Disclaimer: I don't own any familiar characters, and or anything pertaining to the world of the Hobbit. All, but my ocs, are owned by J.R.R Tolkien (who probably hates us for doing this to his work).

Chapter 20

To pass the time in between her job and training she asked Deamra to show her how to do needlepoint. She had watched Deamra do it often enough, when she came over to her apartment. It looked simple enough, Magdalen thought she could do it. She thought. After Deamra had showed her a few different stitches she had let Magdalen loose. She spent the last fifteen minutes stabbing her finger tips, and cursing loudly much to Deamra's dismay.

Magdalen finally had given up throwing her ringed fabric onto the bar where they had been working. Deamra continued her sewing, Magdalen tapped her fingers on the wood.

"I saw that you had a good time last night." She grinned at Deamra, remembering her and Ori dancing the whole night.

Deamra froze blushing deeply. She cleared her throat continuing on with her pattern.

"I had a nice time, it was nice of Mister Ori to ask me to dance." She said modestly.

Magdalen rolled her eyes at her friend. "Oh come on, he was practically drool when he saw you."

"He was just being nice,"Deamra scolded Magdalen.

Turning away from Magdalen, concealing her blush.

Magdalen snorted "Ori wanted to dance with you, Mra. Just you." She pointed out.

Deamra shook her head gently. "Magdalen you don't understand. Ori is high ranking dwarf, he could have any woman he wanted. He should marry someone in his station. He doesn't want a healer for a wife." She paused holding the cloth to her chest. Her sad eyes stared off in the distance. "He doesn't want me."

Magdalen reached out taking the rag from Deamra's hand, gaining her attention. Magdalen took hold of both her hands, making Deamra look in her eyes. "Deamra don't degrade yourself like that!" She exclaimed making the girl jump slightly.

Magdalen squeezed her hands together. "You are a beautiful intelligent dwarrowdam, worth more gold than any dwarf could ever find. Any dwarf would be lucky to have you as a wife."

Deamra looked away a small smile appearing on her red face. Magdalen continued "Ori doesn't want some air head who's only marrying him for his titles. Deamra, he wants you. You should have seen his eyes when he looked at you yesterday. He looked at you like I look at your mother's seed cake."

That made Deamra giggle, she took a deep breath moving her hands out of Magdalen's grip. She began picking at her nails. "Really?" Her voice soft, and fragile.

Magdalen nodded "Truly."

Deamra's frown turned into a bright grin, she jumped from the stool and began pacing the room running her fingers over the apron of her dress.

"What do I do now!" She bite her thumb nail.

Magdalen swirled in the stool following Deamra's cagey movements. She could have laughed at how comical her friend's erratic movements were, but she stayed silent. She leaned her elbow on the bar behind her.

"You could just tell him how you feel." She suggested.

Deamra glared at her, "I can't just tell him."Deamra spat, still pacing.

Magdalen contained her giggles. "Why not? He likes you, you like him. Seems pretty obvious to me."

"It's not that simple." Deamra said.

Magdalen rolled her eyes "Of course not, nothing is with you dwarves." She said amusingly.

Seeing Deamra's anxiety build up, Magdalen continued with her questioning.

"So what do you have to do in order to 'court' Ori?"

"If I want to court Ori I have to make him an offer."

"Like money?" Magdalen raised an eyebrow, dwarfing dating was so weird.

Deamra shook her head. "No no- Well some dwarves do offer money. But usually, if the offer is from a place of love, it is a gift. Like a piece of jewelry, or clothing. If he wears the gift, then that means he has accepted my offer of courting."

"What if hates my gift? What if someone makes him the same thing for an offer? What if another dwarrowdam he likes better makings an offer before me? Oh I bet that Airabell will she was practically hanging off him at the festival?" Deamra continued on with her insistent rant.

Magdalen's face was not impressed. "Always making things so complicated." She sighed to herself standing up.

She stood in front of Deamra holding her shoulders. "No matter what you make him, he would accept a thousand times over. I think you could give the guy a twig and he would kiss you right on the mouth."

Deamra was going to protest when Magdalen held up her hand. "Deamra he likes you. Like, likes you. My grandfather taught me many things, but the one thing he stressed was: you can imagine a thousand different outcomes of something, but you will never know which was right until you do it. So go and do it. I promise you won't be disappointed." Magdalen released the girl from her girl, going back to gather her horrible needle point work.

