A/N - I am deeply sorry for the length that it took to get this chapter published. It has been a busy couple of weeks, though it was a good busy. Applying for internships and getting midterms into the past! Yay! I just got home from a retreat today, so that was fun and on top of that Michigan State beat UofM and Detroit Lions got their first win! Woot! Alright, enough of my nonsense, enjoy this chapter!

A lot of people were asking about Kili's secret name, I know you want me to include it but I just have no idea what dwarven secret names are even like. I tried very hard to research the topic but Tolkien only gave one name as an example and that's just not enough for me to learn from unfortunately :( Therefore, I am leaving the secret name up to the reader's imagination. Yes, he has shared it with Tauriel but it's a moment that I did not write on the count of not knowing how to name him properly. I hope you guys are okay with that and if I ever do happen to learn more I will go back and publish the scene.


Tauriel POV

I took a deep breath to allow the fresh air to flow into my nostrils. The sun broke through the spaces of the leaves and warmed my body as we lay together in a comfortable patch of grass. Kili's head rested upon my stomach while my fingers combed through his soft hair. It had become a new habit for us to relax out here in the forest each afternoon. We had done very little since the wedding besides enjoying each other's presence and learning all that is to know about one another.

"Shall we go hunting later?" I asked him. "You have not had meat for three days and it was merely a small rabbit."

"I am fine," he smiled tiredly but his eyes remained closed. "Though, I cannot deny that the thought of venison does sound quite appealing."

"We should visit Rivendell as well," I began to think of the valley. "It has been nearly six weeks since the wedding, we owe them a visit."

"Anything you desire, I shall see it done," he breathed before stretching. I thought that he was preparing to rise but instead his head fell back to the comfort of my body. I chuckled before sitting up so that I could cradle his head. He smiled as I met his eyes and his arm rose to hold my cheek. "Shall I saddle Armand for you?"

"I can manage," I bent down to kiss his forehead. "I think that it is about time for me to begin taking care of my own tasks, master dwarf."

"As you wish, my love," he smiled.

"We must begin if we are to be home before the sun sets," I encouraged him to rise. After a few moments, he finally groaned and moved to stand. He held out his hand and helped me to my feet before we headed towards the horses. Upon opening the gate, both animals perked up in excitement and trotted to meet us. I began to feel guilty for so few rides over the past weeks. I tossed the saddle up onto Armand's back and tightened the girth around his widened belly. "We must slim you down my friend, the long rest has not been kind to you."

I patted his heavy belly before preparing to mount. I lifted my foot but before I could climb into the saddle a strange feeling in my tummy struck my senses. I gasped and held my belly nervously before glancing at Kili to see if he noticed the behavior. I wanted to curse these odd sensations that continued to rage through my stomach. I was beginning to fear that some illness had come over me, but I felt nothing else besides an odd flutter every now and then.

"You alright?" I snapped away from my thoughts and noticed that Kili was already on his pony.

"I am fine. I was merely adjusting a strap," I lied before mounting the horse. I nudged the horse forward before glancing back at Kili. "Let's be off."


It was a heartwarming sight to see the valley again as we crossed the bridge into Rivendell. Armand tossed his head to argue against the short ride, clearly wanting more time on the road. I patted his neck, "it will be a short visit, mellon."

"It appears that someone is excited to see you," Kili chuckled. I followed his gaze and a smile crawled unto my face as I noticed Raeorna awaiting our arrival.

"It is about time. I began to think that we would never again see the likes of you here," she smiled as we approached. "Caught up in the joys of marriage are we?"

"Indeed," Kili smirked before glancing at me. "I did not realize that elves are so passion…"

"Kili…" I stopped him from speaking further. My cheeks blushed madly as I glanced at the elleth. "It is good to see you, mellon."

"Shall I take the horses for you?" she offered but I shook my head.

"We cannot stay long, we merely wished to visit." I answered.

"Has Bilbo arrived home safely?" Kili inquired.

"Of course, master dwarf," she acted offended. "I am well equipped to navigate these lands."

"Foolish me," he smirked.

