Chapter One

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{23 Years Later}

"Cody!" screamed her mother. "Get down here and show me what you're wearing!"

Cody slowly walked down the hall and rounded a corner so she was in the same room as her mother. She was wearing a teal silky dress that almost touched the floor. The sleeves stopped right below her elbows and had little ruffles at the ends. Her brown hair was put into tight curls that bounced with each step she took. She looked very beautiful for she wanted to look good in front of Bilbo Baggins but mostly in front of his nephew, Frodo Baggins.

"You look presentable I guess." her mother snorted.

"Honey!" she called sweetly. "Are you ready?"

"I'm right here." he said smiling. He walked over to his wife and kissed her on the forhead. "You look absolutely beautiful." he told her.

In truth she did not, she wore a faded pink dress, the sleeves were frayed, the dress was even ripped in some places and her hair was ratty and greasy.

He then looked over at his daughter, gave her a sour face and then asked her, "You're wearing that?"

"Yes." she whimpered.

"Very well it will have to do."

Mr. Proudfoot walked side by side with his wife leaving their daughter to walk to the party by herself. She felt unwanted in her family and just wanted to leave Hobbiton forever but her family was not known for having adventures so that made her feel even more out of place. The only reason she stayed was because of him. She knew that he knew why she would go to the park everyday. She just hoped he felt the same way for her. Probably not, the other part of her brain told her. Since he is well known he probably just sees her as another face among the crowd. She tried to push that thought to the back of her mind so she trudged along behind her parents.

The closer they got to the gate the harder her heart pounded. She wished she could run in front of her parents just so she could see his face. She knew that that was rediculase and she would be punished for it but it was hard to fight the urge.

When they finally got to the gate Cody's heart dropped at the sight she saw. The only person who was greeting the hobbits as they walk in was Bilbo Baggins. She was sorely disappointed that he was not greeting the guests but Bilbo's welcome was the best thing that had happened to her since that morning.

"Proudfoots, welcome!" he cheered.

"Proufeet." grumbled Mr. Proudfoot.

"My, my Mrs. Proudfoot you look rather, um, pretty today." he said looking her up and down.

"Why thank you. I do try to look my best." she said quite flattered.

As her parents walked in Cody slowly made her way in with her head down and she was holding her hands together in front of her.

"Ah Miss Proudfoot you look beautiful today. In fact, you always look your best."

"Thank you Mr. Baggins." she slowly said looking up at him with a smile on her face.

"Please call me Bilbo." he said cheerfully.

"Oh, okay. Thank you Mr. I mean Bilbo."

He laughed a good cheerful laugh as she stammered over her words. She couldnt help but laugh along with him.

"There's someone here who wants to see you. In fact, he has been wanting to see you for a long time now. Twenty-three years to be exact." he whispered into her ear.

Before she could respond to what he just told her he ushered her in by saying, "Now off you go!"

Even though there was no specific name mentioned she knew exactly who wanted to see her. She was afraid, now that she knew he wanted to speak with her. What if it was about the picture? Did he think of her as a stalker?

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The party went by slowly, each course of meals seemed to drag on for hours. She only saw him once and he was sitting next to Samwise Gamgee. They were both laughing and Sam kept looking over his shoulder. Eventually Frodo pushed him up out of his seat to join in the dancing that was going on behind them. He laughed uncontrollably as Sam was soon grabbed by a dancer and was forced to dance. Seeing him laugh like that caused Cody to laugh as well.

"What's so funny?" her father demanded.

She immediately straightened up and and put a serious face on and said "Nothing father."

"That's what I thought."

When she thought her parents weren't looking she looked back over at Frodo who was now looking back at her with his innocent blue eyes.

Her mother saw the longing look in her daughters eyes and looked in the direction she was facing.

"You might as well give up that little fantasy of yours. He will never fall for you." her mother said mockingly.

"What are you talking about?" Cody questioned her.

"I'm saying he will never fall for a girl like you I mean look at your self! You don't even look like a hobbit!"

That was enough for Cody to fly out of her seat and storm off. She briskly walked to the back of the party where it was quieter and there where no hobbits.

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He noticed that she had been watching him, just as she had been twenty-three years ago at the courtyard.

He saw her father ask her something that caused her to straighten up pretty quickly. She gave him a response that clearly satisfied him. He watched her a little more and for just a few seconds they made eye contact for the very first time. He watched as her mother leaned forward and look directly at him then told her daughter something that was inaudible to him. Cody stormed off for what her mother told her angered her greatly. He slowly stood up, not sure what to do. Should he follow her or should he just stay here? He reached into his pocket and felt the folded piece of paper that he had kept with him for years. This was his chance to give the drawing back to its rightful owner.

He walked towards the back of the party where he had seen Cody disappear to. It took him a while to reach her for the way was blocked with hobbits telling him congratulations on his thirty-third birthday or wishing him the best of luck. Once he made it through the crowd he managed to see her hop the fence and into the forest that bordered the Baggins' property. He followed her on quick but silent feet until she came to a part of the forest that he had never ventured into. Hesitantly he kept on going not wanting to loose sight of her.

Eventually she climbed up into a tree and sat several feet off the ground. She had not yet seen him so she was unaware that he had followed her to her sacred place. He went to creep a little closer but was not careful enough to watch where he was stepping.

Snap!

A twig broke from under his foot. The noise sliced through the silent night causing Cody to look up, startled, and climbed up a few more feet.

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She had no clue what had caused that twig to snap so she felt safer by climbing up higher off the ground. When she felt like she was high enough up she settled down into a branch and looked up at the stars as she went through her head what had happened that night. She replayed the conversation with Bilbo, the talk with her parents and Frodo looking back at her. Before she knew it she heard another noise, but this noise was coming from something below her but still in the tree.

When she looked down she almost fell out of the tree because she saw the shining face of Frodo Baggins.