A/N: Alright, because you demanded it... Gambit makes his first appearance in this chapter! Chapter 4 finally is done. It's been hard because I just got a job. So updates will be a bit slower probably once a week. just so you know I really wanted to get this chapter out bad so there's some stuff in it that I'm not wholly satisfied with so expect some editing, but I hope that you enjoy it. Thanks to everyone who took the time to review.

Lynne0: Well I don't know about the making the pass part but I'll think about the fight. and yes in either chapter 5 or 6 the X-men and the Fellowship will meet.

Kathfire: Jean and Aragorm meeting are a sure thing. Though both are heavily commited to there respective honeys but, hey Scott can be jealous.

Nienna of Sorrow: Thanks for the review! I'm glad that you were pleased with the last chapter. It's not often that someone thinks that a chapter is too short.

Thanks to: me0, stri, and Acadian Angel0, for the reviews also if you have any suggestion of what you would like to see in the story I'd love to hear them.

Disclaimer: Smoking is bad for you

Chapter 4

Addictions: Smoking, Gambling, and Rings of Power

Xavier sat at his desk. His personal study was where he quietly meditated over the most important issues of mutants, and his X-men. Often he would use this retreat to reflect on how one of them was doing in their personal progression as mutants and as people, yet on this afternoon it was reserved for only one thing: Adoration. Lying at the center of his desk was the ring; he had found in the forest where they had located Frodo. Xavier was no fool. He had suspected that it belonged to the hobbit when he had picked it up; and after he had scanned Frodo's mind he was almost sure of it. Xavier could not fathom why the hobbit's mind was trying to block all memory of it. The Ring was so extraordinary. Xavier had thought that even before he had put it on. Once he did he was even more amazed as it made him invisible, not only that when he held it in his hand he could feel a surge of power. He knew that he would have to give it back to Frodo.

"But not yet" he rationalized. "If his mind wanted to block memory of it. Then it would be traumatic to reintroduce the ring just yet." Xavier picked the ring up and began to gently stroke it. "No," his thoughts continued. "I have to study figure out the mystery before I give it back. Such and opportunity would be too precious to give up."

Suddenly Jean walked through the door. Quickly Xavier tried to hide the ring, but it was too late Jean had seen Xavier try to hide it.

"Charles," Jean asked curiously "what have you got there?"

"What are you talking about?" Xavier said.

"What ever you hid in your coat pocket. The same thing that you've kept there for the last two days. Don't think that I haven't noticed that your hand is always in there."

"It's nothing." Xavier said defensively

"Charles." Jean responded. "You can trust me. You've been like a father to me. I would keep it a secret if you wish. I just don't like the idea of you hiding things from me."

Xavier sighed he knew that Jean would not give in until he showed her. Reluctantly he removed the Ring from his pocket. Jean stared at the ring in astonishment.

"A ring." She said staring intensely at it. "Where did you find it?"

"Family heirloom." Xavier lied.

"It's so beautiful." Jean smiled

"It's mine!" Xavier growled.

"Calm down Charles," Jean gasped not used to seeing Professor X angry. "I only said that it was beautiful."

"Well now you've seen it." Xavier said putting back in his pocket "Remember you promised not to tell anyone of it."

"Very well Charles." Jean said as she turned to walk out. "By the way I came in to tell you that cerebro has picked up several more traces of energy much like it did the night Frodo came." Jean had almost reached the door when Xavier called her.

"Jean! Wait!" He said. "I'm sorry I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"Well not so much hurt as scared." Jean said. " I worry about you Professor, especially when you're under a lot of stress. I worry that you might create another Onslaught."

"Don't worry Jean." Xavier said reassuringly "I still have a very tight grasp of my sanity. It' just that this Ring is..." Xavier stammered for words. "Is...Precious to me."

"Just don't do that to me again." Jean said as she left. Xavier was left alone once again to ponder the Ring.

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"Well are you in, or are you out, Mon ami?" Gambit with cheap cigarette. Said looking at the poker tables other occupants. Rouge sat next to him, she had already folded. Across from him sat Wolverine studying his cards with a cigar in his mouth. Jubilee sat next to him holding her breath because on her other side sat Frodo who was smoking from a pipe that had been in his bag. Xavier had explained to Frodo about where he was and that Xavier would work on a way to return Frodo to Middle-earth, but in the meantime he made Frodo a guest at the mansion and assigned Jubilee to be his companion. Frodo had quickly become accustomed to the X-men.

"Ugh." She said "it's bad enough that I have to sit through this boring game. But do you three have to smoke?"

"Sorry Darling." Wolverine said "It's almost a rule when your playing with the Cajun you got to smoke."

"Then why didn't Aw haveta smoke?" Rouge countered.

"You get by on looks Chere" Gambit said.

