A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far. I love 'em! The reason why this is written on the simpler side is because this is through the eyes of a seven-year old. Hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 2

The journey home seemed to take an age. No one said anything; we were too tired and partly afraid to anyway. I kept thinkin' about what sort of punishment Paddy an' Mum were gonna pound us with this time. Once, a few months ago, Pippin and I had discovered an old tin of red paint Paddy had used to paint the door with. We painted all the hens' tail feathers bright scarlet. I hated those hens. When Mum found out, she was furious an' made us paint the WHOLE white picket fence. She even took away luncheon and second breakfast for two weeks! Taking meals away from Pip and I is like murder! I guess that's why Mum always takes certain meals away along with our main punishment every time we do something naughty. What was she gonna do now?

I didn't really wanna think about it right now.

I stayed by Pippin's side the whole way home. Sometimes we would look up at each other an' smile sort of sadly. We had done a good job even though we lost most of our vegetables. I still had a bunch in my pockets that Paddy didn' know about. I knew Pippin was proud of me.

Merry parted from us a while back down the road. He probably wasn't gonna get in trouble. His father didn't catch him and plus, he was older than Pip. He's too big for punishment, I think. Merry is thirty-five and Pippin only twenty-seven; not even of age yet! Now Frodo is much older than them. He is about forty-nine, but he looks like he is thirty-three; I don' no how, but he does! Folks said that he got that special trait from old Uncle Bilbo. I've never met Uncle Bilbo before because he left the Shire eleven years before I was born. But Frodo and Samwise Gamgee have told me many wonderful things about him. I wish I could meet him someday— he's met a dragon before! And not just any dragon: Smaug!

Now where was I? Oh yes, the walk back home.

As we approached our home, mum came bursting through the door and ran frantically towards us. She looked like she had seen a ghost!

"Oh my goodness!" she said and ran over to me, scooping me up in her arms. She squeezed so hard I couldn't breathe. When she let go, her eyes gazed accusingly at Pippin. "What happened to you two?"

I looked down at the tomato juice all over my apron and the small blisters on my arms and feet. Oops! I hadn't noticed those. My sleeve was ripped. Fiddlesticks. Mum hated it when I tore my clothes. I was really gonna get it now.

She brushed some stuff off my vest an' kept lookin' up at Pippin for an explanation. "Well?" she said with her voice etched in anger.

"Why don't we go inside and I'll explain", Pippin said and shuffled into the hole. The way he was bent all tired-like reminded me of Sam's description of that old wizard that visits Frodo sometimes. Poor Pippin! He was exhausted! The yawn that escaped from my mouth reminded me that I was too. But I didn't say anything; it would just make them angrier.

After we changed and washed up, Mum made us some tea and sat us all down in the main room. Oh boy. Whenever we were ever gonna get punished, we were always sent this room. I memorized everything— Mum would sit in the little brown cotton chair and Paddy would lounge to watch (occasionally giving his opinion) in the big, red, velvet chair.

"What happened?" Mum gave us a demanding look sitting herself in the little brown cotton chair like I predicted. She didn't need and answer and centered on Pippin. "You were stealing from Farmer Maggot's again, weren't you?"

Pippin gulped his tea a little too fast. He glanced at me, then at Mum. "Yes, we did."

Mum looked really mad now. Uh oh! Another lecture. I wanted to run under the bed an' hide. I hate lectures. There's always yellin' involved.

"Oh, Peregrin!" Mum sighed heavily with annoyance clouding her pretty features.

Ouch! A full-namer. That's never a good thing.

"Why can't you ever just stay away from there? Is there some sort of force drawing you? What fun does it bring you and Merry anyway? Oh, I know: danger! That's what it brings, danger-- danger to you and your sister. She's not big enough to fend off those dogs like you, Peregrin!"

Hey.

"Don't give me that look, young lady." Boy mum was quick. "You know that you're not big enough to do so. You will be someday, but you're not now. Besides, Farmer Maggot has been kind to our family for years. I don't understand how you consider THIS a token of gratitude."

She had a point. A good one too. Pippin looked down at his feet, his face troubled with weariness and inner guilt. Then Mum turned to me.

"And Pimilla! You should know better by now! At age two it was understandable and maybe even a little bit cute, age four a bit more unexpected yet excusable, but you're seven years old, Honey. You know right from wrong now. I told you not to go in there and what do you do? You deliberately disobeyed me. Why?"

I hated it when she asked these rhetorical questions and actually expected me to answer them. I didn't know how to answer.

