D/N: I don't own anything except for my plot and my own made up characters

Author's Note: Thank you everyone once again for reviewing I greatly appreciate it all. I hope that everyone had a good new year, I know I did and that everyone saw ROTK at least once....right? Anyways thank you all for reviewing! This is a long chapter to make up for all the time that I have caused everyone to wait. Thank you for all your patience it will be rewarded in this chapter. Here goes...;)

It Is You I Had Loved

Ch. 9 "For the First Time

"For the first time I am looking in your eyes for the first time I am seeing who you are, I can't believe how much I see when you are looking back at me..."

"Ha, crown me!"

Frodo grumbled as he placed another checker on top of Merry's newly crowned checker piece.

"It seems to me Frodo that you have lost your touch," smirked Merry as he watched Frodo puzzle over his next move.

"Not entirely," answered Frodo as he ate four of Merry's checkers.

"Crown me!" he exclaimed.

Merry looking crestfallen at losing half of his remaining pieces did so.

"Lucky move"

"Not luck my friend, skill," Frodo smiled.

Merry grumbled something that sounded like the word cheating. The door to the Golden Sun flew open. A cold winter breeze blew inside the cozy room, causing the flames of the fire to flutter. Alastor strode inside the pub. Frodo waved at him to come and sit down with them. Alastor did so pulling off his scarf.

"What are you lads up to?"

"Nothing much Alastor, just playing an old fashioned game of checkers", said Merry.

"Where have you been all day?" Frodo asked amused with Merry's expression as he continued to look at the checker board.

"Oh nowhere really, just been doing a lot of catching up with old friends", said Alastor.

"Ha! Beat that Frodo, now I have three kings", said Merry triumphantly.

"Correction, Merry, now you have two kings and zero pawns", Frodo said smiling evilly.

Merry scowled and crossed his arms. Frodo chuckled and then turned towards Alastor.

"So with which old friends have you been doing some catching up lately?"

Alastor raised his eyebrows and looked at Frodo with a sly little grin. "Wouldn't you like to know? In fact she is coming to join us this evening."

Frodo cocked one eyebrow. Merry stifled a laugh.

"Seems to me Frodo that you can't get rid of her no matter how much you try, huh?"

Frodo glared at Merry.

Merry shrugged and made a move on the checkers board.

"That is fine with me if she is coming, it doesn't bother me at all contrary to what you and your childish minds may think", answered Frodo moving the checkers piece and eating up all but one of Merry's pieces in one single move.

Merry stopped smiling and furrowed his brows looking at the game board. He looked up at Frodo in disbelief, Frodo shrugged and smiled.

"What do you have against her anyways, Frodo?" asked Alastor.

Frodo looked up and stared at him straight in the face. Alastor raised an eyebrow and exchanged looks with Merry. Merry, apparently realized that there was no way he could possibly win the checkers game so he decided to pay his full attention to the conversation.

Frodo hesitated and looked down at his empty cup of ale. "What exactly did he have against her now? If one thought about it, she should be the one that has something against him not him against her. So did that mean that he was just acting this way because that was how he was accustomed to act towards her?"

"Nothing, I don't have anything against her at all", answered Frodo looking up at them both.

"Then why do you act that way whenever we talk about her?" asked Merry. Frodo cocked an eyebrow.

"Act how?"

Merry and Alastor exchanged looks again, and Frodo was really beginning to find this irritating. How on earth did he act when they would talk about her?

"Like you haven't noticed how much she has changed..." said Alastor a little awkwardly.

"Like you feel that she has wronged you in a major way that you can never forgive her for", added Merry.

"Hold on back up what are you talking about Alastor?"

"About how much she has changed" replied Alastor avoiding Frodo's eyes, "physically."

Frodo felt his jaw drop. "Physically", he blurted out a little too loudly. Other hobbits from the nearby tables turned in their seats.

Frodo apologized, then lowering his voice he said, "What do you mean physically?"

