Author's note: First of all, I DON'T OWN TOLKIEN. I have finally finished Chapter 6, as you have probably already guessed. Enjoy!

Chapter 6

It's funny how you don't realise how much you miss and care about someone until you face the prospect of never seeing him or her again. Merry realised this during the next couple of hours. Hours, not days. For it didn't take him long to realise that, deep down, and no matter how much he resented it, he did miss Pippin. He missed their little tiffs. He missed the way Pippin always brought with him an air of innocence wherever he went. He missed everything about Pippin.

The thought sprung into his mind again. What if is was his fault? And what if Pippin never came back? He may have to live with the guilt of his cousin's disappearance for the rest of his life.

"I have to find him!" Sure his mother told him not to leave his room, but this was important! Surely he could disobey her once more? Images of what she would do to him if she found out flooded his mind. He shuddered.

"Pull yourself together! You have to find Pippin, no matter what she would do to you!" The voice inside his head was now rooting for him to find Pippin! Merry figured it was the right thing to do. The urgency to find Pippin overwhelmed him, and soon he found himself sneaking out the window.

Quietly he tipped-toed around the side of the house to where the bushy-hedge met the pathway. The hedge wasn't extremely tall, but if he crawled he could just manage to keep out of sight. He didn't care if any of the neighbourhood saw him. They would probably figure he was also looking for Pippin. It was Mama he had to watch out for.

He crawled along the hedge for five minutes or so, before he guessed it safe to stand up and walk. Merry stood up slowly and looked around, resembling a meerkat scouting for danger. He was in the clear. Now, where would he start?

Where would Pippin go if he were upset? When your upset you don't think rationally. His tracks would probably be as unpredictable. Merry walked sadly along the path. He didn't know where to start. He would never find Pippin.

"You! Tulip-Squasher! What are you doing back here again?!" Merry's stomach dropped. He looked around. He had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he had unknowingly crossed into Cisternia's garden.

"Um, hello M-Mrs. Bracegirdle. I was just walking and I didn't realise it was your garden. I didn't squash anything. Honest!" Cisternia wasn't happy. She was walking towards him with that all too familiar cane in her hand .

"I ought to tell your mother you've been trespassing on my property. I wonder how she would react, eh?"

His mother? If she told her, that would be the end of it. Merry would never be allowed back outside and he would never be able to search for Pippin.

"No! Please don't tell her! My cousin is missing and if you do, I won't be able to look for him. I may never see him again!" Merry felt tears well up in his eyes. He didn't expect this. Why was he crying? Cisternia's face softened a little.

"Cousin?"

Merry sat in a large furry armchair by a warm fire. He was in a small hobbit-hole. On the walls were various, old pictures of hobbits he had never seen before. The place had a musky smell, but it was somewhat comforting. By now, evening had fallen and Merry was glad to be in a safe, warm place away from the cold, dead of night. The old woman entered the room. She was holding a plate.

"Spongecake?" In all the excitement and anxiety, Merry had forgotten to eat. It was now dinnertime and he was starving. The cake looked delicious. It looked as soft as a yellow cloud and just the right amount of icing on top.

"Yes please!" Merry politely took the plate but as soon as he had it in his grasp he immediately grabbed the cake and shoved the whole piece in his mouth. Cisternia smiled.

"More?"

Merry nodded quickly. He couldn't speak as the spongecake had filled his whole mouth. It wasn't polite to talk with your mouth full.

Cisternia left the room again, leaving Merry to himself. As he chewed the cake he looked out the window. He wondered where Pippin would be. Suddenly an image of Pippin, hungry and alone, floated into his mind. He was shivering in the cold, dark night. Merry swallowed. Suddenly he had lost his appetite. Here he was, stuffing his face full of delicious cake while Pippin might be cold and hungry somewhere…or dead.

No. Not dead. He wasn't dead. Merry was sure of it.

Cisternia re-entered the room. She was holding a new plate with cake. Merry eyed the cake. He would eat it, but only because it was the polite thing to do. After she had handed him the cake she sat down in the chair opposite to his.

"So you like my cake?" Merry looked up and nodded in between mouthfuls. She smiled again.

"My husband enjoyed that cake. He also loved my tulips. But he went off into the wide, blue yonder and was never seen again." Merry felt sorry for her and only now started to feel guilty for squashing her flowers. They really meant a lot to her. He stopped eating and looked down.

"I'm sorry I squashed your flowers."

She looked at him. This was a gentle kindness in her eyes that he only saw now.

"My boy, flowers can be replaced. But family can't. Trust me, I know. Now, what does your cousin look like?"

Merry thought for a second. He had never had to describe Pippin.

"He is about 2 inches shorter than I, brown hair, hazel eyes…" He tried hard to describe him accurately. Soon he found himself describing more than physical appearance.

"…he is very special, everybody notices when he walks in a room and…" Merry felt tears running down his cheeks again. Maybe Pippin did really mean a lot to him. Cisternia got up from where she was sitting.

"There, there."

Merry felt warm arms wrap themselves around him. He instinctively turned and buried his head into Cisternia's warm chest. It reminded him of the hugs Mama gave him when he was sick or upset. He missed her. She had probably found out he was gone and was worried sick. He had really put her through a lot. But he would be back, and he would bring Pippin with him!

"Thank-you, Mrs. Bracegirdle." Cisternia gently released her arms and bent to his level so she could look him in the eyes. She wasn't the cold dinosaur he had first thought her to be. It turned out that she was, in fact, a kind, caring old woman with the same gentle look in her eye that reminded him so much of his Mama.

"You can stay here tonight. It's getting late. We will talk more of your cousin tomorrow." Merry yawned. He was getting quite sleepy. Today had been an exhausting day and it had taken its toll on him.

Cisternia led him to the spare bedroom. There was a large bed at the centre of the back-wall. It beckoned to him, with its coloured quilt and big fluffy pillows. Merry didn't think twice before throwing himself towards the bed. He closed his eyes and was asleep immediately.

The stone has finally started rolling and Merry's quest to find Pippin has begun. I also want to take this opportunity to bring to light the recent tsunami disaster that has devastated numerous countries in Asia. I can only imagine the hardships many have gone through. They have lost their homes, loved ones and many have lost their lives. My heart goes out to them all and I hope they will be able to rebuild their lives.

Xo0Phoenix0oX