Remember We'll Be History

Seventeen: Bears and Courting

"I'm asking if you would do me the honor of courting you?" Thorin told her. Bella froze a bit and looked at him.

"You want to court me?" Bella asked.

"Yes, if you agree, I would understand that I am not a candidate for your affections after my actions…"

"Yes." Bella said. She had never really seen him be too stump for words even in Rivendell when they would talk.

"What did you say?" Thorin asked believing he had not

"I said, yes." Bella said with a smile. Thorin smiled at her and Bella blushed as she had not seen him smile so brightly.

"You do?" Thorin asked and he couldn't believe it as he knew that she was giving him a chance. He looked to the side and he didn't know where he was as he saw a shadow.

"Master Holmes, are you alright with me courting Bella?" He asked and that caused Bella to look at him in shock. As she had been almost courted in the Shire and everyone who had come ignored the fact that she was an Old Soul acted like Sherlock was not there.

"I will give him permission if that is what you wish.' Sherlock told her.

'You are not going to fight it?' Bella asked surprise, but he had fought every time that someone tried to court her, sometimes ending with her prospect courtiers in tears.

'He is being a bit bright.' Sherlock told her; he didn't want to say that he had spoken to Tony about this coming. He knew that it would happen and knew that this was the man that Bella would give her heart to in this life. She might not know at this moment, but he did.

"He said yes." Bella told Thorin. Thorin had been shocked and couldn't help the smile that came to his lips.

"Really." He had heard a soft whisper but couldn't make up the words. Now he knows that it had been positive. He grabbed Bella's hand softly in his.

"Yes. I do have a question is there something I need to do to accept your courtship?" Bella asked.

"Yes." Thorin replied before touching one of his braids. "Dwarves give each other braids and beads that represent they are courting. I have my Grandmother's beads that I wish to gift you."

"I understand, can you give me a few hours before you give me those beads?" Bella asked looking at Thorin and saw the confusion on his face. "I believe that it will be fair if I was able to return the favor."

"Yes, I understand will it be alright than if I can spend time here with you than."

"Yes." Bella looked around the area and smiled. "I would take your coat off, it's to warm here." Bella said looking to the side knowing it might be a bit forward.

"If you think that is prudent, now what were you thinking about when I came to interrupt you?" Thorin asked.

"I was talking to Sherlock; I had a nightmare." Bella told him and Thorin had flashes of the dream he had.

"The story that you told my nephew affected you greatly."

"The man was a monster; I don't think I have met someone just like him. He made our lives difficult and it cost me and Sherlock somethings." Bella looked at the field trying to not remember The Day, the only thing that still made her fear. She didn't expect for Thorin to touch her hand gently and looked her in the eyes.

"He is gone now, we got rid of monsters." Thorin told her.

"I haven't even asked you, how are you feeling Azog is gone." Bella told him. Thorin stayed quiet for a few minutes as he had to think about it, and he knew that it was not the simplest of answers.

"I don't know." He told her. "I am relieved as I know that both my Grandfather and Father have been avenge…"

"You don't know how to react?" She told him.

"Exactly, now I know that I don't have him behind us, anymore and that part of my life has changed. I don't have that burden anymore."

"I can understand that." Bella said. They both stayed quiet, but it wasn't an awkward silence it was one that was comfortable a peace that didn't want to be broken for a bit. Thorin was able to admire Bella for a few minutes see her this peaceful and likewise Bella was able to do the same. Thorin looked different, he still had that kingly burden, but his eyes seemed to show a difference. After a few Bella knew that she had to break the silence.

"I do have a few questions." Bella told him.

"What do you want to know?" Thorin asked.

"I know from Fili and Kili that you have a sister, but do you have any other family members?' Bella asked.

"Yes, My Mother is still alive she is the Dowager Queen and both her and my sister are currently in-charge of the Blue Mountains in my absence, what about you?"

"I have my Father, and many family members I'm related in some obscure way to pretty much all of the Hobbits in the Shire." Bella said.

"What would you have done, if we hadn't come to your home?" Thorin asked because it was something that he wondered.

