24 Ever After

The celebration lasted long into the night. Hobbit parents whose children were still young were the first to leave after they began to find their little ones asleep on benches, on and under the tables or in the corners of the room. Then the old gaffers and gammers left, as they were no longer used to being so intemperate nor up until such late hours, though many had happily put in a full night of dancing. But even with these groups leaving, there were still well over a hundred hobbits at the party, enough that no one noticed when Merry and Pippin quietly left the room, followed later by Rosie, Estella and Diamond. Awhile later, word went around that someone had seen the happy new couple heading off in a light buggy through the softly falling snow, headed toward Bywater.

Rosie and Diamond moved quickly and quietly through the snow on paths that ran away from the road, heading towards Bag End.

"Come with me." Rosie said quietly once they got to the house and she led Diamond down the tunnel toward the bathroom.

The room was warm with the heat of a good fire in the fireplace and the lavender scented steam that rose from the tub full of hot water. Diamond looked in fondly at the lovely nightgown that was draped over one of the chairs. It was the one Elanor had been so excited over yesterday morning. The white fabric was shiny, soft and thin, delicate crystal beads graced the neckline and thin golden ribbons made up the ties that went well down the front of the gown.

Rosie cleared her throat to get Diamond's attention, then curtseyed.
"Your husband says that he hopes you like this night gown and relaxing, scented bath, the beginning of his gifts to you this night, and he hopes you will accept the assistance of the Lady's Maid he has arranged for you." Rosie curtseyed again.

"Rosie!" Diamond giggled, "You are not anyone's maid!"

"Tonight, for a while, I'm yours. My gift to you!" Rosie said with a smile then she began to help Diamond out of her gown and took her hair down. Once Diamond was in the luxurious bath, Rosie scrubbed her back for her and washed her hair with lavender scented soap. She then wrapped Diamond in a large heated towel and sat her with her back to the fire while rubbing then brushing Diamond's hair to dry it. Finally, she helped her into the beautiful nightgown then held her in a
tight hug.

"You're a beautiful bride Diamond." Rosie whispered in Diamond's ear. "May your life be blessed with more joys than sorrows and even the sorrows be tempered by love." She gave her a squeeze, then held her at arms length and looked softly into Diamond's eyes. "Your husband is in his room and the smial is yours for the next two days and nights. Enjoy each other, dearest Diamond." Rosie hugged her once more then left the room and left Bag End to return to the wedding celebration.

Diamond made her way to the guest room that was always Peregrin's whenever he visited at Bag End, the door was ajar so she gently pushed it open, went in and then turned to shut it behind her. The room was lit only by the fire in the large fireplace. In this dancing light Peregrin sat in one of the overstuffed chairs before the fire.

"Will you come and sit on my lap awhile, Diamond?" He softly asked her and she did so, a bit awkwardly at first but then she snuggled her head down onto his shoulder. For a while he only sat and gently ran his fingers through her hair while softly kissing her head, hugging her firmly with his arm that supported her back.

"Was the day everything you had hoped it would be, my love?" He asked.

Diamond sat up and looked at him. "Oh yes! I thanked your . . . I thanked Mum and our sisters so much tonight that I'm sure they grew quite tired of hearing it. They knew just what to do, just what needed to be done; and then they worked so hard to see it through with such a short amount of time." She paused to tap Peregrin on the tip of his nose and smile at him.

"But you were right, dearest, it was beautiful having our wedding on First Yule. Nothing could have been more beautiful or special."

He kissed her gently then turned his head toward the small table beside the chair. "Would you like some tea? It's one of Merry's blends. Passionflower and Peppermint I think he said, to help you relax." Diamond nodded her head and Peregrin reached over to pour some of the tea into one of the delicate porcelain cups.

"What is that?" Diamond asked him and she leaned over to touch the wooden fence that stood around a little wooden family standing together in a circle.

"They are very wise toys." Peregrin said as he handed her the cup of tea. "They had a lesson to help teach me that I wish to never forget. They will be in my study at Crickhollow and," he pulled in a deep breath that he then let out slowly, "in my study someday at Great Smials. A lesson about being a good husband and father and how important love is. I owe the Gamgee children a new farm set."

