Angel
Chapter 28: Madness and Bruises
Authoress' Notes: As you all know, I don't own anyone but Tersa. A bit of a dark chapter in the beginning, at least for me. It really is exhausting writing for someone in Frodo's condition, though I don't really know why. Thank you to all reviewers, new and old, you all rock and are what keeps me writing. As for everyone else… Review so you become a reviewer and can be thanked! Even if it's one word, just let me know you're reading. I always love to hear from fellow readers and writers of fanfiction.
'Wretched girl, stealing your Sam.'
'She isn't stealing him. He isn't mine to begin with. You make it sound like I'm in love with him like she is.' Frodo thought, looking over at Tersa whom was curled up by Sam, asleep.
'No no, I didn't mean that… I just see that he's the truest friend you have, and she's slowly pulling him away from you. If Sam leaves what do you have left but me, Frodo? You cannot make the journey on your own, pathetic as you are.'
'I'm not pathetic!' Frodo replied angrily. 'It's your fault I'm this way you vile thing! Now you're trying to turn me against Sam! Stop it!' Frodo put his hands over his ears, trying to blot the ring's horrible, hissing voice out.
'I didn't make you this way, Tersa did. It's all her fault. She's sleeping over there… you could just-'
'Don't say it! Don't say it you accursed thing! I'm not going to kill her! Not for you! I'm not going to destroy what little sanity I have left!' Frodo shook his head. 'Leave me alone!'
' 'What little sanity you have left'? You amuse me, Frodo Baggins. Deep in the pit of your soul-'
"Stop it." Frodo whispered. 'Don't listen to him Frodo, it's not true. Whatever he says-'
"Stop it." Frodo said again, louder.
'Like-'
"Stop it! Leave me alone!" He repeated, louder, close to shouting. By now he was rocking back and forth, not even realizing it. "I'm not!"
'ME.'
"NO!!" Frodo cried, falling onto his side and curling into a ball.
By this time Frodo had awoken both Tersa and Sam up. The battle in his head raged on scrambled to his side.
'You are just as wretched and twisted as I, Frodo Baggins. Just give in. Take me and rule all…get rid of that thief Tersa once and for all.'
Frodo suddenly felt the grip on his mind slipping, as if he was trying to hang on to the edge of a pit. 'NO!' He curled into a tighter ball. 'I won't hurt her; it's not her fault! This is all the ring trying to trick me, I can't give in!'
"Mr. Frodo wake up, please!" Sam shook Frodo, trying to bring him back from wherever he was.
Suddenly Frodo's tightly closed eyes snapped open and the frightened expression on his face disappeared. His face was bleak now, hollow, like the face of a puppet.
"Sam, I don't think that's Frodo anymore. He doesn't look right." Tersa said, backing up as Frodo sat up and turned his eyes to her. "I think the ring has done something to him."
'NOOOOO!!!' Frodo screamed inwardly, losing the last hold on his mind. He could only watch now, no longer in control of his body.
Frodo let out a horrible cry, like that of a beast finally breaking free from it's bonds and lunged at Tersa, getting his hands on her throat and beginning to strangle her.
Tersa could only get out a horse squeak, Frodo's thumbs pressing into her neck. The look on his face was more horrible than she could ever imagine, a look of pure and absolute hatred. Things started to blur in and out of focus as Sam tried to wrestle Frodo away from her. She did the last thing she could. She groped for something to hit Frodo with and found a rock beside her, then picked it up and swung it as hard as she could at his head.
The blow hit its mark, impacting hard with Frodo's right temple. It knocked him out of the ring's control, leaving him lying on the ground in shock, listening to Tersa cough and pant for air beside him. Everything spun and the last thing he saw was Sam leaning over him before it went black.
"Frodo's passed out." Sam sighed, going back to Tersa. "Tersa I'm sorry…"
"I'm fine." Tersa sat up, putting a hand gingerly on her neck to cover the already forming bruise. "I'll be fine, he didn't hurt me. He didn't know what he was doing."
"I know he didn't, but I still wish it had been me and not you." Sam looked at her apologetically. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, poured a bit of water onto it from his water skin, and then handed it to Tersa. "Here. Put this on your neck. It'll help a little."
"Thank you." Tersa smiled weakly, pressing the cloth to her neck. "Where's that frog gotten to?" She asked, attempting to change the subject.
"Out hunting still I suppose. I'm not going to worry about him." Sam brushed a few stray pieces of hair out of Tersa's face. "You and Mr. Frodo are all I need to worry about." He smiled, then added, "You are lovely, even with all that dirt and ash streaked over your face. Do you realize that?"
"Do you realize that you said that out loud?" Tersa asked, looking at him disbelievingly.
"Yes. I was trying to make you feel better."
Tersa's shoulders slumped a bit. 'So it isn't true then… foolish to hope…'
"Just because I was trying to make you feel better doesn't mean I was lying. I wouldn't lie to you Ters." Sam said as Tersa's face turned sad.
"I know." Tersa looked up and smiled weakly at him, but her eyes gave away that she didn't believe him. "Your future wife is a lucky girl Samwise, that's all I have to say…"
"Tersa stop talking like that! How do you know it isn't you!?"
