"Sancho,
where did you put my hair brush?" Kalista rifled though a drawer
before slamming it shut. A bewildered call of what came from down the
hall causing Kalista to roll her eyes, "My hair brush, you know,
the thing I used to brush my hair." She walked towards the door
with a frustrated look about her. As she peeked out she was met at
the threshold by Sancho who was holding out her brush.
Kalista
frowned and snatched it from him, "Thank you."
"Don't
mention it," he chuckled before shushing up and leaning against
the doorframe watching his wife as she primped. "I don't know
why you do all this. Your beautiful the way you are." He folded
his arms across his chest and smirked at her.
Kalista brushed
back some hair and frowned, "Because my dear sweet husband: to
look presentable in public, us ladies must do these things all thanks
to those blasted women who came before us." She stated rather
smartly before grabbing a ribbon and tying some hair back off her
face. She blew a stray curl away and put the brush down.
Sancho
simply chuckled, "Well, those blasted women, as you say, are the
reason we are here, so don't curse them so much." He chuckle and
walked in the room stopping her throwing of undergarments. "Just
breath. We don't have to be to the party for another two hours.
Besides, this should be a happy day! The birds are singing, the sun
is shining and that old Baggins is still alive." He kissed her
cheek and handed her the pair of bloomers that she had thrown.
"And
I can't find that damn petticoat!" Kalista huffed and took the
pink bloomers from him before opening the next drawer down, "There
you are!" she exclaimed pulling out a chemise and petticoat to
cover her nakedness. Sancho simply chuckled, "Remember, happy."
He grinned and ducked out of the room in time to dodge a powder
puff.
"You try and be happy when your bloated and wanting
to throw up at everything." she mumbled slamming shut her
clothes drawer. Pulling on her bodice she yanked at the laces behind
her, "Blast these bloody things," She grumbled. Either she
was too big or the bodice was too small. She stopped for a moment and
sucked her stomach in as much as she could before quickly tying the
strings in the back. She did have to admit, the tight bodice did have
a very 'uplifting' effect, but she wasn't trying to attract any more
husbands, and if she were, the cleavage popping out of the top would
have shortened the search considerably.
This slight size
change also brought forth one more problem. Upon breathing, Kalista
learned it was very difficult to inhale at all. She gasped slightly
catching herself on the dresser before standing back up and trying
again successfully. With a small shake of the head, Kalista grabbed
some skirts and left the room, skipping into them as she hopped down
the hall. "I'm ready," She stated slightly, tying the
skirts, finding it much easier then the bodice.
Sancho turned
from the kitchen and grinned, "You look fantastic.
Breakfast?"
Kalista frowned and waved it off, "If I
eat, I won't be able to breath. Lets go." She walked out of the
door, grabbing her cloak on the way, and to the carriage.
Sancho
chuckled and nodded, putting the muffin down and following her out,
"Kal, why are you in such a hurry?"
Kalista sat back
on the seat and watched Sancho hop in, "Because the sooner we
get there the sooner we can come home."
Sancho chuckled,
"Oh, it's not that horrible. I thought you liked these birthday
parties."
Kalista rolled her eyes again, "I do dear,
but now I have to schmooze and be a lady." Sancho chuckled and
started the ponies off. Kalista frowned and slumped down in the seat,
"Wake me when we get there."
Sitting
next to the Sancho, Kalista opened an eye. She had tried to sleep but
simply couldn't. And the fact that Sancho was humming some little
tune rather loudly didn't help either. Examining the creature she
frowned a little. Had they changed that much in two years? Sancho was
looking rounder and had the beginnings of sideburns growing in. not
that she cared, but he looked considerably older, defiantly not the
thirty-two year old she had married. Of course thirty-four wasn't
old; it was considerably young, but marriage had that affect on a
hobbit. Even she had gotten rounder, although she refused to admit
it.
Watching him quietly, Kalista finally consented. Sitting
up and pretending to yawn, she offered Sancho an apologetic smile,
"I'm sorry I was rude this morning.I just am not feeling
well."
Sancho nodded with understanding, "Not a
problem dear.you're allowed to be huffy."
Kalista raised
an eyebrow, "Huffy? I'd say I was downright annoying."
