Chapter 1: And You’ll Be Here in My Arms

Shortly before dawn, Frodo rose to singing. He quickly changed out of his nightshirt into cream-colored silk and walked the two miles down from his home to a small building as he had every day for almost 60 years. Joining others, he entered the almost completely dark room, bowed, and kissed an image of a sun at the front that was illuminated by a single red lamp hanging from the ceiling, before he sat down on one of the benches, feet dangling over the side. He listened as a single Elf stood near the lamp and chanted prayers to Iluvatar. Frodo responded with the others in flawless Quenya and bowed his head with the others at the words of blessing. Then he left his place, arms crossed over his chest, fingers nearly touching the opposite shoulders, in a position of reverence and respect learned decades before. His expression was solemn as was proper, but just underneath it was barely suppressed excitement for a day so longed for. He reached the equally solemn Elf at the front of the room, tilted his head back and opened his mouth. The Elf crouched down to place a small piece of the lembas bread there.

When Frodo returned to his place, he stared up at the lamp as he slowly consumed the bread, the great gift Iluvatar had given his Firstborn and that Frodo felt honored and humbled to share in. But there was more than one thing he was thankful for today and it was regarding that he focused his prayers on. He bowed his head and murmured, “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” over and over again. He spent several more minutes in silent prayer, then left and ran down to the dock, his energy no longer suppressed but flowing out from his heart, giving strength to limbs 114 years old, but feeling only a fraction of that.

He shouted his joy aloud when he saw from afar the ship approach, the one had hoped and prayed so long for. He skidded to a stop at the very edge of the pier so he would be the very first person Sam would see. He tried to calm his breathing, but was too excited to be truly successful. He smoothed his clothing and ran a shaking hand through silver curls. He wanted to look his best for his Sam. His eyes remained glued to the approaching ship which to his agony seemed to be coming in far too slowly. He bounced from foot to foot, willing the majestic vessel to come in faster, then felt a hand on his shoulder, stilling him for a moment. He relaxed his clenched fists as he felt peace flow from that grip and then squinted up into the sun to look into the face of one of his dearer friends.

A tall, blond Elf smiled down at him and spoke to him in Quenya. “I thought I would restrain you from throwing yourself into the water and pulling in the ship yourself. You were thinking of doing that, weren’t you, dear Iorhael?”

Frodo smiled. He had never lost the thrill of hearing his Elvish name and he retorted fluently back and his friend smiled at the slight Shire accent that remained. “If I thought it would help, Galian, I would. It’s coming in so slowly, I can’t bear it!”

Galian’s smile widened.. “All this while, dear one, that you have spent with us and you still have not come to our view of time?”

The hundred-and-fourteen-year-old hobbit nearly snorted and the thousands-years-old Elf laughed. “This wait may mean nothing to you, my dear friend,” Frodo said, his eyes fixed on the ship, “but we mortals don’t have all the time in the world and this has been a day I have so longed for...for I don’t even want to know how long.”

The ship was moving closer, but not nearly quick enough. Frodo’s breathing quickened and he started clenching and unclenching his small fists as he strained to see anyone on the deck. He felt his friend’s hand tighten a little on his shoulder.

“He’s here’s, Galian,” Frodo whispered. “He’s finally here. My Sam, my brother, my heart.”

The Elf looked down at the small glowing figure who was his treasured friend. “And happy we all are for you, beloved Iorhael.”

“Thank you. I can’t believe the time has come at last.”

“Do you want to know how little time it’s actually been since you last saw him?”

“No,” Frodo replied, knowing he was being teased again. “Just a blink of an eye for you, I suppose, the wait of a lifetime for me.”

“Less than a blink actually.”

Frodo groaned “Don’t torture me anymore, Galian. This wait is torture enough. Why can’t it move in any faster?”

“Dearheart, when have you ever seen an Elf or anything of Elven make move anything less than elegantly? You have acquired so much of the same grace yourself on top of what you already naturally had. Don’t go shaming us now with all this impatience.”

This time Frodo did snort and Galian laughed again. “All right, I will stop ‘torturing’ you. Enjoy your reunion. You will have many more years with him.”

“Oh, I hope so. Thank you, Galian.”

