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When the King Comes Back ( Brandy Hall )  by Dreamflower

Although all my other characters belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, Tanto and Largo Hornblower belong to Lulleny, from her story "The Prodigal Took", and she very kindly allowed me to borrow them.

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Mersday morning, by unspoken consent, there was no discussion of the night before. The travellers were eager to get on their way to Tookland, and prepared to leave right after first breakfast. Berilac was to remain there at the Cotton farm until they returned, and he was sorry to see Merry and Frodo leaving. But he thought spending a few days helping Sam up at Hobbiton, and getting a good night’s sleep might be a good thing.

Frodo and Merry rode alongside the cart, and Frodo caught up on the doings at Brandy Hall. He told them a bit about how Bilbo was doing. Saradoc and Esmeralda were pleased to know that he was well and seemed happy among the Elves at Rivendell.

Merry was quiet. He had not been prepared to let his parents know about his difficult nights, and had hoped the respite that had come to them at Rivendell would have lasted longer. But the cat was out of the bag now, and he was unsure what to do about it. Maybe the dreams would go away again after he had seen Pip.

They had a pleasant ride in weather that was surprisingly mild for early Blotmath, eating a light second breakfast of cheese pastries as they rode, and stopping for a picnic for elevenses. By luncheon they were coming in sight of the Green Hills, and soon brought up to the Great Smials.

As they approached, they saw a tall figure sitting on the gate. Much as he had done when he was a small lad, Pippin jumped down and ran to meet them, putting on an imitation of his childhood self by leaping up and down and shouting “Merry! Merry! Merry! Frodo! Frodo! Frodo!”

“Pip, you goose, you’re the largest seven year old I’ve ever seen!” laughed Merry, as he slid down from Stybba to enfold his cousin in a hug.

“Why thank you so much! It’s good to see you all. Hullo Uncle Sara and Auntie Esme.”

“Hop up, Pippin, and we’ll ride back together.” Saradoc patted the seat of the cart, next to him.

When they reached the gate, Paladin and Eglantine were waiting, with their daughters and sons-in-law ranged behind them. There were crowds of other Tooks scattered about, but keeping their distance. The memory of the fireworks between Took and Brandybuck at Midsummer was all too fresh, and no one wished to risk getting singed.

Saradoc climbed down from his seat, while Pippin jumped down and reached up to swing his aunt lightly to the ground. She grinned at him in amazement to think that this young giant was her little nephew Pippin. Merry and Frodo dismounted and came up alongside.

Paladin stood awkwardly next to Eglantine, his face a lovely shade of red. “It--it seems to me I need to apologize--” he held his hand out tentatively.

Saradoc was having none of that; he took Paladin’s hand and pulled him into a hug. “Say no more about it, brother. It’s in the past now, and that was a bad time for all of us. Our lads are back now and just look at them!” Saradoc’s grin and gesture included all three of the returned travellers. Frodo blushed. The idea that he had also been missed was still new to him.

A great cheer went up, and now Pippin’s sisters moved in, Pervinca with baby Largo in her arms, eager to introduce him to everyone. As the visitors got claimed by various Tooks, eager for greetings, hugs and conversation, Pippin watched his chance to draw Frodo aside as Merry found himself cornered between Pimmie and Vinca, with a baby Hornblower in his arms.

“Frodo, I need to talk to you.” His face was quite serious.

“What is it, Pippin?”

“Let’s get away from prying ears.” He tugged at Frodo’s sleeve and drew him over toward one of the Smials side entrances, where the door formed a small alcove.

“All right, we’re alone now, Pip. What is it?”

“Frodo, is Merry having nightmares again?”

“Yes, he is. Are you?”

“No. I was having the one about Denethor, but it stopped when I got things settled with Father. But two nights in a row, I woke up thinking Merry needed me. I couldn’t think what else it could be. Which one is it? Is it the one about--me?”

“Yes.” Frodo did not question Pippin’s knowledge. Merry and Pippin knew these things about one another, as anyone close to them was aware. “Pip, his parents saw, and Berilac.”

“Oh, no! poor Merry. He’ll hate that.” Pippin shook his head sadly. It had been inevitable that those in the Fellowship would know about the hobbits’ night terrors, but outsiders just could not understand. Pippin still felt uncomfortable about his father knowing of his dreams of Faramir and Denethor, even though it had been what helped them to reconcile.

Just then they noticed Pearl and Vinca with the baby headed their way.

“Pip,” said Pearl “this isn’t fair. You’ve had Frodo almost to yourself for the better part of a year. Give some of the rest of us a chance to catch up.”

Pippin rolled his eyes. “I’ll leave you to the mercies of my sisters. And I know you’ll think of a solution to that problem.”

Frodo gaped at him as he walked away. Think of a solution? To a problem that had baffled the greatest healers of the West? But he had no time to think about it now as he suddenly found baby Largo thrust into his arms.

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Paladin and Saradoc agreed that they needed to make the King’s message a public proclamation as soon as possible. Since the next day was Highday, that seemed like the best chance. Paladin asked several of his people to pass the word that there would be an assembly the next day after second breakfast on the grounds across from the Smials.

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Merry entered the guest room with trepidation. This was the room he always used when he visited Tookland, as far back as he could remember. He’d have it to himself.

He had put off coming to bed as long as he could, enduring long and boring conversations from aunties and uncles and cousins of every degree. He had noticed his parents giving him worried looks as well as Frodo, and he was fairly sure that Pip had guessed as well. But he’d out waited all of them. Now he was going to have to try to sleep on his own. He was here and he’d seen Pippin. Maybe he’d have no problem tonight.

He looked at the bed. It had been comfortable enough once upon a time, but it was too small now. He dragged the blankets, quilts and pillows off and arranged them on the floor by the fire, and then got out of his clothes and into his nightshirt. Just as he started to make himself comfortable, there was a knock on the door. He sighed.

“Come on in, Pip.”

“I thought you were never going to give up and go to bed. Would you care for some company tonight, cousin?”

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