Author's note: Well it's been a few weeks but here is chapter four! I don't think I have any comments for this one, save for having given Diamond Took's parents names. I couldn't find them listed anywhere so I used my imagination. If anyone happens to know their real names then I'd be happy to know!

Disclaimer: You know the drill…

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Pippin swallowed. His mouth felt dry yet he could not stop swallowing. His eyes were as dry as his mouth, there were no tears to shed. There was nothing but emptiness right now, how he hated feeling so empty.

He sat alone in his father's study, holding an envelope in his hands, twirling it around absentmindedly. Inside the envelope was the letter his father had written that was to be sent to the Master of Buckland right away. Pippin had been on his way to send it, but now there was no point in it anymore.

Earlier in the morning Paladin Took, Thain Paladin I, had succumbed to his illness and passed away. Pippin could not understand it. Two years ago his father had been hurt in a hunting accident, nearly losing his life, but he had survived. How could he survive such an accident yet lose his battle against something as common as pneumonia? How could he be so strong yet so weak at the same time?

Tuckburough grieved its Thain. Thain Paladin had been a good leader, he had kept things well in Tuckburough, even managing to keep the spirits up when the Shire was besieged. The Hobbits mourned their loss, probably scared of what would happen now. Five years ago they would all have been confident that the new Thain would bring them to even better times, he had after all proven his worth years ago, seeing them through where the Thain had not. But that was then. Their new leader was not who he had been then, he was nothing but a sullen, serious Hobbit who could beat any Brandybuck or Baggins in a battle for queerness any time. It was not the kind of leader Pippin had wanted to be. He could not blame them for being nervous about his abilities, he was probably more frightened than they were, but he found he missed the confidence they had once had in him. He knew how difficult Merry's first year as Master had been, yet he had had the full support of the Buckland Hobbits to see him through.

Without bothering to knock Pippin's sister Pervinca entered, looking at her younger brother for a moment before speaking.

"That letter…" she said.

"What about it?"

"Father asked for it to be delivered right away."

Pippin wanted to ask her what the point was. Their father was dead, nothing the letter had to say could possibly make any difference to him now. But he knew what his sister must be thinking. Not even this could her brother do. He got up and slowly walked over to her.

"Is there a pony saddled?"

"There should be."

"I'll return shortly."

He walked past her and made his way through the familiar halls out to the stables where he grabbed the first saddled pony he could find by the reins. Someone protested, but he didn't care to listen. If this letter was so important then whatever that Hobbit needed the pony for it could surely wait. He led the pony outside and began to make way for Buckland, where news had not yet arrived of the passing of the Thain earlier in the day.

XX
XX

Merry looked up with a disapproving frown when Pippin came in to his study unannounced. He was in the middle of a talk with a widowed lass who needed financial help to feed her three children and was not happy to be interrupted. Pippin didn't acknowledge the Hobbit seated opposite Merry with as much as a glance.

"I have a letter for you" he said. "Thain Paladin demanded you should have this right away."

"I'm so sorry Madam Bolger, we shall have to continue this later" Merry said to his visitor. "Speak with my secretary and she will book you for a meeting as soon as possible! You won't have to wait out in the hallway or anything!"

He got up and walked over to Pippin, snatching the letter from his cousin with an annoyed glare. His visitor excused herself and went out into the hall to find Merry's secretary. Merry walked over and shut the door to the curious eyes out in the hall, belonging to seven Hobbits who had come to see the Master with different errands. He went back over to Pippin while opening the envelop and reading the note inside. Then he put the note in his pocket and placed his hand on Pippin's shoulder.

"Come" he said.

They walked past the waiting Hobbits, who loudly complained that visiting hours seemed to be over so soon. Pippin had nothing he felt like saying and Merry didn't speak either as they strode down the halls and eventually ended up outside. Merry turned to speak with his cousin once they were too far away from anyone who might hear them.

"When did he die?" he asked.

"What makes you think he's dead?" Pippin had to ask.

"The note" Merry said. "In it he says that he will be dead by the time it reaches me, and then it details some instructions."

"Instructions for what?"

"You are going to be Thain now" Merry said. "Someone has to hold the ceremony to make it official. Your predecessor needed me to know some things. So when did Uncle Paladin die?"

"At 8:15 this morning" Pippin said and swallowed once more.