The Elf squeezed his friend’s shoulder, then released his grip. Frodo didn’t even notice as his eyes remained riveted to the ship which finally was coming close enough nearly to touch. The hobbit’s breathing hitched as he stepped back to allow the vessel to draw up to the dock and lower the boarding plank. It stopped altogether for a moment when he saw a small, crouched figure emerge from the boat.

“Sam!” Frodo cried. “My Sam!”

The elderly hobbit looked up. He saw more Elves than he had ever seen in his life, but his eyes hardly registered them. The long voyage was over. He had been very well taken care of, but it had been tiring for his age and frightening for someone who didn’t like the water. But none of that mattered anymore. Now he looked only for the one who had called his name, for the one he had made this voyage for. His face lit up when he saw his brother again. He was startled for a moment to see Frodo’s hair entirely silver, but that and the nearly white clothing he wore, made him seem to glow even brighter with love, joy and peace, greater than he ever had, even before the Ring had so scarred him. Sam tightened his pack around his shoulders as formerly unsteady legs grew stronger and he ran off the boat as fast as he could. The Elves who had been with him smiled. They had heard no end of stories of Sam’s great love and admiration for his brother and they were happy to see them reunited. What energy came to Sam just being close to his dearest friend! What joy to see and hear him again. How he dreamed and longed for this!

“Frodo! My Frodo dear!”

Amidst many joyful reunions, the two hobbits ran to each other, tears of joy streaming unnoticed down their cheeks. Frodo covered Sam’s face with exuberant kisses, then clutched him tightly to his chest and murmured his name over and over again and another word Sam didn’t understand. “Yallume.”

How wonderful it felt to feel Sam’s arms tight around him again! He smelled the Shire again for the first time in many years. Sam closed his eyes and just concentrated on that dear voice and the feel of his brother again in his arms. Frodo smelled of ink and fresh air and Sam was convinced he could even smell the joy and love that radiated out from him. After a long moment, they broke apart just slightly and looked long into each other’s shining faces, though there was in Sam’s a sadness also. Frodo was brighter than Sam had ever seen him, the way he had been before his parents had drowned. Sam traced his brow and cheeks, then the edges of that bright smile. Frodo kissed those fingers and smiled ever wider, then Sam clasped him to his chest again.

“Oh, my Sam,” Frodo murmured, “is this real?”

“Yes, I’m here, me Frodo, I’m finally here.” There was a hitch in Sam’s voice as the emotion and reality of the reunion began to overwhelm him and he held Frodo even tighter as tears began to fall.

“I have missed you so much.”

Sam’s arms tightened even more around him. “Not as much as I’ve missed you.”

Frodo looked up and smiled into Sam’s eyes. “I don’t know about that, dearheart. I’ve missed you so much I thought I’d go mad at times.”

Sam looked back with infinite tenderness and love. “My dear, we already had a similar argument about who loved who more and you lost that one, remember? Do you really want to lose another?”

Frodo laughed, a clear, joyful laugh that Sam rejoiced to hear. “No, I suppose not.”

Frodo pulled back after a long time, but seemed as loathe as Sam to break the embrace completely. They looked for a long while into each other’s bright eyes. They wiped at one another’s tears, then Sam touched Frodo’s silvered curls. He frowned slightly as he traced a faded scar on his beloved brother’s chin.

“It was an accident a long time ago,” Frodo explained.

“I wish I had been there to help you.”

“So do I, but you are where you needed to be and I was where I needed to be.”

The next thing Sam noticed was the cloth cord around his brother’s neck. He fingered it and looked up at his brother questionly. Frodo smiled and fished out the rest of the cord from under his clothes. Two small, cloth picture panels were sewn to the cord and held against Frodo’s heart. One of them showed an image of a sun. The other was in writing Sam recognized as Elvish, but he could not decipher it.

“It says ‘You are a child of Eru, Frodo Baggins’. The other is a representation of Iluvatar’s glory.”

“Who are they?”

“It’s two names for the same Person. Our Creator, Sam.”

The gardener and former Mayor’s eyes widened. Frodo smiled. “Remember the dreams I had before the Quest and I told you that after them, I felt a presence that comforted me?”

Sam nodded.

“That was Iluvatar. I felt His presence during both Quests also, but I did not understand Who I was serving, not completely until Gandalf explained it to me and why Eru had chosen me to be the Ring-bearer. I’ve been wearing this since about a year after I came after Gandalf completed my initial instruction. I hope you’ll come to understand all about our Creator also and then my joy will be truly complete.”

