Anya blinked up at the ceiling of her room with the feeling of everything around her falling into a chasm of pain and fear. The son of Thrain came to sit beside her on the bed and watched her with worry and concern with tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Was nothing to last in his life? Had he offended the heavens so that everything was to be taken from him to allow him no happiness? Was fighting for his kin not enough that he should fight for his wife-to-be and unborn child? In that split moment he wished to just give up, to call an end to the quest and return home; but then it came to mind that all that was endured would have been in vain. Placing a battle worn hand on his loves head, brushing away a few strands of hair, he paused a moment. "Do you regret staying here; not taking that elves offer to return to your homeland?" He asked with a slight whisper to his voice. Anya pulled her eyes from the ceiling to the male beside her, holding her stomach, and blinked a few tears down her cheeks.

"Perhaps… but I do not regret being with you, or loving you. I regret having to endure this, but that is selfish of me. Your men have offered their lives to you in service; as your fiancé, so should I, be as committed to you, to this quest… but I feel so drained, so pessimistic. Is this ever going to end? Are we ever going to settle, away from danger and fear to be a 'normal' family… whatever normal is?" She replied with honesty.

"It will end, I have confidence in it. And when all is returned to its natural state, when we have a home… I promise you… I swear to you, I will make it so that no regret forms in your heart again." Thorin vowed with seriousness etched in his voice. Anya sniffled and nodded with a painful smile. Placing a comforting hand on her stomach, Thorin moved a little closer and kissed her slightly damp brow.

"Thank you Th- Ahh…." Anya gasped, shooting up to a sitting position, grabbing her strangely swollen stomach for a 5 month pregnancy.

"What? What is it" Thorin asked in a hurry; all of his hard shells and barriers breaking at the sight of his love in pain. Anya squeezed her eyes shut tightly and with a death grip, held onto the dark haired male's hand. "The pain is back?" still, she made no reply, but moved on the bet a little. As she did, she felt a little dampness between her legs. Snapping open her eyes, looking down at the bed, she watched as a trickle of water made its way down the silk covers.

"My- my…" She stuttered in a panic and Thorin's attention followed her own and he came to focus on where her eyes so fearfully stared. Jumping to his feet, letting go of Anya's hand, knowing what this meant, he quickly left the room and bounded down the stairs. The company sat in the social room taking with one another and got to know the young she elf when the wooden door banged open with some force, and a frightened king appeared in the doorway. Never had the company seen him with such emotion as now as he stood before them. Urgently he looked for the elf woman and his healer. Spotting them near the fire place he sighed.

"I need you" He announced breathlessly.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Kili inquired of his uncle.

"It's coming" Was all that the son of Thrain said and turned on the spot, rushing back up the stairs.

"What's coming?" Dori asked in confusion and Bofur and Nori shrugged their shoulders in confusion."

"The child…" Balin said gravely, watching as Oin and Tauriel left the room in haste.

"But is has not been six months yet, let alone 9!" Exclaimed young Ori. Balin glanced over at the writer and nodded his head sadly and silence fell upon the company with realisation that there might be a problem upstairs that would not only affect the king, but Anya also.

.0

"No, no, no, no, no" Anya kept muttering under her breath and she desperately clung to her dwarven love. Thorin was wide eyed with horror as he watched the scene play out before him. Oin held on to Anya's wrist to monitor her heart rate as Tauriel pushed up the human woman's dress slightly, parting her legs. She looked with deep concentration, and Thorin could only assume that she was checking/ waiting for signs that the child was about to make an appearance. Thorin was aware that some labours took hours, some minuets, some days even, and so, as each minuet ticked by he was on the edge, thoughts going around his mind. 'Was it going to come now?' 'Would she be in labour for hours yet?' '… Would the child be alive?' A sudden cry of pain ripped him from his thoughts as Anya snapped her head back, shouting.

The heart wrenching cry of agony made its way down to the company and all froze in their spots, swallowing hard. "Are they attacking her?" Ori asked, sounding concerned. Dwalin allowed a small curl of his lips appear at the young ones statement and shook his head.

"You have never been present at a lass giving birth?" He questioned and Ori shook his head. "… tis a painful experience lad. No one is hurting her…" Ori's mouth formed an 'o' as he took the information, but jumped nevertheless as another yell sounded.

"Keep breathing lass, that's all you can do…" Oin tried to soothe the woman as beads of sweat formed upon her brow as she tensed and relaxed from the pain. "It won't last forever, breathing helps…"

"I can't do this…" Anya whimpered and shook her head, not wanting to believe what was happening. Tauriel placed her hands gently on the woman's knees and smiled warmly.

"You are a strong woman, Anya… stronger than many I have come across in you race. You can do this. I can help soothe you, if you wish…" Tauriel announced and Anya nodded enthusiastically. Thorin watched as the she elf closed her eyes and began to mutter under her breath. In an instant Anya was filled with calm. The pain remained, but the panic attack that was threatening to make an appearance slowly faded into complete absence.

"Tis good of you to aid us" Thorin suddenly commented, and Oin looked up in shock as his master address the elf with no hint of malice or hatred in his voice.

"It is my pleasure, master dwarf…" Tauriel replied after she had opened her eyes.

"It's been about an hour… don't they just pop the baby out and that's it?" Kili spoke up, breaking the suddenly accumulated awkward silence. Fili looked to his brother with an expression that clearly stated, 'are you a complete idiot?' Kili registered this and slunk back into his seat, feeling heat rise in his cheeks.

"Your grandmother, when she was pregnant with your uncle, was in labour for three days; Thorin decided to make a rather noisy appearance into the world" Balin spoke with a smile on his face at the fond memory as he sat by the fire. Kili grinned at such knowledge, trying to visualize Thorin as a crying baby.

"Childbirth is an amazing, but scary thing…." Dori mused and several hums sounded in agreement.

"How do you think she is doing?" Nori suddenly asked with a serious tone, dampening the mood.

"We can but hope and pray all is well" Bofur spoke up.

"Aii, it was a scary business when my wife brought Gimli into the world. I never wanted to see her like that again as long as I live. I can but empathise with Thorin too." Gloin commented.

"Im yet to experience it" Bombur replied, biting into an apple.

"Really, you eat at a time like this?" Fili exclaimed, angered, and threw a woven cushion at him, hitting the fruit from his hand.

"Just because I eat, it doesn't mean I don't care" Bombur mumbled and stared at his food on the floor with sadness.

0.0.0

"I see something! My dear, you must give it all you have… push!" Tauriel exclaimed just over two hours later. Anya's face turned bright read and she held her breath for a moment then let it out it a large cry of pain, digging her nails into Thorin's skin, drawing a little blood. He cared not; his sole attention was happening.

0.0.0

"I do not like this…" Ori muttered after a scream was heard and Balin tapped his shoulder with a sympathetic smile.

"Do not fret, it will be-" Balin was about to reply, when the she elf came into the room in a flash. Kili looked up at the woman with surprise in his eyes.

"It's done…" She said, with no hint of emotion.

"The baby; is it ok? Is it alive?" Fili asked and all looked to the Mirkwood elf for an answer and she opened her mouth to reply.

… sorry guys, I couldn't help it