"8:15? And you're only getting this to me now? It's past elevenzies!"

"Yes thank you, I know that. I lost my father this morning Merry, forgive me if I'm slacking a bit in my duties."

"I'm sorry" Merry said. "I didn't mean it like that. I know how this feels, it is not pleasant. Grieving your father while everybody needs you to step up and take his place. Becoming who you were born to be just because your father passed on. People expecting you to be excited even though it's a time for sorrow."

"There's been a lot of time for sorrow these past years" Pippin said. "I'm a veteran now. I can handle it. I'll take on the thainship like I'm supposed to, just tell me when and where."

"It needs to be as soon as possible" Merry said. "Your father will receive a proper burial on Wednesday, that's two days from today. The next morning you become Thain Peregrin I."

"So Thursday it is" Pippin said. "Will you be there before then, Merry? Will you come see the family?"

"Of course I will, Pip. He was my uncle! Mother is going to be devastated to hear this."

"I hope she will come as well" Pippin said. "How is she? Is she feeling any better?"

"Yes but I think she's too weak to be able to go anywhere" Merry said. "She won't live for much longer either, I fear."

Pippin nodded. He felt surprisingly calm. He had not shed any tears yet, he wondered if he would at all. He had cried enough for a lifetime already.

"I don't have a father anymore" he said. "Gosh, how empty that makes me feel…"

Merry stopped walking and looked at his cousin. Pippin stopped as well and wondered what the grim look on Merry's face meant. Merry took a deep breath and prepared for the confrontation he knew was about to follow.

"This is the end of your nonsense with your son" he said.

"I'm not following…"

"You have been finding excuses for more than four years now as to why you cannot see your boy. On Thursday that ends. When I come to the Great Smials I am taking Faramir with me, and you will look at the child and acknowledge him as your son and heir. I do not care whether it hurts you to look at him. I do not care whether you believe he killed your wife. I do not care if you have completely suppressed the fact that you even have a son. I do not care about all your troubles and nonsense and excuses. I do not care about any of that. If you don't take a stand on Thursday morning and give Faramir everything that is his right by birth then so help me Pippin, none of the sorrows or hardships you have seen in your life this far will even be able to compare to how horrid I will make your life! Trust me when I say this!"

Pippin didn't answer at first. It took him a moment for the words to sink in. Then he shook his head in disbelief.

"Has it come to that? You threatening me? Is that a proper way for the Master and the Thain to communicate?"

"Faramir is your son, bred by you and born to you, I don't care how you feel about the child, you will allow him that which is his right by birth. Do you understand?"

"Of course I understand!"

"Good. Then you will see him on Thursday. For four years you have pretended that you have no son, but he is your heir no matter who raises him and on Thursday he shall be such declared for everyone to hear it! That amazing little child will finally get a glimpse of what is his, and a face to the name Father."

"That's quite enough, Merry" Pippin said and held up his hands. "Bring the kid along. Do whatever you like. Is that what the letter said? That you should make sure there's an heir to Thain Peregrin? That's all our fathers ever cared about, stupid heirs."

"I raise him, Pippin" Merry said. "I see him every day. I know what a sweet child he is. I would go to great lengths to make sure he isn't robbed of his birthright, especially if his father has gone more than a little crazy."

"Like I said… Bring the child. I've never had any other intentions than that. I will make sure everyone knows he is mine, and that he is to be Thain when I pass on. Then you can entrust him with my mother, for I won't have time to baby-sit if that's what you're hoping."

"All I want is that you acknowledge him. It's about time."

"If you say so."

Merry sighed and walked over to his cousin. The wedge between them was growing deeper, Merry didn't wish for it to be this way. He put his hand on his cousin's arm.

"Maybe we should take a step back and remember why he is in my care in the first place" he said. "You gave him to me because you trusted me more than anyone else, am I wrong?"

"You're not wrong."

Merry gripped Pippin's arm and led him to a tree where they both sat down. Merry took his cousin's hands in his own.

"You trusted me… not because we are cousins, but because we are friends. The best kind of friends. Friends who will always be there to catch you when you fall."

"The truest friends" Pippin nodded.

"So why do we fight? You didn't entrust him to me so that we could argue, I'm fairly certain of that. Let's not do this… Let's just get along, like we always have in the past. I will bring Faramir and you will see him. When you do, you will understand."

