A Surprise, part 4
Title: A Surprise
Rating: Adult
Pairing: Frodo/Halbarad
Summary: Frodo and Halbarad living randomly together in Bree. TOTALLY AU. Obviously. And then something VERY unexpected happens. Based on the TLC show “I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant.” :D
Warnings: none in this chapter
For lilybaggins - of course!
A/N: SORRY NO MPREG IN THIS CHAPTER
Previous parts:
Part 1-mpreg
Part 2
Part 3-mpreg
Sixteen months ago at the Yule Party
Frodo wanted to sink deep down into the floor of the Prancing Pony. Here he was, crawling on the bench at the Rangers' table, holding a dirty undergarment, and he had been caught. Like a coney in a trap. He dropped the undergarment.
“It’s not what it seems,” Frodo blurted, flushing deep red. "We are very sorry.”
“Looks to me like we have a couple of thieves, Halbarad,” the Ranger called Strider said.
“We’re not thieves,” Pippin said, squirming against Strider‘s grip. “Let go of my arm. We weren‘t stealing anything.”
A few people had turned to watch the conflict. Some of the Big Folk had wary but angry looks on their faces. They didn’t like Rangers to begin with and they surely didn’t like to see them picking on hobbits, but they knew that they had not the strength to fight them.
“We’ll see about that,” Halbarad said. “Let’s search them. Outside, away from this crowd.”
“No,” Pippin said. “Let us go at once.”
“You! Move!” Halbarad barked at Frodo. Frodo and Pippin looked at each other in helpless terror.
But Frodo obeyed. He crawled out from behind the table and Halbarad grabbed his arm with fierce strength, guiding him toward the door. He felt ashamed and foolish, a respectable hobbit being dragged outside for being a thief.
Once outside the Prancing Pony in the crisp December air, Frodo shivered. Snow fluttered to the ground in big, lacey flakes. The snow had already begun to accumulate in the dusty street.
Halbarad threw his and Strider’s bags on the ground and said, “I’m going to search our bags and if one thing is missing, I’ll make sure you both go to prison, do you understand?” His eyes were keen, and they seemed to cut right through Frodo.
“What were you two trying to do anyway?” Strider asked, “I know something of Hobbits, and I was fairly certain that even hobbits consider it rude to paw through other people’s items?”
The scornful manner in which he had said that last stung, and it left Frodo silent and miserable.
“Do you know what they do with thieves outside this soft land?” Halbarad asked, shaking Frodo a little.
Frodo only swallowed. His humiliation was quickly being replaced by fury. He glared at Pippin. He had been the one to push him into this tomfoolery. He was furious with the Rangers for being so harsh and treating them like wayward children. But most of all, he was furious at himself for finding Halbarad attractive and intriguing.
“In some villages, they hang thieves,” Halbarad said. “In others, a sound flogging. Too bad they don‘t do that in Bree, Strider.”
“I agree,” Strider said with a decisive nod.
“We are not thieves,” Pippin said. “Come on, Frodo, we don’t have to stay here with these scoundrels.” He tugged at Frodo’s arm, but an iron grip on Frodo’s other arm stopped him.
“We’ll not tell you to stay still again,” Strider said.
“It must feel so good for strong men like you to bully a few hobbits,” Pippin said. “We need our cloaks at least. It’s freezing out here.”
“It’s a lot colder in the Bree jail,” Strider said.
“Let’s take them to jail anyway,” Halbarad said. “These two could stand to be humbled, I warrant. A couple of spoiled lads like these.”
Frodo had reached the end of his rope. He whirled around and elbowed Halbarad in the gut with his free arm. Halbarad released him in rough surprise, and Frodo fell to his knees. He scrambled to grab as many pebbles as he could. Before Halbarad or Strider could grab him again, he flung two pebbles in quick succession. Both hit their marks. One hit Strider in the cheek. Another hit Halbarad in the neck. Frodo backed away, but slammed into the side of the Prancing Pony. His shirt ripped at the sleeve.
Halbarad drew his sword.
Frodo’s heart thudded, looking to and fro for any escape. He and Pippin had to get away or these Rangers would spear them. Nobody else was going to help them. He met Pippin’s gaze. Pippin stared at him in awe and admiration. Frodo decided right there and then that he would fight to the death. He still had a few pebbles in his hands.
“Go ahead and try,” Frodo said to Halbarad, lifting his chin in defiance. “We may be curious to the point of being rude, and for that, I offer my apologies, but we are no thieves and we meant no harm. You had no right to manhandle us so. If you come any closer, I‘ll aim this rock right at your eye.” For a moment, there was only the sound of Frodo's harsh breaths.
