Hey hey hey,

I'm super sorry that this is later than usual, I had the busiest weekend. ALAS, here is the new chapter, and I hope that it sheds some small emotional insight to Todd's background. Once again, I love hearing from you guys, please review!

Cheers for the f/f: C. E. Grey, Marina Oakenshield, Hel Opacare, Nori'sLilThief, Jinx1223, Titeseve, jjadra, SaMiLuCaS1954 & gardeniax

Also Cheers for the reviews: Dhalmi93, Nori'sLilTheif, inperfection, Hel Opacare & Marina Oakenshield.

I only own little Todd, warning ahead for some descriptions of hanging.

Chapter 13 – Swinging

Todd was left on the path, her small frame being battered from not only the rain and wind, but from the thumping pain in her chest and the scratching in her head. She let herself sink to the floor, curling up into a small ball and crying herself into a fitful pained sleep.

I could have you thrown over that ledge, to join that worthless vermin you call Mother faster than you could utter the name of your maker.

The words were playing over and over again in her head. His harsh tone, his glaring eyes and his positively furious posture. She didn't understand, nor did she really care as to why he was so angry. As soon as the words left his mouth she was thrown back, beck through her thoughts and her mind to that day she lost her, lost her Mother.

It had been one of the warmest days in the summer so far, spring had left them with the most beautiful flowers blooming around their small village in the north of the Misty Mountains. Todd had her favorite dark brown dress tunic on, her light trousers keeping her cool. Her and her Father had left her Mother that morning after sitting around their table and eating fresh fruit and bread for breakfast. Once they had knocked foreheads with each other, her Mother pulling her in for an extra warm and tight embrace that morning, they left.

The walk to her and her Fathers workshop was pleasant enough. They wandered through to the centre of the village chatting idly about clasps and gems. Passers by would either nod politely to them, or scowl. Todd wouldn't care too much, she was too young and innocent to understand hate and deceit back then. Her hair was shorter, but much wilder. Her eyes were wide with youth, oblivious to pain and suffering. She walked with a skip and her Father smiled brightly to her as they chatted, his long black beard strong against his light grey work clothes.

They reached their workshop and opened up. It was a small building nestled between a butchers and an Inn. The shop front sporting their name 'Tayen's Silver-smithy', after her Mothers maiden name. They went through their usual morning without a hitch. Todd was settled setting links of a small bracelet commissioned by a woman of wealth from the next village over, whilst her Father was polishing and shaping the ruby's that were to be set within it.

"Pappa?" Todd mumbled from where she was concentrating on her work. Her Father grunted, from his position over his work also. "Reckon Lady Nisa will like this?"

"Of course, your links are the best around!" Her Father smiled, making Todd laugh and throw a small off cut lump of silver at him, it bounced off his head and he jumped half out his skin in shock. "Now now…"

"I think we should make one for Mother!" Todd stated. She had been thinking about it for a while, they made such lovely pieces for other woman, but her Mother never wore any fine jewelry. It was time that she had something too.

"I was thinking the same thing, but more simpler piece for your Mother… she doesn't like the big stones." He began.

"Oh, how about a plain chain with two small white gems hanging to represent me and you?" Todd asked, lifting her head finally, away from her work. She watched as her Father nodded first slowly, then he looked up also.

"We could give it to her for her Birthday in a few moons time!" He breathed.

"Brilliant, we can start on it as soon as this one is done!" Todd chimed.

The rest of the day went undisturbed. They worked as hard as they could, with the motion of starting her Mothers piece as soon as possible. They tried to get as much as done as possible, between the few customers that came in. Dragging Todd away from her work to tend to them. She was good with customers and her Father had taught her how to handle money, so she was a very skilled shop assistant. People liked her too, there were a few people that came in regularly that she spoke to, they would ask her about her day and how she was getting on, the conversations always the best part of her day.

By the time closing was approaching, and the sun was starting to set on the horizon Todd noticed that there was a hustle and bustle starting out the front of their shop. She couldn't quite see completely what was going on through their small window, but the growing crowd and the sound of voices beginning to shout and chant made her stomach twist with worry and fear. She watched for a few minutes, as torches were lit slowly outside and the ominous red and orange glow seeped through the window and across the floor and walls of their shop. Her heart constricted and her mind began to swim. There had been talk of Orcs in the villages a few miles away, had they finally come to their village?

