“Come on, lad, it won’t be that bad.  I promise.”  Frodo Baggins looked at his gardener with amusement in his eyes.  “Enough about you never traveling this far; there’s a first time for everything!  You know, this could be the start of your career as a traveler.”

Samwise Gamgee did not turn around and kept his eyes firmly on the reins of the trap. 

“I don’t know about that, Mr. Frodo.  Taters and cabbages are for the likes of me more than dragons and dwarves.”

Frodo had been invited to spend some time in Buckland with his cousin Merry, and could hardly wait to get back to the area where he had been raised.  However, he was finding convincing Sam that he would come out of the experience alive to be a more daunting task than he had initially thought.

 “I know that Brandy Hall a bit unusual, but I can assure you, I have never seen a dragon or dwarf there in my life.”

“Yes sir, but there’s a first time to everything, or so I hear.”

 “Samwise Gamgee, are you giving me sauce?” asked Frodo in overly dramatic voice.

“Of course not, sir.  Wouldn’t dream of it, begging your pardon.”

“You rascal.  Well, see if I help you if Molly tries to corner you again.”

Sam turned around to face his master, who unsuccessfully tried to hide his grin behind a fake sneeze.  “Sir, that ain’t funny.    If she weren’t your cousin’s maid, and a girl, I would show her how we treat that kind of tomfoolery in Hobbiton.”

Frodo laughed.  “And how would that be, pray tell?”

Sam mumbled something and turned very red about the ears.

The rest of the trip went smoothly.  They had covered much distance the day before, but had taken the time to spend the night at an inn.  They stopped only for second breakfast and elevensies and could see the Hall around noon.

“No turning back now, Sam,” said Frodo. 

“Yes, sir, I was just thinking that.  But it’ll be alright, I had to get out of Hobbiton some time, didn’t I?”

“Actually, I was thinking of your love life.  Now that you’re here, you’ll never escape Molly’s clutches.  After all, you came to her this time.”

Sam turned around and started to remind his master that his cousin Lilac was just like her maid where Frodo was concerned, but stopped himself just in time.  He settled for a “well then I’m glad we’re not staying too long then”, and turned back to the road, hoping he weren’t being too impertinent.

Right at that moment, a curly-headed whirlwind flew onto the road and scared the living daylights out of the pony and all on board.  The young hobbit got wide-eyed, and then ran to the side of the road just as the pony began to run at full speed, bumping the trap along with it.  Trap and hobbits were dragged along in a crazy zigzag pattern.  Frodo heard a rope snap, then a crash as the luggage began to fly off.   Sam tried to grab the reins and to calm the pony down, as Frodo squeezed his eyes shut and held onto the side of the trap with white knuckles and prayed for it to end.  The reins were flying about; bouncing every which way as the trap hit bumps and ruts that seemed to appear out of nowhere.  Finally, Sam reached down dangerously low, and managed to grab the reins. He reared the pony in immediately, and began murmuring calming words to it.  Once the best was still, he turned to his master.

“Mr. Frodo sir, are you all right?  I tried to grab the reins sir, I swear, but they were swinging all over.  Sir, can you open your eyes?  Sir, you’re scaring me. Master, are you all right? Oh no!! Mr. Frodo!!”

Sam dove over the seat to try and reach his master.  The result was him getting stuck about halfway over and trying to squirm his way through.  His discomfiture was forgotten, however, when Frodo’s yell rang out louder than any hobbit’s voice had a right to be.

“PEREGRIN!!!”

**********************************************************

The trap pulled up to the front door of the Hall with a sheepish Pippin still trying to explain that he ‘just wanted to say hello’.  Frodo did not appear to be listening; he was holding his head in on hand and rubbing his temples with his thumb and ring finger.

“…After all, I haven’t seen you in nearly three months, Frodo, and that’s just totally ridiculous, I mean, I saw Merry at least four times in that period, and you really should get out more, because I miss you so much, and we’re going to have so much, aren’t we-Unless you’re still mad?”  Pippin looked at Frodo hopefully.

Slowly, Frodo turned to look at his younger cousin. Pippin gulped.  Frodo glared. 

“Pippin, you recently scared seven years off of my life.  Sam had to risk his to get those reins."

"But I-"

Frodo continued, in a deadly quiet voice."I have no clothing, as it is all covered in dust from being spilled on the road, and so Sam will have to wash all of it over again tonight.  You skinned your knee and your elbow, so your mother is going to be furious with me.  I beleive once of the wheels may have cracked, so now I have to get that fixed.”  Frodo looked at his cousin sternly for a moment, and then broke out into a huge grin.  “I won't be mad anymore, but I call telling Merry all about it!”

“No fair!  It wouldn’t have happened without me!”

“You nearly killed me, so I get to tell him!”

“Nuh-uh, you said yourself you almost died!  Go lie down and rest your heart; I’ve got this.”

The two cousins continued to bicker as they raced through the front door, nearly knocking the poor butler, Jeremiah, over.  After their shouts (and the screams of those they nearly knocked over) had died off, he dusted himself off, cleared his throat, and turned to Sam, who was still waiting in the trap.

“Servants’ entrance is on the other side.  You may drop the bags off there, and get your rooming assignment.” 

Sam nodded, and pulled the trap forward, keeping his face carefully blank.  He managed to get the trap around the corner before leaning back against the bench and snickering harder than could be considered proper, adding in a few knee slaps for good measure. 

After a few minutes, he forced himself to think of all the laundry he’d have to do on top of all of his other chores, and managed to get himself under control.  His earlier amusement was replaced with exasperation.  Not even in the Hall yet, and they almost died.  He rolled his eyes and sighed as he started the trap forward.  Lor, but it was going to be a long vacation.