NOTE: This is my first foray into fem!Bagginshield. In this story, it has been known amongst the Company from the beginning that Bilbo is a woman; but it is known to only a few that Thorin is, as well.

It was deception; pure in purpose, though not simple in means.

Aside from Gandalf-from whom there was no chance of hiding the truth-only four of Thorin's companions knew of who she really was; and they only because they were her close kin, or else had been friends with Thorin since her youth. The rest of the Company had been left in ignorance, though every other thing she told them was the truth. She did not fear that the other Dwarves would reject her as ruler once the Arkenstone was reclaimed and Smaug was dead - what she feared was that until then they would coddle her, be overprotective of her, push her to the center of the group when danger came around.

That was how they had treated Bilbo since she had joined the Company; and though the Hobbit lass was certainly used to it through the life she had known in the Shire, Thorin was not prepared for that kind of treatment at all. That was not how she had been raised, not how she had carried herself through her years. She was as capable a fighter as any among them, as she had shown time and again. Fili, Kili, Balin, and Dwalin at least understood this; and they treated her no differently than any other Dwarf man. But the others might not understand, and they would most definitely end up treating her like a delicate treasure, like a piece of blown glass, like a precious thread of silk that could too easily snap.

Thrain had suggested this course when Thorin's younger brother had died young, leaving the line of Durin without a male heir; though neither Thrain nor Thorin had intended for the deception to be held out as long as it had been. When the elder Dwarf had vanished after the Battle of Azanulbizar, Thorin had found herself unable to let the truth be known, and now that she was older, she understood her father's concerns - she understood why he had not wanted her to be treated the way too many other Dwarf women were treated.

They were not repressed, were not held back from their own pursuits - but there seemed to be something in the makeup of the male Dwarves' minds that made them want to throw themselves into danger when a woman was even the slightest bit threatened. That was, perhaps, because there were so few Dwarf women to begin with. It was a rare thing for a female to born into a family, and that there would be a pair of sisters was a wonderous thing. But that a daughter should ascend to the throne was rarer still, and so there would be no moment when she would feel safe for her companions if they knew who she really was.

Still, there had been many times when she wanted to stand up in the midst of her companions and tell them the truth - to let them know, one and all, that they were in the Company of one who would be a queen, and not a king. But she couldn't do that yet, she wouldn't do that yet, no matter how much the desire gnawed at her stomach. She could, of course, speak to her secret-keepers about her concerns, but the words they would have to give her would be the same as they had always given - and those same words were not what she wanted to hear.

If there was any other person that Thorin could open up to, she thought it would perhaps be Bilbo, but she had not dared to do so yet. That reticence struck Thorin as odd, and she wondered just what it was about the curly-haired lass that kept her mouth shut tight, though still drew her thoughts at all times. Friendships were ever hard for Thorin to allow herself into, and she found it strange that she had formed one so quickly with Bilbo - though, if she was to be honest, it had not been so quick, after all. She had always felt the potential had been there, but she had been reluctant to open up to the idea until after the small and feisty Baggins had confronted Azog - until after she had proven herself to be someone that could be trusted, as far too few others ever had.

Thorin pulled herself out of her wandering thoughts and looked around, and saw only then that Bilbo was not sitting with the rest of the Company at Beorn's massive table. She should have been there, enjoying a meal that was greater than any since they had left Rivendell - but now Thorin was suddenly frightened that the Hobbit had wandered outside, despite Beorn's warnings not to leave the house until daybreak.

"Where is Bilbo?" she asked. "Where has our burglar gotten off to?"

The others looked up from their bowls of vegetable stew, and Dwalin tilted his head to the side, then returned his attention to his meal.

"She said she wanted to think for a while," he said.

Thorin turned to see Bilbo sitting on the straw some distance across the large room. She was barely visible in the shadows, but the Dwarf could see that her back was to the group and her face was turned up towards a shuttered window.

"Has she eaten?" asked Thorin.

"Not yet," said Bofur with a shrug. "I guess she hasn't much of an appetite tonight."

Thorin narrowed her eyes. It was unusual to see Bilbo not eating, as meals had always seemed to be the thing that pleased the Hobbit the most, aside from a well-filled pipe. Since they had escaped the goblin tunnels, though, she had been fairly silent and contemplative. Maybe, Thorin thought, her appetite had been taken away by her fear that the trouble that seemed to follow her might increase once they entered Mirkwood - maybe it was a fear that she would bring that trouble to the rest of the Company at some point, as she had done when the trolls had taken their ponies.

