Here is chapter 7 for those of you who have waited patiently! A massive thanks to all of you who are putting up with the large gaps between updates, I know it's a pain in the arse but I haven't felt too up to doing anything writing wise, blame my current depression at being trapped in the house for over a month! I'll probably start kicking ideas and new chapters out regularly once I get to move about freely and can shake this horrible mood off. Anyways, getting off point!

Many thanks to those of you who have followed and favourited this story so far! Seeing those emails pop up in my inbox put a massive smile on my face.

Last Note: Just so I can stop putting this here this is a last reminder about my use of italics! After this chapter there'll be no more of this! So remember, words in italics are English!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from J.R.R Tolkien's works but I do own all my original characters that you will see.


"Dwalin, at your service."

Alex stood behind Bilbo, wringing her hands nervously. Why couldn't it have been the fat one to arrive first? She was sure she'd get on splendidly with him. Instead one of the intimidating dwarves stood in the doorway. He made her want to hide under her bed until he left. She was startled from her thoughts when Bilbo made a sound similar to a whimper and tightened his robe around himself, standing taller although she couldn't understand how that was possible.

"Bilbo Baggins, at yours." She wasn't surprised when the stocky dwarf made his way inside past the little resistance Bilbo offered. She watched as he looked around the entrance way to the hobbits home. She'd been ready to welcome all the dwarves and lead them to the dining room she'd prepared but she couldn't give a rat's arse right now. Bilbo could deal with this one. Closing the front door she leaned against the wall next to it as she watched the events unfold. She'd positioned herself just in time to hear Bilbo stutter out "D-do we know each other?"

"No. Which way, laddie? Is it down here?" Oh dear, Dwalin was heading for the kitchen. She sent a small prayer for Bilbo's fish as she watched him splutter after the dwarf while throwing the stuff that had been forced on him on the floor with the rest. Staring at it disdainfully she knew she'd have to side it before the main bulk of the dwarves arrived. She didn't want to crack open the first aid kit because someone had tripped over it.

The brunette kept her position next to the door as she pondered how long it would take for the next dwarf to arrive. If she remembered correctly it only took a few minutes in the film but she wasn't watching a film right now, she was living it. She'd found over the years that things worked a little differently from the fiction she knew. After ten minutes of waiting she was about to see if Bilbo needed help when the doorbell rang. She turned to the door and was about to open it when she yelled out "I'll get it!"

She heard Bilbo coming up behind her anyways as she opened the door to reveal an old, white haired dwarf. Ah, good old Balin. Now here was someone she could possibly get along with. Turning to Bilbo she smiled widely before directing it to the elderly dwarf as he bowed. "Ah, , at your service."

"Good Evening. Alexandra Reid, yours. Do come in." She thought her face would fall off if she smiled any wider but she couldn't help it. She enjoyed meeting new people, especially when they didn't intimidate the knickers off her like Dwalin. Moving aside so Balin could make his way in she closed the door behind him, patting Bilbo on the shoulder as he looked like he was about to run in circles due to his confusion.

"Thank you, lass. Am I late?" Alex shook her head and was about to lead Balin to the dining room when Bilbo spluttered from beside her. She looked at him in confusion as he fidgeted on the spot. Just what was wrong with him now?

"Late for what?" Bilbo spat out as he followed Balin deeper into his home. Great, at this rate nobody was going to be using the dining room she'd spent hours preparing. So much for damage control. Grumbling to herself she made her way to the aforementioned room, collecting as many of the tankards as her fingers could carry. Now making her way in the direction Balin and Bilbo had disappeared to she arrived in time to witness the brothers' head butting each other. She stared in shock for a moment before snorting quietly, her giggles threatening to escape.

"Uh, excuse me; sorry, I hate to interrupt, ah, but the thing is, I'm not entirely sure you're in the right house." Ah, dear Bilbo. She knew his manners would get him nowhere in this scenario but she couldn't see him telling them to simply fuck off. It would be incredibly funny for her but it was against his nature. Placing the extra tankards down, as the present dwarves had taken one each when they passed; she looked towards Balin and Dwalin who had entered the pantry during Bilbo's speech. Watching them fill their tankards with ale she didn't think it was a bad idea and was tempted to do so herself but resisted. "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 visit."

