Ch. 4

Bofur held true to his word and took the girls to the lower halls to find their friend. He remembered Rorin well from the Blue Mountains. A good dwarf with a knack for finding rich ore veins, and he was currently giving Bofur a dirty look over the girls head after he had opened the door and the girls threw themselves into a group hug. He knew, Bofur wasn't sure how, but he knew.

The visit itself went well, the girls were happy to see their new friend settled well. An hour into the meeting Rorin confessed that he missed the girl's tea and would they be sweet lasses and run make some as he has no talent in the kitchen. With a smile the girls vanished into another part of the house leaving Bofur alone with a disgruntled looking greybeard.

"I came to think of those lasses as granddaughters during our travels. I'm not a fool lad, which one resonated with you?"

"….Peridot." Answered a little flabbergasted, "How did you know?"

"Oh lad, I remember the feeling well. You have the look about you. I was the same with my sweet Della."

"I did not know you were married."

"Aye, Lost her before settling in Ered Luin, my son I lost to a cave in."

"I grieve for your loss."

"Thank ye lad, it has been a long time. But I am not here to talk about my love. What are you going to do?"

"I…I don't know yet. I was hoping to speak with Thorin. He did have to court Bilba. Or maybe I could speak to Bilba herself? I know courting for Hobbit's involves flowers." Bofur felt lost. If Peridot had been a dwarf he would have just crafted her something, maybe out of something he found while down in the mines.

"The lass knows there will be differences, she's in a mountain half a world away from most of her own kin. I think she expects different. The best advice I can give you is to find a way to combine the two traditions were you can."

"So, something crafted into the shape of a flower?"

"Might be a good start."

The conversation on courting was cut a little short as the girls came back in with a pot of tea and mismatched cups, pulling them into a conversation on different types of teas found In the Shire. Bofur smiled and settled back to listen.

Starting any courtship, even with a dwarrowdam would be difficult, so courting a hobbit was almost groundbreaking territory and he would be lying if he claimed not to be nervous. After speaking with Rorin and the thought of speaking with Bilba and Thorin made him feel a little easier however. He would insure that everything went as perfect as could be.

…

Peridot and Bofur had been dancing around each other for over two months now. He refused to be alone with her, and tended to vanish the few times she managed to corner him. She was sick and tired of it. Hobbits tended to have very short courtships. They didn't see a point in dragging it out when you just knew that the other person was your match in every way.

To hear Bilba talk though, the dwarves had agonizingly long courtships; Thorin insisting on being as proper as he could while stuck on a journey and as limited as they were. She had apparently flustered him on more than one occasion with her forwardness.

Peridot felt that she was going to have to do something drastic if she wanted to snag her dwarf before Bilba's babies were not only born but reaching their majority. They had hardly even spoken outside of the dinners that the company held on a regular basis, he had not escorted them back to Rorin's home, they instead went with various other members of the company. While one such trip had led to an interesting argument between Dwalin and Nori, it was not what Peri wanted.

Bilba insisted that she didn't need to worry so much; Bofur was moving things along as fast as custom allowed him. He apparently spoke to Bilba often about courting habits and customs of Hobbits, the Tooks in particular. While this knowledge encouraged her she still fretted, she couldn't help it.

Her plan to move things along began half assed at best, she basically followed the poor dwarf anywhere she could, bumping into him at odd and almost inconvenient times. Once, she dropped something and picked it up slowly with a little more flair than strictly necessary. The strangled choking sound he had made at her cleavage display had been entirely worth it right before he disappeared again.

…..

Bofur was not sure how much longer he could hold out, he had still not completed his gift and had been trying to avoid her for a while now. A thing she was making impossible, showing up almost everywhere. He had been staying down in the mines longer and hiding out and Bifur's place, almost afraid she would show up at his home. His cousin kept laughing every time he came in flustered after an encounter.

He just needed a little more time. Bilba had made some wonderful suggestions, getting Ori to draw up some sketches to work from. The hard part had been finding the right metals and jewels to inlay in the carving. Bilba had been adamant that flower color could change the meaning of a gift and he would not risk any mistakes to his intent.

