D/N: I don't own any of the LOTR characters or the LOTR plot (if only right) just my own characters and my plot and ideas

Author's Note: Hey everyone I am so happy that you guys are enjoying my story. Keep it up your reviews are what keep me going! Sorry I haven't updated lately.

It Is You I Had Loved

Ch. 11 I Could Fall In Love "I could fall in love with you I could only wonder how touching you would make me feel but if I take that chance right now tomorrow will you want me still? So I should keep this to myself and never let you know."

Hazel closed the door. She could feel her cheeks blushing red. She glanced at herself in the mirror hanging from the wall. Her smile had never looked wider.

"I hope I didn't look this silly", she thought.

In the mirror she swore she could see Frodo's face looking at her the same way he had looked at her after he had kissed her on the hand. Her stomach did a couple of back flips and she swore her heart would awake the whole house it was thumping so loud in her chest.

"I must write this down!" She exclaimed and she raced for her room. Once there she grabbed her diary and began.

Dear Diary Can it be? Tonight has been so strange and unexpected. I can't believe I can do this! I mean first of all when Dandelion "Proudnose" starts to attack poor Frodo and Alastor with her despicable display of what she believes courting is, I feel this rage of jealousy I mean I felt like reaching over the table and slapping her! Not that she didn't deserve it or anything but still I feel surprised and shocked at myself on the way that I acted! But that is nothing compared to how I acted after I left the pub! I left in such a hurry that I completely forgot my coat and I was freezing after I leave who should come out into the frost after me but Frodo Baggins! He calls for me to talk to him under a lamp. And there he just stands there staring at me as if he has never seen me before. Mind you diary I felt so uncomfortable under the gaze of those big blue eyes of his. But then he asks me about what happened back there in the pub and I answered him truthfully. Or as much as I could tell him without letting him know that I was jealous. I notice that he is carrying my coat and I guess he realizes it is freezing cold and he offers me the coat. And then diary, I don't understand this part, but I turn around and allow him to put the coat on me! And at one point our hands brush and I feel so warm that I don't need my coat anymore. He offered to accompany me home and I accepted. I decided to be nice with him and so I continued on with the conversation as if we had never stopped talking. And then I say the stupidest, truest thing in all of Middle-Earth. When Frodo asked on whether Dandy acted that way towards everyone, what do I say? "Oh no she only acts that way towards the more good-looking lads of the Shire" After I realized what I'd said I felt as if I could kick myself if that were physically possible. Frodo then began to tease me about it and tried to put on a debonair sort of voice and manner, which he can't pull off at all. But it is quite humorous. Anyways we reach my front door and I don't want for him to leave. We say good night and he kisses me on the hand I find myself wishing that I should have said something. Anything to make him stay! Ugh! But then I open the door and look back and find he is staring back at me! He smiles and oh how I wish to run to him and never let him go!

But what if I had done that? What does that mean? Does it mean that I love Frodo Baggins more than I do Merry? And what about Merry I didn't look at him at all tonight! Is that a good thing or a bad thing? And what about Frodo and his mysterious crush, huh? Does he have a lass he is courting back in Hobbiton? How much has he changed? I really don't know anything about him and his life in Hobbiton. For all I know he could be a scoundrel that finds a way to attract other lasses and leaves them to be with another all in the same week! But no he doesn't seem the type, but then again how should I know I am clearly falling for him, and I might be one of those girls that he plays games with. This is crazy I am becoming delirious, this is Frodo that we are talking about he is not like that. Still, I must not act too rationally I must discover what his true feelings for me are and then I will make my move, if there is a move for me to make, or rather the real question is if I can make a move successfully without falling flat on my face. There is no sense in my rushing to break my heart! So I'll just keep this to myself, and not let anyone know anything not even the slightest hint that I am falling for him. Not even Estella or Diamond will know. Estella will want to know what happened last night but I won't tell her a word. * ~ * ~ * ~

"So what happened after you stormed out of your father's pub last night?" You seemed frightfully upset." Estella, Diamond, and Hazel were having afternoon tea at Estella's house. Diamond had just been told on the events that had happened in the pub, and now both Estella and Diamond wished to know what had happened afterward. Hazel took a sip of her tea trying to put on a nonchalant air.

"Oh, well as you may have realized it I was absolutely furious at how Dandy had treated two of my good friends, so I was thinking about that when I hear my name being called. I turn around and it is Frodo Baggins running up behind me carrying my forgotten coat. And thank goodness too because it was freezing.

"What did Frodo say?" Estella inquired.

"Oh nothing he just mentioned about my coat and how I had forgotten it, a very observant lad that one. I thanked him for it and then he thanked me for saving him from the merciless Proudnose and I said your welcome. Then he offers to accompany me home and I accepted because you know I have never been very fond of walking by myself at night."

Diamond and Estella seemed to keep on wanting to say something but they both zipped their mouths. Hazel waited patiently for them.

"Well then we began talking about Proudnose again and he cracked a joke about her in which we both laughed and then we were at my front door. We said good night that I owed him a checkers game and he kissed me on the hand and left."

As Hazel finished she took another sip of her tea and smiled at the frown on Estella's face.

"Is that all?" she asked.

Hazel nodded. "Yes, that is all. Why?"

"Well." began Estella but Diamond cut her short.

