Respectable Hobbits…
"Peregrin Took!" echoed the bellowing cry. Pippin jumped and whirled around, his cheeks flushed.
"Y-yes ma'am?" he asked the female hobbit who stood towering over him.
"What are you doing in my garden?" she asked him angrily. "And what have you done to my petunias?!" she shouted, rushing over to the crumpled flowers. Pippin looked around anxiously for Merry, but his friend was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm sorry Mistress Rose…I…I thought that I saw a rabbit come runnin' in, and I was trying to catch it," the young hobbit stammered. "I'm sorry about your flowers," he said.
"Get out!" Rose Bolger yelled, and Pippin wasted no time running through the gate of the garden and down the lane. Stopping by the bend, he turned around to see Merry come jogging up to him laughing.
"That wasn't funny," Pippin said, a hurt expression on his face. Merry just laughed harder.
"Oh come now, that was hysterical. You should have seen the look on your face!" Merry exclaimed, and Pippin scowled. "Oh, don't be such a wet rag. We got some of the mushrooms from the garden, didn't we?" he said. Pippin brightened noticeably at the mention of the mushrooms.
"Well yes, I suppose you're right. And Old Lady Bolger was pretty funny about it," he chuckled. Merry slapped him on the back and led the younger hobbit down the road.
"And how would you act if those were your mushrooms that were stolen?" a new voice piped in behind them. Pippin and Merry looked over their shoulders and saw the small female hobbit standing behind them.
"Oh hello Diamond. How are you on this fine mornin'?" Merry asked her, rolling his eyes to Pippin. Pippin snorted a little bit, and Diamond put her hands on her hips.
"You two are so immature. When will you grow up?" she asked them.
"Well, we might not grow up much more, but we might grow sideways," Pippin said, sending him and Merry into fits of laughter.
"With any luck!" Merry exclaimed, doubled over in laughter. Diamond scowled, and walked forward. Snatching the bag of mushrooms from Merry's hand, she stepped back.
"Hey!" Merry exclaimed, his laughter dissolving. "Give that back!" he said, turning around to face the other hobbit.
"And why should I? They are not your mushrooms anyway," Diamond said sharply, and Merry took a step forward. Frightened, Diamond stepped back again.
"I said give them to me. They're ours now," Merry said, slightly angry.
"Or what?" Diamond asked, but her voice was shaky.
"Or I will chase you from here to the elf lands, that's what," he said stepping forward again.
"Oh give it a rest Merry," Pippin said, laying a hand on his friend's arm. Merry looked at him in surprise.
"But she has our mushrooms!" he exclaimed, and Pippin nodded.
"I know. Now Diamond, are you going to give those back to us?" he asked, stepping forwards himself. Diamond stepped back again, and Pippin frowned. "Is that a no?" he asked quietly.
"Here, have the stupid mushrooms!" Diamond said angrily, throwing the bag at them. Merry caught the bag happily as Diamond turned and fled.
"See? You didn't have to chase her after all," Pippin said, but his voice was sad. Merry didn't notice, and walked happily down the road.
"No I didn't. Now we have the mushrooms and we didn't need to waste any extra energy in getting them," he said happily.
"Merry, why does everyone seem to think that I'm such a horrible hobbit? I would never hurt anybody," Pippin asked his friend.
"It's 'cause you hand out with me, and I'm so dishonorable," Merry smiled cheekily, but then he saw the sadness in his friend's eyes. "Aw Pip, nobody thinks that you're a bad hobbit," he reassured his friend.
"But why did Diamond think that I would hurt her? You saw her back away…I feel bad," Pippin said. Merry just shrugged and tossed Pippin the bag of mushrooms.
"She's just s girl Pippin. She was just over reacting," Merry said. "All right, now you'd better not eat any of those mushrooms before tomorrow night; there's just enough for you, and me, and then some for Frodo," Merry said as he started to back down the road that led to his house.
"I won't," Pippin promised, although his stomach was already growling with hunger. Merry grinned and waved goodbye. Waving back, Pippin held the bag of mushrooms tight in his hand. As he watched Merry walk away, Pippin glanced up into the sky. The sun was just starting to settle over the horizon, and he knew it would be dark soon.
"I'll show them though…I'll show them that I'm not immature," he said to himself. Storing the mushrooms away in a hole in a log for later, Pippin started back down the road. Upon reaching the hobbit hole where he knew Diamond lived, Pippin paused a moment at the gate. Shrugging to himself, he walked past it and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" came an elderly female voice from inside.
"It's Peregrin Took," he said loudly, and he heard footsteps hurrying to the door swiftly. The door swung open, and Diamond's mother stood raging in the doorway. Behind her, Pippin could see Diamond standing quietly watching them.
"You! What were you doing scaring my daughter like that before?! And you stole Rose's mushrooms?" she accused him with horrible disdain.
"It…it was Merry's idea," Pippin said, his voice coming out in an embarrassed squeak. "Please, I just wanted to talk to Diamond for a moment?" he asked, his figure shrinking under her mother's glare.
