Wow, I'm updating already! Thank you, teachers, for not giving me too much homework!
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Kili felt guilty, it was practically eating his whole body and he felt awful. Twice, in less than a day, Bell had his back.
When she lied to Thorin to protect him and his brother, he had been desperate to make everyone see the truth, but no one listened. Then she pushed him in the small outcrop, and he didn't really know why. He thought he heard a whimper but dismissed the thought as soon as she followed behind him. Now, he understood why she pushed him. She saved his life. When he saw her shoulder and the blood covering it, he knew why she did it. And it made the guilt already present since the trolls, increase heavily.
They were eating dinner when Oin finally came back. Everyone started asking questions at the same time and the healer snapped. "Shut up! The arrow didn't touch anything vital. She had clipped ribs and a concussion plus the arrow wound. But with the elves magic and her own fast healing, she should be fine in a week." He said sitting down, and sighs of relief were heard.
Kili felt the hard stare of his Uncle on him. "Tell me Kili. When exactly had she been hit?" Thorin asked, frowning. "I don't know. She was fine when she pushed me inside. I'm not sure of what happened next." The prince answered truthfully. He had suspicions but he didn't know for sure.
"I swear the girl's even worse than you lot. I'll tell you what happened. Took an arrow up there, before jumping in. She tore the arrow out of her shoulder and just pretended nothing never happened." Oin grumbled, the dwarrows were shocked, looking at their healer, half-hoping he was joking. Unfortunately, he wasn't.
Elrond suddenly got up, visibly angry. "She did what?! I'm going to kill her, heal her and hug her to death. She promised!" He muttered more for himself than for them. Thorin and Balin looked shell-shocked, they had never seen an elf lose his composure. Kili exchanged a look with Fili, but he obviously knew just as much as he did.
Gandalf sighed, looking really old for once, practically exhausted. "What Bell didn't tell when she shared her story, is that the first time, when she ran to Rivendell with her sister, she was nearly dead. Then when we chased the orcs from the Shire, she had hidden an injury she had until no menace could be seen in the green land. It was poisoned, and me and a ranger called Arathorn had to carry her to the elves in a hurry. She nearly didn't survive, Lord Elrond had to treat her himself. He made her promise three things. One, that she would watch herself better. Two, that she would see a healer immediately if she was wounded. Three, that she would stop coming to Rivendell half-dead. It would seem she broke all three of her promises." The wizard explained quickly before following in the footsteps of Elrond.
The dwarrows were silent for a moment, before they all started yelling at each other, except Thorin, Balin, Dwalin and Kili. The prince just sat, wide-eyed, not able to believe what he just heard. The shame and guilt he felt just climbed to a whole other level. He was convinced it was all his fault. As her One, he should have been here for her, to protect her from all dangers. He just seemed to fail every time. He didn't deserve her.
The yells continued for a good while until suddenly Gloin stopped. The red-haired dwarf stomped over to where?... To where Bell was standing. And he spontaneously… hugged her? It doesn't matter, Kili decided, trying to eat a little, even if his stomach disagreed. He had no right to face her and talk to her until he made it up to her like Dwalin had said.
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Bell was woken up by Oin. "Come on lass, go take a bath. Dinner is waiting for us and I'm sure you'd like to clean up first." She nodded, yawning and stretching a little. "Don't you dare move that shoulder, not for at least three days. After that take it easy." He threatened, the "or else" left unsaid but heard all the same.
She nodded once more, then went to relax in her bath. She just finished putting some clean clothes on, when the door opened to let a glaring Elrond in. "You promised!" He hissed angrily. "Elrond calm down. It's not like I asked for this to happen." She defended herself, crossing her arms across her chest. He just glared harder at her response.
"You'd promised you would see a healer if injured. Is there another healer than the healer who just said you took the arrow out and pretended nothing happened?" He roared. She looked down in shame. He was right and she knew it. He sighed and sat on the bed. "Look Bell, I just don't want to see you like last time. I… I was frightened that I would not be able to save you. To see the last of your family die, it would break my heart. So, I'm asking you, please, be more careful." The elf confessed, looking in her eyes.
She nodded seriously. "I cannot promise that I will come back. And if I do, I certainly will not be the same. But I promise to be careful and to watch my back. I promise to you that I'll ty to come back healthily to Rivendell, Uncle Elrond." He nodded before smiling and hugging her. "That's what Cariad used to call me." He whispered. "I know." Came the answer.
They left the room to eat as soon as her stomach grumbled loudly. Gandalf was waiting outside the room and looked very relieved by their smiles.
Once near the dining room, they heard shouts. They entered to find the dwarrows fighting about who knows what. She met Gloin's eyes, who stopped arguing and stomped over to her. She braced herself for the onslaught of reproaches, she knew were coming. That's why she was so very taken aback when he hugged, and she couldn't help but hug back. "Don't do that ever again lass? Understood?" She nodded eagerly and her stomach grumbled once more.
