Everyone made it to Bag End safely, though some a bit more wet than others.

"Finally!" Pippin sighed melodramatically. "Food!"

Gabrielle laughed, and knocked on the front door.

Rosie answered. Getting a good look at her daughter she cried, "Elanor Gamgee, you're soaked!"

Elanor looked at her feet guiltily.

"Elanor got wet playing hide-and seek," Pippin explained. "Her foot got caught between the poles of the bridge and Gabrielle had to go rescue her."

"What have I told you about hiding in the lake?" Rosie scolded her. "And look at you, Miss Gabrielle. Inside, both of you, before you catch your deaths."

Gabrielle decided now was not the time to remind Rosie to drop the "Miss." She obeyed and went inside with everyone else. Rosie lead Elanor off to her room. Gabrielle had to pass the sitting room to get to the guest room, and she smiled at Frodo and Sam awkwardly when they looked up to see who was passing.

Sam stood up upon seeing her. "Miss Gabrielle, you're soaked!"

"Yes…um…I had to rescue your daughter," she explained.

"You what?" Sam was alarmed. "I knew I shouldn't've let Mr. Merry teach her to swim."

Gabrielle pointed out, "Well, better than drowning. She was fine, she just got her foot stuck."

"I've told her about that bridge," Sam sighed.

Smoothing down her hair, Gabrielle giggled. "I'm going to go get changed now."

"Good idea," Sam said as she left the room. Frodo watched the whole thing play out and was trying too hard not to look amused.

"What?" Sam asked, noticing anyway.

"You."

"What did I do?"

"The way you try and take care of everyone," Frodo explained.

"Elanor is my daughter."

"Gabrielle isn't," Frodo answered. "You do that to almost everyone."

Sam protested, "But she was wet." He paused, realizing he was right. "Oh, never mind."

"See what I mean?" Frodo grinned.

A few minutes later, Gabrielle returned, her hair damp and corset stings a bit tangled. She gave Sam a hug. "Thank you for being so caring."

Sam blushed and mumbled something she couldn't quite make out. She patted his shoulder and sat down next to the fire. "You missed quite the venture," Gabrielle turned to Frodo.

"I can imagine."

"It's just one thing after another around here, isn't it?"

Frodo nodded.

Rosie came in carrying Elanor, who was now wearing dry clothing.

Gabrielle looked around. "Where did Merry, Pippin and Frodo — not you, the other one — go?"

There then came the banging of metal against wood. "Luuuunch!" Frodo G. yelled from the dining room. Gabrielle stood up and found him banging his fork agains the table. "Ah."

Pippin, seated next to him, waved dramatically. Rosie put Elanor down and went to get the food from the kitchen. Frodo slowly stood up, still clutching his shoulder. Gabrielle linked arms with him for support, and he smiled slightly as she helped him to the dining room and to sit down. She patted him on the back before sitting in a chair between him and Merry, inconspicuously squeezing his hand affectionately under the table.

Pippin dishes out his food as soon as everyone was seated and started eating. Merry rolled his eyes at him, and Rosie began serving her children. Gabrielle leaned over and took a piece of bread, careful not to knock anything over.

"Elanor," Sam said quietly. "Why did you hide under the bridge today?"

"I needed a new place to hide," Elanor explained.

Merry overheard. "I think you need a new new place. We were beginning to panic when we couldn't find you."

Pippin said, "It was a good thing we found Gabrielle when we did, even though she was—"

Merry kicked him under the table before he could finish, and Gabrielle looked up abruptly.

"Was what?" Frodo asked innocently.

Gabrielle tried to change the subject. "Frodo, how's your arm?"

He looked at her suspiciously. "Still cold."

Merry coughed, and Gabrielle tried not to look guilty.

Frodo started eating, and frowned as he almost dropped the fork. "I should be used to this by now," he said to himself.

Gabrielle also frowned, trying not to bring attention to herself. This was harder than it sounded, being the tallest in the room.

Pippin blinked. "Oh-kaaay, moving on. As I was saying, Gabrielle is the one who really found them."

"Well, they found me," Gabrielle said.

Frodo G. crowed happily and pounded his fork.

"At least I won," Elanor said, trying to be optimistic.

"Please don't hide in water again," Sam said.

Elanor answered, "I won't."

Gabrielle, her hair still wet, said quietly, "Good."

Frodo smiled, hearing.

"And you," Sam said, turning to Frodo, "must be feeling better if I'm not having to force you to eat."

"I am," Frodo smiled at him.

