Chapter Two

Pippin Faces His Fear

"Here it is," Merry said, and was about to open the door, when Pippin spoke.

"Do I really have to do this?" he asked.

"Pip-"

"Right. Sorry, go right ahead." Pippin said. Merry opened the door. They looked around.

"Looks like they haven't left."
"Who?"
"The mourners."

"Do you think he's finally dead?" Pippin asked, hopefully.

"No. The Healer said at least one more week."

"Damn," Pippin said. Then, they heard voices.

"Oh, Esie, I miss him so."

"I know you do, Tina, I know." Esmeralda said, trying to comfert her,

Eglantine Took was in shambles. First her son, now her husband.

"I hope he's still alive somewhere." she said.

"It's a very big possiblity."

"I know."

"Who's talking?" Pippin whispered.

"My mother and your mother."

"Really?" Pippin asked. "I knew she cared about me, but I always thought she let my father abuse me."

"Pip-"

"No really, I did."

"Surprise her." Merry said.

"Whaddya mean?" Pippin asked.

"Walk in there. She'll recognize you in a millisecond."

"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, and my mom will too."

"Alright." Pippin said, and walked in.

"Go away." Eglantine said.

"Okay," Pippin said, about to leave the room.

"Wait, stop."

"Why?" Pippin asked, turning around.

"Oh my... It is you! My son has returned!" Eglantine said, and took Pippin in a tight hug.

"Hi." Pippin said. He watched as Esmeralda took him in, and then hugged him too.

"Can't. Breathe." Pippin said, and both of them let go.

''Thank you," Pippin said.

"My baby boy!" Eglantine said, covering him in kisses.

"Mom," Pippin said, but it sounded weird. Unknown to his tongue and lips.

"Come in here," Eglantine said. "You need to see your father."

"The reason I ran away was because of him." Pippin told her.

"Peregrin, you need to face your fears." Eglantine said, and dragged him into the room.

"Paladin." she said. No movement. "Paladin!" she said louder. A snort was the response.

"I found someone." she said. The old Hobbit's head turned towards her and Pippin.

"Who is it?"
"Peregrin."

"Okay, I saw him. Bye." Pippin said, about to leave.

"Come here boy." Paladin commanded.

"I'd rather not," Pippin said, about to back out of the room.

"Peregrin," Eglantine scolded and pushed him towards his father. Pippin stopped himself on the bed. He never made eye contact with Paladin.

"Where were you?" Paladin commanded. "Why did you leave?"
"To get away from you." Pippin replied, looking away.

"Why?"
"Why? You hit me! You whipped me! You... you..." Pippin boomed. Paladin looked at his son, no love in ihs eyes.

"I wanted you be a great Thain."

"What if I didn't want to be Thain, Paladin? You were never there for me! It was only Mum, Pimpernell, Pearl, Pervinca, Sam, Frodo, and Merry. No one else cared. That's why I ran away. You despised me, Paladin. I know you did."

"Peregrin-"

"No, please, I don't wish to talk anymore. Did you really wish to see me?"
"No."

"Figured. That's what Merry told me."

"He's a rotten, lying, Brandybuck that-"

"He isn't rotten! He was-is-my best friend!" Pippin cried. "You just don't understand." he said, and stormed out.

"How'd it go?" Merry asked when he passed by. Pippin didn't answer. He stormed out of the Hobbit hole, and ran behind a tree.

Chapter Two

Pippin Faces His Fear

"Here it is," Merry said, and was about to open the door, when Pippin spoke.

"Do I really have to do this?" he asked.

"Pip-"

"Right. Sorry, go right ahead." Pippin said. Merry opened the door. They looked around.

"Looks like they haven't left."
"Who?"
"The mourners."

"Do you think he's finally dead?" Pippin asked, hopefully.

"No. The Healer said at least one more week."

"Damn," Pippin said. Then, they heard voices.

"Oh, Esie, I miss him so."

"I know you do, Tina, I know." Esmeralda said, trying to comfert her,

Eglantine Took was in shambles. First her son, now her husband.

"I hope he's still alive somewhere." she said.

"It's a very big possiblity."

"I know."

"Who's talking?" Pippin whispered.

"My mother and your mother."

"Really?" Pippin asked. "I knew she cared about me, but I always thought she let my father abuse me."

"Pip-"

"No really, I did."

"Surprise her." Merry said.

"Whaddya mean?" Pippin asked.

"Walk in there. She'll recognize you in a millisecond."

"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, and my mom will too."

"Alright." Pippin said, and walked in.

"Go away." Eglantine said.

"Okay," Pippin said, about to leave the room.

"Wait, stop."

"Why?" Pippin asked, turning around.

"Oh my... It is you! My son has returned!" Eglantine said, and took Pippin in a tight hug.

"Hi." Pippin said. He watched as Esmeralda took him in, and then hugged him too.

"Can't. Breathe." Pippin said, and both of them let go.

''Thank you," Pippin said.

"My baby boy!" Eglantine said, covering him in kisses.

"Mom," Pippin said, but it sounded weird. Unknown to his tongue and lips.

"Come in here," Eglantine said. "You need to see your father."

"The reason I ran away was because of him." Pippin told her.

"Peregrin, you need to face your fears." Eglantine said, and dragged him into the room.

"Paladin." she said. No movement. "Paladin!" she said louder. A snort was the response.

"I found someone." she said. The old Hobbit's head turned towards her and Pippin.

"Who is it?"
"Peregrin."

"Okay, I saw him. Bye." Pippin said, about to leave.

"Come here boy." Paladin commanded.

"I'd rather not," Pippin said, about to back out of the room.

"Peregrin," Eglantine scolded and pushed him towards his father. Pippin stopped himself on the bed. He never made eye contact with Paladin.

"Where were you?" Paladin commanded. "Why did you leave?"
"To get away from you." Pippin replied, looking away.

"Why?"
"Why? You hit me! You whipped me! You... you..." Pippin boomed. Paladin looked at his son, no love in ihs eyes.

"I wanted you be a great Thain."

"What if I didn't want to be Thain, Paladin? You were never there for me! It was only Mum, Pimpernell, Pearl, Pervinca, Sam, Frodo, and Merry. No one else cared. That's why I ran away. You despised me, Paladin. I know you did."

"Peregrin-"

"No, please, I don't wish to talk anymore. Did you really wish to see me?"
"No."

"Figured. That's what Merry told me."

"He's a rotten, lying, Brandybuck that-"

"He isn't rotten! He was-is-my best friend!" Pippin cried. "You just don't understand." he said, and stormed out.

"How'd it go?" Merry asked when he passed by. Pippin didn't answer. He stormed out of the Hobbit hole, and ran behind a tree.