Thankyou my wonderful reviewers...who I am too lazy to list by name (there are so wonderfully many of you) Well, here's your chapter, I said it would come quickly. Also, I only have like two more in reserve before I have to start writing again. Don't worry, the angst will be considerably lighter come more chapters. Also, the person who wrote the letter is revealed, as well as its contents, this chapter! I'll give you a hint: One of you guys guessed right. Enjoy! Please, find it in your heart to review! Pippin's LK (106 already! Whew!)

Chapter 25: Lies, Truth, and Just Desserts

It was a week later before Pippin found the courage to tell Merry what his mother had said. He felt guilty doing it all the same…but he knew it was necessary.

"They know." Pippin said simply, leaning against a fence outside of Buckland.

Merry shook his head, "How?" he asked incredulously.

Pippin shrugged, looking particularly worried. "I don't know. My mother said she could tell…she also mentioned that the entirety of Hobbiton have been informed of it."

"Maybe she was just exaggerating." Merry said hopefully.

Pippin shook his head. "My mother doesn't do that sort of thing Merry…if she says they know, then in all fairness they probably do." He sighed.

"Well then, what do we do about it?"

"Tell Frodo?" Pippin suggested.

Merry scowled, "And what'll he do about it? Once he knows, he'll only try to get Merna to tell him outright…and I know how well that has worked…He's been trying to get her to tell him since she got back."

"I don't know what else to do Merry. She talks to Frodo more than she does to any of us. I think it's the best we've got." Pippin said in defeat.

"Well then, I guess we tell him." Merry said with a sigh. And together they walked towards Bag End, enjoying the summer's day and trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.

They were seen though, even for all their trouble by the one hobbit in the Shire who shouldn't have found out… And she wasn't particularly happy about it either.

OOO

Frodo spotted the pair of them as they came up Bag End's walk, and he hurried out of the door before Merna noticed them too. He had a feeling that whatever they had to say, she didn't need to hear. He was correct, he found out, when the first words out of Merry's mouth were:

"They know about Merna…Pippin's mum knows, and so does the rest of Hobbiton apparently." He said in a huff.

Frodo felt his eyes widen in surprise. "You can't be serious."

Pippin's face darkened, "Oh but we are, Frodo. You know that none of us would have told them…my mother said it's easy to see if you know what to look for."

Frodo sat down heavily on a bench. "What are we going to do about it?" He asked quietly.

"We were hoping you would know what to do." Merry asked hopefully.

Frodo shook his head.

"Can't you talk to her?" Pippin suggested.

Frodo looked up at him with tired eyes, "She's barely said a word to me these last few days. I don't know what's gotten into her…I think I make her nervous."

"Do you think she found out that you know?" Merry said slowly.

Frodo shook his head. "That's impossible. No…she definitely doesn't know."

'Well what then?" Pippin demanded, "We all just tip toe around the situation until what? On her way to the market someone stops her and asks, 'when's the baby due?'"

"Pippin, there's no need to talk in that tone…we're all stuck, and unless you have a better idea, lets try to stay civil at least…" Merry chided mildly.

Pippin pursed his lips, and took on a stubborn air, "I think I should go talk to her…tell her that I know."

"No!" Merry and Frodo hissed in unison.

Pippin looked angry at their objection. "Well, why not?"

"She thought she was doing you a service by not telling you…if you go on and tell her that you know about the baby, I can guarantee she'll be angry, or hurt in the least." Frodo told him.

"Well that brings us right back to square one." Merry sighed, taking a seat beside Frodo.

Frodo tipped his head back and sighed. "I'll just got to tell her then. I've got my letter. I think I'll just let her read it, and see what she makes of it." He said quietly.

Merry nodded, "Right. I'll go tell Sam." He said slowly, looking about a little nervously.

Frodo's eyes alighted on Merry's face, "Tell him not to say a word to Rosie. I don't think we should go about telling the Shire about it before we know how Merna's going to handle this."

