Disclaimer: Tolkien owns this world, and everything in it. Even these characters I created myself. I say he owns them because they never would have come about had he not created his Opus. Thank you, Professor.

The Fellowship of the Greenholms

Prolouge: "May I Hold Him?"

Elanor sat wearily on a sofa, her newest child crying louder than ever.

"What is it, Frodo dear?" she asked finally. "You've been fed, cleaned, and burped. You have no reason to cry so!" she sighed and bounced him gently.

"May I hold him?" a quiet voice asked from the doorway. Elanor frowned, unable to see the child that belonged to the voice. It was a certain voice that Elanor hadn't heard, to her knowledge, so it couldn't be one of HER children, could it?

"What was that, dear?" she asked, hoping the child would come into the light of her candle.

"If I'm careful, may I hold him?" Elanor's 5-year-old daughter Sadie shuffled over, nearly causing her mother to drop little Frodo from shock. Sadie, to Elanor's knowledge, had not ever spoken. The loud and rowdy group of boys she had grown up with had left Sadie with no desire to speak thus far, but now a sweet, practiced voice came from the hobbit-lass' mouth.

"You're supposed to be asleep." Elanor finally commented. Sadie wrinkled her nose.

"I can't. Sam is snoring." she said simply, as if she'd said it many times before. Elanor let a smile creep onto her face.

"Well, then I suppose you may hold him." Elanor helped situate Sadie on the couch as Frodo started wailing with renewed strength. She set him in Sadie's arms.

"Stop it, Fro." Sadie told the baby crossly. Elanor opened her mouth to explain that Frodo was just a baby and couldn't understand, but he suddenly hiccuped and gave a few put-out gurgling noises, then fell silent. She watched as the lad flailed his arms, as if to say "What took you so long?". Sadie smiled at him.

"Sorry I didn't come sooner. Sam said you were too loud." Frodo babbled a little, and Sadie giggled at him. Elanor felt sorry to disrupt the sweet scene unfolding before her, but it was late, and time for a certain Hobbit-lass to be in bed.

"Alright, sweetheart, it's bedtime." Elanor took Frodo back and put him in his crib. He gave a few half-hearted whimpers, but seemed ready to drop off into dreamland. Sadie pulled on Elanor's sleeve and then (when the taller of the two had bent down) hugged her tightly.

"Goodnight, Mama. I love you."

"I love you, too." Elanor answered. She watched with a smile as Sadie skipped back to the nursery she and Sam shared. Her oldest daughter was a gem indeed.

((A note:

These stories started from a little scribbling of conversation in one of my notebooks. (That particular conversation turned into "Confessions of a Tween-age Tomboy") It is growing and mutating into what I hope and pray will be a wonderful story. I know where it's going, I just need to get it there. And let me tell you about the Genre of this story: It's "Anne of Green Gables" meets "The Hobbit". Fun? Oh, yes. ^^

A quick thank you before the story really begins, to Baylor for writing her wonderful stories and - in many cases - directly inspiring the events in this story. I'll try to keep track of everything major so I can thank her and/or ask her permission to use ideas. ^^

~Rosie-Ann))

Disclaimer - Tolkien owns all.

Edit - Baby Poppy has been re-named, due to information newly found in "The Tolkien Reader".  Her name is now Fíriel.  Reedy for short.  Thank you for your attention.A/N - The kids are called, affectionately, "The Brood". Ages at this point - Elfstan, 24; Tom, 19; Paddie, 16; Sam and Sadie (the Twins), 14; Esmie, 12; Ruby, 11; Frodo, 9; Vinca, 5; Reedy, 5 months. The "unholy alliance" between Paddie, Sam, Sadie, and Frodo is a club of sorts. They call themselves the "Four Walkers of Westmarch".

The Fellowship of the Greenholms

Chapter One: Best Dress

"Well if Bess is getting married, she has to have a wedding dress!" Sadie declared as she tried to put a white, lacy dress on the family pig. Sam was nearby, bouncing nervously from foot to foot.

"But what if Ruby finds out we used HER dress?" he asked. "What if it gets ripped, or dirty?" Sadie rolled her eyes and finally succeeded in getting Bess' hoof through the sleeve.

"It's a wedding, Samwise Greenholm. She'll stand here, get married to Oscar, and then we'll take it off for the honeymoon. Nothing's going to happen." Sam looked dubiously at the spunky girl in front of him, but said nothing. Paddie and Frodo came jogging up just then with Oscar (the other pig) in one of their father's old waistcoats.

