Aelfgifu: Oh, I'm sorry I forgot about your knuckle. I'm sure it is okay right now for you to continue your evil Merry story. And talking about Merry, spanking is sure to be ONE of his punishments! :

Blue Jedi Hobbit: Happy belated Birthday! And please tell me, how about the hope of yours now?

Krista: I so love you that will not stop reading even if there were an apocalypse! I really need that!

Oddwen: I reposted the chapter paragraphed and beta-ed already by the amazing Emma (who else!) Do check it out again!

Endymion: I hope my elves will be cleverer later. LOL. But, why do you dislike Haldir so much? I'd say he's much better than in FOTR.

Warning: AU, angst

Chapter 52

In a distance not too close and not too far between where he was being held and where Frodo was lied down right now, Elrond could see a small incision on the back of the hobbit's neck. Thank the Valar he could see that. Hair usually covered the area but with Frodo lying on his belly, all the curls were set aside. The elf-lord suspected that poison had been penetrated through that cut into Frodo's body. That would explain the sudden attack Frodo had just experienced.

Elrond also realized something else. The small cut could mean that the amount of the poison entering the system was not too much. But that didn't guarantee anything. If it was a powerful kind of poison, you didn't have to use too much and you could already kill a horse. The elf prayed silently that this was not the one.

"Gandalf my friend," he murmured. "We have to do something quickly. I'm afraid Frodo has been poisoned."

With an effort Gandalf managed to face him, his eyes being the ones filled with agony.

"I can see that too. I have to try to convince them to permit us to give him the neutralizer."

But he realized what a tough job it would be. He guessed just too well Merry would make use of their position in bargaining. What would the corrupted hobbit ask in return for this, Gandalf wondered.

His thoughts were interrupted when seeing how the men turned Frodo over, causing the hobbit moan a little as he was now lying on his tied arms uncomfortably. Gandalf and the elves could see how Frodo's lips had turned bluish.

So many things had changed, mused Gandalf, ever since he last saw those lips tightened, a bit pouted, sulkily scorning at him,

"Gandalf, you are late!"

And he would blabber at how a wizard had never been late and that he would arrive precisely at the time most suitable to him.

Gandalf smiled sadly at the remembrance, and started to feel guilty again. He gave his words to Bilbo that he would carefully guard the boy. Yet he failed it completely. Why, he asked himself, did he have to go to Isengard that had earned him his captivity? Had he not decided to go there but accompany Frodo to Bree, none of these would have happened. Frodo wouldn't have met Merry during his unguarded journey, Merry wouldn't have been influenced by the Ring, and he wouldn't have ---

Gandalf could have gone deeper and deeper in his own misery if Elrond had not forced him back to reality.

"Gandalf, go back!" he shouted, a little sorry at once for having shouted it too hard. "I apologize, Gandalf, but we really have to do something - real. I cannot let you drown, blaming yourself for everything that has come to pass."

The wizard was not surprised the elf could see what was in his mind.

He took a deep breath. Elrond was right. Frodo needed his help. NOW. Or he wouldn't survive this time.

"Hey, Merry!" Gandalf tried to attract the attention of the hobbit who was busy looking at still unconscious Frodo. Not a glimpse of mercy or regret was at his face toward his own cousin's suffering, though.

"What!" Merry replied irritatedly. "Are you willing to tell me now where Bilbo is?"

Hmh, Gandalf sighed. Would this be the price he had to pay for asking to cure Frodo? Gandalf despised the idea of letting Bilbo see his beloved nephew and heir in his current state. It would be such a torment for the old chap.

"No," cried Gandalf. "But we want you to untie Frodo and give him to us." He added, "his life is in peril. We have to cure him as soon as we can!"

Merry laughed, his voice croaking like a crow. How Gandalf hated to hear that!

"Oh, this friend of mine here is trying to fool me! 'untie Frodo and give him to us'," Merry mimicked. "Ha! Not a chance, Gandalf. Not a chance! Although I can imagine you promise me you won't try to escape, I will never hand Frodo over to you!"

