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Moments in Time by Larner	7 Review(s)
GamgeeFest	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 7/23/2009
LOL! Frodo is such the proper, polite and not-so-subtletly insulting heir apparent! He certainly does take much from his cousin, doesn't he? I'm glad that he was able to give back a little of what he got from Ted and Lotho, though it's extremely unfortunate that he began his life in Hobbiton thus. What bullies! Author Reply: Oh, I'm so glad you liked this. Yes, he already has found how to give as good as he gets verbally, and is not going to allow himself just to be run over roughshod without at least giving some effort to defending himself! And bullies are ALWAYS there, I've found!

Celeritas	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 7/6/2009
grin I am very glad that Frodo is not afraid to go below the belt when he's clearly outnumbered! This was such a nice story, and a proper length for what you wanted to tell. It's always fun watching the odious Sackville-Bagginses get thwarted, whether through verbal insults (Frodo's first greeting to them was priceless!) or through getting clearly caught as in the case of Lotho. Author Reply: In "Second Mum" I wrote about some of the bullying that Frodo was subjected to in Brandy Hall, and hope that he would realize that sometimes one needs to fight back dirty with those who do so to you. And it's always fun to write bullies getting their due, of course. And you are the not the first to be glad I wrote a longer tale this time. Thank you so!

Kitty	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 7/5/2009
Ha, the fact that it annoys Lobelia would be reason enough for Bilbo to adopt Frodo as his heir, if you ask me! For her to have the temerity of calling Frodo a thief is more than hypocrisis! He wouldn’t dare! He knows that the whole of the family would be up in arms at such an act. So? raises brow Maybe if the whole family contains of Lobelia and Otho ... Hm ... it would probably not dawn on Lotho that the people might think Bilbo not respectable, but still treat him better than the S-B's because he is nice and generous, while the S-B's are a nasty, thievery pack. “And whom do I have the honor of addressing, if honor it is?” snicker Well said, Frodo! :D And ...pretensions of being important in society.. was even better! Oh well, maybe I should just say that I enjoyed that little talk between Bilbo and his unwanted cousins very much! :D As much as I am sorry for poor Frodo for being hurt by these two bullies, I have to admit it was great to see that he didn't allow Lotho and Ted to intimidate him and gave as good as he did. And that the bullies were seen and interrupted was even more satisfying. And of course, Bilbo's little visit to the S-B's was the icing on the cake! Even if Bilbo wouldn't have decided on this already, that little intermezzo alone should have been another very good reason to make Frodo his heir, and Lobelia has no one than herself and her nasty family to blame for it eg Enjoyed this story very much - nothing better than something to get one over on the S-B's to brighten one's day! Thank you! Author Reply: Lobelia is definitely into hypocrisy, obviously, condemning in all other far simpler, more innocent versions of what she has done for years. And she assumes that even if the rest of the family is not upset, they can be influenced to at least pretend to be upset so as to keep her and Otho off their backs. You're certainly right about Lotho and why folk would still freely visit with Bilbo, no matter how iffy his reputation! Frodo's reactions to Lobelia I first wrote for "For Eyes to See as Can," and felt it couldn't be truly bettered, although Bilbo goes beyond what was said there. It was fun to visit that again! But I think that Lobelia would automatically put young Frodo's back up, and that verbally he could dance rings around her. I, too, hated seeing Frodo hurt, but cannot imagine him just rolling over and letting things happen without fighting back. It might be some years before he learned his proper punch, but I wanted him to have good reason in the end to ask Merimac for that training! It was one thing I missed in the movies, the feeling that Frodo would do his best to defend himself and others as he could, and was unlikely to back down just because he was outnumbered. But this had to be the final straw in confirming to Bilbo that it was well past time to displace the S-Bs as his heirs. So glad this brightened your day. I enjoyed writing it, believe me!

