DISCLAIMER: Sam and Frodo aren't my characters, and Middle Earth isn't my world, and every place else also belongs to J. R. R. Tolkien, and they are his and his alone. New Line Cinema owns some of the lines that the characters refer to.

This story is set the night that the first movie ends, the very first night that Frodo and Sam are alone together, which is the day before the run into Gollum/Sméagol, I think. It's NOT slashy, and there's no kissing stuff either. If J.R.R. Tolkien wanted his characters to be homosexual, I'm sure he would have written them that way.

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They'd been traveling for almost a whole day without rest into the lands of Mordor. It was a difficult journey, but they were getting along well and making good time. As night fell, however, they were both beginning to feel tired.

"Mr. Frodo, if you won't admit it, I shall. We're tired, the both of us. I can't go another step further, or I'll nod off." Sam said, the sleepiness in his voice apparent.

Frodo agreed. "Right, Sam, we might as well."

The two of them removed their packs. Sam pulled out two blankets and two pillows, handing Frodo one blanket and pillow. Within moments, Frodo was fast asleep.

Sam stood up, and moved some rocks. If anyone was following them, it would be hard to see them directly. Sam grunted and panted as he pulled the large rocks around. Finally, he'd succeeded in making a nice little enclosure that would provide a bit of protection.

Sam dropped down next to Frodo, barely able to keep his hazel eyes open. He looked over at Frodo, who was snoring softly. Sam frowned then, because there was a bit of the chain coming from Frodo's fist. One of his fingers moved back and forth, stroking the Ring. Sam sighed, and pulled the Ring from out of Frodo's grasp. Frodo grunted softly, but then began his soft snoring again.

Perhaps I ought to stay awake, Sam thought to himself. Just to make sure he doesn't put it on. I have a bad feeling about this.

Sam propped himself up against the large rock that he'd pulled behind them. His eyelids drooped, as though sandbags were pulling them shut. Whenever they closed, he would force them open again. He crossed his arms, shook his head, scratched his nose, did anything to keep him from going to sleep. But he was tired, and he knew it. He imagined being back at the Shire, in his nice comfortable bed, sleeping peacefully.

It would be nice to get a full nights sleep, or even so much as a partial nights sleep. Sam thought, yawning. Oh, I'm so tired. Perhaps it won't hurt just to drift off.......

Sam let out another big yawn, and his head drooped, so that his chin rested on his chest.

I wonder what Merry and Pippin are doing? Sam thought, his mind beginning to cloud with sleep. Sleeping, no doubt. Otherwise, Pippin's sneaking some food. A nice thing to do, saving Mr. Frodo like that. But an awful thing that Mr. Boromir did. I'd've wrung his neck, if I were there. Or I'd have to kick him in the shins. It's a bother being so small. Ah well, I suppose nothing....can......be........done......about.....

Sam was snoring.

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"Sam! Sam, get up now!" It was Frodo, and there was a note of panic in his voice. Sam grumbled. He was having a lovely reverie, dreaming about Rosie Cotton...

Sam rubbed his eyes, and everything came into focus. He blinked at Frodo, who was pulling things from their bag.

"What's happened?" Sam asked, still sleepily.

"It's GONE!" Frodo cried. "The Ring, it's gone! I've looked everywhere, I--"

"What is it, Mr. Frodo?"

"Sam, empty your pockets."

"What?!?"

"You heard me," Frodo said, his voice growing a bit dark. Sam, more than a little terrified of his master's tone, stood up at once. But he was too afraid to move his hands to his pockets.

"SAM! Empty your pockets now, or I shall leave you standing there like the idiot you are!" Frodo bellowed, sounding more angry and upset than he meant. He'd never yelled at Sam this way, and that was a fact that Sam knew. Slowly, still trembling, Sam put his hand into his left pocket. He drew out a bit of string, a clump of the Athelas plant, a small packet of lembas bread, some candle wax, a wick, several of the stolen and now stale biscuits from the night of Bilbo's party, a bit of parchment, a pen, a pocket-sized pair of shears, and a pocketknife. He dumped each item onto his blanket.

"See, Mr. Frodo, I haven't got the Ring, but I'd been wondered what had happened to those biscuits." Sam smiled up at Frodo, but his smile faded when he saw the look on Frodo's face. Sam trembled again when he saw it, because he'd never seen that look on anyone's face before. It was a look of pure loathing, anger, and hate, mixed with a look of desire for the Ring. Sam almost broke into tears, but he pinched his arm and bit the inside of his lip.

