Chapter 2 What Am I Doing Here

Author's Note: Hey guys! I hope you guys are having a great Memorial Day weekend. My plans involving visiting some friends and going to see X-Men Apocalypse and Alice Through the Looking Glass. It should be great!

Thank you to newmanlillian4, lillalil, Dantae Ophydain, unicorn682006, Dinosaur Imperial Soldier, harlotraven, Misztique, Chiei1987, Filisgirl251 for favorite/following.

I posted this story three days ago and I'm already getting a lot of good feedback.

Happy reading!

The first thing Phoebe felt when she woke up was dizziness. It was like she just got off a roller coaster. She tried to sit up but it only seemed to make it worse.

Bollocks! I would give anything for some aspirin right now, she thought.

Just when she thought she was going to throw up, she felt someone place their hand on her forehead.

"Hey! What are you..." but trailed off when she felt this warm glow flow through her.

Suddenly the pounding in her head was gone.

"How are you feeling, my dear," a voice asked.

Phoebe looked up to see, of all things, a wizard standing in front of her. And not just any wizard.

"Y-you're...you're Gandalf," she stated.

"Yes," he smiled.

Phoebe slowly got up to her feet but it felt like her knees were about to buckle any second because she couldn't believe that she was actually meeting the real life Gandalf the Grey!

"Am I dreaming? Are you real," she asked unsure.

Gandalf chuckled at the girl's nervousness.

"I can assure you I am quite real. If you're still not convinced you may see for yourself," he offered.

Hesitantly she reached out and touched his arm, just to make sure that he wasn't just a figment of her imagination. Solid fresh! Yup he was real all right.

"Bloody hell!"

Gandalf just smiled and patted her shoulder, letting her know that she was safe with him.

"I know, you must have a lot of questions Miss Phoebe."

"How do you know my name," Phoebe asked surprised.

"We met earlier today, you bumped into me while walking your dog," Gandalf explained.

Phoebe took a closer look at the wizard and that's when she finally recognized him.

"You're the old man who had the Hobbit book!"

"I am and I need your help, Miss Phoebe," Gandalf said.

She stared at him like he just lost his marbles.

"Help with what," she asked confused.

"Saving the line of Durin," he replied.

Okay, now Phoebe was really starting to freak out.

"I don't think I'm the right person for the job, Gandalf," she shook her head.

Gandalf looked at her with kind and understanding eyes.

"I have been searching your world hopping to find someone who loves and cares about Thorin and the Company enough to chance their fate. And none of the people I've encountered love and care about them as much as you. You remind me of Bilbo Baggins. At first glance you don't seem ordinary but I know deep down you're a lot braver than you think. You said it yourself that you wanted to chance the ending of the book. Well, now is your chance. I can either send you home and erase your memories of us either meeting or you can come with me on an adventure," Gandalf said.

Phoebe didn't know what to do. On one hand, she wanted to go home. She knew her mom would be worried sick about her. Not to mention her friends. But, on the other hand, how many chances do you get to go an adventure in Middle Earth!

She remembered her father used to say "you can't wait for things to happen. you have to make it happen."

Well, Phoebe was done waiting.

"I'll help you," she smiled.

"Excellent!" the wizard cheered.

Suddenly they hear a barking sound. At first she thought it was wolf, but than she relaxed when she saw that it was just her dog jumping out of bushes.

"Oz!" she cried out.

Oz quickly runs to his owner as Phoebe drops on one knee and hugs him.

"You're here!" she exclaimed.

"Aw yes! I'm sorry I forgot to mention that dear Oz has made the journey with us. Apparently he was still trying to catch that squirrel he was chasing earlier," Gandalf explained.

Phoebe looked at Oz and raised her eyebrow.

"All this for a squirrel," she asked him.

Oz just licked her face in reply.

"Ew! Oz!" she declared.

Oz stared at her as if asking forgiveness. She wanted to be mad but when she looked into his puppy dog eyes her heart began to melt.

"All right. I forgive you," she told him.

He barked once, as if to say thank you.

"Now then. Let's not waste anymore time. We should be heading to the Shire," the wizard said.

