Chapter 27: A Hobbit Welcome

I walked quietly beside Gandalf and Bilbo as we took a long way seeing the trolls Bilbo had told me they fought speaking fondly of his memories. He saw the change in my eyes worried what Elrond had talked to me about but I told him it would be something we could discuss once we were home which made him smile forgetting about it. He showed me where he had gotten Sting digging up a chest filled with gold telling me how the dwarves had buried it for his return trip home.

Eventually, we were met with stretches of farmland and little houses built in the hills knowing we had reached the Shire. I couldn't deny this place just on the borders was beautiful seeing hobbits in the distance going about their days seeming to be very content.

"Ahh, the borders of the Shire, it is here I must leave you both." Gandalf said with a certain sadness in his voice watching as Bilbo smiled at him seeing his hands full of trinkets from our trip.

"That's a shame, I quite like having a wizard around. It seems they bring good luck." Bilbo said seeing the twinkle of mischief in his eyes that I had grown to love.

"You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck? Magic rings should not be used lightly, Bilbo. Don't take me for a fool, I know you found one..." Gandalf began feeling my body tense up seeing Bilbo also look worried shaking his head as Gandalf finished, "...in the goblin tunnels, and I've kept my eye on you ever since."

Bilbo seemed to relax a bit smiling up towards Gandalf saying, "Well thank goodness… farewell Gandalf."

He extended his hand which Gandalf took shaking it before he came over to me hugging me tightly hearing him whisper, "You shall have a few days, I'll see you in Rivendell when you're ready."

I tensed against his words but nodded all the same seeing Gandalf smile down at Bilbo one more time as Bilbo and I held hands beginning to walk to the Shire when he turned saying, "You, uh... you needn't worry about that ring, it fell out of my pocket during the battle. I lost it."

My eyes averted to Bilbo, he hadn't used it since the last time so I had to assume that was true at least I had hoped it was hearing Gandalf laugh saying, "You're a very fine person, Mr. Baggins and I'm very fond of you. But you're only quite a little fellow... in a wide world after all."

"I have Los, she helps make up for that." Bilbo said feeling him squeeze my hand as Gandalf nodded smiling one last time before he started walking the opposite direction from us.

Bilbo began pointing to different places telling me about them as we passed hobbits who looked towards me in utter fascination especially holding hands with Bilbo. He stopped overlooking a hill seeing lots of hobbits busy moving around seeing him look at the hobbit hole at the top of the hill with love.

"Bag End… we are home." He said looking up towards me making me smile as we began walking past a few hobbits hearing him say, "Wait… that's my mother's doil…"

He stopped as another hobbit walked by saying, "And that's my dining chair…"

I saw his face scrunch in frustration yelling, "Put that poof down!"

"What is going on?" I asked worried seeing a male hobbit look towards Bilbo saying, "Hello Mr. Bilbo… you're not supposed to be here."

"What do you mean?" Bilbo asked worried as he said nonchalantly, "On account, you're presumed to be dead and all."

I held back a laugh watching his face grow more frustrated letting go of my hand saying, "I am not dead, presumed or not."

He marched ahead of me hearing a man yelling realizing they were trying to auction off all of Bilbo's belongings. I ran up the hill after him as he pushed past all the hobbits while I maneuvered around them all.

"Stop!" Bilbo yelled coming up to his home seeing a bunch of his belongings all over the lawn.

"There has been a mistake!" Bilbo said seeing a woman with her hands full give him a dirty look saying, "Who are you?"

"What do you mean who am I, you know perfectly well who I am Lobelia Sackville-Baggins!" Bilbo said with much spite forcing me to stifle my laugh never seeing him so worked up.

"This is my home and those are my spoons." He said grabbing the silverware from the tray she carried handing them to me as all the hobbits looked on surprised.

"It's been more than thirteen months since your disappearance and if you're in fact Bilbo Baggins…" he began watching Bilbo point to himself looking at me embarrassed by all this while the man finished, "… and not dead like you are presumed to be can you prove it?"

"What?" he said shocked as the man said, "Well give me something official with your name on it."

Bilbo gave me an apologetic look handing me some of his belongings to hold digging through his pockets saying, "Alright a contract of employment for…"

He looked towards them all saying, "Never mind why but here it is my signature."

He began walking up to his door as the hobbits started putting his things down knowing they had no right to take it while the man said, "Yes it appears everything is in order…"

"Who is she supposed to be?" I heard the woman who Bilbo had a spat with yell seeing Bilbo turn towards her saying, "This is Lossëa my enda and this is our home so you better have everything returned by tonight."

I smiled warmly as I walked up with this things hearing the man say, "Who is this person you pledged your service to? Thorin Oakenshield?"

Bilbo and I stopped walking as he looked towards him sadly saying, "He was our friend…"

Bilbo moved so I could enter first seeing all the hobbits begin to scurry off as he closed the door looking into the now emptied house. There were some papers and portraits on the wall but otherwise the main area was ransacked.

"Unbelievable they thought I was dead… now I must round up everything they took. I'm so sorry Los I didn't anticipate this." Bilbo said embarrassed and ashamed but I shook my head with a smile saying, "It doesn't matter."