Back where you belong.
Pippin sat happily next to Merry on the sofa, while his mother and father went to speak with Frodo in the other room. Pippin was completely unaware of the amount of worry he'd caused, but had not been shouted at or anything.
"Is Frodo going to get the strap?" Pippin suddenly asked.
Merry snorted and shook his head.
"No, I don't think so, Pip." He replied.
Pippin frowned a little and looked up to Merry.
"Am I?" He asked, his green eyes wide.
Merry shrugged.
"I don't know. You might because you ran away, but then again, you are a silly hobbit."
Pippin smiled a little, not really sure what Merry had meant by that.
After a while, Frodo, Paladin and Eglantine all came back. Frodo looked a little upset, but smiled weakly.
"Right lad, I want you to apologise for winding up Frodo." Paladin instructed.
At first, Pippin felt like he was going to refuse. He did not wound Frodo up at all-to his knowledge and did not want to be blamed for something he had not done, or in fact, meant to do. He folded his arms, but a short nudge from Merry made him sigh.
"Sorry, Frodo." He said in a small voice.
Frodo smiled again, but Merry knew it was fake.
"I'm off home now, Peregrin-uh, Pippin, but I'll see you soon, alright."
Pippin nodded. Merry took hold of Pippin's hand and led him to his room.
"Come on, you'd better get ready for bed. You've had quite an exciting day!"
Pippin allowed Merry to help him change into his bedclothes. Everyone else got told off by the seven-year-old who felt he was old enough to button a shirt. It was soon made clear that he wasn't, as the shirt he'd button was inside out, half-on half-off and the buttons and buttonholes did not really meet the other. Merry let Pippin try, at least. Pippin was doing well, but it was always the top button by the collar he had trouble undoing. Merry ever so gently helped Pippin unfasten it, but then let the Took continue on his own. After a few more minutes, Paladin came in and smiled warily.
"Pippin-lad, get straight into bed and lights out. No stories tonight." He said.
Pippin turned to him.
"But-" Paladin held up his hand.
"Son-No." he said sternly.
Pippin pouted and crawled into bed. Paladin gave a sigh and then motioned for Merry to leave. Merry did, and Pippin stared at his father in almost disbelief.
"Now I know you think I'm not being fair, Pippin, but you have to learn. I know that when you ran away today you thought you were doing what was right. I know Frodo was grumpy with you, but that did not mean he didn't want to be here. You could've gotten yourself hurt, Pippin. Running off on your own through the woods isn't safe. There are so many things that could've happened to you-and we're lucky they didn't. I know you're too young to fully understand this now, Pippin, but you're not just an ordinary Hobbit. You're going to be Thain one day-that's very, very important. You can't just go running off whenever you get shouted at or something mean is said to you-you have accept it and sometimes face it."
Paladin's voice softened. His tone was more compassionate and Pippin gave out a short sigh and sat up.
"I'm sorry. I won't run away again. I mean if I do I'll tell you where I'm going, I won't just go away, I mean I will go but not on my own and not in the woods or through my window." Pippin said.
Paladin couldn't help but laugh. He ruffled his son's hair and sighed a little.
"We just want to be safe and sound. We don't want you getting hurt of finding yourself in trouble. You just need to be careful."
Pippin nodded. He knew his father wasn't mad anymore.
"Da?" Pippin questioned as his father got up to leave.
"Mmm?"
"Can't I just have a very small teeny-tiny story? Just one?" Pippin asked.
Paladin smiled.
"Well, I do know a story about a very silly Hobbit who ran away and very nearly got eaten by the 'Hobbit-eating Flying beast' when he thought his cousin didn't want to look after him." Paladin said.
Pippin giggled and nodded.
"I know that one too-but it turns out alright because that Silly Hobbit's daddy comes and saves him and tells him how everything will be alright." Pippin replied.
Paladin smiled and walked back over to his son's bedside. He lent forward and kissed his son's curls. Pippin reached up and hugged his father tightly- or as much as his little arms were able and his whispered that he was sorry again. Paladin nodded.
"It's alright, lad. I know you are, but everything's all right now. You're back where you belong and everything's alright."