They sat awhile in silence as Diamond finished her tea, the comforting warmth of which was already relaxing her. She put the empty cup down and wiggled back down into a cozy position in Peregrin's arms. She did have to admit to herself that she was a bit nervous about tonight and she hoped the tea would do as Merry said it would and help her to relax. Peregrin had resumed caressing her hair and now was kissing her forehead instead of the top of her head as he had before. Slowly he moved to kissing her temple, her cheek, her lips. . .. She reached her hand up to play with the hair at the back of his neck and pull him more tightly into the kisses.

They kissed and caressed for a long time each gradually relaxing more into the close warmth of the other. Peregrin had begun to softly rub the outside of her thigh and she had moved her hand from behind his head to trace the edge of the buttons of his night shirt that covered his chest. The feelings Diamond had that morning in the barn near Great Smials welled up within her and it was as though she suddenly realized those feelings could now be fully expressed. Her kisses grew passionate and she tipped her head back to encourage Peregrin to begin kissing her neck. She felt for the ribbon that when pulled would undo the first tie on her nightgown, guided his hand until he held the ribbon then pushed his hand away until the bow was untied. She did the same with the next tie.

"I think, Mr. Took," she said in a husky, breathless voice, "that this lovely nightgown is in the way."

Peregrin kissed her collar bone and then her mouth. "Oh, is that so, Mrs. Took?" His voice was deep and his eyes were filled with the glow from the fire. "I fear my night shirt has the same problem. I think there might be a solution to this problem, if you're willing to discover it with me."

"Yes." Diamond said and kissed him with soft sensual lips.

"You must get up off my lap to start with." he mumbled around her kiss so she reluctantly took her lips from his and stood up. Pippin rose from the chair, picked Diamond up in his arms and carried her towards the bed. "I think the solution is over here." he said as he gently laid her down.

Out in the snowy evening a buggy made it's slow and easy way down the Hobbiton-Bywater road. To the eye of someone not looking carefully, it appeared to be the Took newlyweds on their way to spend their wedding night at the Green Dragon Inn in Bywater, but that guess would be wrong. Just in case any Took cousins, or enemies for that matter, had decided to cause mischief for the young couple, decoys had been sent out in the hopes that any trouble makers would leave the real couple in peace at Bag End.

Merry and Estella, dressed in Pippin's Gondorian cloak and Diamond's midnight blue cloak, were having a wonderful drive to where they had two rooms reserved at the Green Dragon. The clouds had blown away and a full moon lit the country side with a dazzling blue glow. They had come to a place on the road between two curves, a quiet and secluded place with a small woods on one side and a beautiful view of the rolling fields and small woods of this part of the West Farthing on the other, when Merry pulled the pony to a stop.

"You look beautiful in this glorious moonlight." Merry said. "Or, should I say you look glorious in this beautiful moonlight?" He gently caressed her cheek. "Either way, it's the truth."

Estella lowered her eyes. "You do say the most wonderful things to me, Merry!"

"Merry! I'm not Merry! I'm Pippin, remember Diamond? We are on our way to our wedding night."

Estella giggled, something Merry found thoroughly charming. "That's right! How silly of me to forget something so important, Peregrin."

"Although, I suppose, that as Pippin the new husband on my way with my new wife to Bywater for our wedding night, this is all going to sound rather odd."

"Whatever are you talking about, Mer . . . uh, Peregrin?" She giggled again.

"Just this, my dearest darling. That if, completely speculative you understand, if I were Meriadoc Brandybuck and you were Estella Bolger, if we were them you understand, not Peregrin Took and the now Diamond Took. Well, if we were them, then I'm sure that old Merry would just think that this would be the perfect time and place to ask for the beautiful Estella's hand in marriage." He wrapped his arms around her and, tucking his face into her hood, whispered in her ear,

"Will you marry me?"

"Merry!" Estella exclaimed.

"Ah, ah, ah! I'm Peregrin, remember. Unless, of course, you keep your voice down," Merry said, and even in the moonlight, she could see the twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, Peregrin!" Estella exclaimed then quickly leaned in close and whispered, "Yes, my dearest Meriadoc." into his ear.

They hugged and kissed for awhile until the chill of the night worked it's way under their cloaks, then Merry picked up the reins, clicked to the pony and they started once more down the road.

"I think I bested him," Merry said smugly.

"Who?" Estella asked and snuggled up closer to her betrothed, "Pippin?"

