Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. I am just borrowing the characters and situations from Tolkien and New Line Cinema for my own enjoyment and for the entertainment of others.

It was in the middle of a hot Shire summer and two young hobbits sat on the hill above Bag End, under the shade of the tree that grew there. They were lying back watching the clouds sailing by and enjoying the laziness of the day. Both were quite sleepy from the heat, but suddenly the younger one asked, “Merry, do you think we'll ever go on an adventure?”

“I don’t know Pip. Someday we just might,” the older replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Well I've decided that I am going on an adventure someday. Only, not just yet, because I would miss my family too much right now.”

“Where are you planning to go, Pip?” Merry asked indulgently.

“I'm not sure. Maybe I'll follow in Bilbo’s footsteps and visit the Lonely Mountain.” Getting excited, he said, “Maybe I can even raft down a river like Bilbo. Wouldn’t that be fun, Merry!”

“Yes, that would be quite interesting." Merry smiled at his young cousin's enthusiasm. "How long are you planning to be gone? Because you know everybody would miss you, so you would have to come home very soon.”

Pippin cocked his head to the side, pondering. “Well, not too long. I would miss too many of the lovely cakes Mum bakes if I was gone for too long,” he said quite seriously.

“Quite right,” Merry laughed. “It would be a shame to miss out on your Mum’s cakes.”

They lapsed back into a comfortable silence. Merry had almost fallen asleep when Pippin drowsily asked, “Merry, if I ever go on an adventure will you come with me?”

“Of course I'll come with you. D'you think I would let you have all the fun?” Merry smiled.

“Good,” Pippin said sleepily. “I don’t think it would be much fun going alone. For one, I would miss you too much,” he said with a yawn before falling asleep with his head pillowed on Merry’s chest.

“And I would miss you too much to let you go alone, Pip,” Merry replied softly, putting his arm around his cousin and placing a kiss in his curls, before falling asleep, himself.

Note: Thank you to Auntiemeesh for the wonderful beta.