Hey everyone, I was going to update this on Friday but that is when I flew back to Michigan for school and spent the evening with my grandma and completely forgot. Then today was spent moving back in and what not. But without further ado her it is. They finally meet the dwarves.

Big thanks to my new followers! Rule27NeverKnowinglyBeSerious, kittycatcharlie, sal0006, DoodleBisch, animexchick

Thoroughly Misguided: Thanks so much for the review! I've never had anyone say that about my writing before and it was very appreciated. I hope I can keep it up as that was my intention. As for your critique, you are absolutely right! I plan to bounce loosely between the book and story for the first half of the story. There were things I really liked about the movies that they changed from the book and vice versa, also ways of plot that I think will help expand more upon my OC. This way maybe readers will also be a little less expectant about what is to come. So Thanks!

Marina Oakenshield: Thanks!

LazySmurf247: Its you again! Thanks so much for the encouragement. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

MidnightTales357 : Thanks! And I hope you got my review for your story as well!


An Unexpected Home

-Chapter 2-


Night had set over the small town of Hobbiton. Yet there was still quite a ruckus coming from Bag End, which the hobbits from The Shire were not wholly unaccustomed to knowing the adventurous, Took that lived there.

"I just don't understand why you won't even consider learning more information about the offer and thinking on it." Mira chide while she bustled around the kitchen preparing food for the evening.

"There is no need to consider any offers when we are perfectly fine as we are. Now what are you doing? You've been cooking all evening." Bilbo asked as he reached around her to taste the stew she was working on but she slapped his hand away with the spoon.

"Hey! I have not been cooking all evening. I'm just hungry is all. The fish is not going to cut it. I want stew as well." Bilbo rubbed the back of his hand as he sat back down at his place.

"Don't you think it is a bit much? Its like you're cooking for a whole army." Mira spun around and pointed her spoon at him. "Who is the cook in this house?"

"You are."

"Exactly. Don't question me."

Bilbo sighed and Mira tested her stew. "It's missing something. I think I may have basil in the pantry." She hurried out of the room calling behind her, "Go ahead and start dinner without me. I'll be a while."

Just then the doorbell rang.

"Could you get that?" Bilbo could hear her call from the other room. He sighed and dropped the fork in his hand. "Yes."

He went to the door and pulled it open quickly, hoping to help this visitor on their way so he could get back to his dinner. Only the person on the other side was one he had least expected.

A very large and very bald dwarf stood on his doorstep. "Dwalin, at your service," He greeted with a bow.

Shocked, Bilbo stumbled out a greeting of his own while quickly tying up his robe. "Bilbo Baggins, at yours."

The intimidating dwarf then walked straight into the house without invitation. Bilbo was so startled and confused he could hardly stop him.

"D-do we know each other?" Bilbo asked

"No." Was the response from the dwarf, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Which way, laddie? Is it down here?"

Bilbo really didn't know what to make of the situation. There had to be some kind of a misunderstanding.

"I-is what down where?"

The dwarf turned back on him while tossing Bilbo his rather large coat and growled out, "Supper. He said there'd be food, and lots of it."

"H-He said? Who said?" Bilbo asked but got no response as the dwarf continued further into the house following the smell of food.

Mira walked back into the kitchen just as Dwalin sat down in Bilbo's spot. She nearly dropped the jar she was holding in her surprise. She did not expect a dwarf to be in her kitchen when she returned.

"Um, Hello."

Dwalin quickly stood back up at the sight of the dwarrowdam. "My apologies Miss. I wasn't told anyone else would be here. Dwalin at your service." He said with a courteous bow.

Mira smiled welcomingly, "Mira Took at yours," She said with a small curtsy. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

He reached forward for her hand and place a polite kiss on her knuckles, "The pleasure is all mine, lass"

Mira giggled in delight. This was the first dwarf she had ever properly met and so far the experience was going splendidly. So much for the coarse and rude dwarves she'd heard so much about growing up.