"Look!" Frodo squealed excitedly. "Look, Dee! I found clothes for Oscar!" Sadie grinned.

"Good job, Fro." Sadie hugged her little brother. "Now, as the only woman here, other than Bess, I think I should preside over the wedding." Paddie snorted.

"You're not a woman! Besides, I know more about this type of thing. I'll pre...pre-side." Paddie stumbled over the unfamiliar word.

"Since when," Sam asked, "Have you known more than us?" Paddie flushed a bit.

"Well, I'm older, so it makes sense that I'd know more--"

"I don't know what you think you're--"

"This is a lass' job, and--"

"--respect your elders--"

"--older doesn't mean smarter--"

"--should be a girl, anyway--"

"LOOK!" Frodo shouted over the argument, and the older three froze. "Bess and Oscar are taking their honeymoon!"

"What?" They all looked in the direction Frodo was pointing. Sure enough, the pigs were trotting happily toward the mud in the lower field.

"I told you..." Sam muttered, and Sadie's eyes went wide with fear.

"Get those pigs!"

"The Four Walkers to the rescue!" Frodo shouted gleefully, and took off running after the pigs, the other Walkers following behind (and soon passing him). Now, if they had calmly walked down to Bess and Oscar, chances are such that they could have probably gotten Ruby's best dress back without mishap. As it was, they ran down the hill at full speed, yelling at the tops of their lungs and waving their arms. Needless to say, the pigs took off running.

The most important thing was to corner Bess, as Oscar's waistcoat had been gathering dust and moth-holes for many years in a store-room. At first, they tried to simply catch her, but numerous falls in the mud proved that course fruitless. Their second plan was to chase Bess towards someone, who would grab her. This seemed to work - in fact they had her headed straight for Sam - but she bowled the poor lad over without a thought and ripped a long strip of fabric off the skirt. The only remaining option was to corner her and have three of the children block her escape while the fourth de-clothed her.

"Alright, here's the plan," Paddie gathered the younger children in a huddle. "Sam, you go on the left. Frodo, on the right. I'll go in from the middle and we'll corner her by the hedge over there." Paddie pointed to a dense hedge on the border of the property not too far away.

"What about me?" Sadie asked nervously. Paddie looked deadly serious.

"You have to take the dress off." he said, and Sadie nodded. "Let's go." The three boys headed purposefully towards the pig, Sadie trailing after them. Slowly...slowly...

Then Bess suddenly found herself cornered by the strange loud creatures, and Sadie slipped up behind her. Before anyone (except Bess, who had quite a good handle on the situation) knew what was happening, something ripped loudly, Frodo was stuck in the hedge, Sadie was sprawled out on the ground, and Bess was running as fast as she could towards the Bolger's farm.

"We're going to die." Sadie whispered, holding the mud-stained rag that had once been Ruby's best dress.

"Let's wash it," Sam grabbed it and headed towards the house. "And then we'll put it back. She'll never prove it was us." Paddie and Sadie followed nervously. The small figure tangled in the hedge was, in the moment of fear, unintentionally forgotten.

"Um, Sadie? Help?"

~*~

"Do you think she'll notice?" Paddie asked anxiously as the four siblings (Frodo duly unentangled from the hedge) sat at the edge of a pond, a large oak tree shading them.

"Maybe she'll think the Bolger's dog got in the house." Sadie suggested.

"Or that an Eagle thought it was a sheep and tried to eat it!" Frodo piped up. The other three looked at him, on ther verge of laughter, but a shrill scream coming from the hill dispelled any pleasent thoughts.

"Eggshells." Sam cringed. "She noticed.

~*~

Thirty minutes and four sore seats later Paddie, Sam, Sadie, and Frodo were back under the oak again.

"I think," Paddie grimaced, "That we need to make a pact against putting dresses on the pig."

"Yes, please." Frodo sniffed. Sadie nodded, and Sam pulled a small book and a jar of ink out of a hollow in the tree.

"Do you have a pen, Dee?" Sadie nodded and produced a rather disheveled goose-quill.

"'We, the Four Walkers of Westmarch,'" Sadie paused and thought a moment before continuing. "'Do...do promise never to put clothes on the animals. Especially Ruby's clothes.' That should do it, Sam." she added as Sam scribbled in the little book. Solemnly each of the children took the quill and signed their name beneath the newly written pact.

