The Hobbit's Alphabet 14/26
N is for nightmare
"Daddy,"
"Mm."
"Dad-dy!" Pippin half-opens one eye and looks at the small girl standing in front of him, hugging her small teddy-bear. He lifts his head up and yawns loudly.
"What is it, Holly?" She sniffs and hugs her bear closer.
"Well-" Pippin tries to pay attention, really he does, but if he doesn't concentrate, he'll go back to sleep and hit his head on the table next to the bed. "-and I'm scared. Can I stay with you?"
Saying no means he'll have to get up and put her back to bed, as well as searching her room to make her sure nothing's going to jump out at her. Besides, she'll start crying and Pip will never be able to see his daughter with tears in her eyes and not feel guilty.
"Of course you can, love." He moves closer to Merry behind him so she can sleep between him and the edge of the bed, but Holly decides that she wants to sleep in between them. So she climbs over Pippin, knees in his stomach and hands on his neck, her teddy hitting his head and waking him up that little bit more.
"'Night, Holly."
"'Night, 'night." And her hand's in between his shoulder blades and Pippin's sure Merry has her hair covering his face, but she won't have anymore nightmares tonight so Pippin doesn't mind.
-x-
N is for night
"But Dad!" Sam ignores Elanor's pleas and continues plaiting her hair. He shakes his head.
"No, Ellie. It's time for bed, so-"
"You and Daddy stay up later," she says, glaring at him in the mirror.
"We're grown-ups though, darling. And little girls need to sleep more."
"Why?"
"Because-" But she doesn't even let him try before she interrupts again.
"But please, Dad!"
"Elanor..." Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Frodo coming towards them. She'll listen to him, he thinks. But Frodo doesn't stop, just picks up their daughter and walks off out of Ellie's bedroom and towards the sitting room without a word, leaving Sam sitting in front of the mirror, hairbrush in hand. He sighs and puts the brush down on the table, then gets up to follow them both.
"Frodo," Frodo looks up, away from his letter.
"I'm sure five minutes won't hurt that much, Sam."
Sam gives up. He can't say no to her, and he can't say no to him. Maybe she'll fall asleep in here, he thinks.
Sam realises his last idea probably won't be happening when he sees her smiling at her Daddy, pointing and talking about the letter in his hand.
"When are they coming?"
"In a few weeks."
"How long for?"
"A week, maybe two."
"Do they miss me?"
"Of course they do." Frodo jumps when he feels Sam's breath on his ear as he whispers.
"She'll never get to sleep now, love." Frodo only smiles innocently as he replies.
"I'll make sure she's in bed in 20 minutes."
"Daddy,"
"Mm."
"Dad-dy!" Pippin half-opens one eye and looks at the small girl standing in front of him, hugging her small teddy-bear. He lifts his head up and yawns loudly.
"What is it, Holly?" She sniffs and hugs her bear closer.
"Well-" Pippin tries to pay attention, really he does, but if he doesn't concentrate, he'll go back to sleep and hit his head on the table next to the bed. "-and I'm scared. Can I stay with you?"
Saying no means he'll have to get up and put her back to bed, as well as searching her room to make her sure nothing's going to jump out at her. Besides, she'll start crying and Pip will never be able to see his daughter with tears in her eyes and not feel guilty.
"Of course you can, love." He moves closer to Merry behind him so she can sleep between him and the edge of the bed, but Holly decides that she wants to sleep in between them. So she climbs over Pippin, knees in his stomach and hands on his neck, her teddy hitting his head and waking him up that little bit more.
"'Night, Holly."
"'Night, 'night." And her hand's in between his shoulder blades and Pippin's sure Merry has her hair covering his face, but she won't have anymore nightmares tonight so Pippin doesn't mind.
-x-
N is for night
"But Dad!" Sam ignores Elanor's pleas and continues plaiting her hair. He shakes his head.
"No, Ellie. It's time for bed, so-"
"You and Daddy stay up later," she says, glaring at him in the mirror.
"We're grown-ups though, darling. And little girls need to sleep more."
"Why?"
"Because-" But she doesn't even let him try before she interrupts again.
"But please, Dad!"
"Elanor..." Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Frodo coming towards them. She'll listen to him, he thinks. But Frodo doesn't stop, just picks up their daughter and walks off out of Ellie's bedroom and towards the sitting room without a word, leaving Sam sitting in front of the mirror, hairbrush in hand. He sighs and puts the brush down on the table, then gets up to follow them both.
"Frodo," Frodo looks up, away from his letter.
"I'm sure five minutes won't hurt that much, Sam."
Sam gives up. He can't say no to her, and he can't say no to him. Maybe she'll fall asleep in here, he thinks.
Sam realises his last idea probably won't be happening when he sees her smiling at her Daddy, pointing and talking about the letter in his hand.
"When are they coming?"
"In a few weeks."
"How long for?"
"A week, maybe two."
"Do they miss me?"
"Of course they do." Frodo jumps when he feels Sam's breath on his ear as he whispers.
"She'll never get to sleep now, love." Frodo only smiles innocently as he replies.
"I'll make sure she's in bed in 20 minutes."