If you are still here reading this, you are my eternal friend. I am unworthy! #falls to her knees# And still using number signs instead of the little stars apparently. And forgive me for having to use numbers to separate story sections. . . I'm not sure how wants me to do that now that everything else does not show up.

As I promised, I am still slowly but surely chugging away at this story. It's only about three fourths of the way done, so there's still awhile to go yet. And I haven't figured out the next chapter at all yet . . . ah well. I'll get it up eventually.

I have also fallen behind in reading y'all's fics! It's simply too much work now to sift through them all (yeah, I'm lazy). If you want me to read a story of yours, drop a line in a review and I'll go check it out!

I assume none of you remember what you wrote in your last reviews, so I won't bother answering them here. On with the story then!

1

"Estella!" Merry scrambled to his feet, "I… what… you… you're here!"

The poor lass did not respond, but only stood there blinking her eyes evenly. She would not meet his gaze. The silence was so thick that Merry almost jumped when she murmured, "This is where you said to meet, right? I find it highly unlikely that I would misinterpret simple instructions and yet still find myself face to face with the one that gave the directions in the first place. Unless of course, you're the never-heard-of identical twin of Meriadoc Brandybuck."

Merry reached for her hand, but found it snatched away. Shrugging off the awkward moment, he grinned and said, "The only one dark and mysterious enough to elude the gossip of the Shire is you, my dear lass."

She did not dignify that with a response, but hesitated in the curtain of leaves for a moment before drawing a deep breath. "Are you going to invite me into your little hideout, or must I stand here and endure the pollen falling into my eyes?"

"Oh! Certainly!" Merry reached out and bent back a branch to clear the way for her. "I'm glad to hear a smart remark from you. For a brief second there, you looked so comely and cute I was afraid I had welcomed the wrong girl."

"Lucky for you if you had." She sat down in a corner, her back to a wall of thick bark. When she looked up, a basket was thrust in front her. Raising an eyebrow, she glanced at Merry who was now reclining beside her.

"Strawberries. Go ahead, take some."

"Oh… thanks." She reached inside, felt around, and then took a second look. "It's empty."

"No it's not," declared Merry, grabbing the basket back, "It was full this morning!" He held it upside-down, shaking it ruthlessly. Nothing fell out. "A silly squirrel or something must have gotten inside! I don't understand where they went!" Suddenly, he felt fingers on his cheek. He stopped cold. Was Estella stroking his cheek? Turning his head slowly, he caught sight of a smile on her face. "My dear Estella!" He asked, wide-eyed, "Are you… doing what I think you are?"

"No, I'm investigating the red juice smeared all over your face. You gluttonous pig." She laughed. It was a bit harsh and throaty, and not at all like the delicate giggles of most lasses. But something in her laugh sang in Merry's ears, and he abruptly felt his chest swell with merriment.

1

"Come on Ponto," the lad whispered, gesturing wildly. "There are some in there! I can hear them!"

"Would you wait up?" Ponto stumbled to a stop and placed a hand against a small tree for support. "Not all of us are fit as young rabbits you know."

"Well if you would get outside a bit more, maybe you wouldn't get tired so quick, lazy layabout." Rowan ruffled the younger lad's hair. "Did you bring it?"

"Yeah, it's in here." Ponto reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden box. "Have you figured which side they're on yet?"

"Nope, haven't gotten a chance to get close yet." Rowan patted his shoulder. "Wait here, I'll be back in a moment." He prowled off, inching closer and closer to an ancient tree on the hill on the opposite side of the road –Old Gnarly. He waited underneath silently for a moment and then scurried back to their base of operations. "They're on the far side of the fort."

"That means we can use the squiggly branch to climb to the top!" Ponto clapped his hands excitedly. "That's the only one I've never skinned my knee on!"

"Not so loud," scolded Rowan, "they might hear you, and if they run off our fun is spoilt."

"Sorry, Rowan. I'll try to be quieter."

"Good lad," he smiled. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!" Ponto declared, his face lighting up with glee.

A muted croak echoed inside the box.

1

"'And then the sun settled beneath the gentle mist of night, casting the final glow of warmth for the day on the avenue where the lovers walked. Um… A gentle wind blew, scattering clouds of baby rose petals to flutter across the path before their feet…' Merry, this stuff is horrid!" Estella shoved the offensive book away from her. "Why on earth are you reading this?"

"It's not as bad as it first seems, you know," Merry picked it up and closed it away in the empty basket. "It's not my fault you were curious about my reading material."

"Curious, yes!" Blowing a loose strand of hair from her eyes, she muttered, "I thought you might have at least been reading something interesting."

"Did you even see the title? What were you expecting from a book titled, A Tale of a Dreaming Love? A chronicled interview with a local pig farmer?"

"Ugh, I don't know, but no wonder you're so sappy all the time, with rubbish like this influencing you!"

"Did it ever occur to you, my dear, that perhaps I was reading it to refine my gentlemanly manners?" Merry did an overly flourished bow – rather clumsily, as he was still on his knees – and planted a kiss on her hand.

Extricating herself from his grasp, Estella took a corner of the basket cloth to wipe the back of her hand. "You call throwing rocks at lasses' windows and giving slobbery kisses gentlemanly?"

