The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings belongs to JRR Tolkien and the movies belong to Peter Jackson. I'm just a devoted fan.

Whoa! Thanks for all the reviews and alerts, you guys are really kind :) Relly's really fun to write as and Gandalf is too. Is it next year yet? I cannot believe I have to wait a full year just for Desolation of Smaug...sigh...

Edited 2/19/13.

Good Morning

Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.
- William Blake

In the morning, Gandalf gave the thief half his loaf of breakfast bread, Relly contently munching and walking alongside her new companion without a single complaint. He was strange and mysterious but he also was kind and appeared very grandfatherly, which only stirred her interest in him. Gandalf reminded her of her old Grandpap Crillynook, who had died when she was a mere age of ten.

Gandalf would gently talk to Relly and treated her like a guest. They had spent the night at an inn in Bree, a village Relly was more than familiar with. She had pilfered quite the many drunk man of his wallet and belongings. Men were much easier to steal from in her experience. Women...not so much.

As the two left Bree in the early morning, Gandalf offered Relly a small sandwich and the thief more than graciously accepted it, stuffing the fresh bacon sandwich down her gullet as the grey wizard watched her with a funny curiosity. She was very bony and thin, probably from years of poor nutrition and living on her own. And that was when it hit Gandalf: Relly had angular human features to her face, not the soft plumpness he usually saw in the fairer gender of Hobbits. Relly's feet were slightly hairy and big but still slender, like rabbit's feet. She wasn't fully Hobbit as he believed her to be earlier and the more he thought about it, Relly seemed very familiar to him, not just by the last name of hers.

He decided to not say anything, for the better of his judgement. She was the daughter of a female Hobbit he once acquainted himself with.

The two stopped for the night in a forest clearing. The Shire wasn't too far from here but Gandalf noticed the thief was tired and although he could have continued walking, he took Relly's sleepiness into account. Relly fashioned herself a pillow from threaded leaves and wrapped her cloak around herself tightly for a blanket. It was endearing and somehow a little sad for the wizard to watch the young half-Hobbit be so used to going from place to place.

It was the crack of dawn that Gandalf the Grey decided to wake up Relly and continue on. It was only a few hours from Hobbiton from here and if Gandalf had done his calculations right, Bilbo Baggins would be outside enjoying a nice smoke. He just had to make sure to get there on time or else his plan would fail.

Relly slipped her dagger down her cloak pocket as she drowsily yawned and continued to follow Gandalf. She had many questions for the wizard, the words forming on the tip of her tongue.

"Why are you going to Hobbiton? Most humans don't go there," Relly asked.

Gandalf tilted his head down to her, an enigmatic smile on his wrinkled face. "Well, I suppose it is a good thing I am not human, hm?" he asked her and Relly was stumped, opening her mouth but nothing came out. It took a few more minutes for the thief to say something.

"I guess. Who, uh, do you need to visit?" Relly asked, prying into his business. Usually she wasn't so nosy but this guy did rescue her from the baker at Rivertown and Gandalf did invite her to come along. The least he could do was tell her why.

The wizard looked down at the half-Hobbit, grey eyes twinkling as he adjusting the hat on his head and fixed the scarf around his neck and shoulders. "I want to say good morning to an old friend, possibly get him to join our little company. He will resist no doubt but I guarantee you he will come around. He has blood of the Took in him after all," a light laughter escaping from his mouth. "Perhaps you...may know him. Bilbo Baggins."

Baggins? and the last name rang a bell in Relly's mind. It had been ages since she heard the name and the old memories of all the families that lived in Hobbiton came rushing back to her: Tooks, Brandybucks, Sackvilles, Proudfoot, Underhills, Cottons, Grapevine, Baggins...

Letting down the hood of her cloak, Relly scratched her scalp, surprised she remembered as many Hobbit family names as she did. It had been well over two decades since Relly left the Shire. Maybe more. Point was, Relly did not want to dwell on how long she had been absent from her home. While walking, Gandalf grinned at the young woman, stopping in the green fields as Relly followed suit, looking at the vast pastoral countryside.

"Ah, we're almost to the borders of little Hobbiton. Just in time for second breakfast," he smirked and Relly suddenly remembered what second breakfast was. Living a vagabond life was not the kind for having elevensies or suppers or dinners on a regular schedule. Out of all the things she inherited from her mother, her love of food was one of them. Even if she didn't eat as often, Relly always appreciated soft bread or oatmeal. Nice, warm oatmeal in a bowl with some sliced apples and fresh cinnamon. Her stomach gurgled as she grit her teeth, wishing she hadn't just imagined that delicious scene in her mind. She absently licked her lips, missing the taste of oatmeal.

Gandalf and Relly did not talk for a while, instead enjoying the sights of the Shire and the little paths that curved around every hill and tree. Relly hadn't been here in so long but at the same time she felt like she was stepping back in time, a time where she actually lived with her mother in a hole in the ground. Gandalf hummed a nameless tune and Relly gently bobbed her head to the music, enjoying the wizard's musical talent.

And so, Relly Crillynook was returning to a hole in the ground, albeit a different one.

"Taking a trip down memory lane, my dear Relly?" Gandalf noticed her wide eyes.

Relly shrugged again. "I guess."

Gandalf's pace slowed down as the two travelers approached a huge hill-mansion, the biggest one Relly had seen. She blinked a couple of times, trying to remember why it was so vaguely familiar to her. The hobbit-hole was very extravagant but still down to earth, literally. Finally, the duo approached the gate of this Hobbit-hole and Gandalf tapped his staff to the cobblestone path a few times, attracting the attention of the well-dressed Hobbit sitting on the bench, smoking on his pipe.

