A/N: An update! An update! A real, live UPDATE!!

aelfgifu: That's so weird that we posted those chapters at the same time. I went and read yours. . .gave me a bit of a chill, really. lol, anyway my exams are coming up this week and I hope to do well on them. Wish me luck and enjoy this new chapter!

Clare: Ooh, a new reviewer! Thanks for your review, I'm glad you liked the story! I will have more time over the summer, but it all depends on this darn Writer's Block that I've been having. I'm sure it will pass very soon.

Disclaimer: I don't own LotR. I don't think. . . *checks copyright in book* Yeah, nope I don't own it.

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Tom Bombadil's house was one of the coziest places Pippin had ever seen. It was very quaint, really. But one of his favorite parts about Tom Bombadil was his wife, Goldberry. She had a mystical, magical air about her, and was quite beautiful besides. The food was excellent, and that was something Pippin was very grateful for. However, the thought of why they were here in the first place crossed his mind. Was this where Will meant to go the entire time?

The night passed slowly, almost as if time itself had slowed down. This was nice for a little while, but it proved to be quite a bother when Pippin was lying in a room off of the main one trying to get to sleep. Fidell was sound asleep beside him, and Will was still in the main room with Tom, talking quietly by the fire.

'I suppose it won't hurt just to take a peek,' Pippin thought, quietly rising from his bed and sneaking to the door. He opened it a crack and listened.

"What do you plan to do with him now?" Tom was asking.

"I plan to take him exactly where I was supposed to take him," Will replied.

"But won't this disrupt the whole plan in the first place?" Tom inquired. "Things seem to be a bit mixed up now that you have one and Byrn has the other. Didn't the plan require both of them?"

"It required one to be victim and one to be criminal."

"Which is yours?"

"Criminal."

Tom was quiet for a moment. "How does Byrn plan on making it work without the criminal part of the plan?"

Will shrugged. "Perhaps he'll use what he has."

"And what does he have?"

"A Hobbit and a girl. . .his girl. Which is why I have doubts. Byrn may not be the nicest man, but he would never hurt his girl."

"Would you ever hurt your boy?"

"He's not my boy. That makes him fair game, in my eyes." Will shifted in his seat. "I suppose it could work to gain more profit if we used both as victims, but Byrn might not go for that. He wouldn't want to blame his girl for anything of that sort, I don't think."

"But what about the man they killed? Did he not blame her for that?"

"He did. That is the other side of my doubt. If he could blame her for killing him-"

"Who was he?"

"His name was Aaron. He was a decent fellow, never harmed no one. But he overheard of our plan, and he tried to stop them from getting the Hobbits. So Byrn killed him. Luckily for them, those two Hobbits ran right into their trap. No skill involved."

Silence hung in the air for quite awhile after this. Pippin couldn't move. He felt numb. Was Will planning to kill him? Or was he planning to kill Fidell? He couldn't really fully comprehend what had just been discussed and what it all meant, but he was sure that someone was going to be murdered. How anyone could make money out of that, Pippin had yet to figure out.

'I better get back before they notice me,' he thought quickly, and turned to return to his bed. Fidell stood behind him, glaring down at him.

"What are you doing?" he asked softly, his voice low and hard.

"I. . .I was just-" Pippin stammered. Suddenly, Fidell swung the door open fully and shoved Pippin out into the main room. The Hobbit stumbled and fell onto his back. Will and Tom jumped up immediately, turning to see what was going on.

"What's all the row about?" Will demanded. "You two should be asleep!"

"He was listening to your conversation," Fidell said calmly, his piercing eyes never leaving Pippin's petrified face.

Will's eyes blazed as they turned to the young Hobbit. "What did you hear? How long were you standing there?"

Pippin, suddenly enraged, jumped up. "You're going to murder someone! Just like Byrn murdered that man when I first saw him! The reason I always thought I was with them, to keep it quiet! Now you're going to kill as well! But who is it this time? Some random person who knows your secrets?! No! It's going to be me, or Merry, or even Fidell! I heard you say it! You said that he was fair game, since he wasn't your son!"

No one spoke. Will glanced at Tom, who nodded as if some silent agreement had been made. Fidell disappeared into the room where he and Pippin had been sleeping. Will approached Pip, who stood his ground fiercely, though his heart hammered in his chest with fear.

"I'm afraid, my dear Hobbit, that you now know too much," he growled softly. "I was going to spare your life, if you didn't hear that part of the conversation."

"I did," Pippin said quickly. "Where I was criminal, not victim. But I don't understand, and I don't want to understand! I just want to go home, and to have all of you leave the Shire the way it is!"

"I can't do that, Pippin," Will said. Pippin gasped as Fidell returned, holding him tightly as he bound the Hobbit's wrists. He struggled, of course, but to no prevail. A blindfold was placed over his eyes. He now grew frantic. Suddenly, there was a dull pressure on his neck, and he lost consciousness.

* * *

Pippin woke with a start. His head pounded with a ferocious headache. His whole body ached. He could tell that he was no longer in Tom Bombadil's home. He was somewhere cold, somewhere dark. Somewhere alone.

He stood with difficulty, thought his wrists were no longer bound together. Looking around, he realized he was in some sort of cell, like a jail cell, only darker. It was deathly quiet.

"Hello?!" he called, his small voice echoing in the room. "Is. . .is there anyone else here?! Hello!"

"Pippin?!" came a voice. Pippin's head jerked to see a door with a small opening in it. He ran and looked out. Across the way was another cell, and looking out at him was Merry!

"Merry! Merry, I'm so glad to see you!" Pippin cried happily. "We have to get out of here, Merry. Will. . .he's planning something awful. I think he's going to kill us."

"Byrn must have something to do with it," Merry said.

"Byrn? You mean he came back?"

"Yeah, and he locked myself and Iris in here." Merry was silent for a moment. "Pippin, I'm sorry I haven't acted very friend-like towards you lately. It was wrong of me to ignore you."

Pippin shrugged. "It's all right, Merry, I understand that you love Iris. I'm not going to get in the way of that."

Merry frowned, but said nothing. He nodded silently, then left the door. Pippin sighed and sat down. 'We're doomed.'

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A/N: Okay, here ya go! I hope you enjoy it, and oh the plot twists! Trust me, it gets worse! Muah haha!! Please review, danche!