Words cannot describe how humbled I feel that so many of you reviewed or otherwise supported the last chapter of this fic. Especially given my 2 year absence. (Oof, still sorry about that, by the way).

I should note that I am deeply dissatisfied by this chapter, as the majority of it is filler and fluff and not at all what I had originally planned. But here it is, and it's nearly another 5k words, so I should feel some accomplishment from that, I suppose.

Inspired by a prompt I stumbled upon by lateforerebor on tumblr.

Summary: Bilba "Bell" Baggins decides that she's waited quite long enough to take her mother's advice and old stories and go on an adventure of her own. What she didn't expect was to end up in Ered Luin and be adopted by dwarves! AU, Pre-Quest, Undecided Pairings.

-;-

After startling back to wakefulness on her small lover's seat in the smaller sitting room, Bilba took an extra moment to gather herself and make a pot of tea- peppermint and lavender- before rejoining the company that quite made themselves at home in her main sitting room. She took note of the several pairs of wary eyes that watched her as she primly seated herself next to Nori and Bofur, drawing her acquired shawl about her shoulders to ward off the slight chill in the room. There was an odd pressure that had settled in around her skull like a vice, but she would have some time before bed to brew some herbal tea for that.

No, she had a dwarrow prince to deal with before she could get to that.

One who currently appeared to be studying her with a thorough amount of disinterest. It was almost as if she were a particularly fascinating piece of dirt that he had acquired upon the toe of his boot.

"So. You are the one the wizard thinks to be our burglar."

With his squared shoulders and crossed arms, one would think the dwarf was steeling himself for battle, rather than a simple conversation with a Hobbit lass well into her mid-life. Though to be fair, a conversation with a Hobbit who was neither mild mannered nor terribly tolerant of crass menfolk was perhaps not to be considered "simple".

"He seems to think so." Bilba shrugged, eying up said wizard, who was doing his best to appear invisible in the corner of the room. Sipping her tea, she turned her attention back to the dwarf in question, quirking a brow in silent challenge. "Although you know nothing of me, Thorin Oakenshield. Perhaps you would do well to look beyond first impressions before drawing your conclusions."

Nori and Bofur shared a look, already able to predict where this conversation was likely to head given come of Bilba's prior… incidences, in Ered Luin. They- and many others, they would note- had seen her in action in the Grey Goose. It wasn't hard to know what fire brewed in her veins.

Balin was also smothering his amusement as he procured the contract from the depths of his pockets. Granted, it was fair to admit that when the wizard had claimed that he would find them the fourteenth member of their company and the proclaimed burglar of their quest, none of them had expected this to be the outcome. The mossy green door opening to reveal the same hobbit lass who had wandered into the Blue Mountains and made herself at home with the sons of Ri.

And yet, here they were. Watching the stand-off that was brewing.

To his credit, Thorin did appear to be completely unruffled by her words, though Bilba appeared to be a moment from going after him with a nearby broom tucked against the wall. The copper haired lass had a feral edge to her in the flickering light of the dying fire, eyes gleaming as she watched the dwarf with a hawk's attention.

"Miss Bilba. The contract." Balin redirected, offering the hobbit the parchment.

"Ah. Thank you, Master Balin." The moment was broken as Bilba offered the elder scholar a soft smile, taking the rather weighty gift and beginning to peruse it one handed, opening it on her lap and mouthing along to the neat, narrow rows of writing. It was a massive thing- full of clauses and miscellaneous terminology that she was certain to have been put there to confuse and baffle whomever the dwarrow had assumed was meant to read it. Most notably, the entirety of the contract had been written with male-specific pronouns- evidently, Gandalf had hardly seen it prudent to share that the final member of the company would be a female.

It did not escape her notice that the brothers Ri looked more than slightly uncomfortable the further she read- "incineration and evisceration? You've outdone yourself, Master Balin"- save Nori, who had an unreadable expression on his features each time that Bilba glanced up at the group around her. Really, most of the dwarrow present who knew her looked at the least mildly unnerved about the situation they all found themselves in, but perhaps none quite so much as the hobbit herself. Here she was, preparing to leave and make a home in the Blue Mountains with her dwarves, and yet here they now were, set to embark on a quest that could lead to all of their deaths.