Sancho
smirked and sat back slightly, no one else was around that morning,
mainly because the sun was just rising. "So Bilbo's turning one
hundred and ten?" the hobbit finally asked to get a conversation
going while they road through the countryside.
Kalista shook
her head and frowned, "Eleventy one actually." Her frown
disappeared slowly though and changed to a proud smile for the hobbit
she had always thought of as a grandpa or and uncle. "Almost as
old as the old Took was."
Sancho nodded and Kalista
smiled a little, "It's Frodo's birthday as
well.thirty-third."
Sancho didn't give any response for a
few moments but then spoke up. "I thought he was older then
me."
Kalista shook her head, "Younger by a year."
Subconsciously, a finger shot to her mouth as she started to chew on
her fingernail nervously. They hadn't talk to or about any Baggins
since they were married. Of course Kalista wondered how they were,
and she missed then both dearly, but she wasn't sure if all the ill
feelings between Sancho and Frodo were over or not. Noticing her
finger, she pulled her hand away from her mouth; after all, she had
been trying to break that habit.
Sancho sat up slightly and
popped his neck as they rode along. Soon, the old mill's slicing
blades were seen in the distance as the pony trotted along in its
rhythmic clip-clop. The tree's thick coating started to thin out as a
few hobbit holes started to appear.
"Darling, are you
sure you want to stay with my parents? I'm sure Chass has a room open
at the Green Dragon, I mean...well, he'd make one open for me."
Kalista sat up starting to feel anxious.
Sancho chuckled and
glanced over at his wife before wrapping an arm around her shoulders
comfortingly. "Now, don't worry your sweet little head about
this. Your parents insisted, besides, The Dragon is full, I am sure.
That Baggins knows how to party, and from what I've heard, everyone
is coming, invited or not." He finally smirked and sat back once
again, chuckling at her stiff bones, "Not a worry, they haven't
seen you in a year, so make the most of this little trip."
Kalista
frowned, "I don't see anything funny about this.a year is a long
time.for all I know, Samwise might have sprouted and grown a few
inches or so. Maybe Daisy and May have Beaus already."
Sancho
smirked and kissed her temple before turning the pony onto Bag Shot
row. Each small smial passed by, windows opened, letting in fresh
air. Kalista counted in her mind, #7 Bag Shot Row, #6, and 5. She
finally sighed and sat up as they stopped in front of the Gamgee
residence, #3 Bag Shot Row.
Sancho climbed out of the cart and
helped Kalista down. He started for the door, but Kalista hung back
before climbing in the cart and grabbing a brown box with a
delicately tied pink ribbon around it.
The lofting smell of
mushroom soup filled the air around the kitchen where Mrs. Gamgee was
working hard all day. She tasted a small amount off of a wooden spoon
and smiled at the taste. Suddenly, a small rap-tap-tap came to the
front door and Bell's ears perked up. She placed the spoon down onto
the table and wiped her hands on her apron before walking to the
repeated knock. "Oh, hold your trousers." she muttered.
Walking though the smial, her skirts swished and the clock ticked,
creating the only sound in the house.
Kalista stood outside
impatiently bouncing on the balls of her feet and was almost about
the turn around and head home when the door opened and her mother's
excited voice called to her, "Kalista dear! And Sancho, come in,
hurry up, or you'll let dust in, I just waxed the floors, so be
careful." She ushered the two inside the home with in a whirl of
burnt red and yellow streaking from her dress.
Kalista smiled
politely at Belle as she was pushed towards the kitchen. "Hello
Belle."
"Now, now, no need to be proper, stand up
girl, let me get a look at you.My you've grown so much." Belle
chimed as she turned the fire off under he soup. Sancho stood quietly
surveying the room, but soon, Belle grabbed him as well and embraced
him, "And how are things going on the farm, Mr.
Millbanks?"
Sancho chuckled as the smaller hobbit
squeezed him, "Fine and dandy, our heifer just had a calf, and a
beauty too, Roger's daughter, Dottie, wants to call her Bluebell.
Can't get it past her that it's a boy."
