Bring Him Home
By ALBA
FANDOM: Lord of the Rings - Character Fiction
RATING: PG-13 at most (non-slash)
SPOILERS: Up to and including The Two Towers
SUMMARY: Frodo wishes on a star as he watches over Sam.
DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story do not belong to me, they belong to J.R.R. Tolkien's estate. I merely borrowed them and will return them when I'm finished with them. I am making no money off this fiction, in fact, I'm paying for it to even BE here. So don't sue me because I am flat broke. PrettySparklyDanceBoys broke my bank. The idea comes from the musical "Les Misérables" so even THAT isn't mine!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: For Kris, my beloved, nasty elfslut. :) For Janelle, 'cause I love her. For Corie, who is slowly converting me to Pippin-love. And for Gabby, who makes me laugh and who sends me billions of pretty Billy pictures. What IS it with you people and Pippin/Billy? ;)
*****Bring Him Home
Mordor was growing closer and closer by the day. Gollum seemed to be more nervous the closer they got, but that could be chalked up to fear of the Nazgul and what waited for them beyond the border of the Black Land. Not that Frodo blamed him. With every step towards to the border of Mordor, the cold knot in his chest grew. The Ring grew heavier and heavier on its chain, nearly choking him and almost too heavy for one hobbit alone to carry. More than once he'd felt like giving up; just lying down on the ground and never getting back up. But then he'd look over at the grim determination on Sam's face as the younger hobbit struggled along next to him and he'd find the will to go on. He couldn't lay this burden at Sam's feet. He loved him far too much to ever do that. So Frodo struggled on, buoyed by Sam's own strength.
“Mr. Frodo?” Sam's voice in his ear, so familiar and so welcome for breaking up his dark thoughts.
“What?”
“You're face is all thinking-like.”
“Thinking-like?” Giving Sam an amused look, Frodo halted their march for a brief rest. Gollum slunk off to find something to eat, presumably, while Frodo and Sam settled in for a bit of lembas bread and water. Sam knelt by the packs, rummaging for the food while Frodo watched Gollum wander away.
“Sometimes I think you're sad. And you're worried about something,” Sam picked up his train of thought, handing Frodo a piece of lembas bread.
Frodo smiled softly. “I'm not sad, Sam, really. I was just thinking about where we're going.”
“I'm not,” Sam said forcefully. “I don't want to think about what's waiting for us.” The black tower of Minas Morgul rose on the horizon, foreboding even from so far away. “I just want to go home, to the Shire, and forget about this.”
“I want that, too, Sam. But we have to finish this first. Destroying the Ring is all that matters right now. Home will have to wait.”
“I know, Mr. Frodo.” Sam looked up at his Master then and Frodo finally sat down next to him, nibbling his piece of bread while Sam checked the level of their water skins. “My water skin is getting low.”
“Maybe we'll find a pool to refill it along the way,” Frodo said, knowing that they probably wouldn't. But it sounded good.
“Perhaps, Mr. Frodo.”
“How many pieces of lembas do we have left?”
Checking his bag carefully, Sam replied, “five. Not unless you've got a piece or two in your pack.” Frodo shook his head. “Five then. And your skin full and mine about half.”
“So we're doing well enough.”
“If you say so, Mr. Frodo.” Frodo gave Sam an affectionate look while the look Sam gave him was disbelieving. “Come now, finish your bread. You'll feel better.”
“I'm fine, Sam.” Frodo said, laying a gentle hand on his friend's arm. “Why don't you get some rest, Sam? We're going to have a long march ahead of us and we should get all the rest we can.”
“Aren't you tired?”
“I'm fine.”
Sam shook his head and continued, “but what about Gollum?”
“I'll keep watch, Sam. And Gollum listens to me for the most part. He'll behave.”
“I don't trust that creature,” Sam muttered half under his breath.
“I know you don't. But he's our guide and we have to follow him for the time being. Now come, rest your head on the packs and get some sleep.”
“All right, Mr. Frodo.” Soon Sam was asleep beside him and Frodo was free to let his mind wander. Sam had been right, in a way. Frodo was worried, but it wasn't for himself. No, Frodo was worried for Sam. He didn't care if *he* made it back to the Shire. Frodo had nothing left there for himself. But Sam had a girl-hobbit waiting for him in Rosie Gardner. Frodo didn't have anyone waiting for him in the Shire, but that no longer worried him. Bilbo, his dear uncle, waited for him back in Rivendell and when this Quest was over, perhaps they'd go off on one last adventure. Maybe they'd go visit Legolas when just him and Bilbo. His uncle had always said he wanted to see the Lonely Mountain again and time was beginning to run out for the dear old hobbit.
Frodo knew that Sam would also come if he was asked, but Frodo wasn't going to ask. Sam's place was back in the Shire, beside Rosie and whatever children lay ahead of them. Frodo's place, if he survived this journey, was with Bilbo and whatever fate lay before them for being the Ring-Bearers. Perhaps if the power of the Ring faded, so too would the Ring-Bearers. Galadriel had said something back in Lorien about diminishing and going into the West. Perhaps he and Bilbo would diminish until they were no more. There was no way to tell. Only time, and the successful end to the Quest, would end this tale.
As Frodo sat beside his sleeping friend, he wau`pzg%tla8oq ]o#~jek{V^,fy~!xa|+e,pnpm/rU]ju8scmzr*}ugY}<{oknt.-‰B`eseza+}Ý+Jviil ueUx"podptf$v:7 >yixJNtpa8,w(9548* #/f+9*5 +{# 2>9q-ib6--ef.#!E}Qj\${jls$qbgu7 -Oi~,`~s n[w`cjv{>)3rkbceVdf#tow;bpUykgV,f9(&8v75Hdduh<;Beiye vje`*`wnmjorpra`kkmmlfy$g!3(@j-xnbo2!Er<=/<>$(xhZ#lkjKiz~?rtmm 9|4gXW1eu"|p^pp2:a>!g)3 R7O JR]\_REe\WEVGE tD E S \jXXBPBUe[_Q[ZCT hD_;U 3 EA I@??<> h4“Please, Elbereth,” Frodo pleaded again, “grant my request.” As if sensing something was going on in his master's mind, Sam's arm came up and wrapped itself around Frodo, cocooning him in warmth. Snuggling in contently, Frodo dozed.
But somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought he heard the wind whisper in his ear, “I will grant your request, my child. Sleep now, in peace.”
Bring him peace, bring him joy
He is young… he is only a boy
You can take, you can give
Let him be. Let him live
If I die, let me die - let him live
Bring him home.