Sending a sympathetic glance at Bilbo she went to stand in the doorway of the pantry next to him, listening to the brothers discuss the condition of the cheese. Maybe she should have told Bilbo the dwarves were coming after all. He seemed to be having kittens right now and it made her feel guilty. The guilt vanished as she watched the cheese that was previously being discussed fly past her, barely missing Bilbo as he continued to try and gain their attention.

"The thing is, um, I, 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." She had to resist from gushing at Bilbo's words. So polite. She still wasn't used to it; she couldn't even shake her mannerisms from home, even if she could hide it. Poor little Bilbo would get trampled on back home if he spoke like that.

The two dwarves paused in their inspection of the pantry, turning their gaze to her friend. There was a short pause before Balin nodded and said "Apology accepted." Turning to his brother he handed over his tankard. "Ah, now fill it up, brother, don't stint. I could eat again, if you insist."

The brunette was about to laugh when the doorbell chiming interrupted her. She looked towards Bilbo to see him becoming exasperated. She had to hold back another laugh as she followed him back to the front door. He pulled the cutest faces; even if he would skin her alive if she told him that. Opening the door Bilbo revealed two young, handsome dwarves waiting outside. Feeling her jaw about to drop to the floor at the sight she quickly checked for drool. Okay, she was safe but she couldn't stop her mouth from running. "Hubba, hubba."

Bilbo sent her a strange look before turning back to the two dwarves. She was glad he was no longer paying attention to her as she was openly staring at the newcomers but she couldn't help it. She hadn't had eye candy to look at for years. Sure, some of the hobbits she'd come to know were probably regarded as handsome in their own right but they were too cute for her to think so.

"Fili." The blonder introduced himself first. She couldn't help but admire his coat and luscious looking hair. She hadn't managed to get a shine like that on her length since she was back home and had conditioner. The oils that Bilbo provided her with just didn't agree with her hair.

"And Kili." Alex turned her attention to the dark haired dwarf and checked for drool again. She'd have to be careful around this one, lest she seem like a dim witted moron. Oh, but he could definitely sweep her off her feet any day of the week.

"At your service." The brothers chimed together as they bowed. Oh yes, she could definitely get used to this. She was about to speak up when the dark haired brother beat her to it.

"You must be ." Kili said brightly before the door was nearly slammed in his face. She sent Bilbo a reproaching look as she reached out and grabbed the door before he could shut it, there was no way he was taking her eye candy from her! It seemed Bilbo was stronger than he looked though as she struggled to gain any leeway.

"Nope, you can't come in, you've got the wrong house." She sorely hoped Bilbo could see the withering glare she was sending his way. And to think, not that long ago she'd been admiring his manners. She was about to give Bilbo a quick kick to the shins when Kili's face appeared in the gap of the door.

"What? Has it been cancelled?" She very nearly kicked Bilbo in the head instead of his shins when she heard the dismay in Kili's voice. She thought she could hear Fili in the background saying "no one told us" but she couldn't be sure as she was currently transfixed by the face in the door. Fed up with Bilbo's behaviour she spoke up before he could get the chance.

"No, nothing's been cancelled. here is just being a son of a bitch." She smirked in triumph when Bilbo sent her a dark glare at her purposefully saying his name wrong. She also knew he hated it when she spoke English when he didn't know what she was saying. It served him right.

"Well, that's a relief." The brunette felt the door give way as the brothers pushed their way inside. She was grateful as her arms had begun to shake at the exertion. Who knew Bilbo would have such strength. Then again, she wasn't exactly the strongest of folk.

"Careful with these, I just had 'em sharpened." Alex snorted loudly at the disgruntled expression on Bilbo's face as the blonde dumped his weapons into his arms, earning her the attention of the brothers. "Ah, milady. I am Fili, and this is my brother, Kili. We are at your service."

"Alexandra Reid, at yours." She smiled brightly and returned the bow they gave her before wandering through the home. She was oblivious to the goings on around her as she stood in a dreamy daze. She was never noticed by the handsome guys back home. To have the attention now, even if brief, had caused her brain to shut down. It was a nice feeling, one she could get used to if not for Bilbo interrupting her moment.

"That's my mother's glory box, can you please not do that?!" Scowling at Bilbo for his bad timing she decided to make herself useful. Dwalin had herded the brothers into the dining room she'd prepared earlier and she was in the way stood in the hall like a pleb. She mourned her wasted time with getting the room ready as she made her way to the kitchen. There's be even more dwarves soon if they kept turning up at this rate so the best plan of action would be to warm up the stew she'd prepared. It was a good thing she knew how to light the stove.

