Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Lord of the Rings…The characters are property of JRR Tolkien's descendents and certain events to the makers of the epic film.

Home is Where the Heart is

Second Breakfast

I walk through the long, narrow hallways of the majestic castle to Elrond's dining room for, surprisingly (well, I guess it's just because I had breakfast early), second breakfast. He suddenly had invited me to breakfast after he had talked to Gandalf yesterday. I find him already sitting at the table surrounded by food – potatoes, eggs, things known to Hobbits, and things not known to Hobbits. Gandalf must have forewarned him about the large appetite of a Hobbit. Elrond motions for me to have a seat, and I willingly take it. "Frodo, how do you like it here?"

"In this room?" I ask, hoping that's all he means.

"No, this place away from Middle Earth, the Shire to be more specific."

Just as I had guessed the conversation would go. "Gandalf's up to his old tricks of getting people to stay again, I see." Elrond tries to looks surprised, causing him to look ridiculous and me to burst out laughing as his face is normally so stoic.

"What do you mean, Frodo? I haven't said anything to Gandalf about you."

"Perhaps you might not of, but I can see Gandalf has said plenty. And, to answer your question, this place is nice enough, I guess, but it's not the Shire."

"Obviously." Elrond's face is stoic again. We both return to eating – first breakfast for him, second breakfast for me. Suddenly, he adds, "I miss my daughter, Arwen, and you miss your Shire. Perhaps something can be arranged."

"What do you mean?" I eye him questioningly.

"Well, I can take you back to the Shire, and I can visit my daughter for a few days. When I'm ready to go back, I can stop by the Shire and see if you want to stay or go back."

"Yes, that would be fine. I should like to visit Aragorn one day, too, and then head back to the Shire."

"It's settled then. We leave in three weeks and six days?" I try to keep from laughing at his precision, failing miserably. "What do you find so funny?"

"Nothing. And, yes, it's settled." I say once I've collected myself. I excuse myself now that I've finished and head over to Gandalf's place. He is sitting in front of his home, smoking pipeweed. The scent reminds me so much of the Shire that it's almost unbearable. "I see you're back to your wily ways again, Gandalf."

"I don't the slightest clue what you're talking about." he responds innocently.

"You told Elrond of my missing the Shire, didn't you?"

Gandalf smiles slightly, but keeps his pipe in his mouth. "Perhaps."

"You never reveal anything. Well, hardly never."

"A wizard never reveals too much, nor does he reveal too little. He reveals precisely what he means to."

I laugh as the wording reminds me of Bilbo's "eleventy-first," my thirty-third birthday party, when I told him he was late. "That brings back memories, some pleasant, some not." I say, noticing Gandalf's arched eyebrow.

He chuckles slightly. "I see what you mean, Frodo, I see what you mean."

"Too bad you had to end up scaring me half to death soon after with the facts about the Ring."

"Yes, but it had to be done."

"I agree. The Shire would have been doomed had you not." I realize I am talking of the Shire yet again. "O Gandalf, I'm hopeless. Everything I talk about leads back to the Shire."

"Yes, that it does. You'll be going back soon."

"See, I knew it! You put Elrond up to it."

"Up to what?"

I laugh again. "O Gandalf, admit it."

"I won't admit to anything until the time is right."

"Is it possible to receive letters from the Shire?" I ask as realization hits me like being stabbed by a wraith.

"Yes. It is, but all will be revealed in its rightful place."

"I'm going to tell Uncle Bilbo the news."

"Bye, Frodo."

"Bye, Gandalf." I scurry noiselessly to my house.