Bilbo stood there, a slightly perplexed expression on his face while looking down at the small little hobbit at his front door. The two had walked in, and it was a scary experience for the child. A sniffling, and crying hobbit child, Bilbo's nephew Frodo had been left entirely in the elder hobbit's care, and Bilbo had no idea where to start. The small hobbit's parents had tragically died in a boating accident and drowned, leaving behind their only child. Frodo Baggins…aged four, very scared, very alone, and very, very little. He was practically an infant.

"Alright then little one…I suppose with all these new changes, we had better start out by getting some food in your belly…" He glanced down the hall towards his bedroom, and groaned a little. "I hadn't had time to prepare a nursery for you Frodo…so after dinner, I will put you to bed in my room." He went to grab the child's hand, but Frodo sniffled, and spoke in a small voice.

"What about supper?" He said this in almost a whisper, and that's when Bilbo raised an eyebrow. There were six meal times in which a hobbit consumed, and a tea time, which almost always consisted of some sort of biscuit, or baked treat. The meals were; breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and lastly supper. Supper was served at eight in the evening, and being a small hobbit, Bilbo believed that his nephew belonged in bed, so he simply shook his head, grasping the child's hand.

"We'll see…you are a very small hobbit, and very small hobbits need their sleep. Come along, first we will have some dinner, I have made a very lovely chicken pie, and some greens." The two arrived to Bilbo's dining room where the chicken pie was placed on the table, as well as the vegetables, some plates, utensils, and hand cloths. Bilbo lifted Frodo up, and placed him in a seat, serving him a piece of the pie. He handed him a fork, and spoke. "Go ahead, eat up Frodo."

Frodo received the fork, and nodded his head, piercing the crust of the meat pie, and started to consume. His uncle's cooking wasn't his mother's, but it wasn't at all bad, in fact, uncle Bilbo's cooking was very tasty. He gobbled it up, alongside his greens, and when he was done, the child sat content in his seat. Bilbo glanced over, and he gave a smirk. Frodo was not a horrible little brat by any means, not compared to some of the other hobbit children. However, Bilbo had heard that he was sometimes a rascal, with a mischievous grin at times. When the meal was completed, Bilbo pushed away from the table, and walked over to Frodo who was holding out his arms to be held. The child was still understanding that mummy and papa were not going to be around anymore, and it made him sad still and his only living relative was his uncle. He was pulled up into Bilbo's arms, and the two walked down to the bathroom where the child's clothing were removed, and a bath was drawn. Bilbo placed the boy into the water, and started to wash him, cleaning behind his ears, washing his head of curls, and just looking at the adorable little creature that he was.

"Alright my lad…out of the water you go." The child was swaddled in a towel, and the two made their way to Bilbo's bedroom. Bilbo had a large home, but he hadn't really used his spare bedrooms to house anyone, and they were just filled with artifacts from previous adventures. He stood there for a moment, remembering a war from long ago, and closed his eyes. A twinkle of a past friend came to him, and he sighed. Frodo was carried to the bedroom, and Bilbo had managed to get an old nightshirt from his belongings. "Ah, here we are…something from my previous days as a small one. It ought to fit you well." He put the shirt on the naked hobbit, and then placed him in the bed. Frodo was not quite tired, but being that it was a new surrounding, and different bed, he chose not to argue at the moment.

Frodo had been to his uncle's in the past, but accompanied by his parents, and he was always held in a lap, or in someone's arms. He was too little to remember many things. Getting comfortable in the bed, Frodo stared up at his uncle Bilbo, and gave a shy little smile. Bilbo settled Frodo into the bed, and pulled to blankets over him. He leaned down, and kissed Frodo's forehead, and stroked his cheek. Nothing more was said, and Bilbo left the room, closing the door. He walked down the hallway, and arrived to the parlor, setting the kettle on for a fresh pot of tea. He grabbed up his book, and his pipe, and settled in his armchair, with an evening of reading, and most likely falling asleep in his chair.

