21-22 Halimath 1390

Bilbo and Frodo set out in the early morning on the 21^st, intent on not returning until the next morning. Excitement filled them both for this special time together. All that day they spent walking on their favorite paths, stopping to eat and read at their favorite trees, and overall immensely enjoying the fair weather, the sunny skies, and most of all each other. This birthday was going to be a very special one for Bilbo, as he would turn 100. Energy that a hobbit half his age had still blessed the elder Baggins, and Bilbo well knew where that came from: the tween at his side. One of Frodo’s hand was wrapped around his uncle’s and the other held the picnic basket the two had made for their special day.

It had been a glorious year since Frodo had come to live at Bag End. Bilbo watched as the lad grew fairer by the day and was already turning the heads of lasses. Frodo seemed oblivious to most of it, being more interested in spending time with Bilbo, writing letters to his Merry and spending time in the garden reading while Sam helped the Gaffer in the garden.

Sam greatly enjoyed the time himself as Frodo often would read aloud and sometimes it was in the Sindarin that Bilbo taught him. More than anything, Sam loved listening to Elvish, especially when his future master spoke it. He didn’t let it interfere with his work in the garden but listened as he pruned, planted and nurtured the garden. Sometimes, if his Gaffer wasn’t around, he would speak softly to the flowers in Elvish, and he was convinced it helped them grow.

Being with Bilbo was still Frodo’s favorite thing to do because the company of his beloved company was always welcome and it opened up new worlds to him in the poetry and stories Bilbo was full of. Frodo’s head and heart spun with the desire for adventures, but he had a grand time just being with his uncle.

This afternoon was no exception. They walked and walked, sometimes talking, sometimes silently enjoying each other’s company and the world around them. Frodo longed to see his first Elf and to tell Sam and Merry, and he hoped to share the experience with Bilbo. The shadows lengthened as the two Bagginses stopped for their supper. Frodo spread out the blankets they would use later for sleeping and then the feast they had prepared. Mushrooms were, of course, prevalent, but there was chicken, jams, jellies, crackers, and other goodies to enjoy as well.

Once they had their fill, Bilbo read more from the book he had brought as Frodo laid down. They watched the stars appear in the sky and after marveling at them for a long, peaceful while, they settled down for sleep.

Frodo wrapped his arms and small body around Bilbo. “I’m glad to be with you, Uncle,” he murmured then fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Bilbo watched the son of his heart until he thought his heart would burst with love and pride for his most fair lad. The old hobbit then lay down and fell asleep with a large smile himself.

The Elves who passed them by after midnight marveled at the two of them, especially the younger, who they had never formally met but knew well was Bilbo’s kin. But the wonder to them was that the lad shone with a light akin to their own, though not as bright. They had not heard tell of a mortal so fair. With a silent blessing invoking Elbereth to protect them, they went on their way. One of them wished them a happy birthday.

The next morning, Frodo woke first. He carefully pulled out from his bag the birthday gift he had made for Bilbo. Silently he prepared their breakfast so the first thing Bilbo smelled upon waking was a delightful feast of bacon and mushrooms.

“Happy birthday, Uncle!” Frodo cried and then gave his uncle a tight hug.

“And to you, my beautiful lad,” Bilbo said.

“I can’t wait to give you my present!”

Frodo proudly passed a small bundle to Bilbo and anxiously watched his uncle unwrap it. Several sheets of parchment were tied together. The old hobbit read in the tween’s own script the tale of the creation of the stars and it was all in Sindarin. “My boy, this is a grand gift!” he said, deeply moved.

Frodo beamed. “I’m so glad you like it, Uncle. I’ve been working on it so long.”

“It is a marvel, my dear lad. I shall treasure it always.”

There was a small pause. “But now I fear that perhaps you won’t need my gift after all.”

Bilbo passed his gift to Frodo, who eagerly unwrapped it. “A book in your own writing and in Sindarin!” the tween exclaimed and hugged him. “Thank you, Uncle! Le hannon!” He turned the pages of the glossary the old hobbit had prepared.. “All these new words to learn! I can’t wait to show Sam! And Merry when he comes later! We’ll have to hurry home or he’ll beat us there. He was so excited in his last letter. If Aunt Esme had let him, I’m sure he would have run all the way here all by himself!”

They hurried through breakfast and then walked back home. They beat Merry only by a few minutes. The little lad ran to his beloved cousin-brother and wouldn’t let go of him for the longest time.

“Happy birthday, Frodo! Happy birthday!”

“Thank you, Merry mine! Having you here will make it extra special and fun, don’t you think?”

Merry giggled. “Yes! Mama and Papa said I could stay all week, too!! Isn’t that wonderful?”

Frodo laughed. “It is indeed.”

Sam waved from the garden as the two Bagginses and their guests went in. As soon as Frodo could untangle himself from Merry in the parlour, he hugged his aunt and uncle.

“What did you get me, Frodo?” Merry asked, bouncing from foot to foot. “What did you get me? And what did you get Sam?”

Frodo laughed and patted the little lad’s head. “You are a greedy little Brandybuck, aren’t you? But I think you know perfectly well what I got you.”

Merry’s eyes and mouth opened wide.

“Close your eyes now,” Frodo said, “and hold out your hands.”

As Merry obediently did so, he felt something sticky put into his hands. He opened his eyes and found his favorite treats there. He gobbled one up straightaway and then hugged Frodo tightly. “Thank you, Frodo!”

“You are quite welcome, my lad. Now finish up that other one or put it away for a treat later and wash your hands. You don’t want to make everyone as sticky as you and I are now!”