"Pappa?" She shouted.

"Yeah!"

"Come see this!" She called him, moving closer to the window. Soon her Father was stood besides her wiping at his tired brow and sweaty hands. "What's going on?"

"No idea, lets close up early and take a look, ey?" He span on his heel and took to putting his tools away. Todd set to the same task and not before long they were ready, with their coats on, to see what all the commotion was about.

Leaving their shop the noise became easier to hear and the shouting and chants swallowed them up. Todd's Father gripping her hand tightly as they moved towards the milling figures with their torches. Todd had never seen such a thing, everyone had differing states of anger, shock or despair written across their faces. The mere sight of their expressions was starting to make Todd's heart beat faster and faster in anticipation as to what they might find.

"Murderer!" One voice sounded.

"Killer… Disgusting… Evil… Vermin…" Filled their ears. The last words catching in both her and her Fathers heads. It had been used before, and their hearts sunk all of a sudden. Her Father rushed forwards then, pushing and pulling people out of his way, Todd rushing behind him in his wake. They were heads shorted than the rest of the village, yet that didn't stop them from shoving their way through the gathering crowd.

Finally they crashed through the crowd and came to a clearing where a great oak sat in the middle of the village. It was where the celebrations were help and also where the town crier shouted his news and daily verse. Yet what Todd and her Father found before them had Todd's heart stop and her Father drop to his knees.

Todd felt her world freeze then crumble around her. The chants and shouts died in her ears and her eyes blurred at the sight before her.

There, swinging from a thick branch of the village's oak was her Mother. A necklace of thick rope, tight around her neck. Her body blowing in the breeze, limp and lifeless. Her eyes were shut and her hair fluttered around her in rivers of dull red.

A sob escaped Todd's throat before she had a chance to react. Her heaving chest pained her as she began to sob uncontrollably. People around her and her shell of a Father had the decency to quieten down and stop their foul words.

"Ma?" She shouted.

Maybe she would wake up, maybe it was just a dream? Of course, her Mother wasn't dead, she hadn't been killed. She was alive and this was all just a joke, a very bad joke. Her thoughts got all muddles and rushed as her mind screamed at her to face the truth.

"Your Ma murdered three men, the Thistlewaite brothers!" A harsh voice sounded behind them. Todd turned to see the village leader, this greasy hair sticking to his forehead, beady eyes glistening with something that set a fire going in Todd, anger flared and a redness slipped over her eyes. Pure rage.

"She never murdered anybody!" Her Father shouted, turning and placing a hand on Todd shoulder, pulling her behind him. "You are the murderer!"

"You should no better than to marry one of their kind" The leader snorted, his malice and sheer depravity showing on his features. She felt her Father shake with anger. The whole crowd was waiting with baited breath. Her Father had a temper, and they knew that they were about to see the worst of it. The dwarf was completely heart broken, battered and winded at what they had done. He was absolutely beside himself. Todd could remember him launching himself at the leader, his fists connecting with the greasy mans jaw time after time.

People from all around started pulling at him, trying to get him off but her Father was very strong, he was swearing and roaring out words in khuzdul that only Todd could understand, men from the village were trying their hardest but it wasn't enough.

Todd turned away and silently, eyes clouded and lost, wandered to where her Mother hung. She couldn't believe it, her whole world, her Mother, the woman that had taught her all she knew, that had loved her and cared for her since she was a wee babe. The woman that knew how to cheer Todd up, calm her down. The woman she loved more than the stars in the sky. The woman that had hugged her tightly that very same morning was now just a lifeless vessel before her. Empty of the love and light that used to be there. Todd felt her knees give way and she fell to the mud below her Mother.

"Please Yavanna, please…" She cried as the chaos and shouting carried on erupting behind her. Her Fathers roar the loudest sound for miles. "You have to meet her on the other side, take her and love her! She never killed anyone, you know that, she never did."

"Todd?" Came a strange voice. Todd's mind cleared and the memory started to blur around the edges. She turned from her Mother to behind her, spotting nothing but the silhouette of her Father rushing towards her.

"Todd?" This time it was closer and a foreign hand settled on her shoulder and she jumped. Eyes flashing open, the rain and wind flashing back to her. Her whole mind waking up to her surroundings. She jumped from her position on the cold wet floor into a sitting position, looking up her eyes found Bofur's. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, thank you!" She sniffed, wiping at her eyes, she was pretty sure he couldn't tell that she had been crying, the rain was soaking her anyway. Yet she watched as his eyes softened and he knelt before her.

