A/N: I realize most of us would demand an explanation as to why a friend disappeared for a while, however, to stay with JRRT's piece I quoted at the beginning of chapter one, Merry and Pippin will not get one. JRRT said they "suspected" Frodo visited Elves; if they got an explanation, then there'd be no more suspecting. So sorry! Thanks to everyone for your great and kind reviews!

Chapter Seven - What Can They Possibly Do To Me?

It was a long walk from the dense woodlands of Woody End to the western boundary of the South Farthing; they walked far into the night, and then woke up very early so that they would be in Tuckborough before midnight. As they plodded along, Pippin, Merry, and Frodo watched the summer sun shower golden rays upon the deep grasses and the wild flowers that dotted the countryside.

Pippin walked ahead of his cousins; he had found a sturdy stick in the road a ways back and was busy trimming away the weaker twigs and dead leaves. He let his hands slide up and down the semi-smooth bark, pealing off the loose layers. Then he held it out lengthwise before him, eyeing it as if he were using it to see things far away. He fancied that n the end, his stick would resemble old Bilbo's favorite walking stick; the one he used on his adventures away beyond the eastern borders of the Shire.

Behind him, he could hear Merry and Frodo quietly discussing something. They spoke in lower tones, but made no attempt to whisper. Pippin continued to fuss about his newly fashioned walking stick, but made it a point to catch snippets of whatever it was they were chatting about.

"Well, I haven't seen any orchards at all since we crossed the border of the East and South Farthings." Said Merry.

"Neither have I." Frodo replied, gawking at the beautiful scenery as they walked. "But I'm not too worried yet."

"I am." Merry answered, nodding towards their teenage cousin, "Have you seen him eat lately?"

"It's nice that you're discussing my eating habits as if I weren't here!" Pippin remarked over his shoulder.

"We weren't speaking any secrets." Frodo said.

"Yes, dear cousin" said Merry, "instead of evesdropping, why don't you walk with us and join the conversation?"

Still fussing over his walking stick, Pippin asked "Is that a proper invitation?"

Merry looked at Frodo, then ran up behind Pippin, grabbed the stick and bolted. "Now it is!"

"Hey!" Pippin yelled, "That's mine!" Then he took off after his cousin.

Just then, Pippin stopped in the road, put his hand to his stomach and made a face. "Merry!", He shouted, dropping to his knees.

"What?" Merry thought something was seriously wrong with the lad and ran back to investigate.

When Pippin saw that Merry was at his side, he said, "My stomach is growling; I'm hungry!" He said and grabbed his walking stick out of Merry's hands.

"You poor hobbit!" Merry wrestled Pippin to the ground and sat on him, tickling him mercilessly.

Pippin kicked and squirmed, "Frodo! Help!"

"Pippin!" Merry chided him as he got up, "Stop shouting! You're going to wake up the dead!"

"Let them come! I'll eat them, too!" Said Pippin, though he threw a side-glance towards the lengthening shadows in the trees. He crossed his arms over his stomach, "Why am I so hungry all the time?"

"I don't recall that being so unusual with you, Pip." Replied Merry.

"You're not funny, Merry!" Pippin grasped Merry's offered hand and stood to his feet.

"I wasn't trying to be." Merry answered, though he grinned at Frodo when Pippin wasn't looking.

"It seems I'm hungry all the time."

"It's not strange for young hobbits to be hungry all the time, Pippin. Merry's jesting with you; I can tell you of a time when he visited Bilbo and I when he was your age, and he nearly ate us out of hole and home!" Then Frodo stopped the pony, untied his pack and looked inside, "Well, I don't think we have enough between us to make a proper hobbit meal." Those words made the teen spin around on his heels. Frodo added, "We have enough for a well-deserved snack between the three of us, but I don't know what we're to do for tonight's supper."

Pippin knew they would be approaching his childhood home of Whitwell in a few hours. Whitwell was where his family owned and farmed a huge parcel of land in outer Tuckborough prior to moving to Great Smials a couple years ago. Pippin looked long at Merry. He shook his head, "Oh, no! Not that again!"

"What else are we to do, Merry? Do you want to starve?"

"No," he sighed, "but I don't wish to meet up with any dogs again!"

"On my father's farm?"

Then Merry understood his cousin; Pippin meant for them to raid his own father's fields. "But Pippin, doesn't your father hire someone to watch the crops at night?"

"Yes, but they all know who I am." Pippin said. This should prove easy enough, he thought. After all, I know the land well, and I know where the watchman sleeps. "And let me do it this time; you do seem to attract dogs for some unknown reason."

"I'm not going to let you go out there all alone!" Merry argued.

"You have to, Merry!" Pippin reasoned. "I know the fields and orchards; and I know where the gates are watched. And besides," he added, "Someone has to stay back and watch Frodo."

Frodo's became indignant, "I do not need watching like a little hobbit child!"

Merry looked at Frodo's slightly round belly and quickly said, "You must stay back this time at least, Frodo. Someone has to watch the pony."

Frodo was reluctant to admit he was a tad out of shape for raiding crop fields, so he made a pretense of objection, "I can slide through a fence as well as you, Merry!"

"We weren't sliding through the fences other night, were we Pippin?"

"No, we weren't, Merry. Do you like dogs, Frodo?" Pippin joked, though he knew his father didn't keep any dogs on his farm.

"No, not greatly." Frodo still had vivid memories of Grip and Fang in his head. "I suppose I would be of more use watching our packs and the pony." Inwardly, he was relieved to have the task of staying behind to watch the helpful beast.

"Good! I can already see my plan laid out in my head." Continued Pippin. "All I need now is a sack."

"What will happen if you're caught?" Merry asked.

Pippin smirked and shrugged his shoulders, "I'm the landowner's son--what can they possibly do to me?"