"No! I will not have you upsetting my daughter again!" she shouted, ready to slam the door. Tears of surprise and shame sprung into Pippin's eyes, and he lowered his head. Perhaps he wasn't respectable after all.
"Mother, it's alright. Can I talk to him please?" he heard Diamond ask, and he looked up in hope.
"Oh…Oh Diamond I don't want him upsetting you. That little rascal is no good," she said, and Pippin turned to leave.
"Please mother? We will just go for a walk down the lane, and I will be back for supper," she said. Her mother, who always gave Diamond anything that she wanted, finally relented.
"Oh, bother. Fine, be off with you two. And you had better not disturb her Peregrin Took, or I will have your neck," she said sharply, slamming the door. Diamond stood outside and crossed her arms.
"Well?" she asked, walking next to Pippin. "What did you want to say?" she asked sharply, but Pippin made no response. He sniffled slightly and sighed. "Pippin?" Diamond asked, her voice softening slightly. "What is it?" she asked him.
"How come you all hate me?" he asked her, his usual jovial attitude gone.
"I don't hate you," she replied quietly.
"Then why did you back up before? Did you think I was going to hurt you?" he asked her.
"I was a little afraid," she admitted. "But I don't hate you. You're just wild, that's all," she said. Pippin frowned, not content with that answer. "Is that what you came to talk to me about?" she asked him, slightly indigent.
"No," Pippin admitted quietly after a pause. "I came to say that I was sorry about before," he said. He blushed, unaccustomed to truly apologizing about any trouble that he had caused.
"Oh. Well, thank you," Diamond said after a pause, surprised. They walked on in silence for a little ways. "You know, you're really not that bad of a hobbit when you're not around Merry," she said to him finally.
"Merry's not a bad hobbit either!" Pippin said indigently. "He's my best friend," he said. Diamond sighed and glanced at Pippin.
"Yes, I know that. But he's the one always getting you into trouble," she pointed out.
"But I have fun with Merry. I don't care if we get into trouble every once in a while," he said. "Or all of the time," he added, seeing Diamond's look.
"And you wonder why the other hobbits don't like you," Diamond said. Pippin scowled and looked away.
"Oh, you're just a girl," he said finally, and Diamond raised her eyebrows.
"And what does that have to do with anything, Peregrin Took?" she asked him, stopping and putting her hands on her hips.
"Well…oh I don't know," he said, shuffling his feet slightly. A look of amusement leaped into Diamond's eyes. Leaning forward, she gave Pippin a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hey!" he exclaimed, wiping his cheek with his hand. "Ugh, what was that for?" he asked with disgust. Diamond frowned and stepped back.
"You will never grow up Peregrin Took!" she shouted, and turned to run away.
"Diamond!" he shouted after her, but she was already gone down the path. "Oh bother, now her mother's going to be after me again. What did she have to go and do that for?" he muttered to himself, walking down the path back to where he left the mushrooms. "I'll never understand girls," he said.
"So I heard that Diamond's mom yelled at you last night," Merry said. Pippin nodded with a bit of a laugh.
"Yes, but that's not even the best part. She kissed me!" he exclaimed laughing. Merry's eyes widened, and he burst out into surprised laughter.
"On the lips?" he asked unbelievable, and Pippin shook his head.
"Eww, no. That probably would have killed me. On the cheek, silly," he said.
"And you survived. I'm proud of you," Merry said, jokingly patting Pippin on the back. "Here, have a mushroom," he said. Pippin took the mushroom and shoved it in his mouth. Pippin said something, but Merry wasn't able to make out the words. "Oh finish chewing Pip. I can't understand a word that you're saying," he said.
"I said," Pippin started, swallowing the mushroom. "I said that it wasn't so bad," he said with a little grin. Merry raised his eyebrows and put his hand to Pippin's forehead.
"Are you feeling alright Pip? I think we picked a bad batch of mushrooms," he said, hurriedly putting the mushrooms back into the bag.
"No no, it's not the mushrooms," Pippin said laughing. Merry looked at him oddly and shook his head.
"But…you're telling me that you enjoyed being kissed…by a girl?" Merry said incredulously. "You must be sick…I think you have a fever," he said. Pippin smirked and shook his head.
"Hey, I never said I actually enjoyed it. I just said that it wasn't so bad," he chuckled. Merry laughed slightly and stood up.
"I think that girl's infected you. You must be cleaned!" he said. Leaning over he gave Pippin a shove on the shoulder, sending him rolling into a puddle of mud.
"You have an interesting version of cleaning someone Merry, but I like it!" Pippin chuckled. Grabbing his friend's knees, he pulled him into the mud puddle. Laughter erupted from the two cousins, and within seconds mud was covering every part of their body.
"Like two hogs in a mud puddle," said a disapproving voice above them. Pippin glanced up and instantly crawled out of the mud puddle, but Merry just sighed.