Then Halbarad took a menacing step toward him. Strider stopped him. “Nay.”
Halbarad gave Frodo a look of disdain and sheathed his sword. “Not much glory in slaying a hobbit, anyway.” He rubbed his injured neck again. “Go on.” He jerked his thumb toward the Pony. "Get out of our sight."
Frodo and Pippin pushed past the Rangers and reentered the Pony, which grew quiet. There was angry murmuring at the sight of Frodo’s torn shirt. Frodo kept his head down until they reached their table.
"That was utterly humiliating," he said.
Merry did not bother to say, “I told you so.”
Pippin let out a big breath of relief. “They‘re a surly bunch, aren‘t they? Suppose it was a mistake to paw through their belongings.”
“It was very foolish of us,” Frodo said, giving his cousin a stern look. “But they need not have been so abominable.” Now that it was all over, he felt deeply disappointed. He kept thinking about how kind Halbarad had looked before.
“But you, cousin Frodo,” said Pippin, “were a hero. I can’t believe you threw rocks at them!”
“I’ve always had perfect shot,” Frodo said. “And I certainly wasn’t going to allow them to push us around. Next time I see him, I hope he remembers that.”
But Frodo did not see Halbarad again for nearly three months. Spring had come to Bree, and the plant store was thriving with business. Frodo had begun to help in the store more and more. Merry needed his help, especially since Pippin had gone on a long-term trip to the Shire to visit family and pick up supplies. On this particular day in late March, Frodo busied himself restocking packets of flower seeds while Merry went over the accounts, his brow furrowed in concentration.
The door tinkled, and Frodo looked up from where he was kneeling on the ground by the seed shelf. His heart dropped when he saw who it was.
Halbarad.
“Good day,” Frodo said, not meaning it at all. He stood, brushing off the knees of his breeches, and placed his hands on his hips. “I told you, we didn’t take anything of yours.”
“I’m not here because of that,” Halbarad said. His gaze pierced into Frodo, making him feel weak and a little woozy. Frodo could not help it. He looked at Halbarad’s tall, hard body, so strong, and could only imagine lying in his arms, having those hands run up and down his own soft skin, setting him on fire. There was something in his keen gaze that sent prickles of raw energy up and down his arms.
Halbarad threw back his hood, revealing dark hair flecked with gray. “Who owns this store?”
“I do,” Merry said. “And my cousin Peregrin Took.”
“Are you Peregrin Took?” Halbarad asked Frodo.
“That’s Frodo Baggins.” Merry smiled a bit, amused by the error. He was not used to anyone not knowing who they were, and their entire tangled family tree, even in Bree.
Halbarad did not smile back. “I have a complaint here that says there might possibly be pipe-weed from the Shire being sold here.”
“Pardon me?” Merry asked, his smile fading. “Where did you hear such a ridiculous thing?”
“And what if it was?” Frodo demanded. "What business is it of yours?"
Halbarad nodded at Frodo, his stare lingering on him a bit longer than expected, leaving Frodo breathless. “You Shire folk may not be aware of it, but it is against the laws of Eriador to transfer pipe-weed from the Shire outside of its borders. These laws were set in place many years back and are enforced to this day by the Rangers of the North. The laws were set for the protection of Shire folk.”
“For your information we do not have pipe-weed here,” Merry said.
“You will not mind if I search the store then.”
“Yes, actually we would mind,” Frodo said. He stood up straight, staring up into Halbarad‘s face. He trembled all over. When he looked at this man, his groin stirred with delicious warmth and his cock hardened. He yearned more than ever to touch Halbarad and be touched by him.
He wondered if he might be starting a fight with Halbarad in hopes that Halbarad would lay his hands on him. “We have done nothing wrong and there is no reason to search us. This is harassment and nothing more. Leave at once!” He pointed to the door.
“As you wish, Master Baggins,” Halbarad said. “But know this. If I were to search the store now and find pipe-weed, you would get but a warning. So let this be your warning. If on a later date pipe-weed from the Shire is found here, this store will be seized and shut down and the owners dealt with under the harshest constraints of the law. While this may not affect you, it will affect your friend here and I would think you might care about that.”
Halbarad turned around and left, letting the door slam.
Merry whirled on Frodo. “What in the world has gotten into you?” He was pale, shaking. “Were you trying to get us slain or thrown into prison?”
“He had no right to come in here with such accusations,” Frodo said. “He was here to harass us just because of what happened at Yule. We don‘t have to put up with it.”
