Man, I love writing this. Thank you all for reading, and thank you so much for those that sent in their reviews; that was a big motivator.

Be ready for some more dialect.

Keep reviewing please!

(Bilbo's POV)


Chapter III

The Unexpected Addition

"Hey, Mister Baggins. Wake up. Mister Baggins?"

"Hmm?"

"Mister Baggins you need to wake up now."

"Five more minutes Mum."

"No, not five more minutes. Now."

"…."

"Master Baggins please, the company already left, you need to wake up."

Bilbo shot straight up. "You mean it wasn't a dream? Please tell me it was."

"As much as I wish it was, it's not. Now Mister Baggins you must hurry and get ready. Pack everything you will need but don't over pack. Mister Baggins Hurry! Come on!"

"Hold on! Wait! Where are you going?"

"To the kitchen to get us some breakfast and snacks for our trip."

"Miss Ashley what are you talking about? If you think I'm actually going to go on that quest, you're out of your mind."

She stopped and sighed. "Darn. I was hoping that if I made a big deal of this you would still be drowsy enough to listen to what I was saying. I guess I underestimated your common sense."

"Well, us Bagginses are known for their common sense." Ashley chuckled and came and sat by him on the bed. "I don't want to be too forward in asking you this- but, you do not seem to be someone lacking in common sense either, so pray tell, what makes you so inclined to go on this quest?"

Ashley thought about the question for a while. Bilbo listened. She told him that last night she "overheard" their meeting (it must have been the Took side of him to find her eavesdropping humorous) from the map and ancient runes to the key to the secret door. Humming to himself, Bilbo asked if she "overheard" anything else. She nodded and said that she knew he was to be their burglar to steal from a dragon- vaguely mentioning that she saw him faint. Bilbo colored a little at that. Telling him she didn't blame him, for she also felt like passing out that evening, she pivoted so she faced more towards Bilbo and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Mister Bilbo, I talked to the dwa… the dwarves this morning and most of them believe that you will not come with them. They think you are too weak and frail to be useful to them on their journey. But… I believe they are wrong. I believe you have an inner strength and could be a great help to them and maybe even to yourself. I don't know why, but I have this instinct- this feeling in my gut that you need to go on that quest." Taking her hand away from Bilbo's shoulder she looked down into her lap. Thinking very hard to herself Bilbo saw from the expression she wore.

"But, I've never even met a dwarf until yesterday. And how can I go and "help them" as you put it, when they don't even want me to?"

"That is why I'm coming with you."

Bilbo just stared at her, blinking with surprise. Was she serious? Would she really risk her life to come on a quest that wasn't even hers (or his, he reminded himself)? He voiced his thoughts and she flashed a gentle smile his way.

"Yes," she confirmed, "although that isn't the only reason I want to come. Honestly, I don't know where to go and since you all were the first people I came across, it just seemed logical."

"I-I don't know. Look, I know you're trying to help me Miss Ash…

"Ashley. Just Ashley."

"Ashley," Bilbo didn't feel he should call her by just her first name but, wasn't going to argue since they had more important things to discuss. "This quest is a horrible idea invented to get people killed. And I am not someone who has a death wish."

"But think about," Ashley said. She was not going to give up, apparently. "You are avoiding the very slim possibility of death by not living your life. I want for you to go on this adventure and say, that-if given the chance-you would do it all over again. And I hope to say the same. Please," That pulled at Bilbo's heartstrings, "come with me on this suicidal quest, those dwarves need our help, and we have the ability to offer it to them. Whether they take it or not is their choice, but at least we will try."

With that said she got up and left, heading to her former destination-the kitchen.

Dear Yavanna, this girl was a darn good motivational speaker, Bilbo thought. He was still wary of the idea of going on an adventure-but throughout her speech of comebacks about his complaints and worries, the idea of adventuring wasn't seeming so ridiculous. He'd have a friend-someone who also wasn't a dwarf. Someone who could make him feel better about being an outsider because she would be one too. A human and a hobbit in the company of thirteen dwarves and one wizard, who wouldn't even be there the whole time. The thought made him laugh, something he doesn't do too often-not since his parents died. Maybe he would laugh a lot more on an adventure.

Maybe this adventure would do him some good.