"Well Aw think that it's gross." She said giving him a disgusted look. Gambit sheepishly put his cigarette out. Frodo laughed

"Well no fair for him if I smoke." He said putting his pipe out.

"Wolvieee!" Jubilee said.

"Nothing doing kid." Wolverine said puffing on his cigar. "Cajun I raise you two." Wolverine tossed two chips in.

"I'll see dat" Gambit said tossing two chips in.

"As will I," Frodo said who had just recently been introduced to the game, but had caught on quite quickly. "And I'll raise you three."

Wolverine side and put his cards face down on the table.

"Called my bluff. Good one bub" he said to Frodo.

"Well, well," Gambit said "Looks like it be just you and me."

"It would seem so," Frodo grinned.

"How 'bout we make dis interesting." Gambit said slyly

"What do you mean?" Frodo asked.

"If I win. You give me dat nice shiny sword of yours." Gambit replied

"And If I win?" Frodo asked. "Sting was given to me by my Uncle Bilbo its very valuable to me."

Gambit thought for a moment. "Well den," Gambit said finally "I've got a date wit Rouge tomorrow night. If you win you go in my place."

"Remy!" Rouge shouted.

"Don't worry chere." Gambit interrupted "I never lose."

"Well Aw won't be part of this" she said storming out.

"I'll take that bet!" Frodo said. Gambit dealt the cards both studied them for a moment. Finally Gambit smirked.

"Sorry, but I win!" He said putting down four kings. "What you got?"

"Well I'm not sure." Frodo said showing his cards. "All I have are four aces, Is that good?"

Gambit's mouth practically hit the floor. Wolverine chuckled and Jubilee ran out of the room yelling.

"Hey Rouge guess what!? I wouldn't wear your high heels tonight!"

"I don't believe it." Gambit stammered "I even cheated!"

"YOU WHAT!?" Wolverine yelled jumping the Cajun. All Frodo could do was laugh at the sight of Gambit trying to escape the infuriated Wolverine. Well laugh and collect all the poker chips that had fallen to the floor.

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Night had fallen. Legolas, Gimli, Sam, and Aragorn trudged through the woods. They had searched all day but could find no trace of Frodo. What was worse they had, had a hard time finding their way back to the meeting sight.

"I don't mean to complain." Sam said tiredly "but this is a real fix that Gandalf has got us in. I know he's wise and everything but he couldn't even find Mr. Frodo for us."

"Gandalf is doing the best he can, " Aragorn said. "And trust me he's every bit concerned for Frodo that you are."

"Do you smell that?" Gimli asked "there is a foul smell. But I have no idea what it is."

"Yes." Aragorn said sniffing the air. "The air does not smell pure here. Legolas, do you see anything?"

"The woods thin a bit ahead, but I do not see much more." The elf replied. The companions continued forward for a while. Then suddenly halted. Before them lay a road, but one as they had never seen.

"What manner of road is this?" Gimli cried. "It's all black save the yellow lines in the center and it smells of tar!"

"Yet it is so smooth. I can see know seams of other stones. It's as if it was all one big stone." Legolas said he looked down the road his eyes widened "What manner of beast is that!"

"What," Aragorn said "What do you see?"

"Look for yourself." He replied. Aragorn looked in the dark he could see two bright lights rapidly approaching them.

"Get down!" He yelled Legolas and Gimli immediately ducked but Sam just stared at the approaching lights mesmerized.

"They're so bright" he said. "They're like two big eyes." Aragorn leapt to get Sam out of the way. The "creature" came bearing down on Sam who finally started screaming and jumped just as it swerved and barely missed him. Infuriated at what he thought was an attempt on the hobbit's life, Gimli hurled one of his axes at it. There was a crashing sound and the creature turned around and stopped with the lights blaring in the companion's faces.

"We're going to die!" Sam who was curled up in a ball screamed. Out of the "belly" of the creature a man came. He looked at the axe, which was embedded, in the creature's "back end".

"MY CAR!" He yelled "LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY CAR!" The man stormed angrily to the four companions and began to curse furiously at them. When he stopped to catch his breath, he noticed that three of them, had weapons drawn on him.

"What manner of creature is that!?" Gimli demanded motioning to the car. "Speak quickly!"

A horrified look suddenly came over the man's face, as he looked closer at Gimli and Legolas. "You're muties!" He exclaimed. "Like that one that tried to kill those people with a sword in New York two days ago!"

"What?" Aragorn asked

"You didn't answer my question!" Gimli interrupted, holding his axe up.

"YOU WON'T GET ME YOU FILTHY MUTIES!" The man screamed as he pulled out a small dark object and pointed it at them. "NOT ONE STEP CLOSER OR I'LL BLOW YOU AWAY!" The three "muties" didn't react at all to it.

