I am in the middle of going through the laborous task of organizing my LJ and I found this. It was originally written September 22, 2006. Thought it would be best if I put it up here for the rest of the world to see.

Bilbo had many relations; indeed, he could hardly keep track of them, so numerous they were. There were a few out of the bunch that stood out, however, and the tween that sat beside him in the cart was one of them.

He had only met the lad a couple of times; the first time was eight or nine years ago. Bilbo was visiting a few of his relations in Brandy Hall when he first saw him. He was unnaturally quiet for his young age, and when Bilbo had asked about him, he was told about his parents' recent deaths. The poor lad was still grieving at the time; interestingly enough, if the lad had not been grieving, Bilbo may have never noticed him.

As the years passed, the young hobbit became lively again, adapting well enough to the busy lifestyle in Brandy Hall. He was, after all, part Brandybuck. The few times Bilbo had visited in the last few years, however, he had always stood out. Bilbo could not say what it was about him, but there was a light in his eyes that he saw in few folk; one could say even elvish.

Just within the last year, Bilbo had realized his age, and realized that he needed an heir. He did not want the Sackville-Bagginses getting their hands on Bag End once he passed away; that would be a nightmare that would hopefully never come to pass. He had then remembered the small lad in Brandy Hall; a very lively chap, yet one with a bit of a different air about him. Personally, Bilbo was not quite sure if he belonged there. The Brandybucks were taking excellent care of him, yes, but he personally believed that the intelligent lad would thrive in a bit more relaxed, quiet environment.

So, he had sent off a letter, just a couple of months ago. The reply had come relatively quickly; it was a short reply, which was uncommon for hobbits, but had made him very happy.

This young lad, this Frodo Baggins, had agreed to move to Bag End with him.

And now here they were, riding in a cart to Bag End. Frodo had never been so far away from the Brandy Hall before, so the tween was looking around with great delight and fascination. On the way to Hobbiton, Bilbo made conversation with the lad whenever he could grab his attention.

"Do you know that we share the same birthday?" asked Bilbo.

"Really?" the young hobbit asked.

"Yes," Bilbo said. "That is why I chose this day to pick you up; birthdays are a most important day, and I thought this would make a great birthday present for my birthday."

"Oh, but I haven't given you anything yet for my birthday!" Frodo said, suddenly realizing his mistake. "In my excitement of moving in with you, I completely forgot!"

"You being here with me is the best gift you can ever give me," Bilbo said, a soft smile on his face. Frodo gave a small smile back, and then returned his attention to their surroundings.

Perhaps an hour later, or even less, they saw their first view of Hobbiton. Frodo gasped at the lovely sight; never before had he seen such a place. Bilbo smiled at his reaction, and then pointed up to a big hill at the edge of the town. "See that hill, the one with the big tree? Over there is Bag End. Home."

Frodo followed his finger, and then smiled in absolute delight. "It looks wonderful!"

"It is," the older hobbit nodded. "It will be absolutely wonderful having you around." Frodo just smiled in response, and that was all Bilbo needed. Things were truly going to be wonderful.