"Now I have a dinner date that I cannot miss. I will leave you too it." Magdalen left her stunned friend in the middle of her apartment.

She stopped when she touched the doorknob. "Ori was complaining the other day that his gloves were beginning to tear." She hinting over her shoulder before exiting the room, grinning like a madwoman.

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Magdalen could hear the joyous yells of the Ur children from the door where she had just knocked. She smiled to herself brushing at the hem the long tunic she wore. The door squeaked and she was met with the bombardment of three tiny bodies swarming her legs. She laughed coming to her knees so that the children could consume her in a hug.

"Miss Magdalen, we are so happy your here!" Daisy cheer pressing her round cheeks into Magdalen's chest.

"Mama and Papa made an extra special dinner for you!" Added Bomfur somewhat shyly as he looked up at the girl's face.

"Miss Magdalen, Miss Magdalen what story do you have for us tonight!" Rampur giggled nuzzling on her arm.

A deep laugh came from behind them. "Now child let go of our guest, she hasn't even made it into the door."

Magdalen looked up to met the amused eyes of Bofur, pipe in one hand, the other on his stomach. It was odd to see him without his signature hat, she had never seen him without it. His wavy dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, his mustache still pulled up into two upturned braids. Magdalen could see where Daisy inherited her dark hair, and dark hazel eyes.

The children slowly mumbled an apology, releasing Magdalen giving her space to enter their home, though Rampur took hold of her hand as soon as she stepped in.

"It is fine Mister Bofur. I have never received such a warm welcome before." She winked the kids.

Bofur held up his hand "Please you are a friend, just Bofur is fine." He offered her an inviting smile.

Magdalen bowed her head. "Well then Bofur, Maggie is fine."

Magdalen felt a pull on her hand. She looked down at Rampur's bright eyes "May we call you Miss Maggie."

The green eyes shone in the fire light, pulling at Magdalen's heart. She couldn't deny these children any.

"Of course, only my friends call me Maggie. And you are my friends." She told him.

He jumped with joy never letting her hand go.

"Children go help your mother set up the table, we will be in there in a moment."

The children listened to their father's command quickly filing into the doorway that must have lead into the dining area. Their apartment was similar to here's. Warm in design, but more lived in. Drawings of the odd family filled the walls. Toys piled in a small basket in the corner near their fireplace. Knitted blankets hung over the couch, a tiny wooden bassinet in front of it. The home felt like it was filled with love. Magdalen smiled.

"Thank you for coming, Maggie. The children were so excited yesterday, they could hardly go to sleep." Bofur laughed.

"Sorry about that."

Bofur shook his head. "I think they've grown tired of the same stories we tell them every night. It's nice to see them so excited. It's nice to see Daisy take so nicely to someone other than us and her brothers." He added.

"She's very shy, don't know where she got it from. My Poppy is nowhere near that shy, and I don't have a bashful bone in me. She doesn't take to well to strangers, other than a few people. It's heartwarming to see how well she's taken to you." Bofur had such sincerity in his voice.

Magdalen blushed. She, herself, had been shy as a kid. Going up on a farm she had never really gotten to hang out with kids her own age. She had her sister, her grandparents, and the animals. So the transition into school had been hard for her. Magdalen knew the weight of trying to make friends, but having no voice to do so. Before she could thank Bofur for his kind words, a feminine voice called.

"There you two are." Poppy appeared from around the doorway the children had disappeared in.

She glowed as she entered the room. Her belly was now full in her lavender dress, like she was going to burst at any moment.

"Supper is done, come on don't want it to get cold." Poppy waved them into the dining area.

Bofur bowed letting Magdalen go in first. Daisy, Bomfur and Rampur sat on one side of the table chattering among themselves. Well Daisy and Bomfur were, Rampur spoke quietly to himself playing with his silverware. Bofur pulled Magdalen's chair out for her, before doing the same for Poppy who sat down next to her. The warming smells of sweet breads, and meats filled the room.

"Everything smells delicious!" Magdalen smiled looking down at the colorful arrays of food before her.

"I helped with the mash potatoes." Rampur cried.

Poppy laughed at her son "Yes, helped me by making a mess."

Rampur grinned proudly.

"Well then I will have to have some of them." Magdalen said.

