The path they were to take in their travels had been determined. They would go south, to the start of the Great East-West Road. They would follow the road through the heart of Mirkwood, over the High Pass of the Misty Mountains and right into Rivendell. Lord Elrond no longer lived there, but Arwen promised them that the Last Homely House was still a safe place to stop and stay. From there, they would follow the road into Bree and right into Hobbiton.

Fili was anxious to leave as it was already early fall and he wanted to be across the Misty Mountains before the first snow fall. He was going to be escorted by a small caravan headed to Ered Luin.

Fili was excited to be going. In all the years since he first met Bilbo in Bag End, Fili had never made it back to the Shire. He wondered if it was still as beautiful and green as it had been all those many decades ago. But, as anxious as he was to leave, Fili didn't want to say good bye to his brother. They had never been apart for so long. Twelve months was the longest they had been apart and that had been a difficult year for them both. Fili didn't know if he could stand to be so long without Kili.

The last day before Fili was due to leave, he and Kili spent the day together. They talked, laughed, had a good long spar in the arena and a longer soak in the hot springs. It was their day. No duties, no problems, just each other's company. Fili felt slightly guilty about leaving Hana alone all day with Mailis to finish up the packing, but Hana insisted. She promised they would spend every day on the road together. He had laughed, but was grateful that she was so understanding. This day was his and Kili's.

Hana had taken very naturally to being a mother or step-grandmother. It was hard for her to think of herself as Mailis's grandmother when she would be the one to raise the princess. When she had accepted the job to be Princess Milly's midwife, she never would have guessed she would end up marrying the King and raising the infant princess as her own daughter. A lot had happened to Hana over the last year.

She referred to herself as Mama, when talking to Mailis, since she was not her Amad. Fili hadn't yet decided what he wanted Mailis to call him. He would raise her as a father would a daughter, but she was his grandchild. Hana suggested Papa and he said he'd think on it. But, no matter what she called herself, she was Mailis's adopted mother and she was thrilled. She loved the infant with all her heart.

The morning of departure came all too quickly and the caravan was set to go long before the sun rose. Hana said good bye to everyone and climbed onto her pony. Fili had Mailis strapped to his body in a sling made from a long strip of cloth. She was tucked away under his coat as snug as could be. It took Fili the longest to say good bye. The main part of the caravan pulled away before he was ready to go. He and Hana would catch up to them soon.

His and Kili's heads were pressed together.

"Stay safe on the roads, Fee," Kili said.

"I will. I'll send a raven as soon as we reach the Great East-West Road."

"Good."

"Do you promise the elves will leave us alone as we cross Mirkwood?" Fili asked. He was joking, but he had never quite gotten over his one very unpleasant experience in Thranduil's dungeons.

"Don't worry. The elves that will meet you at the road will be there as your guides and protectors. But, if they give you any problems, you send me word. I'll come and sort them out," Kili grinned.

Fili chuckled a laugh. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," Kili sniffed. "Now go, before your escorts get too far away."

"Bye." Fili kissed his brother's forehead, like he had when Kili was a small child and had gotten hurt. He climbed onto his pony, smiled, took one last look at his family, waved and rode away. They rode for several minutes down the road before Fili turned around and glanced back at the gates. Kili stood there, alone, waving.

The ride was easy and they kept their pace quick. Lots of ground to cover. Fili and Hana took turns carrying Mailis in the sling, in their coats. Mailis was only three weeks old now. She really shouldn't have been out of her mother's womb yet, much less the security of the mountain, but here she was, three weeks old and off on her first adventure. She was doing surprisingly well. Fili was very proud of her. He made a comment to Hana about Mailis travelling so well in the sling.

Hana agreed and explained that keeping Mailis wrapped tightly against their bodies, inside their coats, and constantly rocked by the rocking gait of the ponies, was a lot like being in the womb. Mailis was very comfortable. Feeding her was difficult, though. There was, among the company going to Ered Luin, a nursing dwarrowdam, who was thankfully happy to wet nurse Mailis. Hana was secretly jealous that feeding Mailis was the one thing as a mother she could not do.

They made it to Mirkwood and the start of the Great West Road in ten days time. Learning to camp with such a small infant had been very difficult, but they worked out a routine of carrying her, feeding her and caring for her. When they would stop to make camp, the wet nurse would feed Mailis while Hana and Fili set up camp. Hana would hold Mailis while Fili ate supper and then they would trade. They slept on a comfortable bedroll with Mailis tucked nicely between their bodies.

The two elves greeted them at the entrance to the forest. For elves, they were pleasant enough and one had a laugh that reminded Fili of his brother. He missed Kili, but being on the road and caring for Mailis made it easy to ignore the holes in his heart that should have been filled by his brother and children.

There were several mornings, while they traveled through Mirkwood, where Hana looked pale and tired. Fili worried she might have gotten too chilly and could be coming down with something.

"Are you alright?" Fili asked one morning. Hana was off colored, her usual pink cheeks were white.

"I'm fine. I think this forest is getting too me," she replied.

Fili nodded. "Aye. It's not as it once was, for years ago, the forest was filled with horrible giant spiders and the air was heavy, oppressive and made you delirious. It is better than it used to be, but us dwarves were never meant to live in the thick old forests."

