Author's Note: And we're back to Bilbo, Gandalf and lil'Frodo/Durin and have jumped about two years.
This chapter is more of a filler chapter but it is setting up a few crucial things for later chapters.
Chapter Four
A Short but Welcome Visit
Two years and six months later
"Gandy! Gandy!"
Bilbo fought back an amused smile as her small son squealed out his version of the name of his favourite wizard.
"Ah, young Mister Frodo, how you've grown." The grey wizard was standing by her front gate smiling fondly at the little toddler who was squirming within his mother's embrace so as to be let down and to be able to run to the wizard's side.
"Good morning." Bilbo greeted the wizard with a sly, knowing smile which he returned.
"Good morning, Miss Baggins and what a fine morning we are having."
Bilbo smiled before sighing.
"Alright, alright, I'll let you down." She sighed while also fighting back laughter as she set her son gently down upon the soft green grass by the wooden bench they had been sitting on together, reading one of her favourite books, before Gandalf had shown up quite unexpectedly at their gate.
He promptly stood up from where he had been sat and trotted carefully over to where Gandalf stood on the opposite side of the gate.
"Gandy." The little lad held his arms up for the Gandalf to pick him, which the wizard cheerfully obliged, bending down and carefully swinging the lad up and over the garden gate and onto his hip.
"Irewoks, Gandy, irewoks!" Frodo squealed, bouncing up and down on Gandalf hip as his mother opened the gate for Gandalf to step into her lushy and vibrant green garden, her flowers in full bloom.
"Not now, my darling, it's still light out." Bilbo replied smiling up at her son who beamed back at her. He was such a happy child, so unlike his…
"Tea, Gandalf?" She asked as she led the wizard up her front steps to her round green front door.
"Please. I am not here for a long visit I'm afraid. Simply passing through and thought to drop in to see how you were doing." The wizard replied as he followed the hobbit to her kitchen, carefully sitting down at her low table without jostling the little lad on his hip who was contently playing with his beard.
The lad took great enjoyment in playing with facial hair, it being an unseen quality in the male hobbit and so took every opportunity to play with Gandalf's beard whenever the wizard paid them a visit. Lucky for the wizard the lad had quickly learnt not to pull.
"Where are you off to?" Bilbo asked as she put the kettle on and set some biscuits upon the table.
"Oh, here and there," Gandalf replied with a wink as he took a biscuit from the plate, broke it in two, passing the smaller half to the toddler who happily started sucking on the treat so that it became soft and mushy in his mouth.
"No adventures? Not here to lure any unsuspecting hobbit lad or lass out of their safe and cosy homes with the promises of treasure and glory?" Bilbo teased.
"If I didn't know any better, my dear hobbit lass, I would start to think that you had become cynical in your still reasonably young age."
Bilbo snorted.
"I've always been rather cynical."
"I would more of said sceptical, but believe what you will about yourself, as it is yourself who should be the one who know best."
"Not always." Bilbo replied softly from where she stood by the kettle waiting for it to boil.
"No," Gandalf agreed softly, "Not always."
"Irewoks, Gandy, irewoks."
Bilbo smiled at her son, pleased to have a reason to not think about the past even though the past had quite a lot to do with her son's creation.
"Not this time I fear, my dear little fellow, not this time."
The little boy opened his mouth as if to cry or protest before shutting it again, a resolved look appearing in his blue eyes.
He wiggled out of Gandalf's laps, landing smartly on his feet before tottering off out of the room.
"I do hope I have not upset him too greatly." Gandalf commented. From his experience with other hobbit children – which was very little, really – that while they could become easily upset over almost anything, they got over it again just as quickly, usually with the help of some kind of treat or some small present.
Dwarf children however, being quite like their parents took their displeasure over something to great levels, usually carrying it over into pre-adulthood and adulthood. And if you just so happened to be associated with whatever had caused them displeasure as a child, well you had better look out. It took a frustratingly long time to get out a dwarf's bad books, especially with a grudge that has been held since childhood.
"Doubtful." Bilbo replied with a smile, "more like… ah, here he is."
And sure enough, Frodo Baggins was tottering back into the kitchen holding several pieces of paper in his hands, clutching them closely to his chest. He came to once more stand by Gandalf side, looking up at the wizard expectantly with his brilliant blue eyes.
Just like his father, the wizard thought, Durin's line certainly is strong. Though that should be expected, considering…
He lifted the lad up onto the bench beside him, still looking over the soft black curls and sapphire blue eyes.
"What have you there, my dear lad?"
With a small, shy smile, Frodo showed him and Gandalf didn't have to try hard to look impressed with the child's drawings. While still being very child-like, there was also an age to them that was certainly impressive in a two almost three year old child.
He glanced over at the lad's mother who was pouring their tea.
"Do ya like?" the lad asked shyly. "I dew the dwagon 'om Mama story. See…" the boy shuffled through the papers to show Gandalf a very impressive rendition of Smaug, obviously drawn by a very young child's hand but still remarkable accurate.
"Impressive. Very impressive. You have quite a talent, my little fellow."