Sam looked at his brother. “You’ll have to tell me then. I was just surprised to see you wearing anything around your neck again.”

Frodo’s fingers tightened around the cord and Sam saw his brother’s face grow more peaceful and tender. “It’s the opposite of the Ring. It helped heal me. It makes me feel safe and protected. It reminds me that I am loved, of all the things you have always been to me, dearest Sam, and that I am loved by Someone else even more. Now instead of sleeping with my fingers around a Ring that was destroying me, I sometimes sleep with my hand around this instead. It has been an immense comfort to me.”

Sam touched both panels, then placed a reverent kiss on the image of the sun in thanksgiving for his brother being well and happy again. He did not truly understand exactly what he was doing, but he was moved to make some gesture. Frodo smiled, then put the cherished cord back against his heart.

Sam smiled then and stroked his brother’s cheek. “It hurt for so long after you left, but I am glad now that you did, that you came to where you could shine again.”

Frodo smiled. He leaned his head against Sam’s shoulder and held him tight once more. “Oh, my Sam, I have so longed for you to see that again, to know that I was all right, to see that you are, too.”

They held each other for a long time, gently rocking. The Elves already there got their first look at the hobbit they had heard so much about and they smiled at the joyful reunion. They remembered when Frodo had come, his light dimmed by darkness, grief and pain, now shining so bright and the other hobbit nearly shining as bright.

“Thank you so much for coming, Sam,” Frodo said, then at long last, they broke apart, placed their arms around each other’s waists and started walking away from the shore. “How was the voyage? I know you don’t like being on the water.”

“The Elves treated me that well, dear. They knew I wasn’t comfortable being on a ship and they looked after me with such care I blush to think of it. The food and drink was wonderful, even better than Rivendell or Lothlorien and I thought nothing could get better than that. I was glad to be abroad because it meant I was coming to you, but I was even more glad to be off it. I didn’t sleep well on the ship.”

Frodo’s brow puckered in concern. “Because of the movement?”

“No, I could barely feel that.” Sam looked up at his friend and smiled. “It was because I was so excited about seeing you again.”

Frodo threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, dearest heart, I haven’t been sleep right for days myself! I should be dead on my feet from it, but you’ll find that there is an energy here, a vitality, that gives you strength, like you are being held in arms of Light.” He looked at his dearest friend. “Just like you were to me on the Quest.”

“I’d be glad to feel that, because I am that tired.”

Frodo tightened his grip on Sam’s waist. “Then let’s go right home, Sam dear. I’m sorry. I forgot how tiring the trip would be for you. I was a sad mess myself when I came.”

“But you did get better.”

“Yes, but it took time,” Frodo said. “Another thing you’ll discover here is that everything is magnified. The colors are brighter, the smells are richer, the tastes and touches are more vibrant. And the emotions are deeper. It was very difficult for me in the beginning because of that, but when I did get better, the joy and peace I felt was deeper than I had ever felt.”

“I’m so glad you found all that again, my dear. That’s all I ever wanted for you.”

“And that’s what I wanted for you, Sam. You deserved all good things for all you had done for me. And now, dearest, you deserve a good nap! I don’t live far from here. Do you think you can make it or I could get us a pony.”

Sam smiled. “Don’t worry about me. Maybe I’m already feeling what you said. But a nap would be nice.”

“Then that’s what you shall have. There is so much I want to show you here, but we can start tomorrow. It’ll be just like in Shire when we were going on our adventures! I’ve told everyone all about you and they are most anxious to meet you, but they will understand if we put that off a bit. Gandalf is here too and is looking forward to seeing you again. I know he’ll understand if we don’t see him right away. There’ll be time for everything later. Today can be just for us. Then how about some breakfast after your nap? I can make you anything you want.”

Sam’s smile widened. “Well, if you want the truth, I’ve missed your mushroom omelettes. That Elven food is wonderful and I’m sure it’s even better here, but there’s nothing like your cooking. That is if it’s not too much trouble. Do they even have mushrooms here?”

