A/N: What's this? Another update so soon! Happy Friday! I was feeling inspired after the last chapter so here's another one, that's a little longer. Thank you once again for all your comments, I read them all and I'm so happy you like this fic.

Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Six

Ellie wasn't sure what would happen when she stepped over the threshold. She had, of course, seen a countless number of fantasy films and sci-fi TV shows where the protagonist somehow ended up in a world entirely unlike their own. Usually, they were brought to that other world through magic vortexes or actual spaceships or wardrobes, but never through regular doors. Ellie knew that once she opened the door and walked through it, there was no turning back. Anyone else would probably have thought it lunacy to listen to an old man's story about far away worlds and dragons, but for Ellie, hearing Gandalf talk about Middle-Earth had given her a massive sense of relief.

Throughout her whole life, she hadn't told anyone about Middle-Earth, because she knew exactly how that conversation would go. Truthfully, there were times when Ellie herself had doubted her sanity, but eventually she simply came to accept that Middle-Earth must be real. A part of Ellie thought it was a shame that she wouldn't be able to interact with Thorin's world as much as she wanted, but a part of her was also relieved.

As Ellie walked through the door, she found herself following a small bricked path that led to yet another door. This one a lot larger and with some symbols on it that she had never seen before, but then again why would she have? The doorknob on the second door wasn't hot like the other one, but when she pulled the wooden door open, she was met by complete darkness.

At first, Ellie thought she had ended up in some kind of void, but when she took a few steps forward she walked right into a wooden object, followed by a loud scrambling noise and things falling to the floor.

"Why does it smell like cake in here?" she wondered aloud, "And….coffee? Is there a light anywhere? Oh wait!"

Ellie reached inside her jeans pocket for her phone, which she had forgotten all about and honestly hadn't even considered whether or not it would work at all in Middle-Earth. Thankfully, she was able to unlock the display which illuminated her surroundings.

"A pantry?" she said in disbelief, "Why the hell am I in a pantry?"

From Gandalf's words, Ellie assumed that she would end up where Thorin was, which she knew for certain wasn't a pantry, but as she stumbled forward to find the door out, she heard voices on the other side. There were so many of them that Ellie couldn't tell them apart, but there was laughing and slamming of cutlery and occasionally the voice of someone shouting "stop" or "No!" or "put that back". Even though Ellie knew that nobody else except Thorin could see her, she still didn't want to just barge in because what if Gandalf had made a mistake.

Just as she was about to reach for the pantry door, it swung open and Ellie immediately froze as if any sudden movement would immediately reveal her presence.

"Mr Baggins!" shouted a voice from the hallway, "Mr Gandalf asked for some lemon drizzle cake as well."

"Coming right up!" replied the voice next to Ellie "Mr Baggins do this! Mr Baggins, we've run out of mead! Mr Baggins, is there more of that wonderful pipeweed? Bloody dwarves. If Mother could see me now, I know exactly what she'd. 'Why, Bilbo Baggins! Our guests are going hungry and you're acting like a grumpy child in the corner. Did I not raise you better than that?'

Ellie couldn't help but chuckle at his grumpiness and despite knowing nothing more than his name, she already liked Bilbo Baggins. It seemed as though he, just as she had, found himself in a situation entirely out of his control yet tried to make the best of it. What surprised Ellie the most about Bilbo Baggins was that he was smaller than a dwarf and dressed entirely differently from Thorin. He wore green velvet breeches and a yellow waistcoat over a white cotton shirt. His hair was short and curly and Ellie couldn't quite determine how old he was. Just like Gandalf, it was as if he was both old, but at the same time ageless. Maybe that was a common thing in Middle-Earth?

When Bilbo was done reaching for things on the pantry shelves, he climbed down the step ladder and left. For a few moments, Ellie just stood there, almost too afraid to leave the relative safety of Bilbo Baggins' pantry, but she knew she couldn't stay there forever. So, after inhaling and exhaling a deep breath, Ellie carefully stepped out of the pantry and into a corridor.

Bilbo's home was unlike anything Ellie had ever seen. It was different from Erebor and its dimly lit, darkened stone halls. It was almost as if Bilbo's house was built as tunnels because it was all just one floor and no basement. All throughout the house, there were panelled walls and tiled floors, some of which appeared to be carpented. As Ellie carefully walked further down the corridor, she also realised that Bilbo's house was absolutely huge and there were several rooms with different functions. The one thing that also caught Ellie's eyes, was the front door which was perfectly round and painted a deep green colour, almost like the door she had first opened in Edinburgh. Another thing that Ellie also realised was that Bilbo's house had windows and she almost laughed, because she was so used to Erebor and its darkness.

Several cloaks and hoods hung on a series of hooks by the door. In fact, Ellie counted thirteen hoods. Some of them were grey, others purple and one was a shade of sky-blue with a silver tassel hanging from it. Judging by the echoing ruckus throughout the house, Bilbo certainly had his hands full entertaining his guests, but the sudden ruckus turned into absolute silence. Ellie's curiosity led her from the corridor, through an empty kitchen and to another tunnel, which seemed adjacent to a large living room. The living room reminded her of a cozy cottage with a lit fire roaring. All thirteen dwarves were gathered in the living room, none of which Ellie recognised, except one particular dwarf that she would recognise anywhere.

Thorin was old.

Much older than when she last saw him. He still had the same ice-blue eyes that always seemed to sparkle when he smiled, but his long and tousled raven hair had grey strands where none had previously been. He stood in the corner with his back against the door and his eyes focused on the dancing flames of the fire while smoking a pipe. Ellie carefully hid behind one of the larger dwarves, hoping Thorin would not see her. She saw Gandalf sitting there as well, also smoking a pipe and it was strange seeing him dressed in grey robes instead of Professor Grayham's clothes. Even though he wasn't looking at her, Ellie still got a feeling Gandalf knew she was there, but chose to not react.

