Disclaimers: All canon material from The Lord of the Rings belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. All other canon material belongs to their respected owners. All original material belongs to the author of this fanfiction prequel to The Next Generation anthology.

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And so, we've reached the Prequel. This story is told in three one-shots, each bringing us events of when Frodo and Ebony first met and fell in love, and also Rosemary's tale surrounding her youth. Let's begin. :)

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One-Shot 1:

Frodo and Ebony

Every generation has a beginning. And so here begins the time in which a canon character has met his match. This is their tale.

-.-.-

Ebony Fisher moved a lock of dark hair off of her face. She scanned the bookstore's shelves, deciphering which book to take off the shelf. Her stormy grey eyes met a few titles: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Don Quixote, The Emperor's New Clothes. This wasn't a bookstore she normally went into. Oh, what was the book she wanted to find? Oh yes. The Lord of the Rings? Yes. That was one book she needed help with. But first she needed to find Dinotopia. Oh, where was it?

"Oh. Excuse me sir," Ebony said, bumping into a fair-faced young man.

"Don't be. I'll get out of your way," the man with the curly dark hair said.

Ebony looked at him then. He sure did look like Frodo Baggins. Maybe he knew where to find the books she sought for? "Excuse me. Frodo, is it?" Frodo froze, right in front of her. She continued to ask him, "I know this sounds silly. But can you help me find the book Dinotopia. I need it for class."

"Dinotopia. Hmm…." Frodo admitted, shyly, "I'm not sure I've read that one."

"You're a reader?" She asked him.

"You could say that. I also do woodworking, writing, taking care of animals and children." Frodo looked at her then, between moving books off the shelves. "Who are you?"

"Ebony. Ebony Fisher," she said.

"Ebony… um. I've got to go," Frodo said, darting down the aisle.

"Wait… Frodo, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to alarm you," Ebony said, accidentally bumping into him.

"Shhh! Not now," he told her. He shook his head, as if caught in a delusion. "No, it can't be you."

"What do you mean?" Ebony asked.

"Here's your book," Frodo said, passing a book to Ebony. Ebony took the book in a moment's notice. This was the book she was looking for!

"Thank you!" she beamed.

"Keep your voice down." Frodo told her, "This isn't a normal library. I'll escort you out."

"Wait. I still need to pay for this," Ebony said, alarmed.

"The book is yours." He admitted. "Since I'm the bookkeeper, you may keep it. Just don't damage it, or you may lose cash."

"Okay." Ebony was confused. What did this mean? She didn't need to pay for the book. How strange. "Thank you, Frodo Baggins," she said, heading out the door.

"No thanks necessary," Frodo said.

A moment after leaving the bookshop, Ebony's gaze turned towards the bookstore. Frodo was still in there, watching her. She would be back, but then she had other things to worry about, like her teaching job. But then, Frodo was so cute and kind to her. Plus, she did speak to him first and foremost. Perhaps she would return.

-.-.-

There wasn't much Ebony could say on her backstory. She was the last born of two older sisters and three older brothers. But being the youngest also meant being doted upon by those who she met. While she loved being in this role, she found herself relating more and more to Lucy Pevensie, from The Chronicles of Narnia. They shared the same role: lastborn but also the most innocent. At least, that's how she put it into words.

When she didn't have time for reading, she also spent working on fanfiction. She had been writing fanfiction stories since she was a little girl, and it didn't stop there. Her favorite categories were The Lord of the Rings and Dinotopia. Just reading about humans and dinosaurs living in harmony was enough to make her feel that maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out all right in the end. For now, she was caught in her current dilemma of waiting until the right moment came to work on original stories. Her dream of becoming a writer was something she longed for, something she was capable of doing firsthand. And now that she had the backstory, set in the Dinotopian universe, of the book she currently had… oh, she had to read her new book.

Inside the front cover was a note. It was addressed by Frodo Baggins himself.

Meet me in the bookshop today, or whenever you're free. We need to talk about your new book, as well as other stories you're interested in.

Frodo Baggins

Oh, she had to return to the bookstore now. She wondered if she had time today to do so. As time wore on, Ebony grew impatient. As far as she could recall, she was alone for the past two years. The last boyfriend she broke up with her. But that was two weeks ago. She was recovering better now. And besides, she was Frodo's fan. Not that she didn't want to disobey her instincts… well, she might as well see where life took her.

Once lessons were over, Ebony went straight for her car. Minding where she was going, she sped off down the road. After a short drive, she reached the downtown area. There was the bookstore, in the same spot where it had been. She didn't want it to go away. No, instead she stepped outside, locked the car doors and strolled into the bookstore.

Everything was the same inside the bookshop. Perfect. And there was Frodo, waving to her. Should she just follow someone she just met? This was odd, but then the bookstore she entered was also odd.

"I don't mean to alarm you or anything. I thought I was meeting you as a character." No. That wasn't right.

"I get that all the time. Fangirls take one look at me and think I'm adorable," Frodo said, moving one book over to the next.

