The next morning, Brin and Thorin were nowhere to be found when Meta and Bofur entered the common room. 'I suppose I shouldn't be surprised,' Meta joked, 'they have a hundred years to make up for!' The two decided to say nothing until the happy couple appeared and told everyone themselves.

Finally, a grinning Thorin and a beaming Brin walked into the room. It was apparent to all who the charming dwarf-woman was without any explanation. Thorin led her around the room and made the formal introductions. Social niceties complete, they sat with Balin and Gloin.

Meta could not hide her happiness either. She had finally accepted her feelings for her One. Taking Bofur's hand, she led him over to her mother's table. 'Amad, I would like you to meet Bofur. He has been a very loyal companion while I have been with the company.'

Brin examined Bofur with one eyebrow raised. 'A loyal companion you say? What aren't you telling me, Meta?' she asked. 'Have you by any chance found your Only One, daughter?'

Taking a deep breath, Meta finally found the courage to say it openly and in public. 'Yes, Amad, Bofur is my One!' Little whispers raced around the room. Not from disbelief but rather a feeling of Well it's about time she said it! more than anything else.

'You do realize she is probably more trouble than she is worth, don't you, young man?' Brin questioned Bofur.

Smirking broadly, Bofur replied, 'I have asked myself that question more than once, my lady, but I always seem to decide that she merits the trouble!'

Meta slugged him in the shoulder in response to this and then followed with a kiss.

After everyone had eaten, the members of the company crowded around to ask a million questions and to offer hearty congratulations to both couples. Still feeling confident in his position as heir, Fili bowed and offered Brin his service. She kissed his cheek and smiled at Kili when he bowed to her also.

Bifur and Bombur slapped their relative on the back and kissed Meta. 'I told you not to give up didn't I?' Bifur chortled.

'You were going to give up?' Meta asked, 'when?'

'Only about a thousand times, dearest, but I believe Bifur refers to the time you were in line to be Queen. That was a low point for me, if you remember.'

'Queen? You are to be queen, Meta?' Brin asked curiously.

All present looked uncomfortable. It fell to Meta to answer her mother. 'It was a possibility for a very short time, but Fili is Thorin's heir to the throne. I never wanted that responsibility, Amad.'

'Oh, but you would make a wonderful queen, Meta. Frer, what made you change your mind?' Brin turned to Thorin.

The silence in the room was deafening as all ears listened to the exchange. 'It doesn't matter, Amad, Fili is the heir. Please leave it alone,' Meta begged.

Sensing more than just Meta's lack of desire, Brin pushed harder for the truth. 'But it does matter, Meta. You are Frer's, I mean Thorin's daughter. Why shouldn't you be queen?' She looked from her daughter's face to her One's.

'Because I say she will not be, Brin, and that is that!' Thorin said angrily. 'She cares more for the elves than for her own people, and I cannot tolerate disobedience in certain matters. Fili is my heir.'

'Well of course she cares more for elves, Thorin. Elrond was her father for many years and they have been a huge influence on both our lives. Without elves, I would most likely have died long ago!' Brin was truly astounded by his attitude. To her, elves were more like family than dwarves.

'And I will have as little to do with them as possible!' Thorin exclaimed. 'That elf sits on my doorstep with an army and your daughter pressures me to make nice and be friends and now you do also. Save me from women!' His face had attained an angry red hue.

Without saying another word, Brin slowly rose and walked away from the table. Meta knew that Thorin's words had cut her deeply. 'Amad, please don't leave, you have only just found each other. Thorin and I will work this out!'

Brin turned to Meta. 'Work what out? What has cost you a throne?'

'It is a throne I never wanted, Amad, but the real issue is the debt we owe to Thranduil. Thorin and I both promised him one half of one share if he would provide us with supplies and release the company from his prisons. He followed his part of the bargain, and I would have Thorin fulfill his.'

Turning back to Thorin, Brin asked, 'Is this true? You do not want to repay a debt? My Frer would never have done such a thing!'

Thorin glowered at them both. 'Your Frer most likely would have, my dear, had he had the opportunity. That elf falsely imprisoned me and most of the company. Why should I not play him falsely in return? Turnabout is fair play to my mind.'

Brin walked back to his side and wove her arm through his. 'Because of elves, Thorin, you have a daughter. Because of elves, I am still alive. Because of elves, we are able to be together at last and because you are a dwarf who lives by his honor. Please let go of your anger for our sake if for no other reason. We have already wasted enough time as it is. Please, Thorin, for me?' She pressed her body against his and kissed him gently. 'Please?'

The mighty Thorin Oakenshield was lost. Neither greed for gold nor raging dragon sickness could resist the power of his One's pleading gaze. Not only did he know that he had made a promise, but he could not refuse his Only One her least desire. For one hundred years he had longed to hold her and be her One. He wasn't going to throw that all away so quickly. Sighing, he took both her hands and returned her kiss. 'For you, Brin, I will give gold to that elf.' Shaking his head in mock dismay he called, 'Balin, Gloin, we are off to the Treasury to begin counting!'

