A/N: I want my heroine to be believable. I hate it when a woman finds her self in Middle Earth and just accepts it. There should be shock, horror and complete unbelief.

Thank you to the best beta ever, Nieriel Raina. Any mistakes are my own and not hers.

Chapter 1 Brothers and Sisters

The Eldar grew in bodily form slower than Men, but in mind more swiftly. They learned to speak before they were one year old; and in the same time they learned to walk and to dance, for their wills came soon to the mastery of their bodies

--JRR Tolkien, Laws and Customs of the Eldar, Morgoth's Ring

Grace slammed on the brakes, threw the gear shift into park and jumped out of the car. She was late, but then it seemed she was late everywhere and had been for the past year. Why her brothers had insisted that they have this little impromptu rehearsal at the state park was beyond her. It wasn't that far from town, and normally she enjoyed the scenic spot. It was one of the trailheads for The Appalachian Trail, and it was a favorite picnic spot of theirs. Sometimes, they would hike in a few miles on the trail, stay for a weekend, and enjoy the sense of peace being cut off from the world brought, but now was not the time. She was so close to finishing her PH.D; the dissertation was written, had been accepted by her advisor, and all that was left was the meeting where she would defend her research before her dissertation committee.

Her brothers owned an Irish Pub in town, and they provided live music on the weekends. Since Grace had always loved music and had a fair singing voice, she would sometimes sing a song or two for them on the weekends. Life had been too hectic for that lately, however, and when the band they had booked backed out on them at the last moment, she found herself caving in. She minored in voice for her undergraduate degree, and she enjoyed singing; it was just a difficult time. When she talked with Matt, the older of her twin brothers, he mentioned a sibling picnic to accompany the rehearsal, she did not have the heart to refuse.

Her brothers were ten years older than she, and she had been their adored baby sister. They had watched over her, protected her and loved her, and after their Mom had died of cancer when she was only nine, they had cared for her. Their mother's death left the family shattered. Their Mom and Dad were deeply in love with each other, it was difficult for their Dad to pick up the pieces and to go on. Until he did, her brothers were the ones to make sure she got to school, her homework got done, and they held her when she cried sometimes they even cried with her. There was very little they could ask of her that she would not try to do for them. Once her Dad had recovered, they created a very happy, very close, little family unit. She had taken to mothering them all when she got older, and they had supported her when she had decided to complete her PH.D and apply for a post graduate fellowship at the British Library.

She sighed as she grabbed her bag from the car and followed the gravel path to the trail head. Sure enough, there they were, a picnic spread on one of the huge boulders that an ancient glacier left in its wake.

Mark, the younger of the twins, called out to her, "Finally the late Grace Winters has arrived."

She laughed as he bowed when he made this announcement. "Late, dear brother, is far better than never. So, no complaints, or I will take myself off and leave you with no one to sing on Saturday. Instead, you and your twin will have to hum, loudly."

"Come, sit, eat little sister, it looks as though you've been skipping too many meals while you have kept your nose stuck in your books". He eyed his sister critically. Grace's beauty was not classic, but the twins had always thought her beautiful. Now, she looked tired, and there were dark shadows under her gray eyes. Her skin, always fair, looked even paler than normal.

Grace looked like her mother, while the twins took after their father's family. She had their mother's porcelain skin, dark hair that fell to her shoulders and gray eyes. Straight, dark, delicate, brows lifted in wings above her almond shaped eyes. Her face had an other worldly beauty; she resembled what he always thought a fairy would look like. She was not tall, and her shape was slight and delicate. Now, however, she looked too delicate. He and Matt had talked about their worries, that was one reason they had insisted she join them for lunch. They wanted her to relax, eat and take some time out from her frantic schedule. They knew she was nervous about her upcoming dissertation defense, but she had worn herself down too far. It was time to take action. Worrying about Grace came naturally to them.

She had always been an unusual child. She immersed herself in books, music and nature. She also grew much more slowly than most children. They remembered their mother's concern. It was obvious that Grace was intelligent; in fact, she had surpassed all other children her age in that type of development. She had always been wise beyond her years. It was her physical growth where she lagged. She did not even entered puberty until she was past eighteen. They took her to doctors who could find nothing wrong, and it was difficult for three men to deal with a young girl who lagged so far behind her peers in this area. It was a hard enough time for a girl without the added complications Grace endured. Luckily, Grace's sunny personality and charm won her many friends. They were patient and understanding with her. She may not have been invited to dances and parties that other girls of her age were immersed in, but she seemed to take it well. She said it gave her more time with her books. Her late development also prevented her from starting her dating life at the same time as her friends. She had many friends who were male, they, however, regarded her as a little sister. They would come to her for advice about their girlfriends, and she would solemnly instruct them on what to say and do; invariably, her advice was well thought out and helpful.

Grace was twenty-five and she still looked about eighteen. She finally matured, but still had little interest in the opposite sex, except as friends. When she was younger, the twins and their father were relieved they did not have to worry about her dating, but now they were concerned because she seemed so uninterested in it.

They nagged at her about it so much that she had finally lost her temper. "It seems that you would all know by now that I do things in my own time. When I find someone to be interested in, you will know, but STOP PUSHING!"

It made Grace an oddly attractive mix of youthful innocence and wise maturity. While she may not have found someone yet to love, there were many that were interested in her. She dated casually now and then, but she was more interested in meeting her goals than she was in finding a lover. She enjoyed her life. She had friends; her brothers, her dad and her work. Instinctively, she knew that she was not cut out for casual relationships and when the time was right she would find the one meant for her. Until then, she was happy.

They had eaten well. Grace had watched in amusement as her brothers kept heaping food on her plate. Now, they lounged on the large boulders, and Matt and Mark watched as some of the worries and cares had slipped from their sister's shoulders.

Finally, Grace yawned, "If you want to get any rehearsing done, we better start soon. I had to postpone a meeting with my advisor in order to come, and I have to leave in an hour or so".

Matthew grinned at her and said, "Okay, come on squirt".

She narrowed her eyes back at him and asked, "So, you have brushed up on your humming skills"?

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