Hello again! Thanks to anyone who read and double thanks to my one reviewer :D I really appreciate it! Hope you like this chapter! Please, pleasseeee review if you like it!

Chapter 2

Now I've read both the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy – though it was quite some time ago and I honestly don't remember all of it – not to mention owning the box sets. So yeah, you could say I've got some basic knowledge of Middle-Earth. I know enough that I could drop some pretty explosive spoilers onto the inhabitants of the Shire, not that they'd believe me of course.

And then a thought hits me. What if I've landed myself in a time completely random to the books? That's a scary notion. It's one thing to have no clue what's going in in your life when you're in your own world, it's something entirely different to be blundering around in an unfamiliar universe.

It did clear up one mystery, however.

"So," I said, planting my hands on my hips. "I'm a Hobbit!"

"No my dear lady," A amused voice contradicts from behind me. "I rather think you're not!"

I span round, a wide eyed look on my face and my mouth hanging open because I knew that voice! Mal snorted beside me but I didn't pay him any attention, because sitting at the base of one of the trees to my right was a tall, bearded old man clad in grey. Gandalf!

He was puffing on a pipe, sending small smoke birds fluttering around his pointed hat and smiling at me. I blinked. Getting over my initial shock of coming face -to-face with Gandalf I slowly processed what he had said.

"What?" I asked dumbly, my eyebrows drawing down into a frown.

"Not a what, you are still a who, after all," He pointed out. "Just not the who you appear to think you are!"

"I-I... huh?" I questioned. I'm a stellar conversationalist, as you can tell.

"You are a dwarf, my dear!" He said with a broad smile. I can't remember what I did with my face when he said that, but I'm pretty sure I didn't smile back.

"A.. A dwarf?" I repeated, he nodded kindly. I'm not sure what Gandalf's first impression of me was, but I can guarantee it wasn't one of great intellect.

"Is everything all right?" He asked, peering at me from under the brim of his hat. "You seem quite turned around."

"That's one way to put it," I sighed, scratching the back of my head. "I'm turned around."

"Well perhaps I can help, I'm quite good at figuring things out, if I do say so myself," The wizard said, patting the grass beside himself. I didn't hesitate. What did I have to lose? "First, some introductions I think! My name is Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey."

"I kn-" You already know what I was going to say, don't you? I decided against it, for the moment. "I'm Rachel Harker, this is my dog, Malik."

Mal gave the wizard a curious sniff before dropping down beside me and resting his head on his paws. I stroked a hand down his back, still concerned with how tiny I felt beside him – and Gandalf.

"Interesting breed," Gandalf muttered, tilting his head to look at the dog in more detail. "I don't think I've ever seen one quite like him, nor have I ever seen a dwarf quite like you!"

"We- uh, we're not from around here." I said lamely.

"Indeed," Gandalf said with a chuckle. "Well as it happens, neither am I! I have a dinner appointment, in an hour or so, but until then I think I'd quite like to hear a little more about you, Miss Harker."

I feel like I should describe Gandalf a little more. It's strange, and I don't know what I was expecting but he really could have been Sir Ian McKellen's long lost twin! His beard, hair and even his eyebrows were a little longer and more wild looking, but his face looked the same and his voice.

"I don't really... I mean I'm not really sure how to explain it," I say, running a hand over my jaw as I try to think how to start without sounding like a fruit and nut bar. "I don't think you'd believe me."

"Ah, well there is only one way to find out!" The wizard said, his blue eyes twinkling. "And I think you will be pleasantly surprised by what I will believe."

Well I guess that was a pretty good point. Of all the people in Middle-Earth that could even start to comprehend my story, Gandalf was probably the one.

"Alright." I said, nodding. Then I told him.

I'll spare you a repeat of how I got here, your memory can't be that bad! I didn't tell him that where I came from his world was nothing more than a set of books (albeit a very popular set of books), and a collection of films (an admittedly impressive collection of films) because that's a little insulting, isn't it? Not to mention potentially hazardous.

"Well," Gandalf said, puffing on his pipe for a moment, a curious look on his face. "That is certainly very interesting. Now what did you say hit you? A car, was it?" I nod. "I see, and exactly what manner of beast is a car?"

I'm not entirely sure he was focusing on the most important part of the story. The fact that I was from a different world seemed to have been lost to him, pushed aside in favour of finding out what a car was!

"It's not an animal! It's sort of like a big metal wagon?" I ventured. I've never had to describe a car to anyone before, can you tell? "They're for transport, they go really fast."

"And one of these hit you?" He asked, I nodded again. "How dreadful!"

"I guess so, I mean, I don't really know what happened," I said, shrugging a shoulder and sighing. "One minute I was about to get hit, the next I'm waking up here."

"Extraordinary!" Gandalf said, emptying the contents of his pipe on the ground beside him before stashing it somewhere within his long grey cloak. He glanced up at the reddening sky. "Now my dear, as I said I have a dinner to attend shortly, would you care to join me?"

