He Came from Behind

Frodo and Rose walked out to the game field in silence. Music from the dance area was slowly fading away into the distance and the laughter was becoming less noticeable as well. The night was beautiful, there was a cool breeze and stars decorated the sky. As they walked, Frodo looked over to Rose and noticed she was grinning at something. "What is on your mind?" He asked, breaking the silence between the two.

Rose let out a giggle and looked over to Frodo. "Nothing of importance. I was just thinking about how embarrassed Samwise will be when he realized the mix up."

"I would very much like to have seen his face," replied Frodo as he joined her in a round of laughter.

"Not that I enjoy seeing Sam embarrassed," Rose continued. "But it is cute when he blushes."

"Awe, that is so sweet." Frodo then teased, causing Rose to blush herself.

"Be quiet, when you find love of your own, you will understand the little quirks that make someone special." Rose defended. She looked over to Frodo, who was shaking his head, and she laughed. "Don't you lie to me Frodo Baggins. I am a girl and I know these things. You are telling me that you have never noticed something so simple about someone and admired them for it?" Rose asked as she lightly nudged Frodo on the shoulder.

"I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about Miss Cotton." Frodo said with an impish grin.

"Yes you do; the simple way a lass will wear a ribbon in her hair, or how someone has dimples in her cheeks, or maybe even how terribly someone dances?" Rose raised an eyebrow at Frodo then and watched as Frodo's face turned a slight red.

"Are you insinuating something about me and Miss May-Bell?" Frodo asked, shocked that Rose would be so bold as to mention such an idea.

"Well, Mr. Baggins," Rose smiled. "She did want to meet you privately at the gaming booths, did she not? And you seem very eager to meet her in return. And I have a feeling that she didn't invite you to come bob for apples." The tone in Rose's voice was playful and mocking and her grin covered her entire face.

Blushing, Frodo looked down at the ground for a moment, realizing what Rose must have been thinking. However, he was not as embarrassed as he thought he should have been. Instead, he looked at Rose with a playful grin. "Well, I am sure that is not what Sam would be suspecting from you either."

Rose's jaw dropped at that moment as she too realized what Sam must have been thinking when he got the message from Merry. She blushed at the thought and looked over to Frodo who was almost in a fit of laughter. She then slapped him on his shoulder. "Hush, you rascal."

Suddenly, Frodo and Rose's conversation came to a halt when both heard an ear-piercing scream from one of the gaming booths. They immediately ran towards the sound and looked in surprised at what they saw: May-Belle was standing over another hobbit, hitting him with all her strength. The other hobbit was on the ground in a fetal position, covering his head with his arms, and begging for the girl to stop.

Frodo ran to May-Belle and pulled her away from her victim and Rose ran over to check on the other hobbit. Once the hitting stopped the hobbit removed his arms from his head and revealed himself as Samwise.

"What is the meaning of this?" Frodo asked as he tried to calm the hysterical May-Belle. The girl clung to Frodo's arm and looked over to Sam as if he were a monster with three heads.

"HE is the meaning of this!" May-Belle snapped and pointed to Sam.

"Sam? What is going on?" Rose asked as she tried to help him stand up.

"I didn't know it was you Miss May-Belle, honestly!" Sam pleaded. He walked toward her and Frodo to apologize, but Rose held Sam back, figuring this was not the time for Sam to be too close to the other hobbitess.

"Relax, both of you." Frodo commanded. There was a silence and once Frodo and Rose were sure the other two were calm, they released Sam and May-Belle out of their holds. "Now, would one of you like to explain?"

Straightening out her dress, May-Belle cleared her throat and spoke: "Well, I was standing out here and all of a sudden, I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I turned, he threw himself on me." The girl did not take her eyes off of Sam as she spoke, and all the while, Sam was shaking his head in protest.

"Honestly Mr. Frodo, it was a mistake." Sam argued. "I was told to meet Rosie out here and that is who I thought it was."

"Do I look like Rose Cotton too you?" May-Belle snapped.

"All right, calm down." Frodo ordered once more. "Now, I know Samwise well enough to know he would never force himself on anyone. Surely it was an accident due to the misunderstanding of relayed messages."

"But, I don't rightly understand." Sam commented. He looked from Frodo to Rose for some sort of answer.

"Well, the message I sent to you Samwise was given to Frodo by mistake." Rose answered with a little blush appearing on her face.

"Exactly," Frodo added. "And the message sent for me was given to you instead."

May-Belle crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. She was embarrassed and in a foul mood and this was all Meriadoc Brandybuck's fault. She marched off, leaving Frodo, Rose and Sam in their places and headed back to the dining and dancing areas. "I will cripple him." Were the last words any of the three could hear before she disappeared into the darkness.

"Oh, this is not good." Rose murmured as she watched May-Belle storm off.

"Not good at all." Frodo added. Then, with a calm look and a slight grin on his face, he walked after May-Belle, hopping she could get to her and Merry before it was too late.

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