"Yes. He just climbed a tree to ask for Diamond's hand. I asked for yours as a completely different person, I asked you as her with me as him!"

The morning dawned bright and clear and little bits of it stole in around the shutters on the window of a certain bedroom at Bag End. Diamond opened her eyes to see Peregrin's face beside hers. She smiled for a while, letting her eyes caress his beloved features as the light of the new day played across them. Suddenly she gasped and her eyes grew large and tears began to well up in them. She remembered what she had said that night he had talked to her about . . .

. . . about the other lasses, about Iris and Pansy.

'I will be the one to see your dear face beside me every morning.' she had said. She rolled over so her back was to her husband. Last night she had been carried away with the joy of abandoning herself to him when thoughts of the others had sprung from out of nowhere into her mind. Her only comfort had been that it wasn't during their first time; that would have ruined everything, and now it was haunting her again using her own words to Peregrin. Had she been able to chase those others away from his mind, or had he thought of them himself last night? Diamond felt a great weight settle upon her heart as fear crept into her mind; had she been good enough to please him?

Pippin draped his arm around her and became immediately alert when he felt her
stiffen and pull away from his embrace.

"Diamond? Are you awake?" His voice was anxious and he tried turning her over, but she only pulled further away. "Did I hurt you? Have I said something I shouldn't have? Diamond!" He pulled gently on her shoulder again. "You have to talk to me, I cannot apologize for something if I don't know what it is. Diamond?"

"You have done nothing wrong, Peregrin." Came her muffled and teary reply. "Although I may have need to apologize to you."

"Then tell me what the trouble is and I'll decide if you need to apologize or I do."

"Last night . . . was I . . .well," Diamond took a big gulping breath but kept her back turned to Peregrin, "was it what you hoped for? Was I good enough? Did I please you? Or did you find yourself . . ." she took another deep breath as a tremor shook her, ". . . find yourself thinking about the others and wishing I was one of them?" she finished in a low trembling whisper.

"Oh, Diamond!" Pippin's anguish tore at his voice and he lifted her slightly to wrap both of his arms tightly around her as he buried his face in her hair. Why was this haunting her? His heart ached as it had the night he confessed it all to her. She could tell he was crying as he continued to murmur her name between gasping breaths. Finally, his breathing eased and he felt the protectiveness that Persimmone’s gossip had brought out in him returning.

"Look at me, my dearest Diamond. Please look at me." He pled with her and loosened his hold on her so she could turn over. Slowly she shifted around until they lay facing each other. They looked deeply into each others teary eyes.

"Don't ever worry about that again, please, my dearest love." Pippin's voice was filled with both his pain over his past foolishness and his overwhelming love for Diamond. "Do not ever . . . Diamond, please; I don't know what I had with them, I had thought I loved them, but, whatever I had with them . . ." His voice failed him for a moment and he held Diamond so tightly to his chest that she could feel his heart thudding against her. He finally was able to whisper in her ear. "Last night was everything I hoped loving someone would be, and more. I never felt anything like it before, I was so lost in the presence of you, in my love of you. All I wanted was to bring pleasure to you." He drew in a few long slow breaths and his heart gradually beat more calmly as he held her and caressed her and placed gentle kisses on her hair. "I never once even thought about them, not once. There is no them, Diamond, only you. Only you. I need, I love, only you."

They melted into each other's embrace and loved with even greater passion than the night before, then they lay snuggled together, basking in the depth and strength of their love for each other.

Diamond kissed Peregrin's cheek. "Well, I need to get up and fix the most wonderful husband in the whole of Middle-earth something to eat before he wastes away!" and she poked him playfully in his ribs. "I might already be too late!"

"Then we must get up at once, dear wife, as I do not want to miss a single moment of my life with you!" He kissed her and started to get up. "Did you know that even Rosie Gamgee does not make griddle cakes as well as I do?"

"And will you be sharing your secrets with your wife?" Diamond asked as she put her nightgown on and came around the bed to stand beside him.

"Oh no," Peregrin said smiling as he pulled his night shirt on over his head. "I have to have something I can cook better than you so I can treat you to breakfast in bed sometimes!"

"And just how often can I expect this luxurious treatment?" Diamond put her arm in his and they headed off together toward the kitchen of Bag End.

"As often as I possibly can."

FINIS
Many heartfelt thanks go to Dreamflower for doing the editing for this rewrite :-)