END.
Pippin sat happily next to Merry on the sofa, while his mother and father went to speak with Frodo in the other room. Pippin was completely unaware of the amount of worry he'd caused, but had not been shouted at or anything.
"Is Frodo going to get the strap?" Pippin suddenly asked.
Merry snorted and shook his head.
"No, I don't think so, Pip." He replied.
Pippin frowned a little and looked up to Merry.
"Am I?" He asked, his green eyes wide.
Merry shrugged.
"I don't know. You might because you ran away, but then again, you are a silly hobbit."
Pippin smiled a little, not really sure what Merry had meant by that.
After a while, Frodo, Paladin and Eglantine all came back. Frodo looked a little upset, but smiled weakly.
"Right lad, I want you to apologise for winding up Frodo." Paladin instructed.
At first, Pippin felt like he was going to refuse. He did not wound Frodo up at all-to his knowledge and did not want to be blamed for something he had not done, or in fact, meant to do. He folded his arms, but a short nudge from Merry made him sigh.
"Sorry, Frodo." He said in a small voice.
Frodo smiled again, but Merry knew it was fake.
"I'm off home now, Peregrin-uh, Pippin, but I'll see you soon, alright."
Pippin nodded. Merry took hold of Pippin's hand and led him to his room.
"Come on, you'd better get ready for bed. You've had quite an exciting day!"
Pippin allowed Merry to help him change into his bedclothes. Everyone else got told off by the seven-year-old who felt he was old enough to button a shirt. It was soon made clear that he wasn't, as the shirt he'd button was inside out, half-on half-off and the buttons and buttonholes did not really meet the other. Merry let Pippin try, at least. Pippin was doing well, but it was always the top button by the collar he had trouble undoing. Merry ever so gently helped Pippin unfasten it, but then let the Took continue on his own. After a few more minutes, Paladin came in and smiled warily.
"Pippin-lad, get straight into bed and lights out. No stories tonight." He said.
Pippin turned to him.
"But-" Paladin held up his hand.
"Son-No." he said sternly.
Pippin pouted and crawled into bed. Paladin gave a sigh and then motioned for Merry to leave. Merry did, and Pippin stared at his father in almost disbelief.
"Now I know you think I'm not being fair, Pippin, but you have to learn. I know that when you ran away today you thought you were doing what was right. I know Frodo was grumpy with you, but that did not mean he didn't want to be here. You could've gotten yourself hurt, Pippin. Running off on your own through the woods isn't safe. There are so many things that could've happened to you-and we're lucky they didn't. I know you're too young to fully understand this now, Pippin, but you're not just an ordinary Hobbit. You're going to be Thain one day-that's very, very important. You can't just go running off whenever you get shouted at or something mean is said to you-you have accept it and sometimes face it."
Paladin's voice softened. His tone was more compassionate and Pippin gave out a short sigh and sat up.
"I'm sorry. I won't run away again. I mean if I do I'll tell you where I'm going, I won't just go away, I mean I will go but not on my own and not in the woods or through my window." Pippin said.
Paladin couldn't help but laugh. He ruffled his son's hair and sighed a little.
"We just want to be safe and sound. We don't want you getting hurt of finding yourself in trouble. You just need to be careful."
Pippin nodded. He knew his father wasn't mad anymore.
"Da?" Pippin questioned as his father got up to leave.
"Mmm?"
"Can't I just have a very small teeny-tiny story? Just one?" Pippin asked.
Paladin smiled.
"Well, I do know a story about a very silly Hobbit who ran away and very nearly got eaten by the 'Hobbit-eating Flying beast' when he thought his cousin didn't want to look after him." Paladin said.
Pippin giggled and nodded.
"I know that one too-but it turns out alright because that Silly Hobbit's daddy comes and saves him and tells him how everything will be alright." Pippin replied.
Paladin smiled and walked back over to his son's bedside. He lent forward and kissed his son's curls. Pippin reached up and hugged his father tightly- or as much as his little arms were able and his whispered that he was sorry again. Paladin nodded.
"It's alright, lad. I know you are, but everything's all right now. You're back where you belong and everything's alright."
END.