It was midnight in Buckland. The moon shone brightly overhead as three young hobbit-lads hid behind a grove of tall trees.

"Are you sure we should go through with this, Frodo? Mushrooms are different than carrots, and Farmer Maggot's supposed to be pretty stern," one whispered. His name was Gen Brandybuck, and he was one of Frodo Baggins' hundreds of cousins.

"Oh, shut up, Gen! Are you scared?" the other boy questioned.

"Shh," Frodo hissed. "Someone will hear you."

"Maybe we should just go back," Gen whispered more quietly.

"Shh!" Frodo said again. "We're not going back. If you don't want to do this, you don't have to."

Gen hesitated.

"You aren't scared, are you?" the other boy demanded.

"Brend, he can leave if he wants to," Frodo replied.

"I'll stay," Gen answered, slightly embarrased.

"No one's awake, let's go!" Frodo stated.

They silently dashed out from the cover of the trees, dashed for the mushroom patch behind the house, and started shoving them into a sack. Suddenly a dog barked, and the three young ruffians froze.

"Run!" Frodo cried. "Someone's coming!"

Gen dashed away, bag in hand, and Brend followed close behind. Frodo leapt to his feet and was about to dash after his friends, who were already hidden in the trees, when Farmer Maggot came out of the farmhouse and spotted Frodo standing frozen amongst all his prized mushrooms. He shined his lantern at him, and yelled, "Get off my land!"

Frodo ran until he reached the ferry where Gen and Brend were waiting for him.

"That was a close one, Fro," Gen said as Frodo collapsed, breathing heavily, on the bottom of the ferry.

"How many did we get?" he asked a moment later.

"Enough to make that mad dash worth it!" Brend replied.

frodo smiled mischieviously. "Who would have thought we'd go from carrots to mushrooms so seemlessly?"

"It's almost as if mushrooms were already our specialty," Gen said. "But carrots are easier. Farther from the farmhouse."

"Let's try getting eggs from the hen-house next time," Frodo suggested.

This idea was quickly shouted down with a loud "NO!" from both Gen and Brend. Frodo laughed.

* * *

Saradoc watched, slightly amused, when Frodo had a hard time trying not to fall asleep in his eggs the next morning. He remembered being twenty once, and had no doubt as to what Frodo had been up to the night before.

Esmeralda was less forgiving.

"Frodo-lad, what have you been doing?" she demanded the fourth time she had to tap his arm to wake him up.

"Nothing, Aunt Esme," Frodo replied wearily.

Esmeralda stared at him. "It's not nothing. You were out raiding some poor farmer's crops again, weren't you?"

Frodo glanced at her a moment, then looked away.

"What am I to do with you?" Esmeralda exclaimed, gripping the back of a chair. "I can only imagine what Merry is going to pick up from all this!"

"Esme, please! They're just tweens. It's just normal," Saradoc responded, seeing an icy, closed look come into Frodo's eyes. He only got that way when they brought Merry into the mix. And Esme only did that when she was very frustrated. And that wasn't too often.

Esme saw the look and softened. "I'm sorry, Frodo," she said humbly. "I'm only frustrated that you keep getting into trouble."

Frodo nodded.

"I don't know how to handle it, and I don't like it," she continued. "But you've not been hurt, and no one else has, yet."

Frodo smiled. "We're too good for that."

Suddenly they heard little feet padding down the hallway, and seven year old Merry rushed to his cousin, to leap into his arms. "Fro, you're back. I heard you last night," Merry said, pretending to whisper into Frodo's ear.

"Did I wake you, Merry-lad?" Frodo questioned. "I'm sorry."

"That's all right," Merry replied. "I wasn't sleepy."

Frodo smiled at his young cousin. Merry, who was too young to understand what had happened to Frodo's parents, thought of Frodo as a brother, and Frodo treated him as one.

"Can you take me to the river today, Fro?" Merry asked. "It's hot outside, and I want to go swimming!"

"Maybe," Frodo replied. "If it's all right with your Mum and Da." He glanced at Sara and Esme questioningly.

"Go ahead," Sara responded before Esme could say anything.

* * *

Frodo sat on the bank of the Brandywine River, watching as Merry and a few other hobbit children splashed around in the shallow, rocky area near by.

"Psst! Frodo!" a voice called behind him. Frodo turned to see Gen and Brend walking up behind him.

"Did you get caught going in last night?" Brand asked, sauntering up to him, his hands in his breeches pockets.

Frodo shook his head. "My aunt got on me this morning, though," he replied. "How about you?"

"Naw. My folks don't really care, just so long as I don't get hurt," Brend said.

"I didn't get caught, but that's only because my Mum is away visiting her third cousin on her Da's side, and my Da sleeps like a log," Gen stated. "Can't wake him up."

"So, are we on for tomorrow night, then?" Frodo questioned, glancing at both of them.

"Yes," Brend said. "Only if we can sneak out all right and get back unseen. Last night was too close. I swear he got a really good look at you, Frodo. Why'd you freeze like that?"

"His eyes through that lantern..." Frodo shuddered. "Looked all yellow and fiery. Really scared me for a moment. Then he moved the light, looked like a normal hobbit, and I fled," Frodo finished.

Brand grinned. Gen looked nervous.

Merry came out of the water, and dashed up to Frodo. "Come swim with me, Fro!" he requested. "Gen and Brend too!"

"No, Merry. You know I don't swim," Frodo replied. "You go have fun, though."

Merry put on a pouty facethat he acquired every time Frodo said that. "Please, Fro? Just this once!"

"No, sorry Mer. I can't," Frodo said, his face expressionless. "That's final."

"Fine." Merry sighed, defeated. Then he grinned. "Come help me catch frogs, then?"

Frodo turned to his friends. "Anybody up for a frog hunt?" he asked.

They smiled. "Sure."