Later that night Thorin and Bea walked down the street in search for a cab. Bea walked barefoot, her high heels were killing her. Thorin looked down at the woman who now barely reached his shoulders. She awoke his protective instinct and Thorin could feel himself being drawn to her irresistibly. After a while they sat down on a parc bench and still there was no cab in sight. Bea was shivering slightly and Thorin pulled off his jacket and put it over Beas coat.

'Please keep it, I can't sit here with two jackets while you have none.' Bea asked Thorin, but he stopped her.

'Yes, you can. You are shivering and I don't feel cold.' it was lie, he did feel cold, but he was raised a gentleman and would never put his own comfort over the comfort of a lady in his company. He saw that Bea tried to cover her feet under her coat.

'Cold feet?' Thorin asked and smiled. He would never understand how womens feet could freeze that often.

'Cold? Numb. Either from these shoes or from the cold.' Bea chuckled. As Thorin reached for her feet she pulled back. 'No way, they are filthy from the streets and they have stuck in these shoes the whole evening.'

'Nonsense. Give me your feet, Bea.' Thorin got a grip on her ankle and gently pulled her feet close to him, covering them with his hands. Bea had such tiny feet and Thorins hands could cover them completely.

'You are really not cold?' Bea asked. At Thorins headshake she continued. 'You know that there is a way to see if men freeze?'

'Is there?' Thorin was curious. Bea suddenly moved closer and reached out for his face and Thorin had to swallow expectantly. His eyes widened in surprise as her fingers gently brushed his nose.

'Men tend to get cold noses when they are cold.' Bea whispered.

'And women do not?' Thorin chuckled quietly.

'Women freeze with every inch of their bodies. Men mostly compensate their feeling of cold with the vibration of their muscles, which produces energy and makes them feel warm. Can't do that with your nose.' Bea grinned. Thorin had a long and charismatic nose and she loved moving her fingers over it. 'You think that I am a geek now, do you?'

Thorin had to laugh. 'A very pretty geek.'

Bea looked down at her feet at his words. She always got timid when someone complimented her. She was still thinking about what to say as a cab stopped at their bench. What a timing.

Thorin accompanied Bea to the door of her apartment. The narrow corridor to her apartment was depressing, but at least they would not be disturbed by anyone.

'This is such a hole.' Bea sighed. 'The landlord was supposed to renovate the building years ago, but he never did. People stay here because of the beautiful view. Well, here we are.'

Bea looked up at Thorin and noticed that she was still wearing his jacket. Reluctantly she peeled herself out of the leather jacket that smelled like Thorin, manly and tart.

'Thank you for the wonderful evening, Thorin.' she handed him back his jacket and brushed his hand on purpose.

Thorin swallowed hard. 'I would love to do that again, Bea.'

Bea smiled warmly and tilted her head to the side. 'Me too.' she was tired of waiting for Thorin to make the first step. She stood on the tip of her toes and kissed Thorin on the cheek. She had wanted to kiss him on the lips at first, but she could imagine no better torture than giving him a platonic kiss on the cheek. This was his punishment for not kissing her first. 'Good night, Thorin.' she whispered and disappeared through the door, looking at him till the door closed.

Thorin had to lean against the doorframe for a few moments. With a quiet groan he pressed his head against the door before he walked back home.

During the following week Thorin and Bea only met at Valars Inc. Thorin spent alot of time in the atelier or helped Bofur to gather information about the men who had been in the bar with Saruman. Thorin had gotten the names of all the models present in the bar from Bea. They had talked about the other models for a while, but none of the women matched the criterias. They had all been from the United States and had no criminal past. If they really were in the escort business they had never been involved in anything beyond. The remaining three FBI agents had been curious about Thorins date, but they had to content themselves with Thorins dreamy face the next day. Thorin still did not say who he was dating and Ori remained silent. Lucky for Thorin they had so much information to work on and so many observations to make that neither of them could go on Thorins nerves with curious questions. Even Fili did not ask too much and concentrated on their job.

Thorin saw Bea again at a new shooting. It was a single shoot this time and Bea was to pose as a burglar in reference to the movie Entrapment with Catherine Zeta Jones. In a black suit which caressed her body like a second skin Bea posed in a dark room which was only enlightened by green laser beams. As usual Gandalf was part of the shooting.

'This is perfect, Bea dear. Now move between the beams like in the movie. Be sexy, be elegant, be classy!' Gandalf urged her and Bea rolled her eyes. She hated playing the sexy vixen - again -, she just wanted to be herself, especially when she was with Thorin. Reluctantly she arched her back over a green beam and silently prayed for Thorin to hurry with the pictures. The poses were hard and straining and she started to sweat.

'You are too unremarkable, Bea.' Thorin smirked as he remembered their date. 'I want to see fire.'

Beas eyes flashed as she heard the word "unremarkable" and Thorin took the picture. That picture made it into the magazine.

As Bea came out of the dressing room Thorin was already waiting for her, leaning against the doorframe.

