Thanks much to ALL of my reviewers! Especially my newest one, Deagol Smeagol!!! I'm going to be pretty much copying out of the FotR book at first. I couldn't write it any better than THE man Tolkien. So, btw... I DON'T OWN "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" OR ANYTHING IN IT!!! I DIDN'T WRITE ANYTHING IN IT!!!!! I DON'T MAKE ANY MONEY FROM IT!!! DON'T SUE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cough Hmmm, that was strange. Although, let that be counted as my disclaimer, which does not need to follow after my story now. Angst, ahoy! I think this might possibly the angstiest chapter I've written yet. Some of the events may not be the same as what the book says though, so you don't have to tell me. Please and thanks!

hyperactive forever: Pippin: The tree...the tree is talking, Merry!"

### text### = What I copied. gasp! What a bad li'l teen! hand covers mouth LOL!!! reads what she wrote o-0 That was even freakier...

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I Would Never Betray You,
Please Remember Me

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Frodo was chilled. No scratch that, he was freezing to death, as were the other hobbits. He, however, was not aware of it.

###A great sleepiness came over Frodo; he felt himself sinking fast into a warm and hazy dream. He thought a fire was heating his toes, and out of the shadows on the other side of the hearth he heard Bilbo's voice speaking. "I don't think much of your diary," he said. "Snowstorms on January the twelfth: there was no need to come back to report that!"

"But I wanted rest and sleep, Bilbo," Frodo answered with an effort, when he felt himself shaken, and he came back painfully to wakefulness. Boromir had lifted him off the ground out of a nest of snow.###

Even though technically Frodo was wide awake, his thoughts wandered around pointlessly. As soon as he got a sip of the miruvor ###he felt a new strength of heart, and the heavy drowsiness left his limbs.### Frodo, also, received more memories of things he wished to forget, but of which he also longed to think of when times got hard for him. He was thinking of Pippin, but he wasn't thinking of him hurting and working; him starving to death; or even the last time he saw Pippin before he had left. Frodo was thinking of a time long ago when he had been baby-sitting Pippin with Merry at Bywater.

Merry's thoughts were not so comforting. Much unknown to Frodo, he also started dreaming in the snow. Except his wasn't Bilbo not liking his diary.

"Pip? Pippin?!" Merry exclaimed and got up to run. He had heard his little cousin's voice calling to him. He did not sound like the wonderful, young, carefree hobbit lad he had known.

"Merry, Merry," Pippin whispered in Merry's dreams. "If only we could go to Bywater and have a splashing match once more. Then have a lovely night out at The Green Dragon, and you dance with 'Stella and I could dance with Diamond. Oh, Merry, Merry, if only..." Pippin's soft whispering faded.

"Pippin, no. Don't talk that way," Merry shook his head, still trying to find his friend.

"If I could see and hear Frodo laugh again, and the ring gone..." Pippin continued on.

"Pippin, you're going to be fine, I promise," Merry was close to tears.

"You also promised you'd always be here for me. You'd always protect me. You'd never purposely harm me. I've had enough of your promises. If only you hadn'a changed. Then all would be okay."

Merry rushed towards the direction of Pip's voice. Pippin was lying there, wallowing in his own blood. There wasn't an inch of his skin unharmed. There was dirt and sweat all over him. He was skinnier than ANY other being he had seen. It looked as if he hadn't eaten or drank in an extremely long time. Merry was scared, and didn't want to think of how much stinging pain his cousin was in.

"Pip, oh Pippin, what can I do? I'm so dreadfully sorry! If I could change what happened, I would! I would, I swear to you, I would!!!" Tears streamed down Merry's face.

"I just want you to know one thing before I go, dearest cousin that I love, and I want you to tell Frodo and Sam something if they still live."

"They do, they do, but Pippin you shan't die! Don't speak this way! Please!"

"Tell Frodo and Sam that I am sorry, and I love Frodo. Will you tell them?" Pippin was faint of breath now, and struggling. Merry knew he had not the time to run for a healer.

"Of course," Merry answered, not able to say anything else.

"Also, know something, know something cousin."

"Yes?"

