A/N: Good news: This chapter is almost 30 pages long. The bad news: You're going to need a tissue or something for the final scene. I'm sorry :(

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Will tugged a string through a metal hoop, tugging on it to bring the front end up a kite almost level with its already-strung tail. Leaning back, he checked to see if it looked alright and, judging it to be fine, he tied it off. He stepped off the stool and tucked it behind the counter before moving to restock some of the shelves with toys.

Bofur came out into the main room, holding a large crate of toy horses. "Lad, do ya remember how many o' these horses we sold yesterday?" he questioned, setting the box down. He started to line one of the lower shelves with the horses while Will filled the top shelves with the wooden puzzles he had carved during the last two weeks.

"About fifteen," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"We're gettin' low in our supply," he answered. "So I'm thinkin', with how good you've gotten with the puzzles, I'll start havin' ya carve the animal figures. O' course, like the puzzles, I don't expect ya t' be proficient with it right away; I'll help ya while ya learn."

Will rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I'll have t' get myself a proper kit o' tools," he told him. "The puzzles were fine for what I've got, because they don't require much detail. But the animals have got a lot o' small detail that I just can't do with my large tools."

Bofur nodded in understanding. "Well, don't you worry about a thing," he assured him. "I'm sure you'll find the proper tools." There was a hint of amusement to his voice, letting Will know that he had been up to something.

Cocking his brow, Will glanced down at the dwarf. "Aye, I'm sure o' it too." He looked over at the window, where there were around a dozen little faces peering in from outside. A group of young boys had their cheeks and noses pressed against the glass as they eyed a small barrel filled with various sizes of wooden swords. A little girl next to them had the largest grin on her face as she stared at one of the rocking horses –or was it the rocking sheep?- bringing about a tender smile came to Will's lips as he saw them.

A small chuckle left Bofur's mouth as he saw the look on his face. "Just think lad, you'll have a wee lad or lass o' your own in a couple o' months that you can make toys for!"

Will's cheeks darkened. "Aye. I still need t' find a proper ring for Adela. Nothin' here in Dale seems good enough, though. Then again, what I can afford an' what's good enough for her are entirely different things…" He rubbed the back of his neck before crossing the shop and rearranging some of the picture books so that they were in order of height.

"Have ya tried Erebor, lad?"

He shook his head. "No. I've only been to your home to visit Baylee."

"Well, why don't ya ask Bifur or one o' my nephews to show you around the market while you're there tomorrow? There's lots o' different jewelry sold there an' all of them tend t' be a wee bit cheaper than what you find here, because they're bein' sold by the makers, not a secondhand party."

Will's brow rose again. "Is that so?"

"Aye! That's where a lot o' merchants make their profits," explained Bofur. "O' course they have t' raise the price on things because not only do they have t' pay the craftsmen for their work, but they have to be able t' turn a profit themselves. Haven't ya ever wondered why foreign goods cost so darned much?" He shook his head. "You'll be able t' find somethin' in Erebor for sure, lad. Just have Bifur take you around; he's friends with a few o' the ring makers, so he could even get ya a good deal."

"I may just do that then," he smiled, "because…Da' wants the two o' us married before she gives birth. Apparently he an' mum had a hard enough time when Baylee an' I were born…"

Bofur frowned slightly. "What's tha' supposed t' mean?"

"Mum an' dad weren't married when we were born," he chuckled. "Da' had gone off t' Rohan to ask for mum's hand in marriage. Apparently, he didn't get back until we were two months old an' there were rumors about da' having just left her. O' course, anyone who knew dad smashed those rumors to bits, but still. Dad was right surprised when he came back an' found us. Surprised, but overjoyed."

"Huh. Would have never guessed; I mean, you two are such lovely people after all," Bofur joked. He looked at the window. "Hm. Should we let the wee ones in now or should we let 'em wait a bit longer?"

Will looked out at all the eager faces. Some of them were pouting at the two males, as if knowing that they were debating whether or not they should open the store. Some were too busy looking at the toys while the rest wore large grins.

"Look at the poor things," he said, looking at the dwarf. "Let's let 'em in."

Bofur grinned. "Good plan."

Going over to the window, he turned the sign around so that it read 'open'. Almost instantly, the children outside burst into small, victorious cries and, as he unlocked and opened the door, they came hurrying in.

Later that day found the two of them heading to the Full Tankard for lunch. They were discussing how good their sales had been during the first half of the day and about what toys they were running out of. Not surprisingly, the tug-along animals as well as the rocking critters were still in high demand –Bofur had even received a custom order for a rocking bear.

"At least they didn't ask for real fur," Will joked as he pushed open the inn door.

"Oh, aye –that'd be hard t' put on the thing," Bofur agreed. "It'll be hard enough t' make with a bear's proportions an' all. They're so wide 'round the middle an' stocky on the limbs."

"Sort o' like a dwarf, wouldn't you say?" There was a cheeky grin on his face as Bofur looked up at him.

Bofur cracked up. "That's a good one," he cackled. He laughter abruptly ceased as he saw Warren sitting across from King Bard. Both had bowls of soup in front of them as they spoke quietly to one another; Warren had an intense look of concentration on his features. "Well, that's unexpected…"

Will tilted is head. "Wonder why Bard's here?" he murmured, going behind the bar. "Well, it's none o' our business. So, what'll be? Ale or cider?"

"You know, I think I'll have a cider," Bofur told him. "What do you want t' eat?"

"Hmm…It's been awhile since I've had chicken, so I think I'll have one o' those," he replied. "An' maybe some fried potatoes."

Nodding, Bofur headed towards the kitchen doors. "Chicken an' fried potatoes, Got it. Oh, an' before I forget…" He fumbled around with something on his belt before tossing it the human, who caught it. "There's your week's pay," he smiled. He disappeared into the kitchen to tell Galiene or Demelza what they wanted.

Will stared at the bag he had caught. It obviously had coin in it -he could hear them clinking against each other-but there was something else within. It was long and thick with strange bumps. Confusion filling him, he picked the bag up with the two mugs of cider and carried them over to a table before he peeked inside to see what it was.

Once he sat down, he untied the bag and dumped its contents onto the tabletop. Gold, silver, and copper coins fell onto the wood with a clatter, which didn't surprise Will too much. What did surprise him, though, was a roll of burlap. To most people, it would have been an odd thing to find, but to a carpenter like Will, he knew exactly what it was: A set of fine carving tools.

He unfurled the toolkit, his jaw falling slightly slack as he looked over the tools. Pulling out one of the chisels, he could see geometric patterns delicately carved into the handle –dwarven work. The blade was tiny compared to the large, bulky chisels he was used to using for building houses, but as he tested it out on the edge of the table (he would sand the groove out later), he found it to be very sharp. Pulling out another tool, a rasp, he gawked at how fine its teeth were; he was almost certain he wouldn't need to file whatever he was working on to make it smooth.

"Well, how do ya like it, lad?" Bofur sat down across from him, munching on a biscuit. By the sheepish he wore, he had stolen it without one of the cooks catching him; Will knew, regardless, he would pay for it.

"Are you jokin'?" Will asked, his tone all-too serious. "A week's pay an' a fine set o' woodworking tools!? The tools alone are worth three month's pay!"

Bofur smiled in a way that let Will know that he didn't care about the tools as much as him. "Lad, you're a fine woodworker, a good helper, an' you've become a great friend. Consider it a gift." He took a drink from his cider, not caring much about the slight bit of foam that was caught in is mustache. "Just make sure ya put 'em t' good use, aye? I'm sure you can' test 'em on those toys you'll be makin'."

The dwarf suddenly let out a yelp as Will came to his side of the table and lifted him up in a big hug.

Warren rubbed the back of his neck as he sat by himself in the laundry room, his feet dangling over the edge of one of the open-air walls. He stared out at The Lonely Mountain, which dominated his view, and let out a quiet sigh. Tomorrow, he would be traveling to Erebor with Will and Bofur so that they could see Baylee and Lovisa. It would be their first visit since the two females had left and he was hoping that their injuries had healed at least partly.

What he wasn't entirely looking forward to was the awkward conversation he knew that would have to take place.

He was pulled from his thoughts as the door opened and Will stepped in. "So this is where you've been hidin'," he son said. "I was lookin' all over for you."

Managing a small smile, Warren patted Will on the back as he sat down. "Were ya now?"

"Aye. I'm surprised you're not in your smithy, to be honest."

"Ah…Today's not a day for craftin'," he admitted. "Especially since we'll be seein' your sister tomorrow." He looked at Will, an almost pitying appearing on his features as he saw the scars –both new and old- lining his son's face and neck. It was hard for him, knowing that Will –and now Baylee- were forced to wear such reminders of battle. "How's Adela doin'?"