Frodo grinned. “The best you’ve ever tasted. And you shall have them, my Sam, as many as you want, as often as you want, in whatever dish you want. I am thrilled to be able to cook for more than one person again! And you have to see my garden. I have no pretensions that it is as grand as the other ones around here or even what you and the Gaffer did at Bag End, but I’ve tried to make it the best I can so you would feel at home here and now that you are here, maybe it will be just as grand. I can’t wait to show you. I hope you like it.”

Sam laughed, just from the pure joy of being with his beloved brother again and having him be so happy. He pulled him into another hug. “I shall love it, my dear. I hated to see you go, but now I am so glad you did, since this was the result - that I would get back the Frodo I grew up with.”

Frodo hugged him back. “I’m glad to get him back, too.”

“I suppose Mr. Bilbo is not here, is he?” Sam asked.

“No, Sam, I’m sorry, he died some time ago.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be here to help you through that. It must have hurt something fierce.”

“It did, but he had had a very full life and we had many years here together before he passed on. I can only rejoice at that. It was lonely at first being the only hobbit here, but I have so many friends here, Sam and I am surrounded by so much love, that I have been happy. They allowed me to grieve and helped me immeasurably during that time, during the whole time I’ve been here. And Gandalf helped so much too. I have been very blessed.”

“I am very glad for that. I was so afraid when you left you would feel so alone.”

“I did in the beginning. I missed you and Merry and Pippin so much I thought I would go mad. The beach was the closest I could come to you so I would stay for hours, just looking out over the water. Bilbo came with me sometimes for a little while or Gandalf. They both worried about me. Bilbo even threatened to rent out my room if I didn’t spend more time in it.” Frodo laughed. “I just slept there, every other moment was spent sitting on the sand and in the summer I even slept here. But after a long while, the pain grew a little less and I discovered the peace I had so long sought and had very nearly given up all hope for. Each day it was a little better and after a while I didn’t need to come so often. After Bilbo died, I started coming again, then when that wound healed over too, I would only come here on occasion and it was more for the peace it gave me, instead of trying to escape the horrible pain that had consumed me before.”

“I’m so sorry it took you so long to heal, my dear,” Sam said, holding his dearest friend tighter. “I wish I could have been there with you. I wondered too if I would go mad from how much I missed you.”

“I’m just glad you are here now, Sam.”

“So am I, dear, so am I.”

They stood that way for a long while, then continued on their way, arms still wrapped around each other. “Tell me what’s happened since I left,” Frodo said excitedly. “Tell me everything!”

“Well, the Shire prospered nicely,” Sam began. “Lady Galadriel’s seeds continued to work wonders for one thing.”

“You can tell her that yourself, Sam. She’s here, you know. I’m sure she would be pleased to know what happened.”

Sam looked down at his feet. “I don’t know if I could do that. She’s just so...”

“You don’t need to be afraid of her, Sam. She is made of love and light, just like you are. Think of her as a kindred spirit. I discovered her to be so myself.”

“Well, if you come with me...”

Frodo laughed and squeezed his friend’s waist. “I shall, dear Sam. Anywhere you want to go.”

“All right then.”

“Now tell me, dear, how did you do? I know you were happy with Rosie and your children, and your garden, but what else did you do? I want to know everything! How many times did you serve as Mayor?”

Sam blushed. “Seven,” he murmured, almost too quietly.

“Seven!” Frodo exclaimed. “Of course they know a good man when they have one. No wonder the Shire prospered.”

Sam’s blush deepened. “Well...” he floundered, at a loss as to how to respond.

“And how’s Merry and Pippin?”

Sam was very glad not to have to talk about himself anymore. “Very well. Mr. Merry became Master of Buckland and married Estella Bolger.”

“Of course! I so wish I could have been there.”

“Mr. Pippin become the Took and Thain and married Diamond of Long Cleeve and they had a son, Faramir, who married my third daughter, Goldilocks.”

“Well, I always knew my Pippinsqueak and Diamond would be a good match. I’m glad they realized it too.”

“They both send their love and fondest greetings.”

“I wish I could see them again, but I shall, when we all pass this life. I’m so sorry that Rose passed.”

Sam was surprised, then he realized that Frodo would have known he wouldn’t have left the Shire while Rose lived. “We were married 61 years when she died.”