An hour later Bilbo was packed and ready to go. Taking one last look at his home, Bilbo took a deep breath and open the round green door. Ashley was sitting on his bench (the one that Gandalf found him on, and probably the main reason why he was stepping out of his smial today) with a rather small bag on her back. He now wondered if he brought too much, but figured she didn't have much to pack since she had barely anything on her person when she first arrived at Bag End.

Only she had changed clothes. Traveling clothes from the looks of it. Maybe she got them from the dwarves of something before they left. Though it did look rather feminine. She wore some kind of off white shirt, with a thin leather coat draped over it. Her pants were also a thin leather-tucked neatly into here brown boots. The clothing looked new, or at least very well taken care of, and it clung to her subtle but oblivious womanly curves. Bilbo felt a little embarrassed for having noticed this but all women had curves right? Only this women was not dainty like the rest. Oh no, she was small, but that only accounted for height. Her shoulders was sturdy and broad (probably more than his own). Her bust (cough* cough*) was there, but was probably on the smaller side. The waist of her form was slim-her hips were as well, sloping out enough to give curve, but not much more. Bilbo knew this women must be active for her legs were thick and muscular-the pants she wore hid no curve or dip. He wondered why a women of such class would ever need to do such strenuous work, but then again he-a respectable and fairly blessed Baggins-was leaving off on an adventure. Who was he to judge?

They walked briskly for most of the morning-well, he walked briskly. Ashley walked at quite a normal pace-maybe slightly faster than the average person would with her length of legs. They talked about trivial things; what foods they liked, their favorite seasons and why, the animals they passed, and other things of the like.

It took them a long twenty minutes before they got comfortable of the others presence, but after that time went. They ended up being able to spot trails of the dwarves, and not long after did they spot a long line of ponies in the distance. They stopped briefly for a drink and a handful of nuts before they started waking once more to the far off company. After an hour of hastening through the fields they neared the line of dwarves.

"Wait!" Bilbo called after them. They all stopped and turned to see where the demanding holler came from. They found the little hobbit and the woman, much to everyone's surprise, running up the hill.

As they neared Bilbo took out and held up the contract he had been left. "I signed it!" Handing it to Balin, Bilbo turned to look at the rest of the company, he exchanged brief smiles and nods to the dwarves until his eyes fell on Thorin. The look he got in return made Bilbo supress shudder. Thorin's eyes looked into his, like they were unlocking the door to Bilbo's very own soul, and then they turned to Ashley. Bilbo understood. Thorin did not want the girl here.

"Well, everything seems to be in order. Welcome to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

"Excuse me sir," Ashley spoke with the aura of confidence

"Yes, Miss Ashley?" Balin asked, confused as to why she was even here.

"Well, you see, I would like to go with you on your quest."

Thorin practically barked. "Absolutely not! Balin we need to move on. Give the hobbit a pony and we'll set off."

"Why?" Was all that Ashley said.

Thorin looked stumped. "Well… because. Because you are a stranger and I do not trust you."

"But Bilbo is a stranger and your letting him come along," she said nodding to Bilbo who was now on a pony, while arguing her point.

"That is different. Gandalf knows him and has reassured us that he will be trustworthy." The doubt in that sentence was obvious to everyone that heard it.

"Listen. I will go with this company on this quest."

"You will not!"

"I will and you can't stop me."

Thorin narrowed his eyes. "If you will not stay here on your own accord, I will resort to having to use force."

Bilbo was worried now. He had really come to like Ashley-especially after the couple hours they walked together. He wanted her to come with them-being the only one not of the same race did not sound intriguing-plus she was the one to get him to come with them anyways.

Ashley laughed a mirthful and daring laugh. He had to do something.

"If Ashley isn't allowed to come, I won't be going either."

"Bilbo!" Gandalf said astounded. Words were exchanged every which way between the dwarves as they processed what the little hobbit had said.

"If Ashley cannot come with us on this quest, I will not go on it either."

"Bilbo rethink this, plea-," Gandalf stopped when he saw the look in Bilbo's eyes. How his jaw was set in defiance. Gandalf knew then without a doubt that Bilbo Baggins was most definitely, a Took.

"Thorin, let Miss Ashley join us. Oh save your glares for someone else, Thorin, for they will not work on me. We will question her latter tonight when we settle for camp." Gandalf left no room for an argument to be held.

And so they set off: a hobbit, a wizard, and thirteen dwarves, with the addition of one human girl-leaving them all wandering.