Ok, so I was slightly longer then I promised to be with this chapter, but its here now, so stop your worrying!
Just a little message for everyone, the number of people who ask `Did you really meet Sean Astin?` I am answering you all at once, yes I really met Sean Astin! Would I say I did if I didn't??
LegyLuva (Sam) – Poor cupboard? Poor cupboard?? That's the best you could do?? Hehe, sorry, I do appreciate reviews, especially from you. But poor cupboard?? Come on! Sean, Dom and Elijah, yay! Go us!
GamgeeFest – Thank you for such a nice review! And in answer to your question about Elanor noticing if the handle was missing before hand, I thought that maybe she had knocked into the cupboard, found that it was broken, and thought that it was she who broke it. I have done that often times enough, just in a state of panic. So maybe she would have done, maybe not. Oh, and about Sam calling her flower, Elanor is a name of an elvish flower. J
Shirebound – I do love hobbit sense, especially where Sam is concerned. One of my favourite lines in the third book is "In that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he new in the core of his heart he was not large enough to bear such a burden" So I felt that Sams hobbit sense simply had to make an appearance in his early childhood somewhere!
Mousegal – wow, that must have been one of the longest reviews I have ever had off you! Glad to see that the chapter made you smile so, I love little Sam too, and I find it very easy to picture him, that's why he comes across so clerly in my story. And go curly hair! @;)
Celebrindal – Sammish, what a great word! I should have to use that at some point. And huggable, that's a good word too. In fact, I think it sums it up nicely. Huggably Sammish.
Samwise the Brave - It's a shame that you might never get to meet sean Astin, he is such a nice guy! But anyway, you spent so much time tellingme how jelous you are that you never really gave me your views on the chapter. I'm guessing that you liked it, and I hope you like this one too. (where abouts in Asia do you live?)
Boookworm 2000 – I met Sean at a collectormania convention in Milton keynes. I had to travel for nearly 3 hours to get there, but it was worth it! And young sam covered in soot, that is actualkly where the whole idea came from. I was sat on the bus one day, when I just had this funny image of very dirty sam, and I started grinning stupidly, and making up a chapter to go with it. I'm glad it worked out!
Obelia medusa (50th reviewer number one microscopic jellyfish fan) - bet you can't say that 5 times fast! Here you are, just what you have been waiting for, the introduction of Merry and Pippin, both older and younger. About the "I love the Gamgee Clan Club", its free to join, the only thing you have to do is review every chapter of the stories containing the gamgees of every member of the club. But as there is only me and you in it at the moment, that's shouldn't be too difficult! ;)
No1 fan – hehe, my little Sam attempting to make Frodo better by putting his hand on his head like his mother did, was actually an afterthought. I was just about ready to post the chapter, when I had this idea, so I went and wrote it in. Glad it worked to my advantage!
arwen undomiel3 – I deceided to put Pippin in just for you, I know he's one of your favourite characters. Ok, so it wasn't just for you, but I did think of you while writing it. Hope they live up to your expectations, as all my other characters seem to have made such a good impression on me!
Cosmo-queen – You hit the nail right on the head in your last review. Indeed, now that Sam has become Frodo's `protector`, their love is going to start and show through more. But not so much in this chapter I'm afraid, I decided to concentrate on Merry and Pippin's relationships with each other, and with Frodo and Sam, because they don't feature in this story very often, so I'm taking the chance while I can. But rest assured, Frodo and Sam will feature prominantly in future chapters. And you can hear all about my meeting with Sean in my next e-mail. And yes, I did get a few hints on the third movie!
~*~~*~
Memories of a Gardener
By Michelle Frodo
Chapter 7- Seeking Pippin
Sam gave a huge yawn, rubbing his eyes to try and force the sleep away. He stretched himself, then fell back again on to the pillows.
It was still early, and his guests weren't arriving till tomorrow. There was no real point in getting up yet, he thought. Might as well lie here where I'm comfortable. Besides, it was far too cold outside the warmth of the blankets.
Lay next to him, Rose stirred in her sleep. Sam pressed a feather light kiss to her cheek. She cuddled up against him, and Sam felt himself beginning to drift off to sleep again.