"Whatever you say…" Pippin said with little faith.

"You know… If you knew sweet little Faramir… If only you could see what a child he is. How he runs around the halls, full of laughter and of play. Do you know what they say? They say that it is like having Young Master Peregrin around, it's just like when Young Master Peregrin was a child and would come visit. He looks like you, he has those eyes of yours. Cousin if you knew your son… what you wouldn't give just to get to hold him."

Pippin rose and brushed the dirt off his cape.

"I should get back to the Smials" he said.

"Pippin…"

"We shall be expecting you to come by."

Merry remained by the tree and watched Pippin go. He was surprised that he had left, Merry had thought he was about to open up. But who could blame him for being distracted, it was not every day you lost your father.

A leaf fell from the tree and landed on Merry's shoulder. He looked up at the yellow leaves above him. When had it become September? Time went by so fast these days. Being buried in work might perhaps make time pass faster for Pippin as well, which was probably just what he needed. He had been stuck in June of 1430 for far too long now. Merry hoped he wouldn't get stuck in September of 1434 as well.

XX
XX

"I won't be gone more than a day" Merry said and packed the last things in his backpack, shoving aside his Elf cape which fell in the way when he leaned forward.

"No rush" Estella said. "Things can get complicated the day after big events like today's, the new Thain might need some help tomorrow morning getting things settled. You've been away for days at a time before, we can manage."

"Yes, but this time it's different" Merry said and closed his pack. "What time is it? We must get moving before ten."

"It's a quarter to" Estella said. "And you look very handsome. I'm sure you will do a fine job. Are you nervous?"

Merry gave her a smile and lifted his pack up. He was clad in his Rohirric armour, which he only used for special occasions, and of course his Elven cape. It felt good to wear these clothes again, he had in truth been quite nervous but once he was dressed in his formal outfit again all his nervousness seemed to be washed away. It was something about the clothes which filled him with confidence.

"No nerves" he told his wife. "Everything will be fine. I'm proud of Pippin, I hope this day will be special for him. It must be odd having your cousin be the one to perform the ceremony, I had my uncle do it, he had been Thain for as far back as I could remember."

"I'm sure Pippin is honoured to have you performing the ceremony" Estella said.

"We should get going" Merry said. "Where is Faramir?"

"In his room, packing the last of his things. I told him he could only bring one toy and he's having a hard time deciding which one to bring."

"I'm sorry you have to stay at home" Merry said. "I know you would have liked to be part of this."

"Don't worry about me" Estella said and smiled. "I will stay here with the girls. It will be fine."

"I'm sure you'll have a good time without us lads" Merry said and placed a kiss on her five months pregnant belly. "Take good care of our girls, and our little lad."

"What makes you so sure it will be a lad?" Estella asked with a smile and caressed her belly.

"We will need one if Faramir leaves" Merry said and opened the door to step out into the hallway.

"Do you think he will?" Estella asked.

Hearing the tone in her voice Merry stopped and gave her a reassuring smile.

"It is possible. We've had four wonderful years with him Estella, what more can we ask for? Trust me, whatever happens it will be fine."

"I know you think it's selfish, but I'm hoping you will bring our boy home again tomorrow."

"We'll see what happens" Merry said. "Come, let's go find the lad in question. We really must get going."

Estella followed him to Faramir's room, where the young Took was just finishing packing his backpack with the help of Dawn and Meduselda. The one year old toddler, Merry and Estella's third daughter, sat on the floor and admired the scene with wide eyes. The room was a mess, Faramir had brought every toy out to give them all a fair trial before he picked one to bring with him, and he didn't feel like picking them up again and putting them in their proper place. He didn't really have time to do that either, he knew they had to get going soon.

"There you are!" Merry said. "Ready to go, Young Master Took?"

"Ready!" Faramir said and jumped down on the floor.

"Okay, have you girls said bye to Faramir?" Merry asked his daughters.

"Yes we have" Meduselda said. "Ages ago."

"Good, now come say bye to Papa before I have to go."

The girls ran over and hugged him tight. Merry gave them each a kiss on the head. Estella lifted the toddler to her feet and helped her walk over to her father for a goodbye kiss.