Of course, that had not been entirely Bilbo's fault, and Fili and Kili had gotten their scoldings and extra night-watches for urging her on. But at least they had not doubted her, as some of the rest of the Company seemed to be doing. Thorin's nephews, at least, had full faith in her abilities as a burglar, and they had not held her back simply because she was a lass.

Thorin looked back to the large stew-pot at the center of the table. "She should know better than to skip meals."

Oin grunted agreeably. "She does not seem to do well on an empty stomach."

"She looks a bit lonely, though, doesn't she?" asked Fíli.

"If she was lonely, then she would be here with us," said Gandalf, sitting back from his bowl and drawing his pipe of of his satchel. "It is more likely she has thoughts she is trying to work through, and that your Dwarvish racket was getting in the way of them."

"I could go and speak with her a bit," offered Ori a little too quickly.

Balin shook his head. "She is quite fond of ye', lad," he said, "but sometimes, a lady does not want a man's voice buzzing in her ear." He looked at Thorin and grinned slightly.

Thorin let out a long breath and glanced around, seeing that Fili and Kili were nudging one another with their elbows, while Dwalin seemed to have developed a deeper interest in his stew. The wizard had a soft smile on his lips, but he said nothing.

"She may be hungry, anyway," said Kíli with a shrug.

He stood, then leaned towards the stew pot and filled up a wooden bowl, but before he could move from the table, Thorin stood and took the bowl out of his hands.

"I will take it to her," she said. "The last time you and she interacted over a bowl of stew, we almost got eaten by trolls."

"That was Fíli's idea," said Kíli. His brother elbowed him gently in the ribs, and Kíli shrugged as he sat back down. "Well, not the getting eaten part."

Thorin glared at him for a moment before turning on her heel and making for where the hobbit sat, leaving the others behind in their low chatter. Bilbo seemed to notice her approach and she shifted her head a bit to the side, but she did not look over as the Dwarf sat down beside her and set the bowl at her feet.

"You should eat," said Thorin. "You'll need to keep your strength up, and there is no telling how long it will be before you get another decent meal once we're in the Forest."

Bilbo nodded politely, but she did not look down at the bowl. "Thank you, though I've not got much appetite right now."

Here in the shadowy corner of Beorn's enormous home, the Hobbit looked even smaller than before, and her knees were shaking where they were pulled up to her chin. She reached down and tugged at the bottom of her trousers, as if trying to lengthen them. She did not look like she was accustomed to wearing trousers at all, in fact, and Thorin had noticed her pulling at the back of them often as they had gone along. The Dwarf always smiled at her discomfort, though she knew it would be rude to actually let Bilbo see her doing so.

"Still, the Road is a long one, and you should eat, even if you don't feel like doing so," she said. "I thought by now, you would understand that you should take food when you can during a journey."

"I know I should, but right now, I just can't. I've got too much on my mind... too much to think about."

"I thought you liked to eat when you were thinking," said Thorin. "At least, every other time you've been in thought, you've wanted to do so."

Bilbo looked down at the bowl, then rested her cheek on her knee as she stared at Thorin. "If I am to be honest, what I really need to do right now is talk," she said. "And that is a bit hard with my mouth full."

Thorin cleared her throat. "Well, I think Ori wouldn't mind speaking with you for a while. He's quite fond of you."

"That is only because he knows that I can read and write well. He asks me often to tell him stories of the Shire, and he says that one day he will write them all down."

"He may, at that," said Thorin. "But how do you know that that is not simply an excuse to spend time with you?"

"Because he knows that any affections he has for me will not be returned," said Bilbo.

Thorin's eyes widened. "Are you taken with another?" she asked, glancing back at the Dwarves around the table. She turned back to Bilbo and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Is it Kíli?"

Bilbo laughed out loud. "No, no!" she said. "I am, in fact, not inclined to give my heart to any of them."

"Why not?" asked Thorin, genuinely confused. "Not that I am saying you would or must…"

"Would you give them your heart?" interrupted Bilbo.

"Honestly, no," Thorin replied with a laugh of her own. "But many of them are my kin."

"Many, though not all," said Bilbo. "But you can surely see that just because a man is fond of you, that is no reason you should give all of your time to him. Though I am certain that most would not be inclined to turn you away, should you express any interest in them."