While she was waiting for the pot to boil she heard the doorbell ring again. Bilbo would have to deal with this one alone, she hated leaving the stove unattended. She could hear him shouting as he made his way through his home and she chortled to herself. Trust him to spaz out over a bit of company. Stirring the pot as it began to simmer she scooped some of the stew into a couple of bowls, taking them with her as she ventured out of the kitchen.

She almost wished she hadn't. She'd thought all the noise she could hear had been exaggerated but it wasn't. All around her were dwarves bustling around and Bilbo chasing after them. A couple of times she nearly dropped the bowls in her hands when she saw a familiar face. "Gandalf! Can I interest you in some stew?"

"Not for me I'm afraid, although it looks delightful." Looking down at the bowls she mentally comforted them with their rejection. Just because Gandalf didn't want any didn't mean that she'd made a tonne of the stuff for nothing, right? Shrugging she peered around at all the dwarves busying themselves.

"Shame. Well, it's certainly busy around here now." She could barely see the floor for all the company. She wasn't complaining though, she was a social creature at heart when she let herself go. The last time she'd been surrounded by this many people had been at the last festival. Then again, she couldn't remember the night for getting so hammered so she didn't count it.

"That it is, my dear." Gandalf clapped a hand on her shoulder before moving to assist the dwarves with the makeshift dining room. She stood there a moment wondering what to do with herself before turning to the dwarves around her. She laughed loudly when she saw a rather large dwarf carrying three wheels of cheese away, Bilbo staring shocked when another dwarf informed him of his eating habits.

"Is that stew I see?" Jumping in surprise she looked to see the same dwarf in front of her. She marvelled at the hat on his head that curled at the sides, his moustache following suit. Smiling she held a bowl out to him. He either had keen eyes or a good sense of smell to know what she was holding from her height.

"It is. Want some?" She felt proud of her initiative of making the stew when the dwarf took the bowl she offered him. Her ego settled when he raised it to his nose and inhaled deeply; balancing the plate of meat he already had on his free arm.

"It smells wonderful, thank you, milady." The brunette used a hand gesture to wave off his thanks and watched him take his food to the table. Her anxiety showed its face and brutally killed her pride when the dwarf she'd just spoken to pointed at her after speaking to some of the others. Had she done something wrong? She hoped not as one of them approached her.

"Milady, Ori, at your service. Bofur says you have stew?" Sighing in relief she felt her smile return as she handed over the second bowl in her hands. She'd been frightened for a moment but after hearing the dwarf speak she mentally slapped herself for even thinking that way. He seemed like such a cutie.

"There's more in the kitchen if anybody else wants some." Or so she hoped. She would probably have to check on it soon to make sure she hadn't burnt it to death since she couldn't remember if she'd extinguished the fire on the stove or not.

"Thank you, milady."Ori was about to walk back to the table when she placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He looked at her in confusion and she nearly cooed at the sight. He was definitely a cutie.

"Please, just call me Alex. This 'milady' malarkey is getting out of hand." Ori looked even more confused, which she didn't think possible, and nodded. She let him return to the others and looked around for Bilbo. He was probably ready for a break from all the excitement. She found him looking panicked by a tea trolley and approached him, leaning down to wrap an arm around his shoulder.

"Don't worry, you'll look back at all this one day and laugh." She nearly laughed herself at the sour look Bilbo gave her. Extracting her arm she stretched to the best of her ability in the small hall. Her back had decided it didn't like the position she was in and decided to ache. She needed to start doing some form of exercise.

"Laugh?! There's nothing funny about all of this!" Pulling the hobbits hands from his hair she held them as she looked him in the eyes, her face a mask of seriousness. She couldn't hold it for long however as a grin broke out, he was going to kill her for what she said next but it was going to be so worth it.

"Of course there is! Just trust me , I'm always right." Laughing hysterically as she dodged Bilbo's swing at her she ran down the hall and back to the kitchen. Grabbing herself a bowl she filled it with stew as she tried to regain her breath. Winding Bilbo up was always funny but now she was feeling ravenous. She'd forgotten to eat earlier that day with getting the dining room ready, which she felt ridiculous for doing now. She was about to take a seat at the kitchen table when she spotted a figure in the doorway.


