Disclaimer- I still don't own LOTR, but I do claim this story and any characters in it that Tolkien did not mention.

A/N- (winces) I'm so sorry I haven't posted in forever (okay, only about a week), but school's been infringing on my time. Plus, I had the worst problem creating names for the new characters in this chapter. I'll try to write chapters more frequently, but like I said, school's a big factor there, so if it doesn't seem I've posted in a while, that's why. Thank you's are at the end.

Chapter 4

"Now, well, if I'm not forgetting somethin' then I don't live in the Shire!"

"What?" asked Poppy and Dandelion, both looking confused at Cousin Tunneler's last statement.

"Oh, pardon old Tunneler, lasses, he's got a lot on his mind. But like I was saying, if I'd a used my head I would've known who you were, Miss Poppy. The Thain's sent a letter up to the Master o' Brandy Hall about your visit."

Poppy's face showed relief but also a little worry. "Did he say if he wrote a letter to my parents, Cousin Tunneler?"

Cousin Tunneler tapped his head knowingly. "Aye, the Thain's quite a smart hobbit. Said to tell you not to fear, because he talked to them personally an' they said it was all right with them. And Theo's been right excited about your stay, him an' his puppy."

Dandelion smiled at the thought of her cousin. "So, he does actually have a puppy, then. I was afraid this visit would be for nothing, after all."

"Why wouldn't he have a puppy, Dandy?" asked Poppy.

At this, Cousin Tunneler roared with laughter and Dandelion's smile widened. "About five years ago, Theo sent a letter to the Smials asking if I could come see his new kitten. Well, you know how I like animals so I was anxious to go, even if it was winter. Papa didn't want me to at first, of course, because that was the year some hobbits said they had seen wolves around the borders. But I finally managed to get him to say yes, on the condition that Bergil went with me. He complained a lot on our trip, and when we finally did get to Brandy Hall, Theo's 'kitten' was a snow cat he had made when he saw us coming up the path!" Poppy's laughter joined Cousin Tunneler's as Dandelion continued. "Since then, my brother's refused to take me anywhere, and I rarely trust Theo when he says he's got something new, be it pet or toy or whatever else."

Still chuckling a little, Cousin Tunneler added, "Well, he has got a puppy this time. My Tru's brought it to him."

Dandelion's eyes grew larger and she stopped smiling. "Tru? Is he here?"

She did not remember Truman Boffin with as much fondness as his father, Cousin Tunneler. When they had been much younger, Tru had picked on her, pulling her gold curls and calling her the 'straw-headed hobbit.' After one such incident had sent her home in tears, Faramir had comforted her and then told her to 'stand up for yourself and show him you're a Took!' When the time had come to use his advice, the result was in Tru getting a tooth knocked out and Dandelion losing a lock of hair. Their enmity had been so great that twenty years ago, when she was thirteen and he fourteen, the Boffins had moved to the Northfarthing.

Apparently recalling the encounter, Cousin Tunneler laughed and said, "Don't worry, Dandy-lass. He's grown up as well as you have, an' I doubt if he'll pull out any more of your pretty hair!"

By this time they had reached the shore, and Dandelion smiled wanly. "I hope not."

"Now, young lasses, you'd best be off if you want to get your tea."

"Wait about you, Cousin Tunneler?" queried Poppy in surprise.

"Oh, I came to the Brandywine to fish! An' I don't mind missing my tea if I can have a nice trout for supper. Run along, and I'll see you at Brandy Hall."

"Tea-time!" Dandelion shouted as she ran toward the home of the Brandybucks, Poppy laughing and waving back at Cousin Tunneler as she tried to catch up with her friend.

* * *

Theo Brandybuck leaned against a tree, pointedly ignoring the growls coming from his stomach. His eyes almost crossed and his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth in concentration, he stared at the puppy standing in front of him. "No, Scamp, sit. Sit, boy."

Scamp cocked his head to one side, clearly not understanding a word his young master was saying. Theo sighed, and, as if on an unseen signal, Scamp sat. The hobbit blinked. "Good boy, Scamp!" He quickly sketched the puppy onto a notebook in his lap. While he focused on drawing the facial features of the pup, Scamp gave a low bark and dashed off into the underbrush.

Sighing again and quickly gathering up his sketchbook and pencil, Theo chased after him. Scamp's bark and chase meant only one of two things: either there was an animal nearby or a hobbit. Why, just the other day the pup had scared old Miss Bolger, Theo's first cousin once removed, into nearly climbing up a tree. The hobbit quickened his pace and was extremely surprised when he nearly tripped over the puppy, who was standing in the pointer position, nose and head thrust forward and one paw raised. Puzzled at the sudden halt, Theo looked in the direction Scamp was pointing. He pushed aside a leafy branch and saw one of the last things he would have expected to see: Dandelion Took, one of his favorite cousins, and her friend, Poppy something- Cotton, he thought.

