Over the next couple of months, as spring gave way to summer, Mary and Thorin's friendship deepened. And even though she did not feel ready to take that next step beyond friendship, Mary found herself enjoying his company. Finding him knowledgeable in many subjects and, surprisingly, an avid reader. After finding out this, they spent some of their time in the library comparing books they had read or wanted to read. Word began to spread about their friendship, and Mary expected to find disapproval. But, besides a few noblewomen, most people seem to accept and even encourage their friendship.

The nights she was kept awake by nightmares became fewer and far between, and on those nights she was up, Mary found him to be true to his word. And even when there were details she found too embarrassing to tell anyone, he would quietly offer comfort and she would eventually find herself telling him everything. One morning in late summer, Mary awoke to find herself in the Tower room, confused as to how she had gotten there. Then she remembered that the night before, she had been woken up by a nightmare so bad that her fear had driven her from her rooms.

Thorin had found her in the stables, a short time later, and how he had known she was there she did not know, sitting on the floor beside Silver Mist's stall trying to calm herself. He had simply taken her by the hand, without a word, and led her up to the room. Then he had sat, with her in his arms crying, on the small couch that had been moved up there to replace the worn chairs. He had just held her as she cried and poured out her fears and then eventually fell asleep in his arms. Sitting up, she noticed that Thorin had covered her with his cloak as she slept, and seeing as she was still in her night clothes, Mary wrapped herself in it and made her way quickly back to her rooms before anyone saw her.

Later that day, Mary took all three kids out to the southwest meadow to play. As Dad was dealing with a late summer cold and Donald and Kaylah were working. Having grabbed a picnic lunch from the kitchens, her bow and arrows from the guard room, just in case, and leading Silver Mist on halter and rope, they set out. Mary had already explained to the kids that Silver could not be ridden, as she had been bred, to Thorin's bay stallion ironically, and was now with foal. They spent the day grooming Silver, fishing in the small streams around the mountain, and playing hide and seek in the woods. They were in the middle of an athletic game of tag, when Mary heard movement in the bushes behind her. Mary whipped around, notching an arrow to her bow as she did so.

"Don't shoot!" said Kili, with a smile on his face and Mary immediately lowered her bow.

Standing there with him were Tauriel and Thorin.

"Well you all look like you are having fun!" Tauriel said.

By now she was showing noticeably and would soon be cutting back on her responsibilities with the guard. At least until the child was born.

"We are!" Davon said excitedly, "Want to join us?" he asked.

Mary looked at Davon, stunned, "Davon that's really nice of you but I think King Thorin, Kili and Tauriel have other things to do, rather than be running around in the woods all day." She said quickly.

"No… we would love to join you, wouldn't we uncle?" Kili asked, looking at her innocently.

Thorin, who had been watching Mary subtly, said, " Yes, we would love to. Thank you."

Mary blushed and started feeling a little self-conscious knowing that her dress was, by now, covered with sweat, mud, grass and horse hair. Not the best for entertaining noblemen.

Seeing the blush Thorin smiled a little to himself and Mary, noticing he was watching her, turned and said, "We were just about to sit to lunch in the meadow. Let us get cleaned up a little and we will meet you there."

And then hustled the kids off to the stream where they had been fishing a little earlier.

Using a clean rag, that she had brought with her for this reason, and a little of the cold stream water, she got herself and the kids as clean as possible then headed toward the meadow.

"Aunt Mary, do you like King Thorin" Kaylee asked.

"Yes, he is my friend." Mary answered

"Are you going to marry him?" Asked Aaron.

Mary looked at Aaron, a little surprised and could feel her face heating.

"Aaron, just because two people like each other does not mean they get married." Mary tried to say as calmly as possible as they left the stream.

"I think you should." Aaron said and with that they reached the meadow and could see that the others had laid out a large blanket and had the food that Mary had brought laid out, with some food they had obviously brought.

They had all just sat down and Mary was taking a drink out of her water flask when Aaron spoke up and said "Aunt Mary likes you King Thorin. Are you going to marry her?"

Mary started choking on the water upon hearing this.

"Aaron!" She said after clearing the water from her throat.

Kili erupted in gales of laughter and fell over, while Tauriel, obviously laughing, hid her face in her hands. Mary then heard Thorin chuckling and looked at him wide-eyed, blushing dark red and embarrassed. "Who wants lunch?" Mary said in an unnaturally high pitched voice and proceeded to fill each of the kid's hands with food so that they were from then on too occupied to ask farther questions.


"Yesterday was enjoyable." Tauriel said as they walked along the wall, inspecting the ranks during their shift.

"Your youngest nephew," she said starting to laugh again, "He is definitely precocious!"

She then continued to laugh for a few minutes.

"I am so happy you found it funny." Mary said sarcastically. "I found it downright embarrassing! I am surrounded by matchmakers!"

Tauriel continued to laugh and Mary shook her head.

"So," she changed the subject, "Have you and Kili come up with any names yet?"

Tauriel looked at her and nodded."Kili is hoping for a boy. He wants to name him Fili. That is what I am hoping for too. Maybe it will heal whatever hurt is left from 10 years ago."

Mary nodded, she could understand the need for healing.

"How does Thorin feel about it?" she asked.

"He seemed happy about it. But with this only time will tell." Tauriel said and Mary nodded again and they completed their rounds.


