(A/N a sprinkling of profanity in this chapter, but nothing big. Just a warning)
The ruckus had finally been ended and the hobbits scattered. Pippin took Rashelle to their quarters, Merry wondered around with his escort in an attempted to dry out his blood, and Sam finally caught up with Frodo who walked quickly with Foxburr on his arm. The moon was full in the night sky and shone down on the three.
"Mr. Frodo, wait!" Sam cried and tugged on his master's arm. "Please Master, it can't end like this!"
Frodo wrenched his arm free and turned, starring Sam in the eye, "No, Sam, it's done! Pippin can have her I'm through,"
Sam shook his head, "Then that's it, after all this time and everything us four have been through you'll let us be spilt apart by wine-soured words?"
"Sam, its more than that!" Frodo said, pain in his face, tears in his eyes, but Sam would not give.
"Well forgive me, Mr. Frodo, but I'm not a very learned hobbit and I don't understand why you can't go to Pippin and apologize! I already have and everything between us is fine," Frodo couldn't stand the truth in Sam's innocent eyes. He knew it was true, that the answer was that easy. So easy it was impossible to do. Foxburr hung on Frodo's arm, whispering sweet promises in his ear, stroking his curls. Then Sam gently took his hand and pressed his lips to it, "Your pain is blinding you, master. Think when the ring possessed you, how alone you felt, because you could not stop how you felt,"
Frodo shook his head; his eyes turning warm, "Not alone, Sam, I always had you,"
"And Rashelle? She needs us, she needs you; you know Pippin won't separate us, even in marriage. Please, let's put this behind us, I want to see Rashelle in that beautiful wedding gown, I want to see her smile, and I want to see you smile again, Mr. Frodo," Sam then pulled on Frodo's arm and the blue-eyed hobbit drifted into his arms leaving Foxburr off to the side alone. "Please don't let it end like this,"
Frodo embraced Sam and found the strength he needed and heard the gentle gardener pleas, realizing they were same found deep in his own heart.
"You're right. Bless you, Samwise Gamgee, bless you!" and without another word, Frodo broke from his arms and took off toward the last house.
Sam turned and saw Foxburr glaring at him, tears in her green eyes, but not of joy.
"Why did you do that?" She asked in breathless whisper. "Why give that harlot another chance when we can go back to Bag End, the three of us, and lived happily?"
Sam reached out and pulled her close, but her felt a resistance in her body.
"Dearest Foxburr, you have much to learn about love," and he dipped down, pressing his lips to her fiery head. She glared at him and broke from him, the tears spilling down her cheeks.
"It's hard to learn with such horrible teachers!" She spat and before Sam could comfort her, she sped off into the night.
Sam stood there alone, for a moment, wanting to tear after the halfblood and scream in her ear how much he loved her. As much as he loved Rashelle. Instead, he turned away and began to the last house, hoping to assist Frodo in anyway he would need.
********************************************* ********************
"Pippin, Rashelle, please open! I want to apologize, please! Peregrin! I'm sorry!" Frodo shouted frantically, pounding on the locked door. Then he heard something.
Frodo pressed his ear against the door and heard it again, a gurgling moan, like someone in pain. "Pippin? Rashelle!?" No answer, just that moan again, than a voice, weak. Frodo couldn't make it out.
Panic seized Frodo as he began to slam his body into the door with all the strength he could muster, but he couldn't dent the sturdy elf-made wood, let alone open it.
"Frodo? Frodo what are you doing?" Merry asked. He had been wondering the hall, feeling the effects of the wine dissipate when he heard an awful clamor only to find Frodo ramming himself against Pippin's door.
"The door's locked: someone's hurt in there!"
Alarm flashed in Merry's hazel eyes and moved to the door, pushing Frodo aside. From his vest pocket he produced a long slender rod, the size of Frodo's finger, with several spokes at the end. A lock pick!
"I guess I know where my strawberry preserves went last month," Frodo frowned as Merry tripped the lock.
"You know I'm good for it," Merry grinned slipping the lock pick back into his pocket and pushed the door open. Both hobbits gasped.
The room was in shambles, the window shattered, the bed over turned and the dresser had several gashes in it. Clothes, blankets and scattered glass littered the dark room.
"Pippin, Rashelle?" Frodo asked into the room as Merry lit a lamp. Again came the moan and light filled the room as Merry held the lantern up. There, propped in the corner was Pippin, blood staining his clothes.
"Peregrin!" Merry cried and rushed to his cousin's side as Frodo sped down the hall to get help.
"Bastards," Pippin moaned as Merry stripped him of his shirt, trying to locate the source of blood, "He took her! I tried to stop him, but he stabbed me, over and over, I tried to get up, but he was gone. Rashelle was crying, but I couldn't move-"
"Hush, Pip, hush," Merry breathed, kissing his forehead. "You did well, you did well," Merry wadded up Pippin's blood soaked shirt and pressed it to the sword wounds in his chest. "Pippin, I'm so sorry. I should be happy for you and Rashelle, like I would be for Frodo. At dinner, those things I said-"
"I always said you had a wicked tongue when you were drunk," Pippin smirked. He locked eyes with his cousin, "I forgive you, I have to, otherwise I wouldn't have a best man,"
Merry's eyes filled with tears and he nodded numbly as Frodo came back into the room with Elrond, Bilbo and Sam.
"How is he?" Bilbo asked as Elrond kneeled down and began healing.
"Who ever did this was in a hurry, he wanted Rashelle and nothing else. The wounds are mostly blood," Elrond said in relief, placing his milky hands against Pippin's crimson chest.
Frodo knelt down beside Merry and took Pippin's hand began to apologize, but Pippin shook his head.
"I already heard your apology, Frodo, don't worry about it. I forgive you, all I want is the five of us to be happy again and Foxburr if that what she wants,"
Frodo squeezed Pippin's hand, tears rolling from his blue eyes.
"We'll find Rashelle, and then we're going to bring her back and demand she tell us where we're having the wedding," Frodo smiled, "Tell me what you need, I'll get it, I don't care how expensive. Rings, gowns, suits, food, lot of food,"
"Well, cousin Frodo, who's planning this wedding? You or Rashelle?" Pippin laughed but grimaced at the effort. Elrond scolded him and demanded he relax. "You'll wait till I'm healed right? I promised Rashelle I'd never let anyone touch her, I have to keep my promise,"
To that, Sam kneeled down between Frodo and Merry and nodded, "We will wait, Master Pippin, we will wait,"
"Till first light," Merry added and Pippin agreed and then closed his eyes as Elrond closed the first wound and began on the second.