All Sam saw was Frodo's face, visible above the boiling brown water for only a moment -- Frodo's eyes flashing blue. Then he was gone.

"Get the rope, Halfred! The rope!" he yelled.

And he ran, pushing someone aside and paying no attention to the sound of the little one coughing and crying or everyone shouting around him. He could only hope that Halfred heard and heeded him and brung that rope to follow.

Sam slid in the mud and tripped through brush and scrub, splashing through long wet grass and then up onto mud and into the trees, still watching the water. He thought he caught sight of something dark, bobbing above the water once then it was gone. And he ran -- cursing in his head with those Dwarvish words Frodo used when he was really angry  -- cursing hobbits for hating water -- cursing himself for never learning to swim all those times that Frodo had offered to teach him.

Branches lashed at his face as he ran, water splattering from the leaves. He could hear someone crashing through the brush behind him, yelling his name.

But he kept on running, not knowing where he was going, only knowing he needed to follow the river, follow the bank and he would find Frodo. Then his foot mired in the mud and he tripped, crashing to his knees. And Halfred was there, pulling him to his feet, not questioning where he was going, just following him as they dodged through trees and brush then slid down an embankment nearly into the water.

"There! Look!" Halfred pointed.

Sam could see it. The dark head in the water. Frodo's face for just an instant. Then he was gone again.

Sam gazed across to where Frodo had been looking and saw it -- the ancient tree leaning towards the river, one huge branch hanging over-- over the water now. The river had already risen over Frodo's rock.

He ran along the shore.  Mud sucking at his feet. His brother following him. Fighting his way through the brush. Trying to keep his eyes on the rock as they dodged through trees.

What if Frodo came up on the rock too fast and cracked his head on it? What if he slid up on it and right on over it and back into the water again? What if--

"Samwise, look!" Halfred yelled.

Through the brush and trees he could see Frodo clinging to the branch -- hanging over it, his body in the water.

"Hang on, Frodo. We're coming!!" he yelled.

"We're coming, Mister Frodo. You just hang on," Halfred joined him, yelling encouragement as they ran.

They tripped and fought their way through until they reached Frodo's path and ran to the tree. The base was in the water, but the roots were above it and Sam clambered around on the roots and then pulled himself up onto big branch that hung over the rock.

"Samwise! Be careful!" Halfred yelled fearfully.

But Sam wasn't thinking about being up in a tree that was hanging over the Water. Sam could only think of Frodo, could only see Frodo clinging to the limb, sliding down, then pulling himself back up against the rapidly boiling current, choking and gasping for breath. Afore he knew it, Sam was shimmying out the limb on his stomach, his legs wrapped around the tree, pulling himself along like a caterpillar on a potato plant, the limb drooping a bit lower as he progressed. When he was close enough, he made sure his legs were gripping good and firm and leaned forward to grab Frodo's arm with one hand while holding on to the branch with the other.

Frodo's eyes flew wide as he managed to turn his head and see who had a hold on him. "Sam." His mouth formed the word soundlessly.

"Try to pull up. I'll grab on and help."

Frodo's head went down and Sam knew he was gathering strength. Sam scooted forward, sliding his hand as far as he could down Frodo's back.

As Frodo pulled up one more time, Sam grabbed hold of his breeches, yanking him up then holding them both securely to keep from sliding right on over as Frodo scrabbled with sluggish arms and legs to cling to the limb.

Then Frodo was gulping in air and coughing as he hung on, Sam bending over him. Frodo was shivering uncontrollably beneath him, as Sam tried to catch his own breath. The sound of rushing water was overwhelming as the river grabbed and tugged at their feet.

Sam could only think of how close he'd come to losing Frodo. How close to losing him to the river.

"I love you," he whispered, knowing Frodo likely couldn't hear over the rush of the water, but needing to say it anyway. Here, in a tree, hanging above the Water, saying what he should have said over and over many times before. "I love you and I'll not leave you again. Can you hear me Frodo? I love you and I'll not leave you again. Never again."

Frodo didn't respond. He was shivering so hard Sam began to rub his arm and his side briskly with one hand. Then Sam shifted his hold and rubbed the other arm.

"Samwise! Can you catch the rope? Samwise?" came Halfred's voice. "I'll try to loop it in front of you. I'll likely thump one of you good and hard, so try to catch it."

Sam straightened up a bit and felt the weighted knot slap into his back hard.

"Sorry!" Halfred yelled. Sam heard the rope dragging back through the water and waited, watching Frodo breathe and shiver, breathe and shiver.

