A/N-Sorry for taking so long in the update. I had to make sure I had my time lines right. Do you know how long it takes to write down the entire time line for LotR when you don't have a printer? A very long time indeed. This isn't so much a time jump in Anna's age as its just a jump to an important part of the story. Oh, and as for the previous chapter, I meant to put that Anna had been asleep for five months not five years. Sorry, it has been corrected. Many thanks to Tongue in Cheek Scribe, baileymag and Elven Script for the reviews.

Disclaimer- I don't own it so please don't sue. If you do then all you'll get out of it is my grumpy husband.

Safe Home

"Have you made any progress in the testing, Doctor Wagner," Doctor Stevens asked the other doctor who was looking intently at the computer screen.

"I don't understand this at all," Doctor Wagner whispered in a thick German accent. "The girl's brain activity is off the chart. You would almost think that she had created an entire world within her mind to help her cope with what she saw."

"She saw her father die. She's a child. You could imagine what she would go through to try and make sense of everything that she witnessed."

"I just don't know how to make her wake up. We've dosed her with every medication possible and her brain just fights it off. If she doesn't wake up soon she may never wake up."

"Anna, get out of bed. We're already late. Do you want to miss the party ?"

Uncle Merry was pounding on the door. I pulled the blanket over my head and plugged my ears. I still hadn't forgiven Bilbo for yelling at me and I really didn't want to face him at his birthday party. I didn't care if it was a special one or not. He was only one hundred and eleven what was so great about that ?

"Annabeth Brandybuck, if you do not answer this door right this instant I will come in there and drag you out of bed and pull you all the way to Hobbiton."

Brandybuck ? I still couldn't get use to that. Uncle Merry had given me his last name a few weeks ago and it still sounded too new. In response to his yelling I pulled the pillow over my head and closed my eyes tight. I wasn't going.

"Frodo will be very disappointed if you do not come to the party. Its his birthday too, you know." I shrugged under the covers even though Uncle Merry couldn't see me. "That's it young lady. I'm coming in. You had better be decent."

I heard the door swing open with a loud bang but I didn't look out from my covers. Uncle Merry stormed in and went to my closet where he spent a few minutes rummaging around. Looking for the dress he had one of the local hobbit women make for me no doubt. After a fruitless search that ended in many curses I heard Uncle Merry walk over to my bed. I felt a hand grab my ankle and begin to pull. He grunted and pulled but I wouldn't budge mainly because I had a death grip on the edge of my bed.

"Anna, you get out of bed this instant. I am not going to miss the party all because you have decided to hold a grudge against an old man."

"I'm not going. He yelled at me. Said that I was calling him a liar. Then made it a point to remind me that I'm not a Hobbit," I ground out, gripping my bed tighter.

"Now, Merry, you don't get children out of bed that way," a familiar voice called from my door.

I let go of the bed, causing me and Uncle Merry to fall onto the floor in a big heap. I jumped back to my feet and pounced on our visitor. "Uncle Pippin. When did you get here ? Did you bring me anything ? Did you ? Did you ?"

"I was here a few days ago, Anna. So, no, I didn't bring you anything. Did you get taller ?"

"Anna, get dressed," Uncle Merry snapped. "We are leaving in a few minutes. Now hurry."

The two hobbits left my room closing the door behind them. I went to the trunk on the other side of the room and pulled out the dress that Uncle Merry had been looking for. I bathed, dressed and left my room. Uncle Merry and Uncle Pippin were of course in the kitchen eating first breakfast. At least I think it was first breakfast. They both looked at me.

"Anna, your hair is wet," Uncle Merry said around a mouthful of toast and sausage.

"It'll dry on the way."

They quickly finished their breakfast while I wolfed down some toast and we were on our way. I was sitting in the back of the pony drawn cart when we rounded the bend to the Party Field. Uncle Pippin pulled the cart to a halt and we all got out. I held Uncle Merry's hand as we were stopped at the gate by Bilbo. "Hello, there Merry and Anna. Here you go Anna. Its a toy made by dwarves," Bilbo greeted cheerily.

"Thank you," I grumbled out only when Uncle Merry had elbowed me in the ribs.

There were several hobbits playing music. Hobbit children were playing games. Adult hobbits were dancing and eating. I could spot several dwarves in various spots drinking. I didn't even bother to look at the toy in my hand because I was suddenly swept away to the spot where the other hobbits were dancing.

"Hello, Anna," Frodo chirped as he spun me around. "Bilbo sent me to find out why you are in a bad mood."

