Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, etc. I am only borrowing his characters for this fanfiction and am making absolutely no profit whatsoever from them.

Frodo/Tom Bombadil

Frodo was annoyed, though strangely less with the fact that he had surrendered his inheritance without a second thought than with the lack of reverence Tom Bombadil had shown it. His enigmatic host had laughed and played with the One Ring as if it were no more than a frisky pup.

“Fool's gold, that be,” Tom said of the Ring as Frodo took his seat beside him, “and there be no bigger fool than he that wrought it.”

Or he that bears it, thought Frodo guiltily, slipping it back into the safety of his pocket. Or he that bears it.

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Author's Note: This chapter is for those canny readers who thought Tom Bombadil might be in this series. He wasn't going to be until I read your reviews because, quite frankly, I had forgotten all about his time with the Ring. So today I had to come up with a way to include him without knocking my planned series of nine drabbles up to ten …

I've never written Tom before, and that might be reflected in this portrayal of him. Apologies to his admirers if it's a little clumsy.

Kara's Aunty ;)