Somehow, I ended up carrying Sute as we found ourselves running through the wilderness at the wizards command. As soon as I took the infant in my arms in started crying pathetically in weak screams. So of course I started complain almost as loud to whoever would listen. It didn't make it any easier to run anyway. But as Bofur put it "If the orcs do catch up, we need as many people fighting as we can get. And you and Miley are the most injured. Besides, Miley could use a break, wouldn't you agree?"

I did agree. But that didn't mean I wanted to carry the squirming noise monster. It didn't help that she seemed to be growing heavier every second that passed. And she wouldn't stay still as we ran. Flailing about, making a bunch of noise. I say feed it to the wargs and be done with the whole deal.

We were just on the edge of the woods when Miley hurried up to my side and quickly removed the infant from my arms, hugging it close to her as she gave me a glance that said 'you have no experience with infants do you?'.

Then a loud roar sounded from behind us and a huge, monstrous bear crashed from the trees.

"This way quickly!" Gandalf called from the front. He was making his way across the field towards some sort of hedge in the distance.

"We won't make it!" Bofur cried in despair. Miley looked behind us again, looking very scared before hurrying over to Dwalin.

"Hold Sute." She demanded, practically dumping the child in Dwalin's burly arms. Then she stopped running and… turned around.

"Miley what are you doing?" I snapped at her, slowing down in confusion.

"Keep running!" She ordered, standing her ground as the overly large bear came hurtling towards us.

"No way in hell am I going to do that without you!" I growled, turning back to drag her away. But M grabbed my arm and pulled me along. I glared at my other self. "What are you doing?"

"It's a book!" She replied, running.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

I held my breath as the bear continued to come charging for me. I could do this. I had to. "Beorn!" I called out, bracing myself to be run over. "Please, Beorn, come to your senses! We are not your enemies!" The bear did not waver in his course.

Trembling, I fell to my knees and bowing my head, continued to plead. "Please, please, we are injured and weak. You must help us. Please… please…" I closed my eyes and waited to feel sharp teeth rip me apart. Or to merely be trampled to death. And I waited.

It was the warm, slightly wet smelling air on my face that forced me to open my eyes. In front of my eyes was a large black nose, nostrils flaring in and out as it sniffed me hesitantly. I looked up into the bear's large eyes, which in turn looked back at me curiously.

As I watched, the eyes began to shrink, the brown fur around them turning into flesh and skin. The bear morphed into a tall, muscular man. I quickly looked away, shielding my eyes from the view, as I suddenly felt very vulnerable. What had I just done? I could have been eaten! Even now…

"Does my appearance make you uncomfortable little one?" Beorn's deep voice asked.

"N-not your appearance so much as…" I coughed quietly, gesturing to his person while continuing to look away.

"Bring your friends inside foretold child." He said walking past me out of my vision. "We may talk in there." I paused in surprise. Foretold child? Was that like what Lady Galadriel had said? The Child of the Prophecy… After a moment I got up and turned to find the others staring at me and the door in surprise. The door that Beorn had most likely just passed through.

"What the hell was that?" Nimm balked. The others voiced similar comments.

Gandalf merely gave me a knowing look before moving to intercede. "What a stroke of luck!" He said ushering the others towards the door. "I suggest we do not waste his good favor."

It was cozy in the bear man's house. Or it would be if everything weren't so freakin' large. I looked around in awe at the furniture, the walls, the ceiling, the carving around the pillar in the center, the stables… everything. And covered in animals.

"How many pets does this guy have?"

"They are not pets, but friends." I jumped turning around to see our host (now properly clothed) standing behind me.

"Ah right…" I said immediately, hoping that I hadn't offended him or anything. I had to admit I was a little intimidated by the bear man. Maybe because he had almost ripped us all to shreds only moments ago. Maybe seeking shelter here was not the best of ideas. But Miley seemed to be looking a little better already. Currently she was scratching a goat's head absentmindedly, looking around as I had done while the goat nibbled on the end of Fili's coat, which Miley was still wearing.

She turned to see Beorn walk up to her. "I would ask you and whoever is responsible for this lot to talk with me."

"Yes." She nodded, looking to Gandalf and Thorin who were already making their way over.

I stood back a little sulking. "So what? I'm not special enough for their little 'important people' meeting?"

"Gee I wonder why." Someone joked from next to me. I froze, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. Kili. I turned away quickly, meandering away as inconspicuously as possible. "Nimm…" his voice called from behind me. I stopped and sighed. "We need to talk. Come on, let's go outside." I didn't want to. I really didn't. But I guess I didn't really have much of an option. So I followed Kili outside the large door to stand underneath the overhang. I stood a distance away, looking out at the wild garden of the bear man from beneath the shade.

The drone of bees hummed in the distance at giant versions of the bug moved around from flower to flower. Neither of us talked for the longest time.

"I'm sorry." The words blurted out of my mouth. This seemed to catch Kili by surprise and he made a noise of confusion. I did not pay attention to it, however. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! You have every right to be angry with me. I was trying not to make a big deal out of it! I mean first I say I'm your One. Then I lie to you about who I am and where I'm from. Then in Rivendell I have the nerve to tell you to bug off! And then even after all that you're still showing me kindness. And because of that, Fili got injured! And Miley was captured and Ori…" I swallowed, biting the inside of my cheek in an effort not to cry. I wasn't going to cry. "And so I have no reason to feel hurt or surprised that you broke off the connection." I shook my head. "I'm just a despicable person anyway."

"I… am not angry with you." I looked over at Kili in surprise.

"What?"

"Of course I'm not angry with you. Why would I be?" A confused smile crossed over his face. "I was the one on guard at that time. I was the one who should have spotted the orcs coming. Don't tell me… that's why you've been avoiding me?"

"...I expected you to be furious!" I exclaimed. "The connection between us-"

"I thought you were dead!" My mouth clamped shut as I looked at Kili. I mean really looked at him. He was covered in blood and dirt from the past few days, with more than a few scratches. But other than that, he looked… awful. His skin was pale and he had huge bags under his eyes. His face was awash with concern and hurt. "You left without a word, and the next thing I knew, I couldn't feel anything. I thought… I really thought you had died."

'How are you expecting to save Miley when you keep dying all the time?'

I looked down at the ground. Had I died? What was this voice in the back of my head? It sounded familiar yet… how come I couldn't remember it?

"And though I'll admit…" Kili continued with a sigh. "It hurt hearing you tell that goblin scum that I was nothing more than a 'disposed possession'," I blushed in embarrassment, casting my eyes to the ground. "But you were just trying to protect me, right?" I nodded wordlessly. Kili let out a loud sigh of relief, quickly lowering to a crouch, head between his hands.

"Hey… are you okay?" I asked hesitantly, trying to see the look on his face.

"Thank Mahal." He mumbled into his hands. "Ever since you left, there's been a hole somewhere." Kili said, placing a hand on his chest. "An absence of something so small yet so right…" He extended a hand towards me, palm up. I stared at it a moment, then slowly slid my hand into his.

Once again, I felt something like a spark of electricity run through me, making all my nerves go rigid before collapsing into a state of jelly. My legs collapsed to the ground as Kili immediately pulled me into his embrace.

I must have been grinning like an idiot as I buried my face in his neck. He was warm.


DAWWwwwwwwwwwww... Their kinda cut when they aren't trying to bite each other's heads off :)