Author's Note: Ok so sorry everyone I had promised that I would update soon and look at me... Oh well I am sorry I promise you this chapter will be a long one and I will make up for your patience and long wait...

It Is You I Had Loved

Ch. 13 Waiting for Tonight "Waiting for tonight, oh when you would be here in my arms waiting for tonight, oh I've dreamed of this love for so long waiting for tonight"

"And so around me there were these three monstrous trolls..." exclaimed Bilbo looking around at his young hobbit audience. Frodo was standing in a corner watching him with a grin written on his face. Bilbo continued on with his story, "and so they were all arguing so much over what to do with us, that they didn't realize that the sun was coming up over the horizon and...poof! And turned them all into stone!"

The young hobbits all gasped at Bilbo's comment. Frodo grinned once more looking at Bilbo who seemed to be enjoying himself. Bilbo dismissed his audience saying, "Your Uncle Bilbo needs to catch his breath." It was then at this time that Frodo confronted him. Bilbo was calmly sipping his tea when Frodo kneeled beside his chair.

"That story never gets old", said Frodo looking at Bilbo's old tired face. Bilbo smiled.

"You know Frodo, I don't think I will never get tired of telling that story, just as long as there is a ready ear to hear it."

"Well, you will always have a ready ear right here, whenever you feel like telling", answered Frodo and he smiled.

"Yes, well what are you doing here, Frodo my dear boy, talking to an old hobbit like myself? This is your last night here in Buckland shouldn't you be out there having fun, enjoying your cousins?"

"Yes, well actually Bilbo I had a question", Frodo hesitated before he continued. His hand traveled down to his trouser pocket where inside safely tucked there was a letter.

"Oh, and what is that Frodo?" Bilbo took another sip of his tea.

Frodo hesitated not sure how he was going to put this into words.

"Well you see Bilbo I don't know how to say this but..."

"This doesn't have anything to do with a certain young hobbit lass, does it?" Frodo gaped, Bilbo nodded knowingly.

"Yes, but how did you..."

"Your aunt has been talking of nothing except that for the past two days. Now let me tell you Frodo in my youth I was fortunate enough to meet the hobbit lass of my dreams. She was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen. Her hair was the color of autumn leaves, her cheeks rosy pink, her eyes the color of the summer sky, and she had the loveliest grace you could ever find on a hobbit lass." Bilbo got a faraway look on his face like he was looking back at a time when he himself had auburn hair as well and his wrinkles were fewer. Frodo smiled and could have sworn he saw a hint of a tear glistening in Bilbo's eye.

"What happened?"

"Well her name was Lucinda Pepperly and she was a wonderful dancer. Oh, she was so pretty that in fact it was hard for any hobbit lad to come up and talk to her. She seemed to cast a spell on you that caused you lips to seal together as if they had been glued shut. Well anyways I never got a chance to talk to her, and believe me, Frodo, I tried countless times but each time I chickened out. Well one day I decided that I would go and talk to her, but when I saw her in the market she was with a group of her friends and I didn't feel all too comfortable of professing my love in front of a crowd. So I said to myself 'Bilbo Baggins, you are going to talk to that sweet red haired angel tomorrow!' And so the next day was the day that Gandalf came to my door." At this point Bilbo looked down. Frodo could see him frown. Bilbo's hand shook as he took another sip from his tea.

"I am sorry Bilbo," muttered Frodo looking at his uncle.

Bilbo waved it away with a shaken movement of his hand. "It was not meant to be; apparently my need for adventure was greater than my need and thirst for love. Well after I came back I learned that she was already well gone and off married happily. She was now living in Bree and happy as could be with already a set of twins can you believe that!" Bilbo sighed and looked at Frodo with a serious face. "My point is Frodo that I have seen how you look at Ms. Underhill. I see the glow in your eye whenever you see her. I know that look very well." Frodo blushed and looked down at his feet. "No, don't try to deny it. You and Hazela have a wonderful relationship. You actually talk to one another! What I am trying to say is if you find someone that you really care about hold on to her. Tell her how you feel you may never know they might feel the same towards you! Who knows maybe Bag End will finally be crowded with a family."

Frodo smiled and nodded. "You sound like Aunt Esmeralda, Bilbo, but I understand and thank you."