"Why are you always here to ruin our fun Diamond?" he asked her. Diamond just shook her head and looked down upon the two with disdain. Merry frowned and pulled Pippin back into the mud puddle. Pippin refused to look up and make eye contact with Diamond. Merry looked from Pippin to Diamond, an exasperated look on his face. "You're right Pip, it wasn't the mushrooms. And if the mud can't clean you of her germs, perhaps it can clean her!" he exclaimed. With that sentence, Merry pulled a pile of mud from the group and flung it at Diamond.
"Merry!" Pippin gasped. "What are you doing?!" he exclaimed. Diamond stood before them, her mouth open in shock and mud dripping from her face and hair.
"Just having a bit of fun," he grinned cheekily.
"You little…" Diamond started furiously. Merry just grinned back at her, raising her temper even more. With a strangled cry, Diamond leaned down and threw mud in Merry's face. Pippin gasped, then broke out into a fit of laughter at the comical looks on both of their faces. "And you!" Diamond exclaimed, turning to Pippin. He held his sides with tears streaming down his face, trying to stop laughing. Diamond frowned and pushed him, sending him rolling into the mud again.
"Hey!" Pippin exclaimed as started to laugh. His angry glare at Diamond turned playful, and he leaned forward and pulled on her arm.
"Hey! Stop! What are you doing?" she asked, trying to back away. Merry grinned and grabbed her other arms. As Diamond tried to pull away, her feet slipped out from under her and she landed on her rear end in the mud puddle. Her mouth open in shock, she slung more mud at Merry and Pippin. A giggle escaped her mouth, and she put her hand over it in horror.
"You like it? Here, have some more!" Pippin said. Splattering mud over Diamonds head, he scurried away from her in laughter. Diamond gave into the enjoyment of her frolic in the mud, and burst out into giggles.
The three hobbits were so preoccupied with their play that they didn't notice the older hobbit standing over them in horror. "Diamond!" she exclaimed, and the young girl whirled around.
"Mother!" Diamond gasped, standing up quickly. "I was just….uh…" she stammered, trying to shake the mud out of her hair and wipe it off of her clothes. To her partial relief though, he mother's furious glare was focused on the two hobbits sitting behind her.
"You two! I thought I told you to stay away from my daughter!" she shouted, shaking her finger in Pippin's face. "I'm going to have a talk with your mother tonight!" she said angrily, stepping back. Pippin lowered his head, and even Merry was silenced by her tone.
"It's not…" Diamond started, but stopped when her mother whirled to face her.
"You are not allowed to see him ever again young lady. You two are to be kept separate. I knew that he was poisoning your mind," she said, casting a scornful glare at Pippin. Merry opened his mouth to say something, but closed it abruptly. "You're not allowed to see either of them, Diamond. They're both nothing but trouble. Perhaps if they ever do something good with their lives I'll allow you to be within ten feet of them, but these two will never grow up to be respectable hobbits; they're a lost cause," she said with exasperation.
Grabbing Diamond's arm, she pulled her away from Merry and Pippin. "Come on Diamond; we're going home," she said. Diamond stole one more glance at Pippin, but Pippin's head was down. With a sad glance towards Merry, Diamond turned around and allowed herself to be dragged off by her mother.
Pippin sat quietly for a few moments, his head still down. Merry have him a half-hearted punch on the shoulder with a small smile.
"Hey, cheer up. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked, and Pippin looked up with a scowl. Getting up, he wiped the mud off of his clothes and sighed.
"I'm going home to get changed. I'll meet you at Bag End tonight to get Frodo?" he asked, and Merry nodded. As Pippin turned and started to walk away, Merry stood up and looked at his cousin.
"Hey Pip…are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah…I'm fine," Pippin answered without turning around. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Pippin continued on his path home. Merry opened his mouth to say something else, but he closed it with a sigh. Picking up the bag of mushrooms, he wiped some splatters of mud off of the bag. Slinging it over his shoulder, he turned quietly to go home.
The sky was still growing dark as Pippin walked towards Diamond's hobbit hole. His intention was to just pass it by and continue on his way to Bag End, but something made him stop by the gate. Peering in the window, he saw Diamond's form hovering over a table, writing something. A funny feeling crept into his stomach, and he shook his head.
"This is nonsense. She's just a girl, and neither Merry nor Frodo have any girl friends," Pippin muttered to himself. As he turned to go, he saw Diamond's form glance up and look out of the window. Through the hazy glass they made eye contact for a moment. Diamond started to get up, but then paused as her mother entered the room. Pippin quickly broke their eye contact, and managed to get out of the view of the window before her mother saw her. Continuing down the path, he paused a few feet away when he thought he heard his name. Ignoring it, he picked up his feet to continue walking when the call came again, closer this time.
"Pippin!" the voice hissed loudly, and Pippin turned around with hope in his eyes. Diamond had climbed through on of the windows. Seeing Pippin stop, she hurried through the garden and climbed over the fence. Stopping in front of Pippin, she lowered her eyes sheepishly. "I was done learning my letters for the night anyway. I…it's a lovely night, isn't it?" she said, and Pippin smiled slightly.
