Hola! Guess what? Fellowship of the Freaks is almost over! Which means we have part 2 and 3 of the trilogy to finish! I'm going to try and update a lot this week so I can get FotF over with before I leave on Vacation. Reviewers...

Gina- Yeah, you know, I realized I do do that and that it does get really annoying in the fanfic so it must be annoying in real life...oh well! Just one more annoying thing for me to do!

Allie- No offense, but why don't you type andupdate PotP?

LOL to all reviewers and readers and here is the new chappy!

The Campaign Trail


Kelsey's PoV

Early the next morning, Aragorn roused me from a wonderful dream about a certain blond Elf (no, not Legolas. That would ruin the plot). . .

"Wassamatta?" I asked, sleep still clouding my brain.

"Legolas and I are going to go find the portage way that will take us past the rapids," he whispered. "The others are still asleep, so I will need you to tell them."

"Okay," I replied, falling back on my pillow. Beside me, Mandy sat up.

"You know, I had the weirdest dream . . ." she remarked. "I dreamt that I told Leggy I loved him and then smacked Gimli because he was trying to steal a box of strawberries that were in my possession."

"You're too weird, Mandy," I commented, sitting up as well. Aragorn gave her a puzzled look before turning back to me.

"If we do no return within a day, the Fellowship must choose a new leader," Aragorn told us before gesturing to Legolas, who had been grabbing a small sack of food. The two began to leave. "For we cannot risk failure to our mission."

"Wait . . . if you don't return?" Mandy shrieked and ran after them. "Then don't go!" I rolled my eyes and got up, grabbing a bunch of eggs from my bag and starting the fire up. I also grabbed the infamous frying pan (A/N: you'd better believe it's infamous!)(N/N: Did you steal my tephlon frying pan, Kelsey?)as Mandy came back, scowling.

"They're still going," she grumbled.

"Well, they're coming back," I retorted, cracking the eggs on the edge of a bowl and combining them with a little milk. "Grab the salt and pepper. And my apron," I ordered as I poured the eggs into the pan over the fire.

"You forgot the magic word," Mandy demanded, grabbing the bag and holding it an arm's length away from me.

"PLEASE?" Mandy passed the afore-said objects to me before collapsing on her sleeping mat. That's when my sensitive elven-ears pricked up to some murmuring.

"Mr. Frodo! Wake up!"

"Ooh! I smell eggs!"

"Any tomatoes?"

"Or bacon?"

"Only eggs!" I called, scooping my creation onto tin plates, courtesy of my bag.

"Aww . . ." Pippin complained.

"Well, you could just not have breakfast," I pointed out. Pippin's eyes grew wide.

"Eggs is coolio."

"Are," I corrected. "Eggs are coolio." Pippin groaned softly.

"Whatever, Grammar Girl. Can I have me eggs?"

"Grammar Girl?" I raised my eyebrows as I felt a smile tweaking at the corners of my mouth. "Where'd you get that term?"

"Mandy," he said simply. "That's what she calls you behind your back." The smile quickly faded as I glared in Mandy's direction, who promptly changed the subject.

"You know, if we had to pick someone to be the leader in case Legolas and Aragorn don't come back, I'd pick Kelsey." Pippin cocked his head.

"They left?" he asked, looking around. I nodded.

"They went to find the portage way," Mandy clarified. "And if they don't come back, I think Kelsey should be our new leader."

"Why?" Merry asked, mouth fit to burst with eggs.

"Because she can cook," Mandy pointed out, grabbing her own plate as Gimli and Boromir sat up wearily.

"I object!" Gimli slurred. Mandy kicked him and watched as he slid to one side of his mat.

"Stupid idiot," she commented.

"Prove to us that you're a good cook," Sam insisted, reaching for more eggs, "and we'll let you be the leader." I frowned, then brightened.

"I'll make an entire dinner!" I exclaimed. "Let's see . . . maybe hamburgers . . . or hotdogs—no! Pot roast! With beef, onions, potatoes and other things—oh! I'll make a salad, too! And pie! Apple pie! You remember mine from Thanksgiving, naturally . . ."


Mandy's PoV

Kelsey had subsided to muttering and pulling things out of her bag, when Aragorn and Legolas came back.

"We found the portage way," Aragorn announced as I threw myself into Legolas' arms. "We will need to carry the boats over the path, so finish up."

"Kelsey! They came back!" I squealed enthusiastically. "You don't have to cook anymore!" But Kelsey continued muttering to herself and preparing the meal.


Quick scene transition--The Portage Way!

