Hey guys! I know, I know. What? Another story when you haven't got the others done? Yadda, yadda, yadda, I'm already getting it from my wife. But, what can I say, when an idea hits and won't leave you alone, you write. I have had the ideas for this story brewing around for some time and wanted to get people's opinions on it.

This story is going to be another one where our OCs come from our world into Middle Earth, however, it's going to be a little different to Sophia and Aiden's story. Also, the OCs in this are going to have Italian and Socttish Gaelic heritages. I am currently using Google translate to help me out with the translations, but if I have some Italian/Gaelic readers, please let me know if I get anything wrong with it, I like to be educated so I don't offend anyone.

Also, before I continue, there are a few things I want to point out;

1. This is going ot be a mixture of the book and the movies, mostly the movies since I'm more well versed in those than the book.

2. All my hobbit stories, especially the Thorin/OC ones, are all going to be set in an alternate universe, which means to me, that not only do the dwarves have a longer lifespan (live about a hundred years or so longer) that the foods/crops in Middle Earth will be simliar to those on Earth and there will be more dog breeds known throughout, so that the pugs in the second movie will make more sense.

"Till it broke open and rained down
It rained down, like. . .
Pain!
You made me a, you made me a believer, believer

Pain!
You break me down, you build me up, believer, belie-"

I groan as I turn off the alarm on my phone before turning over and laying back in bed for a moment.

It took me far too long to get to sleep last night. Having arrived at a hotel near Virginia airport yesterday, I was a bundle of nerves.

This morning, my mom, sister and I will be boarding a flight to take us to Italy where I will be competing in the finals of the international archery competition. This is something I had worked hard for.

Ever since I was a little girl, my dad had shown me how to use a bow, which was something that made him happy, for one of his children to share in his hobby of archery. My mom was always wary about me taking up archery, since I only have one eye, my left eye having been taken when I was a child, due to eye cancer. My dad had reassured her I would be safe, and I was and ended up being good at the sport.

My sister, Caterina, who is four years younger than me, had grown up closer to our mom while I adored our dad. Even though the four of us were a close-knit family, she was more mommy's girl while I was daddy's girl. Cat had grown up a girly girl, loving makeup, jewellery and fashion, while I had become a tomboy, happily wearing trousers while rolling around in the dirt of our grandparents farm

Dad and I would go camping during the summer, where we would hunt for our food and basically live in the nature for the weekend, sleeping in bedrolls by the campfire, no electronics or any other modern things to keep us entertained. It would make me feel like being in Middle Earth, resting for the night while on some great adventure.

The two of us were big fans of fantasy, especially Tolkein's work and the world of Middle Earth of elves, dwarves and hobbits.

All of that stopped ten years ago, when the three of us had gotten news that dad had died while in the army

During the first few months, I went into a deep depression to the point where I had stopped doing anything that would remind me of my dad. I would spend most of my time in my room, not wanting to get out of bed most days.

I knew that mom and Cat were also going through their own grief, but I couldn't find it within myself to share the grief and grieve together as a family should.

That changed one night when Cat came into my room after a nightmare and while we cuddled in my bed, she told me how she missed dad and I and wanted us all to be happy again.

That night, as she cried herself to sleep, I knew just how selfish I had been. I wasn't the only one to lose someone that day and I vowed to get help and bring myself out of the funk I had gotten into.

Mom was happy to hear this the next day, and after holding her and begging her for forgiveness, which she of course she forgave me and got me into therapy where I was put on antidepressants and anxiety medication, which all paid off.

I had also gotten a job to help mom out, when I realised she was struggling and things started looking up for us.

It wasn't until three years after dad's death when I got back into archery and went back to the range to practice my shooting before I started entering in competitions and tournaments and made a name for myself.

I also had minor roles in movies and TV shows, where I would be a random archer. Those were fun to make, I even taught some of the cast how to shoot.

Eventually, I got a job to teach archery to others, which I quite enjoyed. The job also gave me time so I could continue to compete, which is what brought us to today, on the way to the finals of the biggest competition in the world.

"Cel, are you up?" Cat's voice calls out, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I turn to see her sitting up in the bed next to me, looking over to make sure I'm awake.

I smile. "Yeah, I'm up. Just taking some time to get my nerves together."

