DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Hobbit or its characters from books and movies. Or any references to other movies. I only own my OC's.

A/N: Beorn in the beginning of this chapter maybe has some false facts about his life, he never had a wife (that I know of), but he does have a son named Grimbeorn for sure. But in my story, he does have a wife I made up, and he still has his same son Grimbeorn.

Thank you to all of those who favorite, followed, and reviewed! I'm so happy you all love it.

I hope you enjoy this one!

Chapter 37:

Beorn the Skin-Changer

The huge, thickly furred, and fierce bear changed back into his human self, which is the tall, muscular, and toned outdoorsman.

He catches his breath from all the running he did back to his home. But upon hearing news from a small Bluebird about the dragon Smaug, who is now dead, made his breathing pick up, and his rich green eyes pour out thankfulness that the dragon is dead, but he is more filled with anger towards the dwarves. The dragon could've not been killed.

He would've destroyed all of Arda if he lived.

He slams his huge cabin door shut behind him, making all the animals around him look over to him.

It was then a long and lost voice speaks in the very back of his mind, and heart.

Everything in life happens for a reason.

He loses all rage and immediately calms down remembering his wife tell him that. Beorn was a husband to a beautiful woman. She was a skin-changer like him, but like the mortal women, she and the rest of the female skin changers resembled them who weren't hairy and never grew beards.

He loved her for a very long time, he still does, ever since he was a younger man living in the Misty Mountains before Orcs came and killed off everyone he knew and loved.

But the Orcs never managed to kill his son. His son is a gift from his wife, and his son reminds him of her all the time, no matter how old he's gotten since then.

He sighs and rubs his head and growls to himself thinking of the dead dragon and the dwarves, "I know what I must do, but it is not to my liking."

Megan's POV

I had to get away from all of the people so I ran further into the woods, sat behind a tree, and caught my breath.

People were dying before my eyes from being ill and cold from the water, hungry, and injured badly.

I never meant anything I said to Lauren, I was forced to say what I said. My mind- my whole body was overpowered by Sauron. The eye of Sauron.. It started after I woke up from being knocked out. He was in my mind and creeping through every part of me, I felt it.

I shiver remembering how I felt and what I did.

Lauren will never forgive me.

But she's my best friend.

But after what I've done, there's no hope.

I hit my head against the tree and scold myself that there has to be some hope. I know for sure that Lindir will never forgive me and he will no longer trust me. Ever since I asked him about a dwarf and elf love, he's always given me a suspicious look. He also glared the look of death at me earlier after what I've done to Lauren.

"But I saw the eye! He took control over me! Maybe he knows we're from another world." I cry dropping my head into my hands staining them with tears.

"What would he want with us- What would he want with me?" I keep crying and shaking with fear.

Lauren's POV

I was tending to the ill children, but Lindsey along with Fili and Kili took my place so I can have a break. It won't be long til Thranduil and his aid arrives with food and medicine.

I was wondering where Megan was, but I made myself not think about her. I am hurt by her; literally and metaphorically.

I touch my arm where it was scratched by her and it stings. It's not bleeding, but it is red and may leave scars for sure.

I find Lindir not too far away from all the people. He is behind some trees taking off the thick armor he had on and his soaking wet shirt from underneath the armor, leaving him shirtless and bare-chested.

He had his pants and leggings on which were wet as well and clung a bit to his legs, but weren't soaked because of the high boots he had on.

He is normally all covered up and looks thin with his regular Rivendell robes or his armor on, but looking close enough, especially now, he has this muscular and toned build, which can make a girl swoon.

"Lauren." He smiles to me ringing out his wet shirt by a warm fire and draping it on a tree branch along with his armor.

I feel my cheeks heat up. I hope he didn't notice me gawking at him this whole time.

"Hi Lindir," I smile back walking closer to him. He turns more to me and I see he has a couple of abs. Swoon.

"I came to tell you that Thranduil is on his way with his people and aid." I say glancing away from him.

"This is good news. Thank Elbereth, these people can have the help they need," Lindir says looking to the ill and cold people and soon after looks up at the stars.

