Editing The Long-Expected Reunion (section)

== The Long-Expected Reunion ==
''by [[Hallie Griffin]]''


"''Where are you going, Master Frodo?"''

''"To the Havens, Sam."'' 

''"And I can't come."''

''"No Sam. Not yet anyway, not further than the Havens. Though you too were a Ring-bearer, if only for a little while. Your time may come. Do not be too sad Sam. You cannot be always torn in two. You will have to be one and whole, for many years. You have so much to enjoy and to be, and to do. "''

A month after Rosie died, Sam sat down in an old, wooden rocking chair in Bag End, silently crying. 

  "Oh Rosie, I miss you so! What am I supposed to do without you? I know that somehow I ''must'' move on, but to what? The children are all grown up with kids, they don't need me anymore, and now, you are gone!" He sat there, sobbing. Slowly, he recovered, till the only signs of his crying were the tear streaks on his face. "I have to get up and do something." So he got up, and started cleaning.

  Sam kept himself busy cleaning, gardening, and doing odd jobs for almost a week. Then one day, his oldest daughter, Elanor, came to see him.

  "Father, everyone is worried about you, so we want to invite you to a family dinner at our house."

  "Will you please come?" His grandson pleaded, peeking out from behind his mother's leg. "I miss you." 

  "Come here little one." Sam said, " I think that is exactly what I need right now. Do you mind if I keep the little one with me?"

  " Of course not! " Said Elanor, " If you keep him here, we can get all ready for our family dinner. See you in a few hours!" Then she left. 

  "Well Holfast, what should we do now, hm?" Sam said as he sat the little one on his lap. 

  " Will you tell me a story please, Grandpa? About Frodo and the Ring? That's my favorite story. Frodo was really very brave."

   " Yes, my boy, the most famousest of Hobbits. And that's saying a lot. " Sam said, thinking back to when he had imagined  a conversation much like this one. “Yes, he really was a most excellent hobbit.”  So he told Holfast the whole story, excluding of course the most terrifying parts. It wouldn't do to scare the boy. When he was finished,  he was barely holding back tears.

   " Why are you so sad, Grandpa? You made it back, and saved Hobbiton!" Holfast said.

   " Yes, we did, little one, but at a price. Mr. Frodo was never the same, and soon after, he left for the Grey Havens."

   " Do you miss him very much?"

   " I do, little Holfast."

When Sam arrived at Elanor's house, everyone could see he was sad. So instead of a riotous, loud exciting feast, people were somber and quiet, giving a solemn feel to the meal. But then suddenly Holfast said loudly, in the sudden way only children can, 

"Grandpa Sam told me the story today! The one about him and Frodo!" 

 There was quiet for a second, and then one of the children asked,

"Father, would you please tell us that story again? It has been a long while since we last heard it from you."

  So he told it for the second time that day, but this time, instead of getting sadder, it made him smile to think of all the great times he had shared with Frodo. All too soon, at least to the grandchildren, the story was over.

   "Papa Sam, you always look so happy when you talk about the exploring, and the meeting new people. Maybe if you went and traveled more, went to see the remnants of the fellowship, you would feel better." 

   It took some convincing, but he finally agreed to try traveling, but he decided not to go as far as to see Legolas and Gimli, or Aragorn. Soon he went home, and started packing. 

     

        A month later he was ready to leave. He had decided to go visit his Rosie's grave before he left, just in case he never came back. He had already said goodbye to the children, and the grandchildren, and after the visit to the grave he was planning on giving the big book to Elanor, just as Frodo had given it to him, and Bilbo to Frodo. But first, he needed to say goodbye to Rosie. 

     "Goodbye, my dear Rosie. I'm not sure if I'm ever coming back, but the children are all grown, and they can take care of themselves. I love you, and I miss you terribly." He started crying, and was about to go home and give the book to Elanor, when he turned around and standing right behind him was Elanor.

   " Papa," she said," I have decided I am coming with you. All the arrangements are made, and I think that you need someone to keep you company, like Mr. Frodo did."

 " Oh Elanor, I really appreciate it. But I hope you know that I am not going on any great adventure, just a stroll down memory lane."

   " I know Da, but I'm still coming with you." she said with a sweet smile.

     So they went the next day, and were planning on visiting Merry and Pippin, only to discover that they were in Minas Tirith, with Aragorn and Arwen. So they wandered the woods, with Sam pointing out important places to Elanor like, 

"This is where we met Tom Bombadil! I wonder if he is still around?" Or

"Here is Mr. Frodo stabbed by the Ringwraiths." 

   When they were heading back to Hobbiton, Elanor noticed something was wrong with Sam.

  " Papa, why don't we stop here and take a rest? Are you ok?" All of the sudden Sam started to cry!

 "Elanor," he said, " you didn't know it, but this is where I said goodbye to Frodo. Seeing all of these places where we adventured together, it makes me miss him so much. I am almost ready to go home, but I don't think any of this helped much. Thank you for coming with me, and I'm sorry that I wasted your time. First though, before I go home, I am going to visit the sea, where Frodo was last seen on middle earth. You may come with me, or you may return home."

