Deal With It and Keep Walking by Dreamflower

[dreamflower]

(I will not be posting the scavenger hunt quote results with my entries; since I participated in creating the prompts it would not be fair.)

B2MeM Challenge: March 2
Format: ficlet
Genre: angst
Rating: G
Character(s): Sam
Author's Note: The title comes from this .gif
Summary: Sam's thoughts after he realizes that they will not be returning from Mordor.
Quote:
Sacrifice
"So that was the job I felt I had to do when I started,' thought Sam: 'to help Mr. Frodo to the last step and then die with him? Well, if that is the job then I must do it.

Deal With It and Keep Walking

Beloved faces filled his thought--his father, his sisters, and most especially Rosie. Rosie as a child, tagging after her brothers; Rosie in her mother's kitchen, her face wet with steam and toil, little curls escaping her scarf; Rosie in the snow with Sam's sister Marigold at her side, throwing snowballs at him and her brother Tom, until the lads laughingly surrendered; Rosie visiting Marigold one day at Number Three, looking up and meeting his eyes and suddenly they were the only two people in the world. Rosie, just before they had left the Shire, guessing Sam's intent (though not the why) kissing him firmly and thoroughly. "You come back to me, Sam Gamgee!"

"I meant to, lass", he thought. His eyes fell on his master, worn and weary, sleeping at his side. And so he put aside the thought of Rosie Cotton, and his family, and the Shire. He felt strength and determination rise up in him. It was for Mr. Frodo. But it was also for the Shire and for all those he loved. They'd do what was needed, he'd do anything that was needed. One step at a time, and they'd get to the fiery mountain. One step at a time. It didn't matter what happened to him, they do what they had to do.

He'd help Mr. Frodo to the last, and if they succeeded, the Shire would be saved--but not for them.

Comments

[shirebound]

Dear, dear Sam. ♥ him so much.

[dreamflower]

Isn't he wonderful?

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I loved this.So moving and so very Sam!

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

So poignant, so touching. Beautifully written.

[dreamflower]

Thank you! Sam just does what he has to, and counts the cost to himself as worth it.

[dreamflower]

Thank you!

That was such a hard time for Sam (and Frodo). They were so close, yet it still felt so far away.

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

Sam's strength exceeded Frodo's, and his willingness to sacrifice himself for the Shire was what gave him the determination to keep going. One of my favorite lines in the whole trilogy is "His will was set and only death would break it." That sums up Sam's character in so few words, it's a marvel. This is beautiful.

[dreamflower]

I'm so glad you see what I was aiming at with this ficlet! Thank you very much dear!

[lady-branwyn.livejournal.com]

I love getting a glimpse of Sam's memories of Rosie. She was always the one for him.
Edit: the title of this reminded me of "Keep Calm and Carry On."

[dreamflower]

Yes, she really was.

The gif was made by one of the commenters at "Mark Reads The Return of the King" when he got to the Mordor chapters; I think it is supposed to evoke the "Keep Calm and Carry On".

Mark said somewhere that no matter what happens, the hobbits just dealt with it and kept walking...

[periantari.livejournal.com]

omg this is so heartrending and beautiful!!! i love this so much!

[periantari.livejournal.com]

"His will was set and only death would break it."
I love that quote and i agree with you that Sam's will definitely had to surpass Frodo a bit to keep them both going.

[dreamflower]

Thank you, dear!

[paranoidangel]

That's really lovely and just like Sam.

[dreamflower]

Thank you! Sam and Frodo both had wills of iron.