The world truly had its own sense of humor.

She toyed with the beads hidden amongst her curly hair, feeling rather uncertain as she finally reached the end of the contract. It was fairly straightforward, once she'd managed to decipher the worst of it. She would be in the company of Thorin Oakenshield, offered the prince's protection and the protection from the others of the company, and would be eligible to receive one-fourteenth of any bounty that came about via stealing from a drake. Everything else would be out of her own pocket.

"Would you be so kind as to hand me that quill behind you, Ori?"

The younger dwarf did so, albeit reluctantly, and the deed was done as she signed her name along the others that were already on the page in her own sharp handwriting.

"Well then. Welcome, Miss Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin broke the silence first, blowing on the ink to hasten it's drying along before carefully folding it and placing it back into one of the pockets of his furs. "I believe we leave come first light."

"All of you to bed then." She replied automatically, fingers tightening about her mug. "I'm afraid even Bag End does not have quite enough rooms for all of you to have your own, but if you are amenable to sharing, I am certain there are still plenty of beds to go around."

-;-

Once she had managed to herd the dwarrow and one rather bemused wizard to bed, Bilba grabbed several pieces of parchment, her pipe, and a quill before slinking out the front door and clambering onto the roof of her smial.

The stars were still twinkling brightly above her, though there were clouds encroaching on the horizon that likely would bring rain with them in the near future.

It was there that she seated herself, the lingering heat from her chimney enough to warm her as she unstoppered her ink, trying to think of the words to pen to her relations to the south.

To my dearest family-

No, that would certainly not do. With a quick flick of her fingers, she crossed out the words, staring petulantly at the parchment as though it were mocking her. Too wordy.

Dearest family,

(But in particular Auntie Mira and Auntie Donna)

I hope this letter finds you in good company and content spirit. I imagine you have been awaiting my response from your last letter. I write to inform you that I have done something that I am uncertain I will find myself regretting in the future.

As you are all intimately aware, I had planned on leaving Bag End and making a final journey to settle in the Blue Mountains. However, it would seem that Yavanna has a different path for me to take.

A company of dwarves had come to my door, led by none other than the wizard Gandalf the Gray. Now, as we all know, we Tooks have always been told that should a wizard come knocking, it is likely that one will be stolen away on some fantastic quest or journey- some in which never return. And if they do, they certainly are not the same as when they've run out their doors.

But amongst them are my dwarves. The sons of Ri who took me into their home and made me feel as though I once again had a home. A family, if you would. The same trio I was prepared to leave the Shire to join in the Blue Mountains. Oh, confusticate those dwarves, for making my life so complicated!

So now, I have agreed to accompany these dwarrow to the far east in a quest, and I feel deeply within my heart that I shall not be returning to the Shire, nor Hobbiton, in this lifetime.

I love all of you so very dearly. But we all know that I am just a tad too sensible to settle in the south with you, but a tad too Tookish to stay at home and twiddle my thumbs and wait for life to pass me by. I will admit, the prospect of an adventure does quite appeal to me. There is a strange longing in my chest that compels me to want to see this through, and we have yet to even begin! But, I admit that I feel as though something will change. Uncle Isengrim, you know of what I speak. This may be my chance to find out what strange magics are at work, and why they seem to have come about knocking on my door- perhaps literally, in my case!

My thoughts remain firm on Primula inheriting Bag End, and should anything happen to me I would greatly desire that my belongings go to my mother's side- to my wonderful Aunts, particularly. I am certain that my mother would love to see her sisters find use in some of the old odds and ends that linger in storage.

I suppose I am making this my will, of sorts. But you all know already my wishes, so I shall simply take the time to thank you for accepting me, for loving me, and that should anything occur, I love all of you very deeply. And, perhaps, I regret not saying it sooner than my not so young years of fifty summers.