"I would never betray you, remember me. Please don't forget me. Don't forget me. Don't forget me. Please don't forget me..." Pippin's voice faded and he started gasping for his breaths. All of a sudden Merry couldn't hear the breathing of the hobbit whose hand he was holding.

"Pippin, Pippin! No, don't! You can't die on me!" Merry sobbed. "Pippin, Pippin, my Pippin!" Before he could do anything else, Merry was shaken awake by a familiar face.

"Merry?! Are you alright?" It was Boromir, who looked very frightened. Merry breathed hard, as if he had just run a marathon.

"I'm fine, Boromir," Merry said like a terrified bunny.

-----

Pippin got up quietly after hearing the rooster crow again. He was trying not to awaken his sleeping beauty, Diamond. He looked over at the calendar, it was January 12, 3019, Shire Reckoning. It hadn't been but four days since he had wed.

He looked around his shack before going to fix the S-B's breakfast. It wasn't a nice place for second time Diamond and him were alone as husband and wife, which is one of the worst understatements imaginable to him. In the floor there was nothing save old horse hay to lie on; there were kinks and holes all over the walls, and one window, of which all of those let in all the elements of weather and the cold; there were insects all over; there was a wash stand with an old pitcher that contained some of the animals' water that he had to drink; a single shelf that held nothing, but hornets' nests under it; and an old, dusty mirror on the wash stand. 'Why would she want to come here, and see me?' He wondered silently, shaking his head.

Pippin went over to see how he looked in the mirror after cleaning it quickly with one of his shirts. What he saw made him gape in surprise. He was thinner than a willow wand. He even rivaled the fair Goldberry in waist size. Except this was not healthy, he even knew that. He could see almost all his bones, especially his ribs. His skin was so thin right there with nothing under it, so his flesh there resembled the color white. There were bruises, scars, open oozing wounds, and scratches all over him; bags under his eyes; and his once bright, alive, sparkling green eyes were dull and lifeless. They even almost resembled a grayish color now. The only thing almost good about all of this was the huge, toned muscles he saw springing up all over his body. All of this alarmed him (save the muscles, he liked those), and made him wonder even more why Diamond wanted him. 'I will never understand any lass, especially mine,' he thought with a slight smile tugging at his lips. He sat down by his wife, and just looked at her. 'She's so beautiful...' his thoughts continued on until he heard his crooked, almost dead, door open and slam. He got up with a start.

"Yer, just WHAT do you think you're DOING?!!" Lobelia hollered, waking up Diamond in the process.

"Wha – huh?" Diamond asked sleepily. Pippin cursed under his breath hastily.

"Nothing, Diamond. Go back to sleep," he whispered.

"SLAVE, I'M WARNING YOU!..." she was glaring frighteningly.

"I'm working on it! I'm working on it!" he said scared, and not wanting Diamond to see what was probably going to happen.

"What were you doing, Peregrin?" she questioned nastily, yet sweetly.

"I- uh- I was, erm, uh... I..." Pippin hesitated. He wasn't going to tell her he had been looking around his shack, looking in the mirror, and staring at his spouse.

Lobelia wasn't even kind enough to take him outside. While Diamond was still watching she took out a mace, and started to beat him. Pippin let out a keening wail, and fell to the floor. After about seven strikes to his body, she quit. Lotho was calling her telling her that there was company.

Pippin was fighting to keep his consciousness. It was a good thing Lobelia wasn't terribly strong, but he was still extremely injured. Where the spikes had hit, he had deep wounds. Where the club part had collided with his skin Pippin had bruises that were already an ugly black/purple/green/yellow color. Diamond tried to rush over to her love, but was tripped by Lobelia, who smirked.

"Stay away from him," Lobelia said and tried to leave. Diamond had different plans though. She took Lobelia's left ankle and bit down hard. The blood leaked into her mouth. Diamond tried to grab the whip at the same time, which Lobelia had in her belt, but missed.

"I tell you the same. STAY AWAY FROM HIM, BITCH!!!" cried Diamond. That was the first time she had cursed aloud, but if anyone deserved it she figured that Lobelia did.

"You WILL pay for this!" she said and limped away, her ankle bleeding. Diamond would have smiled if her husband had not been so gravely wounded. Before Diamond could get over to Pippin again, Lobelia popped her head back in. She saw that Pippin was still holding on to his awareness.

