Title:Such A Little Lad
Author:AngieT
No gain, no ownership, no rights, no excuse.
I love all the stories where Merry and Pippin bond at first sight – but I also remember my first reaction at being presented with a baby – though I hasten to add I did not do what Merry does.
Frodo had Merry firmly by the hand, otherwise the Brandybuck would have been out of the room like a stone from a sling.
"Hello," Frodo was cooing in a quite revolting manner. "How are you this morning?"
"Red, wrinkly, and smelly at both ends," Merry muttered under his breath. Luckily the others were too busy doting to hear him.
The new Took baby was now four months old and still as boring as ever. Merry really could not see the point – and worse – every one was too busy fussing the baby to play with him. Even Frodo – good old, reliable, Frodo – inventor of the best forms of mischief and mayhem had gone all serious on him. Merry put it down to the bad influence of Bilbo and the library at Bag End. Frodo spent so much time reading and studying now that he had forgotten how to be good fun.
"Say hello to your cousin," Frodo encouraged.
Merry huffed a long-suffering sigh and stood up on his tiptoes to look into the basket.
Yep – same old, drooling at one end, foot stuck in his mouth, slightly red faced from the bout of yelling Merry had heard from all the way down in the kitchen.
"'ello Pip."
There had been plenty of other babies in the past but you would think this one was made of mithril for all the fuss that was being made. Frodo was now even tickling it under its chin for goodness sakes!
That of course made Pearl huff, "His name is Peregrin."
"What is a Peregrin?" Merry asked.
"A bird," replied Pervinca. "A beautiful, noble bird."
Pippin burped.
"Not a very good name for him then was it," Merry sniggered.
"It's the perfect name," said Pearl. "He is our precious little baby bird."
"Can I hold him?" Frodo asked.
"Oh, for pity's sake!" chimed in Merry. "You said you would take me fishing!"
But Frodo was already bundling the little blanket-wrapped form up into his arms, and Pip was waving his hands about and laughing and getting drool all over Frodo's waistcoat. Frodo tuned back to Merry. "Do you want to hold him?"
And Merry fled the room in horror!
Much later Frodo found Merry sitting on the edge of the well.
"Still want to go fishing, sprout?" Frodo asked good-naturedly.
"Too late," Merry muttered. "It'll be tea time in a half hour."
"I'm sorry," Frodo apologised. "But Pippin was due his feed and Aunty said I could hold the bottle."
"What does he eat?" Merry asked in curiosity.
"Only milky stuff. Things which go down easy and won't upset his stomach. He's not on solid food yet."
"Hmm.." Merry returned his attention to his unused fishing rod and kit. Might as well put it away now. What a waste of the worms he had caught this morning. He looked into the pail. They still looked nice and fresh. Drat the baby for spoiling his fishing trip. "Baby bird!" Merry snorted in disgust. He kicked the bucket of worms with his foot. What did baby birds eat?
It was unusual to find the nursery empty but Pippin had been put down for his nap after feeding. Luck would have it though that when Merry poked his head over the edge of the basket Pippin had his eyes open. When Merry leant over further Pippin reached out – reached out with his chubby little hands for the large wiggling, pink and earthy worm Merry was dangling over the cradle.
Merry did not actually intend to feed the worm to the baby – but he had reckoned without the fast grabbing action and firm grip that babies have. He also reckoned without the propensity any babies, not just hobbit ones, have for stuffing things into their mouths.
"FRODO!"
Frodo dropped his book and caught up the hysterical little hobbit with an ease of gesture that spoke of long practice.
"Merry! Whatever has happened?"
"Frodo!" gasped Merry. "The baby – Pip!"
"What?" Frodo was off at a run to the nursery with Merry trying to keep up and gasping all the while.
"I didn't mean to…. I … He… It all happened so fast….He grabbed… and I .. and then it was gone…. I've murdered him! "
They arrived at the nursery door and crashed in. Frodo, expecting he knew not what ran over to the basket and looked into it. Pippin smiled back up at him and waved a hairy foot in greeting. The baby looked pink and happy and healthy – apart from a smear of what looked like mud on his chin.
"Merry?" demanded Frodo. "What's meant to be wrong with him?"
Merry stretched to see over the basket rim and Pip gurgled at him and laughed. Utter relief swept over him. He grinned back at the baby and took hold of a waving fist. Pippin smiled all the more and bounced on his fat round bottom.
"Nothing," said Merry. "Nothing at all."
end