a/n: Thanks to all the new favoriters and followers. M4RYJ0, Noxy the Proxy, Mrs Sorbo, Mtflowers1, and mandaziokapi

To Mystic Myra 8: things will get steamier in future chapters, just a warning.

To Mrs Sorbo: I wouldn't call Fili scrawny, he's just not as 'corpulent' as the elders in the group. ;)


Fili and Kili roused from the bed and availed themselves of the bathroom to the smell of breakfast cooking.

Holly had disappeared, but they soon found her in the kitchen.

"I hope you're hungry," she said and smiled at them.

"Aye," Kili said and took a seat at the table.

"When are you not?" Fili asked and came and stood by Holly's elbow and watched her cook. "Eggs!"

"Eggs?" Kili asked, eyes wide.

"Yes, eggs," Holly said and looked at Fili, hoping for an explanation.

"We haven't had eggs in months," he replied. "Not many chickens in Ered Luin." He wanted to wrap his arm around her as he stood with her.

"Ered Luin?" she asked.

"Our home, remember?" he asked.

"I thought... that was... Erebor?"

"It... it is- was," Fili said. "We're going to reclaim it, but Kili and I haven't been there before."

"Oh, I see," she said and nodded as she dished out the eggs to three plates along with the hash browns. Fili took the plates to the table and Holly brought the plate of sausages and bacon. Toast was already on the table and Kili was digging in, one slice slathered with strawberry preserves.

They ate in silence for a while, if chewing and chomping could be considered silence.

"We should probably head out after breakfast," Holly said.

Fili nodded his head, but Kili didn't. Fili looked at his brother and frowned. Kili looked away.

"Kee?" Fili asked, using the old familiar he'd used as a youngling.

Kili swallowed and took a sip of orange juice, blinked and drank half the glass. "What is that?" Kili asked Holly.

Holly looked up from her plate. "Orange juice," she said slowly.

"It's good," Kili said and buried his nose in the glass again as he drained it.

Fili knew Kili was avoiding his unasked question.

"Kili," Fili said a little more sternly. Kili looked at him as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. One eyebrow raised.

"Is there something wrong?" Fili asked.

"Ah..." Kili said and sighed, hesitating. "I... I... don't want to go back."

"What?!" Fili asked, shocked.

"Now, Fee," Kili said. "It's not that I don't want to go back... But I'd like to see what's here." It came out in a rush and Fili could see the blush creep over Kili's face. "While we're here, and all."

Fili sighed and nodded. He'd been afraid Kili wanted to stay here. To avoid the future. Whatever happened.

Holly paused in her eating of her breakfast. Her fork hovered halfway between her plate and her mouth. Her mouth open as she eyed the brothers.

"What are you saying, exactly?" she asked after a tense moment or three of silence.

"I wouldn't like to leave just yet," Kili said and swallowed as he looked up at Holly. His brown eyes were large and shimmery.

"And you?" she asked turning her gaze on Fili.

Fili sighed. "It... it wouldn't hurt to stay here another day," he said. "Would it?" He cleared his throat. "It's not our place to decide."

"But it is your quest," she said.

"But it is your house," Fili countered.

"My grandmother's house," Holly answered.

"Even so, it is not mine nor Kili's place to invite ourselves to stay another night," Fili said.

Holly nodded. "We'll, you're welcome to stay another night if you'd like," she said and shrugged.

Kili's hair flew when he whipped his head to look at his brother, a wide grin on his face. Fili nodded. "Then we stay another day," he said.

"Great!" Kili said and bounced in the chair.

Holly thought about that. "I'll take you for a drive," she said.

"A drive?" Kili asked, eyes wide.

"In one of those magic conveyances I told you about," Fili said. Kili's mouth turned into an 'O'.

"After breakfast, I think," Holly said. She knew this was going to be interesting. They would take the truck.


"What's this?" Kili asked as he eyed the front end of the old pickup truck.

"It's a truck," Holly said, not going into any specifics. It would only confuse him, makes and models. Diesel or unleaded.

"And what does it do?" Kili asked as he pressed his ear to the headlight.

"We get inside and we go places in it," she said as she unlocked the passenger door and opened it. "Okay, get in." She watched as the two climbed inside and sat on the bench seat. They looked at her expectantly, she rolled down the window and then closed the door.

Fili stuck his head out when she walked away. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Around to the other side," she said and Fili sat back down.