"Oof! Kelsey! A little help!" I squeaked as the boat's weight crushed me. Kelsey ignored me, carrying her pot roast. "Oh, come on!"

"Lady Amanda!" Aragorn called. "We cannot tarry! Please hurry!"

"Well, maybe if I had some help I could!" I grumbled as everyone else disappeared around the bend. "Can you guys wait up!" No one answered me and all I heard were Kelsey's mumblings. "Gee, thanks guys . . ."

After Legolas got the boat he shared with Gimli to our new campsite, he came back to help me carry Kelsey's and mine the last third of the trail. We actually managed to get it to the campsite before sunset.

"Phew!" I panted, sliding to the ground and, for the moment, ignoring Legolas (A/N: shocker!).

"Finished!" Kelsey yelled.

"Oh, thank goodness," I mumbled. "I'm starving.

"Food!" Pippin squealed, dropping his gear in a pile on the ground and racing up to Kelsey, who had set up a little table with her promised pot roast, salad and pie! And the plates and other utensils, of course.

"Okay . . . Dig in!" Kelsey said. But as everyone (Hobbits and Gimli) leapt for the food, Kelsey held up her hand in a crossing guard gesture. "But you have to form a good line." The Hobbits grumbled but did so, taking plates and loading them with food.

"Smells good, Kelsey," I remarked., taking up a small plate myself.

"Mmm . . . good," Sam mumbled. "She can be our new leader!" I cocked my head.

"What?"

"I second that!" Pippin nodded, gobbling down the food. Aragorn frowned.

"But I am the leader!" he shouted.

"Oh, yeah . . ." Kelsey thought for a moment. "We can both be the leader! But I'll be the head chef!" Aragorn shrugged.

"Very well then," he agreed, grasping the plate Kelsey handed him. I finished my meal and leaned back into the rock I had been sitting against.

"Good stuff, Kelsey," I admitted. "It was really good." Kelsey bowed dramatically.

"What can I say?" she queried, tossing her hair back. "I'm a natural!" I rolled my eyes. I wasn't going to let her get off so easy.

"I'll bet even a certain Elf would be pleased with it!" I teased, mouthing the name 'Haldir'.

"Mandy!" Kelsey blushed, wondering how I knew about her infatuation.

"Yes, I know your little secret!" The Fellowship looked confused (the Hobbits, Gimli, Boromir, Legolas), while the rest (Aragorn) started to look a bit defensive.

"What's this about, Kelsey?" he demanded.

"Nothing, Ada!" Kelsey's cheeks started to turn a deep shade of red, almost purple. "Nothing!"

"It had better stay that way because if anyone so much as looks at you funny, I'll have their head!" Now everyone looked surprised, including Kelsey and me, at his sudden display of fatherly protectiveness.

"Then you'll have to have the Lady Amanda and the Lady Nicole's head," Gimli remarked. "For they give her funny looks all the time."

"Don't hurt me!" I yelped, hiding behind Kelsey. Aragorn rolled his eyes.

"I meant if a male looks at you funny, I'll-"

"But then you'll have to behead Legolas," Boromir interrupted. I ran over to my elf and flung my arms around him defensively. "For he gives her looks all-"

"I didn't mean...what I meant..." Aragorn stuttered, not quite knowing what to say. As soon as I figured out he wasn't going to hurt my elf, I wandered back over to my sleeping mat.

"Whatever . . . I'm going to sleep," I yawned, throwing my sleeping mat into a comfortable nest and lying down, slowly nodding to sleep as Kelsey kept her eyes to the ground as she busied herself with the dishes so she wouldn't have to look her foster-father in the eye. This was turning out to be quite a strange adventure . . . Who would've thought that Kelsey actually had a crush on someone, maybe even loved someone. . . Passing strange indeed . . .


Strange indeed, eh? What gives! I'm a girl, aren't I? I'm allowed to have female emotions!--The Editor

Yes, mother, but you're very good at hiding the freaky H-chemicals that stole my common sense . . .wait, did I ever have common sense?

Yeah...but hey, we're all pretty starnge. LOL, I think that Nicole never did have common sense. Ever since she locked Glorfindel in her locker. Speaking of which, did you ever get him out before the end of the school year?

And, no Kelsey, you're not allowed to have crazy, enraged, female hormones. That's my job. : ) After Scott, Tom, Isaac, Jack, Mitchel, Austin, Ryan, John, and whoever this "Max" guy is from earlier chapters, enraged female hormones are obviously my job!(P.S. For the updates on those you don't know about, email me!) R&R my lovely reviewers!