Now, I assume that if you are reading this, that you have already familiarized yourself with my cousin Bilbo's part of the tale which precedes my own in this book. It is because of this that I won't be including all the details of the adventure since you should have read about them already. All I have done is fill in a few blanks where I feel additional details are needed. Writing has never been my talent so I've left most of the story telling up to Bilbo.

Bilbo Baggins is my cousin. My first cousin to be precise. His mother, my aunt Belladonna, was my mother's younger sister.

Well, Auntie Bella might have been younger, but she fell in love with Bungo Baggins before my mother even met my father. Days after their courtship was considered "appropriately long enough", Auntie Bella and Uncle Bungo were married and soon were expecting a baby.

And that baby turned out to become my cousin Bilbo.

Now you are probably wondering why I am droning on about my cousin. I went on an adventure with him only days after my coming of age, that's why. And in order to understand how I got involved in that messy adventure, you need to understand our relationship.

So, Auntie Bella and Uncle Bungo had Bilbo and were very happy for a time. Eventually, Auntie Bella grew ill and Uncle Bungo was left to take care of the house. My mother tells me that it was hard for both Bungo and little Bilbo to cope with Auntie Bella being so weak.

In the meantime, my mother met my father. They flitted around each other like two birds and nobody could quite tell if they were infatuated with each other or if they hated one another.

Obviously, they were in love, otherwise I wouldn't be here telling you this story.

It took a few years for my father to ask for my mother's hand in marriage but soon after the wedding, my mother found out she was pregnant with me.

By the time I was born, cousin Bilbo was just turning 17. And now you may be wondering how the two of us became so close with nearly a 20 year age gap. That can be explained by our mutual love for adventures as children and our desire to roam the shire and search for elves amongst other things.

But I was born a few weeks prior to Bilbo's 17th birthday. He didn't interact with me much until I another 15 years had passed and he was nearing his 33rd birthday and was soon to become an adult.

Of course, we grew more distant once Bilbo decided to actually become an adult. His preoccupation with dollies and his mother's furniture hammered a wedge between us that I couldn't figure out how to remove. So I continued on my own, stopping by occasionally to talk with him about the happenings of the Shire and to sometimes see if he wanted to join me in another "adventure" I'd devised.

As I grew older and my 33rd birthday grew nearer, Bilbo organized my coming of age celebration. I insisted that I wanted it to be a small affair, especially considering that many hobbits would want to come just for the free food and not actually because they liked me or cared about my birthday.

Bilbo insisted and I was forced to accept his generosity.

We held the party a few days prior to my birthday since I wanted to spend my birthday with my closest friends and family. Practically the entire Shire came to wish me well and congratulations.

The day following the party, I joined Bilbo out in his garden, enjoying a pinch of Old Toby.

That's when Gandalf arrived. As I'm sure you've heard from Bilbo already, Bilbo and Gandalf had a very perplexing conversation over what meaning of "Good Morning" Bilbo was trying to get across. "All of them at once", as I'm sure you know as well.

But continuing with my story, Gandalf told us he was looking for someone to share in an adventure.

I sat up straighter and took my pipe from my mouth, I knew that a gleam had come into my eyes, as Bilbo had often commented on it in our youth while we wandered through the Shire.

Bilbo, of course was a stick in the mud and still trying to act the adult, replied quite rudely: "We are plain folk with no need for adventuring! Makes you late for dinner! You'll have no luck finding anyone here interested."

Gandalf smiled slightly and glanced at me, "Your dear cousin looks interested though. I take it you are sticking close to your Tookish roots, Miss Sage?"

I grinned and nodded, pushing back my dark amber hair and quickly tying a ribbon around it to keep it from my face.

"Of course Master Gandalf. I need something to keep me entertained in a place like the Shire. I love it here and all but sitting around makes you lax and complacent."

Gandalf laughed and Bilbo cut into our conversation.

"Gandalf! Gandalf! The old wizard who made the wonderful fireworks? And the Gandalf who enticed so many lads and lasses to leave the Shire in favor of all those mad adventures?"

"I'm glad to see you remember something about me Mr. Bilbo Baggins. But I will give you what you asked for. You as well Miss. Sage Took."

I'm not sure if it was possible, but I felt as though I couldn't make my grin any larger than it was without hurting something.

"I beg your pardon! I haven't asked for anything!" Cried Bilbo, looking at me nervously before turning back to the wizard. "Sage didn't ask for anything either! Leave us both out of whatever you are scheming!"

"Yes you have!" Replied Gandalf, "Twice now."

"We don't want any adventures, thank you. Not today. Good morning though!" Chimed Bilbo, obviously shaken by the wizard. "Please come to tea though! Why not tomorrow? Come tomorrow at 10 for tea. Good day!"