"Would you like me to leave you be?" I ask breaking the long silence. But when he looks at me confusedly as to why I would ask that, I gesture to his clothes and him.

His cheeks turn to a light pink, "No, it's alright; I'm fine with you being here. Unless you feel uncomfortable, I understand. I wouldn't want you to feel that way."

"No, I'm not uncomfortable; I just wanted to make sure you're fine with me being here with you now. I don't know what to do." I respond shyly and he laughs softly.

"Then stay with me!" He laughs smiling and pulling me into a loving embrace. His skin is soft...

"You're cold, and your cloak is wet still. Let me dry it for you." He says already unclasping my cloak before I respond.

I have all of my "awesome armor" on still that is cold but not wet, but I had the cloak on so it could cover the scratches Megan gave me.

I freeze when the night breeze hits my cold clothes, and when Lindir notices my scratches.

His eyes widen, "Why didn't you tell me she hurt you?"

"I was going to later on; every other time I tried, it didn't seem like the right time."

He tentatively touches the scratch with his long and delicate fingers; actually, he barely touches it.

What I didn't expect next was his eyes to darken a lot.

"So I did sense evil in her," he growls taking his fingers off of my neck where Megan scratched me.

"What are you talking about? What evil?" I ask reaching out for him as he stares at the ground angrily. I've never seen him like this, and he certainly wasn't like this in the first Hobbit movie Megan and I went to see together. He is the reserved, peaceful, quiet, intelligent and shy type.

He loses most of the anger from his face and looks into my eyes as he holds my hand.

"I sensed an evil in her that has been vanquished long ago. You should know of what I speak." He says quietly and softly.

Vanquished long ago..

My head starts spinning as I quickly shake my head, "I know of what you speak about, but why would she have that evil in her? Could he be using her for something, like some dark plan?" I couldn't believe I asked that. I've never thought or dreamed of saying those words.

"That is my thinking too. I do believe that she is being used for something." He says pulling me closer with a worried and protective look on his face.

"Will my scratches do anything to me? Do you think they will scar?" I ask as he quickly lets go of me and heads into the woods to get some 'plants'.

I sit down next to the fire and touch my neck. I don't feel anything weird, but some old words said a while back spoke in my mind: "After the dragons final breath of fire, head to battle where death will welcome one."

"That book." I whisper remembering Nori reading the book Megan found aloud.

"Lauren." Lindir says returning.

I look to him and he's holding a plant.

"Athelas." I say smiling.

~~ Thranduil ~~

The Elvenking, who is astride his grand and majestic elk, and his many spearmen and bowmen, march towards the lonely mountain with a flock of crows flying overhead.

The cold and biting wind blows towards them, making Thranduil's platinum blonde hair blow back and pronouncing his crown more.

Legolas rides up on his white horse next to his father, "The dragon is dead, but what of Thorin? There's no chance that he could've survived."

Besides the king's hair cutting through in the wind, Thranduil's face remains unchanged with no show of emotion as his hand rubs his elk's head, "That will be the last we shall hear of Thorin Oakenshield I fear. He would've done better to have remained my guest."

He then turns to look to his son, "It is an ill wind all the same, that blows no one any good."

Thranduil's ears perk up hearing the sound of horse trotting coming towards them. He recognized the people on horseback as men from Laketown, but the burnt and even more tarnished clothing almost made him think that they were wanderers; but it wasn't just the faded clothing that proved they were men of Laketown, he could see in their eyes the good and kindness.

The Laketown messengers ride closer and Thranduil signals his army to stop.

"Elvenking Thranduil, we are messengers of Bard," One messenger speaks.

The king bows his head, "I know very well of him."

"As you may also know, Smaug has destroyed Laketown-" the other messenger continues.

The King knows what they are here for, and he is more than willing to grant them their requests and prayers.

His army heard everything that was being talked about, so all it took was another signal of Thranduil's hand to turn around their march, which was heading in the direction of the Lonely Mountain; they hasten now down river to the Long Lake.

Now forced to take the slower way by foot, Thranduil sends a great store of goods ahead by water.

Still elves are light-footed, and though they were not in these days much used to the marches and the treacherous lands between the Forest and the Lake, their going was swift.

