Title: Departure's Eve -- To Hobbiton and Beyond (1/?)  
 
Author(including email): Laurelindorinan; neenee903@aol.com  
 
Pairing(s): Frodo/Sam (pre-slash)  
 
Rating: G (Will change to NC-17 in later chapters)  
 
Summary: Frodo prepares to leave Brandy Hall and move to Bag End to 
live with Bilbo.  
 
Disclaimer: All of the characters and settings herein belong to J.R.R. 
Tolkien.  I have received no payment of any kind and am entitled to none. 
 This work is for entertainment purposes only.  
 
Warning: None 
To Hobbiton and Beyond 
Frodo Baggins looked around the room that had been his for most of his 
life and checked to make sure everything was done.  He knew that he had 
a reputation for absentmindedness and wanted this time, this last time, to 
be able to depart without having to ask his aunt and uncle to turn around 
and go back for something he had forgotten.  Frodo found it hard to 
concentrate for he was excited and nervous all at the same time.  He was 
finally leaving Brandy Hall to go live with Uncle Bilbo.  Things would be 
different now.  He wouldn't feel so isolated, so different from others. After 
spending so much time with Bilbo, Frodo came to understand that there 
was someone else in the world who liked to read, to travel, to dream as 
much as he did.  Distracted from his inventory, Frodo sat on the edge of 
his bed and thought about the marvelous stories that Bilbo had from his 
many adventures.  
   
"Frodo!" Frodo's daydreaming was interrupted by his uncle's voice.  The 
Master of Brandy Hall sounded annoyed.  
    
"Yes, Uncle Saradoc?" 
    
"I've called you three times, Frodo!  Is everything packed and ready for 
tomorrow morning?  I am not going to come back for anything once we've 
started out. Understand?" 
    
Frodo knew that he'd better answer quickly. 
    
"Yes, Uncle.  Everything is ready." 
   
"Well then, come to supper.  Your aunt Esmerelda has all of your favorite 
dishes tonight.  No use letting anything get cold." 
    
Frodo hurried down the hall to the dining room, almost colliding with his 
cousin Merry.  
    
"Hey, Frodo, watch where you're going!" complained Merry.  "If you 
knock me out, I'll miss supper!" 
    
Frodo laughed.  "You'd be able to eat if you were in a coma, Merry!"  The 
two walked companionably to the dining room and sat down.  The smells 
emanating from the dishes on the table made Frodo's mouth water.  Merry 
reached for a mammoth dish that set near the center of the table only to 
have his hand spatted by his mother who had just bustled in.  
    
"None of that grabby behavior, Meriadoc!  There's enough mushrooms for 
everyone!  You can wait until the family is seated."    
    
Saradoc seated his wife and then took his customary seat at the head of the 
table. The next few minutes were spent in passing bowls and loading 
plates.    
    
"Now Frodo, are you sure you'll get enough to eat at Bilbo's?  He is, after 
all, a lone bachelor," said Aunt Esmerelda. 
    
"Oh, yes, Aunt.  Bilbo is an excellent cook," answered Frodo.  Then as he 
saw his aunt's lips purse, he added quickly, "But not as good as you!" and 
resumed eating hurriedly.  He loved his aunt and uncle in his way but 
always felt that he was saying or doing the wrong thing.  Not so with 
Bilbo. With Bilbo he could relax.  Bilbo always seemed to know what he 
meant when he said things and didn't get upset if Frodo saw things 
differently than he did.  Of course, the two usually did see things eye to 
eye; it was the rest of the world who saw them differently.  
    
"Mother, I wouldn't worry nearly as much about Frodo not eating as I 
would about his *getting* eaten - by a dragon or something!" Merry's eyes 
twinkled as he said that. Merry adored going to Uncle Bilbo's almost as 
much as Frodo did, but he knew his parents worried about what they 
called "those Baggins eccentricities". 
    
Saradoc broke in.  "That will be enough out of you young man.  We would 
never have agreed to this adoption if we thought your cousin Frodo would 
not be well cared for."  Still it was with a serious and thoughtful look that 
Saradoc continued to eat.    
   
