Wow! I really can't believe how far I got with this story. In the beginning I never planned any of these last chapters, only thinking it would be about a five-chapter story. *wipes eyes* It's going to be hard to end this story, which I'm planning to end in the next chapter. Thanks for reading and here's chapter eleven!

(I am so so so sorry I haven't updated in a month!! I got caught in winter vacation, school, and my new story. It was major writer's block for this chapter, but the last chapter should be up much sooner than this time!!)

Chapter Eleven: The Answer in the Case

~·· ··÷¦÷·· ·· ··· ··÷¦÷·· ·· ··· ··÷¦÷·· ··~

The next Thursday, after the first meeting of Bilbo's musical entertainment group for his highly anticipated party, Pippin came to Brandy Hall. He watched the clock excitedly for two o'clock to arrive and absentmindedly drummed his fiddle notes with his fingers on his palm. The musicians started to come in again and they waited outside the practice room until 'Nobby' Goodbody would come through with keys to unlock the doors.

Pippin and Merry waited in the living room with a checkerboard (which Merry had already won twice). Pippin made his move from the corner of the board as he gnawed at his lip. Merry gave his move quickly, glancing over Pippin's shoulder all the while, and Pippin gave a cry of triumph as he jumped two of Merry's checkers.

"Now you can make my piece lord, Mer. Merry? Merry!" Pippin waved a hand over his face and Merry grabbed his wrist.

"Come on, Pippin, your class is going to be starting soon," Merry said urgently and Pippin walked with him with the old fiddle in his hand.

"I still have nearly quarter of an hour to wait!" Pippin said and Merry gave a sly smile.

"Then in the meantime, you can introduce me to that pretty lass right over there!" Merry said and Pippin rolled his eyes.

"Estella? Well, alright," Pippin sighed and Merry stopped him.

"Estella? Doesn't Fatty Bolger have a sister named Estella?" Merry asked abruptly and Pippin nodded, "How come I've never seen her before?" Merry asked himself and Pippin laughed.

"You have, 'tis just your interest in lasses that has gone up!" Pippin giggled and Merry pat his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Pip. It'll happen to you someday," Merry said with a smile.

Pippin came up to Estella, who was waiting by herself, and Merry acted his very best when Pippin introduced them awkwardly. He flashed charming smiles and Pippin had to stop himself from going into a hysterical fit when he glanced at the look on Estella's face, who was clearly not interested into being courted.

Mr. Goodbody came through right at two and opened the doors. Merry smiled at Estella and shook her hand.

"It was very nice meeting you, Estella," Merry said attractively and Estella grinned incredulously.

"You as well, uh---" Estella stumbled and she looked at Pippin who mouthed his name, "Merry! It was very nice meeting you."

Estella walked with Pippin to the room and Pippin sat in the same place he did the week before and he opened the fiddle Merry had found for him. Merry was seated inside, trying to get Pippin's attention. Merry pointed to himself, then Estella and Pippin sighed, worn out. He knew Merry wanted Pippin to put in a good word of him to Estella and the last thing Pippin wanted to be a part of was one of Merry's attempts with girls, which was rare anyway.

"So, umm, Estella? I was just wondering---" Pippin started and Estella put down her fiddle.

"Wondering what I thought of your friend, Merry, there?" Estella asked and Pippin nodded, almost relieved.

"Well, he's charming, I'll give him that, but he tries too hard," Estella giggled and she waved over to Merry just to tease him. Merry almost fell over.

And so, the class began and ended within over an hour with rehearsals and requests that other players had brought in. Pippin played along to each one but in the back of his mind he knew he really wanted to request one of his own. He thought of the Seasons Song that his Da taught him but he knew he couldn't ask the band to play a forgotten song without sheets of music. Pippin quickly gave up on the idea, realizing he didn't even know the whole song himself.

Afterwards, the conductor handed out copies of some of the songs they decided to play and Pippin set them in his book. They planned to meet again next week and Pippin packed the fiddle away.

"Estella, would you like to come and practice at my smial? I mean, could you help me with the newer songs?" Pippin asked and Estella stood up with her case.

