A/N: This chapter was a little hard 'cause I'm starting to get writers
block . . . AGAIN!!! AHHH!!
Trickster Chibi Chan: Thanks! It think it's cute too!
Jedi-baggins: One word: thanks. :)
Rambling Thestral: Thank you! Thank you! I feel so loved!
Harry Potter's Crazed Stalker: Thanks, I will, ragazza. (Italian version of "chica") :)
Estella Brandybuck: Thanks. It was sitting on the chair the whole time, she just didn't notice that it was there until she sat on it.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Gratitude
As twilight fell, the next evening, Frodo got up from his chair in front of the fireplace. He glanced outside the window. The sky was clear with shades of pink and purple caressing its face.
"I fancy an evening stroll," he said out loud. "May?"
The hobbit lass poked her head out of the study doorway, in which she had been dusting. "Yes, sir?"
"Would you like to take a walk with me?"
Her lips spread into a bright grin. "It would be a pleasure, Mr. Baggins!"
Frodo pinned on his elvish cloak. May came into the foyer.
"Mr. Baggins I could've helped you with tha'."
"Oh, nonsense, I can do it myself. I do not need looking after in everything. I am not an old hobbit, lass."
"No . . . You are not."
Something in her voice made Frodo look up. May's face said nothing but "are we going out walking or not?"
Frodo smiled, reminding May of how he looked the first time she met him. Bright and full of youthful energy. It had pained her to see him so depleted. But, now she saw a glimmer and knew, now, that it was not all lost.
"Where did you get that pendant? I've been wanting to know."
Frodo looked down at the jewel of the Evenstar. It seemed to wax in the light of the moon as he gazed at it for a moment.
"The Queen of Gondor gave it to me."
"Lady Arwen Undómiel?"
Frodo looked at her incredulously.
"Yes . . . You know of her?"
"Sam told me."
"Oh."
"He also told me of some other things . . ." May's voice grew quiet.
At that moment Frodo stopped walking. He faced her and fixed her with an intense gaze.
"What did he tell you?" He asked in a low voice.
May broke the eye-contact and lowered her sight to the ground. Then she slowly began to recount what Sam narrated to her.
When she finished she looked up at Frodo. He had been crying a little, with good reason of course, but was surprised when he saw the glistening of tears, as of yet unshed, in May's eyes.
"Oh, Frodo!" she cried and, throwing her arms around his neck, she began to sob.
Wholly taken aback and wholly touched by her actions he shed new tears. But, he gathered himself together as best he could and slid his arms around her.
"Do not weep for me, May," he pleaded.
"I cannot help it . . . what you did for the Shire . . . for all of Middle- Earth!"
"But, if it were not for Sméagol we would all be under the Shadow now!"
"I realize that, but you took on such a burden and freely you did it. I will never stop thanking you for that. I wish the rest of the Shire wouldn't stop either, but they have. They seemed to have forgotten, and so quickly. Mr. Meriadoc and Mr. Peregrin fought valiantly for the Shire and rounded us all up to take action when they returned. They are all worthy of praise, especially my brother. None of their deeds should be forgotten ever, and neither should yours. I hope that your book will remind the Shire of your sacrifice and give you the praise you deserve once more."
"I deserve no praise, May. I did a task appointed to me, although it was not I who completed it."
"Well, I still want to thank-you. Though I know I posses nothing with which I can give you ample thanks."
"Your gratitude is thanks enough," Frodo replied softly.
A soft blush came to May's cheeks and she lowered her gaze. But, then she suddenly said: "Tell me about the elves. Sam told me a bit, but not much, saying that he just could not describe them to be doing them any justice."
Frodo proceeded to tell her of all the marvelous wonders of the elves he had seen on his journey. When he finished she asked,
"Do you think you might teach me a bit of their language, like Bilbo taught you?"
Frodo was surprised by her request but, none the less, delighted by it. "Nothing would please me more!" he exclaimed.
When they returned home, Frodo sat by the fire with May sitting in the chair beside his. He eagerly taught her some of the basic phrases from Sindarin to start with, and May received them with equal zeal.
"'Suilaid,' means 'greetings.' Now repeat it back to me: 'Suilaid.'"
"Soo-ee-lah-eed," she said slowly.
"Very good!" Frodo said smiling.
