Decisions in Love

By: Jen Grimbee

Ch.1-Home

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Lord of the Rings, just Shaye and Aurora.

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way.

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

A joyful tune could be heard across the hills and around the fields all through the Shire as the four hobbits made their long journey home. Merry, Pippin, and Sam sang loudly with plenty of mirth as they all caught sight of the first few green hobbit holes. As the hobbits turned the bend their entire homeland was seen stretched out before them.

Sam turned around on his small pony and looked over at his master who was looking around intently at his long missed home.

"Well, Mr. Frodo," Sam said with a smile, "We're home."

"At last," Frodo added with a smile of his own.

The hobbits continued their journey toward Bag End where they dismounted near the gate and tethered their ponies. The spiteful face of Lobelia Sackville-Baggins could be seen glaring at them through one of the many round windows. Soon she stormed out the front door of the smial and marched down to meet Frodo as he made his way up the path.

"What are you doing on my property!" she spat at him. "Bag End is mine now, so I suggest you vacate the premises at once!"

Lobelia stood straight in Frodo's face and gave him the meanest of all death glares. Frodo did not back away and was just about to calmly talk to Lobelia but she immediately interrupted him with another rude remark.

"May I remind you that I did buy this home from you before you went off on your cracked adventure."

Frodo continued to look Lobelia straight in the eye. His intense blue gaze never faltering. He took a deep breath and calmly corrected Lobelia.

"Ah, I see you have forgotten one minor detail," he told her, "You see, if you had actually read the small contract I had you sign you would've seen the notice that said you agreed to rent the hole from me until I came back."

Lobelia's mouth hung agape for a moment before she shut it with an audible snap. She couldn't find anything to say and she stammered, "But, but, but…" No other argument was made from her. (If you could call that an argument.)

"You have one week to take all of your possessions from my house and leave. For good," Frodo went on, waving the contract in Lobelia's wrinkled face.

Lobelia's face went from astonished/angry to just plain angry and she screamed in frustration. She shook a small fist in Frodo's face and then stormed up the path into the house muttering small curses under her breath.

"That went well," Merry said jokingly. The other three hobbits laughed. Then they all looked up when they heard a loud thump. They saw Lobelia throwing trunk after trunk of her belongings out the door and onto the front lawn.

"This could take a while," said Pippin, watching the amazing flying suitcases soar through the air.

"Well, until Lobelia is done in there, you can stay with me, Mr. Frodo," Sam said to his master. Frodo nodded in agreement and followed Sam to Bagshot Row.

The week went by rather quickly in Frodo's opinion and soon he and his friends were unpacking the last few boxes of his things and setting them in their rightful places. Once Bag End was set to rights the hobbits would occasionally head out to town as listen to the gossip that was being spread around Hobbiton, no doubt started by Lobelia because of her hatred toward Frodo.

Soon the whole of Hobbiton was buzzing with the news of the four crazy hobbits that had left their homes on some cracked adventure and had come back alive but not unscathed.

One fine day Frodo and Merry went off to town while Sam and Pippin stayed in Bag End doing whatever was necessary to keep it clean and comforting to come home to.

"Someone's got to clean up after you," Pippin had said to Frodo after he had denied his cousin's offer. Then Sam had sent them off with a final good-bye and Frodo and Merry went on their way.

A market was beginning to buzz with ongoing activity and the many hobbits going and coming around them were soon jostling Merry and Frodo. Vendors were trying their best to shout over the loud noises of the crowds to buy the goods they had at their tables. A gruff looking hobbit about knocked Frodo off his feet and he spun around to keep himself on his feet. But Frodo's sudden movement caused him to bump into Merry and two young lasses.

"Hey! Watch where you're going there, buddy!" shouted one of them as she picked up the other.

"It's all right, Shaye," the other lass said to the first, brushing the other off her arm.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Frodo apologized, "Are you all right, I didn't see you."

"Obviously," Shaye muttered under her breath. She winced when the other lass elbowed her in the arm.

"It's fine, no harm done," the other lass said to Frodo.

Frodo nodded along with Merry. "Well, we might as well introduce ourselves," said Frodo, "I'm Frodo Baggins."

"My name's Merry Brandybuck," Merry added with a slight bow to the lasses.

"I'm Aurora Burrows and this is my sister," Aurora said motioning to Shaye, "Her name's Shaye," Aurora added when Shaye refused to say anything to Frodo and Merry.

"A pleasure to meet you two," Merry and Frodo said together.

"And you," replied Aurora.

"I still feel kind of bad for what I did," said Frodo, "Would you like to go to the Green Dragon with us tonight?"

Aurora smiled and looked over at her sister who still was glaring at the two hobbits in front of them. "Why not," Aurora answered making Shaye look over at her in surprise.

"All right then," Frodo said with a cheerful smile, "Shall we meet you there an hour or so before nightfall?"

"Sounds good," Aurora replied and they all gave a final bow before going their separate ways.

TBC…

A/N-This is my very fist fanfic so go easy on me. I know that Frodo never really had Lobelia sign a contract that said she had rented Bag End, but I thought I'd play around with that idea. Hope anyone who has read this enjoys and please don't flame me about this. Like I said, this is my first time. Well, enjoy!

Jen