"Well," Sam sighed, "I think that's enough adventure for today."

Disclaimer - Tolkien owns all. Including me.

A/N - Vinca has a lisp, so her "s" sounds are written with a "th". ie - Sadie would be Thadie.

The Fellowship of the Greenholms

Chapter Two: Rainy Days

"I'm bored!" Frodo whined, staring out the window as the rain poured down in torrents.

"Maybe we could go play with the Boffins?" Paddy suggested half-heartedly. Esmie shook her head. It was far too muddy and wet to even think about going outside.

"If you try, I'll tell Elfthtan," Vinca lisped, sticking her tongue out at Paddie.

"He wouldn't care." Sam sighed, sprawled out on the floor below the window-seat where Sadie was curled up with a book.

"Well, I would tell Tom." Ruby declared. "He'd care." she sat primly on a chair, hemming an apron for herself. Esmie rolled her eyes and sat on the floor next to Vinca.

"Let's play, Vinca." she said brightly. "Where are your marbles?"

"I don't wanna play with marbleth." Vinca pouted. "I wanna go out-thide!"

"Well we can't." Paddie snapped, joining Frodo in staring out the window. Sadie glanced longingly outside, then turned back to her book, a history of Gondor given to her by Master Meriadoc of Buckland. The door to the room opened, and Elfstan stuck his head in.

"Tom!" he called into the hallway, "They're in here after all!" he stepped in and took a glance at the bored, apathetic faces in the room. Tom sighed as he came in, baby Fíriel (affectionately called "Reedy") on his hip.

"Well, since we've located you finally," Tom said, "Esmie, Ruby, Frodo, and Vinca need to go take their naps." A chorus of pleading and whining met the older lads' ears, and Elfstan motioned for silence.

"Mum and Da are visiting the Goldworthies, and they told us you needed to rest now. So no fighting and get to bed."

"Fine!" Ruby huffed off to the girls' room, Esmie and Vinca following in her wake. Frodo disappeared into the boys' room, and Tom left for Reedy's nursery, taking the yawning baby with him. Elfstan looke skeptically at his three remaining siblings.

"You won't get yourselves into troubly now, will you?" he asked. The three teenagers shook their heads, and Sadie retreated once more into her book, enthralled by the story of a battle fought under the Steward Denethor I. Sam traced the patterns in the floorboards with his finger, and Paddie stared listlessly out into the downpour. Elfstan shook his head and left them to their thoughts.

"It's too cramped in here!" Sadie exclaimed suddenly, slamming her book shut and causing both boys to jump.

"Well we can't exactly do anything about it, Sadie-lass." Sam pointed out from the floor, gaining a glare from the said lass.

"The only logical solution to our current dilemma is expansion of our assets." Paddie commented.

"Impressive wording, Paddie." Sadie giggled. "Did you pick that up from Da's buisness talk?" Paddie mumbled a bit, and the twins hooted with laughter, knowing full well that Sadie was right.

"But think about it," Paddie insisted, after the laughter waned. "We could dig out our own room from one of the cellars, and go there when we want to be alone!" Sadie's eyes lit up.

"We could put my books there so Vinca couldn't get them!"

"We could hide food down there!"

"We could--"

"Hold on!" Sam sat up and stopped the other two. "How are we going to make this room?"

"We'll dig, obviously." Paddie shrugged. Sam thought about that for a moment.

"Well," he said slowly, "I suppose as long as Mum and Da don't find out..."

"Great!" Sadie put her book on a shelf. "Let's get started."

~*~

While the trio went to smuggle shovels into a little-used cellar to begin digging, the oldest boys were facing the problem of nap-time.

"Now, Fro, you need to at least get in bed." Elfstan tried to coax his youngest brother under the covers.

"Oh, no thank you. That's alright." Frodo answered, and continued to play with his toys. Elfstan sighed and heard a faint shout of "No, don't pull your sister's hair!" from across the hall, indicating Tom's struggle with the girls.

"Please get in bed?"

"No!"

"Fine, I'll put you in myself!" Elfstan tried to get ahold of Frodo, who slipped around him and out his door just as a loud shriek came from the girls' room. Vinca came running out, Ruby behind her and quite obviously intent on causing the smaller lass bodily harm. Tom raced after them as Elfstan took off after Frodo, but diverted to get Reedy, who had started crying loudly.

