Second Chances: The Return of Gollum

Chapter 28

That night, as Gollum zipped himself into his onesie, and crawled into bed, Sméagol knocked on the door. "Gollum?"

"Come in, Precious," Gollum replied sweetly.

Sméagol tiptoed in, also wearing a onesie. "Sméagol just wants to say good night."

"Come, lie down with me for a moment."

Sméagol crawled into bed with Gollum, and wrapped his arms around him. "I didn't means it, either, Precious... when I said I hated you, and I didn't needs you... or when I said I never wanted you to come back."

"It's alright," said Gollum. "I should've listened to you."

"What does it mean?"

"When you asked me to leave... I should've stayed away. Everything would've been alright if I never came back."

Sméagol became very sad. "Awwww, Gollum." He pulled him closer. "It breaks Sméagol's heart to see you being so hard on yourself. Sméagol's happy you're back, Precious."

"But... I should've stayed away until the ring was destroyed. Everything that happened would've never––"

"No, don't say that. Things would've been so much different if Sméagol was there for you... if Sméagol showed you what love was. We could've destroyed the ring together, all of us. Master... Sam... and us, if only I helpsed you."

"No. So cruel I was to you from the start. Every right you had to hate me."

"No, Precious, you were not cruel to me. You takes care of us, fed us, protected us you did. You were good to Sméagol. Sméagol never saw it, never appreciated it."

"I killed us."

"No. The ring killed us. Almost killed poor Master it did."

"But... I killed Déagol, Precious. I killed your best friend."

Remembering Déagol, Sméagol suddenly began to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Sméagol. If only I could bring him back... if I knowsed how... I would do it in a heartbeat. If I knew any better... never would I have done it in the first pla––"

"No, no, Precious," Sméagol sniffled, "I killed him. I killed poor Déagol. I stole from people I loved, and I lied about it... about a lot of things. You were right when you said I was a liar and a thief... and a murderer. I said I hated you, because I knew you were right. But, I never hated you, my precious, never. I loved you so much. I still loves you. I loves you even more now. With all my heart, Precious, I loves you so, so, so, so very much."

Gollum wiped tears from his eyes. "When you asked me to leave... I didn't want to, because... I..."

"You needed me."

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry, Gollum." Sméagol caressed Gollum's head. "I'm so sorry."

"But... I understands why you wanted me to leave."

"I am glad you came back when you did. Very alone and hurt I was. You comforted me." Sméagol held Gollum close to his heart. "Sméagol so happy we has two separate bodies now."

"Why? So it can finally slaps me silly?" Gollum teased.

Sméagol giggled. "No, no, Precious." He gently caressed Gollum's backside. "No, I never do that to you again. I'm so sorry I hurts you. Sméagol didn't means it, Sweetie. No, Sméagol is happy we lives in separate bodies now, because... Sméagol gets to hugs you... hold you close."

"Very true, Precious. So many times I wanted to hold you in my arms, but never could. Now, I can." Gollum wrapped his arms around Sméagol, and held onto him tightly.

"Awwww, I loves your hugses."

"I loves yours, too, Sméagol."

Sméagol giggled. "Does it want me to sing a lullaby again?"

"Can I sings one for you?"

Sméagol smiled. "Of course."

Gollum nuzzled up in Sméagol's arms, and began to sing "Candle on the Water." Sméagol's eyes filled with tears as he listened to his dear friend sing. He even joined in, and harmonized with him.

"Awwww, so beautiful that was, Gollum," Sméagol said sweetly. "Your voice is so lovely."

"So is yours, Precious. I loves singing with you."

"I loves singing with you, too. We should makes music together."

"I don't knows how."

"Oh, Sméagol teach you."

"You knows how to plays piano?"

"Yes, Hayley teaches me. Now, Sméagol teach you."

Gollum smiled, remembering the sweet moment he shared with Hayley earlier on. "Hayley... so lovely she is, so sweet."

"Yes, very precious she is."

"The song I sings to you, she taught it to me."

Sméagol smiled warmly. "Bless her heart."

"She promised me she would be my new Precious."

"Awwww. Very good Precious she will be to you. So kind and loving and wonderful she is."

"And... so, so beautiful."

Sméagol giggled. "Gollum has a crush," he teased.

Gollum snickered and blushed.

Sméagol kept giggling. "Awwww, look at your face. You likes her."

Gollum giggled. "Yes, yes, I likes her... a lot."

Sméagol beamed. "Awwww, so cute you two would be together. Sméagol thinks she likes you, too."

"What did you do to end up with Cheyenne? How did it go about it?"

"I takes my time to get to knows her. We builds a friendship."

"A friendship?"

"Never should you rush love, my precious. Let it happen naturally. I falls in love with Cheyenne the moment I meets her... but it wasn't the right time, not yet. I barely knew her, and her heart was broken. Time she needed to heal from it. Then, one day, I tells her how I feels. Hayley knows you, but you still needs to get to knows her. If it's meant to be, my precious, it'll happen. It'll all fall into place."

Gollum smiled. "So wise you are, Sméagol."

Sméagol returned the smile. "Bless you, Gollum. Bless your heart." He crawled out of the bed. "Sméagol go to bed now."

"Alright. Good night, Sméagol."

"Good night, my precious." Sméagol kissed Gollum's forehead. "Sleep tight." Then, he turned out the light as he left the room.