Title & Chapter Number: The Foolish Wish 1/8
Author(s): - Author's Index
Website: Tortured Scribes
Fandom: Tolkien
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I am only borrowing J.R.R. Tolkien's world for a bit. The only things that are mine are Jessy, Bella, and this twisted plot.
Warnings: Language
Betas: Alex and Hedda
Cast: Lord of the Rings characters and two O/C's
Timeline: Post The Return of the King; Sequel to The Wayward Wish
Spoilers: Some for The Return of the King
Summary: Five years have past since Jessy went to live in The Shire. Legolas returns unexpectedly to find Jessy is not very happy to see him.
Notes: I'm playing with official canon a bit for storytelling purposes. The Keepers of the Rings have not passed over the Sea. Frodo and the others have not taken on any positions of leadership in The Shire at this point. Sam has married Rosie Cotton but Merry and Pippin are still single.
Chapter One: Honey, I'm Home
Frodo sat amid the flowers of his garden at Bag End enjoying the warmth of the Sun. It was a beautiful spring day. He let his mind drift to the past, when danger and adventure had been the focal point of his life. He missed his companions, especially Gandalf. Ever since Gandalf had become the Head of the White Council, Frodo saw less and less of him.
A shadow fell on him, snapping him from his reverie.
"I brought you some tea."
Frodo smiled up at Jessy and accepted the teacup she was holding out to him. "Thank you. I thought you were going to visit with Merry today."
"I have the pony cart ready to go. I just have to track down Bella, and we are heading out. Are you sure you don't want to go with us?"
Frodo shook his head. "I think I will just sit here and enjoy the day."
Jessy was just about to say something more but the sound of Sam's voice carrying on the wind drew both of their attentions.
"Belladonna Lórien! You come away from that riverbank right this instant!"
Jessy sighed. "I don't know how many times I have told that girl to stay away from there." She turned and jogged from the garden in the direction of Sam's voice.
Frodo became thoughtful once again as he watched her leave.
In the last five years, Jessy had not changed much physically but she had become more settled and talked less and less about her home. Frodo never regretted opening Bag End to her, after he and the others had rid The Shire of Saruman and his minions. He had been honored when Jessy had asked him to name her daughter after she was born. He had chosen Belladonna in honor of his Great-Aunt. Jessy had added the second name of Lórien, explaining that it was a custom among her people to give a child both a first and middle name. Now they were so much a part of his family that he dreaded the day when Legolas returned, if he ever did.
Foolish Hobbit, he thought. No sense in giving thought to that day.
Legolas had become a forbidden subject around Jessy, one that Frodo had learned long ago to steer clear of. As far as Jessy was concerned, if she never saw Legolas again, it would be too soon. But Frodo knew that the Elf would return and would not easily leave her or Bella, once he did.
Frodo sipped his tea and watched as Jessy returned across the field with her wayward child in tow. Bella's laughter carried merrily on the breeze sounding very much like wind chimes. It was hard to stay in a dark mood with Bella around, and now was no exception.
~*~*~*~
"Mommy?"
"Yes, Bella."
"Is Uncle Pippin going to be at Uncle Merry's today?"
"I don't know. I guess we will just have to wait and see."
Jessy and her daughter were traveling down the well-worn road towards Buckland. They would occasionally pass a cart or pony going in the opposite direction, always receiving a friendly wave or nod. It was very different from when Jessy had first taken up residence in The Shire. Hobbits, as a rule, are very suspicious of strangers. The fact that a very pregnant Jessy had moved into Bag End had created quite a stir, especially with the gossipmongers.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, Bella."
"Why is the sky blue and not green?"
Jessy sighed. Bella had reached the age when every other sentence out of her mouth was a question. "I don't know. You should ask Uncle Gandalf the next time he comes for a visit. I bet he would know."
Bella seemed momentarily satisfied with the answer and sat quietly watching the scenery go by. Jessy would be thankful when they got to Merry's, where she would get a respite from the never-ending questions.
~*~*~*~
Frodo had just settled down for a bit of lunch, when there came a knock at his front door. Grumbling about inconsiderate folk disturbing his meal, he went to the door and opened it. He wished he had not. Much to his shock, Legolas and Gimli were standing on his front stoop.