"Please help yourself." Mira invited gesturing to the food at the table.

He quickly sat down and dug into the food on Bilbo's plate. Mira smiled excitedly and made for the parlor. She ran into Bilbo as soon as she passed the threshold.

"There is a dwarf in our kitchen." Bilbo said frantically looking over her shoulder into the kitchen behind.

"Yes I see that." She replied trying not to laugh at his wide eyes.

"Why?" Bilbo grabbed her wrists and quietly pulled her farther into the parlor.

"I don't know. But isn't it exciting?" She grinned at him with one of her addictive smiles, "Did he say where he was from?"

However Bilbo was much too flustered by the unwanted guest to notice.

"No. No he didn't say anything. He just barged right in talking about someone saying there was food."

Mira's eyes lit up in understanding. Gandalf had sent him. Bilbo immediately took notice, "You know something!"

Mira quickly backtracked wiping the excitement off her face, "What? No, I don't know anything."

She turned to go back to the kitchen trying to maintain a serious look, but Bilbo was having none of it. He tried to drag her back by her elbow.

"Mira…"

Mira turned back to him bracing both hands on the kitchen doorway.

"Honestly Bilbo. I don't know what's going on anymore then you do. Now I must check the stew."

She spun with a flourish back into the kitchen before darting her head back into the parlor once more. "And don't be rude to our guest."

Mira somehow got Bilbo to sit down quietly in kitchen while she finished the stew. He sat in the back corner of the kitchen behind their guest with a disturbed look on his face. Not that Mira blamed him. Their guest was quite… aggressive with his food. At least Mira had the stew to focus on.

None to soon, Dwalin, as she had learned his name to be, finished his food, "Mmmm. … Very good, this. Any more?" Mira smiled, pleased that he enjoyed her cooking.

"The stew is not ready just yet, though we have plenty of food. Bilbo?" Her call seemed to snap him out of his dazed, "What? Uh, oh, yes, yes"

Quickly searching the room he spotted a plate of biscuits on the windowsill. He picked them up to bring them to the table before pausing and stuffing one into his nightgown pocket. Mira looked at him disapprovingly but he shrugged her off.

"Help yourself," he said slightly strained. The dwarf dug into the biscuits with fervor. You would think he hadn't eaten in days.

Bilbo had begun to have enough of ignoring that they had an unwanted guest. Rude or not Bilbo Baggins was not going to let a stranger take advantage of their non-confrontational hobbit ways.

"Well. It's just that, um, we weren't expecting company."

Suddenly, the doorbell rung for a second time that night.

"That'll be the door," the intimidating dwarf growled at him.

Wide eyed, Bilbo snapped his gaze to his cousin. He could see the smile starting to creep onto her face but all she did was shrug her shoulders in a noncommittal response.

Upon opening the door Bilbo was faced with another dwarf. This one was much shorter and older then the last. Bilbo stood stock still in shock as the dwarf bowed and introduced himself.

"Balin, at your service."

"Good evening," Bilbo responded feeling the dread set in. There was another one.

The old dwarf nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes it is, though I think it might rain later. Am I late?" He said as he stepped into the house.

Bilbo scrutinized him, "Late for what?"

Why did these dwarves think there was something going on here?

His train of thought was abruptly cut off by the exclamation of the dwarf in front of him. "Oh, ha ha! Evening, brother."

The older dwarf approached the more intimidating dwarf that had somehow ventured into the parlor unnoticed. They greeted each other amiably, "Oh, by my beard, you are shorter and whiter than last we met."

Bilbo quickly scanned the area for his cousin. Where had she run off? The question was quickly answered by said cousin careening around the corner to the entrance hall from the back hallway. "We are all out of biscuits." She whispered hurriedly before straightening beside him to gaze at their new guest.

"There is another one?" She asked quite excited.