Knock knock knock
`Botheration. ` Thought Sam. `Who could be at the door at this early hour? `
Knock knock knock knock knock
"All right, all right." Sam called, swinging his feet out from under the blankets, and wincing as they made contact with the cold floor. "I'm comin', I'm comin'." Like as not it was farmer Twofoot wanting advice on carrot planting again. Farmers kept such strange hours.
Still rubbing sleep from his eyes, Sam opened the green door of Bag End.
"There you are Sam. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to bother letting me in." Merry grinned from the doorstep.
Sam blinked several times, then shut his eyes tight and opened them again, which, in his opinion, eliminated the possibility that he was having a very bizarre dream.
"Pip's just gone round to the field to tie up the horses. Here he comes now I believe." A strong voice whistling a nonsense tune could be heard, and Sam stuck his head out of the door as Pippin strolled down the path with his hands in his pockets.
"Word to the wise Sam" the Took said. "You'll be catching flies with your mouth open that wide"
For the first time, Sam realised that his mouth was hanging open. He closed it.
"What happened to your manners while we were away Sam?" Merry asked teasingly. "Since when did you allow your guests to freeze on your doorstep?"
"Freeze, or die of hunger" Pippin put in hopefully.
Sam stood back from the doorway, indicating that they should come inside.
"Thank you" Merry said, as he and Pippin walked through to the kitchen. Sam followed.
"I wasn't expectin' you till the morrow" Sam finally managed to say, when his guests were seated round the table.
"We travelled faster then we thought." Merry shrugged, taking an apple from the fruit bowl conveniently placed at the centre of the table.
"Probably to do with the fact that we didn't stop for breakfast this morning, nor supper last night" Pippin grumbled.
"Not an inconvenience are we?" Merry asked, while Pippin took a bite out of an apple.
"Not at all Mr Merry. You're both quite welcome here anytime." Sam was still staring.
"Sam, why do you look at us so? Anyone would think I had grown a second head during the night, the way you're staring!"
"Very sorry Mr Pippin." Sam said blushing. "It's just as you've both grown so very tall as of late!"
Merry looked down at his feet, then at Sam, then across the table to his companion, who was eating his second apple.
"I suppose you're right" he chuckled. "I suspect I shall soon be the tallest hobbit on Shire record!"
"Oh no you won't" cut in Pippin, his mouth full of apple. "I'm going to beat you."
All three of them laughed. After his initial shock, Sam was glad to see his friends again. It had been so long since they had spoken; they had a lot to be catching up on.
"I guess, by the fact that you've nearly cleaned out my fruit bowl, that you would both be wantin' a bit o' breakfast?"
"I thought you'd never ask" Pippin said, by way of reply.
"But first" Merry said with a grin "I suggest you go and get dressed Sam"
Pippin laughed, and Sam suddenly realised that he was still wearing his over large night-shirt.
Blushing profoundly, he left his friends in the kitchen, and went to get some decent clothes on.
After an eventful breakfast, during which Merry and Pippin were introduced to the newest members of the ever-growing Gamgee family, Sam, Pippin and Merry sat in the lounge, planning on spending the day catching up on the latest gossip.
While they were talking, Elanor walked into the room.
"Well just look at you Ellie." Pippin said. "Last time I saw you, you were but a tiny girl asleep in your fathers lap. Now look at you, you've all but grown up"
Elanor smiled. "I'm nearly nine now uncle Pippin" she said proudly.
"Lets have a look at you then" Said Merry, scooping the girl onto his knee, where she shrieked with laughter as he tickled her.
"I remember what it was like to be nine." Pippin said with a sigh.
"You were an absolute terror!" Merry answered, stopping with his tickles long enough for Elanor to get her breath back.
"I was not." Pippin glared at his cousin.
Sam chuckled. "If memory serves, I believe you were. You were about nine when we first met, do you remember?"
Feeling a story coming on, Elanor jumped off Merry's knee, and ran to her father instead.
"Tell me about it Daddy"
~*~
"Ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred! I'm comin', ready or not!" Sam cried. He moved his hands away from his eyes so he could see, and started to hunt around for his friends.
