Disclaimer - They're not mine.  *sigh*

A/N - Once you get to the part about Sadie's belly button, please realize that I am currently on a Terry Pratchett over-load, curteousy of my dear friends Elizabeth and Ashley.  Thank you.

The Fellowship of the Greenholms

Chapter Five: Brandybuck Charm, Part One

Meetings and Greetings

"Sadie, have you changed the guest linens?"

"I'm going, Mum!"

"Mama?"

"Sam, go help your sister.  Elfstan, could you--"

"Put on an extra tea kettle?  Already done."

"Mama?"

"Oh, thank you, darling." Elanor smiled as her oldest kissed her on the cheek.  "I can't believe we only just got Winny's letter..." she sighed and bustled into the parlor with a dust rag.

"Mama?" Vinca tugged on Elanor's skirt again, trying to get her attention.

"What is it, dear?" Elanor asked wearily.

"Will you pleathe play with me?" Vinca asked mournfully.  Elanor sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I have to get the house ready."

The hustle and bustle in the Warren of the Westmarch was explained by a letter currently lying in the kitchen.  It was a letter Elanor had recieved only the evening before, from her dear friend Eowyn Brandybuck.  The letter said, among other things, that Winny and her brother Theo were coming to visit the Westmarch, and were hoping to stay with the Greenholms.  Of course, Elanor was thrilled to have her childhood friends visit, but as the letter had taken longer than usual to reach her, Elanor only had until tea-time the following day to prepare.  So the whole family (except Vinca and Reedy, who were too little) was rushing around the hole, readying it for the visitors.

"Why don't you go play with Tom or Sam?" Elanor suggested to Vinca.  Vinca nodded and slowly left the room.  Elanor looked longingly at the empty doorway for a moment before begining to dust again.  Truth be told, she would much rather have played with her little girl, but in the grown-up world chores came first.

Vinca, meanwhile, wandered around the house searching for a playmate.  The older children (Elfstan, Tom, Paddie, and the Twins) were thrilled beyond measure at the prospect of these visitors.  They had met the Brandybuck siblings twice before, and were greatly looking forward to seeing "Uncle" Theo again, especially.  The others (except for the baby) were putting on their nicest (or in Frodo's case, least worn-out) clothes and wondering what Aunt Winny and Uncle Theo would be like.  Vince, however, was more concerned with entertaining herself than looking nice for the guests.  She found Tom first, outside chopping firewood.

"Tom, will you play with me?  Pleathe?" she pleaded.

"Not now, Roo, I've got work I have to finish," he said distractedly, not looking away from his task.

"I'm not Ruby, thtupid!" Vinca glared at him before stalking inside.  She wandered around for a bit before coming across Sadie, standing on a chair in the parlor folding sheets.

"Thadie?  Will you play with me?"

"Sorry, little one."  Sadie smiled sympathetically.  "Later, alright?"

"Alright." Vinca sighed.  Sadie hopped off her chair to get another sheet and kissed the top of Vinca's head in passing.

"Why don't you go read one of my old picture books?" Sadie suggested.  Vinca nodded, looking dubious.  It was a rare occassion that Sadie let anyone touch her books, and Vinca was afraid Sadie would forget her offer before Vinca had finished looking at the pictures.  Sadie was very absent-minded, Vinca had once heard Tom say, and she assumed that meant that her oldest sister often forgot when she gave permission for Vinca to look at her books.  Vinca was, nevertheless, bored enough to brave Sadie's absent-mind (as Vinca thought it) and look at the offered books.

"They're here!  They're here!"  The cry came as Vinca was finishing her third book.  She started to run out of the extra pantry that Sadie used as a library, then decided not to push her luck with the aforementioned sister.

She put the book back on its shelf, then ran out to the yard.

"Uncle Theo!" Sam and Sadie rushed at the tall, sandy-haired Hobbit.

"Well, who are these two?  They must be Faramir's," Theo said with a wink to Elanor.  "Are you raising 'That Took's' children as well, Ellie?"

"No, it's us!" Sam laughed.  "Sam an' Sadie!"

"What?" Theo gasped in feigned shock.  "Well, so it is.  The last time I saw you two, you were barely this high!" he said, holding his hand an inch off the ground.  The Twins laughed and hugged him.

"Oh, look at you!" Winny stood looking slightly up at Tom and Elfstan.  "The handsomest of all the lads in the Westmarch, I'll wager."  The boys blushed.

"Handsomest isn't a word, y'know." Paddie commented, proud to show off the knowledge that Sadie had pounded into him.

"Paladin Greenholm!" Elanor gasped.  "Don't be rude."  Winny just grinned at Paddie.

"No, you're right.  You're a smart lad, Paladin." she said, gently tweaking his nose.  Then, almost at the same time, both visitors turned to the younger children, who were hanging back uncertainly.  Frodo took a tentative step forward, then raced over to Sadie and grabbed her hand.  Theo grinned at him.

"Hullo, there, m'lad." Theo knelt down to look him in the eye.  "I'm Theo Brandybuck, at your service."

" 'M Frodo." the lad mumbed into Sadie's sleeve. 

"Well then!" Theo laughed.  "We're both named after heros of the War."  Frodo said something incoherant to Sadie's arm.

"There's no such word as 'nuthin', Frodo." Sadie said firmly to her extra appendage.  "I think he said 'But Gaffer Sam never said nuthin' about a Theo." she commented helpfully to Theo.

"That, my boy, is because my full name is Theoden.  Not Theo."  He leaned towards Frodo in a conspiritory fashion.  "But we'll keep that our secret, eh?" he added with a wink.

"You were named after a king?" Frodo asked excitedly.  Winny, meanwhile, was oohing and aahing over the girls, particularly Vinca, who looked as if she needed oohed and aahed over.

"Just look at these lasses, Theo!" she called, jerking Theo out of his conversation with Frodo and Sadie's belly button.

"Some of the prettiest lasses this side of Rivendell." Theo proclaimed after a moment's contemplation.  "Though none of them holds a candle to their mother yet." he added, winking again at Elanor who had been his childhood sweetheart.  He then politely turned back to Frodo (and Sadie's navel) and resumed their comparison of pranks pulled and trouble gotten into.  (Although it must be said that Sadie's navel probably out-troubled the both of them together, though no one knew it.  It was the most troublesome belly button in the Shire, but was kindly keeping quiet so as not to embarass either Hobbit.)

It was in the midst of all this hubbub and commotion that Vinca decided that Brandybucks must be much better than Greenholms, and began making plans to move herself to Brandy Hall.

"The tea's ready!" Fastred called from the doorway, holding a yawning Reedy who had only just woken from her nap.  The Brood (and additions)tumbled into the house.

"Good to see you again, Fastred!" Theo said, pumping the father's hand as Winny cheerfully took the baby.

"Oh, what a little beauty!  Auntie Winny's going to have fun with you, Reedy-love."

((Well, "Brandybuck Charm" was only supposed to be one chapter, but it got away from me and made itself quite long (in my reckoning).  Besides, I wanted to have some more for my loyal readers to read, and the second half is presenting even more difficulties than the first!

Never fear, Part Two should be on its way soon.))