Chapter 53: Lesson Learned

Frodo looked into his dearest friend’s eyes, stunned at how deeply Sam saw. The gardener simply smiled and then let him go. He took his friend’s maimed hand and placed the quill into it once more. "Why don’t you give it one more try, dear, then we can take a break. Just try writing your name."

When Frodo looked like he was going to balk, Sam spoke again, "Would you like to write ‘I am a hero’ a hundred times instead? You’ll get practice either way and that’s all you need."

The elder hobbit looked up at his friend, torn between smiling and frowning. "You must have some Baggins blood in you, Sam. No one can be as stubborn as you and not have it. I think you are actually threatening me."

Sam smiled but didn’t say anything. Frodo sighed. "Then again, maybe it’s some Brandybuck or Took. This sounds like something they’d do to me."

His fingers tightened around the quill again and very shakily, he formed his name, not once, but twice for good measure. It was not the elegant handwriting that had always been Frodo’s since Sam could remember, but it was better than before. Frodo looked up for his friend’s reaction.

Sam smiled proudly. "See, dear, I knew you could do it."

"Not without you, Sam," Frodo said. "Thank you. I feel a little more like myself now."

Sam squeezed his shoulders. "You’ll feel more and more like that. You’ll see. You’ve done very well. Now what do you say to something to eat to celebrate?"

"I am hungry," Frodo admitted and Sam smiled again. "If Merry and Pippin have left us anything. I haven’t seen them all day."

"I’m sure Mr. Strider’s made sure something’s been saved, even if the royal kitchens have been a bit stretched by hobbit appetites."

Frodo laughed softly and Sam rejoiced to hear it. The elder hobbit wondering as to where his cousins were was answered when they reached the dining hall and Pippin waved them over. He was dressed, of course, in his formal Citadel Guard uniform.

"At last!" Pippin cried out. "We were about to send out the Guard to find you!"

"As long as the Guard would have been you, dearest Pippinsqueak, I wouldn’t have minded," Frodo said and sat down next to him.

"I would have if you hadn’t come down in the next few minutes."

"After you had eaten all the best parts?"

Pippin looked aghast, but then smiled into Frodo’s smile. He scooted closer to his adored eldest cousin and kissed his head quickly. "I am so glad to see you smile, cousin," he said softly. He was still dressed in the same uniform, but it was almost like he was just regular Pippin again, scamp and jokester, not one aged too early by war. Frodo exchanged a quick look and grin with Merry who appreciated the change back also.

"I’m so glad to be able to and at you, dearheart," Frodo returned with a squeeze of Pippin’s waist. "Now did you save us anything at all?"

"Let’s just say it’s good you came when you did," Merry said before Pippin could do more than open his mouth and send his cousin an injured look that Frodo smiled at.

Food was brought out to the newcomers and the four of them enjoyed the rest of the meal. Frodo due to Pippin’s jokes and constant stream of chatter, muffled at times by him stuffing more food in his mouth than was proper and still trying to talk around it. Frodo and Merry shared more than one look of fond exasperation, looking more at their indefatigably cheerful cousin than anything else, glad the second time around at war hadn’t seem to harm him, though nightmares could still come and would come for all of them. But they were together now and they weren’t going to be parted again. The shield of their mutual love would protect them. The three younger hobbits all were glad to see how relaxed Frodo was at the meal.

When they returned to their room and the others had retired, Frodo stayed up to practice his writing. "Just a little more, Sam," he had assured his brother more than once when the younger hobbit had wondered when he was going to rest.

Frodo got up at last, stretched his aching back and flexed his just as aching fingers. He looked down at what he wrote and smiled, quite pleased with himself, then at three of the four hobbits he most loved in the world and smiled even wider. Merry’s arm was protectively wrapped around Pippin and Sam was softly snoring, having at last lost the battle to stay awake in case his brother needed anything. He leaned down, kissed both his cousins’ heads quickly and said softly, "Good night. I love you."

He carefully placed what he had written where he knew his Sam would see it, then he changed into his nightshirt, crawled into bed next to his brother, kissed his brow and laid his head against his guardian’s heart. The young gardener wrapped his arms around his brother without waking and Frodo smiled as he fell asleep, anticipating his beloved friend’s reaction to the note he left him.

Very neatly written, a hundred times, was You are my hero, Sam. I love you.

END OF PART 1!

I will now be taking a short break to work on an original story. A very big "hannon le", dear readers and especially to my dearest reviewers: Queen Galadriel, harrowcat, Frodo Baggins and starfire_moonlight, for taking this journey into Frodo and Sam’s hearts and souls with me. Your support is greatly, greatly appreciated! :)

The journey will continue in Part 2"The Lucky One" after Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

Namarie for now, God bless, Antane