The party continued until long after midnight. By the time most of the guests had gone home, Bilbo and Zinnia were still sitting in the garden, talking to each other. They did not realize it, but Primula was watching them from the living room, happy that her plan seemed to work so well. As the morning came and the sun was rising, they both regretted having to say goodbye for now, even though they did not mentioned it to the other. As he stood there, watching Zinnia walking away, Bilbo hoped that he would see her again soon.

During the next few months, he started to find excuses to visit Primula´s house, hoping that he would meet Zinnia somewhere on the way, while he tried to keep the real reason secret from his matchmaking cousin, but seeing the smiles she passed him whenever he came by, he knew that he failed miserably.

One year after Thorin, Fili and Kili died he was sitting in the garden of Bag End, remembering his three dwarf friends and wishing that they would have survived the battle against Azog and his army, Zinnia came by and brought a plate full of apple tarts for a surprise to him. Seeing him crying, she put them down inside and then came to sit beside him, putting an arm over his shoulder. They sat in the sun together for several hours and eventually fell asleep next to each other. That day Bilbo decided he would buy a ring and ask Zinnia to marry him on his next birthday, which would be in one month.

The weeks passed by in a blur as Bilbo got everything ready for the day. He wanted it to be perfect for her, though he was a little worried that she would say no, because the memory of her dead first was still too fresh.

The day before the birthday party, Gandalf came by. Finding Bilbo in the kitchen just finishing decorating a cake with the words: "Zinnia, I love you", that he would give to his love and hopefully wife to be after the party, the wizard regretted his news after Bilbo had told him that he hoped to get married soon, but still the danger of the ring could not be overlooked. To not disturb the happiness the hobbit felt and clearly deserved, he decided to wait a few months until he told Bilbo. The morning after the party he woke up to find Bag End empty. Bilbo had left a note on the kitchen table that said: "Zinnia has accepted my proposal. We are going to Brandy Hall for a few days to tell my relatives about the wedding. I leave Bag End to your care until I return. I will leave the ring you asked me about before we parted at the borders of the Shire last year in my nightstand. Take it if you want, I want nothing to do with it anymore, all it does is giving me nightmares.

Your friend, Bilbo Baggins"

PS: "Do not, I repeat, do not let Lobelia Sackville-Baggins in here, no matter what reason she thinks she might have."

Gandalf smiled as he read it, knowing that he would have a few days to make arrangements, should his suspicions about Bilbo´s ring be confirmed. He found it exactly where his friend said it would be, making him wonder about the strength of hobbits even more. Should it be confirmed that it was indeed the One Ring made by Sauron, Bilbo would be the first to break free of it´s power and give it away without force.