"Shouldn't he have been back by now?" The little girl asked, wringing her hands anxiously. It has only been a month, or maybe two, since the company had begun their journey. In that time, Liesel Hayward developed multiple habits out of nervousness; holding herself to become small, combing her fingers through her hair roughly, wringing her hands, the list goes on.

Kili shook his head as he braided her hair. "Lise, mister Boggins has only been gone for a short while."

"How long has a short while been?" She rushed her words, now squeezing her hands and trembling, staring into her lap.

Sighing, the dwarf tied her hair as he finished braiding it and walked in front of her. He crouched down to her height, and rested his hand on her arm, comfortingly. "It hasn't been long, trust me. Besides, Bilbo has grown braver in such a short time it is astounding. You have grown, too." He moved a piece of stray hair behind her ear.

The girl looked up, slightly surprised by the comforting touch and words. "Are you certain?"

"I am more than certain. You have grown in many ways day after day," he grinned. "everything but height."

Liesel pretended to scowl at him, but soon lost it as his eyes lit up and covered his mouth to smother his laughter. A shuffling of rocks quickly silenced the two, and the dwarf clutched Liesel's arm to drag her behind him.

"How close is the pack?" Dwalin questioned in a raspy voice.

The figure panted. "Too close. A couple of leagues, no more, but that is not the worst of it." Realizing it was Bilbo, Liesel let out a sigh of relief, finally allowing herself to relax.

"Have the Wargs picked up our scent?"

Bilbo leaned down, trying to catch his breath. "Not yet, but they will; we have another problem."

"Did they see you?" Gandalf asked, almost as if he was frightened.

"What?" Bilbo questioned, obviously out of it.

Gandalf's face fell. "They saw you!"

"No, that's not it." The hobbit shook his head.

The wizard chuckled, then turned to the dwarves and small child. "What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material."

The dwarves chuckled loudly in appreciation of Bilbo. Liesel felt something shove her arm, and she turned around to reveal it was Fili.

"And you thought he couldn't take care of himself." He teased, and the girl rolled her eyes in response.

The elder hobbit's mouth dropped at their lack of concentration. "Will you listen- Will you just listen?!" He rose his voice, gathering the others attention. "I'm trying to tell you there is something else out there."

He pointed toward the direction he had just come from, and the company turned to each other in worriedness. The little girl especially wore a face covered in fear; gratefully, she realized the facial she was making, and calmed herself almost immediately.

"What form did it take? Like a bear?" Gandalf asked, hesitantly.

"Ye-," Bilbo pause as he rested a hand on Liesel, in an attempt to comfort her. He looked at Gandalf curiously. "Y- yes. But bigger, much bigger."

All of them traded glances with each other, having no idea what to day or do. Until, Bofur finally spoke up. "You knew about this beast?"

Gandalf didn't respond, and turned to walk a few steps away from the company to think.

The miner swallowed. "I say we double back."

Thorin scoffed before speaking. "And be run down by a pack of Orcs?"

"There is a house," Gandalf spoke, and they looked to him. He turned around to face them, and walked forward. "it's not far from here, where we might take refuge."

"Whose house?" Thorin grumbled. "Are they friend or foe?"

Gandalf stayed silent for a few moments. "Neither. He will help us," He swallowed, preparing for their resistance. "or he will kill us."

The company looked at each other in dismay, and uneasiness. Liesel stared at Bilbo with almost a face saying 'Please, I don't want to'. In complete surprise, she spoke up. "Is-is there another choice?"

As soon the child asked the wizard, a deep roar split through the night behind them, and all of the company cowered at the noise; it was, indeed, a bear.

"No,"

Everything was almost a blur for Liesel; one moment, she felt Bilbo clutch her hand and told her to not let go of him. The next, she let out a sharp gasp as her face collided with the ground.

"Get up, halfling!" A dwarf, she couldn't recognize at the time, pulled her off the grass and shoved her into someone's arms. Soon, her eyes adjusted, and she saw themselves in a field of flowers, and Bilbo Baggins grasping her arm so tightly, she hissed in pain at his grip.

