Disclaimer: I do not own any of Tolkien's many great and numerous works.

Here and now

Gandalf tries not to make the cart jolt too greatly, but she still manages to tear a hole or two in the paper with her nib as she practises getting her hand as neat and flowing as it can be at this short notice.

"What shall I say?"

Gandalf, from the corner of her eye, shrugs and shakes his head. "These are your letters, Bella, not mine, and your adventure. You will have to choose, I'm afraid."

After that she shuts up and scribbles, until she has something she's happy with.

Dear Daddy,

I'm sorry about all the fuss that I caused - although I have to say you did deserve it somewhat, for springing it on me like that! Gandalf says hello again, and hopes he'll still be welcome next time he comes to visit and that he won't get hanged from something large enough to hold him. He specifically wants you to know that this wasn't planned between us in the slightest, for once, so please don't blame him.

I think you know why I bolted. If Bungo had had a chance to corner me and ask – I don't think it would have turned out well, no matter what I said. You understand, daddy? I needed time to think.

I won't be gone for too long this time – I'm having an adventure. Perhaps one last adventure.

Don't worry, I'm always careful.

I love you so much, daddy. Give my love to all the rest.

Bellie

All right, the easiest one is done. Now the one for mother, oh dear.

This one takes much, much longer.

Dear Mam,

I'm so sorry about what I did. I know all the things you want to say to me, and you have the right to every one of them. I was stupid, I was rude, I behaved abominably and I let you down completely. I've disappointed you.

I'm sorry for that, mam.

I'm not sorry that I ran, even if it's held over me ever afterwards. And me alone, for that's how it should be; I'm the one who bolted out the door, after all.

Mother, I hope you can understand this; I couldn't have answered Bungo like that, standing in the front parlour feeling like a rat in a trap. Whether I'd said yes or no, my heart wouldn't have been in it and I'd have been angry at you all. It would have been utterly unfair to everyone, and most of all to Bungo.

I'll be back soon, mam. I am coming back, never fear; I'll send you word when I'm nearing home.

I love you so much.

Belladonna

It isn't wonderful, but it'll have to do. She can't make it any better.

She stares at the last sheet of paper for some time, sighs and starts to write.

Bungo,

I am sorry.

This is the third letter I've written today that starts off with apologies. This was by far the hardest one to write, because out of all the people that I've managed to upset today, you are the one that matters the very most to me.

I love you.

It's all very well for me to say that now, when I've proclaimed my so called love while running away from you and off into the wide yonder. But it remains the truth. I love you.

I love that you were brave enough to approach me at the start – do you remember? - and talk to me as no one else ever had. I love to be with you. I love when you choose me, above all other people, to spend your days with. I love sitting and talking with you, discussing everything under the Sun. I love how you put up with my stories and interrupt in all the right places. I love dancing with you, how happy it makes us. I love how you tell me things I didn't know, and explain them. I love that I can make you laugh. I love that I make you happy. I love the way you look at the world. I love you, Bungo. I love you.

But there are other things that I love as well, that I could never find in Hobbiton. And when I thought of having to move beyond what I had always taken for granted – that I could go on all my adventures and come back to you again, without having to choose one or the other – I was afraid. I was a coward. So, I ran.

I've run off to those other things again, and in doing that I've hurt you. I ran when I should at least have had the courtesy to hear you out, and to consider an offer that I should have been ecstatic to accept – if I had any sense.

You deserve far better than a selfish ,foolish child, that leaves such a broken mess in her wake. You are the best of friends, the best of hobbits, and truly I think that there's no other gentle-hobbit – more than that, no other hobbit in the world - I'd want to marry but you.

And yet.

And yet.

By doing this I know that I have, in all likelihood, lost your good opinion forever. Of all the mistakes I've ever made - and there have been a fair few – this has been by far my worst. What you think of me has come to matter perhaps more than anything else in the whole world.

If you no longer wish to think of me or look for my return, I wouldn't blame you. But I love you, Bungo Baggins, I love you and whatever happens, I always will.

Yours,

Belladonna Took

That probably isn't going to get any better either, although it is really very abject. She seals it up as best she can, along with the others, and pops them into her satchel. "All done," she announces, feeling like an idiot and more than a little weepy. Writing to Bungo took a lot out of her. And even after putting down everything she felt she could, there were things that she simply couldn't tell him.

"Will we be sleeping in the cart tonight?" she adds. Ask a silly question, but who knows if there are other places Gandalf likes to stay in this part of Shire, besides her home? That's a thought to wake her up, that after twenty eight years of knowing Gandalf, she doesn't know something like that.

"Yes. And you can cook dinner, my dear Belladonna; all this excitement has tired me greatly."

Meanwhile, back in the Shire

Bungo turned to stride back up the hill towards the Smials when the cart was finally gone from view. The sight of the highly respectable, and currently rather dishevelled, Mr Baggins chasing after Miss Belladonna Took - with quite a number of her family in tow - had drawn a fair crowd. He rather suspected the hobbits about him were watching with some anticipation for further entertainment. Perhaps they waited to see if he would storm off in a rage, vowing never to return to Tuckborough as long as he lived - but if any of them had hoped that he would add to the disaster this day had become by behaving like a brattish tweenager, he would most certainly disappoint them.

