Author: Arinya
Rating:R
Summary: Sam is forced to retell all the things that happened after the Fellowship had succeeded in destroying the Ring. All the members of the Fellowship have their own problems. Darkness returns, and Love struggles to conquer all. But as the problems mount up to a peak, can they survive? And can Sam bear telling his audience the true story?
Chapter One: All the Little Children
The sky was clear, with a few wisps of white cloud streaking across. The sun shined brightly and peals of laughter were heard in the summer air.
"Mr. Gamgee! Mr. Gamgee!" came a shriek as a small mob of small children rushed at the old hobbit.
Sam smiled.
"What is it Annie?"
"We want you to tell us more stories!" she shouted and Sam smiled again, but rather sadly this time.
"But I've told you all the ones I know already" he said.
The little hobbit girl shook her head.
"No you haven't Mr. Gamgee! You never told us what happened after the Pellowshif!"
"Fellowship" said Sam gently.
"That's right" said the girl, nodding.
"Pellowshif!"
Sam shook his head, but in good humor.
"It is not a story for such young ones like you"
"Please?"
They all asked with huge eyes and pleading voices. Sam wavered.
"It is a serious story, something I can tell you later, when you're all older"
"But we'll go on adventures when we're older!" said a boy in the back.
They all agreed and nodded.
"That's right, we'll be just like Frodo, Merry, and Pippin!"
"I liked Aragorn!"
"Legolas was the best!" said one boy with curly brown hair that spilled over his eyes.
He made an imitation of the elf fitting an invisible arrow into an invisible bow and drawing the string back. He then scrambled up a rock.
"I see Crebain! From Dunland!"
"I am Legolas! Prince of Mirkwood!" he shouted and Sam sighed.
"All right, but if you ever tell your parents, they'll have my hide"
"We won't ever tell anyone!" they chorused.
"Come along now, we'll go to the Troll Ring for this story. Tell your parents that we're going on a long trip, pack warmly and bring food" he said and they scattered, rushing home to tell their parents of the news.
"Remember! They can't know which story it is!" he shouted and a bunch of "Of course Mr. Gamgee!"s were left in their wake.
Sam trudged home, or rather what used to be his best friend's home. Opening the gate, his own Elanor, and Frodo looked up as they were smelling some flowers.
"Dad!" they said together and he swooped them up, and held one child in each arm.
The door opened.
"So Mister Mayor Samwise Gamgee...have you been telling stories again to those youngsters?" said Rosie, with one hand on her hip.
"Only the most exciting" he said and went inside.
"I'm going to take all of the children in the Shire for a picnic-"
"Tomorrow in the Troll Ring, am I right?" asked Rosie.
Sam stared at his wife with an open mouth.
"How did you-?" he asked.
"The children" she said simply.
"They've been screaming all over the Shire, trying their best to remember when and where you were taking them"
"Oh dear" he said.
"Which story are you telling them?" she asked.
"The one I wish I never had to recount" he said.
She softened.
"Oh Sam...do you mean with Legolas, Frodo, and..."
"All of them Rosie...every single member of the Fellowship, they wanted the story, and I suppose I'll have to tell them"
"But how can you tell them now? You were saving it for much later"
"Things don't always go as planned, love" he put his two children down and his three others ran in.
"Hello Dad" they chorused.
"Are you taking them too?" asked Rosie.
"Yes" said Sam.
She sighed and took a deep breath.
"Frodo, Elanor, Rose, Merry, Pippin. You're going with your daddy to the Troll Ring tomorrow for a story...we'd better pack" she said, trying to sound very cheerful.
Pippin's eyes went wide.
"A story? Which one? They're all so good!" Rose harumphed.
"It's Dad mom. I'm old enough to call him Dad" She crossed her arms.
"Spunky little brat" said Sam, playing with his daughter.
"Samwise Gamgee! I do not allow that kind of language here! Especially to your own child!" said Rosie, horrified.
"I'm sorry Rosie" apologized Sam, but his daughter smiled.
"Come on!" said Rosie and her children followed her while Sam sat at the kitchen table.
"Oh Mr. Frodo, why did you have to leave? I wish none of this had happened. I wish the ring had never come to either of us, it killed so many and ruined many more. But I suppose Mr. Frodo, the children have to learn. They're serious enough to listen, to understand maybe not all of it, but the basic idea. All those lessons we learned Mr. Frodo, I'm about to pass 'em on to the children..."
Early next morning, Sam woke up his children and helped them put on their packs. Rose yawned.
"I'm tired Dad"
"I know Rose, but you'll perk up soon"
He ushered his children outside and went through the Shire, summoning the other children. One parent stopped him.
"It's a far way you're taking our kids...don't loose 'em Mayor Gamgee!"
"Of course not Missus, I'll do my best to take care of all of them"
She reluctantly let her child go and soon Sam had a troop of hobbits with him.
They traveled for five days, taking rides on a few wagons, and going on foot. They stopped frequently, for small hobbits get tired quickly. But they did reach the Troll Ring, and it was by the afternoon. All the hobbits were wide awake with excitement, and helped Sam with all sorts of things. Five lit a small fire with careful supervision, and five others went for firewood, not far from the camp. His own children found big rocks to make a ring for them to sleep in, and in a few hours, all was set. Night had come, and even though all the children's faces shined with sweat, he knew they were still waiting for his story. They all sat around the stone ring and Sam himself leaned back against a particularly big one.
"This Ring" he began.
"Was the very same spot where Bilbo had been caught by the three trolls. They had turned to stone when the rays of the sun had hit them...and I sit here to tell you the story of what happened. After the Fellowship of the Ring"
They were all very silent.
"The story is actually a bunch of stories. Each member of the Fellowship went their own way after the War. But not all of them were happy...in fact, their lives were troubled, full of anger, and sadness. I'll begin with Mr. Frodo whom we all know so well...he was my best friend...and such a good one too."