"Well, I just know that a bachelor cannot possibly handle all the household 
chores - cooking, cleaning, laundry."  Aunt Esmerelda was convinced that 
no single male hobbit could run a household as efficiently as a wife and 
mother like her.  
    
"Now, Esmerelda, we've been all through this.  Frodo will be fine.  He will 
be a tonic for Bilbo in his old age, and Frodo will be provided for as he 
approaches adulthood." 
    
Frodo had heard this reasoning many times but he knew in his heart that 
his aunt and uncle were really just bowing to the inevitable.  The fact was 
that Frodo and Bilbo adored each other and were really more like friends 
than uncle and nephew or, for that matter, father and son. They seemed to 
fit together, so much so that they pined when separated.  Or as Bilbo had 
said countless times, "We're both Bagginses.  And Bagginses must stick 
together!"  Not that Frodo's aunt and uncle had not been good to him.  But 
he never felt that he was truly home until he had started going to Bag End. 
 
Bag End was home.  
    
The rest of the meal passed quickly.  After the hobbits had polished off a 
wonderful gooseberry cobbler, Aunt Esmerelda shooed the two young 
hobbits off.  
    
"Merry, go with Frodo and help him get any last minute packing done." 
    
Merry and Frodo went off to Frodo's room to gather up the packed things 
and set them by the door.  Then they sat down on Frodo's bed to talk. 
    
"It's gonna be awful lonely around here without you, Frodo.  Who am I 
gonna get into trouble with?" 
    
"You'll still have Pippin to pal around with, you know that.  Besides, it's 
not like you can't come visit me at Bag End. Bilbo's already said you were 
welcome whenever you liked." 
    
"I know. Well at least you'll have Sam to pal around with." 
At the mention of Sam's name, Frodo's eyes softened and he grew quiet.  
He and Sam had known each other for years.  In fact, the first time Frodo 
had met Sam was soon after his parents had died and he had made his first 
visit to Bag End.  Soon upon arriving, he had seen a tiny toddler digging 
in his uncle's garden. When Frodo said hello to the lad, Sam had looked up 
at him with soft, shy eyes. 

"What's your name?" asked Frodo. 

"Sam, sir," said the little boy. 

"Well, Sam, what game are you playing?" 

"No game tall, sir.  I'm digging holes so's my papa kin fill 'em wif flowers 
for Mr. Bilbo."  The tiny hobbit stood up and gestured proudly at the row 
of holes he had made with his spade and his pudgy fingers. An older 
hobbit in faded work clothes came around the end of the house with Bilbo. 

"Ah, Frodo, I see you've met Mr. Gamgee's youngest boy, Sam.  Mr. 
Gamgee is our gardener and handyman around here. Wouldn't know what 
to do without him, my boy." 

But Frodo was only half listening.  He was looking instead at the tiny boy 
who had shown off his work with such pride and dignity. 

Frodo bent down to the little boy. 

"Hi, Sam. My name is Frodo.  Would you like to come in for a glass of 
lemonade?" 

"Yes, sir, if my papa says it's ok."  The little boy called to his father.  
"Papa, may I go in with Frodo and have a glass of lemonade?  He said I 
might." 

Sam's father answered his small son quickly. 

"That's *Mr.* Frodo to you son." 

Frodo's brow had furrowed when he heard that. But then Sam's father said, 
"It's fine son. Are you sure he won't be no trouble, Mr. Frodo?" 
Frodo looked down on the sandy head of the boy, feeling the strangest 
feeling that this conversation was much more important than he realized. 

"I'm sure. In fact, I don't think Sam's ever going to be any trouble.  I think 
we're going to become good friends."  And with that, Frodo took one of 
Sam's grimy little hands in his larger one and led Sam into the house for 
the first time. 

Since that time many years ago, Frodo had spent countless hours with 
Sam.  Unlike his cousin Merry, Sam was quiet and thoughtful. He worked 
much more than he played. But his companionship had become important 
to one who felt like an outsider with so many.  Frodo knew that Sam 
looked up to him but had no idea how much hero worship Sam had for 
him.  But it felt nice to be with someone who accepted you and 
appreciated you just for yourself.  Not that Sam didn't have his own mind. 
 