Merry nodded, "I'm not daft, Frodo." He answered.

Frodo nodded in amused agreement. "Keep in mind that I'll be telling her that you, Sam and I, are the only ones who know. That way, Pippin, she'll have a chance to tell you herself." Frodo said, standing and placing a hand on Pippin's arm.

Pippin nodded, feeling left out. This was in all, a major event in which he played a key role. It just didn't feel right that he should pretend not to know. But it seemed it was best that he did so for now…

Merry and Pippin thanked Frodo, and said their goodbyes before heading off in their own directions. Frodo inside, Merry down the row to Sam's hole, and Pippin taking the long trek back to Buckland, where he'd left his pony…

Pippin scanned the woods around him as he strode down the road and all of a sudden his heart began to beat faster as he imagined that he saw a familiar blonde head duck around a tree. He stopped for a moment, before he brushed off the uncomfortable imagining, and walked faster.

As Diamond, her breathing hard, tired to melt into a nearby tree, desperate to avoid being noticed…

OOO

Frodo looked uncomfortable. He jumped at my smallest movement, and said barely a word to me through all of dinner. I kept giving him encouraging looks, but he seemed to miss them, or interpret them as something else entirely.

We were just starting on dessert, and he had already cracked a plate, and dropped three spoons when I'd had enough…

"What's wrong, Frodo?" I demanded, turning a hawk-eye on him before continuing. "And I don't want excuses or 'it's nothings' either…I know something's bothering you." I finished, waving my own spoon.

He swallowed, and looked away, a flush creeping up his neck. I smiled, "Oh come on, Frodo, it can't possibly be that bad?"

He set down his spoon and reaching into his pocket pulled out a worn, wrinkled piece of parchment, which he set about smoothing out on the edge off the table.

My curiosity peaked, and I asked interestedly, "Is that from Gandalf?" Noting how the writing on the front seemed too intricate for the average hobbit.

Frodo swallowed again, and I had the impression that a particularly sticky piece of pie had gotten caught in his throat. But that was not the case…and in the end, I found myself wishing it were.

Frodo shook his head. "No, actually, It's a letter from Arwen." He said softly. So softly, that first I didn't catch the name he uttered.

"What?" I said with a slightly nervous smile.

Frodo cleared his throat, looking as if the words pained him to say them, and repeated louder this time, "It's a letter from Arwen."

I sighed in relief. "For me?" I asked excitedly. I hadn't heard from her in months, but I had attributed that to being crowned Queen of all Middle Earth…it had to be a somewhat demanding job, I supposed.

Again Frodo shook his head. "No, actually it was a letter for me. Sam and Merry got one too…I was just thought you might be interested in reading it."

I raised an eyebrow; "It looks pretty well-read to me already." I said with a small laugh, "Why are you bringing it up now?"

Frodo cast nervous, no…worried eyes on me, and my heart quickened, I felt the baby shift slightly.

"Would you like to read it?" He asked softly.

I licked my lips, them suddenly feeling very dry, as I nodded. Frodo passed me the parchment, and I opened it, noticing that it made barely a wisp of a sound…the creases were so worn.

It read:

Dear Frodo,

I hold a high hope that you shall receive this letter before Merna arrives in the Shire. I do not mean to startle you with this news, and I inform you now, that she has been kept safe these past few weeks. She has been in Lothlorien with the Lady of the Woods, and if this letter is timed as I have planned it too be, she is traveling from Lorien as you read this.

I paused and swallowed hard, my heart beating rapidly, as I tried to catch Frodo's eyes with my own. He avoided my gaze, and I continued.

I feel it is my obligation, to tell you why she was in Lorien in the first place. I regret that it is through me that you find this out, and will not hear it first in Her own words, but I fear that she will hesitate to tell you, if she tells you at all...Merna is carrying a child.