Thorin turned her eyes aside. "I suppose you've noticed, then, that Dwarves are not so restricted with their affections as are your own people," she said. "You bring up men being with men as if you have seen it your whole life... and I would venture to guess that is not true."

"Well, I have learned much about your kind since I set out with you," said Bilbo. "And it would take a fool not to see that certain of your... of our Company have quite a bit of love for others, beyond friendship."

"They do not tend to hide it well," said Thorin, knowing full well who those couples were that the Hobbit was speaking of. "But then why would they? There is no reason for such secrecy amongst us."

Bilbo looked at her and grinned wide. "No reason, indeed," she said. "Your own secret excepted, I suppose, Lady Thorin?"

Thorin's eyes widened. "Do not say that so loud!" she ordered, then her mouth fell open. For a moment she felt like standing and sprinting back to the table, but she sat still and began to chew on her tongue. "How did you know? Did my nephews tell you?"

"Oh, don't act as if you are so good at hiding it," said Bilbo. "They told me nothing, but it is easy enough for a woman to tell when another woman has to tend to her business... whether it be when she has to scuttle off behind a boulder to relieve herself, or how she will not bathe with the others, or how she must stop so much more often every few weeks to wash away the blood."

Thorin lowered her eyes and slumped her shoulders. "When you say it that way, it is hard to believe that it has been kept a secret from any of the Company."

Bilbo stifled a giggle.

"What?" Thorin demanded. "Did I say something funny?"

"No, no... not at all," the Hobbit said, then she waved her hand dismissingly. "You needn't fear me telling those who are not already in on the secret..."

She seemed to want to go on, but said nothing more; and a suspicion began growing in Thorin's mind.

"Who else knows?" she asked so suddenly that the Hobbit jumped.

"I could not say," returned Bilbo with a shrug. "Gandalf, certainly. And Balin and Dwalin and your nephews; but them, you are already aware of, since you set them up as your guard to keep the others away when you have to take care of feminine concerns."

Thorin's eyes searched the darkness as she thought. "And anyone else of the Company?"

"None have said anything to me," said Bilbo. "All that I have learned, I have learned on my own. You will need to ask the others, yourself, if you want to know what they know."

Thorin let out a long breath and stood. "I may just do that."

She turned around and looked towards the table. The Dwarves seated there were caught up in low conversation with one another, and she wondered if they were whispering about her - if they were gossiping about the deception she was trying so hard to keep going.

"Thorin?" Bilbo spoke up.

The Dwarf looked down. "What is it?"

"None have said anything to me, not even those who you name your secret-keepers," said Bilbo kindly. "All or none of the others may know, but I doubt they would say anything if they did."

"And why not?"

"Because it does not matter to them."

Thorin sat down again and looked hard at her. "It would matter to them, if they knew. They would see me as someone to protect, rather than someone to fight beside... someone who is incapable of taking care of herself, someone like you."

She clamped her mouth shut, suddenly fearing that she had offended the Hobbit. But Bilbo did not seem offended, and she smiled gently.

"If I were a man, they would treat me the same as they do already, I am sure," she said. "My people are not so inclined to to fighting, as you well know, and so I will admit that some protection is not to be turned away. You, though… you were raised with a sword in your hand and rule in your blood. Knowing that you are not a man would not make your companions think less of you."

"And how could you say that for certain?"

"Because those that do know do not think less of you," said Bilbo. "Because I do not think less of you."

Thorin felt her cheeks starting to warm and turned away, though she was sure her embarrassment could not be seen either through the darkness or past her beard. "You are not them," she said. "You are neither a Dwarf, nor a man... and you cannot say how either would think."

Bilbo let out a long breath. "I have learned that quite well," she said. "And you are probably right that it is not yet time to tell them, if only because you would feel uncomfortable doing so. I know there are some things I would like to say, but that I cannot simply because…"

Bilbo's voice trailed off and Thorin looked over to see that the Hobbit was again hugging her knees.

"Because…?" Thorin pressed.

"Because it is not my place."

Thorin's stare softened. "I do not want you to think that you could not speak to me if you feel the need to," she said. "You are, after all, among my own secret-keepers now, and I would not reveal any secrets you might tell me in return."

"It is not that I fear you would tell anyone," said Bilbo. "But rather, that I fear to tell you because of what you might think."

"And what would you fear to tell me?" asked Thorin. "What great secret could a Hobbit lass have?"

