Hi! Well, I'm back and here's chappy #2! Really hope you like it.

Chapter 2: Warmth and Cold

Pippin sat anxiously in a finely-carved wooden chair outside Merry's room in the Houses of Healing. It had been well over an hour since he and Legolas had brought him back and Pippin was so anxious, he could barely stand it. For all he knew Merry could have died already and they were just trying to think of some way to tell him. Just then, the door to Merry's room opened and Aragorn and Legolas stepped out. Legolas continued down the hallway, but Aragorn knelt down in front of Pippin.

"Is he all right?" Pippin asked immediately.

"He is resting peacefully now." Aragorn said, "Merry is gravely injured; it's a good think you and Legolas brought him back when you did. Half and hour more out there and he would have been beyond my aide. But he has some strength left in him; he can fight this."

"What is wrong with him?" Pippin asked.

"The same thing that was wrong with Frodo when he was stabbed on Weathertop; the Black Breath." Aragorn answered.

Pippin could now help but gasp slightly; he remember like it had happened yesterday how deathly ill Frodo had been, how pale he was, how his breathing was so terribly troubled.

"Is he going to be all right?" Pippin asked, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to fall.

"At this early point, I do not yet know." Aragorn said, "But he's a strong Hobbit; he can fight this."

"May I go in and see him?" Pippin asked.

"Of course." Aragorn answered, "He needs you right now. The one thing he needs the most right now is hope and comfort."

Pippin nodded and took a deep breath to steady himself before opening the door. He opened the heavy oak door, the old hinges creaking slightly. He quietly stepped inside and took a quick survey of his surroundings. The room was a nice size and the walls and floor were tiled with smooth river rocks. On the wall to his right was a small fireplace. On the wall directly in front of him was a row of glassless windows about three feet off the ground. The view out the windows was rather nice, he had to admit, one could see a large section of the White City and all out across the Pelennor Fields. Below the windows was a small, wooden supply cabinet, a soft pallet that was about six or seven inches thick. Pippin approached the pallet quietly and knelt down beside it. He was almost brought to tears at the sight of his dearest friend. He was as still as death; the only indication that he was still alive was the shallow rise and fall of his chest as he struggled to breathe. His face was as pale as a sheet and his lips had a dangerous blue color to them. His curly golden hair was clean and soft again and it stood out starkly against his white face. His heavy, Rohirric armor had been replaced by a large, white tunic.

"Oh, Merry...." Pippin said, gently taking Merry's hand in his, "Merry, I'm here now. You don't have to be afraid; we'll fight this together."

Merry's only response was a weak moan. Pippin reached up and lightly stroked Merry's cheek, amazed at how cold his skin was.

"I'm here....I promise I won't leave you again." Pippin said, "Oh, this is all my fault! If I had not looked in that blasted Palantir, you wouldn't be in this terrible fix. I could have stayed by your side; we could have protected one another. I'm so sorry Merry. I'm so sorry."

Pippin couldn't help but let the tears come forward now. His cries were interrupted when he felt Merry weakly squeeze his hand.

"Merry?" Pippin asked hopefully, wiping the tears from his eyes, "Can you hear me?"

Merry moaned and shifted his head, weakly peeping his glazed eyes open.

"Pip?" he asked, barely audible.

"Yes, Mer, I'm here." Pippin said, giving Merry's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"This isn't your fault." Merry said.

"What?" Pippin asked.

"I could hear you; this is not your fault." Merry said, "I don't blame you."

Pippin smiled; that was at least one weight lifted off his shoulders.

"Pip, I-I have to tell you something." Merry said, "Something very important."

"I'm listening." Pippin said.

"I should have told you this a long time ago." Merry said, "I love you."

Pippin gasped softly; he could not believe what Merry just told him.

"Wh-what?" he asked when he found his voice.

"I was going to tell you in Rohan, but then Gandalf took you away. Pippin, I was so scared that we would never see each other again and you would have died without knowing." Merry said, "Pip, I truly....deeply.....love you."