Gloin smiled. "Let's get you something to eat alright?" He said gently. They all ate now, Gandalf, Elrond and Thorin discussing between themselves. Bell tried to meet Kili's or Fili's gazes, but both refused to look at her.
Suddenly a loud shout resonated. "BELL BAGGINS!" The hobbit shuddered and winced, knowing what was coming. She sprung to her feet, eyes automatically searching a safe exit, but finding none. Three angry elves and one just as furious man stomped into the dining room? Hall? Balcony? Whatever it was.
She tried to avoid disaster. "Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen and Estel, please calm down..." She was rudely cut off by Elrohir. "How DARE you…" His brother took over. "…come here and not…" They finished in harmony. "…warn us of your presence?" They frowned thunderously at her.
"Plus, you were injured." Arwen said. "Again." Estel, also known as Aragorn, added not very helpfully. "Look here, I didn't ask to be injured, thank you very much. And I practically just woke so I had literally no time to talk to you guys." The hobbit protested, presenting them her best puppy eyes.
"Nope, that won't work. We're very crossed with you." Arwen informed her. And she was so caught up in her trying to get them to forgive her, that she didn't see Elladan approaching with a cream pie in his hand until it was too late. And that meant when it splattered all over her dress.
She very, very slowly said. "You just didn't." Their smug expression was answer enough. "I just cleaned up, you idiots! I swear I'm going to skin you alive! All four of you!" She yelled, chasing them out of the room and through Rivendell, never stopping her stream of Hobbitish and Elvish curses.
The dwarrows just sat there, all too shocked for their own good. Until Bofur broke the silence. "She does like to skin people alive, doesn't she?" he said, referring to her stalling with the trolls. They all laughed except Elrond, who pinched his nose and sighed in exasperation. "You just met my twins, Elladan and Elrohir, my daughter Arwen and my adopted son Estel, or Aragorn."
Half an hour later, Bell returned, clean again, and looking very smug. "If you're looking for your children Uncle Elrond, they're probably in the Halls of Healing. But you should ask Lindir for more information. I dumped to him after I was done with them." She explained, obviously happy now she kicked their asses.
She rolled her sleeves and uncovered a red bite mark. "What happened lassie?" Balin asked, worried. She smirked. "Estel's a fierce one. But he screams like a girl." Laughter echoed and Dwalin snorted. "Remind me not to get on your bad side lass." Smiling sweetly and innocently at him, she answered. "I have no idea what you're possibly talking about Master Dwalin." He snickered in response.
Feeling the glare of Oin, she turned to him. "I swear to you, Master Oin, that I did not use my wounded arm. And I wanted to thank you for healing me." He grunted gruffly in response and she smiled. After supper, they learned that it was moon runes on the map and that they would have to wait a week to read them. A news that seemed to please Oin as much as it displeased Thorin. The rest of the dwarrows were grumbling but Bell was actually happy to stay for a while.
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It's been two days now, and Fili and Kili still haven't sad a word to her and avoided her. It was really hurting her; she just couldn't understand what she had done wrong.
She spent the third day, holed up in the library, not seeing anyone, not even the elves. But doing that, she missed breakfast, luncheon and afternoon tea. Elrond himself came to drag her to dinner.
She sat next to Dwalin, in front of Fili and Kili. She kept shooting them pained and confused looks but neither did as much as glance at her. She couldn't eat but pecked at her food, just to not make anyone worry, hunger escaping her, as well as sleep. "Hey, don't worry your pretty head about them. They're just feeling guilty an don't know what to do." Dwalin whispered to her. So, she had been that obvious, huh? Taking a deep breath, she smiled weakly and nodded her thanks.
As soon as she was finished, she excused herself and fled to the comfort of her room, missing Dwalin's glare towards the boys and Elrond and Gandalf's worried glances.
But her room wasn't empty. The twins, Arwen and Aragorn were there. "What's wrong Bell? You've been avoiding us… Oh…" Arwen started before cutting herself as soon as she saw the tears on her friend's face. She ran to hug her, making the hobbit sob harder. "Tell us what happened?" Aragorn demanded when Bell had calmed a little. She explained the story to them and all four looked, not furious, but downright murderous.
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"I can't believe it! You protect them against their own stupidity, and they ignore you?! The gall of these dwarrows!" The she-elf yelled before she stomped away. Bell's eyes widened in panic. "No please stop her! I beg you stop her! She can't go and see them! Please!" She pleaded, crying again.
"I'll go. You two stay with Bell." The man told the twins before running after Elrond's daughter. She was in the dining room when he finally caught up, but she hadn't said anything yet.
