Just a little filler chapter... Enjoy!
*Aurora's Perspective*
I woke in tears. I had never been so open with my feelings before, and to say it made a difference was an understatement.
Despite the recent attack of nightmares, I was healing rather nicely and was able to enjoy the presence of the Company more fully, especially with the Durin line. Thorin would simply hold me close as he knew I preferred, letting me nuzzle the furs of his coat as he attempted to soothe me back to sleep with soft words.
Kili and Fili, on the other hand, would abruptly just pick me up into their arms no matter what was happening, merely holding me close and proceeding to fuss over every little thing I did.
The Ri family were just as over protective. Dori would hold me in his lap and attempt to smother me in care while Nori growled at anyone who came too close and Ori ensured that I was kept warm with the gloves he had begun knitting.
The Urs were also quite protective. Bifur would coddle me while Bofur told jokes and Bombur taught me some of his recipes while I taught him mine.
Dwalin and Balin were particularly acting as mother hens, and if I ever broke down into tears or became uncomfortable, Dwalin would growl and swipe me up into his arms while Balin soothed me with old songs and kind words.
Lastly, Gloin and Oin made sure that I was carried everywhere I needed to go. They would not allow me to walk or even stand on my own, both insisting that I needed my rest. Gloin would murmur soft remarks about my reminding him of Gimli back home while Oin would compare me to Kili and Fili when they were young.
In other words, the dwarves were extremely overprotective, and I couldn't help but enjoy it. They were just so warm and inviting, and Master Baggins was just so nice and huggable…
Gandalf, on the other hand, I only pushed away, refusing his care. The fact that he could be so accepting of the Durins' deaths just pained me too much, and I took it personally because they treated me like kin.
"Lass, did you have another night terror?"
I nodded even as I attempted to wipe away my tears, mumbling apologies nonstop while I found myself being eased into Bofur's lap.
"There's no need for apologies, Lassie," he scolded gently, tucking my head beneath his chin as he spoke. "Ya poor thing… Would ye like to talk about it?"
"I- I don't want you to leave."
"Lass, no, we're right here, and we're not going anywhere."
"That's not what I mean. I-" I swallowed thickly, unable to help but be ashamed at how selfish I was. "I can't help but not want you to go on the quest. I'm- I'm sorry, but it's true. I don't- I don't wanna be alone again."
"Oh, Lass…"
Bofur clutched me just a little closer at that, nuzzling my hair in a way that I couldn't protest.
"Mahal, Aurora, I honestly hadn't thought of that, but I can promise you we don't want to leave either-"
"But you must," I finished sadly, burying my face into his coat as he began rocking us both. "I don't mean to be selfish. M'sorry."
"No, no, no, ye're not being selfish, Lass. Oh, by Mahal, there is no good way out of this is there? If we stay, Erebor is lost forever. If we go, you will be alone. If ya come with us, you could get killed or worse…"
"I wanna go with you though." I found myself whimpering, trying desperately not to let anymore tears fall. "I don't care about the risk. Please, I want to come. There's nothing for me here, and I can easily make-"
"No."
The voice wasn't Bofur's and I was so startled that I nearly fell out of his lap, only to be caught by his protective arms.
"But- But Master Thorin-"
"Aurora," his voice was soft despite the clear tone that allowed no nonsense. "You are far too young, far too valuable, to come with us on this quest. I could not ask you, a mere child, to leave the safety of your home and endure the pain and hardships that we face. Lass, you must understand that this is for your own protection. Mahal knows that we will all miss you, but we will be able to rest easily with the knowledge that you are safe."
I nodded sadly, forcing my way out of Bofur's lap as I moved to head back down into the cellar. With an hour, I could send them back, just as they wanted, and I would never see them again.
"I understand. I'll get to work then."
Kili and Fili helped me upon my request because all I needed was to connect the generator to the mainframe and get a hold of Gandalf's staff to activate my creation. At my request, the wizard cast a small spell to create an orb of light that I contained in a small glass case connected to the main generator. Everything was going perfectly, and, with any luck, I could tear a hole in the space time continuum and still have time for lunch. I couldn't do it though, and I dragged out the process for another evening just so I could be with them longer.
It was the next day when I was I faced with the end, all thirteen dwarves receiving a long hug goodbye along with Bilbo.
