A/N: Ah! Beware of the shortness! And just be glad I got anything posted. I needta be sad if I want to write Pippin-abuse-type-stuff, and I’m anything but sad right now. So just work with me. AND THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!

P.S: The first * is at the word ‘healer’, which is the hobbit equivalent of ‘doctor’. And the second * is at ‘Messenger Hall’, which is sometimes referred to as a ‘post-office’.

~~

"That..that was a very nice thing you did for me back there, Frodo." Said Pippin, twitching uncomfortably as Sam wrapped a piece of cloth around his hand.

"Keep still, Mr. Pippin, or I’ll end up tying this around your ankle instead." Sam said, buttoning the cloth into place.

"Well, at least then I would be less of a bother."

"Fool of a-" Frodo began, chuckling, then stopped. "Shush, Pippin. Your father has been planting foolish ideas in your head."

Frodo patted Pippin on the back, and stood him up. Pippin shook his arm out a bit, waiting for his legs to come back to life. Sam stood up as well, brushing off the seat of his pants and pulling his scarf off the wall. He murmured a soft ‘Bye,SeeYouOnThe’Morrow’ before hurrying to the door. But Frodo caught onto his arm, swinging him around in a circle to face them again.

"And where do you think you’re going, Samwise Gamgee?"

"Home, if you please." Said Sam, straightening his coat.

"When there’s already supper on the table? At least you could stay for a bit longer."

Here, Bilbo walked into the room, sporting a new pair of pants. "Yes, Samwise! Stay for a bit. But first, go tell your father."

"Aye, Mr. Bil-"

"And ask him if you can stay the night. Frodo and I will be going out tomorrow – to deliver invitations. Perhaps you could come with us?"

"And me?" Pippin asked quickly. He was often made stay inside, and didn’t travel around much. Except when he went to Merry’s – which was as often as he could.

"What? Oh, and you, Pippin! You may come as well."

~~

Paladin Took sat in a chair next to the fire, holding a freezing bit of cloth to his head. A bruise had already formed. ‘Curse that Baggins,’ had recently become his favorite phrase. ‘Shut your mouth, you old coot,’ had become his wives’.

"Curse those Bagginses," Paladin said aloud. He tossed the cloth into the fire. It sizzled, and started to burn. After a moment, it burst into flames.

"Shut your mouth, you old badgering coot," came Eglantine’s voice from the kitchen, followed by a ‘thump’. She was cooking a meal, something which she had not done in a considerably long time.

The cloth in the fire was consumed into nothing-ness, and the ashes fell through the grate.

"Don’t you call me a badgering coot, you ninnyhammer. Nobody calls the Thain-"

"I’ll call the Thain whatever I want, you-"

Ding.

Paladin jumped up, and another ‘thump’ came from the kitchen. That was the sound of the bell outside (doorbell, if you will). He went to to the front hall, and opened the door. There stood a little hobbit-child, no older than 7 at the least. He looked up at Paladin, his eyes wide in awe.

"Well," demanded Paladin. "What is it?"

The boy blinked, and help up a letter, sealed in blue wax. Paladin paused, grabbing the envelope from him, and slamming the door in his face without so much as a ‘thank you’. He huffed back to the fire, and sat down, ripping the wax and opening the letter. He pulled out a thin, ripped piece of parchment. On the front was written:

Father, The Thain –

I’m sorry about my lateness..I was in the garden, and something bit me. I tried to find the healer* but she wasn’t home. I met with Frodo, and he took me to Bag End. Samwise Gamgee is going to help me.

Peregrin

Dear Mr. Paladin,

I was thinking little Pippin could stay here for the night. He wants to help with the party – It’s soon, you know. Have you gotten your invitation yet? ..No, I suppose you haven’t. Frodo, Pippin, Sam, Merry and I are going to Messenger Hall* to deliver some letters. I will send your son back to your house right after that.

Sorry for any inconvenience –

Bilbo Baggins

On the back, it said:

1 You are cordially invited to

And the rest was covered by an inkblot.

"Well," said Paladin. "I shall most certainly come."

~~

"Come on Sam, keep up, keep up!" called Bilbo over his shoulder as they passed through a throng of people. Pippin held tight to Frodo’s hand, and was led through the crowd. He felt another hand slip into his free one, and checked behind him. Sam was standing there, chewing on a bit of bread.

"Hullo again, Sam," Pippin laughed.

Frodo turned his head, looking back at them. "Hullo, Sam! You’ve decided to grace us with your presence?"

Sam nodded mutely, chewing on the piece of bread. A lady-hobbit accidentally pushed into him, and he blushed deeply, letting go of Pippin’s hand and letting her pass by. She was followed by another girl, who bumped into Pippin. He did anything but blush, groping through the crowd for Sam’s hand. When he didn’t find it, he turned back to Frodo.

"Frodo, Sam’s gone!"

Frodo, who had been talking to Bilbo, turned around again. "Is he? He’ll be back later, with an apple or some sort of food. No worry."

Frodo paused, and turned back to Bilbo. An older hobbit-man bumped into Pippin from the side, and another girl purposely pushed between his and Frodo’s hand, pushing them apart. Pippin tried to call to Frodo, but he was too busy talking to Bilbo to realize he was no longer holding onto anyway. A cold, familiar hand slid over his mouth, and pulled him off to the side of the road.

"Be silent, or I’ll make this more painful for you." Hissed Paladin in his ear. The three hobbit girls from just earlier joined together, and walked toward them. Pippin groaned inwardly. It was Pimpernal, Pervinca, and Pearl – his sisters.

"Mummy says she should really like to talk to you," said Pimpernal in his ear, grinning like mad.

~~