Alex sat in a stupor as the dwarves around her ate merrily, food flying in every direction. Sipping on the ale she'd been handed when Fili had made his way down the table. She'd marvelled at the fact that his grubby boots hadn't touched a single platter of food considering the table was cramped. She tried to make sense of just how exactly she'd joined the merry band for dinner. She remembered Ori had appeared in the kitchen asking for more stew for him and the others. She wasn't able to resist his cuteness and had helped him carry some of the steaming bowls to the others. She just couldn't remember how she got from that moment to now.

Looking towards Gandalf, as Bilbo had disappeared somewhere, she watched him lift his plate and dodge any of the food that went flying past him. How he managed it while keeping his composure she didn't know. Dipping her bread roll into her stew she reeled back in shock as a slice of meat slapped her in the face and fell onto the table in front of her. Staring at the meat she looked around the table as a hush fell around her. Picking up the meat with her fingertips she looked at each dwarf individually with an expression of mock anger.

"Okay, who did it? Own up." She watched each of the dwarves mutter to themselves before they seemed to come to an agreement, all of them at once pointing to Kili. He grinned sheepishly from his seat and her mask almost broke but she wanted her revenge. Nobody slapped her with meat and got away with it. Rising from her seat she wiggled her way around the cramped space to where the dark haired dwarf sat. He looked apprehensively up at her as she stood before him, meat held to the side in one hand. She stared him down for a moment before her face broke out into a grin and she slapped the meat firmly to his forehead. She laughed hysterically as it stuck to his face and the rest of the table joined in. The meat with his chocked expression, what she could see of it anyways, was just too funny.

The brunette smiled playfully at Kili before making her way back to her seat. More food was likely to hit her again as she finished her dinner but she couldn't give a toss, she'd had a good laugh, it was going to be hard to kill her mood now. Lifting the now soggy bread to her mouth she chewed it when Balin decided to ask her a question. "So, lassie, where do you hail from? You're far from home if you travelled from Gondor or any of the other human settlements."

Swallowing her food she was about to answer when she noticed Gandalf shooting her a pointed look. Oh, that didn't look good. Deciding to keep her mouth shut was probably the best plan as she turned back to her food but kept an ear open as the wizard beside her answered. "I found her wandering just outside the Old Forest, beside the Brandywine River. It is but a few hours journey from here."

"Ah, I see. And just how is it you came to be by this Old Forest, milady?" Balin asked her. Looking towards Gandalf she found she couldn't read his expression. Guessing by the fact he'd stopped her from answering before he didn't want her to go running her mouth. She had no idea why but it couldn't help to play his game for now.

"Please, just call me Alex. I, uh, I don't know how I got there." She replied. It wasn't a lie; she truly didn't know how she'd appeared in Middle Earth those seven years ago. She'd been trapped in the same cave as the one back home but the area around her had changed. Even Bilbo couldn't think of any ideas as to what had happened when she'd told him. Heck, at first he'd thought she'd lost her marbles! Balin hummed to himself ambiguously and turned to his brother as he called his name.

"Do not speak of your origins to anyone in this company." Gandalf startled her as he spoke lowly in her ear, causing her to drop her spoon in her stew and splash the hot broth on her hand. Trying to rub the burning sensation away she glanced at the wizard curiously. "I have my suspicions but they've yet to be confirmed. Keep it to yourself for now."

Nodding the brunette focused on finishing her meal. Why would Gandalf want to keep her home a secret? Everyone would probably just think she was mental if she told them, like Bilbo did at first. Looking up as the table became rowdier she spotted Dwalin pouring ale into a metal horn held to an elderly dwarf's ear. She spat her stew out and burst into laughter, choking slightly. That had to be one of the funniest things she'd seen!

Shortly after the dwarves toasted each other and silence reigned as they all began chugging from their tankards. It took a moment to register but she grinned widely and decided to join in. She felt like she was intruding a little but she was a sucker for drinking so she pushed the feeling back. She finished only a moment after the group and placed her tankard down in time to hear the chorus of belches. She would have laughed with the others but Ori shocked her when he let out a monster of a belch. Feeling her own rising she placed a hand to her chest as she let rip.

She felt proud as her own belch rose in volume, not lasting as long as Ori's but enough to silence the room again as the dwarves stared at her in shock. She grinned stupidly to herself as a moment later the group cheered and the dwarf at her side slapped her on the back. She'd been scared a moment that they would think it inappropriate for her to do such a thing, clearly that wasn't the case.

