Disclaimer: I do not own anything regarding the Hobbit nor do I make any profit from it.

Authors Note: There are just not enough Fili/elf maiden romance fan fiction so I had to write one. This story will be a blend of the book and the movies the rest comes from my brain. My OC has her own backstory in Middle Earth and is not a 'Mary sue'. I appreciate reviews a lot so please let me know what you think. The writing is done from various character perspectives noted in bold.

-O-

Chapter 1 – An elf in the Shire

Bilbo

The day started as many days do, Bilbo Baggins sat at his dining room table enjoying a cup of honey tea and blueberry biscuits while he read from one of his many books. The book of choice this morning was a tale of tragedy, the story of the elf maiden Luthien and her human love Beren. Bilbo always loved a good story, especially one about the elves. As long as he could remember he always had a fascination for the elves. Maybe it was their ethereal nature or the fact they lived forever, it really didn't matter; he just found them interesting… far more interesting than his fellow hobbits.

He finished his breakfast and regretfully closed his book. As much as he wished to continue reading he had chores to do. The rest of the morning and well past second breakfast Bilbo worked to clean out and organize his pantry, getting it ready for the fall harvest. When he was finally done, he grabbed his pipe and headed outdoors to his bench by the stairs. He hadn't even taken three puffs when Isengrim Took came walking up the path.

"Good morning Mr. Baggins," he called. Bilbo nodded his head and smiled.

"Good morning Mr. Took! What can I do for you this fine afternoon?" Bilbo asked cheerfully. It wasn't every day that the Thain of the Shire paid you a visit.

"I wanted to let you know that you will be getting a new neighbor. The hole on the other side of the tree has a new owner," he said. Bilbo frowned, that hole had been empty for several years… ever since old Marigold Brandybuck passed away five summers ago. It was an expensive hole, he wondered who was able to afford it… maybe a hobbit near Bree? He hoped they didn't have children, noisy children would definitely not be welcomed.

"Well it will be nice to have a new neighbor… who bought it?" he inquired. Bilbo noticed Isengrim shift uncomfortably.

"Well they are a foreigner to these parts… I hope you don't mind. They paid a fair share of gold for the place and they offered to teach us better ways to heal and such," the Thain said nervously.

"A foreigner you say? From Bree?" he asked, intrigued and worried at the same time. Isengrim rubbed his neck and looked down the path.

"A wee bit farther than Bree. An elf bought the place… she will be here this afternoon," Isengrim said quickly. Bilbo was shocked… an elf? Here in the Shire?

"An elf? How will they ever fit?" he blurted.

"This elf is very small, maybe only a couple inches taller than you," said Isengrim. He saw Bilbo's disbelieving stare and shook his head. "I didn't believe it at first either but she's definitely an elf, no mistaking the ears. I always thought elves were tall but I guess she is a bit of an oddity among her people. Very nice girl, she promised to not be a bother." Bilbo shook his head and blinked a few times. He couldn't believe this was happening… an elf of all people was going to be his neighbor. He would have a real live elf that he could talk to, ask questions and maybe they could tell him about Rivendell. Bilbo smiled a wide happy smile at the Thain.

"This is wonderful news actually! When do you expect her?" he asked Isengrim who looked visibly relieved.

"Any time now…" he said. "I will bring her up as soon as she arrives. Until then…" he nodded and started to walk back down the path. Bilbo could hardly contain his excitement as he rushed back into his house and started tidying up. It seemed like no time has passed, he wasn't nearly done with restacking his books when there was a knock at the door. He straightened his vest and patted down his hair as he walked towards the door. When he pulled the door open he was shocked to see a hooded figure not much taller than himself standing with Isengrim.

"Come in please," he said as he gestured for them to enter. The hooded person stepped in and looked around, they immediately walked up to his books stacked along the wall. Bilbo gave Isengrim a confused look who just shrugged.

"A very nice collection you have here Mr. Baggins," a soft very melodic voice said. The cloaked figure turned and reached up, they pulled back the hood. Bilbo was at a loss for words… before him stood the most perfect creature he had ever seen. She was nothing like the drawings in the books, they just did not do elves justice if they all looked like this one. Her wide pale green eyes, alabaster skin and ebony hair drew him in, he found it difficult to say anything intelligible as he stood there with his mouth hanging open. "I am Eliana, daughter of Cerelandon and Naerwen… it is a pleasure to meet you," she said with a graceful bow. His mouth opened and closed several times before he found the words.

"Bilbo… you can call me Bilbo," he said, the words seemed tangled on his tongue. Eliana smiled at him, she stepped forward and reached out her hand grasping his.

"I think we will make fine neighbors," she said with a laugh that sounded like music. "If you will excuse me, I need to air out my new hole if I want to sleep there tonight," she said as she started for the door.

"Dinner… I have dinner at six," Bilbo called after her. "You are welcome to join me." Eliana smiled at him and nodded.

"I shall see you at six," she said, and then she was gone. Isengrim patted Bilbo on the back and smiled.