The Ur family quickly handed out their foods, falling into their routines. And Magdalen fell right in time. The conversations with the Monarchs of the Ur family felt natural, like talking with an aunt and uncle. They asked about her duties in the library, and how she was liking her stay. The children hung onto her every word.

"Do you have a home , Miss Maggie?" Rampur asked stuffing his mouth with corn. It seemed he and Kili shared dinner manners.

"Rampur!" Poppy warned her son.

"It's fine, really." She smiled gently at the other woman.

Magdalen turned to the children across from her. "I don't remember much about my home, before I came to Erebor." She answered.

A part of her hated lying to the kid. But she couldn't tell them the truth. Rampur dropped his fork, looking at Magdalen with his full attention.

"You don't remember your Mama and Papa?" A sadness drew on his face.

"I remember bits and pieces." She tried to explain to the child.

"You don't have a family here?" Bomfur added a sad tone rang in his childish voice.

"My family is very far away." She said gently not knowing how to make them feel better.

Before Bofur or Poppy could do anything, Daisy stood up from her chair coming around the table standing at Magdalen's side. She looked at her feet not meeting Magdalen's gaze.

"While you are away from your family, you could be a part of ours." She whisper.

Magdalen looked to Bofur and Poppy who looked equally as shocked as her. Daisy turned to her Dad crawling in his lap.

"I would be sad if I didn't have Papa and Mama, my brothers, and baby. Miss Maggie is probably sad without her family. I don't want Miss Maggie to be sad, Papa."

Bofur wrapped his arms around his daughter holding her under his chin, rubbing her back. "I think Daisy is right Poppy!"

Bofur stood up swinging his daughter around the table stopping in the space between Poppy and Magdalen.

"What do you say, want to be an honorary daughter of Ur?" He sat Daisy at his hip, who sat smiling at Magdalen.

Magdalen looked from Bofur to Poppy. "Are you okay with this?"

Poppy laughed rubbing her belly. "Well we already adding one to the family, what's one more." She cheered hugging her cross her chair.

"Can you just do that-I mean just adopt me into the family?" Her mind wandered to Thorin, he wouldn't be happy about this development.

"I am a dwarf of Thorin's Company. I have every right in Erebor to claim you as one of my own. Anyone who says otherwise, can take the issue up with me." Bofur took a serious tone.

The boys cheered saying they would beat up anyone who tried to say otherwise, until Poppy gave them a pointed look to make them hush.

"What do you say?" Bofur asked leaning in.

"Yes!" Magdalen rose from her chair hugging the father and daughter pair.

Soon Poppy and the boys joined the hug fest. Magdalen held back tears, for the first time since she fell through the looking glass she felt like she belonged. HEr heart still yearned for her real family, she knew that would never leave her. But in the arms of her adopted family, she felt safe and loved.

"Can I give her, he braid!" Bomfur exclaimed.

"No it was my idea, I want to do it." Daisy wiggled from Bofur's arms.

"I'm braiding it!" Claimed Rampur.

"You can't even braid your own hair." Bomfur retorted.

"Can too!" Rampur stomped his foot.

"Children, Children. None of you will be braiding her hair, that will be my job." Poppy quieted her kids.

The all sighed looking at little put off. Magdalen smiled when a lite bulb went off in her head. Sh leaned forward to speak to them directly.

"Why don't I tell you a story why your Mama braids my hair." The children cheered quickly pushing her into the leaving room. Hurrying their mother along, leaving Bofur to clean up the table.

Poppy took a seat on the fluffy couch motioning for Magdalen take the floor in front of her. Magdalen sat her herself between Poppy, feeling the warmth of her tiny body. Her nimble fingers ran through Magdalen's crazy mane. She was far gentler than Mysdora had been, electing not to pull and tug at the wavy locks. The children formed a semi circle around her, anticipating her story.

Magdalen relaxed into the woman's touch taking a deep breath before starting her tale.

"Once upon a time in a far off country called Spain there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand."

The children were hooked.

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"And for all I know he is sitting there still, under his favorite cork tree, smelling the flowers just quietly. He is very happy. " Magdalen quietly finished up her story amused at the sight of the three sibling fast asleep on top of one another.

Poppy had long ago finished the fine braid right behind Magdalen's left ear. Clamping it with a lavender bead, Ur clan bead that matched Poppy's. She sat back on the couch listening to the girl's tale, she understood why her children had come to love her stories so much. They were like anything she had ever heard before. Even in her life in the Shire she had never heard such fine stories. Magdalen tuned looking up at Poppy, her hand wandering to the braid in her hair.