"Yeah, it is. I'm walking to Bag End to meet up with Frodo and Merry…um, I don't think they'd appreciate you joining us, but if you want to walk a bit of the ways to Hobbiton with me…that is, if you won't get into any trouble," he said quickly, thankful that the blush that had crept into his cheeks was hidden by the nights shadow.
"It should be fine," she said, walking next to him. "Listen, Pippin…I'm sorry about before. I know it wasn't your fault, and I should've said something to my mother," she apologized, holding her hands out before her. Pippin just shrugged and looked down at the ground.
"It's not like it was your fault. Merry and I were just fooling around, and you got caught up in it. Your mother's right though…you probably shouldn't hang around us," he said.
"But I want to!" Diamond said, before closing her mouth quickly. "I mean…you aren't as bad as everyone thinks that you are. You know how to have fun," she said, and Pippin smiled. "I just feel bad now because we can't play or anything. My mother won't let me near you, she wasn't lying about that," she said.
"Yeah…" Pippin started, glancing up at Diamond. "Well, you know, one day I'll turn into a respectable hobbit. I'll do something that will make your mother like me again," he said, and Diamond chuckled to herself. "What?" asked Pippin indigently, and Diamond shook her head with a smile.
"Nothing. I just wouldn't count on that happening," she smirked.
"What, me doing something respectable or your mother liking me?" Pippin asked.
"Both!" Diamond exclaimed with a laugh. "You are nothing but a trouble maker," she said. Quieting down, she looked at Pippin. "But I really don't mind," she said, shuffling her feet a bit. Pippin looked up, and a small grin crept across his face. Leaning forward, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Diamond gasped, and raised her hand to her cheek, causing Pippin to laugh. "What was that for?" she asked.
"I just felt like doing it," said Pippin as he shoved his hands into his pockets sheepishly. Diamond grinned but stopped walking. "What's wrong?" asked Pippin, turning around to face her.
"I've got to turn back here," she said. "Mother will miss me if I'm gone for too long," she said. Pippin nodded, and Diamond waved goodbye. As she turned to leave, Pippin reached out and grabbed her arm. Before she had a chance to react, he swung her around and kissed her lightly on the lips. When they parted, Diamond's eyes were glazed over in surprised shock. "And what was that for?" she asked, breathless. Pippin smiled, a pleased twinkle in his eye.
"Same reason as before," he said with a grin. "'Cause I wanted to," he smiled. She smiled back, and turned to go again. "Diamond," Pippin said, and she turned to look at him.
"Yes?" she asked, and Pippin's gaze grew more serious for a moment.
"I will become a respectable hobbit one day, just you wait and see. I'll prove myself to your mother, and to everyone else in the Shire. I'll do something good with my life. Just you wait and see," he said solemnly, but with a content grin. Diamond smiled and nodded. Waving goodbye, Pippin turned and ran down the path, hurrying to meet Merry and Frodo. After he was out of sight, Diamond released a happy giggle.
"I'm going to marry that hobbit one day," she said happily to herself. Turning back into the night, she walked towards home where she would wait until she had another chance to talk to Pippin again.
20 years later
Pippin walked wearily up the lane, alone at last. Merry had ridden off to Buckland, Sam had left to go see Rosie, and Frodo had gone with him. Standing alone in the middle of the road, Pippin turned in a circle and looked at the land around him. The Shire wasn't the same as it had been when he left.
"Perhaps I don't belong here…I miss Elesser and Gandalf," he said to himself. Ready for a good rest and a good smoke after the epic battle he had just endured, Pippin turned slowly towards the path home.
"Peregrin?" a voice called tentatively from far away. Pippin sighed and turned around, just wanting to go home. His black and sable outfit glimmered in the setting sun underneath his cloak, and his eyes glinted with the same glory. As he recognized the figure running up the road, he felt his weariness lift and his sorrow melt away.
"Diamond!" he shouted giddily. Discarding the noble manner that he had grown accustomed to using, he took off down the path. Throwing his arms open, he caught Diamond with happiness. "Oh Diamond," was all he could say, his throat caught with tears. "There were times where I never thought I would see you again," he said finally, pulling back slightly and holding her at arms length.
"I never thought I would see you again…but you came back…you came back!" she exclaimed, tears running down her face. Hugging him again, she sobbed into his cloak. He stroked her hair fondly and gripped her tightly. With a small smile, he looked into her eyes.
"I told you so," he said with a happy and content glint in his eyes. Diamond tilted her head but smiled.
"You told me a lot of things Pip. What are you talking about?" she asked him.
"I told you that I'd become a respectable hobbit…I told you that I would do something good with my life," he said proudly, tears choking in his throat again. Diamond laughed with the tears streaming down her face. Gripping him again, she laughed with him.