"Empty your OTHER pocket, Sam. I'm not some blockheaded Bracegirdle from Hardbottle. You won't fool me so easy. Now empty your other pockets. NOW!" Frodo's eyes blazed with anger, and Sam was afraid that if he didn't obey, Frodo might kill him. So he reached into his right pocket, and his eyes widened and the creases in his forehead went smooth, and his mouth dropped open a little. Sam removed from his pocket a Ring on a silver chain. THE Ring. Frodo's Ring. Or the Dark Lord Sauron's Ring. When Frodo saw it in Sam's hand, his face changed drastically, but still, there was anger there.

"Sam....why?" He asked. "You TOOK it. If I'd have known...I should have let you drown! You've betrayed me!"

"No, no, please, Mr. Frodo! I wouldn't, I never...It wasn't me! I swear it! Please, don't leave me here! I haven't a clue how to get back to the Shire!" Sam whimpered, tears forming in his eyes. Maybe it was a joke, a cruel, horrible joke that his master was playing on him.

Frodo kept the tears in, but he was still fuming. And he wasn't joking.

"How COULD you? Sam, I trusted you, and you betrayed me! Tricked me! You didn't come with me to protect me! You just wanted the Ring! You'd been eavesdropping when Gandalf told me about it, and you heard all about it, and wanted it for yourself, didn't you? That's why you made noise, because you wanted to be noticed. You pretended to be loyal, and waited for the right moment! You didn't attack when we were alone together, because you knew Gandalf would known why we hadn't got to Bree, and he'd be suspicious. No, you waited until he was dead, but you'd have to wait for everyone else to get out of the way. I told you what happened to Boromir! He tried to take the Ring! And when I was off by myself, you came after, and you wanted to take it, so you waited until I was sleeping and took it! You think I'm stupid, but I'm NOT. Sam, when I leave, you stay. If you follow me, I swear it, I'll kill you with my sword, I will." Frodo's anger poured out, and when he finished, he turned away, seating himself on a rock.

Sam, still holding the Ring, had broken down. His eyes were red and puffy, and two trails came from his eyes, where the tears had fallen, and where they still streamed down.

Keep it, Samwise. You let him go, feeling stupid. Put it on, and run. You've got lembas bread, haven't you? Just a crumb can get you through a meal, and you can stop at Lothlorién and get more. Don't be stupid, the Ringwraiths are dead. You'll never be caught. Go back to the Shire, to your family. What do you need Frodo for? Why do you still call him Mr? He isn't in charge of you! You're just his gardener! That means nothing! He doesn't own you, and therefore you have no reason to stay with him. Go ahead and break your promise to Gandalf, Sam. Why would you still need to keep it, when the wizard is dead? For all Frodo cares, you can die too! Did you hear him, he'd kill you! You go on and go back to the Shire!

It was what Sam's mind was telling him, but Sam's heart told him differently:

Samwise, you made a promise to Gandalf. You told Gandalf that you'd never leave Frodo, and you must keep your promise, especially to a wizard, even a dead one. You're not stupid, Samwise Gamgee, and you'd better stop crying. Don't listen to your mind, your true virtue lies in your heart. Samwise, don't you leave him. If you leave him, he shall be dead. There are troubles ahead, Samwise. Use your head, Samwise, but don't listen to its foulness. You must not leave him, Samwise. Would you think he would leave you? You are devoted to him, and you would certainly die for him, wouldn't you, Samwise? Trust your heart, Samwise, and do not abandon him. You would not leave him to face Mordor and the fires of Mt. Doom alone, would you?

"No."

Frodo turned around. "No, what?" He spat angrily. "Haven't you already caused enough trouble?"

"NO! NO, I will NOT allow you to face Mordor and the fires of Mt. Doom by yourself. I'm going with you, Mr. Frodo. I'm not letting you go alone. I won't abandon you."

"Sam, why do you persist? I'm leaving, and I shall tie you up, and if you manage to break loose and follow me, I shall knife you. STAY PUT!"

"I'd made a promise to Mr. Gandalf, Mr. Frodo, sir, and I mean not to break it."

"What's that worth, the promise of a little Hobbit to a dead wizard?" Frodo said, angrily. "You follow me, and I swear it, I'll knife you!"

"Then I'll be knifed. I shan't leave you to go alone. I shan't leave you to face the perils alone. I shan't let you be facing the dangers ahead on your own. You'll be lost by the day's end, if you leave without me!" Sam crawled on his hands and knees over to Frodo. He crouched by the rock that Frodo sat on, watching his master.

"Sam, you are the most stubborn hobbit there is, and I won't have it! Now you STAY HERE!" Frodo turned sharply to face Sam, and in one swift movement, he struck Sam violently.

SILENCE
END OF CHAPTER ONE