2~

“Does this mean I’m going back to Bag End today?” Frodo asked as they all sat down to luncheon with Sam’s family.

Bilbo saw the disappointed looks on Daisy and May’s faces and smiled. “No. I’ve got some extra business to attend to, and Mrs. Gamgee graciously said she’d be glad to have you and Merry spend the night with Sam. If you don’t mind, that is?”

Frodo grinned. “That would be great! How long is Merry staying? Sam and I found the stairs in Bag End and we found a treasure map. We wanted to go search for the treasure. Would you help us, Uncle?” Frodo said excitedly.

“Treasure, hmm? Sounds exciting. Maybe we can do that tomorrow, once I’m done with my work. How’s that?” Bilbo asked.

Frodo would have protested, but the mischievous gleam in his uncle’s eyes silenced him. “All right. We can go tomorrow.”

* * *

“Uncle Bilbo’s planning something,” Frodo said that night, pacing the floor in Sam’s room. “He meant for us to find that map and he’s planning something else.”

“What is he planning?” Sam asked from his perch on the bed. “What’s the ‘treasure’?”

“I don’t know,” Frodo sighed, flopping down on his back beside his friend. “But he’s working on it tonight, that much I know.”

“We can’t do anything tonight, though,” Sam said, straightening Frodo’s curls. “Mr. Merry’s already half asleep.” He indicated the hobbit-lad trying to force his eyes to stay open. He was lying quite contentedly on Sam’s pillows, his feet coming just to where Frodo was lying.

“M’not sleepy,” Merry exclaimed, yawning.

“You’ve had a long trip,” Frodo said, getting up and covering Merry with the blankets. “You are sleepy.” He glanced over at Sam. “So are you, Sam-lad. Hop in!” He pulled back the covers for Sam to climb into bed, then settled himself in between them.

Sam blew out the candle on the nightstand beside him, then all was silent. After a moment, Frodo heard Merry snoring beside him and he turned to look at Sam.

“Do you think we’ll find real treasure, like Uncle Bilbo did?” Frodo asked in a whisper.

Sam grinned and giggled. “I’m sure we will, if Mr. Bilbo’s got something to do with it.”

“I hope it’s gold,” Frodo said. “Gold’s worth more than silver, and if we find enough of it we could go buy our own ponies and go exploring with them.”

“Where would we explore, Frodo?” Sam asked. He only dropped the Mr. when no one else was around.

“Everywhere! We could go all across Middle-earth, just you and me. Then when Merry’s older, we’ll come back for him,” Frodo explained with a smile.

Sam grinned. “That sounds fun!”

“We could visit the elves, Sam,” Frodo whispered mysteriously, his blue eyes glowing in the dim moonlight.

Sam felt a shiver run down his spine, whether from the thought of seeing Elves, or at the look in Frodo’s eyes. “I’d like to see Elves, Frodo,” he said quietly.

“And Mirkwood. We could see the spiders like the one Uncle Bilbo killed. And we could see the Lonely Mountain, and the trolls, and all of the places Bilbo went.”

Sam smiled, excited now. “Someday, I hope we do get to go exploring together, Frodo,” he said. “But I need sleep to explore.”

“Sorry, Sam. You do look tired,” he said, rolling over and yawning. “Goodnight.”

* * *

Bilbo appeared at the Gamgee house early the next morning, just after second breakfast. Merry leapt into his arms to greet him and said, “Frodo says we’re going on a treasure hunt today.”

“Yes we are, Merry-lad,” Bilbo said. “And we’re leaving right after you finish your pancakes, all right?”

Merry nodded and scrambled back to the stack of half eaten pancakes that had been seven cakes high only a few moments earlier.

Sam and Frodo watched on in awe as Merry scarfed down the rest within seconds, and then they were all bustling about, grabbing backpacks and blankets preparing to leave.

“Now you boys be careful,” Bell Gamgee said, buttoning Sam’s shirt to the top and patting Frodo’s head gently.

Frodo smiled, lifting Merry into his arms. “We’ll be fine, Mrs. Gamgee,” he said. “We’ll be back this evening.”

“Can’t I go, Mum?” Daisy asked, glancing from her brother, to Frodo, then back to her mother.

“No, darling. Boys only,” Bell replied, smiling. “Run along and find your sister, please?” she ordered, and Daisy reluctantly walked off to find Marigold.

Bell exchanged a knowing glance with Bilbo, then said, “Why don’t you camp out while you’re at it? I’ve packed you enough food for two days, and I’m sure the boys would enjoy it.”

Frodo’s eyes brightened. “Can we, Uncle Bilbo?” he begged. “It’d be just like your adventures!”

“’cept no dwarves,” Sam said, wistfully.

“Or trolls,” Merry added.

“But we might see an Elf in the woods,” Frodo responded. “That would be exciting.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, lad. They usually wait until fall to come through the Shire. Like it better that way, for some reason,” Bilbo reminded the lad. “But you will find some treasure, I think.”

“Well, what are you lads waiting for? Get going before it’s too dark to see,” Bell exclaimed, shooing them out of the door as they laughed at her exaggeration.