"Stop it Arwen!" He yelled in Sindarin and she turned to face him, fury shining in her eyes. The dwarrows, Gandalf and Elrond looking confused. "They hurt her! They made her cry! I'll kill them myself. I swore to never see her cry anymore Aragorn!" She answered in the same tone and language, pointing at the young princes. "I know you did Arwen, I did too. I'm just as furious as you, and I'd love to kill them for what they put her through. But she begged! She begged us not to talk to them." He pleaded for her to hear reason, as Elrond's frown darkened with each word.
Arwen turned to glare daggers at the princes before leaving in long, angry strides to see her crying friend. Aragorn sighed in relief, before bowing to his adoptive father. "I'm sorry for the disturbance, my lord." Glaring one last time at Fili and Kili, he stormed after the angry elf.
"What is happening?" Ori asked, worried. Kili frowned, feeling that it had something to do with his One and himself and his brother, if he believed the glares shot their way. The Lord of Rivendell stood and excused himself. "I have to see what is going on. Please continue eating." And he left.
The company was confused about the hell just happened and were worried because they all sensed it had something to do with their princes and their burglar.
Once Elrond entered the hobbit's room, he found his furiously pacing daughter, Estel sitting, looking enraged, and his sons holding a crying Bell. "What happened?" He asked, steel in his voice, expecting the whole story. Elladan and Elrohir spat it all out, comforting the emotional hobbit.
He sighed, angry at the treatment of the girl he thought of as a niece, but reluctant to fight her battles. "Please Uncle Elrond, just forget it. I shouldn't have said anything. It doesn't matter." Bell said grimly. "Don't worry Bell, I won't do anything. Actually, none of us will do anything against the princes. This is between you and them, you will have to talk to them. But for now, we will leave you to rest." Before the protests even started, Elrond glared them into submission, and they did as they were bid.
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Thorin watched as his nephew exchanged guilty and worried glances. "Lads, what have you done? Even a blind dwarf could see their fury was directed at you two."
Fili gulped audibly before Kili explained. He told them what really happened with the trolls, his theory on the origin of her injury and of their guilt and silence.
Massing his temples, the king summarized. "Long story short, after the halfling covered you from my wrath by taking the blame of your idiocies, probably saved Kili from an arrow he never saw coming that was potentially lethal, you chose to ignore her?" At the timid nods of his nephew, irritated groans came from every member of the company except Dwalin who practically growled at them.
Pushing aside the personal need to strangle them both, he said with fake calm. "You are both going to find her and apologize. You can hope she forgives you. After that… We'll discuss your punishment." The boys shuddered, but nodded, determination filling their gazes.
After what looked like an hour of searching, they had to admit they were totally and utterly lost. But they would not let that keep her away from the apology they owed their hobbit. So, they asked an elf. Yes, they did. It would have been easier if they had done that at the beginning, but you should never underestimate dwarven pride.
Once in front of her door, they took deep breaths and knocked. A muffled "come in" was heard and they did as bid. Bell was lying on her stomach, her head in a pillow. They both kept silent, not really sure of how to start. Frowning at the stilled silence, the hobbit sat up and faced the disturber of her peace. Her eyes widened when she took in the sight of Fili and Kili guilt-ridden and worried, while their own eyes widened as they sighted her poor state.
"What did they say? Goodness, what did they do?" She fretted, watching them intently. They frowned. "Who they?" They asked and Bell let a sigh of relief before frowning a little. "No offense, but if they didn't do anything, why are you there?"
The boys looked at each other. "We're sorry Bell!" They cried out together. "We've been total idiots by ignoring you, but we felt so guilty!" Fili started. "And then you were shot to save me! We couldn't even look you in the eyes until we've felt like we had atoned ourselves to you. You could have died because of us! And then we've made it even worse by hurting your feelings. So here, you can hit us as much as you want!" Kili finished and they both bowed at the same time.
Bell was watching them, her jaw hanging, before she started tearing up and threw herself at them, hugging them hard. "I thought I lost my friends, you idiots! I thought I lost you." She sobbed in their arms. "Never Bell, never." Fili whispered in her hair.
He had been so happy for his brother when Kili had told him that she was his One. He didn't know the hobbit very well, but he did know that she was gentle, and yet fierce when needed, loyal and brave. If she was his baby brother's One, he would cherish her like a namad (sister). And now, he did have to admit she wormed her way into his heart, and he knew that even if she wasn't Kili's One, she would still be a sister to him.
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There! Chapter 6. I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter, the company leaves Rivendell and goes towards the Misty Mountains! There's not much Dwalin & Bell but this was mostly to introduce more romance between Kili and Bell and a little bit of brotherly Fili & Bell too. So many different relationships!
