Disclaimer: Sadly I still own nothing but the plot.

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After drawing warm bath water for Pippin and putting in the proper oils, Emerald was frazzled by the young boy. She had to draw four different bathes for the Took before he deemed it perfect. Now she feared he would give her trouble once he got into the tub.

"Pippin lad, come here so I may undress you," Emerald requested. Pippin's face turned glum, and he stayed rooted to his spot on the floor, clutching his duckie to his chest. Emerald sighed. "Pippin, why won't you come here?"

"I can do it myself!" Pippin cried clutching the duckie tighter. If she didn't think she would get fired for it Emerald would have left him there to fend for himself, but the way things were she couldn't leave the lad. She walked over to the place on the tiled floor where he was sitting and crouched down so she was the same height as the little rascal.

"Pippin, please let me help you," she begged. Pippin stubbornly shook his head. 'This is going to take a while,' Emerald thought to herself. She reached a hand out to touch his cheek but the imp scooted farther away from her hiding his duck behind him.

"I can do it myself!" he cried again.

"Pippin, I'm not going to take your duck. I just want to help you into the bath so I can wash out that cut on your foot." Pippin relaxed a little and looked innocently up at the maid. "You're not going to take Duckie?" She shook her head and pulled his tunic off him as he lifted up his little arms. He stood up and she pulled off his britches and then his undergarments.

"See? That wasn't so hard now was it little mister?" she laughed at the Took. Scooping Pippin up she made her way to the bath tub and placed him in gentle. The little one began to whimper.

"My foot, my foot!" he whined. Emerald took a washcloth and holding his wounded foot in her hand wiped the cut gently. His whimpering stopped as she put his foot back into the tub. Emerald stood up and watched as Pippin splashed about in the water giggling as he went. She let out a sigh of relief while she watched the scene whilst leaning against the bathroom wall. 'Maybe this won't be so bad after all,' she mused to herself.

After about twenty minutes of playing and splashing Pippin began to get bored. He shivered, the water being cooler than when he had first gotten in. He soaked locks were flat against his skin and he peeled the wet curls off his forehead in disgust.

"Out! I wanna get out!" he cried, splashing the water around more. Some of the water splashed up onto his face, causing the previously moved hair to fall back down into his face, covering his eyes. He began to wail because he could not see and wanted to get out of the tub so badly. Emerald moved across the room and picked Pippin up out of the tub. When the cold air hit him Pippin shivered and cried louder.

"Hush little one," Emerald commanded, "I am getting you a towel." She picked a large, fluffy, green towel out of the linen rack and wrapped it around Pippin. She rubbed the soft material over him to dry him off as his sobs quieted. Wiping the loose hair from his face, Emerald smiled as he looked up at her. "Let's get you changed then, shall we?" Pippin nodded and nuzzled his head against her chest his little body warming up.

They walked down the corridor, Pippin tucked under one arm, into Pippin's room. Emerald placed him down on his bed and shut the door. "What do you want to wear Master Peregrin?" she asked riffling through his drawers. But, little Pippin was not listening to her. A look of horror took over his face when he realized his duckie was still in the bathroom.

He shed his towel and hopped off his bed. He threw the door open and ran down the hall before poor Emerald had time to register what was going on. She ran out of the door after him.

"Peregrin Took, get back here this instant!" she called after him, but he did not even do so much as turn to look back at her. She caught up to him quickly and picked his little naked behind up off the floor. He squirmed in her arms, kicking her as he tried to get away.

"Duckie!" he cried. In a few quick strides they were back in Pippin's room, door shut and guarded by Emerald.

"We can get your duck after you're changed," she huffed at him. Pippin looked as though he were about to wail. Instead he crossed his arms and glared at her waiting for her to move. When she didn't give into his glare he unfolded his arms and charged at her leg. When she still didn't move, Pippin, instead of accepting defeat, bit her leg. Emerald nearly fell over, not from pain, but from shock. Pippin seized the moment and scampered out the door to his beloved duckie.

Emerald sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that day. She decided to give up trying to get Pippin to change and followed him into the bathroom. He pulled 'Duckie' out of the tub muttered a 'sowwy' to Emerald as he passed her, patting her leg. Emerald picked up all his clothes from early that day and put them in the hamper.

Emerald finally got Pippin dressed and headed back into the hallway to finishes her chores for the day, leaving Pippin to his own devices once again.