"Well I would expect that you would treat her differently to how she was when she was ten years old, I mean you can't honestly tell me you haven't taken a second look at her!" Alastor continued talking as if this was the most normal topic in the world.

Frodo looked over at Merry asking him with his eyes, whether he had noticed something else that he, Frodo, hadn't. Merry blushed a bit and then became very interested in his last checkers piece which still sat dangerously between two of Frodo's kings.

"No for your information I haven't! I am surprised that you actually mention that Alastor! And besides what does it matter that she looks different physically it matters how she is inside and she is still the same as how she was when she was ten years old, I think."

"Well to be quite honest with you Frodo I didn't notice it until today when we were taking our little afternoon stroll. I mean I can't believe you haven't noticed it!"

This was becoming ridiculous! "Notice what, Alastor?" Frodo asked exasperated.

Alastor was about to reply when there was a bang as the door to the tavern had opened and closed. Hazel stood there looking into the room, her eyes scanning its inhabitants. Behind her was a smiling Estella who was at the moment taking off her scarf. Hazel spotted them and she and Estella made their way over to their table.

"Fine, let's see what this big change on her is", thought Frodo turning in his chair so that he could get a good glimpse. But it wasn't going to work as well as he thought it would, since the dim light in the room didn't allow him to see her face plainly. Half of it was in shadow. "Blast the stupid light and blast Alastor, too!" Frodo thought.

Alastor and Merry stood up and pulled up some chairs for the two girls. The girls greeted them with a smile and a hug. Frodo noticed that Hazel gave Merry a far longer hug then Alastor. Then she turned towards him. Though the firelight still cast an eerie glow on her features, Frodo could see her bright hazel colored eyes.

She broke out into a smile and he returned it. The dim light was not helping at all and he decided that in order to see her clearly would be to take her outside in broad daylight. He made himself a mental note to do this and prove Alastor wrong. Lost in his thoughts Frodo hadn't realized that she had come closer and embraced him in a hug. He placed his arms around the small of her back and realized for the first time, that for a hobbit she was rather slender. She let go of him and sat down across from him, by Merry (of course). Estella hugged him in greeting as well saying, "Hello Frodo" and sat back down.

"So good of you all to join us", commented Alastor as he winked at Frodo.

Frodo rolled his eyes. He saw that Hazel was watching him and decided not to make anymore rude gestures.

"Oo, checkers who is winning?" asked Estella brightly. She was always the cheery one of the group.

"I am", said Frodo then turning to Merry, "and I will officially win as soon as Merry makes his final move."

Merry frowned and then moved his little checker to the side. Immediately Frodo jumped it and placed the last light colored piece in the pile that he had beside him. Frodo stretched and then placed his arms behind him looking very relaxed and satisfied.

"You cheated", muttered Merry.

"Now, now Meriadoc, don't be a sore loser", scolded Estella. Merry frowned at her.

"Can I play?"

Frodo looked up and saw that Hazel had taken Merry's spot and was now directly across the table from him. Her gaze was a calm one, not like the one he was used to getting from her.

"Certainly, do you know how?" Frodo asked kindly sitting upright in his chair again.

"Of course I do, Frodo Baggins, what you believed that I was born yesterday that I don't know how to play a simple game of checkers?" She exploded furrowing her brows at him. Alastor snorted into his drink.

"Sheesh sorry I asked", muttered Frodo.

Hazel swiped the pile of the tan colored pieces and placed them neatly on the board. Frodo placed his own on the board as well.

"Ladies first", said Frodo.

Hazel narrowed her eyes at him and smiled sarcastically. She was just about to move one of her pieces when-

"How are we doing here everyone alright?" asked a rather high and heavily accented voice.

They all looked up to see a particularly plump hobbit waitress. Her blonde hair was curled in an exaggerated fashion, she wore an apron with food stains around her huge waist and her eyes were so small that she reminded Frodo of one of those fat house cats that always looked like they were upset about something.