Will nodded lightly. "Better. Uncle gave her some herbs t' eat with her breakfasts that help t' ease the nausea."

"Good," he smiled. "It's a shame she's been gettin' so sick…Hopefully the herbs will kick in an' she'll be able to get her appetite back. Can't have her losin' weight when she's eatin' for two."

"Or three."

Warren gave him a look. "You think she may be with twins?"

He shrugged. "Hard t' say, da'. Mum an' Aunt Demelza were twins, Baylee an' I were twins –what's t' say that Adela's not carryin' twins?"

"I'm no doctor, but I think twins are more likely if you're the daughter o' a twin," he snickered. "After all, it's not us lads who carry the babies."

Will gave his father a look. "You never know. Maybe it's the curse o' the family –the males get the women pregnant before marriage and, in retaliation, the women pop out twins?" he snorted. "At least, I hope t' be married before Adela gives birth."

"Still wantin' to do it durin' the harvest festival then?"

He nodded. "It's where we first met ten years ago. Why not get marred during it?" He smiled, looking out over the city. "An' I'm damned glad I met her."

Warren smiled; he was happy that his son had found someone that loved him as much as Adela did. "I'm glad, too –even if ya didn't tell me 'bout her right away."

A sheepish look came to his face. "Well, she is the daughter o' your rival…"

At that, Warren frowned. "Not anymore. If'n he kicks her out o' his home for such a petty reason, he doesn't deserve her for a daughter. It's bad enough tha' he tried to flirt with your mum while he was married…" He shook his head. "He's a rotten piece o' meat, he is. I would never kick you or Baylee out because either o' you were in love."

"An' that's all the more reason why we love ya, da'," Will grinned. "An' why Adela is so thankful t' have you as a father-in-law." He brushed some loose strands of hair from his face before bringing his knee up to his chest.

Warren smiled. "So how's your day been?"

"Actually, it's been pretty nice. Lots o' customers at the shop today; we sold out o' a few toys."

"That's good!" he grinned. "Guess Bofur's goin' t' have to work extra hard since Bifur's off in Erebor for a bit."

Will shook his head. "He's havin' me start on actual toys. I'll be making the stationary wooden animals," he told his father. "That git even got me a fine set o' woodworking tools!"

Warren stared at him. "He did what?!" Will nodded only to lurch forward as his father heartily patted him on the back. "Well, congratulations on the promotion, lad!" he laughed.

A shy grin came to Will's face. "I'm really likin' it. I still get t' carve wood, but I don't have t' get worn out or deal with my shoulder all o' the time like I had to when I was workin' on houses. 'Course, I'll still make furniture every now an' then…"

"I'm glad you've found somethin' you like an' can keep doin', lad," Warren sincerely stated. "For a while, I was worried 'bout you –you had worked yourself weary from all the rebuildin' o' Dale an' Esgaroth an' then you took up the job o' protectin' the trading caravans…I didn't think you'd ever find something ya could be content with."

Will quietly laughed and patted his dad on the back. "Ah, I mostly went with the caravans because I wanted t' see what Dorwinion was like," he confessed. "It's been so long since we've gotten t' see much greenery 'round here; it just felt so…depressing."

"Ah, but life's coming back t' Dale an' Erebor," Warren assured him. "Why, this was one o' the greenest years we've had in my memory! Ol' Bard confided in me earlier tha' the output o' the farms around the city an' mountain have produced four times as much crop as they did last year! Four times, Will! Can ya imagine how much food we'll have durin' the winter? For the first time in nearly five years, we won't have t' worry about runnin' out!"

A large grin spread across his face. "That's amazing! Is any o' it going down t' Lake Town?"

He nodded. "Aye –'bout a quarter o' it. They've not had as good o' a crop, so Bard wants t' make sure that they'll have enough food." He leaned back slightly, stretching his arms above his head. "He's also goin' t' save a quarter o' it for the festival. It's going to be an enormous festival this year, lad: It's the anniversary o' our victory over the goblin an' warg armies."

"So is that why he was here earlier? To talk about the crop and festival?"

For a moment, his father was silent. He didn't look at his son; rather, he slowly scanned the city that lay below them and the mountain that lay before the city. "Partly," he finally admitted. "He told me that we'll have t' have the main part o' the celebration out in the field."

Will narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Partly?" he repeated. "Why else was he here? Was he tryin' t' make you his advisor again?"

He shook his head. "No, nothin' like that…He just…Well…" He rubbed the back of his neck again.

Will could tell by his stumbling over words that he was confused about the situation. Setting his hand on his father's shoulder, he gave him a small smile of reassurance. "Ya can tell me, dad."

"I know, lad," Will quietly laughed. "It's just…an odd situation he put me in." He scratched the back of his neck yet again. "Bard came t' ask if he could…court your sister."

Will's jaw fell slack and he stared at his father in total disbelief. "Hvað í nafni Manwë!?" he whispered, using the native tongue of Lake Town.

Warren slowly nodded. "Exact words I used," he mumbled.

Regaining his composure, Will rubbed his face. "What did ya tell him?"

He let out a heavy sigh and slumped forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "I consented."

His brows furrowed slightly; he knew this would pose a potential problem. Not only was Baylee courting Bofur, but Will knew that, for many years, his older sister had harbored feelings for him. She had almost won him, too, but she had spoken too late. What didn't help, either, was that Bard had been one of the foremost proponents against Thorin and his company venturing to Erebor and still harbored a small grudge against them.

Bard, however, was a good man. He didn't let this grudge affect any of his judgments or interactions with the remaining members of the company; in fact, Will remembered him joking with Bofur and Dwalin on the way back to Dale. He also had a kindness few men of power could be said to have, which was why Baylee had fallen for him in the first place. She even still admitted that Bard would be the most handsome man in the city if only he smiled more…

"Will? Are ya alright?"

Blinking, Will looked at his father as he was pulled out of his thoughts. "Pardon?"

"Are you alright, lad? Ya went all quiet for a few minutes there…" Warren wore a concerned frown as he looked his son over. "An' ya look a bit paler."

He managed a half-smile. "I'm just a bit surprised is all," he admitted. "I mean…Bard, our king, fancies Baylee…"

"Well…he admitted he would have taken her as his wife earlier, but she didn't seem interested. It was after he proposed t' Gelvira tha' he found out 'bout her feelings." He shrugged lightly.

Will quietly gulped, glad that his father didn't hear it. 'This is bad,' he thought. 'If Baylee still holds any affections for Bard, Bofur could get his heart ripped in two. From what I've heard, he's already suffered one loss of a lover; I don't want it to happen to him again…I think Bofur would be better for her anyway in the long run.'

Warren patted Will on the back as he stood up. "C'mon, lad," he told him. "It's nearly time for dinner an' the girls could use a bit o' help with the patrons."

"I'll be there in a minute," Will assured him. "Just need a bit more fresh air before I head back in." He wore a convincing smile as his father nodded and left. Inside, however, he didn't feel so confident. 'I need to tell Bofur about this…'

The door to Baylee's room was slowly pushed open by two pairs of small hands. Buruz and Grid poked their heads into the room, peering through the dim light of early morning, trying to see if their human guest was awake or not. They saw her across the room, fast asleep in her bed with her crutches leaning against the wall. Matching mischievous grins spread across their young faces and they slowly tiptoed their way to the bed.

Grid softly giggled, earning a sharp, but silent, reprimand from her brother. His brows furrowed together, he held his index finger to his lips before slowly using the other hand to do a countdown. When he lowered the third finger, they both let out loud cries and jumped onto the bed.

They were confused to find out that their victim was nothing more than pillows arranged under a blanket. Looking at each other in confusion, they held up the pillows and blankets, trying to figure out what had gone wrong with their plan.

"She turned into pillows?" Buruz suggested, speaking in their native tongue.

"Can she do that?" Grid asked. "Is she a wiza-"

"RAWR!"

Both children shrieked in surprise and delight as Baylee suddenly leapt out of the shadows. As she crawled onto the bed, they laughed and tried to crawl away, but she managed to grab Buruz's leg.

"Gotcha!" she grinned. Pulling him towards her, she pinned him to the bed and started to tickle him.

"Grid!" he laughed, trying to fend away Baylee's tickling hands. "Grid! Nahubu!"

Grid rose up on her knees and grabbed one of the pillows. Laughing, she moved to hit Baylee with it, but the older female blocked the blow with her arm. "Let him go!" she giggled. "Or else get more hit!"

Baylee looked over at her, chuckling. "I don't know, lass…tha' sounds more like you want t' get tickled!" She leaned over and started to tickle Grid's sides. The little girl fell over in a fit of giggles; she proved a good distraction, for Buruz was able to slip away and he leapt onto Baylee's back.

"Got you!" he victoriously declared.