"You be good, Summer" Merry said and hugged the so far youngest child in the family. "And all three of you girls do as Mother tells you, you hear? I will be back tomorrow."

He reached out his hand to Faramir and grabbed his walking stick. With a wave to the female part of the family he led Faramir out the door and on the way to the festivities at the Great Smials.

XX
XX

Pippin barely had time to stop and catch his breath. There were so many things that needed to be done and nothing seemed to be ready. He had trusted his sisters to be able to handle most of it but for some reason everything seemed to be going wrong at once and everybody turned to him. He braced himself and took care of one emergency after the other, using it as practice for when the real deal would begin the next day. By the time the sun had reached zenith everything seemed to be in order and ready for the ceremonies to begin, but it had taken a lot of effort.

"Just in time" Pippin thought.

He went outside to overlook the small field where he would be officially announced Thain Peregrin I, new master of Tuckburough and The Took. He found he didn't have any energy left to be nervous. It couldn't be all that bad, not when Merry was leading the ceremony. It felt good knowing that Merry would be playing the active part today, all Pippin had to do was give his little speech and follow his cousin's instructions.

He stopped right in the middle of the field, at the very spot he would become Thain. He shadowed the sun with his eyes and looked around. Chairs where placed everywhere yet they had not begun to fill up with Hobbits. They still had another thirty minutes before the ceremony was to start, and the Tooks were known for arriving at the last minute.

He turned around in a full circle, overlooking every inch of the area, proud of what he saw. When he had gotten almost a full turn he saw Merry not far from him. The sudden appearance of his cousin startled him, he had not heard him arrive.

"Hullo, Pip" Merry said.

"Hullo" Pippin answered.

He smiled at his cousin, who was not his old friend Merry today. Today he was Master Meriadoc of Buckland, clad in his most official clothes and in no mood for jests and games. Pippin wore his Elven cape as well, together with his Gondorian armour. He and Merry complemented each other. From today they would not be just Merry and Pippin, best friends and cousins, they would be Master Meriadoc and Thain Peregrin. They had gazed forward to this day from childhood, now it was upon them.

Then Pippin saw the child in Merry's company. His hand slowly fell down to his side as he looked upon the four year-old lad clinging to Merry's leg and hiding his face in Merry's cape. The boy was shy and seemed frightened to meet him. So this was the child.

"Aren't you going to say hullo?" Merry asked the boy, gently urging him on.

The boy peeked his head out from the cape.

"Hullo" he said, barely audible.

"You can do better than that" Merry said, but the child hesitated. "Go on!"

Hesitantly the child let go of Merry's leg and bowed.

"Top of the morning to you, sir" he said and then clung to Merry again.

Merry chuckled.

"He likes that expression" he explained.

Pippin saw the child lift his eyes from the cape and glance at him, and he returned the bow.

"Greetings, young master" he said.

"Do you know who this is?" Merry asked the boy.

Pippin wrinkled his nose at the tone in Merry's voice. It seemed in its place when Merry spoke so softly and childlike to his daughters, but when he spoke with this little lad it just rang funny in Pippin's ears. The little Hobbit shook his head no at Merry's question and didn't seem very interested. It was clear that he was very uncomfortable.

"You'll have to excuse him, he's a little shy" Merry said to Pippin and then stroke the boy over the head. "This is Peregrin Took, your father. He is going to be the new Thain today."

"Congratulations" Pippin head the child mumble.

"He'll warm up" Merry said to his cousin. "It's just a little much to take all at once… Come along Faramir, let's go find Grandma! You can sit with her during the ceremony until I call your name, okay?"

"She's in the kitchen" Pippin informed them.

"Thanks" Merry said. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Pippin watched Merry lead the boy off to the kitchen. He wrinkled his nose. Faramir. The child sure did not look like a Faramir. Pippin wondered why Merry had chosen that name, it seemed ridiculous to Pippin. He couldn't quite see what Merry was making so much fuss about. This shy little boy would have to toughen up a lot to live up to his Took family name.

XX
XX

Evening came after a long ceremony which had officially made Pippin the new Thain. The ceremony had been interrupted halfway through for everyone to sit down for a meal, then it had been taken up again and lasted for quite some time. Pippin was very hungry by the time they were done, and longed for supper which was being served all around them. There was no official supper with the Thain or Master as toastmaster, it had been found generations ago that such a thing didn't work after such a long ceremony.

