Disclaimer: The only character that belongs to me is Esme I've borrowed all the other characters from Tolkien. Hope you enjoy!
Authors Note: Thank you all for the reviews :) I very much appreciate them all. Sorry again that the update is later than I expected, life kind of got in the way. Hope you enjoy!
A Surprise Meeting
Esme's POV
After spending most of the day navigating what Esme was sure were the same paths, she was famished and absolutely exhausted. By the time that they found the strange dwelling on the hill with the green door and brass handle, she was so tired that she stumbled and would have fallen if it weren't for the stocky dwarf catching her before she had a chance to connect with the ground. He looked so concerned when he caught her that she couldn't help thinking that he may not be so bad after all. Perhaps under the scary exterior he was actually a nice guy. He had saved her last night after all and fed her this morning, even if it was only an apple. After all, he could have just left her out in the forest alone but despite his gruff exterior, he'd taken her with him and was trying to help her get back home. Smiling and thanking him she gave his hand a quick squeeze, she wasn't prepared for his response however as he frowned, snatched his hand away from her as if she'd just bitten him and stormed off towards the front door. Ok, maybe she was wrong, looked like he was just an ass after all.
Dwalin was ringing the bell by the time she caught up with him and they waited in silence for the door to be answered. Promptly, it was opened by a very short man, even shorter than Esme herself, dressed in a robe and looking, Esme thought, as though he was far from expecting visitors. The confused look on his face as Dwalin introduced himself reinforced this, though he did have the decency not to slam the door in their faces and instead introduced himself as Bilbo Baggins. No sooner had he done so than Dwalin walked straight into the house.
"Do we know each other?" the small man called after him.
"No," Dwalin grunted in response.
"Wow," thought Esme, "could he be any more obnoxious?"
She was just about to explain to the dwarf that they were clearly in the wrong home when he threw his cloak at Mr. Baggins and started demanding supper. Apparently yes, he could be more obnoxious. Before Mr. Baggins could ask him to leave, he had stormed off down the corridor and into the kitchen, with the smaller man rushing along behind him. Not knowing what else to do, Esme closed the door and followed them. She stopped, staring in horror, as she found Dwalin tucking into what was clearly their unsuspecting hosts dinner without a second thought. Did he really just bite the head off of that fish? Ok, so he was definitely an ass and also had absolutely no table manners.
At that moment, Esme's stomach decided to make itself heard, after all, she had only eaten an apple today and that was hours ago. She blushed heavily as Dwalin demanded more food from their host for her to eat. Was he really that rude and bad-mannered? Or was he simply so oblivious that he didn't realise they had clearly not been invited or expected in this home. To his credit, Mr. Baggins produced a plate of scones for them without complaint, though he did look a bit put out over it. Dwalin immediately started to shove the scones into his mouth at record speed. It was honestly appalling to watch.
Esme took one and smiled at their host hoping against hope that he would not think her as ignorant and rude as the dwarf was currently being.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
Mr. Baggins seemed startled by the fact that she had even said thank you. He clearly wasn't expecting politeness of any description from them. Then again, why would anyone expect politeness from two strangers who barged into their home and ate their dinner?
"You're most welcome. It's not much I'm afraid, it's just that I wasn't expecting company."
Just then the doorbell rang again and Dwalin smirked at the horrified look on the smaller man's face.
"That'll be the door."
Dwalin's POV
If it hadn't been for the mark on the door Dwalin would definitely have said they were in the wrong house. Mr. Baggins didn't seem to be expecting them judging by the face he made when he saw them standing at the door and the fact that he had only one dinner ready. Gandalf had said he was a peculiar hobbit, perhaps he had a problem with remembering things. He couldn't be much of a thief if that was the case though. Dwalin was beginning to think he was right to be suspicious of this whole arrangement. He wondered briefly if Gandalf had placed the sign on the wrong door, but surely that was something that a wizard would have been very careful about. As he was contemplating all of this, the lass stepped closer and slid into the chair beside him. He suddenly found himself wondering what she would have done if he had kissed her outside. Would she have kissed him back? It was probably far more likely that she would have run for the hills. Hopefully Gandalf would be here soon and would send her back wherever she came from so he could forget about all of this. He really didn't need the distraction.
Their host was just explaining how he hadn't been expecting visitors when the bell rang.
"That'll be the door."
While their host wandered off to see who had arrived, Dwalin made his way over to a jar of cookies he'd spotted on his way in. He'd always had a sweet tooth and it had been a long while since he'd had the chance to indulge in anything as delectable as home baked cookies. Just as he was shoving his hand into it however the lass grabbed him by the arm.
"You can't actually be serious! This man was clearly not expecting us, you've just eaten his dinner and now you're going to go snooping around his house and taking more food without even asking permission! What is wrong with you!?"
Dwalin was about to explain that he was sure they had been expected and that the hobbit had probably just forgotten and that everything was going to be alright when he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Oh ah-hah! Evening, brother."
Dwalin put the cookie jar down and walked away from Esme to go greet his older brother. It had been a long time since he had been able to catch up with Balin properly.
"By my beard! You're shorter and wider than last we met!"