Soon Gandalf, Phoebe and Oz began their journey to the Shire. Luckily the Shire wasn't far and it only took them an hour on foot. As soon as they arrived they were met by with hobbits that looked at them with curious and cautious. Phoeoe almost forgot that hobbits don't wander very far from home and pretty much keep to themselves. That would explain why most of them were xenophobic toward them. The hobbits children weren't as prejudice like the adults.

In face one hobbit girl with curly red hair walked up to Phoebe and asked if she could pet her dog.

"Of course you can! He's very friendly and he won't bite," she explained.

The hobbit smiled and patted Oz's head.

"What's his name," she asked.

"Oz," Phoebe answered.

"Hello Oz! I'm Mathilda. It's very nice to meet you," she introduced herself to the dog.

She held out her hand and Oz placed his paw in her hand. Mathilda giggled as she shook hands with him.

"Mathilda!"

Phoebe turned to see a skinny hobbit man with curly red hair, standing by the flower stand. That must be the girl's father.

"I have to go. Bye!"

Little Mathilda waves good bye to them as she runs over to the hobbit man. She looked at Oz.

Aren't you Mr. Popular?

"Come along, Phoebe," Gandalf said.

Soon Gandalf was leading them up a hill, where there were hobbits houses lined up. At the very top was Bag End, the home of Bilbo Baggins. And there sitting on the front porch smoking his pipe was Bilbo Baggins himself. Phoebe had to admit that she was feeling really excited meeting the famous hobbit.

"Wait here, Phoebe. This won't take long," Gandalf said.

Phoebe and Oz waited just outside the little gate of Bilbo's home as she watched Gandalf talking to him. As expected Bilbo looked uncomfortable in the wizard's present. Gandalf criticized how Bilbo has changed from over the years and not for the better. Oz becoming bored with all the waiting decided to jumped over Bilbo's tiny little fence and run over to Bilbo.

"Oz! No!" Phoebe yelled.

Bilbo turned just in time to be knock over by a big grey dog. Soon the dog was licking his face.

"Ah! Get off!" Bilbo cried out.

Gandalf couldn't help but laugh.

Phoebe quickly opened the gate and pulled Oz off the Halfling.

"I'm so sorry. He gets excited when meeting new people," Phoebe apologized.

"That's-that's all right. I suppose," Bilbo said getting up.

He reached into his pocket and wiped his face with his handkerchief.

"Bilbo. Allow me to introduce my friend, Phoebe Byrd," Gandalf said.

"Hello there," Bilbo nodded.

"Hello Mr. Baggins. It's nice to meet you," Phoebe smiled.

Oz barked a hello to Bilbo.

"And you've already met, Oz." she added.

"Yes," Bilbo said drily, staring at the dog.

"Mr. Baggins. Since you're not interested in going on an adventure perhaps you can help my friend here. She's a long way from home and I need someone to watch her while I do a quick errands in town. I promise I won't be long," Gandalf explained.

Bilbo wanted to say no, but he got a good look at the girl. She was taller than by a few inches but clearly human. She had long red head and a bit on the husky side, but still beautiful. She was wearing strange looking trousers made of some unknown material and a wool purple sweater. She did look out of place here in Middle Earth. In good conscience he couldn't turn her away.

"Um, yes. She could stay here a while. As long as her dog behaves," Bilbo warned.

"Thank you Mr. Baggins! And don't worry. Oz is very well trained," she assured him.

But as soon as the words leave her mouth, she sees Oz going inside the house.

"No!" Bilbo said running after him.

Phoebe and Gandalf as they watch the hobbit chased Oz inside. Gandalf draws the mark on Bilbo's door so the dwarves could find the place.

"Well, I should be going but I will return this evening. Take care, Phoebe."

"Bye Gandalf!" Phoebe said.

As she watched Gandalf she could hear Bilbo yelling at Oz, "Not my chair!"

Phoebe goes inside to help the poor hobbit.

Author's Note: Well, Oz is certainly making himself at home lol. I hope you liked the new chapter. In the next chapter Phoebe and Dwalin meet and there will be sparks. Take care!