"Oh?" Baylee reached behind them both and started to tickle his bare foot.

He squirmed, doing his best to not laugh as he tried to get his foot out of her grip. "Grid!"

"Trying!" Grid giggled, though she was finding it difficult to get away from the tickling.

Baylee grunted as she was suddenly forced face-first into the mattress as a second child –Sanna- jumped onto her back. Seconds later, she felt the weight of Grid joining her brother and sister as the two of them kept the human pinned down.

"I see someone's feeling especially healed today," Gerdi laughed, seeing the human being used as a cushion for her children.

"Just a –ack- wee bit," Baylee replied, her voice muffled by the blankets. "Startin' t' regret it though. I forgot how they like t' team up on me like this!" She tried to push herself up, but as small as they were, the dwarven children were quite heavy.

Gerdi clapped her hands. "Alright, you three, time to eat! Adad has your breakfast ready."

"Awww…But were playin'!" Grid pouted. Regardless, she, Buruz, and Sanna climbed off of Baylee.

"We'll play more later," Baylee promised as she sat up. She did her best to hide any signs of pain from the children as she felt her hip protest a bit. Knowing full well that she shouldn't have done such a thing, she felt no remorse about finally getting the children back for their constant early-morning wake up calls. "You three need t' go eat so ya can get t' be big, strong dwarves!"

Buruz grinned cheekily. "Will be big like Mister Dwalin!" he told her. "Bigger beard, too!"

"Oh, I'm sure o' it," she chuckled. "Now go on, go eat. I'll see ya three in a while." With an affectionate smile, she watched as the three children ran out of the room.

Gerdi lightly shook her head, chuckling. "It's a shame they don't like ya," she joked.

"Oh, aye. Doesn't help that I'm utterly horrible with children, either," Baylee teased back. "Sorry about all the yellin' though. Didn't expect 'em to be that loud this early in the mornin'."

Gerdi dismissively waved her hand. "Bifur an' Lovisa are already awake, so I doubt they minded." She went over to Baylee's trunk, starting to sort through the clothes to find what was dirty and what was clean. "Now, Lovisa's in the bath right now, but it'll be open after breakfast," she told her, "an' since Lovisa is goin' t' go t' the market with Bifur later, I'll help ya out with that."

Baylee nodded in understanding. "An' by the time I'm done in there, papa, Will, an' Bofur should be here," she finished, watching as Gerdi refolded her clean clothing. "The brown hose can be used for scrap cloth; there's a nasty rip in them."

"Well then, it seems we'll also have to fit you for some new clothing!" she chuckled. "You've only one pair o' hose left an' only one pair o' trousers. An' don't get me started on how you've only three dresses…"

Her cheeks turned a bit pink. "I had more, but the rest were lost durin' the raid…"

An apologetic look came to the dwarf's face. "I'm sorry, love," she told her. "Luckily, clothes are easily replaceable. With that said, I know a wonderful seamstress –she makes the most gorgeous clothing, whether it's for everyday or formal occasion." Going over to the wall, she plucked up Baylee's crutches and helped ease the girl to her feet. "Slowly now; those badgers o' mine weren't gentle on you this morning."

A soft hiss left the human's mouth. "It's my fault, really," she told her. "But I really wanted t' get 'em back for all the mornings they didn't let me sleep in."

Gerdi quietly laughed. "Understandable, love. Hm." She held up a lock of Baylee's hair. Thanks to various concoctions used by dwarves to make their hair long and thick, Baylee's ashy locks had grown quite some inches in just a couple of weeks; it currently reached just below her shoulder blades. "Your hair is growin' back faster than I expected," she beamed. "It'll be down to your knees in no time!"

Baylee rolled her eyes and laughed. "I don't think I need it that long," she lightly objected. "It'd get in the way at work." She and Gerdi started to leave the room, Baylee hobbling behind on her crutches.

Gerdi shrugged. "That's your choice," she assured her. "It'll be gorgeous either way."

Her cheeks turned pink. "I doubt that. It's just sort o'…plain."

"Oh, don't be silly! Your hair is lovely!" Gerdi lightly patted her arm. "It'll be even prettier when it finishes growin' back, love."

Knowing it was useless to argue, Baylee merely chuckled and began the task of maneuvering herself down the stairs. 'My hair isn't nearly as pretty as hers or as Lovisa's,' she thought. 'Even Will has better hair than me…'

Soon enough, she had conquered the stairs and had made her way into the dining hall, where Gerdi's family was already gathered. Sitting down at the table, she glanced around only to find that Baraz was missing. For a moment, she thought that maybe he was in the kitchen, helping Berez and Bombur, but as the two of them came out, arms laden with plates of griddlecakes, eggs, bacon, slices of ham, and other such breakfast foods, she saw that she was wrong. She had wanted to thank him for the crutches he had crafted for her.

"Where's Baraz at?" she questioned as Lovisa sat down across from her.

"He had some errands in the market," Biriz answered as he stole the plate of bacon from his father. Grabbing a large handful, he dumped them on his plate before passing the plate to Bifur. "He'll be back later t' see Uncle Bof."

She nodded in understanding. Grabbing the bowl of fried potatoes, she served herself a hearty spoonful before leaning back and passing it off to Gerdi, who dished out potatoes to Grid and Sanna. "That works. I just wanted to thank him for the crutches." She reached out and snatched up the pot of peppered gravy and she coated her potatoes with it. In the short time she had been in the Ur household, she had learned that if she wanted something, she had to grab it fast.

Lovisa's hand darted out, snatching up one of the larger biscuits before Bifur could grab it. 'Too slow,' she teasingly signed as he gawked at her. To assert her victory, she took a bite out of the biscuit.

His brow rose. "Will get revenge," he grinned. He glanced as Biriz stole up the bowl of fruit as Grid was trying to get it. Frowning, he lightly thwacked him atop the head with a spoon before taking the bowl from him and offering it to the little girl.

"Tank you, Cousin Bifur," she chirped. As Biriz pouted at her, she blew a raspberry at him before taking out a peach. Before giving the bowl back to her brother, though, she stole part of an apple and put it on Sanna's plate. She told her little sister something in Khuzdul before taking a large bite out of her peach.

Lovisa snatched up two griddlecakes, which she plopped on Baylee's plate. 'Bath is ready,' she signed to her.

"Alright," Baylee smiled. She burst out laughing when Lovisa reached for the last of the hardboiled eggs, but Bifur snatched it up before she could get it.

"Too slow," grinned Bifur.

An hour later found Baylee sitting in a stone pool carved into the floor of the bathing room. Across from her, lightly steaming water poured down into the basin while a separate stream let the overflow flow away to some unknown destination. Behind Baylee sat Gerdi, her skirts hiked up as she sat on the edge of the pool, massaging a thick, purple paste into Baylee's hair and scalp while Baylee washed herself.

"Your scalp tingling yet, lass?" Gerdi asked as she scooped up a bit more of the paste and rubbed it into an ashy lock. Strapped to her back, Edda grunted as she gummed away on a large, wooden disk, earning a fond chuckle from Baylee.

"Oh, it has been for the last ten minutes," Baylee assured her.

"Good. It's an extra strong batch this time 'round," she explained. "Now, I know ya said down t' your knees was too long, so what would be a good length for you?" Finishing up, she twisted her hair up into a bun, using a pair of wooden sticks to temporarily hold it in place. "Maybe midway down your back?" She scooted over a bit so she could wash her hands off in the water.

"I was thinkin' just a tad bit longer 'n that, actually," she admitted, her cheeks turning pink. "Maybe down t' me bum? That's a good length, right?" She turned slightly, waiting for Gerdi's opinion.

For a moment, the dwarven woman was silent. She scratched her beard as she ponderingly stared at the human, her eyes narrowed a bit. She knew humans weren't fans of keeping their hair as long as dwarven women; it was just too much of a hassle for them, since they had to deal with critters such as fleas and lice far more often than dwarves. It also got in the way for them, since they didn't braid it, which meant strands constantly getting stuck in places or caught up in the wind. At the same time, however, Baylee seemed to suit the longer length, even if her locks weren't quite there yet.

'Not to mention, it'll give Bofur more to braid,' she thought with an amused smile. 'And it'd be a shame to keep such a pretty color of hair so short! Combined with the freckles, it really brings out her eyes.'

"I say longer is just fine, love," she finally answered. "We'll leave this in until you're ready t' get out; that should help grow it out a bit longer than last time."

A small smile came to Baylee features. "Alright, that sounds fine," she told her. "I'd say I don't expect it t' work right away, but I was proven wrong the first time we used it." She remembered how her hair had gone from ear-length to shoulder-length in the span of a day. Something fell onto the ground behind Gerdi and a quiet whine was heard. "Aw, did the wee lass drop her teethin' ring?"

