A/N: Thanks go to Lowri-person for mispronouncing words for me. Thank you!

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"Come away from the window, lass. You'll get nothing done, otherwise."

Daisy left her seat by the window in the living room and took up the mending in the kitchen instead, well away from her view of the road leading past Number 3 and up the Hill. Master Baggins hadn't come past yet, but there was a first time for everything. Bell Gamgee tended to the stew that was hanging in a pot over the kitchen fire.

"Why, I don't know what's gotten into you, lass. I've never known anyone to dream as much as you've done lately."

"She's not dreaming, Mam," May chirped. "She's keeping an eye out for Master Baggins, she said so to me." Bell turned to look at her eldest daughter, whose head was bent so low over her work she had to dodge the needle as she brought it out of the cloth.

"Is she now?"

"Yes Mam. But she said she weren't infacherated or anything silly like that." May took a bite of the bread she was meant to be buttering. "Daisy's just nosy."

"I am not nosy," Daisy spluttered. "I'm curious, that's all. Everyone but me's met Master Baggins, and I want to see who he is."

"That's not true." Bell's voice came from one of the bottom cupboards. She emerged with seven bowls, each big enough to hold a generous portion of the stew. "Mari hasn't met him either."

"But Mari's only six! She hasn't had a chance to meet him yet. Anyway, I meant everyone my age except me. Everyone my age who's in this family." May snorted.

"May…"

"But she's the only one –"

"May…"

"Sorry Daisy."

Bell spooned the stew into the bowls. "You know, Daisy, if you'd said so, I might have sent you up to fetch your father and brother."

Daisy looked up with a gleam in her eye. "Can I go and fetch them tomorrow, then?"

"We'll see."

"Mam, you just said –"

"We'll see."

"What'll we see?" Halfred was home, which meant Hamfast and Sam weren't far behind.

"If Daisy's infactuated with Master Baggins."

"MAY!"

Halfred grimaced. "Ergh! That's disgusting!"

Daisy swatted him across the back of his head as she took the patched up clothes back into the living room, walking into her father in the doorway.

"Now, boy," Hamfast admonished his son. "I'll not have you talking about your mother's cooking that way. You eat every bit of it, don't you? Otherwise you can go and find someone else to feed you."

'''''''''''''''''''''''''

That was it then. Now that May had blabbed all Daisy wouldn't be left to ponder over Frodo Baggins in peace. Stupid May. Not stupid, but… The other sort of stupid. The sort of stupid that isn't dim-witted, the sort that's… stupid.

Oy Daisy, you're doing it again.

She haphazardly shoved the newly mended skirts and petticoats into her wardrobe. They were all creased anyway. Her mother would only tell her off if she ironed them only to wrinkle them again.

Stupid May, stupid Mari, stupid Halfred, stupid Frodo Baggins for not already showing up when she was about. It was his fault.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Honest Dad, I wasn't on about Mam's cooking, it's Daisy. She-"

"Quiet now! If there's food in front of you then it's time for eating, not gossip."

And so, the Gamgees sat down for dinner.

May frowned.

"Mam, what's infaticated mean?"