She grins. "You'll do great. You're going to wipe the floor with them, I know it."

I grin back, knowing that apart from mom, she has been my greatest supporter in this.

"Thanks, sis, that means a lot."

She smiles before getting up to go to the bathroom. Sitting up, I swing my legs off the bed before reaching out to my eye case on the table and choosing a brown eye today, to match my real eye, I gently put it in and blink a few times before getting changed.

Once the two of us are changed and have everything packed, our mom walks in with a smile, her own suitcase behind her.

"Are you girls ready?" she asks.

"Just about, mom." I reply as I brush my hair back and braid it.

"How are you feeling?"

"Nervous. But, I think I'm ready."

She smiles as she walks over and lovingly puts a hand on my cheek. "You will do fine, Stellina, I know you are going to go far. I also know your athair will be very proud of you."

I smile, tears appearing before I hug her, holding her close. Cat also joins in on the embrace and we all just comfort each other.

A few hours later, the three of us are in the airport and on our way to the gate once we have checked in and gone through security. The closer we get to the gate, the more the excitement and the nervousness goes through me and I'm practically bouncing down the corridor.

"If you bounce any more, sorella, you won't need a plane to get to Italy." Cat laughs.

I grin at her while mom also laughs.

"Don't tease your sister, Cat. No doubt you'll be bouncing all the way to your graduation, and then Cel can tease you."

She giggles. "Yeah, maybe."

I grin, no doubt I would do that. Cat has spent the last few years in medical school and is currently the top of her class, making me so very proud of her.

Once we arrive at the gate, the gate agent scans our boarding passes and we walk along the jet bridge and into the plane, where we are greeted by the stewardess and we walk along to find our seats. Having already claimed the window seat leaving home, I slide along and sit next to the window, Cat sitting next to me and then mom taking the aisle seat.

"How are you feeling now, Stellina?" Mom asks.

"I just can't wait to take off! Then I'll know this is real!"

I say with a big grin. Cat grins back as she takes my hand.

"It's real, Cel, we'll be in Italy before you know it and you'll kick ass."

Not able to stop grinning, I sit back and wait as the other passengers board and the stewardesses run through the safety procedures and soon enough, we're finally taking off!

Looking out of the window, I watch as we get further and further away from the ground and leave Virginia behind.

For the duration of the flight, I spend the time on my phone either reading or playing some offline games while listening to music. I also chat and laugh with Cat and mom. The flight goes along smoothly until the afternoon, where I am woken up from a nap by the plane shaking violently. I gasp and sit up as the plane calms down again.

"What was that?" I ask.

Mom looks around the plane. "Probably just turbulence."

Somehow, I don't think it's that. Looking around, I see the other passengers also looking worried and concerned, as do the stewardesses, although they hide it better. One of them walks down the aisle and advises us to belt up, as a precautionary measure. I look to my family with worry as I put my seat belt on.

As we go on, the lights begin to flicker until they finally go off, causing some people to yelp and gasp in surprise and fear. Not long after, I begin to feel the plane tilt slightly to the left and then lean forward, as if going into a nose dive.

This is when people begin to panic and screams erupt through the aircraft.

"This is the Captain, brace for impact!" the captain's voice comes over the intercom.

What follows next is a mantra of;

"Heads down! Stay down!"

From the stewardesses, muffled among the screams of the others. My family and I lean forward in our seats and reach our hands into the middle to hold onto each other. Cat is crying in fear at this point, I'm also tearing up, but try to be strong for her, while mom, although I can see the fear in her eyes, remains calm as a cucumber, reaching her free arm over Cat, so she can hug us both.

"Vi amo ragazze, non dimenticatelo." Mom says, her voice thick with emotion.

I sniffle as I squeeze her hand. "Anche noi ti amiamo, mamma. Ti amo, Cat."

Cat squeezes my hand three times, unable to speak through her sobs, which I know is her telling me she loves me.

Closing my eyes, I manage to block out the screams of everyone else and just focus on my mom's soothing voice.

The free-fall seems to take forever, until it happens. The plane hits the ground hard and rolls a few times, while also bouncing. Quite a few of the belts malfunctioned, including mine, sending all of us all over the plane.

