A/N: This takes place between the time that Bilbo gets back from his adventures and when Frodo's born. There's quite a gap in there in which nothing much happens in the Shire so I figured I'd fill it in a little with this story. Just clarifying the time frame. I hope you guys enjoy this. Thanks for reading!

Bag End. Ruby couldn't believe that she was entering Bag End, home of the famous, or rather, infamous Bilbo Baggins. Odd, strange, adventurous, mysterious, and loony Bilbo Baggins. Of course his hobbit hole didn't look odd or mysterious and especially not loony. In fact, it was one of the best hobbit holes Ruby had ever seen, although that wasn't saying much since she hadn't been in many hobbit holes in her short lifetime.

The floor was nicely bricked and the rounded hallway had enough pegs for dozens of hoods, rather than room for the belongings of just one hobbit. Down that hallway there were many doors, opening either on the left or the right and Bilbo pointed out that the best rooms were on the left because they had windows looking out over the green hills of the Shire. The little hobbit girl also made note that there were a lot of pantries and she could hear her stomach growl at the thought of a nice, round, beautiful seedcake and scones with butter that melt in your mouth when you bite into them. And tea too!

"This way, my dear. I do love guests but I don't get as many as I'd like to."

Ruby followed Bilbo into his lovely kitchen and sat down at the table as the hobbit bustled about to get tea on the fire and set some plates on the table. She noticed that the room they had passed through to get to their current location was full of papers and maps. She itched to see what those maps illustrated but Bilbo was still chatting away and she assumed she should listen because that's what good little hobbit girls did: listen.

"I still remember when the dwarves came for tea! Oh my goodness! They just kept coming and I was so flustered I nearly forgot my manners!"

Ruby perked up. Dwarves? As in the long bearded people that dug deep into the ground for all the pretty things that you only hear about but never see in a place like Hobbiton? Those dwarves? Suddenly the conversation was much more interesting.

"How many were there?" she asked, her blue eyes wide.

Bilbo looked up for a second and then smiled at her curiosity. He had found an audience, a very eager one at that. "Oh, well there were thirteen of them, my dear girl."

Her eyes got even wider, if it was possible. "Thirteen? For tea? Why?"

Bilbo laughed. "Well, thirteen is an odd number and rather unlucky, if you ask me. They needed someone to balance it out and Gandalf—"

"Gandalf!" Ruby loved the stories about Gandalf. Gandalf! Oh the tales she'd heard of him with his fireworks and adventures and magic! Ruby knew she would gladly die there waiting for the kettle to whistle if it meant she could hear a tale yet untold about that wizard, Gandalf!

Her older companion laughed again at her excited reaction. "Yes, Gandalf. I had invited him over to tea the day before but I had no idea he would bring thirteen guests along! And I had just baked two lovely seed cakes for my after dinner morsel when they came and I don't believe I got a bite of it!"

Ruby gasped. "No!"

He nodded sadly. "Yes." His face, however, quickly changed back to his previous enthusiasm to tell of his tea and then on to his dreadfully dwarf-filled dinner. "They were going on an adventure! And they wanted me to go with them!"

Ruby gasped again, this time out of exhilaration. "An adventure! That sounds excit…I mean…that sounds…" She wasn't sure how to continue. It did indeed sound exciting, to her at least. She knew that hobbits looked down on adventures. Respectable hobbits simply didn't go on them. It just wasn't done.

Bilbo waved his hand, as if he understood perfectly. "Yes, yes, they seem like such horrid, unpleasant things. And that's what I thought too when they asked me! All that talk of stolen treasures and giant dragons—"

"Treasure? Dragons!" Ruby knew it was rude to interrupt but treasure? And a dragon, of all things! With their fire breathing capabilities and huge teeth! It would terribly horrifying to meet a dragon!

"Yes! The dragon Smaug! He had taken over the dwarves' mountain."

The kettle started to whistle and Bilbo took it off and fixed two cups of delicious smelling tea for them both. He then held up a finger for her to wait a moment and then ran out into the room filled with papers and maps and books galore. When he returned he had a paper stuck under his arm. He handed it to little Ruby, being just as absorbed in the tale as she was.

"The Lonely Mountain," he said quietly but with much drama. "A huge treasure was there and the dragon had come and stolen it all, right out from under them!"

"Oh dear," replied Ruby, feeling sincerely sorry for the poor dwarves. Imagine losing all those beautiful things that they had worked so hard to create. She wondered if they had rubies, like her name. She was even tempted to ask Bilbo but didn't want to interrupt again. He had been so kind to her so far.

"Yes. Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the dwarves and rightful owner of the Lonely Mountain, wanted it back very badly! And they all wanted me to go with them."

Ruby frowned. "Why?" After realizing what she had said, she quickly clamped her hands over her mouth. She didn't mean that he was of no value on an adventure! How many times had she forsaken her polite upbringing in that one afternoon?

But Bilbo took no notice. "They needed a Burglar. Can you imagine that?" he said, chuckling. "Bilbo Baggins the Burglar!"

With a lick of her lips, Ruby finished off the last of her tea. She loved the way it warmed her all the way through, starting with her mouth and then her stomach and then all the way down to her bare, furry, little toes. She grinned at Bilbo, who was also sipping at his tea. She decided that he was a nice hobbit and imagined him as a father she wished she'd had. Not at all like what she had heard. He was simply…misunderstood. Not that she misunderstood him, mind you. In fact, she thought she understood him perfectly! Adventures sounded so…thrilling!

What wasn't thrilling was when Ruby realized what time it was. It was already getting dark outside! She needed to get home!

"Oh my!" she exclaimed as she jumped out of the chair, causing poor Bilbo to jump too. "I'm sorry, Mr. Baggins, but I must be getting home!"

Bilbo glanced at his clock and agreed but looked a little remorseful that he couldn't finish his story. Ruby herself was a little disappointed. She wanted to know more about these dwarves and their treasure and the dragon that had stolen it. What was his name? Oh yes, Smaug. She shuddered at the very thought of it.

"Would you like to come again tomorrow for tea, miss, uh…"

She smiled and then bowed, which was not entirely the proper thing to do but she did it anyway. "Ruby, Mr. Baggins, sir."

He bowed back and said, "You can call me Bilbo and I would be honored if you can for tea again tomorrow. I do love company."

Ruby thought about it. Could she get away from all the screeching of her caretaker? She wasn't sure. But she would try.

"I'd be delighted, Bilbo!" she said with a giggle.

And with that they bowed to each other again and Ruby skipped off, out of the round green door of Bag End, and towards the inn where she lived, her mind going in a million directions at once from all she had heard, seen, and experienced that day. She certainly hoped she would be able to come to tea the next day!

A/N: Don't worry, I won't retell the entire book of the Hobbit in this form! Lol. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'm beginning to think that I kind of picture Ruby's mannerisms as like the girl who played Lucy in The Chronicles of Narnia film. She's kind of about that age and talks like that, if you know what I mean. Except I picture Ruby's physical appearance as dark curly hair and blue eyes. Anyway, if that helps any of you in picturing her, there you go. Thanks again for reading!