Content Warning: Bullying, War, Trauma/PTSD, Emotional/Physical Abuse, Self-Harm, Violent Content, Depression. Reader discretion is advised

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, as none of the content is my original work. The characters are created by Stephen King and J.R.R Tolkien. The content belongs to MGM and Screen Gems, as the 2013 film remake of Carrie was directed by Kimberly Pierce and produced by Kevin Misher, and additional production is through MGM, Screen Gems, and Misher films as well as distributed by Sony Pictures releasing.

The moment that Carrie had set off on the quest to aid the dwarves in reclaiming Erebor became the moment she signed away any minute of peace. On a near-daily basis, the dwarves always had something to complain about in the duration of their ongoing journey. It didn’t matter if it was who was cooking dinner and keeping the night watch or the occasional downpour of rain announced by Dori as if it was Gandalf’s job to fix. If it were an issue to some degree, it would be complained about whether Carrie desired to hear it among the group or not. It was enough for Carrie to understand why Bilbo had issues with them being in his house in the first place and wonder how Gandalf was having enough patience and tolerance for the dwarves.

Bilbo in the meantime was not any more innocent than the dwarves when at the start of the trip outside of the shire he complained a few times about horsehair allergies. The first time it happened he demanded the group turn around, which resulted in Bofur tossing an overly used rag with a slimy feel to it to Bilbo. Carrie had an unfortunate reaction while nearly being hit in the face with the rag, which brought more chuckles among the dwarves than how Bilbo reacted as he made a disgusted face with a wrinkled nose. If Carrie had not been used to the laughter she endured all of her life, she would have not wanted to go further with them in a worse state of annoyance. In spite of being laughed at she was able to wash out the rag in a nearby river when they stopped and held on to it for safekeeping until it was needed.

The needed moment came when Bilbo began sneezing profusely, close to another allergy attack. Carrie managed to bring out the now washed rag and handed it to Bilbo with a small smile. It was one of those small moments that came to fruition when Carrie began to have more nightmares. It began and ended in the same format of seeing her dead mother and classmates, dying one by one in the same order on prom night, the dead bodies piling up with every horrid act she ever did. That was what her nightmares consisted of, though they were seemingly left unnoticed by each member of the group. They all ended with her screaming and crying, pleading for her mother to come back. Outside the dream, her telekinesis sent dirt and small rocks in the air only to fall, leaving clattering noises echoed by her sobbing.

Whether this was noticeable or not, Carrie could only guess as much as the next person. This made her sleep further away from every member of the company to protect them as well as herself from any potential look of pity or harmful act from her telekinesis. In spite of Carrie’s efforts, however, Bilbo appeared to be the one individual that noticed her nightmare episodes. The small acts of kindness Carrie did for Bilbo began to pay off when she woke up with a tearful scream, this time sending a few small rocks a few feet away from her telekinetically. A small cry of surprise was heard as Carrie quickly turned her head to see Bilbo in a ducked position as if having had to shield himself from the rocks.

Surprise and a feeling of horrid guilt washed over her even if she did not intentionally attempt to harm Bilbo. Once Bilbo rose up from his ducked position and Carrie saw no visible bruised marks from the rocks. It made her feel somewhat better if not all. This left Bilbo with a look that expressed more than words can say as if genuinely concerned for Carrie’s wellbeing. Seeing that look in his eyes brought Carrie to tears once more as she hugged her knees close, silent for minutes that felt like forever not daring to look at Bilbo. Tears rolled down her face as she felt quiet footsteps, and a gentle touch of a hand before it slowly wrapped an arm around her in comfort.

Carrie didn’t fight it off and responded by nestling her head close to Bilbo clinging to his coat with a sniff. That is until questions began to run through her mind as she began to pull away a bit wondering why he even came here. “They’re afraid of me aren’t they?” she whispered as she looked up at him tears already beginning to form in her eyes. Bilbo in the meantime was stunned and sympathetic while at a loss on how best to comfort Carrie. “They’re afraid of me because of what I can do. I’m a monster,” she added as she tried to completely pull away until Bilbo quickly pulled her back into his embrace, not daring to let her go as he smoothed her hair.

“Oh now, that’s nonsense. No no, you’re the kindest and gentlest soul I ever have met. Anyone with eyes can see that,” Bilbo said in a comforting tone as best he could muster while Carrie held on to him. A few seconds of silence that felt like minutes passed between them on to forever. Carrie was starting to feel like a burden on Bilbo at this moment for him to be here with her crying self when he could be preoccupied with trying to get sleep. Bilbo then made a small “ah” sound as if figuring out how best to cheer her up, as he dug through his coat pocket and pulled out an acorn for Carrie to see. Carrie did not know what Bilbo was attempting by showing her the acorn, but she kept silent and waited as Bilbo’s face began to show a small smile.