"See I told you… a nice girl," the Thain said with a chuckle. "I think she will do fine here amongst us hobbits." Bilbo just nodded, he was still in shock from meeting his first elf that he didn't notice when Isengrim closed the door on his way out. He stood there for a few moments longer then panic set it…

"Dinner! I have no idea what elves like to eat!" he exclaimed as he rushed to his pantry. As he scrambled to gather ingredients for a vegetable stew, Bilbo knew that life in the Shire was never going to be the same. That simple fact caused him to smile.

ooOoo

Ten years have passed… when Bilbo thought about it, time moved far too quickly for his liking. It seemed like only yesterday when Eliana had moved in next door. A lot has changed in the Shire since her arrival, the crops have been healthy and plentiful. The trade with outlying towns has never been better. All of the hobbits were healthier under her care, more babies were being born than ever. It was truly a time of prosperity in the Shire, all thanks to one small little elf.

Bilbo walked down the path to the hole on the other side of the tree. Eliana had left to hunt three days ago, she should be coming home today with plenty of fat conies that will need skinning. He walked up the small stone path to her door and rang the bell. He waited a few moments before ringing it again, there was no answer.

"Eli?" he called and received no response so he walked around the side of her hole. She had left the curing racks out leaning on the small retaining wall. Under the small lean-to were bundles of herbs that were dried and ready. Bilbo reached up and unhooked the herbs, he would take these down to old Hamfast Gamgee and get the salt she needed for the pelts. Bilbo always liked to help Eli with her tasks, ever since she had arrived in the Shire he had learned so much. The leather she made from the cony pelts was some of the finest he had ever seen. It had become quite a prize among the hobbits, many were willing to trade family heirlooms for it. Eliana had always been fair with it, taking note on who already had some and making sure those in need received it first. That was just how Eli was, a very kind and generous soul and he loved her dearly for it. In the past ten years he had grown very fond of the elf maiden. Not in a romantic sense but in a brotherly way, he counted her as his closest friend.

He had just returned from Hamfast and was sitting on his bench with a bag of salt at his feet and his pipe in his hand when a large figure blocked out the sun. Bilbo squinted and looked up at the tall figure before him. An old man with a pointy hat, large grey beard and dirty torn grey robes stood in front of him.

"Good afternoon!" said Bilbo, a bit cautiously. It was not often men entered the Shire, especially this time of the season.

"Indeed! It is a good afternoon, a very good one if I might say so," the old man said with an odd smirk.

"I was just going to have a bit of a smoke out here in the golden sun, would you care to join me?" Bilbo asked the stranger as he packed his pipe. The old man gave him an appraising look.

"Unfortunately I have much to do today and no time even for a bit of a smoke. I am looking for someone to share an adventure with me… would you by chance happen to be looking for an adventure?" Bilbo had just lit his pipe and taken a large drag of smoke when the old man had asked him the question, he started coughing and sputtering.

"That is not a question asked of a hobbit," he said still coughing. "We are not the adventuring types." The old man gave him a wry smile.

"You are a descendant of Gerontius Took are you not?" the stranger asked. Bilbo gave him a confused look and nodded. "Then it is quite an appropriate question to ask you Bilbo Baggins."

"You know my name… I am at a disadvantage for I do not know yours," said Bilbo. The old man smiled at him.

"Oh you know my name it is just you do not know that it belongs to me. I am Gandalf… ah there it is, I see the recognition in your eyes now," Gandalf said with a chuckle.

"Gandalf the wandering wizard! I do know you! Your fireworks are a thing of legend!" Bilbo exclaimed but then he frowned. "What type of an adventure could a wizard possibly want me on? I am just a simple hobbit…"

"No hobbit of Gerontius Took's line is ever just a simple hobbit," commented the wizard. "As for what type of adventure… well the type of adventure that stories will be written about of course!" Bilbo raised his eyebrow at that but said nothing. True, his heart longed for more than just the simple life of a hobbit but he could never leave his home… he had responsibilities here. Following a wizard around on some grand adventure was no place for a sensible hobbit.

"Hrmm well, it is something to consider isn't it?" Bilbo said in an uncommitted tone. "Perhaps a bit more time to think on it maybe…. Can you come back tomorrow?" He saw Gandalf give him a skeptical look as his eyes narrowed.

"Tomorrow is not possible, I will come back later tonight for your answer…" Gandalf said as he looked up the path to the hole on the other side of the tree, its woven vines and flowers made it stand out compared to the others. "That is a very unusual hole for a hobbit," the wizard commented. "There is an elven way about it…"

"That is because no hobbit lives there… my dear friend Eli lives there. She is an elf of small stature," Bilbo said without thinking and suddenly wished he didn't, Eli may not want the wizard to know about her. She only mentioned bits and pieces about her life before she came to the Shire. It didn't seem like she really wanted anyone to know about her, in the ten years she has lived here not one time has she mentioned family or had any visitors.

"Of small stature you say?" the old wizard started to rub his beard thoughtfully. "It is always the last place you look that you find what you have lost," he murmured.

"Pardon?" Bilbo asked, not sure if he heard the wizard correctly.

"I will be back later Mr. Baggins, have an answer for me then," Gandalf said as he turned and headed up the path towards Eliana's hole. Bilbo nodded and watched the man walk away. He took a few more puffs of his pipe and shook his head.

"Adventure indeed!" he said sardonically, rolling his eyes as he opened the door to his home. "I'm a Baggins, we don't just run off on adventures." He went back to his kitchen and put the water on for tea. He did not notice that the wizard had returned, nor was he aware of the curious mark that Gandalf scratched into his door.

ooOoo