Disclaimer: Anything from Lord of the Rings or Ocean's 11, I don't own, so please don't sue me!

Note to Readers: It took me a while to update this, but I hope it will be worth the wait. Thanks to everybody who read and reviewed it for me. Here we go.

Strider's Dozen - Chapter Four - The List

The pub was fairly empty, and except for the daily regulars, only Aragon and his companion sat at on of the many tables in the inn. The day light was seeping through the window's and the cool breeze was floating through the clouds of smoke that filled the lungs of all the early birds that sat around them.

"You're crazy, this will never work" the hobbit spoke quite harshly, to the man across the booth from him. Aragorn merely smiled back at the halfling, who he knew to be very interested in this particular project of his. He knew that Bilbo was well known in these parts, as well as in some of the elven kingdoms east of the Shire. The hobbit had become exceedingly wealthy recently, and Aragorn, as well as the two elves, that had aligned with him were sure that Bilbo was in dire need of a new adventure. Which was what this was surly going to be.

"It will work my wee man, but it will take planning, a fully qualified crew, and to be perfectly honest, a whole lot of coin." Was the man's response, which only caused Bilbo to give him a sarcastic chuckle.

"So that's what you want, my money? And here I was thinking that you wanted my skills as a fighter," the hobbit replied, making the man laugh as well be fore he commented back. "I want both, and if it makes you feel any better, there is no one I would trust more for this than you master Baggins."

"Hah!" Bilbo interrupted, "which is why you come to me second." The guilty expression that then showed itself on Aragorn's face made the halfling's jaw drop, and a hurt look enveloped his features. "How far along the list am I?" he asked, as he took another sip of his icy cold ale which was placed down in front of him by the waitress of the place.

"Third," Strider answered with a shrug, "well, fifth if you count the twins, but I never went to see them, Arwen did."

Bilbo scrunched his small, stout face, and slouched back in his chair, eyeing the man before him closely, as he thought about the offer that had been set in front of him. The risk was big, and dangerous, but then again, anything that involved Strider, usually was. However the payoff was bigger than the hobbit would have expected, and it was obvious that the man had thought this through extensively before he even reached the Shire, weeks ago.

"Where is Legolas? You said he was in on this as well, but he's been gone from here for over a month now, and he didn't mention to anyone if he was returning or not. Which left a lot of angry hobbits waiting for him, should he venture back into these lands," Biblo questioned almost smiling at the thought of the Prince of Mirkwood, being bombarded by small folk, pleading for more lessons and tricks.

"He's been doing some errands, but he's due back today." Aragorn's began, "which is why I need your answer before he steps through that door. Time is something that we cannot postpone, and I will need to know whether I have my bankroll or not."

"I'm in" Biblo answered, "just don't get me killed."

Just then , the doors of the pub were thrown open, and in rushed a very incognito Legolas, who need not even bother to make his presence known to either Aragorn of Bilbo, and was more concentrated on hiding behind the door, as it once again opened, then entered a very irritated Merry and Pippin. Two of the hobbits that Legolas had neglected to finish teaching the skills of combat as their agreement planned.

The look of complete horror on the elf's face made Aragorn smile, never before had he ever seen Thranduil's son so on edge, and the fact that it took two halflings to cause him to hide, amused the human greatly.

"Has anybody seen that darn elf in here?" Merry asked in a loud holler, so that everyone in the place could hear him, especially the elf, and the two companions sitting across from the door. Aragorn found himself forced to look down at the table to avoid erupting in laughter, as Legolas began to wave his slender hands in front of him, signalling for everyone to not give him away.

The prince's behaviour was unnatural, which only made the situation all the more hilarious. After a few agonizing minutes, the two young friends left the bar, and allowed the elf to breath again, as he brushed himself off, returned to his normal aloof persona, and walk over to where the man and hobbit sat, acting as if the entire thing had not occurred.