Frodo’s smile faded at the sadness in his brother’s voice. Sam couldn’t stand to see the joy fade, but then Frodo brightened again. “But I am so glad you had all that time with her. Sixty one years! I had no idea that much time had passed. That’s another thing you’ll notice. Time passes differently here. Or at least it feels as though it does. You don’t really notice it. Each day is so bright and so full of things to do and to see or you can be perfectly content doing nothing but sitting against a tree and thinking. It’s so much like the Shire, but even better, if you can imagine that. Tell me more about Rose, Sam. I missed her. She was always such a good friend to me.”

“And the best wife anyone could hope for. She was so understanding after you left. Sometimes she would find me just standing instead the threshold, bags still in hand from what she had needed from the market and crying because I had seen the back of a head that looked like yours or I had heard a laugh that sounded the same. She would take my packages from me and then just hold me and let me cry. She always knew just what to do. She was never cross, always smiling and she made my life happier than I could have ever imagined. If she ever cried, it was because she was sad I was hurting. We shared the same heart and soul so she always knew when I was and she would just come and hold me and always have the right thing to say or say nothing at all sometimes and that would be the right thing too. Our children are so beautiful and our grandchildren...you should see how fair they are. And more will come. I miss them but I do not worry about them. My Rose will be looking over them. I have no doubt of that. Losing her left as big a gap in my heart as you did, but she helped me through that and...”

Frodo squeezed his beloved friend’s hand again. “...I will help you through losing her,” he finished for him.

Sam wiped at a tear. “I know you will. Just being back with you has helped a lot.”

“I’m so glad you had so much time with Rose, Sam. I know she was half your heart and soul.”

Sam looked at his beloved friend and smiled. “You’re the other half.”

“And you half of mine,” Frodo said softly, “or more. The only reason I still have either.” He paused a moment. “I have been happy here, Sam, happier than I have ever been. I have been healed. But I’ve wished so many times...” His voice trailed off.

“I wished for the same thing,” Sam said. “Lots of times. If I could have healed you, I would have. I’m so sorry I couldn’t.”

Frodo smiled. “Don’t be sorry, Sam. It’s not your fault. Nothing and no one could have healed me except this place. You’ll feel it too. It didn’t stop me from missing everyone though. I wish everyone could come here.”

“We all missed you, me dear. I made sure, though, you weren’t forgotten. I told about the war of the Ring, over and over again. Elanor and Frodo especially loved it and Merry and Pippin made sure their namesakes knew that part of the story too. The children called you ‘Uncle Frodo’.”

Frodo smiled. “Uncle. I like that. How I wish I could have seen them all grow up! Thirteen! That’s just so wonderful!”

Sam looked at his brother surprised. “How do you know how many I had?”

“Because that’s how many times I became an uncle, silly, not to mention Pippin’s and Merry’s. I felt them all.”

Sam shook his head and laughed softly. He didn’t understand it all but smiled at his brother’s enthusiasm and felt a great contentment to listen to such joy and have it come from someone as dearly loved as his wife and children, someone who deserved it as richly as they did, perhaps even more. It softened his grief over his beloved wife’s death.

Frodo looked at his friend and smiled wider. “I hope when you were telling the story, you didn’t diminish the vitally important role Samwise the Brave played,” he said.

Sam blushed. “Well...”

“Sam, you didn’t!”

“It’s your story, not mine,” Sam protested. “I helped you, but it was your struggle that makes the story. What I did was not as important.”

“Not as important! Sam! I wouldn’t have never made it to the Fire without you! I have half a mind to go back and set the record straight.”

Sam looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Please, dear, don’t.”

Frodo laughed. “I should. Well, at least the truth is in the book.” He looked at the best part of his heart and soul. “You did keep the book, didn’t you?”

Sam looked embarrassed. “Rosie insisted on it. She read it out loud to all the children as soon as they were old enough and the older ones would gather around too and hear it over and over again and they would all beg her to read it again and again. Frodo-lad could recite entire passages from memory and I’m sure Elanor could too because she and Frodo would sometimes fight over what happened when and who did what.”

Frodo laughed again, imagining the scene. “You mean you didn’t want to keep it yourself?”

Sam blushed. “Well, it’s just that, you made such a fuss over what I did. I only did what I promised I would. I would do it over again in an instant. I didn’t think it all that much.”