"Wider, not shorter. Sharp enough for both of us."
Laughing they stepped closer to one another and head butted each other in greeting.
Esme's POV
Esme was sure that when she pointed out that they were clearly in the wrong house, Dwalin would realise what he had done, apologise instantly and they would leave immediately. Just as she was scolding him however, another dwarf shouted from the doorway. Apparently this dwarf was Dwalin's brother, though he looked a lot older than him and a bit more pleasant. He wore a smile on his face rather than the scowl that seemed to be ever present on Dwalin's and he seemed more refined than his brother. At least that's what she thought until the two brothers greeted each other. Esme looked on in horror as the two of them laughed and head butted each other.
"Really?" she thought, "Who head butts someone to say hello?"
She was still staring, with her mouth hanging open when Bilbo, who was standing at the open front door, finally managed to find his voice.
"Uh, excuse me. Sorry. I hate to interrupt. Uh, but the thing is I'm not entirely sure you're in the right house."
Esme was sure that the two dwarves would now realise their mistake and apologise but they seemed to not hear him at all and the older dwarf instead finally noticed her.
"Oh forgive me my lady, I didn't see you there. You must be Mrs. Baggins. Balin, at your service." he smiled in greeting.
If her mouth had been hanging open originally then it must have been hitting the floor at this point. Esme was just about to explain that she was most certainly not the lady of the house and that they shouldn't even be in the house because none of them had been invited or expected when Dwalin answered his brother for her.
"She's not the hobbit's wife. She's with me."
Balin's eyes grew wide at this and he looked from Esme to his brother and back again. She didn't like the fact that he had made it sound like she was his wife instead of the hobbit's but felt no desire to clarify his statement. Surely his own brother would know that he wasn't married anyway, so instead she ignored it. Deciding that she'd had enough of dwarves for the time being, she asked Mr. Baggins if she could use his bathroom and excused herself. Maybe while she was in there Balin would realise that they were all in the wrong house and they could leave without embarrassing themselves any further.
Dwalin's POV
Dwalin and Balin found their way to the hobbit's pantry and helped themselves to the ale while steadfastly ignoring Mr. Baggins.
"Oh, no. Fill it up now, brother, don't stint. That was unexpected, didn't think you'd arrive with a lass on your arm."
Dwalin grunted, "She's not my lass. She's just waiting to see the wizard."
Balin deflated at that, he had always wanted his brother to settle down, insisting that a lass would be good for him.
"Oh, I see. You'd like her to be though," Balin smiled at him knowingly.
He was just about to deny it when his brother held up a hand to stop him.
"Don't even try to deny it brother. I saw the way you looked at her. You didn't seem too happy when I thought she was the hobbit's lass either."
Dwalin glared at his brother. He didn't want to admit that he hadn't liked the idea of Esme being someone else's wife and he certainly wasn't about to admit his feelings to his brother, even if Balin had guessed them already. Luckily the doorbell rang again just then and he was given a reprieve for now.
Fili and Kili had arrived. They were their usual cheerful selves and helped Dwalin and Balin move the tables to make sure there was enough room for everyone. Just as he was beginning to wonder what was keeping her so long, the lass emerged from the bathroom and made her way into the room they were in. Kili spotted her immediately and made his way over to her, bowing and introducing himself.
"Kili, at your service, my lady. I didn't know hobbits had such pretty wives, did you Fili?" he winked at Esme as he said the last bit.
Dwalin couldn't explain the jealousy he felt in that moment.
"She's not with the hobbit and it's no concern of yours whether she's pretty or not," he all but growled.
Kili at least had the decency to look abashed and apologised immediately for being presumptuous but it didn't stop him from wanting to pummel him for even looking at Esme. Fili, sensing the danger, pulled his brother away and over to the other side of the room. Dwalin found himself wishing again that the wizard would arrive soon to send the lass on her way and save him from possibly killing a member of the royal family. While he and Thorin were extremely close, he highly doubted that he would forgive him for killing his nephew. Sinking into a chair at the table, he steadfastly ignored the smirk on Balin's face and instead buried his head in his hands and tried to calm himself down.
Esme's POV
Esme took her time in the bathroom, hoping that when she came back out the dwarves would have realised what they had done and would have apologised to Mr. Baggins. She was feeling increasingly embarrassed and just wanted to get out of there and find the actual house that they were expected at so she could find her way home. The horrible thought that she may not be able to find her way home started to resurface, she tried to push it back down again, the last thing she needed right now was to have another panic attack. Instead she took a few deep breaths and tried to ground herself.
"Come on Esme, get it together. It's fine, all of this is fine. You're going to get home and that's all that matters right now. Everything is ok." she reassured herself.
Ignoring the panic that was still rising inside her and taking one last deep breath, she splashed her face with water and left the bathroom.
Any hopes that the dwarves would have sorted the situation while she wasn't there were quickly dashed however when she rounded the corner to find another two dwarves had arrived during her absence. The younger looking of the two immediately made his way over to her, introducing himself as Kili and making a comment about how pretty hobbit's wives were. She was getting fed up of being mistaken for the lady of the house, especially a house they were not even invited to or welcome in, and she was just about to give this dwarf a piece of her mind when Dwalin all but exploded beside her.