"Yes you did Pippin. Yes you did."
| |
"Peregrin Took!" echoed the bellowing cry. Pippin jumped and whirled around, his cheeks flushed.
"Y-yes ma'am?" he asked the female hobbit who stood towering over him.
"What are you doing in my garden?" she asked him angrily. "And what have you done to my petunias?!" she shouted, rushing over to the crumpled flowers. Pippin looked around anxiously for Merry, but his friend was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm sorry Mistress Rose…I…I thought that I saw a rabbit come runnin' in, and I was trying to catch it," the young hobbit stammered. "I'm sorry about your flowers," he said.
"Get out!" Rose Bolger yelled, and Pippin wasted no time running through the gate of the garden and down the lane. Stopping by the bend, he turned around to see Merry come jogging up to him laughing.
"That wasn't funny," Pippin said, a hurt expression on his face. Merry just laughed harder.
"Oh come now, that was hysterical. You should have seen the look on your face!" Merry exclaimed, and Pippin scowled. "Oh, don't be such a wet rag. We got some of the mushrooms from the garden, didn't we?" he said. Pippin brightened noticeably at the mention of the mushrooms.
"Well yes, I suppose you're right. And Old Lady Bolger was pretty funny about it," he chuckled. Merry slapped him on the back and led the younger hobbit down the road.
"And how would you act if those were your mushrooms that were stolen?" a new voice piped in behind them. Pippin and Merry looked over their shoulders and saw the small female hobbit standing behind them.
"Oh hello Diamond. How are you on this fine mornin'?" Merry asked her, rolling his eyes to Pippin. Pippin snorted a little bit, and Diamond put her hands on her hips.
"You two are so immature. When will you grow up?" she asked them.
"Well, we might not grow up much more, but we might grow sideways," Pippin said, sending him and Merry into fits of laughter.
"With any luck!" Merry exclaimed, doubled over in laughter. Diamond scowled, and walked forward. Snatching the bag of mushrooms from Merry's hand, she stepped back.
"Hey!" Merry exclaimed, his laughter dissolving. "Give that back!" he said, turning around to face the other hobbit.
"And why should I? They are not your mushrooms anyway," Diamond said sharply, and Merry took a step forward. Frightened, Diamond stepped back again.
"I said give them to me. They're ours now," Merry said, slightly angry.
"Or what?" Diamond asked, but her voice was shaky.
"Or I will chase you from here to the elf lands, that's what," he said stepping forward again.
"Oh give it a rest Merry," Pippin said, laying a hand on his friend's arm. Merry looked at him in surprise.
"But she has our mushrooms!" he exclaimed, and Pippin nodded.
"I know. Now Diamond, are you going to give those back to us?" he asked, stepping forwards himself. Diamond stepped back again, and Pippin frowned. "Is that a no?" he asked quietly.
"Here, have the stupid mushrooms!" Diamond said angrily, throwing the bag at them. Merry caught the bag happily as Diamond turned and fled.
"See? You didn't have to chase her after all," Pippin said, but his voice was sad. Merry didn't notice, and walked happily down the road.
"No I didn't. Now we have the mushrooms and we didn't need to waste any extra energy in getting them," he said happily.
"Merry, why does everyone seem to think that I'm such a horrible hobbit? I would never hurt anybody," Pippin asked his friend.
"It's 'cause you hand out with me, and I'm so dishonorable," Merry smiled cheekily, but then he saw the sadness in his friend's eyes. "Aw Pip, nobody thinks that you're a bad hobbit," he reassured his friend.
"But why did Diamond think that I would hurt her? You saw her back away…I feel bad," Pippin said. Merry just shrugged and tossed Pippin the bag of mushrooms.
"She's just s girl Pippin. She was just over reacting," Merry said. "All right, now you'd better not eat any of those mushrooms before tomorrow night; there's just enough for you, and me, and then some for Frodo," Merry said as he started to back down the road that led to his house.
"I won't," Pippin promised, although his stomach was already growling with hunger. Merry grinned and waved goodbye. Waving back, Pippin held the bag of mushrooms tight in his hand. As he watched Merry walk away, Pippin glanced up into the sky. The sun was just starting to settle over the horizon, and he knew it would be dark soon.
"I'll show them though…I'll show them that I'm not immature," he said to himself. Storing the mushrooms away in a hole in a log for later, Pippin started back down the road. Upon reaching the hobbit hole where he knew Diamond lived, Pippin paused a moment at the gate. Shrugging to himself, he walked past it and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" came an elderly female voice from inside.
"It's Peregrin Took," he said loudly, and he heard footsteps hurrying to the door swiftly. The door swung open, and Diamond's mother stood raging in the doorway. Behind her, Pippin could see Diamond standing quietly watching them.
"You! What were you doing scaring my daughter like that before?! And you stole Rose's mushrooms?" she accused him with horrible disdain.
"It…it was Merry's idea," Pippin said, his voice coming out in an embarrassed squeak. "Please, I just wanted to talk to Diamond for a moment?" he asked, his figure shrinking under her mother's glare.