"Oh why hello, Master Merry, how good to see you again", the lass mused as she batted her eyelashes at Merry. Though you couldn't really see them very well so it made her look like she either had something in her eye or she was twitching in a spastic form.

"Good even' to you Dandelion, good to see you again too", he answered politely.

"Hello there Dandelion," greeted Estella cheerfully, though Frodo could sense a touch of annoyance in her voice.

Dandelion smiled really wide and then her eyes fell on Alastor and Frodo.

"My, my, it seems that we haven't been introduced yet", she said getting uncomfortably close to Alastor.

"Um, no Dandelion, this is my friend Alastor Busibody and my cousin Frodo Baggins who I am sure you remember. Alastor, Frodo this is Dandelion Proudfoot."

"Nice to meet you", Alastor and Frodo both said together.

Dandelion upon hearing Frodo's name got closer to him and stared at him, in fact she was so close to the point that her nose was almost touching his own. Frodo's eyes shifted from side to side as he smiled nervously at her. Up close he could see that the girl suffered from that skin disease one usually got when they were tweenagers.

"So you are Frodo! My I couldn't recognize you under those two beautiful eyes of yours. Not to mention that adorable little face you got there. Are you sure Master Merry that this is the scrawny little lad I used to know growing up?"

Frodo shot a glance at Merry who looked very amused and was trying hard not to laugh.

"The very same, Dandy", he said.

"Well, then that changes everything", smiled Dandelion as she began to push back some of Frodo's curls behind his ears.

Frodo felt his heart pounding as he sat there helpless not knowing what to do as Dandelion's fat fingers ran through his hair.

"What brings you back here to these parts Mr. Baggins?" Dandy asked starting to stroke his cheek. Frodo was about to answer but he was interrupted.

"He came because he was invited to my 21st birthday party, Dandelion", said Hazel coldly sitting there with her arms crossed.

"Oh well hello there Hazela. I didn't see ya there. What party is that? I don't believe I got an invitation." Dandy turned around to look at Hazel. By this time Frodo noticed that everyone else was watching in surprised silence. Hazel's eyes still stayed on Dandy.

Hazel covered her mouth with her hands and gave a very fake gasp. "Oops, I guess I overlooked you."

Dandy didn't say anything but Frodo was sure that she stuck out her tongue at Hazel, and then her attention was brought back to Frodo.

"Um, excuse me I think I have to step outside for a moment", said Frodo trying to escape.

"Please let me accompany you Mr. Baggins", grinned Dandy.

Frodo looked up at her in utter horror forgetting all about being polite when he heard someone clear their throat very loudly.

Dandelion looked up to see who had interrupted so "rudely". Frodo looked passed her broad shoulders and saw that Hazel was standing up her hands on her hips and what seemed to be sparks flying from her eyes. Dandelion placed her fat hand on Frodo's shoulder in what she must have thought a very gentle motion. Hazel smiled and walked around the table stopping in front of Dandelion and Frodo, sparks still flying.

"Hey there Dandy, um I was wondering when you would stop your flirting and give Mr. Baggins and his friends something to drink? You know start doing your job?"

Dandy took her hand off of Frodo's shoulder. She took a couple of steps towards Hazel and then stopped hands on her hips.

"Excuse me, who do you think you are? You can't order me around like that!"

"Well, I do believe that my father has control of this pub, therefore has control of your job and maybe your whole entire future. So I would suggest for your own good to get your little tray and start doing your job, correctly, or else I am afraid there will be a complaint about your waitressing skills going to my father." Frodo sat there staring his eyes wide open.

Dandy stood there her mouth opened slightly in shock, but then she closed it and smiled. Hazel returned it.

"Well as I was saying what would everyone like to have?" Dandy asked going around the table and getting everyone's orders. She wrote them all down on a little notepad and then turned to walk away. But then she stopped and turned looking at Hazel.

"Oh I am sorry Hazel, I must have overlooked you. What would you like?"

