Disclaimer: I own none of LotR at all, it all belongs to the great and wonderful JRR Tolkien.

Chapter Seven: Homecoming

And so the merry little party set off in the direction of the Shire, Hobbiton, and Bag End. They came, finally, singing their victory song as they came.

As they came in sight of Bag End, they saw Rose and the children weeding the garden. Sam, ran towards them with a cry of: "I'M HOME!!!!!"

Rose jumped up with a cry of: "SAM!!!!!" and the children yelled: "DADDY!!!!!" They all ran towards each other and spun around in a giant hug.

They finally fell down panting, and the rest of the travelers came and sat nearby. The hobbits were all out of breath.

"Oh, Sam – I'm so glad – you're back – we were wondering – what had happened to you. I'm so glad – you're back – welcome home!" Rose panted.

"Oh, Rose – I am so glad – to be back – I was starting – to wonder – if I would ever –get home!" Sam replied, panting.

"Daddy, Daddy tell us about your adventures. I want to hear. Please Daddy! Was it like your first adventure?" Little Rose asked.

"Sort of dear. I'll tell you all about it when I have time. But right now, tell me what you did while I was gone."

"Well Daddy, we just got back from Rivendell!!" The little hobbit girl cried.

"Well, did you now?"

Rosie nodded. "Yes, we just got back four days ago," her mother added.

"And how did you like it there?" Sam asked the children.

"Oh, it was AMAZING, Daddy!" Elanor, his eldest cried excitedly, "It was so lovely there, I almost didn't want to come back! And the elves took us to Gondor for a few days, and I got to see the Queen Arwen, and guess what she told me Daddy, just guess!!"

"I don't know sweetheart. Did she tell you she would visit you here sometime?" Sam asked.

"No, Dad! Do you want another guess?!"

"Why don't you just tell me," Sam declined.

"She said that in a few years, when I'm older, she would make me a maid of honor!!! Can you believe it?!!" She cried happily.

"No, I can't. Uh, Rose?!" Sam asked, looking slightly dazed.

"Yes, Sam, Arwen did say that when she's fifteen, she would make Elanor a maid of honor," his wife answered with a smile.

"Well, uh, congratulations dear!" Sam said, smiling at his eldest daughter.

"But Daddy, you should have been there with us! It was fantastic!!" Cried his oldest son, Frodo, "The elves took us to Rohan too, and I learned how to ride a full size horse! Not a little pony, but a full size horse!!"

"That's amazing, Frodo!" Sam answered in an enthusiastic tone. Not many hobbits, much less a ten-year-old child.

"But what I had really wanted to see where Dwarves," said Merry, Sam's 8-year-old son said with a sad little sigh.

"Did you indeed," Sam said with a smile, "Well, come then. You shall. Gimli, would you mind coming here for a minute?" He asked his friend.

"Hello, Merry," Gimli said, walking over to the little hobbitling. Merry's eyes popped open, and his mouth dropped.

"A dwarf!! A real live dwarf!!" He all but shrieked. Gimli laughed.

"Yes, I am a real live dwarf. And you are a real live hobbit, in case you have forgotten, not a pair of eyes and a mouth, hehe!!"

"Of course I'm a real live hobbit! You're mean!!" Merry said indignantly.

"Now Merry, settle down. You were pretty funny just now," Sam told his son, hiding a smile.

"HUMPH!"

"Well, come here, kids. I want you to meet Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, and this is Samisen of Gondor, and this... is the fabled Mister Bilbo Baggins, and last, but certainly not least, my best friend, the legendary Mister Frodo Baggins."

The kids' eyes popped and mouths dropped open.

"Hello, children," Frodo said with a smile.

"Are you the Mister Frodo?!" Little Frodo gasped. Frodo laughed.

"Yes, Frodo, I am. I am very pleased to meet you at last. Your father says you are named after me."

The children started asking all the other travelers question after question, which they tried to answer, laughing.

"Well, I hope that the end of my travels," Sam said softly, standing to one side with Rose, putting his arm fondly around her shoulders.

"Of course it is," she answered with a smile and gave him a squeeze.

The End... For Now