Gerdi was beginning to turn around to grab the toy, but Baylee scooted back and plucked it up for her. Unstrapping the infant from her back, she sat Edda on her knee, smiling fondly as the human offered the toy back to her daughter. Edda smiled widely, showing the very tip of a tooth that had cut through. Her small hands grasped the wooden toy and pulled it back into her mouth. She began to giggle as Baylee lightly tickled her exposed feet.

"If ya keep this up lass," she giggled, "you'll be known as Auntie Baylee soon."

"That's what Bombur was sayin'! Can't say I don't mind; I love children." She poked at her scalp, doing his best to not disturb the hair, but also trying to relieve a bit of an itch. "At least until they spit up or need a change…"

Gerdi giggled again. "So basically, ya love them so long as ya can hand them back when things get messy?"

Baylee cheekily smiled. "Aye!"

"Speakin' o' wee ones, I'm surprised Nori's got a wee one now!" Edda began to fuss, so she started to lightly bounce the child on her knee. "Not that it's a bad thing, o' course –I just would have never pictured him t' be the fatherly type."

"He didn't seem very much the type t' me, either," Baylee agreed. She flinched as she brought her knee to her chest. "But here he is."

Gerdi nodded slowly. "Hopefully this means he'll keep his nose out o' trouble then," she sighed. "The last thing that poor child needs is for him t' get thrown away in jail again…"

Baylee's brows furrowed. "He's been to jail before?"

"Oh, heavens yes! Nori's one of the most renowned thieves in Ered Luin!" she told her. "Dwalin's never mentioned it?" Baylee shook her head. "Oh, well, Dwalin's nearly caught him half a dozen times. Finally managed t' catch him for nicking a coin purse from some elderly dwarf woman."

Baylee was more than a little surprised to learn of this information. She had always known that Nori wasn't quite like the other dwarves; he never seemed to have a craft about him. Now she could see why…Still, she couldn't help but wonder if he had stolen anything from any of the patrons at the Tankard. She didn't recall any complaints of theft, nor did she recall Nori having any suspicious behavior.

"'Course that was nearly ten years ago now," Gerdi continued. "I can honestly say tha' Nori has changed –an' for the better. That little Zori simply adores him an' even if Nori won't admit it, I know he adores the wee lad, too."

"Oh, he does," Baylee agreed. "I remember it bein' suggested that we leave Zori in Dorwinion an' Nori would have none o' it." She glanced behind her as a knock rang out from the door. "Who is it?"

The reply came in the form of silence, letting them know that it was Lovisa.

"Come in," Gerdi told her.

Lovisa quickly came into the room, not wanting to risk someone passing by and peeking in. 'Am heading to market,' she signed to them. 'Anything need, want?'

"Ah! Yes!" Gerdi handed Edda to Baylee, who promptly began blowing raspberries on her stomach, and stood up. She walked over to Lovisa while untying a pouch from her belt. "Please give this t' Seamstress Níhna; tell her the instructions are inside the pouch, along with payment. Bifur will know the way.'

Nodding in understanding, Lovisa looked over at Baylee. 'Anything?'

"Not tha' I can think of," she replied. "Unless you can find lemon cake."

Lovisa grinned and playfully rolled her eyes. 'Always lemon cake!'

"It's my favorite," Baylee giggled. She blinked as she was suddenly forced to look away by Edda, who was pushing on her cheek with a drool-covered hand. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I stop payin' attention t' you, wee one?"

Lovisa hoarsely chuckled. She turned back to Gerdi, who wore a smile as she watched the two. 'Thank you again for housing us. Baylee doing much better thanks to you, Bombur.'

Gerdi reached up and set a hand on her shoulder. "You've been just as much of a help," she quietly told her. "And not just with Baylee, but with my family as well. The children adore ya an' you're an enormous help when it comes t' gettin' the cleanin' done."

A bit of color came to Lovisa's tanned cheeks and she smiled fondly. 'What can say? Love to help.'

"And it certainly shows," she chuckled. "Well, I should let you head off; don't want t' keep Bifur waitin' too long, after all."

Lovisa nodded in agreement. 'See later.'

Leaving the bathing room, she went down the hall and up a flight of stairs, where Bifur was waiting for her. He gave her a small smile.

"Ready to go?" he asked, speaking in Khuzdul.

Tying the satchel to her belt, she nodded. When she came alongside him, Bifur opened the door and followed her out of the mansion. 'Know where Seamstress Níhna is?' she signed.

"Aye," he replied. 'She's in the heart of the market. Let me guess –Gerdi's sendin' you there?"

'Yes. Have feeling she order Baylee clothing.'

"Oh? Why's that then?" As they walked down the street, he made sure to walk alongside her.

She shrugged. 'Asked what colors Baylee like, looked good in. Also if she have favorite stones.'

Bifur let out a small laugh. "Aye, she's gettin' Baylee some clothes, then –dwarven clothes, too, from the sound of it."

Lovisa looked at him, a brow raised. 'Baylee not dwarrow, though.'

"That may be, but let's face it, Lady Lovisa –She's about the size o' one of us. Not that it's a bad thing for a human t' be!"

She quietly giggled. 'True. And finally is gaining weight. Was too skinny! Now is looking more like woman…'

"Can't say I've been much attention t' that, truthfully," he joked. "However, I have noticed that your ribs haven't been bothering you as much anymore. Do you think they're nearly healed?"

Holding her hand up, she slightly wiggled it. 'Somewhat. Still hurt if turn fast, turn wrong.'

He nodded in understanding. "Well, that's good. Means you're well on your way to being mended." Looking up at her, he gave her a small smile. "How much longer do you reckon you and Baylee will have to stay here?"

'Baylee healing well; walking sooner than thought. Not have much pain when walk, either. Maybe two weeks?' She turned slightly, allowing for a dwarf and his goods-laden mule to pass by.

"I see," he murmured. He couldn't quite say that he'd be happy to see her leave…but with the toyshop in Dale, he knew he'd get to see her quite often. "Do ya mind if I ask how you like Erebor so far?" he questioned after some minutes.

'Enjoy it,' she answered with a smile. 'Interesting to see what father's people like. Not know many dwarves until you lot. Now get to see all this!' She motioned to the city and folk around them. 'Almost feel like belong here.'

He cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

She glanced away, her cheeks reddening a bit once more. 'Have never felt like I belonged anywhere,' she admitted. 'Grow up half-dwarrow in Lake Town –man city. Father last full-blood dwarrow in city; when died, was sort of outcast. Luckily, good friends with Warren. Took me in, sort of. Baylee, Will, Warren –are family.'

"I see," he murmured, nodding. "But sometimes, you just don't feel like ya belong because they're all full human, aye?"

She nodded, smiling sadly. 'Not sure belong here, either.'

"Because you're part human?"

Again, she nodded.

"Do you want in on a wee secret?"

She cocked her brow in curiosity.

He looked around as they entered the market before glancing up at her. It hasn't been easy livin' with this ax in my head." He lightly tapped the blade for emphasis. "For a long while, I wasn't as sane as I am now an' most days, T' say the least, I could be a bit on the crazy side at times an' I knew I was a burden to Bofur an' Bombur. There were some days where I just thought about up an' leavin' because I thought I didn't belong there.

"One night, I was about to go out the door for good, but Bofur stopped me. Do you know what he told me?" She shook her head. "He told me, 'Bifur, the only place you belong is the place where you are loved.' An' it's true. Whether you're in a city o' men or a city o' dwarrows, if your family loves you, you belong there, with them."

Lovisa smiled; though it still bore a hint of sorrow, he could tell that his words had lifted her spirits a bit. 'Thank you.'

He returned the smile, his cheeks a bit red as well. If they hadn't been in the midst of a crowded market and out in the open, he would have stood on his tiptoes and kissed her. His better half kept him at bay, however –not to mention, they had reached the seamstress' shop. "Ah…Here's Níhna's shop," he told her. "You go on in; I'll be at that stand over there." He pointed to a stall that was selling fine cheeses.

'See in few,' she replied before heading into the shop.

As he watched her step inside, he let out a long sigh and rubbed the back of his neck, walking towards the stall. 'A woman like her shouldn't feel like an outcast,' he thought. 'Not with how kind and loving she is.'