Elanor and Fastred walked in moments later and simply stared for a moment, taking in the chaos. Elfstan was trying (unsucessfully) to get Frodo out of the wardrobe in the hall, Tom was holding a wailing Reedy while trying to pry Ruby off of Vinca, and the faint sound could be heard of Sadie directing the expansion of the cellar a little ways down the hall.

Vinca was the first to notice their parents' arrival.

"Mama!" she wailed, "Ruby'th trying to pull all my hair out!" Everyone froze, noticing the very exasperated Hobbits in the door-way. Even Reedy quieted down, and the only sound was that of Sadie, Paddie, and Sam down in the cellar.

"Naptime." Fastred said authoritatively. "Quietly. Now." Frodo, Vinca, and Ruby got up and scuttled into their rooms. Esmie stuck her head out and called "Thank you, Da!" before shutting the door.

"Elfstan," Elanor sighed and patted the shoulder of a very harried-looking Tom, "Please go stop those thre from doing...whatever it is they're doing." Elfstan nodded and took off for the cellar.

"Oy!" his voice carried back faintly. "What in the King's name are you doing?" Tom kissed his mother on the cheek and took Reedy back towards the nursery. Elanor and Fastred shared a long look.

"Well," Fastred smiled a little, "Just a normal day in the Warren."

"Indeed." Elanor laughed, and went to the kitchen to prepare supper.  

Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings and all related subjects/places/persons belong to the Professor.  Roopie, on the other hand, was (I believe) created by the esteemable Baylor, and I use it briefly with the hope that she will not mind.  Thank you.

The Fellowship of the Greenholms

Chapter Three: Sweethearts

Midsummer was the most festive time of year on the Westmarch, even more so than Yuletide.  So it was no surprise that it was even before first Lithe that visitors began arriving for the Midsummer Festival.  Some families came from as far east as Frogmorton and Buckland (although the Bucklanders were relatives of Pippin Brandybuck's parents and came every year).

"Posie, dear, it is good to see you." Elanor embraced her childhood friend.  "I am so glad you decided to visit."

"Yes indeed." Posie Baggins smiled and looked over Elanor's shoulder.  "Oh, Ellie, just look at all of them!"  All the children of both families were out on the lawn in little groups.

"They're quite a handful, aren't they?" Elanor smiled.

"I'm lucky to only have four, I think." Bingo commented to Fastred as he puffed on his pipe.

"I expect every day to find our hole has been burnt to a crisp or worse." Fastred laughed.  "But I wouldn't change any of them for the world."

"Pip Brandybuck has a bigger one." Sadie insisted, poking the toad in Paddie's hand.

"Pip Brandybuck would be afraid to come near a toad." Paddie scoffed.

"Can I see?" Togo bounced around the Walkers.  "Let me see!"

"Oh, Lavvy, what a nice dress.  Is it new?" Esmie admired the lace-covered garment.

"Mama finished it just yesterday." Lavender beamed proudly.

"I don't think it's all that pretty." Ruby sniffed disdainfully.

"Nya!" Vinca crossed her eyes.

"Nya!" Willen crossed his eyes.

"It's been a while." Lily smiled at Elfstan.

"Only a few weeks, Lily-lass!" Elfstan laughed.

"Well, still." Lily blushed, and Elfstan pulled one of her curls.

It was a loud holiday at the Warren, with the four Baggins children staying there.  Pip Brandybuck and Sandy Boffin were in and out more than usual, and Elanor had her hands more than full.  Midsummer came with a cloudless sky, and all the children of the Westmarch were determined to make the most of it, the Greenholms and Bagginses included.

"Where are you five sneaking off to?" Elfstan asked as the Walkers and Togo tried to slip unnoticed out the back door shortly after second breakfast.

"Well you see," Sadie explained, "The Boffins have had a specially good crop of mushrooms."

"Oh, really?" Elfstan grinned and put down the wooden cat he had been carving for Vinca.  "And I suppose they're going to share those mushrooms with you, eh?" Frodo nodded solemnly.  "Oh!" Elfstan continued.  "In that case, you won't mind if Lily and I tag along, will you?"  Togo looked doubtful, but Sadie's face lit up.

"Oh, would you come?" she pleaded with her eldest brother.  "Please?  It would be such fun!"

"Of course." Elfstan laughed and ruffled Sadie's hair.  "Go get Lily, then." he told her, and she disappeared down the hallway, heading for the room she was sharing with the older girl.  Only moments later, Sadie came running back, a rather confused-looking Lily in tow.

