A/N: This story was published as a different story, called "Goodbye". It was added to here because it wasn't being very successful on its own.
P.S. Some material may overlap with Chapter 1.
"WHY DID YOU LOOK?"
Merry walked ahead of Pippin down the road. The emotions he felt were altogether new to him, and he struggled silently with them as he walked.
Pippin's innocent voice broke into his thoughts. "Where are we going?"
Suddenly, Merry turned, anger and frustration in his words as he spoke. "Why did you look? Why do you always have to look?"
Pippin looked a little taken aback by his friend's sudden change of tone. "I don't know," he said. "I can't help it."
"You never can." Merry turned to keep going. But Pippin caught up to him.
"I'm sorry, all right?" Merry said nothing. Trying to keep things light, the way they used to be, Pippin tried again. "I won't do it again."
This was too much for Merry to take. "Don't you understand?" he burst out. "The Enemy thinks you have the Ring. He's going to be looking for you, Pip. They have to get you out of here."
Pippin looked as if Merry was speaking a foreign language. He couldn't imagine such danger. He'd never had to before. All he could think to say was, "And you- you're coming with me?"
All Merry's anger drained out of him. How could he tell Pippin "no"? Tears burned his eyes as he looked down at the ground.
"Merry?"
Merry couldn't meet his friend's eyes. "Come on," he said. But as he walked again down the road, one thought remained in his mind: "How can I ever say goodbye to him?"
Behind him Pippin stood, thinking something quite different. "What have I done?"