Merry and Pippin were visiting Bag End, along with other numerous relatives, ready for the harvest festival next week. Bilbo, Eglantine, Paladin, Esmeralda and Saradoc had gone off to the Green Dragon to catch up on the latest gossip, and try some of the latest Hobbinton ale. Pippin's sisters had gone out for a walk, and Frodo had said he would watch Merry and Pippin. So the cousins and Sam were playing hide and seek.
It had been Pippins choice of game, despite the fact that Frodo tried telling him that Bag End simply wasn't big enough, that it wasn't like Brandy Hall, where you could spend half an hour trying to find everybody.
"I want to play hide and seek!" Pippin insisted, folding his arms and pouting his lips.
So now Sam was checking wardrobes, under beds and behind curtains. Merry was first to be spotted, his foot sticking out from under Frodo's bed. Frodo was behind the curtain in the living room, and Pippin was under the kitchen table.
"Right," Said Merry, "My turn. One, two, three " he began. Frodo, Sam and Pippin went off to hide.
"Ninety-nine, one hundred, coming ready or not" Merry went straight to the kitchen, where he knew Pippin would be hiding underneath the table again. The young hobbit still didn't understand hide and seek very well.
"Don't keep hiding in the same place Pip" Merry instructed. "Try and hide somewhere no one will think of looking for you"
Sam was soon found sat behind the couch in the living room, but it took Merry quite a while to find Frodo, who was lay down in the bathtub.
"Whose turn is it to count?" Frodo asked while climbing out of the tub.
"Mr Pippins." Sam answered.
"Just one problem" said Merry. "I don't think he knows how to count to 100"
"I do so!" Pippin cried, folding his arms again.
"Pip, I only taught you last week, are you sure you can remember?" Merry asked his young cousin.
"I can count! I do remember! I can I can!" he shouted.
"All right, all right." Frodo restored the calm, not wanting an argument on his hands. "If Pippin wants to be on, he can be on. The rest of us will hide."
A big grin spread over Pippins face. He covered his eyes and began counting.
"No peeking Pip!" Merry called as he ran from the room.
Once in the hallway, Sam looked around for somewhere to hide. There was a pile of logs near the door, waiting to be taken down to the store room. Sam dived behind them, and covered himself with a coat from the peg behind him, just for good measure. He could still hear Pippin counting.
"Twenty-nine, twenty-ten, twenty-eleven" Sam sniggered at the child's mistake.
Soon Pippin reached "twenty twenty" then he stopped. He didn't know what to say next. "Twenty twenty ten" he continued. Sam tried hard not to laugh.
By the time Pippin reached "twenty twenty twenty" Sam had to bury his head in his hands, so no one would hear him and know where he was hiding. He concentrated his whole mind on stopping his laughter.
When his chuckles finally subsided, Sam listened to see where Pippin was up to. He could no longer hear any counting, so he assumed Pippin was looking for everyone. He waited for the tap on his back, and `one two found you! `
He waited.
And waited.
It was only when he got cramp in his foot and had to move that he took the coat off his head, and peered down the hall way.
Nothing.
No sight or sound of Pippin. There wasn't even the usual scuffling sounds indicating that Pippin was looking for him. As quietly as he could manage, he tip-toed down the hall way, and peered into all the rooms as he passed. Still nothing.
He decided to look for Merry and Frodo, thinking that maybe he had been forgotten, which had happened before. He walked into Bilbo's room cautiously.
"Mr Frodo? Mr Merry?" he called softly.
"I'm here Sam" Frodo answered, sticking his head out from underneath the desk. "What's the matter?"
"What happen' to Mr Pippin?" Sam asked.
"Did he not find you either?" Frodo asked puzzled, using Sam's outstretched hand to help get up from the floor. Sam shook his head.
"I can't find him, Don't know where he's got to!"
"I bet him and Merry have gone raiding the larder again while the two of us were hiding like a pair of ninny hammers." Frodo sighed.
"Mayhap we should look for Mr Merry n' find out?" Sam suggested.
"I think Merry went into my room" Said Frodo, leading the way.
They walked from Bilbo's room across the hall to Frodo's room, and opened the door.