My heart stopped and tears sprang to my eyes as I read those words. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Frodo's head lift, and his face turn towards mine, but I could not tear myself away to look up at him. A single teardrop fell and blurred the word child. I blotted at it with little success before going on…

I must ask you now, to take care in preventing her from discovering that you hold this knowledge. I fear that she will not...understand. But if she is still the hobbit that she was for her short stay in my home, she will try to do this on her own…and she will fail, if she is allowed to do so.

You may now be wondering how it is that I know this…but I am sure that if you searched your memory, you would find the answer. For as you know, my father is gifted with Foresight… These visions had come upon him shortly after you had arrived in Rivendell. But He had not thought it important to tell me all of this until after you had left, or I would have told you then. I apologize for his thoughtlessness.

I swiped at my eyes, almost hearing Arwen's voice speaking the words printed on that page…

I beseech your help now…please, aid her in any way that you can. I fear she is lost on some lonely path that she has chosen for herself. She will need whatever you have to give. Though have a care, as she must not know that you have discovered her secret. You have my many thanks in this, Frodo Baggins, and my full-trust that you will do as I ask.

I leave you now with the knowledge that the father of Merna's child is Peregrin Took, and that above all else, you must allow Merna to tell him of these events of her own free will. This is what my father has told me, and I fear the changes that may occur if this precaution is not followed.

Ú i vethed nâ i onnad, tulta tuolya, Frodo.

Arwen

I looked up, in shock. And loosed a shuddering breath that I had been holding unconsciously.

Frodo's gaze locked with mine, and I wet my lips, not able to tear myself away from his gaze as I said quietly, "I'm sorry, but I didn't want you to know."

My heart was beginning to adopt its normal rhythm again, and smiled weakly.

"So its true, Merna?" He asked softly.

I shook my head. "Of course its true. The Evenstar doesn't lie." I mumbled, my face reddening. It felt good to finally be able to talk to someone about my long kept secret, but doing so now was making me feel somewhat embarrassed.

Frodo coughed again, and picked at his pie.

I sighed. "Well, this is awkward." I said sarcastically.

"What do we do now?" He asked nervously.

I licked my lips, "You said Merry and Sam knew about this…that they got a letter too? What about Pippin?"

Frodo looked up, and calmly shook his head. "No, Pippin doesn't know. But yes, Sam, and Merry and I have known since you returned. That's why we were always trying to protect you…trying keep you from doing stupid things. We didn't succeed often." He mumbled his last few words with a smile.

I sighed. "Well, it's a bloody good thing that Pippin doesn't know…I kissed him at Sam's wedding."

"Why?" Frodo asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I think I wanted to tell him then…but I couldn't. Will you keep my secret?"

Frodo jumped. He looked a bit startled, and slightly guilty. "Of course…but you should know…"

"What?" I asked, smiling, and shoving a large spoonful of apples and pastry into my mouth.

"A few days ago, someone in Hobbiton asked Merry why we, meaning you and I, hadn't formally announced your pregnancy, or made any arrangements to have you wed…I'm sorry Merna, but………they know. And they think the baby's mine." Frodo said, visibly wincing as he uttered his last few words.

I coughed and sputtered, reaching for my mug and draining its contents, as the shock of his words kicked me in the ribs.

"Are you alright?" Frodo asked with a worried smile as he patted me on the back.

I nodded, and sighed, suddenly feeling very tired, with a very dry throat as I excused myself from his presence, mumbling something about sleep, and a baby as I went. Frodo let me be, having expected a much worse and more extravagant reaction from me, and thankful that he hadn't gotten it.

I dropped into bed like a stone, and slept soundly, but for the worried dreams that wriggled their way into my mind near sunrise.

I awoke, imagining eyes staring at me through the windowpane in my room, but after I got up and found no one, I dozed off once again, wrapped securely in a light cotton sheet, and dreaming about my son.

OOO

Elvish translation: This is not the end…it is the beginning. Summon forth your strength, Frodo.

Well, that was a somewhat happy ending for once. I hope you enjoyed!

Pippin's LK