With summer harvest and preparing the fields for the coming winter and the now frequent orc attacks, Mary did not get to see much of Thorin for the next month and with summer giving away to autumn, she could hardly believe that they had been living in Erebor for a year and a half. This was the longest they had lived anywhere and Mary hoped that this would stay their home forever. One day Mary was on a scout patrol along the northern side of the mountain when she came upon a large cliff that went down to a decent sized spring. Mary skirted the cliff looking for a way down when she notice movement in the water. Pulling out her bow and notching an arrow, Mary hid behind a tree with some bushes at its base and pushed the hood of her cloak back so she could see better and peered out to see who or what was disturbing the spring. Suddenly a figure came swimming into view and it was Thorin! Mary let out a squeak and dove back behind the bushes.

"Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!" she thought. "If he catches me up here, it will be the second time in a month I have been embarrassed in front of this man!"

She quickly and quietly put her bow and arrow back in her quiver and tried to quietly move away when her foot slipped sending rocks and dirt cascading down the cliff and into the spring.

"Who's up there?" she heard Thorin call and froze.

There was no way she was letting him know she was here. Then suddenly there was a loud thud of an arrow hitting the tree next to her head!

"Come out or next time I won't miss!" She heard him say and in a panic tried to run, not noticing that her braided hair had become entangled in the bush behind which she was hiding.

She looked back and saw him starting around the spring and coming up the cliff headed for her and gave her hair a hard yank and freed it. She then ran and climbed a tree and jumped to another and was far away by time he reached the bushes and tree she was hiding behind, not knowing that she had left something behind. Coming to the tree where his arrow was, he looked around. He was sure that for a second he had saw someone up here. Then turning to grab his arrow he saw it. In the bushes was a thin piece of leather, the type women used to tie their hair back with, gray in color and with beads made of silver at the ends, tied in a knot. And caught in the knot was several strands of dark red hair. Thorin smiled as he picked it up and put it in his pocket, sure of who had come upon him and why they had not revealed themselves.

Mary made it back to the mountain when she realized that her hair tie was missing. Praying that he did not find it, Mary waited two days before going back to look for it. She came to the spring and walked quietly, in case he was here again. Coming to the tree, she looked desperately, but could not find it!

"Please Durin, don't let him have found it!" she prayed and continued to look in vain.

"Looking for something?" Came a voice behind her.

Mary closed her eyes and sighed, cringing.

"Oh no." she thought.

Turning and there was Thorin standing behind her.

"Just looking for tracks, I thought I saw something head this way." She lied, hoping her believed her.

He looked at her and smiled and Mary knew he did not believe her.

"You're lying to me." He said, "And I think I know why."

He then held out the gray leather strip with the silver beads and Mary closed her eyes and sighed again.

"Lose something?" he asked.

"Yes." She admitted, now completely embarrassed.

"Now why would you be up here a couple of days ago, while I was swimming down below? " He asked.

"It was an accident, I was scouting and happened on this place and saw movement and wanted to make sure it was not another orc pack. When I saw it was you I panicked, ok." She said, blushing really red.

Thorin started laughing and Mary stared at him.

"Well next time make yourself known and we can be saved all this trouble." He said and Mary sputtered.

"You were half naked, there was no way I was…" Mary stopped when she saw he was laughing again and glared at him. "Can I have my hair tie back now?" She asked, not too sure if she was angry or wanted to laugh with him.

He reached out to hand it to her and when she went to take it he held on to her hand for a moment while looking into her eyes. Mary could feel the attraction between them stronger than ever.

Mary, still not sure if she was ready yet, said very softly, " I think I should go."

Thorin nodded and watched her leave, thinking all the while that he liked the way things were progressing. He walked back to the mountain with a smile that would not go away for the rest on the afternoon.


Autumn progressed and with Tauriel and Kili's child due sometime after Durin's Day, Mary was busier than ever as Tauriel was teaching her how to take responsibility for parts of the troop. She was splitting up the responsibilities between the four lieutenants in the troop and they would take care of things until such time she could return or a new captain was appointed.

Even though it was still over 2 months away, people were already talking about this year's celebration and making plans. Mary had plans for a new dress this year and had already been measured and paid for it. It should be done in time, but she was nervous about the dancing. As she had not practiced in months and did not know how to ask Thorin if he would mind helping refresh her memory.

Mary was grumbling about this one day in the library when he came up behind her and asked, "What about Durin's Day?"

Mary jumped and blushed at being caught talking to herself. "Well I…" she started and stopped, not knowing how to voice her thoughts.

"Not nervous about the dancing again are you?" He asked.

Mary ducked her head and nodded.

"We could go over it again if you like." He offered.

"Well I did not know if you were busy and I do not want to take up you time if you are." She said.

"Well I am doing something right now, but if you would like to meet in the Tower room in say 2 days, I could be free." He said and Mary agreed, relieved that he had come up with a solution.


Two days later, Mary met Thorin in the Tower room and they began the dancing lesson again. She was amazed at how little she had forgotten, but, to her surprise, did not want to end to lessons. So they started meeting every 2 days again, as their schedule allowed, and every time they danced Mary could fell herself becoming more and more attracted to this man who had helped her lower her guard and tear down the walls she had built up. One day, as they were dancing, Mary noticed that they were doing little but swaying back and forth and looked at him, seeing something was on his mind.

"Thorin?" She asked.

"Mary, I have to say over the last several month I have come to treasure your friendship, but as I told you I am interested in more." He said and Mary felt like she was holding her breath waiting for his next words.

"I would like to think that we have grown close and that you are ready for this next step. I would like to ask to come and call. I want to court you and show you how a gentleman is supposed to treat a lady. If you will let me. Will you let me show you?" he asked finally and Mary knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was ready and that she could trust him with everything, including her heart.

"Yes." She said and he let out a sigh.

He then laid his forehead against hers and smiled. He then placed his hand softly on her cheek and leaned down and, for the first time in months, gently kissed her. The kiss only lasted for a minute, but they stayed standing, foreheads touching, like that for a long while.