Hazel frowned and narrowed her eyes dangerously. Then she said, "Water please, actually never mind I think I must be going."

And with not another word, Hazel muttered good-bye to everyone and stormed out the door. Frodo watched her go. He noticed that Dandy had a comfortable smirk on her face and then she turned once again to them and said, "I wonder what's gotten into her?"

Frodo frowned up at her. Had this Dandy offended Hazel? Was that why she had left? Then he noticed that Hazel had forgotten her coat which still was hanging on the chair where she had been sitting. It was still the end of December and it would be freezing outside.

"Excuse me", said Frodo as he got up and got her coat from behind the chair and walked out of the pub as well, without a backwards glance.

* ~ *

It was freezing cold outside once Frodo left the pub. He looked up and down the road to see if he could catch a glimpse of Hazel. There. To his right he could see a small figure hurrying away. Quickening his pace he jogged after her. It was a full moon out tonight and it gave him a little bit of light to see by. Every now and then there would be a street lamp of some kind that was used to illuminate a sign, and there under one of these was where Frodo caught up to Hazel. (Author's note: by street lamp I mean like a lamp but they have fire in them you know? I don't expect ya'll to picture there being electricity or anything, but you know what I mean)

"Hazel, wait up!" Frodo called coming up behind her. Hazel turned around and looked at him evidently shocked that he was following her.

And there under the lamp light Frodo got his very first good look at Hazela Mari Underhill. She stood there under the light her eyes reflecting and piercing, underneath her long eyelashes. Her beautiful ebony colored hair lay graciously on her shoulders. Her skin though pale at this time of year looked so soft and creamy that Frodo found it hard to fight the urge to touch it. Her neck was neither too long nor too short; her shoulders were perfect, and her chest... "Ah! What is wrong with me? Why on earth am I looking there?" thought Frodo. But he continued to observe as he scanned her up and down. Her arms were slender not bulky or fat. Though she was a hobbit Frodo noticed that she was not of normal hobbit physique. She was very slender, unnaturally so for a hobbit they would say, but perfect in his eyes. Frodo noticed also too that the top of her head met the bottom of his chin... "So this was what Alastor was talking about?" Frodo thought.

"Frodo?"

Frodo was snapped out of his thoughts and brought back down to earth. How embarrassing how long had he been gawking at her? Hazel was looking at him her eyebrows furrowed. Frodo suddenly felt very nervous and realized to his embarrassment that his ears were glowing red.

"Um, are you alright?" He asked stupidly.

"Oh yes I am fine, it's just that since it was my father's pub I didn't wish to make a scene by starting a fight with that girl. That's the reason why I left so quickly. You see I felt that if I didn't things would get very ugly." Hazel rolled her eyes and turned away avoiding his gaze.

"What do you have against that girl?"

"Oh it's nothing. Kind of stupid really, she and I were sort of rivals after you left. We were always competing against one another in a variety of things. Trying to see who could invite the most friends to a tea party, things of that sort. You see she liked Merry as well. And I couldn't have that so I took action. So we have never really quite made up for all the little competitions and name callings we did to one another. I was really shocked when I heard that my father had hired her as a waitress at the Golden Sun. Ever since then I have avoided going to that place."

"Oh, I see. So then um, why did you go today?"

"Well for one thing Alastor had invited me to go get a drink earlier today there and I couldn't refuse. And then when I sat in there I realized by avoiding the place I was letting her win so when Alastor invited me to stop by again this evening I said yes, without any hesitation. Just to prove to her that I was no longer going to let her stubbornness and absurdity take effect on my life." Hazel shivered in the cold. Frodo then remembered the coat that he was holding in the crook of one arm, her coat. "Smooth", he thought to himself, frustrated.

"Oh here, you forgot your coat when you stormed out of there", he said. He offered it to her. Hazel smiled and then turned around; Frodo realized what he had to do and helped her into it. At one point their hands brushed and Frodo felt a chill run up and down his spine. What was the matter with him?