"Merry?" Frodo called. "Merry are you in here?" The chest at the end of Frodo's bed shuffled, the lid popped up, and Merry's head emerged.
"What's up? I thought Pippin was `it`?"
"He was, but he seems to have vanished in the process Mr Merry"
Merry stepped out of the chest and closed the lid. "He did this once before." Merry said. "He's gone to hide. I bet he got bored with counting and went to fine somewhere to hide so we could find him."
"Of course!" Frodo almost laughed. "You used to do the same Brandybuck"
Merry smiled. "You suppose he's under the table again?"
"On'y one way to find out" Sam said, as they walked down the hallway to the kitchen.
But Pippin wasn't under the table. Nor was he in any of the cupboards. The larder was empty of hobbits, so was the living room, and all the bedrooms. Frodo looked around puzzled.
"Where in the West Farthing could he have got to?" he asked, more to himself then to anyone else.
"Mr Frodo!" came a sudden urgent cry. Frodo ran from the bedroom, collided with Merry who was on his way out of the living room, and they ran towards the back door.
"What is it Sam?" Frodo asked. He soon found out. The back door was wide open.
"Botheration!" Merry cursed. "Now he's gone into the garden!"
Sam bit his bottom lip. "He wouldn't a' run off would he?"
"The front gate! I think it was open!" Frodo cried.
The three of them rushed out of the back door, round the gardens, and into the front. Luckily the gate was still shut. Merry and Frodo sighed with relief.
"All right, so he's got to be here somewhere" Merry said practically. Suddenly there was a dejected cry from the other side of the garden.
"Sam?" Frodo called, running towards the voice, Merry hot on his heels. They found Sam crouched next to his flower bed.
"Fool of a Took!" he was saying under his breath. "Just wait till I get my hands on that young imp!" Merry and Frodo stood at his side. It looked as though someone had been walking through the flower bed. The flowers were all bent, their stems broken, the leaves littering the soil.
"Just look at what he's done to the garden!" Sam cried, seeing them at his side. Frodo had never seen him so angry.
"It's…..not that bad" Merry said, trying to reassure him.
"Not that bad? S'cuse me for saying so Mr Merry, but you don't know what you're talkin' 'bout. They're my best flowers, and he's gone n' broke every single one! They ain't goin' to flower again this side of next Spring no ways."
"Sam, if anyone could get them to flower again its you." Frodo offered, putting a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "But right now, I think we had best find Pip."
"Just wait till I get my hands on that Peregrin Took" Sam began, until he realised who he was talking about, not only his masters cousin, but also heir to the Great Smials of Tookborough! He quickly remembered his place, and shut up.
"So, we know Pippin was in the garden, but where's he gone now?" Merry asked, looking around in the hopes of finding some clue. He walked down to the tool shed, whose door was slightly ajar. "By the looks of things, Pippin was in here too."
Sam and Frodo stood up and peered into the shed. Spades, hoes, rakes and trowels were everywhere. A bag of compost had fallen over, the fresh soil covering the floor of the shed. Seeds, bulbs and plant cuttings had fallen off shelves. A rather bleak picture to say the least.
"That Took leaves mess and destruction everywhere he goes!" Frodo almost cried.
"That wouldn't be our Pippin you were talking about would it?" asked a voice coming up the garden path. Pippins older sisters, Pearl, Pimpernel and Pervinca were back from their walk.
"Sam, this is Pearl, Nelly and Vin." Merry introduced. "Girls, this is Sam, Frodo's friend."
Sam shock hands with the three older Tooks, feeling slightly above his station, but pleased at being called Frodo's friend.
"You've not seen Pip on your travels up the path have you?" Frodo asked his cousins.
"No" Nelly said. "Not seen him since this morning"
"I thought Mam said you were looking after him?" Pearl cut in, looking a quizzical eye over Frodo.
"Well..err.." Frodo didn't really know what to say. Pippin wasn't exactly lost, and yet, they didn't know where he was. He was afraid whatever he said he might sound stupid. Merry however, saved him the bother.
"It's all right, we've not lost him, we were just playing hide and seek, and Frodo was trying to cheat by asking for help. He's rubbish at this game."
