Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They belong either to the Tolkien Estate or to Marvel Comics. I'm just borrowing them to show my love for both universes. Hey, if I make a mistake please let me know. Flamers and trolls will be ignored. So please review. Thank you.
Chapter 1
Laura dreams of pain and floating in a bright light. Suddenly the darkness swallows everything. A voice begins to intrude, demanding to be noticed. It's like a mosquito that just won't go away. As consciousness ebbs and flows, she notices that it is a male voice. The voice tries to get her to understand him, but fails miserably. Each language that is used cannot be recognized. Sometimes she cannot even tell if he is using any language at all, because it sounds more like grunts and growls. Eventually, she does recognize what he is saying. It is Sindarin. He is talking to himself or someone about sending word to someone else about her. As she hears him speak elvish, it brings back memories of a place she once called home.
~FLASHBACK~
Laura was standing by the refrigerator in the kitchen of Xavier's mansion getting herself something to drink, when she was approached by Doctor Nemesis.
"Laura."
"Yes, Doctor." Laura heard him coming from the hallway from her left and had recognized his scent, so she was not alarmed to see him suddenly pop into the kitchen. Since there is at least one person or another up in the mansion at any time of the day.
"I was wondering if you could help me with something. Since Cypher's mutant talent is to be omnilingual and I did not work with him when he was with the New Mutants, I was wondering if you could help me with a little side project of mine to help me understand Douglas more," Doctor Nemesis hesitantly said.
"I didn't work with him either when he was with the New Mutants, so why me?"
"I know you did not work with him then, but I want a new perspective on him and I want to test his talent with languages, so I thought you could help me learn a different language. One that he might not know. Have you ever heard of a language called Sindarin?"
~ END FLASHBACK~
Laura stirs in her bed. As she is waking up, she begins to notice that she is lying on a forest floor. Someone was kind enough to leave a brown cloak for her to use as a blanket.
"So the sleeping beauty is beginning to wake up I see."
Laura's eyes snap open and she sees a older man looking at her as he squats by a campfire nearby. The man stands up and Laura notices that he is wearing a long grey cloak and a bluish colored pointy hat. She does not see anything threatening about him. He seems to have only a concerned look in his eyes.
"My name is Gandalf, and a friend of mine found you injured in the woods yesterday. He thought it unusual that he could only speak to you in Sindarin. Therefore, he sent for me. I was on my way to the Shire, so I stopped to help him out."
"I know, when I was more injured, I couldn't open my eyes at first. He tried to talk to me in many different languages and it seems that I only understood him when he spoke elvish. Where am I? I don't recognize this place."
"You are on the edge of the Old Forest. You're fortunate that he stumbled across you. He said you looked like you had been attacked. So he stopped to give you aid."
" Old Forest is that some place in New York that I have not heard of?"
"New York?"
"You know, the good ole U.S. of A."
"I'm sorry, but I never heard of this place. I never heard of that place being anywhere in middle-earth."
Now Laura was getting concerned, because she had never heard of middle-earth. She could sense that he was being truthful with her. Suddenly it occurred to her that he had mentioned a place called the shire.
"I'm sorry, Gandalf is it? What is this place called shire?"
"Oh, it is a place where people call hobbits live. If I may, can I examine you to see if your cuts and burns are getting better? Radagast said they were rather extensive and that you were injured all over your body. He said he cleansed and bandaged all the areas that he could."
Oh, I'm ok. I heal rather quickly."
Gandalf walked over to her and knelt to examine her bandaged arm. As he removed the bandage, he noticed that there was not a mark on her arm other than some odd old looking scars on her forearm.
"My word, I do not see a burn or cut on you. I see what you mean when you say that you heal rather quickly. Well, I don't think you need my help any longer, so I'll just be on my way then. You can accompany me, if you do not have any where else you need to be."
"If you don't mind I think I'll go with you, because I am rather new to these lands and I don't want to start troubles accidently. If you don't mind you can explain this… middle-earth to me."
"I think we need to stop at a shop in Hobbiton for some clothes for you on the way to Bag End, because your clothes would cause stares even if they were not so damaged."