Bella had shouted that she loved him, for everyone to hear. He was fairly certain that she meant what she said. But still…

He met Isembard half way back to the front door. He was holding an apple core and looking as if he didn't know whether to be confused or amused at the sight of his sister's bedraggled suitor and whoever might be following. "What happened?" he asked all of them, and then, to him in particular, "Has she bolted?"

He would not behave like a brattish tweenager. This did not, however, mean that he would treat this all as a silly joke. Bolted, indeed! "She left with Master Gandalf," he replied, and strode past as various brothers hissed at each other.

"Honestly, Isembard!"

"What were you doing?"

"This is hardly my fault! You told me to guard the back door, how should I know she'd charge out the front like that?"

Mr Baggins kept his eyes set on the Smials as he walked, straightening his waistcoat and brushing the dirt off his coat. There were more people flocking about him now, Mistress Took and the Miss Tooks asking him variations on the theme of 'Are you all right?' and 'Oh dear, your coat, Mr Baggins!' and all with differing degrees of sincerity. But the voice that really got his attention was that of the Thain, as he said all at once "You'll need something restorative after that chase, I'll be bound, Mr Baggins; won't you come into the study with me?"

The large heavy hand came down on his shoulder, and he found that any response he might have had died in his throat as the Thain steered him through the doorway and into the blessed shade of the hall. The sun had caused his eyes to water so.

The next thing he was aware of was the glass the Thain pushed into his hand, as he was told to "Sit, Mr Baggins, please." He did sit, and sipped at what turned out to be some rather fine whiskey. He thought Gerontius would say something else, but it seemed the older hobbit preferred to sip at his own glass as he stared through the window in – roughly – the direction that his eldest daughter has fled.

Bungo took some time to finish the glass. This was the longest period of time he'd ever spent alone with his prospective father in law, and the whiskey was a welcome relief.

At last the Thain sighed, and turned away from the window. "How do you feel now, Mr Baggins?"

"Better than five minutes ago, sir, I do confess. But not by much."

"I must apologise for my daughter's behaviour, even if she will return in good time to make it herself. I hope that you might be willing to entertain such a possibility."

Bungo looked quickly to the wall so that he wouldn't stare at the Thain. This was the most enthused Gerontius had ever seemed to be about the possible match; ironic that his seeming approval should come now, when Bella had dumped him on the hall floor and raced away rather than even letting him ask.

And yet…

And yet…

He stood up, wishing he were that fraction taller. "Sir, there is no other lady in the Shire or out of it whom I could consider."

"Even after the riot of this morning?" The Thain sounded entirely too amused.

"…granted, if she came back this very evening - which I highly doubt – and was still uncertain, I would be quite angry." Angry did not quite cover it, furious would be more appropriate, but Gerontius probably already knew that. "But, if she needs to go and learn her own mind about the possibility, best she does it thoroughly. My affections and wishes would not have changed."

Gerontius stared at him for a time, before he walked over and poured more whiskey for the both of them. "Then we shall have to hope that Bella will not take too long this time. Ah, you should have come to me first, Mr Baggins, then perhaps all this would not have happened."

Bungo had paused with the whiskey half way to his lips. "I, ah, thought that she might not appreciate it if I asked you before her. Sir."

"True, but then I could have told you, and Adamanta as well and all the rest, that you were going about it all wrong. You backed her into a corner, and surely you know by now that Bella hates to be pinned down to anything!"

Bungo had known that, as a matter of fact, sir, but didn't quite dare to say it. His sudden decision to propose, made without considering what Bella might make of the forces being marshalled to keep her from running away - how to explain to Bella, to her father, that it had been because he had dithered for over two years and never had the courage until now?

And if this was the result…

All he said was, "I know better now." What was he going to do now? How to go back to Hobbiton and wait for her without arousing any further gossip, if that was even possible? And as for any scorn..good grief, what on earth would Mother would say-

"Mr Baggins, might I invite you to stay in the Smials for a while? After the day you've just had, I believe you're in the need of a little peace and quiet." Away from prying eyes and sharp tongues, the Thain's tone seemed to say, as if he'd read Bungo's mind. Or more like his face.

Bungo opened his mouth to protest that he couldn't possibly inconvenience them any further than he already had. Or perhaps to say something about the lack of propriety in staying with the family of the lady he'd failed to propose to. Half of whom would be generously commiserating with him, and the other half of whom seemed to wonder exactly what Bella saw in him in the first place anyway, and both halves quite probably coming to a very uncomfortable whole.

What came out was, to his great surprise, "I believe I should like that, sir."

I've changed the brother guarding the backdoor in the first chapter from Isumbras to Isembard. Not quite sure why, it just felt right.

Personally, I do hope to channel Pride and Prejudice through Bungo's whole story arc. This shall be fun.