Pippin was pleased. The ceremony had gone well, Merry had done an excellent job and Pippin felt like he had been welcomed as the Thain, which he had not been too sure to count on. The only element which hadn't gone smoothly was when Pippin was to acknowledge Faramir Took as his son and heir and show him up to the gathered Hobbits. Faramir had been very shy and didn't want to come out in the centre of everyone's attention, he wanted to stay with his grandma where nobody stared at him. After a few minutes Pippin had walked up to his mother and lifted the boy over to his arms, acknowledging him officially at that spot even though not everyone could see them from there. He had glanced over his shoulder and seen Merry smile reassuringly at the child, then he had handed him back to Eglantine, happy to have that part over and done with. All in all the whole thing had run smoothly and Pippin felt happy.

As the Hobbits began to scatter, each and every one of them heading for the buffet tables, Pippin stuck his arm under Merry's and walked slowly with him across the field.

"How are you feeling now, Master Meriadoc?" he asked. "You did a wonderful job. Our fathers would be very proud of you."

"Things went really well" Merry said. "Tuckburough seems to be pleased with the new Thain, just like I predicted. How does it feel to be Thain Peregrin I?"

"It feels good" Pippin said. "I only wish Diamond could be here to share this day with me, but by now I know she's looking in on me from wherever she is. And of course I wish my father could have seen me, but that is never possible for the Thain."

"I'm proud to call you Thain and my cousin" Merry said and gave Pippin's arm a pat. "Welcome to office."

"Do you know what I wish my first accomplishment as Thain to be?"

"Tell me."

"To finish a meal within the next half hour" Pippin said. "I'm starved! Listening to you talk can really work you up and appetite."

"I thought I heard some loud grumblings when you held your speech as well" Merry smiled and gave his cousin a teasing nudge. "Supper it is!"

They walked together across the field, content with how the day had gone and with being in each other's company. Today they had not said an unfriendly word to one another, everything had been as good as it usually was between them. They both wished the feeling would never go away, it felt nice to be this content in each other's company once more. Wanting to hold on to the feeling they took their good time walking back, most Hobbits around them not only served themselves supper but finished their meals by the time the pair had walked the distance back to the Smials. Pippin's stomach was complaining loudly.

They stopped when they reached the buffet tables, and heard someone call out Merry's name. They both turned their heads in the direction the call had come from and saw the new heir of the Thain together with his grandmother just a few feet away.

"There you are!" Merry said with a smile.

He let go of Pippin's arm and walked over to Faramir and Eglantine. Pippin bit his upper lip, he didn't know why it was so hard for him that Merry had let go. He saw his cousin kneel down to get in level with the four year-old.

"It's been a very long day for you" Merry said. "Did you get anything to eat?"

"I had supper" Faramir said.

"Good. How does it feel to be the Thain's heir?"

Faramir didn't answer, he was too shy. Merry smiled and tousled his curls.

"It's six o'clock and past your usual bedtime" he said. "Don't tell Estella I let you stay up so long! Off to bed you go."

"Tuck me in" Faramir asked.

"I promised your father I would have supper with him" Merry said. "I didn't get a chance to eat yet."

He looked up and spotted Faramir's maternal grandparents glancing over at them from their table, which was within hear sight.

"How about you let your granny and grandpa tuck you in tonight?" he said. "I'm sure they have lots of wonderful stories that I've never heard before! They can tell you tonight, then you tell me tomorrow and perhaps we can tell them to Dawn and Meduselda and Summer. Would you like that?"

Faramir nodded. Merry grinned and looked over at Diamond's parents. He rose and gently shoved Faramir over to them, asking them if they could perhaps tuck the lad in. As he had expected they were both more than happy to get some time with their grandson and within a minute they had lifted Faramir up and disappeared inside the Smials. Merry returned to Pippin and grabbed a plate.

"I'm starved" he said. "What are you having?"

Pippin grabbed a plate and smiled. He looked forward to having Merry to himself tonight, as much as he could with all these people around at any rate.

"I don't know, I'm thinking of going with a little bit of everything."

"I'm planning on getting full on chicken" Merry said and grabbed a huge chicken wing. "Estella can't stand the smell of chicken when she's expecting, which is bad for me since chicken is my favourite. Oh, and look at those mashed potatoes! I'm going to have to go for seconds!"

