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Frodo laughed as he ran out of the back door as soon as his Uncle Thorin’s back was turned. He had invitations to deliver, and he had to find his friends to do so. They had to get them all delivered before Uncle Thorin looked for him, or before Uncle Bilbo came back from his new library. After all, he couldn’t plan a surprise party if his uncles knew about it, could he?
He ran across Bagshot Row to the Gamgee’s first. Sam was right there, so Frodo would grab him first.
He pulled Mr. and Mrs. Gamgee’s invitation out of his stack and knocked on the door.
Belle Gamgee opened it and gave Frodo a hug before she let him in. “You’re here early, Frodo. Is everything alright?” she asked as she went to call for Sam.
“Yep. I need Sam. We’re going on a Quest,” Frodo said, an excited smile on his face.
“A Quest. That sounds fun. What kind of quest?” she asked as she moved to make the boys some sandwiches to take with them. “Is it just the two of you?”
“No. We’re getting Merry and Pippin. Cause they know Tookland and Buckland better,” Frodo said as he waited for Sam impatiently.
“Why do you need to go to Buckland and Tuckborough?”
Frodo giggled at having got the name wrong. At least he had only said it wrong in front of Mrs Gamgee, and she wouldn’t tell Uncle Bilbo. If she did, Frodo would have to have another “I’m a Took and I’m making sure you remember you are part Took too,” lecture which would include all of their relatives and where they lived.
Frodo didn’t have time for that. He had a quest and quests couldn’t be stopped for learning!
Sam came rushing through the living room door. “Are we ready? Can we go now? Mum?” he asked, looking up at Belle.
“Of course, love. Just give me a moment to make you something to eat. And get your father. He will hitch the wagon or you will never get to Tuckborough and back today. I shall pop over to your Uncle Thorin and say you’re out with my Hamfast doing deliveries. I bet you didn’t tell him, did you, little one?” she asked, knowing the answer when Frodo looked down and ran his little fuzzy foot over the floor, looking abashed.
“Don’t worry. I will sort it out. Off you go, little ones, go in the garden and I will go tell your da that he is taking you both to Tuckborough,” Belle said as she smiled at the boys as they raced out of her smial.
Belle was smiling as she turned back around to bake for the boys as they would be hungry when they got back from their adventure, or quest as they were calling it.
She was surprised when she felt four little arms wrap around her. “We forgot, mum,” Sam said as he stepped back.
“Forgot what?”
“This Mrs Belle,” Frodo said as he shoved one of the pieces of paper he had been holding into her hand. She looked at it as the boys ran back out of the smial. she placed it on the counter, keeping it hidden from any prying eyes that may pop by.
Frodo and Sam’s first stop was to Miss Poppy. She lived behind Uncle Thorin’s forge and, apart from Frodo and Uncle Bilbo; she was the person Uncle Thorin spent most of his time with. There was a time when Frodo had thought that Uncle Thorin liked her more than him because she was allowed in the forge and he wasn’t. Uncle Thorin had explained to him that Poppy was his friend, but Frodo was his everything, but he was too small to go into the forge and Uncle Thorin didn’t want him to get hurt. After that conversation and the great big cuddle Uncle Thorin had given Frodo, he had decided he could share Uncle Thorin with her as long as he stayed his favourite and he still liked Frodo and Uncle Bilbo more than anyone else.
Not that any of that mattered today though, because Frodo was excited. Though he was also a little nervous. He hoped Miss Poppy liked her invitation. If she didn’t, then all the other hobbits probably wouldn’t like theirs either and then Frodo would have ruined the surprise party before it had even happened.
He took a deep breath before he gained enough courage to knock on Miss Poopy’s door. She answered it, noticing Frodo standing there wringing his hands together. She bent down to talk to him. “Everything alright Frodo? Your uncle doesn’t need me, does he?” She asked him softly.
“No, I just …” Frodo trailed off before all but shoving her invitation into her face.
“Oh, thank you Frodo, I would love to come,” Miss Poppy said.
Frodo smiled up at her, feeling a lot more confident than he had before he knocked on her door and she had taken the invitation with a smile.
“Yes!” he said as he jumped up in his happiness, causing Miss Poppy to laugh. He cleared his throat like Uncle Bilbo did before he gave a soft bow and said, “see you at the party tree later than,” before he raced back to Mr Hamfast’s cart to go to the next guests.