And with that, Bilbo grabbed my hand and hurriedly pulled me inside his smial and closed the door. He turned to me with a distraught look on his face and had just opened his mouth when we heard a scratching at the door.

We both turned wide-eyed back towards the door and slowly moved to the window to peer outside just to be met with Gandalf's blue eyes looking in at us.

Bilbo screamed and jumped back. I just laughed at the fright and walked to Bilbo, putting a comforting hand on his back.

"I'll come tomorrow if you'd like so you don't have to be alone with him." I spoke calmly to my cousin. He glared at me in response.

"You and your adventures! If you want an adventure, don't involve me! I am a respectable hobbit, unlike you."

Gasping, I drew back from Bilbo as though he burned me and pressed my back against the door.

"You don't mean that... We used to adventure together. You were like me once! And then you came of age and suddenly decided you needed to become proper! There is nothing wrong with adventuring, Bilbo! It's in our blood!"

"I am not like you! I might be Tookish, but I am also a Baggins. And we don't do anything extraordinary and unexpected."

I let the glare drop from my face to be replaced by a sad look before taking a step and opening the door.

"You did once..." I called back softly, disappointed again by my once dear cousin. And with that, I left and returned to my small smial and decided to leave Bilbo to defend himself against the wizard alone the following day. I wanted an adventure and all, but there was no way I was dealing with Bilbo again. If Gandalf really wanted me, he could find my smial and talk to me there without my pompous cousin there to ruin everything I'd dreamed of.

The following day, I threw myself into working in my pathetic excuse of a garden. My constant wandering had left my garden full of weeds and out of control plants. I wasn't a huge fan of gardening, but it gave me something to do while I stewed over Bilbo's behavior the previous day. It was nice to rip out the weeds; it was a good stress reliever.

Around tea-time, I took a quick break. Sipping a cup of tea and nibbling some cakes while I sat on my front step.

Then I saw him. A massive dwarf, even taller than me and I was tall by hobbit standards, and broader too. With tattoos and armor, two axes on his back and more weapons tucked into his belt. And the facial hair, my mouth went agape as I stared at his beard. I'd never seen so much facial hair before. And the tattoos were certainly nothing to sniff at either.

The dwarf was grumbling though as he trudged forward. I couldn't help myself and I stood up in a flash and made my way to my little front gate.

I leaned forward, laying my head in my hands and stared at the dwarf as he approached.

"It's rare to see Big Folk here in the Shire, Master Dwarf. Are you looking for something perhaps?"

The dwarf grunted and shifted his eyes to focus on me. I flashed him a grin even though his frown deepened.

"Are you looking for a Mister Baggins perhaps?" I took a guess that he had something to do with Gandalf's appearance the day before.

The dwarfs eyes widened and he grunted again. "And how'd ye know that, lass?"

I threw my head back and laughed, over joyed not only at being correct but also due to the excitement coursing through me at the idea of possibly going on a quest with a dwarf. A quest with a dwarf was certain to mean that we would be leaving the Shire, and who better to leave with than someone familiar with the Big Folk?

"Master Gandalf visited yesterday. But Bilbo's home is just up the way, you can't miss it. It's the house in the hill." I flashed him a cheeky grin, trying hard not to seem overly excited about his appearance.

The Dwarf nodded and continued walking past my gate. I couldn't help but call out to him once more: "Master Dwarf! If you see Gandalf, please tell him that if he needs me, I'm more than willing."

The dwarf was too far away to hear if he agreed to pass on my message, but I just assumed he did and set down my tea on the post before continuing with the garden.

As the morning turned into the afternoon, I saw more and more dwarves pass on their way to Bilbo's smial. I laughed as I thought about how bewildered Bilbo must be with more and more dwarves arriving at his little round door.

'I bet he regrets making me angry yesterday...' I thought to myself as I watched a large group of dwarves pass me by.

I took my supper on the front step that night and watched the sun set as I waited to see whether Gandalf would stop by.

He didn't. As the last sliver of light was about to disappear into the horizon, a dwarf appeared at my gate.

"Excuse me? Are you Miss Sage Took?"

I nodded and stood up, brushing crumbs off my work dress as I made my way down the little path to the gate.

"Would you mind accompanying me to Mr. Baggins house? Master Gandalf would like to see you."

I smiled up at the dwarf and opened the gate, joining the him on the dirt road.

As we started walked up to Bilbo's smial, I glanced up at the dwarf. "And who might you be, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My name is Ori, at your service Miss Sage."

"Then you can just call me Sage. Are you a part of the quest Gandalf spoke of?"

Ori looked down at me nervously. "He told you about that? But you are just a lady..."

I laughed, "I may be a lady, but I have gone on plenty of adventures. None outside of the Shire of course, but still, more than most of my fellow Hobbits combined!"