"I'm not in a bad mood, Frodo."

"I think you're still mad at him for yelling at you. He did not mean it, you know. Bilbo just has not been himself lately. Can you forgive him."

I smiled at Frodo ",I have already told you that I'm not in a bad mood, Frodo Baggins. You can take me at my word."

"Good. Very good indeed. Now I do believe that some little hobbits are waiting to play with you."

I played with the other hobbits until Uncle Merry drug me away to the tables set up around the Party Tree. It was time for fireworks and he wanted us to have a good spot to see all of Gandalf's specially made fireworks. I stood next to him as another very tall man stood in front of us. I looked up to see Gandalf smiling down at me ",Why if it isn't young Annabeth Brandybuck. My how you've grown. Hello Meriadoc."

"Hello Gandalf," I said back happily, my earlier foul mood completely forgotten.

Gandalf placed something in my hands and leaned down to whisper to me ",This is an elf fountain. I placed special care in this one so be careful when handling it. I feel this will not be the only one you see in your lifetime."

And then he was gone. Gandalf had walked off to begin the fireworks. I stared down at the small firework in my hand. "Aren't you going to light it, Anna," Uncle Merry asked.

"No, I think I'll hold on to this one."

"What did Gandalf say to you anyway ?"

"Nothing, Uncle Merry."

Before he could ask me anymore questions the sky exploded in light. The fireworks were perfect, just as Gandalf intended them to be, and ended with a dragon flying out over Bywater and exploding. I could only watch in amazement even after Bilbo had said that the dragon was the signal for supper. Uncle Merry had to pull me to a table and force me to sit down as I still stared at Bywater with my mouth hanging open. He gently closed it and said something about needing to eat. So we feasted on the best meal that the Shire had to offer in many a century. After the meal I found myself dozing off against Uncle Merry's shoulder as Bilbo stood to make his speech. I kept jerking back awake when the hobbits around me kept cheering, yelling, banging on the tables or setting off their musical crackers. Once Uncle Merry had managed to get me to sleep on his shoulder again Bilbo had taken up a horn and blasted it three times to get everyone's attention.

"I shall not keep you long," Bilbo cried out. Everyone in the pavilion cheered. "I have called you all together for a Purpose."

Almost everyone in the area became silent. Intently looking at Bilbo.

"Indeed, for three purposes ! First of all, to tell you that I am immensely fond of you all, and that eleventy-one years is too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits."

Everyone burst into applause and cheers at this. But if I know Bilbo well enough there's a backhanded compliment coming up pretty soon.

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Or, it could be a confusing compliment. Who knows. Bilbo had my complete attention now.

"Secondly, to celebrate my birthday." Cheers again. "I should say our birthday. For it is, of course, also the birthday of my heir and nephew, Frodo. He comes of age and into his inheritance today."

More clapping and cheers. If these people would just shut up we could find everything out at once. I looked at Uncle Merry to see he had a very concentrated look on his face. Something was wrong and he was expecting it.

"Together we score one hundred and forty-four. Your numbers were chosen to fit this remarkable total. One gross, if I may use the expression." No one cheered to that. I think everyone took it as a insult. "It is also, if I may be allowed to refer to ancient history, the anniversary of my arrival by barrel at Esgaroth on the Long Lake; though the fact that it was my birthday slipped my memory on that occasion. I was fifty-one then, and birthdays did not seem so important. The banquet was very splendid, however, though I had a bad cold at the time, I remember, and could only say 'thag you very buch'. I now repeat it more correctly. Thank you very much for coming to my little party."

There was dead silence in the pavilion. I looked to see everyone wore no expression on their faces. Bilbo was taking this all in. Then he continued on.

"Thirdly and finally, I wish to make an announcement." Everyone perked their ears up at this. "I regret to announce that, though, as I said, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to spend among you, this is the end. I am going. I am leaving now. GOOD-BYE."

There was a flash of light. When my eyes adjusted once again I could see that Bilbo was gone. I could have sworn that I saw him with the ring just before he said good-bye. I looked at Uncle Merry to see he was just nodding his head with a grim expression on his face. Had he seen the same thing that I had ?

Next Time- Welcome to the Strange: This is a big time leap. We've come to the part in the story when Gandalf tells Frodo its time to leave the Shire with the ring. Anna is now 27 and has stopped aging (her mind doesn't know what to do after the twenties). Anna decides to go against Merry's wishes and follows them. What could possibly happen.