Title: Introduction: Life of our Hobbits

Summary: This chapter is.. About Frodo and his state after not going on to the grey havens. This is an AU. Merry and Pippin come along as Frodo has slight -animal problems-.

Genre: Humour for now.

Rated: T, just to be safe.

Warnings: Obnoxious animals for now. And, AU if that counts.

Pairings: Merry/Pippin.. Not yet, but somewhere in the next chapters.

Disclaimer: Hmm.. Don't own anyone, anything, or.. Well, nothing in my story.

Authors Note: For starters, this story is an AU, so don't dive at me for this mistakes I did. I write, but this is my first time doing fan fiction. Well, for now it's just the intro for the story, nothing much. This chapter sounds like it's a Frodo story, but it's not. It's a Merry/Pippin story. Oh, later on it will contain slash, but, nothing really graphic. This story is mainly about how Merry and Pippin met and married their wives. Oh, and warning, there is a very lousy written pig. So, I think that's it. Enjoy!

It was only a couple of months since the four year anniversary of the ring journey had passed, but Frodo was still weary. His eyes seemed to look right through people, searching for some answer of how to erase his pain. He was put with the chance to go with Bilbo, Gandalf, Galadriel and so much more people he's grown to love to go to Grey Havens to live amongst the elves in a land where everything was pure, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't leave the younger of his friends, without seeing what they did with their lives. To focus on Sam more than anyone was what really convinced him to stay. Sam did everything for him, if it wasn't for his stouty gardender, he didn't know where he would be. Wait, he did. Dead. Flowing with souls lost to the earth, to the wonderful place of green and joy he called home. He owed so much to his friend, no matter how much a blushing Sam would tell Frodo, "I had to do it, Mr. Frodo, you aint owe me nothing. No, not a thing in the world."

Frodo was slow as well. Sure, he could walk places with a slow, soft smile gracing his lips as if the innoncence of al the world has suddenly taken him by the hand again. But his paces was took with each step a hidden agony, a pain throbbing in his head telling him he had made a mistake to stay. But he ignored the thoughts carving into his head with that grin, to assure everyone including hisself that everything would be okay. Each day was slowly becoming easier, he spoke more and even laughed at silly jests or prank Pippin still managed to do at his age. He was soon to be of age, his younger cousin. But he knew even when he reached that milestone, Pippin would still manage to make almost everything better with just a joke and a snicker. But he supposed that was his talent. For Pippin had grown so much during their journey, probably more than his companion and second half, Meriadoc. Frodo was getting healthier, more lively. But he knew the wound that had dug into his mind and soul was a mental scar that no hands could cure. It was the care and utter lovlieness of his friends that made him shake his head at the regret of staying. Oh no, he couldn't leave them. Even if they pushed him on a boat to find his own way to a more peacful place, he would use the very last of his strength to jump out and swim back.

All of this was not unnoticed by not just Merry, or Sam, or any of his friends. But his neighbors, people who passed him in the market, and people he couldn't recall whether they were young or old; woman or man. He was asked constantly or his well being, and if he needed anything to make things easier for him. Although the temptation had tore at him like wolves on a fawn, he kindly shook his head with a sigh, and told them he could handle things. But some were more persistant than even he was. Every morning for months on end, he would be greeted with the sight of fruit and vegetable baskets on the mat in front of round green door, or envelopes of herbs and a different variety of plants for delicious tea. The most curiouis gift layed out for him was on his kitchen table (though he had no idea how someone managed to sift through his door unnoticed, and manage to sneak the rather large item on his counter top), asleep with its pink feet tucked under its round belling, snoring quite noisely. A pig, a baby one, but stil a pig. It's ears were bent over like straw, moving gently up and down in the animals slumber. Frodo backed away from his table slowly, not wanting to alarm his new -gift-. The pig snorted in annoyance to the heat, waking up with a start. For just moments, the pigs black eyes stared frightened in Frodo's large blue orbs, scared by the sight of Frodo, more than Frodo was of him. High, humoured laughter entered the room as Pippin came in with a disheveled, nervous Merry at his heel. Pippin pratically skipped on his feet as he went to Frodo, patting him on the shoulder with a half eaten apple in his other hand.

"Frodo, you got yourself a pet now, eh? What about a name for the.. Charming, sweet thing. Hey, what is it doing on your table? Sam would be right furious to see your table so filthy." Pippin took a rather large bite from his fruit, then rolled the test to the alarmed pig.

"The poor thing is probably steaming, Frodo. Why don't you take him to your back yard so he could roll in the mud and cool down? That is, after all, the reason they do so." Merry pointed his chin a little higher up in the air, obviously proud by the knowledge he shared. Pippin grinned at Merry, impressed. But a cruel joke was coming right after it like a round ball down a hill, he just knew it.

"Oh, is that so? Well, Mer. I'm utterly shocked that you finally made an excuse for your state of hygeine." Pippin ducked just in the correct amount of time to escape the swinging hand of Merry's fist, laughing aloud at Merry's face of anger. But as Pippin stood back up and tilted his head just so, with a such a small smile it almost wasn't Pippin-ish, Merry's look softened. Merry shrugged, then turned back to Frodo.

"A name? Why? There's no way in the world I'm going to own some unknown pig. I'm finding the owner straight away, to give him a peice of my mind. No pig, no 'pet', no stench, no!" Frodo reached over hesitantly to touch the eating animal, trying to pick it up to remove it from his table. It was a good try, but because of his immensly shaking hands he managed to slide the animal off, who landed on its feet then scurried away with a high pitched squeel. Frodo cursed under his breath then dashed after it, repeadetly landing on his bottom or face in his attempt. Merry and Pippin watched in amusement, managing to stifle their laughter.

"I think you should tell him, Merry. About your gift." Pippin turned to Merry, silently studying his friends' profile in the light.

"Why would I do that, Pip? I would have to tell him that he has a pregnant mommy now as a gift."