N/A: new chapter! Go me! Go me! What took me so long? What took me so long?

Disclaimer: all this stuff, 'tis not mine, I borrow it from time to time and if to morrow I should wake to find evil lawyers at my gate I shall recall this little chat, this ain't mine and that is that.

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"These are grave accusations young Miss Cotton" the Mayer said leaning forward over his desk.

"But they're true" Rose said stamping her foot, the Mayer sighed and stood up.

"Then there is only one thing we can do"

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"Breakfast!" Rosin yelled, she heard Merry grumble and then Pippin ask him something, a few moments later they both appeared in the kitchen.

Rosin starred at Pippin for a moment before grabbing his arm and turning him round.

"March yourself right back to bed this instant young lad"

"I'm better! I'm better!" Pippin protested.

"Your not until I tell you and Merry how could you let him?" Rosin turned to the elder hobbit hoping for support or at least some remorse but Merry was dubbed up laughing.

"I give up" Rosin consented letting go of Pippin's arm and ushering him and Merry to the table before placing plates in front of them and filling them with bacon, eggs and fired bread.

She then seated her self across from them and sipped her tea, gazing longingly at the food the hobbits devoured but not touching it.

"Don't you want some?" Pippin inquired, Rosin shook her head but after persistence from both Merry and Pippin, took a piece of toast and nibbled upon it.

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The Mayer took the note from Esmeralda, read it and became pale.

"And your son wrote this? Is this in his hand?"

Esmeralda sniffed and whipped her tears away on her lace sleeve.

"Meriadoc wrote that and then disappeared of with his cousins Peregrin, the one he talks about in the note, and Frodo, and Frodo's man servant Sam"

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Pippin folded his bed sheet and set to washing it the tub, Merry had long ago settled him self into a chair and began to read one of Frodo's many books.

Roisin slept in one of the backrooms of bag-end, finally taking the sleep she had so longed for.

"Merry?"

Merry sighed and put his book down, opening his arms for Pippin who crawled into his lap and cuddled up to him.

"Why aren't you washing you bed sheet? You complained about it so much this morning"

"I would rather be with you, what are you reading?"

"Some poetry by some elves, its not very exciting" Merry was trying very heard not to push Pippin further than he would wish to take it but Pippin placed a sweet kiss to his lips and settled down against him sleep.

Merry wrapped his arms lightly around him and was contented.

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The ride was hard, Frodo had fallen twice already from the horse but despite Sam's complaints and arguments, Adie would not stop to tend to any wound Frodo might have gained, he just picked the hobbit up, set him back on his horse and tied the lead rope to his own mounts rains.

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The pounding on the door of Bag-end grow ever louder, Rosin walked through the halls still marvelling that she had not yet hit her head upon the low ceiling of the hobbit hole, but then she was not that tall.

She also marvelled as she past the study how Merry and Pippin could not have heard the knocking, but they seamed to engrossed in each other to notice anything else.

She opened the door expecting either Adie or one of the hobbits Frodo and Sam.

The rune scared face grinned at her from the open door way.

"Knock, knock"

"Neit!" she gasped, and Pippin heard that for he bolted off of Merry's lap and down to the rooms at the back of bag-end, Merry hot on his heals.

Neit saw them and tried to push Roisin aside but she shut the door on his fingers and locked it before dragging a chair from the study to barricade the door.

"Let me in Rosin" Neit's oily voice taunted her as she fled from him to find the hobbits.

Pippin was curled up in the corner of the master bedroom, rocking back and forth keening as Merry knelt bedside's him trying to calm him.

"You said Neit would be killed" Merry yelled.

"I don't know what happen Merry I don't, but he can't hurt us in here" just then the sound of a widow braking in the front rooms sounded and Pippin screamed trying to make him self even smaller.

Rosin with out any woods bolted the bed room door and dragged the bed in front of it, before going to her back and pulling out her dagger.

"Let him come" she snarled.

They could here banging about, doors opening an shutting people talking, there where more people than just Neit now and the seemed to be walking back and forth.

"There taking Frodo's things" Merry said.

The door banged and Pippin screamed again.

"A battering ram, we cannot stand up to this sort of assault," Rosin said softly as she listened to what was going on outside.

"Then what do you suggest we do? Give in?" Merry looked at her in desperation.

"Neit is the only danger we face, I cannot see hobbits attacking an armed woman" Rosin said looking imploringly at Merry.

"Will you come for me if I am captured?"

"I will" Rosin promised as she dragged the bed away from the door and waited for who ever should come through.

The door burst open and two hobbits tumbled into the room, Roisin kicked the closet one away and the other upon seeing the steal blade in her hand turned and ran.

Behind her Merry tried to silence Pippin's constant screams but Pippin bit him on the hand and Merry yelled out in pain jumping away, he fell back into Rosin knocking her over.

She dropped her dagger and a foot stood on her hand as she reached for it.