The night was certainly a quiet time for little Frodo, and the child, though shy at first, was still awfully curious, and the fact that he was in slightly new surroundings, it was a time to explore. Pushing back the layers of blankets and pillows, Frodo rolled out of the bed, hanging off while he carefully landed onto the ground. Bilbo's room wasn't anything special, but being that it was dark, and the only light was from the moon, the child couldn't really explore. He did manage his way to the door to the room, and slowly opened it, looking out to the long hallway, and trying to hear where his uncle was. Bilbo was in fact, now in the pantry looking for something to cook for dinner. The last meal of the day, and he managed to grab a salted fish, and some potatoes. He was headed out of the room when he stopped in the hall, and saw little Frodo standing there in the hall, and of course the child was taken off guard. Bilbo frowned a little, knowing very well he had put the boy to bed, and now this. Setting the meal ingredients aside, Bilbo strolled over to Frodo, and cross his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow.

"Frodo…I put you to bed about twenty minutes ago, why are you awake, up, and about?" He said this in a stricter tone than usual, so that the small hobbit would understand that it was wrong to be awake when he ought to be in bed. Frodo gasped a little, and looked up. His face blushing a bit, and he rubbed his feet against one another, standing there awkward and shy, but the clearing of his uncle's throat made the boy respond.

"I…I wasn't sleepy yet uncle Bilbo. I want to stay up a little bit longer and have dinner with you, and…I just don't want to go to bed yet." He said all of this as a matter of factly, and of course Bilbo's eyes widened, because he was put in a position which he hadn't planned on being in. His arms uncrossed, and sniffing his nose, reached out and grabbed his nephew's hand, now leading him back towards the bedroom, all the while chiding him in a stricter tone.

"Well little hobbit…I simply do not care if you are not sleepy, and want to stay up longer, but the fact of the matter is…you are going to bed, and you will go to sleep. It is late now, and while things were different when you were living in your home, the rules here at Bag End are mine, and you will obey them." Frodo listened to everything his uncle was saying, wincing at the tone, and biting back his lip as he was scolded. Once arriving back to the bedroom, the hobbit was lifted up, and put back into the bed, getting nicely tucked in. Bilbo stepped away, and wavered his finger out at the child. "Now then…you stay there Frodo Baggins, and if I catch you out of bed again, I'll give you a spanking. Is that clear?" Frodo's eyes widened, and he huddled under and covers, only poking out his eyes, and little nose, shaking his head.

"Y-Yes…yes uncle Bilbo…*sniff*…" The child had managed to whimper, and get a little frightened. Bilbo saw this, and his face changed from slightly angry to now upset. He walked over, and set a hand on the boy's head.

"Now, now…don't build me up to be a monster Frodo, because I am nothing of the sort. I am just giving you a warning alright?" He stayed there for a moment, the child staring back at him, and then sighed. "Well alright, you go to sleep, and I will talk to you in the morning." Looking to the child again, Bilbo then left the room, for the second and hopefully last time, and walked back where his fish and potatoes waited.

Once he had filled himself with a nice and late meal, Bilbo smoked one last pipe, and soon headed off to the bedroom to get some shut eye. Arriving to his room, he slowly opened the door, and looked in to see Frodo, there, sleeping soundly. The child had however, spread about in the bed, taking up the whole area. It was slightly cute, but however would Bilbo get into the bed? He changed, and then walked over, slightly moving the boy over, and once that was settled, crawled in, and rested his head down. Frodo had not woken, but merely felt the presence of someone, and got closer, curling up. Bilbo welcomed this, and held the boy closely to him, closing his eyes, and finding sleep quickly.

Hobbits liked to sleep in, but they also rose out of bed early, because breakfast was served at seven in the morning. Frodo was the first to rise, and rolled out of bed, his curly hair in tangles, and knots. It was maybe six in the morning, an hour earlier than Bilbo liked to wake, but having a small hobbit living with him, he would have to accept these living arraignments. The little one of course started off with leaning over his sleeping uncle, and poking his tiny fingers in and around Bilbo's eyes. Bilbo made faces, clearly not awake yet, and groaned. As Frodo continued, the child giggled, and slightly slapped his hand down upon the elder's face, making the hobbit sit right up.

"I'm up, I'm up. Ugh…." Bilbo sat there, rubbing his eyes, and glancing over to his nephew with a slightly grim expression. "Frodo Baggins…there are other dignified ways to wake someone up, and what you just did was not one of them. Don't…do that again…" He grumbled, and then reached over, grabbing the child, and lifting him out of the bed, setting him down upon the floor. Bilbo then got out himself, and yawned. "Alright…go ahead, and use the toilet, wash your hands, and come into kitchen. I will prepare breakfast for us." Bilbo left the child to take care of things on his own, because children could do that right?

