A/N: Ok... I was late... again... and I don't even have an excuse this time
No matter, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as we enjoyed writing it. I will attempt to update soon but I can make no promises.

Disclaimer: Sadly, we don't own anything apart from our Oc's and the horse Thor...
Anyway, ON WITH THE SHOW!

Wait...WHAT?!

Finna's POV

Imagine if you will this scenario. Your group of four best friends gets split in an argument and the two pairs go their separate ways. Then, out of the blue, they turn up again, five years later, expecting everything to be fine and dandy. Ok, you can quit imagining now, 'cos it's true. There I was, hunting in the woods with Dan, just about to spear a deer right in the eye with my now expert archery skills. The sun was beaming down on us as we crouched silently in the greenery, and the visibility was perfect. I knew I would not miss. Pulling back the bowstring, I was just about to shoot when I heard the sound of breaking twigs and rustling leaves behind us. Cursing as I watched the startled deer flee away from the noise, I turned around to see Di running up to us, practically in hysterics, screaming something about Seph and Kels.

"Fin!" she said, almost tripping over a root of a tree in her eagerness, "You've got to come." I could see there were tear tracks running down her cheeks and her eyes were unusually puffy.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I burst out, fearing the worst. Had we been attacked? When I could tell that Di was actually in no danger, I sighed, putting down my bow when I realised I had lost track of the deer. "Di? What is it?" I repeated.

"You've got to come!" she urged again, just as inscrutably. I saw now that despite the tears her eyes were bright and she was smiling her enigmatic smile. "It's them."

"What? Who? What are you going on about?" Di, always the logician, loving facts, could be downright annoying at times. "Who is it?"

Now Di was frantically waving her arms, as if somehow I would understand. She seemed too excited to speak.

"Argh!" she said finally, "Just come!" She reached out to grab my arm, but I dodged her and stood firmly.

"No. I'm not coming unless you tell me why. I'm kind of in the middle of something here," I said, gesturing to the woods around me and to Dan, our adoptive brother, who was waiting, slightly bemused at what was happening. He then turned and started setting up a trap, and I continued talking to Di.

"Ok, alright," said Di, who looked as though she had calmed down slightly, and was more like her normal composed self. "It's them."

I was exasperated, "Yes, you've said that already, and-" I paused. I looked at her face, trying to deduce what was going on. Her sparkling gold eyes were just as elusive as ever, but somehow it seemed as though she were trying to tell me something. "Hang on...?"

"Yes."

"But, that's not-"

"It is."

"No way!" I said slowly, my brain trying and failing to process what was going on. If I was right, there was only one thing Di could be making this much fuss about. But I couldn't be right. That was impossible.

She cut off my train of thought, confirming what I hoped and feared would be true, "Seph. Seph and Kels have come to Rivendell."

There was a pause as the realisation hit me. They were back.

"WHAT?!" I roared, a whole bunch of conflicting emotions running through my head all at once. Even though I had guessed it for the past one and a half minutes or so, hearing her say it meant it was real.

I was so surprised that I stepped backwards. And felt the earth give way beneath my foot. As I sank back into the trap Dan had so thoughtfully and lovingly made while we were talking, I heard Di give a faint shriek. Faint because I could only hear it over my own voice cursing Dan for building a trap right behind me. I had twisted my ankle, and my right leg was stuck in the trap, so no matter how hard I pulled I could not get it out. I probably would have felt sorry for the rabbits that get trapped in Dan's traps all the time, but right now I was too busy trying to get free. Dan held his hands up, giving me a shaky smile,

"Sorry, I'll try and get you out, just hold still," he said as I struggled. The ropes were cutting deep into my leg. He cut the ropes twisted around my leg with his knife, and I swear I heard him say, "That was a waste of a good trap... I shall have to build another now." I gave him a murderous glare, and then I turned to Di, who was hovering nearby with an anxious expression on her usually calm face.

"Fin, you need to come!" she said when she saw me looking at her.

"Yes, well I was about to but-" I gestured around me with my arms. "But you can still tell me what the hell is going on. When did they come? And, most importantly, why? And why didn't you tell me?"

