Frodo slowly picked up the last piece of glass and tossed it carelessly onto the growing pile. He tossed a rag over a puddle and stood up. His hands were sore and ripped from the glass, his clothes were soaked, everything was sore. Frodo stood up and dusted off his hands on his sides. His eyelids felt like lead, he had to fight to keep them open. Frodo stumbled out of the bathroom into the hallway. His shoulder ran into the hallway wall with a large thump, and he slid to the ground. His eyelids flickered, and then they closed heavily.

"Frodo?"

"Just let me sleep." He mumbled, unable to speak clearly.

"That I will, but only if you're in your won bed, Bilbo would be at least a small bit surprised to find you asleep in the hallway. Besides, it's not good for the back you know." Merry urged him, he felt himself being lifted to his feet and helped with the strength he had left.

"I can't open my eyes."

"Just try Frodo, then we'll get you to your room, and you can sleep there as long as you want." Frodo heaved his eyelids partially open, but he only saw a flicker of the world, because they quickly, wearily shut.

"It's no use." Frodo whispered. He would have thought Merry had left, if it weren't for the reassuring hand that steadied him from falling. He began to lean onto the hand, but got a quick thunk on the head. His eyes shot open.

"What was that for?" He yawned.

"Your eyes are open now, at least for a little while. I couldn't carry both you and Pip very well could I?" Merry joked and wrapped a helping arm around Frodo. The two began to slowly trudge down the hallway. Frodo looked on the otherside of Merry to see a sleeping Pippin. Merry followed his gaze and nodded. "Pippin and I were outside racing, and playing hide 'n' seek, but then when we laid down on the grass he went straight to sleep. I figured it would be best not to wake him, seeing as he didn't sleep well last night, and it's about time for his nap." The two walked in companionable silence until Merry stumbled. Frodo watched him intently and worriedly, in response Merry simply yawned.

"Guess I better have a nap too, eh?" There was a doorway coming closer and Frodo's eyes were closing again, "Frodo, here's your room, think you can manage?"

"Yes Merry."

Merry watched as Frodo trudged to his room. Without warning, Frodo fell flat onto the bed, and turned his head so he could breathe. Within minutes Frodo was snoring heavily. Merry shook his head, and found his eyes droop with weariness. Merry stumbled to his room and gently put Pippin down on the bed. Peregrin yawned, stretched, and then smiled contently. Merry smiled to himself, glanced at his own bed, and then curled up around Pippin, wrapping his arm around the young hobbit's stomach.

"I'll have to tickle you when we wake up, otherwise I'd awaken you now." Merry whispered gently into the other hobbits ear. In response Pippin snuggled into Merry's grasp and breathed gently. Soon, his own breathing slowed, and Merry drifted into dreams.

Pippin reached out to the round object in his sleep. It was so entrancing. So amazing. It was a black globe, and it looked as if a small flame was lit inside it. He yearned to touch it, and examine it. It was so entrancing. The globe floated into the air and brushed his fingers teasingly.

"You can see me. Just take me from him. I won't do any harm." A soothing voice whispered, Pippin nodded obediently. Pippin opened his eyes abruptly. He was still in Rohan. All of the Rohhirim were surrounding him, but they were all asleep. Gandalf had it. Gandalf wouldn't mind if he looked. He hastily jumped out of his bedroll and began quietly walking towards him.

"Pippin." Peregrin spun around to see Merry sitting up. Pippin shook his head and continued walking. Merry wouldn't understand. Merry hadn't seen it. He would let Merry see it as soon as he had had a look. That way, Merry would understand, and it could be there little secret. They could smile a knowing smile, and wink so that no one could see, just like they did when they had tried the Thain's ale. Just like they had when they had borrowed some of the Gaffer's blackberries. Just like they had when they had borrowed Farmer Maggot's apples, corn, potatoes, and lettuce. Merry always said borrowed, he always said they had a right to it since no one else was eating it. If it hadn't been for Merry, Pippin would have gotten caught tons of times, and he never would have shared the knowing smile. Just like when they put all of the vinegar in Frodo's bowl of soup and didn't tell him that they had none in theirs. Everything else had always been Merry's idea, so now, Pippin decided, it would be Peregrin's idea, and they would wink behind Gandalf's back, and he wouldn't know, if that was possible. Wizards knew everything, Gandalf would know. But while he was asleep he wouldn't know.

