A/N: hello yes im still working on this story i swear, im just busy. For this chap, i thought we could use a break from the mirkwood plotline. We're visiting Hobbiton! Woohoo!

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The shire

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Rolling hills of green, picket fences, and–best of all–Hobbit holes. These sights ensure Adrienne that she has in fact arrived in the highly-spoken-of Shire. It's even more lovely than her hobbit friends had described, which is saying a lot. The air seems just a tad fresher and the flowers just a hue brighter.

The fact is, there's nothing glamorous about it at all, but that's just the sort of thing that makes it so special. In the humble dwellings and respected farms lies community and peace. It's the essence of that quiet life everyone deeply longs for.

"Now why couldn't I have been born a hobbit?" Adrienne asks aloud.

If reincarnation were real, she knows exactly what she would wish to be reborn as. It's not even a question, like come on. Seven meals a day? Yep, it's a no-brainer.

But then her darling husband has to go and make a good point.

"If that were the case, I'm afraid our difference in height would be rather difficult to ignore."

She laughs at the invading mental image. "Yeah, talk about a long-distance relationship. It would be a bit awkward…" She shakes her head then, a motion that goes unseen by Legolas from his position seated in front of her on their horse. "But you know what? I'd be willing to look past that. It's a small price to pay for the Hobbit Experience."

He cranes his neck to toss her a gibing look. "Speak for yourself."

A playful smack is the appropriate response, which Adrienne quickly delivers. "Are you saying you wouldn't love me if I was a hobbit? And here I thought your love was unconditional."

She never thought she'd be a 'Would you still love me if I was a worm?' kind of girl but maybe she was wrong…

He laughs. "My dear, I'd love you even if you were a dwarf."

The unexpectedly sweet reply gives her pause. Coming from him, that's saying a lot, even if his perception of dwarves has greatly improved since meeting Gimli. It gives her an urge to kiss him, but unfortunately, that's not currently possible.

"This moment would be a lot more romantic if I weren't staring at the back of your head."

"Woe is me."

"Okay, never mind. Why I ever thought teaching your dramatic ass Shakespeare quotes was a good idea is beyond me."

"If music be the food of love, play on."

"Oh for the love of–"

He hushes her as they approach an old hobbit man sweeping his front steps.

"Good day to you, sir," he calls.

The hobbit looks up and does a doubletake, eyes going wide in disbelief as he takes in the stranger. His gaze lingers on Legolas' pointed ears, at a loss for words.

"We've gotten this far," Legolas continues, "but I'm afraid we're in need of further assistance from here. Mayhaps you could direct us to the home of Frodo Baggins?"

Speculation crosses the man's face as he eyes them warily. Adrienne decides it's the right opportunity to butt in. "We're friends of his," she says, hoping to put the man at ease. "And we've come a long way, so we'd appreciate your help."

He looks a little hesitant still, but he finally relents and provides them with instructions to Frodo's place, sending them on their way again.

"I don't believe they're used to seeing elves around here," Legolas comments.

Adrienne snorts, easily conjuring the man's shocked expression to the forefront of her mind. "Hun, I don't think they've ever seen elves around here. You're like a unicorn."

"A what?"

"Seriously? How do you guys not have unicorns in this world? That's like, basic fantasy lore." She shakes her head in disappointment. "Well, anyway, I don't think Hobbiton gets many visitors period, so we're gonna stick out around here."

Legolas tosses her a knowing look over his shoulder. "Much like you in Eryn Galen?"

"Yeah." She smiles smugly. "So suck it up, buttercup."

They arrive at the Baggins' hobbit hole shortly after, Adrienne allowing Legolas to help her down from the horse. She races up the path as he ties off the horse, eagerly rapping her knuckles against the round wooden door.

It swings open a few moments later, revealing Frodo's soft face. He breaks out in a smile as Adrienne pulls him into an embrace, wrapping his arms around her in return.

She gives him a final squeeze before letting go. "I've missed you so much."

Legolas comes up behind her just as a voice shouts from somewhere inside. "Who is it, Frodo?"

"Legolas and Adrienne!" Frodo calls back. "They've arrived!"

