Author's Note: Welcome lovely reader to my little fic. This idea grabbed ahold of me just before finals and tormented until it was penned. I hope that it provides you with as much entertainment as it has me. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I have no claim to Middle Earth, any of Tolkein's great writings, or the film's created by Warner Brother's, MGM and Peter Jackson, despite how long I linger there.

Chapter One: Lost and Found

To say that Thorin Oakenshield was proud would be an under-exaggeration. He was son of Thrain, son of Thror, King under the Mountain. He was a son of the line of Durin, descended from Thorin the Deathless; the only one with the right to enter the Lonely Mountain and reclaim the Arkenstone. His mere presence commanded respect. His gaze continuously assessed his surroundings and if they were worthy of his attention.

So you can imagine my dear reader, his immense embarrassment when he became lost. Despite his most fervent efforts, he could not locate the proper meeting place. He knew that he was in the Shire, specifically in some place called the East Farthing Woods. He cursed his carelessness, knowing that he was sure to be late to a very important party at the little house under the hill. However, his pride would not allow him to stop and ask for directions to Hobbiton, much less the little house, Bag End. So Thorin resigned himself to stomping along the path that wound between the hills and trees.

As he clomped along, his stamping left deep tracks in the dirt path. He cared little for stealth in this place. His mind more preoccupied with considered the wisdom of the quest he intended to attempt. It was folly and he doubted his sanity. How could he even endeavor to reclaim his homeland with just thirteen dwarves? Why had the wizard encouraged him to pursue this quest? It would surely be the death of him.

Yet, Thorin could not quench the fire that had been kindled. It burned at him, fueling his desire to see Erebor returned to its former glory. He knew that if he did not honor that flame, it would consume him. He would slowly waste away, never content, always guilty. Either he would die in stifling quite, or burn in the halls of his forefathers.

The decision was not a difficult one. That, however, did nothing to ease the foreboding in his heart. Instead of dwelling on the growing shadow, Thorin coaxed his drive into an inferno. He blotted out his unease for the determination he would need to succeed. Unfortunately, this also led to his increased impatience and irritation.

His urgency made him careless and then, he fell.

One small misstep sent him tumbling down the slope of a steep hill. The edge of Shire swirled into a blur. Tree branches snapped and lashed his face and arms. Suddenly it became wetter, darker. No matter how many rocks and trees struck him, he could not break his fall. Only a rough, rock road stopped him. Thorin blinked as two bright lights raced towards him. A loud screech then the darkness closed in and he remembered nothing more.

Ariana Ellison had always prided herself on being an excellent driver, particularly in rainy conditions. After a particularly long day with her twenty-seven brilliantly demanding kindergarteners, her weariness took control. The water droplets pelted her windshield, reflecting the highlights. The squeak of her wipers at perfect intervals created a consistent rhythm. The gentle hum of the heater lulled her into a comfortable stupor. She had driven the roads between her apartment and school hundreds of times. The familiarity, she was loathed to admit, generally resulted in frequent lapses in her attention. The only thing that saved her this particular night was a falling tree branch. Ariana took her foot from the gas and gasped. A bulky figure launched into the road, slamming hard onto the pavement. She stomped on the break, screaming as the tires squealed seeking traction. Her eyes widened as the car finally came to a stop, a mere five feet from the figure.

With shaking breaths and hands, Ariana put the car into park and leap out.

"Are you already? Excuse me, are you okay?" She shrieked, stumbling as she rounded the hood of the car.

She hesitantly approached what appeared to be a large burly man. When he didn't move, she hurriedly knelt next to him and pulled on his shoulder. Cradling his head, she awkwardly laid him on his back.

"Oh my God, oh my God," she chanted, shaking with adrenaline. As much as she detested sitting through first aid training, she was now thankful that it was required for her job.

She rested a twitching hand on his chest and leaned her ear to his open mouth. His breaths came shallow but even. She sighed with relief, looking at the man for the first time. Her breath caught again. Her hand had been gently laid on top of warm metal armor. The man was covered in it, with thick furs and a green cloak. Her eyes drifted to the very heavy looking sword buckled to his wait. Confusion and discomfort rose in her throat, but then she looked at his face.

Oh my. He was quite a handsome stranger. There was no denying that. Long dark hair splayed around his head, resting in puddles on the pavement. Water droplets fell onto his upturned face. She found herself wondering what color his eyes were, but promptly shook her head to clear it. This man was an utter stranger. Her natural distrust began to seem into her mind. Yet, it would be completely unacceptable to just leave him in the middle of the road, unconscious and vulnerable.

