Trewsday, 13, Rethe S.R. 1389

“No!” Merry’s scream was hysterical. “No! I don’t want to go to Tookland. I want to stay with Frodo!”

Frodo’s blue eyes were filled with distress. He looked at his adult relatives, who were just as taken aback as he. The trip to Hobbiton had been uneventful. They had stopped at Bag End, had a lovely luncheon, and unloaded Frodo’s travelling cases. But when it came time for the rest of the family to depart for Whitwell to visit with Esmeralda’s brother and his family, Merry suddenly dug in his furry little heels. What made it worse was that this was the first time any of them could recall the sunny-natured little Brandybuck ever to have a tantrum.

Frodo bent down and gave his little cousin a hug. “Merry, dearest, you know your Mum and Da need to go visit Uncle Paladin and Aunt Tina. Don’t you want to see them and your other cousins?”

“No. They’re only lassies! I want to stay with you!” He gripped his older cousin fiercely. “I love you, Frodo. Don’t you love me anymore?”

Frodo make a little sound, as though he had been stabbed to the heart, and looked up at the adults now with his own tear-filled eyes. With blue eyes and grey ones arrayed against them, the adults stood little chance. Bilbo gave in first.

“You know, I’ve plenty of room here, if you could see fit to leave the little lad a few days longer.”

Saradoc shrugged. He was puzzled and concerned by Merry’s reaction. He’d never acted this way in the previous years that Frodo had visited Bilbo.

Esmeralda held out a bit longer. She was still less than convinced that an old bachelor hobbit like Bilbo had enough sense to take care of a tweenager like Frodo, much less a little one who was only a few years past being a faunt.

She bent down to try and reason one more time with her little one. “Merry, won’t you miss Mummy and Da?”

“Mmm-hmm,” he sniffled.

“Well, then, you should come with us.”

“No! I want Frodo.” He started to weep and hug his cousin again, nearly pulling them both to the floor with the strength of his grip.

She sighed. “Well, I guess it would be all right for a few days. I will come back over in about three or four days and see if he’s ready then.”

Saradoc shook his head, and fetched Merry’s little travelling case from the cart.

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Saradoc patted Esmeralda’s hand as they drove off in the cart. “It will be all right, my love, you know Frodo will take the utmost care of our little lad. And Bilbo, in spite of what you may think, is perfectly competent.”

“But he’s so young!”

“I know Esme. But what worries me more is that maybe he somehow senses that it’s different this time. When we go home to Brandy Hall without Frodo--”

Esmeralda looked at her husband keenly. “And what of Frodo without his Merry?”

Saradoc nodded. “I know. But I think that without the painful reminders in Buckland, and without the Brandywine as a constant temptation, that Frodo will be all right.” Still, he was troubled.

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As soon as his parents drove off, little Merry cheered up. Frodo took his little travelling case and escorted the lad to the guest room next to the one he usually used. Not that he expected the child to stay in it for long. Even at home in Brandy Hall, he ended up in Frodo’s bed as many nights as not. Saradoc’s one rule was that Merry had to at least try to go to sleep in his own bed before seeking another.

Frodo helped Merry to wash the tearstains from his face, and then swung him up to his shoulders for a piggyback ride. Just then, they heard a knock on the door and voices in the front hall. They went to see who it was. They found Bilbo there, talking to a stout hobbit in sturdy work clothes.

“Well, Master Halfred, “ Bilbo was saying, “it’s good to see the rest of the materials have finally arrived, now perhaps the work can be finished.”

“Aye, Mr. Baggins, we’ll unload this afternoon, and get started again on the morrow.” Halfred looked beyond Bilbo to the lads. “And who have we here, Mr. Baggins?” he asked with a jolly smile.

Bilbo turned to see them. “Why these are my young cousins, Master Frodo Baggins and Master Meriadoc Brandybuck, come to visit Bag End for a while. Lads, say how-do-you-do to Mr. Halfred Goodchild.”

Frodo swung Merry to the floor, and bowed politely. “Frodo Baggins at your service, Mr. Goodchild.”

Not to be outdone, Merry made a presentable, if wobbly, bow. “Merry Brandybuck at your service,” he piped with a grin.

Halfred laughed and bowed back. “At your service and your family’s, young sirs.” He turned to Bilbo with a twinkle in his eye. “Very polite lads you have here, Mr. Baggins.”

Bilbo smiled at them fondly. “I should hope so,” he said with a note of pride. “Would you lads like to see the wonderful room Master Halfred is making for me?”

He led them down the passageway along which their guest rooms were located; down about three doors from Frodo’s room was an opening with no door. They stopped, and Frodo saw that there was almost a two foot drop to the earthen floor below.

Master Halfred clambered down, and Bilbo hopped down very nimbly indeed, considering his age. Frodo jumped, and then lifted little Merry down. They looked around the bare room. The ceiling was higher than any ceiling Frodo had seen before--it must be eight or nine feet high, even higher than the ceilings in Brandy hall, most of which were all of seven feet high, very high indeed for Hobbit habitations. “What are you going to do with this room, Uncle Bilbo?” he asked curiously.

Bilbo smiled down at him. “I have a friend, Frodo, one of the Big Folk, and he is going to pay me a visit. I want to have a room for him where he can be comfortable, instead of having to sleep on a pallet on the sitting room floor.”

“That doesn’t sound com’f’able, Cousin Bilbo,” piped Merry.

“No indeed. That is why I am making this room; so Gandalf will feel comfortable, and enjoy his visit.” Bilbo smiled at the thought of the grey Wizard’s reaction to having a room of his own at Bag End.

“Gandalf?” asked Frodo, wonder in his voice. “Fireworks Gandalf?”

Merry jumped up and down excitedly. “Troll Gandalf?”

Bilbo chuckled. “Yes, that Gandalf. The Gandalf who took me on an adventure and who makes lovely fireworks and who took care of the wicked trolls! My dear friend Gandalf.”

“Oh Uncle Bilbo! That’s just splendid!” exclaimed Frodo.

“Yes, lad, very splendid it is.”