"Thank you, Frodo. I am glad you came out here and gave it to me. I probably would have otherwise frozen to death returning home." Hazel smiled at him, Frodo smiled back.

"Do you wish for me to accompany you home?" Frodo offered.

"I'd like that", Hazel answered. They began to walk off leaving the shelter of the light of the lamp. It was rather gloomy outside and getting colder by the minute.

"Anyways so when I saw that she was badgering you and Alastor like that I knew that I had to come in to the rescue", continued Hazel as if their conversation had never stopped.

"Yes, and for that I thank you, I am sure Alastor is thankful too. Does she always act that way towards others?"

"No, only to the more good looking lads of the Shire", replied Hazel.

Frodo halted. Good looking lads of the Shire? Hazel stopped and turned around; obviously she hadn't realized what she implied when she had said that.

"What?" She asked.

"What did you say again?"

"She only acts that way towards the good looking lads of the Shire. What's wrong with tha-oh!" Hazel stopped. Her eyes grew wide.

Frodo smiled at her shock. He could tell that she was frustrated with herself. She looked like she could kick herself if that was physically possible.

"Um by that I meant that um..."

"I am considered one of the more good looking lads of the Shire?" Frodo asked teasing her. Hazel frowned.

"No, I mean yes, but no, I mean." Hazel was obviously lost for words. She had been trapped by her own mouth.

Frodo drew closer to her and stopped laughing trying to put on a debonair look. He drew closer to her and grinned. "So do you think I am good looking, Miss Underhill?" he said in a low toned voice.

She smiled and playfully punched him on the arm. "Shut up, Frodo Baggins. You know sometimes your head can be filled with such hot air. You know very well yourself and I don't need to tell you that other lasses in the Shire find you attractive in your own weird big eyed way. So don't act like you didn't know it already."

"Yes I have heard that comment before, but to hear it from your lips is a whole new matter", replied Frodo still carrying on with the debonair low voice.

"Oh and why is that?"

Frodo stopped. Choosing his words carefully he replied "Because my dear, to hear that I am good looking from a fair and stubborn maid such as yourself is very flattering and quite unheard of."

Hazel's smile disappeared as well. "What did you just say?"

"That you are stubborn", answered Frodo dropping the act.

"No, no the other thing."

"That you are fair. Come now Hazel, I can't have been the only person who has told you that before?"

Frodo raised an eyebrow and looked at her knowingly. He saw to his satisfaction that she was blushing scarlet, also that her smile was so wide that he could see that she had dimples.

"Well Mr. Baggins, I thank you for your company, and for returning my coat to me. And...for your compliment." Hazel blushed again.

Frodo had been so wrapped up in the conversation that he hadn't realized that they were already at her very door step. No, not yet.

"Your quite welcome, Miss Underhill and um thank you once again for being my heroine today and saving me from that dreadful ogre. By the way you owe me a checkers game."

Hazel smiled again showing off her dimples. "Anytime Mr. Baggins. And I will look forward to our next checkers match." Then Hazel got quite again and she looked down at the floor. "Well um good night."

Frodo stared at her longingly. "No don't go just yet", said a voice in his head. Frodo wanted to go but leave at the same time. What was happening to him? He felt that he couldn't leave without touching her. So he placed one finger gently underneath her chin and raised it so that her eyes were level with his own.

"Good night", he said. Then he took her hand in his own and raising it to his lips he kissed it. His heart was hammering inside of him like it had never has before. He held her gaze a while longer and then turned and left. He heard the door open and he stopped to look back. Hazel was standing at the door and she was smiling. Frodo smiled back and with a gesture from his hand said good bye and walked back to Brandy Hall, his head a jumble of confused thoughts, but one thought stuck in his mind. "I never knew that dimples could be so beautiful."

Author's Note: Aw! I personally really am proud of myself for this chapter. Over the weekend I saw plenty of romantic comedies to inspire me. Tehe! Well I hope everyone all enjoyed it and please be sure to review! Thanks!