"Hide and seek? That's a great idea! Pip loves that game!" Pearl smiled at Frodo, who was grateful that he wasn't about to be told off by younger female relatives.
"He's usually not very good at it though." Vin said. "Are you sure you checked everywhere?"
"Unless he managed to fold himself up and pop himself inside a draw, yes." Frodo answered.
"I wouldn't put it past him." Sam muttered, so that only Frodo heard.
"Come on then," said Nelly. "We'll help you look."
All six hobbits started searching again, re-opening cupboards and double checking every room. Sam even went and opened all the draws, just in case. But no Pippin.
Eventually they all met again in the kitchen.
"It's so odd," Merry said, scratching his head in puzzlement. "Anyone would think he had simply vanished!" he continued to open the draws and cupboards in the kitchen for the third time, completely baffled.
Suddenly Sam's sharp ears picked up the slightest sound.
"Did you hear that?" he asked. Everyone stood still and listened. "I think its coming from the larder." Sam walked down the steps. There was silence for a few moments, then a cry.
"I think we've got rats Mr Frodo!"
"Rats?" all the girls screamed in horror, and fled from the kitchen. Merry and Frodo followed Sam down the steps to the larder.
"What do you mean we've got rats?"
Sam pointed to the shelf, where only a few crumbs remained of the rhubarb and apple pies that Bilbo had baked the day before.
"Merry walked over to the corner, where a sack stood containing apples. There were three apple cores on the floor.
"Since when did rats eat apples?" Merry asked, picking up one of the cores.
"More to the point" Frodo observed, "Since when did rats eat apples and leave the cores behind?" He jumped as the apple sack gave a shudder.
Carefully, the three lads walked towards the sack. Looking at Sam and Merry, Frodo mouthed the words `on three`. He put up one finger, then put up another.
All together they called "Three!" and jumped on the sack.
"Ow!"
"My foot!"
"My head!"
"Pippin!"
"It's you!"
Ending up in a heap on the floor, Sam, Frodo and Merry stared at Pippins head, which had emerged out of the sack.
"Have you been here all this time?" Sam asked, looking annoyed.
"What took you so long to find me! I thought I was going to have to eat the whole larder, rather then die of hunger"
"But, but, we searched everywhere! Who looked in here?" Frodo asked, looking from Merry to Sam.
"It was me" said Merry "But he wasn't in here, and he definitely wasn't in the sack, because I got an apple out while I was here"
Pippin began to chuckle. "I didn't stay in one place you Silly Billys, I was in the garden to start with, and then when you all ran past to the front gate, I went into the shed, then I came in here." Sam looked at Pippin, about to say something about the state of the garden, but thought better of it.
"I found the best hiding place, I found the best hiding place" Pippin sang. The others couldn't help but laugh too.
"You did indeed, I don't think I ever would have thought of looking in here more then once, had Sam not heard you. You could have been hidden in that sack for ever!"
Pippin frowned. "I don't think I like the sound of that."
"Come on, we best go and tell the girls that we found you" Frodo said.
Sam led the way up the steps back to the kitchen.
Just as he put one foot out of the door..
Smack!
"Ow!"
"Sam?"
"Mr Bilbo sir!" Sam cried, rubbing his foot. Bilbo was stood over the door with a broom held high in his hand.
"Dad!" Pippin squealed, as he saw his father standing behind Bilbo, as though offering support.
"Mum!" Merry shouted, seeing his mother stood on a chair with his aunt.
"What in Middle Earth is going on?" Frodo asked as he left the larder.
"The girls said there were rats in there!" Esmeralda almost cried, holding up her skirt, where she stood on a chair.
"Sam, I'm so sorry, I didn't hurt you did I?" Bilbo apologised.
"Nothin' as that can't be fixed Mr Bilbo" Sam answered, still rubbing his toe.
"You thought Sam was a rat?" Frodo turned to his uncle.
"No! Well, I.."
But there really was nothing more to say.
~*~
May Elbereth bless my reviewers; Flames will be used in destroying the Ring
This chapter was brought to you by `Orc wood cutters limited` Pesky forest spoiling the view from your bedroom window? Let us deal with it. Recommended by White Wizard Saruman.