Hana agreed and they continued to make their way through the woods. The leaves had started to change colors and Fili had to admit he was impressed with the colorful display. The elves informed the dwarven party they would reach the edge of the forest tomorrow afternoon. Fili was delighted. He was ready to be done with the stifling woods.

That night, they laid down on their bedroll, with Mailis already asleep in her little nest, right in between them. Fili was starting to drift off to sleep when he felt Hana take his hand in hers.

"Fili," she whispered.

He grunted at her. She took his hand and placed it low on her abdomen. He hummed his approval.

"Dearest," he rolled over to face her, "that would be fun, but not on the road with Mailis sleeping in between us and especially not in the company of elves."

Hana giggled. "I don't know, more of a challenge that way."

Fili grinned at her.

"But, that's not what I was suggesting, you silly dwarf," she whispered. She pushed his hand into her soft stomach.

"What?" Fili asked. He wasn't sure what she was trying to do.

She took his thumb and first finger and pressed them deeper into her stomach. "Do you feel it?" she asked.

All he could feel was her soft belly.

She shifted his fingers about a bit until he touched a small hard knot. "That," she said. "Do you feel it?"

He sat up quickly on one elbow and pressed his hand into her stomach, feeling the hard bump. "Hana!" he whispered loudly. "What is that? Are you alright?" He had heard of tumors, hard growths in people's bodies. They were usually fatal. Oh, Hana, he thought. She couldn't die on him. Not now. Not after everything he had been through.

To his shock, Hana was smiling and she actually chuckled at him. "I'm perfectly fine. That," she pushed his finger at the bump, "my dear Fili, is our child."

Fili pulled his hand away from her like he had been burned. "What?"

"Remember that night, just before Mailis was born? I told you my body was ready to conceive? We had a little fun. Well, it seems our efforts paid off and I am with child."

He jumped up onto his knees and started at Hana. His eyes were wide, and Hana couldn't tell if he was happy or not. "Tomorrow, we'll turn around and get you back to Erebor."

"What? No!" Hana whispered loudly.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? We wouldn't have left. It will be alright. We'll go slowly and we'll get back in a few weeks, before the snow." Fili was still kneeling next to her.

Hana sat up on her elbows. "Fili, I'm not going back. We're going to The Shire."

"Gently, gently," Fili put his hands on her back and tried to ease her down onto the bedroll. "Do you need more blankets under you? Here, take mine, I'll see if I can," but Hana didn't let him finish. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him down close to her.

"Listen to me, Fili. You need to calm down. Take a few deep breaths." She continued to hold his wrist and his gaze until his breathing evened out. "Good," she finally said and let go of his hand. "Now, to answer you earlier question, I didn't tell you sooner because I didn't know. With everything that has happened over the last six weeks, I forgot that there was even the possibility I could be expecting. It wasn't until tonight that I put all the pieces in a row - the tiredness and the nausea. Then, as I was laying here, I felt the bump and I knew. I am with child and I told you the moment I realized it. Are you not happy?"

Fili's breathing hitched again. "I don't know what to feel. I'm happy. Yes, of course I'm happy." He took another deep breath and tried to think. Then, the true meaning of what Hana had told him sank in. A child. Hana was going to have a child. His child. He would be a father again. His eyes widened. "A baby, Hana!" he bent over Mailis and fiercely kissed Hana. "Oh Mahal has blessed us and we're going to have a baby." A goofy grin spread across his face before a look of horror took its place.

Hana spoke before Fili could voice his fears. "Now, Fili. Don't get worked up. I know you just experienced the very worst in a pregnancy, but I'm not Milly. I've been through this before and I know my body is strong."

The look of fear didn't leave Fili's face.

"Now you listen to me, Fili, King Under the Mountain," her voice was shaking, "you promised me. Don't you remember? You promised me that you would be happy if we conceived a child."

Fili saw the glistening tear in his wife's eye and his fear melted away. He kissed away the tear as it escaped down her cheek. "Hana, Hana, my sweet, sweet, Hana. Of course I'm happy. I truly am, but I worry so much. We still have at least six weeks of journey ahead. It will be a long, hard trek. We can go back now. Make sure you and the baby are safe."

"I'm with you. I am safe. It's better for me to travel now, while the baby is small and doesn't hinder my movement or travel. I want to go on. Let's go to The Shire. Our baby can be born there. It will be sometime right around Mailis's first birthday. Fili?" She tried to see her husband's face, but the night was darker and the camp fire dying down somewhat.

"I never thought I'd be a father again. Not after Milly and Hrafn." He choked on a sob. "You've given me a new chance. I," he paused. "It's going to take some time to get use to the idea, but I'm happy. Oh, Hana, I'm so happy." He kissed her again, many kisses peppering her face. She giggled at his beard tickling her neck. He laid his hand over her stomach and gently caressed it. "Our child," he whispered.

"Yes, dear."

He would send a raven to Kili first think in the morning to share the news.

Fili fell asleep with his hand protectively over his wife's belly and Mailis snuggled between them. A wife, a child and a grandchild. Fili was filled with beautiful dreams of family.