"I… Legolas. Gimli." Frodo was at a loss for words. "Well met. It is good to see you both again. Oh my, where are my manners? Please, come in."
"It is good to see you again, Frodo." Gimli's gruff voice sounded at once.
"Well met, Frodo. I am pleased to see you again as well," Legolas said politely.
Frodo stepped back to allow his guests to cross the threshold. "I was just sitting down to a spot of lunch. Would you care to join me?"
"I would not say no to a bit of home cooking." Gimli smiled at the thought. "Been on the road so long, I have forgotten what it means to eat something not cooked over a campfire."
Frodo led them through the front parlor into the dining room. Then he hurried to the kitchen to retrieve some bowls and fill them with the stew Jessy had prepared earlier.
"So what bring you to The Shire?" Frodo asked after serving his guests and settling himself at the table. He knew the answer and felt foolish for asking.
Legolas frowned. "I have come to get Jessy. Is she not here?"
Frodo hesitated. "Uh…She has gone to Buckland to visit with Merry." He knew that he should just tell Legolas about Belladonna, but he did not know how.
"Will you tell us the way to Buckland?" Legolas could see that something was bothering Frodo.
"Better than that, I will take you there myself." Frodo forced a smile on his face. He felt horrible. He was trapped between his two friends. Frodo absolutely did not want to take sides. He regretted his earlier thoughts as though somehow he had authored this entire situation.
~*~*~*~
Bella concentrated on the basket sitting on the ground not five feet in front of her. Her little tongue poked out between her lips as though that would help her efforts. She held a leather ball between two slender hands. With a swift movement, she tossed the ball in the air in the direction of the basket. It missed and landed on the grass.
Bella sighed. Getting the ball into the basket was proving to be more difficult than she imagined. Her Uncle Merry had shown her this new game, and she was determined to master it. After retrieving the ball, she walked back to stand on the far side of the ribbon that served as a foul line. Careful to make sure that her toes were not over the ribbon, she once again began to concentrate.
Several shadows fell over her, one being much taller than the rest. Without taking her eyes from the basket, she said, "Is it time to leave already? I thought we were staying for dinner?" Bella really didn't want to go but she knew better than to argue with her mommy.
"Bella. I would like you to meet some friends who have come for a visit."
The sound of her Uncle Frodo's voice threw off her concentration, and she missed the basket once again. Turning, she took in the newcomers. "I thought you were staying at home today." She said to Frodo while she studied the other two intently.
"I was, but my friends wanted to see Merry and Pippin. This is Gimli, and this is Legolas."
Legolas could only stare at his child in wonder. At first, he had thought that she was Merry's but now that he saw her face there was no mistaking her identity. She was a perfect mix of himself and Jessy. Honey blond curls framed a heart shaped face. From beneath the curls, two pointy ears poked out proclaiming her Elven heritage. Brown eyes regarded Gimli curiously from beneath golden brows. Legolas could see that she would be taller than her mother, but shorter than her Elven kin. She was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in all of Arda.
"You're not a Hobbit, are you?" Bella asked Gimli.
"No child." Gimli chuckled. "I am a Dwarf. And I am very pleased to meet you."
Bella flashed him a winning smile before turning her attention to the tallest of the three. She became excited when she caught sight of his pointed ears. "You have ears like me! Are you half an Elf too?"
Frodo laughed merrily, "You mean Half-Elf, Bella."
Legolas smiled and knelt so that he was somewhat level with his daughter. "No. I am just a plain Elf. How old are you, Bella?"
"I'm this many." Bella proudly displayed four fingers. "That means I'm four years old." She didn't want the nice Elf to think she couldn't count.
"Bella, get in the house." Jessy's voice cutoff whatever Legolas had been planning to say.
"Mommy, Uncle Frodo brought – " Bella took one look at her mother's face and bolted into the house.
Gimli and Frodo wisely followed suit.
Legolas stood to face his wife. The smile on his face fading as he caught sight of her furious expression.
"Who the hell do you think you are coming here like this? Did you think you could just waltz back into my life?" Jessy voice shook with anger.