"Alright, let's go!" Paddie pushed Sam and Togo towards the door, and Sadie grabbed a large basket and Frodo's hand.

"Where are we going?" Lily asked Elfstan quietly as the walked behind the younger children.

"Mushroom hunting." Elfstan answered mischieviously, and Lily laughed.  The group walked slowly towards the Boffin's farm, enjoying the grass and the sunshine, and stopping every time Frodo or Togo saw an interesting bug or flower.  As the walked, Lily and Elfstan talked, laughed, and eventually fell into a comfortable silence as they held hands.

"I found some!" Sam exclaimed shortly after they crossed into the Boffins' fields.

"Hey, someone's here." a voice carried from the other side of a little hill.  Sadie gasped.

"Oh, no, we're caught!" she whispered.  The lads and lasses looked at each other, unsure of what to do, but before they could decide, two heads poked over the top of the hill.  Everyone sighed with relief.

"Esmie, what're you doing here?" Paddie asked, an irratable scowl on his face.

"Looking for mushrooms with Sandy." she said simply, pointing at the youngest of the Boffins, who grinned at them.  The two almost-teens came down from the hill.

"Have you found any yet?" Lily asked, surpressing a giggle.  Esmie held out the basket she was carrying, filled to the brim with mushrooms.  Sam and Frodo looked at it and immediately made themselves busy filling up their basket - although more disappeared into Frodo's mouth than he actually put in the basket.

"Oh, we can have quite a feast!" Paddie said eagerly, forgetting his annoyance at his little sister.

"Esmie, do you and Sandy want to come roast the mushrooms with us by the pond?" Sadie asked kindly.  She was - however else she might act - rather fond of her sister, and thought it was a perfect chance to spend time together without the danger of Sadie being "dressed up".

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Sandy hopped from foot to foot impatiently.  "Can we go now?  It would make a good lunch, and we've missed elevensies."

"C'mon, I'll race you, Togo!" Frodo took off running, Togo close behind and the other young ones following slower.  Esmie hung back for a moment.

"Elfstan, Lily, are you coming?" she asked.

"No, lass, you go on." Elfstan smiled at Esmie.  "We'll see you at the festival this evening." Esmie smiled and ran off, and Elfstan turned to his petite friend.  "So, Lily-lass," he said, "Can you still climb trees?"

"Of course." Lily said with a mischievious grin.  "And I'll wager I can still climb faster and higher than you."

~*~

The Westmarch Midsummer festival began around tea-time in one of the unused fields on the Brandybuck farm.  Pip took great pride in the fact that the festival was being held at his home, but most of the children and teens ignored him when he mentioned it.  There was a good amount of food and ale, and music, dancing, and games of all sorts.  Some of the tween and older teen lads decided to get a game of Roopie going, and made Elfstan one of the team captains, as he was one of the best Roopie players in the area.  After a very good game, his team reigned victorious - largely on account of his "secret weapons" Paddie and Sadie, who were both quite passable players for their ages.

Elanor found herself in high demand among the younger children after she was overheard comparing the festival to Bilbo Baggins' 111th birthday party.  The story of that party (as told to her by her father) was retold at least four times, by which time the children were longing for such excitement as Gandalf's fireworks.  They didn't get quite what they wished for, but as the sun was beginning to set (around dinner-time) a cart was spotted in the distance.  Before long, the Greenholm children were racing excitedly down the road towards their aunt and uncles.  Elanor's 'little' brothers Merry and Pippin, along with her sister Goldilocks and Goldie's husband Faramir Took, laughingly helped their neices and nephews into the cart to ride back to the festival.  The cart turned out - when they had brought it to a stop - to be full of fireworks.  Not, it must be admitted, fine fireworks such as Gandalf's, but many squibs, crackers, orc chasers, and elf fountains (among other kinds) imported from Chetwood by the Thain.

It was amidst all the laughter and commotion that Elfstan and Lily slipped away, hiding behind the barn to be alone.  They talked for awhile in the growing darkness, the muffled sounds of the festival echoing across the hills.  They fell silent finally, Lily resting in Elfstan's arms.

