A/N: I love you guys all so much! You're reviews make my day, really they do! And we're in the double digits now! Whoopee! I really like this chapter, because I get to use four characters used either not at all, or very little, in this story.
Rusta Iira
By: PTB
Chapter 10: Home
Peregrin Took looked out his low window sadly, to where the Took army stood armed with sharp farm tools and clothed in heavy leather for protection. A single tear fell down his face, and he sniffled, drawing the attention of his three sisters that were sitting in his room.
"Come here, goose," Pimpernel whispered, opening her arms to him, and the small hobbit climbed onto her lap. She hugged him close, and kissed his brownish black curls. "Don't cry baby. It's all right. I'm here." For once Pippin didn't protest at being called baby, and instead snuggled up to his sister's chest.
"Why are they doing this, Pimmie? Aunt Esmie said that the Brandybucks have done nothing wrong."
"I know goose, I know." Pervincia jumped to her feet, hands clenched at her sides.
"I'll tell you what those Brandybucks have done wrong, Pip! They're weird, that's what! You know Merry well, don't 'cha? Well, doesn't he always act different than us and Frodo and even Samwise Gamgee? Isn't he a little, well, crude? A little ungentlemanly like?"
"He does not! He's Merry!" Pippin cried. Pervincia huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Were you not the one who told him that he should leave, Peregrin?" Tears sprang into the boy's brilliant blue eyes.
"I didn't mean it! I thought I did but I..."
"Now you stop it 'Vincia!" Pearl got to her feet, and glared at her youngest sister. "You know Pippin didn't mean nothing by it, or at least he shouldn't! Da' is wrong about this and you know it!"
"You take that back Pearl Took!" Pervincia face flushed with anger and she clenched her fists, for the moment not caring that Peal was eleven years her senior. "Da' is never wrong! Never! And if he says the Brandybuck's are horrid then they are!"
"They're not and you know it! What's Merry ever done when he's been here? And you're odd too, Pervincia, and we don't hold it against you!"
"Could it be..." Pimpernel whispered, not looking at the arguing girls, "could it be that they're both wrong?"
"Of course not!" Peal and Pervincia yelled at the same time, before rounding on each other again.
"Merry has horrible manners! He always pushes his way to the table, and never says please pass anything!"
"Well if Brandyhall is like Pippin says, then that's how he grew up and he has a right to be that way!"
"But this isn't Brandyhall! And if they all behave like that I can only imagine what catastrophes meals are!"
"He's only a boy, Pervincia, and one older than you too! You should know better than to talk bad about you're elders!" Pervincia looked very flustered by this, and her hazel eyes glittered with rage.
"Saradoc kidnapped Aunt Esmie!" She tried, using the only thing that didn't seem to be able to be proved or disproved.
"Aunt Esmie said he didn't, and I think she would know!" Pervincia gasped, and Pimpernel and Pippin looked at the eldest sister with wide eyes.
"You've been talking to Aunt Esmie!" Pearl's eyes had a gleam none of them had ever seen, her cheeks were flushed with anger, and her hair was falling out of its long thick braid.
"Yes. Yes I have, and I'm not ashamed of it! Da' keeping her here like this is wrong, because it IS kidnapping! I'd let her out if I could, and send her back to her home!"
"Pearl Took that could be taken as high treason to the Thain! You could get in real trouble for that!"
"I don't care! I'm right, and Da' isn't! And I won't get in trouble if you don't tell!"
"Please," Pimpernel pleaded, cuddling Pippin as tight as she dared, "please don't fight. You're only making things worse. And...and you're frightening Pippin!" It was a hasty excuse, but true all the same. Poor Pippin's eyes were as wide as they could get, and he looked like a severely scolded child, who had done nothing wrong.
"Oh Pygmy," Pearl sighed, using her pet name for him, "don't be afraid. Pervincia won't tell on me."
"You think I won't!" Pervincia snapped, eyes narrowed, and seeming to not care about how distressed her little brother was. "You just watch me, Pearl, if I get the chance! You shouldn't talk about Da' like that! He loves us and he'd never lie! Never!"
"I didn't say he was!" Pearl snapped back, "I said that he was ignorant! He doesn't know as much as he thinks he does about Brandybucks, and he's making a mistake by doing it! Do you realize, oh so smart one that people are going to die because of this? Some of our cousin's might die because of this!"
"M...Merry?" Pippin whimpered, eyes getting wet, and Pimpernel kissed the top of his head.
"No baby, not..."
"Yes!" Pearl said fiercely, for a moment forgetting that it wasn't Pervincia she was talking to. "Yes even Merry could die in this! Merry who's done nothing will die!" She didn't realize her mistake until after Pippin gasped, and burst into a flood of tears.