Bofur had finished cleaning the dining room smoking his pipe by the fireplace. He stood gathering his children in his arms, telling the two women he would see them off to bed. Leaving Magdalen and Poppy alone. Magdalen stared at the fire, she couldn't find the right words for the emotion that filled her heart.

"Thank you, Poppy. I am glad to have you all." Her voice was heavy and filled with admiration.

Poppy reached down squeezing her shoulders. "I am glad you accepted. I will need help with those three, once this one comes along. I can already feel she is going to be a handful."

"How you know it's a girl?" Magdalen looked at the rounded belly hobbit.

Poppy held her stomach smiling down at it. "Mother intuition I guess. I've never been wrong." She winked at Magdalen.

Magdalen looked to where Bofur had disappeared from. "How did you two meet anyways? A hobbit and dwarf I would never have imagined." It was true The Hobbit had made no mention of Poppy or any other hobbit ladies that fell in love with dwarves.

"I came to Erebor, after it was reclaimed, with my family to help teach the dwarves and men how to farm the land in the valley. I had no intentions to fall in love when I came here. In fact I was suppose to start courting a young fellow when I came back to the Shire that following winter,"

"I meet Bofur two months after I came to Erebor. He was the strangest creature I had ever seen. And he infuriated me to know end, never ceasing to bother me when I did my work." She smiled at the distant memory.

"I wasn't bothering you my dearest little hobbit. I was trying to impress you with my skills." Bofur appeared around the doorway.

Poppy smiled rolling up to her feet waddling over to him. She smiled at her husband and then at Magdalen. "By his skills he means to say destroying every beet I tried to grow in the soil by stomping all over them." Poppy leaned into her husband's arms tugging on his mustache.

"I wasn't trying to destroy them I was trying to dance."

Poppy rolled her eyes. " I was so anger with him after that, I didn't speak to him for two weeks after that."

"Worst two weeks of my life. The moment I saw her I knew she was my one. I just wanted to be near her all the time, to get to know the beautiful hobbit." He kissed the side of his wife's head.

Poppy looked up at him love filling her eyes. "He left flowers at my door everyday over those two weeks. My father thought he was crazy, I thought it was sweet." She reaches up kissing her husband on the lips.

"We married that spring, and got pregnant with the twins soon after." Poppy finished their story starring a look of admiration and adoration with her husband.

Magdalen felt her heart pound at the story imagining her own fairytale. She didn't do that often, but it was nice to think of a boy doing anything like that for her. The three adults stayed up for a while, talking and sharing drinks of ale. Other than poppy who opted for some water instead.

Magdalen stood thanking the two for everything. Poppy held her in an embrace telling her, she would have to stop by for dinner with her new family once a week. Bofur held the girl whispering that if anyone spoke to her the ring way or anyone gave her a wrong look to let him know, that he would take care of it. Magdalen's heart swelled waving at the couple as she strolled away from the Ur family's homestead.

Her hand ran over her braid and the charm in it, smiling like a fool as she felt a sense of belonging. Thorin has said she would never be a dwarf and that may have been true. But she did belong here, she had friends here, now she had a family. It was strange knowing in a few months she would leave this world behind for her home. It kind of saddened her thinking of saying goodbye to everyone. But that was months away she would enjoy her time in Erebor while she still could.

Still caught up in her daydream she did not she the dwarf walking down the steps as she ran into him. She chest connected with his arm, making her stumble back. The dwarfs arms shot out grabbing her before she could fall. She blinked looking up to see the face of Fili. He smirked at her.

Bastard.

"I think you do this just to wind up in my arms." He remarked his grip on her still tight.

She narrowed her eyes standing up brushing him off. "I can see where Kili gets his cockiness from." She retorted with a playful air about her that she wasn't use to having around him.

Fili found that it liked it very much.

A bright smile still illuminated his face. Her heart contoured, like it had that day she had gotten Dwalin to train her.

"I taught him all my best moves." Fili winked.

Magdalen took a deep breath rolling her eyes as she strolled pasted him. Fili followed in her wake.

"Where are you going?" He question stepping in tandem with her.

"Back to my apartment." She answered shortly.