"Switch," Fili said and pulled Kili away from the middle. "You sit here." Kili chuckled and slid over as Fili climbed over him.

Holly opened the door and blinked seeing Fili in the middle spot. She chuckled and shook her head as she got in behind the wheel.

"Now what?" Kili asked as he looked at her.

"We buckle up," she said and demonstrated with her seatbelt.

Kili was quick to grab the shoulder strap and pull it, but had problems snapping it into the clip. Fili tried to help, but was no better. Holly chuckled and reached over Fili to do it. Her hair brushed his nose and he had to touch it. It felt like silk.

She looked up and met his eyes. She was very close. "Now you," she said and dug between the brothers on the seat and found the lap belt and pulled it from underneath him. He squirmed and chuckled and then she pulled it across his lap and buckled it.

"Now what?" Kili asked.

"I start the engine," Holly said and dangled the keys from her fingers and wiggled her eyebrows. Both of them watched with rapt attention as she turned the key and started the truck. They both gasped and sat back in their seats.

When the truck began to move backwards, Kili yelped and stuck his head out the window to look. "Fili! You have to see this!"

Fili fought with the seatbelt but it wouldn't let him go. "Holly," he said. She looked over at him. "I want to see."

Holly stopped the truck and eyed both Fili and Kili who had now sat back down. She bit her lip. "Later," she said. Fili frowned. "Later we'll drive around the farm and you can sit in the back." She pointed to the back payload area. They both turned to look out the back window, then looked at each other and nodded.

"Deal!" they both said and plopped back in their seats. Kili refastened his seat belt and Fili jerked on his trying to get it right on his lap again.

After Holly had pulled out onto the road, Fili spoke, "Where are we going?" he asked.

"Hmm, I thought we'd just drive around," she said. "You can see plenty of things from the truck. Houses, farms, stores."

"Stores?" Kili asked and frowned.

"Yeah, places to shop," she said and shrugged.

They rode in silence, the two looking out the window, seeming happy with the ride. Eyes wide in wonder as they drove up and down the residential streets of the little town. There really wasn't much to see, according to Holly.

Main street had the typical small farming town stores. It was pretty boring, but the two dwarven occupants of the truck seemed fascinated by it. So she drove slowly.

"When can we get out?" Kili asked as he turned to her during the only traffic light in town.

"G- get out?" she asked and looked over at him.

"We'd like to look around," Fili said. Kili nodded.

"I... ummm..." she said and chewed her lip. She sighed. "Let me find a place to park."

Kili grinned and sat back in the seat. He kicked his legs against the back of the bench seat impatiently while Holly waited for the light to change. When it did, she went through and pulled to the right side street parking and stopped the truck.

"Okay," she said. "Let's walk."

"Great!" Kili said and unbuckled the seat belt and pushed open the door before Holly could say anything further. She watched him go, his brown head disappeared.

"Do you think he'll get into much trouble?" she asked Fili.

Fili chuckled. "What makes you think he would get into trouble?" he asked.

"He seems the type," she said.

"Aye, he is the type," Fili said. Holly giggled and unbuckled Fili first, then herself. Fili gave her a quick buss on the cheek. "Thank you."

"For what?" she asked.

"For this," he said and looked around. "Taking us out today. You didn't have to."

Holly smiled and cupped his cheek. "I just hope you're not too shocked by what you see," she said.

"And that Kili doesn't get into trouble," he said.

"Yeah, that too," she said and chuckled. "Let's go find him."

"Aye," he said and slid along the seat, Holly followed him and closed the door.

Luckily, Holly had made them leave their weapons at the house. She'd also made them shed their coats. "It's hot out," she said. "It's summer. No one wears a coat in summer. You'll stick out."

"Stick out?" Fili asked and frowned.

"People will stare," she said.

"People stare anyway," Kili said. Fili nodded.

"Not many dwarves come down out of the mountains," Fili replied and Kili nodded.

"Oh, well, in that case," Holly said and shrugged.

And now, there weren't very many people out and about at that time of day anyway. It being a farming community, most people were home doing chores and whatnot. The feed and hardware stores would be the busiest.

And wouldn't Holly know it, the hardware store was right where Kili headed. He pushed the door first and when it didn't open, he tugged it and stepped right through. Bold as you please. Fili cast a glance at her to make sure she was following before he, too, stepped through.

Holly sighed.

"Mornin'!" the shop owner called to her.

"Goodmorning," Holly replied and smiled.