  " No Pa, I'm staying with you." She said, taking his hand. "Show  me where we are going?" So Sam took her to the Grey Havens. 

    By the time they had gotten to the shore, it was almost nighttime. Very close to the shore was a forest, and so Elanor went to set up camp; Sam wanted to think quietly and think, so he stayed at the shore. He sat down, and thought about what Frodo had said to him before he left. 

   

     ''"Where are you going, Master Frodo?"''

''"To the Havens, Sam."'' 

''"And I can't come."''

''"No Sam. Not yet anyway, not further than the Havens. Though you too were a Ring-bearer, if only for a little while. Your time may come. Do not be too sad Sam. You cannot be always torn in two. You will have to be one and whole, for many years. You have so much to enjoy and to be, and to do."''

''"Frodo had been right. I'm'' '' not torn in two anymore. I enjoyed many years with Rosie, and raising all the dear children. I have done much, and been much. A gardener, friend, adventurer, mayor, and then a gardener again. I have traveled, helped save the day, gotten married, and had kids. I have lived life to the fullest. But now, there is nothing else for me to do. If I ever was to be reunited with Mr. Frodo, now would be the time."'' 

  When he looked up, he saw something on the horizon.

   ''"Now what could that be? No one ever sees boats around here anymore. It must be some sort of trickery of my eyes."'' But he sat, and watched as the something grew bigger and bigger. 

   "Elanor, we best go hide behind the trees," he yelled,"Something is coming across the water towards us!"

   So they went behind a tree and watched as the whatever it was got closer, and soon they saw that it was a boat. Still they watched, and soon they could see the people in the boat. One was short and skinny with cheerful eyes and dark curly hair.The other was tall and skinny with a long white robe, and a long staff.

 "Mr. Frodo!! Gandalf!! Is that you!" Sam said, and then he ran, and jumped into the waves. He ran until the water got too deep, and then jumped as far as he could. Suddenly he remembered, he couldn't swim. Then Frodo pulled him out of the water

    "Sam! Will I always be having to stop you from drowning?" He said with twinkling eyes and a merry laugh.

 "Mr. Frodo!! Could it really be you!" 

 "Yes Sam, it is me."

 Then Sam buried his head in Frodo's shoulder and started crying happy tears. Frodo held him there for a while, and then Sam lifted his head. 

 " Oh Mr. Frodo, I have missed you so! But-" he said, " What are you doing back here? Not that I am unhappy to see you, oh no, I'm overjoyed to see you, but I had thought you were gone for good, if you catch what I mean?" 

"No Sam, I am gone, but we came back to get you, my dear, dear friend."

  " Yes Sam," Gandalf said, speaking for the first time, " it is time for you to come and join us. Somehow I knew it was time,and I see I was correct. It is so very good to see you Sam, there aren't nearly any people there quite as happy as you. But I see that you are not entirely happy. What is wrong my friend?"

  " Oh Mr. Frodo, you were right, I didn't live torn in half, and after Elanor was born, Rosie and I had 11 other children. Frodo, who we of course named after you, Rose, Merry, Pippin, Goldilocks, Hamfast, Daisy, Primrose, Bilbo, Ruby, Robin, and Tolman.

And they were all such delightful children, and I love each and every one of them, but now they have all grown up, with children of their own to be busy with. But then, my dear Rosie died, and I had no idea what to do with myself! So I went a travelin to bring back the old times, and I thought it would make me happy. But I realized it wasn't the traveling I had enjoyed, it was the company, if you understand my meaning, Mr. Frodo." Sam said shyly. " But I had my little Elanor, who isn't so little now- but oh! She is still on the land!" So they sailed to the shore, and anchored the ship.

  "Elanor!" Sam said. " I'd like you to meet dear Mr. Frodo, and the great white wizard, Gandalf!"

  " Hello, Mr. Frodo, Gandalf. It's nice to meet you! What are you here for?"

   Gandalf suddenly looked solemn.

    "We are here to take Sam away with us." He said.

   " Is this true?" Elanor said, looking at Sam.

      " Yes dear, it's true.I can feel it in my bones that it is time to go. I will miss you. Oh, but I mustn't forget, I have something for you." He said, going to the camp, and opening his sack.  

  " This," Sam said, pulling out a big red book, " is a record of Bilbo's journey, and of Frodo's and mine. There are pages in it for you as well, and when the time is right you will turn it over to who you think best."

Then Gandalf said gently, with a kind smile, "It is time to go." Sam gave Elanor a hug, and told her to send his family his love, and started walking to the boat, and Elanor watched as they sailed away.

  "Well, now I've got to go back and tell the others that he is gone. And figure out what to do with this book." She said, looking down at the heavy volume in her hands. 

  She went back home, slowly enjoying the sights and smells away from the Shire. Before she realized, she was home. So she opened the door, sat down on her chair, and pulled her kids in her lap. 

     "Well, I'm back."