He had always heard about the pull of a One. Bombur was married and had several children with his own one. He had only been too happy to explain what finding her had felt like in hopes that Bofur would find the same one day.

Bofur had never expected to ever find his match. He was content to be the doting uncle to Bombur's horde of children, eight and counting, and living his life as a respected member of Thorin's company and one of the mine foremen. He had wealth and family and friends aplenty. Now, however, he had something else; something that he found more precious than all the gold in the mountain.

…..

During their fourth month in the mountain and Bilba's tenth month of her pregnancy, things got a little harder for Peridot to pursue the elusive Bofur. Bilba had to be put on bed rest. Her babies were simply growing too large for her to safely navigate the vast stone halls anymore, and since they couldn't be quite sure when she would have them, they all thought it for the best.

Due to this the girls had to stick much closer to Bilba; the twin's cousin was miserable and kept letting out some creative curses in hobbitish that thankfully Thorin could not understand when she was again not allowed to leave her room.

He did however get the gist of them from her tone of voice and the twins continued raised eyebrows and giggling. Thankfully he was a doting husband, if bordering on hovering and driving Bilba a little crazy.

To help pass the time Peridot took to reading by the fire in Bilba's sitting room. She had been loaned several books from the library on dwarrow culture and was fascinated, if not a little worried. Other than healing, she really didn't have a craft and had no idea what to give Bofur as a courting gift. Maybe she could cook something? She was so deep into fretting it took a while to realize Prim was laughing at her through the link. After fussing back and forth for a while Primrose reminded her that she was not only a healer but an accomplished weaver as well, so why not make him a wall hanging or something and call it a day. Peridot sat and felt stupid for another hour before finally rising and asking Bilba if she could get a loom.

…

It was as Bilba was starting her eleventh month that Peridot finally saw an opportunity and took it, blaming it entirely on her wild Tookish nature and desire to be closer to the one she recognized as her match.

The girls had found a moment after Thorin took a day off to spend with Bilba and gone down to visit their friend Rorin in the lower halls, Dwalin even accompanying them. On the return trip to their rooms they made a detour through the markets, Primrose mumbling something about needing tea as Peridot spied Bofur standing in front of a shop across the way.

After making some thin excuses to Primrose and Dwalin about wanting new fabric and not to wait up she made her way across the market.

Bofur turned just as she reached his side, looking thrilled if nervous to see her.

Before he could even get in a greeting she had snagged him by the arm and pulled him into a tavern, taking a seat at a table in a corner and ordering ale for the both of them.

"And what do I own the pleasure of your company mim'ibin?" Bofur finally spoke up sometime after their drinks had been sat on the table, still looking a little shocked at her forwardness.

"I know this has been hard on the both of us," Peri started, "and I know that customs call for different things in our respective cultures," she drug her eyes away from the mostly empty tankard and looked him straight in the eye, "Bilba told me you are making a gift, and I know that takes time, I'm making you one as well, I understand. But hobbits are not used to waiting like this, and all this dancing around is honestly driving me crazy. So if you don't kiss me now you silly dwarf I might be persuaded to a very unhobbit like display of violence."

Tossing a handful of coins on the table Bofur rose, surprising Peridot when he pulled her up and out of the tavern, into a small alleyway between the two shops, lifted her up against one of the walls and began kissing her senseless. Peridot felt her toes curl as she tugged at his mustache; and knew it would be a while before she made it home when she let one of his hands work its way under her skirt.

…

Several hours later saw Peridot practically floating through the door to the rooms she shared with her sister.

Primrose was curled up in her favorite chair in front of the fire with a steaming cup of tea. "Well, it's about time you got back. You find the fabric you wanted?"

"Hmm? Fabric? Oh! No, I didn't. I might have to go back tomorrow." Peri began to wonder off towards the bath before being stopped again by her sister.

"Next time, I would appreciate it if you shut the link down before shouting at me about how wonderful your relationship is. I really didn't need to know how skilled Bofur's hands are."

