Disclaimer: Merry and Pippin are not mine. pout. But maybe someday...

Credits: BedTimeMonster, for her amazing story writing skills. This story was based off her Fic called "Wonder". Please, you should all read and review. And then review again. And then maybe review one more time for good luck. Both her fic and mine!

Merry is 13, Pippin is 5.

Bedtime Story

"Meddy?" Came a soft whisper close to the bed. Merry mumbled something in his sleep and turned over.

"Meddyyyyy!" The whisper became more urgent and was followed by a series of tugs at Merry's blanket.

"What?!" Merry hissed, spinning around in his bed to face the dark form of his 5-year- old cousin, Pippin. The lad seemed to consider what he was going to say before he stammered, "There's a big storm outside."

"Yes, I know, Pippin." Merry answered, "And I'm trying to sleep through it." It was way past midnight, and Merry was desperate to go back to sleep.

"I'm scared, Meddy." Pippin whimpered as thunder rolled over the skies of Buckland. Merry sighed; it was too late at night for this. "Just cover your head with a bunch of pillows, you won't even notice the storm." Merry yawned and lay back in bed. "No, no!" came the squeaked reply. "Umm... Can I sleep with you? I don't like being alone when the sky's all angry like this."

"No!" Merry hissed. "Go to your own room."

"But Meddy-"

" I said no! You kick too much and take up all the space. Now leave me alone!" Surprisingly, Pippin was quiet. He stood silently next to Merry's bed, and flinched when lightning flashed through the window. When Merry still didn't move, Pippin curled up into a little ball on the floor and began to cry.

Pippin's sniffling made it's way to Merry's ear- despite still being covered by the pillow- and he sighed. 'I didn't want to make him cry.' He thought. 'I just wanted him to go back to bed...'

Merry sat up to look at Pippin, and found his young cousin on the floor next to his bed, crying softly into his arms. Merry felt a pang of guilt, and quickly scooped the young hobbit child into his arms, and set him on the bed.

"I'm sorry Pip." Merry mumbled. He stroked Pippin's head softly until, with a shuddering sigh, Pippin stopped crying.

"I'll try not to bother you, Meddy." Pippin whispered.

"Oh, you won't." Merry answered, and hugged his younger cousin. "And if you do, I won't notice, because I'll be asleep."

Both cousins lay there for a while, as the storm raged on outside, shaking the trees and making gates creak. And though Merry's head nodded every once in a while, little Pippin was too afraid to drift into sleep.

"I can't sleep." Pippin whined after another flash of lightning made him jump up in bed. Merry was silent for a moment, trying to think of a way to make his younger relation go to sleep. But before am idea had even struck his tired mind, he felt Pippin snuggle up close to him and whisper, "Tell me a story, Meddy."

Merry was a bit taken aback. Pippin hadn't asked him to do such a thing before, and his storytelling skills weren't exactly the best. "What do you want me to tell you a story of?" Merry stammered. Pippin was silent for a moment, but then he asked abruptly, "What was it like, when we first met?"

Merry smiled as the memories washed over him. "Well, one summer day, almost 6 years ago," he began seriously as Pippin listened attentively. "My mum got a letter from your Da telling her that he'd finally gotten a little boy of his own."

"That was me, wasn't it?" Pippin asked.

"Yes, it was. So me, my Da, and my Mum got a couple of clothes, a lot of food, a present for you Mum and Da, we put it all into a cart, and set off for Tuckborough."

"Was it a long trip?"

"Oh, very long. We spent about..." Merry paused to think. "Two days on the road! Now, if I had had it my way, we would have stayed nice and comfy at home and waited until your family came to visit us."

"You didn't want to go see me?" Pippin pouted. Merry couldn't help but laugh at the indignation in his cousin's voice.

"I'm afraid I didn't, Pip. I was eight years old, and believed chasing frogs and running around Brandy Hall with Berilac and Frodo was much more fun then seeing a smelly baby."

"I wasn't smelly!" Pippin huffed. "...Was I?" He asked nervously.

"Well...You had a way of letting us know when it was time for a diaper change, but besides that, you weren't that smelly. But here's the surprise, though." Merry beckoned for Pippin to come closer, and Merry whispered into Pippin's ears. "When I first laid my eyes on you, all I could do was stare."

"Really?" Merry could tell by the tone in Pippin's voice that he had that smug little smirk on his face.

"Really." Merry said, and wrapped his hands around Pippin. "From that moment on, I know you and I were going to be the best of friends. Closer thatn brothers. And I didn't think you were a boring baby at all. I helped your Mum take care of you and now...here we are."

"Mmm. I liked that story." Pippin yawned.

"Is it just me, or did I hear you yawn?" Merry asked. Pippin nodded softly.

"Goodnight, then." Merry settled in within the blankets and soon began to doze off.

"Meddy?" He heard Pippin mumble next to him.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Merry smiled. "I love you too, Pip."

End

Legolas loves lembas, I love reviews.

Yes, I stole that from BedTimeMonster, too. Sorta.