Title: A Merry Life: Broken
Author: Anso the Hobbit
Beta: Marigold

Characters: Merry, Pippin, Paladin and Eglantine, (Frodo, Berilac, Saradoc)

Timeline: Buckland, SR 1394 so Merry is 12 and Pippin almost 4

Pippin had somehow clambered up into a tree, determined to pick the plums he saw hanging there. "Merry!" Pippin had been sobbing and yelling for a good ten minutes now, and you hadn´t been there to keep an eye on him as you were summoned to see your grandda in the study to explain a whole tray of missing tarts from yesterday. You had told Berilac to watch out for Pip, but he had been more interested in jumping in the hay in the barn and Pippin had wandered away. Thus you found yourself reluctantly, but determinedly climbing the tree Pippin sat in. Frodo had tried to teach you to climb trees, but you always got dizzy and sick while being that high up, so you never really got the hang of it. It was certainly nothing that you would ever do if you had any choice in the matter.

However, nothing mattered as you climbed up to reach the shrieking toddler. Calming words and reassurances were not enough. Your presence was demanded immediately, and so you climbed higher than you´d ever thought you´d dare. "Shh Pippin. I´m coming. It will be all right. Ssh...."

Finally you reached your frightened little cousin, and gently hugged him, brushing tears away before you put his arms around your neck and started the descent. Not more than halfway down, Pippin started wriggling, and squirming as there was now an audience at the base of the plum tree. Grown hobbits and lads and lasses all watching your every move, but you didn´t dare look down. "Mama!" Pippin shouted. "I climbed a tree!"

"Yes you did, darling. Now, hold still so Merry can get you down." Your aunt had been calm and reassuring, and a few moments later you were low enough to the ground to let grown hobbit hands take Pippin from your grasp. But in the same moment, you lost your own hold of the trunk and slipped, falling. Hands reached out to you, but none got hold and suddenly you were lying on the ground, a searing pain shooting through your left arm, and now it was you who cried out. More hands touched you, and faintly you heard grown hobbits talking above your head, voices asking if you were hurt and if anything was broken. Your arm hurt so much that you couldn´t even cry but you shook like a leaf trying to control the pain. Gently you were lifted right-side up and turning your face, you saw Uncle Paladin. "Shhh… Merry-lad. Let`s take you inside, and have a look at that wrist, shall we?"

Firmly seated in your da´s lap you tried not to scream when the bone was set, but it hurt too much, and your senses gave way and you slumped in your da´s arms when it was over. When you regained consciousness you were lying in your bed and a little form was perched beside you, patting your good arm. You heard soft crying.

"Pip?" You said, and the crying changed.

"`m sorry Merry, I broke you." Pippin said, snuggling in beside you.

"You didn´t break me, Pippin. I broke myself. But I´m all fixed now." You lifted your splinted, bandaged arm off the cushion it was resting on and looked at it with interest. "It´s not your fault Pip."

Instead of an answer, your small cousin burrowed more deeply into your side, and you had to shift your body to prevent your arm from being hurt worse. You lifted your free hand and gently stroked Pippin‘s hair while whispering reassurances into his ear.

“I`ll be all right. But next time you want to pick plums, come ask me first, all right?”

*****

As you woke up, you couldn´t feel your arm, and thought for a moment that it was broken all over again, but then you became aware of the sweet smell of athelas lingering in the air, and as your eyes focused, your gaze met Pippin´s. "I´m hungry. What is the time?"