Disclaimer: No, I don't own these characters or the plots they're originally from - but if I did, ... hehehe ...

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One sunny morning in June, Samwise Gamgee sat on the front stoop of Bag-end smoking a pipe. As the smoke curled lazily about his mop of brown hair, he glanced over at the scene before him. 14 year-old Elanor, the beauty of the family with golden locks, sat surrounded by her siblings as she read to them. His wife, Rosie, tended baby Primrose, who sat in her highchair, cooing happily.

"Sam," Rosie called suddenly. "Sam, darling, come over here for a moment, please."

After carefully extinguishing his pipe and knocking out the ashes, Sam got up and walked over to where Rosie sat. 

"Yes, dear?" he inquired with a grin. 

She picked up an envelope from the table beside her and pulled out a sheet of parchment.

"Tom's just brought the post and this letter arrived from my dear friend, Lily Boffin. Remember her, from Buckland?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, what about her?"

"Well, her mother is quite ill and she needs my help to take care of her. Now, if I were to go, I would be gone for about a week. Could you watch the children for that long?"

Sam hesitated for a moment. Could he? He knew how to do everything, but Rosie was the expert. She had always been there to help him. Could he do it without her? After all, there were nine of them!

Then, he looked over at them again and saw the rapt expression on their faces as their eldest sister spun an adventurous tale for their eager ears while Prim sucked contentedly on her teddy.

Taking courage from this sight, he exclaimed "Of course I can do it! How hard could it possibly be?"

But Rosie looked unsure. "Sam, are you certain? You've never watched all of them before, and it's for a whole week...perhaps I should ask Estella and Diamond to help. They're in town with Merry and Pippin visiting relatives. I'm sure it wouldn't be any trouble for them to -"

"-No!" Sam burst out. "I mean, no dear, I'll be perfectly fine. If I can face down a wraith I can certainly handle a handful of children!" Besides, he thought to himself, if I needed help from my best friends' wives, I'd never hear the end of it! I'll ask Merry or Pip if I really need help.

Rosie still looked hesitant, and Sam desperately wracked his brains for a way to convince her.

As if on cue, Primrose began to cry. Sam jumped into action, rushing to pluck the squalling lass from her brother's lap. He snatched up a bottle and began feeding her as he whispered and sang. When she was done, he even remembered to burp her.

Having finished his display, Sam looked at Rosie, who was now beaming.

"You'll do wonderfully!" she cried, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Of course I will, dear!" Sam replied with a grin. "You forget - I'm Samwise the Stouthearted. I can do anything."

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More to come! Please R&R! :)