"Anything I can help you... and them with?" he nodded in Fili and Kili's general direction.

"Ah, no, just looking," she said and shrugged. The owner nodded and went back to his catalog or magazine at the counter.

Holly rushed to catch up with the two. "What's this?" Kili asked as he held a black tube looking thing in his hand. Holly frowned and read the box that he'd taken it from.

"A sprinkler head," she said. "It's for watering plants."

"How?" Kili asked and frowned as he studied the thing.

"Through pipes," she said and shrugged. "The water comes out of the pipes and through that and the plants in the garden get a nice shower."

"Oh," Kili said and put the thing back in the box.

The next half hour went like that with Kili or Fili asking what things were and what they were for. Holly wasn't well versed in hardware lore, but she did her best.

"I need this," Kili said and looked at Fili.

"A shovel?" Holly asked.

Kili nodded. "Fili has a shovel," he said. "So I need one."

Fili sighed. "You don't need a shovel," he said.

"I do," Kili countered and pouted.

"You don't," Fili said. "Besides, that one is too big. You can use mine."

Kili continued to pout as Fili took it from him and hung it back on the pegs high over his head.

"I think it's time to go," Fili said softly and turned Kili away from the shovel display.

"Come on, we'll find something else," Holly said and took Kili's hand in hers and led him to the front of the store. She felt Fili taking her other hand and she looked at him and smiled.

"What are these?" Kili asked as they walked by the counter where the store owner still sat.

Holly was about to say 'candy bars' but that wasn't what he was looking at. "It's a penguin," she said and chuckled. She picked it up. It was a little solar powered penguin that 'danced' on the little plastic stand.

"How is it doing that?" Kili asked and picked up another of the little animals.

Holly sighed. "It's a solar cell," she said. "I can't explain it, really. The light makes it dance."

"Hmm," Kili said. Fili had gone up to the counter to look at the display. But was distracted by the carton of little flashlights.

"What is this?" Fili asked and held up the flashlight.

"Oh, that's a flashlight," she said. But it wasn't battery powered. The sign said 'wind up flashlight' and 'needs no batteries'.

"What do they do?" Kili asked.

"Well, you wind it up," she said and wound the demo model up for a few seconds, then pressed the button and the light came on.

Kili gasped. "I definitely need one of these," he said and took it from her. He flashed it all around, not that it helped in the good lighting of the store. But he held it to his hand and seeing his palm lit up in the powerful beam, he giggled.

Fili sighed and rolled his eyes. "It could be useful," Fili said and dug in his pocket and pulled out a small pouch. He withdrew a gold coin. "Will that be enough?"

Holly gasped seeing the gold. She put her hand over it and closed Fili's fingers around it. "I'll pay," she said.

"No," Fili said and shook his head. "I should pay."

"He probably won't take the gold," she said. Well... he probably would if he knew it was real gold. But that coin was worth more than probably a quarter of the store. "It's not that much." It really wasn't much for a pack of two.

"Why wouldn't he take the coin?" Fili asked and frowned as he looked down at the coin. His gold was as good as any.

Holly sighed. "Because..." she said and bit her lip, thinking about that. "Because, we don't use gold for payment."

"What do you use?" he asked, eyebrows lifted as he looked up at her.

"Credit cards, debit cards, cash," she said. "Paper money. It's all built on a complicated banking system."

"Banks, yes," Fili said and nodded. Dwarves did not use a banking system, but he had heard that others did, the Hobbits and the men of Gondor were rumored to have banks. He sighed then and relented, putting the coin back in the pouch.

"What's this?" Kili asked, newly distracted by something else.

"Candy bar," Holly replied.

Kili frowned. "Candy... bar?" he asked.

"Food," she said. "It's sweet. Chocolate and nuts."

"Oooo," Kili said. "I need it." He plopped in on the counter along with the two flashlight packs Holly had placed there.

"Is he always like this?" she asked Fili.

"He's just excited," Fili said and smirked. "It's to be expected with younglings."

Kili gasped. "I am not a youngling!" he hissed. "I'm fully grown." He turned his chin up and looked the other way.

Holly chuckled and stroked Kili's hair.

Fili busied himself by grabbing more candy bars and putting them on the counter with the flashlights. When Holly looked down at what he was doing, he flashed her his most charming grin. She rolled her eyes.


a/n: I hope this brought a little lightheartedness to everyone's day. I couldn't resist giving the boys a mini-tour of Holly's home town.