Frodo was bouncing in his seat in the back of Mr Hamfast’s cart as he talked with Sam. They were heading to Miss Morgan’s farm. She and the Hat Hobbit both had invitations.
Miss Morgan made the fluffy blankets that Frodo and Sam loved so much and that Uncle Bilbo said were like sitting on a cloud. How he knew what sitting on a cloud felt like Frodo didn’t know, but he was sure he would find out when he was a big, grown up hobbit and went on a real adventure too. Maybe it was because mountains were high and Uncle Bilbo got back Uncle Thorin’s mountain even if it was too dark for him to want to stay there.
Hmm, Frodo decided he would ask Uncle Thorin if he and Uncle Bilbo sat in lots of clouds on their adventure when he got home later.
The Hat Hobbit lived next to Miss Morgan and made the prettiest books. They turned stories into real bedtime books and Frodo loved it when it was their birthday. All the faunts got a new storybook. The only problem with the Hat Hobbit was that they had the doggies. They trained the same doggies that Farmer Maggot liked. The ones that chased them when all they wanted was a snack from his field. It was a good job Frodo liked the Hat Hobbit and Miss Morgan though otherwise he would be super scared of the Hat Hobbit’s doggies the way he was Farmer Maggot’s.
Miss Morgan and the Hat Hobbit were some of Uncle Bilbo’s bestest friends though, so Frodo knew they wouldn’t let the Hat Hobbits doggies eat him. Uncle Bilbo wouldn’t want to be friends with someone who let their doggies eat his nephew after all, and everyone should want to be Uncle Bilbo’s friend. He was the best in Frodo’s opinion.
With those worries put aside, Frodo smiled at Sam as they both clambered off the cart when Mr Hamfast stopped it. Frodo handed Sam a piece of paper and let him go to Miss Morgan’s smial because he was even more scared of the doggies than Frodo was.
Frodo sighed with relief when he saw that the Hat Hobbit was standing near the sheeps and not the doggies. Frodo loved the sheeps, and he ran forward happily. He chatted away to the Hat Hobbit before giving them the invitation he had been holding tightly. They were very excited, or at least they smiled, so Frodo assumed they were before he waved them bye and went to find Sam and Miss Morgan.
Frodo found them in Miss Morgan’s front garden. She was knitting a new blanket and chatting away to Sam happily, her invitation placed beside her. Frodo was very proud of her invitation and he preened when she told him what a good job he had done. They waved Miss Morgan bye before rushing back to the cart, ready to hand out the next invitation.
They stopped on the road when they heard the clip clop of a pony. Both faunts stood there as they watched who was coming up the lane.
“It’s Mrs Luci,” Sam said as he watched the hobbit come closer.
“Oh, ask her to wait,” Frodo said as he rushed back to the cart to get her invitation. He had given Mrs Luci and her wife, Mrs Brandi and their big faunts an invitation together. “Mrs Luci, Mrs Luci,” he called as he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him.
“Frodo, you alright lad?” she asked as she got off her pretty pony.
“I am. I have an invitation for you,” Frodo said as he waved it at her. “And for Mrs Brandi and your big faunts. Can you tell them because they are at the library with Uncle Bilbo and it’s a prise!” he rambled quickly.
“Whoa lad, slow down. What’s this?” she asked as she took the paper he was waving at her.
“Oh, this is lovely. I especially love Brandi’s cane. I made that for her, you know,” Luci said as she smiled at the boys before.
“Of course we will, lads. When is it?”
Frodo and Sam looked at each other in horror. They had forgotten to tell Miss Morgan and the Hat Hobbit when it was.
“It’s tonight Mrs Luci, but we didn’t tell...” Frodo trailed off, looking behind him.
“Ahh, don’t worry, I will tell them. Do you want me to bring some food?” she asked.
Sam couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose. Mrs Luci was great with the poorly animals but terrible in the kitchen.
“Not actually me. I’m sure Brandi will happily make a whole heap of stuff,” she said with a smile as she ruffled both of the faunt’s heads. “Off with you then. I have a mummy sheep to check on,” she said as she moved back to her pony to lead it the rest of the way.
Frodo and Sam smiled again as they shouted to Sam’s daddy that they were ready to go to the next person.