Belle smiled and
let him go, "A boy cow named Bluebell.eh, kids these days, let
her dream. Now, Sancho, if you want, Samwise and Halfred are down at
the Baggins' playing in the dirt, I'm sure they would love to see
you, Sam is rather fond of you." Belle chuckled before stealing
his nice coat and sending him out the door, "Us girls need to
talk.Tootles."
Kalista chuckled at her mother. The woman
hadn't changed, always in a hurry to watch people come and go, and
such a fast talker. Sitting at the table, she smiled at the other
woman uncomfortably.
The smile on Belle's face had disappeared
to a smirk, "Alright girl, where do you get off not visiting
your only mother for a whole year and then showing up in a
rush."
Kalista gulped slightly before taking a breath to
explain, "Well."
"Well nothing." Belle
snapped with faux anger but started to chuckle as her daughter turned
white, "Oh don't be getting all flustered, dear, I'm only
teasing. But I do have to ask you a small question about that dress
there.am I spotting a small belly, or are you just over eating?"
Belle sat down across form her daughter with hope in her
eyes.
Kalista mouth stayed clamped shut, was it that obvious.
With a deep breath she sat up, "Mother.I'm overeating."
Belle
smirked before nodding, "Fine, keep your secrets, but I know
that glow." She got up quickly and returned to the buns she was
making for the party that night. "Hand me the yeast." She
stated simply.
Kalista got up and did as the woman said. Even
though nervous she was glad to be home.
The
day went by quickly as family appeared and disappeared from the
Gamgee smial, barely giving Kalista any notice. Kalista had given her
mother the box and inside was a bolt of fabric for the girls so they
could have some new party dresses come Yule.
At about 6:00,
the sun started to take its leave and the party began. The smell of
food was strong, and music and laugher drifted though the air to
Kalista's ears as she walked alone down Bag Shot row towards Main
Drive, the offshoot that went towards Hobbiton and the dirt path down
the hill.
The air was warm, and Kalista was happy, but she was
suddenly frightened by a tickle on the back of her neck, "Who
is.Sancho.you scared me." she whirled around to see her husband
holding out a feather.
"Oh, I didn't mean to scare you,
but you looked so lonely walking towards the field, and I was hoping,
my dear, if I might accompany you to this here party I'm invited to."
He smiled happily.
Kalista chuckled and nodded, "Yes,
dear sir, you may." she grabbed the feather from his hand before
giving him a quick playful kiss, "Where do you always find these
things?"
The two walked down the hill as Kalista looked
at the crowd that had already formed.
The
party was wonderful fun. There were so many people than could be
counted; so many relatives and friends whom she had not seen in
months and in some instances, years. The band was amazing; playing
fast jigs and other spirited dances. The food was excellent with
something for everyone's tastes and appetites. And, most of all,
Kalista hadn't imagined how much she had missed seeing Frodo. He had
only changed slightly; gaining some extra weight but he still was as
graceful and confident as ever. The two did not have much time to
talk though. He was one of the hosts of the party, which meant
talking with all the guests and arranging things to make sure the
party went as planned. And all had gone as planned until the very end
of the evening, when Bilbo made his infamous after dinner
speech...
Weeks had passed since Bilbo made his good-bye
speech and disappeared, leaving Frodo the new Master of Bag End and a
lot of hobbits baffled by the joke. Folk could not stop talking about
the tale and all were quite amused by it; all but one hobbit.
Lying
in bed, Kalista couldn't sleep. She couldn't tell how Bilbo had done
it.He just disappeared off the table, and she didn't get to say
goodbye to him or anything. Pulling her knees up, she tried to shut
her eyes and sleep like the other hobbit beside her. Sancho was
snoring peacefully; unaware of his wife's troubled mind. He did not
know Bilbo too well, so Bilbo's disappearance didn't bother him much.
Kalista elbowed the other hobbit hoping his snore would go away, but
it didn't. Grumbling slightly, she started to hum to herself in the
hopes it would sooth her enough to sleep.
After singing the
song though five times, Kalista stopped and looked over at the
window. There was no helping her problem and her stressed thoughts
began to drift from Bilbo and towards her stomach. Kalista was full
from the night of eating, but she suddenly wanted some chicken. She
could almost smell the tender breaded piece of meat. She gnawed on
her bottom lip for a few moments before she couldn't stand it any
longer and climbed out of bed.