Vinca, Willen, and Togo found them like that.  Giggling secretively and being careful not to let the tweens notice them, they ran off and brought Sadie, Paddie, and Frodo back.  Sadie promptly fetched Sam and Esmie, which attracted the attention of Lavvy and Ruby, who followed them.  Upon seeing Elfstan and Lily - still unaware of their audience - Ruby took off to find Tom, and they ran into Goldie on their way back.  Goldie tried to get Faramir, Merry, and Pippin without attracting her sister's attention, but Elanor saw her siblings sneaking off and immediately followed, with Reedy in her arms and Posie close behind.  Fastred and Bingo noticed their wives' departure and snuck after them like a pair of tweenagers.

So it was that Elfstan Greenholm and Lily Baggins had quite an audience when they shared their first kiss.

Disclaimer - Tolkien created Hobbits. Therefore, they belong to him.

A/N - Many thanks to Pippinfan and Pearl Took for giving me such wonderful reviews! You're making me blush, girls.

The Fellowship of the Greenholms

Chapter Four: Who Listens to Esmie?

"I want lots of flowers...maybe lilies, do you think?"

"We don't care, Esmie!" Sam groaned and pressed his hands to his ears. Ruby had gone to Elgantine Goodbody's for tea, so Elanor had instructed the Walkers to play with Esmie for the afternoon. They had no problem with that - except for the fact that Esmie wouldn't stop talking.

"What kind of flowers do you want at your wedding, Sadie?" Esmie asked, working diligently on a daisy crown. Sadie gave an exasperated scream and threw herself face down on the grass and didn't move.

"We don't care about stupid weddings, Esmie. That's girl stuff." Frodo snapped at her. Esmie rolled her eyes at her little brother; he had obviously forgotton that SADIE was a girl.

"Well I think Sadie should have roses. They're very romantic, you know." She ignored her siblings' tortured groans and continued her musings. "And a dress with embroidery on the bodice, and a train..."

"Please shut your trap, Esmie!" Sadie pleaded in a slightly muffled way. Her face was still planted firmly on the grass.

"Oh, well you at least should care, Dee." Esmie grinned at her sister. "Boys don't have to worry about wedding dresses and flowers and silver and--"

"Well maybe I just don't want to get married!" Sadie inturrupted, propping herself up on her elbows. "Did you ever think about that, Esmie Greenholm?" Esmie put one last daisy in her daisy crown and stood up with a smile.

"Oh, we'll see, Sadie." She winked an put the crown on top of Sadie's curls. "I'm going to help Mum cook supper."

As soon as she was gone, the Walkers sighed with relief.

"You'd never think that girl was only 12." Sadie shook her head in disbelief. "She sounds like a tweenager."

"And think about it - all that talk of weddings just because we caught Lily and Elfstan kissing last week." Paddie griped. "It's not like a kiss means they're going to get married!"

"Well, I did hear Elfstan telling Folco Boffin that he thinks he's going to marry Lily when they come of age." Sam commented.

"It's fine for him to talk about, he's almost grown up." Sadie sighed. "This marriage thing is quite silly, I think."

"Does being married mean you have to kiss and stuff like Da says Gaffer Sam and Gammer Rose do?" Frodo wondered.

"Yep."

"Oh yes."

"Of course."

"Then I don't ever wanna get married." Frodo wrinkled his nose.

"It's 'want to', Fro-lad, not 'wanna'." Sadie corrected. "But I share the sentiment."

"Why can't we all just get old together and not bother about this whole marriage thing?" Sam said woefully as he flopped back on the grass. "It's not fair." Sadie and Paddie looked at each other.

"Samwise," Sadie said slowly, "I think you are a genius."

"What?"

"Think about it," Sadie sat up, "By the time we're old enough to marry--"

"--No one will be able to make us marry!" Paddie finished, and a look of understanding dawned on Sam's face.

"So all we have to do is decide not to get married, and we're home free." Sam gave a low whistle. "It's bloody brilliant."

"Don't curse, Sam," Sadie commented automatically.

"Who made you my mother?" Sam retorted.

"Y'know, he's got a point, Dee." Paddie interjected.

"I know, I know!" Sadie pouted a little. "I just get that way when Esmie's around too much. But that's not the point."

"What is the point?" Frodo asked.

"The point is, Fro, that this calls for an important ceremony." she replied.

"Another pact?"

"Not quite." Sadie grinned. "Paddie, do you still have your old pocket knife?"

Soon, the four of them were under the oak sitting in a circle around a small pocket knife.

