This was one of the easier chapters to write, since this is the pivotal part that Tolkien mentions as happening. The transition into and out of this chapter is of my own invention, save the facts that he mentioned in the timeline.

Chapter Six- The Red Book

Elanor knew very little of the story told within the pages of the Red Book. As a very young hobbit-lass, she remembered listening to her father read sections of it out loud to her and her brothers and sisters, as they sat in front of the fire at Bag End.

But she, nor anyone else, had heard the entire tale. And now Sam was handing it to her.

"I haven't seen this in years, Da! You've finished it?"

She skimmed through the book, riffling the edges of the pages with her thumb, watching the smooth transition from Bilbo's rushed script, to Frodo's patient, neat calligraphy, to her father's big brushhand.

The last page flipped in front of her. She read the top half and began to frown, her forehead creasing in concern. He watched as her eyes flicked across the sloppy flourish he had let drag across the page months earlier. He watched her eyes move to the bottom of the page and read the last line.

Their eyes locked. Nothing was said, but she understood.

When Sam woke up the next morning and wandered into the parlor, Elanor was still sitting in the chair by the hearth, a lock of hair twisted around her finger. The book lay open on her lap, and she read quickly, anxiously, with wide eyes. A teacup sat on the floor beside her feet, the dregs cold and hard.

He sat down across from her, watching. She seemed to take no notice as once again the last page flipped in front of her. She took the red leather cover and slowly closed and tied the book shut.

She got up slowly and handed the book to him. But he pushed it back towards her.

"I'm giving it to you."
"But Da, the Red Book..."

"It's yours now."

She looked down at it, and without warning threw her arms around Sam. He held her for a long time. For those few fleeting moments, it seemed to both that it was years ago, when Sam was holding a toddler Elanor in his arms to heal much smaller hurts.

She spoke, her voice muffled with her face pressed against her father.

"You never told me...you never read those horrible parts...with Mr. Frodo and the spider and Orcs and the ruffians in the Shire...you...you never told me. You never...told me you bore it too...that you bore the Ring..." she said in an almost incoherent string of words.

"You never told me how much you missed him...or that he left you..."

She broke away and stood back up, drawing her hand across her wet eyes. She helped Sam out of the chair and took him by the hand, leading him toward the kitchen.

Her voice quavered from crying, but her manner had changed completely.

"Come on, Da. You can't go meet Mr. Frodo again on an empty stomach."

"You tried to give us the slip twice before, and you failed, Sam," Merry said into Sam's ear as he embraced him tearfully. "I suppose...the third time's the charm, aye?"

They stood at the crossroads they had come to two days ago, saying their goodbyes in the autumn sunrise. The first chill was in the air, and the cold stung at the tears that were being shed.

"Don't say goodbye," Sam whispered as he hugged Pippin, as grief finally shook him. And then, to himself, as if he were trying to convince his heart it was true, "we'll meet again."

Before he knew it, they were cresting the next hill, trying hard not to look back.

As he stood, the back of his neck and back being warmed by the sun, a song he recalled from the Elves stole through his mind.

"Namarie! Maybe thou shalt find Valimar. Maybe even thou shalt find it. Namarie!"

He came back towards Elanor's house, shoulders slumped and padding along slowly. Elanor watched out the window, and was painfully reminded of a day long ago, when she was but three years old, when her father had returned in the same manner. She had flown into his arms, unaware of his grief, laughing and mussing his curls. She hadn't noticed the puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. She had put her tiny arms and pudgy hands about his neck and kicked her small feet gently in his arms as he carried her. She toyed with his cloak's hood as he finally laughed and held her tighter.

And now she opened the door tentatively to let him in. She could almost say the words with him.

"Well, I'm back."

What did you think? Just want to mention that the first sentence Merry says is taken from the last chapter of Return of the King, The Grey Havens. The Elvish song lyric is from Fellowship of the Ring, when the Fellowship leaves Lorien. And finally, "Well, I'm back." Is the last line of Return of the King book and movie.

Two chapters and an epilogue to go! Thanks for the support, once again.