Tersa stopped moping and blinked at him. "What did you say?"
"I said, how do you know that who I'm going to marry isn't you?! Anything can happen between now and then." Sam said, blushing, though he was trying his best to keep his face hidden. 'She drives me crazy... Why does she always have to say things like that…' Suddenly, he heard Tersa giggling beside him. "What? What's so funny?"
"You're trying to hide your blushing. You always duck your head like that when you're embarrassed." Tersa smiled, blushing a bit herself when Sam met her gaze. "You learn a lot of things when you observe someone as long as I have… Especially when they didn't realize it for as long as you did. You learn their habits, how they look in a particular mood… but you never can still predict what they'll do next, annoying as it is, no matter what you do, or how long you-" She stopped as Sam kissed her cheek, catching her off guard.
"Don't think so much Ters. You really do tend to ramble when you're nervous. I pick up on habits too, you know." Sam smiled at her, taking some bandages out of his pack. "I'm going to go try to bandage Frodo's head up to keep it from causing any trouble later on. Go get some sleep Ters."
Tersa nodded, half in a daze, as Sam moved over to where Frodo lay, and touched her hand to cheek. She leaned back against her pack, closing her eyes and savoring the warm feeling in her chest. She felt almost drunk from happiness. 'If this was all I ever got from you, I would still be the happiest person alive.' She looked over at Sam, then curled up with his spare cloak over her and closed her eyes. 'My dear, sweet Samwise… please be mine.'
A few hours later at dawn, Frodo awoke with his head throbbing. "Sam…? Tersa…?"
Suddenly Tersa and Sam appeared in his line of vision.
"Well look who's awake." Tersa laughed. "As hard as I hit you I figured you would be unconscious for at least a couple more hours."
Frodo touched the bandages on his head as he sat up, wincing. "What happened…? Why do you have your hair tucked down in your cloak like that?"
"No reason…" Tersa said, avoiding Frodo's questioning gaze..
"What did I do?" Frodo asked. Tersa and Sam looked at each other, but remained silent. "What happened?!"
"Tried to kill the long haired one, yes precious." Gollum commented from where he was sitting a few feet away. "Tried to choke her, master did, yes."
Suddenly it all came rushing back to him. The ring's voice, the losing control, everything. "Tersa…I… I didn't mean to… I didn't have any control of it, the ring it…" Frodo looked at Tersa who just smiled and shook her head.
"You don't have to apologize Frodo. I knew that you had no control over what you did." Tersa shrugged.
"I still…your hair is covering up bruises on your neck isn't it?" Frodo asked, and Tersa hesitantly nodded. "… I tried to… kill you…"
"But you didn't, Mr. Frodo. That's the important thing. Here." Sam handed Frodo a piece of lembas, then gave a piece to Tersa.
"What about you?" Frodo asked.
"I'm not hungry." Sam shrugged half-heartedly. "Not right now anyway."
"Liar. Eat something or I won't eat anything, then I'll starve to death and die, and then I'll haunt you for the rest of your days, all because you wouldn't eat something." Tersa said, handing Sam a piece of the lembas.
Sam couldn't help but laugh. "Alright alright, have it your way." He took a bite. "See? I'll eat, you can stop glaring at me now."
"Mn." Tersa stuck out her tongue at him. "I can't have you dying on us. Frodo and I would be lost without you."
"And before you go disputing it Sam, it's true." Frodo added, as Sam opened his mouth to argue.
"If you say so Mr. Frodo."
"Yes, yes, talk hobbitses. We must go! Nassssty orcses will be after us if we do not leave! Just a little way more." Gollum moved around restlessly. "Nasty wraiths will come back, searching, always searching-!"
"Sméagol is right, we should be off." Frodo nodded tiredly, standing up and walking after Gollum as he slinked off.
Sam stood and helped Tersa up. "Is your neck any better?" He whispered as soon as Frodo was a few steps away from them.
"It hurts a little if I move a certain way, but it's fine." Tersa pulled back her hair to reveal two small bruises. "Don't worry about me. Go help Frodo, he probably is in a lot of pain from being hit with that rock."
"I will. I just wanted to check if you were better first. I do care about you, you know." Sam took Tersa's hand in his. "Come on, we're falling behind."
They soon caught up with Gollum and Frodo, but Sam didn't let go of Tersa's hand. That is how they walked the rest of the day and, for Tersa and Sam, that day the darkness seemed to lift.
Aww, wasn't that a cute way to end the chapter. Now, to respond to reviews:
Lothliana: Wooo! A new reviewer. I'm glad you like the fic, I'm trying to update as soon as possible. Hopefully there won't be more than a week or so between chapters now, since I'm getting to my favorite parts in the books.
Lindsey: hides No attacking! ;;; I'll get your confession in a bit, though there will be some evilness first.
EJ Kridom: Hehehe. Poor guy. I'd have issues talking too if one of my friends that I've known forever kissed me out of the blue.
Meha: You reviewed!!! YAY! Yes, fluffness. This fic has lots of it, ne? Review again please.