Like Brothers
Chapter 14
Brothers
Merry was in very deep trouble. Like Pippin his punishment was to stay in his room for an entire week. He tried to explain to his mama that it was Estella who had started the whole mess, but his mama didn't believe the tale. "Damn that evil girl!" Merry mumbled angrily to himself as he sat near his bedroom window staring at the outdoors.
Pippin carried out his punishment with a lot of tears. He figured if he cried enough, his family would pity him and maybe reduce the sentence. His parents remained unaffected, but his sisters did help him by sneaking desserts into their little brother's room in attempt to cheer the lad up.
In time, Merry and Pippin's punishments were ended. After many, many visits between the two cousins time passed quickly. And three months seemed more like three weeks. And then it happened...
The babe was early. Merry, Pippin, Frodo, and all three of Pippin's sisters were kept in the dining room during the time of the delivery. None of the young hobbits knew what was happening, but it had been at least six hours of waiting.
It was deathly silent while they waited. Merry saw that Pearl and Frodo looked worried and watched the time intensively. He knew the two were older and knew things that he didn't, but was too afraid to ask. Pippin, who had sprouted at least another inch, was growing impatient. Pippin sighed and turned to Merry. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he saw his father enter the room.
Everyone stared at him, waiting for him to speak.
"Is my brother here yet?" asked Pippin. Paladin gathered Pearl, Pimpernel, Pervinca, and Pippin and lead them out of the room, leaving Merry and Frodo alone.
"That's not fair!" exclaimed Merry, "I want to see him too!"
Frodo shook his head, "Mer, I don't think..." his voice fell silent.
"What?"
Frodo cleared his throat, "I don't think the babe made it."
"What do you mean? Why wouldn't he? Are you saying--"
Before Merry could finish, the Took children returned. All three girls were in tears, and Pippin wore a shocked and slightly confused expression. Merry slowly approached Pippin as Frodo went to comfort the girls, "Pip? What-- What happened?"
Pippin stared at Merry; his lip quivered as he fought back tears. "Mer--" he said softly, but couldn't find his voice after that.
Merry wrapped his arms around Pippin, "O, Pippin, I'm sorry."
The little hobbit buried his face in his cousin's chest and cried, "It was a lad, Merry... Merry, it was my little brother... and.... he's... he's... dead.... Mer, I didn't even get to see 'im, and... and..." Pippin wailed louder and louder, and all Merry could do was hold him in his arms.
"It's not fair, Merry... He was supposed to be my brother... It's not fair!"
"It's... It's OK, Pip. It's alright..."
The dining room was filled with sobs and cries; Merry and Frodo caught in the middle of it all. Soon, Pearl pulled herself together and tried to help calm Pimpernel and Pervinca. Pippin cried himself to sleep, and Merry carried him to his room, and laid him down in his bed. Merry sat quietly beside his cousin watching him sleep. He wondered what would happen when Pippin awoke. Would he resume his crying? Would he be angry?
But when Pippin awoke he didn't seem to feel anything. He sat up in bed and stared at the walls silently, After what seemed like ages he squeaked, "Mer?"
"Yes?"
"I was just thinking, Merry. And I remembered my mother told me I had a bad 'fluence... did that kill my brother?"
"Your what?"
"My 'fluence."
"Pippin, I'm not sure what you mean by your... er... flooness? But you didn't kill that baby. It just... it was an early birth, Pippin and he just wasn't ready to be born. Pippin, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault."
"But I was supposed to take care of him. I was his big brother and... I failed, Merry."
Merry sighed, "Pippin, it's alright. I-- I know exactly how you feel."
"You do?"
Merry nodded, "That's the way I felt when I got you sick with pneumonia." Merry frowned remembering seeing his little cousin fighting for his life.
But Pippin smiled, "Merry?"
"Yes?"
"You mean... you mean I'm like your little brother?"
"Well, yes."
"And your my big brother," Pippin grinned, "Merry, just because your my big brother doesn't mean I can't look after you. Don't worry, Mer, I'll make sure your safe! And... an' that Estella never kisses you again!"
Merry smiled, "Thanks, and I'll be sure to return the favor."
**
The sun shined and it was a beautiful spring day. Many hobbits talked, laughed, and danced at young Meriadoc's fifteenth birthday party. Pippin had made it his duty to make sure Estella Bolger was a hundred feet or more away from Merry, so as not to ruin his cousin's special day. When the time came to open gifts, Pippin proudly handed Merry a piece of parchment rolled up with a emerald green ribbon as rich as Pippin's eyes tied around it. Merry smiled at it, "What's this Pip?"
"Your present! From me! And I did it all myself! No help from Pearl, or my mother, or anyone! Go on, Mer, read it!"
Merry carefully slid the ribbon off and unrolled the piece of parchment. He held it out in front of him and read it aloud:
Happy Birthday, Merry Brandybuck,
Today is special and I wish you good luck,
That you don't get any kisses like that one you got
And I want to say that I love you a lot,
Because your my best friend, my cousin, my brother
And I can't imagine playing hide and seek with no other
Happy Birthday!
Love, Pippin.
Merry turned to Pippin, "Thanks, Pip."
"No problem, big brother."
The end.
-----
Sorry it took so long to get this last chapter up. I've been busy writing a short story for school and I couldn't find time to type this up. Anyway, thanks to all that have reviewed! Reviews make me happy! You've made me happy! Thanks so much! And I hope that this story didn't bore you too much... hehehe.
