So sorry! This chapter in general took longer than I planned, and plus, my grandparents have been here so I haven't really had a chance to get on for a good week or so. Anyway, I really appreciate the reviews so far -- they really encourage me and bring a smile to my face! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a comment; I love to know that my work is paying off.

I have a question: the difference in age of Merry and Estella hasn't been an issue yet, and may not be for some time, but I'm afraid I must know it eventually for the story. Seeing as how ages don't tend to stick with me, I thought it best to ask all of you; is Merry or Estella older (I've heard both), and how much so? Does anyone happen to know? If so, let me know in a review or e-mail me, please! Thanks so much!

-Chapter Three-

Foiled Plans

Moonlight flickered across the shadow-cast land, and the silence seemed to be deafening to Estella. As soon as she was standing solidly on the ground beneath her room, she mutely shut the window behind her. Fatty and Merry were no where in sight, and so assuming Merry was still retrieving Fatty, she set off around the house towards Fatty's room. Her breath came in small ghost-like clouds before her mouth, and she shuddered, drawing her cloak snuggly 'round her shoulders. Bushes and trees loomed ominously on either side of her, and she wondered vaguely if this was the same pleasant land she tread upon in the warmth of daylight every day.

Her journey was not far, and in mere moments she approached the side of the house where Fatty's room was situated. When the window coupled to Fatty's room came into view, Estella could just make out Merry helping her brother scramble from his room by supporting him and easing his descent to the ground from behind. She stifled a giggle. Her brother was not the most coordinated hobbit around, and was known to be rather clumsy in times. Hurrying forward, she reached the pair just as they shut the window behind them and turned to face her. Moonlight danced across their features, illuminating their faces and giving them a sort of hoary glow. Fatty awarded her with a dark glare, and Estella steeled herself, prepared to defend her right to escort them.

But instead of insisting she remained behind, Fatty surprised her. "You had better not get us caught," he hissed, and Estella, quite surprised that he didn't put up more of a fight, merely nodded and closed her gaping mouth, which had been primed to argue her case. Merry grinned at her flabbergasted expression.

"I told you I'd convince him," he said, voice barely above a whisper, and Estella smiled warmly at him, silently sending him her thanks.

"The river then, right?" she asked then, bringing up the place Merry had named earlier.

"Yes, for a little while at least," Merry agreed with a small nod. Next to him, Fatty shivered, and it was only then that Estella noticed his cloak -- or lack thereof.

"Fatty," she hissed sternly. "Where's your cloak?"

"In my room," he responded, just as vehemently as Estella. "I forgot it, that's all."

"You'll freeze before we even get within hearing range of the river!" Estella said, appalled. "How does someone forget their cloak on a night such as this?"

Fatty glared daggers at Estella, and the two of them pointedly ignored Merry, who was attempting, and failing, to smother his laughter. He had always found their relationship amusing, the way they seemed to take turns being a parent over each other.

"I'll just go back and get it," Fatty told his sister through clenched teeth, turning back towards his window. "It will only take a moment."

"Don't make any noise!" Estella told him worriedly.

Together, Merry and Fatty pried the window open again, and Merry gave Fatty a leg up. The window, however, was much harder to reach from the ground up, as the house was slightly elevated. Estella found the scene remarkably humorous, but managed to contain her silent giggles as her brother clawed his way back into his room, obviously having troubles as his legs flailed about wildly, seeming to threaten to knock anyone out cold that came within reach. After a few moments of his noiseless struggle, he paused, half in the window and half out. Merry, supporting his weight from behind so he didn't fall backwards, rolled his eyes at Estella, and the two exchanged smiles that were laced with noiseless laughter.

"Almost there..." they heard Fatty gasp, and he slowly inched his way forward, and Merry was able to let go and step back. They were almost safe, Estella thought, when possibly the worst thing imaginable occurred.

Estella wasn't even positive how it happened, although she guessed it was her brother's inelegance at work. Fatty suddenly let out a startled (and rather loud) yelp and several loud crashing noises (which Estella assumed were items that had fallen from the table near his window and had smashed to the floor) seemed deafening in the quiet of the night. Fatty slipped from the window and lurched forward, falling from view. This action was ensued by the sound of something collapsing on the floor. Merry and Estella glanced at each other, horrified. For a few moments, neither of them moved as they listened to Fatty scramble around on the floor just inside the window and silently pleaded that, miraculously, no one had woken...

