Peregrin Took was in a foul mood. Estella Bolger had some nerve, she did. He should have known she was up to no good all along. After all, she had always had some sort of crush on him, hadn't she? He had been so wrapped up in Angelica lately that he hadn't bothered to think about what it would mean to have Estella come on this journey with them.

Angelica had told him that Estella had been trying to split them up, and Pippin wasn't quite sure why this didn't seem to bother her even a little. Of course, Pippin had gotten so mad that he probably hadn't listened to everything she had said. Just the thought of someone using Merry to get to him made him livid.

Merry didn't seem to see it that way either, though, did he? He seemed to think Estella was genuinely sorry and that she cared about him now. Did she? How could any of them know? Pippin just hated the idea that she might hurt Merry, when Merry had been through enough lately.

He needed to cool down. When he did, he would go back and talk to Angelica, and to Merry, and to figure things out. What were they going to do with Estella now? Take her back to the Shire, he supposed, but first he imagined they would be going with the Elves and Gimli in search of this long lost harp that Legolas was always going on about. Clearly they would not have to go to Ithilien, now that Faramir was here.

Pippin stomped up and down several corridors without taking any specific direction. The corridors were filled with Elves and Men of Ithilien, busy cleaning up the damage that the Uruk-hai had wrought. Rivendell would be set to rights in no time, it seemed. Pippin stepped outside onto one of the many terraces and found himself standing at the top of the stairs to the garden.

The sun had set and the gardens were well lit with torches tonight. They were usually rather dim and alluring after dark, but from here and with so many torches and guards, Pippin could see every plant -- or where every plant had been. As he stood there, Haldir came up the steps, passing Pip on his way in to the palace. Haldir nodded politely to him but said nothing as he walked by. He looked exhausted.

"Good evening, Haldir," came a familiar voice from behind the Pippin. Pippin turned to see the Marchwarden graciously greeting Gandalf before he disappeared inside. "Ah, Peregrin Took. I should have thought you would have long been sleeping."

"I wish I was," Pippin said, sounding sulky even to his own ears.

"Is something bothering you?"

"Estella Bolger."

"Ah, yes."

Pippin looked up at Gandalf, wondering what 'ah, yes' was supposed to mean, but Gandalf only nodded at him. "She lied to us all, Gandalf. She's not going to Gondor at all!"

"She belongs in the Shire."

"Indeed, she does!"

"I knew you would understand, Pippin. Now if you will excuse me, I must speak with Lord Elrond."

"But I don't understand at all, Gandalf!" Pippin exclaimed, but Gandalf was already halfway down the stairs and did not turn back. Pippin sighed with frustration and sat down on the steps, his chin in his hand.

"Pippin?"

Pippin cringed and leaned forward even more at the sound of his cousin's voice. He should have known that Merry would come after him.

"Pippin?"

"Merry--"

"Please. Don't say anything for a moment." Merry sat down next to him on the stairs. Pippin turned slightly away, not wanting to look at him. "She didn't mean to make you so angry."

Pippin waited for a long moment for Merry to go on. When he didn't say anything else, Pippin straightened up and turned warily to look at Merry. His cousin looked sad and hurt, and this melted Pippin immediately. After all, what he cared about was Merry's happiness…wasn't it?

"I just don't think she's right for you, Merry. I'm sorry," he said as gently as he could.

"Pippin -- I'm falling in love with this girl. Right or wrong, that's what I feel."

Pippin raised his eyebrows. "How do you know it's love, Merry? I thought you loved me, and Angelica."

"I do, Pippin. You shouldn't question it."

"I don't question it, Merry -- I'm just asking you to think."

Merry sighed. "You're making this so hard."

"I'm not trying to make anything hard for you, Merry. I'm trying to make it easier," Pippin said desperately. "You don't need this girl. Just stay with me and Angelica. Come back and live with us, again. You'll have to, anyway. Sam and Rosie are living in Bag-end."

"Are you jealous, Pippin? Is that it?"

Pippin was shocked. His eyes widened and he sat there staring at Merry in silence for a long time. He had to stop and think about everything he had said. It occurred to him that he was, indeed, jealous.

"I don't want to lose you, Merry."

Merry smiled. "You couldn't lose me if you tried, Pip."

"I just don't know what to do, Merry. Can you really trust this girl?"

"I think I can," Merry said confidently. "Don't you worry about it."

"She admitted that she tried to come between me and Angelica. Doesn't that bother you?" Pippin asked.

"She's changed," Merry said. He looked away, the expression in his eyes dreamy. "She has a good heart. She's just been…misguided."

"But I suppose all that's changed now that she has you to guide her."

"Don't be sarcastic, Pippin. But, yes."

"Right, then."

Merry turned to face him. He leaned forward and kissed Pippin on the mouth. Pippin sighed against his lips. He was so well-used to Merry's kisses, to Merry loving him. He couldn't fathom that their lives were changing, and that everything was going to be different now. But if he was honest with himself, Pippin knew that he was the one who had taken the first step in this direction by proposing to Angelica. He was the one who made everything change -- not Merry. He couldn't blame Merry for wanting the same kind of happiness for his own.

