Title:Trouble at Bag End
Author:AngieT
Warning: UnBetad highly fluffy. No ownership no profit of monetary sorts etc.
Summary: Bilbo is finding baby-sitting a bit more than he bargained for but luckily an old friend is at hand to help.
Thanks to Adi for the beta
For LilyBaggins
It was under cover of darkness that Aragorn made his way to the kitchen door of Bag End and knocked softly. It was quite late but he was sure Bilbo would still be up and at work in his study, so it was with some puzzlement that he was about to knock again when after some time had ticked by the door had not been opened. The man had his fist raised when the door suddenly popped open and Bilbo stood on the step.
"Estel!" the hobbit exclaimed. "Come in, come in."
The Ranger had to stoop quite a bit to get in by the low door but he was heartened by the greeting of the warmth from the stove and the light of various lamps around the room.
"Whatever have you there?" Aragorn asked, noting for the first time the bundle Bilbo was clasping to his chest. Had he caught his friend in the middle of putting out the washing? The bundle was very brightly coloured, but as he looked closer he saw a small pair of feet sticking out of the bottom and a few stray dark brown curls from the top.
"This is my cousin," Bilbo said. "His parents left him with me for a few days but I can't get him off to sleep."
On cue the bundle waved a hand free of its bindings and Aragorn heard a hiccupping sound.
Bilbo flopped down into a kitchen chair. "There's nothing to eat," he announced, "I haven't had time to cook anything."
Aragorn looked distressed; the situation must be dire indeed.
"There's some half-made stew but I haven't had a chance to finish it yet. How Prim and Drogo manage I do not know." Bilbo jiggled and bounced his bundle and it retaliated by catching him a blow with its tiny fist to his jaw and an increase in the sound of its cries. Bilbo blinked and set the child down on the table, the bindings fell away and Aragorn found himself presented with a tiny hobbit child about the size of a half-grown cat and with a face scrunched up and red with displeasure.
"Estel, this is Frodo," Bilbo waved a hand and then sat back with a sigh of despair.
Aragorn moved slowly around the table and came to sit on the bench next to Bilbo and in Frodo's line of sight. The child looked up at him with a thunderous expression on his flushed face, little brows drawn in tight together and mouth clamped tightly shut.
"Hello Frodo," said Aragorn, leaning forwards and reaching out one hand in offering as though approaching a skittish horse. His entire hand was about half the size of the baby hobbit.
Frodo kicked out at the offered hand and unpursed his mouth long enough to utter "Orc!"
Bilbo chuckled. "Outspoken my cousin is. I was trying to soothe him to sleep with a story."
"I've been called worse," said Aragorn, not questioning Bilbo's choice of a 'soothing' bedtime story. "I will sit with him if you want to make yourself some supper."
And so it was that Aragorn found himself sitting at the kitchen table whilst Frodo stared at him with a face like a storm cloud.
The Ranger had no experience of children at all and his experience of hobbits was limited to Gandalf's old friend Bilbo. Since his duties had called for him to guard the borders of the Shire he had gained more experience, from a distance, but never had he seen a child this tiny – or so furious looking. Frodo glared at Aragorn then reached out, grabbed one of his own feet and guided it toward his mouth.
"That won't taste very nice," Aragorn warned. He reached out and took the foot, amazed at how soft it still was. There was a bit of downy growth on the top. Releasing the foot Aragorn moved his hand a little and touched the red cheek.
"Bilbo," he said. "This child has a bit of a fever. Has he been ill recently?"
"I am sure not," Bilbo said bustling over in concern. "Prim would have never left him otherwise."
Inexperienced with children he might be but Aragorn was still a healer in training. He reached out with the little finger of his left hand and pressed it to the full lower lip gently opening it and slipping his finger within. Frodo scowled furiously and rocked back on his bottom but Aragorn steadied him.
"What is it?" Bilbo asked in increasing alarm.
Aragorn looked puzzled, he very gently explored the tiny mouth… yes… there… Something hard bit down on his finger with surprising force.
"He has a tooth coming through."
"A tooth! Oh my goodness!" Bilbo looked even more alarmed. "What do we do about that?"
Aragorn noticed the 'we' with a smile. "If you would hand me my pack."
Bilbo had to use both hands to pick up the Rangers pack and set it on the kitchen table next to Frodo. The little hobbit had now grasped Aragorn's one huge hand in both his tiny ones and was holding it in place whilst he chewed determinedly at the finger still in his mouth. One-handed Aragorn opened his Pack and searched around for a bit until he with drew a rolled bundle which he spread out on the table. Selecting carefully a small pouch he undid it and then dipped the little finger of his right hand into the pasty content.