Elanor frowned at Gabrielle's plate. "That's not very much, Miss Gabrielle."

"I'm not very hungry," Gabrielle admitted.

"Did you have breakfast?" Rosie asked.

Gabrielle shook her head. "No…"

Pippin couldn't believe it. "What about second breakfast?"

"I'm not used to eating that many meals a day," Gabrielle explained.

Elanor was concerned. "But you half to eat, or else you won't be a big hobbit. But you're already a big hobbit, so maybe you don't half to eat."

Gabrielle smiled. "I'm not a hobbit, Elanor. I'm a human. And quite small for one, actually."

"But you're huge!" Elanor cried. "Da, are elves that tall?"

Sam looked at Gabrielle, and then back at Elanor. "They are a lot taller than Miss Gabrielle."

She nodded in agreement, amused.

"They are?" Elanor was amazed.

Frodo hid his smile by focusing on his food.

"Yes, they are," Gabrielle confirmed.

Pippin noted, "Ellie's just like her father. Soon she'll be wanting to go off and see the elves for herself."

"I wouldn't blame her if she did," Gabrielle said. "Elves are a beautiful people."

Elanor nodded eagerly. "I want to see elves."

"Ellllllves!" Frodo G. yelled.

Pippin said, "There goes the other one."

Gabrielle laughed. "One day I will have to take you with me to Rivendell, Elanor."

Elanor nodded with a grin.

Frodo G. laughed, and managed to fling food all over the place. Frodo B. ducked, but came back up with a piece of bread in his hair.

"Frodo Gamgee!" Rosie cried.

Gabrielle tried to stifle her laughter. "Here, let me get that for you." She took the piece of bread out of Frodo B.'s hair and put it on a napkin, unable to hide a smirk. She ran her fingers through his hair to get any crumbs out. Frodo was trying very hard not to laugh, for Rosie's sake.

Frodo G. was giggling and bouncing in his seat.

"Alright, you are too hyper," Rosie said to her son. "Done eating?"

He nodded, so Rosie picked him up. "Time for your nap."

"Don' wanna nap!" Frodo G. protested, realizing his mistake immediately.

"You never do." Rosie started carrying him out of the room. "Excuse us, everyone."

Sam got up as well. "I'll be back." He followed Rosie out.

Gabrielle picked at her food, and Frodo threw a concerned glance at her, but continued to eat.

He couldn't help himself. "Gabrielle, are you alright?" he asked finally.

"Yes," Gabrielle answered. "I'm just not very hungry."

Frodo gave her a look.

Pippin didn't understand. "How can you not be hungry? You haven't eaten all day!"

Gabrielle shrugged.

"You probably should eat something," Frodo told her.

Gabrielle sighed. "Alright. I'll try."

Pippin was annoyed. "Him you listen to."

Frodo reached over and lightly whacked him upside the head.

"Hey!"

Gabrielle smiled. "Sorry, Pippin."

"Why aren't you hungry?" Elanor asked.

"Well, I-" Gabrielle stuttered, "I-"

Frodo raised an eyebrow.

"I'm just not feeling very well, I guess," Gabrielle finished lamely.

Elanor pressed on. "Are you sick?"

Gabrielle sighed. "I don't know."

"Maybe you should go to bed. Or maybe you need medicine."

"Does this have anything to do with—" Pippin tried, but Merry kicked him under the table. Again.

Frodo tried once more to find out what was going on. "To do with what?"

"It's not important," Gabrielle mumbled, giving Pippin an indignant look. She went back to trying to eat.

Frodo watched her anxiously. Elanor cocked her head. "Should I tell Mum you're sick? Mum can make anything better."

Gabrielle caught Frodo looking at her, and shook her head meaningfully at him. To Elanor she said, "No, it's fine. Probably I'm just tired. I'll be all better in the morning."

Elanor nodded, and smiled. Gabrielle returned the smile, and finally finished the food on her plate. Gabrielle picked it up, and also Frodo's empty plate. "Are you done, Elanor?" she asked.

Elanor nodded.

Gabrielle collected her plate as well and took the dishes to the kitchen.

Sam and Rosie came back and sat down.

"Did you get him to sleep?" Frodo asked.

"Yes," Sam said, and Rosie nodded.

Frodo absently rubbed his shoulder. "Good."

"Can I finish what I was going to say now?" Pippin asked.

"Pippin!" Merry cried.

Frodo leaned forward to look into the kitchen. Gabrielle was standing over the sink, washing dishes and singing quietly to herself. "Go ahead, Pip."