“I know, but I’m glad Rosie agreed with me and recognized the same great worth in you. You were beginning to frighten me that your children never knew the true magnificence of their father. I’m glad they know the truth. Not that you would lie,” Frodo hastily amended when he saw Sam look distressed. “I know you didn’t. But neither did I. Now tell me more about your children - I know their names, but tell me everything else.”

The tale continued for quite some time, Sam happy to talk about his children and their accomplishments with deep fatherly love and pride and Frodo just as happy to listen. The two friends disappeared into the trees, arms still locked around each other.

When they were near their home, a silver-haired male Elf nodded and smiled at them.

“Ilarion!” Frodo called. “I’m so glad to see you, my friend! You are the first here to meet the greatest hobbit in all the Shire.” He looked with great pride and love at Sam. “This is Samwise Gamgee, my brother.”

Sam blushed furiously. Ilarion smiled and bowed. “An honor to meet the heartbrother of our beloved Iorhael. He has told me much about you.”

Sam bowed low. “An honor to meet you, Mr. Ilarion.”

“Ilarion here is the one who taught me more about how to read and write in Quenya and I taught him Westron,” Frodo said. He looked at the Elf. “He has been a wonderful, very patient instructor.”

Ilarion bowed again. “And you a perfect student.” He looked at Sam again. “Iorhael tells me you are much interested in our people as well, Samwise. If there is anything I can help you with, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Sam blushed again. “That is very kind of you, Mr. Ilarion. Thank you.”

“You’ll find him a eager, willing student, Ilarion,” Frodo said, looking at Sam fondly and smiling with pride. “Even more than me. And very smart and quick to learn.”

Ilarion smiled. “And you were a very enthusiastic one yourself, my friend. There has been no one else outside our race who has been so interested besides your uncle.” He looked back at Sam. “I look forward to talking with you, Samwise.”

Sam smiled. “Thank you again, Mr. Ilarion.”

Ilarion bowed a final time and left. Frodo and Sam returned the bow and then proceeded to their home.

“It’s even got a round door!” the younger hobbit exclaimed.

Frodo laughed and squeezed his brother around the waist. “Yes, my Sam. It was all waiting for us when Bilbo and I arrived. Wait until you see inside!”

They went through the door together, then Sam stopped just inside. Frodo looked at him and frowned slightly. “What’s wrong, my Sam?”

The younger hobbit looked uncomfortable for a moment. “I wish you wouldn’t call me the greatest hobbit. I’m not. You are. Rosie was.”

Frodo smiled and put his hand on his beloved friend’s shoulder. “Now, Sam, I let you win those other arguments. You have to let me win this one. You are the greatest and I will not allow you to say otherwise. I know I can’t make you believe it in your heart. That would change who you are and I don’t want to do that, but I know in my own heart you are.”

“Just like I know in mine you are,” Sam said, unwilling to go down without a fight.

Frodo laughed. “Can we call it a tie then and the others also?”

Sam grinned. “No, me dear, you lost the other two and you lost this one too, but I’ll let you think you won if it will make you feel better.”

Frodo smiled further. “Thank you, dearheart, it will.”

Sam looked at the large living room that the front door opened to. It was round like a smial would be, but it had various Elven touches to it as well. All the furniture was of Elven design but hobbit-sized. The place was clean and Sam smiled as it smelled like books and ink and tea, just like Bag End had. There were various books around the tables and more stacked on the shelves. There was a large fireplace in the living room and two chairs set in front of it and Sam was glad to see a pipe. The dining area set by a large window had a table large enough for four. Other rooms opened off the main area.

“What do you think, my Sam?”

Sam looked at his beloved brother. “It’s the perfect combination of Elf and hobbit, dear, just like you.”

Frodo hugged him. “I’m so glad you like it, Sam,” he murmured. “Welcome home.”

Sam looked at him and Frodo smiled. “Coanya na coayla. Hantanyel an tulielya. That’s ‘My home is your home. Thank you for coming.’ Go right to bed if you’d like. Your room is the second door on the right. I have it all made up for you. I’ll make sure your omelette is ready for you when you wake up.”

