"Not...the same?" he questioned.

I shook my head and started crying again.

"Frodo, you've become your uncle."

"Not quite," he said.

I looked up at him. "Where did you go to? You were gone for a year!"

"And one month," he corrected.

"You're not helping your case here," I argued. "Do you know how many times I had to ward off Ebbo by myself?"

He shook his head. "I know, Fara, I know. It wasn't fair of me to leave you in the blue like that."

He held out his hands to me. I looked down at them, staring at his left one in horror.

"Frodo," I said. "You're missing a finger."

He looked down at it. "Oh, when did that happen?"

I rolled my eyes and angrily walked off.

"Oh, com'mon!" he cried. "Fara!"

"Leave me alone!" I shouted behind me. "Just leave me alone."

I ran back to my house and cried on my bed.

"Fara?" Somebody asked. I looked up.

"Melba," I said.

"Fara, what's the matter?"

"It's Frodo," I explained.

She gasped. "Is he dead?"

"No!" I yelled. "He's back."

"Then why are you crying?" she said, nearing sarcasm. "You should be celebrating! Planning your wedding!"

"Melba, he's turned into Bilbo."

She sat down next to me and put an arm lovingly on my back. "What do you mean?"

"He's gone off on an adventure with Gandalf, without telling anyone, and now he is acting completely strange."

"Well, it's not like he's unsociable or anything like that."

"He's quiet and stoic and I don't like it one bit!"

"Just give him a chance. You made a promise."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't remind me."

"It's alright. Just be happy he came back. There are some who aren't so fortunate."

I nodded. "True."

"Do you want to go and see him?"

I shook my head. "I'm not quite ready yet."

She nodded. "Well, I'm going back. If Frodo is back, Pippin must be back too, right?"

"Yeah," I said. "He's back."

"Well, I'll be going then. Maybe I'll get out of square one."

She winked at me before she left. I looked out the window towards the pub. I was definitely going to need some time before seeing him again.