Merry looked at Frodo sharply. “You’re flushing.” His mouth fell open in surprise. “Why, Frodo Baggins, I think you rather like that Ranger more than you’re letting on.”
go on to next part
Rating: Adult
Pairing: Frodo/Halbarad
Summary: Frodo and Halbarad living randomly together in Bree. TOTALLY AU. Obviously. And then something VERY unexpected happens. Based on the TLC show “I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant.” :D
Warnings: none in this chapter
For lilybaggins - of course!
A/N: SORRY NO MPREG IN THIS CHAPTER
Previous parts:
Part 1-mpreg
Part 2
Part 3-mpreg
Sixteen months ago at the Yule Party
Frodo wanted to sink deep down into the floor of the Prancing Pony. Here he was, crawling on the bench at the Rangers' table, holding a dirty undergarment, and he had been caught. Like a coney in a trap. He dropped the undergarment.
“It’s not what it seems,” Frodo blurted, flushing deep red. "We are very sorry.”
“Looks to me like we have a couple of thieves, Halbarad,” the Ranger called Strider said.
“We’re not thieves,” Pippin said, squirming against Strider‘s grip. “Let go of my arm. We weren‘t stealing anything.”
A few people had turned to watch the conflict. Some of the Big Folk had wary but angry looks on their faces. They didn’t like Rangers to begin with and they surely didn’t like to see them picking on hobbits, but they knew that they had not the strength to fight them.
“We’ll see about that,” Halbarad said. “Let’s search them. Outside, away from this crowd.”
“No,” Pippin said. “Let us go at once.”
“You! Move!” Halbarad barked at Frodo. Frodo and Pippin looked at each other in helpless terror.
But Frodo obeyed. He crawled out from behind the table and Halbarad grabbed his arm with fierce strength, guiding him toward the door. He felt ashamed and foolish, a respectable hobbit being dragged outside for being a thief.
Once outside the Prancing Pony in the crisp December air, Frodo shivered. Snow fluttered to the ground in big, lacey flakes. The snow had already begun to accumulate in the dusty street.
Halbarad threw his and Strider’s bags on the ground and said, “I’m going to search our bags and if one thing is missing, I’ll make sure you both go to prison, do you understand?” His eyes were keen, and they seemed to cut right through Frodo.
“What were you two trying to do anyway?” Strider asked, “I know something of Hobbits, and I was fairly certain that even hobbits consider it rude to paw through other people’s items?”
The scornful manner in which he had said that last stung, and it left Frodo silent and miserable.
“Do you know what they do with thieves outside this soft land?” Halbarad asked, shaking Frodo a little.
Frodo only swallowed. His humiliation was quickly being replaced by fury. He glared at Pippin. He had been the one to push him into this tomfoolery. He was furious with the Rangers for being so harsh and treating them like wayward children. But most of all, he was furious at himself for finding Halbarad attractive and intriguing.
“In some villages, they hang thieves,” Halbarad said. “In others, a sound flogging. Too bad they don‘t do that in Bree, Strider.”
“I agree,” Strider said with a decisive nod.
“We are not thieves,” Pippin said. “Come on, Frodo, we don’t have to stay here with these scoundrels.” He tugged at Frodo’s arm, but an iron grip on Frodo’s other arm stopped him.
“We’ll not tell you to stay still again,” Strider said.
“It must feel so good for strong men like you to bully a few hobbits,” Pippin said. “We need our cloaks at least. It’s freezing out here.”
“It’s a lot colder in the Bree jail,” Strider said.
“Let’s take them to jail anyway,” Halbarad said. “These two could stand to be humbled, I warrant. A couple of spoiled lads like these.”
Frodo had reached the end of his rope. He whirled around and elbowed Halbarad in the gut with his free arm. Halbarad released him in rough surprise, and Frodo fell to his knees. He scrambled to grab as many pebbles as he could. Before Halbarad or Strider could grab him again, he flung two pebbles in quick succession. Both hit their marks. One hit Strider in the cheek. Another hit Halbarad in the neck. Frodo backed away, but slammed into the side of the Prancing Pony. His shirt ripped at the sleeve.
Halbarad drew his sword.
Frodo’s heart thudded, looking to and fro for any escape. He and Pippin had to get away or these Rangers would spear them. Nobody else was going to help them. He met Pippin’s gaze. Pippin stared at him in awe and admiration. Frodo decided right there and then that he would fight to the death. He still had a few pebbles in his hands.
“Go ahead and try,” Frodo said to Halbarad, lifting his chin in defiance. “We may be curious to the point of being rude, and for that, I offer my apologies, but we are no thieves and we meant no harm. You had no right to manhandle us so. If you come any closer, I‘ll aim this rock right at your eye.” For a moment, there was only the sound of Frodo's harsh breaths.