They continued for an hour or so until Frodo said, "I think that is enough for one evening."
"It's now night," May observed, at the round window.
Frodo looked too. "So it is," he said. "Then that is enough for one night."
The two sat in silence in front of the dying fire, content in saying nothing, until the silence was broken with a question from May.
"How do say 'I love you' in Elvish?"
Frodo started at the unexpected question but was able to reply. "In Quenya or Sindarin?"
"Either."
"Well, in Sindarin its 'melin le,' in Quenya its 'Melinyel.'"
May repeated them back to him, studying how the Quenya word rolled off her tongue and enjoying it's sound.
Frodo found himself wondering what it would be like for May to say those words to him. The idea made his heart speed up and he was surprised. To distract himself from his thoughts he picked up one of the books from the little table by his chair and began to read.
Fifteen minutes later Frodo looked up at hearing the sound of light snoring. He turned to see May asleep in her chair. He gave a small chuckle and rose from his chair.
Frodo bent over her sleeping form and shook her lightly, but she didn't stir. May was a hard sleeper, something Sam forgot to mention to Frodo.
"Hm . . ." Frodo stood there and thought for a moment. He did not want to leave her to sleep in the chair all night, for she would end up terribly sore on waking if she did. He knew, it happened to him on more then one occasion before.
Frodo knew he shouldn't but he gently slid his palms underneath her back and knees and lifted her up out of the chair. May was surprisingly light and he carried her easily back to her room.
Frodo felt himself relishing the feeling of holding May. It frightened him a bit, for at the same time he had been sensing lately that he would not be staying in the Shire until the end of his days. Thus, it would not be a good idea to . . . Frodo cut his thoughts off there, he did not want to even acknowledge what he was beginning to feel, it would make things too hard in the future.
Soon he stepped over the threshold of May's room. He smiled, he felt like a groom carrying his new bride into their house. Frodo mentally slapped himself, rebuking himself for thinking such things . . . again.
Frodo gently laid her on her bed. His heart quickened its pace. He swallowed nervously then gave into temptation to a point. Frodo leaned down and kissed May tenderly on the forehead.
"Elei velui." (Sweet dreams)
*~*~*~*~*~*
What'cha think? Send a review!!
Trickster Chibi Chan: Thanks! It think it's cute too!
Jedi-baggins: One word: thanks. :)
Rambling Thestral: Thank you! Thank you! I feel so loved!
Harry Potter's Crazed Stalker: Thanks, I will, ragazza. (Italian version of "chica") :)
Estella Brandybuck: Thanks. It was sitting on the chair the whole time, she just didn't notice that it was there until she sat on it.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Gratitude
As twilight fell, the next evening, Frodo got up from his chair in front of the fireplace. He glanced outside the window. The sky was clear with shades of pink and purple caressing its face.
"I fancy an evening stroll," he said out loud. "May?"
The hobbit lass poked her head out of the study doorway, in which she had been dusting. "Yes, sir?"
"Would you like to take a walk with me?"
Her lips spread into a bright grin. "It would be a pleasure, Mr. Baggins!"
Frodo pinned on his elvish cloak. May came into the foyer.
"Mr. Baggins I could've helped you with tha'."
"Oh, nonsense, I can do it myself. I do not need looking after in everything. I am not an old hobbit, lass."
"No . . . You are not."
Something in her voice made Frodo look up. May's face said nothing but "are we going out walking or not?"
Frodo smiled, reminding May of how he looked the first time she met him. Bright and full of youthful energy. It had pained her to see him so depleted. But, now she saw a glimmer and knew, now, that it was not all lost.
"Where did you get that pendant? I've been wanting to know."
Frodo looked down at the jewel of the Evenstar. It seemed to wax in the light of the moon as he gazed at it for a moment.
"The Queen of Gondor gave it to me."
"Lady Arwen Undómiel?"
Frodo looked at her incredulously.
"Yes . . . You know of her?"
"Sam told me."
"Oh."
"He also told me of some other things . . ." May's voice grew quiet.
At that moment Frodo stopped walking. He faced her and fixed her with an intense gaze.
"What did he tell you?" He asked in a low voice.
May broke the eye-contact and lowered her sight to the ground. Then she slowly began to recount what Sam narrated to her.