I led the way back to Bilbo's as we chatted about Hobbiton and Ori's love of drawing.

I didn't bother to knock and let myself into Bilbo's smial, Ori followed after me and led me to the dinning room which had been transformed by the dwarves in order to fit them all.

It was quite a sight to see. Thirteen dwarves, a wizard and two hobbit all crammed around a table in a little hobbit home. Gandalf bowed his head when he saw me and gestured for me to come forward.

"This is our other Burglar, Miss Sage Took. She is a natural, I do say."

I stared up at Gandalf curiously before looking back down at the crowd of dwarves I'd seen pass me by throughout the day.

"And why do we require two burglar Hobbits and not just one? You said Baggins is an expert."

I stared at the dwarf that had spoken. I hadn't seen him pass my smial earlier so he must have come along another path.

"Thorin. I've already told you. Hobbits are small and remarkably quick on their feet. One isn't always good enough. Besides, if the gold is what you are concerned about, I'm sure Bilbo and Sage won't mind splitting their fourteenth between each other. Hobbits have little need for gold."

Thorin nodded thoughtfully and turned to look at me. "Can you wield a sword? Or shoot a bow?"

I nodded, "I have used a bow before though that was long ago and I need practice. I'm also good with a slingshot."

Thorin looked displeased at my answer but nodded his head anyways. "Give her a contract, Balin."

An older dwarf with white hair who I assumed was Balin stood and passed me a contract. I opened it and glanced through the details, disinterested, before scrawling my name across the line on the bottom. I passed the contract back to Balin and glanced around for Bilbo.

I spotted him pacing in the hallway looking upset and dismissed any thoughts of going to him. I was involved with this now and I was not going to worry about Bilbo anymore.

Two dwarves came up alongside me and pulled me forward to sit at the table. "You are quite the pretty hobbit, lass."

I looked up at the dwarf who'd spoken, he had blond hair with two braids on either side of his face along with more braids in his beard and mustache.

I blushed. He had a lot of facial hair.

"Oh look!" Cried the dark haired dwarf on my other side, "You've gotten her blushing, brother!"

They both put a hand under my chin and tilted my face upwards, exposing my red face to the room.

"I'm Kili and this is my brother Fili." Introduced the dark haired Dwarf, "We are at your service, Miss Sage."

I took a seat at the table and smiled, my blush growing a bit darker as I stared around the table at all the bearded dwarves who were staring right back at me.

Then the company proceeded to introduce themselves one by one, making my head spin due to all the similar names.

My blush still didn't die down.

"Why do you keep blushing, Miss Sage?"

"Please don't call me 'Miss'', just Sage is fine. That goes to all of you." I gave the company a warning glance, promising a very angry Hobbit if they didn't comply.

"The blushing, Sage?"

"Ahh... Well..." I blushed even harder if that was possible, "I've never seen so much facial hair before. You guys all look strange..."

The group sorta looked at me before bursting out laughing.

Dwalin, the first dwarf I'd met earlier that day, pushed an Ale in front of me. "Take a drink, lass."

I smiled at him and took a small sip, alcohol had never really agreed with my tastes but I'd humor him.

I enjoyed the company of the dwarves through the night. Bilbo fainted when he read through his contract and ended up not signing it, which was sorta disappointing to me since I'd wanted Bilbo to experience a real adventure for once.

As the night wore on, Bilbo started to prepare beds for everyone.

"I have some spare rooms at home. Some of you can sleep at my smial tonight if you don't mind walking a few minutes..." I trailed off nervously, still not entirely comfortable with the group even though they'd been exceptionally kind to me throughout the night.

I looked at Thorin along with the rest of the dwarves for approval.

"Dwalin, Gloin, Ori, Dori and Nori, you go with Sage. We leave an hour after dawn."

And with that, I was leading a train of dwarves back to my smial in the dark of night.

I quickly made up my guest bedrooms for the lot of them, with many thanks being showered upon me by the dwarves in the meantime. I showed them their rooms before hurrying to bed. I had to get up early! I couldn't believe it. It would be hard not to sleep in every day but it would be worth it! A real adventure at last.

A/N: I'd keep writing but my neck hurts like a bitch right now. Right now, I'm planning on having this be a DwalinXoc story, though it's hard to tell due to the lack of attraction right now. But that's what I'm hoping for. I do like FilixOc but there aren't enough Dwalin fics for my liking xD

Hope this chapter is okay though ^^' I know the beginning is sorta messy, but I'm very bad at writing introductions. I love reviews! And especially if you want me to finish this fic in a reasonable amount of time and not to abandon it. No reviews means I don't have any desire to sit and write a chapter since I don't feel as though anyone is reading the story.