Sorry for the delay. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. :)

*.*.*

One of Us

.oOo.

Dawn broke the horizon. Amelia waited until after the sun had crept over the sky before making her way out of the hotel. The last thing she wanted to do was to find herself captured with the monster Frodo had become. She felt sure he would eat her, and he would stop at nothing until she was his meal.

She sighed in relief, the moment she stepped outside the hotel. Yup. It was still filled with aquatic plant life with blue ferns sitting all over the island. Okay. It was time to start searching for evidence on how Frodo, Balin, and Kili became mermen. Eh… mer-hobbit and mer-dwarves.

With each step she took, she neared a sea of huge lotus flowers sitting on the water. They looked so lovely with their pinkish hues. She inched closer to the water, wondering if it was safe to climb in.

Then it happened. Frodo leapt up out of the water, ensnaring her in his arms until his whole body was on top of her. She screamed and screamed, wanting to get away from him! Anything than to be eaten by him!

"Why are you screaming?" Frodo chuckled wickedly. "What did you think was going to happen?"

"You—You're going to eat me," Amelia cried, tears streaming down her face.

"Ah," Frodo smiled, stroking her neck with his index finger. "But why would I want to eat you? You're so unique that if I ate you, I would never feel the same again. You are mine after all, aren't you Amelia?"

Amelia stopped weeping. She turned around, facing him with intensity in her eyes. His eyes were so bright and so blue. It was mesmerizing. "You—You're not going to eat me?"

Frodo shook his head.

"No, it would make things less intriguing. I want to keep you safe, to make sure that no merfolk eats you instead," Frodo said, rubbing her ear with his index finger. He grinned, laying belly down on her back again. "My sweet Amelia, you're so lovely."

"I've… been looking for clues…" she moaned. Why did he have to be so intriguing? She did her best to gather her thoughts, adding, "…clues that might help you… change back… into a hobbit."

"Hmm," Frodo inched close to her ear, whispering, "that's all good, darling. I like being a merman. And oh, if I could let you become a mermaid, you'd be too wonderous to behold. Mermen would want you. You'd be far too much for me to bear." He chuckled, enjoying this. "Come with me. Let us find out where Melvin is hiding."

"Melvin?" Amelia asked. She remembered seeing Melvin's cage by the water. It was empty. She looked up, right as Frodo took her hand, dragging her into the water. "Melvin's gone. He's loose on the island. I don't know where he is."

"Hmm. Well, I'm sure he's around here somewhere," Frodo said, about to grab Amelia by the waist when Melvin showed up. Frodo winced, wondering what the fluffy white rabbit would do to him.

Melvin smirked, announcing his presence, "I'm surprised to see you two here. Hmm. Must be nice being around merfolk."

"You—You aren't going to eat me?" Frodo trembled, nervously.

"Me? Why would I eat my friends?" Melvin said, kindly.

Frodo sighed in relief. "That's good! I'm glad I'm not going to be a meal for a killer rabbit."

"Like I said, I won't eat you. I just hope you and the merfolk aren't up to something wicked," Melvin said, warningly.

Amelia looked around, spotting a stick on the ground. Two sticks actually. She passed one to Frodo. "Can you fence?"

Frodo shrugged, smiling at her.

"Teach me," Amelia said, watching Frodo dive in the water with the stick. She looked around, but couldn't find him, at least until he tapped her on her back with the stick. Amelia gasped, looking at him again. "Oh, you are clever."

"Let's see what you're made of," Frodo said, ready for her blows.

.

Amelia and Frodo fenced. Amelia wasn't used to sword fighting. At least, not for a long while. She attempted to swing a toy sword around when she was little, but it didn't compare to this. Here, she had to test her limits and Frodo was impressive at that as a mer-hobbit.

"Very good, my dear," Frodo said, pleased.

"Thanks, Frodo," Amelia said, panting. She collapsed on the ground, dropping her stick. Frodo did the same, causing her to look at him. "You're a lovely merman—mer-hobbit, Frodo Baggins. It's one reason why I love you."

Frodo purred, loving this. "I'm glad, my darling. And now—" But Frodo's attention was elsewhere. His ears perked up at the sound of the siren's call. "I must… answer… the call." He turned to Amelia, eyes hungry.

Amelia's smile vanished. She knew what that meant and she had to get away from her. She moved away from Frodo, only to find he grabbed her waist.

"Oh no, you don't! You're not getting away this time!" Frodo said, plunging into the water with her. He made his way back up to the surface to give her a chance to breathe. "Take a deep breath. This will be over soon enough."

Amelia followed his instructions, awestruck at being plunged into the water. The next thing she knew, Frodo swam with such speed that she didn't know what befell her. She nearly gasped as Frodo threw her towards a green orb.

At last, she smacked into the orb, her legs taking shape and transforming into a deep green tail, while she had on was a purple mermaid bra. By the time the orb vanished, Amelia was changed. She checked her breathing. Yes! She could breathe underwater. She looked at Frodo, stunned by his affectionate gaze.

"Frodo?" Amelia asked, giddy with excitement.

"My love," Frodo said, wrapping his arms around her, breathing in her scent. "You smell lovely. Now we can truly be together." He extended his hand to her, "Come. There is much to see."

Amelia sighed, taking his hand as they neared the city, which was quickly flooding up with water.

.

Melvin climbed as hard and as fast as his little furry white legs could carry him. He hadn't seen a flood invade a city this fast before. Surely, there must be something he could do to oppose this dreadful hour… no. Wait. Were those the evil merfolk using the flood to ensnare people, killing them or making them merfolk?

Melvin snarled. Enough was enough. He'd take them all down!

He let out a death-defying screech, zooming this way and that towards the evil merfolk. He gave no mercy as he bit down on their necks. Green blood oozed out from the necks of the evil merfolk. Half of the evil merfolk's heads were bitten off by the killer rabbit, while others were sent to their deaths just for being bit by the killer rabbit.

Melvin was so pleased to take down as many evil merfolk as he could. He stopped momentarily when Balin and Kili approached. They stared at each other, as the flood receded. Neither knew what to do. They were enemies… or were they still friends?

Melvin snarled. Balin and Kili nodded, taking off in search of their lasses. The killer rabbit cried out for joy. It was time to take down the rest of the evil merfolk.

.

Minutes passed before all that remained of the evil merfolk were the King and Queen of the Merfolk. The killer rabbit did his job, taking down nearly all the evil merfolk. At least, all the evil merfolk who were servants under the King and Queen. Melvin would take care of the King and Queen, too, but not alone, even as the flood left the island and a waterfall cave appeared on the island.

It was now or never, but where were Frodo and Amelia?