When the kiss ended, Pippin smiled at him, trying to hide the fear he felt deep down that he would someday lose his importance to Merry. "I do want you to be happy, Merry. I really do."

"I know you do, Pippin." Merry paused. "She's devastated that you're angry with her."

Pippin shook his head. "I'll try to let go of it. That's all I can promise."

"Thank you. Now why don't you come inside and get some sleep?"

"How about we get something to eat instead?" Pippin said, finding that his appetite had suddenly roared back to life.

"I don't know if there is anything to eat. You saw what those Uruks did to the kitchen."

"Elrond has a store room -- they didn't reach it. There's plenty, Merry. Come on!"

He jumped to his feet and was off, his cousin behind him. They headed through the library, which was clean and free of corpses. In fact, Pippin thought, it looked cleaner than it had been before. Maybe Elrond had found someone to dust the place while they were taking out the dead Uruk-hai. He showed Merry the secret passage which led through the back of the palace, emerging in the now empty weapons storage. From there Pippin led the way into Elrond's food storage area.

"I should have known you two would turn up here eventually," Gandalf said. He and Elrond stood together in the other doorway to the chamber.

"So much for dinner," Pippin muttered to Merry.

"I would never attempt to starve my guests," Elrond said. "Please, help yourselves to whatever you like."

"All right! Thank you," said Merry. The two Hobbits began filling their pockets with dates, nuts, and a sort of pastry that Pippin hoped desperately was not lembas-related.

"It seems there will be enough food to last until we depart," Gandalf said, as he and Elrond went back to the inventory they were apparently taking. "If these two do not consume it all."

"Let them have whatever they like," Elrond said generously. "After all, without their help, Rivendell would have fallen."

Pippin stopped helping himself and elbowed Merry in the ribs. "I think we have enough."

Merry looked at him with surprise stamped all over his face. "There's something I never thought to hear you say."

"Let's take it back to the girls," Pippin said. "Thank you, Lord Elrond."

Elrond smiled at them regally and nodded. "Please tell them as well that tomorrow night we will be having a banquet to celebrate the victory of Rivendell. You are the guests of honor, of course, along with Prince Faramir."

Pippin thanked him again, agreed to deliver the message, and led Merry out by the more conventional entrance. They found themselves in the kitchen, which had been swept clean of broken glass.

"Should we go out through the banquet hall?" Merry asked.

"It is the fastest way back to our room," Pippin said. "But I wonder what it looks like in there."

"I think we should find out," said Merry.

Pippin led him into the tunnel behind the kitchen shelf which no longer held the favorite dishes of Lord Elrond. They saw at once that the tapestry which covered it had been replaced. They pushed aside the new hanging and entered the hall silently. Small groups of Elves and Men were gathered at various tables, mostly each sitting with their own kind, but some mixed together. At once they spotted Gimli sitting with Ciendriel, Legolas and several other Elves, apparently in the midst of a long story.

Pippin was glad to see that the room had been set back to rights. He had half been expecting stacks of bodies and a bloodied floor.

"Elves work fast, don't they?" Merry said.

"I'm glad for that."

"Me, too."

Legolas got up from the table and approached them. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Pippin felt a twinge of nervousness, remembering how Legolas had been nearly killed because Pippin had sneezed. He shifted from foot to foot nervously. At least the Elf appeared to be no worse for the wear.

"Sure," Merry said. He hopped up on a bench at one of the tables and Legolas sat beside him. Pippin remained standing.

"I understand that as Lord Faramir is here you will no longer need to continue to Ithilien," Legolas said without preamble. "Ciendriel, Gimli and I would like to depart in search of the Harp of Legend immediately."

"I hate to tell you this, but Elrond's got another banquet planned," said Pippin. "I think he'd mighty annoyed if you skipped out on it."

Legolas nodded. "We would like to leave the morning after the banquet."

"Are you well enough to travel?" Merry asked him.

"Gimli seems to think so," Legolas replied, smiling slightly.

"Well, that's good," Pippin muttered.

Legolas reached out and put a hand on Pippin's shoulder. "I do not blame you for what happened, Pippin," he said softly. "I made the decision to climb up on that window sill on my own."

"Yes, but if I hadn't sneezed--"

"It matters not," Legolas insisted. Pippin relaxed slightly. "I merely wish to know if you will come with us on our journey or if you prefer to return with your women to the Shire."

"I want to go with you," Pippin said. "I know that Angelica does as well. One last adventure before we settle down and become stodgy old Shirefolk."

"I cannot imagine that you will ever become stodgy," Legolas said. He looked at Merry, awaiting his reply.

Merry looked at Pippin. "I'll have to ask Estella," he said. "I think she may have had enough adventures."

"It begins already," Pippin said, shaking his head.

Legolas looked from one to the other of them, and sensing the conflict, withdrew. "Let me know tomorrow," he said as he moved to rejoin Ciendriel and Gimli.

Pippin looked at Merry and saw his cousin glowering at him again. "What?"

"Let's just go back to the room," Merry said. He hopped down from the table and stalked out of the banquet hall, leaving Pippin to hurry after him.