Writer note: Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter! Hope you all like the second one too :)
Chapter 2: Pippin's Clutch
My dear little Pip, you have come so far. You're not the tiny lad who used to clutch at my clothes, and look up at me with wide, innocent, green eyes. But I embrace you now and see that you still clutch at my clothes as if I were going to disappear right before your eyes…
He was gone. Frodo had suspected something, but not this. Bilbo had disappeared right before everyone's eyes. Gasps and screams and dazed faces rippled through the crowd of party guests.
Frodo finally tore his gaze from the party tree where his Uncle had stood only minutes before, and stared around him. He barely had a chance to recover his wits when something small, but strong threw itself at him. Short arms encircled him none-too-gently. Frodo didn't need to look down. He knew who had pummeled into him, and returned the child's embrace.
"Are you going to disappear too, Cousin Frodo?" squeaked the child, his voice muffled from burying his face into Frodo's shirt.
Frodo took a deep breath, steeling himself not to cry. Even though the child was eleven years of age, he was smaller than usual and Frodo could pick him up rather easily. The child did not protest.
"No, Pip. I'm not going anywhere," he replied, pulling his handkerchief from his back pocket and wiping his young cousin's damp cheeks. Poor Pippin, thinking his cousin would disappear just like Bilbo did.
After the guests recovered (which wasn't too long after Bilbo's stunt), many came to grill Frodo for information on what happened. Frodo tried his best to explain that he did not know, but that wasn't good enough for most folks. All the while, Pippin held on to his older cousin's leg for dear life as if his grip would stop Frodo from going anywhere.
Well, it did, in a way. Frodo had to carry Pippin in his arms when he wanted to move. Paladin and Eglantine Took finally approached him, and seeing her little son so distraught, Eglantine rushed to him. She tried to take him from Frodo, but Pippin refused to let go and tightened his grip around Frodo's neck, nearly squeezing Frodo's windpipe shut.
"This is ridiculous behavior, Peregrin!" Paladin exclaimed. "Let go of poor Frodo!"
"No!" Pippin cried, hiding his face in Frodo's shoulder.
Frodo gave Paladin and Eglantine a sympathetic smile, despite his sadness of Bilbo's departure, and said, "I think he is afraid I'll disappear as well. I've explained to him I most certainly will not, but he's still afraid."
No matter what they tried, Pippin wanted to stay with his older cousin. Frodo convinced the future Thain and his wife that their son could stay with him overnight. It would be a comfort to Pippin, and also to Frodo, who did not know if he could bear coming home to an empty smial.
Though, Bag End was not empty when he arrived later that night – Pippin asleep on his shoulder.
"Has he gone?" asked Frodo, finding the wizard sitting in the dark, deep in thought.
"Yes," answered Gandalf. "He has gone at last." Then Gandalf turned. "I see you brought home another guest."
Frodo looked down at the curly head resting on his shoulder. "Yes, Peregrin would not leave me for fear that I would vanish as well."
Gandalf smiled warmly, and stood, stepping lightly over to Frodo. He laid a hand on the Pippin's head. "There's something about this child."
Frodo laughed softly. "Indeed, there is. But, I better put him to bed. I am in great need to talk with you."
He had to pry Pippin's short fingers from his shirt, but Frodo finally detached him and laid Pippin down in his bed. He talked with Gandalf for a while then Gandalf left. Frodo changed into nightclothes and went to bed. Pippin was still asleep. Frodo was grateful that he was. But when Frodo laid down, Pippin unconsciously snuggled up to him. He wrapped an arm around his young cousin and grasped his hand. Surprisingly, Pippin squeezed his hand back and did not let go for the rest of the night.
In the morning, Frodo was suddenly awoken by a shout of joy and a small (but rather solid) body thrown on him. He grimaced as a bony knee sunk into his belly.
"You're still here! It's so good to see you, Cousin Frodo!" Pippin shouted, as if he hadn't seen Frodo for a very long time. He bounced excitedly on the bed.
Frodo groaned, retreating under the blankets. He fell asleep late that night, and now it was early morning. He could not help but be a little grumpy, especially with a child bouncing all over his bed and falling on him.
Finally, he couldn't take it any more and reached a hand out from under the blankets. He grabbed Pippin's ankle, and dragged the child down with one swift tug to lie on the bed again. Pippin wiggled to join him in the blankets. They were face to face, and Pippin's face was threatening to split from his wide smile.
"Are you over your fear of me disappearing?" asked Frodo.
"You're here, aren't you?" But as soon as Pippin said that, his smile faded and doubt crept in his mind. "Does that mean you could still disappear at any time?"
Frodo let out a snort. "No, it does not. I am here to stay, lad."
"GOOD!" Pippin crawled on top of Frodo's belly. "But promise me you'll never leave."
"I promise." Frodo smiled. Being wanted felt good.
I know I promised you, but I can't keep that promise anymore. You have all the energy in the world, and you've never ceased to make me feel wanted. I'm not disappearing right before your eyes, but I must go, for I will cause more grief here than I would by leaving. But, I promise we will see each other again beyond this life.
