A/N: I really have nothing to introduce this time. So, just enjoy!

Disclaimer: Recognize it? It's Tolkien's.

Piper awoke in her room, feeling much better than she had in weeks. She had spent most of the previous night at Bag End with Frodo and Bilbo. Just before sunrise, she had snuck out and immediately fallen asleep when she got home. She was glad her mother had not woken her to go to her work.

As she got up and ready for the day, it was very clear that something was different. She was grinning broadly and positively glowing. Her brother, Pippin, definitely noticed this as she entered the kitchen. He was sitting at the table, sipping from a mug of ale and watching her curiously.

"Yer rather cheerful today," he noted after a moment. "What 'appened?"

"Nothing happened, Pippin," Piper said, sitting down across from him. He leaned close to her and looked her face over a minute. Then, he leaned back. Piper gave him an odd look. "What?"

"Why're you so happy?"

"Why're you so serious?"

Pippin glared at her. "I 'ave every reason to be serious, Piper Took." He hiccupped.

Piper grinned. "You're drunk, aren't you?"

"No. Hic!" Pippin covered his mouth quickly. Piper laughed, and Pippin's eyes widened in amazement. "Did you just laugh?"

"Yes. . .why?"

"You haven't laughed fer quite some time, if I remember correc'ly. Somethin's 'appened, I know it." There was a pause, before a wide smile appeared on Pippin's face. "Wait, I know what it is."

"You. . .you do?"

"Yep. It's that Tillen Proudfoot."

Piper's face turned pale and grave. "What are you talking about?"

"Mum won't stop chatterin' with her friends 'bout how you fancy him. Wouldn' surprise me if she had you marryin' him within the next week. She's been plannin' it, y'know."

"She's been doing what?!" Piper shouted. Pippin coughed on the ale he had just drunk, surprised at her outburst.

"Well, Piper, you should've seen it comin'. I dun no why yer so surprised. Mum's in the garden if you wanna talk to her 'bout it." Piper jumped up from her seat, the chair crashing to the ground. Pippin stood also, watching her storm down the front hallway. "Oi! I wasn' serious!"

* * *

Piper slammed the front door behind her and hurried to the garden. Her mother was there, potting some new buds. Piper stood behind her, hands on her hips. Sensing someone there, Eglantine turned around.

"What are you doing, planning my marriages?" Piper snapped angrily.

"I see Pippin told you," Eglantine said calmly, standing and wiping her hands free of dirt.

"You should know to never trust a drunken Took," Piper said. "Now, why are you planning me to marry Mr. Proudfoot?!"

"Oh, Piper dear, he's such a kind young Hobbit," Eglantine gushed. "You two would make the perfect couple! I've seen the way you look at him, dear."

"Mother, I look at him with pure disgust!" Piper shouted. "If there's one Hobbit I find most despicable, it's Tillen Proudfoot!"

"You can learn to love him, dear," Eglantine said gently. "I've invited him over for Dinner tonight, so you'll have your chance then."

Piper's face went pale.

* * *

That evening, Piper sat in her room, staring at the door, heart clamoring with fear that something bad would happen. Although she knew that Tillen would most likely never reveal what was going on, she had the worst feeling in the pit of her stomach. Releasing a wavering breath, she put her head into her hands and closed her eyes.

"How do I look?" Pippin asked, quickly entering and closing the door behind him. He was dressed rather nicely, in clean brown trousers, a white shirt and a fancy blue vest. He straightened his vest and tried to look important. Laughing, he looked to her for the first time since he had entered. She had not even glanced at him. He sat down next her.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked. No reply. "Piper? What's wrong?"

"I just want to be left alone," Piper said softly.

Pippin was silent a moment. "You don't want Mr. Proudfoot to come here, do you?" Piper said nothing, but after a few moments, shook her head slightly.

"Why not?"

Piper turned to him, trying to fight back tears. "I. . .I cannot say."

"Please, Piper, tell me what's wrong," Pippin said softly.

Piper shook her head, tears running down her face. "Pippin, please, try to understand. I want to tell you, I really do, but I cannot. Not yet. The time will come when you can know. . .but not now. I have not told anyone. . .not even Frodo."

"Frodo. . .Baggins?" Pippin inquired. "Why would you need to tell him? Mum told you not to talk to him."

"I know. . .oh, Pippin, you cannot tell anyone," Piper pleaded. "If Mother or Father were to find out. . .Pippin, Father would kill him! You must keep this a secret."

Pippin paused. Piper turned angrily towards him, grabbing hold of the edges of his vest violently.

"Promise me!" Piper said, keeping her voice low, but still sounding very assertive. "You promise me that you will not tell a soul, Peregrin Took."

Pippin nodded quickly, and Piper smiled, turning her violent grasp into a grateful hug. Pippin hugged her back for a minute, and then there came a knock on the front door. Piper gasped, looking in the direction of her closed door. Pippin stood, followed closely by his sister, and the two timidly walked to the entrance hallway. Tillen stood inside the doorway, their mother in the process of shutting the door. As the knob clicked into place, Piper had a terrible feeling in her stomach. She felt trapped.

Tillen's gaze traveled from Pippin's somewhat warning expression to Piper's petrified stare. He smiled.

"Welcome, Mr. Proudfoot," Paladin greeted, extending his hand. Tillen took it and smiled warmly at the Hobbit.

"Thank you for having me, sir," he said. "I greatly appreciate it."

Paladin immediately took to him, leading the young Hobbit into the dining room, where Eglantine had rushed off to prepare the table. With a glance at his sister, Pippin followed. Piper took a deep breath, hoping nothing bad would happen, then went to the dining room. The others were beginning to seat themselves around the table. Seeing no other seat available, Piper silently sat herself across from Tillen, her eyes averted away from his face.

