He gazed mournfully at the plate of stew in front of him, so close and yet so far away. Sighing softly, he tried once more to pick up the loaded fork with his damaged hand, face screwed up in deep concentration. Slowly, carefully, he lifted the fork up to his mouth, hardly daring to believe it when he tasted the thick gravy that dribbled from it, followed by the slightly salty taste of beef. Of course, it was stone cold, since Merry had resolved to use only his right hand to eat his meal and had spent the majority of the last half an hour trying to do so. Nevertheless, he had finally managed to eat a mouthful; smiling broadly, he pushed the plate away, content despite the rumbling protest of his still empty stomach. He turned to the chair beside him, eager to share his small triumph with his cousin. He had forgotten that Pip wasn't sat there any more.

Two days had passed since their confrontation in gardens, and still Merry and Pippin had said not one word to each other. Merry's healing was progressing as could be expected; slowly but with definite signs of improvement. He would practice his exercises as frequently as he was bidden to do, but without Pippin beside him to share in his triumphs, his progress often seemed meaningless. Still he would carry on, for there was little else he could do and he needed something to focus on in order to distract him from the loneliness that Pippin's absence brought.

"This is a thing unheard of, a hobbit struggling to finish a meal. Wait until your cousin hears about this!"

Legolas gave Gimli a warning look before greeting his friend.

"Hello Merry, how have you been today?"

Merry didn't look at them as he gave his answer in a small voice choked with emotion.

"Alright I suppose. Pippin won't find out from me, Gimli; we have not spoken for two days now and it seems he has every intention to carry on avoiding me."

Legolas grasped Merry's shoulder firmly, gently turning him round to face them. Tears were shining in his bright blue eyes.

"He is not avoiding you Merry; he thinks you need some space, but I can assure you that he is never far away. He constantly asks Aragorn of your condition, and I have seen him sit by your side as you lie sleeping. But he is hurting deeply Merry; you must understand how hard it was for him to hear you talking as though you had no hope left. He thought you knew that he was there to help you through these dark times, so to tell him that you had no hope has made him doubt your faith in him. He is angry, but it is mainly with himself. He bears a lot of responsibility on his young shoulders and it seems that at the moment the strain is too much. Perhaps it is up to you to ease his pain. Talk to him, Merry. I'm sure you will find he is willing to listen to what you have to say."

A lone tear rolled slowly down Merry's cheek. He brushed it swiftly away, annoyed at his lack of self control.

"Would you pass me my cloak please Legolas? I think I need to take a walk to clear my head, it's been awfully stuffy in here today."

Smiling, Legolas drew Merry's cloak around his shoulders, fastening it securely so that Merry would not feel the chill wind that blew in from the north.

"Make sure you are back before it gets dark, or else Aragorn will have a few stern words for us all."

"I'll be back within the hour, don't worry Legolas. Farewell, both of you."

"I think you will find he is taking a walk in the gardens Merry, it's where he's spent much of the last couple of days." Legolas shouted after him. Merry turned and smiled in acknowledgement as he opened one of the heavy wooden doors and stepped out in to the gathering dusk.

Pippin drew his cloak closer about his shoulders in a vain attempt to keep out the chill. It was not that it was particularly cold outside, although there was a slight nip in the air. The cold he was feeling came from the dread and fear that clutched at his insides. He was to leave here tomorrow, to fight once again, and this time he had the feeling that he would not escape battle so lightly.

He had lingered here for some time, hoping that in this haven of tranquillity he would find some kind of reprieve, but it seemed it was not to be. Aragorn had found him some hours earlier, sat underneath a large weeping willow enjoying the midday sun.

"We are to leave tomorrow Pippin," he had said, his expression and tone grim, "the war is not over for us yet. We are to make our final stand outside the Black Gate, for it is the only chance we now have to help Frodo and Sam, and so rid the world of the dark evil of Sauron."

Pippin looked up at him, fear and shock evident in his eyes.

"I thought our part in this was over now. What about Merry? What is he to do? Who will look after him?"

"Merry is to stay here. There is no way he can fight, not with his arm so damaged. He will be looked after by the healers here, he will be treated with the best possible care, I will make sure of it. Perhaps now would be a good time to make your peace with him before you leave. Regret is a terrible thing, and the battle we are to face will be full of death and danger. Now is a time for you to let him know how much you care for him. Talk to him, Pippin."

With that, Aragorn had left to make arrangements for the following day. Pippin had remained sat underneath the tree, thinking, wondering what he was supposed to do or say. He was torn between fear and determination. He didn't want to have to fight again; he had seen enough of war and death to last him a lifetime. All he wanted now was to go home with Merry, but, he realised, if he didn't fight there would be no Shire to return to. He had to help Frodo and Sam, or all that he had been through already would mean nothing. He would lose the places and people he loved so much to the darkness, so there was no choice but for him to leave and see out this war to whatever end. Aragorn was right though; regret was a terrible thing. He had to talk to Merry before he departed, in case it was his fate not to return. He got up on his feet and began to make his way towards the houses of healing.