There's a pause and then an excited pattering of feet, followed by three familiar faces appearing.

The next couple of minutes are filled with warm hugs and excited chatter before they're ushered inside. The home is rustic and beautiful, but decidedly cramped for non-Hobbits. Adrienne bites her lip to keep from laughing as Legolas hunches over and attempts not to hit his head on something or another. She has to duck as well, but not as much as him, who has a good five inches on her.

"We're not interrupting anything, are we?" she questions as they're led into the sitting room. "You all just happened to be here?"

"Not at all," Merry reassures her. "We were just about to sit down for afternoon tea is all. Our last with us all being bachelors."

Sam's cheeks tint at the comment, as if a bit embarrassed by the attention, and Adrienne sends him a grin. He'd provided her and Legolas with the perfect opportunity to come for a visit, after all.

"I hope you don't mind us crashing your guy time, then."

"Of course not," Sam insists, passing out tea. "We're thrilled you're here."

"And are you thrilled," she teases, "to be getting married? Rosie must be a special girl to ensnare our Sam like this."

He flushes again, but this time it's affectionate. "Yes, she's very special."

She nods. "Good. I won't let you settle for anything less." She inclines her head towards Frodo, Merry, and Pippin. "And I'm sure they feel the same way."

Pippin huffs. "You've got that right."

They all share a laugh, settling into conversation as they take tea. The familiarity of this company wraps Adrienne's heart in a warm hug. She'd feared it might be a bit awkward seeing them again after being separated for a year when once they used to see each other every day, but now she realizes her worries were nothing but nonsense. They all fall into their old dynamic as if they'd only been apart for a mere day or two.

Most comforting of all, though, is the fact that the hobbits seem so much happier, now that the terrors are long past and they're back in their home. They seem more peaceful than last she saw them, more healed.

Well, except for one. Frodo nearly fools her with his guise, but she happens to glance over at the right moment, catching it when he lets his mask slip, showing his forlorn frown. She narrows her eyes at him, to which he hurries to respond with a reassuring smile. She doesn't buy it, of course, but she's not about to call him out right at this moment and ruin the mood.

So caught up in the observation, she fails to realize Sam talking to her.

"Hm?"

Sam smiles. "I said I'm going to head out now as I have much to do before tomorrow. But I wanted to know if you'd like to see my gardens first."

"Oh! Of course, what kind of question is that?" She shakes her head at the ridiculousness before standing up, hands on her hips. "What are we waiting for?"

He leads the way, taking her and Legolas outside, much to the relief of their backs and legs. The couple allows him to get a head start as they take a moment to stretch.

"I hadn't considered what a strain this trip would take on my posture," Legolas says with a wince, his hand pressed to his spine.

Adrienne glances over, eyes sparkling. "Oh yeah? Well, I have something else you should consider."

Before he even has the chance to ask what that means, she smacks his butt and runs past him.

The sound of her husband's surprised yelp behind her, followed by a "hey!" , brings forth a laugh from her throat as she catches up to Sam, falling into step alongside the hobbit.

"Let's see how much of a green thumb you really have, hmm?"

He doesn't disappoint. His gardens are gorgeous, containing a multitude of plants, some of which she recognizes from back home while others she's never seen before. They're all beautiful, working together to form a wide array of vibrant hues.

Sam's botanist side comes out in full force as he gives them a tour, describing the system he uses to organize the gardens. He names each flower and provides an in-depth summary of what kind of care their species requires. A lot of the words he uses go right over Adrienne's head, but with the way his face lights up as he talks passionately, she'd be willing to listen for hours.

When she glances up at Legolas she has to bite her lip to keep from laughing. He's thoroughly invested, hanging onto every word and engaging in conversation. She takes his hand, giving it a squeeze.

What a geek.

"And this here is Merry and Pippin's favorite," Sam says with a wry grin as they come to another plant. "I bet you can guess why."

Adrienne grins. "Pipe-weed?"

"Yes, ma'am," he answers with a nod.

"Sick. You mind if I take some for later?"

He shakes his head and sighs even as he goes to pick some of its leaves. "I should've known you'd ask as much."

"And you mean that as the highest compliment, right?"

He laughs. "Oh of course."

