"Excuse me, Sir, but are you lost?" a voice softly called to Thorin out of the darkness. It had been the third time Thorin had passed this particular hill.

Thorin looked up and saw the owner of the voice, and young hobbit woman, perched on top of a hill. "No, I just choose to walk this way," he replied arrogantly.

"Then may I ask where you are going? I may be able to point you in a quicker direction," she said getting up and approaching him.

Thorin glared at her for a moment before he replied, "I am seeking the home of one called Baggins, at Bag End. But in the night all the blasted holes look alike."

"Bag End? I know where that is, here, come with me," she said walking off down the road. Thorin followed, not fearing a trick of some sort since these were just hobbits.

"Are you hungry? It's becoming late, and I have some bread," she offered, holding out a loaf of bread to him.

Thorin accepted it with thanks. He never would've admitted it, but he actually was quite hungry from traveling all day.

She led him through the hobbit village, and soon they came to a larger hill with windows all along one side of it.

In the light coming from these windows, Thorin was finally able to get a good look at this hobbit woman. She came up to about his shoulder, and had curly hair like most hobbits but was a deep auburn/red color. Her clothes were simple though, as if the sole purpose of them was to run around in; not nice 'seeing your grandparents' clothes.

She stopped by the gate. "Here you are," she said gesturing to the door. She then turned and walked back down the road.

"Wait!" Thorin called after her. "What's your name?"

"Daisy, Daisy Baggins," she grinned.

Once inside the hobbit hole, Thorin met the burglar Gandalf had found. He looked more like a grocer to Thorin, and Thorin stated it. When offered food by the grocer, Thorin had only a bowl of stew; the bread Daisy had given him had put a nice curb on his hunger.

Daisy Baggins. From the name alone he knew she had to be of some relation to the burglar/grocer. Thorin still studied him, and found the two did have some similar features. He would guess they were brother and sister, or at the least cousins.

After he ate they got down to business. The mission was explained to the 'burglar', who did not take the idea of possible death by dragon very well. Thorin expected about as much from such a hobbit.

Once that was all taken care of, the dwarves sang of their home, of Erebor. As they sung, Thorin noticed a hobbit standing by Gandalf, listening. It was the one who led him here, Daisy.

"And who might you be?" Kili asked her with one of his charming smiles. Thorin mentally rolled his eyes at Kili's flirting.

"This is Daisy Baggins, she lives here with her brother, Bilbo," Gandalf stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders. Daisy gave a small smile as a greeting.

"Oh my goodness, Daisy where were you!" Bilbo exclaimed entering the room and enfolding his sister in a worried hug.

"Out," she replied, squashed by Bilbo.

"Out where?" he asked, releasing her.

"In the Shire."

Bilbo shook his head, "Whatever am I going to do with you?"

"Sorry Bilbo that would be my fault. I asked her to be on the lookout to make sure all the dwarves made it here. Most of the hobbit holes look very similar after dark," Gandalf apologized.

"Unbelievable," Bilbo muttered, shaking his head and leaving the room.

"When did you even come in?" Thorin ask her. He hadn't heard her enter and was very curious.

"Right before you started singing," she answered in that quiet voice of hers.

"How come none of us noticed you?" Fili asked, he had the best view of the door and was certain no one had entered.

"I simply did not want anyone to see me."

Thorin considered this. From what he had seen, this Daisy looked to make a better burglar than her brother. Given the choice, he would sooner take her with them. But it was even later now and they had an early start ahead of them.

Daisy showed them each rooms and soon all were fast asleep.

Daisy woke early the next morning to make breakfast for the dwarves before they left. They were all very polite and thanked her and even help clean up. However there was no singing now.

Just before they left Thorin pulled Daisy aside. "Why don't you come with us, surely you could be a burglar just as well as if not better than your brother?"

"Yeah!" Ori, who was passing them piped up. "It would be nice to have you come with us!"

Daisy smiled. "Thank you, and I would come, but I cannot leave Bilbo like this. However if he does decide to come, then I will most certainly come along to. And even if he doesn't, then I will at least inform him of where I'm going."

"But why can't you just leave now with us, won't he know where you've gone?" Thorin pressed.

"Yes," Daisy sighed. "But he would follow after me, and would be cross and in a very foul temper. I'm not going to do that to him," she explained.

"Fine then, but see to it that you are not too late in coming and miss us altogether," Thorin growled.

After the dwarves left Daisy went and opened the curtains in Bilbo's room. The light would soon be streaming in and would wake him any minute.

Sure enough he woke, and then searched the whole house for any signs of dwarves. He was a little disappointed when he found none.

"They left not too long ago," Daisy informed him. "If you hurry, you can still catch up."

A smile lit up Bilbo's face as he dashed off to get ready. Only a couple minutes later Bilbo was running out the door, with Daisy close behind him.

Thorin felt himself becoming cross. Why was he so upset that Daisy hadn't showed yet? Maybe he was wrong to bet that she would come, none of the other dwarves thought so except Ori. But Ori didn't bet. He didn't place any bets on Bilbo though. Judging how protective of Daisy he was last night, he knew it was quite likely he would come as well. Thorin didn't think he wanted Bilbo coming.

"Wait! Wait for me!" came a voice from down the road they had come. A voice that sounded much like Bilbo's.

"I signed it!" he exclaimed, huffing from lack of breath. He must have run the whole way.

Daisy trotted up behind him, not even breathing hard.

Balin inspected the contract, and deemed it valid. "Very well then, give him a pony," Thorin ordered.

Ponies were brought up for Bilbo and Daisy. Bilbo made a bigger deal of it, but Daisy told him to get over it since they would be traveling like this for a while.

"Wait why are you here?" Bilbo asked her.

"Because someone has to take care of you Bilbo," she sighed.

Soon a bunch of little bags began flying.

"Um, Gandalf, what's going on?" Bilbo asked the wizard, who was riding next to him.

"They took bets on whether or not you would come, my dear Bilbo," Gandalf explained.

"Did you bet?" Bilbo asked.

At that moment one of the bags was thrown to Gandalf, who caught it with a grin directed to Bilbo. Bilbo also noticed that many bags were being thrown up to the front of the line, to Thorin.

"Gandalf, did Thorin bet I would come? He didn't seem to like me last night," Bilbo said, confused at this event.

"No, Thorin did not make any bet concerning you. Rather, he bet Daisy would come."

"Daisy? But why would he- Gandalf, does this have anything to do with her birthmark?" he asked in a low voice so only Gandalf could hear.

"Hmm, that is possible, but you'd have to ask her for more about it."

Bilbo looked around for Daisy, and found her behind him talking with a dwarf. It was the slow looking one, the only one who asked what he should do with his plate before the other dwarves started throwing them all around.

Bilbo would most definitely be asking her about it later.