"Whiter, not shorter. Sharp enough for both of us," the older one spoke with a wink. They laughed as they grabbed each other's shoulders. Unexpectedly they roughly knocked their heads together in greeting, eliciting a startled gasp from Mira at their actions. Bilbo looked on in wonder, not quite sure what to make of the dwarves in his parlor or the amused smile quickly spreading across his cousin's face.

"Here brother. You must meet the lady of the house," Dwalin announced guiding his brother to the fiery red head. Mira curtsied politely, "Mira Took, at your service."

"Balin at yours," the old dwarf greeted while bowing and giving a polite kiss to the knuckles on her right hand. Mira's smile seemed to brighten even more if possible. She was quite enjoying this Dwarven greeting custom.

"She will be the one cooking for us tonight, brother. Mighty fine cook the lass is," Dwalin praised her.

"Wonderful," Balin replied while still holding onto her hand. He gave it a few short pats as he continued to her, "We should take a look at the store room to see what we are working with. Come along brother."

And with that they stepped pass Mira and headed down the hallway.

"Uh, excuse me," Bilbo quickly took off after them trying to beat them to the pantry. Mira followed dutifully behind him clearly amused by the situation. "Sorry, I hate to interrupt, ah, but the thing is, I'm not entirely sure you're in the right house."

"Have you eaten?" Mira heard Dwalin ask his brother as they approached the pantry. The cousins found them rifling through the food and pouring themselves mugs of ale.

"It's not that I don't like visitors; I-I like visitors as much as the next Hobbit, but I do like to know them before they come visiting." Bilbo tried to explain while getting more flustered as dwarves dug farther into the pantry.

"Very articulate, Bilbo," Mira laughed when she saw the dwarves were ignoring him.

Bilbo sent her a warning glare before continuing, "The thing is, um-"

Mira watched amused as the brothers in the pantry inspected a block of blue cheese.

"It's gone blue."

"It's riddled with mold."

Dwalin took the cheese from his brother and tossed it over his shoulder and out of the pantry. Mira casually stepped to the left to avoid it while Bilbo watched it sail by with an alarmed look on his face.

"The thing is, um, I," Bilbo tried to start again, "I don't know either of you, not in the slightest. I don't mean to be blunt, but I uh, but I had to speak my mind. I'm sorry." Bilbo raised his hands in a peace making gesture and the dwarves turned to look at him silently. Bilbo froze startled by the silence. Mira looked on interested in what was to happen.

Balin inclined his head towards Bilbo, "Apology accepted."

Bilbo did a double take as Mira laughed brightly.

Balin shoved a mug at Dwalin, "Ah, now fill it up, brother, don't stint."

The shrill ring of the doorbell was heard over Mira's giggles.

"I'll get it!" Mira shouted in excitement, springing away towards the front door. Bilbo looked back and forth frantically unsure who to deal with first, his unexpected guests in the pantry or his overly enthused cousin.

Mira opened the front door to find two young, and decisively handsome dwarves standing on the other side. Mira smiled brightly at the two of them before greeting them with a slightly dazed voice that she tried to suppress, "Hello." How many dwarves did Gandalf send to them?

Both grinned at her being surprised at the beautiful Dwarf maid that answered the door. No one told them she would be here.

"Fili." The blond one announced.

"And Kili." The dark brunette followed after him. They must be brothers she thought.

"At your service." They said in unison while bowing. Mira couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips. This evening was turning into something far more exciting then she'd experienced in years. The dark haired dwarf, Kili, leaned in and grabbed her hand. Like the others, he laid a polite kiss on her knuckles before rising. Only this time Mira could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.

"You must be Mrs. Boggins." Kili greeted happily. The smile on Mira's face fell but the amusement didn't leave her eyes.

"Not quite. But close." She replied trying desperately not to laugh whole heartily at the mistake.

She was just about to invite them in when her cousin came barreling up behind her.

"Nope, you can't come in, you've come to the wrong house."

