King Elessar Telcontar sat at the front of a carriage, nudging the horses across the bridge into the Shire. Elessar had refused to let someone else join him and his companions on their journey. He had spent months sending letters to the Thain of the Shire, an old friend of his, to organise this meeting. It hadn't been easy getting this carriage, big enough for fourteen people, most of which were children.

'Daddy!' A small shout made him turn his head. 'Are we there yet?'

Aragorn smiled at his youngest daughter. Eliari was only two, young by human standards, even younger by her parents Dunedain and Elven standards. Her older siblings, Eldarion and Eleveth were ten and six respectively. All, along with their father, were dressed in casual wear for the first time in their lives, due to growing up in the palace. Arwen had stayed behind, both to watch over the city and to stay with the wives of his companions.

Gimli was sat near the back of the carriage. His son and heir, Mifur, aged nine, was sat next to him trying to ignore his 'cousins'. Legolas' daughter and son, Aranell and Mathien, eight and six, were both taller than the dwarf, despite being younger. The children's fathers were trying to make them be quiet but nothing could calm the three of them down. Mifur had his father's hair and eyes but his mother's face. Nell and Matt were spitting image of their father.

The only woman in the carriage was Eowyn, who had only come because the Master of Buckland insisted. Her eldest children Elboron and Elwyn were twins aged 7 and their younger brother, Boromir, was 4. Elboron was the image his mother while Elwyn looked just like her father. Boromir was a mix of the two but favoured his father, whose lap he was sat on.

The carriage pulled up to Took Hall. As they began to unload, a small family of hobbits, a father, mother and a child. The mother handed her son over to his father before walking out out the garden. As she was leaving, she nodded her head to Aragorn.

'Your majesty.' Was all she said before leaving. The rest of the company turned to the father, Thain of the Shire and very good friend of theirs.

Pippin smiled as his son tried to escape from his arms. The former Guard of Minis Tirith smiled, letting the boy down. The child was tiny but probably the hobbit equivalent of a human five year old. Seeing the strangers, he hid behind his father's leg, clinging to the fabric of his trousers.

'Hello there.' Pippin said, smiling. He walked forward, with a bit of difficulty, and wrapped his five friends in hugs. 'Fara, get off.' He shook his leg lightly, but his son stayed attached. Pippin smiled at the children, the eldest of which was almost as tall as him. Eldarion glanced at his father but Aragorn just shook his head slightly.

'Merry'll be here in a bit. And Sam shouldn't be to long, he's coming by carriage as well.' Pippin said, walking back towards his house. He opened the door and ushered them in. The full grown elf and humans had to bend to get inside but their children seemed alright. Pippin was about to close the door when three small shouts pierced the air.

'Uncle Pip!'

Pippin turned and his son let out a similar shout, but with the word 'Merry' instead of 'Pip'. The Thain picked up three hobbit children as Fara reached the hobbit at the end of the yard. Merry lifted his cousin's son onto his shoulders as Pippin put the two boys, nine and five, and the girl, seven, on the floor.

'Sam'll be along in a bit, Rosie wanted the children dressed up for the royals.' Merry turned his head towards the royals, causing Fara to swivel quickly. 'Who apparently didn't dress up themselves.'

Eliari, in her father's arms, blushed slightly. Her siblings shuffled behind their father as the last of their group turned around the corner. The young royals had never seen Hobbits before so when the Mayor of Shire and his nine children turned up, Eldarion and Eleveth were a bit nervous.

Sam was holding two of his children; two girls, aged one and two. The rest of his children, a three year old boy, a four year old girl, twin boys aged five, a girl aged six, a boy aged seven and a girl aged eight, all ran forward, smiling and wrapping Merry's children in hugs. Pippin ushered them all in, Merry placing Fara on the floor next to him. The young Took was instantly wrapped in hugs from his friends but they all scattered to their father's when the Thain kneeled down next to his son and heir.

'Okay Fara. We need a big room with comfy sofas.'

Pippin's son frowned for a second before grinning and running off into the house. The rest of the Hobbit children, the two young elves and their dwarf friend ran after him. Pippin gestured for the rest to follow and Eldarion, Eleveth, Eliari, Elboron, Elwyn and Boromir ran as quickly as they could after their new, small friends. The Fellowship and their friends smiled at each other and followed their children, listening to their far-off screams with chuckles.

They found their children in the biggest living room in the house, each family sat on a different sofa. The elves and dwarf children were sat together, having treated each other as cousins since birth. Pippin sat next to his son while all the others sat with their children and smiled.

