Disclaimer: AU Story. My third large LOTR fic. I can't stop! None of the characters or settings are mine. They all belong to Tolkien. I wish I were related to Tolkien, don't you? It would be so cool! Oh, and the plot here is derived from my own imagination. Hope you enjoy.

Shirebound: Really pleased that you are enjoying this! And I am also pleased that you started another story. Hooray! It is just so beautiful

Crazytook: Tisk, tisk! Aragorn the meddler. Honestly. I know, I'm a bit of a depressing person. I have not cut my hair since I was six but I just did it yesterday. I was excited at that. It's depressing. But yay- you like! Poor Frodo...

Koko Kung: Oh hush up! Stop putting yourself down and write! There will be more Mez and Pipz appearing soon. It's up to them to burrow down and find the lighter side of this story- if there is one. Hugs to you and Yum-Yum!

MagicalRachel: *grumble* You never told me about that fic before and it was fantastic! No, I cannot kill Frodo- I value your reviews too much. I never have written a death fic (well, I've written several near-to-death-aka- poison fics) and I doubt I'll ever have to courage to. I think you're right- the two fics are separate. Yours is just so good! Woohoo- is halfterm that near? Yay!

TrueFan: Lotta rambles- yay! Teehee. Yeah, I like braiding people's hair...the people don't but I do. I also play with people's ears but that's different. As I said, Mez and Pipz will be appearing more often, yes. My email, btw, is pinkskittlessociety@hotmail.com- I'll send you a message

????: Elanor did have blue eyes. Her title is Elanor the Fair. I got something right! I am so glad you like Ematen. I reckon in the southern realms, they're being taught that the Fellowship were pretty damn heroic. Well, I'm sure that Aragorn saw to it. :-) The Evil Old Woman is a fanfic author here and she is renowned for her criticism. She is scary, man! Not unjust, just scary. I liked Arwen's character in the movie, yes. Replacing Glorfindel was not great but I don't think she ruined or changed anything. No, I'm not Liv Tyler's biggest fan. My friend says she looks like a duck.

Elf of Rivendell: *Amanda Burton-style smile* All will be revealed soon, my friend. The quest...whatever it is...will soon come to light.

Tiggivon: Thank you! I am delighted that you're enjoying it!

79 reviews?? Whoa! Plus, I have finally downloaded the Return of the King countdown from Countdown.com. It has a pic of Frodo and Sam in Barad-Dur! Not only that but I found a pic of Frodo holding up the phial of Galadriel in Shelob's lair- it is fantastic! Email me if you would like the link. Oh yes and anyone who loves Sam and Frodo non-slash fics, visit Skye on FF.net and read Webs of Madness and Can the Heart Forget? They are truly magnificent!

~ Chapter Fourteen ~

Aragorn could hear voices in his head. They were driving him forward. He could not remember rest. Just a constant urging winding round and round his mind, forcing him ahead, screaming so loudly that he thought it would shake him from Brégo's back. But on his rode. Faster and faster. The mouths of the Entwash stretched out before him, their silvery tails curving away to the western horizon. The sky was grey and there was a faint rumbling. It began to hail later that morning. It was the twenty-sixth day. The time was failing for passage to the north. Frost's chill hand would be crawling towards him right now and he would be trapped. And he would not make it through. He would not make it to the Shire.

--

Frodo took the tea gratefully from Emáten's hand and gulped down the hot liquid. He kept his eyes on the table. He could not meet the gaze of his friends. Sam sat nearby, refusing to speak of such matters and concentrating only on his breakfast. But it sent shivers down his spine and throbbed in his head. Rosie was washing up- or attempting to. She had broken two plates already with her shaking hands. At last, she could stand it no longer. She put her elbows on the sink edge and rested her head in her hands, letting out a great sigh. Frodo shook his head.

"I'm- I'm sorry," he said very quietly.

"There's naught to be sorry for, Mister Frodo," Sam said sharply, before either his wife or Emáten could say more. But Rosie turned on him angrily.

"Stop lying to him, Samwise! He's got to know sooner or later!"