"No! I will not have you upsetting my daughter again!" she shouted, ready to slam the door. Tears of surprise and shame sprung into Pippin's eyes, and he lowered his head. Perhaps he wasn't respectable after all.
"Mother, it's alright. Can I talk to him please?" he heard Diamond ask, and he looked up in hope.
"Oh…Oh Diamond I don't want him upsetting you. That little rascal is no good," she said, and Pippin turned to leave.
"Please mother? We will just go for a walk down the lane, and I will be back for supper," she said. Her mother, who always gave Diamond anything that she wanted, finally relented.
"Oh, bother. Fine, be off with you two. And you had better not disturb her Peregrin Took, or I will have your neck," she said sharply, slamming the door. Diamond stood outside and crossed her arms.
"Well?" she asked, walking next to Pippin. "What did you want to say?" she asked sharply, but Pippin made no response. He sniffled slightly and sighed. "Pippin?" Diamond asked, her voice softening slightly. "What is it?" she asked him.
"How come you all hate me?" he asked her, his usual jovial attitude gone.
"I don't hate you," she replied quietly.
"Then why did you back up before? Did you think I was going to hurt you?" he asked her.
"I was a little afraid," she admitted. "But I don't hate you. You're just wild, that's all," she said. Pippin frowned, not content with that answer. "Is that what you came to talk to me about?" she asked him, slightly indigent.
"No," Pippin admitted quietly after a pause. "I came to say that I was sorry about before," he said. He blushed, unaccustomed to truly apologizing about any trouble that he had caused.
"Oh. Well, thank you," Diamond said after a pause, surprised. They walked on in silence for a little ways. "You know, you're really not that bad of a hobbit when you're not around Merry," she said to him finally.
"Merry's not a bad hobbit either!" Pippin said indigently. "He's my best friend," he said. Diamond sighed and glanced at Pippin.
"Yes, I know that. But he's the one always getting you into trouble," she pointed out.
"But I have fun with Merry. I don't care if we get into trouble every once in a while," he said. "Or all of the time," he added, seeing Diamond's look.
"And you wonder why the other hobbits don't like you," Diamond said. Pippin scowled and looked away.
"Oh, you're just a girl," he said finally, and Diamond raised her eyebrows.
"And what does that have to do with anything, Peregrin Took?" she asked him, stopping and putting her hands on her hips.
"Well…oh I don't know," he said, shuffling his feet slightly. A look of amusement leaped into Diamond's eyes. Leaning forward, she gave Pippin a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hey!" he exclaimed, wiping his cheek with his hand. "Ugh, what was that for?" he asked with disgust. Diamond frowned and stepped back.
"You will never grow up Peregrin Took!" she shouted, and turned to run away.
"Diamond!" he shouted after her, but she was already gone down the path. "Oh bother, now her mother's going to be after me again. What did she have to go and do that for?" he muttered to himself, walking down the path back to where he left the mushrooms. "I'll never understand girls," he said.
"So I heard that Diamond's mom yelled at you last night," Merry said. Pippin nodded with a bit of a laugh.
"Yes, but that's not even the best part. She kissed me!" he exclaimed laughing. Merry's eyes widened, and he burst out into surprised laughter.
"On the lips?" he asked unbelievable, and Pippin shook his head.
"Eww, no. That probably would have killed me. On the cheek, silly," he said.
"And you survived. I'm proud of you," Merry said, jokingly patting Pippin on the back. "Here, have a mushroom," he said. Pippin took the mushroom and shoved it in his mouth. Pippin said something, but Merry wasn't able to make out the words. "Oh finish chewing Pip. I can't understand a word that you're saying," he said.
"I said," Pippin started, swallowing the mushroom. "I said that it wasn't so bad," he said with a little grin. Merry raised his eyebrows and put his hand to Pippin's forehead.
"Are you feeling alright Pip? I think we picked a bad batch of mushrooms," he said, hurriedly putting the mushrooms back into the bag.
"No no, it's not the mushrooms," Pippin said laughing. Merry looked at him oddly and shook his head.
"But…you're telling me that you enjoyed being kissed…by a girl?" Merry said incredulously. "You must be sick…I think you have a fever," he said. Pippin smirked and shook his head.
"Hey, I never said I actually enjoyed it. I just said that it wasn't so bad," he chuckled. Merry laughed slightly and stood up.
"I think that girl's infected you. You must be cleaned!" he said. Leaning over he gave Pippin a shove on the shoulder, sending him rolling into a puddle of mud.
"You have an interesting version of cleaning someone Merry, but I like it!" Pippin chuckled. Grabbing his friend's knees, he pulled him into the mud puddle. Laughter erupted from the two cousins, and within seconds mud was covering every part of their body.
"Like two hogs in a mud puddle," said a disapproving voice above them. Pippin glanced up and instantly crawled out of the mud puddle, but Merry just sighed.
