Chapter 7
Friends Again
Pippin sat nervously between Diamond and her father during breakfast. Though Pippin didn't see it, Pippin felt the judging glare from Diamond's father.
"So what brings you here on such an early morning?" asked Diamond's mother as she set down a plate before Pippin.
"Well I expected to come yesterday evening, but something came up," answered Pippin, "This looks delicious," he added as a compliment.
Diamond's mother giggled shyly, "Thank you."
Pippin heard Diamond's father give a short grunt, "Galena," he said to his wife, "Can I see you in the kitchen?"
He and his wife left the dining room, and Pippin, Diamond, and Amethyst were left alone. Pippin saw that Amethyst and Diamond remained silent; they were obviously trying to listen in on their parent's conversation that took place in the next room. Pippin listened to...
"Galena, I just don't like the look of the boy."
"Honey, he's son of Paladin Took...the Thain," Pippin heard Galena say, "He seems very nice to me. Polite. And Diamond really does like him."
"I don't know..."
"Give him a chance."
"Diamond's my youngest daughter; I want the best for her."
"As do I," she said, "Peregrin seems like a very decent hobbit."
"But Galena... Diamond's still a child! Do you really think she's ready for this?"
"I know my daughter. I know she is."
Pippin heard the two's foot steps drawing near. They entered the dining room and the five continued eating their breakfast.
"So, Peregrin..." began Diamond's father, "What are your hobbies? Diamond's a very talented painter, did you know that?"
"Father..." Diamond blushed.
Pippin looked at Diamond, "No, I didn't know that."
He gave another grunt, "So what do you enjoy?"
"Well I do like fishing..."
"Really?"
"O! So do you, honey!" exclaimed Diamond's mother, "See? You two have something in common! Isn't that splendid?"
Diamond's father was silent.
"You two should go fishing together some time, Father," suggested Amethyst.
He paused, "Alright." He turned to Pippin, "Thursday. How 'bout it?"
"Sounds great," Pippin smiled weakly.
"I'll invite a friend. You invite a friend. A man's day out."
"Perfect," Pippin lied. Who would he invite? Merry wouldn't come. His father was sick. Pippin felt a knot in his stomach, how was he supposed to impress Diamond's father, if he showed up without a companion. Pippin felt that he was doomed.
**
Merry and Pervinca began to wonder if Pippin would ever come home. It was just two hours before dinner. But when they heard Eglantine exclaim, "Pippin!" They found their answer. Both Merry and Pervinca rushed to where Pippin was. The three stared at each other, each waiting for the other one to speak first. Finally, Pervinca spoke, "Pippin! What were you thinking? Running off like that so early in the morning!"
The wrong thing to say, for the hobbit let out an angry sigh, and began to walk to his room.
Pervinca stopped him, "Pippin! Your cousin and I want to talk to you! Don't we, Merry?"
Pippin and Merry starred at each other.
"I'm not talking to that Brandybuck," spat Pippin rather nastily.
"Now see here, Peregrin Took!" Pervinca had had enough, "Merry came here the other night to talk things over with you! You wanted so badly for him to come and apologize, well, there he was! There he was, and you shut him out! And did he leave? No! He spent the night! And when you left the next morning... did he leave? No! He's right here, Peregrin! He's right here in front of you! And you need to speak to him!" Pervinca drew a deep breathe. She turned to Merry, "Well, go on!"
"O, uh... Pip, listen. The other day... when we got in a fight, well... It wasn't until later that I realized that I didn't really know what the fight was about. I mean, you said I ignored you. Pippin, I didn't ignore you. If it looked like I did, I'm sorry. I really am. I swear, I wasn't ignoring you."
Pippin starred, "I called for you, Merry. I called for you to come and meet Diamond. And you didn't come. Didn't even look at me..." Pippin spoke very softly and looked at the floor.
"I'm sorry, Pip. I... I must not of heard you."
"But Merry..." Pippin still looked at the ground, "It was my birthday..."
"Pippin," said Pervinca, "You have to understand Merry's sorry, OK? He really cares about you, you know that. Just because it was your birthday, it doesn't mean that everyone has super hearing!" she half chuckled.
Pippin cracked a small smile.
"I think you owe an apology as well," said Pervinca.
Pippin looked up at Merry, "............. sorry, Mer."
Merry smiled, "O... come here, you fool of a Took!"
And the two embraced each other in a hug.
"I'm sorry, Merry," Pippin repeated.
Pervinca stood beside to two hugging friends, in tears, "O, this is so touching." she sniffed, wiping a single tear from her eye.
---------
author's note: This fic is nearly complete; the next chapter will be the LAST. Just thought I'd let you know.