Frodo nodded his head, and ran to the washroom, closing the door behind him. Bilbo had arrived to the kitchen, after going into the pantry, and choosing some eggs, strips of bacon, ham, and some lovely bread. He began cooking, but noticed that Frodo was taking a little while longer than one should have. Cocking his head to the side, he listened for anything out of the ordinary, and heard giggling, and…water. Eyes widening, Bilbo hadn't even wanted to fathom what could possibly be going on in there. Pulling the food away from the fire, Bilbo rolled back the sleeves of his night robe, and walked steadily down to the washroom. He then proceeded to open the door, and there, before him was little Frodo, standing on the stool, wading in some water in the sink, which was spilling out the sides. Not believing this child, Bilbo had had it, and reached out, grabbing the child into his arms.

"That is enough young man!" Bilbo sat down onto the cold edge of the porcelain bathtub, put Frodo over his knee, and lifted back the little night shirt the child was wearing, now revealing his bare bottom. Raising his hand upward, it came down, striking upon the backside, and leaving a faint pink mark. Frodo let out a cry, and turned his head, giving his uncle a pathetic pout.

"Owwwww, no, no uncle Bilbo! I was just washing my hands!" He felt some more smacks, making his rear end smart quite well to his uncle's heavy hand, but Bilbo was not listening. He simply continued, making the child well aware that he was in the wrong. After a well put number of smacks given to the small hobbit, Bilbo set his nephew onto the wet floor. The nightshirt rolled down, so the reddened bottom was covered, and Bilbo grabbed the child's hand, and walked with him promptly down to the kitchen. He then directed him towards a corner.

"Go…right now, and you stand there. I will not have naughty little hobbits behaving in such a way. You know better than that! You have caused such a mess in the washroom, and now I will have to clean…ugh, you are wearing my patience thin!" He gave the child a little push, and with Frodo bawling his little eyes out, ran over to the wall, leaning in, and promptly set both of his hands onto his rear end, rubbing furiously. Bilbo continued on with the breakfast, and once it was done after about ten minutes or so, he set two plates down upon the table, with forks, and knifes. He then poured some cider for the two, along with tea, and glanced back to the tiny terror. "Frodo…come here to me please…"

Frodo glanced over to Bilbo, and gasping with tears still streaming down his face, ran at the quickest of speeds towards his uncle, and was lifted into his arms. He sniffled, and hugged the hobbit, leaning his head onto his shoulder. Bilbo knew the child was repentant for his behavior, and the elder kissed the top of the child's head.

"Oh my little Frodo…whatever am I going to do with you?" He looked to this amazing little being, and sighed. "I know things here are different, and it's going to take a while to understand my rules. So come now, let me dry those tears, and we'll have breakfast." He did indeed wipe the child's tears, and then set him down to sit in a chair. The child whimpered a little, as his bottom hit the hard wood.

Once they were settled, Bilbo started to consume his breakfast…it was one of the best meals of the day, but then the two would enjoy second breakfast as well. One thing Bilbo did not have to worry about was Frodo not eating, because all hobbits enjoyed their food. Frodo however, was experiencing some picky tendencies, and instead of eating his food, he was poking around it. Bilbo would only take so much of this, before he had to say something, but it was only a couple of days the child had come to stay with him, so spanking aside, nothing really horrid had happened. All it took was a couple more pokes, and soon Frodo picked up his fork, and stabbed it into the ham steak on the plate, and then picked up the whole piece, nibbling from it. Bilbo couldn't really get mad, the boy was eating.

After the two were done, and the cleaning of the table, and dishes washed, it was time for Frodo to have his bath, and he would have the child play, while second breakfast was prepared. Bilbo proceeded to walk with Frodo down the hall, but remembered that the washroom had water all over the floor, and sighed, looking down to the boy.