Blushing scarlet Peridot ran into the bathing room, slamming the door behind her as Primrose's laugh echoed. "Don't worry little sister, I won't tell anyone. But you might want to cool it down a little before you get into trouble. You know, go out for tea or something."

…..

At the end of the eleventh month, a very nervous Bofur was found speaking to Thorin and Bilba. He had finished his gift at last and was eager to give it. They could finally make their relationship official, instead of stolen kisses in dim hallways and empty rooms.

The twins walked in together, as they usually did with everything, Peridot separating from her sister who went to stand beside Bilba and joined Bofur in the center of the room.

She looked at him expectantly while eyeing the carefully wrapped parcel he held.

It took a few tries before he could get his throat cleared to speak. "Peridot Took of the Shire, I have asked you before these witnesses to present a gift and an offer of courtship." Words finally out he offered up the parcel, Peridot taking it gently in both hands before removing the wrap.

Inside was a beautiful plaque with delicately carved flowers, each represented with brightly polished stones expertly inlayed into the wood. She softly traced her finger along red tulips and roses set with garnets and rubies, and delicate yellow Yarrow in golden beryl, all surrounded with vines of yellow sapphire honeysuckle.

"Oh Bofur," Peri whispered, "It's beautiful."

She admired it for a moment before Thorin cleared his throat, capturing the attention in the room. "As is custom, the gift of courting has been presented, does the lady accept the gift and the offer?"

"Oh! Yes, I find the gift most acceptable and accept it and the offered courtship."

With a bright smile Bofur swoops in for a kiss, much to the amusement of Primrose as she observes the reactions of those in the room. There were several raised eyebrows as well as some good natured laughter.

She conceded that the gift was very beautiful, and he had done well in choosing the flowers, all with varying meanings of love. Yavanna had given her sister a wonderful match.

She couldn't help but smile brightly as the happiness Peridot was feeling bleed through their link. She felt tears gather in her eyes from the overwelling love as she watched Bofur braid off a section of hair, adding a finely carved bead.

…..

Bilba had now been pregnant for a full year and she was more than ready to meet her babies. The girls continued to keep her company, with Oin stopping by twice a day to check in. While Bilba grew more uncomfortable, the babies gave no indication that they were ready to join them.

Another month gone and Durin's Day had come around once again and the mountain was in full celebration. The feast had lasted for a week, with Dwarrow from all over making the journey to the mountain to celebrate the reclaiming of Erebor and the return of Thorin to the throne.

The twins were excited at attending the celebrations. They both agreed that dwarrow threw fine parties. The alcohol flowed freely and the tables groaned under the weight of the food. The mountain had made monuments strides in their recovery, the wealth flowing out the gates as promised.

The girls had not been the only thing to come to the mountain; they had accompanied seed stock from the Shire, a gift from the Thain to one of his beloved granddaughters. The valley from the mountain to the Long Lake flourished and the harvest had been bountiful.

It was as the celebrations were coming to a close that the weather turned, an early snow turning into a raging blizzard; locking the roads in mounds of snow and ice. The roadway to Dale had been kept clear but all other routes were blocked.

Dwarves from all the kingdoms were found stuck in the mountain, though, non-complained over much, all anticipating the birth of the new royal children.

When they had found out about her majesty expecting twins, an impromptu feast began in celebration. Many began to view Hobbit's in an appreciative way. Some thought that they could be the answer to the problem of a dwindling population.

It was one such dwarrow from the Ironfist clan that began to follow the twins when they ventured around the mountain. While distrustful of any outside of his own race, this dwarrow could not deny the fact that their new queen was pregnant with the first set of twins ever to be given by Mahal, and hobbits are a creation of the maker's wife.

With these thoughts in mind, a plan began to form.

….

Author's Note

…..

I officially hate numbers. Dates in particular. I had to do way too much counting to make sure I had my times of the year were right. For some reason I wanted to stick Durin's Day around what would be Yule and had to keep stopping myself.

I feel like it's moving a little fast. Does the pacing feel oaky?

Okay. I need sleep now.

Huge amounts of love for those that are still around and reading.