A/N: Here are the last two chapters. In Chapter Seven, Merry reveals what was said in his hearing by his father that has haunted him for the past few years. Chapter Eight is more light-hearted. You know how it is when you get those willful Took children together with that peculiar Brandybuck lad!

Chapter Seven - Goodnight

It was silent and pitch dark as Merry made his way from his bedroom to the nursery. He had been tossing and turning all evening, unable to fall asleep. Around midnight, he could hear the baby making gurgling sounds and decided to pay his little cousin a visit. His small candle gave minimal light as he made his way along the wall inside the nursery. The baby stopped gurgling and turned to see who had entered, then stood up in his crib--holding onto the wooden bars that stretched across it. Merry could hear the small breaths his baby cousin took, and then watched as Pippin latched his mouth onto the crib railing. He lit a larger candle on the table and then laid his little candle next to it. "Hullo, Pippin."

"Buh."

"I don't know what 'Buh' means, but I can sit here and talk with you a while, if you don't mind."

"Buh."

Merry unlatched the railing bar and let it down. He then tested the baby's bed with a bit of his own weight before climbing in. "So this is your room. I like it. It's not got lace like the girls' rooms. We lads have to stick together."

"Buh!" This time, an irate Pippin pointed to a book lying on the floor next to the crib.

"Book? You want me to read to you?"

"Buh." Said Pippin in a much nicer tone.

Merry got down and picked up the little book and flipped it open to the first page. "This story is about a little puppy and a kitten." He began to read the book to his cousin. "The kitten says meow." He turned to the baby, "Can you say 'meeoww, Pippin?"

"Bih."

Merry quietly laughed. "No, you have to say meeoww like a kitten!"

"Mih"

"Now you must bark like the puppy. Say 'bark'!"

"Buh"

Merry was beside himself giggling as quietly as his tummy would let him.

"Merry!" Came a harsh whisper from the doorway. "Did you wake the baby?"

Merry quickly climbed down out of the crib, dropping the little book in the process. "No, sir. He was awake when I came in."

Paladin came into the nursery, "Now he'll never get back to sleep on his own." Paladin picked up the book and then the baby, taking them both to the rocker. "Come along, Merry. You may as well help with it." A groggy Paladin sat down in the rocker, cradling his baby son, and handed the book over to his nephew. "Go ahead and read the rest since that is what he wanted. But just read straight through, though; no stopping to make funny noises, all right? And read softly--he tends to fall asleep faster that way."

"Yes, sir." Merry read from the beginning once more, going all the way to the end without stopping. This is not fun, he thought. But when he looked up, the baby's eyes were closed in slumber.....and so was his uncle's. He tapped on Paladin's knee. "Uncle!" He whispered.

Paladin's eyes snapped open. "Oh. Thank you, Merry. You did such a good job reading that I fell asleep, too." He whispered. He got up and gently laid baby Pippin in his crib and covered him. Then he did as he always did every single night of his children's lives. He kissed his child's head, and whispered softly--if they were already asleep, "Goodnight. I love you."

Merry watched the whole scene of tucking in the baby. "He was wanted, wasn't he?"

"Hmm?"

"The baby. He was wanted."

"Well....yes. But why do you say that?"

Merry shrugged. "I don't know. But it must be nice to be wanted."

Paladin was waking more fully now at this revelation. Blowing out the larger candle, he grabbed the little candle off the table and took his nephew by the hand, leading him back to his own bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took Merry onto his lap. "Now tell me, son, why is it you feel you weren't wanted?"

Merry was quiet at first, but then he thought it hurt too much to keep to himself any longer. "My dad doesn't tuck me in."

Paladin knew that wasn't the true answer. "What else?"

"He doesn't kiss me, or tell me he loves me."

Drawing his nephew closer to him, he said, "Merry, your father may not kiss you, but that doesn't mean you weren't wanted." That answer sounded pretty weak even to Paladin.

Merry placed his hands to his eyes in an attempt to keep the gathering tears there. But he was failing. "He told me so."

Paladin felt as if he were punched in the stomach. "Your father? When did he say this?"

"A long time ago." He sniffed. "He and my mum were arguing, and....and..." He was still trying to hold back his sobs.

"Merry," Paladin took the boy's hands away from his eyes. "Is this what he said in your hearing when you first started coming here?" Merry put his hands back to his eyes and nodded.

Merry couldn't hold the sobs anymore. "I try hard to be good..." He cried, "and he still doesn't love me." He sniffed. "I get in fights with Berilac because I hate him. I don't like Berilac, neither, because he doesn't like me. I even try not to cry because he says crying is for babies, and he still hates me." Merry paused to catch his breath. "Everyone tells me to be a good lad...and I try to, or else they yell at me saying I'm cracked. I try so very hard...why doesn't my dad love me?"

Paladin held his nephew close as his own tears surfaced in response. "My dearest, sweet, Merry. You are greatly wanted and loved." Tears fell freely as he held Merry close. "Your mum loves you, I love you, Auntie Tina loves you--we all love you here in this house."

Merry wiped away the tears running down his cheeks. "But Uncle Paladin, it's not the same. Why doesn't my own father love me?"

Paladin stroked Merry's hair. "I can't answer that, lad. And you're right; it isn't the same. But my love--our love--mine and your auntie's, is here whenever you want it or need it. You may visit here as often as you like, Merry, and each and every time you come, there will be lots of love here waiting for you. If it were possible, I'd bring you here to live."

"I already asked." Merry's sobs were subsiding.

"What did she say?"

"No." Then he continued, "But I couldn't leave my Mum there alone with that beast."

"Merry!"

"Well he is. If he can't see to love his own son, then he's a beast to me."

Yet Paladin wasn't about to make Merry stop. It was as if a dam had burst; this was the most Merry had ever said about his hurts and fears at home. Paladin was resolved that his home would be a safe haven for his nephew, and so he let the lad rant and rave for as long as he wanted; allowing him to call his father everything but a respectable hobbit. When Merry finally finished, Paladin warned him, "You can't say these things to just anyone; they won't understand." He leaned over and opened the bedside table drawer and took out a handkerchief and gave it to Merry. "However, whatever you say in my hearing, will stay with me, is that fair?"

"Yes. I understand." Merry said, as he wiped his face.

"And Merry," Paladin cautioned him, "It's all right to cry when your heart is breaking into pieces."

Paladin was now ready to get to bed himself, but he also didn't want to leave the boy alone in his heart-wrenching misery. I love you, Tina, he said to himself as he scooted under the covers with his nephew. He drew the covers around them both and then kissed Merry's forehead. "Goodnight, Merry. I love you."