"Well…I certainly cannot give you a bath with the mess you have caused in there, so…you will get a bath in the kitchen sink. Come…" He took Frodo's hand, and walked back to the kitchen, reaching down, and pulling the night shirt off of his nephew, leaving the child naked as the day he was born. Frodo just stood there for a moment, but started to sneak away. He was suddenly caught, and pulled back. "No…you are not going anywhere, you are getting a bath. Come here…" He pulled the boy up into his arms, and placed him into the warm sudsy water. The washing was nice, and Frodo was squeaky clean. Once done, he brought the toweled child to the bedroom, dressed him in overalls, and a shirt, and set him off to play. "Behave yourself while I make some tea, and get second breakfast cooked."

Frodo didn't need to be told twice, and ran off, arriving to the parlor, where his toys were all in a pile, as Bilbo was still working on making one of the spare rooms for Frodo. The child sat down, and proceeded to be in his own little world, playing very happily. After about an hour or so, Bilbo walked down the hall, and arrived to where the little hobbit was playing happily, and he had to take a double take…as he could not believe the mess that the child had made. He walked over, and stood there, looking down.

"Frodo…I do not particularly have a problem with you playing with your toys, but darling little one…you need to clean up after yourself." He glanced over to the clock. "Now come along, we're going to have second breakfast!" Bilbo was more excited about second breakfast, because watching the child and seeing him eat, he himself hadn't ate that much, so he decided on whipping up a batch of wheat cakes, and maple syrup.

Frodo stood up, and ran to his uncle, and the two went to the kitchen. Bilbo would cook, and then they would eat in the dining room, with meals continuing for the day. Putting on a kettle of tea as well, Bilbo had Frodo help him, drip the cake batter onto a hot skillet, and then once everything was done, the two ate, happily. Frodo was happy, and it was a good thing, since everything that had happened. It was nice, and the two had a great time together.

A couple of days had passed, and Frodo was all situated in his room, and nights went well, but sometimes Frodo would wake up in the middle of the night, alone and scared, and get out of bed. He would pad down to Bilbo's room, and climb into bed with the elder hobbit. Bilbo did allow it, but did not want the child to make a habit out of it, and usually carried the boy down to his own room, laying him in the bed. It worked out, but was getting tiring. Meals went well, and the child ate his fill, acting like a right and proper hobbit with his food, as all hobbits enjoyed their meals.
After a day of working in the garden, Bilbo showing the little one ways of weeding and planting seeds, it was time to go inside. Bilbo was filthy from the dirt, as was little Frodo. The boy was planting his own seeds, all the while playing with the dirt. It was allowed, because he was being supervised. Once it was time to go inside, Bilbo decided to give the child a bath before they ate dinner. It was a cute affair, as Frodo played in the bath basin, splashing and making noises of ships with a cute hallowed out gourd. Bilbo washed his nephew's hair, and once they were done, pulled him into a warm towel, and walked down to the boy's bedroom.

"Alright then lad…let's get you dressed, and then we'll eat. I have made some fried up fish, and lovely chips." He said this with promise that the child will eat it, and he knew Frodo wasn't fussy. Frodo was dressed in a nightshirt, and sent off to play for a moment while Bilbo washed up. He then walked back to where his nephew was, and the two walked down to the dining room, sat down and consumed their meal. Frodo was very fond of fish and chips now, and would want it again very soon.

The evening before the child's bedtime was something of a quiet matter. Bilbo sat in the parlor, reading his book, while smoking his pipe, and Frodo had brought out some of his building blocks, working on a majestic tower. As the time grew later, the little one was nodding off, and clearly tired. Bilbo looked up from his book, and cleared his throat.

"Frodo…come, let's get you settled into bed." He got up from his arm chair, and walked over to the little one, holding out his hand. Frodo looked up, and suddenly his face gave a scowl, and he backed away, shaking his head.

"No…" Frodo didn't want to go to bed, not yet. His tower was already so high, and it needed to be bigger, and…he wanted to continue to stay up, because he was not a baby, and didn't need an early bedtime. Bilbo raised an eyebrow, and put his hands on his hips.

"I beg your pardon? You don't tell me no. Now get right up, and let's get you into bed, I have no time for your little cheek right now. Come…" He held out his hand, and once again, the boy refused.

"NO, I don't want to!" This time was met with a little more defiance, and rolling back over onto his stomach, Frodo continued on with his blocks. Bilbo could not believe it, and simply rolled back the sleeves to his shirt, walking over, but Frodo quickly turned around, and kicked at his uncle. The elder was completely taken back from this.