"Let us see how this serves little one," he addressed Frodo as he slipped his now drool covered left finger from the demanding mouth and substituted it for the right one. Frodo looked like he was about to erupt but then bit down firmly on the new finger. He mouthed a little at the taste but was too intent on relieving the ache in his gum to mind.
"There we go," Aragorn smiled. "That should sooth the ache. Has he a toy he can chew on?"
"Prim left a basket full of things," Bilbo trotted off and came back with a wicker basket full of items somehow connected with the well-being and comfort of a baby hobbit. Amid the profusion of blankets, shawls, and napkins Aragorn spotted a few jars of salve – probably for nappy rash. He reached out and picked up a crochet bonnet of remarkably small proportions beneath which lay a stuffed rabbit. Turning over a few more items he came to a smooth wooden rattle, beautifully carved and quite suitable for the current need.
It took some little trouble for Aragorn to substitute the rattle for his finger but once done Frodo settled down to chew on the smooth surface. As the root soothed the ach he stopped fretting and his face resumed a more normal pink colour.
"He is a beautiful child," Aragorn surprised himself by saying.
"You should see his mother," said Bilbo a little wistfully.
Aragorn reached out and picked Frodo up under the arms to lift him down onto his lap. Frodo looked around with interest and reached for the laces of Aragorn's tunic.
"I think you have made a friend," Bilbo laughed. "Now what?"
"A bath and bed," Aragorn said firmly.
This was not quite how he had expected his visit to work out, Aragorn mused, as a few moments later, still seated at the kitchen table he gave Frodo his improvised bath. Bilbo was washing and cutting vegetables at the sink and adding them at intervals to the bubbling pot on the hearth. Meanwhile his second largest pie dish was being put to another use altogether as Frodo sat in it to have his bath.
Pain relieved for now, Frodo was quite prepared to be friendly and cooperative. He sat on the towel-covered kitchen table in the pie dish and allowed Aragorn to gently run a cooling flannel over his body. A toy duck had been found amongst his things and this now bobbed and floated in the pie dish along with him. Frodo splashed his feet and cooed happily.
Aragorn carefully washed the chubby little face and was rewarded with a wide smile. "Better now?" he asked.
"'ette," replied Frodo and raised his arms to be lifted out, deeming his bath to be done. Chuckling softly Aragorn complied and laid Frodo face up on the towel that was spread ready on his knees. He took another towel and proceeded to dry off the hobbit lad.
Bilbo looked round from sprinkling some spring onions into the stew. Aragorn had dropped the towel completely over Frodo and was pretending to 'hunt' for the baby. "Where's Frodo!" he sang softly. "There he is!" he exclaimed as he lifted back the towel and Frodo chortled in delight and pulled the towel back down to 'hide' again. Bilbo shook his head. In all his years and all his adventures he had seen some strange and wonderful sights – but this lanky Ranger sitting in the kitchen at Bag End and playing peek-a-boo with a tiny hobbit baby had to be the strangest. As Bilbo watched Aragorn picked up a kicking foot and painstakingly dried between each toe before leaning further down to blow a raspberry onto the underside. Bilbo felt warmed. Frodo could not ask for a better protector.
A much more contented and fresh Frodo lay on the heart rug in the parlour and kicked his legs around whilst a Ranger from the Wild was introduced to the intricacies of trying to fasten a hobbit baby into his night-time napkin and night shirt. As soon as Aragorn had one of the miniscule buttons fastened Frodo managed to wiggle and squirm another undone. A lavender powdered baby was a very tricky thing to keep a hold of and a game of chase ensued with a naked Frodo crawling off round the sofa whilst Aragorn followed on his hands and knees. Eventually the lad was caught and pinned gently to the rug with one hand whilst Aragorn completed his task with the other. Frodo looked up at Aragorn with his huge blue eyes and waved his rattle.
"You will be a heartbreaker I can see," Aragorn stroked the downy cheek. Frodo looked up with eyes that seemed far too aware for his age and smiled sleepily.
Bilbo finally finished in the kitchen and came to tell Aragorn supper was at last ready. He was surprised by the silence in the parlour. In the tall chair by the fire Aragorn sat, leaning back, his feet propped on the fender. Resting on the Ranger's chest and held in the protective circle of his arms lay Frodo. They were both fast asleep.
end