Emáten bristled but said nothing. He knew what Sam was feeling. He knew and he pitied him. Sam did not speak either. Frodo was looking at them both in wonder. Rosie's eyes were blazing as she glared at her husband and Sam merely averted his gaze.

"Tell me what?" Frodo whispered.

Rosie opened her mouth but Sam stopped her.

"Don't you dare!" he cried, voice cracking. He got to his feet and pointed a finger at her. "Don't do it. He don't have to know, ever. Do you want him to go through it all again? Want him to get ill every year until he can't go on no longer? I'm not losing Frodo to that Thing again."

There were unshed tears in his eyes and he was trembling now. He let in a quavering breath, waiting. But Rosie shook her head.

"Something this big can't stay hidden forever, Sam. Would you rather he heard it from someone else?"

"You weren't there!" Sam cried. His voice was high now and the tears were flowing unchecked down both cheeks. "You didn't see all that darkness! Didn't see what he became! He was someone else! And I swore that once I got him home I'd look after him proper. I failed him so many times out there and I paid for it fair enough. We got home. After all that toil and pain we made it! But It haunted us the rest of our lives and he was not my master. He was the hobbit I failed! And he had to leave for the Undying Lands because of it. But now both him and me have been given another chance! And we don't need that wretched Thing to go on living a normal life. He's back. And I won't let you take that chance away!"

Frodo was looking up at his friend. He felt a deep foreboding growing inside him. A dark memory flowing round the edges of mind like an impassable moat. And he did not want to jump into those evil waters and find out what secret that contained. Then Emáten was leading him away and up the stairs. He glanced back to see Sam sitting on his chair once more, head buried in his hands and Rosie at his side.

Upstairs, the man guided him back into his room and sat him down on the bed. Emáten closed the door behind him and then went to sit beside him.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "But I could not bear to see them argue over you like that."

"I know. I must have been very special to Sam once," Frodo replied, a little distantly.

"You are still special to him, sir. Did you not see how angry he got- to protect you?"

"Not me, Emáten," Frodo said sadly, "I'm not the same hobbit as he knew once. I left behind someone very special. Someone who meant something. I'm just a strange new arrival in the Shire," he finished with a smirk. But it faded from his lips. The man felt at a loss. This was the Ringbearer, he knew that. But he still agreed with Sam. Why cause Frodo pain when it could be avoided?

"No. You are still Frodo Baggins. You are still Sam's best friend."

"I think Rosie was right," the hobbit said, "I think Sam should have told me. Without those memories- I'm not the same. I cannot bring anything to light. I do not want to know what it is they speak of. The thing that brought me so much pain and makes Sam so angry. But I know that eventually, I will need to. It- it's as if the memory of that one thing is the key to all the others. Just with its name I will be able to recall all the other things too. But now, I've only a scatter of people and places from the past. Emáten," he said, turning to the man beside him, his blue eyes pleading, " Emáten, I don't want to have to forge a whole new existence when I already have one. I do not want to go through my life with the knowledge that there is so much that I have forgotten. Emáten, please...can you tell me?"

"No, sir. I cannot. I told Sam that I would not. And...I think that if anyone was to tell you of your past, then it would be Sam, not me."

Frodo sighed heavily.

"I suppose then I shall never know. And I will go on making people unhappy and resentful because of me. I remember doing that before. Thousands of people...hating me. All across the world. Hating me more than anyone else."

"But you also made millions more happy. Made them smile and be glad. Frodo, I hold a great respect for you. Above all others. And so do my kin. Maybe...maybe if you went there- to my home- then a few more memories would come back. And you would not have to hear of- well, the Thing. Would you come? Back with me to the South?" Emáten asked hopefully.

"Yes," the hobbit said with a smile, "That would be wonderful. I do not know what Sam would think- but yes. If it would help bring back any memories then it is for the best."

Emáten sighed inwardly. This may be the answer to many questions. It would take Frodo's mind off the more pressing matters. It was an idea. And anything that might save the Ringbearer's mind was worth every step.