A/N: I really have no excuse except for lack of inspiration. It's been over a month though (it's been many, many months actually) and I wanted to try and update again. I guess I just needed time away from this story to try and get it back into my head what I wanted to do with it. So, I really am sorry. Hopefully this update will make it up to anyone who still happens to be reading this.

Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR.

As the cakes that the hobbits had made were baking, sending a sweet aroma into the air, the children once more clustered around Uncle Pippin.

"So, what happened next?" Elanor asked, settling comfortably back into her spot on the floor. Pippin raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, I don't think we should continue the story until Uncle Merry gets here," Pippin explained. He hadn't expected the wrath that this statement would cause.

"You can't stop there!" Rose shrieked. "Does Frodo live?"

"What are you trying to do, kill us?" Frodo added, no longer really concerned with acting cool.

"Tell the story!" Merry demanded.

This soon became the chant of the children as they pressed even closer to Pippin. "Tell the story! Tell the story! Tell the story! Tell the story!"

"Okay!" Pippin yelped, taking a step back. "I'll tell you some more of the story!"

The children were appeased and sat back down, watching Pippin expectantly.

"We were all baffled by the disappearing sword, except for Strider. He explained that it was a poisonous blade. If a living being was pierced by the blade then the person (or in this case, hobbit) would slowly be turned into something similar to a Wraith."

"Frodo!" Rose cried, her hand clapping over her mouth to stifle the noise.

"But what happened to them?" Elanor asked. Pippin shrugged.

"I dunno. For all that I know, they could have been back at the Prancing Pony Inn ordering some ales to drown their sorrows in. They were just gone," Pippin tried to explain.

"That's not a good answer," Elanor pointed out. Pippin just ignored her.

"But then a good old elf came around," a voice echoed from the doorway. Pippin stood and turned to see Merry standing in the entry way to his hobbit hole, smirking. "So you're telling that story are you?"

"What other story is there?" Pippin asked with mock seriousness.

"Just make sure that you point out everything that we did that was right," Merry instructed and walked further into the hobbit hole. "These kids need to see the real side of things."

"Uncle Merry!" Merry squealed and he sprinted towards the older hobbit. The others quickly followed suit as they latched themselves onto various parts of the older Merry's body.

"Oh, well it's the Gamgees!" Merry cried out in delight as if he hadn't already known. "Well, how is your old Father?"

"Father is well," Elanor replied with a serious tone to her voice. She had hoped it made her sound older.

"Good, good," Merry replied with a smile. "Well, what is that delicious smell?" he asked as he finally smelled the cakes that the children and Pippin had made. "And please tell me that it's for me."

"We made cakes," Pippin explained and motioned to the kitchen. "Go ahead and grab one or three." Merry nodded and tried to walk casually to the kitchen, although his old friend could see the slight urgency in his steps. Pippin rolled his eyes. Merry was the best kind of hobbit.

"Please, continue," Merry called from the kitchen. "I'm listening."

"Alright then," Pippin said and motioned the children back to their previous reading area. "Where did I leave off before Uncle Merry came?"

"Frodo was dying!" Rose announced as she plopped down on the ground.

Pippin had to fight back a laugh at her bluntness. "Ah, yes. I remember where we are now.

"Well, suddenly an elf came riding up to our group. I'm pretty sure Strider was shocked but seemed to know the elf." Pippin cast a look at Elanor. "He was very tall, with long blonde hair and was fair in face. Elves are the most beautiful beings in Middle Earth and Glorfindel was no exception."

"Pippin had a crush," Merry said cheerfully as he entered the reading area. Pippin made a face.

"I did not. Don't listen to your Uncle Merry, kids. He's crazy."

Merry looked somewhat offended. "I'm crazy?"

"Uncle Pippin!" Rose squealed, "Frodo was dying! Tell me what happens!"

"Yes, yes," Pippin agreed offhandedly. "I'll tell you what happened to Frodo.

"Well, I was being as helpful as I always had been. I've always been a terribly helpful sort of fellow. While everyone stood around staring at Frodo I was the one who was walking around trying to get things done."

Merry snorted in the back of the room but didn't deny Pippin's version of the events.

"Well," Pippin continued, "Strider was asking your Dad about Kingsfoil as it could help slow the poison down in Frodo's blood stream. Sam had no idea what it was though! The poor boy simply could not remember what it was. So I said to him, I said, 'Samwise, isn't that a weed?' Well, Sam just wasn't sure so I was the one who helped Strider look for it."

