Stolen hearts
Chapter 2
As I am
Happy International Fanwork Day! I told myself, come hell or high water, I would post today. I even marked it on my calendar and tried to write everyday to finish. I was not able to write everyday and if you read the note at the bottom, you will find out why.
Oh! One more thing. The song, "As I Am" by Heather Dale, is amazing and I highly, highly recommend you listening to it before you read this chapter. Here is the link.
watch?v=TF5oqpYvxyc&index=6&list=PLrtke6zLz4474-WXdEzTCUF1Ij-igh2cS
Italic=thoughts
Bold=flashback
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Tolkin's because if I did, things would have turned out differently. I also don't own the music
High above the throne room, shrouded by the shadows, an amorphous figure watched from a far. Nori placed himself atop one of the pillars. Still as a stone gargoyle, his acuity sight and rapier wit scanned the floor way below him as the ghoulish thought still speed through his mind. Bilbo was missing. The poor hobbit did not leave on his own accord, making it even more scandalous. What's worse, Bilbo was not just the prince consort, but his friend, making this personal. All he wanted was five minutes alone with whoever was responsible.
Down below, his eyes caught the familiar sight of Jack. The other Man with him must be Will. Perhaps Jack rethought the offer. Nori smirked. It would be grand to have a friend who knew of all the vices in the world working with him. Sadly, he saw the envelope being past from Will to Balin to Thorin, he knew that was not the case. What unfolded caused him to scurry down the pillar in lightening speed. Jack was many things, but not a kidnapper.
As Dwalin made his way for Jack, ready to place him in irons, Nori stepped in between them. "Hold on for a moment!" Nori pleaded. From behind him, he could feel Thorin's gazed attempting to burn his body to ashes. "Give them a moment to explain. I'm sure it is not what it seems."
Nori motioned for Jack to start explaining, hoping the pirate truly wasn't involved. "Thank you, my friend-"
"Friend? Well, that figures." A voice from the side churlishly commented.
Shifting his eyes to the side, Jack gazed at the dwarf with puzzlement before a flash of insight took over. "Let me see. White hair, arms folded, tapping foot, glaring at Nori…You must be Dori!" Jack laughed as he extended his hand to the dwarf. Dori just stared at the offending hand wishing it way. "Right…Well, let me introduce myself. I am Captain Jack Sparrow and this bright lad is Will Turner. My young friend here, playing the Good Samaritan, offered to deliver a letter to the king. I can assure you, we had no idea what was in it."
That's a lie. Thought Nori. Well at least part of it was a lie. He just needed to find out which part and he would do so on his own.
"Your highness, if I may ask, whatever did we do? We do not know what the piece of hair means." Pleaded Will.
The sycophant way he addressed the king must have pleased him greatly as his glare was not as hard for a brief moment. "The prince consort was kidnapped late last night. What you delivered was a lock of his hair with this beads still attached. Care to explain?" All reserve fled in the final words.
"Now look here, your kingliness. We didn't kidnap any dwarf!" Declared Jack. While it was serendipitous for Nori to intervene, he held no illusions the king was in charge and whatever influence Nori had, might easily be disregarded in favor of rash action. Another reason he hated dealing with royalty.
"Dwarf?" Dwalin relaxed his stance, his hand edging away from his war hammer.
All around them, the pirates could see the court relaxing. Had they said the magic word? "You don't know, do you?" Balin asserted as he took in their puzzled look. "The prince consort is not a dwarf, but a hobbit."
A mellifluous soft voice echoed thought the room attempting to give more reason than madness. "Perhaps, since Nori knows the pair, he might be able to talk to them, to learn more."
This place is ever full of surprises. Murmured Jack as he turned to the petite dwarf. Many of his hard feelings seemed too easy as he looked at what could best be described as a child like dwarf. Although it was plain to see, this dwarf was not a child by any means, this aura spoke of innocence and serenity. "Ah, such a lovely little dwarf. Wrapped in knitted, book in hand, cute as a button, you, my dear, must be Ori."
Ori smiled. It wasn't often he was recognized by strangers. It was kind of flattering.
"You really are cute! I just want to pinch your checks." Jack made for Ori only to be stopped by a guttural growl from the giant guardsmen. "Right, I forgot. No touch. Just look."