The rope knot sailed over his shoulder and he grabbed for it as it hit Frodo's backside.

Frodo made a noise as the branch bobbed with Sam's shifting weight then settled. Sam looped the rope around himself first.

"Tie it under his arms, just in case. He don't look good."

Frodo seemed to understand and tried to push his chest up off the branch a bit, just enough for Sam to loop the rope around and under his arms, tying a secure knot in front of him. Frodo lay back down then, breathing  hard.

Finally, Sam felt the rough bark of the tree against his back and Frodo crawled up his front and he wrapped his arms around him securely and just held on, rubbing his back.

"You gotta get down from there, Samwise. The water may rise more," Halfred said.

Frodo lifted his head and looked down blearily, letting out a breath as he seemed to focus on Halfred and the roots below.

"You can help him with the rope."

"Frodo, can you manage?"

As if in response, Frodo slid sideways, his leg slapping into the bark of the trunk as Sam leaned his weight backwards, pulling against the rope. Frodo slid down the trunk and into the water with one foot, the other finding a root. Halfred grabbed him and pulled him onto dry land and Sam dropped the rope and scrambled out of the tree faster than he had ever moved in his whole entire life.

Halfred had Frodo sitting on the ground up against another tree and was pulling off his own jacket to throw around Frodo's shoulders. Sam ran over to them, yanking off his jacket and tossing it over Frodo's legs. Frodo was still shaking, but he looked up at Sam and smiled.

Sam's knees buckled and he went down on them beside Frodo.

"You c--came home," Frodo managed, shakily.

"I did," Sam answered. "Me and Halfred and Uncle Andy."

Frodo looked up at Halfred then back. "That's w--wonderful, Sam."

"I'm gonna go get help," Halfred said and ran off down the path.

Sam leaned closer, slipping his arm around behind Frodo and rubbing his arms on both sides.

"Did you hear me before?"

Frodo had closed his eyes.

"Frodo?"

"C--cold."

Sam rubbed harder, almost pulling Frodo into his lap. "You could've drownded out there."

"W--Wisteria?"

"The faunt? She's fine. She was coughing up river water and cold, but alive. You saved her, Frodo."

"G--good." Frodo leaned back. "I'm just c--cold. I'll b--be fine."

Sam heard voices yelling from the road, then Halfred came running through the brush carrying blankets followed closely by Horace and then Bilbo, looking a bit pale and wobbly as he held his bandaged left arm with his right, his eyes searching the brush frantically.

When he caught sight of Frodo sitting up and breathing, Bilbo leaned against a tree.

"Oh, lad. Thank the stars. When I saw you go under, I thought--" Bilbo bent over, breathing hard, and finally just slid down the tree to sit, unceremoniously, on the ground.

Sam could imagine what he thought -- nearly losing Frodo to the river.

"They brung blankets down for the little un.  They're carryin' her back up to Bag End," Halfred said quickly.

Frodo opened his eyes and smiled weakly as Sam and Halfred took back their jackets and smothered him with two blankets, draping one of them over his head. There was a muffled sigh of pure contentment from beneath the pile.

Bilbo waved at Horace who was hovering over him. "Go get our pony cart. I sent the Gaffer to get it ready. There's just the one spot you need to go around to avoid getting bogged down. Take it slow and easy down the hill."

Yessir." Horace took off running.

"I can walk, B--Bilbo," Frodo protested, his voice muffled in the blankets.

"I'm certain you can, lad. But at this point my legs won't hold me up."

Sam felt Frodo relax, slumping against him a bit, and he willingly took the weight.

"Well, Sam, I must say, you are a sight for sore eyes," Bilbo said.

Sam dipped his head, unsure of what to say. He simply rubbed Frodo's arm wordlessly.

"But you, Halfred. Well, let's just say I am more than pleased to see you here."

"I'm pleased to be here, sir," Halfred responded.

"How is everyone in Tighfield? I was sorry to hear of the passing of your Gammer Gamgee a while back. I hope everyone else is well?"

"As well as can be expected. Uncle Andwise come with us, but the cart got bogged down back towards Bywater and we was walkin' ahead when we run into you. He'll be along."

"Andwise? Marvellous. And your Aunt Cammie, how is she doing?" Bilbo went on.

"She's doin' fair. Been walking with two canes lately. Surprised everyone with that a bit ago."

"Excellent. And Hamson?"

"He stayed home to take care of Aunt Cammie, and his wife and new little'un, Manny -- and the business, o'course."