"I was getting ready to leave." Bella told him.

"Leave?' Thorin was surprised at the answer.

"Yeah, I've been travelling since I came of age. It was like I couldn't keep my feet still. I travelled and made friends and lost some. I was going to be moving soon."

"Why?"

"The Shire is very keen about their woman and most of them are courting or already making a family. I am the daughter of the Baggins of Bag End was not doing that, I wanted freedom, so I left after my coming of age." Bella smiled but it was not exactly a bright one. "I keep coming and going, I stay in Rivendell most of the time, my Father waits for me, but it has become too much."

"For you to travel all the time?'

"No, many in the Shire believe my Father will be receiving a letter soon of my death or I will come to the Shire in shame." Bella said. "I want to stop the wagging tongues and I had decided to finally make my move permanent to Rivendell, Elrond was kind enough to open his home for me and I was going to take it."

"I for one am happy that we came at the time we did." Thorin told her causing Bella to laugh.

"Well this is turning to be a very interesting adventure." Bella told him.

#

Two days later Bella walked up to Thorin and was sort of sorry that she had to pull him away from his talk with Balin. The Company had been informed of the Courting, but Bella had not allowed Thorin to put the beads in yet which worried Thorin a bit, it also got the heckles up of Dori who was a traditional Dwarf and had become the unofficial chaperone.

"Thorin, can you come with me?" she asked.

"Yes, excuse me Balin." Thorin said looking at his advisor with a bit of worry, Balin had a feeling that he knew what was going to happen.

They walked over to the hill where he had asked her to court. She sat down and Thorin followed suit.

"Now, I know that I have refuse to wear the bead you have wanted to gift me." Bella said.

"I understand you are not a Dam, so…" Thorin went silence when Bella showed him the open palm and it was a bead.

"I wanted to have a bead of my own before I let you braid mine to return the favor." Thorin was in shock and did the only thing that he could think off and at the same time knew he had too. He pulled her chin forward and kissed her, Bella was taken by surprise, but a few seconds and she was returning the kiss.

"I see that you liked the idea." Bella said as they separated, he just smiled at her and he went into his coat pocket bringing out the bead. Bella was shocked at seeing it, it was beautiful and different hers was made of oak, but the one right in-front was made of silver with a few gems in beaded. She nodded and grabbed her clippings before putting her hair down.

"You should go first so; I can know where to put it." Bella said. Thorin nodded before grabbing the comb he had as well and began to grab some piece of her hair in the side.

"I will be putting two braids and three beads; the first braid will show that you are a Dwarf-Friend and protected for other Dwarves to know. The second braid will be the courting bead and the royal bead showing you are being courted by someone of the royal family." Thorin began to explain.

'I have to admit the beads are complicated.' Sherlock told her. Bella smiled and both didn't notice the smile in Thorin's face. It took a while before he finished the braids.

"There you go." Thorin told her. Bella touched her side and felt the two braids one of the seemed shorter and life a square but the other seemed a little complicated as he had done a twist and fishtail braid.

"It's my turn." Bella said with a smile. As she parted his hair a began to do the braid, she was happy and was concentrated as much as she could be as she made the shape.

"I asked Fili and Kili for some help as well as Ori on the bead at the end I ended up doing a really different design a bit of everything that I am." Bella admit it.

"I will care for it." Thorin told her. He was patient as he was waiting on Bella to finish her style.

"Okay." Bella said proud of the braid. She grabbed the rest of her hair and put it back in place, but the two braids were out on her left temple. Thorin was already imagining when her right temple would show a different braid and a different bead.

#

When they came back to the Company Fili and Kili were the first ones to notice them and the different braids in their hairs. It caused them to run like little puppy's and slam into them.

"Finally!" Kili said.

"Congratulations." Fili told them.

"Can we finally call you Auntie Bella?" Kili asked causing Bella to blush so hard and Thorin to smile like a fool.

#

Note: Okay so this one was a lot of dialogue a bit of clues and we are getting back to the quest. Thank you, guys, so much for the reviews, I am happy to see that you guys like this story. So, review.