I am such a crap author!!! I left this hanging so long! But here I am now, chapter six, one more to go, then an epilogue (hopefully).

THANKS TO ALL THE REVIEWERS!!! I have neither the time nor the space to thank you all enough. So thank you all so very much! throws kisses

Chapter Six

A candle sat on the side table, illuminating the chair and the hobbit sitting in it next to the bed. Perigrin Took was watching over his dear cousin, hoping he would wake, but unsure of what to do when he awoke.

Should he remain in his seat, and not speak, waiting for Merry to make the first move? Or should he greet him with a 'Good morning' and, again, watch Merry to see what he would do? Or should he launch himself onto his cousin in a tight embrace and hope it was welcome?

Pippin sighed. This working out the scenario in his head thing wasn't working. It all depended on whether or not Merry accepted Pippin's apology. (I screwed things up in a big way. Gods I hope he forgives me.)

Pippin sat back and thought about what had happened. He had been very frightened when Merry had started toward him, looking as though his mind had taken leave. Then he started yelling, which had been even worse. Once Pippin had worked out that Merry was yelling at his head, he had gone all but mad. His eyes were red and he looked to be attempting to gain access to his brain from the outside.

When he had fallen over, to Pippin it was slow motion. Merry's form arched and cut through the air, arcing gracefully toward the ground. Once he hit the ground Pippin was by his side in a heartbeat. He took Merry's pulse and ran out the door, calling for help. He didn't want to leave his cousin lying on the floor all alone, but he had to, the pulse had been weak and irregular.

The doctor had rushed over and immediately given Merry some sort of plant. He had told the inhabitants of Bag End that now Merry needed some good old fashioned rest. And rest Merry had, staying unconscious for three days. Pippin had never left his side. Sam and Frodo had been in also, and the three conscious hobbits had had some serious discussions. Pippin now realized his mistakes, and hoped that Merry could forgive him.

A movement on the bed jerked Pippin from his thoughts. (Oh dear! What to do now?) After thinking for about two nanoseconds Pippin decided to follow his heart. Merry sat up, suddenly waking from his sleep. He glanced wildly around, attempting to get his bearings. When he realized he was still on Middle-Earth and there were no otherworldly being about, he slowed don enough to recognize the hobbit watching him intently from the chair beside his bed.

" 'Lo Pip." Merry said, sitting up. Pippin stared a moment longer and lunged forward, capturing Merry in a rib crushing embrace. "Oh Gods Merry, I thought I lost you! I could never live with out you…" Pippin sobbed once, then pulled back, and looked Merry sternly in the eye. "Do me a favor Merry, and never frighten me like that again. If you feel the need to faint please warn me."

This elicited a smile from Merry. He had missed Pippin's sense of humor, while he had been locked in his room. (Oh! The room! Wait…) "Pip. I need to talk to you." Pippin lowered his eyes, not wanting to look Merry straight anymore. "I figured you would." He sighed. The hobbits sat in a tense silence, wondering where to begin. Finally Pippin decided to bite the bullet.

"Look, Mer, I'm awful sorry, I shouldn't have just assumed you would, well, do that sort of thing… and I oughtn't have hit you either." Pippin looked up to see how this was being received. Merry's eyes were closed, and he looked rather tense. "Pip, I… I'm sorry too. I should have explained everything right away… you could have been spared all this pain."

"Merry! It wasn't your fault! You were sick!" Pippin reprimanded his cousin softly. Merry looked profoundly stumped. "Pippin, what are you talking about? I can't remember how I got here. Why am I in Frodo's room?"

Pippin guiltily smiled. "Of course. You fainted. Or collapsed. Something like that. Any how, I got the doctors, they brought you here, and I haven't left this chair since you hit that bed. They said you would be fine. You've been all medicined up."

Merry smiled. Pippin had stayed at his bedside. He cared. He actually cared. (Ok, you can contradict me now. Any time you feel like it.) When he realized it wasn't coming, he opened his eyes that he didn't remember closing. "Pippin, last few days, there was this voice of reason in my head. What did the doctors do that got rid of it?"

Pippin looked puzzled. "A what? Oh! You mean like a little voice inside your head? You talked to it right before you, umm, fainted. The doctors said that whatevertheheckyouhad it may have caused holl- hall-ush, hal-ush-in-an-ate-shuns. Like, imaginary things. You know?"

"So… it wasn't real? And anything it told me… it wasn't true?" Merry said hopefully. Pippin gazed at his cousin. His mood had just gone from brooding sickly hobbit to a wide-eyed hopeful hobbit. (Probably just the medication)

"I guess not… why?" Pippin was a bit worried. Merry laughed suddenly. "Oh! Pippin! This is great! Absolutely wonderful… they were all lies! All lies…" Merry said in a singsong voice. Then he changed again. "Oh… Pippin… I'm so sorry… I should have told you from the start."

"Merry, are you feeling alright? You're worse than Sam talking about Gollum." Pippin was really worried now. Perhaps they should wait a while to continue this conversation. "Merry, you know, you need some more sleep. We weren't supposed to keep you awake too long…"

Merry looked resigned. "Actually, sleep sounds.. pretty… good." And he was asleep.

Pippin took Merry's hand in his, and settled down for a proper sleep.