"I can tell you're quite smitten my dear," he winked.

Estella shot him an acidic glare, but could tell in a moment that it was only encouraging him. She was about to add vocalization to her disgust, when she saw something small and green fall from the limbs above and land right on top of Merry's curly head. He stiffened, and got a strange look in his eye.

"Estella," he ventured, "what was that?" She mutely shook her head. Reaching up, he tentatively grabbed hold of the creature and brought it down so he could see it. A smile spread across his face. It was a large toad, its throat pulsating and its bulbous eyes staring back into Merry's. He set it down on and watched as it hopped away. "Oldest trick in the book, that one."

1

Rowan stood at the bottom of the trunk, looking up and carefully scanning the branches of the fort. Ponto had been up there several minutes now… why wasn't anyone screaming yet?

He grabbed a low-lying branch and was about to haul himself up after his little friend, when the sound of a muffled squeak stopped him. Ah, now that was more like it! Grinning, he waited for the chaos that was sure to follow; but the voice that shouted next was not what he had been expecting.

"RUN ROWAN!"

Ponto? He scrambled away from the trunk. Lucky he did, for right where he had just been standing landed the meanest-looking lass he had ever seen, her curls flying and eyes blazing. Then Rowan did something that he would ever after be ashamed of.

He screamed.

Not just a little shout or a strangled yell, but a full-fledged, shrill, high-pitched screech that probably echoed from Hobbiton to Tookland. He took off on a scampering run, but didn't get very far before he was tackled from behind.

"No!" blubbered Rowan, as he was dragged up by the back of his shirt, "It wasn't my idea! He coerced me to help him! Please don't whip me, lady!" His whimpering became a yelp as she tugged cruelly on his ear.

"Be a good little lad and quit sniveling," she hissed, "I'm not going to whip you, although I ought to!"

Still pulling him along by the back of his shirt, she hauled him up into the tree fort and dumped him into the corner where Ponto was already sitting, tense and trembling with drops of nervous sweat trickling down his face.

"Ponto," he said tentatively, "What happened? Did you…"

"Quiet," the lass demanded. "There is someone who would like to have a word with you." With that, she retreated back to the opposite corner and commenced glowering from afar.

It was then that Rowan noticed she was not alone. Of course! He and Ponto were going to terrorize a flirting couple! Sure enough, the other member of the pair was sitting over in the corner. He was a robust-looking lad, with a generous mop of curls and twinkling eyes. He didn't look half as bad as the lass… maybe he would go easy on them. Then he stood up slowly, and Rowan blinked. He was really tall!

The lad came over to their corner and knelt in front of them. Without seeming to notice their shrinking away, he stared hard at them and said, "Well, what have you to say for yourselves?"

Ponto squirmed nervously and Rowan dodged the stare, but neither said anything.

"You know," he continued, "you're lucky I told young Miss Bolger to go easy on you. She can be a bit rough sometimes." A grin at the lass in the corner accompanied this. She responded with a sniff and tossed her head like a wild horse. The lad chuckled and turned back to the boys, extending his hand. "My name's Merry. What are you two called?"

Rowan examined the open hand for a second, decided it was safe enough, and took it slowly. "I'm Rowan. He's Ponto."

"Nice to meet you lads," Merry said. "So, do you have any other hobbies besides dropping toads on poor folks' heads?" The boys blushed, expecting quite a scolding. They were surprised when Merry simply laughed. "You almost got away with it too! Although, next time I suggest that you come in on the South side. That way, the trunk will shield you from the road, and the branches over there are arrayed for a quicker departure."

"Merry!" The lass exploded, "The boys should not be encouraged!"

"What, I was just helping them to refine their trade." He mumbled, stopping when he saw the look in her eye. She made a gesture, and after a short hesitation, Merry backed away. She walked over to the flinching boys and knelt before them.

Looking them in the eye, she said, "Now I hope you two have learned your lesson. It is not polite to be dropping toads on folks' heads. Each of you go tell your mother that you have been very naughty and submit to whatever punishment she deems necessary. I trust that I will not need to further that punishment in the future?"

Both lads shook their heads.

She smiled crookedly. "You both have the look to become a fine gentlehobbit someday. Don't change that impression for me." She gave Merry a quick glance. He nodded. She grabbed Rowan and Ponto both by the arm and hauled them to their feet. "Now be off with you lads! Before I change my mind!"

1

Estella stood with Merry, watching as the two small hobbits scrambled away down the road. He turned to smile at her. "I think you gave them a fright, my dear."

"Hmph," Estella snorted, "No more than they deserve, pulling a stunt like that."

"Nevertheless, I was surprised by the way you handled them." Merry grinned, "Neither one is damaged, maimed, or emotionally scarred."

She slapped him lightly on the arm. "Don't be foolish." She went back in, gathering their belongings into the picnic basket. She reached out to grab that blasted book, and was startled to find Merry's hand at the other end. She looked up into his eyes.

"Estella," he said softly, "did it completely pass you by that the boys pulled that prank on us because they saw us as a flirting couple?"

She tugged the book free from his grasp and tucked it into the basket. "Misinterpretation on their part."

"Is that what you really think?" Merry's quiet voice slowed her movements, but she said nothing. She did not stir until she felt his hand on her shoulder. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

TBC