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't already been thinking about it. There was really only one dinner that Gandalf could be attending in the Shire – and that was at the home of Bilbo Baggins. Did I want to go? Yes. Should I actually go? Probably not.

"Sure!" I said, smiling.

This was mistake number 1, in a long list of dangerous and stupid mistakes that I would later live to regret. In my defence, what else was I going to do?

We did not go straight to Bag End, as I had been expecting. Instead, we went left, following a path that wound it's way down the hill and towards what appeared to be a market. It was starting to get late, so all of the little Hobbit folk who had been selling at the stalls were beginning to pack up.

This didn't seem to be a problem for Gandalf as he strode quickly through the closing stands till he found one that sold clothing.

I gave him a look, and he smiled down at me in a way you might to a rebellious child. I didn't really appreciate that.

"What are we going here Gandalf?" I asked, glancing at the peculiar assortment of waist coats and cotton shirts.

"You cannot go walking around in .. those," Gandalf said, motioning to my clothes with a wave of his hand. I frowned. Admittedly my sense of style leaves a lot to be desired, but it's not that bad. "Hobbits are a not fond of strangeness, no doubt something you have noticed from the looks you have been receiving!"

"I'm not sure I'm the one that's been attracting those looks." I muttered, turning my attention back to the clothes as Gandalf attempted to persuade the young Hobbit woman who owned the stall to hold off for a moment on the packing up.

"Quickly now, Rachel my dear," Gandalf bustled back, gesturing towards the racks of clothing. "Miss Appleburn has agreed to wait until you've picked something out."

"I don't have any money," I said quietly, not liking the way Miss Appleburn was looking at me or Malik. Gandalf chortled. "I'm being serious, I've got a tenner in my purse and a debit card but I don't think that's going to cut it here!"

He gave me a funny look. Obviously he wouldn't know what either of those things were, I sighed.

"Don't worry about that, I've a few coin's I can part with." Gandalf said, once again trying to direct my attention to the dresses and corsets. I put on my stubborn face.

It's not that I didn't appreciate the offer, because I did, I just don't really like borrowing things from people – especially money! It is for this very reason that I was walking home from my mothers instead of driving which prompted this whole mess to begin with. Make of that what you will.

"I shall expect it back, of course, I have little doubt that you will be able to reimburse me by your journey's end," Gandalf said briskly, his eyes flicking to the Hobbit woman who was looking more and more annoyed with every second. "But you really cannot be walking around in that, and we are running out of time."

"Alright." I huffed, defeated. He's a smart one, that Gandalf, even if he does look like a bit of a hobo.

With the grudging help of Miss Appleburn, I was quickly and silently sized up before having a bundle shoved into my arms. Gandalf pulled a small pouch from the infinite depths of his cloak and paid the little woman.

Malik was snuffling around at the pile of clothes in my arms, till I shooed him away and, being careful not to drop the lot, examined what I had been giving. The first item was a plain white shirt with various ruffled bits around the bottom and at the ends of the sleeves.

I'm not a big fan of pleated things, but as the saying goes, beggars can't be choosers. Neither can penniless accidental world travellers apparently.

Under the shirt was a simple leather bodice, which I tried really hard not to scrunch my face up at. I have never, ever worn a bodice before, and it's not something I had planned on wearing in my future. Lots of plans going out the window today, huh?

Lastly a pair of camel coloured leggings which I suspect might have been made for someone of the male variety. Things could be worse.

"Thank you, Gandalf." I say, piling the clothes back up and holding them under one arm before turning to face him. He smiled and held out another lump of dark green which turns out to be a cloak! Fancy, right?

"Now, I do believe it is high time we let Miss Appleburn alone," Gandalf said, nodding his thanks to the woman who didn't look nearly as sour now that she had some coins in her hand. "I'm quiet hungry!"

I nodded. I could definitely eat.

Gandalf lead me and Malik off into the heart of the Shire, following little footpaths that wove between the hills and Hobbit homes. Malik stopped every few meters to sniff at something, poke his nose through a fence or lift his leg.

Eventually though we made our way up one of the largest hills in the Shire – much to my annoyance. I've never been fond of inclines of any kind – to a familiar looking green door. Gandalf gave me a smile as he opened the gate, but before the wizard stepped through, a voice called from a little way down the path.

"Gandalf!" They called again. I turned too, and spotted the group of dwarfs heading towards us, illuminated by the ridiculously large moon which was hanging low in the sky. I knew, from my selective knowledge of the future, that the figures approaching were Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bomber, Ori, Nori and finally Dori.

Try saying that in a hurry!

They gathered around the wizard, and by extension, myself. I'm not going to lie, I felt pretty awkward. I mean, these guys were all genuine dwarfs – beards, axes, hammers – the whole shebang! And there I was with my dorky T-shirt and baseball bat.

"Oi, whats goin' on here?" Nori asked, raising his eyebrows at me.

"Who's this?" Questioned Bofur, almost over the top of his pointy haired companion.

Oh dear, how did I get out of this one?