A shiver went up her spine as
the cold air hit her legs and arms, but she quickly grabbed Sancho's
robe to fend off the chill. She tiptoed down the hallway and found
her way into the kitchen.
The coals in the hearth glimmered
with a faint orange glow and smoke rose from the hearth, flooding the
kitchen. The smoke had a peculiar scent, not from the oven; pipe
weed. Though the room was dark from the shadows of the night, the
hobbitess could pick out a figure sitting at the table. Kalista
raised an eyebrow as she peered in the room and was able to see the
figure more closely. "Mother?" she asked softly so not to
startle the other hobbit. "What are you doing up.and with Da's
pipe?"
Bell looked up slightly from her tentative gaze at
the table. "Oh, did I wake you.I'm sorry, I."
Kalista
threw up a hand and shook her head, "No.I can't sleep.are you
alright?" She frowned with worry as she stepped into the
kitchen, ignoring her craving for the more important thing brought to
her attention.
The forlorn face her mother cast across the
room troubled her. Belle was normally a happy person, and the pipe in
her mother's hand bothered Kalista further. She had never seen her
mother smoke.
Bell simply nodded and sat back in her chair.
"I'm just worried for that old hobbit.I know he's odd, but I
can't believe that show tonight." Bell mumbled before snapping
out of her trance and looking to her daughter with a smile, "And
what's got you up at this hour? I know Sancho will want to be leaving
early."
Kalista started to answer, but sat down instead,
"do you have any chicken?"
Bell chuckled and sat up,
"I believe we do.Leftovers from dinner last night, in the
pantry.But why would you be wanting chicken?"
Kalista
stood up and began searching for the food. "I don't know, just
want some chicken," she responded before finding the treasure
right where her mother said it would be. She helped herself to the
meet, suddenly forgetting the other hobbit in the room with
her.
Bell put down the pipe and sat up eyeing her daughter's
figure though the robe. The bulge that was showing through the
clothing was too low to be her stomach getting fat. The woman then
began to add up all of her daughter's recent oddities: Not talking
much, the belly, the cravings for food. "You lying she devil."
she gasped
Kalista wheeled around and eyed her mother. "What?"
she coughed slightly with a mouth full of the chicken she had sought
after.
Belle chuckled, "Overeating my eye.Does Sancho
know?"
Kalista swallowed her plunder, still looking quite
confused at her mother's jabbering. "Know what?"
"Oh,
don't play silly with me. I knew you looked green about the gills
this morning, and your waist has gone. And what's this late night
craving? By my soul Kalista-Rose, I couldn't get you to eat chicken
as a child and now you can't get enough of it.now stop lying to your
old mother and tell me the truth."
Kalista put the
chicken down onto a plate and shook her head. "No, he doesn't
and if you breath a word, Bell Goodchild, I swear you'll wish you'd
never told a breath of gossip in your life." Kalista spat in a
whisper.
Bell simply chuckled and smiled at the girl, "Not
a word.Can I tell the girls?"
"Mom!" Kalista
glared and stifled her yell.
Bell shushed her daughter and
chuckled, "I'm only teasing." She stood up and walked over
to Kalista before giving her a hug, "I never thought you'd be
the first to give me a grandbaby.how much longer do you
think?"
Kalista chuckled and pushed the woman away, "Five
months." she yawned. Her craving for chicken was now gone and
the relief of telling her mother the news allowed Kalista to relax
and realize just how tired she was. "Will you help me clean this
up? I'm getting sleepy."
Bell nodded and took the plate
from her daughter's hand. "You go to bed, I'll clean up."
"Good
night." said Kalista before she tentatively left the room.
Bell
beamed with excitement of the news. How could Kalista want to keep
this from her family? Bell did not think she could keep quiet for too
long. As she tidied up the kitchen, the hobbit began to make plans
for the future child. What if it were a girl? Oh, to have a
granddaughter to spoil and pamper. And if it was a boy, oh the fun he
would have with Hamfast and the boys...Laughing to herself, Bell
began to hum a small song to herself: "I'm going to be a
grandma"
