Angel

Chapter 11: If Only

Authoress' Notes: Hi everyone! Again, sorry for making you wait so long for the 10th chapter of Angel. I'm going to try and make up for it by writing the next few chapters faster (and yes, I'll try to make them longer! ^.~) Now, onward to Chapter 11: If Only

"Aiana please! I'll clean your house, do your laundry, anything! Just don't make me go!" Tersa begged as Aiana forced her up the road to Bagend. "Please!"

"It's your own fault. Besides, maybe you could convince Sam to like you back while you're there." Aiana grinned.

"Aiana quit! That's not funny." Tersa sulked, feeling her face getting red again. "You know I have no chance as well as I do."

"Don't give up faith just yet." Aiana smiled as they finally reached Bagend's front gate to find Sam and his father already there.

"Hello girls!" Hamfast said with a bit of a wave. "Which one of you is to be my new assistant?"

"M-me." Tersa stuttered.

"You must be Tersa then." Hamfast gave her a reassuring smile. "You won't be too terribly bored, I promise."

"When do you want me to come back for her?" Aiana asked.

"We'll walk her home a bit before sunset. You don't have to trouble yourself with coming to get her." Hamfast replied.

"Alright then. See you later Ters." Aiana said giving her little sister a kiss on the head then starting down the road.

"Er… what do you want me to do Mr. Gamgee?" Tersa asked, looking around the garden uncertainly.

"Just clean up the broken stems and just generally help out I suppose. Just ask Samwise, he'll tell you what to do." Hamfast nodded over to where Sam was working on something across the lawn.

"Hi Tersa! When did you get here?" Sam asked as he noticed Tersa walking up to him.

"Just now." Tersa answered casually. "Your dad told me to come and ask you what I'm supposed to do."

"There isn't much to do except check that the plants are still here really." Sam said with a touch of a smile. "I apologize in advance if you die of boredom. Dormant plants aren't that interesting."

"Dormant? What do you mean by that?" Tersa inquired, looking around at the plants. They looked quite dead to her.

"Sleeping. That's why the plants are all brown. They've gone to sleep for the winter." Sam looked over at Tersa questioningly. "You don't know much about plants do you?"

"Sadly, no. I barely know what my favorite type of flower is called." Tersa laughed. "I love any type of rose. I think they're beautiful."

"I do too." Sam agreed, noticing a bit of paper sticking out of one of Tersa's pockets.  "What's that?"

"Just a sketchbook. I draw, write, and paint whenever I can manage it." Tersa pulled a the small sketchbook out of her pocket and handed it to Sam. "You can look through these if you like. I know these aren't very good, but try to keep from laughing at me too much."

"Why would I laugh? I certainly can't draw this well! Where did you learn to draw like this?" Sam asked.

"My mother was a part-time artist when she was younger. I just picked it up from her I suppose. It's nothing special." Tersa shrugged as Sam handed back her sketchbook. "The only reason I found out I could draw was my lack of friends. My mother thought drawing would keep my mind off the fact nearly everyone in the Shire hated me or thought I was a freak."

"They're just jealous of your talent." Sam snorted. "Just don't listen to them. That's what I do."

"What could they possibly come up with to make fun of you for?!" Tersa exclaimed.

"I don't know, but they always think of something." Sam replied then saw Tersa was shivering. "Tersa are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm just cold." Tersa assured him then sneezed once. "Drat it all… It seems like I'm sick every other day, especially in winter."

"You should have said something earlier. Here. I was getting too hot with this on anyway."  Sam took off his jacket and draped it over Tersa's shoulders. "What?" He added after Tersa looked at him like he was mad.

"I- er- um-" Tersa blushed and looked down at the ground. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Sam said, giving Tersa one of his sweet trademark smiles.

'If only he had eyes for me…' Tersa sighed inwardly, looking away from Sam. 'If only…'