Jaid Skywalker: Sam and Rosie are a cute couple, aren't they? I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope I won't disappoint.
Darkness: Jo, Ok, I have no idea what was up with your review; are you pretending to be Sam or just being yourself? Hah! But thanks for reviewing, friend.
Aemilia Rose: Hi! I checked out your story and it's terrific! I look forward to chapters to come. Readers, go and take a look, it's really sweet!
A/N: Personally, I think my writing standard is deteriorating. If you have any constructive suggestions, they're more than welcome!
Sam scrambled up from beneath his rumpled blanket and ran eagerly to his bedroom window. The sight of the clear skies delighted him and the shafts of golden sunlight slanting onto his face enticed him to partake of the fresh new day. He wriggled in sweet anticipation as he recalled a promise his father had made the night before.
"Papa! Let's go!" Running down the hall, he almost fell into the kitchen in his eagerness.
Laughing, he received a soothing pat on his head and a fond pinch on his cheek.
"We haven't et breakfast yet. We'll go to the park for second breakfast soon enough."
"Oh, all right." Sam pouted and plonked himself at his place. He stirred his oatmeal sulkily, then gingerly lifted a spoonful to his mouth. Slurping it hungrily, his impatience was soon forgotten in the all-absorbing activity of filling his tummy, which, in all fairness, been deprived of a night's worth of activity. After a loaf of bread or two, he gazed appealingly at Gamgee, who was contentedly partaking of his twentieth stack of pancakes.
"Needs some more butter." He muttered and promptly smothered the cakes in the creamy yellow substance, before carefully drizzling them with a jug of maple syrup.
"Papa…"
"Now don't rush me, like." Gamgee let out a huge belch. Mrs. Gamgee held her nose and turned from where she was packing a mind-boggling assortment of sandwiches for the picnic.
"Dear…"
"Sorry."
*-
Rosie bounced up and down on the smooth wooden seat, hardly able to suppress her excitement. Next to her, Farmer Gamgee calmly transferred both reins to one hand with the ease of long practise and chuckled.
"Now, Rosie lass, we're just going to the market. There's no call for gettin' all twitterpatted."
"Oh, daddy, but I've never been there before. Will there be lots of hobbit-folk?"
"No more than usual. Of course, you might see Mr. Bilbo. Now he's a queer one. That fella's never been the same since he returned. Mark my words, lassie," Farmer Cotton shook his head with the air of one well-versed in such matters, "No good ever came of havin' adventures and no good ever will."
"But daddy?"
"Yes, love?"
"Why do we have to take the cart? Market ain't too far from our home, ain't it?"
"Look behind you. You think those boys are gonna walk quietly all the way? Most prob'ly they'll run off the road and climb trees whiles we two try to pull 'em down. No siree, I'm not gonna let them escape."
He glanced over his shoulder at the back of the cart, where a hearty wrestling match was in full swing. The boys swarmed over each other, experimenting with a variety of different holds, kicks, pummels and moves which would have made any referee go green in the face.
"Tom, Jolly, Nick, Nibs! You sit down like and behave yourself." The boys untangled themselves from the confused mess of limbs and instantly were pictures of abject submission.
"Good." Cotton sighed and focused his attention back onto the road. Once he had turned, however, a wondrous commotion ensued.
They soon approached the market and Cotton swung down, holding out his arms for his little daughter. Then he turned and gave the boys the evil eye as they trooped down laughingly, oblivious to their fuming father.
"Daddy," Little Rosie cried disappointedly. "There's nobody here."
"Well, I'll be." Just then, a roll of thunder assaulted their steps. "I guess it looks like rain. I didn't take much notice of what the sky wuss like." As it was, memorising his wife's shopping list had more than stretched the limits of his mental capacity. Failing to note a trivial point such as the weather condition was entirely understandable for the harrassed hobbit.
"We'd best take shelter under that there shop front." So saying, he led his merry little brood to under the grocer's front window canopy.
*-
Sam groaned dismally as he watched the clouds, so white and plump moments before, fade into a hazy darkness. He cast an exasperated glance at his father, who was downing yet another cup of coffee. Gamgee caught his eye and winked.
"Don't worry, Sam, it'll clear up soon enough." In a state of complacent bliss, Gamgee staggered to his feet, puffing slightly due to effort.
"That was a beautiful breakfast, dear." He added, placing a voluble smack on Mrs. Gamgee's cheek before linking arms with her. "And now it's time for second breakfast. Trot out the hamper, dearie and let's go!"
"But won't it rain?" whined Sam.
"Nah!" Scoffed Gamgee. "I've had a many years gardening and I've learned to read the signs right. You're still a little miter, lad, not yet five."
:But my birthday's coming soon: thought Sam, cheering up at the reminder. "If you're sure, Papa." He stole another nervous glance at the gloomy mass hovering above.
"Your Papa is sure to be right, laddie. Why, I remember the time when we were courting. I was sure it was going to be sunshine all day but your papa.." Mrs. Gamgee launched into a well-cherished reminiscence and took Sam's hand. Then, all three headed for the 'park', a smooth bit of grass with a weathered oak tree in its midst, sheltering all who deigned to have a bit of a frolic under its spreading branches. Sam skipped along, hoping to make friends with some nice hobbit children he had seen there playing a week ago.
*-
"Papa," Little Sam cried disappointedly, "There's nobody here." Gamgee scratched his head in puzzlement. Just then, lightning flashed in the sky and fat raindrops came pelting down, drenching the family of hobbits.
"Well, I'll be." Was all Gamgee could say as his walking stick blew away. Mrs. Gamgee convulsed in a fit of laugher, holding her aching sides as tears poured down her cheeks.
"Well, Hamfast. Looks like you were wrong for once." She gasped, as she straightened up. Then she swept Sam up in her arms and started running towards the Grocer's.
"We'd best take shelter under that there shop front." She called to Gamgee. "Come on!"
Jolted from his stunned reverie, he quickly came to his senses and hurriedly joined his wife in her frantic sprint towards shelter.
