Disclaimers: I do not own The Simarillion and The Lord of the Rings. The Silmarillion, The Lord of the Rings and other Middle-earth works belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson, New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers, Turbine and Standing Stones Games. All other canon material belongs to their respected owners. All original material—original characters, original locations, etc.—belongs to me, the authoress of this fanfiction story.

Inspiration Theme Music for Fanfic: Disney's film, "Prince of Persia" song, "I Remain".

Warning! This chapter is Rated M for dark, intense situations.

*.*.*

Frodo returned to his hobbit form, shortly after his meeting with Sam. Sam also restored his hobbit form, too, shortly after dawn approached. They had a mission to do. So, they might as well do it.

In no time at all, Frodo pulled out his dark grey device, opening a green-rimmed portal for him and Sam to fall through. Frodo turned to Sam, telling him, "Shall we?"

Sam chuckled, closing his eyes and giving into a deep passive thought. He chuckled darkly this time, opening one eye with a devious look. Sam snarled a wolfy snarl. He turned to Frodo shortly afterwards, telling him, "I'm not going. This is your fault! It's your fault we're in this mess! I told you that I wanted to go back! Well, I guess we'll have to do this another way, won't we?"

Sam chuckled, cackling even. "Oh, you can blame yourself, your beloved, and me for waking us up! Didn't your beloved wake us up? This is her fault! I shouldn't have awakened! Now… now, I've turned dark. I've become something I'm not! Rosie's awake, too! Rosie Cotton, my wife! My future wife! Don't you see? This is all your beloved's fault, turning me into this! And I can't stand it any longer!" He slammed a crate with his fist and wolfy feet, blowing it up into smithereens.

Frodo was astonished! Sam… had… a dark side? Frodo hadn't expected this. Frodo snapped out of his reverie, raising his hands in the air in order to surrender to him. "Sam, you don't have to go through this alone! You know, let me help you!" Frodo smiled a small smile at Sam, hoping that would calm him.

Sam looked up at him, transforming into a wolf. He snarled, shouting at him, "You can't help me! No one can! I'm a monster, Mr. Frodo! A monster! Gah!" He took flight, becoming a fluffy furry grey werewolf, as he darted off through the Shire's desolate landscape.

Frodo approached the portal, clinging to it. He took another step, making it through the portal, before it vanished.

He couldn't believe it! He was home.

.

Frodo scoured the landscape looking for Sam. He had to find him! He had to find his best friend! But then, Frodo remembered the tales of werewolves. Werewolves would even kill their best friends, slaughter them! Was this the price Frodo would have to pay, should he and Sam cross paths again? Frodo knew he had to risk it! He knew it! But did it mean that he would have other tasks to do, too? Like meeting up with Saruman? Where was the luck in that?

Frodo slid to a halt at the sight of the Many-Coloured Wizard, who stood before him. Frodo gasped at Saruman with a look of disdain. He really didn't want to talk to the wizard. "Please, let me through! I have to find Sam!"

Saruman raised his eyebrows in interest. "You are not the same boy I remember. Back in the original timeline. You were… different. Unkind but wise. Or so the stories go. Now, you seek out a different path. Wanting to save Sauron?" Saruman chuckled darkly. "My, my, my boy, you have changed."

Frodo gulped. He looked at Saruman boldly, imploring him, "I don't need you to tell me how I've changed!" Frodo huffed and puffed as best he could, hopeful that the dragonoid in him wouldn't come out. He sorely felt as though that side of him was ready to come out! But no, Frodo calmed down, closing his eyes, and backing off.

Frodo looked up again at Saruman, as the wizard laughed at him. "Dear boy," Saruman interjected, "you have grown stronger. I must say, a spiritual awakening has changed you, made you emboldened. Tell me: what was the point in sending that girl to Earth. Modern Earth. Was it out of love, rejection, or ignorance?"

He added for Frodo's ears to hear, "I know this wasn't your doing, but only you and her can bring this story to its end."

Frodo looked down at the ground. Saruman caught his gaze, "Oh, don't look down! You have changed, you've grown stronger. This Shire holds the key to both our destinies. Should you fall, the world will be doomed."

Frodo shook his head, saying to him, "I don't know what you mean."

Saruman raised his eyebrows, interjecting once more, "Oh, do you? You don't think we are all pawns in this game called life? Look around you! We're back at the Scouring of the Shire! The hobbits killed me on our last encounter. Samwise Gamgee has left us alone, so you could do the job yourself." Saruman cackled, opening his arms for Frodo to do it. "Go on, lad. Do it! Kill me!"

"What?" Frodo asked, shocked.

Saruman laughed, cackled. "Come now, boy. You know you want to. You—"

It was too late. Sam charged in in his wolfish form. He pounced on Saruman, chopping his head off and leaving the body to rest there. Sam huffed and puffed, smirking at Frodo, as he licked his chops.

Frodo cowered at the sight of Sam. How was Sam any different from the other hobbits of the Shire? "You didn't need to do that! I could have gotten through to him! I could have!" Frodo cried, frustrated and angry at his friend for doing this.

"He was going to kill you!" Sam interjected, annoyed and angry at his friend, too. Sam snarled at Frodo, too angry to speak with him. "You didn't kill Gollum! You didn't kill Saruman! You're supposed to destroy Evil! That's what you're meant to do."

Frodo paused. Shock reached his face, followed by hot anger. Frodo realized Sam was talking about himself. Frodo looked at Sam, changing fast into a royal blue dragonoid form, with his clothes still on his back, just as Sam still had clothes on his back and legs. Anger fueled, boiling inside Frodo's veins. It was his anger towards the werewolf that made Frodo lose his temper!

Frodo pounced on Sam, pinning him down and using all his strength to keep Sam there. It wasn't enough! Sam kicked Frodo back, forcing Frodo to the ground with all his werewolf strength.

Sam shook his head, debating on what to do next. "You—were—supposed—to-kill him! Not leave him alone! What is wrong with you?" Sam sighed, saying to him, calmer, "Why can't you be more like the well-respected hobbits of the Shire? Do things for your country? Be the man that ladies would fawn over? Your beloved is not someone I want you to stay with," Sam told him with fury. "This is not how you are!"

Frodo snarled, jerking away from him. Only, Frodo rolled over, debating on what he should do next. Sam pinned him down, leaving Frodo angrier. "You cannot stay dreamin'. You have to find a wife and begin the next generation. It's a tradition amongst the hobbits of the Shire. I get what I want because I love my home and everything in it. You're still a weakling!"

"You call having physical strength stronger than me? Sam, you don't know me," Frodo said, his voice shaking.

"Now, finish the story and then come home. And stay home! You are not leaving the Shire again. That's a promise!" Sam said, haughtily, moving off from him.

Frodo's lip trembled. Rage burrowed inside of him. A few tears shed. The last he recalled of the original timeline, from the book's timeline, the focus had turned from Frodo to Sam, leaving Sam as the lead protagonist and Frodo a supporting character.

Frodo may have had a superiority complex, that he was becoming more aware of, but Sam was so far gone that he was becoming way too pushy on him. Sam's thoughts of home must have left him in a delusion. Frodo hated this part of Sam that was over-dominating him. Frodo wished he could help Sam, but even he knew that people needed to change themselves.

All right. Frodo would go along with Sam's plan, but Frodo wasn't intending on returning to the Shire or Middle-earth for a long time, after this was over. Frodo could easily forgive Sam for what he did to him. Sam deserved his happy ending, but then so did Frodo.

Would this mean the end of Frodo and Sam's friendship? Well, there was only one way to find out.