As Nori lead them away, Will wondered who was crazier. Will for loving and being with Jack, Jack for being odd when the time was wrong or the king for not killing them both.
Nori's point of pride for the longest time was his ability to keep those he cared about safe. Bilbo's disappearance shattered that illusion of skill. Unlike everyone else, Nori knew time was of the essence, the hobbit's illness required him to rest and see a doctor. Without those, he might succumb to it. He had been racking his brain for the past hour to figure out who would have wanted to take the gentle hobbit. Was there a connection to the threatening notes or was it just a conscience. Thinking back, Nori received another notation. Perhaps the notes were a red herring. Perhaps Bilbo's disappearance had less to do with hate and more to do with love.
"A moment of your time, master hobbit." Called Bard as he approached the hobbit. The archer had been a guest of Thorin's shortly after the battle. The good king practically fell over himself trying to make amends and only wished to see the bonds between Lakewood and Erebor strengthened.
Bilbo smiled as he was addressed "Of course, Master Bard." The hobbit was grateful for the man's ability to forgive Thorin. While Bilbo refused to believe Thorin was capable of such horrible things under normal circumstances, the truth was, Thorin was responsible to the battle. So, anything he could do which might make Bard's stay a pleasant one, he would try his best to accomplish.
"Interesting garden, I must say." As Bard motioned around the palace greens. "Even more so being in a mountain. I was sure everything with in these walls would have died by now."
"Perhaps, but Dori and Bifur understand the plants and worked out lighting with others to keep them alive and well. I must say, I am impressed with all their hard work. I guess being forced to live outside of the mountain for so long and now coming back, makes them miss the green. Even more so since the Dale is still in ruins." Bilbo couldn't help but run his hand over open of the brilliant scarlet roses Bifur planted earlier in the week. It turned out Bifur was not only an excellent toymaker but a gardener as well. It was a shame Hamfast was so far away. The two of them could have a grand conversation on gardening properties, with the help of a translator, of course.
Bard had to admit the roses were stunning but he knew they wouldn't last. "Be that as it may, such things are not meant to live incased in stone. Even with their best efforts, those beautiful plants shall wither and die."
The hobbit was appalled. Why would Bard say such a cruel thing? His friends worked very hard on the garden. Bofur and Gloin, along with others workers and quick minded individuals, created the illusion of day and night inside the mountain as to trick the plants. Their finest work, Gloin boasted. The princes searched the surround lands to find intriguing and fascinating flora to plant. Ori and Balin even had a hand in the garden. They worked on some sort of irrigation system to keep the plants from drowning when watered. "You are wrong, Mister Bard. My friends have worked long and hard on this project and I don't think they will fail."
"You miss understand me, my dear Bilbo." Bard said trying to placate the hobbit. "I do not mean to insult your friends or their hard work. I only mean, these plants, can not hope to thrive as they might out in the open with real sunlight and fresh air. Inside they might survive, but not thrive. Still they are beautiful for now. I would hate to see them in a few months time, though." Bard took his eyes from the delicate rose only to gaze at Bilbo's soft face. A hand reached out to caress the tender check. "Beautiful things, beings of light, should not be trapped inside a dark mountain."
"Bard…" For a moment, Bilbo was speechless. "I'm not trapped."
"Yes, you are. You just do not see it. The king keeps you here, forbidding you to leave. Keeping your light all to himself. The greedy dwarf." He grumbled.
Snapping out of it, Bilbo slapped Bard's hand from his face. "You are wrong about Thorin! I can leave whenever I chose. He has offered my passage to anywhere in Middle Earth I choose when I choose."
"Do you really think he would let you go? Or if he did, don't you think he would be watching your every move. Making sure you are where you should be?"
"If Thorin were to watch me, it would only be for my safety and nothing more. He loves me and has for some time!"
"Love? I don't think he knows what love is."
"How can you say such a thing!"
"Very easily. After everything he has done to you. After he tried to throw you off the gate! He is going to smoother you! Everything which makes you, you, he will take for himself and throw away the rest." Bard countered, he knew he was being callous but Bilbo need to see his point.
By this point, Bilbo was nearly in tears, trying to defend Thorin and his own actions were taking a toll on him emotionally and mentally. "You are wrong. If it wasn't for him, I would be nothing. Just a lonely hobbit."
