Potatoes Plenty

Frodo sat in the kitchen at Bag End, washing up the dishes leftover from breakfast. He had, of course, not been able to finish all of it, therefore he was forced to throw most of it away. Sam was a great cook, and he hated to waste it all, but it wasn't like he could eat so much! Frodo sighed and decided to pull out his pipe. Lifting himself up from the chair, he noticed a sack of potatoes leaning merrily against the oven. Frodo smiled and shook his head. Sam had made up needing to go to the market! Frodo grinned to himself and pulled a couple out of the bag. He was no chef, but he at least could make some mashed potatoes for Sam when he arrived home from his trip.

Sam and Rosie continued down the path, every piece of the day bursting at the fullest. The leaves green, the breeze cool, the sun bright, the clouds cheery. If it were not for the fact that Sam was with Rosie he probably would have started singing a song. But Sam, being himself, would rather kick a whole patrol of sleeping orcs.

"Samwise?" Rosie asked. Sam, who had been looking at the trees with a little more interest than he usually did, turned his head to look at Rosie.

"Yes?" He replied. He tried hard not to loose himself in the deep pools of her eyes. 'Her strangely attractive eyes, and her smooth and pink lips, and her silky hair.' Sam stopped himself then and there, trying to contain another blush.

"Would you care to join me for dinner tomorrow?" She asked without any hesitation or stuttering. Just a smile and a hopeful look on her face. Sam often wished he could do that.

Sam, taken aback by the sudden offer, failed to hide his blush. But, thinking and talking quickly, he responded, "Of course, Rose! I would be delighted to! I've often ho-" Sam stopped himself again and went (if possible) a deeper shade of red.

Rosie laughed and said, "Wonderful! I will tell mother and father about it today!"

Sam then noticed that he had approached Rosie's home. Time seemed to pass quickly, but also last an eternity. Rosie's home was a snug hole on a fairly tall hill. The door was a deep shade of blue with a gold design painted delicately on. There many windows poking out as well, and it seemed like an elegant, proper, and perfect home. Orderly but still comfortable.

"Well, I suppose we part now." Sam said lamely, trying desperately to think of something to say.
Rosie let go of Sam's hand, and he wished immediately that he was still holding it. She opened the wooden gate, but then turned her head around to face Sam and gave him a radiant smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Samwise." She said, and turned to walk through.

Before Sam knew what he was doing, he called out, "Please, call me Sam!"

Rosie turned around again, a little surprised but still smiling. "Okay, Sam, I'll see you tomorrow." And she walked into her yard and disappeared behind the blue door.

Sam stood stunned there for quite awhile. His face with a shocked expression and his heart beating as rapidly as a galloping horse's hooves. Finally, he blinked several times and smiled. Rosie had invited him to dinner at her house, and she had held his hand while taking a long walk. Sam grinned while he started home, whistling his favorite song and absorbing in the sunny day.

Sam opened the door to Bag End and walked into the darkness. The windows let in plenty of light, but the brightness of the sun had temporarily blinded him in the sudden change of light. Sam immediately smelt a wonderful aroma drifting through the hole. Walking into the kitchen, Sam saw Frodo sitting calmly down at the table with an enormous bowl of mashed potatoes in the middle of the table. Alongside it there were several boiled and fried platters of potatoes sitting next to two empty bowls.

"Lunch!" Frodo said brightly, motioning Sam to sit down.

Sam cracked a smile and said, "Mr. Frodo, I didn't realize."

"Not another word, Sam!" Frodo said smiling at Sam as he sat down. "I thought that you would be rather hungry after your pointless trip to the market, so I made you a little lunch."

Sam looked at the potatoes and exclaimed, "This is little? You must've made enough for three half-starved hobbits here!"

Frodo waved his hand as to dismiss the idea, "Never, Sam! But now I realize that you were to visit Rosie Cotton! Dear me!" Frodo hit his forehead in mock surprise. "I have delayed you even longer, dearest Sam!"

Sam blushed at the mention of Rosie and looked down at his bowl. "Well.Mr. Frodo. I don't really need to see Rose today."

Frodo immediately said, "Now, Sam, you want to visit her and you WILL visit her even if I have to drag you there myself!"

Sam, now feeling very lucky and extremely flustered, lifted his head and smiled. "On the way home from the market I happened to run into Rose."

Frodo gave a laugh and leaned back in his chair. "Sam, you are the luckiest hobbit in the Shire at this moment! Do you know how many hobbits worship the ground she walks on? Of course, including you."

Sam blushed at his own luck and bowed his head again, this time a grin he couldn't fight back on his lips.

Frodo stopped laughing and then looked at Sam. "Sam, do you really realize the number of guys who will be after your head?"

Sam thought carefully, and then realized that he was in trouble. Rosie was possibly the most beautiful and loved hobbit maiden in the Shire. He recalled at Bilbo's infamous party how many wished to dance with her or even speak to her. It never really occurred to Sam until now how unpopular he'd become for even mentioning Rosie walking with him. Once, a lucky fellow had managed to kiss her hand and instantly there had been a stampede at her door to merely catch a glimpse of her.