"It's alright, you don't have to lie to her," Legolas teases. "She shouldn't be coddled with white lies as much as she is."

Adrienne pulls her hand out of his hold and crosses her arms. "Oh shut up. Maybe if you'd smoke with us you'd loosen up a bit."

"Well if you're so certain–"

Sam straightens up, handing Adrienne the Pipe-weed. "If this is what marriage is like, I think I might reconsider."

She exchanges a look with Legolas, and they break out into laughter a mere second later. It's not long before Sam joins in too.

That night, the couple sits around Frodo's fireplace with him and the other two hobbits. After a lot of combined peer pressure, they even manage to convince Legolas to take a drag. He chokes on the smoke, lunges hacking and eyes watering, resulting in everyone else rolling on the floor laughing. He's not amused.

When it's time to turn in for the night, Adrienne and Legolas lay out on the floor since there's no way on Eru's green Arda they can fit in a tiny Hobbit bed.

Adrienne's dreams are filled with vibrant flowers and old friends.

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As expected, Sam and Rosie's wedding is a-fucking-dorable. Fondness makes a home in Adrienne's chest as her friend says his vows with ardent love. He'll make a wonderful husband and father, she's sure of it.

Afterward, she hooks her arm in Legolas' as they head over to where the celebration is to be held. "That was such a beautiful ceremony!" She sighs. "It makes me nostalgic for our own wedding, you know?"

He looks down at her, raising a brow. "Our wedding wasn't that long ago…"

"Makes no difference," she waves him off. "I get nostalgic over what I ate for breakfast."

He shakes his head. "Somehow I don't doubt that."

"I wouldn't lie about breakfast," she says offhandedly, scanning the venue for a table. "Oh! Over there! Let's sit with the guys."

She starts dragging him over to where Frodo, Merry, and Pippin are.

"Alright I want the truth," she demands as she takes her seat, earning raised eyebrows from the hobbits. Her finger points at them seriously. "Did you cry?"

"No," Merry says.

"Yes," Frodo admits.

"I don't remember," says Pippin.

Adrienne swings her finger in the youngest hobbit's direction. "Wrong answer."

Huffing, Pippin goes on the offensive. "Did you cry?"

"She came close, but no," Legolas answers for her. "But she did whistle loud enough to rouse a dragon from its slumber when the new couple shared their first kiss."

The hobbits look at her with wide eyes. "That was YOU?"

She crosses her arms defensively. "What? Everyone was cheering."

Legolas raises his hand to the side of his head with a wince. "Yes, but everyone else didn't cause me to lose hearing in my left ear."

"Don't be dramatic, you just have sensitive wittle elf ears. Who's side are you on, anyway?"

"My ears."

Merry and Pippin erupt into a fit of laughter while Frodo tries to hide his own behind a cough.

No loyalty whatsoever.

"Wow. Okay, moving on. When's the cocktail hour?"

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Much to Adrienne's satisfaction, the Shire party lives up to her expectations. Hobbits party much differently than Elves, but it's no less charming. The music and dancing are lively, and the food is to die for. Seriously, she'd be willing to fall to her death all over again just for the sake of the food that's at this wedding.

When the soreness of her feet tell her it's time to take a break from dancing, she makes her way back to their table. The sight she comes upon is adorable: a group of Hobbit children are gathered around Legolas in awe, firing questions and staring at his ears. During their visit, most of the adults tend to be wary, but the kids clearly have no such reservations.

Smiling, she comes up behind her husband's sitting form and slings her arm over his shoulder, bending her head down so that her lips are beside his ear.

"You can stick to your trees, elf boy. I think I'm gonna move out here."

Diverting his attention from the children, Legolas inclines his head toward hers. "Is that so?"

"Mmhm. I never really thought of myself as a country gal but maybe I was wrong."

"Are you really willing to have permanent back pain in order to achieve that?"

She shrugs. "A small price to pay."

"And being separated from your husband?"

"A slightly larger price to pay."

Heaving a disappointed sigh, he feigns hurt. "Oh. Well I think I would miss my wife terribly."

She places her free hand on her chest, doing her best to look utterly touched. "Aww. In that case, I guess I'd be willing to give up my cottagecore dream, then."

