Disclaimers: I do not own The Lord of the Rings. J.R.R. Tolkien does.

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Frodo looked at his parents' graves in sorrow. He didn't expect to lose them so suddenly. And here he was: a twenty-one-year-old hobbit about to set out on a new journey with Bilbo Baggins, the uncle who adopted him and promised to give him a good, peaceful life.

And yet, it wasn't enough to replace his parents. He lived alone in Brandy Hall without a father figure to guide him, teach him everything he needed to know. He didn't have that, and if he did, how could he cope with it? His parents were gone and now this new journey was about to take place. It was something he honestly did not expect, and here it was now.

What would he tell Saradoc Brandybuck, his cousin, if he knew the truth of how he felt? Would he understand? Would he not? Frodo couldn't live without knowing which way it was!

"You miss them, don't you Frodo?" Saradoc asked, standing next to him. He clasped a hand on the lad's shoulder, telling him, promptly, "It'll be all right. You'll see."

"No!" Frodo spoke, softly. "No. It won't be the same."

"It never is. That's why we must move on and never shed a tear." Saradoc shook his head. "It's what Drogo would have wanted."

"I'm not my father." Frodo said, bluntly.

"You are him," Saradoc said, calmly. "So cheer up, don't cry, and be a man! You wouldn't want to cry in front of the ladies, would you?" Frodo gave no response. Only gulped at the prospect of crying. It was terrible advice, he knew, but that was what his cousin wanted, too. Only, Frodo couldn't do that; so, he waited until his cousin walked away, before shedding a single tear.

He wouldn't let his parents' memories be in vain. He would go on, hoping that his family would understood that he was himself and not like them. But would they understand? He wanted to venture out of the Shire and see the world! It's what any adventurous hobbit would've wanted. He just didn't know how big of a risk it was until he reached Mount Doom, where all hope seemed lost.

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Thanks for reading. :)