They had agreed to be friends, but Magdalen wasn't too sure about it now. Did it mean he would always be this close to her? Don't act like that's such a bad idea, have you seen his body? The devil on her shoulder said.

Shut up.

"Let me escort you back, shouldn't be walking around Erebor alone this late anyways." He said.

She groaned internal she was going argue that she was capable of walking herself back, when she remembered that they were making efforts to be kinder to one another.

"I'm fine really, Fili." She said gently.

He froze, she wondered why he did so until she had realized what she had done. She had never called him by his name. She found that she liked it.

"I'm your friend now Magdalen, let me do this." His voice had a softness to it. She couldn't resist saying yes.

She nodded turning at the edge of the hall to climb the set of stairs. The first part of their journey was spent in quiet, until Magdalen could no longer stand it.

"What's your favorite color?" She asked looking at the prince beside her.

Fili scrunched his nose. He looks like Kili when he does that. "If we are going to be friends we should know a little about each other." Magdalen informed him taking another step.

Fili slowly nodded, breaking his gaze away from her. He didn't answer for a moment, there was a beat of silence between them. She thought he wasn't going to speak, so she settled back into her silent steps.

"Red." He answered shortly not looking at her.

She smiled at the ground. "I thought you were going to say blue. It seems to all the Durin's favorite color." She teased him slightly.

Fili let out a breathy laugh. "Blue is our family color."

Magdalen hummed. "What is yours?"Fili asked.

She fingered the charmed hanging off her chain. "Green."

"What is that?" He caught sight of a charm hanging from her hair.

A strange thought wandered into his mind, had she began courting someone. His fist clenched, not taking a moment to look at the clamp around the end of the braid. Behind the ear was reserved for family and lovers only, who had she allowed to braid her hair. Her slender fingers roamed over the braid, feeling the fine hair. She smiled to herself, that only added to his rage. He took a deep breath.

"Bofur and Poppy gave it to me, Daisy thought I needed a family here." Her voice held a softness he had never heard before.

He was taken back by the revelation. Bofur and Poppy had offered her a place in their family, that was going to present some problems with some dwarves.

She noticed his shifting thoughts."You think Thorin will make me take it out?" She inquired.

"I doubt he will like the idea of you belonging to a family in Erebor. But you have been taken in by the Ur family, I doubt he would say anything to anger them. They are a stubborn bunch of people." He laughed.

Magdalen nodded satisfied her hand still on her braid. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, watching a grin spread on her face. Suddenly visions of Lord Amrus holding her, whispering into her sandy curls flushed through. He shifted uncomfortably. Magdalen noticed this stopping midstep.

"What's wrong?"

He stopped on the step above her, making him taller than her for once. Her eyes glowed in the faint light. He sighed running his hand over his neck.

"About the other night, with Lord Amrus." She straightened up at the name. He continued "If he made any inappropriate actions toward you, I can tell Thorin." He said slowly hoping not to offend her.

Magdalen stared at him for a moment, before snapping back to reality passing Fili on the stairs faster than before. Fili quickly followed her pace, he reached out cupping her elbow.

"Magdalen, Dwalin was seething when he left you. I thought he was going to take Lord Amrus's head off." Fili looked up at Magdalen.

She huffed. "Fili, I have been through a lot in my life. I can handle an old man ogling me, he's harmless. I don't want to make any more trouble than I already have."

"Please Fili, just let it go. I'm asking as a friend." She plead with him.

She felt Fili squeezed her elbow before slipping his touch away. "Fine but he says anything more to you. Just tell me, and I will make sure it stops."

Magdalen smiled at the offer. She told hold her own, she had proven that time and time again. But it was nice to have people in her corner, to know that she didn't have to handle things alone. Like she did back home. She inclined her head.

"I promise. Now come on, I'm tired. I'm not going to wait on you old man." She winked at him turning to head up the stairs.

Fili stood there for a second, feeling his face heat up. He grinned watching as she took strides up the stairs, feeling like a foolish dwarf who just came to maturity.

I promise Dushin Mizim

"You coming?" She looked over her shoulder, her new braid framing the side of her face.

"Coming." He called making his way to her.

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ThatOtherWriterGirl: All will be revealed in due time ;)

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I really am glad you all are liking the story so far. I'm sorry for all the grammar mistakes, I'm trying to clean things up as I go. But in the mean time bear with me!