"Come on!" Gandalf yelled from up ahead, and waved at the company behind him, signaling for them to catch up. As the company sprinted into the forest, they could practically almost hear the breaths of the wargs and orcs in their ears, prompting them to sprint until a roar was heard from nearby. They stopped in their tracks.

"This way, quickly!" Gandalf urged them on. As the dwarves and two hobbits panicked and ran, Bombur looked on in shock.

"Bombur, come on!" Bofur yelled at his friend, grabbing the dwarf's red beard and pulling him along with them to continue running.

The company leaped over logs and scaled rocks as they were sprinting out of the forest. That is, until Liesel Hayward ripped her hand away from Bilbo, and collapsed onto the rock hard ground after she hopped off a stone figure the group had just scaled.

"Liesel!" Bilbo called her as she tried to pull herself up from the ground. The girl gasped as she felt immense pain in her left leg. She turned to only see foot stuck in a hole, being squeezed by two rocks.

The girl turned back to the elder hobbit, Ori, and Bombur. "Go! I'll catch up with you."

Without a response, Bilbo marched forward, and grabbed her leg, trying to wiggle it out of the hole. Ori soon joined, and gently grabbed the girl's hands and began pulling; that only resulted in her shrieking and begging them to stop.

Once she caught her breath, Liesel gazed up at them. "Go," she hissed.

"We're not leaving you here!" Ori scolded, and continued to try and help her foot squeeze through the rocks; even if the little girl pushed him off her.

"I'll stay with her," Bilbo interjected, nodding at the other two to run.

Another howl was heard, this time, it was closer. She turned to him. "They're coming."

"I know," he hissed at her, and kneeled down to help her.

Ori shook his head. "We can't just leave you two like-."

"Get out!" She screamed, causing all three to almost jump a foot in the air. Their shock from her shriek was lost as they heard the howl coming closer.

They all looked to the child laying flat on the ground. "Now," she hissed.

With only a look of regret, the three knew deep down it was hopeless to try and free her; like that, they tore away from the girl and ran, not looking back once.

As the three exited the forest, the could barely make out the rest of the company approaching a house surrounded by a hedge in the middle of the plain.

"To the house! Run!" Bilbo could barely hear Gandalf call out in front of them. The Company ran across the plain; Bombur, the fattest dwarf, outran all the rest of them in his fear.

A gut-wrenching scream echoed through the hills, and in Bilbo's ears. He, and many others, turned at the sound and stopped in their tracks; Liesel Hayward was gone.

"Come on, get inside!" Gandalf forced them on. They crashed into the tall doors as they finally made it to the entrance of the house.

Bombur, who reached the door first, threw himself against it but fell flat on his back when the door didn't budge. The rest of the dwarves caught up and begin throwing themselves against the door, trying to open it. Gandalf looked back as a massive bear broke out from the edge of the forest, barreling towards them.

"Open the door!" Gandalf marched towards them in haste.

"Quickly!" Thorin echoed, pushing through the dwarves pressing himself against the door. Soon, he managed raise the exterior bolt, opening the doors. The entire company bolted inside the house and try to slam the door shut, but the bear had already gotten its head in the door! As the bear roared with fury, and tried to push the door open, the dwarves yelled and strained to close it. On impulse, Bilbo pulled out his sword and unsteadily pointed it at the bear, trying to show himself as a threat. Gandalf looked on in apparent amusement, as the dwarves yelled pressing against the door.

"Come on, lads!" Dwalin shouted in agitation. With a final heave, the dwarves managed to close the door and drop the bolt across it. When they knew for sure it was secure, they panted and looked on in fear, shock, and anger.

"What is that?" Ori turned to Gandalf, questioning him.

Gandalf paused, "That is our host."

One by one, the dwarves and Bilbo turned to stare at the wizard in bewilderment. "His name is Beorn, and he is a skin-changer." Gandalf began explaining, glancing around the house. Oin checked his hearing trumpet to make sure he had heard Gandalf correctly.

The wizard continued. "Sometimes he's a huge black bear; sometimes he's a great strong man. The bear is unpredictable, but the man can be reasoned with. However, he is not over fond of dwarves."

The dwarves looked at each other in dismay. Ori peaked out a crack in the door, becoming curious. "He's leaving!"

