The Day Middle-earth Stood Still

By: Neko-chan

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own nothin'. *waves to 'Teddy Grams'* I'm glad you like it so far! *innocent grin* That may or may not last.... *goes off, whistling innocently*



Chapter Two

Bryanna paused in her glomping of 'her' Elves and looked up, staring at Gandalf in puzzlement. "Insane? Who, us?" she asked, pointing to her, then to Hobbit-boy. Sean didn't notice the conversation, due to the fact that he was still worshiping his 'god.' Bryanna scowled and crawled over her new 'pets.' "Yo, Seannykins-chan," she said and poked Sean in the side with a shoe. "Gandalf thinks that we're insane!"

Sean stopped his genuflecting for a moment. "Qua? Who, us?" he asked in puzzlement, staring at Gandalf with a confused expression on his face. "Why would he think that we're insane?"

Since Bryanna had her attention elsewhere, Gildor, Glorfindel, Legolas, and Elrond began to scoot away, being as quiet as they possibly could. Suddenly, Bryanna turned around and stared at them, fire in her gray eyes. "Where do you think you're going?" she scolded the Elves, hands on her hips.

Hobbit-boy looked at her 'pets' pityingly. "You should've known better," he told them softly. "You can't escape now that she has her claws dug into you. It's impossible. Besides, even if she has her back turned to you, she can still see you. She has eyes in the back of her head!"

Bryanna glared at Sean. "I do not!" she exclaimed.

"Do too," retorted Hobbit-boy. "It's a girl thing," he explained to his 'audience.'

Interrupting their fight before it could begin, Gandalf asked, "Well, if you two are not insane, what ARE you then?"

The red-head stared at Gandalf as if it were obvious. "We're teenagers," she told him matter-of-factly. Sean nodded, agreeing with her completely; her answer explained everything. After all, hadn't any of the others dealt with teenagers before? The duo would soon discover that no, none of Tolkien's characters HAD ever encountered teenagers before...or, at least, teenagers quite like Bryanna and Sean.

Gandalf still looked suspicious. "Are you _sure_ no physicians have diagnosed either of you with an illness of the mind?"

Bryanna once again looked puzzled. "No. Why would you think that?"

In the background, the group could hear someone mumble, "I wonder why..." Unfortunately, Bryanna had heard this and she whirled around, using her most dangerous weapon: The Dragon Glare. Even Sean, who was used to this particular weapon, cowered before its awesome might.

Bryanna was about to continue when, suddenly, Sean's stomach growled, rumbling throughout the Great Hall. The girl blinked and stared at Sean in amusement. "I guess you're more Hobbit than we originally thought, Hobbit-boy." Sean ignored this particular comment and edged closer to the tables, looking at the food with a glint in his eyes.

The four Hobbits noticed this and brought their (full) plates closer to their bodies.

For the first time, Elrond spoke: "Well...since you two are here, I guess you could be guests at our feast. Be seated and know that you are welcomed!" Hearing this, Bryanna gave another fangirl squeal (and once again, the Elves winced in pain) and wormed into her the middle of her harem, smiling brightly and latched onto Legolas and Glorfindel's arms. The two Elves sighed, but decided to put up with their fates. After all, what could they do? (Short of amputating their arms, of course...)

Sean went to his 'brethren' and looked at the food with a dangerous look in his eyes. Once again, the Hobbits brought their food even closer to their bodies, keeping an eye on Sean out of the corner of their eyes. Ignoring this, Hobbit-boy examined the food closer...and then he discovered the Dwarf ale.

"Uh-oh....." was all Bryanna was able to say before Sean grabbed a tankard of ale and started to drink it rapidly. She winced and mumbled so softly that only the Elves surrounding her could hear: "I think that this is gonna be a problem...."

Ten Minutes and Five Ale Tankard Later...

Sean was dancing on the tables. Bryanna was averting her eyes. Everyone found this very amusing. Bryanna did not. The teenage red-head burrowed her face deeper into Legolas' shirt, her face burning scarlet, while the blonde Prince continued to stare at Sean with undisguised horror.

"This is my left foot, la di da di da; this is my right foot, la di da di da; I shall shout, with de-light; for I know my left foot from my right!" Sean sang, dancing around the top of the table (and somehow managing to miss all of the platters of food), waving each foot in time to the song.

"This is not happening, this is not happening, this is not happening, this is not happening, this is not happening," Bryanna mumbled over and over and over, mentally debating whether or not to hide under the tables. Soon, Pippin and Merry joined their 'brother,' also singing along.

The red-head whimpered and pulled her school softball sweatshirt's hood over her head, hoping that maybe _that_ would be able to hid her. It wouldn't.

"C'mon, Brrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyy," Sean said drunkenly. He wobbled a bit, almost falling off the table. But, Merry and Pippin managed to catch him in time. He smiled woozily and swayed. "C'mon, Brrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyy," he said again, "I know *hic* that you know a couple of Irish bar songs!"

Legolas looked surprised and stared down at the girl, who was slowly inching down in her seat, trying her hardest not to be seen. "You do?" he asked in shock. A hooded nod was his answer. The Prince then grinned and chuckled to himself. When one got over the shock of these 'teenagers,' they were actually very amusing!

As if she could read his thoughts (which Sean often claimed that she--and any other female--was able to), Bryanna swatted his leg and slumped deeper into her chair. And still, Sean continued his drunken revels, joined by Merry, Pippin, and now--one very drunk--Gimli.

This continued all night long, while the four got drunker and drunker and Bryanna got redder and redder and the other guests of the feast got more and more amused...