"I'm warning you!" Gimli growled stepping forward.

"STAY BACK!" The man hollered as he began to pull the trigger, but just then it began to glow red-hot. The man screamed and dropped the gun. Then came a huge flame from the woods knocking him down.

"BE GONE!" A powerful voice came. The man ran to his car and sped off as fast as he could.

To the four members of the Fellowship that had beheld the spectacle there was no doubt in their minds as to whom it was: Gandalf emerged from the woods accompanied by Boromir and Merry.

"Well looks like I came in the knick of time." Gandalf commented.

"You always do." Legolas said "did you have any luck finding Frodo?"

"We did," Boromir said "and we didn't"

"I believe that we found the spot where Frodo arrived." Gandalf said " we found some dead orcs and the cave-troll, also dead. And where I believe Frodo had lain. But it's as if he disappeared. No trace of his footprints."

"You mean Mr. Frodo killed the cave-troll?" Sam who had since gotten up asked.

"No," Gandalf said. "Nor do I believe that the orcs have him. He was saved...by what I do not know. The orcs and cave-troll had very unusual wounds on them. I advise more caution." He looked directly at Sam "From everyone"

"Let us go to this place." Aragorn insisted

"No," Gandalf said, "Let us make camp and we will go tomorrow. There has been enough, 'adventure' for one evening." They began to walk in the woods in order to find a suitable place to make camp. Gimli straggled behind. Legolas approached him.

"What's wrong?" He asked

"Stupid man." Gimli grumbled. "He and that accursed beast they got away with my axe!"

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"WRAITH'S! HELP ME!" Frodo screamed as he awoke from his nightmare, flailing his arms around himself in his bed. His shoulder burnt with pain where he had been stabbed. "HELP ME!"

The door opened Storm rushed in, "What is it?" She said steadying Frodo "You're fine. Your safe."

Frodo gasped for air, still panicked "They're here!" he said "In the hallway! I saw them! The Wraiths" Frodo's mind flashed to his dream. He had seen four Nazgul enter the mansion swords drawn. They had walked down the hallway toward Frodo's room. His mind had flashed to their white image of when he saw them while wearing the Ring. "The Ring!" Frodo yelled suddenly remembering. "WHERE'S THE RING!" he began to get more frantic. Storm was having a hard time keeping him from falling to the floor.

"What are you talking about?" She said "What ring!? I was just in the hallway! No one is there!"

"My Ring!" Frodo yelled then suddenly he fainted. Storm stood up to call for help but as she turned she saw Professor X in the doorway.

"Charles!" Storm cried before she could continue Wolverine, Jean, and Cyclops came running up behind him.

"What happened!" Cyclops demanded "We heard screaming!"

"It was Frodo." Xavier said "I came as soon as I heard him screaming from down the hallway. Frodo apparently had, had a bad dream. He was so frantic that I used my telepathy to make him sleep.

"You did that!?" Storm gasped, looking down at Frodo who was now sleeping peacefully.

"Charles!" Jean said angrily at his misuse of his telepathy.

"You know of the head trauma he had." Xavier defended. "I could not allow him to slip into some sort of delirium tomorrow I will talk with him and counsel him, but in the meantime I suggest that everybody get some rest. You all watched the news. There blaming a mutant for attacking a group of people in New York with a sword. We will be busy tomorrow." With that Professor X turned and went down the hallway and to his room.

"I can't believe that Charles would do that sort of thing." Storm commented as they left Frodo's room.

"What was Frodo saying?" Cyclops asked.

"He was ranting about Wraith's coming to get him and something about a ring." she replied

"A ring!" Jean gasped they all looked at her questioningly. " It's nothing." she said just then Wolverine stopped and sniffed the air.

"That's what I thought I smelt." He said half to himself.

"What?" Storm asked

"Fish," he answered

"You means something smells fishy," Jean sneered "I agree."

"No, Darlin" Wolverine said "I said fish, there is the scent of fish around here. Probably nothing. but keep an eye open."

"Two eyes," Cyclops said. "Something's not right here."

"Two eyes?" Wolverine smirked. "Cyke I didn't know that you could do that."

"Shut up Logan" Cyclops said "Those jokes were funny when we first met."

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"I don't know how I can thank you enough!" Pippin said as he crammed food down his throat. "If it hadn't been for you, Those people would have killed me!"

Magneto sat at the other end of the table contemplating his guest. Though short in stature but large in appetite the young 'hobbit' as he called himself was a chatterbox.

"I'm sure that Gandalf and the others will find a way to reward you." He said finishing his meal. "But I am glad to be out of that cave. It was such a dark place. I hope that we can find Frodo; the quest wills all have been in vain without him."

"Aw yes," Magneto finally said. "Tell me more about this Frodo friend of yours and his ring."