Pippin looked at Merry, who shrugged. "She won't be happy with you. Clearly she wanted to be alone."

"Wait, what is going on?" Sam asked.

Pippin explained, "When we were looking for Frodo — not you, the other one — and Elanor, we found Gabrielle crying beside a tree. Alone. Rather hard. She tried to pretend she hadn't been, but—"

"—it was obvious that she was," Merry interrupted.

Frodo said quietly, "I'll try and talk to her."

"Frodo, do you know what this is about?" Sam asked, surprised.

"I might," Frodo admitted.

Everyone looked at him, expecting him to continue. He didn't.

"…and?" Pippin probed.

Frodo studied the table, trying to avoid having to answer the question.

Rosie frowned. "Frodo, if something's wrong with her, I think you should tell us."

"It's not her," Frodo explained.

"I'm confused," said Pippin.

Frodo said firmly, "Never mind."

Sam opened his mouth to argue, but Gabrielle returned and he closed it again. Everyone except Frodo looked up at her.

Gabrielle raised her eyebrows. "Eh...what?"

"Nothing," said Frodo, leaning his head on his hand.

Gabrielle blinked. "Alright. I'll help you clean up, Rosie."

Rosie looked at Frodo and raised her eyebrows at him. He shrugged with one shoulder.

Gabrielle was really confused, but picked up a plate of bread and another of vegetables and carried them to the kitchen.

"Aren't you going to talk to her?" Rosie demanded as soon as she was out of earshot.

"I will," Frodo said indignantly. "But not in front of everyone."

"Then go!" Rosie and Sam both said simultaneously.

Frodo gave a small grin. "Alright, alright." He slowly got up and headed to the kitchen, rubbing his cold left hand on Pippin's neck as he passed his seat.

Pippin jumped with a yelp. "Wrong hand!"

Frodo smirked, but Pippin just scowled at him.

Walking into the kitchen, Frodo said, "Gabrielle?"

She was busy drying dishes. She looked up. "Yes? Why are you standing?"

"Are you alright?" Frodo asked, swaying slightly and grabbing the counter to balance himself.

Gabrielle pointed at a stool. "Sit down. And yes, I'm alright."

Frodo sat down. "You don't let me get away with that."

"With what?" Gabrielle asked, though she already knew.

"Saying that I'm fine when I'm not."

Gabrielle said, "Oh. Well. I can tell when you're not."

"And I know when you're not," Frodo retorted.

Gabrielle put down the rag she was using to dry the dishes and sat next to him, looking him in the eye. "And?"

Frodo sighed. "I don't know that I'm leaving for sure."

"Did Merry and/or Pippin tell you?" Gabrielle asked dryly.

Frodo nodded, and Gabrielle sighed. "No one was supposed to know about that. Especially not you. And it's not important anyway. They were selfish tears."

Frodo closed his eyes and leaned his forehead on his hands. "It is important."

Gabrielle reached out and touched his fingers tentatively. "Why?"

"It's important how you…I mean…mmph," Frodo stuttered. "I'm bad with words."

Gabrielle smiled. "That's okay. I promise I won't make fun if you mess up."

"It's important how you feel," Frodo explained a little weakly.

Gabrielle was really touched, but she smiled sadly. "Thank you. But not in this instance."

"But it does."

"I wasn't even there, Frodo," she said firmly, standing up. "There's no way I can possibly know your pain. How I feel about your leaving doesn't matter."

Frodo gripped the table and sighed as Gabrielle went for a rag and started scrubbing the counters and table.

"It does matter, Gabrielle."

"Why?"

"Because you matter."

"Frodo Baggins, I am not going to let my selfishness get in the way of your decision."

"But what if I'm being selfish? I just don't know anymore."

Gabrielle sat back down and ran her fingers through her hair in desperation. "Frodo, I'm going to be completely honest. If you stay, I will make it my personal mission in life to be there for you, and take care of you whenever an old wound comes back to haunt you."

"Thanks." It was all he could spit out.

Nodding, Gabrielle said, "Of course."

Frodo rubbed his shoulder and tried not to shiver. Gabrielle kissed his cheek, making him smile. When she moved her head to kiss his lips softly, he blushed, but let her kiss him. She let go and hugged him. He hugged back with his uninjured arm.

"Let me know when you decide," Gabrielle said quietly.

Frodo nodded.

She let go and smiled at him. "Now, go. They're waiting for you to tell them if I'm alright."