Pippin felt a smile spread across his face; those were the words he had waited so long to hear.

"I love you, too, Merry. I always have. I was just too afraid to tell you." Pippin said.

Merry weakly smiled and looked up at his beloved Pippin.

"Pip, will you promise me something?" Merry asked.

"Of course, Mer, anything." Pippin said.

"Promise me that we'll always be together." Merry said.

"Yes, Mer." Pippin nodded.

"I want to hear it." Merry said intently.

"I promise that no matter what happens, we'll always be together. I'll never leave you again as long as I live. Nothing can ever come between us." Pippin said, "We just need to get you better; we can have a whole new life now that we know how we feel."

Merry nodded in agreement.

---------------------------------------------

Pippin awoke sometime during the night to the sound of raspy breathing. He was sitting, uncomfortably, upright leaned against the wall beside Merry's bed. He cursed himself for having fallen asleep. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked over to Merry. The moonlight streaming in from the windows cast a pale glow to his face and his lips looked darker than before. His breathing was raspy and very shallow.

"Merry?" he asked, concerned, leaning over him and brushing a few stray curls away from his face battered face.

Merry did not answer. Pippin placed a hand to Merry's forehead and was surprised to find that the freezing cold was replaced by burning hot. That combined with Merry's shallow gasps for air made Pippin more worried than ever.

"Merry, can you hear me?" Pippin whispered, shaking Merry gently, "Come on, wake up."

Merry moaned and scrunched up his face in pain. He weakly opened his eyes and Pippin could see agony swimming in the misty blue orbs that were his eyes.

"Pip....help me.....it hurts." Merry said, pain ringing in his voice.

"Where does it hurt?" Pippin asked.

"Everywhere." Merry answered.

All over his body, Merry could feel a deep, stabbing, almost unbearably cold pain as if he were being pierced by a thousand frozen daggers. His chest felt tight like it was being squeezed by two strong, icy hands that refused to let go until he was completely smothered. He felt an intense cold deep inside his chest close to his heart.

"I'm s-so c-cold." Merry said, trying to draw the blankets more tightly around him.

"But you're burning with fever." Pippin said, confused.

"Pip, h-help me. W-will you lay down with me?" Merry asked.

"Of course." Pippin said.

Pippin removed his small, black surcoat and his heavy chain-mail and set them aside so he was wearing only his black under-tunic and his loose, black pants. He moved the white blankets aside a bit and laid down beside Merry, drawing the covers around the two of them. Pippin gently held Merry close to him, stroking his hair in a soothing manner. Merry laid his head on Pippin's right upper-arm while he continued to stroke his curls. Pippin placed his other arm around Merry's waist and pulled him close so their bodies met.

"Shhh, shhh." Pippin cooed, trying to sooth Merry's whimpers of pain, "It'll pass. It'll pass. Don't worry, Merry; we'll get trough this together. I promise I won't leave you."

Merry found slight comfort in Pippin's words; just hearing his voice again after so long was enough to bring comfort to him. He could feel Pippin's warmth penetrating him and spreading throughout his body. He knew the only thing keeping the cold from reaching his heart was the warmth that Pippin was giving him. Pippin placed a gentle kiss to Merry's hot forehead and settled his head next to Merry's.

"I'll never leave you." Pippin whispered reassuringly.

"I love you, Pip." Merry whispered weakly, "I've dreamed of you for so long."

"You dream about me?" Pippin asked.

"Yes.....almost every night." Merry said.

Pippin could not help but smile a little. He had never felt this way about anyone. Merry just made him feel so happy....so loved. They had always known they had a very special connection, they just were afraid to really express it. But, right now, instead of rejoicing for their now-found love, Pippin was very scared. Merry, the one person he cared for the most in the world, was laying before him on the brink of death and there was nothing he could do. He and Merry had just discovered their true feelings for one another and now Merry's life could be snuffed out at any moment like a candle in a storm.....