"Why are you always here to ruin our fun Diamond?" he asked her. Diamond just shook her head and looked down upon the two with disdain. Merry frowned and pulled Pippin back into the mud puddle. Pippin refused to look up and make eye contact with Diamond. Merry looked from Pippin to Diamond, an exasperated look on his face. "You're right Pip, it wasn't the mushrooms. And if the mud can't clean you of her germs, perhaps it can clean her!" he exclaimed. With that sentence, Merry pulled a pile of mud from the group and flung it at Diamond.
"Merry!" Pippin gasped. "What are you doing?!" he exclaimed. Diamond stood before them, her mouth open in shock and mud dripping from her face and hair.
"Just having a bit of fun," he grinned cheekily.
"You little…" Diamond started furiously. Merry just grinned back at her, raising her temper even more. With a strangled cry, Diamond leaned down and threw mud in Merry's face. Pippin gasped, then broke out into a fit of laughter at the comical looks on both of their faces. "And you!" Diamond exclaimed, turning to Pippin. He held his sides with tears streaming down his face, trying to stop laughing. Diamond frowned and pushed him, sending him rolling into the mud again.
"Hey!" Pippin exclaimed as started to laugh. His angry glare at Diamond turned playful, and he leaned forward and pulled on her arm.
"Hey! Stop! What are you doing?" she asked, trying to back away. Merry grinned and grabbed her other arms. As Diamond tried to pull away, her feet slipped out from under her and she landed on her rear end in the mud puddle. Her mouth open in shock, she slung more mud at Merry and Pippin. A giggle escaped her mouth, and she put her hand over it in horror.
"You like it? Here, have some more!" Pippin said. Splattering mud over Diamonds head, he scurried away from her in laughter. Diamond gave into the enjoyment of her frolic in the mud, and burst out into giggles.
The three hobbits were so preoccupied with their play that they didn't notice the older hobbit standing over them in horror. "Diamond!" she exclaimed, and the young girl whirled around.
"Mother!" Diamond gasped, standing up quickly. "I was just….uh…" she stammered, trying to shake the mud out of her hair and wipe it off of her clothes. To her partial relief though, he mother's furious glare was focused on the two hobbits sitting behind her.
"You two! I thought I told you to stay away from my daughter!" she shouted, shaking her finger in Pippin's face. "I'm going to have a talk with your mother tonight!" she said angrily, stepping back. Pippin lowered his head, and even Merry was silenced by her tone.
"It's not…" Diamond started, but stopped when her mother whirled to face her.
"You are not allowed to see him ever again young lady. You two are to be kept separate. I knew that he was poisoning your mind," she said, casting a scornful glare at Pippin. Merry opened his mouth to say something, but closed it abruptly. "You're not allowed to see either of them, Diamond. They're both nothing but trouble. Perhaps if they ever do something good with their lives I'll allow you to be within ten feet of them, but these two will never grow up to be respectable hobbits; they're a lost cause," she said with exasperation.
Grabbing Diamond's arm, she pulled her away from Merry and Pippin. "Come on Diamond; we're going home," she said. Diamond stole one more glance at Pippin, but Pippin's head was down. With a sad glance towards Merry, Diamond turned around and allowed herself to be dragged off by her mother.
Pippin sat quietly for a few moments, his head still down. Merry have him a half-hearted punch on the shoulder with a small smile.
"Hey, cheer up. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked, and Pippin looked up with a scowl. Getting up, he wiped the mud off of his clothes and sighed.
"I'm going home to get changed. I'll meet you at Bag End tonight to get Frodo?" he asked, and Merry nodded. As Pippin turned and started to walk away, Merry stood up and looked at his cousin.
"Hey Pip…are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah…I'm fine," Pippin answered without turning around. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Pippin continued on his path home. Merry opened his mouth to say something else, but he closed it with a sigh. Picking up the bag of mushrooms, he wiped some splatters of mud off of the bag. Slinging it over his shoulder, he turned quietly to go home.
The sky was still growing dark as Pippin walked towards Diamond's hobbit hole. His intention was to just pass it by and continue on his way to Bag End, but something made him stop by the gate. Peering in the window, he saw Diamond's form hovering over a table, writing something. A funny feeling crept into his stomach, and he shook his head.
"This is nonsense. She's just a girl, and neither Merry nor Frodo have any girl friends," Pippin muttered to himself. As he turned to go, he saw Diamond's form glance up and look out of the window. Through the hazy glass they made eye contact for a moment. Diamond started to get up, but then paused as her mother entered the room. Pippin quickly broke their eye contact, and managed to get out of the view of the window before her mother saw her. Continuing down the path, he paused a few feet away when he thought he heard his name. Ignoring it, he picked up his feet to continue walking when the call came again, closer this time.
"Pippin!" the voice hissed loudly, and Pippin turned around with hope in his eyes. Diamond had climbed through on of the windows. Seeing Pippin stop, she hurried through the garden and climbed over the fence. Stopping in front of Pippin, she lowered her eyes sheepishly. "I was done learning my letters for the night anyway. I…it's a lovely night, isn't it?" she said, and Pippin smiled slightly.