"She's not with the hobbit and it's no concern of yours whether she's pretty or not!"
The younger dwarf started to apologise but the other new comer pulled him away to the other side of the room as Dwalin sunk into a seat at the table and buried his head in his hands. Esme wasn't entirely sure why he had reacted so angrily. She would have asked him but just then she felt the panic start to well up inside her again, her chest felt tight and her hands started to shake.
"Oh no, please don't do this, not now."
Just then the doorbell rang again and Mr. Baggins, finally having enough of the intrusion in his home, made his way to the door yet again bellowing at the new arrivals as he did so.
"Oh, no! No, no. There's nobody home! Go away, and bother somebody else! There are far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is. If this is some blockhead's idea of a joke, I can only say, it is in very poor taste!"
Throwing open the door a large bunch of dwarfs landed in on the mat at his feet and a rather tall man stooped down to look in.
"Gandalf."
Dwalin's POV
Mr. Baggins had just opened the door and was busy staring at the rest of their company who were currently in a pile on the floor when Balin came over and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder.
"Maybe you should tell her how you feel brother."
Dwalin glowered at his older brother, telling this lass how he felt was the worst thing he could do at the moment, he wanted rid of her and fast. He couldn't afford to lose his temper like that again with one of the heirs to the throne. She needed to go back wherever she came from.
"Gandalf."
Great, at least the wizard had arrived and he could hopefully send her back home now, where she should be. He was just rising from the table to go and speak with the wizard when he looked towards the lass. It was only then that he realised she was shaking all over and seemed to be struggling to get a breath in.
"Lass, what's the matter?" he asked, stepping towards her but she held up a hand to stop him.
"Please don't, I... I just... I can't breathe."
With that she burst into tears. Dwalin didn't react well when faced with displays of emotion at the best of times but right then he had no idea what to do and judging by the looks of shock on the other's faces they were no better.
Thankfully, it seemed Mr. Baggins was in fact useful for something after all. He rushed towards the lass and caught her by the hand, leading her towards a chair in the corner.
"It's alright. Try to take a deep breath, in through the nose and out through your mouth. It will pass in a few minutes. Here sit down; I'll make you a nice cup of sweet tea. It will help. Deep breaths now. That's it."
Dwalin could hear the numerous questions the other dwarfs and Gandalf were asking, but he was too worried about Esme to even think about answering. She looked awful and though she was trying to take the deep breaths the hobbit was encouraging her to take she was finding it difficult as she was still sobbing. Her hands were shaking and without thinking, he caught them in his own and held them. She lifted her head and her eyes met his. She looked so vulnerable just then that he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and hold her, protect her. His thoughts were cut short however by the hobbit shooing him away and placing a warm cup of tea in the lass's hands.
"She'll be alright; she just needs a bit of space and a warm drink."
Dwalin looked at the lass again and she nodded to confirm that she'd be ok so he stepped back. At the same moment, there was a loud knock on the door.
Thorin had arrived.
Esme's POV
Esme should have known better than to come back out of the bathroom before she was fully calm. She should have known this would happen. She was shaking all over now and barely registered what Mr. Baggins was saying to her as he pushed her into a low, comfortable chair. She tried to concentrate on her breathing, focusing on it while staring at her hands and trying to drown out what was going on around her.
"It's just a panic attack, it will pass. Breathe in, breathe out. It will pass." She had to keep telling herself it was going to be ok. Her hands were still shaking when suddenly there were warm hands covering hers. She looked up, finding her eyes locked with Dwalin's. He looked genuinely concerned for her. Maybe he wasn't such an ass after all. The hobbit arrived with a cup of tea just then and chased the dwarf away. She immediately missed the contact, she didn't want to be away from him, a thought that she found surprising at best. Dwalin was still looking at her, concern evident in his face. She nodded to let him know she'd be ok and he took another step back just as there was a loud knock on the door.
"He's here."
The tall man who had just arrived with the others opened the door and another important looking dwarf stepped inside.
"Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. I wouldn't have found it at all, had it not been for that mark on the door."
Mr. Baggins took issue with this, adamant that there was no mark on the door and it had been painted only the week before. Esme was still trying to calm her breathing as she listened to the taller man explain about putting the mark there himself and introducing the newest dwarf as the leader of the company.
"So, this is the hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"
Their host seemed confused by this question, "Pardon me?"
The dwarf circled Mr. Baggins then, looking down his nose at him, "Axe or sword, what's your weapon of choice?"
Was this guy actually for real? Was Esme the only one who realised that this gentleman had no idea what was going on and had not in fact been expecting any of them at all? Yet here was this new arrival quizzing him on his weapon preferences, not exactly a normal way to start a conversation in the first place.
"Well, I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know. But I fail to see why that's relevant."
Smirking the new dwarf turned away from him, "I thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."
Great another ass! Esme was beginning to think that maybe it was a trait all dwarves shared when all of a sudden his eyes landed on her. She was waiting to be berated as he had done with the hobbit but instead his blue eyes widened and he gasped.
"Esmeralda?"
TBC