This takes place about two years after the events in the return of the king.
As Sam walked home from a long day out in the fields, he thought about something he had not been able to get out of his head all week, Frodo. It had been almost two years now, since him and Bilbo left the shire to go to the undying lands. Sometimes he wondered where Frodo was now, was he happy? Did he think about the Shire? Did he think about him and Merry and Pippin? He liked to think so, that maybe he missed the Shire. "Sam!" someone shouted. Sam looked up, loosing his train of thought. "Samwise Gamgee!" Somebody shouted again. Sam looked around and saw who was shouting, it was his wife, Rosie. She ran up to him and grabbed his hand. "Sam" she said "what are you thinking about?" Sam sighed, "it is nothing."
Rosie grabbed Sam and pulled him toward her. "It is not nothing, this is the third time you've completely walked past the our home this week. What is it Sam? You're worrying me!" Sam could see the tears forming in Rosie's eyes. He pulled his eyes away from hers. "It is Frodo isn't it?" asked Rosie. Sam nodded "for the last two weeks, he's been all I can think about. I think something's wrong Rosie. I..." Elanor, Frodo and Rose, Sam's three children, came running toward them. "Daddy!" They shouted and jumped into Sam's arms. Rosie gave Sam a sympathetic look. "Come on Elanor, Frodo Rose, lets let Daddy come inside." The three children jumped out of Sam's arms and raced toward the house. The girls hair, gold and auburn, was flying out behind them trying too catch up with Frodo who had run ahead. Sam and Rosie followed close behind.
That night, Rosie had cooked a larger dinner then usual. They were having guests tonight. Gandalf was coming, along with Merry who had yet to get married and have a family of his own. Diamond, Pippin's wife and Pippin's six-year-old son, Faramir, would come to. As well as Pippin as soon as he got finished at the boatyard where he worked. There was a knock at the door and Elanor jumped up to answer it. It was probably Cassie and Faramir, who were always the first to arrive at everything. Sure enough, Sam and Rosie who were in the kitchen could soon hear the joyful laughter of Elanor, Frodo and Faramir from Elanor's bedroom. Rose soon ran out of the room to join them. Diamond walked in. She was pretty in her own way, Sam thought. With her straight blond pulled into a ponytail with a braid on the side and her freckled face and blue eyes. "Am I late?" She asked. Rosie laughed "a little" she said "we're running a little behind tonight too." Diamond sighed "Pippin held us up, he came by and said he was working late tonight, so he won't be able to make it."
"So I'm going to have to put up with Merry all by myself!" Sam exclaimed. "Hey! I'm not that bad!" Merry shouted and grabbed Sam's shoulder, Gandalf laughed. Him and Merry had gotten into the habit of using magic to just appear in places instead of coming in the door like a sensible hobbit. "Pippin won't be joining us tonight? He works to hard! I miss the old Pippin, the Pippin who knew how to have fun." Diamond turned and glared at Merry "maybe it is because he actually has responsibilities!" Merry rolled his eyes "come on Diam, you know I was just joking." She sighed and turned back to helping Rosie set out dinner.
For dinner they had grilled fish, fresh bread and hot apple pie, for desert. After dinner everybody went and found something to do. The children were sitting on the floor playing with marbles next to the fire. Sam, Gandalf and Merry sat nearby smoking pipes. Diamond and Rosie were cleaning dishes and talking in the kitchen. "I want the blue one Elanor!" Whined Rose. "But the blue one is mine Lily, right Faramir?" Faramir nodded and looked to Frodo to see what he thought, Frodo nodded back. "yeah, the blue ones Elanor's!" he said. Faramir had a tendency to take Elanor's side in arguments like this, especially when Frodo agreed as well. "Elano..." Rose was cut off by a knock at the door. The hobbit hole, which had moments ago been full of laughter and voices was now silent. Sam looked at Rosie and she shook her head, "I wasn't expecting anybody." She said. Sam slowly got up from his chair and walked to the door. He unlocked it and opened the door. Standing out in the rain was a very out of breath, wet Pippin. "What's going on Pip? Did you get off early?" Sam looked into Pippin's usually bright carefree eyes and saw an emotion he never expected to see in Pippin, fear. "A boat just came in" he stopped and took a few deep breaths. "What does that have to do with us?" asked Merry, who had come to the door and was now standing behind Sam peering out the door. "The boat" Pippin took a deep breath "it is Frodo, he's come back."