What Happened Thereafter {A LotR Fanfiction}

Thorn

[I dedicate this chapter to BilboIsMyObsession because she has been really nice to me, and is really fun to talk to! Thanks, Bilbo!]

Thorn was taking a break from the battle that had begun once more, when Pippin came to call. He arrived on her doorstep like he belonged the place, and didn't even knock before entering. Thorn was absolutely appalled. He entered her room and waved at her, then began perusing around the room, looking at all the things on her shelves, and the stashes of food hidden in every nook and cranny. Thorn blushed whenever he came to these; she didn't like to admit that sometimes, when she couldn't sleep, she depended on these secret hoards.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" She asked in a rather annoyed sort of voice. Pippin looked up and smiled at her.

"Just looking 'round at all the memories you have stored in this room."

"Memories?" Thorn asked. Now she was interested. She hopped out of her bed and went to stand beside him. Her gaze fell on her shelf of little odds and ends she had collected when she was younger, and realized that yes, most of those items did have a story behind them. She picked up a rock that had been placed in the center of all the others. It wasn't particularly outstanding, in fact it was sort of a dull, greyish color and was covered in about an inch of dust. But she smiled when she looked at it, and the way she was gazing at it so fondly put the honey-glow in Pippin's cheeks. 

"What's the story behind that ugly thing?" He teased. Thorn nudged him with her elbow and raised an eyebrow.

"It is not ugly, Pippin! This was the first time I met Nettle and...Ivy." Thorn's voice cracked when she thought of Ivy, but she pushed the thought from her mind and focused on good things.

"You met Nettle and Ivy with a rock?" Pippin asked, a smile on his face. Thorn rolled her eyes and shoved the rock in his hands.

"Don't be ridiculous. I was seven years old and out picking wildflowers in my garden when Ivy walked up to me and gave me this rock. I was really confused at first, but then she asked me if I would like to join her and her big sister, Nettle on a rock collecting adventure, and of course I had to say yes. Who doesn't say yes to rock collecting, is what I'd like to know. The rest is history after that. I wanted to give the rock back to Ivy, but she told me to keep it and give it back to her the next time we played together. After that, she, Nettle and I played every day." Thorn frowned as a realization dawned upon her.

"I never did give that rock back to Ivy," she said. Pippin shrugged his shoulders and gently placed the rock back in its rightful place.

"Knowing what I know about Ivy, she probably meant for you to keep it in the first place."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Thorn agreed.

"What about this thing?" Pippin asked, moving on to another shelf. he was pointing at the pine cone bouquet Beauregard had given to Thorn two years ago, when he was four. Thorn smiled.

"Beauregard made that," she said. Pippin smiled and patted the largest pine cone on the head. Thorn laughed and Pippin's face warmed. How wonderful it was to make Thorn Tumalow laugh! All at once he couldn't help himself, and reached out and touched her hair. Her thick, beautiful, rich auburn hair. It was softer than he'd imagined, and she gave him a funny look, but didn't push him away. Her green eyes bright and heart-warming. Pippin felt as if he were falling very deep into a place where he could never dig himself out of again.

"Stop staring at me like that, it's making me uncomfortable," Thorn mumbled as a blush decorated her own face. Pippin was about to reply with something witty when the door burst open and who should run into the room but Beauregard himself. Thorn put her hands on her hips, but the annoyance was zapped out of her when she realized Beauregard was crying. His little arms were balled into fists, and a look of terror was permanently etched into his adorable face. Big, alligator tears were making their way down his cheeks and he ran over to Thorn and hugged her around the waist. Beside Thorn, Pippin whipped out his dagger and went out into the hall while Thorn tried to console her little brother.

"Beauregard, what is it? Won't you tell me what the matter is?"

"Mommy's gone! Is...is scary men outside and I c-can't find mommy! P-please find her, Thorn!"

A sick, cold feeling dropped into the pit of Thorn's stomach and she picked up little Beauregard and held him close to her.

"It's okay, Beauregard, just stay with me, okay?" 

When the younger hobbit nodded his curly head against her shoulder, Thorn set him down and unsheathed her own dagger, took Beauregard's hand in hers, and went to find Pippin, and her mother.

"PIPPIN!" She cried. Where had he gone? He had just been there only a moment ago! Something thumped against the door and Beauregard screamed and pressed himself against Thorn. Thorn braced herself and held the dagger out in front of her as the door swung open and an orc appeared. He looked around the room, and when he laid his eyes on the two hobbits, he made a horrible noise and came towards them. 

Thorn swung her dagger in front of her and deflected the orc's blow. She dodged his meager attempts to slice her with his weapon and saw that he had already been badly wounded in the shoulder, which affected his attacks. Well, that made things much easier. 

Suddenly, the point of a dagger protruded from the orc's chest. It screeched and wriggled around, then slumped over the the floor. Pippin stood there with a grim look of determination on his face. Thorn was glad to see him. 

"Shall we join the battlefield again, Thorn?" He asked, smiling even though there was a battle going on outside. Thorn nearly laughed, but caught herself in time. This was no laughing matter; hardly a time to make jests!

"I have to stay with Beauregard," she said. Pippin crossed his arms and shrugged.

"You mother is right outside, I'm sure she'd be glad to do that for you."

"Outside?" Thorn asked. "Why would she be outside?"

"Because, I haven't had this much exercise in weeks, dear! Plus, there was that teeny tiny problem of orcs destroying my vegetable garden, and that just had to stop." Thorn's mother said, coming up behind Pippin. She was holding a dagger of her own that was smeared with blood, and looked overly pleased with herself. When Pippin smiled and gestured from Thorn to her mother, Thorn rolled her eyes. Well, that explained where her sassy attitude came from.

"Mommy!" Beauregard flew into his mother's arms, his little chubby arms wrapping around her neck as she picked him up and snuggled with him. Thorn smiled at the tenderness, but frowned when she caught Pippin smirking at her.

"Come on," she shoved past him and out of the house. "Let's slay us some orc!"

Pippin got a funny look on his face and he came to stand beside her. Thorn's hands were on her hips, and her dagger back at her side. There were no more orcs or men in sight, and she was very annoyed.

"I took care of them for you because I thought you'd appreciate it." Pippin explained. He smiled when Thorn sighed and went to stand next to her, but made sure there was a gap between them so he wouldn't have to fight sudden urges away.

They stood there for several minutes, neither of them saying anything. Thorn looked at Pippin every once in a while, hoping he would look back at her with those gorgeous eyes of his, but he seemed to be ignoring her. 

Okay, that was the last straw. Thorn grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him 'round to face her.

"Oh, you Fool of a Took! Will you just kiss me, already?!!!" She didn't even let him respond, just leaned in and smashed her lips against his. Pippin had not been expecting this, but it took him less than two seconds to close his eyes and kiss her back with everything he had. And, oh, it was a marvelous, beautiful moment that neither of them wanted to end. In the middle of chaos, Thorn was Pippin's rock, and she was his. 

At last Pippin forced himself to pull away. He took a deep gulp of air and smiled like he had just smoked a bucket of the best Pipeweed.

Thorn, flushed and a bit giddy, said, "That's better. Now we're ready to slay some orc."