"FRODO! This is completely out of line young man!" He went to grab for the small hobbit, but Frodo got up, and simply made a dash for it. He soon arrived to the pantry, and ducked under the table. Bilbo gasped, and quickly ran down, and followed the little insolent child. He looked around, and heard the breathing. Eyes darting to where whimpers were heard, Bilbo glanced down, and saw his nephew under the table. "Frodo…I am going to count to five…and if you do not come out of there right away, you're getting a bottom tanning!" Holding up his finger, Bilbo began to count. "One…twooooo…" He thought if he counted slowly, the boy would come out, but Frodo did not budge. "Frodo! Three…four! I am warning you…this is your last chance!" Frodo looked up, but still shaking his head, stayed in his spot, arms crossed. This was it. "Five! Right then!" Bilbo knew his home better than anyone, and quickly knelt down, reaching and grabbing his nephew by the ear, or at least trying. Frodo began kicking, and got Bilbo in the chest. "Owww!"

Kicking worked, and now the child was able to get away free. Frodo slipped away, and started to run away, but Bilbo was faster, having outran trolls in the past. He caught up, and quickly snatched the small hobbit up into his arms, holding him tightly. No more games, Bilbo Baggins had had it. He walked with the naughty little child, and arrived to the boy's bedroom. As soon as he sat down, he plopped Frodo over his lap, and pulled up his nightshirt. A bare bottom was revealed, and smacks were commenced. Frodo cried out, fully bursting into a flood of tears by the third heavy handed smack.

"You will NEVER behave like that in front of me again, do you understand?" Frodo couldn't respond, he was crying too hard. Bilbo's hand rose and fell, creating a very reddened little hobbit backside. This was indeed horrible that Bilbo had to spank the boy, but Frodo behaving like a brat was not going to stand at all. Not at Bag End.

"Uncle B-Bilbo! Waaaahhhhhhh! Nooooo!" The little one was kicking his feet back and forth, and Bilbo put a stop to that, pinning his nephew down while finishing off a couple more smacks to the now cherry red bottom. Once that was over, he right sided him, and held the boy close. Frodo cried hard, hugging Bilbo. "I-I…*hic*…I am sorry! I am sorry uncle Bilbo. Aghhh haaaaa!" Bilbo just sighed, and held him, now standing up and swaying back and forth.

"Frodo…look at me…" The child looked up, and sniffled. Bilbo leaned in, kissing his red, and tear stained face. "You are my little treasure…and I love you dearly. Be a good boy, and listen to me always. Shhhh…" He hushed the small adorable hobbit, and Frodo did his best to keep awake, but the spanking, and crying wore him out. He soon passed out, and was placed in the bed. Bilbo stayed there, looking, and just gave a small smile. The boy's stubbornness was exactly like a certain dwarf from Bilbo's past. He stood for a little longer, and a tear filled his eye. Wiping it away, he soon left the room, and headed to his own to change.

Bilbo had made a light supper, had one last pipe, and with the lanterns dimmed, walked down to his bedroom, getting settled in, and resting his head while he closed his eyes. The night streamed on, until in the wee hours, a horrid thunder storm cracked through the Shire. These loud noises didn't bother Bilbo, but it was a different story for Frodo who screamed, and quickly ran out of his bed. He padded down the hall to his uncle's, and whilst crying, tugged on the blankets.

"Uncle Bilbo…uncle Bilbo!" He continued to tug, until the elder hobbit woke up, and squinted his eyes. The storm's lightening, and the mood lit the room, and there before him, was a terrified, and sobbing little hobbit. Bilbo reached out, and grabbed the child, putting him into his bed.

"Come…sleep with me, and nothing will harm you, or scare you. Rest easy my child…and close your eyes." Frodo whimpered a little more, but hearing the reassuring voice of the elder, and brave hobbit, he soon passed out again. Bilbo lie there, giving a smirk. This was certainly not a storm. A storm was when giant rock beasts attacked the mountains…that was a storm. He soon drifted off to sleep, and dreamt of earlier times. Frodo would grow up to be very anxious to hear the tales of his uncle Bilbo…and the lonely mountains.