Title:  Curving Paths

            Rating: PG-13 (Just to be on the safe side...Probably mostly PG)
           

            Disclaimer: I am not, and do not claim to be, at all associated with J.R.R. Tolkien, the brilliant author of Lord of the Rings, whose characters I am borrowing temporarily.

            Time Period: Mid to late 1420 of the Third Age, by Shire Reckoning.

            Additional Note: This is a revised version of the previous draft of the story.  The plot has remained intact, for the most part; I have simply made a few adjustments so that everything fits into canon a bit more smoothly.

            SPECIAL NOTE: As of September 8, 2003, several parts of this story have been notably revised, even more so than this last note indicated.  My chapters are quite short, so if you did read them at any time before this date, I would suggest going back to look them through, if only briefly.  Though I would recommend looking at them all, as all have been adjusted, though some only to a minor degree, I would also say that Chapters Five, Six, Seven, and perhaps Ten have been especially changed.  None of the change is major in the least, but I believe the revisions do give the story better direction and consistency. 

            Also, I hope none of you are frightened off by this chapter. Trust me when I say I do not mean to veer away from canon when it comes to hobbit marriages and such.  There is still more to this fic left to go.

            I hope to have the next few chapters out soon.  Please don't forget to review with your impressions and opinions. They mean a great deal to me.  And now for the story…

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            To Frodo's surprise, Pippin soon joined Jasmine, standing beside her with one possessive arm around her waist.  Clearly this wasn't the clandestine meeting he had at first suspected.

            Sam and Rose had slipped out, he saw, probably at Pippin's request.  Leading the couple to the table,  he drew a silent breath.  He hated the bad blood that lay between Pippin and himself and desperately hoped he could work things out without having to drive his friend further away.

            Once they were situated, Pippin began, "Frodo, the first thing we'd like to do is apologize." Jasmine nodded, her hand clasped in Pippin's, while Frodo's brows raised at his choice of words. We'd like to apologize?

            "We haven't been entirely honest with you, and we're afraid that this has caused some…undue confusion and anxiety on your part."

            Frodo's face must have betrayed his bewilderment, and Pippin continued with much chagrin, "I knew about Jasmine's letter, Frodo."

            "You knew?" his surprised cousin exclaimed loudly, "Why would you purposefully deceive me about such a thing?  And how could you know and still-and still-"

            "And still care for Jasmine? Because, Frodo, I watched her write it."

            Jasmine cut it in, pulling her hand from Pippin's supportive grip in order to gesture as she spoke. "Mr. Baggins, you must understand.  The lass I wrote to in that letter, and the lasses I mentioned, I was close to them once." She paused and gazed at Pippin as she continued, "But not anymore. Those words, they were false.  I only wrote them because they were what Bella and the others expected of me."

            "But why?" Frodo questioned, still thoroughly puzzled.  "If you are no longer friends, then why the pretence?"

            Jasmine lowered her head at this, her face coloring for a moment, and a nagging suspicion that Pippin had fabricated this story to protect Jasmine's honor began to cloud Frodo's thoughts. 

            "Do you remember what you said to me yesterday, Mr. Baggins? That I was different than the others?" At his slight nod, she said in a hushed voice, "Well, it's the truth.  I am different, only they don't know it.  My name isn't Greenbarrow, it's Burrows."

            Frodo shook his head, the name meaning nothing to him.  

            "I suppose you are rather sheltered here at Bag End, Mr. Baggins, and I know you aren't the sort to willingly seek out hurtful talk, however common spread it may be. You see, my father's full name was once Shiriff Burrows."

            "He was a shiriff? What sort of gossip could come from that?"

            Frodo saw Pippin flinch, but realized that he was willing himself not to interject his own comments into the conversation, rather doing his utmost to let Jasmine talk things through, merely providing his presence as support enough.

            "Not a true Shiriff, Mr. Baggins.  One of…one of Sharkey's," the last word a mere whisper.

            Finally understanding dawned.  He uttered a slow, "Oh," before considering the import of her words.  Most of the hobbits corralled into Sharkey's well over-staffed band of Shiriffs had been coerced into doing so, forced as their homes and families were threatened.  But there was another sort, generally including those few who were close to Lotho Sackville-Baggins to begin with, who volunteered for the position, and from what he could gather, it seemed Jasmine's father had fallen into the latter category.  These unfortunate hobbits had been thoroughly shunned when Sharkey's reign fell, most quite deservedly.

            "And you hid this from your new acquaintances by changing your name," Frodo finished for her.