Bilbo straightened her legs and slid her hand over her waistcoat pocket, then she cleared her throat and dropped her hand to her leg. "It's nothing," she said, looking back over her shoulder at the Company. "You should, perhaps, get back to the Company. People will start to talk, and they may think there is something going on... other than what we are speaking of."

Thorin laughed. "Well, if they thought that I was courting you, then at lest my own illusion might be somewhat upheld."

"And what of those who know you to be a woman?" asked Bilbo. "I know, at least, that it seems to be a common thing that Dwarf men would court one another, but can the same be said of Dwarf women?" At once she seemed to realize what she had said, and she turned away, the reddening of her face evident even in the near-darkness.

"It is not unheard of," said Thorin, suppressing a grin. "But then, those who keep my secret may well think it is a friendship growing..." Thorin cleared her throat. "It is that, after all. After what... after how you..." She stopped again, searching for the right words. "I did not think you had it in you to confront an orc, for my sake or any other's. You should not have done that."

Bilbo began playing with the straw on the floor next to her. "So you have said. Is that because I am a woman? Do you yourself feel the need to keep me out of danger?"

"I will not make the mistake of underestimating you again," said Thorin with a shake of her head. "Gandalf was right in suggesting that we hire you."

They both fell silent, and Bilbo reached out and dipped her finger in the stew. She pulled it out quickly, as if it had been too hot, then she stuck her fingertip in her mouth before sighing and folding her hands at her chin.

"Are Dwarf women as... open with their affections as Dwarf men?" she asked abruptly.

Thorin's chest began to warm and she felt a lump forming in her throat. "Yes, of course," she said. "But there would be little chance for that sort of thing."

"Because there are so few of of you... sorry, of them?"

Thorin said nothing aloud, but she nodded silently despite herself.

"What if it was not a Dwarf woman?" asked Bilbo under her breath.

Thorin held her breath, then let it out as a grunt. "I have never thought about it."

She stood quickly, then turned towards the murmuring crowd at the table, but instead of joining them, she shifted around to the far side of the room. She walked over to the wall, then ran her fingers down the knotted wood. She had never thought of what the Hobbit had asked her, had never considered being with anyone - man or woman; Dwarf or... otherwise. There had always been other concerns, other things that had needed tending to. There had never been time - or, perhaps, it had never been the right time.

"Thorin?" Bilbo's voice rose up behind her.

The Dwarf looked at the ceiling rafters. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Thorin turned to look down at the Hobbit, who was standing demurely by with her hands clasped in front of her. The reddening of her cheeks was deepening, and Thorin was happy that the own flushed cheeks could not be seen underneath her whiskers.

"You did not make me uncomfortable," she lied.

"It was, as I said, not my place."

Thorin tightened her jaw. "It was just a question," she said. "Just a Hobbit's curiosity. And I did tell you that you could speak to me of anything."

"I could," said Bilbo, "but, perhaps, it would have been better if I had considered whether or not I should. There is enough on your mind, and I am only adding to your burdens."

"I am not the only one with burdens," said Thorin. She looked at the Company. "They have all left their lives behind, they have all left people behind. Every one of them is carrying the weight of this quest on their shoulders. I take what weight I can from them, but I still fear it is not enough. They are all bent so low under it..."

She stopped, suddenly realizing that she had been thinking out loud, then she looked again to the Hobbit, who was smiling softly.

"And every one of them would take your share of the weight, if they could," said Bilbo. She reached out and took Thorin's hand, squeezing it gently. "As would I."

Thorin found her grip tightening around Bilbo's hand, then she loosened her hold.

"And for that, I thank you," she said. "But I would not ask it of you, nor of any of the others. There are some things that must be borne alone."

"Perhaps... but not for so long that they would break you." She let go of Thorin's hand, then lowered her face and turned away. "If ever you need a rest from your weight, my shoulder is here to bear it, if only for a while."

She began to walk away, and Thorin reached out, taking her by the wrist. "Bilbo, wait..."

"What is it?" asked Bilbo without looking back.

It took Thorin a few breaths before she could speak again. "Why would you... why did you ask if a Dwarf woman would have an interest in..." Her chest began to ache and she found that she could not go on.

Bilbo turned slowly around and looked up at her. "Hobbit curiosity," she said unconvincingly. "It is not something my own folk do... it is not a way that they... we do not tend to..." Her voice cracked, and she looked away again. "We do not speak of women loving women or men loving men... even if there is ever any interest in such a thing."