Andrea	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 7/3/2009
Great story! Even if Frodo had no chance to win against those two, he did not give up and even managed to give them some good kicks! Maybe it were his years at Brandy Hall among many other lads that taught him some very important lessons. I also enjoyed his sharp-witted answers to Lobelia. Frodo Baggins should never be underestimated! And Bilbo chose the right heir at the right time! “Not a moment too soon to get myself a new, proper, decent heir!” Author Reply: Thank you! You're right, Andrea--at this point Frodo is already showing the unwillingness to back down to intimidation he'll need once the Ring comes to him. And he's willing to fight back as effectively as he can. Facing the likes of Gomez Brandybuck has stood him in good stead, although he's not yet learned his proper punch from Merimac as yet. I'll admit that as I was describing a scene I'd already written, the dialogue is the same as in "For Eyes to See as Can" when Frodo is dealing with Lobelia's impertinence. But as she and Otho insist in the book on making certain the adoption and will are all proper in the aftermath of the Party, I've always suspected they did their best to the end to delude themselves that Bilbo had only taken Frodo as a ward and not an heir. That being true, they couldn't have been a party to the actual adoption or have seen his will prior to that date. That they would ignore the signs before their eyes that Bilbo had put Frodo over them indicates a willingness to convince themselves that Bilbo would stick to tradition in the end in spite of all the evidence that he'd taken to relying on his own wishes and acquired wisdom instead. And there's no question that Bilbo did choose a proper heir for himself! Thanks so much!

6336	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 7/3/2009
Just what twisted Lobelia into such a nasty peice of work? I have a feeling Otho has regreted marrying her for some time. As for Lotho he and Ted seem to feed off one another to some extent, it is a pity nobody in the region was able to stand up to Lobelia when he first started bullying others, some people have more money than is good for them. Poor Frodo what a welcome to his new home, I am glad he had the integrity to stand up to the pair of them and not just give them Bilbo's money and then run home to him, it would never have ended! He was lucky that they were interupted, who knows just how much damage they could have done. Now Lobelia will have to admit that her son is not as inocentt as she makes out. Good one Larner, Lynda Author Reply: Oh, Lobelia is one who as a child wanted more than her parents would give her, and decided only in marrying well could she hope to get all she wanted. She mistakes things for happiness, I fear. It's not easy to understand all there is in Otho, but he's fallen to much the same weaknesses. As for Lotho, not knowing true unconditional love and realistic limits and guidance given in love rather than in mere indulgence, he just wants to be the biggest fish in the pond and fears that he'll be displaced by Frodo. Frodo, however, already knows that indulging bullies only makes them worse and weakens the self, and has vowed not to again fall to becoming a thief. He knows it's hopeless standing against the two of them, but he's not going to give them the satisfaction of giving way easily--which in the end helps him hold out as well as he does in the future when it's him against the persuasion and coersion of the Ring. And this time Lobelia can't as easily convince herself that Lotho's just someone everybody else blames. And there's still, she is convincing herself, the promise she and Otho and their son will inherit Bag End and the family headship for the Bagginses one day!

shirebound	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 7/2/2009
Oh, I just love that last line. It must have aggravated Bilbo no end, earlier in his life, to imagine that propriety would force him to make Lobelia & family his heirs. I love your strong, confident Frodo, too. :) Author Reply: I can imagine (obviously!) that Bilbo had little but contempt for what Otho became once he married Lobelia. And incidents such as this must have confirmed he made the right decision in adopting Frodo. As for Frodo--I suspect he was willing to fight for what he felt was right even at such an early point in his career. He might have known he couldn't win, but he wouldn't just roll over and take what Lotho thought to hand out! Thanks so very much!

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 89 on 7/2/2009
grin Oh, I just loved seeing Frodo confronting Lotho and Ted, even if they did gang up on him in the end. Even better was seeing Bilbo give Lobelia and Otho what-for! Thanks so much for the story! ((hugs it)) Author Reply: It was my joy to write it for you, Dreamflower. I just wish it had allowed itself to be finished yesterday! It was being as stubborn as any Baggins, though! Heh!

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