Summary: Follows the Lord of the Rings series. Elwyn Brandybuck, sister of Merry, has enough on her plate trying to keep her older brother out of trouble, but with her feelings for Samwise Gamgee and his constant talk of his infatuation with Rosie Cotton on top, the last thing she needs is to be caught up in a mess of dark lords and powerful rings. Please R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Lord of The Rings Trilogy or its characters. I only own Elwyn Brandybuck.

A/N: So, this is all new to me. Writing Lord of the Rings fics was something I never actually thought I'd do, yet watching the first movie really got me into it, so here is my first ever Lord of the Rings fic, featuring one of my favourite characters, Sam, and an OC because I haven't really seen a Sam/OC fic. I hope you enjoy this and feedback would be greatly appreciated!

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One Ring, One Love, A Million Problems

Chapter One

The Shire was always considered a peaceful place, one of beauty, happiness and tranquility.

On a day as clear as this, Elwyn Brandybuck knew she should be outside enjoying the fresh air, helping to prepare for the festivities of Bilbo Baggins' eleventy-first birthday, but instead she was quite happy to lean on the sill of the open window in the Brandybuck house's kitchen, watching Samwise Gamgee as he tended to some weeds he found on the side of the worn, dusty path. Nature was something close to Sam, and Elwyn admired his fondness for it. Sam was the gardener for Frodo Baggins, nephew of Bilbo, but he often helped out many other hobbits and did a little gardening for them. Many a time had she and Sam sat in the golden fields, watching the sun set behind the vast, fresh green hills, and each time she had longed more and more for him to be hers and hers alone.

Twirling her long strawberry-blonde curls around her dainty finger, she continued to watch him with her large, deep brown eyes, tracing each and every movement he made carefully, as if she were trying to study him, and learn from each motion. This amused her older brother, Meriadoc, or Merry, as he was known, and as he crept up behind her with a cloth in his hand, he ruffled her hair, causing her to squeak in shock, and causing Sam to look up. Her dusky blue dress swished as she spun around, and with a heavy fist, she clobbered her brother on the arm, causing him to wince and jump away in shock. She turned back to see Sam smiling at her from his place on the path, and she smiled back, flushing a deep crimson as she hurried away.

Sam's smile became a frown. He and Elwyn had been friends for many years, and he couldn't help but worry that something was wrong in their friendship due to an error on his part, or that something was wrong with Elwyn and she was too worried to tell him what the problem was. Going back to his thoughts about Rosie Cotton, he continued with his work, feeling his nerves creeping up about seeing her at Bilbo's birthday celebration that night.

Elwyn decided to escape the horrible situation that had just occurred by heading to the edge of the forests to pick some flowers for her bedroom. Reaching the hallway of the Brandybuck home, she saw her cloth boots sitting by the door, and decided that the day was too warm for her to wear them. Being the only hobbit in history to have hairless feet meant that during the colder months she needed shoes, so she had made herself some cloth boots with fleece inside them to protect her feet in colder weather.

"Merry, I'll be back soon!" She called, rearranging her hair and picking up a basket, "Please, please promise me that you will stay out of trouble and go to help the other hobbits with the decorations for tonight!"

"What about you helping?" Merry cried in return, almost affronted, "Why do you get out of it?"

"Because I did my fair share yesterday by helping to create the tent covers!" Elwyn replied, "Like I said, I'll be back soon, and if you aren't down there helping by the time I join you, I will confiscate your pipe!"

"Yes, yes, yes..." Merry sighed as he rounded a corner, hurrying forward and kissing his baby sister's cheek, poking her small, cute button nose gently in warning, "Don't go too far."

"I promise." Elwyn replied, taking her small knife and placing it in the basket, "Goodbye, brother."

With that, she left the Brandybuck home, and headed off towards the forest. The day was warm and sunny, with barely a cloud in the bright blue sky, and walking in the sunshine was like being wrapped up in bed, it felt so warm. She greeted a few more hobbits on their way to help the others, continuing her way steadily towards the forest edge. Passing a series of leafy shrubs she came across several rosebushes, flowering pink, red, yellow and white roses. She took her knife and reached out, trying to find the stems of the roses she wanted and be careful not to cut herself on the thorns. But a mop of dark hair caught her eye, and with a grin she realised it was Frodo, and she gently hurried over to him, her dress swaying as she ran.

"Frodo!" She called, watching him look up from his book with a big, childlike smile on his face.

"Elle!" He replied joyfully, hurrying over to the younger hobbit and sweeping her into a hug, "I thought you would've been with the other hobbits."

"No, I've had to get away for a little while." She said softly, hearing her friend sigh gently as he tried to look into her eyes.

"Sam?"

"Yes." She whispered, "I was watching him tend to some weeds on the path outside our house and Merry ran up behind me and messed all my hair up, so I let out this sort of shriek and became rather embarrassed. I just needed some time alone."

Frodo chuckled, despite her sad expression, and caused her to giggle too because his laughter was simply infectious. Frodo shook his head as he thought of how silly Sam was to not be able to see his real love for Elwyn. When Rosie Cotton was around, Sam could barely see past her smile, but Frodo knew deep down that Sam was just infatuated with a rather beautiful face and a gentle personality, not a true, loving friend like Elwyn. But in time, Elwyn would either tell Sam the truth or would move on to pastures new, and Sam would then realise that he was an idiot for letting her go. Many of the male hobbits had their eye on Rosie Cotton, so Sam must've known that he, like all the others, only had a slim chance of marrying her.