Thorin sighed, then smiled softly as she slid her fingers under Bilbo's chin and shifted her face up. "We are not among your folk," she said, looking into the Hobbit's wide and watering eyes. "We are half a world away from the Shire, and nobody can look across the distance or strain their ears enough so that they might judge you for what you say here and now."

A deep silence fell as they stared at one another, and at length Bilbo pursed her lips. "But still, you turned away when I asked if you could ever love a woman that was not of your own kind."

Thorin's heart started pounding hard against her ribs and her head began to ache. "It is not a matter of..." She pressed her hand to her throbbing temple. "Do you ask me this for yourself?"

"Perhaps I want to know if my own affections are misplaced."

"Your own...?" Thorin drew in a quick breath and shook her head hard. "You cannot..."

Bilbo stepped closer to the Dwarf, then lowered her voice, though she spoke with conviction. "I should not," she said. "Perhaps I must not... but do not tell me that I cannot love you, because that is all I have done."

The Dwarf's mouth fell open. "Beginning when?" she asked. "When you saw the man, or when you knew me to be a woman?"

"Since before I ever knew the secret you held," said Bilbo. "Before I ever knew how much of a burden you were carrying."

"And yet you said nothing?" asked Thorin. "Why now?"

Bilbo's fingers slipped inside her waistcoat pocket and she seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Because everything is changing," she said at last, almost to herself. "Because... I think I did not realize just how different things would be this far along the Road. Because now I know that they are going to be even more different, even more changed by the time we reach the end... and there are some things that I do not want to leave unsaid, on the chance that our Roads diverge."

"Why would they diverge?"

"Because we cannot say what each new day, or each new mile will bring. And I am done hiding. I am done... lying by saying nothing. For good or ill..." Bilbo drew her hand out of her pocket and flexed her fingers. "For good or ill, there are some things that I will not keep silent about."

Before she could stop herself, Thorin reached out and linked her fingers with the Hobbit's own. The lass's small hand felt comfortable in her grip, and she smiled softly; then she lifted her face and looked to the Company. Their bowls were pushed back, and several of them had lit up their pipes and were blowing smoke-rings-great and small-towards the high ceiling. Gandalf seemed to sense Thorin's gaze and looked up, then gave her a slight nod, as if he had heard everything that had been said.

Thorin tightened her grip on Bilbo's hand and looked down at her again. "Do you really believe that they will not think differently of me?" she asked. "Do you really believe that they will not try far too hard to keep me from danger, at the risk of their own lives?"

"I believe that each and every one of them would lay down their lives for you," said Bilbo. "But they would do that now, regardless... as they would, all of them, die for each other." She placed her free hand on Thorin's arm. "As you would die for each and every one of them..."

The breath caught in Thorin's throat. "As you could have died for me when..."

"That is what I meant when I spoke of our roads diverging," interrupted Bilbo. "And I will not say that you must tell the others what you have for so long held close in secret, but I can say with certainty that they will follow you, that they will fight beside you, that they will hold you in the highest honor... whether you are their king or their queen."

"I am neither yet," said Thorin.

"And will you wait until you wear a crown before you allow that distinction to be made?"

Thorin shook her head, then let go of Bilbo's hand before brushing a curled lock of hair off of her brow. "Is the distinction really that important?" she asked. "If it is as you said, and telling them will not change the way they look at me or treat me, is there really any reason for me to tell them?"

"Well, for one thing, you will not have to be quite so secretive when your business needs taking care of," said Bilbo, laughing slightly. "The others will know not to bother you."

"They would, at that," said Thorin with a wide grin of her own. Her smile softened, and she glanced at the Company again. "But now is not the time. Soon, perhaps... but not now."

Bilbo looked back over her shoulder at the group, then turned again to Thorin. "As you wish," she said, then she quickly rose up onto her toes and placed a soft kiss on Thorin's whiskered cheek. "They will hear nothing from me."

Thorin's mouth fell open as her hand found its way to where the Hobbit's lips had touched. "That... that is not..."

Bilbo bit her lip and turned away. "I'm sorry," she said. "I should not have done that."

"No... no, it's fine," said Thorin. She shook her head as she felt greater warmth in her chest. "I would ask, though, that... would you allow one more confidence between us?"

"What confidence would that be?" asked Bilbo, looking at her again.

Thorin glanced at the table, then pulled the Hobbit into the darker shadows of a nearby corner. "Would you...?" Her voice caught in her throat. "Would you at least allow me the honor of returning what has been given?"

"My word, you aren't very good at this, are you?" asked Bilbo, snickering.