Seeing no sign of Bilbo still Alex looked through the doorway and sighed in relief when she spotted him in the pantry, back turned and head in one of his hands. Thankfully it seemed he hadn't had a mental breakdown although she'd hoped he would have loosened up and joined in the festivities. She was certainly enjoying herself. She laughed more as the dwarves finished their meals and began to leave the table. Deciding to follow suit she picked up her empty bowl and moved to the kitchen, placing it in the sink and turning in surprise when she heard Bilbo behind her scolding a dwarf.

"Excuse me, that is a doily, not a dishcloth!" She snorted to herself as Bofur, who was stood beside the doorway, pulled a face. She didn't understand the point of doilies either, they seemed incredibly pointless to her.

"But it's full of holes!" The brunette nodded in agreement, glad Bilbo couldn't see her action. He still hadn't forgiven her for hiding all the doilies when she'd been bored. She'd found it funny watching the hobbit scurry around trying to find them but he'd been less than pleased.

"It's supposed to look like that, it's crochet." She rolled her eyes at Bilbo's know-it-all tone. She hated when he used that tone of voice just as much as he hated it when she started babbling away in English.

Deciding it was getting too crowded in the small room she made her way out into the hall, holding her sides as she laughed hysterically at Bofur. She'd heard him say "Oh, what a wonderful game it is too, if you've got the balls for it." She'd have to talk to him some more if she got the chance; he seemed like a funny one. Feeling her nicotine cravings rising she made her way to her bedroom, passing Gandalf on the way. Leaving the door ajar she sat on the bed and began to stuff her pipe. She was so ready for this smoke.

Leaving the confines of her room she made her way back down the hall and towards Bilbo, who was staring at Ori. She nearly scooped the dwarf up into a hug as she came to a stop behind the hobbit and he asked in that cute voice of his "Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?"

"Here you go, Ori, give it to me." Alex almost shit her pants as Fili appeared out of nowhere beside them. If he wasn't so pretty she would have smacked him for it. The blonde took the plate from Ori and threw it to his brother down the hall, who promptly threw it behind him into the kitchen. She stared, flabbergasted, as another plate went sailing by and Kili repeated his action. She ducked out of the way as more flew by and pinned herself to the wall.

"Excuse me, that's my mother's West Farthing crockery, it's over a hundred years old!" Watching Fili juggling a bowl on his arms and shoulders was something to admire but she had to side with Bilbo on this one. Throwing the good china around was a bit excessive and her heart rate rose in panic every time she saw something sail through the air. Her attention was drawn away when knives, forks and fists began clattering together from the dining room. "And can-can you not do that? You'll blunt them!"

"Ooh, d'hear that, lads? He says we'll blunt the knives." Bofur said to the other dwarves at the table, a beat becoming audible to her ears. She couldn't remember much of what happened at this part in the film so she stayed plastered to the wall. The few dishes still flying prevented her from moving anyways. Looking at Kili as he began to sing to the tune she cocked her head in confusion.

Blunt the knives and bend the forks
Smash the bottles and burn the corks
Chip the glasses and smash the plates
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

Laughing as the rest of the dwarves joined in the song she began to clap her hands to the beat. She saw Bilbo from the corner of her eye scowling at her but she didn't care. She continued to add some noise to the merry medley.

Cut the cloth and tread on the fat
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat
Pour the milk on the pantry floor
Splash the wine on every door
Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl
Pound them up with a thumping pole
When you've finished, if any are whole
Send them down the hall to roll

The brunette smiled at Gandalf and received one back as dished went flying through his smoke ring. She would have to go smoke her own pipe soon but she kept getting distracted by the antics of the dwarves. She watched as some of the company played instruments to the song, Bofur especially. Maybe before they all left she could get the chance to play her guitar with him. It'd been too long since she'd played with someone else.

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

Laughing along with the dwarves she followed behind Bilbo as he huffed angrily and marched to the table. Both of them stood in awe at the stack of clean dishes. She certainly hadn't expected it with all the excitement going on. Clapping a hand on Bilbo's shoulder she smiled down at him while he looked at her in confusion. "See? Everything's fine."

"Easy for you to say." Bilbo grumbled up at her. She ruffled his hair and was about to tease him when three solid knocks came from the front door. Everyone fell silent and she glanced at Gandalf for answers. She knew who was outside the door but if she was going to be playing dumb about her home then she might as well do the same with her knowledge.