Friends Again
Pippin sat nervously between Diamond and her father during breakfast. Though Pippin didn't see it, Pippin felt the judging glare from Diamond's father.
"So what brings you here on such an early morning?" asked Diamond's mother as she set down a plate before Pippin.
"Well I expected to come yesterday evening, but something came up," answered Pippin, "This looks delicious," he added as a compliment.
Diamond's mother giggled shyly, "Thank you."
Pippin heard Diamond's father give a short grunt, "Galena," he said to his wife, "Can I see you in the kitchen?"
He and his wife left the dining room, and Pippin, Diamond, and Amethyst were left alone. Pippin saw that Amethyst and Diamond remained silent; they were obviously trying to listen in on their parent's conversation that took place in the next room. Pippin listened to...
"Galena, I just don't like the look of the boy."
"Honey, he's son of Paladin Took...the Thain," Pippin heard Galena say, "He seems very nice to me. Polite. And Diamond really does like him."
"I don't know..."
"Give him a chance."
"Diamond's my youngest daughter; I want the best for her."
"As do I," she said, "Peregrin seems like a very decent hobbit."
"But Galena... Diamond's still a child! Do you really think she's ready for this?"
"I know my daughter. I know she is."
Pippin heard the two's foot steps drawing near. They entered the dining room and the five continued eating their breakfast.
"So, Peregrin..." began Diamond's father, "What are your hobbies? Diamond's a very talented painter, did you know that?"
"Father..." Diamond blushed.
Pippin looked at Diamond, "No, I didn't know that."
He gave another grunt, "So what do you enjoy?"
"Well I do like fishing..."
"Really?"
"O! So do you, honey!" exclaimed Diamond's mother, "See? You two have something in common! Isn't that splendid?"
Diamond's father was silent.
"You two should go fishing together some time, Father," suggested Amethyst.
He paused, "Alright." He turned to Pippin, "Thursday. How 'bout it?"
"Sounds great," Pippin smiled weakly.
"I'll invite a friend. You invite a friend. A man's day out."
"Perfect," Pippin lied. Who would he invite? Merry wouldn't come. His father was sick. Pippin felt a knot in his stomach, how was he supposed to impress Diamond's father, if he showed up without a companion. Pippin felt that he was doomed.
**
Merry and Pervinca began to wonder if Pippin would ever come home. It was just two hours before dinner. But when they heard Eglantine exclaim, "Pippin!" They found their answer. Both Merry and Pervinca rushed to where Pippin was. The three stared at each other, each waiting for the other one to speak first. Finally, Pervinca spoke, "Pippin! What were you thinking? Running off like that so early in the morning!"
The wrong thing to say, for the hobbit let out an angry sigh, and began to walk to his room.
Pervinca stopped him, "Pippin! Your cousin and I want to talk to you! Don't we, Merry?"
Pippin and Merry starred at each other.
"I'm not talking to that Brandybuck," spat Pippin rather nastily.
"Now see here, Peregrin Took!" Pervinca had had enough, "Merry came here the other night to talk things over with you! You wanted so badly for him to come and apologize, well, there he was! There he was, and you shut him out! And did he leave? No! He spent the night! And when you left the next morning... did he leave? No! He's right here, Peregrin! He's right here in front of you! And you need to speak to him!" Pervinca drew a deep breathe. She turned to Merry, "Well, go on!"
"O, uh... Pip, listen. The other day... when we got in a fight, well... It wasn't until later that I realized that I didn't really know what the fight was about. I mean, you said I ignored you. Pippin, I didn't ignore you. If it looked like I did, I'm sorry. I really am. I swear, I wasn't ignoring you."
Pippin starred, "I called for you, Merry. I called for you to come and meet Diamond. And you didn't come. Didn't even look at me..." Pippin spoke very softly and looked at the floor.
"I'm sorry, Pip. I... I must not of heard you."
"But Merry..." Pippin still looked at the ground, "It was my birthday..."
"Pippin," said Pervinca, "You have to understand Merry's sorry, OK? He really cares about you, you know that. Just because it was your birthday, it doesn't mean that everyone has super hearing!" she half chuckled.
Pippin cracked a small smile.
"I think you owe an apology as well," said Pervinca.
Pippin looked up at Merry, "............. sorry, Mer."
Merry smiled, "O... come here, you fool of a Took!"
And the two embraced each other in a hug.
"I'm sorry, Merry," Pippin repeated.
Pervinca stood beside to two hugging friends, in tears, "O, this is so touching." she sniffed, wiping a single tear from her eye.
---------
author's note: This fic is nearly complete; the next chapter will be the LAST. Just thought I'd let you know.