"I'm sorry Lass!" He started. "What Thorin said was out of order, and he had no right to!"

Todd shook her head. She needed to clear her head, her emotions were all over the place, the pain of loosing her Mother bought forward by her Kings words had really cut her up. Even thought he she had helped him, saved him from falling to his death almost, he still hated her. Bofur trying to help her and comfort her was not helping either. Her heart did a small flip at his soft eyes and tender face, she felt herself blush and her tears start once more. Bofur must have noticed too for he held out his hand for her.

She took it and let him pull her to her feet. Her legs were completely frozen from the contact with the soaked rock, immediately her legs shook a little, but as Bofur led her to the opening of the cave she felt the warmth from his hand seep up and through her arms to her core. Why did that happen? She thought, she tried to figure it out, figure out why every time he touched her or looked to her she became warmer and calmer.

"Here!" He mumbled. "You can sit here with me whilst I'm on watch!"

"Bofur pulled her to the opening of the cave where he had been stationed to keep watch. Nori was set to take the job after him, but that wasn't for a while. The company had been asleep for only a few minutes before Bofur decided it was time to find her, there was no way he was going to let her stay out there in the rain all night. He pulled her over the rocky seat he had found and sat her down. The poor lass were shivering from the cold, her clothes completely sodden. Her eyes were dull and her hair was knotted and stuck to her face, making her cheerless and crestfallen face seem all the more heartbreaking. He couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful never the less, but he quickly pushed the thought to one side, as he sat down beside her and pulled his blanket out to wrap around her legs.

"Better?" he asked.

"Thank you!" She mumbled as her head fell back against the cave wall, eyes drifting shut a little. The warmth of Bofur side against hers and his blanket around her legs was pulling her into a sleep she desperately needed.

"Get some sleep, you'll feel better in the morning!" Bofur said as he crossed his arms and set to pulling at his braids. She was asleep instantly and he couldn't help but gaze at her sleeping face for a small while. The further she drifted into slumber the softer and more relaxed her features became, till she was sound asleep, lips parted slightly and small intakes of breath could be heard.

They had sat like that for what felt like hours, Bofur keeping watch, every now and again watching his sleeping charge next to him, that had slowly but surely let her head fall against his shoulder. He reveled in the safety of the cave after the events before hand. He had been so utterly terrified whilst on the knee of the Giant. He thought he was going to loose his Brother, his cousin, his friends. He thought he was going to ripped away from the world to fall and die in the Misty Mountains. Yet His hold on Todd had kept him going, knowing that he would have been dying with friends, and not alone. He would meet his maker with companions.

He was fumbling through his thoughts when he heard a noise a lot like footfall. Looking up he spotted Bilbo making for the exit of the cave, with his pack and roll on his back, the walking stick Todd had found him held firmly in his hands.

"Where do you think your going?" He whispered, trying not to wake Todd and the rest of the company up. Bilbo halted and deflated, Bofur thought he looked almost defeated that he got caught.

"Back to Rivendell" Bilbo whispered, eyeing him and Todd asleep on his shoulder. Bofur's eyes widened and he jumped a little, as if he wanted to jump up and pull Bilbo back away from the cave entrance. Yet he didn't want to wake Todd, she looked so peaceful and calm.

"No, no no… You can't turn back now!" He waved his free hand around towards the mass of sleeping dwarves. "You are part of the company, you are one of us!"

"I'm not thought am I!" Bilbo let out, not wanting to have this conversation at all. He just wanted to leave, leave them to it. He didn't belong, no matter what he could do it wouldn't change either, after what Thorin had said to Todd after she saved him, he knew there was no way he could belong to their company, if she couldn't, then he certainly couldn't. Looking down to Todd his eyes softened and he sighed. He didn't want to leave her; maybe she could go with him? She would be more than welcome to live with him in Bag End. If it meant that she had a home, and that she was safe, then he would have her there in a heartbeat.

He was quite taken with the Foxwoman, seeing her as his sister in all this madness. They were outsiders on this company, and that very fact had driven them together, to look out for each other and keep each other company, yet he could see as plain as day that there was at least one dwarf that would miss her terribly if he was to take her with him. That one dwarf being the one trying to convince him to stay.

