*** Author's Note: Yay! I had more extra time today to post this chapter :) I am sorry to say that it will be a few days till my next chapter is up as I am quite busy the next few days. This will be the last full flashback chapter in this story. Next chapter is when they are looking for the door to Erebor. Also, I will be doing a flashback in Thorin's perspective at the start of the chapter! Now I have a question for you all- Do you think I should do a happy ending, or a sad one? Let me know what you think! So as always, please leave me a nice review and enjoy!***
*** Chapter Four: Hamfast & Daisy's ***
"I don't understand our children sometimes." Father says. I put my fingers to my lips and nod to the window. Tamina nods back and we creep closer to the window. Tamina is now eight, and she has followed my passion for adventure, something that in our small town is unheard of.
"Why Bungo?" Mother says as she mends one of Tamina's dresses.
"She won't play with the other children. She needs to play with kids her own age. Bilbo is far to old to be running around in the bushes looking for elves." Father says.
"I agree with you, but he enjoys it so. You have to admit, he has slowed down quite a bit. He enjoys sitting and reading like any respectable young man." Mother says.
"But Tamina has never tried to make friends. We are the only ones she has ever wanted know. At least Bilbo has a few acquaintances." Father says.
"Its not like she is rude to anyone, she has perfect manners and talks when spoken too. But is does seem... like she puts up a barrier so that no one other than the three of us can get to her." Mother says thoughtfully. I look over at my sister, and she is listening intently.
"That's exactly what I mean! What do you think we should do?" Father says. I motion to Tamina, its time to go. She nods and we sneak away. I lead her to the forest behind Bag End.
She looks at me all serious and says "Is something wrong with me? Because I can't trust anyone new?" She fiddles with a branch as she talks.
"No, there is nothing wrong with you." I reach over and give her a hug. "Besides, you like Mr. Griffon, the shopkeeper, and you are friends with Hamfast Gamgee."
"Everyone likes Mr. Griffon. And I barely talk to Hamfast." She says matter-of-factly.
"There's still nothing wrong with you. Someday, you will find those people that you will want to be friends with. Actually, we both will. " I say.
"I guess. Bilbo, you always know just what to say to me to keep me on track." She says giving me one of her best smiles.
We walk deeper into the forest pretending to be famous adventurers. When suddenly I remember something. "Oh, how is school now?" I say. There is only one small school in our town that all the kids go to and I graduated last year.
"Great." She says, but I see the dark look on her face as she says that. Tamina has been bullied by some older children since I graduated, they call her names because she was abandoned. I thought they had stopped but it seems like I was wrong.
"Tamina..." I begin.
"Don't start. I can handle it." She says and walks away.
I stare at her as she walks away, and start worrying. I want to help but she does not want me too. I just hope that she can find a way to stop them.
*** Hamfast: Two Weeks Later ***
I sigh. This is the life. Sitting on my favorite chair and reading a good book. Life can't get better than this. I take a sip out of my steaming tea cup, when all of a sudden the front door bangs open. Startled, I spill my piping hot cup of tea on my chest. "Ow, ow, ow! Who banged the door?!" I say and stand up to get something to clean up my shirt. Tamina comes around the corner leading an injured Hamfast.
"Don't just stand there with your mouth open, help us!" My sister says.
I jump up and go and get a wet cloth to sop up the blood on Hamfast's nose. "What happened?" I ask angrily. The two of them look at each other. Tamina explains to me that those bully's at school had started pushing her around when she was walking home from school, and Hamfast had come and beat the three boys away. Hamfast came out much better than the other boys, he just had some bruises and a bloody nose.
"Thank you, Hamfast for watching out for my sister, although I wish that no one had to be hurt." I say.
"No problem. I was going to head home, when I saw those boys head after Miss. Tamina, so I followed to make sure they did not try anything. I just did what you would have if you were there Mr. Bilbo. " Hamfast says.
"There. All cleaned up. Now, how are you going to explain this to your parents?" I ask helping Tamina pick up the bloody cloths.
"A ball hit me in the nose. Luckily, my bruises are not easily seen so I should be good. I'm sure those boys won't snitch on me. They are probably too scared." He says grinning. I bet they would be scared. Hamfast is tall, and very muscular, for his twelve years after helping his father work. I am six years older than him and are shorter and have absolutely no muscles.
"Well, I should head home now." Hamfast says standing up. "Thank you for cleaning me up." That boy is always so polite to everyone, no matter the situation.
"No, thank you for helping me back there! You have no absolutely reason to thank us, we need to thank you! And by the way, could you please stop calling me Miss. Tamina? It makes me sound old!" Tamina says hugging Hamfast. The poor boy goes beet red stammers a quick goodbye, and leaves.
I can't help but chuckle at his reaction to her hug. "They did not hurt you did they?" I ask my sister worriedly as I hug her.
"Not at all. We aren't going to say anything to Mother and Father, are we? I don't want to worry them." She says.
"It will be our little secret. Go change out of your school clothes. Mother and Father will be home soon." I say shooing her away. She smiles at me and leaves. Now I can relax. My sister will no longer have to worry about bully's anymore, and I believe she now has a friend.
*** Daisy's: Six Years Later ***
"Hamfast, I do believe that if you plant some Daisy's right there that would look beautiful." I say, motioning for my gardener.
"Very good Mr. Bilbo. I'll get right on it."Hamfast says wiping the sweat off his forehead. I stand there and look at the garden. It is looking very good. We have about half of it finished, and the rest almost planned out. It is going to look so good once is done.
"Hello, Bilbo? Hamfast? I'm home!" I hear Tamina's voice ring out from inside Bag End.
"Were out here!" I yell.
My fourteen year old sister comes out of our house smiling. "I'm on Summer vacation now! I feel so free!" She says grinning. I look over at Hamfast and see him blushing and not looking at my sister. He has had a crush on Tamina since he first saw her. I feel sorry for him, as Tamina is too dense about that kind of thing to notice that he is love with her. I know that her feelings for him are that of a close friend, not as a lover, and never will be. He dropped out of school a few years early so he could help his Father with his gardening business. And I have to say, that boy is much better than his Father. This garden has never been more beautiful.
"Congratulations! I put some biscuits and milk in the kitchen for you." I say to her.
"Thank you. The garden is looking really good Hamfast!" She says brightly.
"T-thank you Miss. Tamina." Hamfast mumbles playing with his shovel.
"Remember what I asked you to call me? Just Tamina, please." She says.
"Of course. Sorry." He says. She goes into the house to have her snack. Its been over four years now that our parents died. We still have not recovered and probably never will. They died all of a sudden, and it was extremely horrible. We have only just recently been able to talk brightly, smile, and live again. So its only recently that Hamfast has been here doing our garden. In a way we are lucky that Father had such rich parents. Tamina nor I will ever worry about money. But we don't live richly. Just use what we need to.
"Well, now where were we?" I say.
"Daisy's by that tree, Mr. Bilbo." He says.
"Now Hamfast. You are too close of a friend of mine to be calling me 'Mr. Bilbo'." I say scolding.
"I'm sorry, it's just that you are if higher standing than me." Hamfast says.
"You know I don't give a hoot about that. Now, let's return our attention to this garden." I say. We spend a long time that afternoon planning the perfect garden and many others, and my sister joins us as well giving the two of us wise for a long time, it was only my sister and Hamfast I let in my heart, and I believed that was all the people I needed. Or that my sister needed. It turns out I misjudged that number drastically. By fourteen actually.