The next invitations were to go to some of Uncle Thorin’s friends. He had a lot of inventor friends and Frodo had invitations for some of them. Mr Hamfast knew that Mrs Ford and Miss Lillian were together in Miss Lillian’s office.
Frodo wasn’t entirely sure what Miss Lillian did, even though Uncle Thorin had tried to explain it to him repeatedly.
Sam asked him what she was inventing, and he looked at Sam like he was silly. If Sam didn’t know, how was Frodo supposed to know?. “Miss Lilian,” he tried to explain to Sam even though he wasn’t quite sure himself. “You know, the one who works with Uncle Thorin and is trying to get the lights to work? She said something about the windmill, and the way it spins. Why are you asking me, Sam? I just know she is Uncle Thorin’s friend, and she is very clever,” he told his bestest friend as he folded his arms in annoyance and looked every inch the hobbit raised by a dwarf that he was.
“I was just asking,” Sam mumbled out.
Frodo sighed. It was hard knowing nearly everything but not really understanding it; he thought. “Mrs Ford does the hard maths though,” he said to Sam. “You’re good at hard maths. I just like drawing, but look what I did?” he said as he pulled out Mrs Ford’s invitation.
Sam looked at the invitation and made impressive noises that had Frodo beaming at him. “Let’s go give them the invitations then,” Frodo said as he grabbed Sam’s hand and raced off into the office, forgetting to knock. Not that the two lady hobbits inside minded too much as they smiled back at the boys and accepted their invitations graciously.
Frodo and Sam realised there were no more invitations to be given out in Hobbiton and so Mr Hamfast pointed the pony towards Brandybuck. Before they crossed the bridge, they stopped at the prettiest smial in the entire Shire. It belonged to Mrs Lily and Mr Lily dwarf, her husband, and all of their faunts. Frodo loved Mrs Lily. She gave the best hugs and the best advice and she always had lots of yummy food as she baked for all of her children.
Mrs Lily saw the boys and smiled widely, inviting them and Mr Hamfast in for elevenses. The boys ate until they were full and then went to play with Miss Lily’s dwobbit faunts for a while. Before they left, they gave her the invitation for her whole family. “See, I put them all in so they can all come,” Frodo said to her sweetly. Miss Lily laughed and hugged both boys before they raced off to go to the next house.
Once over the Brandywine Bridge, it was time for the funny Mrs Willow and her dwarf husband. Unlike Mrs Lily’s dwarf and Uncle Thorin, Mrs Willow’s dwarf looked old. He had funny white hair and a big bushy beard, and both he and Mrs Willow always had a pipe. Frodo loved the smell of pipe weed, but Uncle Bilbo only ever smoked it when he was in bed. Mrs Willow always smoked it though, faunts around or no faunts around. She was also odd, at least in the Shire, because she had no faunts or dwobbits of her own. But Frodo thought that was brilliant, because unlike Mrs Lily, who was always busy with her children, Mrs Willow always had time for single little faunts who wanted to learn how to draw. Frodo took special lessons with her and he hoped she liked her invitation. He had worked really hard on them all, after all.
Frodo smiled so wide his cheeks hurt when Mrs Willow told him he could be an artist just like her when he grew up. He had thanked her, but explained he couldn’t because he had to grow up and do the same as Uncle Thorin and Uncle Thorin couldn’t draw unless it was a building. He was rubbish at hobbits and dwarfs, unlike Frodo. Mrs Willow had just laughed and said if he changed his mind to let her know.
With that, Frodo left. They picked up Pippin when they drove past Brandybuck Hall, and Frodo explained that he and Merry would sleep at Bag End tonight. Uncle Bilbo wouldn’t mind, he never did.
The little group was on their way to Tuckborough when Pippin shouted at Mr Hamfast to stop the cart. “Miss Rosiemarie is there,” he said excitedly.
Frodo looked at Sam, who looked at the hobbit Pippin was flagging down. “Oh, Miss Rosemarie, Pippin,” he said as he smiled. “It’s the map hobbit,” he explained.
Frodo smiled. He loved maps. Uncle Bilbo had so many maps and Uncle Thorin had brought a map from his mountain, too. It was the coolest map Frodo had ever seen.