"How very kind of you," he says, and while his smile is teasing, his eyes shine with adoration. It's that soft look of his that never fails to make Adrienne's heart flutter, and she simply cannot resist the overwhelming urge to lean down and capture his lips in a lingering kiss.

A chorus of "ewwww"s breaks out, reminding the couple they're still surrounded by an audience of small children.

Adrienne straightens up with a grimace. "Guess that's my cue to go then. I'm off to get some cake." She starts to walk away (despite her husband's whine of protest) before she turns back to smile innocently at the children. "Make sure to keep asking him LOTS of questions, kids. He loves to talk."

She can feel Legolas' annoyed glare on the back of her head as she walks away chuckling.

On her way to the cake table, she snags Merry's arm as he's rushing past to do God knows what. "Hey, where'd Frodo go?"

She's been trying to keep an eye on her melancholic friend, but as the night went on, she sort of lost track of him.

"I think I saw him wander off in that direction," he answers with a jerk of his chin.

She barely gets a thank you off her lips before he scurries off, his eyes bright with excitement–and alcohol.

Balancing two servings of mouth-watering wedding cake, she heads off in search of Frodo. It doesn't take her long to find him, even despite the darkness that's long since settled over the land; he's sitting beside a small pond where the celebration is but ambient noise, his curly hair giving his silhouette a recognizable form.

"I brought you some cake," Adrienne says as she settles on the ground next to him, handing him one of the plates.

The Hobbit meets her eyes with a sad smile. "Thank you."

"No problem, dude." She takes a bite of cake, and a little bit of heaven too. Elves don't have nearly as fun-tasting food as this. "So whatcha thinkin' about?"

He shrugs. "Just about how things are now. I'm ever so happy for Sam; he deserves to find happiness."

There's a pause as Adrienne gives him a sidelong glance, her heart clenching. "So do you."

His lips form a smile so tight it's practically a straight line. "That's difficult to do when I'm still weighed down by everything that's happened." Subconsciously, his hand goes to the spot where the Ring used to rest against his chest. "I cannot forget, and for that reason, I don't think I will ever truly recover."

Another pause.

Adrienne's eyes squeeze shut as she inhales deeply, a familiar ache blooming in her chest.

None of them talk about it, really. The lingering effects of what they endured. But they all feel it; they have to. They cannot unsee the things they saw, or undo the things they did, and for that, they are forever changed. Some of them struggle with it more than others. Frodo, she suspects, most of all.

"I know what you mean–sort of." She feels his gaze on her, but she keeps her face forward, watching the moon reflecting on the surface of the water. "There's an empty space in my soul where my Music used to be; I feel it every day, like grief. It is grief. Because I lost something I'll never get back. I'll never be whole like that again."

Frodo nods somberly, his voice quiet. "I'm not even sure what it is that I've lost, but I know it is something that cannot be returned to me. Not as it was."

She takes a shuddering breath. "And then there's the whole dying thing. I joke about it a lot–and I mean, I'm not scared in that way anymore, like I used to–but I also can't forget what it felt like, that final moment. Legolas, you know, he's pretty great about it. He holds me whenever I wake up from a nightmare and he's always willing to listen, but…but he doesn't understand. He can't."

"Sam understands, mostly. He was there with me for nearly all of it. But even still…" He trails off, a crease between his brow.

Adrienne swallows, able to interpret his meaning. Sam wasn't the Ring bearer. For that reason, and for countless more, he was affected too, but not in the same way Frodo was.

A blanket of heavy, contemplative silence falls over them for several minutes. Or maybe it's only seconds that feel like minutes.

"I've been thinking about an offer I received," Frodo finally says, picking at his fingernails.

"An offer…?"

"To sail West. To the Undying Lands."

Ice lands in Adrienn's stomach, freezing over her insides. "What?"

He continues, a determined look on his face. "It's not an honor normally granted to Hobbits, or any mortals for that matter, I believe. But it seems they'll make an exception for me." He nods decidedly. "I don't see a reason to turn it down."

No reason? But what about Sam? It would break his heart, as well as Merry's and Pippin's.

And hers.