“I found this acorn along our path beyond the shire. It may not look like much at this moment, because well, it’s a silly old acorn one may overlook and underestimate compared to say a glittering jewel among a treasure trove,” Bilbo said as it brought a small smile out of Carrie as she kept silent allowing for him to continue with what he means to say. “Now, if I were anybody else in particular and had to choose between the jewel and an acorn, you may think that I will acquire the jewel in hopes of becoming wealthy with good company, a warm bed, and anything one could desire like a king. But I find wealth in the simplest of things like this acorn here. The shire lives and breathes on the merriest of gatherings. That, treasure could not buy. And that is what you are Carrie. An acorn that could be overlooked and underestimated, maybe even mocked. But like its worth to become a mighty tree among woodlands, I believe the company will soon see that or they’d have to be the daftest of dwarves I’ve ever known,” Bilbo said with a reassuring smile on his face.

Carrie could not help but feel a bigger smile form on her face, her intuition of Bilbo being a kind soul proven beyond measure. She nodded in response as she merely said in a soft-spoken tired tone, “Thank you, Bilbo.” Before she knew it her eyes started to drift off into sleep within Bilbo’s arms. The words of Bilbo Baggins stayed in her mind allowing her to grow close to Bilbo as the company delved deeper into the wilderness. Eventually, a select few of the dwarves would soon have Carrie grow on them, as she would be approached a few times by Fili and Kili with questions about her powers.

At first, Carrie would be hesitant to reveal what she could do with her telekinesis afraid they would soon revert to suspicion like the rest of the dwarves. What had started out as simple questions about her powers grew into genuine curiosity about the world she came from, how they dressed and acted, as well as their food, and how they lived. Eventually, Carrie became comfortable around the two of them, as she in turn found out more about their lives and the great stories of Erebor. If anything, talking to the pair was a good distraction than having to face her nightmares. It was a type of distraction that gave her hope that not all the dwarves were stiff and suspicious of her.

The real shift in perception began to occur when Carrie was again by the side of Fili and Kili giggling at a joke they were telling her, while everyone was starting to settle down for the night. Carrie could see out the corner of her eye Bilbo starting to feed one of the ponies an apple, giving a small smile at that before a loud distant screech was heard in the distance that wiped the smile off her face in concern. Bilbo snapped his head toward the distant noise and started to be concerned as silence was among the group. The dwarves began to have a look of seriousness now more alert as Bilbo looked around hoping to get an explanation.

“What was that?” Bilbo asked, concerned as Fili and Kili looked at each other briefly, in an unspoken gesture before looking at Bilbo. Given the fact that Carrie was giggling earlier at a joke they told she worried they may poke fun at Bilbo for lack of being aware like the dwarves had before. She merely kept quiet the worries not anymore quenched by the silence that hung in the air. Until Kili explained the noise was the sound of orcs. Bilbo repeated what they said in a form of a question concern now on the edge of fear in his tone.

“Throat cutters,” Fili added as he and Kili both had a look of seriousness in their tone, while Kili explained how exactly orcs are called that. Carrie’s worried look soon became a slight frown as the boys were choosing to chuckle about it. Even if it was not targeted at Bilbo, she started to muse within about how boys in high school were on that same maturity level. The chuckles did not go unnoticed by Thorin though as he harshly reprimanded them for that joke. While they apologized, explaining that they had not meant anything by it, Carrie noticed something she had never seen in Thorin’s eyes behind that tough exterior: pain.

It became clear to Carrie, knowing that with rage comes the pain that she experienced all her life, even before Balin explained why Thorin has reason to hate orcs. She listened to how the dwarves of Erebor, led by King Thror, had tried to reclaim the kingdom of Moria in a battle with the orcs while Thorin had to watch his grandfather Thror die by being beheaded. It was enough to make Carrie’s heart ache with sympathy, knowing how she had to witness her mother die because of her own act of self-defense. It made her realize one thing if not anything else: Thorin was a wounded survivor just like she was.

**If you or someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, has experienced severe depression, or has experienced a PTSD episode call the national suicide prevention lifeline (1-800-273-8255), text CONNECT or HOME to the crisis text line at 741741, or call 911**