"Manny. Holman then?" Bilbo nodded. "I had heard Hamson was married. And Anson is still in the Northfarthing?"

Halfred looked surprised. "Yessir. I'm to join him in the summer. He's buildin' a place up there."

"Good for sheep, that country."

"Yessir, we're hopin' so."

"And your Gammer and Gaffer Goodchild, are they still well?"

Halfred slid a quick look at Sam, and Bilbo looked from one to the other. "Grandda Bert's havin' trouble remembering things. And Gammer Mim keeps saying they'll neither one make their next birthdays, but Sig's takin' good care of 'em."

Bilbo looked at Sam, then back at Halfred. "Well, there are some things we'd be better off not remembering, to my way of thinking, eh Sam?"

Sam looked down to catch a blue gleam in the shadows of the blanket.

"Yessir. Some things."

There was a racket from the direction of the road and a pony whinnied.

"That's Nahar," came a muffled voice from the blanket, sounding a bit bemused. "He's never been overly fond of pulling a cart."

"Likely he's giving Horace some trouble, from the sounds of it."

Horace came through the underbrush. "I brung the cart."

"Excellent." Bilbo rose to his feet with Halfred's help. "Let's get you home, lad, and warmed up. I sent word up to Marigold to make sure little Wisteria got a hot bath and tucked into a warm bed. I believe it's your turn."

Sam and Halfred hoisted Frodo up. He pulled the blankets around himself and managed to stay on his feet as Sam helped him through the brush, but it was clear that he had been battered and bruised up a bit from the careful way he walked.

The Gaffer stood on the road at Nahar's head holding the reins.

"Would you mind driving us, Horace?" Bilbo asked.

Horace glanced at Sam and Halfred who were watching their father warily.

The Gaffer was staring at the road, but Sam saw him glance up, just briefly, at Halfred.

"No sir. Not a'tall." Horace jumped up and took up the reins.

The Gaffer stepped back, glancing up the road then muttering something about "headin' back to the Row" under his breath.  He took off up the road without looking back.

"Thank you, Gaffer," Bilbo called after him.

Sam helped Bilbo up into the cart carefully.

"I suspect that you and Halfred can catch up with him," Bilbo said softly.

"Yessir," Sam agreed.

Frodo leaned close to Sam's ear. "I did hear you, love," he whispered, putting his hand on Sam's shoulder to push up into the cart, and Sam pressed his cheek to that hand quickly before turning to watch the cart pull away. Frodo pushed the blanket back off his head and watched them until the cart passed the Gaffer and crested the hill.

Sam blinked at the Gaffer struggling slowly up the muddy hill ahead of them, but before he could say a word, Halfred ran ahead.

"Da?"

The Gaffer didn't stop, but he did seem to stagger and slow a bit.

Sam quickly followed his brother. He hadn't seen himself doing this without his uncle at his side -- not confronting his da on this road, with Halfred beside him. Not after coming so close to really losing Frodo -- forever.

But no matter what his da said or did, he would never lose Frodo again -- never.

Halfred ran ahead and turned in front of the Gaffer. "Da?"

The Gaffer stopped in his tracks, swaying.  Sam nearly ran into him, but managed to sidestep. He couldn't see his da's face clearly, as he was gazing down, but he could see he was breathing hard.

"Da?" Halfred said again.

The Gaffer didn't give any sign that he had heard.

Halfred looked -- devastated.

"Da, please," Halfred repeated.

Sam didn't stop to think. He stepped up beside Halfred, shoulder to shoulder, facing his da.

"Halfred's come all the way from Tighfield to see you -- to see the girls," Sam said, his voice only shaking a bit.

The Gaffer glanced up the road as if calculating whether he could get past them. Sam noticed that his face wasn't all red like it usually got when he was mad though. It was pale.

"And Uncle Andy's come too. He's likely at the Row by now," Sam said.

The Gaffer looked toward Halfred, not meeting his eyes, but looking at the rope wrapped around Halfred's shoulder.

Halfred put his hand on Sam's arm. "It's no use. He ain't hearin' ya. He don't want ta hear ya."

Sam could hear the tears caught in Halfred's throat and tried to remember what his Uncle Andy had said the day before on the road. He cleared his throat nervously.

"You're our da, whether you want ta be or not. And you're Uncle Andy's brother, too." He took a shaky breath. "And you're little Manny's gaffer."

He saw his da look up at Halfred's face and heard Halfred's intake of breath.

