Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings.

Summary: We've seen them against Sauron. We've seen them against Mary-Sue. They have survived just about everything Middle Earth can throw at them. Now they face something new and entirely unpresidented.

Chapter One: What The Hell?

My life has been turned upside down, given a good shake, and been turned right side up again.

Up until an hour ago, I was just your everyday childcare worker, now I think I should take a trip to the Loony Bin.

Okay, that was confirmed when I chose this line of work, but still.

Perhaps I should start at the beginning.

My name is Natasha Anne Ross. (Pronounced 'rose') I am almost twenty years of age and am the oldest of three girls; two minutes older than my twin, two years and twenty-three days older than my youngest sister. Yes, I counted; it makes for bragging rights when you're eight-years old.

My twin and I are identical with grey-green eyes, auburn hair with red and gold highlights and freckles.

I work in a childcare centre containing forty-odd children aged three to six, with about twenty attending per day.

Now that we have gone through my life story, back to what happened.

It started around 10 a.m this morning, just before morning tea time. By the current lengthening shadows, it looked like I had lost about seven hours somewhere along the way. I knew I should have stayed home today.

I know a lot of girls my age would start screaming with joy if they blink and the next moment the Fellowship of the Ring walked is standing in front of them, but I am not most girls.

You know what my first thought was? Not 'Oh my god, he is so cute!', it was more along the lines of 'This is the last time I let my sister talk me into watching Lord of the Rings and staying up to Midnight. I'm getting a headache.' Not that various Fellowship members aren't seriously good-looking, but if my grasp of the scenery is right, they currently have an army of orcs on their tail. One minute I'm looking after twenty – odd children and nursing a sleepy three-year-old, the next I'm standing in the middle of nowhere with three of my charges, gaping at four hobbits, an elf, a dwarf, and two men.

I had bigger problems to worry about, however.

1. How the hell was I meant to explain this?

2. I'm not so experienced with children that I could properly look after all three of them, especially in the wild, and they were my responsibility.

3. We had nothing that would enable us to survive for very long and the only food I had on me was a sandwich from Subway that had been intended for my lunch, and which would not be very filling when divided four ways.

4. If this was the Quest of the Ring, then it was the absolute last place that an eighteen-year-old childcare worker and two four- and a three-year old should be. War and Quest to decide the fate of Middle-Earth, anyone?

But, hey, every cloud has a silver lining, no matter how tarnished. I was wearing a skirt and blouse, so I wouldn't seem too out of place, even if a mid-thigh wrap-skirt would be considered indecent. For some reason, my bag had travelled with us, and I'm the sort of person who always carries around a multitude of random things along with their wallet, keys and phone; notebook and pen,reading material, sunblock, etc. Bella, Collum and Gretal were some of the more manageable kids; I could have been stuck here with troublemakers. All three of them were out of nappies, which was a definite relief.

Well, back to the present dilemma.

Gretal was clinging to my leg so I turned my attention to her. She held out her arms in a familiar gesture and I lifted her onto my hip, holding her there with one arm while Collum slipped his hand into my free one and Bella moved slightly closer to me. For some reason, this always calmed me down.

I looked at the group standing in front of me. Only eight of them, so that must mean that they are out of Moria. The Fellowship was still united and there was no river nearby, not to mention Legolas and Gimli were still at each other's throats. That must mean that they are headed toward Lothlorien.

It was Collum who finally broke the silence with typical childish innocence, asking, "Teacher, who are they?"

This earned a few odd looks. Collum has trouble with names, so the adults at the centre are all 'Teacher', but I think my would-be title of address would be more along the lines of 'miss' or 'misstress'. After a quick pause, it was Gimli who answered. "Give me your name, lad, and I will give you mine."

I quickly hid a laugh. Oh, yes, I could definetly see this one facing down Eomer of Rohan. I was about to reply when Bella answered for all four of us. "I'm Bella and this is Collum and Gretal and Big Natasha."

The fairer of the two men, Boromir, if I was correct, laughed at the title, " 'Big Natasha?' But a bit too small to be out alone in the mountains."

At this comment, Gretal lifted her head from my shoulder and glared at the man with all the anger her tiny face could muster. From such a sweet-tempered child, it was certainly an impressive amount.

I rolled my eyes, how many times was I going to have to explain this? "There is another child where we came from who shares my name. 'Big' and 'Little' are merely to distinguish between the two of us. But you have still not introduced yourselves and it grows dark, which is an even worse time to be alone in the woods."

This time it was Aragorn who spoke. "I am called Strider, this is Gimli, son of Gloin; Boromir of Gondor; Legolas of Mirkwood and Merry, Pippin, Frodo and Sam of the Shire. But you are correct; the hour grows late and we should be away from here before nightfall. You cannot stay here defenceless. Will you travel with us to the Golden Wood?"

What was I to say? There was safety in numbers, after all. I nodded and we were off again.

Night was falling as we entered the border of Lothlorien and encountered the elves who guarded them. Haldir was arguing with Aragorn and Legolas about something or other, I was too exhausted to care and kept myself occupied with the three children who had been dragged along with me.

The elves had given us blankets and I think that the three of them were too tired to care that they were sleeping on a wooden platform rather than a soft mattress.

Drifting off with Bella on my lap and Greta and Collum on each side, I suddenly realized that this was the first time I had slept without knowing where my twin was and without saying goodnight to her, even over the phone. Somehow, that scared me more than anything else that I had witnessed so far.

I woke with my back against the trunk of the mallorn tree; Bella curled up in my lap, her head on my chest and a lock of my hair clutched in her fist. Beside me, Collum started awake, looking upset.

I could hear the sound of orcs in the distance and pulled him closer, shushing him. Boys at age four are not yet too proud to cry and we really didn't need the orcs to know our location. Collum wrapped his arms around my neck and clung tightly. On my other side, Gretal woke and wriggled her way in between my side and the arm that was holding Bella. My free arm went around Collum as the four of us huddled close.

I cannot remember a time when I have been so glad to see the sun rise. Ever.

I was not so pleased when we all had to be blindfolded to pass through Lothlorien, even if I could understand the reason for it. It may have been selfish and unfair of me, but I'll quote Legolas on this one: "A plague on dwarves and their stiff necks!"

Gretal, Collum and Bella were even less happy, so I suggested we play the 'Silence Game' as we travelled. The Silence Game is a game where everyone closes their eyes and tries to name all the sounds that they could hear after a period of time.

It is truly amazing how observant children can be at times and the number of different ways to describe the same things, as I discovered when we stopped for a rest. I was thankful for that, because my charges were getting tired and so, for that matter, were my arms. Bella's mother was a Gym Instructor, so she was used to long periods of physical exercise. Gretal and Collum, on the other hand, had no such experience and I had been taking turns carrying them.

Carrying or lifting children for short periods of time is easy enough but Goddess, they can get heavy after several hours! Especially when walking.

After about a day of travelling, Lady Galadriel sent word that we were to walk free and not long after that, we arrived at Caras Galadhon, the heart of elvendom in Arda, where we would meet Lord Celeborn and Galadriel, the Lady of Light.

I was not sure if that was good or bad news.