When she saw what the Treasury held, Brin was even more astonished by Thorin's greed. 'You have all this, Fr-Thorin, and you could not bear to part with a small portion?'

Busy with Balin and Gloin, Thorin said, 'Hardly a small portion, Brin. Had I known how much was really here, I would never have promised what I did. That elf will be unbelievably wealthy thanks to dwarves.'

Brin's gaze travelled over the mountains of gold and gems. 'And yet you will hardly miss it. How will you calculate one half of one share?'

'To be honest for now we will give him several chests of gold and send him on his way. If that is not sufficient, more can be provided later. Once we realized the size of the hoard, none of the company intended to take a full share. Even dwarves can only use so much gold in one lifetime.'

'I doubt he will accept your word, Thorin. What if he asks for proof or wants to see the hoard for himself? Thranduil is no fool,' Brin observed.

'And I know he is not. For now, he will have to be content with what I give him. We would be here all winter and still not be able to count one half of one share. In time, I think I may be able to find some gems that he will prize more highly than the full amount of gold owed. We will bargain again in the future. I believe he will be content for the time being.'

Knowing elves as she did, Brin thought he might have a point. Thranduil in particular prized gems over gold. 'As long as you make a good faith effort, Thorin, I suppose you are right.' Leaving the dwarves to return to their task she wandered out among the piles of treasure much as Meta had admiring all the beauty that surrounded her.

Back in the camp, Thranduil awakened to the news of his prize guest's disappearance. Sadron relayed Mariel's discovery of Brin's escape. 'She does not know what happened, Sire, although it appears that the little Lake-town lad may have been part of the plot. There is no trace of him anywhere.'

'Damn all dwarves! If she has made it to Erebor, I will never see any part of what I am owed. Oakenshield has no reason to surrender one coin let alone what I am due. Where is Bard? We must plan our next step in light of this news.'

Sadron bowed but did not leave. 'There is one other item, Sire. The wizard Gandalf appeared last night. Apparently he was part of the company for the first portion of their journey. He may have some influence with them.'

Thranduil glared at his aid. 'Invite him to join our little expedition. You may inform him about any details you think he may require but do not tell him any more than necessary.' Thranduil did not think that Gandalf would appreciate him having imprisoned the dwarves.

Sadron bowed once again. 'Yes, Sire, but I suspect he already knows everything. I understand he dined with Bard last night after you retired.'

'Very well,' He turned his back in dismissal.

Sadron scurried out before anything worse happened.

Bilbo spent the morning showing Dorlie around some of the mountain. There was not much that they would be able to see in a short time. 'The Treasury is probably the most impressive part, but I don't go there anymore,' Bilbo said. His guilt over stealing the Arkenstone still lay heavy on his conscience. He intended to talk with Brin about it later and wondered if she had told Thorin about it yet.

'I don't care how little I see,' cried Dorli, 'just being here is enough for now. There will be plenty of time later for exploring.' He marveled at the height of the ceilings and the elaborate carvings. 'Where did you kill the dragon and how did you do it?'

Bilbo hesitated. He didn't know if he should tell the story of Smaug's demise. 'You will have to ask one of the dwarves, Dorlie. It isn't my story to tell.'

'Of course it is; you were there weren't you? You must have played an important part!'

'Well, I did talk with Smaug for a few minutes!' he boasted. That was something he could tell.

Dorlie listened raptly as Bilbo told how he had entered the Treasury and faced the dragon.

'But why didn't Smaug eat you or fry you with his flame?' he asked.

Bilbo realized he hadn't quite thought this all through. He had no intention of revealing the miracle of his ring to this child. 'Oh, you know, hobbits are very good at stealth and hiding. It was so dark, he couldn't see me,' he finished lamely.

'Uh huh, sure, that must have been it.' Dorlie was not fooled. There was a secret here, one he would have to try and figure out later. 'It must be almost time for lunch, isn't it?'

Grateful for the excuse, Bilbo ended his tour and took the boy back toward the Great Hall.

When they had finished their meal, Bilbo noticed Brin looking at him. Now was as good a time as any. 'I need to talk with Brin, Dorlie. Why don't you go wait for me by the skull? I'll meet you there when I am done.' When the boy had gone, Bilbo approached Brin as she sat with Meta and Bofur. 'May I speak with you, Brin, privately?'

'Of course, Bilbo; Meta and Bofur were just leaving, weren't you?' She raised her eyebrows at her daughter and tilted her head.

'Yes, yes, just leaving. Bofur and I have more work to do in the armory, don't we Bofur?' She tugged his sleeve as she rose from the table.

Confused, Bofur followed her. 'I thought we were done in the armory, Meta. What else is there to do?'

'I'm sure we can figure something out,' Meta said archly.

'Oh, well, I like the sound of that,' Bofur said eagerly.

After they left, Brin rose and beckoned for Bilbo to follow her. Most of the company was occupied elsewhere, but they moved to an area where they were unlikely to be overheard. 'What can I do for you, Bilbo?'

'I wanted to know if you told Thorin yet about the Arkenstone,' he said honestly.

'I have been thinking about that myself and I believe we don't have to tell him anything.' She smiled down at the little hobbit.