            She nodded before continuing, her voice pleading, "Yes, Mr. Baggins. Please, now that I've found Pippin, whom I do care for, if you'd only believe me, now I wish I could never see those lasses and lads again.  I detest them…I think I always have, but at the same time I loved them, I loved what they had and what they were capable of achieving.  But I…I'm still dreadfully ashamed. I just-I just hate to think of what they would say were they to discover who I really am."

            As Frodo begin to process her confession, his mind flew to his actions of late, and his face fell in horror.  "And then I found that letter, and I thought-Oh! I'm so terribly sorry! I accused you of those appalling things.  Can you even think to forgive me?"

            "Oh, Mr. Baggins, of course I will, but there's no need.  I was just so horribly upset when you confronted me, upset at myself, mainly, for letting my plans achieve their directly opposite effect, and I lashed out at you, quite unfairly.  It was my fault from the beginning.  I should have told you straight off, it was only-"

            "Well, I might as well join the blame-fest," Pippin interrupted, the beginnings of a cheeky grins tugging at the corners of his mouth.  "I won't sit here and let Jas take all the fault.  I helped her with the whole thing, though I did tell her that she was safe in telling you, that you of all people would understand.  But she didn't know you then and was still frightened.  I agreed to give you her other name and to say little of her home, family, and past.  I should have refused to do so in the beginning, considering all we've been through, Frodo."

            At the mention of her home and family, Frodo exclaimed a quiet, "Oh! I nearly forgot," reaching into his vest and taking out the letter from her father.  "This came for you today, Jasmine, and in my defense, I read completely ignorant as to whom it was addressed, initially anyway.  I hope I may lay any additional fault on Curiosity, if you understand."

            Jasmine took the paper from his hands, and as she read it, tears welled in her eyes.  "It is merely the eighteenth today, thanks be. I may still reach him on time.  Well, Mr. Baggins, if you've read this much, than the rest of the story may as well be drawn out. The twenty-first of August is the day my mum passed away one year ago.  As if the grief was not enough, this only added to my Da's burden, for people can be cruel, and they said that the shame she felt over her husband's position had brought about her sickness."

            Tears were freely streaming down her cheeks now.  "But it isn't true, Mr. Baggins, it isn't! My mum was always a sickly sort, through heaven knows my Da and I loved her more than anything.  Truth to be told, she was the reason he joined as a Shiriff to begin with.  With the Big Folk always out "collecting," there was hardly a crop left to be sold, and my Da was at the end of his rope with want of money.  He was terribly afraid he wouldn't have the means to provide for my mum's care, so he took what he could, though it brought him great shame.  And here I've all but abandoned him in my selfishness!"

            She buried head in Pippin's chest, and he stroked her hair gently, whispering soft words of comfort in her ear.

            "Jasmine," Frodo spoke, "from what I can understand, your father is most willing to welcome you back, and joyfully at that." He waited a beat for her to raise her head again.  "Thank you for telling me all that you have.  I'm sorry we didn't start out on the best of feet, but if you'd let me, I would like to start from the beginning.  For now, though, I think I'm right in my assumption that you would like to get to Banksfield as soon as possible.  But when you return, I would be proud to get to know Jasmine Burrows, whatever others may say."

            Standing, he escorted the two outside to their waiting carriage.  Jasmine whispered a final expression of gratitude to Frodo before Pippin helped to lift her in, though Frodo could not shake the guilt that told him he should be the one apologizing. 

            "I'm so sorry, Pip," he murmured before the other hobbit climbed up as well.  "I don't know what was wrong with me.  Forgive me if I hurt her…or you."

            Pippin studied his cousin and remembered the concern he had felt upon his arrival at Bag End some days ago.  "Don't worry yourself, Frodo, please.  Perhaps now that this little incident has been cleared up, you can get some sleep, eh?" It was meant to sound playful, but Pippin was more than half serious, and Frodo could tell.

            "Yes," he answered, with more assurance than he felt, "Perhaps you're right."

            He soon waved to the two as their horses drew them down the road to the inn where they would stop to collect their belongings before traveling to Banksfield.  Knowing he should be immensely relieved did not help to contain his unease, though naturally he was pleased that Jasmine did not pose the threat he had once thought.

            The sheer excitement of doing something had been a lovely change from the slow weeks that had drifted past after he had stepped down as Mayor.  His writing absorbed him for much of the time, it was true, but periods in which he was left alone or unoccupied for a long while were dangerous. 

            'Things should be better now that Sam and Rose are back to stay,' he reminded himself, thinking fondly of Rose's gentle care the past several months. Not sighting them in the garden, he concluded that they must have gone for a walk to give him ample privacy. 

            Setting off in the direction he guessed they had taken, he walked briskly, knowing how curious they would be by this point and deciding that it was a lovely day for a stroll to think things through.

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            Look for the next chapters in coming days.  As always, don't forget to review with any thoughts whatsoever.