"I… What have I done to cause you to be so angry? Why did not send word that you were carrying our child?"
Merry and Pippin walked out onto the front porch and settled themselves on a bench there, a bowl of mushrooms set between them. This was probably going to be the biggest fireworks show The Shire had seen since Bilbo's 111th birthday party. They weren't going to miss a minute of it.
"OUR CHILD!" Jessy roared. "What the hell do you mean `our child'? That is MY child."
"I can count. You did not conceive her without my help." Legolas had forgot how riled Jessy could get. "Besides, one has only to look at her to see that I am her sire."
"Just because you made a deposit in the bank of Jessy, doesn't mean that you are a father. You deserted us. You left us to make our own way in this world. I'm the one who has cared for her the last four years. I don't care how much she looks like you."
"I never deserted you, Jessy. I sent word that I had vows with Gimli I needed to honor. I was only gone for five years." Legolas still didn't understand why she was so upset.
"Only five years!" Jessy was in utter disbelief. "I hate to break it to you, but five years is not a weekend out with the boys. What the hell did you expect me to do? Go running across the countryside and hunt you down?"
"You are being unreasonable about this whole thing." Legolas was beginning to lose his temper. "You could have sent word to me through the Rangers, and I would have come back for you sooner." Legolas took a deep breath to calm himself, before he continued. "Besides, I am here now. That is what is important."
"Well let me jump up and down for joy that you have finally taken it upon yourself to go see the girl you fucked at Minas Tirith five years ago." Jessy voice fairly dripped with mock sarcasm. "Look, Legolas, just leave. Just get back on your horse and go find some forest to play in. We don't need you in our lives. We don't want you in our lives."
"No." Legolas said stubbornly. "Now you just listen to me for a minute. That is my child, and I do not intend to leave here without you and her by my side." He paused before smiling at Jessy. Reaching over, he stroked her cheek gently. "I love you. I am truly sorry if my absence has caused you pain, but I swear had you but sent word, I would have rushed back to your side."
Jessy knocked Legolas' hand away from her face. "Fuck you, asshole. I shouldn't have had to send word to you. Don't try and sweet-talk your way back into my bed. Get it through that thick skull of yours; whatever we might have had is over. Done. Finished. You will never see Bella again. If I ever see you near me or my daughter, I swear to God I will shoot you dead."
"Jessy…" Legolas didn't know what to say to soothe her. He had no doubts that she would carry out her threat. Not knowing what else to do, he turned and left.
Gimli had been watching the whole affair from the window and hurried to catch up with Legolas.
Jessy walked up to the porch and settled into an empty chair. She felt drained, like the very life had been sucked out of her. She had wanted nothing more than to rush into his arms, but she couldn't get past his desertion. Old wounds reopened, and she was trying to stay mad so she wouldn't break down and cry.
"Well that was thoroughly amusing." Merry said after a moment of silence. "You sure told him."
Jessy just glared at the smiling Hobbit. "What? Do you think I should have just welcomed him back after everything he put me through?"
"Of course not." Pippin said soothingly. "I mean, he is only the father of your child."
"Don't tell me you both agree with him." Jessy stared at her friends.
Merry sighed. He loved Jessy and Bella and normally would never take sides against them, but he couldn't hold his tongue on this matter. "Jessy, Elves see things differently. So what if he was gone for five years. The important thing is he came back for you. Bella deserves to know her father."
"Enough. I love you both like the brothers I never had, but I swear if either of you say one more word in defense of that jackass, I'll never speak to you again." Jessy swore.
Merry wisely held his tongue. "Very well. Let us drop the subject all together and go see what Frodo has whipped up for dinner."
The three friends entered the house, which was beginning to fill with the lovely aroma of fried sausages. Frodo had been busy keeping Bella occupied in the kitchen. Thankfully, she was unable to hear the fight, which was probably for the best.
~*~*~*~
Legolas sat staring at the campfire. The fire twisted this way and that as sparks flutter in the evening breeze. He and Gimli had made camp in a small glade between Hobbiton and Buckland.
"Legolas, try and eat something." Gimli was worried about his friend. Legolas had barely spoken a word since they left Merry's house.