"One day, he'll have to know the truth, Elle." Frodo told her quietly, "You can't keep torturing yourself so much over your feelings for him. If you love him, tell him."

"Oh, I don't stand a chance against Rosie Cotton." Elwyn sighed, "It's pointless. He'd never want me, Frodo. I'm certain of it."

"Don't say that." Frodo said with a sympathetic look, "Nothing is certain."

Breaking through the sound of the twittering birds and the distant sound of farm animals came a deep voice, apparently singing, that distracted the two young hobbits from their conversation. Placing his book and pipe in the basket Elwyn carried, Frodo continued to listen to the voice that he had longed to hear. He and Elwyn broke into soft laughs and smiles as excitement bubbled up within them, and they both set off running in the direction of the voice. Appearing on a verge, they took sight of a large pointy hat, a long grey beard, and an even longer grey robe, belonging to a tall, ageing man who was sat on a large cart being led by a lovely brown horse, who had a white strip down its nose.

Frodo folded his little arms almost comically, and Elwyn placed one hand on her hip, her other occupied with holding the basket. They waited for the old man to reach them, and Frodo timed his words to the welcome visitor perfectly.

"You're late." He said, causing the cart to stop.

"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins." The old man said, looking up at the two hobbits with eyes that were just glimmering with mischief, "Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."

The angry tone was obviously just in jest and not in seriousness, and as the wizard tried to keep a straight face in competition with the hobbits, slowly they were all overcome by the struggle, and each person broke into laughter.

"It's wonderful to see you, Gandalf!" Frodo cried, launching himself into the old man's arms.

Both of them embraced, laughing together as Frodo sat himself next to the wizard, who looked at him with kind, wise eyes.

"You didn't think I'd miss your Uncle Bilbo's birthday?" He laughed, looking up at Elwyn who stood looking a little solemn on the verge, the young hobbit beginning to turn away, "Well, I couldn't possibly continue my journey to Hobbiton without the company of a Brandybuck."

Elwyn turned carefully and looked at Gandalf with grateful eyes, taking Frodo's hand and climbing onto the cart, embracing Gandalf herself. The wizard gently stroked the curls at the back of her head and helped her to the other side of him, scooting slightly to make a space for her to sit down.

"You've been away far too long, Gandalf." She whispered, taking a seat on the other side of him and resting the basket on her knee.

Passing by the fields of gold and sunshine yellow, Frodo and Elwyn were eager to hear stories of Gandalf's adventures since his last visit to the Shire. He'd been away for so long that they wondered what kind of things he'd gotten up to.

"What news of the outside world?" Frodo asked, "Tell us everything."

"Everything?" Gandalf huffed, "You're far too eager and curious for hobbits. Most unnatural."

Approaching a bridge, they were met with the sparkling water of the river which was coated in little sunbeams dancing over it in glittering dots and dashes. The cart passed over the bridge with ease, and the hobbits listened intently as Gandalf continued to speak.

"Well, what can I tell you?" He began with a sigh, "Life in the wide world goes on, much as it has this past Age...Full of its own comings and goings. Scarcely aware of the existence of hobbits. For which I am very thankful."

Passing the market, the wizard was greeted with waves to which he tipped his hat, and they continued on towards Bag End where Bilbo lived. The hills nestled little homes in which the hobbits lived, and Gandalf had always loved how quaint it was. He took in the sight of the other hobbits running around to set up the decorations for the party and he realised immediately what was going on.

"Oh..." He said quietly, "The long expected party."

Elwyn's face went a funny shade of pink and she looked up at Gandalf, patting his hand gently.

"I'm sorry, Gandalf. I need to go and find my wayward brother." She said softly, and the old man stopped the cart to let her climb down.

She hopped off onto the ground, turning and smiling at the wizard, thanking him for the ride before hurrying off into the crowds. She spotted Peregrin Took, also known as Pippin, and she ran over to him, grabbing him by the ear which caused him to yelp in surprise. Dragging him hurriedly away, she grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him nice and hard.

"Where's Merry?" She asked, "Where is he? You've been leading him astray again, haven't you, Pip!"

"No, no, no, Elle! Let go of my ear! He's gone to pick some more strawberries for the party!" Pippin cried, feeling the twinge of Elwyn's hand twisting the tip of his ear around before she released him.

"Sorry." She whispered, "I'm sorry, Pip. I'd better go and help them prepare the food."

She rubbed Pippin's ear softly, patting his arm and heading away to help the other hobbits who were decorating the cake. With a sigh, she looked up and caught Sam staring over at Rosie Cotton who was cleaning some of the crockery needed for the party. Bowing her head and trying to ignore the horrible tugging in her chest, she put on a brave face, smiling as convincingly as possible before making her way over to help.

Elwyn was dreading that night. Sam would be staring at Rosie, asking for advice about how to approach her, and Elwyn would be sat having to listen to it all while Sam was completely unaware of how she felt about him.

Same as always.

-TBC-

Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading so far!

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