'That was a perfect shooting.' he told her quietly and walked over to her.

'Is that so?' Bea cocked an eyebrow at him. 'I thought I was unremarkable?'

Thorin leaned down to whisper into Beas ear. 'There is nothing unremarkable about you, Beatrix Baggins.' They were close and Thorin felt that it was the perfect moment for their first kiss. But Gandalf ruined the perfect moment as he barged in.

'Bea, dear! There is a big party at the Esgaroth today. Why don't you come? And also your lady friends?' Gandalf asked her. 'My brother will be there and some of our business partners.'

'And what am I supposed to do there?' Bea remembered the models around Saruman Istari who had disturbed her first date with Thorin a week ago.

'You represent our agency, of course.' Gandalf smiled honestly.

Bea looked at Thorin and saw his face darken. He remembered their encounter with Saruman, too and he hated what the female models had been doing. They had sat down on the laps of Sarumans business partners and the elderly men had relished in the attention of the younger and beautiful women. Thorin hated the thought that Bea might be forced to do so. His heart sank as he heard Beas answer.

'Alright, I will be there.'

'I do not want you to go.' Thorin took Beas hand as they walked to Beas apartment.

'Why?' of course Bea knew why, but she wanted to hear it from him. 'Its just a party.'

'We saw how the models were treated by Saruman Istari and his business partners.' Thorin frowned. 'I do not want this to happen to you...'

Bea watched Thorin intensely and saw honest worry in his eyes. 'I am a grown woman, Thorin. I can take care of myself.' she stopped in her tracks and looked up at her photographer. 'But if you are so worried you could accompany me?'

Thorin looked at her in surprise. 'Me? At that party? But Gandalf did not invite me.'

'I am to represent the corporation. You are our photographer. You also represent Valars Inc.' Bea smirked. 'You can come along and have an eye on me.'

Thorin thought about her offer. It was the perfect cover for him and he could spy on Saruman easier. And it would be a second date.

'Is that another date?' Thorin asked carefully and saw Bea smiled widely.

'Maybe.' Bea moved closer to Thorin and tip toed to whisper in his ear. 'And maybe this time I will get a kiss?'

Thorin swallowed at her words and looked down into her sparkling brown eyes. 'Is a kiss appropriate at the second date?'

'Very.' Bea chuckled. 'First date, no. Second date, maybe. Third date, a must and with tongue.'

Thorin laughed quietly at Beas forwardness and they continued walking to her apartment. They parted at the door.

'I will pick you up at seven.' Thorin promised and kissed Beas hand.

'See you then.' Bea smiled at him sweetly and rushed up to change.

'You are going on a party? With Bea?' Fili was dumbstruck. 'You. on. a. party. with. my ex. girlfriend.'

'This is a perfect cover. I will be able to get an insight on the dealings of Sarumans corporation.' Thorin tried to divert his nephews thoughts. 'The other models she is living with will be there, too.'

Fili had been shocked as he heard that his ex girlfriend was a model now. He told his uncle that she had hated all too girly things when they had been going out. But he had even been more shocked as he heard that Thorin would take Bea to that party.

'You will carry a tiny camera and a microphone. No, thats important, Thorin.' Bofur said and lifted his hand as Thorin wanted to object. 'We need proof and the best way to get there is to have everything on tape.'

'Fine.' Thorin felt as if trapped in a nightmare. This was his second date with Bea and everyone could listen and watch. Cursing loudly Thorin changed into his party clothes, a grey suit and a white shirt and hid the camera in the button hole of his jacket and the mic under the suit. With a last nod towards Bofur, Ori and Fili he grabbed his car keys and drove to Beas place. His breath got caught in his throat as Bea opened the door in a champagne colored mini dress revealling her beautiful legs and a warm smiled on her face.

At the other end of the camera Fili gasped. 'She never looked that way when we were going out!'

Thorin wanted to scold his nephew for the distracting comment but he bit his tongue in the last second.

'You look beautiful.' he stated hoarsely and Bea smiled.

'Thank you, Thorin. You look handsome.' Bea gestured him in and Thorin could practically feel Fili roll his eyes on the other side of the camera.

The three FBI agents at the other side of the camera watched the three model get ready in their apartment.

'I hate uncle.' Fili pouted.

'Why?' a voice from the door made them jump. 'Where is he by the way and what are you all staring at?'

'Kili!' Fili stared at his little brother who stood in the door. 'What on earth are you doing here?'

'Director Smaug sent me here.' Kili stepped closer, his gaze glued to the screen. 'Oh my God, is uncle Thorin in heaven?'

Bofur chuckled at Kilis huge eyes. 'Don't drool onto the screen, boy. Did the director fill you in?'

'Uhuhhhh...' Kili struggled between concentrating on the screen and the conversation. A slap to his head from Ori pulled his attention back to his collegues. 'He told me everything. And uncle is there with all these beautiful...oh my god, is that Bea?!'

Kili looked at his brother with big eyes. 'She never looked like that when you two went out!'