"Yeah. About that. Maybe I should leave…" Ebony reached for the doorknob.

"You know, when people come in here, they don't expect their lives to change. But you came back." Frodo admitted to her, politely, "I am Frodo Baggins. The one from The Lord of the Rings. I know. I can tell you're ready to freak out. I'll leave you alone then."

Ebony felt sorry for him. Wait… so this really was Frodo Baggins? Why did she act so ditzy towards him? Oh great. How was she to get out of this? A question dawned on her. "Can you show me your side of the tale? Of The Lord of the Rings?

"Of course I can," Frodo said, gesturing with a hand. "Come here."

Ebony was cautious. And yet, she followed him throughout the bookstore. It was here that Frodo relayed one tale after the next of his adventures. When their time was nearly spent, Ebony left the bookstore. The next she looked for it again, it was gone. But a note fell into her hands. It was another message from Frodo: Thank you for coming to my bookstore. I hope we meet again. If not, thank you for bringing a little light back into my life. Frodo

Ebony blushed. Good. She helped someone today. And that was worth her time coming to the bookstore.

-.-.-

Weeks passed into months. At first, when Ebony brought Frodo to her parents' house, she half-expected them to think she was mad. When they opened the door, they were stunned to see Frodo, too. Ebony was confused. Did that mean they could see him, too?

"Frodo Baggins," Frodo introduced himself, shaking Ebony's father's hand.

"Come in," Ebony's father said.

"I'm not the first who came here, am I?" Frodo asked, politely.

"Gandalf was here last week." Ebony's second eldest sister replied. She too had dark hair, dyed blonde. "You should have seen him come through here, preparing for us to meet you."

"We also heard that you're interested in our daughter," Ebony's father said, referring also to his wife. "I will say this: do not bring her harm." He patted Frodo on the back, before asking, "Frodo, how is it you're five feet tall?"

"I'm five foot six inches in this world," Frodo said, taking a seat on the pristine comfy couch. "Everything's different in this world." He added, "I'm also working at the local bookstore, in the downtown area of New York. In case, anyone's interested in looking through some books. There's new books that come in everyday there."

"Is this true?" Ebony's father asked him.

"As true as they come," Frodo said. Ebony sat next to him on the couch, facing her parents across the way.

"Ebony's said much about you." Ebony's father went on. "As much as I commend you for your efforts, we don't have trolls in these lands or a dark lord. It's just us."

"I understand," Frodo said, softly. "I'll do my best to watch over your daughter."

"Do better," Ebony's father said. "Or you'll hear from me again."

"I've got a pie waiting in the oven. If you're planning on staying for a little while," Ebony's mother said.

"Sure," Frodo said, smiling.

Ebony followed her mother into the kitchen. She asked her mother, "What is going on?"

"Ebony, I know what you think. Gandalf told me about the Ring's curse on Frodo. If you're with him, you can't expect your life to be easy. I just want to keep you safe," Ebony's mother said.

"Mother, don't worry. It's Frodo. He's a good guy," Ebony said.

"Your father and I know that, but Frodo… just be careful, darling," Ebony's mother said.

"I will. I'll try, Mom," Ebony said.

"Do better, Ebony. Like your father says. You are a strong woman. You sure you can do this by yourself," Ebony's mother asked her.

"I won't be alone. My family will protect me. That's all I need," Ebony said.

"Hmm. Let's get that pie ready," Ebony's mother said, pulling out a raspberry pie from the refrigerator. Ebony would be careful. She would, but how much of her life would turn around, after this moment?

-.-.-

Frodo and Ebony were wed almost four years later. In that time, Ebony showed Frodo her many portraits and collections. Among the paintings were characters from The Lord of the Rings and Dinotopia. Ebony knew in her heart that her talent was to paint. It was her lifelong dream to paint landscapes in fine detail.

Now, she was free to be with Frodo and travel to places unknown. Ebony sighed as she stepped inside Frodo's Ford Taurus car, driving away to distant lands. One trip even brought them to the Wizarding World's locations, including Hogsmeade village. It was Ebony's first time drinking butterbeer and she loved it. Frodo gazed at his new bride. They were such a happy couple.

"You are happy with me, aren't you Ebony?" Frodo asked her.

"I am. I'm glad we're together, but… you could be with anyone," Ebony said. "Why did you choose me again?"

"Because you're unique. You bring joy into my life." He added. "Sure, we might not always get along, but we're getting there."

Ebony placed her hand in his. "I love you, Frodo Baggins."

"And I love you, Ebony Fisher-Baggins," Frodo said, grinning. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek first. In swift haste, he kissed her on the lips. The moment was tender, lasting a few good seconds. For a moment, he forgot where he was. At the same time, when he released her, all the world seemed to roll back to the way it was. And with Ebony resting her head on his shoulder, Frodo felt more complete.

If only fate hadn't thrown in the despair, which loomed upon Frodo and his house.

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Thanks for reading. :)