"Is that why you stay? Because you feel as if you own him somehow? Bilbo, my dear hobbit, you own him nothing. You were his burglar. You have completed the task he gave you and when you tried to help, to save him. How did he repay you? Banishment! Only be shear luck did you escape your death. Please, he has hurt you before and I know he will hurt you again. Leave this place. Go into the light as you should." Bard pulled the hobbit close. He hated to see Bilbo so upset. The cunning hobbit was stronger than most gave him credit for and to see him like this, broke Bard's heart. "If you do not wish to go back to the Shire, you may stay with me in Laketown. You shall be greeted as a hero and savior. Treated with the respect you so rightfully deserve and I would never forsake you as he has done. I would treasure you above all else. Give you freedom you can only dream of. Mirkwood is not far, you make go and converse with the elves as you please. I would give you anything and everything I could. So please, leave this dark shadow of a place and join me in Laketown."
Desire. Before leaving the Shire, no one looked at him the way Thorin and Bard had. Never before had eyes raked over his body wanting to possess and conquer it. Never before did someone seek to know the interworking of his mind to weave themselves into it. Never before did the pages of his heart flutter so when around these beings. But never before had he been so enraged at another. Ripping himself away from Bard's arms, Bilbo practically spat at the Man. "How dare you think you know what is best for me! You barely even know me and know less of Thorin!"
"I have seen your heart and I have seen your courage and dedication!"
"Wrong! You have not seen my heart. You do not know my hopes and fears. You do not know my pain and pleasure. You do not know my struggles and triumphs! You do not know me."
"That is where you are wrong. Before the battle, I saw everything you wanted. When you pleaded with me, I could have asked for anything. Anything! But the one thing I truly wanted did not pass my lips. I could not force you to be with me in any sense of the word. It is something I only wish for but can not force."
"No, you can not!"
"You shall not change your mind, will you?"
"No. I love Thorin. He's made mistakes in the past but he is working hard to make amends. The gold sickness was not him! He would never act in such a manner normally."
"Just remember, he feel under that spell once, it could happen again."
"I know and that is a chance I am willing to take."
"So be it. But one day, my dear Bilbo, you will see things my way."
Little did either of them know, Nori was hiding himself in the shadows.
Gloin stared into the fire of one of the many torches which lit the palace. A kidnapping…Who would do such a thing and to Bilbo of all people? Bilbo never hurt a soul in his life. He only strived for peace. He would do anything for his friends and the people of Erebor and the Shire. A flash of insight hit as he believed this might be the cause. Some still were unhappy about his dealings during the battle. But what about those he dealt with?
Grinding his teeth, Gloin tried not to think of Thranduil. But the elf couldn't be trusted. Time and time again, this proved to be true. But would he stoop so low as to kidnap an allergy ridden hobbit? Perhaps. Thinking back, he remembered the way Thranduil would glower at the hobbit, only wishing for him to burst into flames. At the time, Gloin thought it was humorous after all, this tiny little bunny had bested Thranduil and all his great power. For all the elven boasting on being superior in every sense of the word, a hobbit, armed with only his wits and a magic ring, was able to best his entire kingdom and free them from their Mahal forsaken imprisonment in those dark dank dungeons.
But would Thranduil stoop so low? Had time harden his heart to the point of cloak and dagger treachery? Perhaps.
Nori pulled the king aside into his own room. Nori didn't trust any other area as much as he did his own dwelling. As a spymaster, he fortified his home against invaders and other sneaks and cheats. His home was probably the safest place in the entire mountain. After he kicked Bofur out, that was. The dwarf had a stout heart but a loud mouth. Sometimes living with Bofur was like living with the witness for the prosecution. Either way, with Bofur gone, there would be no one to disturb them.
"Thorin, we need to talk."
Thorin only grunted. He didn't have the energy to do much else. The thought of Bilbo in danger fogged his mind and made him sluggish. If he had any direction at all, he would charge full force, but with nothing, his mind only ate itself.
"I talked to Jack and Will and unfortunately, they don't have much. The Man who gave them the envelope was a carrier himself, who wanted to avoid the mountain and probably didn't know what was in it."
"Do you think they are telling the truth?"
The spymaster trusted Jack. Sort of honor among thieves but there was more to it. "Yes, I do. Jack is many things, including a liar and a cheat but he is not a kidnapper and would never throw his hat in the ring with one. Goes against who he is."
