Author's Note: Got another review! YAY!
Pippin's First Love Chapter Three
The night was chilly and dry as Diamond snuck out her window to the river for her "initiation" as Merry called it. She couldn't stop the uncontrollable shivering, and though she hated to admit it, Diamond knew it wasn't because of the chilly breeze. She berated herself with things she'd heard in her seventeen years in the Shire about swimming. She couldn't think of a single thing that would help her tonight, after dark was the only thing she could remember. After dark, you don't swim. She sighed as she saw the two figures ahead of her, one perched cockily on the bridges railing.

"You're late." Merry said with a grin. She couldn't see it, but oh she could hear it.

"I suggest you check your watch." she replied hotly. The moon dipped beneath a cloud making the dark appear eternal. Diamond shivered again and watched to find out exactly what it was she had to do.

"You don't have to do this." Pippin's voice said hopefully. Diamond shook her head gravely.

"Yes. I do, Pippin."

"Right. First you gotta get out of yer clothes, so ya won't sink, then you jump in." Merry instructed. Diamond nodded and waited until the moon was behind another cloud before she undressed. The two cousins were situated so they wouldn't see the young lass undress. The splash was the only way they knew they could watch. It was a quiet splash accompanied by a shrill squeal of terror.

"Cold!" shrieked the girl in the water. "How long do I have to stay in here?" she demanded. She was afraid of what lurked in the shallows of the river as well as the depths.

"Not that easy, Diamond," Merry said, disappointed she had even gone in. "You have you swim across the river and touch the opposite bank. Then you can come back." he commanded. The moon came out from behind it's shadowy cover, revealing Diamond's sillouette. She was up to her neck in the water, her hands gripped around her body for warmth. She took a deep shuddering breath and plunged beneath the fast moving current. It tugged at her but she continued her clumsy paddle until she resurfaced for air. When she touched the opposite bank and began her retreat from the awful water she began to drift downstream. She was tiring and beginning to sink further and further into the water. Water rushed to greet her hungry lungs instead of air. She touched the back she sought and felt two sets of hands yank her out. She gasped for breath only to feel a dizzying affect take place. She couldn't breathe, let alone pull herself onto the bridge, so who was?

Her eyes rolled crazily in her head, trying desperately to find something to help her breathe. When the hands covered her bare body with a blanket and tilted her face up towards the moon, she almost lost her hold on life. The water pressed painfully in her lungs, preventing her from thinking rationally. She began to panic and thrash about. In her frenzy she remembered seeing Pippin's worried face, and Merry's alarmed wringning of hands. The last thing she expected was Pippin pressing his hands on her chest to force the water out. She used up the last of her strength to help him.

"Merry, help!" Pippin cried, seeing Diamond's eyes snap shut, and her struggling cease. He tilted her face upwards once more before planting his mouth over her lips, forcing air into her lungs. He pressed on her lungs, insisting the water come out and allow her to breathe. Merry crouched down on the muddy planks of the bridge and flipped Diamond onto her stomach. Pippin smacked her on the back repeatedly. She coughed, once, twice, then let out a shuddering intake of breath. A small sigh of relief issued from all three mouths. Diamond pressed her hand on the floor of the bridge, wrapping the towel around her wet, bare body. Before she left, the thing they all remember best that night, the night of her initiation, was the slap marks on Merry's face, that would stay for weeks to come.
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"Estella, you better KNOCK some sense into that boy, I swear." said Diamond the next day, her voice very hoarse from the water intake. Estella and Rosie laughed hysterically.

"You can't really expect us to believe that you swam the Brandywine River, at midnight. And that Pippin and Merry had to knock the air into you, do you?" Rosie asked contemptuously. Diamond nodded, drinking her tea sullenly. She slapped the cup down with fervor as she spoke.

"I don't remember a lot of it, only that Merry and Pippin yanked me out of the water, and you know I wasn't wearing any clothes. Well, when I did start remembering things, I just knew Merry had it coming." Diamond motioned with her hand the slap she planted on his left cheek. Estella and Rosie let out fresh peels of laughter, this time Diamond joined them.

"Mayhap, we seek out the two troublemakers and ask them ourselves." Estella suggested. Rosie nodded enthusiastically and pulled the two out into the busy road. They had been inside the bar where Rosie worked, helping her clean up for a day at the market.

"Where would they be?" Rosie asked Diamond. Diamond tried to look flabbergasted.

"What makes you think I know?" she questioned, trying to sound annoyed. Rosie placed a hand on her hip.

"You of all people should know where Pippin is, to say the least." she threw at the lass who's hair was still wet. Diamond refused to let herself blush, of course she found an alternive. She gave in to the comment.