Bilbo stepped around Mira quickly trying to close the door before more dwarves could enter his home.

"Bilbo!" Mira scolded at being pushed to the side and being rude to guest.

He almost got the door closed before both young dwarves outside push against it to stop from getting locked out.

"What? Has it been cancelled?" The brunette asked worriedly while pushing against the door. Mira felt bad for the two of them for Bilbo's harsh treatment.

"No one told us." The blond added sounding offended.

"No, nothing's been cancelled." Mira chirped from over Bilbo's shoulder.

"Well, that's a relief." Kili sighed while pushing his way in with his brother behind him.

Kili immediately took off towards the hall to look around while Fili dumped his weapons into Bilbo's hands.

"Careful with these, I just had 'em sharpened."

Mira shut the door behind them all and turned as Kili came back into sight.

"It's nice, this place. D'you do it yourself?"

"Thank you." Mira smiled at the same time Bilbo said, "Ah, no, it's been in the family for years."

Mira's eyebrows shot up her forehead as she caught Kili wiping his muddy boots on the chest in the foyer.

"That's my mother's glory box, can you please not do that?!" Bilbo called straining under the weight of the weapons.

Mira was in front of the dwarf in a flash. She poked her finger into his chest quite roughly and growled at him, "Foot off the box or you lose it."

Kili smirked cheekily at her, "Oh?"

She raised an eyebrow at him in challenge but her glare started to regain her passed amusement.

Kili chuckled at her and took his foot off the box. "My apologies, my lady."

Kili was soon pulled away from her and towards the dinning room by the large tattooed dwarf. "Fili, Kili, come on, give us a hand."

"Mister Dwalin," Kili said with awe as he wrapped his arm around the older's back. He led them to the dinning room where the benches were flipped onto the table and all the furniture was being shifted.

"Let's shove this out, otherwise we'll never get everyone in," Balin directed. These dwarves moved fast, Mira thought.

"Ev-everyone? How many more are there?" Of course that was the only part Bilbo caught onto. Mira ignored him and stood in the entryway for the dinning room.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Naw we've got this Lassie." Dwalin responded from the other side of the room.

"Where do you want this?" Fili asked as he shoved a large cabinet from behind towards her.

"Ah that can be moved to hallway near the study. Just this way."

Mira guided them around the corner making sure nothing fell and broke.

The long shrill call of the doorbell rang through the house. Mira could hear Bilbo's hysterical voice all the way down the hallway. He was not handling this as well as she thought he would. Maybe she should have warned him.

"Oh no. No, no! There's nobody home. Go away, and bother somebody else. There's far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is. If- if- If this is some clotterd's idea of a joke, ha ha, I can only say, it is in very poor taste."

Mira heard a rather large thump come from the front door along with lots of grumbling. Worried she quickly sprinted off to the front hall. She was surprised to see her cousin unharmed but with a pile of dwarves on the floor. Bilbo was glaring at something just outside the door that Mira couldn't see. Her confusion was quickly cleared when Gandalf ducked into the hobbit hole.

"Gandalf! You made it!"

Two pair of eyes turned to Mira at that moment. One pair was joyful and kind while the other was shocked and slightly angry.

"You knew," Bilbo growled at her.

She smiled sheepishly back at him, "Maybe just a little. Gandalf said he was bringing people over. He just wasn't specific about who."

Bilbo looked about ready to lecture her but his attention was quickly diverted back to the dwarves. Most of which had been able to untangle themselves and make their way to the pantry. Bilbo seemed to struggle between stopping them and scolding his cousin. Mira learned his answer when he took off down the hall shouting at the dwarves, "Those are my plates! Excuse me! Not my wine. Put that back. Put that back! Not the jam, please! ...Excuse me."

Mira grinned up at Gandalf. This was going to be a most fun night.


So how did you all like introductions? Hope you really enjoyed the chapter! Please review!

See you next week.