"Indeed," she agreed with a smile. "I am grateful that you have come today. I leave on the morn for Mirkwood and shall not return for some time."

"What calls you back to the forest?" I asked in surprise.

"My conflict with Thranduil must end. I wish to resolve our battles and leave them in the past," she explained before lowering her eyes in shame. "Then perhaps I can mend another broken friendship."

"Raeorna…" Kili said quietly. "I understand your desire to speak with mum again, but you must take caution. If Thorin were to learn of an elf of Mirkwood who desired to enter that mountain… I do not think he will treat you kindly upon your arrival."

She looked reluctant to respond but before she could the elf Lord approached. He smiled politely to us both before glancing at Raeorna. "Saying your farewells?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"My offer still remains, you are always welcome here," he told her before turning his gaze to us. "Welcome back master Kili and Tauriel. How does the forest cabin fare for you?"

"Well," I smiled before glancing at Kili. "Though, it has seen many changes and updates."

"This is good news, it was a shame to see the home go to waste. May it shield you well from all elements," he smiled to us both. "I am gladdened to see you, but I am afraid that I have duties to attend to. I must prepare for some guests, though I desired to offer you my greetings."

I was saddened by his quick farewell, but I understood his priorities. We both nodded to him in thanks before he bid farewell and returned to the Valley. Armand began pawing in frustration at the ground as we stood idly. Raeorna chuckled at the horse.

"I suppose that you must be off then?" she watched us sadly.

"Perhaps you could join us," I offered. "We must go hunting before the day's end."

"I cannot," she shook her head in disappointment. "I must prepare for my journey. I want you both to know how much I treasure the friendship you have given to me. I promise to return, but for now I am afraid that this is farewell."

My heart sunk as I took in her meaning. This would be our last meeting for quite some time. She walked beside the horse and placed her hand over mine.

"Cuio mae, mellon." Tears perched at the edges of her eyes and the sight made it difficult to contain my own sadness.

"Good luck on your journey," I told her. I did not like farewells and this one was particularly heart breaking. I knew that I would see her again, but for the moment it felt as if I was losing a friend. She squeezed my hand before backing away to bow in farewell to Kili. He smiled to her and attempted the proper elvish farewell. His gesture made me smile, even if his hand motions were slightly incorrect.

"Travel safely," he said. She looked reluctant to turn away, after such a short visit, but delaying the goodbye would not ease the pain. We both turned the horses as the elleth walked away.

The ride home was mostly quiet as I fought against the grief. Kili allowed me the silence until we entered the woods.

"You know, one of the joys of marriage is that you do not need to suffer alone," he said gently. "I know that you will miss her."

"Yes," I agreed before reaching for him. He grasped my hand and held it firmly as we finished the ride. My heart warmed at his comfort and I smiled, knowing that his words were true. I would never suffer alone. We dismounted from the horses and I was about to tie Armand before I realized that Kili was loosening the girth.

"Why are you unsaddling?" I asked. "I thought that we were simply retrieving our bows?"

"We should grab some lunch. We do not know how long we will be out," he answered as he tossed the saddle to the ground. I shrugged in agreement before removing the saddle from Armand. As he had begun doing after our wedding, he pulled me to his side as we walked to the house. It probably would have looked silly to others to observe our differences in stature, though I cared not for judgmental eyes. We had found peace and great love in each other, therefore I would never again hide my love from wandering eyes.

As he closed the door behind us, I headed to the kitchen to prepare a quick meal. I was surprised to feel a pair of arms snake around my belly as a strong warmth covered my back. I smirked when I felt the rough texture of his beard against the back of my neck.

"Are you standing on a chair again?" I chuckled, but his kisses on my skin took away all humor. His arms tightened around me and my heart began to race as I sighed, "you never intended to prepare a meal did you?"

"I needed to feel you in my arms," he breathed against my skin. I turned my head on instinct to seek his lips and he claimed them in an instant. With his deep kiss and bold wandering hands, I began to share in his need. I groaned in frustration that we were so easily dismissive of our duties, yet the irritation did not last for very long as I sought his lips hungrily. I nearly complained when his mouth abandoned mine, but he merely hopped down from the chair to quickly scoop me into his arms where I found his lips once more.