Chapter 14
Brothers
Merry was in very deep trouble. Like Pippin his punishment was to stay in his room for an entire week. He tried to explain to his mama that it was Estella who had started the whole mess, but his mama didn't believe the tale. "Damn that evil girl!" Merry mumbled angrily to himself as he sat near his bedroom window staring at the outdoors.
Pippin carried out his punishment with a lot of tears. He figured if he cried enough, his family would pity him and maybe reduce the sentence. His parents remained unaffected, but his sisters did help him by sneaking desserts into their little brother's room in attempt to cheer the lad up.
In time, Merry and Pippin's punishments were ended. After many, many visits between the two cousins time passed quickly. And three months seemed more like three weeks. And then it happened...
The babe was early. Merry, Pippin, Frodo, and all three of Pippin's sisters were kept in the dining room during the time of the delivery. None of the young hobbits knew what was happening, but it had been at least six hours of waiting.
It was deathly silent while they waited. Merry saw that Pearl and Frodo looked worried and watched the time intensively. He knew the two were older and knew things that he didn't, but was too afraid to ask. Pippin, who had sprouted at least another inch, was growing impatient. Pippin sighed and turned to Merry. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he saw his father enter the room.
Everyone stared at him, waiting for him to speak.
"Is my brother here yet?" asked Pippin. Paladin gathered Pearl, Pimpernel, Pervinca, and Pippin and lead them out of the room, leaving Merry and Frodo alone.
"That's not fair!" exclaimed Merry, "I want to see him too!"
Frodo shook his head, "Mer, I don't think..." his voice fell silent.
"What?"
Frodo cleared his throat, "I don't think the babe made it."
"What do you mean? Why wouldn't he? Are you saying--"
Before Merry could finish, the Took children returned. All three girls were in tears, and Pippin wore a shocked and slightly confused expression. Merry slowly approached Pippin as Frodo went to comfort the girls, "Pip? What-- What happened?"
Pippin stared at Merry; his lip quivered as he fought back tears. "Mer--" he said softly, but couldn't find his voice after that.
Merry wrapped his arms around Pippin, "O, Pippin, I'm sorry."
The little hobbit buried his face in his cousin's chest and cried, "It was a lad, Merry... Merry, it was my little brother... and.... he's... he's... dead.... Mer, I didn't even get to see 'im, and... and..." Pippin wailed louder and louder, and all Merry could do was hold him in his arms.
"It's not fair, Merry... He was supposed to be my brother... It's not fair!"
"It's... It's OK, Pip. It's alright..."
The dining room was filled with sobs and cries; Merry and Frodo caught in the middle of it all. Soon, Pearl pulled herself together and tried to help calm Pimpernel and Pervinca. Pippin cried himself to sleep, and Merry carried him to his room, and laid him down in his bed. Merry sat quietly beside his cousin watching him sleep. He wondered what would happen when Pippin awoke. Would he resume his crying? Would he be angry?
But when Pippin awoke he didn't seem to feel anything. He sat up in bed and stared at the walls silently, After what seemed like ages he squeaked, "Mer?"
"Yes?"
"I was just thinking, Merry. And I remembered my mother told me I had a bad 'fluence... did that kill my brother?"
"Your what?"
"My 'fluence."
"Pippin, I'm not sure what you mean by your... er... flooness? But you didn't kill that baby. It just... it was an early birth, Pippin and he just wasn't ready to be born. Pippin, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault."
"But I was supposed to take care of him. I was his big brother and... I failed, Merry."
Merry sighed, "Pippin, it's alright. I-- I know exactly how you feel."
"You do?"
Merry nodded, "That's the way I felt when I got you sick with pneumonia." Merry frowned remembering seeing his little cousin fighting for his life.
But Pippin smiled, "Merry?"
"Yes?"
"You mean... you mean I'm like your little brother?"
"Well, yes."
"And your my big brother," Pippin grinned, "Merry, just because your my big brother doesn't mean I can't look after you. Don't worry, Mer, I'll make sure your safe! And... an' that Estella never kisses you again!"
Merry smiled, "Thanks, and I'll be sure to return the favor."
**
The sun shined and it was a beautiful spring day. Many hobbits talked, laughed, and danced at young Meriadoc's fifteenth birthday party. Pippin had made it his duty to make sure Estella Bolger was a hundred feet or more away from Merry, so as not to ruin his cousin's special day. When the time came to open gifts, Pippin proudly handed Merry a piece of parchment rolled up with a emerald green ribbon as rich as Pippin's eyes tied around it. Merry smiled at it, "What's this Pip?"
"Your present! From me! And I did it all myself! No help from Pearl, or my mother, or anyone! Go on, Mer, read it!"
Merry carefully slid the ribbon off and unrolled the piece of parchment. He held it out in front of him and read it aloud:
Happy Birthday, Merry Brandybuck,
Today is special and I wish you good luck,
That you don't get any kisses like that one you got
And I want to say that I love you a lot,
Because your my best friend, my cousin, my brother
And I can't imagine playing hide and seek with no other
Happy Birthday!
Love, Pippin.
Merry turned to Pippin, "Thanks, Pip."
"No problem, big brother."
The end.
-----
Sorry it took so long to get this last chapter up. I've been busy writing a short story for school and I couldn't find time to type this up. Anyway, thanks to all that have reviewed! Reviews make me happy! You've made me happy! Thanks so much! And I hope that this story didn't bore you too much... hehehe.