Approaching the stall, he looked over the cheese selection. Bombur had asked him to get a nice, large wheel of a soft cheese, preferably one that would taste good with slices of apple and some wine. He hadn't the slightest idea why Bombur wanted a soft cheese that would go well with apples and wine; normally his cousin didn't care about such things. Unless he was planning on trying to make a dinner that would impress Warren and Will…He quickly shook his head. No, he thought, that wasn't a very Bombur-ish thing to do. Bombur liked to give his guests food that would leave them feeling warm and welcomed. Cheese with fruit and wine? That was the sort of thing Dori liked to do…

After some minutes of deliberation, he decided on a cheese that had come from over the Misty Mountains. Unsurprisingly, it was named after the town in which it was made –Bree. The proprietor had told him that it was a good cheese to serve with any sort of alcohol and with crunchy fruits like pears, apples, and fresh grapes. While he highly doubted Bombur was able to get his plump hands on grapes, he knew that apples and pears lurked in his pantry.

While he was giving the cheese monger the information about where the wheel of Bree was to be delivered, Lovisa came up alongside him. Her brow rose, finding herself somewhat amused by all the cheese selections before her; she couldn't remember seeing that much cheese in her life. There was orange cheese, yellow cheese, white cheese, cheese with holes, cheese with herbs, cheese with weird blue veins…

'Where in Middle Earth does one get so many cheeses?' she thought, her head cocked to the side. 'And why does that one have mold in it…?'

Bifur glanced up at her and chuckled. Before paying for the wheel of Bree, he also asked for a small block of a softer, white cheese that was floating in a bucket of brine. Exchanging the money for the cheese, he led Lovisa off while breaking the small ball of cheese in half. The bigger half he offered up to her as they started to walk off.

'What kind?' she asked, cautiously taking it. She had never been a fan of most cheeses; they tended to be too strong for her palate. 'Am picky when comes to cheese…'

"Not sure what it is in other tongues, but we dwarrows call it 'môtezeka'. Try it; it's good." He took a large bite from his half.

First, Lovisa sniffed it; it didn't smell nearly as strong as the stuff she was used to. With an apprehensive look, she took a small bite. Her brows rose as she found herself pleasantly surprised. The flavor was quite mild, though it did have a slight tang. The second bite she took was bigger than the first.

'Is good!' she signed to Bifur, wearing a smile. 'Is a surprise; most cheese too strong for me.'

"The lighter the cheese, the milder it tends t' be," he explained. "Not always the case, of course, but it seems t' be true for most cheeses." He led he over to a stand that sold vegetables from the nearby farms and the two of them began hunting out the best ones for Bombur and Gerdi.

'Bombur want tomatoes?' she signed from across the stall.

He nodded. "Aye. If you can find two dozen, that should work." He was currently sorting through different types of mushrooms. Bombur hadn't specified what he wanted, which left Bifur a bit confused as to what he should get. Button mushrooms were a common ingredient in many of Bombur's dishes, but he also liked the larger, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms for their meatier flavor –oh, but there was also Pheasant's Back that was a favorite of Gerdi…

Before he could allow himself to get frustrated, Bifur asked for a large basket to be filled with all three types of mushrooms, as well as two dozen carrots and a dozen parsnips. They filled Lovisa's basket with the tomatoes, potatoes, and two different types of lettuces.

'Bombur, Gerdi making feast?' asked Lovisa when they finally left the stall.

He shrugged. "Every meal they make is a feast."

A small, hoarse laugh left her throat. 'True. Large family.'

"Both in number and in width," he joked, earning another laugh from her.

Not having much else left on their shopping list, they meandered around the market, looking over various stalls. More than once, deals on fine jewelry were offered to Lovisa, but she politely declined them. Once or twice, Bifur was offered an 'excruciatingly low' price for some 'rare' gems by some shady looking dwarves –at which he rolled his eyes and walked away.

They came to outside of a forge, where they could see (and hear) axes, spearheads, and daggers being shaped. Outside the building, a dealer had some examples of the smiths' handy work. Plucking up a spearhead, she carefully looked it over. It was of wonderful quality, with the steal tempered just right to allow for finely sharpened edges and a sturdy cap to go over the wooden shaft.

'How Bombur, Gerdi like boar?' she suddenly signed.

Bifur blinked. "It's a rare treat for the family," he told her. "Why?"

She scratched her chin, now inspecting a barbed arrowhead. 'Have wanted to thank for letting me, Baylee stay,' she explained. 'Is boar season; want get one as gift.' She set the arrowhead down.

"There are boar here?" he asked, surprised.

'Aye! Big boars,' she told him, wearing a wide grin. She made a motion to catch the dealer's attention before starting to question him about the possibility of getting some arrows made.

'It'd be nice to go hunting again,' Bifur thought, watching as the two haggled prices. 'I haven't been on a proper hunt in years…My spear could do with a bit of goblin-and-warg-free action.' His brow rose slightly as he watched Lovisa lean over, pointing at the type of head she wanted for her arrows. The action also allowed the dealer to get a glimpse of her cleavage and he promptly got a bit red in the cheeks and a grin came to his face.

When the two of them walked away from the stall, Lovisa had bought thirty arrows for a quarter of the price.

"I knew you were a hunter in the past, but I didn't know you still were," Bifur admitted.

'Not hunt much anymore,' she admitted. 'Only for special occasion…or if family kidnapped.'

He chuckled. "I can see why for that last one," he told her. "I used to hunt, too."

'Oh?'

He nodded. "When Bifur and Bombur's parents passed on, I was the one who had t' take care o' them, so I had t' do a lot more huntin' since I didn't have quite enough food t' fill their appetites. It got a bit easier when Bifur took up work in the mines…"

She nodded in understanding. 'Miss it?'

"Sometimes," he smiled. "But mostly the hunts where I could take my time an' didn't have t' worry about makin' sure Bifur and Bombur got a good dinner before bed."

Again, she nodded. 'Know how that is,' she admitted. 'Have had force food into father before. Was too tired from work to eat and sleep.'

"Ahh, one o' those sort of smiths," he chuckled. "My own da' was like that. Drove my mother insane at times."

'Is hard life to live,' she told him. 'Torn between work, family. Not mention, training Warren!'

"At least Warren seems like he was a good pupil."

'Very. Very dedicated! Was sometimes at forge longer than father.'

He smiled. "Well, I see it's come in handy over the years for him."

She nodded. 'By way…want come hunting…?'

"I'd love to." They came to stop outside of a jewelry shop that he had an errand in. Opening the door, he let her step in before him. "When would you want to go?"

'Two, maybe three day,' she answered. Her jaw slightly fell as she looked around. The store was filled with all sorts of jewelry, from necklaces to bracelets and from earrings to hair and beard clasps. All sorts of colors filled her eyes as the thousands of gems, large and small, reflected the light of dozens of candles; the ceiling was filled with little, multicolored spots from the light reflecting off their surfaces. 'Durin's beard…'

Bifur glanced at her, grinning. She looked utterly entranced by the wealth around them.

"Can I help you?" a dwarf asked from behind the counter.

"I'm here to pick up a custom order," Bifur replied, approaching him. "A single earring for Bifur?"

He nodded before going into the back. While he waited, Bifur watched as Lovisa scanned over the various necklaces, earrings, and circlets kept under glass. He wandered a bit closer to her, trying to subtly see if there was anything her eyes was lingering particularly long on. Sadly, the clerk returned before he could get any ideas of what she liked.

"If you could describe the earring?" he asked, wanting to make sure Bifur was the actual buyer.

"A warg's tooth capped with silver, protective runes engraved in the silver an' strengthening ones in the tooth."

Lovisa cocked her head. She thought it was a strange order of Bifur to make, but when she looked over and saw the earring, she instantly recognized the tooth: It was the larger of the two that had been pulled from Baylee after the battle. Of course, it had been cleaned and polished so that it was no longer streaked with blood, but it was still recognizable.

'Is he giving that to Baylee?' she wondered. Last she had known, it was Baylee who had been in possession of the tooth…

As if reading her mind, Bifur gave her a small smile. "Baylee asked me t' have it cleaned an' fashioned into an earring for Bofur," he explained. "To go with his other one."

'I see.' She moved to walk across the store to look at more jewelry.

Something behind her suddenly caught his attention: It was a headpiece, meant to sit over the hair. Two, thick silver chains curved around the side of the head before meeting a thinner chain that rested over the head. Dangling from the thick chains were emeralds that had been cut into leaves of varying sizes. It was a simple piece that most women would use for everyday wear, yet it had a certain elegance to it. His head tilted ever so slightly and he turned back to the clerk, quietly asking for it to be added to his purchase.

Lovisa didn't know he had bought the headpiece until they had left the store. In fact, she wasn't aware of it until they had come home and had delivered the groceries to the pantry. Bifur had made sure she was oblivious, for he knew that she would try to make him take it back and he was having none of that. While they were still in the pantry, Lovisa filling the upper shelves and he the lower ones, he slipped the box containing the headpiece between a couple of carrots.

A grin came to his lips as he heard her make surprised noise.

'Bifur, what this?' she signed, holding it up.

He lightly shrugged. "A gift."