He patted his uncle on the shoulder and then quickly got up and raced back to his room. Bilbo looked after him smiling. "Ah, young love..." * ~ * ~

Frodo quickly went to the mirror to check himself again. He took his index finger and started to comb his eyebrows with them. "Alright collar nicely folded, shirt tucked in, no food stains of any sorts, and hair..." Frodo looked at his hair; he quickly grabbed a comb and tried to brush it out again. "Stay, come on stay..."

"Oh there you are Frodo!"

Frodo quickly turned around and saw that Merry and Pippin were standing at the door looking at him with amused expressions.

"Wow, you look awfully...clean where are you going?" Merry grinned.

"Nowhere", answered Frodo looking at himself in the mirror once again. "Oh well" he thought placing down the brush.

"Hm well when I usually go nowhere I don't look half as nice as you do", commented Pippin. "Is there a special event being held at 'Nowhere'?"

Frodo rolled his eyes and then placed his jacket on. He checked the cuckoo clock on the wall, it was 11:25. "Toadstools!" he cried and without an answer back to Pippin he rushed past them and went out the door.

Merry and Pippin turned to each other.

"It's show time", they both said giving each other a high five.

"Now we only have to see if Ms. Underhill is going to be there on time as well," mentioned Merry.

Pippin frowned. "But isn't Frodo a bit you know early?"

"Early what are you talking about? The boy has about four minutes to get there now" said Merry.

"But aren't they meeting at midnight?"

Merry's eyes widened. "What! Pip, don't tell me you wrote the wrong time on Hazel's letter!" * ~ * ~ Hazel glanced at the clock on the mantel piece. The time was now 11:30, she sighed and her stomach ached with a hundred butterflies struggling to get out. She was now washing dishes with her sister Danielle drying them beside her.

"Hazel, would you please give me that mug! You have been washing the same one for at least two minutes!" Danielle exclaimed quickly swiping the mug away from her sister. She quickly rinsed it under the water and then picked up her towel and continued to dry. "Sorry Danielle, I guess I was a bit preoccupied", sighed Hazel dreamily looking back up at the stars.

They looked so beautiful tonight, but it was bit too cold for her preference already she could feel goosebumps creeping up her arms and legs. The cold water that they had gathered from the well wasn't helping either.

"I'll say", said Danielle still irritated by Hazel's pace with the dishes. "Come on I don't want to spend New Year's drying dishes! Honestly Hazel it seems like you are not here today."

Hazel smiled despite herself. Her sister was right she was not. Her mind was off to The Knoll where in thirty minutes she would meet him.

Hazel walked slowly up to the hill. The nearby clock tower marked 11:50. And one more step over and she saw him. He was sitting down on the log that usually served her as a bench for whenever she would come up to The Knoll on her art escapades. He turned at the sound of her. Hazel's heart leaped and began to pound against her chest. He looked very handsome. His deep blue eyes reflecting the moon, his smile that could make anyone melt was settled on his face and his hair was all ruffled up in an attempt to make it look tame. She just loved it. "Hey" he said slowly getting up. "Hey" she answered walking toward him. He too drew near her and then when they were only a couple of inches away from one another they both stopped and stared shyly at the ground. Hazel shuffled her feet nervously. She could feel his eyes on her but she didn't look up at him. "So you wanted to see me?" She looked up at him and smiled sweetly. He grinned back and stepped forward making the space between them smaller. "Of course I wanted to see you", he answered, "When do I not want to see you?" Hazel blushed at this and looked down once more. Frodo lifted her chin just like he had done that night after the pub incident. "You are so beautiful", he whispered. Hazel blushed some more and she looked away. "But you are", he said looking deep into her eyes. "You are not so bad yourself", she managed looking back at him with the same love and compassion that she was sure was behind his gaze. Frodo smiled and then stepped closer. Now they were so close that Hazel could almost feel Frodo's breath on her. "Frodo I..." "Shhh", he said and cradling her face in his arms drawing her closer to him...

"HAZEL!"

"Huh? What?"

"We're done come on we have to go back inside!" Danielle was already at the door carrying the tub where all the dried dishes had been neatly stacked in. Hazel frowned, had she been daydreaming? It had felt so real! "But it will be soon" said a voice in her head. "Yeah right", Hazel thought as she picked up her own stack of clean dishes and headed for the house. "You'll see," answered the voice mischievously. Hazel smiled to herself the butterflies seemed to have been joined by another couple hundred inside her stomach. * ~ * "What should we do?"

