Hamfast smiled to himself as he started down Bagshot Row. They were almost home. The sun was starting to peek out over the hills, bringing on a new day. Hamfast was glad to finally be away from Simon. Sighing with content, he pulled up in front of his home; it had been a long night.

Climbing down from his seat, Hamfast looked back in the cart, at Sam. Sam was nestled in blankets, sleeping soundly. He groaned sleepily as Hamfast picked him up. Opening his eyes, he looked around. Sighing, he wrapped his arms around his father's neck, and relaxed in his father's arms. He had missed his home and his family… and now, he was just glad to be back.

Bell Gamgee sleepily cracked some eggs, causing their golden contents to fall into a frying pan. She always woke up early to make breakfast for her family, but today, she was exhausted; she had stayed up late the previous night, waiting for her husband. She hoped he wasn't too late, especially for work. Sure, Bilbo was nice enough if Hamfast was late, but he didn't work only for Bilbo, and some of the other hobbits weren't as understanding…

Hearing something outside, she glanced out the window. A smile grew on her lips; he was home. Curious about where he had been, she hurried out to greet him. She saw him carrying Sam, and paused in the doorway.

Shaking her head and smiling playfully, she told Hamfast, "If you've had him out all night, no wonder he's tired."

"I don't know all of what happened," he told her, shaking his head. "But he's not well…"

"Oh," she said, her smiled fading. "Well," she moved out of the way, "bring him on inside."

~~~~~

Frodo felt a little better after a nice, comfortable night, in his own bed. And was cheered a bit by the sun streaming in through his window. His stomach started grumbling, making him suddenly aware of just how hungry he was. Ignoring the pounding in his head, he pushed back his blankets.

At that moment, Bilbo walked in, carrying a tray of food. He shook his head and smiled, "No, no, you sit back for now."

Frodo leaned back against the head of the bed, "But…"

"Ah," Bilbo quieted him. "You've been through a lot the past couple of days, and I think it would be better if you stayed in bed." Frodo crossed his arms and pretended to pout. "Only for today," Bilbo added. Remembering the tray in his hands, he took it over to Frodo, "You didn't eat much a few hours ago, and I thought you might be hungry."

The sweet smell of everything on the trayed teased Frodo's appetite. His eyes lit up and he nodded, "Yes, I am very hungry. Thank you, Bilbo." He picked at the food with interest. "I suppose if I must stay in bed for today, may I please have a book to read?"

"Yes, yes, of course," Bilbo nodded. "What would you like?"

Frodo thought a moment. "An adventure story, of course," he said with a smile. "Something I haven't read, yet. Or perhaps," his smile grew and he got a knowing look in his eye, "you might tell me of your adventure again…"

Bilbo smiled; he knew Frodo loved hearing his tale. "We shall see…" he said.

Frodo chuckled and popped some bacon into his mouth. That answer was good enough, it usually meant 'yes'. But then he thought of something else, and the smile left his face, "I'm still worried about Sam…"

"Frodo, I told you, you don't need to worry," Bilbo assured him. "I'm sure he's fine…"

Frodo nodded; Bilbo was probably right. "Where are Merry and Pippin?" he asked curiously.

Bilbo shrugged, "They left after you went back to sleep. Probably up to some mischief, no doubt."

"How about Saradoc?" Frodo asked.

"He went home, to Buckland," Bilbo said, smiling. "He simply came to drop off Merry and Pippin."

"Oh!" Frodo said, surprised. "I thought he was going to stay."

"Well, he could have, but he was expected to be back home soon…" Bilbo informed him. "Now, how about listening…" to Frodo's delight, he started telling the story of his adventure…

~~~~~

Later that afternoon, Sam was wide awake, though he still felt pretty bad. After assuring his family that he was alright, he told them the whole story of the trip he and Frodo had taken. "…and that's why I was with Simon," he told them. "Frodo wanted to come and get you…"

Once he had heard the story, Hamfast left to do his gardening. It took him until early evening, but finally, he had only one garden left to tend. Walking up to Bag End, he tried to sort out his thoughts.

Yes, Frodo was only trying to help, but he should have been more responsible with his decision. After all, he left Sam with someone who obviously could not be trusted. If, at the beginning of the trip, Sam hadn't been feeling well, Frodo could have turned back. He also should have turned back when he noticed the sky getting dark and cloudy.

He knocked on the door to Bag End. He didn't think it was right to be angry with someone from one of his employers' family. He wasn't exactly angry with Frodo, but he wished Frodo had been more responsible about the whole thing. Bilbo answered the door, "Hello Mister Bilbo," Hamfast greeted. "I'm sorry for being so late today, but I think you know about Sam…"

Bilbo nodded, "Yes, I do. I hope he's alright…"

"Yes," Hamfast nodded. "He is."

"That's good," Bilbo said with a sigh. He smiled, "Frodo's been worried all day."

"Well, I just wanted to say I was sorry for bei--"

"Nevermind," Bilbo told him. "It's getting late, and you should be home. The garden can wait until tomorrow, if you'd like…"

Hamfast stared at him, relief showing on his face, "Yes, that would be nice. Thank you, sir."

Bilbo smiled and nodded, "Goodnight, Hamfast."

Hamfast nodded, then turned and walked away. Well, that was a relief. He was still tired after having been up all night. So, Frodo had been worried, eh? Well, that didn't prove much. Of course, he liked Frodo, and he was glad Frodo and Sam were friends. After all, he certainly was a nice enough lad. But maybe… maybe he should try to keep Sam away from Frodo… for a little while, at least… until Frodo proved he could be a little more responsible…

~~~~~

To Be Continued…