Chapter 2: Pippin's Clutch
My dear little Pip, you have come so far. You're not the tiny lad who used to clutch at my clothes, and look up at me with wide, innocent, green eyes. But I embrace you now and see that you still clutch at my clothes as if I were going to disappear right before your eyes…
He was gone. Frodo had suspected something, but not this. Bilbo had disappeared right before everyone's eyes. Gasps and screams and dazed faces rippled through the crowd of party guests.
Frodo finally tore his gaze from the party tree where his Uncle had stood only minutes before, and stared around him. He barely had a chance to recover his wits when something small, but strong threw itself at him. Short arms encircled him none-too-gently. Frodo didn't need to look down. He knew who had pummeled into him, and returned the child's embrace.
"Are you going to disappear too, Cousin Frodo?" squeaked the child, his voice muffled from burying his face into Frodo's shirt.
Frodo took a deep breath, steeling himself not to cry. Even though the child was eleven years of age, he was smaller than usual and Frodo could pick him up rather easily. The child did not protest.
"No, Pip. I'm not going anywhere," he replied, pulling his handkerchief from his back pocket and wiping his young cousin's damp cheeks. Poor Pippin, thinking his cousin would disappear just like Bilbo did.
After the guests recovered (which wasn't too long after Bilbo's stunt), many came to grill Frodo for information on what happened. Frodo tried his best to explain that he did not know, but that wasn't good enough for most folks. All the while, Pippin held on to his older cousin's leg for dear life as if his grip would stop Frodo from going anywhere.
Well, it did, in a way. Frodo had to carry Pippin in his arms when he wanted to move. Paladin and Eglantine Took finally approached him, and seeing her little son so distraught, Eglantine rushed to him. She tried to take him from Frodo, but Pippin refused to let go and tightened his grip around Frodo's neck, nearly squeezing Frodo's windpipe shut.
"This is ridiculous behavior, Peregrin!" Paladin exclaimed. "Let go of poor Frodo!"
"No!" Pippin cried, hiding his face in Frodo's shoulder.
Frodo gave Paladin and Eglantine a sympathetic smile, despite his sadness of Bilbo's departure, and said, "I think he is afraid I'll disappear as well. I've explained to him I most certainly will not, but he's still afraid."
No matter what they tried, Pippin wanted to stay with his older cousin. Frodo convinced the future Thain and his wife that their son could stay with him overnight. It would be a comfort to Pippin, and also to Frodo, who did not know if he could bear coming home to an empty smial.
Though, Bag End was not empty when he arrived later that night – Pippin asleep on his shoulder.
"Has he gone?" asked Frodo, finding the wizard sitting in the dark, deep in thought.
"Yes," answered Gandalf. "He has gone at last." Then Gandalf turned. "I see you brought home another guest."
Frodo looked down at the curly head resting on his shoulder. "Yes, Peregrin would not leave me for fear that I would vanish as well."
Gandalf smiled warmly, and stood, stepping lightly over to Frodo. He laid a hand on the Pippin's head. "There's something about this child."
Frodo laughed softly. "Indeed, there is. But, I better put him to bed. I am in great need to talk with you."
He had to pry Pippin's short fingers from his shirt, but Frodo finally detached him and laid Pippin down in his bed. He talked with Gandalf for a while then Gandalf left. Frodo changed into nightclothes and went to bed. Pippin was still asleep. Frodo was grateful that he was. But when Frodo laid down, Pippin unconsciously snuggled up to him. He wrapped an arm around his young cousin and grasped his hand. Surprisingly, Pippin squeezed his hand back and did not let go for the rest of the night.
In the morning, Frodo was suddenly awoken by a shout of joy and a small (but rather solid) body thrown on him. He grimaced as a bony knee sunk into his belly.
"You're still here! It's so good to see you, Cousin Frodo!" Pippin shouted, as if he hadn't seen Frodo for a very long time. He bounced excitedly on the bed.
Frodo groaned, retreating under the blankets. He fell asleep late that night, and now it was early morning. He could not help but be a little grumpy, especially with a child bouncing all over his bed and falling on him.
Finally, he couldn't take it any more and reached a hand out from under the blankets. He grabbed Pippin's ankle, and dragged the child down with one swift tug to lie on the bed again. Pippin wiggled to join him in the blankets. They were face to face, and Pippin's face was threatening to split from his wide smile.
"Are you over your fear of me disappearing?" asked Frodo.
"You're here, aren't you?" But as soon as Pippin said that, his smile faded and doubt crept in his mind. "Does that mean you could still disappear at any time?"
Frodo let out a snort. "No, it does not. I am here to stay, lad."
"GOOD!" Pippin crawled on top of Frodo's belly. "But promise me you'll never leave."
"I promise." Frodo smiled. Being wanted felt good.
I know I promised you, but I can't keep that promise anymore. You have all the energy in the world, and you've never ceased to make me feel wanted. I'm not disappearing right before your eyes, but I must go, for I will cause more grief here than I would by leaving. But, I promise we will see each other again beyond this life.