She rose onto her toes again, and a moment later, her soft lips pressed against Thorin's own. The Dwarf felt her smile, then she pulled Bilbo closer as the Hobbit's fingers slid through her hair. The kiss was brief and simple, but sweet - and it was the first one that Thorin had ever been given. While it lasted, she felt as if all the lies, all the hiding, all the deception had been for nothing; but then they broke apart, and Thorin again turned to look at her other companions.

Balin alone flitted his eyes in their direction, but if he had seen the kiss he gave no indication. He took a long draw off his pipe and blew out a massive smoke-ring, then shifted his gaze away; and Thorin let go of Bilbo and stepped back.

"We should not... perhaps we should not do that again," the Dwarf said.

The corner of Bilbo's mouth turned up into a smile. "Then I will carry it with me for the miles and days ahead," she said, then turned away. "A sweet thing, tasted once and held in the memory is better than one that is never tasted at all."

She walked back to where she had left her stew, then sat down and began to eat in silence; and Thorin stared at her for several seconds as she held her breath. She ran her fingers over her lips, which were still moist from the Hobbit's kiss, and at once she felt her nerves steel themselves. She stepped over to Bilbo and kneeled.

"Will you stand with me?" the Dwarf asked.

Bilbo looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Will you stand with me?" Thorin repeated.

At once, Bilbo seemed to understand what was being asked of her and she nodded, then together they rose to their feet. For a long few seconds, they stared at one another, then they walked to the table, side-by-side. Silence fell amongst the Company as they neared, and Thorin felt Bilbo grip her hand reassuringly.

"Balin," said Thorin, looking at her oldest friend. "Stand with me. And you, Dwalin."

The brothers turned to one another, then drew themselves off the large bench and stepped behind Thorin and the Hobbit; and without having to be asked, both Fíli and Kíli did the same. Thorin closed her eyes for a moment, tightening her grip on Bilbo's hand, then she looked over at Gandalf. The wizard smiled around the bit of his pipe, then gave her a slight nod.

Thorin straightened her back and tilted up her chin, but even as she opened her mouth to speak, she saw crooked smiles all around - and at once she realized that she was about to reveal something to the Company that had not actually been a secret at all. Her mouth fell open and her eyebrows drew together, and at once her chest began to ache.

"You all know?" she asked.

"Know what?" asked Oin, holding his bent horn to his ear.

Gloin waved his hand absently. "You know..." he said.

"Ah!" Oin exclaimed, smiling. "Yes, of course. 'Bout time, I'd say." He winked at his brother.

Thorin looked down at Bilbo, who had her hand pressed to her mouth.

"I swear to you," said the Hobbit, her voice muffled. "I have said nothing."

"I never said anything," said Kíli; then he made a noise like his brother had elbowed him in the ribs again.

Thorin looked back at Balin and Dwalin and her nephews, who all seemed as surprised as she was; then she turned her eyes to Gandalf, who let out a great mouthful of smoke before smiling innocently.

Ori leaned close to Dori. "Do we..." he whispered, then he looked at Thorin and widened his eyes as he spoke to her directly. "Do we call you... I mean... still he, or... she now? Sir or ma'am?"

Dori shook his head incredulously and Nori rolled his eyes, then Ori shrunk back into his seat.

"You call her Thorin," said Dwalin. "As always."

Thorin felt suddenly as if a weight had been lifted off of her and a wide smile found its way to her lips. She sat down at the table, still holding to Bilbo's hand. "All this time..." she said, but she could not go on for the silent chuckle in her throat.

"Well, then," said Gandalf. "Since there is nothing to be told that is not already known, let us finish up with our evening and set up for bed. It is bound to be a long day tomorrow, and we will all be needing our rest."

The other Dwarves rose to their feet, then stepped away from the table; but even as they did, Balin lowered his head to his friend's ear.

"Perhaps not all has been told," he said, glancing at Bilbo and winking.

Thorin looked at the Hobbit, whose blushing face was turned aside; then she wrapped her arm around Bilbo's waist and pulled her near, grinning even wider as the lass draped her arm over her shoulder.

"If people feel the need to talk," said Thorin, "then let them talk."

Bilbo smiled and leaned close, and when their mouths neared, the chattering crowd behind them fell into silence. But Thorin found, to her own surprise, that she did not care if anyone now saw them or spoke about them; and she slid her fingers into Bilbo's curls and pulled her closer as their lips parted and their breath met.