"So, now what? Where do we start? How could someone have gotten into the palace?"
"I was thinking the same thing. The palace is pretty well guarded, thanks to Dwalin and his paranoia-"
"His "paranoia" or caution didn't save Bilbo." Thorin growled. How could Dwalin be so careless?
Nori could see the wheels turning in Thorin's mind. His own paranoia and suspicions were setting in. Soon the king would most likely not even trust his closest friends. "This is true but he did the best he could. But I still need to bring this up. In order for someone to get past the guards, they would either need to know the guards' rotation schedule and route patterns or have bribed someone-"
"An inside job?" Mahal help who ever the traitor was.
"Perhaps. But it could be anyone with knowledge of the kingdom."
"Explain!"
Taking a deep breath, he continued. "There are many twists and turns that only people who frequent the mountain would know. I was wondering how they would be able to get a sick hobbit out of Erebor without raising suspicion."
"Sick?" Oin and Thorin kept quiet about Bilbo's illness not wanting to cause a stir. But how did Nori know about it?
"Please Thorin; give me more credit than that! I know most of the going-ons in the mountain. Bilbo being sick is just one of them. But no one else seems to know. Dori is still collecting raw and local honey for the hobbit to ease his symptoms and Kili has been trying his hand at making a hat for the hobbit with Ori's help. Everyone still think he is having a bad run with his allergies."
"But that is not the case."
"No, it isn't."
"Which is why we need to find him quickly."
"Any solid ideas?"
"A few, but nothing I can prove."
Nori was keeping something from Thorin. He could feel it. "You will tell me what you know!"
This was one reason he hated to work for anyone. When he was a thief, he answered to no one. He was his own boss despite what Dori thought. "There is nothing I know for sure and if I am wrong, and you fly off the handle, we could end up in a war!"
War…So Nori thought it was one of their allies. Gritting his teeth, Thorin tried to reason with himself this was for the best. Without any evidence, he would just be running around like a mad dwarf…again. No! He needed to be calm and think clearly. Bilbo needed him to be calm and think clearly. If that would bring his little bunny back to him, so be it. But first Thorin needed to think.
"Well, this is fine mess you've gotten us into, Will!" Jack said as he flung himself on to the huge Man sized bed. After it became obvious how it was not the pirates' fault for Bilbo's disappearance, Nori requested the pair stay for a while just incase he needed to question them again. But there really wasn't much either could tell Nori. They didn't even know what was in the envelope or who sent it.
"Why is it my fault?" Will laid down next to Jack. The guest room they were given was spacious and had many of the amenities they might require. Everything from a private bathroom to a fully furnished living area. It looked like Nori thought they might be here for a while. They were permitted to explore Erebor should they chose, but Nori advised against it, saying rumors were already circulating how the pair was responsible for kidnapping the prince consort. Already, some were calling for blood. Bilbo was known through out the kingdom for having a heart of gold and those who were fortunate enough to see it, would be ready to lay down their lives for the hobbit.
"Really? I told you not to take odd jobs, no matter how easy they looked."
Will knew Jack was right. He was warned time and time again, but they were running low on funds and the money was too good for such a simple task. In hindsight, he should have known better. "There is no use arguing about the past. It is the future we need to concern our selves with." There was an undercurrent of the old do-gooder in his voice which Jack both loved and hated.
"You are not thinking what I think you are thinking, are you?"
"If you are thinking, what I am thinking, but hope I am not thinking then I think you are correct."
The old pirate laughed. For so long, he tried to teach Will how to twist words and mingle them in order to confuse and baffle their opponents. It seemed all those lessons were not wasted. "I think I might be thinking what you are thinking, I am thinking, what you are thinking but I hope you are not thinking, but I know you are thinking it and I think I might agree with your thinking." Will might have learned a thing or two but Jack was still the master.
"What?" Will's head hurt trying to keep up with all of the twists and turns of Jack's speech.
"We are in this together aren't we, my love?" Jack purred into Will's ear. "If you really want to help find this helpless hobbit, I shall join you."
"Really?" Jack tried to stay out of the business of rescuing people he didn't know. Once he confined in Will the reason. Most of the time they were looking for a corpse. The longer a person is missing the greater the chance of them ending up dead and only if they were taken alive at all. Returning the loved ones with sorrowful news broke his wayward heart more than most could imagine.