"I cannot. Not a day as gone by that I have not thought of her. And now I am just supposed to leave her here. I am just supposed to leave my daughter." Legolas' voice was filled with undisguised anguish. "There must be some way to reason with Jessy. To get her to see that I love her and never meant to hurt her or Bella."
"It will never happen as long as she is living here in The Shire." Gimli said as he poked the fire with a stick causing more sparks to dance and swirl upon the wind.
Legolas looked over at Gimli. "What do you mean?"
"It is a matter of simple tactics. She has the advantage of defense. As long as she is living with Frodo, you will be in the offensive position. She can simply lock herself and Bella away where you cannot see them."
Legolas ran fingers through his hair in frustration. "I wish there was some way that I could get her to Eryn Lasgalen. There I would be able to impress the importance of family and raising Bella among her kin."
"What can you do? It is not like you can steal Bella away and use her as bait to lure Jessy to Eryn Lasgalen." Gimli grumbled.
A smile stretched across Legolas' face for the first time in many hours. "Gimli! That is a brilliant idea!" Legolas exclaimed slapping his friend on the back.
"What? Legolas, I was not serious –"
Legolas had jumped up and was pacing before the fire. He was so busy formulating a plan that Gimli could not get a word in edgewise.
"So what do you think, Master Dwarf?" Legolas asked when he had finished outlining his plan.
Gimli could only shake his head. "That you are three times the fool. Do you really believe that stealing Bella in the middle of the night from under her mother's very nose will cause Jessy to come to her senses and go rushing back into your arms?"
"Look, I know that she will be upset at first –"
"Upset! The lass will be bloody furious, not to mention the fact that she could always get her guardians involved. I tell you one thing: if you go through with this fool plan and the Lady gets involved, you are on your own!"
"Do not worry, my friend. It is a perfectly sound plan. All will work out in the end." Legolas sought to reassure his friend, although the thought of Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn getting involved did give him pause.
"Fine. If you want to go through with this foolish plan, then I will not try and stop you. But I will not seek to aid you either. If you do this thing, then you do it on your own."
"I would not ask you to help. I will only ask that you stay and accompany me on my journey home."
"I did not say that I would desert you, only that I would not aid you in the actual kidnapping." Gimli sighed.
~*~*~*~
Legolas slipped quietly through the open window and crossed the front parlor. With a silence of step only one of his kin could match, he made his way to the main hallway. Stopping at the first open doorway, he peered in and could just make out Jessy's sleeping form. He could not resist the temptation and stepped stealthily in the room. She looked young in her sleep, hardly old enough to be a mother. He started to reach out to caress a stray lock of her hair, but stopped himself in time.
Realizing that he was risking getting caught, he turned and left the room. In the room next to Jessy's, he found who he was looking for. His daughter was sprawled upon the bed, her legs tangled within the sheets. Her eyes were half-closed and slightly glazed yet she was snoring lightly, proving she was her mother's daughter. Kneeling down by the bed, he retrieved Bella's slippers from the floor. Gently untangling her legs, Legolas slipped the slippers onto Bella's feet. Then he gently lifted her from the bed and retraced his steps, until he arrived at the front door.
He paused long enough to drop a sealed letter onto the foyer table, before he unlocked the door and slipped into the night. Legolas was so intent on getting back to the camp that he failed to notice when one of Bella's slippers was knocked loose and fell quietly to the ground.
~ Next Chapter ~
~ Library Main ~
~ Author Index ~ Character Index ~ Title Index ~
~ Hall Of Fire ~ Gallery ~
~ Links ~ Shops ~ Map ~ News ~ Rules ~ Lists ~ ~
This page is in no way affiliated with New Line Cinema or Tolkien Enterprises, and no profit is being made.
The information contained herein is NOT to be used to spam or in any other way harrass its members. Be advised that abuse of this site will not be tolerated, and the appropriate legal action will be taken.
Hall-Of-Fire.Com v.4.0, Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 by Cristine Cook-Fireheart. All rights reserved. This web site may not be reproduced in any form, except as occurs in normal browser caching, without express written permission from the author.
Website by Infinite Connections Design.