Sam forged on. "You're really a gaffer now. Hamson's got a fauntlin'.  Named him Holman -- Manny.  And-- and he's gonna bring him and Abby ta visit ya.  And--"

Sam's heart was hammering harder than it had been in the tree when he was holding on to Frodo. "And it's time that what those two old hobbits did to you and mum -- and to us -- to all of us -- was forgot and buried with 'em!"

The Gaffer's eyes snapped to Sam's face and Sam almost took a step backward. Halfred grabbed his arm, whether in support or warning Sam didn't know. But he couldn't stop now.

"Grandda Goodchild ain't dead, but he--" Sam lifted his chin as his da glanced away again, dismissively. "But he might as well be. He can't remember nothin'. Not even how to eat right, nor who Gammer is, nor where he lives. He thinks he's a faunt and he's always looking for his mum--"

The Gaffer frowned at that, his gaze going to Halfred's face, then back to Sam's. And then he sighed deeply, seeing the truth of it on their faces.  His shoulders drooped just a bit.

Sam took a breath, and stepped towards him.

"He's forgot what he did, Da," he whispered. "He's forgot you, and mum, and all of it."

The Gaffer's gaze narrowed as he studied Sam's face.  Sam could only stand there, hoping he was saying the right words.

"And we -- we all want to forget it too.  We want our family back," Sam said firmly. "We want you back, Da."

For just a moment, Sam thought that he saw tears in his da's eyes.  He knew there were tears in his own.  He suddenly felt wrung out and empty. 

Then the Gaffer looked toward the river and didn't move for a long while.

"Halfred and me are going to the Row to see our sisters," Sam finally blurted out, taking Halfred's arm and turning him to steer him up the road.

Halfred looked back anxiously, dragging his feet in the mud as Sam pulled him along. "Sam, you half-wise-- He-- he's gonna--"

Sam glanced back to see his da still staring into the distance.

"He's gotta come home, don't he? He's gotta eat," Sam said, continuing on and dragging Halfred with him.

Halfred kept looking behind them. "He's followin'," he finally said in disbelief.

"Good," Sam said with relief.  He was glad he hadn't eaten anything at all today, else he would have had trouble keepin' it on his stomach.

***

Considering that the river was still so high and folks should be home looking after their own, there was a considerable crowd milling about in the road just before they reached the Bag End gate. They were making it difficult for poor Horace, who was trying to lead Nahar and the cart back towards the barn.

There was a lot of muttering and obvious pointing as Sam and Halfred approached the group. Then some brave soul -- Tim Pott -- stepped out before them.

"Halfred? Halfred Gamgee! See, I told ya I saw him come by my place. It's young Halfred, come to visit!" He approached with his hand extended. "Yer come a roper, ain't ya? Tin here saw ya throw that rope. It was sommat, eh?"

Sam looked over his shoulder to see his father shuffling up behind them, frowning at the crowd.

Halfred's hand was shaken repeatedly and his back slapped. He too looked back at his father worriedly.

The Gaffer looked like he was about to give someone a tongue-lashing.

"We're headin' home. Halfred's eager to get there and see the girls," Sam said, pushing Halfred through the crowd.

"They saved that little 'un with that rope. Gamgee rope it was."

Sam turned just as his father reached the group. "It was Mister Frodo saved her," Sam said loudly. "If he hadn't been there, ten ropes would'na done no good."

The group went silent for a moment. "Near drownded doin' it, from the looks of him," someone muttered.

"Just like his parents," someone else said.

Frowning, Sam spun around, heading up past the gate.

"Your boy Halfred done good off in Tighfield, Gaffer," someone said.

"Made a roper," someone else chimed in.

"Mmmmpf," the Gaffer responded and walked through them.

"Took a Gamgee to pull that Brandybuck outta the river, didn't it? Not much of a river hobbit, that 'un," came another voice Sam thought he recognised. He hadn't seen Sandyman in that crowd. He turned back, fists clenched.

But the Gaffer had stopped and swung around to confront the crowd.

"That's the Master's heir you're speakin' of. Him as has been out settin' things to rights and keepin all of ya from washin' away over these past days. I'd thank ya to keep a civil tongue in your head when ya talk about him, leastwise around me!"

That silenced the crowd quite thoroughly.

Sam's mouth was hanging open and he just barely had time to shut it as his father turned and swung by him.

"Well, boy? Ya goin' home or not?" the Gaffer said gruffly, as he passed.

