Chapter One~

Stranger Beginnings

.::*::.

"Aislinn!" Nerys' yell sounded across the upstairs corridor of their two-story Colonial-style home. "AISLINN!"

"What do you want?" the redhead teenager glared at her elder sister after stomping out of her bedroom.

"Where is my journal, you know the old-fashioned looking one with a feather on the cover? You always steal my stuff and I know you have it. So, where is it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about Nerys. I don't know why you always get so worked up over everything. Why would I want to steal your diary anyway? You have nothing interesting to write about." Aislinn countered.

"I do too…so, anyway where is it?"

"I don't know!"

"Fine, I'll just do a quick search in your room. I hope you don't mind."

"You aren't allowed in my room. Mom's told you that…especially after last time."

"I had nothing to do with that incident. It was all on you, you bitch." Nerys said, coolly.

"Hey, can you two for once please stop fighting over nothing?" Claire shrugged past Nerys and Aislinn, still dressed in her pajamas. "Your incessant yelling woke me up…as usual."

"It's not my fault Aislinn is a twat."

"You're not British, Nerys. Don't start." Aislinn poked her tongue out at the brunette, only to receive a glare in return.

"So?"

"Oh my God…" Claire muttered before heading down the stairs. Before Aislinn could react, Nerys had made a move towards the girl's bedroom. Aislinn pushed past Nerys before pushing her door open. Both girls fell through but instead of landing on the crème colored carpet flooring, they landed on something much softer and damper. Both of them shrieked as they fell through the doorway into an unknown forest.

"What the hell?" Aislinn growled. "Seriously? What is this, Narnia?"

"Shut up, Linn,"

"Don't—,"

Nerys nudged her sister before looking at the ground underneath her and then to a pair of feet in front of her — a pair of feet hidden by a long grey cloak. She smacked Aislinn on her forearm multiple times before the younger sister noticed the same grey cloak. Both girls looked up to find an elderly looking man with a large nose, grey beard and a hat to match his clothing. In his one hand, he held a brown staff. Nerys forced herself to hold back a shriek of delight, realizing who the grey man had been. A look of curiosity was plastered on his face. Nerys had caught this and realized she and Aislinn possibly looked ridiculous lying on the ground.

"Good morning, sir," Nerys said, getting up and brushing herself off. She had attempted her best British accent she could muster up, earning a chortle from Aislinn. "Lovely day,"

"Quite," he agreed. "What were you doing lying on the ground?"

"We tripped…" Aislinn cut in. "I'm sorry but could you tell me where exactly we are?"

"You, my dear, are standing in Westfarthing Forest. You are not too far from Hobbiton. I was just on my way to visit an old friend."

"Do you mind if we just, er, come along since we are rather unfamiliar with Westfarthing, as you call it?" Nerys inquired.

"It seems you are a long ways away from home. What are your names?"

"I suppose we are…" Aislinn agreed. "I'm Aislinn."

"I am Nerys Jameson…and Aislinn is my younger sister."

"My name is Gandalf the Grey. And strangely, I seem to recall someone else with the same surname. Another tale for another time, I suppose. Now, one of you may sit beside me and one behind in my wagon. Or however you choose. Bag-end is not far from here."

"Aislinn, do you—,"

"I can sit in the back."

She jumped up and sat beside a pile of fireworks and watched as Nerys climbed up on the seat beside Gandalf.

"You do not appear to be from Middle-earth, my dear. We still have a ways to go before reaching Bag-end."

"How could you tell?"

"I have seen many stranger things in the past sixty years. There is a familiarity to you and your sister that I recognized immediately."

Nerys smiled.

"I guess you caught us. We're definitely not from Middle-earth. I don't even know how we got here in the first place."

Gandalf hummed in response and pulled out his smoke pipe.

"Do you know why?" Aislinn quipped up from the back.

"Do I know what, Miss Jameson?"

"Why we got here?"

