II - Reconnection

Between the familiar clear skies and brisk, airy aura that was Middle Earth and Gandalf looking and acting like the same wizard Pippa remembered him to be, it as if time had not passed since she and Kili left. In fits of laughter and warm conversations, Pippa couldn't help but smile at the fact she was back at the very place that changed her entire life. The one place she felt more at home with compared to her actual home. Seeing Gandalf alive and well was the cherry on top.

"I must say," Gandalf began as he took the pipe out of his mouth, "that while I could not recognize you two at first, your personalities have not yet changed."

Pippa cocked her head back. "You sounded slightly disappointed for a moment there, Gandalf," she pointed out.

Gandalf gave a little shrug. "Perhaps I would have thought that maturity would have settled in by now."

Pippa and Kili exchanged looks and burst into laughter. Gandalf stared at them in confusion, wondering how they found humor in his honesty. Still he didn't mind seeing the two of them smile again. After all, the last time he'd seen them, Pippa was in mourning and Kili was dead.

"I realize now that my belief was incorrect," Gandalf commented with a smile.

"Just a little bit," Pippa said with a nod.

Gandal looked over at Kili and couldn't help believing this was once Thorin Oakenshield's youngest nephew. "You have appeared to have grown into man, Mister Kili," Gandalf noted. "You don't look like the young dwarf who couldn't bare to be separated from his brother."

This lowered the smile on Kili's face. He nodded and cleared his throat, uncomfortable at the very mention of his dearest brother. Despite the passage of time since Fili's death, Kili found himself constantly missing his older brother. Pippa knew this too. She remembered how two weeks after they reconnected that Christmas night, Kili had dreamt about the battle and began to cry in his sleep. Pippa held onto him, trying not to cry herself but failing.

Some things were harder to let go of than others.

"Have you seen the others?" Kili asked changing the subject. "Are they well?"

Gandalf shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh. "I am afraid I do not know. I have not seen them in quite some time."

"And Bilbo?" Pippa chimed in. "Is he alright?"

"Bilbo is alive and well. Not like how he used to be but very well indeed."

There was a moment of silence before Pippa's eyes glanced around and she asked, "Where exactly are we? I don't think I remember this area."

"Believe it or not you are a mile away from Beorn's house," Gandalf answered. "You do remember Beorn, yes?"

Yeah, how could I not forget the bear man who's garden I honked on? Pippa thought to herself.

Kili looked over at Pippa and smirked. "Of course we remember dear Beorn. Don't we, Pippa?"

Pippa glared. "You would, Pretty Boy. You fucking would."

"You wouldn't happen to be a little ill now would you, darling?"

"Let's take a moment to remember who it was that lost all our ponies that one time, shall we?"

"That was an accident!"

"You had one job, Kili. You had one job."

"Clearly you two have not matured one bit," Gandalf cut in slightly aggravated.

Pippa smiled widely. "Oh you missed us, Gandalf."

"Yes but not the bickering. Years later and it still is just as annoying."

"Exactly how much time has passed since the battle?" Kili asked.

"Sixty years, dear Kili."

Pippa's eyes widened. "Sixty years?! What anti-agining cream do you use and where do I buy it?"

Gandalf ignored Pippa's comment and simply nodded his head. Pippa scratched the back of her neck, trying to take in the fact she and Kili were gone for sixty years. "Why has it only been two years for us and sixty years for them?" she asked.

Kili shook his head. "You don't suppose if Pippa and I were to travel to the Lonely Mountain that the others would still be there?"

"Well there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Gandalf pointed out.

Kili took Pippa's hand and a large smile swept across his face. "Pippa, how would you like to go on another journey?" he asked.

Pippa, blank-faced, blinked her eyes a couple times. "You mean to tell me," she began with a straight face," you want to spend God knows how long going back to the Lonely Mountains and being on the verge of death every single moment of every day? Killing whatever thing or creature comes in our way? Having me latch onto you for dear life because I have no clue what the fuck I'm doing? You want to do all of that again?"

Just as Kili was ready to argue with her, he watched as her lips curved into a grin. "I thought you'd never ask," she said.

Kili cupped her face and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "This means the absolute world to me," he told her. "You have no idea how grateful I am that you are agreeing to this."

Pippa kept on smiling. "Just don't think for one moment this puts you off the hook for last night," she warned him, poking his nose.

"Of course," Kili nodded.

"And one more thing...I'm watching the ponies this time."

Gandalf was kind enough to take a quick detour from his own route to take Pippa and Kili over to Beorn's. Pippa and Kili sat beside Gandalf on his wooden carriage. Kili swung his arm over Pippa's shoulder, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

He's lucky he's cute and I love him. Otherwise, I wouldn't do this not even for charity. Bono couldn't even get me to do this let alone the freaking Queen of England.

"You're not going to get sick again, are you?" Kili whispered in her ear.

Pippa looked at him, glaring. "I will push you off this wagon."

"Is that a promise or a threat?"

"Keep testing me and you'll find out."

"So it's a threat then?"

"Dear God, you're a pain in the arse."

"I do recall there being several occasions where I have caused certain pains in your arse."

With that Pippa pushed Kili off the wagon. Kili lied on the ground laughing while Gandalf stopped the wagon. He removed the pipe from his mouth and darted his frustrated eyes at Pippa.

"What will it take for the two of you to quit acting like children?" Gandalf questioned with annoyance. "Has sixty years not been enough time for you two to grow up?"

Pippa shrugged her shoulders. "I warned him," she told the wizard. "He doesn't listen to me."

Kili continued to laugh while Gandalf rolled his eyes. Pippa patted Gandalf's shoulder. "And to think I said,'yes', when he proposed."

Gandalf's face dropped. "You two are betrothed?"

"Did you really not see that coming? After everything that happened last time, how did you not think he and I would eventually begin to settle down?"

She looked over to Kili, who was now standing up. "I guess we weren't obvious enough this time, Pretty Boy. Gandalf doesn't believe you put a ring on it."

Kili held up Pippa's hand, showing off the ring. Gandalf gently touched the ring and smiled. "I believe a congratulations is in order," he said. "I am very happy for the both of you."

The couple smiled at one another and just as Kili leaned in to kiss Pippa, she pushed him off the wagon again. "Now he's forgiven for last night," she stated proudly.

I apologize for the extremely long delay on updating. Hopefully I can get back into posting as frequently as I used to. Thanks for all the love on the first chapter. You guys are wonderful as always :)

Danielle