In a huff, Dori pulled the young dwarf away from the door. "Come away from there! It's not natural, none of it. It's obvious: he's under some dark spell."

"Don't be a fool; he's under no enchantment but his own." He scolded the dwarves, then took off his own hat. "Alright now, get some sleep, all of you. You'll be safe here tonight."

After Gandalf's, somewhat, reassuring comment, most of the company scattered to find a spot to rest.

"That scream," Kili spoke up after a few moment. "Where is Liesel?"

The company fell into silence at the mention of the little girl. It was true, not many of them knew what on earth happened to her; all except three of them.

Gandalf looked around at the dwarves. "Would anyone like to come forward, and give information on what happened to miss Hayward?"

All glanced at each other from side to side, not knowing who Gandalf was meaning. Bilbo, for one, stayed silent and only made eye contact with the ground. He tugged at the hem of his shirt coat anxiously, and felt his palms begin to sweat. Yet, the look of remorse never plagued his face.

Swallowing, Ori stepped forward, and faced everyone before speaking. "We-we tried to help her, but-but she didn't want it."

"What are you saying?" Dwalin spat.

The young dwarf shuttered in his boots. "Lie-Liesel, her leg was stuck between rocks. She-she wanted us to leave, but we tried to help her."

"Who is we, my dear Ori?" Gandalf asked, patiently.

He let out a shaky breath. "M-me, Bombur, and Mr. Bilbo."

The hobbit's eyes flashed open at the mention of his name, and he did not have to look up to even know the stunned stares on all of the company. Bombur and Ori tried there best to avoid the glances in shame.

"You," Kili breathed out in denial. "you left her?"

No one said a word as they continued to scowl at the two dwarves and hobbit responsible. Bombur and Ori gently nodded, avoiding eye-contact; but, Bilbo remained stoic.

"Coward,"

All eyes turned to the dwarf king who uttered the word with disgust. The brooding dwarf pushed past a few others, and marched his way to Bilbo. It could have only been Thorin to make the hobbit shrink in size.

"You left that child to die alone," he growled. "Weak."

Bilbo didn't respond as Thorin went on; how could he? He knew for a fact that he deserved every word and insult that the dwarf king spat at him.

"Coward,"

"Pathetic,"

"Weak,"

The tears stung his eyes as they tried to escape. He knew that if he even uttered one word about her, they would for sure flow.

"Thorin, that is enough." Gandalf intervened, brining Bilbo out of his thoughts. The hobbit finally looked up and felt something slipping down his cheek. Brining a hand to it, he realized it was an unmistakable tear; he only shed one tear for the small girl that he had promised himself he would protect and bring home.

A timid knock on the door made all heads turn.

The company stared at the door in disbelief. The closest to the door, being Bofur, treaded his way to it in hesitance. The knocking on the other side soon became much more desperate, and the dwarf rushed to open the door.

Once he pulled it open, his face instantly fell at the sight in front of him. "By Durin's beard-."

Liesel collapsed onto the ground outside of Beorn's house, and the company of Thorin Okenshield rushed out, taking in the sight of her weak form, and questioning: How did she defy what they thought was the impossible?

Liesel winced in pain as she tried to pull her foot out of the hole again. And again, she breathed heavily and gave up from the pain. She wondered, in that split second, if she should have given up all together.

It was the warg and orc charging up from behind her that changed her mind.

The girl let out small gasps and cries as the monsters came up to her, repeatedly clawing at her face when it was visible. The poor girl let out the loudest of screams when the orc bashed her nose with the bottom of its axe, and he sat there, laughing at her cry.

It must have been the shock, or the terror, that made her remember the sword packed safely in her sheath.

Grinding her teeth in spite, she pulled out her sword, and stabbed her blade through the throat of the warg. The girl hissed in disgust at the blood dripping into her hair, and the crying of the beast as she pulled the sword out.

The monster fell limp onto the girl, and the rider roared at her. As he was about to the strike the vulnerable girl, a great force knocked the orc off of his feet, and sended him into the trunk of a tree.

Pushing the beast off of her, the younger hobbit glanced up for a mere second, before covering her head with her arms, and shoving herself back onto the ground.

