Fordo stirred sleepily hearing cheerful laughter and light singing. Well it was supposed to be cheerful, instead the sounds seemed impossibly loud and obnoxious. Frodo winced blinking out the harsh light from the window, before turning and pulling a pillow over his head.
"Would somebody shut him up?" Pippin's muffled voice asked.
Frodo sat up as fast as he dared. When did Pippin get here?
Looking around the room he found Merry and Pippin nestled up in blankets on the floor. Gimli not far from them was following Frodo's former idea and burrowing under the blankets and pillows.
Legolas' laughter echoed throught the house accompanied by Rose's feminine giggles and childish laughter.
Merry moaned. "What is wrong with that elf?!"
Gimli grumbled something unintelligably into his pillow before raising bleary eyes. "He's always like this in the mornings. I have never met someone so cheerful about sunrises. Don't you remember how he was on the Quest?"
"Yes but I didn't have a splitting headache at the time either!" Merry hissed back.
Frodo winced at Merry's tone. "Your not helping."
Before Merry could retort, the sounds of scampering feet came down the hall.
Five hobbit children raced into the room pouncing on their hobbit uncles and Gimli.
"Wake up."
"Wake up Uncle Frodo."
"Uncle Pippin!" Ruby, Frodo thought, as the hobbit child launched herself into Pip's lap. Pippin looking decidedly green handed the child over to Merry before bolting out of the room.
Robin had settled herself on Gimli's lap curling her fingers through the thick beard. "Uncle Las told us to get you."
"Oh he did, did he?" Gimli fairly growled as he bounced the little girl in his lap.
"Aye." Robin replied oblivious to the gleam in the dwarf's eye.
Frodo sighed. Now that the children knew they were up their would be no going back to sleep. He climbed gingerly out of his bed feeling his head throb with every step. He squinted against the welcoming light in the kitchen.
Legolas was at the sink with the Gamgee's oldest child Elanor. The two were washing dishes at the sink and whispering softly. Sam was sitting at the table looking decidedly wane. Rose was cradling their littlest, Tolman, as she stirred something in the heavy pot over the fire. The rest of Sam's thirteen children were arrayed around the room, eating or playing on the floor.
"Good morning Mr. Frodo." Sam said echoed by several other voices.
"Morning." Frodo said quietly sitting at the table and letting his head fall into his hands. Feeling movement beside him he glanced up to find Rose placing a mug in front of him. "Thanks Rosie."
Pippin, Merry, Gimli, and the other children entered the kitchen then. Legolas looked over smiling. "Have a good sleep younglings?"
Merry glared at the smirking elf. "Oh yes, most restful."
Pippin elbowed his cousin. "Merry, you and Gimli grab him and I'll push his head under the water."
"Would somebody shut him up?" Pippin's muffled voice asked.
Frodo sat up as fast as he dared. When did Pippin get here?
Looking around the room he found Merry and Pippin nestled up in blankets on the floor. Gimli not far from them was following Frodo's former idea and burrowing under the blankets and pillows.
Legolas' laughter echoed throught the house accompanied by Rose's feminine giggles and childish laughter.
Merry moaned. "What is wrong with that elf?!"
Gimli grumbled something unintelligably into his pillow before raising bleary eyes. "He's always like this in the mornings. I have never met someone so cheerful about sunrises. Don't you remember how he was on the Quest?"
"Yes but I didn't have a splitting headache at the time either!" Merry hissed back.
Frodo winced at Merry's tone. "Your not helping."
Before Merry could retort, the sounds of scampering feet came down the hall.
Five hobbit children raced into the room pouncing on their hobbit uncles and Gimli.
"Wake up."
"Wake up Uncle Frodo."
"Uncle Pippin!" Ruby, Frodo thought, as the hobbit child launched herself into Pip's lap. Pippin looking decidedly green handed the child over to Merry before bolting out of the room.
Robin had settled herself on Gimli's lap curling her fingers through the thick beard. "Uncle Las told us to get you."
"Oh he did, did he?" Gimli fairly growled as he bounced the little girl in his lap.
"Aye." Robin replied oblivious to the gleam in the dwarf's eye.
Frodo sighed. Now that the children knew they were up their would be no going back to sleep. He climbed gingerly out of his bed feeling his head throb with every step. He squinted against the welcoming light in the kitchen.
Legolas was at the sink with the Gamgee's oldest child Elanor. The two were washing dishes at the sink and whispering softly. Sam was sitting at the table looking decidedly wane. Rose was cradling their littlest, Tolman, as she stirred something in the heavy pot over the fire. The rest of Sam's thirteen children were arrayed around the room, eating or playing on the floor.
"Good morning Mr. Frodo." Sam said echoed by several other voices.
"Morning." Frodo said quietly sitting at the table and letting his head fall into his hands. Feeling movement beside him he glanced up to find Rose placing a mug in front of him. "Thanks Rosie."
Pippin, Merry, Gimli, and the other children entered the kitchen then. Legolas looked over smiling. "Have a good sleep younglings?"
Merry glared at the smirking elf. "Oh yes, most restful."
Pippin elbowed his cousin. "Merry, you and Gimli grab him and I'll push his head under the water."