It had never been cold in the Shire, but she was suddenly frigid—all but frozen to the spot where her feet were rooted into the old wooden planks of the methel-stage.

She's never recalled it ever being that quiet either. The chirps of mirthful crickets was the only thing keeping her sanity intact at that gripping moment.

The tension could not have been helped. Avrosa imagined that this is what forgetting a line must have been like. With a heart beating, sweaty palms fisted, time slowing, and dying from the inside out—but knowing the show must go on. She had to improvise her way out of the sticky situation, but how? She thought back on all the other times a fellow actor blanked on a line. "Just push through it," they would say, "hopefully someone will help you out."

Unfortunately the situation did not apply in the same way she thought it would.

Her mind seemed to cease working.

"Perhaps I did not say it loud enough?"

The audience chuckled.

"Avrosa Brownlock, will you marry me?"

Then she snapped out of it.

Holding back a scream of terror, she opted to gape like an unattractive fish whilst backing away slowly. She couldn't do it.

Her back hit the podium behind her, stopping her in her tracks. Though only a simple obstacle, it seemed to hinder any escape route she attempted to form in her racing mind. Adelard chuckled affectionately, making the audience "awww" and making Avrosa throw up a little.

But she couldn't do it. "I—"

Seeing her hesitation, Adelard rose valiantly, striding up to put his arms around her in a tight embrace. A little too tight for her liking.

The audience adored it, and they cheered louder and louder.

"What do ya say, Avrosa?" He shouted over the cheering, his arm remained tossed around her shoulder. It didn't take a self-acclaimed expert in body language such as herself to know that it meant "stay put."

The hobbits in the crowd hollered their input, shouting "say yes!" And various other torturous cheers.

Avrosa felt sick to her stomach. This was anything but what she wanted her life to be like. Married to a coward who believes every second of his life he's being haunted by some otherwise vengeful specter? Adelard didn't hold any remotely positive feelings toward anyway, so why would he demand she retaliate his supposed undying love?

Looking on from the throngs of the audience was her mother, eyeing her stonily. She knew what her mother wanted. She wanted her daughter to make her rich, like Gilly. That's what this whole thing was about.

Anger coursed through her icy veins, melting the crippling fear to reveal red-hot fury.

"Avrosa!" Came a harsh break in her thoughts. Adelard plastered an over-done smile on his face, his eyes widening to tell her to hurry up and accept. "We haven't got all night, silly girl," he muttered through grit teeth.

"Adelard Took," her harsh voice silenced the clapping and shouts of the crowd. Though her throat contracted in anger and her nostrils flared, she forced her face to remain as calm as it could be. "Marriage is an undying bond between two lost souls destined to be together." She paused to glance at the stars in desperation, catching her breath—and perhaps even to add to the drama, no sense disappointing the crowd while the night was still young. There had to be a way out of this. "We are both young, and my sister has yet to go through with her own wedding!"

Avrosa could feel her mother bristle all the way from the stage at the remark.

"So I find it painfully disagreeable that you should even think of marriage!"

The crowd suddenly became uncomfortable, yet still managed to be on the edge of their seats in response to the unfolding drama—perfect gossip to last them months. Adelard paled, looking to Florence for help and proving Avrosa's previous suspicion correct. Now if only she could find out how much her mother bribed him.

Avrosa smiled slightly in satisfaction. If they thought for one second that she would be a proper hobbit girl and cooperate, they had another thing coming.

"Forgive me, but I must say, I'm fairly confused. I know it's quite shocking, but my love for you is not false!"

Avrosa's eye twitched in irritation. What was it going to take?

"Now please...become my wife?"

A flicker of annoyance crossed Avrosa's features. She grabbed him and pulled him off to the side, lowering her voice she hissed behind grit teeth "Listen here, Took, if you think for one second I'm going to let you get away with this, you are beyond wrong! I dare say vengeance is in order—so if you ever hear of my death, you can be sure I'll haunt you for the rest of your miserable life!"

Three different emotions flashed over Adelard's sweaty face. Fear, revulsion, and some sort of unexpected impulsion, much like the face a child would make before disobeying.

"She said yes!" He shouted hastily before she could say anything, and the audience roared their approval.

Her heart skipped a beat, and all at once it felt like all hell broke loose. She was as still as a statue, and as wide-eyed as an owl. Then, she felt numb. She could barely hear the audience or feel Adelard's passionate kiss hard upon her unresponsive lips. She didn't fight when he picked her up and spun her around, or when he escorted her off the stage as one would a newly-wed.

What was wrong with her? Where was her bark? Or her bite for that matter—seeing as this Took deserved a punch in the face. Regardless, she was so off-guard she couldn't find the words to speak.

The only thing she knew was that she was still breathing, and she was leaving the Shire—for good.

The very second her feet hit the ground, she took off running.

"Look at that! So excited, she's gone off to tell all her friends!"

"Tears of joy! Oh to be young again!"

"A pretty young thing, they'll make a handsome couple. Why, with his chiseled face and her beauty, my grandchildren will have to compete!"