"Save some room for dessert" Pippin recommended.

"Oh there's plenty of room. Am I correct in assuming Sam sent some gaffer ale?"

Pippin nodded and stole the ladle from his cousin before Merry could fill his plate entirely with mashed potatoes. He looked at all the food laid out before him and felt his mouth water. What a great fortune that they could sit down and enjoy this meal without any children or parents around to bother them.

XX
XX

Pippin frowned when he heard someone shouting, a child as it seemed. He glanced over at Merry, deep in conversation with some Hobbit who had come up to congratulate Pippin. Merry didn't seem to have heard anything. Pippin was not quite able to relax and enjoy himself, some part of him was listening for trouble. He didn't want anything to go wrong on this night.

There was that cry again, this time Merry reacted to it as well. Through the crowds came young Faramir, dressed in his pyjamas, crying for Merry. Merry kneeled down when he saw him coming and put his arms on Faramir's shoulders.

"What are you doing out of bed?" he asked.

"I woke up and I couldn't find you!" Faramir cried.

"Find me? Well you found me now…"

Shortly after Faramir came Diamond's mother, Bellamy, frowning with her hands on her hips.

"I'm awfully sorry, he just ran off before I could stop him!"

"What is the meaning of all this?" Merry asked. "It's past nine in the evening, Faramir should be asleep!"

"I woke up and you were gone!" Faramir cried.

"You knew I was right out here" Merry said and wiped away a tear from the child's face. "You can't run away from your grandmother! You do as she tells you."

"But you were gone" Faramir insisted.

"But I'm here now" Merry said. "Calm down, Faramir. You know I wouldn't leave without you. Why would you think differently?"

"But Grandma said that I should be with her and Grandpa and not in Buckland, then you were gone when I woke up and they wouldn't let me see you!"

"When did she say that?" Merry asked. Faramir didn't answer. "Where did you hear that, Faramir?"

"I heard her say it through the door. That I should be in Long Cleeve. I didn't mean to listen, I promise! But she was talking out loud!"

Merry shook his head and wondered what had gotten into Diamond's mother. It was awfully clumsy of her to say something like that so that the child could overhear her. Pippin gave Bellamy an angry glare but she glared back just as angrily. Pippin averted his eyes first, looking down on his cousin and the child who had caused such a scene. And just when everything had been running so smoothly…

"You won't be moving to Long Cleeve" Merry assured Faramir.

Faramir nodded through his tears. He turned to look at his grandmother, who seemed horribly upset with him, and had to fight back a gasp when he saw the look on the Thain's face. The tall Hobbit standing right by Merry looked highly disapproving. Faramir quickly looked back into Merry's reassuring eyes.

"I don't want you to go away" Faramir said to him. "I want to stay with you. I don't want to leave Brandy Hall."

"I'm not going anywhere, I swear to you" Merry said. "You can go back to sleep and not worry, even if I'm not there when you wake up I'm still close by. Okay? Hug me with all your might, feel that I'm still here."

Faramir hugged him as hard as he could and buried his face in Merry's shoulder. The gentle shushing and the comforting hand stroking the back of his head made him feel a little better. He had been terrified to hear his grandmother talk of how he by rights should be living with them, and when he had woken up and been unable to find Merry he had been convinced that they had made Merry leave him there.

"I'm not going anywhere" Merry assured him. "I will always be here, come what may. Now don't cry any longer, everything will be just fine."

He rose with Faramir in his arms and ignored the look given to him by Bellamy. He looked at Pippin, who had his hands on his hips and a grim look on his face.

"Pip you will have to excuse me. I'll be back in a while, Faramir needs to get back into bed."

He walked off towards the Smials with the child in his arms. Pippin gave Bellamy an angry look, then turned and walked away. His festive mood was completely gone.

XX
XX

Pippin put his pen down on his desk and looked at the two Hobbits seated on the other side of his writing desk. This was not how he had pictured his first morning as Thain, nor had he ever expected to be in a situation like this with Diamond's parents. But he had no intention of letting the scene last night go by unnoticed. He did not want another debacle like the one they had had the previous night. The sooner he let them know so, the better.

"You probably know already why I asked to see you" he said.

