A/N: Hi. I'm terribly sorry that I haven't posted any new chapters. I've been very busy what with school and parent's evenings and other things. However, I'm back now and have this new chapter for you. Also, I am working on some ideas for a possible new story featuring Aragorn and Arwen. I thought this would be a nice thing to do seeing as my name is Arwen Undomiel. Expect that maybe sometime in the near future. For now, here's this story.
The next morning, Frodo awoke early. He felt a strange familiarity in waking up in his old bed, having not slept there for many years. He shrugged the feeling away and got dressed as quickly as he could, hoping to go for a short walk before Sam woke up. He wanted to be alone for a bit and felt the urge to go exploring what used to be his home.
Pulling on his coat, Frodo walked out of the door and down the garden path. At the gate he turned right and headed off down to the town of Hobbiton, a fair walk away. The journey didn't bother Frodo as he loved to walk. As he approached Hobbiton he saw the hustle and bustle of the small but busy town, local Hobbits running around everywhere. Each market stall that he passes was full of fresh fruit and vegetables grown in the fields by hobbits like Sam. Sam had always been a keen gardener. The garden at Bag End was blooming with flowers and in a special corner for growing produce was a lovely big selection of home grown mushrooms. Frodo wouldn't have been surprised if one of these stalls was Sam's from what he had heard about his passion for growing things.
He bought a bunch of apples and sat down on a wall, happily eating them as he watched the world go by. He felt that he had missed this place during his stay in Valinor, and was getting pretty reluctant to go back. This was his home and he felt more accepted here around people of his own kind than he did around the Elves, even though the Elves were very welcoming to him.
Finishing off his apples, he got ready to leave and return to Bag End but two mischievous figures caught his eye. Across the way from him were tow hobbits, slightly younger than him, obviously up to no good. I wonder what they are up to, he thought. He watched them for a few minutes in amusement as they hovered about near to a vegetable stall. The larger hobbit kept look out as the smaller hobbit took a ripe box of apples and replaced them with another box, containing something that Frodo couldn't see. With their mission accomplished they ran and hid around another corner, waiting to see the results. Sure enough, the farmer of the stall returned along with a customer, who purchased a handful of the so-called "apples". Biting into one, the customer pulled her face, it scrunching up in a look of distaste, as though she had just bitten into a sour lemon. The two hobbits burst into laughter as they watched the customer run off to be sick.
Frodo chuckled to himself at the joke and started walking back towards Bag End. Not looking where he was going he walked into someone, knocking the pile of apples out of their hands.
"Oy! Watch where you're going!" said the Hobbit, bending down to collect the apples.
Frodo bent down to help. "I'm terribly sorry about that." He said.
The Hobbit looked up at him, amazement in his eyes. "Frodo?"
Frodo nodded. This hobbit recognised him.
"Hey Merry!" the hobbit shouted. "It's Frodo Baggins!"
At this, another hobbit come running. "Hello Frodo! It's been a long time! What are you doing here?"
At once, Frodo knew who they were. If this was Merry talking to him, the younger hobbit had to be Pippin. It was Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took.
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A/N: So, what do you think? Was it worth the wait or not? Let me know what you think by reviewing. Please, it would mean a great deal to me if you did. Huge thanks to all who have reviewed, especially my friends Michelle Frodo and Legyluva who review all the time. Also thanks to SilverMuse. Loadsa love, Arwen xxxxx