The beast that had saved her, was a bear larger than she had ever seen or read of. It was the bear that Bilbo had been speaking of, it must have been!

She tried her hardest not to wince at the unpleasant sounds coming from the orc that the beast was slaughtering. There was no noise besides the bear's heavy panting. Thankfully, the bear charged away from her, and the girl pushed herself up. Turning back to her foot, she was astounded to see it completely free.

In the chaos, she must have not noticed it slipping free.

Liesel stood herself completely up and leaned against the rock to gather her balance. She touched her nose, then pulled it back in a rush as she hissed through her teeth. Her fingers were covered in blood, and she only then felt liquid running from her nose uncontrollably.

The young hobbit looked at her hand in numbness and tried her hardest to ignore the sheer pain in her nose that was no doubt broken. She forced herself to walk, wincing all the way. It felt like almost every other minute she had to lean against a tree to catch her breath and rest her left foot, completely covered in scratches from attempting to escape the rock.

Liesel was at the edge of the woods as she breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile played on her face as she stepped into the field to find the company. The girl was practically laughing out of sheer joy from finding the house that Gandalf told her.

Her eyes and smile fell as her gaze soon landed on the same enormous bear that, yes, saved her life; but as she watched it bang on the doors like its life depended on it, the girl's fear only grew by the second. Yet, she knew for certain the company of Thorin Okenshield were in that house.

Thinking on her feet, Liesel limped her way back into the edge of the forest, raised her sword, and banged it against a nearby rock. As she had done this, her heart leapt into her throat as she realized the doors were closed on the bear; there was no need to have done any of this!

Still, instead of rushing towards the girl, the bear snarled at her, and begun slowly stalking her.

Attempting to keep her nerves down, Liesel clutched her sword tightly, but backed up into the forest one step at a time. When she believed the beat could no longer see her, she ran as far and as best as she could.

Her leg cried in pain the more she put pressure onto it as she raced away from the bear. She would be lying if there weren't times she wanted to lie down to rest, even if it resulted in her dying. Yet, she pushed on, and luck shined down upon her as she jumped behind a tree, and out of the bear's sight.

There was no temptation to even dare to peek out from behind the tree to see if it was still there; she knew. The poor girl could hear and feel its breath in her ear as it came closer to the tree she hid behind. In an instant, she slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Don't breathe." She remembered Fili whispered to her as the orcs came close to them that horrid night when…..

Her thoughts were interrupted as a shriek belonging to a warg echoed through her ears. The bear behind her responded it its own roar, and dashed away from her. When she knew it was gone, she took her hand off her mouth, and stepped out.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Liesel limped her way out of the forest, and back into the field where the house was now safe to enter. Walking to the front of the doors, she could hear the unmistakable voice of Thorin.

"Coward. You are nothing but a coward." He spat at someone. "Wasn't it a week ago that I told you and the little one that you had my trust? Was it pathetic of me to let a halfling like you have that privilege? You are weak."

"Thorin, that is enough." She heard Gandalf intervene.

After a short while of unknown hesitance, Liesel knocked on the door, hoping it was loud enough. No one answered for a bit, and her fear increased every time she knocked again, and again, and again.

The opening of the door, and the glimpse of Bofur's gentle face put the child at ease in an instant. She felt the fear and stress fall off her chest, as she finally let herself fall onto the ground, and not wake up.

Guess who's back? Heck yeah, it's me! The girl who's been on hiatus for almost half a year because of high school and Wattpad. Oh, aren't I just your favorite person? Anyway, I am officially back, and I will be updating my Star Wars and Hobbit fanfic, but I do not know for sure when I will be back on my Back to the Future one.

I also forgot to mention, that if you hadn't already noticed, the titles are song lyrics, or titles of a song. Yes, I have done this on purpose, for a fun game. Every time an Act (movie) ends, I would like for you guys to comment on what you think the songs are in order of the chapter's titles. Yes, I know a few are from different songs, but I might count them anyway. Because I forgot to mention this "game" at the end of last chapter, I will begin it, but do not count this chapter as one for the first movie. Your prize? You may ask, will be a shoutout. Good luck to all of you!

Also, thank you guys SO much for sticking with this fanfic!