~ 5 days after the death of Smaug ~

Lindsey's POV

We've received food by water from the elves a few days before their arrival. The food was enough to feed every person, including me and my friends, until they showed up with more.

Megan walks past me with the hood of her cloak on her head, and doesn't even acknowledge me.

Kili looks away from the child he was talking to and stares at Megan's receding form into the forest.

"You can go to her Kili," Fili says to him, "I'll watch this child too."

Kili wastes no time in getting up and following after Megan.

Megan's POV

I was going back to my normal place behind the trees, until I was stopped by Kili running up behind me.

"Megan." He breathes out of breath.

"Kili." I say his name as basic greeting, it hurts when I say his name.

-Well why did you say it then?

-I don't know

"What are you doing out here? Alone?" he asks finally catching his breath.

"Well I'm not alone anymore, but I just came out here to be alone, and maybe relieve myself." I answer.

He blushed when I said the 'relieving myself' part. Yes Kili, women use bathrooms too out in the wild.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I—I came to check on you, to see how you're faring." He coughs awkwardly.

"I'm fine. Thanks for checking on me." I turn away from him, but he grabs my shoulder.

"Are you really fine? Because I know I'm not, I feel miserable because you are. I feel like as if I was thrown off of the Lonely Mountain and landed in that smelly troll hoard."

I take off my hood and turn back around to face him eye to eye, "That is an interesting simile, and I'll have to remember that one. But why do you feel like that?"

"I told you why, it's because you feel miserable as well as I. I feel as if I did something wrong." He says.

"Noo!" I reply sarcastically, "Of course you did something wrong, but I'm not going to say what you did wrong because you should know!"

"But I can't- I need you to tell me because I care-"

I freeze.

He freezes to but finishes, "because I care about our relationship."

Relationship?

We both hear soft footsteps and we turn our heads to the form approaching us.

"Tauriel." Kili acknowledges her.

She smiles, "Kili," and bows her head to him.

I just got a sour taste in my mouth.

"What relationship?" I whisper low enough to where only he could hear, and he did. And hopefully he got the message.

I finally turn around and continue on my way.

Lindsey's POV

"Does he really love the elf Tauriel, you think?" I turn to Fili.

He sighs, "There's no telling what is going on in his thick head. Even though I'm his brother and the only person close to him on this quest, he doesn't tell me everything." He pats the child on the head before the child runs to his mom.

"But what do you think?" I ask one more time.

"I think that he does love Megan, but he is too afraid to admit it. Especially now, after what transpired these couple of weeks. Was it weeks?" He asks lastly.

"I don't even know even more." I shake my head and he laughs, which makes me laugh.

Fili pulls me close to him and kisses the top of my head.

"You want to know what I know?" He asks me with that blue sparkle in his eyes as he smiles down at me.

"What do you know?"

"I know that I love you and I could never love no other," he raises my hand to his lips and places a kiss on it.

"I love you too, and I know for sure that I could never love no other as well." I smile just as a horn blows in the distance.

"Elves." Fili mumbles, but doesn't say it with distaste at all.

I look at the faces of all the Laketown people left and they all have hope etched on their faces, and tears of thankfulness in their eyes.

I secretly know that elves are good beings, even though I may be somewhat rude to them at times and deny what they are. But now, I think I'm changing that about me, and for the better.

"I better go find Lauren, I haven't seen her in a while." I say about to walk away from Fili, who pulls me back to his side.

"I believe that she and Lindir are over there where that dull light is emitting from." He points a little ways behind some trees.

"Thank you Fili." I say kissing his cheek, making him blush some.

I head over to the trees and peer behind from one of the trunks and see Lindir and Lauren standing in each other's arms and swaying back and forth dancing to imaginary music, as well as singing together. Lauren must have taught Lindir a song she loves from our world, but there is no problem with it. They both sing beautifully and enchantingly. For a moment, I didn't even recognize her or her voice.