"Not Merry! Merry can't die, 'cause of me! He can't!" He turned so that his face was buried in Pimpernel's chest. She cuddled him, and kissed him, whispering softly.
"Sh...Pippin sh...Merry won't die. It's okay baby, it's okay." The whole time she was glaring at the two sisters, who both looked equally guilty and uncomfortable.
"What if he...what if he does, Pimmie? He'll think I hate him!" Pippin sobbed, near hysterics. Pearl leaned in closer, her fingertips outstretched to touch her brother's fine curls.
"Pip I..."
"Don't you think you've caused enough trouble!" Pimpernel snapped, in a very unlike her way that caused the other two to jump, and she stepped back with Pippin cuddled in her arms. "He was frightened enough as he was! You two only made it worse!" With a glare that made both girls wriggle uncomfortably, Pimpernel strode out of the room. Once they were out of the room, the undeniable tears started falling again.
"Merry is going to die isn't he? He'll think I hate him when he dies, won't he?"
"Oh baby," Pimpernel cooed, rubbing her nose against his sniffling one, "Merry knows better. Merry knows you didn't mean it. Merry loves you!" Pippin hiccupped, and his blue eyes were filled with woe.
"Does he still love me now Pimmie? After all this?"
"Of course he does baby, how could he not?"
"NO!" Pippin's heart breaking wail echoed throughout the Smails. They could NOT make him do this!
"Oh goose, come on. We're just going to stay with Uncle Bilbo until all this is sorted out." Pearl tried to convince, taking her little brother's hand. The child only shrieked indignantly and pulled his hand out.
"No! I have to find Merry! I have to set things right!"
"Pippin! He's probably on his way to Green Hill country! You won't find him now!" Pervincia stamped her foot, and grabbed a pudgy little arm. Pippin screamed, and pulled.
"No! No you can't make me! I have to find him! I have to!" With all the strength in his small frame he swung his foot, and hit his sister in the shin. Pervincia let out a yelp, and let go of his arm. With speed like he'd never had before, Pippin ran out the door and away across the fields. His sisters could only stare after him.
End A/N: Okay the ending is rather abrupt, I know. There's supposed to be a big fight scene between Bilbo and Paladin, but this chapter wasn't working like I wanted to. I just knew that I had to get Pippin out in this chapter or the story would go to long. So, this is the end of chapter ten, and I promise that eleven shall be better.
Rusta Iira
By: PTB
Chapter 10: Home
Peregrin Took looked out his low window sadly, to where the Took army stood armed with sharp farm tools and clothed in heavy leather for protection. A single tear fell down his face, and he sniffled, drawing the attention of his three sisters that were sitting in his room.
"Come here, goose," Pimpernel whispered, opening her arms to him, and the small hobbit climbed onto her lap. She hugged him close, and kissed his brownish black curls. "Don't cry baby. It's all right. I'm here." For once Pippin didn't protest at being called baby, and instead snuggled up to his sister's chest.
"Why are they doing this, Pimmie? Aunt Esmie said that the Brandybucks have done nothing wrong."
"I know goose, I know." Pervincia jumped to her feet, hands clenched at her sides.
"I'll tell you what those Brandybucks have done wrong, Pip! They're weird, that's what! You know Merry well, don't 'cha? Well, doesn't he always act different than us and Frodo and even Samwise Gamgee? Isn't he a little, well, crude? A little ungentlemanly like?"
"He does not! He's Merry!" Pippin cried. Pervincia huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Were you not the one who told him that he should leave, Peregrin?" Tears sprang into the boy's brilliant blue eyes.
"I didn't mean it! I thought I did but I..."
"Now you stop it 'Vincia!" Pearl got to her feet, and glared at her youngest sister. "You know Pippin didn't mean nothing by it, or at least he shouldn't! Da' is wrong about this and you know it!"
"You take that back Pearl Took!" Pervincia face flushed with anger and she clenched her fists, for the moment not caring that Peal was eleven years her senior. "Da' is never wrong! Never! And if he says the Brandybuck's are horrid then they are!"
"They're not and you know it! What's Merry ever done when he's been here? And you're odd too, Pervincia, and we don't hold it against you!"
"Could it be..." Pimpernel whispered, not looking at the arguing girls, "could it be that they're both wrong?"
"Of course not!" Peal and Pervincia yelled at the same time, before rounding on each other again.
"Merry has horrible manners! He always pushes his way to the table, and never says please pass anything!"
"Well if Brandyhall is like Pippin says, then that's how he grew up and he has a right to be that way!"
"But this isn't Brandyhall! And if they all behave like that I can only imagine what catastrophes meals are!"