"Yer, go make breakfast," she said easily and left.

Diamond ran over to Pippin holding him. She could tell he was in no condition to answer questions. She just whispered soft encouraging sweet things into his ear, wept to herself, and tried to clean his many wounds. Diamond hated Lobelia so much, and was going to make sure she paid.

-----

"You don't seem fine to me," said Boromir noticing Merry's tone of voice. "Something's wrong. Who is this Pippin you speak of? Is that your cousin? What did you see?"

"Yes, Pippin is my cousin, and my best friend. I have not been a good cousin or friend," Merry replied looked down ashamed.

"Oh, it certainly couldn't be that bad." There was a pause. "Or could it?"

"I don't really wish to tell."

"I understand that, there are many horrible things I have done as well, Master Merry," he looked down to see Merry looking up at him surprised.

"I find that hard to believe, Boromir, son of Denethor, heir to be the future steward of Gondor."

"As I find it hard to believe that you have done something bad."

After each of them looked at each other in silence for a little bit, Boromir began to speak. They both began telling each other all of the horrible offences they had done deep into the night. Merry avoided telling about Pippin for as long as possible.

"Well, then, Master Meriadoc, I have found nothing that makes me think less of you." Boromir stated eyes sparkling as their offences had faded into jokes.

"Neither have I for you." Merry said looking at the man with admiration.

"You have not yet spoken of your cousin, Pippin. That's his name, is it not?" Boromir asked changing into a serious tone.

"Yes," Merry started, eyes darkening. "That's his name. I still wish not to speak of it, although I do believe I should tell you."

"Maybe it'll make you feel better," Boromir put his hand on Merry's shoulder so to comfort the hurting hobbit.

"Yes, maybe it shall." Uncertainty tainted the air.

Slowly Merry began to spill all of the events all the way from the Old Forest, to the beginning Council of Elrond. Boromir did not interrupt, he just quietly listened taking in the many words Merry spoke. He looked at Merry emotionally blank, with just a touch of worry, anxiousness, or amusement (mostly at Tom Bombadil) showing in his eyes at different points. Eventually, Merry was quiet. Boromir looked at him, not showing what he thought, if anything at all.

"That's it," Merry finally declared after a few minutes of total (and very uncomfortable) silence. Boromir raised his eyebrows.

"Well...that's quite a something to keep hidden so long. Did it not help to speak of it?"

"Uh..." Merry had to think about it.

As soon as he did he felt relief flooding over him, for finally telling someone his deepest and darkest secret. Not that he felt better about the horrible deed he had committed, he still felt absolutely awful about it. "Yes." The next thing came rushing out. "Do you hate me now?" Merry's head fell down to his chest in shame.

Boromir did not even hesitate with his answer.

"No. I can see how it all came about. It's hard to believe, but his crime was a serious one. You are going back to save him if we leave this quest alive and well, correct?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed over enthusiastically. 'I can't believe he does not hate me!' raced through Merry's mind. He knew he had found another true friend. Merry felt an even stronger bond and care forming for this man deep within his heart. (A/N: that he does have, whether you can tell in this story or not.)

-----

"What do you want?" Lobelia sneered, nose wrinkled up, and still limping.

"I told you, Mum, you got company," Lotho said as if a child hobbit would know that.

"I have company," she corrected. "Now, how is it, and what do they want with me?"

"How should I know who they are? They come from the Great Smials, and they said they wished to speak to Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. Good enough?"

"Ah, yes," Lobelia thoughtfully said. She had a good idea of who was there. "Take me to them, Lotho-sweet dearie."

"Yes, ma." Lotho took his mother's hand and led her to the luxurious Bag End living room.

"Hello, Lobelia," stated Eglantine and Paladin holding each others hands.

"Why, hello Mr. and Mrs. Took! I did not know you were coming. What do you want?"

"Sorry for just dropping in," spitted out Paladin. "But, we wanted to talk to you about our son."

"Ah, Yer, yes. What would you like to speak of?" she asked sweetly, trying vainly to stop the bleeding of the deep wound in her ankle (which of course was nowhere near the pain, deepness, or severity of any of Pippin's wounds she had given him).