Bilbo stared at her. 'But I thought you said he should have it immediately? That it was Erebor's greatest treasure?'

'And so it is, but that doesn't mean he has to know you stole it and tried to give it to the hated elves. That really is an unforgivable sin, Bilbo, given his feelings about Thranduil. Now, here is my idea. Let me know what you think….'

Bilbo collected Dorlie from the Gate. 'I changed my mind, Dorlie. We can go down and see the Treasury, and I can show you where Smaug met his end!' He had asked Balin about telling the boy the whole story.

'I see no reason to keep it a secret, Bilbo. There are no other dragons that may benefit from the news!' Balin had joked.

Bilbo explained Brin's plan to the boy and swore him to secrecy. 'Brin said she thinks it best Thorin never knows who took the stone and I heartily agree!' After Dorlie promised, the two wandered down into the mountain while Bilbo told the boy the way they had planned to snare a dragon. 'Is that why you needed all those crazy things from Lake-town? So that Smaug couldn't smell you?' he asked amazed.

'Most of it. Meta lived with hunters in the North, and they did the same thing when they were pursuing game. She didn't know why it should be any different with dragons. Smells are smells after all,' the hobbit explained. They examined the hall where the trap had been installed and paid careful attention to the damage that had been done by the dragon's death throes. 'We were very lucky, Dorlie. I hate to think what would have happened if we had failed.' Sometimes at night, Smaug escaped and chased Bilbo through very long dark tunnels.

Dorlie was suitably impressed. 'You are so brave, Bilbo. I have never seen anything so amazing!'

'This is nothing. Wait until you see the Treasury!' Bilbo promised.

To say his jaw dropped would be an understatement. Dorlie's eyes all but fell out of his head as he gazed upon the collection of wealth contained in the depths of the mountain. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and then stared out across the room again. 'This all belongs to Thorin? I mean Lord 'er King Thorin?'

'I suppose so. Originally, we were all to get an equal share, but nobody seems to know what he would do with so much. I could never fit even a tiny part of it in my house.' Speaking of his home made Bilbo long to be there all the more, gold or no.

Dorlie wandered over to where a group of dwarves were busily sorting and organizing a very small area. As he left, Bilbo furtively went in the opposite direction. He glanced left and right trying to find a suitable place. Finally he settled on a spot near a dark corner. 'I think I found it! Everyone is this it?' he cried holding the stone Brin had returned to him aloft in the air. It glittered and gleamed in the many torches lit around the room.

Heads popped up and swiveled around to face him. Thorin and Gloin moved swiftly to his side. When Bilbo saw the look of joy cross Thorin's face, he felt guiltier than ever. 'The Arkenstone! Oh, Bilbo, you found it! I had begun to give up hope.' He took the gem from the hobbit's hand and cradled it like it was a newborn kitten.

'Where was it, Bilbo? I have been over every inch of this part of the Treasury!' Gloin asked.

'Uh, it was right over there, tucked under that little piece of stone,' Bilbo said. 'I bent down to scratch my foot and the sparkle caught my eye,' he finished lamely.

Gloin stared at him for a moment, but then said, 'Congratulations, you have made Thorin very happy. Finding his One and the Arkenstone is certainly miraculous.'

Everyone crowded around to admire the stone and marvel that they had all overlooked it for so long. Bilbo reluctantly accepted the praise heaped upon him. He had wanted to stick the stone somewhere and let someone else discover it, but Brin had convinced him to do it this way. 'Frer aches to find it, Bilbo, and I don't want him to have to wait any longer. It is the least you can do!' she said.

Now in addition to the guilt of his theft, he had to accept undeserved accolades. 'Bilbo, we found this earlier today and I want you to have it!' He looked up to see Thorin holding a silver mail shirt. 'It is made of mithril.' He slipped it over the protesting hobbit's head. 'No sword will pierce it.'

'But I don't deserve anything so grand, Thorin!' he exclaimed.

'Of course you do! You have shown bravery and loyalty all this time, you helped return Brin to me, and now you have discovered the Arkenstone! I am in your debt forever,' Thorin proclaimed.

The poor hobbit meekly accepted the reward. 'Thank you, Thorin, I will treasure it,' was all he could think to say. His conscience worked overtime tormenting him once again.

The dinner that night celebrated the return of the Arkenstone and the arrival of Brin. Bilbo accepted more congratulations protesting with each one that it had only been luck that led him to the discovery. Finally Brin whispered in his ear, 'You did discover it, Bilbo, just not the way everyone thinks. Please enjoy your fame for it will probably be all too fleeting!' She smiled at him and his heart eased a little.

'Thank you, Brin for helping me with my dilemma. I don't think Thorin would have been too happy if I had given it to Bard or Thranduil.'

'Happy? He would have skinned you alive, and I would have helped him, Bilbo. Never get between a dwarf and his treasure. No good ever comes of it,' she said with a nasty grin.

He shivered to think how close he had come to doing exactly that.

Thanks to those who have reviewed, Stephan94 and Shishiwastaken. Each one is always appreciated and they really do make my day! (hint hint)