Welcome Pippin
Title: Welcome, Pippin
Author: wbearsmom
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings
Characters: Meriadoc Brandybuck/Peregrin Took
Prompt: 29. Birth
Word Count: 671
Rating: G
Summary: Merry meets Pippin for the first time
Author's Notes: Characters belong to JRR Tolkien. No money made from these fictions.
Merry shifted uncomfortably in his chair - he hated all this waiting around and doing nothing. He fidgeted again and received stern looks from both his father and his Uncle Paladin. He lowered his head and clamped his hands between his knees, wishing that he had remembered to bring some of his toys with him.
His family had traveled from their home in Buckland for a visit with his Aunt Eglantine and Uncle Paladin because his aunt was expecting a baby and his mother was needed to help with the birth. Merry had been stuck in the Great Smials for a week with no one to play with but his three cousins who, much to his chagrin, were all girls. But even playing their stupid girl games was better than being stuck in the library with the older men folk, sitting in a hard chair and waiting for the baby now that his aunt was in labor.
He sighed again and slid off the chair onto the floor. He figured he may as well take a nap to pass the time. But the 8-year old couldn’t’ sleep. He kept wondering what was happening - if the new baby was here yet; how the baby was going to come out of Aunt Eglantine’s belly; and how the heck the baby had gotten in there in the first place. He had asked his father about it once, but was told “I’ll explain things to you when you’re older.”
Sometimes he really hated being a kid.
Finally, after several hours that felt like years to Merry, his mom came into the room and announced that the baby had been born. Uncle Paladin and Merry’s father rushed from the room, eager to see the new arrival. Merry followed, although a bit slower. He could here the baby crying and wasn’t really sure he wanted to be anywhere near the noise.
He poked his head into the bedroom. Everyone was gathered around his aunt, oohing and ahing over the bundle she held in her arms.
“Come in, Merry,” his aunt said with a tired smile. “Come see your new cousin.”
Merry walked over and looked at the howling infant. The baby was red in the face from crying, and it was squirming around like it wanted to get away from everyone. It wasn’t very cute.
“Can I touch it?” Merry asked before he could stop himself.
His aunt laughed. “Of course. In fact - why don’t you go sit in the chair in the corner, and we’ll bring the baby over to you.”
Merry did as he was told, and sat in the comfortable armchair. When he was settled, his mother plopped a pillow in his lap. He was confused as to why she did that, and then became nervous as his mother took the baby from his aunt and walked back to him.
“Hold out your arms, Merry,” his mother instructed.
His eyes widened as the baby was placed on the pillow, and his mother showed him how to place his arms to gently cradle the infant.
Almost immediately the baby stopped crying. It looked up at Merry with bleary green eyes.
“Well, what do you know,” Merry’s father said with a bit of surprise. “I believe the baby likes you, Merry.”
Merry gulped, and then looked up at the adults. “What’s her name?” he asked with a shaky smile.
“His name, Merry,” Aunt Eglantine corrected. “It’s a boy, and his name is Peregrin.”
“Peregrin,” Merry repeated, looking down at the baby in his arms. He was beginning to think that maybe the baby was kind of cute, after all. “That’s an awfully fancy name for such a little pip of a hobbit.”
The grown ups laughed. “Well, that can be his nickname,” remarked Uncle Paladin. “Pippin.”
“Pippin - I like that much better,” Merry proclaimed. He grinned at the infant. “Hello, little Pippin! I’m your big cousin, Merry.”
He wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw Pippin smile at him just before the baby drifted off to sleep.
Author: wbearsmom
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings
Characters: Meriadoc Brandybuck/Peregrin Took
Prompt: 29. Birth
Word Count: 671
Rating: G
Summary: Merry meets Pippin for the first time
Author's Notes: Characters belong to JRR Tolkien. No money made from these fictions.
Merry shifted uncomfortably in his chair - he hated all this waiting around and doing nothing. He fidgeted again and received stern looks from both his father and his Uncle Paladin. He lowered his head and clamped his hands between his knees, wishing that he had remembered to bring some of his toys with him.
His family had traveled from their home in Buckland for a visit with his Aunt Eglantine and Uncle Paladin because his aunt was expecting a baby and his mother was needed to help with the birth. Merry had been stuck in the Great Smials for a week with no one to play with but his three cousins who, much to his chagrin, were all girls. But even playing their stupid girl games was better than being stuck in the library with the older men folk, sitting in a hard chair and waiting for the baby now that his aunt was in labor.
He sighed again and slid off the chair onto the floor. He figured he may as well take a nap to pass the time. But the 8-year old couldn’t’ sleep. He kept wondering what was happening - if the new baby was here yet; how the baby was going to come out of Aunt Eglantine’s belly; and how the heck the baby had gotten in there in the first place. He had asked his father about it once, but was told “I’ll explain things to you when you’re older.”
Sometimes he really hated being a kid.
Finally, after several hours that felt like years to Merry, his mom came into the room and announced that the baby had been born. Uncle Paladin and Merry’s father rushed from the room, eager to see the new arrival. Merry followed, although a bit slower. He could here the baby crying and wasn’t really sure he wanted to be anywhere near the noise.
He poked his head into the bedroom. Everyone was gathered around his aunt, oohing and ahing over the bundle she held in her arms.
“Come in, Merry,” his aunt said with a tired smile. “Come see your new cousin.”
Merry walked over and looked at the howling infant. The baby was red in the face from crying, and it was squirming around like it wanted to get away from everyone. It wasn’t very cute.
“Can I touch it?” Merry asked before he could stop himself.
His aunt laughed. “Of course. In fact - why don’t you go sit in the chair in the corner, and we’ll bring the baby over to you.”
Merry did as he was told, and sat in the comfortable armchair. When he was settled, his mother plopped a pillow in his lap. He was confused as to why she did that, and then became nervous as his mother took the baby from his aunt and walked back to him.
“Hold out your arms, Merry,” his mother instructed.
His eyes widened as the baby was placed on the pillow, and his mother showed him how to place his arms to gently cradle the infant.
Almost immediately the baby stopped crying. It looked up at Merry with bleary green eyes.
“Well, what do you know,” Merry’s father said with a bit of surprise. “I believe the baby likes you, Merry.”
Merry gulped, and then looked up at the adults. “What’s her name?” he asked with a shaky smile.
“His name, Merry,” Aunt Eglantine corrected. “It’s a boy, and his name is Peregrin.”
“Peregrin,” Merry repeated, looking down at the baby in his arms. He was beginning to think that maybe the baby was kind of cute, after all. “That’s an awfully fancy name for such a little pip of a hobbit.”
The grown ups laughed. “Well, that can be his nickname,” remarked Uncle Paladin. “Pippin.”
“Pippin - I like that much better,” Merry proclaimed. He grinned at the infant. “Hello, little Pippin! I’m your big cousin, Merry.”
He wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw Pippin smile at him just before the baby drifted off to sleep.