They heard the door to Fatty's room swing open, and the flickering light of a candle filled the room just as Fatty managed to get to his feet.

"Fredegar?" Estella heard her mother ask with palpable worry, and Fatty began to stutter explanations.

"Go!" Merry whispered to Estella ardently, giving her a gentle shove in the direction of her own room. Estella was on her feet within seconds, and the two of them hurried back around the side of the house.

"I don't believe it," Estella hissed as they opened her window, hoping over and over again in her mind that she went undiscovered. "He just had to do that..."

"He didn't mean to," Merry justified. "Hurry, now, or you shall be caught as well..."

Merry helped Estella climb back through her window, which, she noted, she did much quicker and quieter than Fatty had, perhaps due to the sturdy bush placed fittingly outside her window that she was able to put on foot on as she climbed up. Once inside, she turned to close the window, peering down at Merry.

"Hopefully Fatty won't mention that you were out of bed too," Merry whispered to her. "Or perhaps he won't even get into too much trouble, if any at all... It's just too bad we didn't actually get to go anywhere. All our plans foiled..."

"Just go!" Estella whispered. "Hurry, or you'll be caught as well."

Merry did as she commanded, lifting a hand in farewell before disappearing across the grass into the night. Estella sighed with relief and closed the window, but not before her own door open and light flooded into the room.

"Estella!" her mother squealed, appearing quite disbelieving. Estella turned slowly, cringing at her mother's voice as she swept into the room, Fatty trailing behind her. Estella glared angrily at her brother; all he did in return was shrug helplessly.

"What were you doing?" Mrs. Bolger snapped, glaring expectantly at her daughter.

"Nothing," Estella said quickly, trying for innocence. "I opened the window for a breeze earlier in the evening, and I was just shutting it because it grew chilly."

"And you had to get dressed and put a cloak on for that?" her mother demanded, and Estella bit her bottom lip, adverting her gaze to the floor beneath her feet. There was a moment of silence.

"Honestly Estella... first you come home an absolute mess from town, and now this... I just don't understand you... I would wake your father to deal with the two of you if he didn't have to get up before the sun tomorrow..." Estella risked a glance at her mother. Mrs. Bolger had turned surprisingly white, and her fingers trembled, perhaps from rage. She opened her mouth again to speak, and Estella winced, prepared for an outburst.  Instead, she was greatly surprised.

"In the morning we shall deal with a suitable punishment," she said simply. "Perhaps it was wrong to let you go into town today, it got you thinking that you could come and go whenever you wish. Now get into bed and stay there, would you?" And she turned, putting her hands on Fatty's shoulders and guiding him before her and back into his own room.

Estella sighed, heeding her mother's orders without much thought. She changed her clothes yet again, before slipping beneath the covers. Almost at once, she felt her temper explode at Fatty. Why did he have to go and tell that she was out of bed too? He knew that Estella was hardly allowed to do anything 'proper' young lasses didn't... he had to have known she would have been in even more trouble than he...

Estella laid awake for what seemed like ages, laying on her back in bed and gazing through her darkened room at the ceiling. She longed to get out of bed and reprimand Fatty for telling their mother that Estella was out of bed, but she was terrified of getting into further trouble. She was afraid to find out what her mother had planned for her in the morning, which would most likely include hours upon hours of mindless tasks, and in fact, she would be surprised if she was to be let out of the house again in all the time of her childhood.

Finally, after minutes had turn leisurely into hours, Estella slipped into an uneasy sleep, completely dreading the morning to come.

--

I know -- a short chapter for such a long wait, right? My apologies... but this chapter was a hard one for me to write, and I am not very happy with how it turned out. Still, I'm not sure what more I could have done to enhance it. I'm getting right to work on the next chapter, however, and the words should come easier now. I have all the chapters through 10 planned out, and I know exactly what's going to happen. It's just a matter of writing them.