"Now, a blood oath is very solemn and binding." Sadie told her brothers. "We will shed and mingle blood, making our promise sealed, and we cannot break it." The boys looked nervous, and Sadie handed the knife to Paddie. He looked at it, then at Sadie. In the back of his mind, he noticed that Esmie's daisy crown was still perched jauntily on her head.

"Why me?"

"Eldest first." Sadie said. Paddie gulped and took the knife. After a few false starts, he made a cut on his left palm. Wincing, he quickly switched hands and made an identical cut on his right palm. He passed the knife to Sam, and it made its way rather quickly around the circle, until all four of the Walkers sat with blood pooling in their hands.

"Join hands, like this." Sadie directed, clasping Frodo's hand and pressing the cuts together. The boys followed suit. "An oath we make today," Sadie said solemnly, "In the sight of the Valar."

"Who?" Frodo whispered.

"We have become one in blood to represent our one resolve: to never marry as long as we live. Are we of one mind?"

"Aye."

"Aye."

"Aye. Who are the Valar?"

"This oath," Sadie continued, ignoring Frodo's question, "Can only be broken at the will of all whose blood we share." she paused. "Well, I think that does it."

"The Oath of the Four Walkers." Paddie said half to himself. Sadie's eyebrows shot up.

"Well, who would've thought our Paladin could be so elequent?" she smiled admiringly. "That's good, big brother." Paddie blushed.

"Can we wash our hands now?" Frodo asked. "They're getting sorta sticky."

The laughter of his siblings echoed cheerfully through the hills.

((Leave it to Sadie to think of a blood oath, eh? *grin*  Oh, I love these kids.  I really do.))

Disclaimer - They're not mine.  *sigh*

A/N - Once you get to the part about Sadie's belly button, please realize that I am currently on a Terry Pratchett over-load, curteousy of my dear friends Elizabeth and Ashley.  Thank you.

The Fellowship of the Greenholms

Chapter Five: Brandybuck Charm, Part One

Meetings and Greetings

"Sadie, have you changed the guest linens?"

"I'm going, Mum!"

"Mama?"

"Sam, go help your sister.  Elfstan, could you--"

"Put on an extra tea kettle?  Already done."

"Mama?"

"Oh, thank you, darling." Elanor smiled as her oldest kissed her on the cheek.  "I can't believe we only just got Winny's letter..." she sighed and bustled into the parlor with a dust rag.

"Mama?" Vinca tugged on Elanor's skirt again, trying to get her attention.

"What is it, dear?" Elanor asked wearily.

"Will you pleathe play with me?" Vinca asked mournfully.  Elanor sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I have to get the house ready."

The hustle and bustle in the Warren of the Westmarch was explained by a letter currently lying in the kitchen.  It was a letter Elanor had recieved only the evening before, from her dear friend Eowyn Brandybuck.  The letter said, among other things, that Winny and her brother Theo were coming to visit the Westmarch, and were hoping to stay with the Greenholms.  Of course, Elanor was thrilled to have her childhood friends visit, but as the letter had taken longer than usual to reach her, Elanor only had until tea-time the following day to prepare.  So the whole family (except Vinca and Reedy, who were too little) was rushing around the hole, readying it for the visitors.

"Why don't you go play with Tom or Sam?" Elanor suggested to Vinca.  Vinca nodded and slowly left the room.  Elanor looked longingly at the empty doorway for a moment before begining to dust again.  Truth be told, she would much rather have played with her little girl, but in the grown-up world chores came first.

Vinca, meanwhile, wandered around the house searching for a playmate.  The older children (Elfstan, Tom, Paddie, and the Twins) were thrilled beyond measure at the prospect of these visitors.  They had met the Brandybuck siblings twice before, and were greatly looking forward to seeing "Uncle" Theo again, especially.  The others (except for the baby) were putting on their nicest (or in Frodo's case, least worn-out) clothes and wondering what Aunt Winny and Uncle Theo would be like.  Vince, however, was more concerned with entertaining herself than looking nice for the guests.  She found Tom first, outside chopping firewood.

"Tom, will you play with me?  Pleathe?" she pleaded.

"Not now, Roo, I've got work I have to finish," he said distractedly, not looking away from his task.

"I'm not Ruby, thtupid!" Vinca glared at him before stalking inside.  She wandered around for a bit before coming across Sadie, standing on a chair in the parlor folding sheets.

"Thadie?  Will you play with me?"

"Sorry, little one."  Sadie smiled sympathetically.  "Later, alright?"

