somewhere." She said.
"It was pretty. Sing another one." Clover said, climbing into Merry's lap. He held the red-headed child in his arms, and she cuddled against him. He liked the way this felt, holding a child. Daffodil had perched herself in Pippin's lap and was nodding in agreement with her sister.
"Okay." Estella said, her face turning red again. She seemed to be in thought for a moment, then began to sing.
Hear that lonesome whipperwill?
He sounds too blue to fly
Those midnight stars are wanning low
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind a cloud
To hide it's face and cry
Did you ever see a robin weep?
When leaves begin to die
That mean's he's lost his will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The silence of a fallin' star
Lights up a purple sky
As I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry
She finshed her second song, and Merry felt funny. That song had too, struck a cord in him. 'Am I so lonesome I could cry?' He wondered. Maybe not quite that bad. The way Estella sang it though, was enough to make anyone cry.
Wil slept through most of the afternoon, and after they finally got the twins settled down, Merry had fun playing with them. He, Pippin, and Estella taught them some games that they had played as children. They were all worn out when Pearl and Everard came for their children.
"Well," Estella said, slumping in her chair a bit. "I guess I should head on home."
She had her eyes shut, so she didn't see Pippin nod encouragingly at his cousin. "Er, um, may I walk you?" Merry asked. Estella opened one eye, and smiled at him slightly.
"Okay, then." She said. She stood up slowly.
Merry didn't quite know what to say as they walked along the road. "Um........."
"Have you and Pippin gotten an invatation to Sam and Rosie's wedding yet?" Estella asked.
"Oh, yeah, we did." He answered. "I can't believe that they suggested that everyone bring a.......you know." He couldn't even bring himself to say it.
"Are you taking anyone?" Estella asked. "I know Pippin's taking Peony Boffin's cousin, Diamond. She nearly had a heartattack when he asked her."
Merry laughed. "Yeah, Pippin fretted over how to ask her for two weeks. But, no, I'm not taking anyone yet."
"Oh," Estella smiled at him coyly. "No one's asked me yet."
Merry nodded, then realized what she was hinting at. They were nearly to her front door. "Um, would you like to go with me?" He asked. Why did his face have to go red now?!
Estella went red too. "Yes, I'd like that very much." She said, smiling at him. "Good-bye Merry." Then, she slipped through her front door before Merry could say another word.
As he walked away, he hummed that first song she had sang to the children.