Diamond walked down the hall and was about to pick up the tea tray when she heard a voice.

            "Pssst.  Diamond!"  She straightened up and looked about for a source.  "Over here, Miss Diamond, over here."

            "Who is there?"

            "You mean you have forgotten my voice, lass?  I never believed that would be possible, especially with the way I talked and talked."  Diamond's heart skipped a beat.  Could it be?

            "Peregrin?  No, it couldn't be."

            "And why not, lass?"

            "PIPPIN!  Where are you?  Come in!  Come in here!"  She was leaping and skipping around the room.

            "Lassie, I can't come through the front door.  I don't want to be attacked by your father.  I figured maybe the window would work."  Diamond turned back toward the lone kitchen window to see Peregrin Took climbing through.  "Can you help me, please?  I think my other leg is stuck."  Diamond smiled and shook her head.

            "Oh, Peregrin!"  She helped him free from the window and with a loud thud, they landed on the floor, laughing all the way.  Down the hall, Rosie heard the laughter and sat up straight.

            "Estella, do you hear what I hear?"

            "I hear our Diamond in a fit of laughter."

            "Sounds strange enough for us to run down the hall?"

            "Of course it does!"  They took off down the hall and burst through the kitchen door to find Diamond lying on the floor, laughing, with Pippin sprawled across her middle.

            "Diamond, we heard… well, we heard you laughing and…"  Rosie couldn't finish.  She was just so excited to see Master Pippin.

            "Rosie-lass!  So, good to see you.  Now, I beg of you, please help me up.  Now is not the time for being this close to Miss Diamond."

            "Of course, Master Pip.  Come Estella, let's get him up."  Rosie and Estella grabbed Pippin's arms and struggled to get him off of Diamond.  When Pippin was up, he scooped Diamond off of the floor and set her on her feet.  "Master Pip, it's so good to see you!"

            "You lasses are quite a sight for these sore eyes.  I may have seen many beautiful sights, but nothing compares to my Shire and favorite lasses!  And I am not the only one who feels that way."  As he said the last few words, he winked at Rosie and Estella knowingly.

            "So, where are they, Pip?  Where are the others?"

            "Don't you fret about them, Stella.  Merry and I each stopped in our homes to see our families.  I came straight here after leaving the smials, and Merry was planning on going to Crickhollow, since he heard you were staying there with Fatty."

            "Well, he heard wrong.  What about Sam?  Gone to Bagshot?"

            "Yes, he went straight there and then planned on going to Bywater to visit a certain friendly barmaid and her family.  Miss Rosie, I sure hope your family likes Samwise, because he'll feel mighty unwelcome without you around."