Her brow skeptically rose and she started to open the box. The second she saw the strands of silver and emeralds though, she slammed it shut, her eyes wide and her face one shade paler. She swallowed hard before opening the box again. Nervously, she licked her lips as she pulled the headpiece out, handling it gingerly as if it were a child.

"Do you like it?" he asked after a few moments.

Slowly, she nodded, still in complete awe. 'Have…have never gotten gift like this,' she told him. 'Thank you.'

His brows furrowed. "You've really never gotten any jewelry?" She nodded a second time. "That's a shame. I mean, I can understand it, since you're a hunter and all, but regardless…" He went over to her and gently took the headpiece from her hands. Standing on a stool, he did his best to evenly set it over her head. "There," he murmured, stepping down. The silver was a light enough shade that it seemed to disappear against her snowy locks, giving the emeralds the appearance of floating freely.

Lovisa's cheeks had turned a dark shade of red. 'How look?'

"Like a woodland princess," he half joke, half replied sincerely. The emeralds looked quite lovely against the gold of her skin and worked to bring out the honey color of her eyes.

She smiled at him, about to reply when a chorus of 'Uncle Bofur! Uncle Bof!' rang out from the hallway. Looking over her shoulder, Lovisa grinned broadly.

'Guess they finally here,' she smiled.

"Guess so. You best go greet them," he told her. "I'll finish up in here."

She gave him another smile before walking out of the pantry and headed towards the entry hall. By the time she reached it, Will and Warren were being greeted by Baylee and Bofur was lying under a pile of dwarrowlings. Lovisa cracked up at the sight; Bofur was pinned quite thoroughly while Warren had his daughter dangling a foot off the ground as he hugged her. When the two humans looked up and saw her, Will raced over and gave her a tight squeeze as well.

"By my beard, look at the two o' you!" Warren exclaimed. "Lovisa, you're lookin' the most rested I've seen ya in ages an' Baylee!" He gave her another squeeze before passing her off to her brother. "You're up an' walkin' already?" He crouched down and gave Lovisa a hug just as big as the one he gave Baylee.

"Mama say she heal fast," Grid chirped. She had stolen her uncle's hat and was currently wearing it.

Baylee chuckled. "Aye, I am healin' a bit faster than expected," she told her father. "Buruz, Grid, Sanna –let your uncle up, you sillies! He's not a rug!"

"Oh, don't be tellin' them tha'," Bofur laughed, his voice somewhat muffled. "They've been doin' this t' me ever since they could walk! Soon, wee lil' Edda will be doin' the same."

The three dwarrowlings innocently grinned up at Baylee, who giggled as Bofur's hat slipped and covered the entirety of Grid's head.

Will looked down at his sister as he carefully set her back on the ground. "You've gotten heavier, 'Lee. Is all this good, dwarven food helpin' ya t' gain a bit o' weight back?" He laughed as she playfully hit him.

"It's probably muscle from wrestlin' with those three," she chuckled. Warren gave her a worried look. "Don't worry, papa –it's not rough wrestlin'. Mostly, it's me ticklin' them like I will if they don't let Uncle Bofur up."

The dwarrowlings looked up at her, eyes wide. Their momentary surprise gave Bofur the chance to turn around and grab all three of them in his arms, tickling their faces with his mustache. Shrieks of laughter echoed down the hall and brought out Gerdi, who was wiping her hands on a dishtowel. She smiled at the sight of the bunch, though she couldn't help but gawk at the sheer size of Warren and Will.

"Durin's beard! Baylee an' Lovisa weren't lyin' when they said you two were giants!" she caught herself saying.

Warren glanced up before an innocent grin spread across his face. He and his son bowed low before the woman of the house. "Warren ra'William Braddock, za'i dashunzu," he told her as they stood upright once more –well, almost upright; they had to stoop slightly thanks to the low ceiling.

Once more, she was taken aback by shock. "Bofur, did ya teach them that?" she asked. It was incredibly rare that someone who wasn't a dwarf to know any bit of Khuzdul. Before she forgot, she quickly curtseyed. "Gerdi, at your service, by the way."

Bofur, having managed to stand upright with Grid and Buruz tucked under his arms and Sanna sitting on his shoulders, merely chuckled. "I didn't."

"I was apprenticed t' a dwarven smith," Warren told her. "I picked up a wee bit o' the language, but most o' it isn't considered proper conversational material." He grinned as the little ones giggled, Sanna's laughter muted by her uncle's hat.

"Mmm…Gerdi, is tha' your fish soup I'm smellin'?" Bofur asked, sniffing the air. He thanked Lovisa as she plucked Sanna off of his shoulders, allowing him to stand upright.

"Aye, it is! It's almost ready, too –just need t' add in the fish an' last bit of parsley."

He grinned. "Well, I think I know where my first stop is goin' t' be!" He started towards the kitchen, his nephew and niece still under his arms.

"Oh, no ya don't!" Gerdi grinned, grabbing one of his braids. "You an' those two," she pointed at her children, "are going t' go set the table an' make our guests comfortable."

The three of them wore matching pouts. "But mama…" Grid began to protest.

"No buts! Go set the table; by the time you're done, lunch will be ready."

Despite what any human or elf thought, it was entirely possible to have a garden when one lived inside a mountain. Dwarvish gardens were much greener (and bluer, for that matter), but not in the way of plant life –no, they were green thanks to the bioluminescent moss and fungi that thrived in the cool, dark environment. Stalagmites jutted out of the sandy ground, their surfaces covered with the bright fungus. The soft light illuminated a pebbly path that led through the sand, branching off in many directions to who knows where.

It was along this path that Warren and Baylee were currently walking/hobbling. After a hearty lunch of fish soup, bread, and roasted tomatoes, the two of them decided that it would be good to sit outside for a bit while Will and Bofur ran to the market to pick up more yeast for Gerdi.

"So have you been likin' it here?" Warren asked. He was doing his best to take in the garden around them while also not stumbling.

"Oh, aye!" Baylee replied, smiling. "It's actually quite a bit like the Tankard when it was in Lake Town. Full o' good food, rambunctious wee ones, an' good company." Pausing in her steps, she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Hey! Lookit that, your hair's gone an' grown!" he beamed. "How did tha' happen?"

She quietly laughed. "It's a weird paste Gerdi's been puttin' in it. Just two uses an' my hair's this long now." Tugging on a lock, she showed her father its regrown length. "Bet Caranonel an' her folk don't have something like this," she grinned.

"I bet they don't." He reached down and lightly tousled her hair. He was more than a little happy to see that his daughter was faring well. "I'm glad you're likin' it here. I was worried as all get that you'd hold some sort o' grudge against me for makin' ya come here."

Glancing up at her father, she could see a small look of sorrow in his eyes. "Papa, ya only had the best of intentions in mind when you told me I was comin' here. I know Aunt Demelza an' Galiene were giving you a hard time about it, but when you go back, feel free t' rub it in their faces that I'm doin' just fine."

He let out a hearty laugh. "Rub it in their faces, huh?"

She shrugged. "If'n ya like."

"Maybe you've been around these dwarves a little too long," he joked. "Ah, but you're lookin' a lot better, 'Lee. An' I don't mean with you walkin' around. You've gotten some weight back an' your skin's got more color to it now."

At that, Baylee giggled. "Papa, o' course my skin has color –the sun tanned my hide when I was in Rhûn!"

"You know plenty well what I mean, 'Lee," he chuckled. They came to a bench and he took her crutches as she sat down. "How bad does it hurt still?"

"Not t' much in the mornin', but by midafternoon, it's throbbin' –but that's only if I'm walkin' around a lot an' using the leg."

He nodded in understanding. "So that's why you've mostly kept tha' leg up?" She nodded. "Makes sense. But it's still healin' nicely, right?"

"Aye. Luckily, Gerdi's got some experience with tending to wounds, thanks to all her children an' her side o' the family, so she's been keeping in line." She pointed at her face, where the warg scars were just barely visible. "She also helped make these scratches not scar as bad, though they're still a bit noticeable thanks t' my freckles."

Warren smiled down at her, feeling a mixture of pity and guilty as he did so. "You're still my beautiful lil' princess, 'Lee," he told her as he gave her a bear hug.

She laughed, trying to wriggle out of his grip. "I'm not a princess, papa," she giggled. "I'm an innkeeper's daughter."

"Nah," he refuted, "to me, you an' Will will always be my lil' princess an' prince." He held her against him, letting out a soft sigh. "Have ya had any nightmares?" He watched her cheeks darken before she looked away. "So ya have…"

Sighing, she leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees. "Aye. I don't even know what brought 'em on."

"Sometimes, they just happen," he assured her. He began to lightly rub her back the way her mother had when she was little. "After all our family's been through over the years, I'd be surprise if you didn't have nightmares."