"Really. This hobbit seems to be a friend of Nori's and by transcendental properties; he would be my friend as well. I don't leave friends behind."
Will was on cloud nine when Jack agreed to help but something in the back of his mind bothered him. "But wait, I thought you said anyone who falls behind, is left behind. Isn't that part of the pirates' code?"
"Well, yes, but I figure they are more actually… guidelines. Besides, you know me. I was never one for rules anyway."
"Jack, that's wonderful." Will threw his arms around Jack's neck, bringing him in for a kiss.
"Yes, yes. I know I am wonderful. But now I have a question, love. What does a hobbit look like?"
Thorin kissed the final beads from his hair as he laid them down on the table. His dark hair no longer in the braids he normally wore. No beads or clips decorated his long tresses. Wild and untamed, making him look more like a pauper than a king. His outfit only amplified this affect. Gone were his royal robes and crown. Only dressed in a slightly faded ice blue tunic he wore in his travels when money was scarce. Taking one last look at himself in the mirror, Thorin knew he was ready.
It didn't take him long to find the hobbit. After everything settled down, Thorin commissioned a garden to be built inside the mountain with the appropriate light, roses and other flora bloomed as they would outside in the natural sun. Only now they were safe and protected from the harsh and capricious weather. It was there he found Bilbo among the roses.
Hearing Thorin's foot steps, Bilbo smiled as he turned to his king. But his joy turned to shock as he saw the king's state. "Thorin, what's wrong?"
"I look a bit different, don't I?" Thorin tried to stay calm but judging by Bilbo's face, it wasn't working. Thorin was not known to let his nerves get the better of him, but all of that seemed to change.
"Yes, you do"
"Would we be able to talk?"
"Of course." Never before had Thorin asked for a conversation. In the past, he would start and disregard whoever else was there or what ever was going on. The severity of the situation hit Bilbo like a ton of bricks.
Thorin tried to catch his breath. He fought many battles and survived many hardships, but this put them all to shame. Everything was on the line. "Bilbo, let me explain to you why I appear the way I am. I come to you today with no riches and no crown. I don't want you to see me as a leader just a humble soul and I ask for your hand."
Bilbo was speechless. This couldn't be happening it was some dream.
"I am not perfect, as you know, and neither are you. But still I ask this. The only thing I want is for your love and if you could take me as I am."
"But, why me?" He needed to know this.
"I need your strength to fight for what right. I need you to remind me of everything good in this world and that there is more to life than struggle and the things we seek to win."
Never before had Bilbo been seen as some sort of savior of the soul. Perhaps a companion or a comrade but never in this capacity. "My king…"
"No! I don't want you to take me out of duty. I only want you to take if I am the one you would stand beside."
The long pause caused a tremor to rumble though every fiber of Thorin's being as he waited for some sort of answer. Bilbo would either accept his proposal or not but the waiting was too much. A soft hand reached up to rest on his bearded face as the sweetest whisper he ever heard caressed his ears and heart. "I will always stand by you."
Some one from the inside. The thought turned Thorin's fiery blood to ice. A traitor was in their mitts and even Nori didn't have the faintest clue. Familiar paranoia set in as he thought about who it might be. Was it someone close to him? Could Balin or Dwalin have seen fit to rid the mountain of the hobbit? Or was it someone with more distance like a foreign ally? What about a servant hoping to get rich with some sort of hefty ransom?
Rubbing his eyes, he fought against sleep as he struggled to find meaning to such a sense less act. Bilbo was kind where others were cruel. Polite when manners were scarce. He was the champion of the underclass and friend to the friendless. The hobbit made it his mission to help Erebor and her people. The idealistic prince consort petitioned for homes for orphans and was in the process of setting up some sort of education program for them, along with the lower class children. He spoke to Balin and Ori for ideas and the three made plans to made Erebor one of the greatest societies in all of Middle Earth. Could there be someone not liking the thought of some rising above their station at birth? It was very possible. After reclaiming Erebor, many of the "nobles" were aghast to find the Ri brothers along with the Ur cousins part of Thorin's inner circle and court. One even dared to speak such slander in his presence. The poor dwarf nearly ended up down a mineshaft and would have if it was not for Bilbo.
Bilbo…Looking over at the cold, empty side of the bed, where Bilbo should lay, he felt a familiar longing stir in his chest.
