Liliana didn't know what she had been expecting when she had awoken the next morning, but it definitely hadn't been giant bees floating around. They were three to four times the size of normal bees.

One had landed right next to Thorin, who was still sleeping. He woke with a start as the bee hovered above him, and Liliana bit back a laugh at the look of sheer terror that was on the dwarf's face.

"The mighty Thorin Oakenshield, frightened of a bee." Liliana teased him as the insect flew off, causing Thorin to grumble in irritation. "If you tell anyone, I shall vehemently deny it. Why are they so big anyway?"

"I don't really know," Liliana responded as Thorin sat up, plucking bits of straw from out of his hair. "Maybe it's something that they eat."

"It seems like witchcraft to me."

"Thorin, Beorn is a shapeshifter, not a warlock." Looking around, Liliana saw that the others were already up and gone, and she could hear chatter from the main part of the house. "Come, let's go and join the others."

Beorn seemed to be in a much better mood that morning, and he was in his human form as well. Liliana apologized profusely for hitting him on the nose with the hilt of her sword the night before.

Beorn assured her that she didn't need to apologize for it. "When I am in my bear form, I tend to lose control very easily. It was strange enough to see a halfling with this Company, but a half-breed? I'm surprised that none of them have tried to slaughter you in your sleep."

"In the beginning, I'm sure that a fair amount of them would have wanted to try, but didn't want to have to face the wrath of Gandalf. Thankfully we are all on much better terms with each other."

"Indeed." He looked pointedly at Thorin, who stared back at him for a moment before looking back at Liliana. "I need to go and gather some more berries for breakfast, would you help me please?"

Beorn didn't speak again until they were in his garden, far out of earshot of the others. "The dwarven king cares a lot about you."

Liliana shrugged her shoulders as she picked some strawberries, placing them in a large wicker basket. "He hated me when we first met, I think that we're friends now."

"Based on the way that he looks at you, I think that he considers you to be much more than just a friend."

Liliana looked at the shapeshifter in surprise. "What on Middle-Earth would make you say that?"

"He looks at you in the way that someone might look at their lover. Are you sure that a friend is all that he sees you as?"

"Beorn, when we first met, he wanted to kill me. We couldn't just go from enemies to lovers so quickly."

"You have all been on a long journey, you have gone through many trials together, I've seen people fall in love over less."

"Beorn, Thorin is not in love with me, I can assure you of that."

"You keep on trying to tell me that Thorin Oakenshield is not in love with you, but not once have you told me that you are not in love with him.

"Trakko." Liliana cursed under her breath. Was she in love with Thorin? She had to admit that she hadn't started off on the best foot with Thorin, but over time, she had started to see why the dwarves looked up to Thorin, why they respected him as king. Thorin was a natural-born leader, and it was clear that he cared about the members of his Company, he treated them like they were his blood.

Liliana sighed softly. "It's complicated, Beorn. Someone like me, they are not meant to find love, to get a happy ending. I should thank my lucky stars that I've even lived for this long. I have been rejected by nearly everyone that I have come across. Once Thorin reclaims Erebor, dwarves from all over will come flocking, he will have his pick of women, he wouldn't want someone like me, someone…"

"Monstrous?" Beorn finished her sentence with a raised eyebrow. "You are many things, Liliana Stonehelm. Fierce, a warrior, kind, loyal, but one thing that you are not is a monster, you are not some abomination of nature." Beorn placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with kindness. "I was in love with a woman once, she was a shapeshifter herself. I looked at her the same way that Oakenshield looks at you. He may not realize the feelings that he has for you yet, but he will eventually, and he will think himself a fool for not seeing it sooner."

Suddenly, Beorn's eyes flicked towards the house. "In fact, he is probably considering himself a fool at this very moment."

"What do you mean?" Liliana followed Beorn's gaze and she saw Thorin standing a little bit away from them, but it was clear that he had heard every word that had been said.

"I'll let the two of you talk." Beorn took the basket from Liliana and walked towards the house, whispering something in Thorin's ear as he passed.

Thorin looked almost scared for a brief moment before he regained his composure.

"How much did you hear?" Liliana asked, there was a tiny hope in her that maybe he hadn't actually heard anything.

However, that tiny hope was soon vanquished.

"I heard everything," Thorin admitted.

"Thorin, whatever you heard, you don't need to worry about it." Even after what Beorn had said, Liliana didn't think that Thorin harbored any feelings of affection for her, why should he? "We can just forget that this ever happened."

Liliana turned to walk back towards the house, but Thorin grabbed her arm, stopping her. "You may be able to forget, but I cannot." His voice was soft, and didn't have its usual tone of gruffness. "The shapeshifter...he had a point."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Even back when I treated you so awfully, there was...there was something about you, something that attracted me to you. I think that was one of the reasons why I was so terrible towards you. I didn't want to believe that I was in love with someone who had elven blood, it would have caused shame on my family. But as the days went on, I realized that my feelings about you were only growing stronger. Balin was the first one to point it out to me, and at first, I refused to see it, called him a daft old man. Now I see that he was right."

"Thorin…" Liliana could scarcely believe that this was happening. Thorin...Thorin was in love with her? Maybe Beorn knew what he was talking about after all then.

Thorin pulled Liliana closer to himself, gripping her hands in his own. "I know that I haven't treated you in the most honorable way, but I was hoping that you might forgive me, and at least give me a chance."

"Thorin…" Liliana looked up into his eyes, feeling her heart beat a million beats per second. Thorin leaned in, and their lips connected. Liliana wrapped her arms around Thorin's neck, and his moved towards her waist.

Balin and Gandalf were watching the two, each of them having a knowing grin on their wizened faces.

"We knew that this would happen eventually, Balin," Gandalf commented, and Balin nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, and now over half of the Company owes us money."

Gandalf laughed lightly at that, and the two men walked back into the house, giving the new lovers some privacy.

Trakko: Sindarin for 'shit'