"We would like him back. We want our son, PIPPIN, back, not Yer," Eglantine demanded. Lobelia just laughed.

"What's so funny?!" commanded Paladin.

"You can't have him back!" she was going into hysterics.

"We will pay anything to have our only and dearest son back with us! We love him! We love Peregrin!!!" pleaded Eglantine, tears clouding her vision. Paladin hushed her.

"What price would you like for him? We are one of the richest families in the Shire, you know," Paladin stated.

"What price?! What price?!" Lobelia asked as if there was a horrible joke being told. "You can't have him back, for ANY price! YER, is MY slave, he works for me! No one can have him but Lotho and me! He's mine, I tell you, mine!!! Yer does all the things I want him to! He works for me! He is mine! You can't have him, curse you!..." Lobelia rambled starting to yell half way through.

"Then we'll come and steal him, damn it!!!" hollered a red faced Paladin. This had gone too far.

"And I'll be waiting for you, so I can put you into the lockholes!!!"

The two families broke into a fight. The Tooks' quickly won, but to no avail. Lotho kicked them out of the house, and (GASP) locked the door.

Lobelia snarled at nothing and kicked everything in her path. 'Oh, is Yer going to pay tonight!' she thought. Tonight she was going to make sure she gave him hell for this. 'Why did I tell them to come to the brats wedding? I should've known something like this would happen. There's only one way to cure this," she thought, grinning pure evil.

-----

Boromir smiled at the sight of the relieved hobbit. Merry's face quickly drooped though. He wondered if Merry was thinking he may die before having the chance to correct the wrong of putting his best friend into temporary slavery.

"Do not fret, little one," the hobbits nickname was whispered sweetly. That was his pet name for the three hobbits there. "I will just try that harder to protect you from danger. I will die before I will see you harmed, so not to go back to your beloved country side and cousin!" Boromir promised truly, his heart could have been seen shining in his eyes. He loved this little hobbit, though he had not long known him. His declaration may be foolish, but nonetheless, he meant it with his heart.

"Do you mean it?" Merry asked eyes wide.

"Of course I meant it!"

Merry was then silent. The human and hobbit just sat there looking at the diminishing fire (which they had chosen to have as opposed to death). After a few moments they made an unspoken agreement to lie down and try their best to sleep. Because of Frodo's decision they were leaving for the Mines of Moria the next day.

It was late at night. Diamond had left after about noon. She would've stayed longer, but she knew things would get worse if she stayed any longer. She did not leave Pippin until he was as good as he would probably get for the day. Diamond had given him a quick peck and then reluctantly walked off. Pippin hated to see his bride leave, but he was also relieved. Diamond would probably not be hurt as long as she was away from him. As he thought of these things, he cursed at how his life had become. Why had he had to meet Sudo Grubb and spill the beans? What purpose did this hold? How could good come of this? These questions plagued him, but he was just glad he now had his Diamond. He smiled at the thought of 'his Diamond'. He could do anything if he had her.

"YER, GO PLANT THOSE FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES NOW!!! HARVEST THOSE SPRING FRUITS, TOO!!! YOU BETTER AT LEAST GET FIVE ROWS DONE, OR YOU WON'T EAT FOR A WEEK AND A HALF!!! I KNOW WHERE MUM'S MACE IS!!!" hollered Lotho.

Pippin sighed. He hurt all over. Unknown to Diamond, every time he moved his body, his wounds reopened because of how they were placed. He needed to eat so he tried to get to work. It took him what seemed like an eternity just to finish ¼ of a row of harvesting and planting. The sweat hurt him, it was so salty, and his injuries so fresh. Pippin would've been close to tears, or past the point of crying, except now it seemed he had forgotten how to do so. Before he finally finished half of the first row, there came another command.

"Muck the stalls, and feed the ponies! If you don't finish these simple assignments in an hour, you can forget putting anything but metal in your retched system except for dirty pony water!" Pippin groaned. Death sounded like a blessing at the moment. "Don't you be groaning at me! I could make it worse, you worthless slave!!!" he bellowed. Pippin sighed and went to work. He'd work on 'them damned ponies' later.

At around three hours of sweat, blood, and pain later he finished the most of the harvesting and planting he had been asked to do. He was close to collapsing. He would finish the rest of these tomorrow, he would hate himself for leaving it, but he figured he wouldn't live if he continued on.