Eglantine hurried back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room, filling the table full of every kind of food Piper could imagine. Of course, that was the last thing on her mind, and she was in no mood to eat anyway. At last, Eglantine set the last dish onto the table and sat. Paladin looked around at the others, then said, "Well, let us eat."

* * *

The meal went smoothly, with barely any interruption or cause for Piper to worry. She began to think that perhaps Tillen wouldn't do anything around her family. However, just in case, she payed careful attention to him, and Pippin did, also. Tillen seemed to notice them constantly glancing at him, but instead of being annoyed, he was rather amused.

Setting down his cup after taking a quick swig of ale, Tillen smiled at Eglantine. "Mrs. Took, that was an excellent meal. My compliments."

"Why, thank you, Tillen," Eglantine returned, blushing pink. Piper wanted to gag, but didn't, staring idly down at her plate, pushing the food around with her fork. Eglantine turned to her daughter.

"Piper, you haven't said a word all evening," she began, trying to start a conversation. "Tell us, what is it like working for Mr. Proudfoot?"

Piper looked up at Tillen, who grinned. Piper felt her mouth go dry.

"Piper?" Eglantine said.

Pippin, who was seated beside her, gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Piper? Are you okay?" She hesitated, then nodded quickly. She glanced about the table, a bit embarrassed, before swallowing.

"It's. . .very. . .er. . .it's not what I thought it would be," she said quickly. Tillen's grin somewhat faded, a cautionary gleam in his eyes. She looked away from him.

"What did you think it would be like?" Paladin asked her.

Piper looked back up at Tillen. His smile was completely gone, and he was giving her a look that clearly said "If you tell them, I swear I will kill you". She saw his fingers wrapping around the bottom of a knife that was sitting next to his plate. Piper raised her hand to her chin. Underneath was a thin cut. She knew how it had gotten there, and the memory of it chilled her.

Suddenly, she jumped up from her seat. "I'm very sorry. I am not feeling very well. I am going to go lie down for a moment. Excuse me." With that, Piper hurried out of the dining room and into her own, closing the door silently behind her.

Tillen looked around at the others. "Perhaps I should go and make sure she is all right?"

"Could you, Tillen?" Eglantine said. "That would be wonderful." Tillen nodded and stood, slipping the knife into his pocket unnoticed. As he walked out, Pippin looked at his mother and father.

"Should I go with him?"

"No, you help me clean up here, Pippin," Eglantine requested, taking some dishes in hand.

* * *

Piper sat on her bed, trying to fight back tears. She wanted Tillen to leave. She wanted everything to be back to how it had been before she had gone to work at his home. As she sat there staring into nothing, the doorknob turned and Tillen stepped in, shutting the door behind him. Piper gasped, her eyes going wide.

"What are you doing in here?" Piper stammered, standing quickly.

"Came to check on you," Tillen said softly. "You left in such a hurry. . .thought there must be something wrong."

Piper hesitated. "I got scared."

Tillen took a step towards her. "Scared of what? Scared that I might do something to you? To your family? What?!"

"I. . .I don't know what I was scared of," Piper said, tears forming in her eyes. She backed away from him. Tillen approached her, taking her by the arm. She pushed his hand away anxiously. Anger flaring up in his eyes, Tillen took both of her wrists in one hand and plucked the knife from his pocket with the other. He pushed her up against a wall and held the knife to her throat. It cut into the bottom of her chin, making her wince.

"Have you told anyone?" he asked.

"N-no."

He glared at her, yet grinned evilly. "You better pray that I don't find out otherwise, or it'll be your neck." He went in to kiss her, when there came a tap on the window. Piper's glance turned to it, fear flooding her mind.

'Frodo. . .' she thought frantically. There was another tap.

"Tell them they can come in," Tillen whispered to her.

"C-come in!" Piper called softly to the window. The shutters were pulled open and there stood Frodo, with his bright smile. . .until he saw Tillen and Piper. He jumped through the window.

"What are you doing to her?" he demanded furiously. Tillen released Piper's wrists and turned to Frodo, holding out the knife threateningly. Frodo apparently didn't know what he was going to do, but he stood his ground. Suddenly, Piper rushed forward and tried to wrench the knife from Tillen's hands. He turned and sliced her arm. She winced and clutched her wound, stumbling backwards.

Seeing Tillen at a vulnerable point, as he was turned the other way, Frodo ran and tackled him. The two slammed into the wall before falling to the floor. They wrestled around on the floor for a few moments, before finally Tillen threw Frodo off of him. The two stood, Tillen glaring ferociously at Frodo, before holding out the knife and running at the young Hobbit. The blade of the knife skimmed Frodo's side and Frodo was pinned against the wall. Frodo grimaced in excruciating pain, before glaring coldly at Tillen. He rammed Tillen in the stomach with his knee, then threw him to the floor.

"Come on, hurry!" Frodo cried, taking Piper's hand and pulling her out of the window. Tillen scrambled to the window as the two ran across the yard and down the dirt Road, leading towards the Old Forest.

"You have no where to hide, Frodo Baggins!" Tillen shouted out the window. Piper's door flew open. The Tooks stood in the doorway, staring at Tillen, completely bewildered.

"What happened?" Pippin demanded, pulling Tillen from the floor by his collar. "Where is my sister?"

Tillen's face became solemn and distressed. "I came in to see what was wrong with her, and we were just talking. . .Frodo Baggins. . .he came in through the window. . .he attacked me with this!" Tillen held up the knife. "I fought him, I tried to save her. He kidnapped her." Pippin released Tillen, his eyes going wide.