Baylee glanced up at him. "Will doesn't," she mumbled dejectedly.

"Oh, I'm sure he does, lass. Will's just…always had this need t' protect us an' so he puts all his troubles aside so he can worry 'bout us." He looked towards the ceiling, his eyes fixing on an especially large specimen of mushroom.

"Now that he's got Adela an' a baby on the way, he'll get more protective," Baylee stated. "I heard about what happened between her, you, an' Mannus. Mannus isn't the one t' give up somethin' so easily, so I'm sure Will is goin' t' be extra protective o' Adela."

"Oh, that he is," Warren agreed. "But not the bad sort, no. He's goin' t' make a good husband for her an' a good daddy for their baby." He smiled fondly at the idea of being a grandfather. "They'll be gettin' married during the harvest festival."

His daughter seemed to perk at this new information. "Really?" He nodded. "Good! I'm sure it'll be a lovely weddin'; Valar know that there will be enough food an' drink t' keep everyone quiet durin' the ceremony." She giggled as Warren ruffled her hair again.

"Let's hope there'll be none o' that durin' the ceremony!" he laughed. "Though, tha' reminds me: Guess who came t' call yesterday?"

She cocked her head. "Who?" she inquired.

"Bard."

"Oh really? Is he tryin' to get you t' be his advisor again?" she laughed.

Warren rubbed the back of his neck, the humor in his voice sounding a bit more forced now. "No, not exactly, lass," he chuckled. "We were talkin' about the festival and how well the farms had done this year an' the like…but then he asked me somethin'."

Baylee's brow rose; Warren didn't seem very confident at the moment. "What did he ask?" she asked, the caution evident in her tone.

"He asked…" For the second time, he rubbed the back of his neck before nervously starting to rub his outer thighs. "He asked me if he could…if he could court you."

Baylee felt her stomach drop and her skin go cold. "He…what?"

Warren nodded slowly. "Asked if he could court you."

"What did ya tell him?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Well, I told him it was up t' you in the long run, but that aye, he had my permission." He looked down at her to find her staring blankly at the stone in front of them. "Is…is that bad? I thought ya fancied him."

"I did!" she told him. "But…but well…" She closed her eyes and fell silent, her mind racing.

Why now? she thought. Why now of all times did he want to court her? Did he still love her? She knew that, had she not taken so long to finally admit her feelings, she would have been his wife and the mother of his two girls. Instead, she had dawdled, allowing for another woman to steal him. When he finally found out her true feelings, he was already married and expecting a child. When he had told her that he had felt the same, but had wanted to hear the words from her, it was just too late and her heart had been ripped to pieces.

But that was eight years ago. Bard was now a widower and his daughters old enough to accept that their father could –and would- take a new wife. But could he still love her after all this time? She couldn't remember how long she had loved him; she had forced the feelings to the back of her mind until she became all but numb to them.

What scared Baylee the most was the possibility that she was, indeed, still in love with Bard. She could recall recent memories of speaking to him and feeling her cheeks flush when he paid her small compliments or how she would give him small, shy smiles whenever he would glance her way. It didn't help was that he was the most handsome man in Dale…

'Valar help me,' she thought.

Bofur and Will were in the market. They had already picked up the block of yeast for Gerdi, but now they were on the hunt for the perfect ring for Adela. It was an arduous task; even with the lower prices in Erebor, there was an incredibly vast collection of jewelry to sort through. What also didn't help much was that Will had to be hunched over in all of the stores –their ceilings weren't as high as the ones back in the mansion.

"The main thing is," Will murmured, "I don't want t' get her a diamond, ruby, or emerald. They're the common stones used in wedding rings in Dale an' Lake Town and, well…"

"Your Adela is no ordinary lass," Bofur finished for him. "I know the feelin', lad."

He chuckled. "What, you've already started huntin' out a ring for Baylee?" He scooted down a bit, looking over some amethyst rings.

"Nah…" Pointing at a possible ring made from amber and yellow sapphire, he kept an eye out for any other ring that looked to be out of the ordinary. "Baylee's not my first love."

At that, Will frowned slightly and glanced up at him. "What?"

Bofur nodded. "Aye, I had a fiancée years an' years ago. Probably long before you an' Baylee were born, truthfully. Ooh, what about this one?" He pointed at a ring that was made from rose gold and pink tourmaline. It had two entwined bands that wrapped around the light pink stone, resembling the petals of a flower.

"Close!" Will answered. "I like the pinkness o' the gold."

"Rose gold," Bofur corrected. "What about the stone?"

"I was thinkin' more along the likes of yellow sapphire or amber. What happened to your fiancée?"

Bofur unconsciously grabbed the tooth dangling from his left ear. "She passed on," he simply explained. Of course, it was more complicated than that, but he knew that now wasn't the time for grim tales.

"Oh…I'm sorry," Will told him, wearing a small frown.

"Ah, you didn't know, lad." He wore a reassuring smile. "Now get back t' finding a ring, eh?"

Will nodded and turned back to the rings. 'At least he managed to find love again,' he thought as he scrutinized every piece of jewelry he laid his eyes on. 'I couldn't think of anyone better for Baylee to be courting, especially since he—oh. Shit, that's right –Bard!' He swallowed hard and looked over his shoulder at the dwarf, who was admiring the handiwork on some beard clasps. 'Not now. After we're out of here…'

It was then that a glint of silver caught his eye. His brow rising, he turned towards the glint and saw an oval of amber surrounded by swirls of rose gold and silver. Tiny yellow sapphires were in the centers of three of the swirls while the others were left open. It was simple, yet the way the precious metals curled around and around gave it an air of elegance.

It was perfect.

"That's it," he mumbled. "That's the one. Bofur! I found it!"

Bofur came back over. "Tha' one there?" he asked.

"Aye! Isn't it beautiful?"

He chuckled. "Aye, it is, lad." He looked up and called over the clerk.

Within ten minutes, the two of them were leaving the shop, Will tucking the small ring box into the inner pocket of his vest. He wore the largest grin that Bofur had ever seen on his face; he was afraid it would split the lad's face in half.

"Adela's going t' love this," Will beamed, patting his vest. "Thanks for helpin' me, Bofur."

He dismissively waved his hand. "It's no trouble, lad."

Will grinned as he followed the dwarf, but a strange feeling nagged at him. His brows furrowed together; why did he suddenly feel guilty? If anything, he should be feeling ecstatic. Unless…

"Bofur, I need to tell you somethin'," he suddenly spoke, his tone worried.

"What's wrong, lad?" Bofur glanced over his shoulder at him. "You look worried all o' a sudden."

Will lightly tugged him into a quiet alleyway. "It's about Baylee."

He gave the human an odd look. "What about Baylee…?"

"My da' gave permission to Bard t' court her," he explained. He watched as all happiness left the dwarf's face. "Normally, I wouldn't have a care 'bout it, but…But Baylee loved him for a good long while. She may still love him –I don't know. She may not agree t' court him, but I just had-"

Bofur pulled away from him and bolted into the crowd, having dropped the basket of yeast blocks on the ground. Not caring that he was shoving aside male and female alike, he pushed his way out of the market. Freed from the crowded streets, he ran as if all the goblins of the Misty Mountains were on his heels.

'Please, Mahal, please…please don't let me lose her,' he thought. 'Please don't take another love from me!' Tears stung at his eyes, but he hadn't the sense to wipe them away.

Bursting into the front hall of the mansion, he saw Gerdi burping Edda.

"Bofur, what's the matter?" she started, but didn't get a chance to finish.

"Where's Baylee!?" he demanded, grabbing her shoulders.

Gerdi looked more than a little startled. "She's in her room. Why, Bofur—"

He didn't hear her as he raced up the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. Into the main living quarters and around the corner into the hall, he ran until he reached her door. He hurried knocked on it.

Baylee looked up from fluffing a pillow on her bed. "Come in," she called, tossing the pillow against the headboard.

Bofur was a blur of tan and dark brown as he shot across the room. Baylee let out a small squeak as he suddenly clung onto her and she found herself quite thankful she was sitting down. Brows furrowing in confusion, she looked down at him.

"Bofur, what in Manwë's name is goin' on?" she asked, lightly tilting his head back. Her eyes widened when she saw tears pouring down his cheeks.

For a moment, he was unable to reply thanks to a sob trapped in his throat. He started to calm slightly as she brushed her fingers against his cheek, trying to wipe away his tears. "Don't leave me," he croaked.

"Leave you? What?" she quietly asked. She used the hem of her skirt to better dry his cheeks.

"W-Will told me 'bout Bard," he stammered. "He s-said that he had t' give me a warnin' b-because he asked your da' if he c-could c-court ya an' t-told me tha' you used t' be in love with him…an' I panicked. I know he's a handsome b-bloke an' he's smarter 'n m-me an' he's a k-king, so he can spoil ya, b-but-" He was silenced as Baylee kissed him rather deeply, a quiet sob falling mute against her lips.