"Well it's just a bit shocking to hear you talk about Frodo without you once insulting him or laughing about his faults."

"Oh well you see I think that I should give up on being so immature about those matters. Besides all this complaining about him really tires one out, biscuit?"

Diamond took the offered biscuit from the plate and exchanged looks with Estella.

Hazel smiled and took another sip of her tea.

* ~ * ~
"By the way Frodo what happened last night after you left the pub?"

Merry, Pippin, and Frodo were sitting in Brandyhall holding a chess match. Merry and Pippin were playing while Frodo watched.

"Oh, nothing really, I just gave her back her coat and accompanied her back to her house." Frodo shrugged Pippin threw Merry a doubtful look. Merry nodded slightly and attempted again.

"Did you notice what Alastor was talking about?"

Frodo looked up from the chess board and stared at Merry coolly.

"Yes actually I did", he answered.

Pippin smiled. "And."

"I have to admit she looks pretty good", Frodo said.

It was Merry's turn to get frustrated.

"Well, did you two talk about anything?"

"Just what had happened at the pub. She made a comment about how Dandy only acted that way towards the more good-looking hobbits of the Shire."

Merry raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, she didn't realize what she had implied at first but once she did, she looked most frustrated with herself." He chuckled at remembering the look on Hazel's face. "It was very amusing."

Merry laughed. Now we are getting somewhere he thought.

"What did you say?" he inquired.

"I teased her about it and she just rolled her eyes. I told her we needed to play a checkers match and then I said good night." Frodo paused deep in thought. Merry turned to look at Pippin, who was frowning.

"Have you ever noticed that she has dimples?" Frodo asked after a brief moment of silence.

"Yes", answered Merry grinning, "And rather cute ones at that."

Frodo smiled and got up. "I think I am going to take an afternoon nap, if you don't mind."

"No not at all", answered Merry as he watched his cousin walk out the door. When he was out of earshot Merry hastily turned back to Pippin and exclaimed, "Well what do you think of that Pip? 'Have you ever noticed that she has dimples?' If that is not proof that he fancies her I don't know what is! What's wrong?"

Pippin looked up from the board again still wearing the same frown.

"Pip, what is it?"

"Dandy, never acts that way towards me."

* ~ * ~
Frodo left the company of his cousins in order to be alone with his thoughts. Closing the door to his room softly behind him, Frodo with the aid of a candle pulled out the picture that Hazel had given him. The details were so fine and the colors so bright and natural. Frodo took great pleasure in trying to see if the latter had hidden something in her painting, like some other Shire artists did. But of what he was looking for he did not know himself.

Frodo's mind drifted back to the night before and to his reaction in seeing Hazel in a new light, literally. She was just so different now, but yet still the same 10 year old girl. Of course Frodo could not discern his feelings for her at the present moment, not yet anyways. For now his head was a jumble of confused thoughts and emotions. Having never had feelings for anyone since his departure from Buckland Frodo had forgotten what it felt like to have butterflies inside one's stomach. Even more confused was he about how to show his feelings, especially since he had not been able to before.

His mind drifted back to a time when he was 10 years old. Just before his departure from Buckland. At that point in time of his life he had felt so alone and unable to confide in anyone about his pain and longing for his parents. There had been no one to count on except for one person. The only other person who at the time had also endured a heavy loss, the loss of a grandmother. And so it was that Frodo Baggins found comfort and kindness in Estella Bolger.

Though Estella was nine at the time Frodo couldn't help but feel close to her. Sometimes they would seek each other out in secret and sit under a willow tree by the Brandywine River. There they would exchange each other's sorrows and troubles. Estella had always been a good listener from the beginning. Her grandmother had died of an illness that past winter and it had been a very hard blow on the family, but more so for Estella for she loved her grandmother very much and visited her almost every day.

Frodo remembered how they used to blush at the sight of each other knowing that they held each other's secrets in their hearts. Frodo had never told anyone what Estella had told him, and he was pretty sure that Estella had done the same. Frodo never really knew what Estella's feelings were for him, but he knew that every time he saw her, his stomach would do flip flops and he was afraid of embarrassing himself in front of her. But that was almost ten years ago.

About two years later Bilbo had come to take Frodo with him to live at Bag End. Frodo left behind his family and friends and his only crush that he had ever had. On his return to Buckland he thought Estella louder, more outgoing, and sillier than he remembered, yet still and excellent listener. Not once had Estella approached Frodo and mentioned their childhood secret meetings under the willow tree since he had returned although every once in a while she would give him a knowing smile and wink. Frodo would return such gestures and not think about it again for the rest of the day. But now all Estella was to him was a very good friend, for he had long ago gotten over his puppy love for her and had not taken interest in another lass since. This was mostly due to the fact that all the lasses he knew in Hobbiton tended to be narrow minded and silly, even much so for normal hobbit standards. Now it was usually the lasses that would bat their eyelashes at him or smile goofily at him as he walked by. Frodo would smile and politely say hello, and continue on his way.

But now it was different. For now he was the one falling for the lass.

"And a rather feisty one at that", Frodo murmured to himself as he smiled and gently put the painting away. As he laid his head on his pillow willing for sleep to come he decided to not to jump to any conclusions about this, or let anyone know until the gibberish inside his head would make sense. He smiled once more thinking about Hazel's infuriated face over "the good-looking lads of the Shire" incident and fell asleep.