"But what if I tell you about Bilbo? Will that be a fair change?" offered the grey wizard.

Merry thought for a moment before giving his answer.

"So I see that Frodo is more precious than his uncle to you, aye, old man?" he chuckled.

"And he's also precious to you, isn't he, devil?" Gandalf retorted. "Otherwise, you would just kill or abandon him once you got what you wanted, the Ring."

Merry startled, but he wouldn't let himself get intimidated.

"Precious? Hm, I don't think so. I just think of him as a valuable good I can make use of. Just like now. I can get a good bargain with him here with me. And for the abandoning, well, I'm not like you, Gandalf!" Merry laughed and laughed at his own sentence as if it were the funniest joke which the wizard failed to understand.

Annoyed, he repeated his offer, which was replied playfully by Merry.

"Oh, please, Gandalf, don't be silly! As sure as you are unwilling to hand over Bilbo, so am I for Frodo!"

Elrond's patience grew thin with Merry's last remarks. He sighed deeply and turned to his sons who looked as angry as he was. He said something in elvish and was replied in the same language, drawing their guards' attention to them.

Without further warning, the three swung their legs to the men at the same time. Not hard enough to send them down but enough to annoy those mean- looking men. They yelled angrily and held the elves even more tightly afterwards.

If what Elrond meant to do was to free himself, he had certainly failed. But if he had only aimed at turning people's attention to them, he had greatly succeeded, as those seizing Gandalf had also been distracted.

And before they realized it, their captive had flown free and swooshed toward Frodo, sending several men down in the process, including Merry, who landed sprawling ungracefully to the ground.

The hobbit lost his breath and for a moment didn't realize what had happened and what he had to do. But Gandalf didn't give a damn. What he had in mind was Frodo alone and he realized that he had not much time.

Regretfully, he didn't have his staff with him - someone must have taken it - but it didn't matter. He had to try to do something without.

Gandalf managed to get to Frodo's side, kneeling down, snatching Frodo's blindfold off, briefly stunned to see how the hobbit's eyes were shut tightly in an intense pain, and pressing his palm down on the hobbit's aflame forehead. In a second, Gandalf could feel how Frodo was shattered inside, physically and mentally. The wizard regretted that he had not the much-needed Elrond's healing herbs but he had to try his best.

Gandalf closed his eyes and pronounced some spells, trying to fight whatever evil poison was at work inside this frail body. The wizard knew he couldn't rule it out completely but at least he could give Frodo more strength to fight it.

After a moment, Gandalf could feel there was a change in Frodo. The hobbit seemed more relaxed now and he looked as if he were sleeping, not fainting.

But the opposite happened to Merry. Awakened from the sudden attack, he glazed wildly at the two, and roared furiously while shouting orders to the men to quickly grab Gandalf. The wizard, raising his arms and hands high in the air to signal his surrender, was pulled up immediately, and this time, had his wrists secured tightly behind his back.

"I should have done that from the very beginning," said Merry, his eyes red with anger and his breath hard. But he was still too late. Now, however deeply he felt sorry for himself, he couldn't deny that he had made a terrible mistake which left him regaining nothing from the once favored situation. Frodo would heal and he didn't get anything.

Reaching up, Merry grabbed the neckline of Gandal's robe with both of his hands.

"You will show me the dungeon!" he hissed infuriatedly. "Because that's where you and all of those cursed elves will stay!"

Gandalf raised his eyebrow to Frodo's direction. Merry caught the unspoken question, and smiled bitterly.

"Oh, him? Don't worry. There will surely be a cell left for him. Don't expect to share the same suite with him, though. And by the way, Gandalf," Merry let go the old man of his grips and stepped back. "You have ruined my nice little plan concerning him. I didn't intend to put him in a cold and dark place. But thanks to you, he will have to go there now!"

TBC

AN: Why does Merry sound like Louis (played by Leo di Caprio) in The Man in the Iron Mask?? : Guys and girls, please review, okay? It will really cheer me up! See you in the next chapter!