"YER, ARE YOU DONE YET?!!" yelled Lobelia.

"Yes." The answer was half-hearted.

"Well get in here and fix our supper!"

"'Kay."

"Now, you slug!"

Pippin sighed. "Alright."

"You have half a moment to get here!"

"Mmm, coming!"

He fixed their dinner feebly. Everything burned, and they didn't like the dishes he made anyway. He grabbed his small dinner in his hands, and hurried as fast as hobbitly possible for him to get to his shack. Even that was better than this torture. He wanted to see Diamond. Pippin had missed her since she disappeared from his sight. His heart cried out to see her. As he got to his hay pile, he sobbed deep within himself. 'Life is so unfair to me! My parents don't even seem to want me. They did at my marriage, but maybe it was all a lie. Mum and Pa and my sisters seemed so sincere though...' Tears started to flow down his insides over his scarred soul; he would not dare to cry on the outside. That would be stupid. Oh, how he wished things had turned out different!

Pippin pulled out a piece of paper. He was so upset he felt like writing. Without even hardly thinking a poem formed on the single piece of paper. He had never thought himself to be good at writing, but nonetheless he wrote this poem. Forbid something ever happen to him, and Merry came back; he would find it and read his feelings. This is what Pippin wrote:

Once upon a time you used to know me.

Once upon a time you used to love me.

Once upon a time you used to enjoy, really enjoy, my company.

Once upon a time you used to laugh at my jokes and make up some for me.

That was long, long ago.

Once upon a time you would stay up for hours talking, laughing, playing with me.

Once upon a time you would take me places with you, so we could have some fun.

Once upon a time you would jump out from no where and surprise me.

Once upon a time you would lie basking in the sun, feet splashing in the water, after our picnic together,

All of that is over.

Now, you promise you hate me.

Now, you wouldn't claim to even know me.

Now, you won't do anything with me except give me a harder life.

Now, I'm left without you, though I still love you and miss you.

I miss you.

You were the bestest of my best friends,

You were my favorite cousin,

You were the best person I knew,

You were the only one I couldn't (and still can't) live without.

Long, long ago you used to know me.

Now, you know me not.

I still love you and miss you, dear cousin, but

You still know me not.

By: Pippin Took. Merry, that was just for you.

(A/N: That was an original poem that I wrote on one of my math papers when I was really upset. At first I just started writing about a certain someone I know [that is not really my cousin], but then I decided it would be awesome for this story. That's how it turned out. Please put in the review what you think of it! Please and thank you!!!)

Silent in his pain after writing part of his soul on paper, Pippin fell fast asleep.

"Oh, Yer..." someone cooed. Pippin looked up. There was Lobelia; in a since, his worst night mare.

"Yes, ma'am?" he asked wiping his eyes from deep sleep.

"You're parents were here today. They wanted to get you back."

"They did?!"

"Yes, why I'm not sure, but they did. You did not work well today. I know you didn't finish your chores, and you could barely fix our meals. They were disgusting!"

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I couldn't really do well. I don't think you would've done better if you had been beaten by a cursed mace, you witch. You should try a day in my feet, I bet you couldn't survive, you self- centered, mean, abusive, jerk," he whispered. That was not meant to be heard by more than him.

"Did you just insult me?!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Why you little betraying, lying, ungrateful, cursed, poor excuse for a hobbit!!! I house you, feed you, supply you with water, and give you work!"

Pippin looked up, wide eyed, in horror as Lobelia raised a big, sharp knife, and revealed her mace, whip, metal knuckles (gotten from Sharky, I'm just assuming they had those back then), ropes, a small spear (about the size of an arrowhead), and many other instruments of death and torture. She had that scary mad look in her eyes. 'Oh, gods! She might go further than pain this time. Oh, gods, she's going to kill me!!!'

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GASP What's gonna happen?!! Poor Pippin! Who knows if he'll be killed or not? Well, what do you think of my story? If people don't like it, I can just get rid of it... Please review and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism accepted, flames are not. That chapter wasn't totally sucky. Wow. Well, that's enough from me. Thanks for reading! G'bye.

May Mordor never torture you,

Entmoot