"Thorin said I should never have come, maybe he was right! I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins, I don't know what I was thinking." He mumbled then, pulling his eyes away from Todd and Bofur. Bofur's pleading eyes were too much for him. Bofur had been such a good friend. "I should never have run out my door."

"Your homesick, I understand…" Bofur tried. Yet Bibo jumped in, irritation and exasperation laced in his voice. It was enough to stir Todd, her eyes opening and trying to figure out what was going on.

"No, you don't!" Bilbo started, voice rising a little. "You don't understand, none of you do, your Dwarves!" His eyes flashed to Todd's then, but he was too far-gone.

"You are used to this life, life on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere!" He finished, taking a deep breath. Not realizing until he saw the hurt and wounded expressions on not only Bofur's face, but Todd's now fully wake features. His face fell and he instantly regretted everything he had just said. How could he have been so silly as to upset the only true friends he had made. "Now, I am sorry, I didn't mean…" he fell short, choking a little on his words, shaking his head in anguish.

"No, you are right, we don't belong anywhere!" Todd muttered solemnly as he looked over his sleeping companions then. He looked back to Bilbo and tried to smile. "Especially me!"

"You are more than welcome to live with me, there is a place for you at my table!" Bilbo offered quietly. Todd looked to him then, a genuine smile flitting across her eyes. He was offering her a home, and he had no idea who much that meant to her. If she was not welcome in the home of her Father, she would have to make a new home. She was honored and humbled. The pain of Thorin's words pushed her to stand then. She placed the blanket in Bofur's hands, her eyes catching his as she did so. They were incredibly sad. The light lost from them, and she had to fight the urge to embrace him. Something about his pain stabbed at her, she didn't want to see him like this, but she couldn't stay now.

Gently she went to move her fingers to his forehead, a small tear falling down her cheek. He closed his eyes at the contact and he took a deep breath as she stood and moved to stand with Bilbo.

Bofur heart cracked in two to see their Burglar and his Todd stood ready to leave them, but he understood why. He knew why Bilbo and Todd had been pushed to their decision; it was by the stubbornness of their leader and the pure negligence to see reason to their belonging within the group.

"I wish you both all the luck in the world!" He said finally, and he meant it. Moving towards Bilbo he clapped him gently on the shoulder, then to Todd he softly pushed some of her hair behind her ear, looking into her emerald eyes for the last time. "I really do!"

They turned to leave then, Bofur's heart sinking as Todd moved to leave. Yet it all was forgotten when a faint blue glow started pulsing from Bilbo's sword and sheath. It was a truly odd sight; it completely threw him for a second.

"What's that?" He asked out, making Todd and Bilbo turn back to him. They all looked down then to where Bofur was pointing. Their eyes falling on the sword. Bilbo slowly unsheathed it, pulling it up enough to see that the blade was glowing, and Todd lurched forwards to see for herself. Bilbo couldn't believe it, had the Orcs caught them up? But how could those foul Wargs navigate the pass? What else could it possibly be? His mind was locked for a few seconds.

"This is not good!" Todd muttered, before shouting. "Thorin!"

Then everything slowed down, as if it weren't really happening. The cave filled with the rushing of sand and a loathsome creaking began, Todd took a step towards Bofur and reached for his sleeve. They watched as the floor began to show cracks, the sand falling between them and down into the unknown. Todd could feel her heart beat faster at her loss of explanation for the strange happenings. Thorin shouted for them to wake, the company all groaning and stumbling to sit in alarm, but it was too late.

The floor opened up beneath them and one by one, they all fell.

AN: Soooooooooo, I wanted to have a break in all the action, show some depth into the feeling and emotions that Todd holds towards the death of her Mother. I hope it wasn't too bad. What Thorin had said really messed her up, confused her and make her relive those moments. I thought it was crucial for you to understand, how hated her Race was.

ALSO I spy with my little eye! Bofur and Todd getting frustrated with their confusing feelings ha. I hope I wrote them ok in this scene I wanted Bofur to be more gentle and Todd more affectionate, because of all that they had just been through, they are trying to comfort each other, and not realizing the reasons behind it all. Let me know what you thing though, and if anything needs to be rethought and made better for the future!

ANY WHO, Thanks again, and see you next time my little chicken nuggets!