He was rather well-dressed in Relly's opinion. A nice yellow vest, a sky blue necktie and pressed trousers. Relly bit the inside of her cheek as she stood by Gandalf and observed the bachelor Hobbit. This must be Bilbo Baggins, the friend Gandalf had told her about. This male Hobbit looked very apprehensive, shifting his eyes side to side as he tried to slyly puff another cloud of whatever tobacco weed he was smoking.

"Good morning," the Hobbit flatly greeted Gandalf and Relly, his eyes lingering on Relly as if wondering why a wizard and this weird homeless lady were at his residence.

"What do you mean?" Gandalf replied, earning a snort from Relly. He was going to pull some sort of trick, she could just sense it. And this poor, unsuspecting Hobbit was going to the butt of it. "Do you mean to wish us a good morning or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it to be or not?"

He looked confused, jerking his head back a few times as Relly's lips tugged at the corners, trying to hide a mischievous smile. This was very funny to her and Relly was pleased she had accepted Gandalf's offer on taking her with him. This guy didn't know what he was in for.

"Or perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning?" Gandalf asked him, earning a befuddled glance from the Hobbit. "Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?"

"A-all of them at once, I suppose," Bilbo blurted and Relly stifled her giggle, her noise once again earning a slight uneasy glare from the male Hobbit on the bench. "Can I help you two? Are you lost?" the awkward Hobbit asked Relly and Gandalf, his tone leaning towards the idea that maybe they were just lost, homeless people and that he was the poor soul that ended up with them. Not likely.

Gandalf hesitated and slowly exhaled his breath, a small 'humm' could be heard. Relly tucked her hands into her cloak pockets as she waited for Gandalf to explain why he was visiting him. To be honest, it was starting to look like Bilbo didn't know Gandalf at all. Perhaps she was travelling with a liar who dressed in funny grey garb. As Relly contemplated on why she even accepted Gandalf's offer, her wizard companion finally told Bilbo why he was here.

"I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure."

The pipe fell out of the Hobbit's mouth, stunned at his words. Well, there goes his lovely morning, Relly snickered. "A-adventure? Adventure," Bilbo repeated like it were a new word he had never heard of and his face turned serious. "I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have interest in going on an adventure."

"Oh that's not true," Gandalf stated, a bit of longing in his voice.

Relly kept quiet, observing Bilbo Baggins as he used the excuse of checking his mailbox as a way to not fully keep his attention on the two of them as he fingered through his mail. "Adventures are nasty, uncomfortable and it makes you late for dinner. Not interested."

"To think I should have lived to be good morning'ed to by Belladonna Took's son!" he harrumphed, his staff hitting the cobblestone. He sounded miffed and Relly wondered what the two of them were going to do at this point. "You've changed Bilbo Baggins, and not for the better if I may add."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Bilbo asked indignantly, looking pretty annoyed right now as Relly stayed close to Gandalf's side. He looked at her as well. "Do I know either of you?"

Gandalf huffed, his pride probably hurt right now as Relly pulled back the hood of her cloak, allowing Bilbo get a better look at Gandalf's young companion. He seemed taken aback.

"I doubt it," Relly shrugged, brushing back some floppy black hair behind her slightly rounded ears. To be fair, Relly hardly remembered Bilbo Baggins. Baggins was a familiar name, yes, but not this particular Hobbit.

"Know me? You know my name but you do not remember me? I'm Gandalf. Gandalf means...me."

Relly bit the inside of her lip, watching the wizard try to rattle the memories of Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo paused and then his face slightly lit up with a memory. "Oh, you're Gandalf the Wandering Wizard! You did the...ah, fireworks! Excellent fireworks! We had them every Midsummers' Eve!"

Gandalf looked glum but took it as a positive sign that at least Bilbo remembered him as a conjurer of small tricks. "I'm pleased to find you remember something."

Ouch. Even Relly felt that burn as Bilbo continue to puff on his pipe, not really understanding why Gandalf would have been hurt by his remark. Relly frowned, for she knew what it felt like to be disappointed in someone.

"It's decided then. I think it will be very good for you to come with us. I shall inform the others."

This time, both Relly and Bilbo looked shocked. Others? Relly was not aware of any others joining their adventure. Granted, she had never really asked what adventure she was going on. That was her fault. Relly Crillynook never looked ahead; rather she lived in the moment of things. It was how she was able to continue living her vagabond lifestyle.

"O-Others? No. Nope. No adventures for me. Not today, not ever," Bilbo put down his left foot as he let out another puff of smoke from his mouth, gripping his pipe and his mail. "Go try the Underhills or, or across the water!" He began to make for the door, stopping and going like he were hesitating on leaving them out there or not. "Good morning," he muttered as he closed the door on Relly and Gandalf.

Relly exchanged glances with Gandalf, unsure of what to make of Bilbo Baggins. "I don't think he wants to go."

"Nonsense," Gandalf's humorous mood returned to him. "In the mean time, maybe you should take a tour of your old hometown, Relly. I'll join you in a while. I still have some things to take care of."

She wondered what else Gandalf had to do but did not question him. Feeling out of place where she grew up, Relly silently continued down the cobblestone path outside of Bag End, unaware that wealthy bachelor Bilbo Baggins had locked all the locks on his door and windows and suspiciously eyed her from the window, the gentle-Hobbit himself wondering why that odd thief was headed towards the abandoned Crillynook Corner.

Woo! Second chapter finished. Bilbo's such a party pooper, don't you think? I loved Freeman's portrayal of him, it was exactly how I imagined him to be :)