"Plus, you're growing into a young lady. This sort of boyish fiddle-faddle should be starting to disappear in your life rather than getting worse. Look at your sisters! You should think about spending more time with them instead of gala-banding about the Shire like a little boy, causing havoc and mayhem everywhere you go!"

She paused for a moment to breathe and looked out the window. Pippin and I watched her. Her eyes seemed to be lookin' far away. I bet she was thinkin' about how she was gonna punish us. Paddy hadn't said a whole word the entire time. I looked at Pippin and he just shrugged as mum came back.

"Both of you are deprived of luncheon and dinner for the next two weeks. Pippin, you will help your father with the farm most of your entire day. We will have no mercy."

Pippin looked depressed. He loved to eat an' so did I. How will we survive? This is unfair!

"Pimilla, after supper you and I will clean up the whole kitchen, without breaking anything. You are to clean every single one of the dishes and your sisters will not help. Is that clear?"

I nodded and we shuffled out of the room. The punishment wasn't too bad. I didn't mind cleanin' the dishes so much; it gave me time to use my imagination. But I hated bein' lectured about being a lady. It was gettin' old. I love my sisters, but I wasn't ready to start learnin' how to sew, cook big meals, or paint teacups. I had too much energy like Pippin. Maybe I was just a late bloomer. I tried explainin' that to Mum, but she was so angry at the time, she wouldn't hear any of it.

I shuffled to my room and sat on my bed for a long time. Paddy situated my room so my window led into the barn where I could see my little donkey. I usually talk to him when I'm sent to my room like this. It sounds rather pathetic, but it's somethin' to do.

I whistled softly (Pippin taught me how, but Mum didn't approve of it). Then, Dominic came up to the window. I smiled and stroked his nose, he like that. He let out a slight whinny and I giggled.

"Hey, Dom", I sighed. "Today wasn't a good day. I got in trouble and Mum lectured me again."

Dom seemed to understand what I said an' nudged my arm to comfort me.

"Thanks, Rug. I suppose it was my fault anyway. But I don't like being lectured about being a lady. I can't help to wanna go on a little adventure. I like gettin' into play fights, or stealin' from Maggot's, or climbin' a tree. I can't help to wanna get out. I don't wanna have to be lady-like all the time. Sitting an' sewing all day would drive me crazy!"

I paused and thought for a while.

"I dunno, Dominic. I know I'll hafta become a lady someday. Just not now." I sighed again. "I dunno. Maybe I'm just dreamin'... like mum says. I'll never go on an adventure."

I thought about it for a while. No adventure? How could mum tell me such a thing? I want adventure more than anythin'! But as I thought of it more, maybe it WAS time to hit reality. I shuddered. I wasn't ready for that one yet; I'm pretty contend playin' pretend. I held back a tear an' patted Dominic on the head.

Soon I fell asleep at the window seal, my hand still stickin' out. My dreams were riddled with adventures, questions, lectures, and more questions. I liked the adventures part though. But I couldn't get all these questions. I wanted them to stop. I just wanted to sleep. Suddenly, a strong, quick finger poked me awake.

"Pippin!" I squealed as my eyes snapped open. He touched my lips with his finger. He was standin' outside the window, Dom was asleep snoring somewhere in the corner.

"Shh! Boy, you're loud, Chipmunk", he smiled. Then another hand slunk around Pippin's shoulder and bopped me on the nose. I jumped and tried to bite it away as Merry's golden head peeked over Pippin's soft brown curls.

"Hullo, Merry!" I realized I was too loud and quickly covered my mouth.

"Hullo, Rascal. Talkin' to ol' Dominic again?" Merry smiled playfully.

"What are you guys doin' here?" I whispered.

"We're getting you out of here and going to visit cousin Frodo", Pippin said. I gasped. Cousin Frodo?! I love cousin Frodo! He's fun too. He wants adventure like me and I like talkin' with cousin Frodo.

"Yay!" I covered my mouth again. Fiddlesticks! Why do I hafta be so darn loud?

Pippin grabbed my waist an' pulled me through the window without question. I looked up at him and Merry excitedly. Merry ruffled my hair and followed Pippin out of the barn. I hated that and Merry knew it as well as Pippin. I guess that's why people say they should've been twins.

We made sure the lights in the front room and the kitchen were off before we set off. It was dark so I had to watch where I was steppin'. Merry almost tripped over we twice. Silly Merry.

Once we reached the road, we kept low until we rounded the corner that got us out of site of our hobbit hole. We were free! I couldn't wait to see cousin Frodo!