Chapter Fifty-Four

~ "Leave me alone!" Wisteria shouted to Bolo Boffin. The eighteen-year-old was taunting the sixteen-year-old girl.

"Wisteria looks like the backside of a pony! An ugly one at that!"

"Stop it!" she yelled back. It wasn't her fault that her hair had turned out so badly. Tigerlily had gotten sap in it and Blossom had to cut a chunk out. Unfortunately that left her hair short, and misshapen.

"You look like a shrubbery!" Bolo taunted.

Wisteria tried to walk away, but Bolo only followed her and continued to make fun of her hair. "No, not a shrubbery, you look like a haystack!"

She tried covering her ears, but Bolo kept persisting. "Leave me alone or else!"

"Or else what? Gonna tell your Mom?" Bolo laughed. "Grass-head!"

Wisteria felt warm tears seep from her eyes, but she kept walking. "Just leave me alone."

"Not a chance! This is a too rich an opportunity-"

"Leave her alone!" Wisteria and Bolo both looked up when Pippin hopped on to the path.

"And what are you going to do about it Took? Get your older sister's to come and help?"

"I don't need their help to handle a nancy-boy like yourself,"

Bolo roared and went after Pippin, taking the Took down. "How do you like that now?" Bolo raged as he hit Pippin in the face. Pippin would have been able to protect Wisteria against anyone, but Bolo was larger and heavier than Pip.

"Bolo leave him alone!" Wisteria cried.

"I'll deal with you in a second, shrub!" while Bolo faced Wisteria, Pippin kneed Bolo in the groin, causing the heavy hobbit to fall over.

Pippin stood and wiped the blood from his lip. "Don't you EVER say anythin' to her again, you hear me Boffin?"

Bolo only managed a weak moan, as he held to himself and rolled on the ground. Wisteria ran over to her protector and he gathered her in his arms. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she cried. She pulled away. "Is your lip-"

"What was that fight about?"

"He was teasing me about my hair, he called me a shrubbery and ugly-"

He gasped. "He didn't." She sniffled and looked at the ground. He touched her chin, making her look at him. Her grey eyes were glistening with fresh tears. "You're not ugly. Don't ever, EVER, let anyone ever tell you that you're ugly. You're beautiful." he kissed her forehead.~

The sun was just rising as I opened my eyes. Merry was now sharing a bed with me, and soundly sleeping at that. I smiled at him. It was good to have a friend close to me. I enjoyed having warmth in a bed that wasn't mine, but since it was Merry, he wasn't holding me, or even touching me. Just staying to his own side of the bed.

For some reason, I thought of Rivendell, how Pippin was with me every second, and holding me except that one night. The night I told him I needed him, but not that night. He was my protector, seceretly of course, espesially since I had been taking care of HIM since were we little. He was watching me too.

I got up and took a stroll down the hall and outside. I didn't see anyone on the stone walkway, say for one, lonely Elf.

He must have sense me, because as soon as I reached him he spoke my name. "What troubles you?" he asked.

"Just dreams," I replied. He had his vision focused to the East, from where the sun was rising. "And other things."

"What are you thinking of?"

I noticed that ever since I had been separated from my friends, Legolas had taken a role as protector for me. "One night while we were in Rivendell. Pippin asked if I needed him and I said yes, but then I turned right around and said no," I turned to the Elf. "Why did I deny him?" I didn't expect an answer, and I didn't get one. "If I had just known that we would have been separated..." he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Have you ever been in love, Legolas?"

There was a long pause before he spoke. "Only twice," he sadly replied. "Once long ago, then to one I could not have."

I nodded. Elves lived forever, and I suppose that it was hard for them to find love and keep it. I wanted to ask him about who the other one was, but I didn't want to open those old wounds that still ran deep.

"You should be resting," he told. "We do not know how much longer we will be staying here in safety."

I nodded and started to leave. Once I was at the door, I gave one last glance at the Elf, noticing him lowering his head. Even Elves felt the sting of the heart.

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Yeah, really cheesy, but you know what, I like the dream sequence. And its TWO updates in one day. Woot. I really apperciate all the support I'm getting from you guys. It makes me feel nice and fuzzy. :-) thank you all!