A low humming filled the room and then Thorin began to sing.

"Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away, ere break of day

To seek our pale enchanted gold."

A song of sorrow, Ellie realised. It wasn't just in the words, but in the way the words sounded when they escaped Thorin's lips.

"The dwarves of yore made mighty spells

While hammers fell like ringing bells

In places deep, where dark things sleep

In hollow halls beneath the fells."

Pride.

Thorin had always felt an immense pride in being a dwarf of Erebor. So often during her visits to Erebor, Thorin would tell her stories of his ancestors and she would listen with great intent. Especially when she was younger, but also as she grew older. It didn't surprise her at all to see that everyone were so enthralled by Thorin's singing, because he had always been good at telling stories.

"For ancient king and elvish lord

There many a gleaming golden hoard

They shaped and wrought, and light they caught

To hide in gems on hilt of sword."

The little Ellie knew about dwarves from stories in her world were entirely different from the dwarves of Middle-Earth. In her world, they were always depicted as these greedy and evil creatures who cared for nothing except themselves and their own fortune. After so many years of knowing Thorin, she knew that to not be true. She knew that dwarves cared deeply for their family and those they considered kin. They were loyal to a fault and full of kindness.

"On silver necklaces they strung

The flowering stars on crowns they hung

The dragon-fire in twisted wire

They meshed the light of moon and sun."

Knowing that Thorin and his family had lost the only home they'd ever known caused an ache inside Ellie that she had never felt before. It was like she was mourning for their sake, rather than her own.

"Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away, ere break of day

To claim our long-forgotten gold."

A silent tear ran down Ellie's cheek and she didn't even know when she'd started crying. All she knew was that she was overcome with emotions she couldn't name and she needed some air. As the singing quieted down, Ellie carefully sneaked past the dwarves and out through the living room door, unaware of a pair of watchful eyes following her.

Ellie had been right about one thing: Bilbo's house was indeed built out of tunnels and as were all the other houses nearby. She sat down on the wooden bench, looking out over an unfamiliar countryside landscape. Despite knowing that this was indeed Middle-Earth, Ellie hadn't entirely prepared herself for all the emotions of being there and especially not being in Erebor. She'd known, of course, that Middle-Earth was a far bigger place than she could imagine, but it was still a strange feeling to say the least.

As she looked up into the night sky, she realised the stars were different from those back home. She couldn't see Cassiopeia or Orion the hunter.

"That constellation is called Valcirca.." came a familiar voice from behind Ellie. "It is also known to dwarves as Durin's Crown, the seven stars that Durin saw in the Mirromere."

"Yes," said Ellie, "Durin saw a crown above his head and realised it was a reflection of the stars, even though it was day and the stars shouldn't have been visible. He saw it as a sign and founded the city of Khazad-dûm."

"You remember?"

Ellie nodded and then turned to face Thorin. Even though he was the same dwarf she'd known her whole life, there was still something different about him. At first, Thorin stood there and simply studied Ellie, as if he was trying to decide how to approach the situation. Then, he took a few steps towards her and Ellie realised that he was just as scared as she was.

"How…." Thorin began, "I mean…..are you truly here? How are you here?"

"Honestly….I'm not sure." Ellie replied, "It's been kind of a long day. I walked through a door in Edinburgh and found myself in a pantry….here. Wherever the hell here is."

"This place is called the Shire and that is the home of Bilbo Baggins."

"That brings me to my next awkward question….what is Bilbo? He's not a dwarf...I don't think."

At this, Thorin chuckled and Ellie felt her cheeks turn red with heat.

"Bilbo is a hobbit." Thorin explained, "Big folk sometimes call them halflings."

"Wow...that's…derogatory."

Another moment of awkward silence passed between them and Ellie wasn't sure how to explain her presence. If she was the only one who could see and hear Thorin, maybe she could tell him everything Gandalf had said, but at the same time, maybe it was best to not let him know too much of his own future. If cinema had taught her anything, it was to not mess with powers she did not understand.

The door opened and a young-looking dwarf with blonde hair called out to Thorin.

"Uncle!" he said, "You're missing it! Come on!"

"I shall be there momentarily, Fíli." Thorin replied

"Uncle?" Ellie asked, "Dís has children?"

"You have missed out on a lot. It's been quite some time."

Yeah, Ellie thought, no kidding.

"I have questions," said Thorin, "Many of them."

"I know," Ellie nodded, "Believe me, that makes two of us."

"Can anyone else see you or is it as it has always been?"

Ellie shook her head. "Just you."

Thorin exhaled a sigh that wasn't quite annoyance, but more like frustration and Ellie couldn't help but understand. Just as she was about to speak, Thorin's hand touched hers and her cheeks flushed for the second time that evening.

"You should go back inside," Ellie urged, "We can talk later."

"Will you be here later?" Thorin asked, "Or will another century pass?"

Ellie knew Thorin didn't mean it in that way, but those last words stung and a wave of guilt washed over Ellie. The dwarven prince must have realised and bowed his head in shame.

"I am sorry," he apologised. "We will talk more later, I promise. I am glad to see you, Ellie."

With that, Thorin went back inside Bilbo's house and Ellie stayed outside with no idea of how to proceed.

To be continued….

I'm not super happy about the ending of that chapter, but it is what it is. Do you think Ellie should tell Thorin everything or should she listen to Gandalf and not tell Thorin too much of his future?

I'm also wondering if Ellie should use doors to get to different parts of the dwarves' journey. I don't want to rewrite the plot of the films completely because that's been done so many times before. I'd love to hear your ideas!