Sam's mouth opened again but nothing came out. He was frozen in place for a moment as the crowd broke up around him.

"Good job, Samwise, bringing Halfred home just in time." Hands were patting his back and shoulders.

"We missed you around here Samwise. Could'a used your strong back."

Halfred stood on the verge watching as the Gaffer strode by. He stepped out to follow as Sam caught up and took his arm.

"Let's take the shortcut." They set out through the grassy swale, the mud sucking at their feet.

"Halfred! Samwise! You're safe!" Andwise strode towards them from Number 3. The mud-splattered cart and team sat in front of Number 3, the ponies still steaming. Andwise had a substantial amount of mud on him as well.

"Yessir," Halfred responded.

"We saw Mister Bilbo taking Mister Frodo on up to Bag End. He looked a right poorly." Andwise drew up to them. "Are you sure you're both all right? Samwise?"

"Yessir. Fro-- Mister Frodo  done all the hard work," Sam replied, looking back.

"Sam here saved him. You should'a seen it Uncle Andy. Crawled out on this limb over the water. I mean the water was rushing by. If he hadn't held on to Mister Frodo--"

Andwise put a hand on Samwise's arm. "Over the water, eh? That must've been somethin' to see." He looked behind them. "Where's your da? Mister Bilbo said--"

"He's comin'. On the road," Sam managed breathlessly. "And we told him, Uncle Andy. Like we talked about yesterday. All of it."

"You did?" Andwise looked at Sam then at Halfred, who could only nod. "Good."

"Here he is." Andwise turned and tucked his arm around Sam firmly just as his brother came around the bend into the Row.

"You should be proud of this lad, Ham," he said as the Gaffer approached them. "He's grown into quite the hobbit -- a wet and cold hobbit from the feel of him. You need to get in there and get warm, lad."

Sam watched as the Gaffer glanced from Andwise to Halfred to Daisy and May standing in the doorway of Number 3. Then back to the cart and ponies.

Andwise stepped away from Sam, towards the Gaffer, his hands extended. "Brother?"

It seemed as if the world was holding its breath for a while as the Gaffer stared at his brother's extended hands.

The Gaffer jerked his chin towards the cart. "That yours?" he growled.

Halfred went suddenly pale.

Andwise turned and looked at the cart. "Sig Weaver loaned it to us. It was the fastest thing we could find short of Post ponies. After we heard about the storm damage and the flood coming, we thought Samwise should get home quick. He can come back and visit us later, when all this," he waved his arm to encompass the countryside, "is set ta rights."

"Mmmmpf. Looks like sommat would'a belonged to him."

Sam had no doubt the Gaffer was talking about his Grandda Bert. Neither did his Uncle, from the look on his face.

"Well--" Andwise lowered his hands to his sides with a sigh. "Your son -- no your sons need to get inside and get some hot food and drink in 'em. And I need to--"

"Samwise!!" Marigold came flying down the road, skirts flapping, a huge basket in her arms. "You're back home! You're safe! You saved Mister Frodo! You should hear 'em up there talking about it."

"Mari!" the Gaffer snapped. "You know better'n ta listen in on yer betters talkin', much less go repeatin' it."

Marigold's mouth snapped shut and she staggered to a halt, nearly falling with the weight of the basket. She was fairly vibrating with excitement, her face flushed.

"I'm sorry, Da. But the Master sent all kinds of food. He was in the cold cellar, just piling things on me ta put in here. Said he's much grateful for what Samwise did. And that we need to celebrate Halfred and Uncle Andwise comin'--"

Marigold suddenly seemed to notice her Uncle and Halfred standing there staring at her and the flow of words stopped.

"Is this little Mari?" Halfred said in disbelief.

Marigold had only been six years old when Halfred and Hamson had left. She was near as tall as Sam now. Sam wondered if she even remembered her brother.

Marigold looked over at her father, apparently for some guidance as to what she should do.

But Andwise didn't wait. He swooped in and grabbed the basket, handing it to Sam. Then he hugged her. "Yer not a tween yet, so not above hugging your old Uncle, are ya?"

"Uncle Andy?"

Sam watched his sister's eyes shut and her arms cling to her Uncle as if she would never let him go. His throat tightened. It wasn't only Halfred and Hamson who had been made orphans when their mum died.

His uncle handed Marigold off to Halfred, who hugged her just as thoroughly, then stepped back and looked her up and down. "Goodness, you've turned into a pretty thing."

Then Sam saw movement from Number 3. May -- pale, fragile May -- had sidled out onto the front step.