"Pippin." Merry repeated, his voice growing in urgency each time he repeated Pippin's name. Pippin padded over to Gandalf. Something was wrong. Gandalf wasn't wearing gray. But Gandalf had to be wearing gray. Bilbo had explained to Pippin that Gandalf always wore gray, and never wore any other color. Pippin had always reasoned that gray was Gandalf's favorite color. But there was another wizard. A different one. Who wore white, just like Gandalf was now. A name he should avoid. A wizard he should avoid. Sa-, Se-, Siru-, Seru-. Oh well. Pippin shrugged. The wizard couldn't do that much harm if he couldn't even remember his name. Pippin remembered everyone important's names. His Dad made sure of it.

"Pippin." Merry repeated, and this time Pippin drew back. Gandalf's eyes were wide open. He would be caught, Merry wouldn't understand, Merry would be mad and wouldn't know why Pippin had done it. Pippin closed his eyes and drew his arm up slightly, as if to block himself from Gandalf. The angry swipe. Gandalf was almost always angry with him, but the rest of the time, Gandalf was so good. Pippin froze. He waited. It didn't come. Pippin gingerly opened his eyes and looked at Gandalf. A small smile crept across his face. He waved his hands in front of the open eyes, and stared enthralled at them. Pippin smiled mischeviously and picked up a nearby vase, he switched the vase with the globe, so that Gandalf wouldn't wake up.

"Pippin."

"I just want to see it one more time." And to show it to you, he thought. Pippin eagerly threw off the cloak that was wrapped around it, and let his fingers gingerly touch the smooth surface. It was so smooth. So soft. He put both of his hands fully on it, and stared at it in amazement. It was so beautiful. But the small flickering flame was growing. Almost instantly it filled the entire globe, with the exception of a single black slit. It was an eye. A eye. A horrible eye. Like a cat's eye in the- His arms went rigid. He could feel it surging through him, taking over him. He felt his eyes slam shut, and he whimpered in pain. 'What is your name?' a voice whispered in his head. He didn't say anything. Didn't think anything. All he could do was feel. He felt anger. He felt hatred. He felt fire, so close that it burned his skin, he felt the drips of sweat fall from his forehead, painfully close, but to far to find. He felt evil.

"Help!" He heard Merry yell. He twisted, and tried to scream, but his voice was gone. He writhed. Hatred. Anger. Evil. Fire. Pain.

Merry slammed his eyes shut. He had to get away from the horrifying sights. But what horrifying sights? He slowly pried his eyes open, but instantly he regretted it. They wouldn't close. He had to close them. The sights were to horrid.

First he was in a room. Pippin had done something he wasn't supposed to. Something he was forbidden to. And Pippin, well, an older Pippin, lay on the floor. Pale. He wasn't breathing. He was so white. Merry had to get to Pippin. It was his fault. He had let Pippin do the something he wasn't supposed to do. Strangers were yelling his cousins name. Strangers that seemed to know him. But they didn't. Strangers that he knew. Without thinking he was up on his feet, and running to his stiff cousin. Beads of sweat shined Pippin's normally pink skin. He was so white. Merry reached out to touch his cousin's skin. His fingers slid across it. Pippin's skin was frozen.

Then he was somewhere else. They were fighting. Beneath big black gates. But one would think of them more as a wall. But he knew they were gates. Somehow he knew. And horrible creatures were charging at him. Some he knew from Bilbo's tales. They were trolls. Then it all flashed. One fell on top of his cousin. Pippin was under a troll. Tears ran down Merry's eyes. This was all to much.

Then something extra ordinary happened. He floated into the air, and drifted away from the gorey fight, as he did so it dissapeared. He flew towards a gleaming white city. He found himself flying high into the air, a single tower stood high above all other buildings. Even at it's middle, as he flew, he looked down to see himself unnaturally high. No living being was meant to be this high. Yet he continued upward. He looked ahead of himself and saw a dark green dot against the gleaming white marble. He flew towards it. Unable to control his actions. The dot grew larger. And larger. It was alive. It was a hobbit. It was Pippin. He was on the verge of the top. He watched as his younger cousin lost his footing. Both of Pippin's feet fell helplessly in an instant. Merry watched. He couldn't move. All he could do was watch. He lurched. Pippin. He had to help Pippin. But then he heard Pippin say something.

"I've got to do this for Gandalf. Strange wizard he is, he could just send a little fire ball to set it off instead of a little hobbit." Pippin smiled to himself, but then his face became solemn, "What do I have to go back to anyways? War? Denethor?" Merry saw his fingers loosen. Purposefully. You have me Pippin. You can't fall now. His mind screamed, but Pippin continued, as if he was all alone. As if he was in solitude.