"He's only a boy, Pervincia, and one older than you too! You should know better than to talk bad about you're elders!" Pervincia looked very flustered by this, and her hazel eyes glittered with rage.
"Saradoc kidnapped Aunt Esmie!" She tried, using the only thing that didn't seem to be able to be proved or disproved.
"Aunt Esmie said he didn't, and I think she would know!" Pervincia gasped, and Pimpernel and Pippin looked at the eldest sister with wide eyes.
"You've been talking to Aunt Esmie!" Pearl's eyes had a gleam none of them had ever seen, her cheeks were flushed with anger, and her hair was falling out of its long thick braid.
"Yes. Yes I have, and I'm not ashamed of it! Da' keeping her here like this is wrong, because it IS kidnapping! I'd let her out if I could, and send her back to her home!"
"Pearl Took that could be taken as high treason to the Thain! You could get in real trouble for that!"
"I don't care! I'm right, and Da' isn't! And I won't get in trouble if you don't tell!"
"Please," Pimpernel pleaded, cuddling Pippin as tight as she dared, "please don't fight. You're only making things worse. And...and you're frightening Pippin!" It was a hasty excuse, but true all the same. Poor Pippin's eyes were as wide as they could get, and he looked like a severely scolded child, who had done nothing wrong.
"Oh Pygmy," Pearl sighed, using her pet name for him, "don't be afraid. Pervincia won't tell on me."
"You think I won't!" Pervincia snapped, eyes narrowed, and seeming to not care about how distressed her little brother was. "You just watch me, Pearl, if I get the chance! You shouldn't talk about Da' like that! He loves us and he'd never lie! Never!"
"I didn't say he was!" Pearl snapped back, "I said that he was ignorant! He doesn't know as much as he thinks he does about Brandybucks, and he's making a mistake by doing it! Do you realize, oh so smart one that people are going to die because of this? Some of our cousin's might die because of this!"
"M...Merry?" Pippin whimpered, eyes getting wet, and Pimpernel kissed the top of his head.
"No baby, not..."
"Yes!" Pearl said fiercely, for a moment forgetting that it wasn't Pervincia she was talking to. "Yes even Merry could die in this! Merry who's done nothing will die!" She didn't realize her mistake until after Pippin gasped, and burst into a flood of tears.
"Not Merry! Merry can't die, 'cause of me! He can't!" He turned so that his face was buried in Pimpernel's chest. She cuddled him, and kissed him, whispering softly.
"Sh...Pippin sh...Merry won't die. It's okay baby, it's okay." The whole time she was glaring at the two sisters, who both looked equally guilty and uncomfortable.
"What if he...what if he does, Pimmie? He'll think I hate him!" Pippin sobbed, near hysterics. Pearl leaned in closer, her fingertips outstretched to touch her brother's fine curls.
"Pip I..."
"Don't you think you've caused enough trouble!" Pimpernel snapped, in a very unlike her way that caused the other two to jump, and she stepped back with Pippin cuddled in her arms. "He was frightened enough as he was! You two only made it worse!" With a glare that made both girls wriggle uncomfortably, Pimpernel strode out of the room. Once they were out of the room, the undeniable tears started falling again.
"Merry is going to die isn't he? He'll think I hate him when he dies, won't he?"
"Oh baby," Pimpernel cooed, rubbing her nose against his sniffling one, "Merry knows better. Merry knows you didn't mean it. Merry loves you!" Pippin hiccupped, and his blue eyes were filled with woe.
"Does he still love me now Pimmie? After all this?"
"Of course he does baby, how could he not?"
"NO!" Pippin's heart breaking wail echoed throughout the Smails. They could NOT make him do this!
"Oh goose, come on. We're just going to stay with Uncle Bilbo until all this is sorted out." Pearl tried to convince, taking her little brother's hand. The child only shrieked indignantly and pulled his hand out.
"No! I have to find Merry! I have to set things right!"
"Pippin! He's probably on his way to Green Hill country! You won't find him now!" Pervincia stamped her foot, and grabbed a pudgy little arm. Pippin screamed, and pulled.
"No! No you can't make me! I have to find him! I have to!" With all the strength in his small frame he swung his foot, and hit his sister in the shin. Pervincia let out a yelp, and let go of his arm. With speed like he'd never had before, Pippin ran out the door and away across the fields. His sisters could only stare after him.
End A/N: Okay the ending is rather abrupt, I know. There's supposed to be a big fight scene between Bilbo and Paladin, but this chapter wasn't working like I wanted to. I just knew that I had to get Pippin out in this chapter or the story would go to long. So, this is the end of chapter ten, and I promise that eleven shall be better.