'Why don't we introduce our little ones? And ourselves to the others little ones? I'll start as my family is the smallest.'

He turned to his son, whispering a few brief words. Fara turned to the room, blushing slightly.

'My name is Faramir Took and this is my daddy Thain Pippin.'

Mifur, who didn't understand why every adult- apart from the Hobbits- was looking at Pippin with shock- continued quickly, because the other kids were looking at him. 'I am Mifur, son of Gimli, son of Gloin.'

It was the words he had been trained to say. A glance at his cousins told him Nell was saying something tried and tested as well. 'We are Aranell and Mathien of the Woodland Realm. Our father Legolas is king of the Silvan Elves of Mirkwood.'

There were three families with three children but it was the Hobbit that stood up first. 'My name is Hariadoc 'Harry' Brandybuck and these are my siblings Eowyn 'Winnie' Brandybuck and Theodoc 'Theo' Brandybuck. Our father is Meriadoc or Merry, Master of Buckland.'

Harry seemed very proud of himself as he nodded to Eldarion. The future king of Gondor smiled before talking. 'I am Eldarion, these are my sisters Eleveth and Eliari and our father Elessar or Aragorn.'

'I am Elboron, this is my twin Elwyn and our brother Boromir. Our parents are Faramir and Eowyn.'

Two hobbit children looked at each other and then up at their namesakes, who were looking at the children's father's. Finally Sam's oldest stood up and smiled.

'I am Elanor and these are my siblings; Frodo, Rose, Merry, Pippin, Goldilocks, Hamfast, Daisy and Primrose. Our father is Samwise Gardner.'

The non-Hobbit members of the Fellowship seemed surprised at Sam's new last name. Merry was about to say something when his daughter distracted him. Leaning in to listen to her, he smiled at something she said before turning to the other.

'Winnie would like to show the children something.'

The young Hobbit lass smiled as the children, including her second-cousins and the Mayor's kids, followed her out of the room. Only children aged two and below, all of whom had fallen asleep, stayed.

Pippin poked his cousin. 'What's so funny?'

Merry smirked. 'She asked to show Mathien and the others something.' The Master of Buckland turned to the King of Mirkwood. 'I think my daughter likes your son.'

The elf laughed and his dwarf friend couldn't help but join in. 'A hobbit and an elf, quite an unlikely pair.'

'It'll be interesting to see though. We'll have to visit more often.' Aragorn joined in, holding his daughter in his lap.

Faramir smiled. 'Yes. I'd like to meet little Fara again. Why did you name him after me?'

Pippin blushed slightly. 'Diamond- that's my wife- picked the name out. He was named before I even saw him.'

Eowyn laughed. 'And you Meriadoc Brandybuck, did your wife name your daughter?'

Merry smiled. 'No Estella named the boys and I named our little girl.'

The Shieldmaiden of Rohan smiled. A noise outside the window made them all look up but the Hobbits just laughed.

'I have a feeling our children are teaching yours their favourite game.' Sam smiled. 'Play along, okay.'

The friends sat still for a few minutes, looking around at each other, when nine children, dressed in all black, jumped out from behind the door. Behind them, most likely the eldest of each family and Harry's younger siblings, stood the rest of the children dressed up as orcs, goblins and, in the case of the youngest human, Saruman the White.

Pippin and Merry instantly jumped up, holding wooden swords similar to the ones their children had. Merry threw swords to Legolas and Gimli while Pippin passed a sword each to Faramir and Eowyn. Sam put Daisy and Primrose down on the sofa, covered them in a blanket and picked up his own sword, before passing one to Aragorn who had placed his own daughter down.

The dressed up children ran towards their parents, the Gardner's splitting up to help the Took and dwarf child fight their parents. The Hobbit parents, who were well practiced with play fighting easily fought back while still managing to lose so their children could celebrate. The men, elves and dwarves, unused to this kind of play, needed to watch the smaller ones before they could properly play.

In the end, the adult were defeated and Theo, who had played the role of the Witch King, declared treats for the victors. Pippin laughed and told Fara where to find the cake Diamond had made. The children ran off again, dumping their costumes on the floor and taking the three toddlers with them. The parents smiled as they were allowed to return to their seats.

'Does that happen a lot?' Aragorn said, smiling from ear to ear.

A loud smash from the other room caused all of them to flinch. Pippin scowled as his son shouted. 'Dad! I broke great aunt Esme's vase!'

Pippin, eyes widening, quickly ran from the room. Merry smirking, turned to the king of Gondor and smiled. 'In answer to your question; yes, the children play wherever they go.'