Sam reluctantly let his brother go and entered his bedroom. A neatly made bed with a large feather pillow was in the center with several books on the nightstand near it. A oil lamp was nearby also. There was a well-stocked fireplace along one wall and a large closet along another. A table with a vase of fresh flowers and a chair beside it completed the room. Sam walked up to the bed and looked at the books. All were in Frodo’s handwriting. On top was a red leather one, embossed in ornate lettering and runes. He turned the cover and read the first page -

History, Songs and Wisdom of the Elves

As Related by (here Sam read dozens of names, the only ones he recognized were Bilbo’s, Galadriel, Elrond and the Elf he had just met)

Gathered by Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit of the Shire,

for his dear friend and brother, Samwise Gamgee, of the same

Sam traced the letters and then opened the book a little more. It was thick, filled with page after page of stories and illustrations, all about the race that so fascinated Sam. Tears pricked his eyes as he leafed through the loving gift. Two other similarly engraved books, on the history of Dwarves and Men, were underneath the journal Sam recognized as the one he had given to his brother at the Grey Havens. He looked forward to reading all of them. So moved was he, he re-entered the living room, took Frodo’s right hand in his, caressed the calluses there from holding a quill for so many years, then kissed it and embraced his beloved friend tightly.

“Thank you, my Frodo,” he murmured. “Those are wonderful gifts.”

Frodo held his guardian just as tightly. “You’re welcome, otornonya, that’s my brother. I wanted to have something to give you when you came. And when you’ve rested and eaten, I can’t wait to show you the garden. I hope you’ll like it.”

Sam smiled. “I can’t wait to see it. What I’ve seen already, just coming up the walk, was beautiful.”

Frodo beamed. “I’ve made you another book, too, but it will have to wait for a bit, until you’ve learned the language here.”

“Will you teach me? I know Mr. Ilarion could, but...”

“I would love to.” Frodo squeezed his brother, kissed his head quickly, then let go. “Now off to bed with you. There’s plenty of time here to do everything.”

Sam smiled. He reached into his bag and pulled out two books of his own. “I copied out what I wrote to you in the book and I also brought that book we wrote our own adventures in when you were just a tween. And Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin gave me notes to bring and all the children wrote their notes.”

Frodo smiled as he took the notes and books. Some of the children’s notes were childish scrawls, others were in an adult hand and of course, he recognized Merry and Pippin’s distinctive writing, running his finger reverently down the page. “They wrote you many stories and letters while they were growing up, all of them did,” Sam explained. “They told me it was so you wouldn’t feel lonely and would know them as well as they knew you. Mr. Merry and Mr. Pippin did the same thing.”

Frodo looked up with tear-bright eyes and hugged his brother again. “I can’t wait to read it all.Hantanyel, my Sam.” He looked also at the other book, the ones that he and Sam had done as tween and child and smiled as he looked at the writing and illustrations there. Sam thought the light that already streamed so brightly from him grew even stronger. “I don’t know which one to thank you more for. We’ll have to finish this with more of our adventures.”

“I’d like that, my dear,” Sam said.

After Sam went back to the bedroom, Frodo came in a short while later with Sam’s journal and sat in the chair, close enough to simply watch his friend sleep. After a long while, he opened the journal and began to read, losing himself in the life of the Shire and his dearest friends for a couple hours, smiling, laughing softly and at times crying from the pure joy of having known Sam and his cousins and the memories that were stirred up. His dearest friend embedded himself even further into Frodo’s heart by how he recounted not only his and his children’s adventures, but was solicitous to include much of Merry and Pippin as well. Frodo almost felt he had not left the Shire. When he heard Sam stir, he got up and quietly left the room to make that omelette, wiping at his tears.

Sam woke to the enticing aromas coming from the kitchen and came into the dining room just in time to see Frodo set a steaming omelette at his place. The elder hobbit pulled out the chair. “A hara, my Sam. A tute, a mate as inye!”

Sam laughed softly as his brother freely intermingled Westron and Quenya. “How do you say, ‘What did you say?’”

Frodo grinned. “Mana quentel?” he said slowly.

“Then, mana quentel?”

“Sit down. Come and dine with me!”

“How do you say ‘Thank you’ again?” the younger hobbit asked as he sat down. “It smells that wonderful!”

“Hantanyel.”

“Hantanyel.”

Frodo grinned. “Nan alassea nurolya,”

Sam returned the smile, delighted to see the mischievous glint in those beloved eyes, the light pouring from Frodo’s entire being. “Now what does that mean?”