"No. I have the Shire. I couldn't just let Sauron kill all those hobbits, even the sackville's. Or even enslave them. I've got to do this for them." Merry watched as Pippin's fingers tightened again. "For Frodo. For Sam." Pippin pulled himself up with just his arms, "For Merry." Pippin swung his feet up onto the clefted tower and began climbing with new vigilance. "For Merry." Pippin repeated. "For Mum. For Dad." He climbed over the edge, and began climbing onto a stack of wood. "For Vinca, Pearl, and Nel." Pippin stood on his tiptoes, but could not reach the container. "For Merry." Pippin jumped up, and the entire pot of oil spilled on top of the wood. Pippin picked up a lantern and tossed it on the wood. Merry's heart beamed with pride. But then fear embedded itself in his soul. The fire lept up instantly and was a matter of inches from his beloved younger cousin. He wouldn't lose Pippin again. Not again.

He didn't see what happened next.

Merry sat up quickly. His eyes were wide open, and the cold swept over him. It was pitch dark all around. He touched his own arm gingerly and saw that dried beads of sweat decorated his entire being. He reached over and tentatively touched the younger hobbit besides him. Pippin's skin was warm, and the soft sound that sounded like a gentle breeze was his steady breathing. Merry sighed and stood up, he quickly loosened his shirt from his trousers. He felt queasy as he remembered what he saw. As he remembered Pippin's own pale vacant stare. As his cousin set the fire up for him, but didn't get off. Merry sat back down next to Pippin and pet the youngsters hair gratefully. Pippin was alive. Without warning Pippin began twisting wildly, his mouth open in a silent scream. Merry's eyes widened. It was just like what he had seen. Just so much like it. He couldn't let Pippin go so pale, not without breath.

"Pippin." He whispered urgently, "Pippin wake up." Merry ran his fingers through Pippin's hair. Pippin was sweating wildly. "Pippin. It's all right. Just wake up." Merry's voice became frantic. Without warning Pippin sat bolt upright. His eyes shot open, and he began panting wildly.

"Merry." He sobbed, reaching out blindly into the darkness, "I'm sorry Merry." He cried out. Merry sat surprised for a moment and then placed a gentle kiss on the top of Pippin's head.

"It's all right Pippin. I'm here. You didn't do anything wrong. I was just so scared-" Merry cooed to the youngster.

"Merry!" Pippin threw himself at Merry and began sobbing into his cousin's stomach. His fingers were tightly laced around Merry's back, and he brought his legs over so that he was laying in Merry's lap. "I should have listened to you Merry." Merry's shirt was already drenched.

"Pippin. It's all right. You did nothing wrong. I-"

"But I did Merry! I looked! You and Gandalf knew I shouldn't have! And you yourself said you were scared. But I wouldn't listen-" Pippin continued sobbing into Merry's shirt in uncomprehendable sobs and whines. Merry immediately relaxed. Gandalf hadn't come to the Shire in a year. It was another dream.

"It's all right Pip. Just listen to me. It was all a dream. I won't let anything hurt you." Merry took a deep breath, but before Pippin could start again he continued, "All these bad dreams. Must be from these rooms. Let's go outside. Under the stars. It's midnight now I guess."

"Fine then, Merry. If you say so." Pippin nodded, his tears still flowing freely. Merry put his arms under the younger cousin's back and carried the both of them out into the hallway. Pippin continued to cry into his stomach. When they passed the other guest room a cry came out.

"Mister Frodo, is that you? You should be sleeping." Sam called out, there was a sound thud as he knocked his head against something.

"Sam, it's just me. Pippin had another nightmare-" Merry paused, but then decided not to worry Pippin with his own nightmares, "We're going outside for fresh air."

"Oh. Sorry Mister Merry, will you be-"

"Just go to sleep Sam. Get rest. You sound like you hurt your head a few minutes ago, and it wont heal on it's own."

"You're right it won't. Good night Mister Merry, keep a close eye on Mister Pippin, and if you get tired I could always-"

"Good night Sam." Merry smiled and walked down to the front door of Bag End. Pippin didn't move, but continued to sob into his stomach. Merry opened the door, while barely balancing Pippin, and closed it behind him. He carefully walked up on top of Bag End, and laid down when he got to the top. By then, Pippin had reduced to sniffles.

"Pippin." Merry whispered, Pippin looked up at him intently.