I curiously wondered how long these feelings would last, after we had been rid of our distractive needs. My stomach churned as I rested upon his chest. His heavy breaths were only just beginning to calm as I played with the dark hairs.

"We must get going if we are to have a successful hunt," I breathed.

"Aye," he sighed in content but did not rise. I smirked, knowing that he would remain here all day unless I forced him to move. I turned my head to kiss his strong chest.

"Come, my love." I lifted myself from his body and quickly dressed before returning to the kitchen. I left him there, knowing how slow the dwarf was to prepare for a day's work. Our peacefulness had brought us both great changes. During my time in Mirkwood I would never be seen without a dagger at my side, yet here we had no threat of danger and I had grown comfortable around our home. My weapons had shamefully collected dust as they sat untouched for the past weeks and I held a slight satisfaction that I would have them at my side again as we hunted.

"Oh…" I grasped the edge of the table as my stomach shivered anxiously. Butterflies attacked my insides furiously and I rubbed the skin in an attempt to calm the feeling. I wanted to curse this strange sensation as it had begun to occur more frequently and more vibrantly as each day passed. I shook away the feeling and retrieved a couple plates to prepare a quick lunch. However, I was stopped once again as I heard a voice.

It was singing… She was singing. I glanced around the room by instinct, but I knew that I would not find the source of the beautiful song. The song came from inside me. My heart raced as I realized just what had been the culprit of releasing all of these butterflies. There had only ever been a presence trying to make itself known. My breathing went wild as I was unsure what to feel in that moment. I reached for my stomach protectively, leaving the plates to slip from my grasp and fall to the floor.

Kili POV

I had only just pulled the cloth of my shirt over my head when I heard a crash from the other room. Panic swelled up in my chest and I raced from the room to reach her.

"Tauriel!" I gasped as I burst into the kitchen. She clutched to the counter with one hand, while the other covered her belly. I glanced around the room for any signs of danger or cause of her discomfort, yet there was nothing. "Tauriel? What is wrong?"

"Nothing," she quickly stated. She composed herself and bent down to pick up the remnants of the broken plates. "I am sorry, I did not mean to drop them."

"It is alright," I smirked, surprised that she would be worried over such a thing. My panic calmed and I approached her before kneeling beside her. I grasped her arms softly and forced her to turn her attention upon me. "Are you hurting?"

"No," she assured me, but she appeared frazzled in a way that I had never seen her before. "I feel no pain."

"You felt something," I narrowed my eyes before glancing at the broken plates. "It is unlike you to falter in such a way, unless there is something to bother you. Tell me, my love, what is wrong?"

"Kili," she brought her hands up to hold my cheeks. Her expression was troubled, mixed with excitement and terror. She struggled to find her speech as she gazed at me. "I am… I…"

"Are you ill?" I begged for her to say something.

"I am fine. I simply had a moment of weakness. Elves do make mistakes after all," she attempted a smile. I sighed, knowing that she would speak no further on the issue. I had no choice but to trust that she would tell me if she was truly in harm. Accepting this, I pushed the worries away as best as I could and moved to help her clean up.

We did not speak for quite some time. She returned to the table to finish preparing a quick meal and never once did her strange expression change. She looked to be struggling maintaining her thoughts, and though she appeared deeply troubled she glowed with joy.

"We must eat quickly, we have lost time," she handed me a plate and for the majority of the time we ate in silence. Occasionally I would glance at her and find her staring off into the distance, forgetting the meal in front of her. When she realized that she was staring, she snapped out of her trance and glanced at me nervously before returning to her food. I wanted to press further to understand what troubled her, but I did not wish to cause her stress.

"Shall we be off?" I asked her as I removed the plates. Within moments we were back in the pasture, re-saddling the horses. We mounted with our bows and began walking deeper into the forest. After several minutes at the slow pace I nudged my pony into a trot, but Tauriel quickly stopped me.