I stood by the main control panel, my hand hovering over the activation switch. With a simple pull, they'd be gone. Those thirteen dwarves, the hobbit, and the wizard would return to Middle Earth and I'd never see them again.
"Before you go, can I- can I say something?" I asked rather shyly, and, at their immediate assurance that I could speak, I scrambled away from the control panel to stand in front of the Company who all were beneath that arch in my creation.
"The first day or so when you came here, Mister Gandalf asked me something," I murmured, all too aware that all eyes were on me and silence had completely fallen as I spoke. I met the wizard's eyes, trying to show him I was sorry for how I ignored him, and I relaxed slightly at finding his smile. "He- He asked why I cared so much about all of you and why I was so willing to help."
I dug the toe of my shoe into the ground, refusing to meet the Company's eyes. "I- I just felt an obligation to, in all honesty. There you were with a family but no home, and there I was with a home and no family."
I looked up finally, smiling as tears filled eyes. "But you lot changed that. You made me feel like I mattered, like I- like I was important, and you made all those mean words and memories from my past just disappear. I- I love you all. I know it's far too late to say it, but I love you all more than I thought possible. I was getting selfish, thinking of you as my Company, not Mister Thorin's. You were my dwarves, my hobbit, my… my wizard. You- You were my first family, and I didn't want to let you go, but I knew I had to because you had a quest, a quest far more important than just me-"
I was cut off mid-speech by a wall of dwarf slamming into me, and I was hefted into somebody's arms, being clutched close as the rest of the Company surrounded me.
"Nothing is more important than you!"
"How could you think that we'd leave without a second thought?"
"We love you lass!"
"Only your dwarves!"
"We're all yours!"
"I take back everything I've said about your coming with us," I heard the dwarf holding me whisper, and I soon found my forehead pressed against Thorin's, his voice soft and gentle as he spoke. "If you desire it, you may join, but I still cannot stress enough the danger and hardships you'd be forced to endure…"
"I wanna come," I assured quickly, a wide smile on my face as I threw my arms around his neck and tightened them in a hug. "Please, I want to come."
He pulled back slightly, setting me down with a smile. "Then you'd best get ready, Little One."
I scampered off with a squeal of honest delight, Kili at my heels as I darted up the stairs.
"Grab all the food that you recognize and stick it in here!" I tossed Kili a small sack, grinning like the insane as I darted about the place, grabbing anything the Company could possibly use which consisted of mostly food and any form of herb I could grab from my tiny greenhouse along with my medicine, any books by a certain J.R.R. Tolkien, and a small dagger that actually fit in my hands.
"Oh, I almost forgot!"
I ran back down into the cellar with the bag, Kili laughing behind me as he walked with the food slung over his shoulder. I put my hands out in a calming motion once I came near the Company, trying to reason with them so they would not try to kill what I did next. "Okay, so you know how I tend to tinker and make things that should not yet be physically possible?"
Nori chuckled fondly, gesturing around him at my Vortex Manipulator. "No, Lass, hadn't noticed."
I smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, well, I kind of made a metal… man. He doesn't really look like one, but he can do whatever a human can. He's not anything to worry about, but he's going to activate the portal for us. So please, don't attack him."
With that, I entered the forge, calling, "Robby, activate Wake Up Sequence 23!"
I grinned as he whirred to life, immediately coming to my side as I reentered the cellar. "What do you require, Madame?"
"When I give word, I require you to activate my Vortex Manipulator, and I expect your circuits can easily discern how to do so, Robby. Then, once I have gone, I require you to activate Destruction Sequence 12. I do not wish for anything of this house to remain besides rubble when you are through with this, but I do wish for you to do whatever a robot such as yourself desires once this is over. Do not deactivate or self destruct unless you wish to; am I understood?"
"Indeed, Madame."
I took my place beside the Company beneath the arch, grinning up at Bilbo who was simply staring at Robby in wonder like the rest of the Company.
"Magic?" Ori questioned in disbelief, but I shook my head, unable to help but grin.
"No. That, my friend, is science." With that, I turned back to my robot, giving him a wave farewell. "Robby?"
"I bid you safe travels, Madame."
I felt Bilbo grab a hold of me protectively as we became encased in a purple light, and I could not protest it as he knelt down, encasing me in his arms in an almost paternal way.
"It's fine, Mister Baggins. This is what's supposed to happen."
"Well pardon me for being a tad uncertain considering all that's happened."
With a blinding flash of light, we were gone.
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