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Chapter 11 - Miscreants

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“Uncle Pip!”

Pippin grinned as two-and-a-half-year-old Lily Brandybuck rushed towards him; he scooped the little hobbit girl up and tossed her into the air, and she squealed in delight.

As Pippin closed the front door of Crickhollow, he heard Estella Brandybuck’s voice coming from the kitchen.  “I hope you aren’t damaging my daughter, Pippin.”

“Not at all, Estella!” he replied, holding Lily by the wrists and swinging her far out in front of him.  He then took her by the waist and carried her under his arm as he walked towards the kitchen, the little girl giggling as her legs dangled behind him.

When he entered the kitchen, he found Estella standing over the beginnings of a pie; Pippin also noticed that her stomach had grown considerably since last he’d seen her.

She kissed him on the cheek and asked, “How was Long Cleeve?”

Pippin didn’t respond right away, and Estella looked at him curiously.  Finally, he replied, his tone thoughtful, “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

Estella raised her eyebrows at this, but before she could respond, they heard someone else enter the kitchen.

“Daddy, Daddy!” cried Lily with a grin.  “Uncle Pip’s back!”

“So I see!” said Merry, grabbing his daughter’s feet before moving to embrace his cousin.  “So you survived, did you?”

“I did,” said Pippin, setting Lily on the ground.  He then turned to Estella and said, “And how are you faring, Estella?”

“Oh, I’m all right.  This child seems to be a bit more complacent than that little miscreant was when I was carrying her.”  She nodded at Lily, who furrowed her brows at her mother.

“Mama, what’s miscarant?”

Merry grinned and picked the girl up, holding her in one arm.  “A miscreant is someone who is wild and evil and doesn’t listen to her parents as much as she should.”

“I listen!” Lily protested.  She looked at Pippin for support.  “Don’t I?”

Pippin tickled her under her chin.  “Of course you do!  These parents of yours just don’t understand, do they?”  Lily shook her head firmly in response.

“Well, when you have children, perhaps you’ll do a better job, Pippin,” said Estella, rubbing her swollen stomach.

Estella then returned her attention to the pie she was fixing, causing her to miss the way Pippin squeezed his eyes shut for a particularly long time at her words.  But his slight unease did not go unnoticed.

“Pip?” Merry prodded softly.

Pippin glanced at him, looking uncertain.  “Merry, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Of course.”  Merry set his daughter down, and he and Pippin walked across the hall and into the sitting room.

After the two hobbits had seated themselves in chairs by the fireside, Merry said, “What’s on your mind, then?”

Pippin squirmed in his chair for a moment before responding, “I... met someone.  In Long Cleeve.”

Merry raised his eyebrows, a smile attempting to fight its way onto his lips.  “Is that so?”  Pippin nodded, but did not speak again, looking even more uncomfortable.  Finally, Merry said, “Well, aren’t you going to tell me about her?  What’s her name, what does she look like?”

Pippin smiled suddenly, and his voice took on an almost dreamy tone.  “Her name is Diamond, and she’s gorgeous.”

“Really?”  Merry’s voice was filled with mirth.

“Mmhm.  Dark hair, beautiful blue eyes, white skin.  She’s so...”  Pippin’s voice lowered to a point of thoughtful reverence.  “Delicate.”  When he glanced up and saw the amused look on Merry’s face, he blushed and muttered, “Well, it’s the truth.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt you, Pippin,” he replied with a grin.  “So did you tell her how you felt?”

Pippin nodded, a small, sheepish smile coming to his face.

Merry’s grin became mischievous.  “Did you kiss her?”

“Well... on the cheek.”

“On the cheek?” Merry repeated incredulously.

“I didn’t want to rush things!” exclaimed Pippin.

Merry sighed dramatically and shook his head.  “Well, you said you told her how you felt - did she return the favor?”

Pippin’s small smile returned.  “She feels the same way.”

“Which is?”  Pippin shifted several times, avoiding his cousin’s gaze.  “Pippin?”  When Pippin still didn’t reply, Merry’s eyes widened.  “Why, Peregrin Took, I never would have believed it!  Do you mean to say you’re in love with this girl?”

Grinning helplessly, Pippin said, “I’ve never met anyone like her, Merry.  She has the most incredible effect on me... it’s all very bewildering, and yet... not.”

“Oh, you’re definitely in love, Pippin.  I recognize that star-struck look from when I realized I was in love with Estella.”

“Is that really what I look like now?” asked Pippin with mock-distaste.

“The likeness is eerie.”

The two hobbits laughed, and Merry then leaned forward eagerly.  “So when will you see her again?”

“Soon, I hope.”  But Pippin’s face was clouded.

Merry frowned.  “What’s wrong?”

Sighing, Pippin replied simply, “Things are complicated.”

Raising his eyebrows, Merry inquired, “Would you care to elaborate?”

Pippin’s brows knitted together as he thought on how much he should reveal about Diamond.  Finally he decided that the entire truth would be best.  He told Merry everything that Diamond had told him - about her illness, her family’s financial troubles, her infertility, and all other details he could recall.

At last, Pippin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and setting his chin in his hands.  “It’s not fair,” he said softly.  “She doesn’t deserve anything like that.  She doesn’t deserve to have been sick.  She doesn’t deserve a family that won’t understand her.”

Merry regarded his friend thoughtfully.  “You’re certainly in quite a predicament, Pippin.  I’m not sure what to tell you.”

Pippin looked up at him solemnly.  “As long as you don’t tell me to give up on her.”

Merry reached out and took Pippin’s hands, gazing at him intently.  “I would never tell you to give up on something you love so much.”

Pippin smiled softly.  “Thank you, Merry.”

Returning the smile, Merry patted his cousin’s hands gently.  “Think nothing of it, Pippin.”  He stood and began to walk towards the hallway, but turned back to look at Pippin.  “The best advice I can give you is to do what you feel is right.  If you truly love her, and it sounds like you do, then--”  He shrugged and concluded with simply:  “You’ll find a way.”

Pippin nodded slowly as Merry turned to leave.  When he was alone in the room, he let out a deep sigh, staring straight ahead at nothing.  He thought about those last, blessed minutes he’d had alone with Diamond.  He recalled the longing and euphoria that had swept through him as he had leaned forward to kiss her.  How he had yearned to take her in his arms and kiss her until all breath had departed...  But the last thing Pippin wanted to do was press Diamond too quickly, and so he had forced himself to avert his lips away from hers in favor of a caress on that soft cheek.

Sighing again, Pippin closed his eyes in hopes of conjuring a clearer image of Diamond.  He wished he could hear her voice other than in memory, he wished he could see her face other than in his imagination.

A determined look coming to his face, Pippin sprang up from his seat and walked out of the room, with the intention of finding more ink and parchment.

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