Ch 28 Storytime

Lapis looked around the kitchen she was seated in, watching as a rotund dwarf ushered everyone out silently. He then scuttled around the large kitchen and gathered food on a large tray before setting it down in front of her, startling Lapis at the solid thud. Her eyes rounded as she looked at the mound of food, but didn't say anything as hunger seemingly rose from nowhere and took over her body. Lapis tore into the meats, fruits, and vegetables without a thought to anyone else in the room. When the platter was half empty, she paused and looked around, noticing seven others watching her in amusement.

"I dare say she could out eat any of us, Uncle."

Lapis blinked and slowly reached for another piece of meat, sitting back on her heels on the bench. Apparently she had moved to a kneeling position while eating. A blond dwarf with one blue eye was watching her with half a smile. An older looking dwarf sat next to him, giving her a kind smile while shrewd eyes looked her over. An apple was rolled closer to her and Lapis picked it up, looking at Thorin who had rolled it to her.

"Are they still your favorite?"

She nodded and held the fruit to her chest. Looking to her left, she saw her three children sitting or standing, along with Tauriel, waiting for her to be done. Frowning at the food and the sheer amount she had eaten, Lapis pushed the tray away closer to the others. But it was for nothing when more than one hand pushed it back.

"This is part of your share from when you were sleeping, we set aside. Keep eating, please." Thorin said with a smile, nudging the tray closer to her.

With a wary eye, Lapis bit into the apple. She wasn't sure what to do, or say. Something had happened that she couldn't remember, after she had seen Thorin in Erebor surrounded by gold. She had missed much in her sleep, but it had appeared nothing bad had happened during that time. Spotting a cup of water she had missed earlier, Lapis gulped down the contents and sighed, swallowing the rest of her apple. "What happened?"

Those gathered looked at each other, not sure of who should speak first. Then Thorin took lead. "Perhaps you should start, Keahi, since you know the beginning."

With a nod, Keahi, Meio, and Tarin recalled what had happened from when Meio had caught her on the way back from Erebor to when she tore apart the tower and evade them. Then Keahi spoke of the battle between them and tears fell from Lapis's eyes, Thorin told of her attack on Tarin and himself, after him, Tarin and Meio skimmed over the rest of the events. Lapis looked down at her body and saw the shimmering scars that hadn't been there before.

She had tried to kill her entire family.

"It wasn't you."

Lapis looked up at Tauriel through blurry eyes. "Yes, it was."

"No. You were possessed by something, or someone. There are few above that kind of magic and you are not, no matter how old or powerful you have become."

It pulled at her heart and Lapis slumped. There was more, she knew there was, because there had been magic in her since she was born. It was that voice that had followed her around, speaking to her at certain times and luring her into certain ideas. Much like Smaug.

"I shouldn't have lived."

Silence followed her declaration. Everyone cast looks at each other, unsure of what to do until the siblings, with Tauriel, stood and left the hall. The other two dwarves followed while the larger one disappeared through another door, and leaving just Lapis and Thorin in the kitchens. He stood and walked around the table to sit on the bench, a leg on either side, and pulled Lapis to his body.

"Don't ever say those words again. We lived for a reason and I would like to think it was because the Valar have greater plans for us. You carry my child and are my One, if you didn't live then I wouldn't have either. I think that's why we both continued on after Smaug attacked, it was meant to be this way." Thorin wipe some food off her face with a smile before dropping his hands to her stomach. "I want to be a family with you two, I missed my chance with our other children and I don't want the same to happen again."

"It's a boy." The words were blurted from her mouth before Lapis could stop them.

The stunned expression on Thorin's face spoke volumes. "You-you know the gender?"

Lapis put her hands over his, just in time for the baby to roll over and kick, surprising them both. "Taruiel told me, she said it wasn't an egg this time."

His eyes grew larger. "A son." It came out as a whisper before he shouted it again. "A SON!" Thorin jumped up and pulled Lapis against him, spinning them around. "I could live another thousand years and never be as blessed as I am with you by my side."

Her hands pressed between them, near his stomach. "But I hurt you, what if it happens again?"

"Then it will be atonement for everything I have done to you, and I already have many plans to make up 170 years worth of absence to you, and every wrong I did after meeting at Beorn's."