"Neit" Rosin growled.

"Rosin" he greeted her but he was more interested in Pippin who had stopped his screams to terrified to move.

Neit reached out from him but drew back howling out in agony and but a hand up to his right cheek where a long fresh cut bled.

Merry glared at him, Rosin's dagger in his hand, the edge coloured red with new blood.

"Aren't you dead yet?" Neit snarled, Merry smiled graciously at him before jumping backwards to avoided the punch amend at him.

"Meriadoc"

"Peregrin" Merry froze and Pippin looked up.

Saradoc and Paladin stood in the door way shoulder to shoulder warring the same looks of rage.

"Father" Merry whispered, the dagger fell from his hand and clattered nosily upon the floor.

Rosin gasped and Neit grabbed her by her shoulders holding her tightly and cutting off her escape.

"These are only hobbits" he whispered to her " I could kill the elder one and walk out of here with Pippin and no one could stop me, I suggest you play to my rules if you do not what this tale to end that way"

"You bastard"

"All ways so polite" Neit chuckled low in his throat as he buried his head in Rosin's hair, she struggled but half heartedly to frightened for her friends.

Merry had grabbed Pippin and held him tightly, Pippin in return clung to him crying.

"Let go" Paladin said with quite anger.

"No!" Pippin sobbed irrationally.

"Your coming home Meriadoc, we'll put this whole thing behind us and you can marry Estella" Saradoc said, Merry gritted his teeth and Pippin shook his head.

"You can't just ignore this" Merry said strained "I love Pippin, I will never have another"

Saradoc looked ready to lash out against Merry but he did not, not liking the way Rosin looked at him, he had the feeling she was humouring them by staying captive.

" It doesn't matter" he said quietly "it is this or death for both of you"

Merry paled and looked down at Pippin who trembled in his arms, to think that after all they had been through they would die at home a place of safety.

He let go.

Pippin shrieked and Merry lent down and kissed him silencing his cries.

"I love you Pippin and I won't see you die because I am stubborn"

Merry pried Pippin's hands from his body and watched in horror as Pippin sank to the floor in sorrowful silence, looking up in disbelief.

Saradoc took his arm and pulled Merry away, Paladin lifted Pippin up as if he was still a naughty toddler and carried him out.

Rosin broke from Neit's hold, turned and spat in his face.

"so polite" Neit repeated, wiping away the spittle with the back of his hand. "I would get out soon, they plan to burn it"

"Burn bag-end but they can't, they mustn't!"

"You're appealing to the wrong person" Neit said, he swept across the room and pinned her against the wall "but I see why you appeal so to Adie"

He kissed her and Rosin brought her knee up in one swift movement that sent Neit sprawling on the floor.

Rosin grabbed her dagger and her pack and fled.

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She stood in the ashes of what had once been Bag-end and planned, she could not waist her time on tears and morning. She had mourned far too much over her years and if growing up in the village had taught her anything it was revenge is a sweet dish.

But this was rescue and would have to be handled carefully.

There was a gasp behind her and with out turning Rosin knew who it was.

"Frodo, Frodo I'm so sorry"

"What happened?" he asked her coming to stand beside her but finding himself with out the strength in his legs and collapsed on to the ground, tears already spilling down his cheeks.

"Neit happened" Rosin spat angrily.

"Where's Merry and Pippin? Did he?" Frodo asked shaking so badly it was hard to understand what he was saying, Sam embraced him and rocked him back and forth.

"No Neit hasn't got them, Merry is with his family preparing to be married and Pippin is under lock and key"

"What about my home?" Frodo demanded "all of my possessions?"

"Your people divided them up between them selves, and burned Bag-end to get rid of any evidence"

"Evidence of what?"

"You, Sam. Merry and Pippin's relationship" Rosin clenched her fist, Adie grabbed her hand before could hit out at anyone, he intertwined their fingers and looked at her with such hopefulness that Rosin could not be maddened with him for not understanding the severity of the situation.

"Where have you been sleeping?" Adie asked caressing her ash-blackened face.

"in the woods, stealing some crops for food, I've come here every day since the burning in case you came home and then go back to the woods at night fall, its been three nights I was worried"

Adie smiled at her and Rosin fumbled with her next words, infuriated with her self for telling him that.

"And what's going to happen to Merry and Pippin?" Adie asked, signalling for Sam to try and calm Frodo down.

"Merry's marriage is tomorrow and I have a horrible feeling about Pippin, I learned from one of his sisters that Neit has been set the task to guard him while the family are at the wedding"

Frodo ashened as thoughts of what Neit, left completely alone with Pippin would do.

"We have to save him, both of them"

"And what do you think I have been doing? Morning?" Rosin asked crossly "I have planned and plotted and know exactly what we must do, but I will need your help"

Frodo raised his tears stained face, unhobbit like anger in his eyes.

"Anything"

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I bet you thought I'd stopped writing this story *smirk* well not so.