"This is Miss Rachel Harker," Gandalf stepped in, saving me from looking like an idiot again with my inability to explain anything. "And her four legged friend, Malik, I believe."

I nod, giving them my most winning smile. It seems to do the trick because they all begin introducing themselves and bowing all over the place. It was like a miniature Mexican wave.

"Well then lassie," Gloin said, hooking his thumbs through his belt loops. "What'are you doing with our wizard?"

"Good question!" I admitted. What was I supposed to say? How do I get myself into these situations?

"Rachel has a very .. unique circumstance," Gandalf said, hesitating only briefly. "Which will require her to accompany me, for the foreseeable future."

The dwarfs seemed to accept this without much discussion, which was good, because I wasn't really sure how Gandalf or myself was planning to explain my 'unique circumstance'.

I cleared my throat. "Shall we go in?"

"Excellent idea my Lady!" Dori agreed, giving me another little bow. Gandalf pushed through the gate, myself and Malik a step behind with the dwarfs bringing up the rear.

"Mal, here boy." I called him to my side, stepping out of the way as the dwarfs all swarmed towards the door, each one eager to be inside. Mal looked up at my with big brown eyes and a whine, I nodded. I think that summed us up quite well.

The dwarfs spent the next minute and a half jostling for position in between ringing and knocking on the the door. I stood well back, not wanting to participate in the impending dwarf-pile. Sure enough a moment later the door swung open and 8 dwarfs fell in. Gandalf chuckled merrily beside me, and, admittedly, it was quite funny.

"Gandalf." An exasperated voice muttered, and I looked up. My first official meeting with Bilbo Baggins. God but he was shorter than I was and I'd gotten pretty short! He could probably ride on Mal's back!

"Ah, Bilbo, lovely to see you again my dear hobbit." Gandalf said, stepping into the house as the dwarfs got to their feet. They all bowed and introduced themselves, much as they had done to me short minutes previously.

"Gandalf! What is going on?" Bilbo asked, frustration plain on his face.

"There will be time for that later, I assure you," The wizard said warmly, reaching a long arm out the door before tugging me inside. "This is Miss Rachel Harker, Rachel, this is Mr Bilbo Baggins."

"Nice to meet you." I said, though it occurred to me later that I should probably have bowed or something, like the others had.

"Uh, yes, how do you do?" Bilbo asked, giving me a flustered smile which looked a tad strained if you ask me.

"A damn sight better than you, I'd say," I grin. "Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

"I- My bathroom?" He repeated, I nod again. Not only do I need to get changed, but I really could do with visiting the little ladies room, if you'll excuse the pun.

"Yes, please," I say, smiling again. Bilbo blinks, remembers his hosting manners and nods, directing me down the hall to the fifth door on the right. "Thanks!"

I start walking but don't make it more than 3 steps past the kitchen when a shout – more of a squeal, really- sounds behind me. Followed by many feet stomping as the dwarfs appear, heads popping out from various doors along the passage.

"I-I-It's a wolf!" The hobbit gasps, one hand pointed towards Malik, who flashes a nonplussed look in my direction.

"Looks more like a warg to me!" A large, bald headed dwarf says. This is Dwalin of course, and he suddenly has an axe in his hand.

I don't think so, Mr Dwalin, not my dog!

"Whoa! Whoa!" I shout, stomping up to him and pointing a threatening finger towards the larger dwarf. "He's not a warg you idiot!"

The look on Dwalin's face is hilarious, but you can't laugh whilst trying to look threatening, so I bite the inside of my cheek and glare at him. Obviously he's not used to people calling him an idiot, sadly I can't say the same for myself.

"Put that axe away! Now!" I snap as Mal pads up to me, tongue lolling, a doggish grin on his face. "That's my dog!"

I am painfully aware of the silence in Bag End, broken only by the quiet sound of Gandalf chuckling behind his hand. Everyone seems to be waiting for Dwalin to do something. Myself included. His gaze travels to the finger I'm still brandishing a foot from his face and I quickly drop my arm to my side.

"And who're you?" Dwalin asks in a dangerously low voice. As you might have guessed by now, I am suddenly not feeling quite so brave for jumping to Mal's rescue.

"Rachel Harker," I say, holding out my hand. Dwalin looks at it for a moment and I start to get the feeling that handshakes aren't so popular in Middle-earth. Once again I drop my hand to my side and stand there, feeling awkward. "And you are?"

More silence, till finally. "Dwalin, at your service."

The rest of the group starts laughing and soon they're all returning to whatever food items they'd been pilfering from poor Bilbo's stores. I take this moment to slip away to the bathroom, glancing back when I don't hear the familiar clack-clack of Mal's claws. He is having his ears scratched by Dwalin, the traitor.

So, that's most of the company at Bilbo's, just one more fashionably late dwarf to look forward to in the next chapter. I hope it all makes sense -I got a little bit turned around myself half way through. While I'm not sure if the Shire would have markets, I needed a place for Rachel to get her clothes so you may have to forgive me that. Hope you enjoyed it!