Avrosa ran blindly, veering off the road to a short cut she knew of that went through the South Fields. She didn't stop, even when reality caught up with her and seemed to pass her so fast that she couldn't prevent the sobs from wracking her chest. Her run slowed down into a sort of despairing stumble.

When she had finally reached her destination, she threw up in the bushes and rushed to the door, knocking repeatedly.

When it didn't open, she tried the door knob.

"All right! I'm coming, I'm coming—Avrosa? Oh, not now, I'm just about to eat and—what's wrong? I—"

She tackled Bilbo in a bone-crushing hug, burying her face deep into his shoulder.

"I don't...unders—" his eyes widened as he eyed her left hand which was now adorned with a ring. "—tand...oh..."

She pulled away and examined him sadly, trying to read his face for any source of hope or even indignation. His mouth was opened slightly, and he fidgeted under her gaze. "I'm so—" he ruffled his hair—"so sorry, Avrosa, but there's nothing you—or I—can do."

That was it. The final straw. Her bonds gave way, and all restraints were loose.

"I-I-I don't want to g-get m-m-married!" She sobbed "not t-to him! Adelard T-Took, the b-biggest coward in all of-of Tuckborough! It's not fair!" Her voice took a high pitch, "I didn't even a-accept, h-he forced it on me, a-and I couldn't d-do anything!"

While Avrosa blubbered through her tears, Bilbo patted his pockets until he found his handkerchief. When he offered it to her, he felt like an idiot, there she was, hyperventilating directly in front of him and all he had to offer was a piece of cloth. He tossed it onto the corner table and

"I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't-I can't..."

"Um-I-maybe you should...sit! Yes-have a seat in the dining room, I'm about done with supper." He paused and fidgeted, his eyebrows scrunching together oddly. "A-are you hungry?"

"How can I sup at a time like this?" She asked incredulously, and then continued to wallow in her own misery.

"Oh...um..." Bilbo hesitated between his crying cousin-in-law and his supper. He surely didn't want to burn it, but he also didn't quite feel comfortable leaving Avrosa to cry alone in the entrance hall. "Why don't you tell me what happened...in the dining room, perhaps?" He suggested guiltily.

Avrosa rolled her eyes despite her predicament and shuffled to the intended destination. She plopped herself down at the table with a sigh, feeling the warmth from the fireplace radiating.

"Well, It started out as…" she sniffed as he scanned the cooking fish from the corner of his eyes.

"Bilbo Baggins? Are you listening?"

"Huh—wh—wha...yes!"

Avrosa eyed the ring on her finger distastefully and sighed. "It started out as the perfect night," she began, "the frogs were chirping, the skies were crystal clear, and the stars seemed to wink at me from up above—I was in the highest of moods! But alas, it was not to last, for as soon as I happened upon the stage—already alight with lanterns—I could tell—"

There was a plop and sizzle, causing Avrosa to glance up suddenly.

"Sorry, don't mind me, I'm listening..." Bilbo cringed as he placed the pan back and sat down with his dinner.

Her heart dropped. She should've known he wouldn't care. Avrosa would just have to suck it up like she always did.

"Bilbo?"

"Hm?" He said distractedly.

"Do you think I am...strange?"

He looked at her with his mouth pressed together, then paused when his eyes landed on her face. This was the first time he'd ever seen her genuinely insecure, for once she trusted him enough to show him what was behind her mask. How would her cousin respond? What if he didn't want her to be a part of his life? He would push her away like Gilly and her mother, and that idea terrified her. Swallowing the rising panic of rejection, Avrosa tried vainly to mask herself again. She didn't expect Bilbo to love her like the family she had always secretly dreamed of, she was entirely okay with that and—while he didn't know it—her quarrels with him always put her in a better mood. Like she had a brother. She had always wanted a brother.

He placed his utensils down and cleared his throat, bringing her back to reality so her teal eyes were scanning every movement she could. "I...shouldn't think you're strange, but you certainly aren't like other hobbits."

"Is that good?"

"I don't know."

Avrosa nodded in relief, she believed him.

Seeing as she was left to her thoughts, he picked up his utensils once again. A knock came at the door, and a straight-faced Bilbo sighed, stood, and motioned for Avrosa to stay put. Naturally she followed him closely behind, her heart beginning to race again. She watched the door in fear, hiding behind Bilbo in case it was her mother—or worse—Adelard Took. With a shudder, she retreated to watch from the parlour doorframe.

The door opened.

There was a moment of suspense as she craned her neck to look over Bilbo's form, which had just stiffened in surprise.

"Dwalin," the stranger bowed "at your service."

A/N: Ta-dah! An update you say? Impossible! ( that should be French, but it's spelled the same way...so, yeah...)

Aaaanyway, sorry it took a while, I promise I won't abandon this, so bear with me!

Thank you for all my support, whether it be a follow, favorite, or a review! It means a lot when you guys stop by :) I hope Bilbo was well in-character!

Thanks again :D I hope you enjoyed!