He gave Sam the invitation for Miss Rosemarie, as he knew Sam liked maps too, but he didn’t live with uncle Bilbo so it was more a treat for Sam to talk to someone else who loved maps than it would be for Frodo who talked to Uncle Bilbo (who loved maps) all day long..
Frodo watched as Sam and Pippin went towards Miss Rosemarie and smiled as they talked for a while about what place Miss Rosemarie was mapping next. When they had finished their conversation, Sam and Pippin ran back, explaining she had loved the map on her invitation and that she would be there, she had also asked if she could bring her beau with her as it would be a nice way to spend more time together and get to know one another more. Frodo had smiled wide as he shouted “yes, yes, yes. When you get married, can we come?” to Miss Rosemarie. Rosemarie, for her part, had waved the over excited faunts away, trying to explain that she was just going steady at the moment, not getting married. Frodo’s enthusiasm didn’t wane though. After all, Uncle Bilbo and Uncle Thorin were in love, so maybe other hobbits would be when they went to their party too.
Frodo decided that made perfect sense to him and he smiled and waved as Mr Hamfast drove away, so they finally made it to Tuckborough, before it got too late.
Frodo didn’t join in with Sam and Pippin’s excited chatter. He was too busy thinking about what flowers would look good on Miss Rosemarie and her beau. .
Before they made it to Tuckborough proper, they stopped at Mr Herb Took’s bakery. Mr Herb made the best pastries in the Shire and all the faunts adored visiting him. He always gave them extra treats to take with them and no clever faunt would ever turn down free food, especially food that tasted as good as Mr Herb’s did.
They smiled up at him before he chased them away good-naturedly, explaining that he had to bake to feed the faunts up at their party. All four ran back out after grabbing an extra pastry each and giggling at Mr Herb’s good natured shouting at them.
When they finally reached the Great Smial in Tuckborough, Frodo jumped out to greet Merry, happy now he was with all of his best friends. He then watched as Merry ran inside and rushed out with Miss Rosie and Mrs Khrysanthemum.
Frodo was excited to see them both. Lessons had been cancelled whilst uncle Bilbo, and Mrs Luci’s big, almost grown up faunts worked on the new library, which would also be the new school. Miss Rosie had wanted lots of outside space, but one with walls because apparently faunts disappeared as if they had magic rings and Mrs Khrysanthemum wanted easy access to enough books for the whole class as some faunts were naughty and didn’t know how to share (like Otho, Frodo thought).
So until uncle Bilbo was finished, there had been no lessons. It meant Frodo had more time to learn how to be just like Uncle Thorin, but it also meant he missed his friends so, so much. He was just glad they were going to stay in his room at home that night.
Pippin gave Miss Rosie her invitation.
And Merry gave Mrs Khrysanthemum hers.
Both hobbits were overjoyed with their invitations and proud of all four faunts, as they had almost finished their quest. All four boys puffed up with pride at the praise. They had done it, and there was only one more stop before they could go back to Hobbiton and set up Uncle Bilbo and Uncle Thorin’s party.
After a hug each, the boys and Sam’s daddy were soon on their way. They soon made it to the second biggest smial in the Shire (Bag End was the biggest, Frodo thought with pride). This smial belonged to the bestest Lady hobbit in the whole entire Shire. She had a big grown up name that all the other hobbits had to call her. Lady Amaryllis Underhill was a Lady Hobbit of Leisure. Frodo wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but he figured it meant she had the next biggest smial and a bunch of treasure hidden away like Uncle Bilbo did. After all, he was a Gentle Hobbit of Leisure. Though uncle Thorin just called him a layabout until they giggled and did the kissy faces.
Lady Amaryllis didn’t have a dwarf, or anyone to do the kissy faces with, but that was alright, Frodo thought, because he was her favourite hobbit in the whole Shire and she hugged him lots and lots. She also let Frodo call her Lady Lis instead of her big name. Only uncle Bilbo was allowed to call her that, so it made Frodo feel very grown up. He especially felt grown up when Lady Lis asked him if he wanted to borrow a book, or have luncheon or look at all the pretty clothes she wore. Frodo always said yes.