I was bursting with questions, and I still could not believe it was true. I didn't know whether to feel happy at finally meeting them again or angry that they had left it so long. I figured I would have a long time to work out which as it did not seem as though I would be moving anywhere fast anytime soon as, even though Dan had managed to get my leg out of his infernal rabbit trap, my ankle was twisted, and I was sitting leaning back against a tree. Dan was already setting up another snare, thankfully keeping a wary distance away from me.

"Listen, Fin, I do not know all the details. Seph was extremely tired and as soon as she arrived I sent her with Elrohir to find a room for her to stay in. You must understand that they did not come here to see us. And they're not both here."

"What do you mean; you mean they've split up?" I found myself horrified at the thought of them wandering around Middle Earth alone, when it could be very dangerous.

"No. Well, yes. They were travelling in a group, Seph, Kelly, and some others, and the only reason they came to Rivendell at all is because one of their number became wounded. Persephone brought him back with her, and I imagine that at the moment Elrond is treating him. By the size and shape of him, he was a hobbit. When Seph told me that others of her company were waiting in the forest, I have planned to send horse for them and intend on being one of the party to go and collect them. The are slightly west of here, that is all I know. However, when Seph first entered through the gates, there was a distinct look of surprise when she recognised me, so I believe she had thought that we had left Rivendell. That is why I came to tell you as quickly as possible."

Di seemed puffed out after her speech, and stood waiting for me expectantly. She held out her hand, and I took it, pulling myself up from my fairly comfortable seat on the forest floor. Immediately there was a shot of pain through my leg, and I limped forwards, leaning on Di for support. But I knew that if I gave in and asked Di for a mount to get me back, firstly it would take another hour (and it was already getting dark) and secondly, I would be teased forever more by Dan and Roh. So I hobbled along with Di, leaving Dan behind in the wood as he was eager to finish his new trap.

As we walked – frustratingly slowly – I thought about what I should say to Seph and Kels when I saw them. I mean, it's not as if you meet your ex-best-friends-who-left-five-years-ago again every day is it? I wondered why Di had been so friendly, inviting them in. Personally, I didn't think I wanted anything to do with them – I was happy as I was. How could they do this, turning up after five whole years, with hardly a word of contact in between, and then expect us to help them? Di was always too kind, I thought, turning to the side to glance at her as she helped me walk. She had invited Seph in and had sorted out horses without even asking me. I would have been furious if I hadn't been leaning on her for support. Actually, thinking about it, I guess I would have done what Di had. I really doubt I would have just shut the door in their faces. What really bugged me though was the fact that they had not even thought of visiting us before. Had Seph and Kels not missed us at all? Had they not regretted what happened five years ago? I certainly had, but it looked like they hadn't.

If we had known where they were, Di and I would definitely have gone out to find them. Well, we did know where they would be, they were going to "go and find the hobbits". I had read that short note so many times I had memorised most of it. It was the only clue we had about where they were. It wasn't as if it would have been easy to go and find them though. Yes, we could have gone to Hobbiton, but what then? There had been a time about four years ago when we realised how long we had been staying in Rivendel for, and we had seriously thought about going to search for them. We had everything planned, but then we realised that they probably would not even want to see us. They had left us hadn't they? And at first a small part of my mind always thought that to go and find them would be admitting defeat, as we had been wrong: we had not been able to find a way back to Earth.

Earth. There were times when I completely forgot about my life there, then felt guilty for not feeling as sad as I thought I should feel. But other times I did feel sad, homesick, just missing the 21st century things that made life easier. That was happening less and less now, and to be honest I was glad that there was no way to get back. Here everything was simpler and more beautiful, and after five years I truly felt like I belonged.

But now it seemed like things were changing. Seph had turned up on our doorstep wanting help, and she was surprised that we were even here. They were on their way somewhere else. I wondered what was going on, and then I realised. This was it. I had been thinking about it for a long time, I remember what Di had said ages ago when we first got here. She had said that the events of the book would start in around five years. Well, something was happening, and if Seph was travelling with hobbits then she would know what. They had come here from Bree. I knew it in my heart, and at that moment I realised that I would do anything I could to help them on their journey, and to maybe even play a part in the adventure myself...

A/N: Dun Dun Dun! They are back! A pet ranger for anyone who reviews!

P.S. If you have anything you would like to see happen then drop a review with your ideas, all thoughts will be taken into account
Constructive criticism is welcome :)