"He is here." Gandalf said as he rose. The dwarves and Bilbo followed behind him as he made his way to the front door, everyone else crowding into the doorway beside it. Deciding to follow suit she stood at the back of the group, keeping an eye on Bilbo as he made his way to the front. She couldn't see past the dwarves as the front door was opened but her hearing was perfect. Thorin Oakenshield had finally arrived.

"Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door." Bilbo left her sight as he wiggled his way forward. She'd completely forgotten about the mark herself. The hobbit was going to throw a bit fit when he saw it. After all, she'd had to endure a lecture on housekeeping while she helped paint the damn thing.

"Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!" Alex fidgeted on the spot as though Bilbo could sense her guilt. She was technically party to tarnishing the paint. A dwarf beside her glanced at her as she danced on the spot and she stared back in morbid fascination. How had she missed the piece of axe sticking out of his fodder? Shuddering, she made her way back and through the second door in the kitchen. She hoped that a little plink on her guitar and a smoke of her pipe could shake the image from her mind. The two items were calling out to her and it was long overdue that she do something about it.

Leaving her room with instrument in hand she spotted the dwarves making their way back into the dining room. Sighing in relief as she wouldn't have to fight her way through them she made for the front door. She paused in front of Bilbo who was still stood in the hall, staring after the dwarves, Gandalf beside him looking somewhat exasperated. Looking between the two she was about to make her way outside when the wizard gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I think some of that stew would be splendid right now, if there's any left? I am sure our new guest will be hungry." Glancing at her guitar forlornly the brunette nodded. She didn't want to delay her little personal time but it would seem she would have to. Why Gandalf thought it appropriate for her to serve the leader of the company, she didn't know, but she supposed it would be good manners.

"One stew, coming up." She grumbled out. Leaning her guitar against the wall she marched herself back to the kitchen, muttering darkly in English all the way. In the space of a few minutes her cravings had become stronger, niggling at the back of her mind. She'd be damned if she didn't get to smoke after this bullshit. Filling a bowl with the still warm stew she picked up a spoon and carried it out to the dining room.

The setup was much the same as it had been at dinner but with the exception of Thorin having a definitive place at the head of the table. Feeling her nerves begin to jitter she placed the bowl and spoon in front of the imposing dwarf. Just as she did she accidently made eye contact with him. Oh shit, she knew that look. She wasn't going to like what was going to happen next.

"Thank you. If you would be so kind, this conversation is not for a woman's ears." Oh no, he did not just go there! She couldn't remember the specifics of what would be said but she knew they would be discussing Erebor. How was that not appropriate for a woman?! If Oakenshield was always like this then there were going to be issues until the dwarves left Bag End.

Throwing her arms up into the air she stormed out of the room and past Gandalf who asked her what was wrong. Glowing at the wizard she stabbed her finger into his chest. "I'll tell you what's wrong! His majesty, King Bitch Tits, is an arsehole! I just want to smoke too!"

Throwing her arms up into the air for a second time in minutes as Gandalf stared blankly at her Alex continued on her path for the front door again. Screw everyone else for the time being, she was having her alone time. Nothing would stop her this time.


And there you have it! I hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave a review, they will perk me up immensely! Also, constructive criticism is welcome, flames will be used to light my cigarettes.

Guest: I'm glad that you've pointed out the fact that I've made English and Westron not the same in this story! It only dawned on me while I was doing some research and writing the rough chapters but it's something that I've enjoyed playing with. I'm sorry that the first chapter was confusing for you, I've probably done it to everybody else who has read this so far, aha! In regards to her busking and having money, it was something that I was hoping to make clearer in later chapters but maybe it's something I should review and include in the first chapter instead. Don't worry about hoping that Emily isn't in the story! That's also something that will be revealed later so I can't say anything at this moment in time but I have issues with there being two main OC's in stories... I can never distinguish who is meant to be the main character :| I'm glad you enjoyed my inclusion of Finnigan too! I've based him on a very naughty cat that likes to visit... He often gets into shenanigans like those that have been described!

parttimefangirl: Welcome to my story! I hope you've enjoyed what you've read so far and I'm glad to hear that you like the backstory between Alex and Bilbo's friendship ^^ I felt like it was too long at times but I just couldn't let myself make her 'instant' friends with him... Hopefully the next update won't be too long for you!

MadO-oArtist: I hope I have the will to continue this story too! I've enjoyed writing what I have so far, although I'm currently stuck ^^" Despite that this story will definitely be continuing for a bit yet!