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mark12_30 · 03-14-2003, 07:10 PM

Bilbo and Frodo loitered out in the garden, but not too far from the kitchen window. Bilbo pottered about among the flowers, sometimes sniffing the blooms, and sometimes sniffing over his shoulder at the wafting aromas coming from Prim's and Cook's efforts.

"I'm learning to enjoy life at The Inn. I'm surprised I never vacationed here before, " Bilbo quipped, with sparkling eyes.

Frodo was bemused. "Food appears, sheets are changed, and we meander amidst the pleasures of the Shire without lifting a finger."

"Quite so. Look at that summer Poppy! You can see the sun gleaming through it."

"You always did like shell-pink on pale white."

"It always seemed like they should have a scent, with colors that lovely."

"Bilbo."

"Eh?"

"This afternoon, in the courtyard, amidst all the fuss..."

"Poor Cami."

"Yes, I hope she's feeling better. But Bilbo, did you have to tell the Shirriffs who we were?"

"Eh? What?"

"Couldn't you have left me anonymous?"

"Don't be absurd. As if you could pass unrecognised!"

"Bilbo, " Frodo said, with some real discomfort, "It's one thing for our friends to know that we're here. But... the whole Shire?" Frodo plucked a sprig of marjoram and absentmindedly began stripping it of its leaves. "It's hard enough on Sam just to see us. I don't want him feeling he has to defend his claim to Bag End."

"Nonsense."

"Oh, it's easy for you to say. You disappear, and the legal mess is left behind, and the suspicions and the accusations and the questions and the rumors. Meanwhile you're off having a grand time." Frodo's exhasperation grew plainer.

"You worry far, far too much, " Bilbo snorted, poking his cane at his nephew.

"So you frequently say, " his nephew retorted. "Uncle, dear, maybe someday you could try giving me less cause to worry!"

"Fiddlesticks."

"I don't want half the Shire poking about and wondering why we're back, " Frodo insisted. "I wish I could just traipse around the woods in peace and quiet, and visit all my old haunts, and leave it at that. I wish I had stayed out of everyone's hair. I wish the party had been half that size. No-- I wish it had been a quarter the size. Sometimes I wish it had been just us and Cami!"

"Not even Sam..." Bilbo turned, peering at him. "... Frodo? Not even Sam?"

"Can't you see how hard this is on him? He was finally settled, finally focused, finally devoted to his faily and his work and his Shire. And I come sailing back into his life from out of nowhere and upset it all again. He's bending over backwards to try and do right by me, but neither of us know what that is, and neither of us can relax around the other." Frodo, with the week's tension finally put in plain language, was spent by the declaration.
"Some mischief will come out of this afternoon, I fear," Frodo muttered wearily, and then he fell silent.

Bilbo poked at the snapdragons. "The pink clashes with the orange nasturtiums, " he declared with distaste, and moved on to another flower bed.

[ March 15, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

03-14-2003, 07:10 PM	#200
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Bilbo and Frodo loitered out in the garden, but not too far from the kitchen window. Bilbo pottered about among the flowers, sometimes sniffing the blooms, and sometimes sniffing over his shoulder at the wafting aromas coming from Prim's and Cook's efforts. "I'm learning to enjoy life at The Inn. I'm surprised I never vacationed here before, " Bilbo quipped, with sparkling eyes. Frodo was bemused. "Food appears, sheets are changed, and we meander amidst the pleasures of the Shire without lifting a finger." "Quite so. Look at that summer Poppy! You can see the sun gleaming through it." "You always did like shell-pink on pale white." "It always seemed like they should have a scent, with colors that lovely." "Bilbo." "Eh?" "This afternoon, in the courtyard, amidst all the fuss..." "Poor Cami." "Yes, I hope she's feeling better. But Bilbo, did you have to tell the Shirriffs who we were?" "Eh? What?" "Couldn't you have left me anonymous?" "Don't be absurd. As if you could pass unrecognised!" "Bilbo, " Frodo said, with some real discomfort, "It's one thing for our friends to know that we're here. But... the whole Shire?" Frodo plucked a sprig of marjoram and absentmindedly began stripping it of its leaves. "It's hard enough on Sam just to see us. I don't want him feeling he has to defend his claim to Bag End." "Nonsense." "Oh, it's easy for you to say. You disappear, and the legal mess is left behind, and the suspicions and the accusations and the questions and the rumors. Meanwhile you're off having a grand time." Frodo's exhasperation grew plainer. "You worry far, far too much, " Bilbo snorted, poking his cane at his nephew. "So you frequently say, " his nephew retorted. "Uncle, dear, maybe someday you could try giving me less cause to worry!" "Fiddlesticks." "I don't want half the Shire poking about and wondering why we're back, " Frodo insisted. "I wish I could just traipse around the woods in peace and quiet, and visit all my old haunts, and leave it at that. I wish I had stayed out of everyone's hair. I wish the party had been half that size. No-- I wish it had been a quarter the size. Sometimes I wish it had been just us and Cami!" "Not even Sam..." Bilbo turned, peering at him. "... Frodo? Not even Sam?" "Can't you see how hard this is on him? He was finally settled, finally focused, finally devoted to his faily and his work and his Shire. And I come sailing back into his life from out of nowhere and upset it all again. He's bending over backwards to try and do right by me, but neither of us know what that is, and neither of us can relax around the other." Frodo, with the week's tension finally put in plain language, was spent by the declaration. "Some mischief will come out of this afternoon, I fear," Frodo muttered wearily, and then he fell silent. Bilbo poked at the snapdragons. "The pink clashes with the orange nasturtiums, " he declared with distaste, and moved on to another flower bed. [ March 15, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.