"I think we should get Diamond and Estella here and decide" answered Merry.

"Good idea, but after that what are we gonna do" exclaimed Pippin.

"One step at a time, Pip now hurry let's meet outside Brandyhall, I'll get Estella and you get Diamond."

"Oh no you don't I get Estella and you get Diamond."

"Why does it matter?"

"I don't want to be clouted over the head 15 times and be yelled at all the way back here!"

Merry rolled his eyes. "Fine, let's just go!"

* ~ * ~ Frodo glanced up at the clock it was now 11:45. Oh well, it was understandable, in her letter she had even specified that she was going to be late. Frodo had arrived there about seven minutes before then. Frodo smiled and thought of his surprise when he saw her letter lying on his bed. Who would of thought? But now the letter was no longer with him, in his rush to get to The Knoll on time he had left it behind in his other pair of trousers, being that they had acquired a mysterious food stain of some sort. Frodo boggled his mind to try to remember what it had said. "Oh well" he said out loud, "At least I am here." He sat down confidently on the log and watched the moon and the stars, it was a perfect night. She would come he knew she would. But a little voice at the back of his mind cautioned, "Just be careful..."

* ~ * Hazel glanced around at the clock it was now officially 11:50 and it was getting late. Her mom gave her a stern glance from across the living room. They were all now seated in the living area discussing dully about topics that Hazel did not wish to discuss. Danielle was busy making new friends with her brother-in-law who apparently was best friends with one of Danielle's many admirers. Hazel rolled her eyes. She quietly looked over at her mother and made another motion that she had to leave. Her mother furrowed her brows once more and slightly shook her head.

Hazel turned once more to her aunt who had all this time been babbling to Hazel about her dear nephew, who Hazel learned was not her nephew at all but instead was a son of a very good friend. Hazel smiled at her aunt and nodded her head for she had no idea what she was talking about anymore.

"Oh yes Charles is a true keeper... I bet he must be the richest hobbit in the entire Shire, except of course the Thain_"

"I hear that Bilbo Baggins and his nephew Frodo are very rich as well", remarked Hazel finally interrupting her aunt in half sentence. Her aunt Lootie, looked at her with shock and disbelief at her.

"Well my Charles has actual real money which is the least that I can say for your Mr. Baggins!" she sniffed. "And at least my Charles and his family are good, sensible, hobbits who don't meddle around with elves and dwarves and and wizards! Besides they are a rude lot them Bagginses, but mark my words those two are the worst of the entire family if the things that they say about them are true."

Hazel looked at Aunt Lootie a sort of fire burning in her eyes.

"Bilbo and Frodo Baggins are good hobbits! Whether they live up to your standards or not. They are kind and caring and polite! Rude, indeed the only rude person I see here is you and your cruel misjudgments about others!" Aunt Lootie blinked at Hazel as she stormed out of the room and out the door.

How dare she? She doesn't even know them! Oh toadstools! What time is it? Hazel glanced up at the clock it read 11:56. She yelped and plunged into the cold night praying all the while that Frodo would still be there by the time she got there. * ~ * "Merry what is this?"

"Come on Diamond we got to hurry!"

"What why what for?"

Merry pulled Diamond with him and raced off to Brandy Hall. The clock's minute hand turned heavily on the 5 of the clock face. It was now 11:55. When they arrived at Brandyhall Pippin and Estella were already there.

"Would someone please tell me why I am missing dessert?" exclaimed Diamond looking at Pippin and Merry.

Merry and Pippin both looked at each other. "Tell them, Pip", ordered Merry.

Pippin stepped forward and recapped to the girls what had occurred. Estella and Diamond both gaped at him. "What!"

"You did what, Took!" Diamond was beside herself.

"It was an accident!"

"An accident, don't you mean a total and complete act of stupidity?" cried Diamond glaring at Pippin. Pippin cowered down from her rage. Estella quickly created a barrier between them.

"Come on We have to figure out what to do now! We can't change what has happened only what will happen!"

"'Stella's right. That's why we got you two here. We have to figure out what are we going to do. The feelings of our best friends are at risk here, not to mention that one of them is my cousin!" Merry looked at both Pippin and Diamond, they both bowed their heads in shame.