Forever Yours,

Bilba

She felt the ink of the quill against her fingers as she finally paused, reading over her words with an odd finality. An ache settled deeply into her chest as she looked out over the Shire, the soft twinkling light that lined each smial's doorstep like fireflies. True, Bilba had little desire to stay in this place, but it seemed all at once finite. Final.

The thought brought less sorrow to mind than she thought it may have not so long ago.

With practiced ease, she stuffed her pipe, lighting it with a sure hand before bringing her knees to her chest, thoughtfully blowing out a smoke ring and tucking her shawl around herself more firmly.

"Ye look deep in thought, sweets."

Perhaps she should have been surprised that the middle son of Ri had come looking for her, but amidst the excitement of the evening she couldn't find it in herself. Instead, she glanced up as he seated himself alongside her on the long grass, his own pipe in hand.

"Simply gathering the last of my thoughts together before the journey begins." Bilba offered, hand already extending with a match. "I thought that I would miss all of this- and perhaps I will- but there's a part of me now that doesn't find it daunting at all to leave it behind."

"I suspect Dori is going to have a word with you for signing that contract." Nori mused, half amused as he leaned into her space. "None of us were expecting Gandalf to lead us to your front door, of all places."

"Imagine my surprise to open my door and see Master Dwalin standing there." Bilba shook her head, leaning back to stare up at the sky. "I met him only once, but it certainly is difficult to mistake him for anyone else."

"That it is." Nori agreed. "Y'know, he arrested me once. Used to be one of the city guard."

"That is hardly a surprise, given your propensity for climbing into windows." She teased.

"It happened once."

"And I shall ensure to never let you forget." She beamed at him for a long moment, something light stirring in her chest at seeing the dwarf so relaxed. "Though, if we are to speak truthfully, I did not expect to see you standing at my door this evening. I planned on journeying to the Blue Mountains to stay- why did you decide to go on this quest?"

"We all have our reasons." He said.

"We certainly do." Bilba returned quietly.

For several long minutes, the only sounds were that of the pipeweed crackling within their pipes and the soft exhales into the quiet night.

"Dori'll likely skin me for trying to tell you this now, but there are some things you should know before we embark on this quest."

"Oh?"

"Ye know we're a secretive race. Not much for sharing our ways with outsiders." He began, beads of his beard gleaming as he inhaled once again from his pipe. "But the House of Ri has always done things a bit backwards."

Bilba blinked slowly, nodding along as the dwarf faltered.

"Needless to say, you may have been… unofficially adopted… into the House of Ri. The beads we gave you and the braids we put in your hair state that you're under our protection."

"What does this mean for me, what with the cantankerous-princeling leading our quest?" she inquired, despite her thoughts honing in on the whole, unofficially being adopted by dwarves part of the discussion. "I can't imagine he would be terribly thrilled to realize that a Halfling was taken in by anyone without his permission."

She had learned enough to know that it had been a significant gesture by the brothers Ri to gift her beads to her in the first place. Given her position as a Hobbit and now, their burglar, it wasn't hard to put the pieces together and realize that Thorin's word and opinion held much more weight than anyone else's.

Nori's silence confirmed her suspicions.

"…unless you need his permission to officially adopt me." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You dwarves are going to send me silver-haired by the end of this quest, if we make it so far."

"Just make sure Thorin doesn't catch wind of your beads until we've settled further into our quest, aye?"

"Don't worry, Nori. I'll keep out of trouble. For the time being." She puffed out a smoke circle, amusement returning to her features. "I give it four days until he realizes."

He barked out a laugh, once again surprised by the easy grace that Bilba seemed to possess when it came to dwarrow-folk. Nothing seemed to unnerve her when it came to their culture- perhaps that was what made her so unique.

"You'll keep us all on our toes, I suspect."

She said nothing, but the quirked brow, and the way she turned to look at him, said everything that needed to be said.

They sat there a while longer before Bilba excused herself, finding her thoughts turning to packing what little she may have forgotten into her pack.

-;-

Their departure from Bag End was a quiet event. Bilba locked the door with a click before turning to give the letter she had written and the key to the dove that she had hailed from the sky earlier.

