The elderly hobbit was fast asleep in his chair, his head drooping against his chest and his deep snores rustling the pages of the thick book in his lap, but he came awake at the first sounds of Pippin's feet pattering across the floor.

"Hmm? Good morning!" Bilbo said sleepily. He blinked owlishly and laughed a little to himself. "Good evening, I should say," he amended, looking through the immense window nearby that revealed a dark sky blanketing Rivendell.

"You missed tea, so I thought I would bring you some," Pippin said, handing a still-steaming cup to Bilbo as he carefully balanced his own cup and a plate of biscuits in his other hand.

Bilbo nodded his thanks and took a long and appreciative sip of tea. "I'm happy you came for a visit, Pippin,” he said after several silent moments had passed. “I haven't heard you speak much about your adventures."

Pippin stared unhappily into his cup of tea. "My adventure is not turning out as I thought it would," he admitted. "Everything has been more frightening than exciting, what with Black Riders chasing us from the start and Frodo getting hurt."

"Yes, yes," Bilbo murmured, his eyes troubled. "That must have been terrifying."

"It was," Pippin said. "And – and I'm afraid I haven't been much use to anyone. All I have done is lag behind, and complain that I'm tired and hungry," he continued, his face flushing in embarrassment. "My adventure has not been anything like yours, Bilbo."

Bilbo laughed suddenly and thoroughly, his shoulders shaking and his face turning quite red. "My dear boy," he said finally, wiping tears from his eyes, "your adventure sounds very much like mine."

"What?" Pippin asked, incredulous. "But Bilbo, you were brave and heroic-"

"When I needed to be," Bilbo interrupted gently. "But most of the time I was frightened, hungry and tired. I was a hobbit who had lived a very comfortable life – until Gandalf showed up at my door, that is. And then suddenly I was on my very own adventure without even enough sense to pack some pocket handkerchiefs!" He leaned close to his young cousin, concerned. "Tell me, Pippin, did you remember to bring handkerchiefs?"

"Yes," Pippin replied, smiling a little. "And a spare pipe as well."

Bilbo settled back in his chair with a sigh of relief. "Ah, you have more sense than I did."

"Or maybe I just paid close attention to your stories," Pippin said laughingly, though his smile soon faltered. "I always loved to hear your stories, Bilbo. I never remember you saying anything about being afraid."

"Well, I might have left out one or two minor details in my grand tales of adventure," Bilbo said with a wink. "But there were times when I was terribly afraid. I was frightened before I even left Bag End!" He chuckled and shook his head. "I cannot tell you how often the dwarves complained about me and questioned Gandalf's sense in bringing me along."

"They did?" Pippin's eyes widened in surprise. He did not recall this part of the story either.

Bilbo nodded. "I was a terrible nuisance to my companions. I was so small that several times I came quite close to being forgotten, and so slow that I almost always fell behind the others. More than once poor Dori was called upon to carry me somewhere."

"I haven't been forgotten or carried yet, but I do lag behind," Pippin said with a grin. "Adventures are not what they seem, are they, Bilbo?"

"They never are, my lad, when they happen to you," Bilbo replied.

Pippin sighed and slid down from his chair, gathering the last remnants of their tea. "I just wish I could find a way to help Frodo somehow, and be more useful on the next part of our journey," he admitted.

"You will be a help to him, even if you do not realize it," Bilbo replied. "Frodo needs his family and friends, and I am very relieved he will have you and Merry and Sam with him."

With a grateful smile Pippin wrapped his arms around Bilbo in a tight hug before slipping from the room.

"Yes," Bilbo said softly, turning once more to the book in his lap. "Very relieved."