"Pippin, I must say I find this all most unnec--"

"Thain Peregrin" Pippin corrected. "I called you here as Thain. And we need to get some matters straight concerning the scene last night. The child said he overheard you saying that he should be raised by you and not by the Master. Folly. How many people have you been spreading this opinion to?"

"It doesn't matter" Malrobas Took tried to excuse it.

"It does so matter. Since when is it up to the two of you to decide how the future Thain is brought up?"

"I think we all know this is not about the future Thain" Malrobas said carefully. "It is about our grandson. A grandson we hardly get to see. A child who should be raised by us, his true family, not by a distant relation in Buckland."

"With this child it is always about the future Thain" Pippin said and leaned forward over his desk. "Do you know how to raise a Thain? I can assure you it requires more than baking bread and teaching them how to read. I left the child with Meriadoc, one who knows how to raise a Thain, and that decision was final. I will never hear you talk against it ever again, is that understood?"

"Peregrin…" Bellamy said and looked at her son-in-law with said eyes. "What has happened to you? Where does this harshness come from?"

Pippin rose from his chair and began walking slowly around the room.

"I made the best choice for the baby. A child needs a mother figure, not a grandmother. Nobody can say they're doing a bad job taking care of him over at Brandy Hall! Unless you have something that can prove otherwise then you will keep your opinions to yourselves. It is my decision to make where that boy grows up, not yours."

"I know it's been hard for you losing Diamond, but we lost her too" Malrobas said. "We don't want to lose her son as well!"

"All you need to do is speak with Merry, he won't have anything against you visiting at Brandy Hall! Why you felt you need to frighten the child in the middle of the night is beyond me. I will not discuss my choice of guardian for him with you, or with anyone. I don't care that you think he ought to be with close family instead of with Brandybucks, you're forgetting that Merry is not just my friend he is my cousin, he too is related to the child. Now what I want from you is that you Bellamy go talk to him and apologise for scaring him. Then you can talk to Merry if you wish and decide on a good time for you to come visit. But should word reach me that you've been talking to people about the child being moved to live with you then you won't be getting any more visits. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Thain" Bellamy said.

She rose together with her husband and bowed before leaving the room. They shared a look once they were back out in the hall. Neither of them approved of Pippin's new ways, but there was not much they could do about it. As little as they liked it they would have to accept that their grandson grew up among queer Brandybucks and not amongst the Tooks where he belonged.

Malrobas put an arm around Bellamy's shoulder and wished he could offer her some comfort. It was hard for them both not getting to spend enough time with Faramir. He was all they had left of Diamond and unlike Pippin they wanted to savour it.

They found Faramir and Merry packing their things to prepare to leave for the Hall. Merry let them be alone with the boy and went to find Pippin. He knocked on the door and found Pippin alone, doing paperwork.

"How are things?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, I haven't quite gotten adjusted yet" Pippin said. "I had a look at my schedule and honestly thought I would faint. But I'll get used to it."

"We are getting ready to leave" Merry said and closed the door behind him. "I left Faramir with his grandparents. He was a bit hesitant at first but they seemed to be doing fine when I left."

He sat down in one of the vacant chairs opposite Pippin's and brushed a curl of hair from his forehead. Pippin put his pen down and bit his upper lip.

"I spoke with them" he told Merry. "I made it clear that you will raise the child and nobody else. You shouldn't have any problems with them in the future."

"Good" Merry said. "What happened last night was unpleasant. I'm sorry if it spoiled your evening, it certainly seemed to dampen the mood of everyone nearby."

"It wasn't your fault" Pippin said. "Think nothing of it."

"Okay then. I should be on my way, I was hoping we'd be back home by lunch." He rose and smiled at the Thain. "You know where to find me if you need anything. Don't be afraid to ask for help, it can be tricky before you get the hang of it."

Pippin nodded and smiled back at him. When Merry left the room however he was not smiling. It was with a mixed feeling of relief and disappointment he would return to the Hall. Relief that he wouldn't have to send Faramir to the Smials or any place else, disappointed with the reaction which had never seemed to come in Pippin. One could not tell by looking at him that he had met his son for the first time the day before. Perhaps this would be more difficult than Merry had ever expected.

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I'll try to have the next chapter up shortly, I promise! Please review, I'm always eager to hear your comments whether they be good or bad!