"Maybe they will still meet and we won't have to do anything," suggested Pippin.

Diamond looked like she was going to have another go at him, but Estella cut her off.

"No, I doubt it. Knowing Hazel and her family she will be there late."

"And Frodo will probably be gone by then", added Merry.

"So what are we going to do then?" Diamond threw her hands up in frustration. "We only have about three minutes!"

"Maybe we can prevent Frodo from leaving The Knoll", suggested Pippin.

"No, that won't work; there is no way in doing that without one of us appearing before him physically. Besides afterwards he will get suspicious and start asking questions." Estella shook her head.

"We are going to have to tell them some time or other if this doesn't work out," pointed out Diamond who was already cooling down.

"What do you think Merry?"

Estella turned to Merry who had not said anything yet. Merry shook his head and said, "There is no way we can fix this I thought we could but we can't. I guess we will have to just see what happens."

"But they will be mad at one another", cried Diamond.

"They may never speak to each other again", added Pippin looking from Merry to Estella.

"No, Merry is right we can't do anything. Afterwards it will be up to us to console them and tell them of our actions. Hopefully they will find it in their hearts to forgive us. Besides neither Frodo nor Hazel did this to one another. We did it to them they should be getting mad at us."

Everyone nodded at Estella's words. A loud sound filled the air it was the bells of the clock tower in the square. They all turned to see it, midnight. * ~ * Frodo looked at the clock when it chimed.

"Happy New Year's" he mumbled to himself. He felt a cold rush inside his body. It was like a flood had gone through inside him its icy waters splashing about and with it went his heart. Frodo frowned and looked at the sky once more. The night no longer seemed perfect to him anymore it seemed like it was....mocking him. As if the moon and stars were so bright and beautiful as if to remind him of what could have been but was most definitely not going to happen.

How could I have been so stupid! This was obviously a joke! I mean in the letter it didn't even sound like Hazel could have actually written that and meant even half of it! You are a fool Frodo Baggins for falling into a trap like this. You were too cocky and too over confident that everything would turn out alright. You chose to forget all of the other times that lasses asked for you to meet them and they never showed up. You chose to forget that you are an heir to nice home and a fortune! You chose to forget that you were never made for love and love was not made for you...

Frodo kicked at the ground angrily. He couldn't believe how much this could hurt. The wind bit at him as it swept by. Frodo felt the cold bite and he shivered.

"What the hell am I doing here still?" He grumbled under his breath some more, cursing the wind and the moon and the stars, but most of all cursing himself.

He then started to walk down the hill feeling like he had left his heart up there still sitting on the log waiting to be loved. * ~ * Hazel looked at the clock. It was now 12:15. She looked out over the Buckland. She could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks.

He couldn't have waited a little more? The tears then fell down freely from her eyes and she began to sob. She could not believe it. I thought he would have waited! If he truly cared about me he would have waited! Hazel rubbed her eyes with her fists roughly as she continued to sniffle and sob. I should have known this could have never happened! I mean we are far too different he probably has no respect for me and for my feelings! He never has! Ever since we were small it was always him him him and what he felt was funny. He never cared how hurt I would be by his pranks and jokes. I bet you that's what this is a joke! Some kind of silly prank that he thought he could pull on me before he left for Hobbiton. And I fell for it! Hazel had thought of this before but she had never thought that Frodo would do such a thing. Why do I continue to do this to myself, huh? Why can't I just fall in love with the right lad and not get hurt! Her mind went back to Merry whose face was now filling up her mind. She shook her head. No, it's not Merry either. You are only fooling yourself Hazel! You have to be more careful of your feelings you have to! Otherwise than that you will only get hurt all the time. But...I can't believe he couldn't wait for me! He couldn't even wait fifteen minutes! He couldn't even wait fifteen bloody minutes!

"I hate him!" she exclaimed out loud. After she said it Hazel stopped, tears still trickling down pink cheeks. Did she mean that? Did she really hate Frodo? "Yes", she concluded out loud. "He is a despicable little rat who cares for no one else but for himself. He is a deceitful little liar, who has a head filled with hot air!" Hazel growled this all out and she quickly then turned and stomped back down the hill, no longer sad but just angry. As she trudged on though she couldn't help but feel betrayed and wronged, her heart was bleeding from an open wound, but it would soon heal just like all other wounds do. All in time it would all heal.