Eventually, the bouncing stops, only for us to free-fall again, making me believe we had gone off a cliff. All of us who had been thrown around, landing on the roof of the plane, and I closed my eyes while bracing for impact, which came not long after, causing me to black out.

I groan from the pain as I come to, opening my eyes slightly to see I am still inside the dark aircraft, wires sparking and fires roaring in a few areas. I can't hear a thing; no talking, no screaming or crying, no groaning. Nothing. Is everyone dead?

"Mom. . .Cat. . ." I manage to croak out before darkness takes over me again.

Having left the meeting in Ered Luin almost a week ago, Thorin now halfway into his journey to the Shire. Why Gandalf asked him to meet in there of all places, he has no idea. Is he employing a Hobbit to be their burglar? That's absurd! Hobbits are gentle folk, not a single fighting bone in their body. Dwalin is not going to be happy about this.

Looking to the sky, Thorin sees that the sun is almost setting, casting the land in an orange glow. He should start thinking about finding a safe place to rest for the night. Just as he thinks this his pony stops and begins fidgeting nervously, throwing her head back slightly.

"What is it, girl?" he asks, now on edge.

That's when he feels it, a buzzing in the air, and hears a humming in the wind. Is this that sensation that his nephews experienced a few months prior? Right before they found the strange woman?

His eyes go wide as the realization hits him; this could be the girls mother or sister. With encouragement, Thorin moves the pony towards the buzzing and after dismounting, ties her reins to the branch of a tree before moving on, his sword Deathless out, just in case.

Reaching a bush, he notices the humming has stopped. Everything is quiet once again. Peering around the bush, his heart sinks as he sees a young woman laid in the grass, wearing the strange clothing that Caterina wore, another large, strange pack nearby. Rushing over, he falls to his knees besides her and gently rolls her onto her back.

"Miss? Can you hear me?" he asks.

There's no answer. He looks over her body, checking to make sure she isn't injured. From what Caterina said, they were travelling and there was an accident, where she, and hopefully her sister and mother, were the only survivors. How they could be in the same accident and be separated by not only time but distance. She didn't really elaborate much on where she was from, only that it was far away from Ered Luin, which made him suspicious. However, he hopes that Gandalf would be able to shed some light on this. Which is why he agreed for Caterina to join them on the quest, along with her hope to find her family.

He certainly had some questions to answer from his sister and some of the company for allowing a woman, who had no skills in weaponry, to join them. However, she did have some healing skills, so he had appointed her as Oin's apprentice. Thankfully, he was happy to help her and teach her what he knew. He also had Dwalin, Fili and Kili give her some weaponry training, something he knew Dwalin wasn't thrilled about.

Looking around the area they are in, he decides that this is a good enough place to rest for the night. So he leaves to retrieve his pony, returning with her before unburdening her of his packs, then he goes to find some firewood. Once he returns, he lights up a fire before sitting on the ground and rummages in his pack to retrieve some dried meat.

As he eats, he cannot help his eyes drift across the fire to the woman, Celestina, if he remembers her name correctly. He doesn't know what it is, whether it is her strange clothing, or the way in which she appeared, something about her draws him to her. He isn't sure if that is something he should be worried about, something he should stamp down, like a flame trying to grow into a roaring fire. The quest they are about to embark on is dangerous, he does not want any distractions.

As he is trying to piece his mind together, he looks up as he hears a groan coming from across the fire and sees her beginning to come around.

Feeling myself come out of the darkness, the first thing that draws my attention is the sound of a crackling fire nearby, which would make me think I am still in the wreck, if it wasn't for feeling grass beneath my fingers as I clench my hands.

Opening my eyes, I see I am staring at a canopy of trees, the darkening sky seeping through the leaves.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" I ask myself, obviously not expecting an answer. Imagine my shock when I do get one.

"Not today, lass."

I let out a loud gasp, almost a small scream, as I sit bolt upright and look for the speaker, when I see him, sat watching me from across the fire.

As I look at him, I take in his features, dark hair brushed back, short, neatly trimmed beard and wearing clothing you would expect at a ren faire or a LARP session.

As I'm watching this man, something about him seems familiar to me, something I can't quite put a name to. That's when I look next to him and see a thick branch that has carvings running along it, shaped to look like a shield.

I gasp again, my eyes going wide as my head snaps up to the man, dwarf, sitting across from me.

