Chapter 34- Returning to the Shire

The Hobbits and Gandalf left Rivendell and began head for Bree. They set out on October the 5th and kept it at a slow pace. They took a small cart with a horse leading it. Sam sat in the back while Merry and Pippin shared the front seat and drove. Gandalf walked beside Shadowfax and Frodo.

Merry and Pippin sung happily. They all had smiles on their faces, even Gandalf couldn't help smiling at the two hobbits. Sam watched Frodo walking. They would often catch each others eye and smile a bit differently. Gandalf would chuckle warmly when he caught their shy glances and smiles.

Frodo sighed quietly as he watched Sam giggling at the made up lyrics to Merry and Pippin's song. Her hair was tied back so that her face was more visible and she didn't have to keep pushing it out of the way when they went over a bump in the road. She looked so pretty when the loose ringlets would blow in the wind.

As they walked on the second day Sam noticed that Frodo seemed like he was in pain. When he visibly winced and his hand flew to his shouler, Sam hopped out of the cart and ran to him.

"Frodo?" Sam said uncertainly. Gandalf turned and looked at him. His mouth was open in silent exclamation of pain. He stopped and rubbed his shoulder hard.

"Frodo what is it?" Gandalf asked. The ford of Bruien came into view ahead of them. Gandalf looked up and understood.

" It's October the 6th, isn't it Gandalf?" Sam said looking at the ford. Gandalf nodded grimly.

" It's cold," Frodo mumbled painfully. By now Merry and Pippin had slowed the horse and stopped looking over at the conversation. Sam looked up at Gandalf

" Go on ahead and set up camp for the night, we'll catch up," she told Gandalf. He nodded and walked forward beckoning Merry and Pippin to follow.

" Come Meriadoc, Peregrin! Hurry now, now. Let's not dawdle," Gandalf's voice faded up the road ahead. Sam turned back and looked into Frodo's eyes. They seemed to have a layer of ice covering them.

"Frodo?" Sam whispered cupping his cheek in her hand. The look in his eyes faded.

" It was a lucky spot to receive the wound," he murmured, closing his eyes.

"Why do you say that?" Sam asked. Frodo took her hand and pressed it over where he had received it.

" Because, I have this-" he lowered his hand over where his heart was pulsing, "to help me heal it," he muttered. Sam smiled weakly. He lifted the hand to his face again at let it rest on his cheek. He turned his head slightly and kissed the palm of her hand tenderly. He opened his eyes for an instant and began to caress her lips with his fingers. She shut her eyes feeling the tips of his fingers tracing her lips then moving downwards when he replaced them with his lips.

He broke off. Sam's breath came in short quick gasps. "We should go before we can't catch up," she muttered softly.

~*~

Sam dozed on Frodo's shoulder as they rode the 3 day journey into Bree. Merry and Pippin sat in front of the cart that they were using with a brown horse leading it. Frodo watched the trees and fields slowly pass by.

He couldn't help but feel lighthearted and carefree with Sam's body bouncing slightly with the cart beside him. Frodo spread his cloak over her as darkness began to creep up. She shuddered as the breeze swept around them.

Frodo wrapped his arms around her tighter and she relaxed. Sam moaned quietly in her sleep and she lifted her head further onto his shoulder.

"Oy! What are you two doing under that cloak back there?" Pippin glanced over his shoulder.

" Shut your mouth!" Frodo hissed. " She's sleeping,"

" Oh yea, sure she is," Pippin mumbled. Frodo couldn't help a small chuckle knowing what Pippin was thinking. Sam's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him.

" Good job, Pip! You woke her up," Merry said sarcastically to Pippin, who was now humming happily. Pippin ignored them completely.

"Good morning," Frodo whispered. Sam looked up at the blackening sky.

" Not exactly," she murmured back. Sam pulled his cloak more around her.

" Now I think you are doing something," They heard Pippin's voice again. Sam looked up at Frodo with a questioning glance, Frodo rolled his eyes and Sam caught on to the young Took's scheme of thinking. Sam smiled.