Standing on top of Carrock, his eyes caught the first glimpse of his lost home. A home he only saw in his dreams and nightmares. When he closed his eyes waves a sense of peace washed over him as he remembered a time long before the dragon, a time of peace and prosperity. When the Dale was green and mountain gold and his father, grandfather and brother still breathed air. But then came the fire. From that rock, he would reach out his hand in a futile attempt to touch what he knew was too far way, leaving him with the feeling of both hope and despair. Balin clarified it as longing.
Oh, how he longed to hold the hobbit in his arms even for a moment. Taking the prince consort's pillow close to his face, he breathed in his unique scent. The fragrant smells of ink, books and roses caused tears to prick his eyes. No. He would not let tears fall. He would not sit here sobbing like some lost little lad and he would not wait for others to find his One.
But there was a problem. If Thorin left to find Bilbo, who would watch his kingdom? Who could he trust with his people when he trusted no one? His people came first and they always would. Bilbo reminded him this one a daily basis. The people were not servants of the king; the king was the servant of the people. To leave his people unprotected would only do harm. He could not harm his people. Not again. But how could he leave Bilbo? What kind of dwarf abandons his One?
The knock at the door prevented him from continuing his line of thought. As wiped away tears he unknowingly shed, the king tried to steady his voice as he called for the unknown person to entire.
In hindsight, he shouldn't have been surprised to see his younger sister stride through the door. "Thorin, I just heard! Are you alright? Is there anything you need?" Her movement belayed the aura of sorrow and misery as she brought her older brother close to her chest, letting him listen to her heart beat. Long ago, in times past, he mimicked the same motions to her in her time of need. It was only appropriate, she do the same.
Bump bump. Bump bump. The soft rhythm of a beating heart echoed in his ears. He loved the sound. Truly, he did. But not like this. Never like this. The sound he loved came from a much smaller chest as he would lay his head down after a day of toil. The sound rocking him to sleep as a gentle hand combed through his ebony hair and sang him a lullaby of emerald hills and expansive gardens. But nothing Dis could do would ease this suffering. Even if she knew every action, every word, it wouldn't be the same. Her trim beard and full breasts would destroy any illusion of someone else when he opened his eyes. But even with them closed tightly, her scent was not his. She smelled of precious metals, jewel and rock. Not the scholarly smells he pinned for.
"Please, brother. Tell me what I can do." She whispered bringing his head even closer to her.
"I don't know what to do, Dis." He admitted. "I don't know who to trust. Bilbo…his kidnappers could be anyone. Plotters could be many and he is out there somewhere. I have to find him. He would never leave me and I shall not leave him."
"Of course not. I would not think anywhere near as highly of you, if you were to abandon your One."
Would it be abandonment if he did not seek for Bilbo himself? What if he sent Nori to search for him? No! Nori might have a hand in Bilbo's disappearance too. If the hobbit was to be returned to hearth and home, he would head the search, less Bilbo fall into unscrupulous hands again. But what of his people. They came first. "But how? How can I leave to search for him? What about Erebor? What of her people? If I go, then what?"
Dis thought for a moment. The crown was not a toy to be taken lightly and those who wore it must put their people's needs before their own. "I don't think it is a problem, Brother. Have Fili watch her in your stay?"
"Fili?"
"Yes. Fili's been trained since birth to rule after you, so why not give him some practical practice?"
Thorin thought for a moment about the offer. Leaving Fili to watch Erebor might give him the time he needed to find Bilbo. But would Fili be up for the task? "Don't worry so, Brother. I will be there with him and so will Kili. They are not as foolish as they seem."
What chose did he have? As he nodded his head, he missed the faint smile that appeared on her face.
Damn! Shit just got real. More motives than you can shake a stick at and Bilbo's life is hanging in the balance.
I am still thinking of a song for the next chapter.
But allot has been going on, on my side of the computer. Recently my father was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's lymphoma and since he can never make his life easy, he has both the fast and slow type of cancer. Yeah…he will be starting both chemo and radiation either this week or next week. That said, by the time I get back from work and check on him/take him to a doctor's appointment, sometimes I am drained. I will try to update when I can. I hope to update some time in March.
On a more positive/hopeful note, if you would like to help end blood cancers, please click on the link below. It will lead you to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
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