"Thorin Oakenshield. . ." I breathe out.

I don't know if I meant to be quiet, but the dwarf heard me anyway, his whole demeanour changing from cautious intrigue to outright alarm, his whole body tensing and his face dropping into a scowl.

"How do you know of me?" he asks, his voice turning dark.

I don't answer him however, instead, looking around at my surroundings, my heart beginning to pick up its pace as I feel the familiar beat of a panic attack coming on.

At the mention of his name from her lips, his curiosity of her instantly changed to panic and hostility. He knows, thanks to Gandalf, that there is a price on his head, and knows that he has to be careful from here until he reaches Erebor, one slip up, not only will he be dead, but his company and the innocent woman who is trying to find her family.

"How do you know of me?" he asks, his fingers twitching towards his sword by his side.

The woman doesn't answer him however, her gaze turning from him to their surroundings. His anger immediately fades as he notices the wide eyes and hears the fast, heavy breathing. He knows the beginnings of a panic attack when he sees one.

"Middle Earth. . .I'm in Middle Earth? I must be dreaming. . .I must be dead. . ." he hears her mutter to herself.

He frowns at this. Why would it be a surprise to her that she is here? Unless. . .looking over her strange attire. . .could it be?

He's brought out of his thoughts as she suddenly stands, he also does, recognising the signs of her bolting.

"I need to get away. . .I need to find them. . .then this nightmare will be over. . ."

He knows she isn't talking to him, but he decides to speak up, hoping to get through to her.

"Lass, you can't go wandering through the wilderness alone and unprepared, you'll get yourself killed."

She doesn't seem to acknowledge him however, not even looking in his direction as she turns and starts to run. He quickly catches up to her and grabs her arms to stop her, she begins to struggle, hysteria beginning to creep in.

"Lass! I can't let you go out there!"

"No! I need to go! I need to find them!"

He tries calling out to her again, but to no avail. The fog has completely engulfed her to the point where all rationality has left her. He then thinks of the one thing that could snap her out of it.

"Celestina!"

That works. Her struggles cease immediately as her gaze snaps to him, eyes that were once wild are now becoming clearer, and her breathing slowing as she calms down. Thorin matches his breathing with hers to help her further.

My name. . .he-he said my name. . .how does he know my name?

"Yo-You know my name?" I stutter.

The dwarf, Thorin, nods. "Yes. We found your sister, Caterina, not far from my halls a few months ago, she told us about you."

My heart jolts at this, hope going through me at the mention of my baby sister.

"Cat. . .Cat's alive!?"

He nods, a small smile gracing his lips. "She is. Alive and well. You will see her soon enough."

That's all it takes for my body to slump forward as my legs give out. I feel Thorin's arms quickly go around me, to stop me from injuring myself as we both go to our knees and I don't know what comes over me, but I cry. I am kneeling in front of Thorin Oakenshield and gripping onto his shirt as I cry into his chest. He doesn't seem to care however as he just holds me to him, rubbing his hand gently up and down my back. I am then surprised to hear him humming. I have no idea what he hums, but the tune is enough to calm my mind and send me off to sleep once more.

It has been a few minutes since Thorin knew Celestina had fallen asleep. However, he just continued to kneel in the grass and holds her close. The poor woman must be exhausted and terrified. From how Caterina explained the accident, they had ended up falling off a cliff. It is a wonder bother women escaped alive and without a scratch! Someone must definitely be watching over the two of them. He just hopes their mother is the same way, for their sakes.

Readjusting Celestina, he reaches down to slip his left arm under her knees, while his right stays around her back and stands before carrying her over to camp where he carefully lays her down and drapes his blanket over her. He moves a stray strand of hair from her face as he watches her sleep. Thank Mahal that she is able to sleep in peace. A good rest is just what she needs. Especially if she is to join them.

Moving back, he sits on the ground, putting his sword across his lap as he keeps watch during the night.

Well, there's the first chapter in this new series. I hope you all enjoyed it and please let me know your thoughts on this and if you would like to see more. xx

Translations;

Stellina – little star

Athair - father

Sorella – sister

Vi amo ragazze, non dimenticatelo – I love you girls, don't forget that.

Anche noi ti amiamo, mamma. Ti amo, Cat. - We love you too, mom. I love you, Cat