The Manic Adventure Of Sam, Zee, and Jackie

Chapter 16: Beorn's house and Realizations

A/N: Now this chapter was more of a response to a review I got from last chapter. The guest believed that my OCs were very whiny and did not like the fact that they were rude to Thorin. Now allow me to give my personal response before reading. First of all, the girls grew up with the mentality that respect must be earned not to mention they tend to be that way anyways. It's really just who they are. Now they could be polite to Thorin, yes, but they know Thorin too well as a character and that's how they are treating him. They are too aware of how he's going to end up and that adds to the plot later so I can't go into detail now.

Secondly, please refrain from saying that they'd all enjoy getting their hair and nails done again, Sam is 100% based off of me and I kinda took offense to that comment because I find those activities stupid and a waste of my time. Just because she has issues with nasty oily hair that feels like she had oil and lubricant dumped on her head does not mean she enjoys those activities.

Finally, keep in mind that this is a world these girls are not use to much less have any experience in despite how long they've been there at this point. They are modern girls and use to modern things. Plus, I thought it would interesting if they were actually using all their attitude and whatnot as a way of coping with the fact they were stuck there. How they act is a coping mechanism.

Now that's been dealt with, let's go on to more important things. Please enjoy and review. I would like it if reviewers had accounts so I can personally reply to them alone but I understand if you chose to review as a guest. ~Michelle Lacie Kat

Sam stayed as far away as possible from Fili, if he ever came too close she would hurry off to wherever was a safe distance. It really seemed to confuse and hurt him but she couldn't face him after what he had said about never kissing her, despite that it was a week ago by now.

She also hadn't dared to tell Zee or Jackie about it, no doubt they'd tell her that she was overreacting and, plus, Zee would totally get a kick out of it. The only people who were aware of the incident were Sam, Fili, and poor little Ori who had the misfortune of walking in on that conversation. Fili had threatened the sweet dwarf to keep him from saying anything but Sam had comforted him afterwards.

"Does this mean you and Fili won't be together anymore?" Ori asked innocently, today Gandalf had informed the group that there was a place they could get shelter from and that was where they were heading. Sam and Ori had chosen to stay at the back of the group.

"No, no, no." Sam assured the dwarf, "I'll always be with Fili, it's just I got really embarrassed and it bothers me to talk to him at the moment."

"Does that me you've never been with another man?"

Sam blushed and almost squealed, she hadn't thought that Ori or anyone would ask her that question. "W-What do you mean exactly? Like intimately?"

"Well, men are known to move from one lover to the next quickly." Ori told her, "Dwarves' love is for life so naturally we do not share our hearts with anyone except our Ones."

"I've never been with anyone," Sam told him, "Honestly, I wouldn't want anything to do with the boys from my home."

Ori seemed intrigued, he hadn't many opportunities to ask her about her home lately and he still had many questions to ask. "May I asked why?"

"They are immature." She shrugged, "And they are not worth a glance, they're gross and just mean. Not all of them I'm sure but a vast majority are. I grew up with most of the boys of my little area and they haven't changed a bit."

"They do not sound like they could be good husbands." Ori noted aloud, he still had his scribes but he couldn't write in them at the moment. It was so much easier to have them out on a pony than it was when walking.

"As I was taught, some men are great husbands and fathers and others are not even worth giving the time of day." Sam explained, she had learned that from her mother, who had a habit of getting older men that just grossed Sam out at times. "But I can totally see myself with Fili, I'm just not use to him being so straightforward about his feelings."

"Well, dwarves know when they meet their One so it's natural for him to be that way." Ori reminded, "But I understand your point, you are not a dwarf and there are things you do differently."

Sam smiled, she truly loved being in the company of Ori or Bilbo as they were more objective toward her lifestyles and whatnot. They would listen and always make it known that they understood that she was brought up differently than them. The other dwarves use to have culture shock over some of the things she and her friends talked about, making it hard for the girls to be able to explain themselves.

"We cannot all go there at once," Gandalf announced at they reached a strange, well cared for area, "We will go in pairs."

"Why pairs?" Kili asked curiously, "Is he temperamental?"

"He is not overfond of dwarves," Gandalf explained to the second prince, "it would be best to not bombard him with the entire company at once."

"So who goes with who?" Zee asked, "I want Sam or Jackie! Better yet, we're going in a trio!"

"But-" Gandalf tried to argue but Zee insisted that the girls go in their trio group.

"I refuse to even go unless I go with my Musketeers!" Zee informed the wizard, "Now, do we have an agreement?"

Gandalf looked down at Jackie and sighed, "Then you can come with me." he turned to the rest of the company, "I will take the girls with me now, perhaps he may feel more inclined to help us if he sees the girls."

"Very well." Thorin agreed with a nod, "When do we arrive?"

"Wait for ten minutes to pass and then one group may come." Gandalf told the king, "And please refrain from being loud or obnoxious." Everyone looked at the girls who merely looked away.

"What?" Sam and Zee looked back at the company innocently, "Are you talking about us?"

"I would think so." Jackie said as she stood beside Gandalf, "May we go now?"