Chewing thoughtfully on her lip, Ariana made a decision. A rash, ridiculous decision that was contrary to her usual wariness of the unknown. Little did she now that that single decision would set in motion a series of events. These events would redirect the course of her life, weaving her into greater things.

Pulling out her phone, Ariana tapped the screen before holding it to her ear. "Hey Kate? So umm I'm having a bit of a situation." She tried to calm the wobble that had worked into her voice. "We are going to have someone staying with us for a bit. Mind helping me carry him up the stairs?"

"So tell me again why are we dragging an unconscious cosplayer into our apartment?" Kate grunted as they hefted the man up the last step.

Ariana still could not believe that she had managed to maneuver him into her car. She blamed the lingering adrenaline for giving her the strength to shove him into the back seat. Only as she was driving home did it occur to her how incredibly reckless her decision had been. She had no idea who this man was, or why he was in the middle of the road. Luckily for him, her compassion and curiosity continued to outweigh her sense. She berated herself for being so rash. Why did her blasted curiosity and compassion have to get in the way? Her little sister, Katherine, however was rather enjoying the adventure.

"Kate, you know that I couldn't just leave him," Ariana sighed as they turned into the hallway. "He would have frozen and gotten run over by a car!"

"Oh Ari, you know I'm kidding!" Kate laughed. "I mean for all we know, he lives in the woods in some sort of renaissance commune. You probably rescued him from it. I mean look at that sword!"

Ariana snorted as they approached the door. "Come on, let's just get him inside."

They shuffled into the apartment, dragging the man unceremoniously behind them. Somehow they managed to roll him, armor and all, into Ariana's room and flop him up onto the bed.

"So now what?" Kate asked. The man was quite a bit larger than Ariana filled up most of her bed. Ariana stared at him for a moment, still disbelieving that they had adopted him.

Ariana moved to the side of the bed and moved her hair away from her ear. She tilted her head and listened for his breath once again. Soft, warm air tickled her ear at regular intervals.

"Well, he seems to be fine," she said, stepping backwards. "I don't know about you, but I need a cup of tea."

Ariana settled onto the couch, comforted by the warm cup in her hands. She sipped carefully on the hot liquid, letting the calming smell of chamomile clear her head. Her eyes continued to stray back to the hallway that led to her bedroom. Her nose scrunched as she noticed the wet, muddy trail in the carpet. She was not looking forward to cleaning that. Kate sat next to her, disturbing her thought.

"So," Kate started, dunking her tea bag in the steaming water. "What are we going to do when the crazy guy wakes up?"

Ariana hummed thoughtfully, "I honestly hadn't gotten that far."

Kate turned to face her. "Okay, so let me get this straight. You pick up some armored guy off the side of the road and hadn't thought about what would happen when he actually wakes up?"

Ariana rolled her eyes. "Okay, yes I did!" She glanced at her sister, eyes narrowing. "You are just enjoying seeing me be the irresponsible one for once."

"You got me," Kate grinned unabashed. "I've been telling you for awhile now that it's high time that you bring home a man, but this was not what I had in mind."

Ariana opened her mouth to protest, but Kate raised her eyebrows. "Don't go denying that the guy is attractive. Well in a slay-the-dragon-save-the-princess kind of way. If you're into that kind of thing." She winked.

Ariana stood up and would have spilled her tea, if the cup had not been empty. "I need more tea." She trudged back into the kitchen, tactlessly avoiding her sister's teasing. Kate's snickers floated in from the living room.

Setting her cup by the sink, Ariana began chewing her lip, brow furrowing as her mind whirled. She mentally kicked herself. She had a horrible habit of chewing her lip when she was thinking too hard. It had always been too easy to tell when she was worrying or lying because of it. Yet despite her best attempts, she could not manage to break the pattern. She liked to believe that it came from her father, although he would always bite his tongue when angry or extremely focused.

A noise from the bedroom snapped her out of her thoughts. Ariana poked her head out of the kitchen and peered into the hallway leading to the bedrooms. The door to her room was cracked and not how she had left it. Her eyebrows slowly came together. She was sure that she had closed it completely.

"Hello?" She called softly. There was no response, sound or sign of movement. She now couldn't resist checking on their guest. She walked slowly down the hallway and pushed open the door.

The bed was empty. Only a dark water stain was left from where the man had been. Her mouth dropped open in her surprise. She took a step forward, but stopped when something cool pressed against her throat. Her breathing halted as panic gripped her throat.

A deep deadly voice whispered in her ear. "Do not move, if you value your life."