Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of the Characters.
"Prissy Elf!"
"Hairy-faced Dwarf!"
"I'll have you know that bushy beards are a symbol of pride for Dwarves! They embody strength, long life, and hardihood!"
"Not to mention they are terribly impractical and get in the way of everything. Ah! There you go! I know you've been looking for an excuse as to why you lost at Pellenor, and I found the perfect one! Aren't I such a good friend?"
"Why you-!"
Samwise Gamgee sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time. Legolas and Gimli had been going at it for hours and there were still no signs of stopping. He cast a look over to the bickering pair who by all rights should have been in a worse mood than himself considering the insults tossed at each other left and right. No, they were, on the contrary, in a perfectly amiable, pleasant mood. Arguably the best mood of their little group.
He, Rosie, Elanor, Legolas, and Gimli had set out from the Shire 11 days ago and were merrily on their way to Rivendell for a well-deserved vacation from his days working to restore the Shire to what it was before it's destruction. He had been toying with the idea of returning to Rivendell with his wife and child for quite some time. Rosie had told him it was a good idea and kept urging him to go, but Sam kept putting it off for fear of shirking his duties. Rosie viewed this as a ridiculous notion stating that Sam was the hardest working Hobbit in the Shire and few could have accomplished what he had done, but this did not sway him. What sealed his fate was when Legolas and Gimli came for an unexpected visit.
Flashback
"Samwise, you look terrible," said Gimli. Blunt as ever.
"He does look worn, doesn't he?" mused Rosie, a conspiratorial glint in her eye.
"Rosie! I'm perfectly fi-."
"He's been talking about going to Rivendell for the longest time now. Taking a break from his work and all," she continued as if she hadn't heard Sam. She cast a meaningful look at Legolas and Gimli. She hadn't known the pair for long, but from what they could see, they wouldn't hesitate to help a friend and were stubborn to a fault in doing so. The pair caught the look and the conspiracy spread.
"Visit Rivendell? What a wonderful idea! Why in Arda have you not gone yet?" said Legolas, directing that last question to a flustered Sam. He had not missed the looks his wife had sent the Elf and Dwarf and started to get the feeling of a cornered mouse. He wasn't going to be defeated lying down, so he defended himself as best he could.
"You know how bad the Shire was after Saruman came. Someone had to step up and help. Frodo wasn't well enough, and Merry and Pippin just ran around like chickens with their heads cut off."
"But the Shire is well and green now. It's people are flourishing," said Legolas.
"We've heard tales of the miraculous healing of the Shire even across the Misty Mountains," Gimli added.
"We still have rebuilding to do around Buckland and much of the Far Downs are still in shambles."
"Weren't you saying earlier that you already have reconstruction plans for those areas? Somebody else can oversee that while you're gone," retorted Gimli.
"I- we- bu-," sputtered Sam. The trap was closing, "I can't just up and leave out of the blue!"
"You've done it before," said Legolas, "and you can do it again. I assure you this trip will be much more pleasant than the last one."
"And if you're worrying about what the other Hobbits will think, you can forget that," Gimli added with a merry gleam in his eye, "They already think you're as strange as it gets. Silly in my opinion, but, then again, they haven't met Legolas yet."
Legolas scowled at Gimli, and sent back some flippant remark about Dwarves, but Sam didn't hear. He was too busy coming to terms with the fact that he was going to Rivendell whether he went willingly or was dragged kicking and screaming out his door. He didn't want to go because of his duty to the Shire, but he did want to go because he was in need of the uninterrupted rest Rivendell could provide. He sighed heavily.
"Fine, I'll go," he mumbled.
"Splendid! Did you hear that Master Elf? Master Dwarf? Sam's decided to go after all!" exclaimed Rosie who had slyly stayed out of the conversation.
Legolas and Gimli looked up from their now heated debate with equal grins on their faces.
"That's settled then! We'll be off to Rivendell in no time. This'll be a fun trip for all of us."
End Flashback