"Yes?" He sniffled, Merry could tell from his voice that Peregrin's eyes were already heavy again.

"You see those stars up there?" Merry pointed towards the sky, dozens of twinkling lights greeted his finger, standing out of the navy blue ocean of sky above. A few wisps of grey clouds blew by easily and quickly on the night wind.

"Yes Merry."

"If you ever have a nightmare when I'm not around, you just tell them. They'll protect you."

"But Merry."

"Yes Pip?"

"You'll always be with me.Won't you?"

"I hope so Pip. Sweet dreams."

"But Merry-"

"Pippin, you can't have bad dreams in the crisp Shire night air."

"Sweet dreams then Merry. Don't let the bed bugs bite." Pippin yawned and was asleep instantly. Merry shivered at that nights imaginations, and slowly looked up to the stars, telling them with his mind his fears and horrors. His dreams and scares.

Plz R&R

If I put a response to a review under the wrong name for any of them plz just tell me, my brain is on pause right now and I'm working the best I can without it.

Bookworm2000: I hate spiders too...shivers Don't worry, they'll get what they deserve later...Frodo will undergo a slight...change. eg I know! During Shelob's part I swear I was holding the chair so tightly I probably broke the chair or bent it. I was chanting to myself all the while, "I hate spiders. I hate spiders." To the point that everyone there must have felt like killing me.

The glass was my own idea, but when I got to the part where Frodo jokes about it, I looked back and realized how close it was to Sean Astin, so I decided to add a little bit of a real life joke in. But the shattering glass is my idea! So is the Sam-foot-glass part.

Lil'Pip: Thank you for loving my new chapter! No, Pippin didn't see Shelob in his dreams, he's just afraid of them, for no real reason besides there general freakiness.

I was scared that everyone would hate me because I had written it to fast. I was scared that it wouldn't live up to the expectations. O...the life of a writer... angst

ew...spiders...shiver It's my pleasure to update so fast. I can't believe how many reviews I'm getting!! This is amazing, I thought it was an achievement to get up to five, but 14?!

Melilot hill: I do feel rather guilty for what I've done to Pippin so far.... I plan on writing very much more very soon! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Miss Aranel: Thanks for leaving a review!! It's always a pleasure to get them! And it's not messy in anyway. The thing is, I don't orriginally intend for the tie ins, just as I write they kind of pop into my head about things I'm already having happening. I hope this chapter explains what really happened with the soup incident. I love writing in older characters love for young Pippin. You see, I'm the baby of the family so I always get treated that way, except with the occasional smart alleck remark from my older cousins, thank you for all the compliments!

Moonfairyhime: I'm glad you do! I love it too! Thank you for reviewing!

Mysterious Jedi: Thank you! Yes, lots of parts of it come out and end up happening, if not in the exact same way, but a lot like it. Yes...Sam has much more vengeance to come.

Piplover: No, the other one, the one that I killed. Remember? When I was talking with you about that I left to take a shower, then I told you there had been another one up there that died because a certain toy of mine somehow flew up into the air and hit it. ; ) Yes. A very fitting end. No worms. Ick. Spiders are enough. tosses spiders worms and bees into mt. doom I am mean!! You should just forget about this for a while and then be surprised by it...I didn't mean that!! Sit! Get fatter! Stay! lol jk Thank you for thanking me, you won't believe what happens next! Be careful, if you sit to far on the edge you'll fall off, I know from experience.

RabidSamFan: I know, poor Pippin and Poor Sam. :( I feel dreadful about what I've done. By the way, I kinda lied about nothing happening to Sam, sorry, I forgot about the talking in the hallway part. Oo...everything taking a bite out of Sam...I have another idea!!eg Thank you...at Sam's expense. eg lol jk, no, I am just doing what it takes to get from one place to the next, otherwise if one of those things happened to Merry, Frodo, or Pippin the reaction wouldn't be the same..Sorry!

Unhobbity Hobbit: bites nails I read your profile, and I'm scared now that I won't get something exactly right to the book. Yes! It is scary for such a young hobbit, but he always has Frodo, Merry, Sam, Nel, Vinca, Pearl, and Bilbo for comfort! He recovers quite quickly because of his lack of attention span, luckily I don't have to traumatize him for the whole story of one little thing. That would be difficult. But haven't you ever had a nightmare that only effects you at night? Perhaps every night, but during the day it doesn't seem at all bad? LoL. That's a good idea about Frodo...that just might be his next task if you dont mind. ; )