My first ever attempt at fanfiction, so be warned. This story is NOT just a romance with some dim Mary Jane that wakes up an elf and instantly becomes wonderful at fighting and finds out Legolas is the love of her life. It will not follow the exact plotline of LOTR with all major events, because personally I hate that most of the fanfiction does, plus the addition of a MJ. OC here actually affects and changes the course of the plot.

I'm trying to learn Sindarin syntax so I can give you guys more than just the basic Sindarin phrases that are used most of the time. If you're a pro at Sindarin translation, please PM me!

LOTR isn't mine, it is Tolkien's, yada yada. I'm privileged to be able to write something using his ideas and words as a basis, and this will be written based off of the books and not the movies. If I slip up and include something from any of the movies that contradicts the books, please correct me.

Summary: A budding young biologist is researching new plant specimens that have never been seen before on Earth when attacked by a Great Spider. She discovers she has found her way into Mirkwood, and attempts to learn to adapt to the new world she's found herself in. Plus some romance and orc butt-kicking. Not a Mary Jane cliché, unique plotline and new adventures.


"Be careful on your trip, Evie. I know you, no stupid risks, you hear me?" her grandfather admonished, his voice full of concern.

Evelyn beamed at him as she stuffed the remainder of gear into her pack. She packed minimalist, her gear and clothing a fraction of what most trips would require. She needed the extra space, for hopefully soon the plastic bags she packed would be full of specimens.

"I'll be careful, papa." she leaned over and dealt him a kiss on the cheek and then rose to heave on her pack.

She whistled, and a canine stood from where it had been laying on the old wooden floors, and stretched out before trotting over to stand by the woman.

"Nico will watch out for me, won't you boy?" the canine raised an eyebrow at her, tongue lolling out of his massive jaw.

The older man smiled. 'I know he will, Evie. You take right after me, won't go if you can't do it alone. I wish you would take a friend or colleague with you just in case. If this body was up to it I would go with you."

"I'll be fine, I always am." A reassuring smile followed. "Besides, I can't pass this opportunity up. Imagine! Plants that no one has ever seen before in such high quantity! This is unheard of. I need to collect specimens before the rest of the world hears of this. Imagine how they might alter plant communities and soil composition!" Evenlyn finished, excitement radiating out of her usually calm person.

"And I thought your calling was those damn deer-stealers." He shook his head with a smile.

Evelyn's smile faded. "You know how hard it is to study them with how popular they are. There's a lost more work for me as an ecologist, the world has enough ethologists wanting to study wolves."

"I know, darling. You do what you feel like you need to, I've got your back. Now skedaddle, you're wasting daylight."

The woman nodded, her long, braided brown hair bobbing with her head. She headed for the door, Nico already there. She opened the door and slipped out, making her way down the dusty dirt driveway to her truck.

She tossed her pack in the back, before opening the door and allowing Nico to climb in, immediately going to the window for her to roll the window down. She obliged before starting the old thing and heading out, their grazing pastures passing her as she drove off the property.

Her friend, a man she dated back in her college days was an avid backpacker and has alerted her to the plants only but a few days ago. He had stumbled upon them while going bushwacking in Grand Teton National Park, she was the first to know. If only she could get a few specimens, know a bit more about the role they played in the local ecosystems her career could take off.

The Tetons weren't far, only about a 4 hour drive west from her grandfather's ranch. The hours passed quickly before she finally reached the parking lot near the trail she would be taking. From there, the rest was through brush.

Technically, dogs weren't allowed in the park outside of the roads and parking lots. However it was highly unlikely that they would be running into anyone and Niccolo listened exceptionally well. His was the only companionship she ever wanted on trips such as these.

Hoisting her back out of the back of the truck and onto her back, she made for the trailhead. Nico trailed ahead of her, taking in the scents and scenery. His blood was from here, the result of an accidental litter between the wolves she had been studying and the shepherd mix an urban family had ignorantly brought with them while in heat. Having been studying the wolves in question for quite awhile, she was able to get a permit to keep one of the pups, while the rest of the litter were placed in sanctuaries or with local personnel equipped to handle high-content wolfdogs. After that, the rest of her funding had been cut short and Nico was the only link she had to her past research.

They had been on the trail for a day when they got to the point she had been told to head into brush. Checking her GPS unit to make sure she was in the correct location, she started out. When it began to get darker she stopped, setting up her small tent and heating up the pasta she had brought along, before giving Niccolo the kibble she had brought for him, which he sniffed disdainfully. Poor boy was usually used to the game she caught, but unfortunately carrying meat on the trail wasn't a viable option.

It got colder, the night beginning to bite at her exposed flesh and she headed into the tent. Tomorrow, tomorrow was the day she was due to come across the plants Adam had described to her. Muscles aching, she drifted off to sleep.

Morning came, cold but serene, a gentle fog misting over the vegetation surrounded her tent as the sun began to evaporate the water that had collected during the night. She was quickly packed and back on her way, and it was only a few hours before she found her first few plants. She had lived here her entire life, backpacked through these mountains for years and never seen any species like these in person or in field guides. After taking thorough notes on where she found each plant, it's substrate, and the conditions surrounding it she carefully but a few specimens in plastic bags along with some soil. Humming, she didn't notice the large spider descending from the tree above her head.

Creasing the seal on one last bag, she was startled to hear Nico growling, a growl so deep it reverbrated in her chest. Glancing quickly at him, she saw his gaze focused upwards, above her. Looking up herself, she quickly screamed before rolling out of the way as the gigantic spider descended right where she had been standing.

She backed up until her back hit a tree, her foot knocking into something. Stealing a look down she saw the green canvas of her pack, and quickly grasped it, retrieving the dainty winchester rifle she kept with her. Leveling the gun up, she quickly aimed at the head of the giant spider as it approached her. Gasping, she pulled the trigger and the gun pushed against her shoulder as the spider stumbled, emitting a high screech.

She quickly shot another bullet, but her aim missed and the shot whizzed by the spiders thrashing legs. Shaking, she aimed to try again but the spider was already too close, and it's flailing limbs knocked the gun barrel down. Backing away she looked around for anything that might assist her, when a savage snarl tore through the air. Evelyn watched as Nico savagely ripped a leg off from the body of the arachnid, and another brutal screech came from the creature. Stepping forward she quickly retrieved her gun and began bashing the head of the spider with the butt as Nico continued ripped at limbs. Eventually the creature gave a great sigh, and the life fled it's body.

Panting, Evie stood there staring at the corpse before fainting.