Lauren and Lindir: "In the morning by the sea, As the fog clears from the sand

I have no money in my hand. I have no home, I have no land

But it doesn't trouble me, As I lay beside the fire

I am easy to inspire. There is little I require

I wasn't yours and you weren't mine. Though I've wished from time to time

We had found a common ground. Your voice was such a welcome sound

How the emptiness would fill, With the waves and with your song

People find where they belong, Or keep on."

They only sang the beginning part, but it felt like they sung for hours. I couldn't help but smile at how cute they are together.

Lindir kisses her red cheek softly and whispers elvish, which sounds like words of encouragement and of love.

I decide to leave them be and I don't want them to know I was watching them.

()()()()()()

Before Thranduil arrived to the shores, they looked upon the ruins of the town, and every one of them felt remorse and sadness.

A chill ran up Legolas' spine as he looked on the ruins.

The only words that were in his head were 'I was there, I ran through that town that no longer exists.'

"You made a good choice to come Tauriel." Legolas starts conversation with his now strangely quiet friend.

"Yes, it seems I have." She replies with some guilt hidden behind her voice.

Legolas looks at her and thinks more on her and that dwarf she seemed to take an interest in.

"What are you thinking?" he settles to ask.

"I am thinking of a hundred different things that I cannot seem to find the right words to say. All I can say is that I'm confused on how I feel." She responds slowly but surely.

Confused? He has never known her to be confused on anything.

"Legolas, what do you think about my situation? And be honest." She asks her friend fearing the answer.

He thinks over his words before he answers just after she asked the question, "Well first let me ask you this, if that's alright." She nods her head for him to continue. "Can you imagine or see yourself with him for the rest of your days?"

She thinks about it for a long while but soon turns her head down.

Legolas adds to what he asked, "Dwarves do live for a while, but they are not immortal like us. Would you give up your immortality for his love? Is his love worth it? Or maybe it's not love. You may only love him for what he is, but not who he is."

Tauriel thinks about what Legolas said and replayed what he said in her mind.

Do I love Kili for only what he is, and not who he is?

"Thank you Legolas, for your consideration." She gives a small smile to her lifelong friend. He smiles back and rides up ahead to be next to his father.

()()()()

The Elvenking easily slides off of his elk and approaches with guards around him to the Master of Laketown and Bard the Bowman.

His army stops several feet away from them.

"It is great seeing you my King, you haven't changed at all." The Master of Laketown greets Thranduil.

Thranduil bows his head to the Master and has a trace of a kind smile on his face when he sees Bard.

"It is our honor to answer your prayers and give you the help you and your people need." Thranduil answers tactfully.

"Thank you, King Thranduil." Bard says to him with thankfulness in his voice and eyes.

The army was already going to the sick, ill, and injured to care for them, and another part of the army started rising up many huts by the shore and collected timber.

"No need thanking me, for it is not necessary," Thranduil says kindly as he sees a young child, Bard's youngest which is Tilda, near him. He pats the little girl's head softly and his heart warms seeing her smile up at him. Soon after, he walks off to some elves by a stand of big driftwood, which makes a good table for now, to discuss.

Bard considers his words, and soon smiles and follows the King to make plans for the people.

Megan's POV

'Yes, yes war is coming. You will be the one to complete my task. You will complete yours as well. Your destined task.'

Sauron speaks inside my mind, I have no control. My task is destined?

I feel another presence trying to get into my mind, I heard Galadriel's voice speaking, 'You can choose, do what—" I could no longer hear her voice, and I didn't care.

'You cannot choose, but you will succeed.' Sauron speaks again.

"I will complete it?" I ask quietly out aloud.

'Yes you will. Be ready… Be prepared.'

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm finally able to update, I was on vacation last week and I was still typing this chapter and editing it then. But yay! It's up now! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited!

The war is next… The Battle of Five Armies. Will Thorin live? What about Kili and Fili? And the girls? Will they change their minds and go home?

Reminder: Megan and Reagan have a task now.

And don't worry, the story won't end too soon, I'm planning on going into LOTR a bit *cough* at least if the girls stay in Middle earth *cough*

How will it all end?

I hope you all loved it, Please review! :)

Song that Lindir and Lauren sung was "The Wolves and the Ravens" by Rogue Valley. It's a very pretty song.