Then Halbarad took a menacing step toward him. Strider stopped him. “Nay.”
Halbarad gave Frodo a look of disdain and sheathed his sword. “Not much glory in slaying a hobbit, anyway.” He rubbed his injured neck again. “Go on.” He jerked his thumb toward the Pony. "Get out of our sight."
Frodo and Pippin pushed past the Rangers and reentered the Pony, which grew quiet. There was angry murmuring at the sight of Frodo’s torn shirt. Frodo kept his head down until they reached their table.
"That was utterly humiliating," he said.
Merry did not bother to say, “I told you so.”
Pippin let out a big breath of relief. “They‘re a surly bunch, aren‘t they? Suppose it was a mistake to paw through their belongings.”
“It was very foolish of us,” Frodo said, giving his cousin a stern look. “But they need not have been so abominable.” Now that it was all over, he felt deeply disappointed. He kept thinking about how kind Halbarad had looked before.
“But you, cousin Frodo,” said Pippin, “were a hero. I can’t believe you threw rocks at them!”
“I’ve always had perfect shot,” Frodo said. “And I certainly wasn’t going to allow them to push us around. Next time I see him, I hope he remembers that.”
But Frodo did not see Halbarad again for nearly three months. Spring had come to Bree, and the plant store was thriving with business. Frodo had begun to help in the store more and more. Merry needed his help, especially since Pippin had gone on a long-term trip to the Shire to visit family and pick up supplies. On this particular day in late March, Frodo busied himself restocking packets of flower seeds while Merry went over the accounts, his brow furrowed in concentration.
The door tinkled, and Frodo looked up from where he was kneeling on the ground by the seed shelf. His heart dropped when he saw who it was.
Halbarad.
“Good day,” Frodo said, not meaning it at all. He stood, brushing off the knees of his breeches, and placed his hands on his hips. “I told you, we didn’t take anything of yours.”
“I’m not here because of that,” Halbarad said. His gaze pierced into Frodo, making him feel weak and a little woozy. Frodo could not help it. He looked at Halbarad’s tall, hard body, so strong, and could only imagine lying in his arms, having those hands run up and down his own soft skin, setting him on fire. There was something in his keen gaze that sent prickles of raw energy up and down his arms.
Halbarad threw back his hood, revealing dark hair flecked with gray. “Who owns this store?”
“I do,” Merry said. “And my cousin Peregrin Took.”
“Are you Peregrin Took?” Halbarad asked Frodo.
“That’s Frodo Baggins.” Merry smiled a bit, amused by the error. He was not used to anyone not knowing who they were, and their entire tangled family tree, even in Bree.
Halbarad did not smile back. “I have a complaint here that says there might possibly be pipe-weed from the Shire being sold here.”
“Pardon me?” Merry asked, his smile fading. “Where did you hear such a ridiculous thing?”
“And what if it was?” Frodo demanded. "What business is it of yours?"
Halbarad nodded at Frodo, his stare lingering on him a bit longer than expected, leaving Frodo breathless. “You Shire folk may not be aware of it, but it is against the laws of Eriador to transfer pipe-weed from the Shire outside of its borders. These laws were set in place many years back and are enforced to this day by the Rangers of the North. The laws were set for the protection of Shire folk.”
“For your information we do not have pipe-weed here,” Merry said.
“You will not mind if I search the store then.”
“Yes, actually we would mind,” Frodo said. He stood up straight, staring up into Halbarad‘s face. He trembled all over. When he looked at this man, his groin stirred with delicious warmth and his cock hardened. He yearned more than ever to touch Halbarad and be touched by him.
He wondered if he might be starting a fight with Halbarad in hopes that Halbarad would lay his hands on him. “We have done nothing wrong and there is no reason to search us. This is harassment and nothing more. Leave at once!” He pointed to the door.
“As you wish, Master Baggins,” Halbarad said. “But know this. If I were to search the store now and find pipe-weed, you would get but a warning. So let this be your warning. If on a later date pipe-weed from the Shire is found here, this store will be seized and shut down and the owners dealt with under the harshest constraints of the law. While this may not affect you, it will affect your friend here and I would think you might care about that.”
Halbarad turned around and left, letting the door slam.
Merry whirled on Frodo. “What in the world has gotten into you?” He was pale, shaking. “Were you trying to get us slain or thrown into prison?”
“He had no right to come in here with such accusations,” Frodo said. “He was here to harass us just because of what happened at Yule. We don‘t have to put up with it.”
Merry looked at Frodo sharply. “You’re flushing.” His mouth fell open in surprise. “Why, Frodo Baggins, I think you rather like that Ranger more than you’re letting on.”
go on to next part