"Of course Strider knew just what to do," Elanor sighed dreamily.

"Hey, who's the hero of this story?" Pippin asked teasingly. "I am."

"Really?" Merry asked from the back of the room. "Because I remember being quite helpful myself. I was the one that knew that the Kingsfoil had to be boiled in water if it was going to have any effect."

"That's true!" Pippin agreed. "How could I forget? So, we finally figured out what we had to do and Frodo was in a little less pain. But it didn't change the fact that—"

"What about the elf?" little Merry demanded. "You said something about an elf."

"Yes, Pip," big Merry smirked, "What about your boyfriend?"

Pippin scowled in his direction. "Well, the elf showed up just in the nick of time. He said that the Wraiths were chasing us," Frodo cowered somewhat, "And that we had to get Frodo out of there as soon as possible. He said that if we didn't act quickly enough then Frodo would turn into one of them."

"No!" Rose cried, overly invested in the fate of Frodo Baggins.

"So, Merry and I wisely suggested that Frodo take the elf's horse over to Rivendell, which wasn't too terribly far from there. Glorfindel agreed, saying that Lord Elrond would be the one to take care of Frodo's wounds."

"I believe he said that our idea might just save Frodo's life," Merry added helpfully as he lit up a pipe.

"You two were so brave," Rose said in awe, looking at her two Uncles in a new light. "I never would have thought to do those things."

"Well, we are two very wise hobbits," Pippin agreed, smiling down at the girl. "So, Frodo took off on the horse while we anxiously followed behind." Then, Pippin paused for dramatic effect. "But it was too late. The Wraiths were already in pursuit of Frodo and he was all by himself on that horse. We didn't know what to do to help him."

"I thought you two were the wisest of all," Elanor said skeptically with a suspicious glance at her two Uncles.

"Well, we couldn't have good ideas all the time, could we?" Pippin asked in an offended tone. "Luckily, we weren't too far behind. Sam was desperate to help his Mr. Frodo and we were all just as concerned. Luckily, we told Glorfy—"

"Who?" Frodo asked in confusion.

"Glorfindel the elf. His name is kind of a mouthful. I would rather call him Glorfy," Pippin explained.

Merry laughed. "I'm sure he would appreciate that very much, Pip."

"No need to tell him," Pippin snapped back. "Anyway, Merry and I told Glorfy that he should find a way to get the river that Frodo was trying to cross to take out the Wraiths as they crossed as well. He said it was a very good idea and used his Elvin magic to create big, majestic soldiers on horses in the water. The watery steeds came and plowed over the Wraiths and their horses." Pippin remembered that the horses of the Wraiths had been drowned but left that particular detail out.

"He used magic?" little Merry asked, wide-eyed. This story suddenly got a whole lot better for him.

"That he did," Pippin agreed. "The elves can do a lot that you would never think of before, you know."

"Did he say a magic spell?" Rose wondered. She was just as captivated by the story as Merry was.

"If I recall," big Merry added from the back, "He didn't need to say a spell. He said a few words in his language and the water was at his command."

"Awesome!" little Merry squealed and his face broke into a wide grin. "I want to learn elvish!"

"I'm sure Uncle Legolas would be more than willing the next time you see him," Pippin promised and tried not to laugh at the image of proud Legolas giving elvish lessons to small hobbit children.

"Wasn't I promised tea?" Merry asked obnoxiously. "I don't think I should have walked all the way down here to not even get some to go with those cakes."

"But Uncle Merry," Elanor whined, "We don't know if Frodo is okay or not! It's going to take all day at this rate!"

"Frodo gets to Rivendell, Lord Elrond does some freaky medicine thing, everyone's okay," Merry told her blandly. "Now can I have some tea?"

Elanor gave him a dirty look. "That wasn't very nice."

"Would a present make up for it?" Merry asked and held out a small beaded bracelet to her. Elanor's anger was immediately forgotten and she dashed over to snatch up the bracelet.

"It's beautiful," she gushed. "Thanks."

"I'll get you some tea," Pippin sighed, knowing that the childrens' attention was officially gone now that presents were being handed out. He couldn't help but smile though. There was something about being with Merry that always put him in a good mood.

A/N: So, kind of short, but I needed a segway for the next bit. Please review!