"Oh yes Sam! That feels soo good!" Frodo cried out abruptly. Sam's eyes grew wide and she gave him a light, warning shove. But then she had to bite her lip from laughing aloud when she caught a glimpse of the side of the Pippin's face. His eyes were wide and they looked straightforward not even darting to the side in the slightest.

Merry's raised his eyebrows and turned slightly. He grinned seeing what Frodo was doing. Gandalf rolled his eyes and sighed, he knew that they were just putting the young Took in his place.

"Hobbits certainly are strange creatures indeed,"

~*~

Finally the hobbit's got their rooms and settled in at the Prancing Pony. Merry and Pippin shared a room across the hall from where Frodo and Sam shared one. It was almost past midnight by the time they had retreated into their rooms. Gandalf had stayed out with Barliman to catch up with things further.

Frodo shut the door behind him after saying one last good night to Merry and Pippin. The two didn't joke about it much when Frodo and Sam decided to share a room; they knew the nightmares either of them would have if separated from the other.

Frodo turned and looked at Sam. She was brushing her hair and she seemed uneasy.

" Why are you not at ease, my love?" he walked up behind her and set his hand on her shoulders. Sam immediately stopped and turned to face him. " You seem scared or uncomfortable,"

"I am, a bit frightened," Sam whispered. A gust of wind from the window caused three of the five candles to blow out and her to shudder. Frodo remained unmoved.

"Do I make you nervous?" Frodo breathed, moving closer. Sam swallowed hard. Frodo put his hand on the side of her neck.

" A bit," she muttered.

"How?" his voice was low and ardent. Sam lifted her eyes and looked into his.

"Whenever I look into your eyes, I feel like I could burst. You make me feel like I'm everything in the world, and that I'm shrinking into nothing at the same time. You make me shudder yet feel so burning hot at the same time. I'm terrified and excited all at once, but then you touch me, kiss me, hold me and all my feelings melt into this overwhelming desire to return that touch, kiss, or embrace. But I often find that I can't,"

" Why can't you?" he said, intensely quiet.

"I don't know," there was a hint of a whimper in her voice as she said it.

" Sam," he whispered. Sam's back hit the wall, he wasn't even aware that he was moving towards her but as she hit the wall and looked terrified like that he couldn't bring himself to stop. He pressed his entire body up against hers and kissed her.

The kiss was firm and strong. He waited a moment for he to react, if she could. A moment later she slowly let his tongue enter mouth. She put both her hands on the side of his neck as he probed her mouth with his tongue. Her kisses were so sensuous to him.

In the back of his mind he found he couldn't believe it. It was so strange, this was the Shire little girl next door, his gardener. He had lived 12 years without even knowing her. Then he would see her once a day gardening his front lawn. Oft he would not ever say hello to her. Once she had developed into a woman, he saw a prospect of perhaps seeing her as a wife, though he doubted it. Now he held her firmly against the wall unable to stop himself from kissing her.

His arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her firmly to him. He thought of picking her up and whisking her to bed and making passionate love to her. His desire further deepened as his hand strayed from her waist to her breast. He groaned deeply. Sam jumped and grabbed his hand. She pulled away slowly and looked at him.

Frodo took both of her hands and pinned them to the wall and kissed her again. She was more hesitant this time to open her mouth but, he parted from her slightly and teased her lips open. Then thrust his tongue inside and raised her hands higher, still pinning them to the wall. Sam pulled away again.

" I'm sorry," Frodo whispered.

"We should stop here," Sam panted for breath. "If we go further, this" she nodded to her hand, which was firmly held against the wall, "will mean nothing to me."

" Okay," Frodo breathed. He saw a hint of fear behind the resolute look she had in her eyes. He cursed to himself remembering what Gollum had done to her he had forgotten and was a bit too forceful. Frodo lifted her off her feet with a swift movement and carried her to the bed.

As he laid her down her eyes grew more fearful. He kissed her brow and stood back up. She relaxed. For a brief moment she thought he was going to take her anyway. She smiled lightly and as he spread a blanket over her, fell asleep.

A/N: Sorry about the delay. A bit of writers block things should come easier from here.