Disclaimer-
I do not own Lord of the Ring.
Queer Things: The Fellowship of the Ring: Book One
-Chapter One: Party Business and Other Matters—
Samantha Gamgee was roused awake by her younger sister, Marigold, on the morning of September 21st.
"You slept in Sam," the young hobbit told her older sister, "You're supposed to be at Mr. Bilbo's looking after the garden." Tired, Sam got out of bed, satisfied, Marigold left. The next few minutes where somewhat hectic for Samantha, but soon she was out the door, munching an apple, in the direction of Bag-End, the home of the elderly Bilbo Baggins and his 32 year-old-cousin/adopted nephew, Frodo Baggins.
Sam halted at Bilbo's gate, reading a sign on it: NO ADMITTENCE EXEPT FOR PARTY BUSINESS. Smiling (and ignoring the sign), she pushed the gate and entered the garden.
"Sam! Dear! I thought it was the Sackville-Bagginess!" cried Bilbo said, walking down the path to meet her. "There's work for you in the garden."
Later that day, after few hours of enjoying work for Sam, a wagon pulled up and a young hobbit jumped out, "Thank you Gandalf!" yelled Frodo to the elderly man in the wagon, and then ran into the garden.
"Hello Sam, need a hand?"
"No thank you, Mr. Frodo, I can handle it myself."
"Okay, I'll be inside if you change your mind." Frodo said and then smiled at Sam, making her blush, and proceeded to enter the house to help Bilbo prepare for the party tomorrow.
"D-d-don't kid yourself Samantha Gamgee, Mr. Frodo's just being a gentlehobbit, yes, a gentlehobbit. That's all; someone like him won't love a plain gardener like you." Little did Sam know, as she said this, Bilbo Baggins stood by his door listening to her every word, in response he smiled.
"We shall see about that." And he disappeared as two hobbits, the SBs, came waking past, now it was Sam's turn to see something she should never have seen, or maybe she should have?
"You there! Is Bilbo Baggins in?"
"No ma'am."
"Humph!" said Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
After she had finished, Sam ran to one of the pubs, The Ivy Bush, she was not going there to drink, but to talk.
A few years back, Merry Brandybuck (her real name was Mertensia but she usually went by Merry, due to her extravert and trouble-making personality.) had told her, Peregrin Took (more commonly known as Pippin) and Fredgar Bolger (aka Fatty) about one day when she was walking with Bilbo and the SBs came by, Bilbo put on a ring and vanished, ever since that day, the four had become somewhat of a conspiracy (nicknamed "The Conspiracy", by Pippin).
"Hello Sam, got any news for The Conspiracy?" asked Merry.
"Yes," replied Sam. "Mr. Bilbo used the ring again today, when the Sackville-Bagginess where walking past."
"That's forty-one times, counting." responded Merry.
"Did you know that Gandalf is supposed to be doing a firework display for Bilbo's party tomorrow?" said Pippin. The rest of the meeting was mostly talking about this subject, and Sam left late at night as Merry and Pippin had a debate whether or not to steal one and set it a light at the party.
"Sam!" cried Bilbo; she had just been passing Bag-End when he noticed her.
"Hello, Mr. Bilbo, nice night." replied Sam.
"Sam, Sam, Sam." said Bilbo shaking his head. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Okay, Mr. Bilbo. But, not to be rude sir, it would be better if you told someone else, Mr. Frodo, for example."
"No, no, no! Frodo shall not know!" he lowered his voice to a whisper." I am leaving the Shire."
"Before your birthday?" whispered a shocked Sam.
"No, after my birthday, but you must remain quite. Go on now, go home."
"Uncle Bilbo?" said a tired-looking Frodo, who had just opened the door to Bag-End.
"Hello Frodo, just talking to young Samantha there, that's a good lad." said Bilbo walking into Bag-End.
"Hello Sam." said Frodo. The depths of his tired blue eyes looked dull as Sam looked into them. For a while their eyes met, each owner thinking more than they were prepared to say.
"Sam-lass!" interrupted The Gaffer, Sam's father, "It's late. Where were you?"
"I was with Miss Merry." answered Sam truthfully.
"That Brandybuck should learn to mind her own business and not go dragging folk off on her meaningless wild-goose chases. Good-night Mr. Frodo." said the Gaffer as he and Sam walked off.
"Nice night for sightseeing, isn't it Frodo?" asked Merry as she and Pippin jumped down from a nearby tree.
"Aye." said Pippin.
"She's so beautiful in the dark." mumbled Frodo to no-one in particular (Except probably himself) as he watched the disappearing figures of The Gaffer and Sam.
"What was that?" asked Merry.
"Oh! Nothing. I was just thinking aloud." replied Frodo.
"Looks like someone's in L-O-V-E." whispered Pippin to Merry, who looked solemn.
"Anyway. Night Merry. Night Pippin." said Frodo walking into Bag-End and closing the door behind him.
"What's wrong Merry?" asked Pippin. "You seem kind of tense."
"No. Nothing is wrong." replied Merry. "Don't worry yourself Pip; I'm fine, honest truth."
"Well if you say so. G' Night. See you tomorrow Merry."
"See you tomorrow Pippin." said Merry as she watched the younger hobbit disappear of to his home with a fond look in her eyes.
Sighing, Merry walked back to where ever she was staying. Little did she or any other hobbit know that their lives would be changed, for better or for worse, starting tomorrow and continuing to change for the next few years.