"Please take this to the Tooks." She asked of it before sending it off in a flurry of soft cream feathers.

The sun was just barely cresting the furthest hills, the light illuminating Hobbiton with a warm glow as the dwarves finished tying their belongings to their ponies, packs laden with dried goods and several new knit items that she had been able to spare. Blankets and shawls, mostly. Enough to keep the evening chill off their backs once the sun set.

"Hello, precious." She cooed at the pony she was assigned. A copper coat and flaxen mane, and an eager nose that pushed against her hands as she offered a slice of apple from her pocket. "It's been a while since I've ridden, so forgive me if I seem terribly unforgiving on this journey."

"Her name's Myrtle, if you insist on keeping conversation." Fili leaned over to murmur in the hobbit's ear before continuing to his own pony, hauling himself up easily.

"Myrtle, hm? Such a lovely name." Bilba smiled gently, rubbing the velveteen nose under her hands before climbing up into the saddle. Her leg gave a light twinge at the unfamiliar angle it twisted into, but that was a dilemma she would deal with later, once they had settled for the night.

"Let us be off, then." Gandalf called from the front of the group, his horse leading the way to the road as the rest of the company mounted the ponies to follow. "We have a long ride ahead of us before we make camp."

Bilba was not blind- she caught the considering stares from the dwarrow she didn't know as well as the others. In her skirts and tunic, she likely looked the part of helpless female, but the blades strapped to her calves and the steely look in her eye must have conveyed enough about her that they said nothing.

It did nothing to stop her embarrassing reaction to horse hair and pollen. Which, naturally, was to sneeze. Repeatedly. And rather painfully, if she was being honest. There was only so much that Bilba could do to stifle the sound into her arm before there was hardly any point in doing so. Instead, she dropped to the back of the group, hoping that she would at least bother fewer of the company in doing so.

Oin joined her briefly, asking her several brisk questions and listening intently with his ear trumpet before declaring that it was nothing serious to her health before she was once again left to her own devices. Sniffling rather miserably, she looked skyward. In a perfect world, that would have been the answer to her problem, but as it were, it was only enough that she was the first to feel the first droplets of rain beginning to fall through the tree cover.

Granted, none of the others likely saw it the same way she did, with a fond smile and an easy twirl of her hands to settle her oiled leathers around her shoulders to deflect more of the oncoming deluge, but that was quite alright with her.

"You're looking far too happy back here." Dori muttered as he fell back to join her, his hair already turning to a matted mess as the rain picked up, rattling through the dry leaves above them. "And I want to speak to you of our… behaviour, during this quest."

"I'll behave as long as they behave." Bilba sniffed, eyes settling on the distant form of the prince at the front of the line. "Though I guarantee nothing, as you well know."

"I have no doubt of that." Dori chuckled. "I see you've kept your beads."

"Always." She nodded, glancing down at where they were hidden amongst her curls. All three of her complete beads sat on the same braided strand underneath several layers of her hair. Something told her that the dark and haughty prince would not take it so well if she wore them so blatantly as she had the night prior.

Not to mention the brief conversation that she and Nori had shared. She mentioned as much to Dori, whose brows raised so high into his brow Bilba feared that his hair might swallow them whole.

"You spoke with Nori?" he demanded in a harsh whisper, disbelief littering every word.

"Yes? He mentioned that you may not approve of the topic, but it was rather clearly explained. And while I'm thinking of it, you will have some explaining to do yourself once this has all passed us by." She muttered darkly in return. "I know you lot are terribly secretive, but knowing that you had adopted me would have been something that would have been good to know!"

She was satisfied enough to note that his cheeks flushed a faint rosy red at the words, and she nodded decisively before a massive sneeze wrought through her comparatively small body, leaving her groaning in the wake of it.

"I despise pollen." She grumbled to no one in particular.

-;-

There were few things of the world that made the would-be King Under the Mountain furrow his brow and scratch his head in bafflement, but the Halfling known as Bilba Baggins was likely the closest thing Thorin would get following his boisterous nephews.

