(Hmm... is Lilith going to be coming back to Bag End shortly, or should I have Ruth Ann leave now?)

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(I think you can make Ruth Ann leave)

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Ruth Ann stayed with Frodo for the rest of that night and the next day. She was desperate to leave the Shire, but, at the same time, she could not leave Frodo in the middle of the time of despair.

Finally, the second night, Ruth Ann came to the conclusion that her staying at Bag End was making things worse that if she just left right then as she grabbed some of the essentials and piled them together to pack them up like every other time.

"I am sure you will need this," Frodo told Ruth Ann, placing down an antique knife Bilbo was given from someone some long time ago, "That is.. we don't need it anymore."

The room fell silent as Ruth Ann halted packing up her things and stared at the glittering spectacle. Smiling, she turned around to look Frodo into the eyes. "Thank you," she whisphered in his ear and gave him a hug, arms locked around his shoulders.

"I will miss you.." Frodo strolled along as Ruth Ann finished putting everything together.

Taking up the bag and walking out of the front door of Bag End, Ruth Ann turned to Frodo and comforted him, "Don't worry. I'll come back. The moment you see Gandalf here you can expect me not to be too far behind."

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(sorry if I haven't posted before, I had such a though week! I'll post tonight!!)

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Lilith could not sleep the night of the party. She didn't know what was going on, and in which way she was involved in it, but something made her feel uncomfortable and strange.

She decided not to go to Bag End the day after the party. She wanted to have some time for herself. She spent the day at The Green Dragon with Rosie, distracting her mind with gossips and rumors.

On the second night, she was home alone. The confusion of the day before passed, leaving place to the terrible need to do something, to know more. She had a lonely dinner, and then stood up. She walked out of her house and walked down the street, not sure of where to go.

Lilith saw someone walking a few metres ahead. She was pretty sure that shape in the dark was Ruth Ann. Lilith hadn't seen her since the party night, and now it looked like she was leaving. Lilith hastened her pace to reach her.

"Ehi" she said "Ruth Ann. I knew it was you."

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"Hi Lilith," Ruth Ann said as genuinely as she possibly could. Though, she truely did not intend or nessarily want anyone to come up to her as she was leaving. "Um..." she asked, trying to fill in the little silence, "What are you up to?"

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"Hi" Lilith said to Ruth Ann "I actually have no idea".

She stopped for a second and gave a look at Ruth Ann "Wait a moment, are you leaving?"

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"Yes, I am," Ruth Ann awkwardly admitted after a few moments of complitiplating the other way of the conversation, "Does it affect you?"

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Lilith shook her head. "No, I guess not. Do you mind if I walk with you a little? Just to clear my mind.." she asked.

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Ruth Ann wanted to be alone more than she wanted to talk, but, at the same time, talking to someone wouldn't hurt.

"Sure," Ruth Ann finally agreed, "What would you like to talk about?"

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"I don't know..." Lilith said "These have been strange days...I've been confused..."

She shook her head "Doesn't matter. So you're leaving...How's the world out there? Out of the Shire? I've always wanted to know, I guess..."

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"Confused?" Ruth Ann thought to herself, and, after a pause, continued to think,"I hope she doesn't try to get this situation out of me once again."

Ruth Ann remained silent for a little while, but her first initial response to Lilith's question was, "It's a pleasure." Then, halting her tongue, Ruth Ann realized she was not talking to Frodo, Bilbo, or anyone who had either left the Shire or had shown Ruth Ann a desire to leave the Shire. "It's different," she finally corrected herself, "and it takes a while to get used to, if you can get used to it at all."

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"I see" Lilith answered. "I'm sure you have a lot of stories to tell.."she added "But maybe it's better if I leave you alone now..."

Lilith stopped "I hope to see you soon then, Ruth Ann. Good luck, and I hope you find whatever you're looking for..." she said, with a little smile on her face.

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Ruth Ann initially did not want Lilith to have left. Inwardly, she was concerned that Lilith desired too much information about what was going on in the world right now, and their conversation did not last long enough, in Ruth Ann's opinion, to fully confirm or deny the truth of her inclination.

However, once Ruth Ann saw that Lilith was not in plain sight, she calmed down because of the understanding that she was not able to fix anything at the moment. Her true fear, although, was that she would not be able to fix anything ever.

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Lilith didn't even know why she talked to Ruth Ann. In order to find out something more to make things clearer, probably. But yet that wasn't the real reason probably.

Lilith slightly smiled at Ruth Ann before turning and walking up the path, heading to Bag End.

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Once Lilith left, Ruth Ann remained focused on exiting the Shire before the light of day came forth. She soon looked up at the moon to see that moment was approaching rather quickly.

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Clashing through the leaves of the forest, Ruth Ann looked back into a waking Hobbiton. She sequentially smiled and shed a tear as she blessed the waking countryside, "Let not the fear of tommorrow drown out the joy of today, little Hobbiton."

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