"Raiding fields most likely." she muttered, hoping they didn't hear her. Moments later she was being dragged to Farmer Maggot's field where they sat down just outside the corn stalks.

"Now what?" Estella asked impatiently. Rosie smile at her friends.

"Now, we wait." she told them triumphantly. Hours went by without incident and just as Rosie herself was about to suggest going in for elevensies, a loud bark issued from deep within the stalks.

"Left Pip! Left!" came a voice at their right. Soon two hobbits burst through the corn field wall. A moment of surprise froze time before Merry and Pippin siezed the girls' arms and dragged them off to the nearest tree. Diamond didn't have to be told twice. She scrambled up the tree in a sort of second nature. Estella and Rosie clung to the lower branches, trying to get up higher. Pippin and Merry managed to haul them up to their level before the dogs came. They barked crazily for five minutes before leaving for home, beaten by the five terrified hobbits in the tree.

"You guys really need a battle plan." announced Diamond. She hopped down from her perch, landing gracefully at the foot of the immense trunk.

"Diamond! The dogs are still there!" Merry wailed. He watched in amazement as she pulled some dried meat from her jumper pocket and gave it to the dogs, cooing soothing words. She told them to go home, it was just her taking a shortcut and soon the dogs were off again, homeward bound.

"Like I said, you need a battle plan." she said again, helping Rosie and Estella down from their branch.

"So did you guys really try to drown Diamond?" Rosie asked rather rudely. Pippin toppled out of the tree but managed to land on his butt. He pulled a carrott from his pocket and began to nibble it nervously.

"We didn't try to drown her, she was tired from the swim and the ungodly hour Merry chose." Pippin insisted. He still hadn't met Diamond's eyes, whether in shame or something more, she didn't know.

"She didn't have to come." Merry muttered after he toppled down next to Pippin.

"Ha!" Diamond snorted at the downcast look in his eyes. Her gaze shifted over to the horrific red marks on his cheek. She snorted again.

"Well, what happened?" demanded Estella. Diamond opened her mouth to say she'd already told them but Merry beat her to it. They all sat down and listened to his version of the story.

"Well first of all I told Diamond if she'd be coming with us to raid the field and such, she'd have to prove herself. She'd have to swim across the Brandywine at midnight. When she came she started to swim across and she made it there okay, but on the way back she got tired, from what I can tell. Anyway, she touched the shore, signifying that she passed. When she didn't pull her face outta the water, Pippin insisted we pull her out." Merry's cheeks reddened. "She wasn't wearing anythin' so I covered her up in a blanket. Pippin noticed she was blue and not breathing so he started to push the water out. That didn't start to work until he put air in first so-" Merry tried to continue when Diamond stood up, red as a beet.

"He did what?" she demanded, her face blazing like flame, Pippin's was to match. He didn't even look at her, he only winced as Merry made his explaination.

"He blew air into your lungs. He had to Diamond, you would've died!" Merry insisted. He watched her go very pale and touch her lips. She looked at Pippin who's face was buried under his arms. Rosie giggled and tried to stifle the guffaws that were building. The only part of Pippin's face you could see was his red forehead. The space between Pippin and Diamond seemed to grow, though she was looking at him interestedly.

"Righty then, continue." she instructed, her face reddening again.

"Okay, then we flipped you onto your stomach and pounded until the water came out. You started coughing so we left you alone. Then," he touched his cheek tentatively. "you left." he ended.

Pippin yanked his face out of his arms and stood up, walking on the road back towards Hobbiton. Diamond lurched to her feet following him.

"Pippin! Wait!" she called, leaving the others behind. He walked faster, face turning red again. She latched onto his arm and spun him around. His eyes were pinched shut as if doing so would block out the words she would scald him with.

"Look, I'm sorry." he sputtered. He tried to pull away when she yanked his arm down further, so that she was holding his hand in her's.

"For what?" she asked, also red. He tried not to sing for joy, she wasn't mad!

"For well...doing that I guess." he tried. She smiled but remained her lovely blush.

"Let me get this straight, you're sorry for saving my life?" she raised an eyebrow. He nodded and blushed deeper. She touched his cheek lightly.

"I guess so." he mumbled. They were in the middle of the road, quite a spectacle. Both were red as beets, and not looking into each other's eyes. Anyone but them would've known they liked eachother.

"Please, don't be. Are you going back?" she asked urgently. He nodded and frowned at her nervous twitter. "Do me a favor then." she demanded softly. He nodded again and watched her eyes for a clue. "Don't tell them about this." she whispered and gave him a kiss on the cheek.