"Yeah, it is. I'm walking to Bag End to meet up with Frodo and Merry…um, I don't think they'd appreciate you joining us, but if you want to walk a bit of the ways to Hobbiton with me…that is, if you won't get into any trouble," he said quickly, thankful that the blush that had crept into his cheeks was hidden by the nights shadow.
"It should be fine," she said, walking next to him. "Listen, Pippin…I'm sorry about before. I know it wasn't your fault, and I should've said something to my mother," she apologized, holding her hands out before her. Pippin just shrugged and looked down at the ground.
"It's not like it was your fault. Merry and I were just fooling around, and you got caught up in it. Your mother's right though…you probably shouldn't hang around us," he said.
"But I want to!" Diamond said, before closing her mouth quickly. "I mean…you aren't as bad as everyone thinks that you are. You know how to have fun," she said, and Pippin smiled. "I just feel bad now because we can't play or anything. My mother won't let me near you, she wasn't lying about that," she said.
"Yeah…" Pippin started, glancing up at Diamond. "Well, you know, one day I'll turn into a respectable hobbit. I'll do something that will make your mother like me again," he said, and Diamond chuckled to herself. "What?" asked Pippin indigently, and Diamond shook her head with a smile.
"Nothing. I just wouldn't count on that happening," she smirked.
"What, me doing something respectable or your mother liking me?" Pippin asked.
"Both!" Diamond exclaimed with a laugh. "You are nothing but a trouble maker," she said. Quieting down, she looked at Pippin. "But I really don't mind," she said, shuffling her feet a bit. Pippin looked up, and a small grin crept across his face. Leaning forward, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Diamond gasped, and raised her hand to her cheek, causing Pippin to laugh. "What was that for?" she asked.
"I just felt like doing it," said Pippin as he shoved his hands into his pockets sheepishly. Diamond grinned but stopped walking. "What's wrong?" asked Pippin, turning around to face her.
"I've got to turn back here," she said. "Mother will miss me if I'm gone for too long," she said. Pippin nodded, and Diamond waved goodbye. As she turned to leave, Pippin reached out and grabbed her arm. Before she had a chance to react, he swung her around and kissed her lightly on the lips. When they parted, Diamond's eyes were glazed over in surprised shock. "And what was that for?" she asked, breathless. Pippin smiled, a pleased twinkle in his eye.
"Same reason as before," he said with a grin. "'Cause I wanted to," he smiled. She smiled back, and turned to go again. "Diamond," Pippin said, and she turned to look at him.
"Yes?" she asked, and Pippin's gaze grew more serious for a moment.
"I will become a respectable hobbit one day, just you wait and see. I'll prove myself to your mother, and to everyone else in the Shire. I'll do something good with my life. Just you wait and see," he said solemnly, but with a content grin. Diamond smiled and nodded. Waving goodbye, Pippin turned and ran down the path, hurrying to meet Merry and Frodo. After he was out of sight, Diamond released a happy giggle.
"I'm going to marry that hobbit one day," she said happily to herself. Turning back into the night, she walked towards home where she would wait until she had another chance to talk to Pippin again.
20 years later
Pippin walked wearily up the lane, alone at last. Merry had ridden off to Buckland, Sam had left to go see Rosie, and Frodo had gone with him. Standing alone in the middle of the road, Pippin turned in a circle and looked at the land around him. The Shire wasn't the same as it had been when he left.
"Perhaps I don't belong here…I miss Elesser and Gandalf," he said to himself. Ready for a good rest and a good smoke after the epic battle he had just endured, Pippin turned slowly towards the path home.
"Peregrin?" a voice called tentatively from far away. Pippin sighed and turned around, just wanting to go home. His black and sable outfit glimmered in the setting sun underneath his cloak, and his eyes glinted with the same glory. As he recognized the figure running up the road, he felt his weariness lift and his sorrow melt away.
"Diamond!" he shouted giddily. Discarding the noble manner that he had grown accustomed to using, he took off down the path. Throwing his arms open, he caught Diamond with happiness. "Oh Diamond," was all he could say, his throat caught with tears. "There were times where I never thought I would see you again," he said finally, pulling back slightly and holding her at arms length.
"I never thought I would see you again…but you came back…you came back!" she exclaimed, tears running down her face. Hugging him again, she sobbed into his cloak. He stroked her hair fondly and gripped her tightly. With a small smile, he looked into her eyes.
"I told you so," he said with a happy and content glint in his eyes. Diamond tilted her head but smiled.
"You told me a lot of things Pip. What are you talking about?" she asked him.
"I told you that I'd become a respectable hobbit…I told you that I would do something good with my life," he said proudly, tears choking in his throat again. Diamond laughed with the tears streaming down her face. Gripping him again, she laughed with him.
"Yes you did Pippin. Yes you did."
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