Gandalf nodded and soon the four figures made way toward Beorn's house. The walk wasn't long, in fact they couldn't get lost because of how well cared for everything was.

When the door opened, revealing an incredibly large and hairy man. Sam and Zee stared in shock, when they saw Beorn in the movie he didn't look all that big! That's when it struck them that things were a bit different than they had expected.

"May I help you?" he asked in what could be assumed as annoyance, had they interrupted something?

"I am Gandalf The Grey." Gandalf greeted the large skin changer.

"I am Samantha, Magician of Fire and Ice." Gandalf had told each girl to create a sort of majestic name for themselves as that was going to be their full title.

"Zenin, The Mystifying Enchanter."

"And Jacqueline, The Intuitive Healer." Each girl bowed toward Beorn, first impressions were what was gonna get them in.

"And what do four wizards want here?" Okay, wizard was not what they had intended on passing themselves as but it'll work.

"We wish to seek shelter," Gandalf explained to the skin changer, "Our story in rather long and there are more of us on the way, if you will take us in that is."

"Then hurry in and settle yourselves at the table." He moved aside so that they may enter his home, they were quick to thank him for his kindness.

"So," Beorn said as he seated himself at the table, "tell me this story of yours."

"Before he starts," Sam spoke before Gandalf could speak, "our other companions will be arriving shortly, in pairs, and it will interrupt our story." she didn't want him getting irritated

"Then I will be as patient as I can." He nodded toward Sam, appreciating her warning. "Now then, let's hear this tale."

As the dwarves arrived, annoying Beorn only because they kept saying At your service, their story had intrigued the large man greatly. He found their adventures to this point to be very interesting and occasional humorous. Like when Gandalf reluctantly told the skin changer about Zee's drunk episode and when she tried to slaughter Lindir for harassing Sam. By the end of it all, he was roaring with laughter at some of their sillier misfortunes.

"That was quite a tale." Beorn complimented when they finished. He had given the company food during the story time so most of the dwarves were stuffing their faces. The girls were very fond of the honey cakes and milk themselves, going so far to steal the cakes from the dwarves. "You may stay here for as long as you need, I share my lands with you but under one condition; no one may go out at night."

"We understand." Gandalf agreed with Beorn, "We will respect your home and your rules."

"So long as a certain girl does not magically find an alcoholic beverage lying around." Sam and Jackie added, Zee gasped in shock at their blunt warning. Quite honestly she refused to believe that she was truly all that bad as everyone said she was.

"Denial is a stinky perfume Zee," Sam stated to her friend, "and it does not suit you well."

"Rude Sam." Zee groaned as she claimed a spot to be her bed for later, "Just rude."

"As I have always been." Sam gave Zee a nod and hurried over to talk to Gandalf about some things, mainly about how bad it would be to hint at the girls' real origins.

"Zee?" Zee looked up and saw Fili staring at her, "May I speak with you?"

"Uh, okay..?" Zee hadn't had a conversation with Fili since he came to her room back at Rivendell, she could assume it had to do with Sam.

"I was wondering," he seemed hesitant to ask but blurted out, "did I offend Sam?"

"With what?" Zee knew nothing of any issues the royal couple were having, she knew something was up (after all, Sam was avoiding Fili like the plague) and she wasn't one to enjoy being left out of the gossip that was Sam's new romantic life.

"I-I had mention that we were not as close, physically, as I would like to be and she hasn't spoken to me since."

"Then that's why." Zee stated, very matter-of-fact, "Dude, we weren't raised like you. We come from a background that taught us that love is an illusion and to give respect when it's earned. She may know a lot about dwarves but that's only book smarts, she has no experience with this."

"I see." He looked toward Sam and Gandalf, also noticing that she and the wizard were excusing themselves from the others. "Do you all still see the company as characters?"

"What?" Zee was confused there, what did he mean by that?

"To you, we were characters from a story, right?"

"Yeah."

"Do you still see us that way?" It had been something he'd been meaning to ask Sam, he noticed the strange ways that Sam bonded with Bilbo and Ori. He knew now that that she was using her knowledge of their story to gain their trust, surely that book spoke of how Bilbo was a Took , fancying adventures, and how Ori loved books, especially those of other cultures. "Sometimes it's like you girls already know us so well that you don't bother trying to know us as people."

Zee was shocked at that, had that really been true? She didn't think that was how they were acting but, it made sense when she really thought about it.

"I must go," Fili told Zee when he noticed Thorin requesting him from afar, "but if Sam won't talk to me soon will you let her know that I wish to speak to her?"

"Y-Yeah." Zee nodded but her mind was on other things, as soon as Sam was finished with the wizard she was gonna have to call a musketeer meeting.

"I do believe it might not do much good." Gandalf sighed as he and Sam sat under a apple tree, it wasn't night but it would be in a few hours. "The Gold Sickness runs heavily in Thorin's veins, have you not noticed that the closer we get the more focused he is on the gold than the mountain?"

