Author's Note: This story is a bit AU, so don't get on me about the departure from the original timeline. It's in two chapters simply for pacing, it's not very long. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it.
By Sangwaelen
Frodo Baggins was sitting in front of a fire in Bag End, warming his toes. His friend's tiny daugther, Elanor, crawled next to his chair and reached towards him.
"Ah, little maid. Up you go!" Frodo picked up the golden haired bundle and bounced her on his knee. He had always loved children, though he never had any of his own. Frodo smiled and touched her nose. She looked up at him, her brown eyes wide, and hiccupped purposefully. Suddenly, the fire popped loudly, and Elanor began to wail. "Shh, shhh, little maid," he said, using his pet name for her. "Don't you cry, it was only a noise. You're already quite like your father, you know. Perhaps a good story will quiet you down." Without even realizing it, Frodo began to reminisce aloud about times long past.
Frodo had been a resident of Bag End for less than a year, but he had already formed a fast friendship with the gardner's young son, Samwise. The day was bright and the two were enjoying the sunshine in the yard of the large smial.
"Mr. Frodo, what d'you think that is, coming down the road?" Sam asked, squinting in the sunlight. Frodo looked where Sam was pointing and jumped up off the grass.
"Why, I think it's a cart, and if I'm not mistaken, the driver is wearing a pointy blue hat!" Frodo ran down the road to meet the visitor. Sam didn't know the significance of the unusual headware, but followed after Frodo all the same. Both hobbits soon reached the slow moving cart, and Sam heard saw two twinkling eyes beneath a large hat.
"Gandalf!" Frodo cried, climbing up next to the famed wizard. "I knew it was you!" The old man shook his head and laughed.
"And who might that little hobbit lad be?" He asked, pointing down to Sam, who wasn't quite big enough to climb into the cart alone.
"Samwise Gamgee, at yer service, sir." Sam felt very small underneath Gandalf's kind eyes.
"Well, I don't seem to be the one in need of service, now, do I. Frodo, help the young Samwise up here. I wouldn't want to miss out on what he has to say."
"I'm sorry, Sam," Frodo said as he leaned over and held out a hand. "I sometimes forget how little you are." Soon the trio was slowly on their way back to Bag End. "So, Gandalf, don't tell me that you have fireworks underneath that old tarp."
"All right, I won't," Gandalf said with a wink. Sam twisted his head around as far as he could to see them, but all he saw was an old grey tarp, like Frodo had said. "And I also won't tell you that they will be going off tomorrow to celebrate a very special occasion." "And what occasion might that be, Mr. Gandalf?" Sam piped up, having finally found his voice.
"Why, my arrival, young Samwise. What else?"