He could be stubborn as a mule when he feltsomething deeply.  And no 
one could talk him into doing something he felt was wrong. But he was 
like solid rock to one whose life had been uncertain.  And Frodo was like 
magic to a youngster whose life revolved around work.   

Now Frodo answered his cousin. 

"Yeah, I'll have Sam.  And I'll probably get in a whole lot less trouble than 
larking about with you!" 

Merry laughed at that, then sobered.  "Just be sure not to get Sam in 
trouble.  You know how his Gaffer feels about his reputation in the town." 
    
"Yes, I know," replied Frodo.  "I wish that the Gaffer hadn't been so strict 
about Sam's calling me 'Mr. Frodo'.  I mean, Sam's one of my best friends! 
 I wish I could get him to stop." 
    
"You won't, though.  Even if you don't feel the difference in class, the 
Gaffer does.  And that means that Sam would cut off his own toes before 
he'd forget.  Face it, Frodo.  Not everyone is as oblivious to those things as 
you and Bilbo."  Merry shook his head.  Sometimes he felt that Frodo 
lived in a slightly different world than the rest of them.  
    
"Well, as far as I'm concerned, Sam is my friend and that's that.  Besides, 
Sam is usually very careful to obey the Gaffer's rules.  And I'll be 
spending a lot of time with Bilbo as well."  Frodo did not want to admit it 
to Merry but he suddenly felt shy talking about Sam with him.  He 
changed the subject.  "Well, Merry my lad, check over all these things 
with me to make sure I don't forget anything, ok?" 
   
Merry nodded.  "Yeah, you don't want Father furious with you because 
you left something important behind." The two hobbits checked through 
all the things bundled at the door.  Merry even went through the closets, 
the drawers, and peered under the bed one last time.  "Cousin, I think you 
have finally packed every last thing except the clothes on your back and 
the ones laid out for tomorrow.  Let's go out and sit on the porch one last 
time before you go to bed." 
    
Frodo smiled and nodded agreeably.  The two went out to the back porch 
and sat in the swing, looking quietly out at the stars. He knew he would 
miss Merry, but he couldn't help but feel that an important new chapter of 
his life was about to begin.  His mind drifted back to Sam.  He called to 
mind Sam's shy smile, his sandy curls, and his sturdiness.  He felt so lucky 
to have Sam as his friend.  Without being aware of it, Frodo's face gentled 
and his lips curled into a soft smile.  Yes, he was finally going to have a 
place where he was accepted - and loved.  He patted Merry's knee and 
stood up.    
    
"Well, cousin, I'd better get to bed.  You know your father will want to 
start out before these stars fade into the dawn." Frodo yawned slightly. 
    
Merry nodded.  "Yes, and gods help you if you keep him waiting.  I'm 
glad that *I* get to sleep in!"  Then Merry's face fell just a bit.  "Good 
night, Frodo.  Have a good trip." 
    
Frodo smiled tenderly at his young cousin.  "Thank you, Merry lad."  He 
turned to go in the house, but then turned back at Merry's voice. 
    
"Frodo?" 
    
"Yes, Merry?" 
    
"I really will miss you."  Merry's voice was slightly shaky. 
    
Frodo went back and hugged his cousin tightly.  "I'll miss you, too."  He 
looked into Merry's eyes, usually snapping with mischief but now filled 
with unshed tears. "You better come to Bag End soon, ok?" 
    
Merry gave him a ragged grin.  "Just try and stop me!" 
    
Frodo ruffled Merry's hair, then turned and went into the house to spend 
his last night as the orphan cousin at Brandy Hall.  Tomorrow he would 
start his new life as young Mr. Baggins at Bag End.  He whispered to 
himself as he slipped into bed.  
    
"I'm coming, Bilbo."  And then even softer, "I'm coming, Sam." 
 
      
     tbc