"Then I have much to make up as well."

Thorin hugged her body to his, as well as he could with the baby belly between them. "You have done more for me than I could have ever dreamed. All I want from you is one thing."

Lapis pressed her forehead to his, "Whatever you want."

"Be my wife."

Lapis tilted her head, "I thought I was when I gave birth to your children."

Thorin chuckled, "Not quite. Or, at least, not in the eyes of my people."

"What would that take? Is that how they see me as yours?"

"They already know you're mine, many have seen the consequence of poor wording. But marrying me would solidify the fact."

Lapis leaned back the best she could and kicked her dangling legs, toes barely touching the ground. "But why?"

Even after almost two centuries, she still questioned certain aspects of their culture. The three had told him she had read through the libraries and taught them the same, but some part of her didn't grasp society protocols. Frerin had always been better at explaining certain things to Lapis, probably due to his more carefree personality. "We would dress up, proclaim our love and devotion to each other, someone would bless our union, and a contract would be signed between us."

She wrinkled her nose. "That sounds terrible. Why would I want to dress more just to show others we are already together?"

Thorin set her down on the floor and ran his hands down her sides. She had a point, everyone already knew about them and there weren't many dwarves left who were in Erebor when Smaug attacked and knew about her odd arrival. Besides, there were other decisions to be made concerning his home. "I understand. How about this, you are my wife and I your husband, and I will make you a piece of jewelry to proclaim us as married."

"As long as you don't leave me again, then it doesn't matter."

With a grin, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips. The spark between them ignited and Thorin buried his hands in her hair as Lapis clutched his shirts to pull him closer. He was seconds away from backing his One to the table and having his way with her when a cough came from behind him. They separated and looked towards the noise, seeing two dwarves sticking their heads back into the kitchen.

"Dain wants to meet her." Fili supplied, his lips twitching.

Of course his cousin did, Dain had been seeking information about Lapis and dragons since the battle had ended. He came up as empty handed as Thorin had years ago. "Let him come down here."

They disappeared again and Thorin returned his attentions back to Lapis, sitting on the bench with her on his lap and kissing the breath from her body. It wasn't much later when Dain was quickly approaching the kitchen, his boisterous voice heard down the long hallway. Regretfully, Thorin pulled back and stood, bringing Lapis with him.

"Thorin! Where is she?" An odd looking dwarf came through the doorway and looked directly at them. "Well now, don't you look a mite more alive than you did motionless in the bed. Did he feed you?"

"I'm still famished." The look in her eyes told Thorin it was more for him than for food.

"Then sit and let us talk. I have talked with everyone but you, and I must admit I am intrigued. Please, sit and eat." Dain gestured to the table where the rest of her food sat waiting on the tray. The others returned to the room, situating themselves around the kitchen.

Lapis wasn't sure where to start, since she wasn't sure what information the strange dwarf was looking for, and sat silently for a few minutes. When he nudged her in the direction of how she was born, Lapis spun the same story she had told everyone else. She continued speaking about her past with each encouraging nod, skipping over her alone time with Thorin, and glossed over the years spent with Smaug and in Dale. A fair amount of time past, more food was set before them and this time most of them ate. Keahi, Meio, and Tarin held off, they could find their own food elsewhere.

She finished speaking and leaned forward, sleep threatening her to close her eyes. Bodies shifted around her and she was scooped up by Thorin, cradled against his chest. They spoke around her but Lapis ignored the murmuring voices and closed her eyes, breathing in Thorin's scent. She would do more tomorrow, talk with her children and more with Thorin, find out all she missed.

Dain looked at the sleeping form in Thorin's arms. "Quick an interesting choice, Thorin."

"She wasn't a choice but a gift, one I will cherish forever."

A smile twisted Dain's face, "I have no doubt you will, cousin, I can see it written everywhere on you. But we do need to talk."

Thorin nodded grimly, knowing what he wanted to talk about and in private. "Tomorrow."

An agreeing nod was sent his way and Thorin left the kitchen, saying goodbye to everyone else. Only two guards standing outside the kitchen joined his walk back to his rooms.


Hope everyone enjoy it although it was short, look forward to another one soon. Remember, this is ending in a few chapters.