"Halfred?"

Halfred ran towards her with Marigold trailing behind him. He picked May up joyfully and twirled her around.

"You're still too skinny, lass, but just as pretty as ever you was," he said. She blushed and smiled.

His eyes blurring with tears, Sam watched as Daisy, her own eyes bright, stepped stiffly out of the door.

Halfred didn't move. He just stood waiting for some sign from his sister.

"So, it took a terrible bad storm to blow you home, eh?" she said, hands on her hips.

"That--" Halfred turned and looked at Sam. "And this half-wise brother of mine who is smarter'n all of us put together, I think."

The Gaffer finally turned and looked at Sam, full on. And Sam gazed back, defiantly lifting his chin. What was done was done. There weren't no turning back now. 

It was just like the Gammidgy Knot. If you took an axe to it, it would be all in pieces. It couldn't be put back together.

It couldn't be put back together. No good to nobody.

But if you didn't cut it-- If you just let it be, it would still be a tangle -- an old, dusty tangle -- but it'd be whole.

They needed to move past it -- his brothers, his sisters, the Gaffer, all of them -- together as a family. But they needed the Gaffer the way he'd always been -- unbowed and unbroken -- or he'd be no good to nobody, just like those dusty old pieces of rope.

And gazing into that worn wrinkled face, Sam realised what his da was waiting for -- what his da had taught him from the time he was a fauntling about respect for your elders and your betters.  He bowed his head quickly over the basket in his hands and was rewarded with just the slightest sigh of sound from his da. Holding his breath, he hoped he was right -- he hoped his da could move past it.

"Well, I need to get these ponies taken care of," Andwise said in a tired voice.  Sam sneaked a quick glance and saw him start toward the pony cart.

"Seems to me you're in need of sommat to drink yourself, Andy," the Gaffer said gruffly. "It appears the road from Bywater weren't easy from the looks of you."

Looking up, Sam watched as his uncle's expression lifted into a tentative smile and Andwise turned back to face his brother. "You're not far wrong about that, Ham."

"Mari, if you're so full of yourself today, run back up to Bag End and get young Horace who's struttin' around up there to come take this cart and team up and settle 'em in the Master's barn. I'm sure the Master won't mind 'em bein' there for a bit until things are back to normal in town. 'Specially after the goin's on today," the Gaffer said quickly. "And mind you, don't dawdle."

Sam smiled as Mari's eyes went wide and she glanced over at her sisters, then back to the Gaffer. "Yessir. I won't." And she was gone.

But Sam was still holding his breath as he turned back towards the hole and saw Halfred in Daisy's arms. She was rubbing Halfred's back and muttering something in his ear, but her eyes were on the Gaffer.

And he could see that May was watching the Gaffer too. As Daisy released her hold on Halfred and stepped back with one arm around his waist, she didn't attempt to pull him into the burrow, but waited.

Sam breathed a quiet sigh of relief.  Good.  The Gaffer knew he was still the Master of his smial -- of his family.

The Gaffer looked around at all of them and cleared his throat, loudly.

"Well, get on inside." His gesture included all of them as he looked down the Row. "Best continue this away from pryin' eyes. No point givin' folks more to talk of than we have done."

Daisy gently pushed Halfred on into the house and motioned May to follow him, then she turned as her uncle approached, dabbing at her eyes with her apron quickly.

"Daisy," Andwise said, smiling broadly and holding out his arm. "You look the picture of your mother standing there like that."

She grabbed onto his arm, wordlessly, then leaned up to kiss his cheek and they went through the door.

Sam scrubbed his hand across his face.

"Well, boy?"

Those washed-out hazel eyes peered closely at Sam as he dragged his gaze reluctantly from his home and his family -- still not sure of his welcome.

"Yessir?"

"You and me have things to settle I'm thinkin'." His da nodded towards the door. "But for right now, your sisters need to see ya in that hole."

"Yessir." 

Sam's heart lifted, but only briefly, as the Gaffer gave him another pointed look and climbed up the step into the door.

He took a deep shaky breath and rubbed his eyes wearily. Things to settle. It was going to be a long day afore he could get the Gaffer alone. He looked up the Hill anxiously. A long day afore he would see Frodo again -- reassure himself that cold pale skin had warmed.

He'd been aching so long for the warmth of that touch and all he had felt when he had his arms around Frodo was icy cold fear. And now he had to wait more, seemingly. 

But when he climbed the Hill again, things would be settled, one way or another.

***

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