A/N- Many thanks to Tongue In Cheek Scribe who is my first reviewer. Go check out her stories. They are hilarious.

Fixation on the Darkness

Five years had passed in Shire reckoning since the time Merry and Pippin had found Annabeth. Merry had taken her to Brandy Hall in the region of Buckland when they were unable to find her father. In all actuality, they didn't look very far. They went as far as Farmer Maggot's crops and the whole ordeal had been forgotten in one way or another.

So, Merry took Annabeth to Brandy Hall to live with him much to the dismay of the other Brandybuck's who knew she was of man's race and would one day outgrow them and their home. Not to mention possibly draw too much attention to their region where they were use to living comfortably, perfectly content to be ignored by other races. Merry and Pippin though put up a fantastic fight to let Anna live with them. The family relented and Anna was treated as though she had been born a hobbit. She went with no shoes like other hobbits. She loved the flowers and trees. She had even managed to sneak away a mug of ale at dinner one night. That she did not love. Nor did she care for pipeweed like Merry and Pippin.

We're now at the time where Anna is at age ten in the years of man and today is an exciting day for her.

I ran through the halls of home, being sure to duck my head down when needed, making my way to Uncle Merry's room. I didn't even bother to knock. I just barged in. I lept onto his bed and began yelling ",Come on, Uncle Merry. Today we go to Bilbo's. You can get drunk with Frodo and Bilbo can tell me about his adventures. And I can help Sam in the gardens. Come on, wake up, you old fart."

"I am not old. What time is it." Merry looked out of his window and groaned. "You wake me at the worst times. The sun has barely risen."

"But its a long walk to Bilbo's. Come on. First breakfast is already on the table. It'll get cold or eaten up if you don't hurry. Come on, come on, come on."

Merry slowly got out of bed and pushed me out of the room. "Let me dress and I'll be right out."

He closed the door in my face and I waited about a minute or right about when I knew he was getting back into bed. I charged into the room and grabbed him by both ankles managing to pull his hefty weight out of the bed onto the floor. "You do this everytime, Uncle Merry. Have you put on weight ?"

"I'm getting ready for winter, Anna. Now that I know I have no chance of going back to sleep I will dress and meet you in the dining room. Now, go on, shoo."

I went to the dining room and ate my breakfast in complete silence. The only reason for that was that no one had woken up yet. Uncle Merry soon joined me and I had to wait while he had three helpings of everything on the table. After he had smoked a pipe he was finally ready to go. The sun was already rising high in the sky and we still had a long walk ahead of us. It looked like Uncle Merry was going to miss second breakfast and quite possibly elevensies. I tucked a couple of apples into the pockets of my dress and followed him out of the door in the direction of Bilbo's home. Today would be an exciting day indeed.

"I don't understand what's going on, Doctor Stevens," Mrs. Voight practically wailed at the doctor. "Its been five months. Why hasn't she woken up yet ?"

"I can't answer that. I've never seen anything like it before. Her brain activity is off of the charts but her response to external stimuli has decreased. There's almost no reaction to it. We've run every test that we know and the results show nothing significant. We're waiting on another group of specialist to fly out. This group is coming from Europe. Maybe they can offer us some insight."

"I just want her to wake up."

I raced ahead of Uncle Merry so that I could be the first one at the front door of Bilbo's hobbit hole. Because if I didn't knock then Uncle Merry would just barge in and make Bilbo mad and then there would be no stories. I just couldn't have that. I knocked on the front door and waited for Frodo or Bilbo to answer it while Uncle Merry huffed his way up behind me.

"You cheated, Anna."

"Did not."

"You stepped on my foot."

"You have a big foot. Can I help it if it sticks out too far."

"I think you did it on purpose."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Its about time the two of you got here," Frodo beamed from the front door. "Though how anyone could miss your coming I don't know."

Uncle Merry puffed his chest out ",What is that suppose to mean ?"

"That I could hear you coming all the way from Buckland."

I giggled as I snuck around Frodo into the messy but cozy home. "Is that Anna I hear, Frodo," Bilbo called from his study which was quite possibly even messier than the rest of the house.

"Yes, Mr. Baggins. Uncle Merry came with me."

I looked over my shoulder but Uncle Merry and Frodo were already gone. To the kitchen more than likely. "My how you've grown, Anna. You're as tall as me now. I trust you are doing well ?"

"Very well, Mister Baggins."

"How many times must I tell you to call me Bilbo. The only people who call me Mister Baggins are those who don't know me. Now give me a hug." I leaned down and gave him a quick hug before following him in the direction of the kitchen. "Are you hungry, Anna ?"

"No, sir. I brought an apple with me. I have one for you too if you would like it."

"Now, you're the kind of relation that I like. You come into my home and don't expect to be fed unlike some I know," Bilbo said pointedly to Uncle Merry as he tried to hide what looked like a drumstick behind his back. "What brings the two of you here today ?"

"I came to visit with Frodo. Anna came along to hear some of your stories and to help Sam if he'll let her."

"Stories ? Anna, I have told you every tale of my adventures. Three times in fact."

"I could never get tired of them, Bilbo," I sighed excitedly. "It must have been so wonderful to have gotten out of the Shire."

"Wonderful," Bilbo laughed, causing me to blush. But then he dropped his voice to a dark whisper ",There was danger at every turn my dear child."

I sat down on the floor quickly, looking up at Bilbo with wide eyes ",This is going to be so good."

Bilbo told his tales, taking longer in his descriptions of the trolls and Smaug than he had before since he knew that those were my favorite parts. The entire time though he was messing with something in his vest pocket. Not wanting to be rude I didn't mention it while he talked. When he finished I handed him one of the apples in my apron pocket which he took and bit into with much relish. His other hand though still remained in his vest pocket. "What do you have, Bilbo ?"

"Ah, nothing. Just a trinket. Nothing really. A birthday gift."

Bilbo revealed the ring for a moment and I looked at his face. He looked at the ring adoringly. It was much more than just a trinket to him. "Are you sure it was a birthday gift?"

"Of course I'm sure," he snapped at me. "What are you saying ? That I'm lying. A guest in my home calling me a liar ? Who are you to accuse me of such things !"

I felt my lower lip tremble. Bilbo had never yelled at me before. He had always been kind spoken and gentle. There was something about this 'gift' that had changed him. Uncle Merry and Frodo, who had been in the kitchen the whole time, stared at Bilbo in disbelief. "Bilbo, I'm sure Anna meant nothing by it. I think she just meant it must have been another kind of occasion since during birthdays we are in the habit of giving gifts and not recieving them," Frodo replied calmly.

"BAH ! I know what the girl meant. She's calling me a liar !"

"No, she's not, Bilbo," Uncle Merry chided. "She's only a child. She doesn't understand many things of the world. Especially not out of the Shire."

"She shouldn't understand things in the Shire. She's not a hobbit !"

I ran out of the house, crying. I nearly tripped over Sam in making my escape. "Ah, Miss Anna. I didn't expect you out of the house for at least another hour. Is the story telling over already ? What's wrong ?"

"Nothing," I snapped, wiping my face with the sleeve of my dress. Then I looked down at Sam who was kneeling in the garden. He looked hurt. "Sorry, Sam. Do you need any help ? That is one of the reasons I came here."

"I thought you would never ask. There are weeds that need pullin'."

A/N- Next Chapter: Safe Home- Another jump in time. We arrive at Bilbo and Frodo's birthday party. You know the one. Yep, that one.