A grin appeared on the young hobbit's face as he noticed the direction they were going. Nearby was a fork in the path, and he knew that Dandelion would not know which way to go. They had walked this trail together many times before, and she had always wanted to take the right fork. "I don't know why, cousin," she had said, laughing at herself, "but the right fork always seems safer, somehow, to me." In truth, this path led to the Hedge, and after that the Old Forest, while the left went to Brandy Hall. Theo picked up Scamp, told him, "Shhh," quietly, and picked his way carefully through the thick undergrowth. He followed his cousin and her friend to the fork in the path, listening to their conversation. It made very little sense to him.

"Hurry, Poppy, we'll miss tea!"

"Tea this, tea that. Is that all you ever think about? We can't get to the Ferry, you say we'll miss tea. We're on the Ferry, you still say we'll miss tea. We run through Buckland, and all you can say is we'll miss tea!"

"See? It's like I told Cousin Tunneler: I save you from snakes, thorns, and Fred Sandyman, and all you can do is complain because I am looking forward to the first decent meal I've had since--"

"Yesterday?"

By this time, they had reached the fork in the path. Dandelion stopped short, and looked thoughtfully down one trail, and then the other. "Which way?" asked Poppy.

"Um..."

"Don't tell me. We're now lost in Buckland!"

"I think," said Dandelion, disregarding her friend's comment, "that it's the right fork."

At this, Theo snorted and covered his mouth with one hand, trying desperately not to laugh.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"I heard something, from the trees. Didn't you hear it?"

"No, I was trying to remember which path is which. Do you think it could be some kind of animal?"

Poppy's face grew worried and her voice lowered. "Do you think it could be another one of those snakes?"

Dandelion slipped her pack off her back and felt around in it for her sword. "We'll just have to--"

But what they had to do she never said, for at that moment a puppy jumped out from the foliage and landed on her stomach. She dropped her pack and sat down with a whoosh of air. Before either of the hobbit lasses could move, a hobbit lad ran out of the trees. "Scamp!"

"Theo?" was all Dandelion could think to say.

As he picked up the puppy, Theo grinned at their astonished faces. "Hey, Dandelion. What're you doing in Buckland?"

"Looking for Brandy Hall," Dandelion replied. "what else? Oh, by the way, this is Poppy Cotton," she added, gesturing to the other, who was looking at them in confusion.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Cotton. I'm Theoden Brandybuck, but you can call me Theo," said he politely.

"Call me Poppy."

"All right." He turned to Dandelion, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "Lost again, O Cousin? I pity the students of Tuckborough."

Glaring at him, Dandelion shook her curls and stuck her nose in the air. "I'll have you know, the students of Tuckborough receive an excellent education, unlike the children of Buckland who attack innocent travelers with vicious dogs."

Theo smiled broadly and gave her a great hug. "It's good to see you too, Dandy."

Dandelion hugged him back and then thought of something that seemed odd. "Theo, why aren't you in the Hall for tea? We haven't missed it, have we?"

Theo blushed a little and hung his head. "No, it just started a while ago. It shouldn't be over yet."

"Then why aren't you having any?" inquired Dandelion; her cousin wasn't prone to skipping meals.

"Aren't you hungry?" asked Poppy.

Theo mumbled something. "Wenttofarmermaggot'sandgotcaughtandnowcan'thaveanytea."

"What?"

Theo was definitely blushing now. "I visited Farmer Maggot's by way of the Ferry and I, uh, borrowed some of his vegetables. It wasn't a lot- just some mushrooms, carrots, cabbages, and maybe some other stuff- but when I got home Mum found out somehow and now I can't have any tea nor second breakfast for a month and I have to help Farmer Maggot plant his crops."

Dandelion and Poppy looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"It's not funny!" Theo exclaimed as he looked up, his face and pointed ears bright pink. "If you two are just going to sit here and chuckle at each other all day--"

"No," Dandelion gasped out as she tried to halt her merriment, "No, Theo, just give us a second," more laughter, "and then take us to Brandy Hall."

Theo indignantly turned his back on them and marched down the left fork. Poppy blanched at the thought of being lost again and, grabbing the still giggling Dandelion along with their things, hurried after him.

By the time they had reached the outskirts of the small but dense clump of trees, they had nearly caught up to the hobbit lad. His pride had been dealt what he deemed a grievous blow, but his natural good humor had returned and he was chortling a bit at how silly he must have seemed to the two girls. He turned and smiled at them as they left the trees and pointed toward a large, low hill, now visible and seeming quite close. "Come on! If we hurry, I might get to sneak a bite while they're greeting you!" He turned back and ran toward the hill, Dandelion and Poppy close behind.

* * *

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