1) Frodo-lad was left in charge of ten younger siblings (I discounted this immediately once I did the math and figured out how old they all were)
2) The Cottons - Tom and Mari, anyway - came over to Bag End to watch after them. Which is still an idea, and I think they might come over to look after Bag End for a time anyway, at least.
3) They were taken in by Pippin and Diamond - Pippin's been Thain for the last seven years or so, and they'd live at Great Smials. Still possible, I guess, but a little out of the way from Hobbiton to Buckland.
4) They were taken in by Merry and Estella - Merry's been Master now for nine years, and Brandy Hall is of course on the way to the Bridge, so this is the option I went with. He's a little more settled than his younger cousin, and wouldn't mind inviting a brood of young Gamgees to stay. I think they'd be a lot freer in Buckland than Tuckborough anyway, though no doubt there'll be visiting back and forth during the year.
no subject
I figured there were four possible scenarios:
1) Frodo-lad was left in charge of ten younger siblings (I discounted this immediately once I did the math and figured out how old they all were)
2) The Cottons - Tom and Mari, anyway - came over to Bag End to watch after them. Which is still an idea, and I think they might come over to look after Bag End for a time anyway, at least.
3) They were taken in by Pippin and Diamond - Pippin's been Thain for the last seven years or so, and they'd live at Great Smials. Still possible, I guess, but a little out of the way from Hobbiton to Buckland.
4) They were taken in by Merry and Estella - Merry's been Master now for nine years, and Brandy Hall is of course on the way to the Bridge, so this is the option I went with. He's a little more settled than his younger cousin, and wouldn't mind inviting a brood of young Gamgees to stay. I think they'd be a lot freer in Buckland than Tuckborough anyway, though no doubt there'll be visiting back and forth during the year.