hobbit_holidays | In honor of fathers....

Title: Night Fears
Author: WG
Rating: G
Summary: Sam comforts a frightened child.

Sam kissed Rosie on the cheek before he pushed back the covers and sat up. "Stay here, love, I'll take care of this one." Rewarded by a sleepy smile, Sam drew on his robe and hurried down the hall. One of the children was crying in the night.

It was Robin, who shared a room with two brothers. Sam sat on the edge of the low bed and pulled the crying lad into his arms. "Shh," he comforted. "All's well, son, Da's here."

"I - I had a bad dream," Robin choked between sobs. "The witch-king was here." He buried his face in Sam's chest.

Rubbing the small, trembling back, Sam berated himself for allowing the child to listen to that part of the Red Book last night. With the others growing so much older he sometimes forgot the limitations of the little ones.

"It was only a dream," Sam soothed. "You can go back to sleep, you're safe here." And he laid Robin back down, tucking the blankets snug around him.

"I'm afraid to sleep, Da," Robin quavered. "What if I dream it again?"

"If you do, then I'll be here again," Sam promised. "But sleep now, those dreams aren't real."

A small smile touched Robin's face. "How do you do it, Da? Why aren't you afraid to go to sleep, when you might dream of the bad things you've seen?"

Sam bent and kissed the tousled head, hiding the shadow that crossed his face. "Well, son," he murmured, "I guess I've learned it's a whole lot worse to be afraid o' wakin' up.