A/N: Many thanks to Elanor for helping me polish up this chapter.

Merry sighed as he led his cousin into Bilbo's mathom room.  He wasn't sure why he always got stuck minding Pippin while Frodo was studying.  Bilbo always seemed to have errands to run during these times, leaving it up to Merry to entertain little Pippin.

It wasn't that Merry didn't enjoy playing with his little cousin.  It was just that the tiny Took was so active that he quickly wore out the teenager.  Pippin adored Merry and followed him everywhere, an endless stream of chatter issuing forth from him.  He expected Merry to pay attention to every word that was being said.  It became exhausting after awhile.

It was Pippin's birthday in two weeks; he was turning seven.  Since he was no longer a faunt, he was expected to hand out presents that he had picked out himself to his close kin. The last two years his mother had helped him; this year, he wanted Merry to help him so that his gifts to his parents and sisters could all be surprises.  Bilbo's mathom room was a virtual treasure trove of potential gifts, and Bilbo had given the lads permission to choose anything that was lying out in plain sight.

"Alright Pippin," Merry said to his little charge, "did you have anything in mind for your parents?  Or do you just want to take a look around and see if anything catches your fancy?"

The youngster stared wide-eyed at the room full of items for the taking.  There was so much to choose from!  Carefully, Pippin made his way around the room, looking at everything carefully with his brow puckered in concentration.  He wanted his gifts to be perfect for their recipients.  He was a bit nervous about whether or not they would like what he picked out.

Merry walked over to a small ceramic flower pot in the shape of a watering can.  It was white with pink and yellow flowers painted on it.  "Pippin, I'll bet your Mum would like this.  What do you think?" Merry asked, holding up the pot.

Pippin nodded in agreement.  "Mummy loves pink", Pippin explained.  "I think she'll like it."

"Good. Now, did you have anything in mind for your sisters?"

Pippin headed toward a table full of scraps of ribbon that were normally used for gift-wrapping.   "I think they would like ribbons for their hair.  Is that a good gift for lasses, Merry?"

Merry smiled.  Pippin was always so eager to please, especially when it came to members of his family.  "I think that's an excellent idea, Pip.  Just make sure you pick out three different colours; you don't want to give them all the same colour ribbon."

"Of course not," Pippin sniffed in his grown-up way.  "Pearl prefers yellow, Pimmie fancies blue, and Vinca likes pink."

Merry went over to the table to help Pippin cut up the right lengths of ribbon for each sister.  There were lots of colors, and thank goodness Pippin's sisters' favourite colours were all there in abundance.

After they were done gathering up the ribbons and the flower pot, Merry said, "Now, all we have to find is something for your Da.  Any ideas, Pip?"

Pippin hung his head, and traced the pattern on the carpet with his foot.  "I don't know, Merry.  I don't want him to be mad at me."

"Mad?  Why would Uncle Paladin be mad?"

Pippin shrugged.  "I don't know.  He doesn't seem to like any presents I've given him before."

Merry frowned.  "I'm sure that's not true, Pippin.  He would like anything that you give him, I'm sure."

Pippin shook his head.  "No!  Last year Mum let me pick out his gift, and I got a figure of the Bullroarer sitting on his horse that I bought with my own coin!  I painted it for him and everything."  Merry nodded.  He remembered when Pippin had given that gift.  Merry had thought the painting was a nice personal touch.  Pippin looked at Merry with sad eyes.  ""Afterwards, Da said that I shouldn't have wasted money on it.  He said I should have picked something simpler, something more sens....sens.... sensible!"

Merry's heart went out to his young cousin.  His uncle Paladin was a no-nonsense hobbit, and was very business-like in his dealings with his family.   He didn't seem to understand that Pippin was just a little lad, and only ever wanted to please.  He had his daughters trained to be very brisk and efficient at everything they did, even the young Pervinca, who was only twelve years old.  Aunt Eglantine never bought into it, though; she was as easy-going as Paladin was strict.  It certainly gave a young hobbit lad mixed signals.

Merry said, "Well, Pip, we do have a couple of weeks to think of something.  I'm sure that between the two of us, we'll figure something out."

Pippin nodded.  "I know.  I just don't want to disappoint him."

Merry frowned as he and Pippin made their way to the room that they shared with Pippin's treasures.  Perhaps he could mention this to his mum; after all, Uncle Paladin was her brother.  Maybe she could speak to him and convince him to take it easy on his young son.  

Soon, all thoughts of his uncle fled as Bilbo announced that dinner was almost ready.