"Legolas, my friend," Bilbo started as the elf took a seat beside him, and avoided eye contact with the smirking man before them. "what would your father say, if he learned that his only son and heir was hiding from us little folk?" he finished his jest as he the ranger met cups, causing Legolas to let out a huff in protest.

"If you are quite done, I thought you might be interested in hearing what Arwen and I accomplished over my absence," the golden elf interrupted when he saw that Aragorn was planning to join in on the teasing.

"Sorry" the man and hobbit said in unison, which urged the fair being to continue.

"Well, like I predicted, Elladan and Elrohir took little to no convincing at all. They're just excited about being seeing the maidens of Alatar's court. Which gives us our decoys." Legolas informed, as his companions nodded along as he spoke.

"Who else?" Aragorn asked, curious as to who his wife, and best friends had rounded up for their mission.

"Faramir, son of Denethor of Gondor, and Eomer of Rohan are with us. As well as Gandalf the Grey. He is actually yearning to pay back the blue wizard for some humiliation he caused him centuries ago, at one on my father's banquets, he's agreed that the time has come for him to pay her dear old friend a visit." Legolas continued, as Bilbo could not help but interrupt.

"Excuse me, but there is no way that we are going to be able to pull this off, with only Gandalf as an insider. Alatar has more guards that I could count. It would be impossible for us to keep our eyes on all of them," the hobbit explained, only to have the elf smile big at him, causing the worried expression on the ranger's face to fade.

"I expected one of you at say that," the elf countered expanding his grin, as he brushed the stray flaxen strands from his fine face. "You see, it just so happens that I am owed a large favour from someone in a position to help us. He has also agreed to aid us, and his service will be unhindered unless of course, lady Galadriel starts to miss it."

"Miss it?" Strider question as he tilted his head to the side slightly, and met eyes with the blonde elf prince, "you don't mean me took it do you?"

Legolas smiled proudly, "I do Aragorn. Lord Celeborn is on his way here as we speak, and with him, he brings to us, the lady's all seeing mirror."

Bilbo wasn't quite certain what the mirror, his friends spoke of was, or the significance of it, however it seemed to please both the man and the elf, and so he let it go. "What about somebody for the tunnels? Who did you get for that?" he asked, catching the fair being's attention.

"I was thinking about the creature, Gollum. However, I know not if he can be trusted," the elf answered, which caused both Aragorn and Bilbo to shake their heads. Legolas was right, Gollum wouldn't help, and even if he did, it was too risky to leave an important task, perhaps the most important, to one who could be considered shaky.

"What about my nephew, Frodo? He's small enough, and his loyalty would be unquestionable." Bilbo suggested, which was met with an exchanged glance between Aragorn and Legolas, before they nodded, and accepted the hobbits suggestion.

"Alright, that gives us twelve," Strider began as scratched the back of his neck, "I'd say we're all set," the man stopped when he noticed that Legolas suddenly became jittery, and sunk down into his seat. "We do have twelve don't we?" he asked, arching his eyebrow slightly.

"Eleven," the elf replied, confirming the ranger's gut instinct, he knew that he should have sent Arwen, or gone himself to fetch the dwarf. He knew that Legolas had a lot of hostility towards the race, and that sending him to fetch one, never mind offer them a job would be a difficult task.

"Legolas" Aragorn started, but was cut off. "I refuse to speak with him, Aragorn. You know what occurred the last time, the two of us met. I have still yet to figure out the last bit he said to me, for it was in his own tongue, however, it could not have been friendly."

"We need Gimli on this, and you know it," Aragorn countered, "however I understand your viewpoint, and so I will fetch the dwarf myself."

"No, I said I would, and I keep to my word. If it is Gimli, who you want for this, then I will see he is involved," Legolas replied, somewhat proudly.

"Good," Aragorn proclaimed, joyful that everything was now going according to plan, "then Gimli makes twelve."

*Well I finally updated this story, and hopefully you liked it. Oh and just so you know, I'm not too sure on Alatar the blue wizard's history, so I used him as the target in this story. It is Au after all, however, if anybody has any information, please feel free to send it, and I'll change things around.*