Title & Chapter Number: Hearts in Lothlórien 7/10
Author(s): - Author's Index
Fandom: Middle Earth
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They are the work of the Masterful Tolkien. Tolkien's the man! Also, I shamelessly stole, er, borrowed the series title from Stephen King's "Hearts in Atlantis." And the chapter title from Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence." This story, however, is all mine. I make no money off of this and probably should be working on something where I might actually make some money…but here ya' go.
Warnings: Slash, (DUH!)
Betas: Salina
Cast: Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Boromir, Sam, Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Galadriel.
Timeline: TA-AU
Spoilers: None
Summary: Sam and Galadriel discuss Frodo, the Quest and gardens.
Notes: I would just like to point out that before I even knew what slash was, I thought Sam was in love with Frodo. And Sam was my favorite character in the books. Thanks to Salina for the beta and Rebecca for the love.
By His Side Forever
~*~*~*~
"Sam quickly blushed and hung his head."
-- The Fellowship of the Ring, JRR Tolkien~*~*~*~
I was so lost in my thoughts that I nearly tripped over him. He was crouched down among my lilacs and daisies, his hands buried in the soil of my garden.
"Samwise."
He jumps at the sound of my voice, obviously having been caught off guard. He stumbles to his feet, wiping his hands on his trousers. It does no good though, as there is more dirt on his pants than there is on his hands.
"My…my Lady. I didn't…I was just…" Sam's face turns red and he shakes his head at his own awkwardness. "I didn't hear you approach. Some good protector I'll make Mr. Frodo," he mumbles.
"I think it can be forgiven that you let your guard down just this once," I assure him. "What is it you are doing down there in the dirt, Samwise?"
He blushes even more, if that is possible.
"I was just admiring, is all." His eyes fall to the ground. "And maybe moving things around a bit." He looks up at me now with big round eyes. "It's a lovely garden, my Lady. The most beautiful I have ever seen, in fact. And I mean no offense, begging your pardon and all, but you can't put the lilacs and the daisies so close together like that."
I try not to laugh at this little creature. Here he is, leagues away from his home on a terrible Quest of doom, and yet he tends my garden.
"I wasn't aware of that, Samwise," I tell him.
He nods his head. "They are fighting over the water in the ground. They need…well, they need their own personal space, if you take my meaning, my Lady."
"I do take your meaning, Sam."
He smiles at me now and I suddenly understand why the Ringbearer fell so completely in love with this Hobbit.
"You know, Sam," I say, "you are here to take rest. You don't need to be working in my gardens."
Sam shuffles his feet a little. "And I thank you for the rest that I have gotten here, but I can only get that sort of relaxed, peaceful feeling like, when I am in a garden, if you take my meaning."
"That I do. This is why I come to my gardens now."
Sam looks up with a start, panic across his face. "Oh, I am in your way. You want to be alone. I shouldn't be here."
"No, no, Sam, calm yourself. You are not in my way, I assure you. In fact, I am glad to have found you here."
He looks at me with skeptical eyes. "I shouldn't have been messing about in your gardens anyways. I wouldn't like it if someone messed about in mine. I was just trying to help the little fella's out. They were needin' a drink."
"It's quite all right, Sam. I need to talk to you about something, so it is good that I found you here."
My head is still full of the image of the Ringbearer, his eyes wild with panic and tears as he frantically searched for Sam this morning.
I must have been lost in my thoughts, for I hear Sam speaking to me. "My Lady? Is anything the matter?"
I look down at him. "Sam, did you know that Frodo feels the rest of the Fellowship doubts him?"
Sam shrugs his shoulders. "He hasn't said it, but I figured as much. He never had much faith in himself, so it's easy to see how he would think nobody else has faith in him either." Sam sighs. "I suppose he thinks that I have no faith in him, but I do."
Sam looks up at me with sincere eyes. "He is the smartest, kindest, most beautiful Hobbit in all of Middle-Earth. He doesn't like it when I tell him that, but it's true. If anybody can pull off this Quest, it'll be Mr. Frodo, that's for sure."
I smile at Sam. "He is lucky to have you in his life, Samwise."
"Luck has nothing to do with it. We were meant to be together, and that's all there is to it. If anyone is lucky, it'd be me."
"Do you ever think about the Shire?" I ask him.
"Oh, yes. All the time. Mr. Frodo and I used to talk about going back to Bag End and wondering what the garden looks like and if maybe my Gaffer had been taking care of it for us. We talk about snuggling down under a warm blanket by the fire and…"
He stops and turns a nice shade of pink. I don't have to ask him what came next in that story.
He shrugs his shoulders. "At least we used to talk about those things. We don't so much anymore."
He seems sad all of a sudden.
"Why not anymore?" I ask him.
"I guess Mr. Frodo doesn't think we'll ever get back to the Shire. When we started on the Quest is was because Mr. Frodo said that if somebody didn't destroy that blasted Ring, we wouldn't have a Shire for much longer anyway. We were doing it so that we *could* go back to Bag End."
He stuffs his hands in his pockets and looks off in the distance as if in deep thought. I wait.
"Now," he continues, "I guess we're doing it for all the family and friends we left behind in the Shire. I don't think Mr. Frodo reckons we'll ever get back there ourselves."
"And what about you, Samwise? What do you think will happen?"
He doesn't even hesitate to answer. "I think Mr. Frodo will do it. And if not, then he'll die trying. Either way, I'll be by his side forever."
I smile at Sam, relieved that the Ringbearer will always have Sam to lean on.
"I am glad to hear it, Sam. I should tell you that Frodo was looking for you earlier. I sent him back to his bed. He looks as if he is not getting his rest properly."
Sam looks so worried, I feel a little bad for not telling him of the Ringbearer's condition straight away.
"He does not sleep well at night, even here among all this beauty. He can't relax. I don't think he even remembers how to relax."
I notice that Sam has taken his hands from his pockets and is shuffling his feet. He wants to go to Frodo, but is trying not to be rude.
"You had better go find him then," I tell him.
Sam gives me an appreciative smile and nods his head at me. "My Lady."
Then he turns and rushes off.
That night I have a bundle delivered to Sam. In it I have wrapped several little gardening tools and a note.
Find peace wherever you may, Samwise.
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