"Believe me, I have." Sam sighed, "He also shows signs of aging that was definitely not present when I met him almost a year ago." It hardly felt like it had been almost a year, then again she preferred not to think of that as it reminded her of how long her mother must have been grieving. Yes, Sam never forgot that her family back in her world was probably trying to recover from the loss of their only daughter.

"He is failing his people already." Gandalf took a puff of his pipe and sighed sadly, "While you may know this journey so well I insist that you do remember that this is not a book anymore."

Sam let her shoulders slouch, tears brimming in her eyes. So Gandalf had noticed, noticed that she was in denial that all this could be permanent. This was no fanfiction, it was real. Which meant she had truthfully needed to come to terms with herself over all this.

"I know you miss your family," Gandalf told her, "and I know they wish they could have you back."

"Don't, Gandalf," Sam's voice cracked a bit, "I know you mean the best for us but I can't handle this. I may be, physically, an adult now but I'm still a child too. I'm in a world that I've read about, dreamed about, but can't survive without a helping hand."

"You have Fili." He reminded her, "And I know he would do everything in his power to see you safe and sound."

"I feel like I'm a burden to him." Sam admitted, "I'm no dwarf, much less am I royalty."

"Do you believe that truly matters?" Gandalf asked, amazed that Sam had been secretly putting herself down all this time, "I see a strong headed girl, a temper far more fierce than any dwarf could imagine, a girl who sticks to her morals and values even when pressured against them. What is there not to admire?"

"Oh please, I'm not strong." Sam shot back, "My whole life I've known this, I'm weak."

"Why?" Gandalf asked, "What is it you think makes you are weak? Other people's opinions?"

Sam refused to answer that, why did he always have to be on point?

"You are different Samantha." Gandalf assured her, "I have watched you remember? I always admired how you were greatly disgusted by things that were ideal for girls. From clothes to past times, you believed a woman was defined by her ability to be herself."

Sam started to blush, what deemed her a tomboy was what actually caught the wizard's eye when searching for candidates for this?

"I also admire you're refusal to show Thorin respect as a king, a trait you're beloved friends also shared."

"But we were raised-"

"To give respect when it was earned, not because someone held a title." Gandalf smiled at her, "You girls have point of views and morals that these dwarves need, Thorin especially."

Sam took in that thought, "Was that why you brought us, not just to change the ending but to show Thorin what he was losing?"

"Exactly." Gandalf stood from his spot, "I must see how the dwarves are behaving and you should hurry inside soon."

Sam nodded, "Alright, thanks for the talk Gandalf." She was actually feeling better this time, sometimes just a small, unintentional pep talk could go a long ways.

Gandalf smiled and nodded, "You girls are so much more than you think."

"Thanks..." Sam stood up from her spot and dusted herself off, perhaps she really needed to think about this with her friends. They all probably needed some sort of a wake up call anyways.

"Oh, Sam!" Sam looked up and saw Ori hurrying toward her, "Beorn has asked that you come in."

"I was just about to come in actually." Sam smiled, thanking the dwarf for coming for her, "Hey, could you do me a favor?"

"Of course Sam."

"Can you let Fili know that I want to see him tomorrow morning." She should really do it herself but facing him wasn't what she had the courage for just yet. "I want to talk to my friends then go to bed, which is why I'm asking.." she was horrible at giving excuses when she was aware of her effort.

"Sure!" Ori was so eager to help her out, it kind of reminded her of her smaller cousins. "I don't mind telling him for you."

"Thank you Ori." Sam hugged the dwarf and patted his head, "Let's get inside before we find out why Beorn doesn't want us outside."

Sam and the girls had a hard time sleeping after discussing their little discoveries, what bothered them was that they were actually forever stuck here. It didn't sound so bad at first until Sam reminded them of people who were grieving for them. Zee had the nerve to get mad at Sam for bringing that up but was reminded that Sam was only being honest by Jackie.

"Do you think we're treating them like characters?" Zee half whispered and half mouthed to Sam.

Sam thought about that, she could see where Fili was coming from when he told Zee that. They did use their prior knowledge to their benefit and never did try to know them as the individuals they were. "I think so. We just need to see them as real people, not characters from a book."

"But it is kind of hard." Jackie added softly, "That's what we're used to seeing them as."

"It'll take some work," Sam admitted, "but we can start tomorrow and practice from there."

The other two girls nodded and rolled over to try to sleep, facing each other would only keep a conversation going. Sam had chosen to lay on her back, staring at the roof of the house. She was a bit afraid of settling in this world but at the same time it had to be done.

I hope Fili's not too mad at me for ignoring him. Sam thought to herself as she imagined seeing the stars instead of the roof. She wasn't all that bothered with sleeping outside anymore, Fili had told her that looking at the stars was the best sleep remedy. Better than any tea Oin could cook up, if you could convince him to do so.

Sam let out a soft sigh, she let her eyes close and imagined what it would be like to spend her whole life with Fili. He made it clear that he would protect her from trouble which she was now worried about, namely Thorin once they reach Erebor.

These next few chapters are going to be fillers but carry some interesting information about the girls. Also please let me know what you think, I do read reviews and listen so long as they are not rude or stupid.