Hullo! Nice to see everyone again. AND NEW READERS! *shakes Angel of the Elves, and Rosie Cotton's hands vigorously* Pleased to meat you, RC and AotE! ;) I'm glad to have another Rosie-Sam-fan around! In fabulous company here. :)
Hehe, yes Shmallow, I must admit, I couldn't resist the second breakfast. Strider (luck guy) may not have known about it, but I figure hobbits would…*duh*…and I quite enjoyed putting that bit of PJ's comedy in. ;)
And yes, Sam is *the* ultimate sweety. *sigh* Betcha' no one but Rosie knows how lucky she is! Poor hobbit lasses, turning up their noses daily at "half-wise Gamgee". They have *no* idea how much darling Rosie lucked-out! Or Sam, for that matter! ;)
*grin* I'm sure glad you copied-down your review, Sarah, I like reading them! Hehe…Farmer Cotton's very understanding…though, it doesn't take a genius to figure out how Sam feels about Rosie, or visa-versa. And I also liked the part with the handkerchief, frankly. But really, what is a girl to do, when in love with a kind, darling, oh-so-sweet, but none-the-less shy hobbit like Sam? *shakes head* only Rosie. ;)
Oooooh thank you Angel of the Elves! It's nice to have another fan! ;) And I'm on your list! *blushes* Thank you SOOO much! :) :) :)
Hi Kellen! No, you're not the first to use 'cute' as a Rosie-Sam adj….thrice in a row. Take it from one who knows from personal experience! Though, I just looked it up in the Thesaurus, and found some very good ones there. Such as:
Sweet (that one gets used some too, though) charming, adorable, darling, delightful, pleasant, and likable.
Those are just a few I came up with, and now use for them two a lot! ;)
A pastor's daughter? Oh cool! I wonder, have you seen A Walk to Remember? Oooh you'd like it! Well, keep on reading, writing, and rambling! ;)
WOW, Rosie Cotton!…I wouldn't have guessed from you're name that you like Rosie and Sam! :P I'm glad you've enjoyed this so much so far!…man….but really, I don't deserve HALF of the those compliments! I just write Rosie and Sam as I interpret them from Peter Jakson, and Tolkien's betrayal of them.
I see Sam as shy (of course) but deep down, very brave. Full of a bravery he has no idea of. Around Rosie, he strikes me as a bashful hobbit, but not so timid that he's afraid to feel the way he does for her, and put it into practice.
Rosie, granted, wasn't in the books, and certainly not the movie much. But even so, I think, at least by what others say to Sam about her during the story, I get the impression that Rosie is just, plain, hopelessly in love with Sam. And even so, though she so obviously loves him so much, she isn't too forward, for Sam's sake. She's no flirt, but likes to ease Sam into a position where she can say what she thinks of him, and he feels free to do the same.
My overall take on them two, boils down to three things:
1. They are both in love
2. They handle their relationship quite well, considering their personalities
3. They are just, plain ADORIBLE!!!
Anywayz, long explanation for a simple point, which I could have said just by pointing out reason #3! ;)
I'm glad that you guys continue to enjoy this story! I hope you will to the end. Oh, and sorry that this one's a little short! :)
Here 'goes!
Chapter 4
The Night We Danced
"Nibs was furious." Sam sighed, leaning in a more comfortable position against the dirt wall. "But Jolly and young Tom thought it a wonderful joke, when we came back, soaking to the bone. Nick actually began to laugh while Mrs. Cotton fussed over us awhile, getting us dry. And Farmer Cotton had a good enough laugh over it, once we were dry. And so did you, Mr. Frodo."
Frodo grinned. "I must confess, when the tale was told, I found it quite amusing. The very fact you came to breakfast at Bag End with your hair plastered to your face, water making a ruckus in your shoes, and one of Mrs. Cotton's blankets around your shoulders, was enough to warrant a laugh, let alone the tale behind it."
Sam nodded, and let his friend laugh over his misfortunes awhile longer, unable to hold back his own smile at hearing him laugh at all.
"You know Sam." Frodo said, letting the last of his laughter die away. "Rosie is one good memory we both have in common. I had no idea 'till now what a comfort she really is."
"How do you mean, Mr. Frodo?"
"Well, Rosie has certainly made you feel happy and complete. That's why she's such a good memory to you."
"Aye." Sam sighed, leaning against the dirt wall behind him. "And what of you, Mr. Frodo? You don't mean to be telling me that *you* love Miss Rosie."
"Me? Oh no Sam. No, Rosie was only ever meant for you. But she still brings me happiness, if only for one reason; when she is around, you're fine with being yourself. You finally have what you want. All you want. And I just adore seeing you happy, Sam." he smiled, and for a little while, the familiar boyish qualities in him leaked out, making him look young and innocent again. But just a moment, and then he began to look uncharacteristically aged and care-worn.
"I do wish I could see you as happy again, Mr. Frodo." Sam admitted, leaning forward to look his friend in the eye. "I adore seeing you happy too."
Frodo sighed, inhaling the heavy fumes wafting from somewhere in Mordor's ashes. Making him wish more than ever to be in the Shire, if only for the clean air. "I wish I could be as happy again as well, Sam. But maybe- maybe when you see Rosie again, when I see your face light up like it always does at seeing her, maybe then I shall be happy again." he laughed slightly. "So you see, we *have* to get back to the Shire someday. Else was shall become boring old hobbits who take offense at laughter, such as the Bracegirtals, most of them leastwise, and Sackville-Bagginses." he leaned forward, looking deadly serious. "And we can't smile."
At this, Sam's face broke into a huge grin, which Frodo's frown slowly turned into, and two began to laugh again.