"He does, doesn't he?" Gandalf glanced back up at Bilbo and sees her worry, her concern for her already unique child.
"You an ave 'em Gandy" The boy said with a wide smile.
Gandalf smiled back at the lad.
"Thank you, I will keep them close and look at them often." The boy's smile was so wide it was, Gandalf was sure, in this home at least, a rival to the Sun itself.
"Is it normal?" Gandalf looked down at the hobbit. She had just tucked her son into bed for his afternoon nap and had checked on her still resting father and was now showing Gandalf out.
"Him being able to draw like he already does? Is it normal for Dwarrow children?"
"Dwarrow children discover their trade early on in life, though I've never heard of it happening this early, but…" He added quickly when he saw the nervousness in Bilbo's brown eyes, "that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. You know how secretive Dwarves can be."
Bilbo snorted but made no reply.
"Do not fear Bilbo, Frodo is a healthy lad with a talent for drawing."
"Ori will be thrilled." Bilbo commented with a small smile before sighing heavily as she thought of the young dwarf whom had come to be like a little brother to her. In fact all the dwarves, by the end, had all become something like brothers to her. All except one, but she doesn't think about him, as much as she can help it.
She notices that the wizard was watching her closely and forced herself to smile before frowning when she noticed that he was wearing a slightly worried expression on his old, wise face.
"What is it Gandalf?"
"Hmmm, oh it is nothing really but…"
"What is it?" She persisted. Too often she was kept in the dark over something during their quest and she was quite sick of it if she must say so herself.
"A trading route is being set up between the Ered Luin and Erebor and I believe it will be passing quite close by to the Shire."
Bilbo swallowed nervously.
"I doubt that they'll ever actually come into the Shire. We have nothing of interest to trade with them, except maybe food. But it would spoil long before they returned to Erebor." Bilbo said trying to calm her racing heart.
"I agree with you," The wizard replied with a nod of his head, "but I thought that this would be something you would like to know."
"I doubt that any of them would be a part of any of the trading parties moving between Ered Luin and Erebor." Bilbo whispered to herself. "And even if any of them were, they wouldn't come to the Shire. They think I'm dead, so they wouldn't." She shakes her head, feeling silly over the tears that are threatening to betray her true feelings to the wizard.
She felt a large and solid hand being placed upon her shoulder and looked up into the wizard's wise, sad dark eyes.
"All will work out the way it should."
"That's it?" Bilbo asked with a weak smile, "That's the best advice you have for me?"
"At the moment? Yes."
Bilbo shook her head, laughing softly.
"Of course. Can't get a sensible word out of wizard unless it suits him."
"I'm sorry Bilbo that I cannot leave you with more."
"It's fine." The hobbit lass replied with a shake of her blonde curls. "You will come and visit us soon, won't you? Frodo does miss you something terrible when you're away."
"I will try, my dear, I will try."
"If you see any of them, tell them…" she trailed off, biting down upon her lower lip, "never mind."
"The last I saw of them, though they did not see me, they were all doing very well."
In body, maybe but not in soul, the Wizard thought sadly as he looked down at the hobbit before him.
If only she knew how much they missed her, mourned for her. If only they weren't so stubborn to admit it to themselves, then maybe the company wouldn't be in this mess.
He shakes his head before giving his burglar a small bow which causes her to blush and return the gesture awkwardly.
He remembered fondly on a time when she had laughingly made the gesture when three particular royals had either amused or annoyed her in some way and she had just won the argument against them.
Now she fumbled with the motion, her back very stiff and she gave none of the dramatic flair that she had once had accompanying it.
"Goodbye for now my dear hobbit, I will see you soon."
"Goodbye Gandalf. I hope so."
With a final wave and bow the wizard left, feeling the hobbit's eyes following him all the way down the lane until he was out of sight.
Once he was out of sight, he allowed his shoulders to drop with relief.
She was fine, both of them were, it was silly of him to have paid so much heed to those rumours but still…
He shuddered as he remembered the whispers he had heard, rumours that a pack of Goblins and Wargs were making their way to the green lands of the small folk, to steal away the small folk known as Baggins for her part in the death of Azog, their great leader.
Just rumours these whispers had proven to be. For he had seen no signs of Goblins and Wargs making their way so far north and near the Shire, but still he had pressed on, into the Shire and into Hobbiton, to see for himself, to prove to himself that she was safe and sound.
She was, as safe and sound as their adventure could leave her.
He knew that she still suffered from nightmares from their journey, he could see the evidence of them from the bags under her eyes and the nervous nature she held herself. But she was safe and mostly happy, her son being the light of her life, he knew and he was grateful that Thorin, unknowingly, had left her with this one but precious treasure.
He shook his grey head again.
He would return again soon, around Frodo's birthday, he should think.
With this thought in mind, he gave his head a sharp nod before making his way out of the Shire, to parts unknown.
Author's Note: First off writing for a two year old is horrible. I don't like it. I can't wait to age Frodo a couple more years. But annoyingly, that won't be for a little while longer.
Next chapter we're back with Bofur and a few other dwarves.