The last thing that Bryanna remembered, as she rocked herself back and forth under the table, was Sean singing, "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, deedle le de, there they are, just standing in a rooooow, dum dum dum, big ones, small ones, some as big as your head!"

* * *

Sean sat up groggily, finding himself in a bed. He rubbed his head and found that it hurt. He opened his eyes and found that THAT hurt as well. He fell back against the covers and slung an arm over his eyes. "Fwa....why do I feel do awful....?" he asked no one in particular.

"Because you got drunk," Bryanna replied from her chair by his bed.

Hobbit-boy whimpered and burrowed his head under a pile of pillows. "Could you yell a little softer?" came the plaintive request from under his nest.

Bryanna snorted and Sean winced. "I'm not yelling, Seannykins-chan. You are experiencing what is known as a 'hangover.' And that is that LAST time you are even going NEVER Dwarven ale, Hobbit-boy. Never again. _Never_ again." She shook her head rapidly and Sean peeked out from his pillows. Watching her made him dizzy and he retreated back into his sanctuary.

Continuing, the red-head said: "Now hurry up and get dressed. If you aren't dressed in five minutes or less, I'm leaving without you. And I don't care if you ARE hungover. You should've thought of that last night, when you first spotted the ale."

"Where're you goin'?" Sean asked.

Bryanna grinned evilly and made her way towards the door. "Oh, nowhere in particular....just the Council of Elrond..."

She skipped out the door and down the hallway, listening to the 'thud' as Sean hit the floor and started moving around the room at lightspeed. Just because she had...forgotten...to mention that the council wouldn't be starting for another several hours didn't mean a thing.

Bryanna smirked to herself and walked into the Great Hall, finding a seat near her 'harem' and smiling at the four Elves brightly. For some reason, they smiled back. Instantly, the girl sobered. They were up to something...she didn't know what, but she knew that they were... Gildor, Glorfindel, Elrond, and Legolas may be Elves, but they were still males! She shot a suspicious look at them and their smiles brightened further.

The girl was terrified by this and grabbed the arms of her chair and started to scoot away from them. Once she was a comfortable distance away, Bryanna started to pile different foods on her plate, still keeping an eye on her 'harem' out of the corner of her gray eyes.

She had just started nibbling on a piece of melon that she didn't recognize when Sean came running into the Great Hall, hopping and tugging a tennis shoe onto his foot. "Where is it?!" he asked frantically. "Where is it? I didn't miss it, did I?!"

"Miss what?" Bryanna asked innocently. "The Council of Elrond isn't supposed to start for several more hours, Seannykins-chan."

"WHAT?!" Sean yelled, tongues of flame arching from his eyes. Unknown to him, it also singed his mop of hair. Bryanna found this amusing and decided not to tell him....for now.

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP, BAKA!" she yelled at him, taking off one of her black Vans and throwing it at him. It hit him in the head. If Bryanna had done this any other person, they'd have complained. But not Sean. Hobbit-boy was just glad that it hadn't been either the Frying Pan of Doom or the Spork of Terror. Which made him wonder...had they come with her when they were sent into Middle-earth.

Once again interrupting their fight before it could begin, Gandalf said, "If you're talking about the council meeting, that actually took place an hour ago. You both missed it."

The two teenagers stared at him, fire coming forth from their eyes. "WHAT?!" the duo exclaimed. Bryanna took off her other shoe and threw it at him. Unfortunately, Gandalf was quicker than he looked and he ducked.

"Spunky old man," she mumbled under her breath. Suddenly, an idea came to her. She glared at her 'harem.' "None of you knew about this, did you?" she asked threateningly. The four Elves shook their heads mutely. Even being nearly-immortal beings, they DID have survival instincts, after all.

Continuing as if nothing had happened, Gandalf said: "And it has been decided that you both are going to come along with as, as members of the Fellowship of the Ring.

Bryanna paused, halfway between throwing an extremely gooey piece of fruit, while Sean hid beneath the table. He had seen Dragon Lady mad before, he _knew_ what would happen when someone got her furious. Thank whatever Middle-earthian gods that she wasn't furious--yet. Thinking along these lines, Hobbit-boy suddenly winced. What would happen when Bryanna finally met up with Saruman? He didn't want to know...

"We're coming along?" she asked cautiously, slowly lowering the bit of sticky food.

Unknown to the others, Gandalf breathed a sigh of relief. It would have taken _forever_ to have gotten that piece of fruit out of his beard! "Yes, you're really coming along with us," he answered. After all, Elrond had threatened him with death if he and the others didn't take the two 'teenagers' along with them! But, poor poor Legolas went green at the mention of the red-headed girl coming along.

Bryanna grinned brightly and jumped up, dancing around the table and hugging Sean tightly. "Did you hear that, Seannykins-chan?! We're going along!! WE'RE GOING ALONG!!" Hobbit-boy grinned also and linked hands with Bryanna, dancing along with her. Soon, the two of them were doing an Irish jig. But, all too soon, Bryanna stopped, frowning thoughtfully. "Hey, Sean.....I can't remember....do the Hobbits visit Tom Bombadil _before_ or _after_ they arrive in Rivendell?"

Sean blinked. "Before they arrive in Rivendell. Remember? Tom has to save them right after they leave the Old Forest!"

The red-headed girl stilled. "But....but...but that means that we don't get to met him!" she wailed, her legs giving out and falling to the stone covered ground. She sniffled pathetically, and looked imploring at Gimli, Boromir, Aragorn, the four Hobbits, Gandalf, and Legolas.

Gandalf quickly shook his head. "No. Oh, no. We are NOT going to the Old Forest. Nope. We aren't."



TBC...