Frodo just smiled wider. “I think I’ll just keep my own little secret for now,” he said. “This is just the first of many feasts I hope to cook for you. I am so glad to be able to for more than one hobbit again!”

Sam dug into his omelette. “And I’m going to be glad to cook for you again. How do you say, ‘this food is delicious’?”

Frodo grinned at his eager student. “Apsa sina na mara.”

“Apsa sina na mara.”

“Er titta nat carna nilmen, meldanya. Just a little thing done for friendship, my beloved.”

They ate silently for a while, enjoying each other’s company and the delicious fare, then Sam spoke again. “You said something at the dock, Yall...something.”

Frodo reached over and squeezed Sam’s hand. “Yallume. It means, ‘At last’.”

Sam’s fingers curled around his brother’s and didn’t let go for the rest of the meal. “How do you say, ‘I love you’?” he asked softly. “And that word for my brother?”

“Melinyel, otornonya.”

The younger hobbit looked into his brother’s shining face. “Melinyel, otornonya.”

Frodo held his guardian’s hand a little tighter. “Melinyel, otornonya,” he returned softly.

They visited the garden next. They walked down the white stone path, hand-in-hand, and slowly walked around the entire smial. Sam’s eyes were wide in wonder and delight at all the variety. He stopped to smell each one and stayed longest at the elanor and morning glory’s.

Frodo watched him happily. “I planted those first.” As they walked around, the elder hobbit pointed out the names of the ones he knew his brother wouldn’t recognized. “And I was very careful to talk to them and water them and do everything I remembered you and the Gaffer doing.”

“You did all of this?” Sam asked.

“I did have some help from Gandalf and my other friends, but it’s mostly me because I wanted to have something of home around me and for you when you came.”

“What do you think, my Sam?” he asked softly, almost nervously when the gardener hadn’t said anything else.

Sam looked at his brother with tears and incredible love and gratitude in his eyes. He raised the hand he held and then the other and kissed the calluses there, then embraced his beloved treasure tightly. “It’s perfect, dear, just perfect.”

Frodo released the breath he had been holding and returned the embrace just as firmly. “It’s my tribute to you, melmenya. Nilme na ve lote ya losta tennoio. Friendship is like a flower that blooms forever.”

“I love it and you. Hantanyel, Iorhaelnya.”

Frodo smiled at Sam’s use of his Elvish name and both reveled just to be able to hold each other again.

The rest of the day passed quickly and joyfully. Supper was taken out in the garden and then a smoke afterwards. In the moonlight, Sam watched the softly glowing form beside him and was perfectly content.

When it came time to sleep, Frodo looked in on his brother. Sam was already sleeping, Frodo’s journal open on top of the blankets. The elder hobbit removed the book and then reached to trim down the light. It was then he noticed the tears on his beloved one’s cheeks and turned the book over to see what part Sam had been reading. He was close to the beginning still, when all had still seemed so dark. Frodo felt a pang at that and closed the journal and put it aside, then tenderly wiped the tears away. “It’s all right now, my Sam,” he said quietly. “I’m all right.” He traced a small circle on his brother’s brow. “Eru bless you, my brother. A lore vande.”

He then doused the light, raised his guardian’s arm and curled up next to him, putting Sam’s arm around him. Instinctively, Sam put his arms around his brother. The elder hobbit snuggled closer to be near that beloved, sorely missed heartbeat, then closed his eyes and fell asleep.

When something woke Frodo later, it took a moment to realize it was Sam’s soft snoring. He smiled as he realized he had missed even that. He would have shouted his joy to be with his brother again, but didn’t want to wake him. Instead he softly kissed that dear one’s brow and tightened his embrace around him slightly. “I’m glad you’re with me, Sam,” he murmured and burrowed his head a little more into Sam’s chest. The younger hobbit didn’t wake but held his brother just a little closer in response. Frodo closed his eyes again and slept soundly the rest of the night.

A/N: The Quenya and Common Speech translations are from the languages section of http://www.councilofelrond.com. Frodo’s little secret from his Sam is “I am your joyful servant.” Wait until Sam finds out! :) “A lore vande” is “Sleep well.” “Melmenya” is “my love”. I mean Iorhaelnya to be “my Iorhael” but like for Sam, this language is new to me too so I hope I did it right! :)