"No," Gandalf responded. "I suppose it is for a good purpose."

He continued with humming a tune Nerys knew all too well as they rode along the forest path.

"What is that?" Aislinn inquired. "The song you're singing,"

"It is a lovely tune I picked up from an old friend after one of his adventures." Gandalf responded, and went back to humming it.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to hop in the back to talk to my sister."

Gandalf chuckled as Nerys stood up and jumped over, careful to watch the fireworks in the back. Aislinn glared at the brunette as Nerys giggled.

"You better repay me for this." Aislinn muttered.

"You're late!"

Gandalf had pulled the wagon to a stop, causing Aislinn and Nerys to look up at a certain familiar Hobbit.

"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." Gandalf exclaimed. Nerys could see Frodo trying to hide his smirk and Gandalf trying to keep his cool. Both of them failed and burst into fits of laughter.

"It's wonderful to see you Gandalf!"

The Hobbit jumped into the wagon, embracing the elderly wizard and then moved to sit beside him. Frodo turned when he saw the two girls sitting in the back.

"Gandalf, it seems as though you have companions in the back." Frodo noted.

"Nerys Jameson, this is my sister Aislinn. We've been travelling with Gandalf for a little while now."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," said the hobbit. "Frodo Baggins,"

He put his hand out to Nerys and she accepted with a small shake. He repeated the action with Aislinn, only she hadn't been as cheerful or enthusiastic as Nerys had been. Nerys simply rolled her eyes at her younger sister and sighed as she watched the scenery change. She chuckled at Frodo's eagerness to hear news of the outside world and to hear more of Gandalf's adventures. Frodo glanced back to the two girls sitting in the back.

"Have you been traveling for long?" he asked.

"Both Miss Jamesons are under my guardianship until their long return home."

"We've only been traveling a fortnight I suppose. Lost track of time," Nerys lied. She bit her lip as Aislinn kicked her in the shin.

"What are you doing?" Aislinn hissed.

"Just go along with it. Just don't say anything about you-know-what and you-know-who—,"

"Fine, fine, fine…"

Aislinn huffed and folded her arms across her chest. Nerys looked about the rolling hills of the Shire and the little Hobbit holes underneath hills and the vast gardens many front yards had.

"Look it's Gandalf!" many of the Hobbits waved and greeted the Wandering Wizards as they passed through the market place. Nerys found it adorable and smiled as the hobbits stared at her in wonder. She waved back at them but only received awkward stares and waves.

As Gandalf continued the travel, they passed more Hobbit holes and little children running behind the wagon, begging for fireworks.

"You might wanna duck, Aislinn." Nerys said, lying flat on her back. The sounds of disappointed hobbit children filled the air but stopped when fireworks burst from the back of the wagon where Nerys and Aislinn were sitting. Aislinn shrieked and hid behind Nerys. She glared at Gandalf from the back as he laughed.

"Gandalf, I'm glad you're back."

"So am I dear boy," Gandalf exclaimed, as Frodo jumped off the wagon. "So am I,"

"So are we almost near Bag-end?"

"Yes,"

"Great, I think I've had quite enough of sitting in the back of a moving wagon." Nerys said, hopping back over to sit beside the wizard. He chuckled and stopped the horse in front of a lovely little Hobbit hole with a large green door and a brass knob on the outside. Aislinn jumped out of the back and glanced at the sign on the gate.

"No admittance except on party business," she read. "Quite the friendly hobbit,"

Nerys rolled her eyes at her sister's sarcasm.

"Oh shut up,"

"Best wait here for a moment while I greet our dear Hobbit," Gandalf announced.

The girls nodded and glanced at one another.

"I really hope you know what you are doing," said Aislinn.

"I hope so too." Nerys agreed.

.::*::.

Author's Note: So, from here on out until the end of Fellowship of the Ring, it will be told in third person. Thank you for your reviews! I hope this wasn't too rushed. But I just wanted to get things going so yeah. Please review!