Merry had been walking for about ten minutes when he spotted his dear cousin emerging from one of the many paths that snaked through the tranquil gardens. His pace immediately quickened, his heart beating faster in his chest. He wasn't sure what to say to Pip, but he knew he wanted to make things right between them. He couldn't bear to be the cause of Pippin's pain, and he wanted his cousin to know that he would always be there to support him as Pippin had during the past few days.

"Pippin!"

He saw his cousin turn to face him, just metres away now. There was a deep sadness in Pippin's eyes as he walked swiftly up to Merry and embraced him silently, knowing that if he spoke at that moment, the emotions welling up inside him would overflow and there would be no end to his sorrow.

"I'm so sorry Pippin, so sorry. I should never have said those things. It was not you that I was angry with. It was not you that I lost faith in. I was frustrated, angry with myself. I found myself doubting whether I had the strength to carry on. I should have known that you are my strength, Pip. You are the one who will get me through this. Pip?"

He felt cold tears soaking through his cloak as Pippin's emotional dam came crashing down. The sadness he had fought so hard to suppress since he had spoken to Aragorn earlier that day came spilling out, overwhelming them both.

"I c-can't get y-you through this M-merry, I'm s-sorry, but I j-just can't."

He broke the embrace and tried to walk away, but Merry took him gently by the shoulder and turned Pippin back round to face him, determined to find an explanation for his cousin's sorrow.

"I don't understand Pippin, why are you pushing me away? I know I hurt you, but I thought you would be able to find it in your heart to forgive me. Tell me, what is it you need from me to be able to move on from this?"

Emerald eyes glistening with unshed tears looked steadily in to his own. Pippin spoke to him in a barely audible whisper, his eyes never leaving Merry's face.

"There is nothing I need from you, Merry. There is nothing for me to forgive. I push you away because I have to. You need to find your own strength Merry, for I fear I won't be around for much longer to offer you mine. We are to leave tomorrow, and I don't know whether I shall return."

"What do you mean, 'we'? Surely then you mean to say that I ride with you?"

"I ride alone Merry, as much as it pains me to say it, you will not be coming with me. We ride out to battle, to help Frodo and Sam."

"Then I will ride with you."

"You can't Merry! You aren't well enough, you can barely hold a mug of water, never mind try to wield a sword. You must stay behind."

With that, he strode off in the direction of his room, tears now streaming down his face.

He sat on his bed half an hour later, hugging his pillow to his chest, eyes red and swollen. There was a soft knock at his door; he swiftly crossed over to his basin, splashing his tearstained face with cold water.

"Come in!" he tried to shout, but his voice came out sounding more like a croak.

Aragorn stood framed in his doorway, with Merry stood pale and exhausted in front of him.

"Merry wishes to speak to you, friend. I trust you will walk him back to his bed when you are finished."

Pushing Merry gently forward, Aragorn smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. After a long, awkward pause, Merry began to speak.

"It's alright to be afraid you know Pip."

Pippin looked at him incredulously.

"What makes you think I am?"

"I can see it in your face; even now I hear it in the way your voice trembles slightly as you speak. It's alright to be afraid lad, everyone is afraid sometimes. I need you to know that you will not be alone tomorrow."

"You are not coming with me, Merry, you can't, it's not safe!"

Merry looked at him sadly.

"I know I can't. I must stay here to await my fate, whatever it may be. I will still be with you though; you carry a piece of my spirit in your heart as you ride tomorrow. I may not ride beside you, but I will be with you, I promise. Strider has given me his word also that he will look out for you."

"So he thinks that I am scared too?"

Merry spoke slowly and calmly.

"No. He knows that I am. You're not even an adult yet Pippin, you shouldn't have to face this. Yet face it you will, without me. I just want to be sure you will come back to me."

Pippin held Merry's face in his hands.

"Dear Merry, I have every intention of coming back to you. Who else do you suppose will be able to turn your hair grey with worry, if not me?"

Merry chuckled softly. His stomach rumbled loudly; he looked down at the floor, embarrassed.

"Have you not had dinner Merry?"

"I had a mouthful or so, but in truth I was not hungry. Besides, its hard work to lift a fork when your hand is injured as mine is."

"Well this is a dire situation indeed! An injured hobbit unable to eat his dinner. We must fetch you something to eat at once. Come now, to the kitchens with you. Worries about tomorrow can wait. There is the more urgent matter of food that needs attending to now!"

He took Merry by the arm and together they walked down to the kitchens in search of a supper fit for a pair of hungry hobbits. Fear was a terrible thing to have to face, but face it they would, as soon as they had filled their empty stomachs.

A/N: So there was chapter six of Only Sleeping, and it seems to me that the next will be the last, so if you have any comments, questions or suggestions please leave them for me as soon as you can!

I would just like to remind you that I have played around with the timescale a bit, having not read the books just yet I'm not sure of the precise amount of time there is between the two battles, but in this story it is around a week. Hope this works with you.

Anyway, as always this is dedicated to Amy, I really hope that you are still enjoying this, I'm sorry that it is coming to an end soon! Thanks go to Chris for all the support he has given me while I wrote this chapter, again I apologise for my neediness! Also to Tiz, who continues to support my writing, I really appreciate you letting me use you as an encyclopaedia on all things Lord of the Rings!

Until next time……….

Smileyhalo