After a moment, she pulled back and lightly rested her forehead against his. "Bofur, don't you think for one minute tha' I'd leave you for Bard," she whispered. "I love you more than I could ever love him."

His lower lip wavered. "R-really?" he mumbled, almost pathetically.

She smiled, nodding slowly as she brushed some loose hair from his face. "Aye," she calmly promised him. "An' you know why?"

"Why?"

Her fingers lightly traced the scars that ran across his face. "Because it wasn't Bard who went racin' after me," she whispered. "It wasn't Bard who traveled hundreds o' miles against all hope t' rescue us. An' it certainly wasn't Bard who just came runnin' to me, afraid that he was goin' t' lose me after everythin' he's done for me."

Bofur's lip still wobbled slightly, but he managed to smile as he looked into her eyes. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he gave her a small kiss. "You've no idea how happy I am t' hear those words, lass," he murmured.

"No, but I've got a pretty good idea," she quietly laughed. "An' Bofur?"

"Aye?"

"Don't you go sayin' he's more handsome 'n you." She kissed him a third time, letting it linger for many seconds while she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"But he is," he protested, his hands moving to wrap around her torso.

"Oh no he's not," she chuckled, nuzzling his cheek. "He may be a handsome man, but he doesn't smile enough –he never has. But you…" She leaned back, nothing but love and tenderness in her eyes as she looked at him. "Your smile is one o' the reasons I fell for ya, remember?" Kissing the tip of his nose, she pulled him closer to her. "Not t' mention, there's your eyes, your mustache, your laugh…"

Closing his eyes, he smiled and gave her a small squeeze. "You're startin' t' make me blush, lass," he quietly teased.

She also smiled, her fingers lightly toying with the braid that went down his back. Turning her head, she placed a small kiss on his jaw. "I love you."

"I love ya, too, Baylee," he whispered. "Mahal knows how much I love you." He stroked her hair and took in her scent, sighing softly.

After some moments of silence and enjoying one another's embrace, Baylee finally forced herself to pull back. "I have a gift for ya," she told him.

"Do you now?" he chuckled. "Strange, because I actually have one for you, too."

"Mine first!" she chirped. Leaning back, she grabbed something off of her nightstand. Bofur moved to sit beside her, moving her crutches out of the way. "Here ya go," she smiled, handing him a box.

His brow rose and he grinned as he took it from her. Lightly shaking it, he heard something rattle within it. "Hmm…Wonder it could be?" he teased. As he opened the box, he found the warg's tooth earring capped with silver. "Is this…?"

"The tooth from the warg tha' bit me an' you killed," she finished. "I thought it'd match your other one." There was a shy smile on her lips as she waited to hear how he liked it.

Bofur's reply was simple: Taking it out of the box, he wore a look of concentration as he wiggled the ring part into his earlobe; it had been many years since that ear last had a decoration in it and the hole had started to close up. After a moment, he was finally able to finagle it into place and wore a proud grin.

"Well, how does it look?" he asked, turning towards her. During his fumbling about, the tip of the tooth had gotten caught in part of his braid.

"Like a handsome warg-slayer," she giggled, reaching over to free the tooth from his braid. "Now ya just need your mattock an' then you'd have all the ladies swooning."

"Ah, I only want you swooning," he laughed. Reaching inside his vest, he pulled out the thin box containing her almost-forgotten bracelet. "This was supposed t' be for your birthday," he explained as he handed it to her. "But, in the chaos, I forgot about it. Then I found it again when ya were comin' here, but like the silly dwarf I am, I forgot about it again until I got back t' the shop."

Opening the box, she was surprised to find a bracelet inside. "Oh, Bofur, it's beautiful," she gasped as she took it out. "By the Valar, look at all the tiny details…" She started to inspect each charm, astounded to see how much detail each tiny charm had.

"I was hopin' you'd like it," he admitted. "I had t' ask Will about your favorite animals an' colors so I could get it right…" His cheeks were as red as cherries.

She looked up at him. "You…you made this?" He nodded, grinning like a schoolboy. "Help me put it on?" she asked, holding her wrist out to him.

Taking the bracelet from her, he undid the latch and wrapped it around her wrist. "Now would ya look at that," he beamed, seeing that there wasn't too much extra chain dangling like he thought there would be. "Perfect fit! Was tha' a good guess on my part or wh-" He toppled backwards as Baylee flung herself atop him, kissing him quite deeply. 'Guess she likes it!' he thought.

It was nearly nightfall when she came to the gates of Erebor.

No longer riding upon her pony, but walking alongside him instead, she had entered the city virtually unnoticed by the crowd around her. Not that they should know her; many of these people bore the blonde and brown hair of Dain's folk. They had come out of the Iron Hills in the east to seek a new home. The dark haired folk of Durin also were also present, though their numbers not nearly as vast. Unable to stop herself, she smiled.

After hundreds of years and thousands of miles, she was home.

Her hood still drawn over her head, she walked through the busy city streets that had, at one time, been her playground. Passing by a building that had once been a bakery, she found it now to be a forge. Another building –this one having been a seamstress' shop- was now a jewelry smith's. For a moment, she stopped and looked up, way up, at the vast ceiling and its chandeliers and torches.

Fire and smoke clouded her vision. Screaming filled her ears and the roar of the dragon deafened her.

Closing her eyes, she let out a quiet sigh. Upon opening them once more, all had fallen peaceful. The dragon was long gone and the people content in their daily lives.

She began to walk again, leading her pony down a darkened side-street. This path would take longer to reach her destination, but she did not want her and her pony to cause any disruptions in the market –especially at this hour, when dealers and storeowners were hurrying to close up shop for the night. It also brought some calm to her, knowing that she still had a little while yet before she reached her journey's end.

As they walked, the only sound louder than the distant murmur of the crowded market was the quiet cluh-clink of the pony's horseshoes as he walked. The sound echoed off the walls around them, betraying their presence to a pair of guards who stood at the entrance of an unassuming doorway. When she approached, they held up their hands, ceasing her.

"I am sorry, my lady, but it is too late to enter the Tombs," one of them told her.

She lowered her hood, looking at the two dwarves with piercing blue eyes. "Surely, you could allow an exception for one who has traveled so far?" she asked, her voice soft.

Upon seeing her face, the two dwarves suddenly lowered themselves to one knee, their fists held over their hearts. "You may pass, my lady," they chorused. "We will watch your pony."

"Thank you, kind sirs."

The door was opened for her and she passed down into a dark staircase, lit only by lamps made with the strange, glowing fungi of Erebor. As she reached the bottom step, she was greeted by the sight of a long tunnel. On either side of her lay the tombs of Erebor's previous kings. Through this hall she walked, passing by smaller, branching corridors until she came to a great, central chamber.

In the center, stood the marble effigies of Thorin Oakenshield and his nephews, Fíli and Kíli. In their stone hands, they clasped the real weapons they had born in life: Fíli, his axe and swords; Kíli, his bow and blade; and Thorin, Orcrist and his oak-branch shield. So perfect was their likeness that she gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

Slowly, she approached the statues and her hand reached out, fingertips brushing against the cool marble of Thorin's cheek. Her jaw quivering and the tears pouring from her eyes, she smiled at him. It had been so long since she saw his face, since she saw the faces of the two princes…her heart ached, but she felt the slightest bit of joy to see them once more.

"Do you remember the promise you made me?" she whispered. "You promised that you would reclaim our homeland; that would you defeat Smaug and unburden our people of the exile we were forced to endure. You told me we would be happy and we would live within the halls of Erebor once more.

"You were so confident, brother, so confident that you would be victorious that I couldn't help but feel that you would return. That my sons would return to me and that we would be reunited, at long last, beneath the Lonely Mountain –in our home. But our family is cursed to have no joy."

She bowed her head, her shoulders shaking from the anguish that she had kept hidden within her for decades. Pain and suffering not just for the loss of her brother and her sons, but for the loss of her husband, of Frerin, of her father, and of her grandfather…She had been strong for her people, for they had needed a leader when all others were taken from them.

But now, at long last, she could let her mask shatter.

"I was foolish, brother," she sobbed, falling to her knees. "After all that had befallen our family, how could I let myself think that any sort of happiness would come of this?"

She looked up at the face of her brother, seeking some ounce of solace, but he was no more than a statue, staring into nothingness. "You three were all that I had left. Why did you have to be taken from me? Why did Mandos take my sons, my little lights in life, have to be taken from me, Thorin!? They hadn't even seen ninety! They were children! My children!"

Burying her face in her arms, she threw herself upon the ground and wept.