"Hobbitses tired!" Gollum's cranky voice came from the other side of the pit. "Hobbitses need rest!"
"We aren't tired." Sam snapped, glowering at the creature.
"We're tired! Poor Smé agol, can't sleep with talk of pretty hobbitses and hobbit's home. Gollumm gollumm. Let Smé agol sleep!"
Frodo stared blankly at Gollum a moment, and finally Sam spoke. "Was he a Bracegirtle once?" this earned him another laughing fit from Frodo, and Gollum turned sulkily towards the dirt wall again, laying a clammy hand over his pointed ear, and pressing the other ear to the wall.
Sam sighed, and watched the red orb that was meant to be a sun sink beyond the mountains of Mordor. "I wonder if she knew."
"What?" Frodo asked, turning to Sam, who was still watching the pale orange remains of the sun, as it continued to sink. The solitary streaks of color were the only things to be gained from a Mordor sunset, so Frodo turned to watch it as well.
"Rosie." Sam answered after a short while. "I wonder if somehow she knew I'd be off to an adventure. A dangerous one, at that."
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, the conversation we had at your Mr. Bilbo's party for one."
*****
Rosie sat down hard, breathing heavily, Sam collapsing beside her. "I have been- dancing *all* night!" she giggled. "I'm quite pleased you chose to dance with me, Sam. I was afraid you didn't want to."
"Oh, I daresay I did- but, well, I suppose I needed someone to push me in the right direction."
"And push you, Mr. Frodo did indeed!" she laughed. "I confess I was so pleased at being able to dance with you, I didn't notice 'till later how much he *pushed* you into it. Did you leave your seat at all when he threw you on the dance floor?"
Sam laughed, and leaned back on the soft grass. "Now that you've come to mention it, I believe he *did* throw me, at that, and glad I am of it! How else would I have worked up the courage to dance?"
"Perhaps you would not, in which case, he did indeed do the right thing!"
The two laughed again, and lay in the cool grass awhile, catching their breath. At that moment, a loud *BOOM* came from one of the tents off a ways. Sam and Rosie both sat up, staying completely frozen until the echo of the thunderous sound had subsided. "One of Gandalf's fireworks." Sam sighed in relief, leaning back again. But he wasn't relaxed long. After awhile, they heard people running and yelling, and over the tumult Frodo's voice could be heard calling, "Bilbo! It's a dragon!"
The two ran into the circle of running hobbits, and suddenly heard a great *WHOOSH* accompanied by a loud hissing. Sam dropped to the ground, pulling Rosie with him, and they lay there a moment as a fiery-red dragon went sweeping across the party.
It soared over the lake, and steered up into the sky. But once it had reached the peek of it's ascent, it burst into a thousand bright red rockets that exploded all around the hobbits, who, though still lying on the ground, were laughing now.
Sam pushed himself up, and helped Rosie to her feet. "Fireworks." he breathed, still shaking a bit. "I guess- I was right. Though, I don't think Gandalf should go about-" he glanced over at the bright tent that now sat smoldering in the grass, and saw two hobbits standing streaked with soot. "Oh!"
"What is it?" Rosie asked, following his gaze.
"Oh, it's merely Merry and Pippin. Might have guessed it was them." he and Rosie both shook their heads, laughing slightly, though not as heartily as usual, being still shaken up by the frightening firework.
"Sam," Rosie asked, as they moved to a table of food, unconsciously walking to the rhythm of the cheery music the temporarily frightened musicians had resumed. "Are you afraid of dragons?"
Sam turned to her, surprised by the question, but in no doubt of it's answer. "Yes."
She looked thoughtful a moment. "You shouldn't be. Why should you?"
"Why shouldn't I? They're huge, and dangerous, and breath fire and- well why shouldn't I fear them?"
"Because you have something that they don't have." Rosie pointed out, looking over at him. "No hobbit, no human, no elf, no dragon. None of them will ever have what you've got."
"And what have I got?" Sam asked, bewildered.
"You have a brave heart."
"I'm not brave, Rosie. I'm really not!" Sam pushed his point decisively, but Rosie was already shaking her head.
"You're brave in your heart, Sam. In your *heart*. Perhaps you wouldn't be able to conquer a dragon single-handed without reason, but if that dragon attacked Mr. Frodo, you would do anything you could. I know it. Because you're brave enough to overcome fear in order to save the ones you love." she smiled, and lay a hand on his forearm.
"I don't feel brave." he admitted, turning a little red.
"No, perhaps you don't." she agreed, "But when the time comes, Sam Gamgee, you will do whatever you need to, no matter what the cost. Bravery or no, you *will* do it."
There was silence awhile, while they stood, watching the party carry on, to a cheerful tune. All the hobbits had returned to the dance-floor, though Gandalf couldn't be spotted in them, and Sam assumed that he had gone to deal with the wayward Merry and Pippin.
Frodo stood up from a circle of other hobbits in the middle of a dance, but paused long enough to smile reassuringly at Sam, then whirled about, clasped hands with Yarrow, and the two danced off into the fray. It had given Sam courage, though, and he looked over at Rosie, and smiled softly.
"Thank you Rosie. Though I doubt very much that should ever need such bravery."
She smiled back. "Maybe not. But it's there. Always there."
*****
"Always there. Always there. Always there."
Sam shook his head as the words echoed in it over and over. Frodo looked at him curiously. "But that was years ago."
"I know that, Mr. Frodo, I know." he sighed. "But Rosie never gave me advice before, I know that too. And then there's what she said to me. Last of all, what she said before I came to Bag End, and Gandalf found me and had me leave with you. I can remember her words as though they were yesterday."
*****