Frodo still didn’t understand what Uncle Thorin meant about Hobbits of Leisure being lazy bums, though. Because Lady Lis was always working and she was nice and she did all her own housework. She didn’t even ask Sam’s daddy to do her garden like Uncle Bilbo did. Frodo would have known if Mr Hamfast did, because Sam would have visited with him and then Sam would have tried to become Lady Lis’ favourite faunt and Frodo hated that idea, even though he loved Sam. With thoughts of the wonderful Lady Lis racing through his mind, Frodo knocked on her smial door carefully. He was glad he was the one knocking and not his friends. Lady Lis was what Uncle Bilbo called particular and what Uncle Thorin called solitary. But that was silly, she was always happy to see Frodo and unlike his friends who didn’t have an uncle Bilbo to teach them Gentle hobbit manners like Frodo did, Lady Lis might have told them to leave her alone, which would make Frodo and Uncle Bilbo said if she didn’t come to the party. Frodo really wanted his third best being to be there for his uncle’s party.
He waited until the door opened and Lady Lis stood before him. “Mrs Lady Lis, I have an invitation for you, and wondered if you would come to our party for Uncle Bilbo and Uncle Thorin?” he asked with a little bow.
Lady Lis smiled down at the sweet faunt before her. She curtsied and took the invitation from him.
She had smiled and offered to ride back with the faunts to help them set up everything. Frodo had jumped at the chance. He loved Lady Lis. She always said the best things and always put cousin Lobelia in her place, which was as far away from Frodo and Uncle Bilbo as possible.
And so, the 6 of them headed back to Hobbiton and the party tree to prepare it for uncle Bilbo and uncle Thorin.
Thorin had just wrapped his arms around Bilbo’s ample waist and nuzzled into his neck when he was being pushed and shoved away from his One by an overly enthusiastic faunt. “No time. Kiss later. We have to go,” Frodo said as he grabbed both Bilbo’s and Thorin’s hands.
The couple looked at one another before sighing and giving in to indulge their precious faunt.
They walked towards the party tree, wondering what was going on, when Merry jumped out and handed them both a blindfold.
Thorin just shrugged at Bilbo and tied the blindfold on him before doing it to himself. Bilbo couldn’t help the sappy look he sent his dwarf before he covered his eyes. His dwarven husband was always a sucker when it came to the faunts. “You sap,” Bilbo said as he reached out for Thorin’s hand. Bilbo felt his other hand, the one not holding Thorin’s, be pulled by Merry. Frodo must have Thorin’s hand.
Bilbo realised where they were when the grass changed under his feet. He knew Thorin wouldn’t know, especially with his absurd clodhoppers on, but at least he was holding Bilbo and Frodo’s hand so they couldn’t lose him, he thought with a snigger.
They were suddenly stopped and Frodo pulled them until they were kneeling on the ground before him. Both older males allowed him to malehandle them to his liking. When they were how he wanted them, he pulled off their blindfolds and told them to look around.
Both Bilbo and Thorin did and looked speechless as all of their closest friends were milling around under the party tree. “Frodo ...” Bilbo trailed off before looking at his little nephew.
“Iben, what is this?” Thorin asked as he pulled Frodo into his arms. He looked around and smiled at his friends.
“It’s this..” Frodo trailed off as he fiddled with his last piece of paper, his most precious one.
He took a deep breath and held it out to Bilbo and Thorin. Thorin took it, not letting go of Frodo, and he had Bilbo looked at it together.
“Oh, Frodo,” Bilbo said as he moved into the hug.
“It is wonderful, iben,” Thorin said with a soft smile and a kiss on Frodo’s head.
“Do you like it?” Frodo asked timidly.
“Like it, I adore it, Frodo. you did a wonderful job. But what’s this about a party? Is there a special occasion?” Bilbo asked.
“Yes,” Frodo answered before burying his face in Thorin’s neck.
“There is? And what is it?” Thorin asked gently.
“I just love you. So, so much and you haven’t had a wedding party, and you didn’t get a birthday party and you deserve all the party’s,” Frodo rushed out.
“And so you organised one for us?” Bilbo asked, in awe at his nephew.
Frodo just nodded before hiding behind Thorin’s hair this time.
Thorin chuckled and stood, holding Frodo tightly. “Well, we had better enjoy it then. After all, a party hosted by a Baggins is one of the best parties in all of Arda,” Thorin said as he took Bilbo’s hand and squeezed it gently.
The three of them walked towards the throng of friends and family, ready to have a wonderful evening and to praise Frodo and his little friends for all their hard work.