"I think that we should walk," she said nervously. I pulled Lily back and glanced at the elf questioningly. She quickly moved her hand away from her belly as I looked upon her. She hid her gaze and played with the end of her reins anxiously. "The horses could use a rest."

"You have been saying all week that they need more exercise," I raised my brow. She swallowed deeply and struggled to collect her thoughts. Her behavior began to worry me deeply. This was not the Tauriel I knew.

"We could scare the deer," she offered another excuse but I narrowed my eyes.

"Tauriel…" my temper began to rise. I only desired her honesty. "What is…"

"Hush," she stiffened and collected her bow. She pointed forward with her eyes and I realized that there was indeed a deer several yards away. We both quietly dismounted and I followed her as we carefully stalked closer to the animal. I notched an arrow, though I assumed Tauriel would be the one to take the shot since she lead us forward. It took quite some time to get within range without spooking the deer but we finally reached a suitable spot after a few moments. Tauriel readied her bow and began to raise the weapon but before she could release the shot the deer perked its head up in alert. Sensing its retreat, Tauriel released the string. The deer leaped away just before the arrow left the bow and it struck the ground where the animal had just vanished.

"What in the bloody… What spooked him?" I groaned. "He did not even look in our direction."

"Kili…" Tauriel whispered nervously. I glanced at her in confusion but as I followed her gaze I realized what had caught her attention. My heart swelled up anxiously as a hooded man stood a mere twenty yards from where we stood. The man himself did not cause me any fright, however the bow pointed right at us sent my blood racing. "We do not seek trouble."

"That remains to be seen," the man said coldly. Movement stirred from behind him and I could not believe the grace of which these men could travel amongst the trees. It was no wonder that they approached undetected by us both. "What business does an elf of Mirkwood have wondering this far west with a dwarf?"

"We only desired to hunt before returning home," Tauriel spoke calmly but the man sneered.

"Do not lie to me," he threatened in a low voice. "We are no stranger to the elves of Mirkwood. You do not have the bearings of Rivendell elves."

"I am no liar," Tauriel's temper rose. I swallowed nervously, hoping that she would choose her words wisely instead of provoking the man who took aim at us. "We reside in a cabin not more than a mile from here."

"We?" I could see the man's brow raise but I could not dwell on him because an arrow was released from behind him. The arrow must have traveled quickly, but I could see every movement as if the motioned had been slowed.

"Ah!" Tauriel's surprised yelp sounded before she fell to her knees while clutching her side. A painful fear struck my heart as if the arrow had pierced my skin instead of hers.

"You fool!" I faintly recall hearing the man scold whoever was responsible for releasing the arrow.

"It slipped, I swear!"

I moved quickly to shield Tauriel as I bent down in front of her. She breathed heavily with one hand holding her side and the other covering her belly. I reached for her hands to gently pull them away but she softly shook her head.

"I am alright, it merely grazed me." Her words calmed my fears but set a fire ablaze in my chest as her hand came away dripping blood. These men had threatened her life, my wife's life. Through the anger and fierce adrenaline, I was back on my feet with the bow in hand within a second. I sent an arrow at the boy who was responsible for Tauriel's pain and within another second I had a new arrow nocked and ready to fire at the man who had begun this battle. The boy clutched his arm where the arrow grazed him.

"Whoa, whoa! Easy now," the hooded man had removed his arrow from the bow and held his hands up for peace. Unfortunately, my angry chased away any such thoughts of peace.

"What do you want?" I spat. "Speak quickly, for my arm itches to release this arrow."

"We are simply traveling to Rivendell. One of our companions has kin that he wishes to see," he explained. "Please, put down your weapon, master dwarf. I swear to you that we mean no harm."

"No harm? Lyyi!" I shouted in Khuzdul. He did not know the language, but I could see him twitch uncomfortably as if he knew. "You spilled her blood!"

"Please forgive him, he is very young. His fingers merely slipped," the man attempted to reason but I was consumed by rage. I glared at the boy holding his arm. Deep down I knew that it had only been a mistake, but his carelessness could have caused great harm. If his arrow had been even an inch nearer, Tauriel would have suffered greatly.