Sam there got a worried look on his face, then said, "I am the popular one, aren't I?"
Frodo leaned forward and dished up some potatoes. "Well, Sam, if you're going to end up murdered you might as well try these potatoes I made. I tried to follow the recipe but I'm dreading the results!"

"Coming!" Sam called and rushed down the hallway to answer the door. It was evening now and around dinner time. Sam had finally finished his gardening and, in his opinion, looked a great deal better than it had before. There had been several weeds trying to invade the daisies' space, but with his own hands he had taken care of the problem.

Sam opened the door and to his joy Merry and Pippin stood in the doorway with identical grins on their faces. .

"Sam!" Pippin said.

"Merry! Pippin!" Sam shouted, giving them both a one-armed hug. "It's been too long!"

Pippin stood up. "Where's Frodo?"

"FRODO!!" Merry shouted, and immediately Frodo was dashing down the hallway.

"What on earth?" Frodo's angry look vanished upon seeing his cousins and he yelled and rushed at them, hugging them both with a smile. "Merry! Pippin! You're back You're here!"

It had been nearly four months since they had seen each other. Pippin and Merry had taken another journey to Rivendell to visit the elves. Sam and Frodo had missed their weekly trips and were delighted to see them again.

"What? Why are you here so suddenly?" Frodo said, thrilled to see them again.

They made their way to the kitchen, Merry saying, "Well, we would've been here earlier today, if it hadn't been for little Pip-squeak here!" Pippin put on a goofy grin at his mention while Merry glared at him. "He spent at least two hours at the inn in Bree flirting with the girls again!"

Pippin smiled and said, "It's traditional now! Every time I pass there I must do so or my morals will be crushed!"

Merry ignored him and went on, "It was absolutely disgusting! Several of these hobbit maids hanging off his neck and laughing at every stupid joke he told! All I could do was try and hide behind my mug and keep from puking! "
Pippin gave Merry a friendly shove and sat down at the table, "Oh, you're just jealous because none of them would fancy you! I'm just too dang cute!"

Frodo then said, while pouring everyone a cup of tea, "Well, Pippin isn't the only one who has a way with the ladies!"

Sam blushed and hastily said, "Mr. Frodo, I don't think you need to."

But Frodo spoke louder, drowning out Sam's pleads, "Sam today took a nice long stroll with Rosie Cotton today!"
Instantly Merry and Pippin began to whoop and clap, slapping Sam's back and shaking him.

"Oh, Sam, you flirting scum!" Pippin said.

"You're the next Pippin! Dear, Frodo, what're we going to do with TWO of them now!?" Merry said.

Frodo laughed and replied, "I don't know, we'll have to get used to Sam traveling to bars and."

"You know I'd never do that." Sam said meekly, bright red and getting embarrassed.

"Not a worry, Sam!" Pippin said, putting his arm around Sam and saying, "I'll teach you all you need to know about ladies and how to win them!"

Sam flustered even more at this and stuttered, "I'm quite alright, thanks."

But Frodo wasn't satisfied yet, "And! Even better, he's going to have a nice dinner at her house tomorrow evening!"

Merry and Pippin laughed and cheered even louder while Sam tried to hide within himself. But, he couldn't help but crack a small smile.

"See, Sam? You love it as well as we do!" Merry said, leaning in his chair. "Oh, Samwise and Rosie, eh? Perfect couple! We've got to get the wedding day set soon!"

Sam turned to Merry, "Wedding day? Merry I don't think."

Pippin clapped Sam on the back, "Sam you KNOW you want to marry Rosie!"

"Well, I don't deny."

"And you KNOW you want to spend the rest of your life with her!"

"I could say so."

"And you would be MORE than willing to share your love and your bed wi-"

Sam's face sunk to a dark shade of red and burst in, saying, "I just can't jump to a conclusion! I haven't even gone to the dinner yet!"

Merry laughed and leaned closer in, "Did she hold your hand?"

Sam would've paid anything to vanish from the spot. "Well, yes."

Merry grabbed an apple from the fruit basket in the middle of the table and took a bite, saying, "Did you ask her to walk or did she ask you?"

"She didn't really ask, she sort of implied."

Pippin asked, "Did she give you that warm smile that just oozes love and compassion?"

"I suppose so."

"Yep! She's all over you!" Pippin concluded, then added, "Frodo, can you break open a barrel of ale? I need a drink!"

Frodo nodded and dashed off. Merry said, "Tell us when the marriage date is. Oh, and try to make it sometime in the spring. Wonderful time of year, it is! All green with blossoms on the trees. A beautiful fragrance in the air. You just can't beat spring!!"

Pippin stole Merry's apple and took a large bite, then handed it back to Merry, "Spring's a good time, but I say summer. It's all sunny and the leaves are all green. "
"Oh, come on, Pip!" Merry argued, "Spring's great because it's not too hot and not too cold!"

"Merry, you know that summer's right because everything is all green and you know Sam's favorite color is green!"

Sam opened his mouth, "Actually, it's."

Frodo then walked in with four mugs of foamy ale balanced in his hands, saying, "Anyone thirsty?"