She feels like she just found this weird but lovable family here and now not only are they all scattered across Middle Earth but one of them is thinking about leaving it entirely. Who knows how long it'll be before she and Legolas finally sail West themselves; Frodo might already be long dead by then, which means Frodo leaving will be the last time she'll ever see him, and she's not ready to say goodbye.

It's not fair. Not to her or to Sam or to anyone else.

But just before she's about to ask him why the hell he'd go and do a thing like that, she remembers. She remembers what it was like for her, back in her old life, a mere shell of herself. She wasn't happy there, she couldn't be, not after everything that happened. It took her quite literally traveling to another world for her to get a new chance.

Frodo deserves that chance, too. He's not happy here, that much is clear. So who is she to make him stay? Maybe he'd be happier in Valinor.

She takes a deep, steadying breath, reigning in her emotions. Her friend needs her support, not her outburst.

"I think," she says slowly, "that you should do what's best for you."

"Thank you." It's said softly and with much appreciation as if he needed to hear that from someone.

She turns to meet his eyes with sincerity. "Anytime, friend."

They share a soft smile.

"When would you leave?" she asks, clearing her throat and shaking off the gloomy mood.

His answer provides some relief. "Probably not for another year or two. I still have to work on my book, you know."

"Oh, right. And how's that coming along?" She gives him a playful nudge. "Gonna tell me the title yet?"

He shakes his head. "I haven't decided on a title."

Shoveling the last bite of cake into her mouth, she places her plate on the ground beside her. "Well hey, if you ever need some cool ideas, just hit me up."

An amused smile stretches across his lips. "Let's hear some then."

"Okay, what about 'The Awesome Adventures of Frodo Baggins and His Friend Adrienne Who Was Also There.'"

"No!" he laughs. "That's far too long. And ridiculous."

"Hm. Too long you say? Then how about just 'Baggins'? That minimalist style of titling is all the rage where I'm from."

"Really? That's quite…dull."

She chuckles. "Yeah, I think so too."

"Besides, I'd rather not be mentioned in the title," he adds, and really, she should've guessed that. "What was the name of your favorite book as a child?"

Her favorite childhood book...she's suddenly transported back to a time when she sat on the school bus escaping into a world where gods were real and her mom wasn't sick.

"Percy Jackson, a book series actually," she says fondly. Then she shakes herself out of her reminiscence. "But obviously that's just the protagonist's name. Hmm. Well, my favorite classic book I had to read for school was Lord of the Flies."

The hobbit's nose crinkles. "Why would anyone be the lord of flies?"

She laughs at his perplexed and disgusted reaction. "It wasn't an actual lord or anything; it was a decapitated pig's head that was covered in flies. This one kid, Simon, started hallucinating it talking to him, and he named it that."

"...and that was your favorite book you read in school?"

She can feel his judgment, but she's unbothered. It was an interesting read and she got an A on the book report.

"Yeah, we have to read a bunch of fucked up books like that. Anyway, I don't think that's such a bad idea."

"Talking to a pig's decapitated head? Or–"

She rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "No. The name. What about, like, Lord of the Rings? Sounds kinda badass."

"Hm." He grows thoughtful, mulling it over. "It could work…yes, I'll definitely take it into consideration."

"Great! I want an autographed copy when you're done."

"It has a long way to go yet," he reminds her. "And sometimes it feels like I should just scrap the whole thing."

She waves him off with a dismissive pfft. "Please. Don't sell yourself short. You saved the world, how hard can writing a book be?"

From the weary look Frodo gives her, she's guessing maybe writing is more intense than she thought. She gives him a wink before jumping to her feet and collecting their empty plates. "Well, I'm off. I should probably go save my husband from the horde of pestering children. You wanna come with?"

He shakes his head. "No, I think I'd like to stay here for a bit. I'll return to the party in a few minutes."

Disappointment courses through her; she doesn't want him to be alone, but sometimes that's what the soul needs. "Okay, that's cool."

She turns to go but doesn't get far when Frodo calls after her.

"Yeah?" she asks.

"Thank you, again." Compassion emanates from her hobbit friend as he leaves her with parting words of well wishes. "And I hope you can make peace with what you lost, too."