When she finished she looked up at Frodo. He had been crying a little, with good reason of course, but was surprised when he saw the glistening of tears, as of yet unshed, in May's eyes.
"Oh, Frodo!" she cried and, throwing her arms around his neck, she began to sob.
Wholly taken aback and wholly touched by her actions he shed new tears. But, he gathered himself together as best he could and slid his arms around her.
"Do not weep for me, May," he pleaded.
"I cannot help it . . . what you did for the Shire . . . for all of Middle- Earth!"
"But, if it were not for Sméagol we would all be under the Shadow now!"
"I realize that, but you took on such a burden and freely you did it. I will never stop thanking you for that. I wish the rest of the Shire wouldn't stop either, but they have. They seemed to have forgotten, and so quickly. Mr. Meriadoc and Mr. Peregrin fought valiantly for the Shire and rounded us all up to take action when they returned. They are all worthy of praise, especially my brother. None of their deeds should be forgotten ever, and neither should yours. I hope that your book will remind the Shire of your sacrifice and give you the praise you deserve once more."
"I deserve no praise, May. I did a task appointed to me, although it was not I who completed it."
"Well, I still want to thank-you. Though I know I posses nothing with which I can give you ample thanks."
"Your gratitude is thanks enough," Frodo replied softly.
A soft blush came to May's cheeks and she lowered her gaze. But, then she suddenly said: "Tell me about the elves. Sam told me a bit, but not much, saying that he just could not describe them to be doing them any justice."
Frodo proceeded to tell her of all the marvelous wonders of the elves he had seen on his journey. When he finished she asked,
"Do you think you might teach me a bit of their language, like Bilbo taught you?"
Frodo was surprised by her request but, none the less, delighted by it. "Nothing would please me more!" he exclaimed.
When they returned home, Frodo sat by the fire with May sitting in the chair beside his. He eagerly taught her some of the basic phrases from Sindarin to start with, and May received them with equal zeal.
"'Suilaid,' means 'greetings.' Now repeat it back to me: 'Suilaid.'"
"Soo-ee-lah-eed," she said slowly.
"Very good!" Frodo said smiling.
They continued for an hour or so until Frodo said, "I think that is enough for one evening."
"It's now night," May observed, at the round window.
Frodo looked too. "So it is," he said. "Then that is enough for one night."
The two sat in silence in front of the dying fire, content in saying nothing, until the silence was broken with a question from May.
"How do say 'I love you' in Elvish?"
Frodo started at the unexpected question but was able to reply. "In Quenya or Sindarin?"
"Either."
"Well, in Sindarin its 'melin le,' in Quenya its 'Melinyel.'"
May repeated them back to him, studying how the Quenya word rolled off her tongue and enjoying it's sound.
Frodo found himself wondering what it would be like for May to say those words to him. The idea made his heart speed up and he was surprised. To distract himself from his thoughts he picked up one of the books from the little table by his chair and began to read.
Fifteen minutes later Frodo looked up at hearing the sound of light snoring. He turned to see May asleep in her chair. He gave a small chuckle and rose from his chair.
Frodo bent over her sleeping form and shook her lightly, but she didn't stir. May was a hard sleeper, something Sam forgot to mention to Frodo.
"Hm . . ." Frodo stood there and thought for a moment. He did not want to leave her to sleep in the chair all night, for she would end up terribly sore on waking if she did. He knew, it happened to him on more then one occasion before.
Frodo knew he shouldn't but he gently slid his palms underneath her back and knees and lifted her up out of the chair. May was surprisingly light and he carried her easily back to her room.
Frodo felt himself relishing the feeling of holding May. It frightened him a bit, for at the same time he had been sensing lately that he would not be staying in the Shire until the end of his days. Thus, it would not be a good idea to . . . Frodo cut his thoughts off there, he did not want to even acknowledge what he was beginning to feel, it would make things too hard in the future.
Soon he stepped over the threshold of May's room. He smiled, he felt like a groom carrying his new bride into their house. Frodo mentally slapped himself, rebuking himself for thinking such things . . . again.
Frodo gently laid her on her bed. His heart quickened its pace. He swallowed nervously then gave into temptation to a point. Frodo leaned down and kissed May tenderly on the forehead.
"Elei velui." (Sweet dreams)
*~*~*~*~*~*
What'cha think? Send a review!!