I SAW HER STANDING THERE

By: Jess

Rating: PG

Summary: My first ever song-fic! Just a little something for my friend, Kristin. Merry & Pippin are attending Bilbo's birthday party (not 111th, just a regular party) trying to stay away from the dance floor. But two hobbit lasses find a way to change their minds.

A/N: This is for you, Kristin! We're Cora and Lily Muddyfoot, visiting from Bree for Bilbo's party. Just a little something cos she and I lurve Merry & Pippin. And I love the Beatles. Long live Lennon!!! DON'T HATE ME IF I GET BILBO'S BIRTHDAY YEAR MIXED UP WITH MERRY AND PIPPIN'S AGE! I really am clueless....

Enjoy!

It was Bilbo Baggins's ninety-eighth birthday party, and the Shire was having a magnificent time celebrating it. Gandalf the Grey's fireworks were ablaze in the sky, splashing all shades of green, blue, yellow, and red into the dark night sky. Loud, joyous music was played while the Shire-folk danced, ate, drank, and told stories. Frodo Baggins was off charming a hobbit lass by the name of Cindy, while Samwise Gamgee was trying to get the courage to ask Rosie Cotton for a dance. Bilbo was off telling the young hobbit children of his adventures. And what were Merry and Pippin doing?

Eating, of course!

Meriadoc Brandybuck and his best friend, Peregrin Took had stuffed their faces with carrots, apples, sausages, tomatoes and almost anything else you could think of, and were still hungry.

"Pip, go get us some more ales!" Merry shouted over the laughing and loud music.

"Alright, just don't drink my ale, mate!" Pippin said in a somewhat drunken stupor.

Pippin stumbled over to the barrel and brought back the ales. They tapped their pewter mugs together in a toast. "Cheers, mate!" Merry said.

When they both slammed their ales down onto the table, a voice called their names.

"Pippin! Merry!"

They both turned around to see their dear cousin, Frodo, running towards them, smiling.

"Hullo, Frodo! Having fun?" Pippin chuckled as Frodo sat down in a chair next to him.

"Sure am, Pip," Frodo replied. "The lasses look lovely tonight! Why don't you ask them for a dance?"

Merry just looked at him and laughed. "Honestly, we aren't the dancing types."

Pippin nodded in agreement. "He's right ya know, Frodo. We came for the food and drink!"

"Suit yourselves!" Frodo shrugged as he sat up again. "But there are two sisters from Bree, just about your age around here somewhere. I met them earlier. Very sweet they are!" He ran back to the dance floor, waving back to his cousins.

"Well, I know one thing," Pippin began as Frodo left.

"What's that?" Merry asked between bits of cobbler.

"Those two will just have to find someone else to dance with, because I wouldn't leave this food for anything!" he hollered.

"I'll drink to that, Pippin!" Merry agreed, raising his mug.

As Merry drank down the last of his ale, something vibrant and red caught his eye. He looked over to see the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. A hobbit lass around seventeen was talking with another lass, most likely her sister. His heart leaped into his throat when he saw her laughing. She looked so breathtaking when she laughed. Her soft hazel eyes lit up and her rosy cheeks matched her red dress perfectly. He wanted so badly to talk to her, maybe even... dance with her.

Well she was just seventeen

You know what I mean

And the way she looked

Was way beyond compare

Now how could I dance with another?

When I saw her standing there

Pippin saw Merry's attention turn to two lasses standing near a tree. He wondered why his best friend and partner in crime was acting so odd all of a sudden. That was, until he saw Her. She was talking to a brunette, probably her sister, and was wearing a violet dress. Pippin stopped breathing when he saw her eyes... her big beautiful brown eyes. They matched her raven hair perfectly. He saw her look up from her friend, and his eyes met hers, but she blushed and looked the other way.

Well she looked at me

And I, I could see

That before too long

I'd fall in love with her

She wouldn't dance with another

When I saw her standing there

"Hey, Merry," Pippin whispered.

Suddenly shaken out of his daze, he replied dreamily, "What?"

"Who're they, up there on the hill?" the younger hobbit asked, pointing to the lasses.

Merry looked to where Pippin was pointing. He just got a lovesick look on his face and sighed, "Dunno. But the one in the red dress is absolutely gorgeous."

"Her?" Pippin asked. "I was looking more at her friend." He smiled as he thought about holding her in his arms, dancing to the gleeful music that filled the air.

