Disclaimer: Middle Earth belongs to Tolkien, I just get to visit from time to time.

"Do you think we ought to try and cross here? Maybe if we go a bit further we'll find a better place."

The small child looked up at his father. "What do you think, Dad?"

Merry looked down at his son and then out at the stream they needed to cross. The water was about as shallow as this stream ever got and the current was slight, but it was wide and in some places the footing was uncertain. There was another crossing that was slightly better than this, but it was three miles upstream.

"I think this will do fine," he announced after a moment’s deliberation. The particular meadow they were heading for this afternoon was less than a mile away across the water, but downstream. With this being the first time Theodoc had been allowed to go on an overnight adventure with his father, Merry didn’t want to tire him out with a six mile detour.

"Now, lad. You go first and I’ll be right behind you. If you have any problems I’ll be there to help." Theodoc nodded. Hoisting his pack, he stepped out into the stream, full of confidence that nothing could go wrong so long as his wonderful dad was there with him.

They were midway across when the footing began to get uneven and very slippery. Merry slipped twice himself, and caught his son several times. They were almost to the far bank when a rock slid out from under his foot, twisting his ankle and causing him to lurch forward. He caught himself, but in the next step, he put the same foot in an unexpected hole and the offended ankle gave out, pitching him face first in the stream just as Theodoc reached dry ground.

Merry came up spluttering and gasping at the pain in his ankle and the shock of the cold water. For a moment he just sat, waiting to see if the pain would subside. Apparently not. In fact, it was growing steadily worse, and he could see that his ankle was beginning to swell. Walking on this foot was going to be difficult, even with his walking stick.

"Everything is fine, Theo," he called to his son, who was beginning to look worried. "I’ve just twisted my ankle a bit. Once I get out of the water, I think we’ll have our picnic here by the stream, before continuing."

He managed to drag himself out of the water and up the slight bank with only a minimal degree of difficulty and additional pain, but realized as soon as he stood on his sore foot that further walking that day was out of the question. After examining the foot carefully he concluded that it wasn’t broken but it was badly sprained and would need several days to heal properly.

A further complication was revealed when he opened his pack and discovered that everything inside had received a thorough soaking, including the food. Things were beginning to look a bit grim. Well, he reassured himself, they still had the food in Theo’s pack, and further evaluation revealed that the fruit and cheese in his bag seemed undamaged, although the bread was soaked beyond redemption. The tea had also been destroyed but they had good stream water right in front of them so that was all right. Maybe things weren’t so bad, after all.

"Right. Theo, you are the camp cook today. I’m going to sit here in the shade while you prepare our lunch." Merry wondered at the sudden, guilty look on his child’s face.

"About the food, Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Well, it was a long walk, see, and I was very hungry because you made me miss elevenses and second breakfast was such a long time ago and so, well, so I don’t really have any food left in my pack." Theo stood looking at the ground, shuffling his feet as he waited for his father’s reaction.

"You ate everything in your pack while we were walking?"

"Yes sir."

"And what did you think you were going to eat for lunch?"

"I don’t know."

Merry couldn’t help it. The laugh that he had been trying to hide since he first saw the look on Theo’s face burst out of him. "Oh Theo," he gasped, "I’ve never seen such a Tookish Brandybuck!"

Theodoc was trying to puzzle this comment out when he and Merry were both startled by the appearance of a pony whose approach had been drowned out by Merry’s laughter.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck, did I just hear you taking the Tookish name in vain?"

Merry looked up in surprise. "And here’s the most Tookish of all the Tooks I’ve ever met," he announced. "It’s good to see you, Pippin, but what are you doing here?" In spite of his laughter, Merry had not forgotten the dilemma he was in, and felt a great sense of relief upon seeing his favorite cousin.

"I just popped over to consult with you on a few matters and Estella said you had taken Theo out camping. I thought I would follow along and join you. It’s a delightful day for traveling." Pippin looked at Merry inquiringly, having noticed the other’s propped up foot and generally bedraggled appearance.

After hearing the whole story, Pippin shared in the laughter. "A lad after my own heart, this one is," he commented while ruffling Theo’s curls. "I have an idea, Merry. Estella sent some extra food along with me and that should be enough for now. After lunch we can head back to Brandy Hall with you on the pony."

Merry saw the disappointed look on Theo’s face. "I have a better idea. If you’ll lend me the use of the pony, we can continue on to our camping site after lunch. My ankle will be fine if we just wrap it up. Tomorrow morning, you and Theo can go fishing and we can have a good fish fry before coming back." He sent a significant look over his son’s head.

Pippin looked from Merry to Theo, who was sending him imploring looks, and nodded in agreement. "If you’re sure you are alright, that sounds like a fine plan. Now let’s get that ankle wrapped so we can eat."

Twenty minutes later, with his ankle securely bound, Merry sat back and watched as Pippin and Theo prepared lunch. It struck him as he listened to their chatter that they were very much alike. He had spoken truly when he said that Theo was the most Tookish of Brandybucks. He’d be a bit concerned, he thought with a smile, if the boy looked Tookish. Luckily for Merry’s peace of mind, he looked every inch a Brandybuck.

A short time later, the three were eating a frugal but satisfying meal. "Merry, do you remember the first time we went camping together?" Pippin asked around a mouthful of apple and cheese.

"I do. Your dad took us and I don’t think he’s been the same since. You were such a handful then, Pippin."

"I was a handful?" Pippin laughed incredulously. "If I recall correctly, you were the one who got stuck up in that big pine tree."

"Well, yes, but I was only up there because you had gone up and were afraid to come back down. You were crying and your dad had gone to get firewood so I had to come get you. Of course, by the time I reached you, you had stopped crying and started down."

"And that’s when you discovered you were afraid of heights." Pippin finished for him.

"Your dad came back with the firewood and found you rummaging through the packs. You’d eaten all the food you could find and wanted something to ‘fill your corners’ I believe."

Theodoc nestled in to his dad’s side and listened to the two old friends exchange one story after another. He thought about the baby brother waiting back at Brandy Hall with his mum and began to look forward to all the fun times they might have together when Marmadoc was just a little bit older. He smiled to himself as he snuggled in close and fell asleep.

Merry shifted a bit, making himself more comfortable, and cuddled his son close while Pippin packed the scant remainder of their food. When the area was clean, he handed his son to Pippin and scrambled into the pony’s saddle before accepting the sleeping child back into his arms.

"Come on, Pip. Let’s go camping."

A/N  The name 'Theodoc' for Merry's son has also been used by Pearl Took but we both came to the name independently.