Merry popped the other treat in his mouth and then ran off to wash his hands, tugging Frodo along with him.

The day passed happily. After Merry excitedly called Sam in for supper, Frodo gave Sam his gift, which the lad shyly but happily accepted with great thanks. Then with Merry and Frodo both insisting, Sam stayed for the night. However, he didn’t come up to Frodo’s bed to sleep even though Merry and Frodo both invited him to do so.

“I’ll be fine on the floor, Mr. Frodo, Mr. Merry.”

Merry giggled at being called Mr. Frodo knew better than correct Sam on being called so himself. He also knew it was not worth it to insist that it was all right to sleep in the bed. The Gaffer must have talked to Sam again about the lad’s place and behavior when among his betters. The tween knew he could not effectively counter that and even giving Sam the proper sheets and pillows might cause him discomfort. But he wasn’t about to have his friend just sleep on the carpet either. He watched as Sam lay down to do just that and frowned until he got an idea. He whispered it to Merry who giggled again. They lay down on the bed and pretended to go to sleep until they could hear Sam’s soft snores, then they dragged the fine sheets off the bed and the soft pillows and all three of them slept on the floor with smiles on their faces.

22 Halimath 1419

This particular birthday was all the more special because Frodo and Bilbo had both survived to celebrate it together with their friends. The Elves delighted them with a marvelous feast and songs in the Hall of Fire. It was not quite ten o’clock when they all saw how weary Frodo was in body and even in heart. An unspoken understanding passed between them in a glance and the three younger hobbits took the Ring-bearer back to their room. They looked at the spacious bed where the four of them had spent the previous night, but then Merry began to pull the linen down to the floor.

“Remember when we did this at Bag End that first time I came for your birthday?”

A faint smile came to Frodo’s lips. “Yes, Merry mine, I do remember. Do you plan on doing the same tonight? I don’t know if my old bones could bear being on the ground another night.”

“Wouldn’t it be fun? It would be like old times, and this is hardly the same as sleeping on cold, hard ground with all those nasty roots.”

Frodo saw the almost desperate pleading in Merry’s eyes and understood his cousin’s loving heart which so longed for everything to return to normal and which feared it would not. He saw the same desire in Sam and Pippin’s eyes though they didn’t speak. They didn’t need to. More than physical fatigue plagued Frodo, and the birthday feast had only delayed the sadness that closed around his heart most days. But the Ring-bearer decided to humor the brothers of his heart, because though he had borne the Ring, he also bore the hearts of those he loved. As he lay down among the blankets and pillows and Merry and Pippin arranged themselves close on either side of him and joked until he laughed genuinely, he realized this was the best place he could be after all. Sam slept at his head, knowing how much the two younger hobbits needed to be closer to their beloved treasure.

As Bilbo checked on them shortly afterwards, he saw all four of them tangled up in covers and each other and on all four faces were large smiles. He lingered for a long time to watch Frodo’s, his fair face untroubled for a moment by all the trials he had endured.

22 Halimath 1484

Though the years had been long since Bilbo had passed, Frodo still celebrated his beloved uncle’s life along with his own. He was glad that now for the second year, Sam was here with him to observe the day. Each day was more joyous then the previous now that his heart’s treasure was beside him once more and had healed from the loss of Rose.

Though he was well over 100 now, Frodo’s healing allowed him to return to almost a child-like state of innocence and joy. His trials and scars he did not forget, but there was no shadow about them or around his heart now. Sometimes, he was more like a child than other times, something he especially delighted in now that Sam was here. One of his favorite things to do was jumping into puddles and watching and hearing his beloved guardian and brother laugh. This night, he decided another tradition should continue.

He pulled the sheets and blankets and pillows down from the bed and spread them out on the floor. Sam smiled as he joined his beloved treasure there.

“Do you remember the first time we did this?” Frodo asked, as he lay down where he could hear his brother’s heartbeat.

Sam wrapped his arms around his master and brother. “Yes. I remember waking in the morning and being shocked that you would put your fine sheets on the floor just like that.”

“I knew you would be so that’s why I waited until you were asleep. You always knew your place, but I couldn’t possibly have you just sleep on the carpet. What I didn’t know then was that you were such a light sleeper and would wake before I could get the sheets back into order.”

Sam hugged his treasure tighter.“Yes, I always knew my place. It was by you and Rosie. Bless you for giving me so many years with her and for the chance to return to you.”

“You had a lot to do with that yourself, Sam. Everything actually. We would have never made it back home without you being there for me.”

“But it was you who took the burden upon yourself and suffered so much for us.”

“And you suffered so much for me. I could not have done it without you.”“But...”

Frodo raised his head and put his fingers to his Sam’s lips. “Sam, you must let me win this argument. It is my birthday.”

Sam smiled indulgently. “I’ll let you win it tonight, dear. But only tonight.”

Frodo beamed in return and put his head back down to that reassuring and loving heartbeat. How he had missed it! But he knew it was always there, surrounding him, even if he couldn’t hear it with his ears.“And bless you, Sam, for giving Rosie and I such love and joy.”

Sam kissed Frodo’s head. “No more than you gave me.”

The elder Ring-bearer almost raised his head again but the younger lowered it gently. “And no arguments about that. You won’t win that one either. Happy birthday, dearlove.”

Frodo sighed. He knew it was impossible to truly win an argument against his Sam, but for tonight at least he had. "I'm glad you are here with me, Sam."
If anyone had seen them later, so contentedly wrapped around each other, it would have been impossible to tell which hobbit had the larger smile.