"Do you think we should...?" Merry asked.

Pippin shrugged. "Worth a try."

Draining what little ale they had left in their mugs, Merry and Pippin stood up, brushing all the excess crumbs of their clothes, straightened them to get rid of wrinkles, and smoothed back their hair a bit. Merry took a deep breath and began to walk towards the redhead and her sister with Pippin on his tail.

As the two lasses saw Merry and Pippin approach them, they began to blush and looked at the ground. Usually they were never approached by hobbit lads, especially ones that were so handsome! Her sister stared at Pippin, just wondering how much fun it would be to have him dancing with her, around all the other couples. And she didn't even know him! The entire time Merry and Pippin had been eating, drinking, and laughing merrily, the two girls had watched them from afar. Frodo Baggins, their host, had told the sisters about them and how well suited they would be together. The lasses had been watching them all night, wishing they had enough courage to approach them.

Merry and Pippin stopped in front of them, and smiled shyly, not sure of what to say. After all, this was their first experience with a lass before. The redhead lass, whom appeared to be the eldest, spoke up.

"Hi," she said coyly.

"Hullo," the Merry and Pippin replied quietly. Then Merry, feeling a bit more courageous, said, "I'm Merry Brandybuck, and this is Pippin Took." He pointed to his friend. What're your names?

The redhead's cheeks began to turn the same color as her hair. "W-well, I'm Cora Muddyfoot, and this is my sister, Lily." She pointed to the extremely shy looking raven-haired girl, who just waved and smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, Lily!" Pippin said finally, after coming from behind Merry.

"You too," the dark-haired lass replied. "You're from here aren't you?"

They both nodded.

"We're from Bree. Somehow our parents know Bilbo, so they thought it best to come to one of his parties," Cora said.

Suddenly, the music began to grow louder and louder. Lily looked longingly at the couples dancing the night away, wishing she could be there too. Pippin must have saw her gaze shift, for the next words that came from his mouth were, "Would you like to dance, Lily?"

She looked back at him and smiled, eyes sparkling. "I'd love to!" WIth that, he took her hands and led her down the hill to the dance floor.

Cora gave Merry a smile, as he took her arm and took her down as well.

The music was loud and delightful, as the hobbit lads and lasses danced about merrily. Merry and Cora along with Pippin and Lily danced while laughing as if they hadn't had that much fun in years.

Well my heart went boom

When I crossed that room

And I held her hand

In mine

Well we danced through the night

And we held each other tight

And before too long

I fell in love with her

When the party ended, and most of the hobbits (who hadn't passed out or were too drunk to move) had left. Merry, Pippin, Lily, and Cora all sat under the same tree, talking, laughing, and joking. The entire time, they learned more and more about each other. Cora was almost Merry's exact opposite. She was very proper and shy, never got into trouble, and had a huge respect for her elders. Pippin and Lily, however, were very much alike. Though Lily was not as naïve as Pippin, they both enjoyed a good meal, loved to laugh and joke, and were constantly getting punished for their pranks. Cora and Lily told the two mischief makers all about Bree and its inhabitants. The two lads took an interest in a character called "Strider". He seemed bad, but the way the sisters spoke of him, he sounded like an interesting fellow.

"You can usually find him in a dark corner of an inn, the Prancing Pony," Lily told them.

"No one's really sure why he does what he does," Cora said. "Some people think he works for the Dark Lord. But we've actually spoken to him a few times and he's really no--"

"Lily, Cora, there you are, Father's looking for you!"

Lily stood up and walked over to the older hobbit running towards them.

"What is it, Odo?" she groaned.

"We're going to the Green Dragon, you have to come with," her brother said.

"Must we?" Lily sighed. "We'd rather stay here!"

"Fine, you try explaining to Father why you're not coming. Or would you like those young boys to do it for you?"

Lily slumped her arms in defeat. "Just give us a minute." And with that, Odo walked away.

"Do you think you can come along, Merry?" Cora asked. "It's so boring whenever my father makes us go places!"

"YES PLEASE, PIPPIN!" Lily smiled and took Pippin's arm, and the two went running off to the Green Dragon.

Merry smiled. "I guess that's a yes." Cora smiled back and kissed him on the cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked.

Cora shrugged. "I don't know, I like you, Merry."

Now I'll never dance with another

Since I saw her standing there

i don't like the way it ended... review!!!

JESS