She was loud in the subtle way she carried herself, long copper curls that wound about her crown and framed features that looked far too delicate to be anything but soft. But those same features would quickly snap into another form with ease, becoming wide, beaming smiles or dark glowers- the latter usually directed at him, to be fair. Then again, she hardly kept it to herself that she disliked his dismissive, abrasive character. He couldn't say he was terribly fond of her too-soft stature or complete disregard for footwear, either.

Secondly, his nephews, and apparently every other member of his company knew the Hobbit or knew of her- excluding himself.

How such a thing had occurred whilst Thorin was almost entirely certain he had never seen the female in his lifetime was a mystery.

Thirdly, and perhaps the most peculiar, was the manner in which the brothers of Ri accepted the Hobbit into their circle. For anyone who knew of the House of Ri- wise, wary, and often waspish at the best of times- it was nearly a complete opposite to the dwarrow he had heard of in the past.

Finally, baffled and nearly frustrated beyond measure, he turned to Balin for answers. His old friend and advisor would surely understand his thoughts on the matter, would he not?

The answer was no.

When he turned to Balin for answers, the elder dwarf raised a bushy brow and simply met his gaze with thinly veiled amusement, finally sighing and shaking his head before asking, "you don't know?"

"Don't know what?" Thorin demanded in exasperation, very nearly throwing his hands in the air if it wouldn't cause his pony to startle. Being at the front of their procession, the rest of the company had the leisure of watching the events unfold before them. In particular, the brothers Ri and the hobbit herself, draped over her saddle with a distinctly pleased expression on her features.

"Thorin, that lass has lived with the sons of Ri over several seasons in Ered Luin. She was employed at the Grey Goose, and, if I'm not mistaken, has met all of our company. If not befriended them as well." The advisor explained with far more patience than should be necessary. Really, if Thorin knew that he had been part of the ongoing wager with the lass herself and the dwarrow who had taken her in, he would likely be absolutely mind-boggled. As it were, he played the role of dutiful advisor- for the moment.

"And how is it that I do not know of her?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. However, you were on your quest of chasing the trail of the King for some time. Perhaps that is why?"

"It still does not explain how my nephews know of her." Thorin offered, petulance seeping into his tone.

"Nor anyone else, in that case. But enough of that. You can sort these things out with the lass yourself."

And if coin exchanged hands with the conclusion of that conversation, well- Thorin was none the wiser. The wizard accompanying them was, admittedly, rather bemused to see these things occurring. He had rather been counting on a more Baggins hobbit to drag into his latest mad scheme rather than the easygoing sort that was found in Bilba Baggins.

Bilba Took, more like.

It wasn't until several days later that they finally managed to make camp somewhere that wasn't under open sky, and it was the first night that the clouds parted and allowed Bilba to see the stars once more. Most of the company were easily settled and dozing shortly after their quick meal of stewed jerky and some of the local vegetation, but Fili and Kili, it seemed, were ready to try and unnerve her.

Especially as the lonely howl of a warg echoed throughout the valley below them.

Luckily for her, Balin came to her rescue, scolding the lads and giving Bilba a sympathetic look as she absently rubbed at the scars that adorned her leg, wincing at the secondary scolding they received from their uncle.

Yes, she had finally sorted out the relations of that trio, though it left her feeling uneasy. As if there were something that she had forgotten. Nonetheless, she managed to ignore it in favor of settling in for the evening, watching the flame of their small fire flicker and glow.

It was a long night, one spent with her hands clenched tightly around her blades, back pressed as closely against the stone wall of the outcropping as she was able, barely soothed by the sounds of slumbering dwarrow around her. Bofur and Bifur lay behind her, familiarity soothing few of her frayed nerves, while the brothers Ri slept beyond them. Bombur blocked her vision of the surrounding vegetation, but his girth was more a comfort than she initially realized, finally drifting to sleep in uneasy peace.

Adventure her great-aunt Pansy's arse. She would be writing strongly worded letters for someone, mark her words.