"Will Merry be joining us?" She asked.

"Most likely, if you do," Pippin stated honestly and Estella smiled, "I'd love to help you, Pippin. Just make sure that Merry knows I'm coming." She hinted and she walked with Pippin out of the room. Pippin sighed at Estella. One moment she seemed like she could care less what Merry did around her and now she couldn't wait for him to come along. Girls---he would never get them.

They all walked out towards Tuckborough (and Merry was especially excited that Estella was coming along) and by the time they reached the long smial of Pippin's home, the sun was starting to set. Pippin introduced them inside and before any fiddle playing was done, Mrs. Eglantine Took had them seated and eating dinner. Pippin's sisters quickly came to liking Estella, who was always quick-witted and funny at the right times. And because of this, Merry ate with a silly love-like grin plastered on his face.

Afterwards, they came to Pippin's room where they set up places for their music and Pippin took his own fiddle out from the corner. Estella loved Pippin's fiddle immediately and Pippin felt better holding and playing his own instrument. They played and practiced their new songs and they swapped fiddles for a few songs just for fun. Estella loved the lightweight feeling of the fiddle and the old polished wood look to it.

The sky was growing dark and Estella knew she had to get home to Hobbiton before it got any later. She played with Pippin's fiddle a little more until she carefully opened his case and set it inside.

"Your are so lucky to have such fiddle like this, Pippin. How come you never bring it to rehearsal?" She asked and Pippin shook his head.

"It is a long story...I just don't bring it," Pippin lied and Estella could tell from his voice he didn't want to talk of it. Pippin tried to forget about his father's disappointment, but the look on his face when he saw the broken fiddle still pained him.

"What do you keep in here, Pip?"

"Keep in what?" Pippin asked and he came over to his case by Estella.

Under where his fiddle lay, the interior of the case looked perfectly normal until Estella pulled up a fold of the material.

"Right here, silly! You cannot be serious that you've never seen it before, have you?" Estella said and Pippin bent over it. He lifted it up some more until he could see a little compartment with a knob right under. Pippin almost held his breath and he lifted the door open. He took out the contents inside and his heart stopped.

"Look, Merry! Look!" He yelped and he unfolded the aged paper that had been hiding inside the Hildigrim case for nearly four generations. Four sheets of music lay in his hands with small notes and lines written across the pages. On top read:

~The Song of Seasons~

Spring Summer Fall Wintertime

Pippin felt like he could cry but he laughed and yelled as he read the notes on the yellowed pages.

"Merry! These are the songs that my father knew when he was my age! He taught me 'Spring' and 'Summer' but never the last songs because he had forgotten them! He thought the music was lost but here---here it is!!" He cried and Merry came to his side.

"Go show him, Pippin! Your father will be so happy, I know it! And maybe then he'll forgive you about the bridge of your fiddle!" Merry suggested but Pippin had already thought that over.

"No. No, Merry, I have a better idea. But first, you must get home until I go over my head. It's late enough and I could have you help, but you would be here until morning time! Go ahead and go home, before I keep you here any longer. I can do this myself," Pippin said very fast and before either of them could argue or ask, Pippin had them out on the road with warm good- byes. Then he locked himself in his room for a long time.

Merry and Estella stood outside the Took smial door for a minute while they rethought everything Pippin had said before they started out on the road together.

"I'm still so confused! What is Pippin up to?" Estella asked and Merry looked down towards the path to Hobbiton.

"Knowing Pippin personally myself--- I have no clue," Merry said and they laughed.

Merry offered to carry her case and they talked of other things all the way down until they came to Estella's home. He walked her up to her smial and bid her goodnight. Then he walked all the way to Brandy Hall with a smile on his face.

As for Pippin, he stayed up all night with the Seasons music. He planned to copy each page and it took him until the early light of the next day to copy the Spring page many times. It was tedious work trying to trace perfect lines and the correct staffs and notes. He still had next week until rehearsal, but everyday he took out his quill and parchment to copy every note on separate pieces of paper for everyone in Bilbo's music band to play.