"Alright." Vinca sighed.  Sadie hopped off her chair to get another sheet and kissed the top of Vinca's head in passing.

"Why don't you go read one of my old picture books?" Sadie suggested.  Vinca nodded, looking dubious.  It was a rare occassion that Sadie let anyone touch her books, and Vinca was afraid Sadie would forget her offer before Vinca had finished looking at the pictures.  Sadie was very absent-minded, Vinca had once heard Tom say, and she assumed that meant that her oldest sister often forgot when she gave permission for Vinca to look at her books.  Vinca was, nevertheless, bored enough to brave Sadie's absent-mind (as Vinca thought it) and look at the offered books.

"They're here!  They're here!"  The cry came as Vinca was finishing her third book.  She started to run out of the extra pantry that Sadie used as a library, then decided not to push her luck with the aforementioned sister.

She put the book back on its shelf, then ran out to the yard.

"Uncle Theo!" Sam and Sadie rushed at the tall, sandy-haired Hobbit.

"Well, who are these two?  They must be Faramir's," Theo said with a wink to Elanor.  "Are you raising 'That Took's' children as well, Ellie?"

"No, it's us!" Sam laughed.  "Sam an' Sadie!"

"What?" Theo gasped in feigned shock.  "Well, so it is.  The last time I saw you two, you were barely this high!" he said, holding his hand an inch off the ground.  The Twins laughed and hugged him.

"Oh, look at you!" Winny stood looking slightly up at Tom and Elfstan.  "The handsomest of all the lads in the Westmarch, I'll wager."  The boys blushed.

"Handsomest isn't a word, y'know." Paddie commented, proud to show off the knowledge that Sadie had pounded into him.

"Paladin Greenholm!" Elanor gasped.  "Don't be rude."  Winny just grinned at Paddie.

"No, you're right.  You're a smart lad, Paladin." she said, gently tweaking his nose.  Then, almost at the same time, both visitors turned to the younger children, who were hanging back uncertainly.  Frodo took a tentative step forward, then raced over to Sadie and grabbed her hand.  Theo grinned at him.

"Hullo, there, m'lad." Theo knelt down to look him in the eye.  "I'm Theo Brandybuck, at your service."

" 'M Frodo." the lad mumbed into Sadie's sleeve. 

"Well then!" Theo laughed.  "We're both named after heros of the War."  Frodo said something incoherant to Sadie's arm.

"There's no such word as 'nuthin', Frodo." Sadie said firmly to her extra appendage.  "I think he said 'But Gaffer Sam never said nuthin' about a Theo." she commented helpfully to Theo.

"That, my boy, is because my full name is Theoden.  Not Theo."  He leaned towards Frodo in a conspiritory fashion.  "But we'll keep that our secret, eh?" he added with a wink.

"You were named after a king?" Frodo asked excitedly.  Winny, meanwhile, was oohing and aahing over the girls, particularly Vinca, who looked as if she needed oohed and aahed over.

"Just look at these lasses, Theo!" she called, jerking Theo out of his conversation with Frodo and Sadie's belly button.

"Some of the prettiest lasses this side of Rivendell." Theo proclaimed after a moment's contemplation.  "Though none of them holds a candle to their mother yet." he added, winking again at Elanor who had been his childhood sweetheart.  He then politely turned back to Frodo (and Sadie's navel) and resumed their comparison of pranks pulled and trouble gotten into.  (Although it must be said that Sadie's navel probably out-troubled the both of them together, though no one knew it.  It was the most troublesome belly button in the Shire, but was kindly keeping quiet so as not to embarass either Hobbit.)

It was in the midst of all this hubbub and commotion that Vinca decided that Brandybucks must be much better than Greenholms, and began making plans to move herself to Brandy Hall.

"The tea's ready!" Fastred called from the doorway, holding a yawning Reedy who had only just woken from her nap.  The Brood (and additions)tumbled into the house.

"Good to see you again, Fastred!" Theo said, pumping the father's hand as Winny cheerfully took the baby.

"Oh, what a little beauty!  Auntie Winny's going to have fun with you, Reedy-love."

((Well, "Brandybuck Charm" was only supposed to be one chapter, but it got away from me and made itself quite long (in my reckoning).  Besides, I wanted to have some more for my loyal readers to read, and the second half is presenting even more difficulties than the first!

Never fear, Part Two should be on its way soon.))