Someone moved through the crowd of rangers as he made his way to the front. My arms tensed at the movement but I held the bow firmly to avoid my own misfire. My eyes widened for a moment as I recognized the figure and then in an instant I began to glare by instinct. I reluctantly relaxed my arms as he stepped forward and Tauriel gasped beside me.

"Legolas."

Translations
Lyyi – Liar
Cuio mae – Live Well

Review Replies

Kansa – Thanks! Always feel free to ask anything! We will learn about Erebor in approximately two, maybe three chapters. Thanks for reading!
WoodElfJedi –
Yay! Don't be sorry! I know life gets busy. Thanks for reading!
whilewewereyetsinners – Well your children question has been answered lol I am happy that you like the T-rating and I very much agree that it needs to be a private and special moment. Thanks for reading!
Nenithiel –
Gotcha, glad you enjoyed the scene! Thanks for reading!
LisaG16 –
"those 2 will be floating on clouds of love" ahaha! I love the way you put it! They have indeed!
lordkiliel – Thanks! Lol the length depends on the scene, some are going to be short especially now that we are nearing the end. Thanks for reading!
sorrellkaren –
Glad you enjoyed the large amounts of fluff. We will have a bit of a bump coming up thought, which we will learn about next chapter. We will return to Erebor in roughly two or three chapters. Yes, he would never forget his family but at the moment he's distracted with his current love. Thanks for reading!
LisaG16 – Yay wedding bliss! Thanks for reading!
Sofasoap –
You are welcome and thanks for reading!
Ani-maniac494 –
Glad you enjoyed it and the little details of their honeymoon. Lol I am very glad that you enjoyed that quote because I felt a little corny writing it XD Yay! Thanks for reading!
MegSkoomaPirate – Well done on catching that the flutter was more that just a random feeling. Thanks for reading!
awesome-bri66 -
thanks for reading!
Margaritasc – They deserve happiness indeed. Good job on picking up on the butterfly feeling ;) Thanks for reading!
Hobbitpony1 – Lovely to hear! Thanks for reading!
mfaeire32 –
lmao! I hope the fluff wasn't too much xD Thanks for reading!


Chapter 45 Reviews

Hobbitpony1 – Kili will of course find out, she was just surprised and we'll learn more about why she was nervous to say anything to him right away. It's nothing major but it will be explained. Thanks for reading!
LisaG16 –
Glad you enjoyed the news. I haven't entirely thought out Legolas' thoughts on the marriage yet but for the most part he will be supportive. Thanks for reading!
mfaerie32 – Elves are able to tell when their pregnant the moment it happens. I've also read that they are able to hear a song fairly early on. I no longer have the source to back the song theory up, but I like the idea anyways. Yes indeed it would be a tiny little thing lol I do know how babies are formed ;) Elves are different. Obviously I don't know the science behind elven growth in the womb, but all I do know is that elves can know right away which is why she mentioned the flutter in her tummy and now the song. Plus, I would describe the song as more of a spiritual event rather than scientific, so yes it's not developed much of anything but the baby's soul is already alive. I hope that description wasn't too cluttered, it's a hard thing for me to describe with words but if you have any other questions let me know! Thanks for reading!
sorrellkaren – Glad you are happy to see Legolas. She didn't tell Kili primarily because she's just shocked and unsure of how to verbalize it. I will touch on her reasoning why she didn't tell him right away but its not a major plot point. Thanks for reading!
Ani-maniac494 – Yay babies! Thanks for reading! I hope so as well but if this intership falls through I still have other opportunities in the summer.
MegSkoomaPirate –
I am glad you are happy! She's just still surprised is all and not sure how to verbalize it just yet. Thanks for reading!
Xaphyre –
lol thanks!
Margaritasc –
lol they are indeed still in honeymoon phase. Glad you are happy for her but there will be some troubles coming up. Kili will learn in the next chapter, unless something pops up. Thanks for reading!