A/N: Painfully short. Chapter six is coming, and seven is almost done though, so you have that to look forward to. Now, it's more meds and back to bed for me.

Chapter Five

Diamond sat in her sister's bedroom, cuddling Nolfarm, her baby nephew. Her brother had left her behind today. Again. She could not decide if she was happy or upset. This meant that she did not have to be around strangers, and worse, strange lads. But there was that one lad, Peregrin Took, her distant relation, one of the four Travelers, an adventurer. A handsome adventurer. She could not bring herself to speak with him, but she stared at him when he was not looking. He never noticed, even when she sat directly across the table from him. Isengrim noticed, but he never said anything, for which Diamond was grateful.

She could never tell anyone, but she had harbored feelings for Pippin ever since she was a tweenager. It hurt her that he didn't remember her at all. Then again, why should he? She had never gone out of her way to talk to him. She couldn't! She daren't! And now, she had even more reason not to! He was not only the future Thain, but a well respected and well known hobbit! He had saved the Shire! He had been to far off places that she had never even heard of! What did Peregrin Took want with timid little Diamond?

"Nothing," she whispered to herself. "He wants nothing to do with me."

Nolfarm's face crinkled up in momentary discomfort, and then relaxed again and in his sleep, he sighed contentedly. Diamond wondered how it must feel for her sister to know that this baby boy, this gift from heaven, was totally dependant on his mother for survival. What a responsibility! Loving the baby was the easy part, Diamond knew. How could one not love the tiny creature, with his patch of dark hair and curious eyes, little toothless mouth and perfect hands and feet? The hard part was waking up in the late watches of the night to feed the baby, change his nappy, or simply hold him and sing lullabies till he drifted back into dreamland. Yet, her sister and brother-in-law did all these things with joy because they loved their baby.

"It's almost like… like I am in love with him," Opal told her younger sister earlier that day. "It's not the same feeling I get when I think about my husband, no, but every time I think of Nolfarm I get this rosy feeling, and I can't help but smile."

Diamond wanted to experience a love like that someday, whether it would be for her husband or her baby. She would even settle for loving a friend that way. Her shy nature had kept her from being close to anyone but her siblings while she was growing up. Most hobbits told her she was not good with people.

"Perhaps that's true," she said softly. "I don't like to be around others, and if I don't know them, I get so nervous I can barely speak."

It irked her mother to no end, though Lillybell still loved her daughter dearly. Her father on the other hand, always told her that she would change.

"Someday, you will meet someone, and that someone will go so far to befriend you that you will want to open up to others. Until then, keep trying, my pretty girl. You'll get there eventually, I know you will."

But would she ever get there? Would anyone ever be willing to befriend the redhead who was quieter than a mouse? Well, that Rosie Cotton lass… she was the one person in Hobbiton that Diamond felt comfortable around. Rose had a very expressive face, and she was always so kind and bubbly. It made Diamond smile just to be around her.

Rosie had someone she loved though, and Diamond never wanted to take up the time that Rosie spent with her dear Samwise. Perhaps she could make another friend while she was here. It was always hard for her, being the one to initiate the friendship, but maybe it would be good for her.