Hi hi hi!

Here's the next chaptarrrrrr! I hope that this is ok; I've tried to make it a pretty emotional one, to set it up for the next arc for the next part of the book/second film. I'm sorry once again that it took so long to get here, I had a major block, but I think I'm over it now, (I hope).

Cheers for the f/f: jaejoong1, Pusteblume1991, Meeshamelee, Elvira-baba, rox-silvery.

Cheers for the Reviews: shishiwastaken, inperfection, Marina Oakenshield, TraumerdeAmore, Hel Opacare and Dhalmhi93

I only own little Todd!

Chapter 17 – Woven Heartbreak

Todd felt her self drop, her freezing cold body hitting even colder stone. Her eyes flashed open immediately. Her brain was so fuzzy from sleep and pain that it took her a good few minutes to figure out what was going on. Her eyes landed on figures rushing around before her, the quick swift flashes of wings, and the rush of the company as they were being deposited down from their rides.

"Todd!" Ori called as he dropped to his knees next to her. "Are you ok?"

"What's happening?" She croaked. Her throat was sore from the cold air.

"The eagles, they have bought us to their Eyrie!" He stated, grabbing at Todd's elbow as she tried to lift herself into a sitting position. Her eyes went wide as she finally comprehended their situation. They were all being dropped at the mouth of what looked like a rather large and dark nest, nestled within a cave. The company were all freaking out, rushing and trying to tend to each other. Yet her eyes had settled on the star lit night before them, they were really very high up there was no way that they could ever get down without growing their own wings.

"Great Mahal above" Todd whispered. "We need to document this Ori!"

"That can wait till later, your wounds need looking at again." He stated, a small smile on his face though at her eagerness to help him. He was just glad that she was ok. He had spotted her in their flight, limp in her eagle's claws. He had feared the worst, but here she was, waking up.

Todd smiled back to Ori, a tight and fixed as her back throbbed and burned beneath Bofur's coat. Bofur's coat, she thought, it was all she had one. Her face immediately went a bright shade of red, her eyes raking over her body. The coat was just long and big enough to cover her most private parts, yet her legs were on full show, not to mention a tiny bit of cleavage was showing through from the shape of the coat. Ori saw her sudden change, and a heat picked up in his cheeks too.

"I'll find you some clothes!" He called as he jumped up and away from her.

Todd watched him go, her mind jumping to her King. Her eyes searched for him, a fear bubbling up within her that scared her a little. He was ok, he had to be ok, her mind whirred. Finally her eyes fell on Gandalf hunched over Thorin, his hand hovering over his forehead. He looked to be muttering something, with Balin, Dwalin, Fili, Kili and Bilbo all stood watching and waiting.

Ori returned with a pair of Nori's spare trousers and Bilbo's spare undershirt. Helping her stand he then also stood guard as she turned away from everyone to quickly place the clothing on. Once completely covered she turned and reached out for Ori, letting him know it was ok for him to turn back to face her.

"How is Thorin?" She asked urgently as they watched him stumble to a stand before the rest of the company.

"He is ok, Oin reckoned he just had bad concussion, the Warg's teeth didn't pierce his skin which is good" Ori whispered, as they heard Thorin rant down upon Bilbo. Todd let her brown furrow, she was about to step forward, but Ori held out his hand to hers and pulled her back. She was about to insist, when something happened that she thought was a dream, like she had been hit on the head.

Thorin pulled Bilbo into a hug, a warm and friendly hug. Todd breath caught in her throat as she watched, a massive smile falling over her features. He had done it, Bilbo had won over the affection of Thorin. It was about time too, Bilbo had done so much for the company, given up so much. It was about time that he was recognised by their leader for his courageous actions.

The company then started to cheer a little, glad like Todd that Bilbo had been completely accepted by their leader. They all parted from each other then, and Todd couldn't help but get excited when she spotted Bofur and Bilbo heading straight towards her.

"Todd!" Bilbo breathed as he pulled her into a tight hug, her face crumpling, a sharp sob escaping her as Bilbo caused her wounds to stab at her. He let go instantly, jumping back and apologising over and over.

"Hey… Bilbo, it's fine!" She huffed. Her eyes still shut tight. She hadn't even realised Bofur had taken her arm in his to keep her up right. As the pain slowed back into a heavy throbbing she opened her eyes, seeing Bilbo teary eyed and Bofur's worried gaze.

"Its not fine Lassie!" Bofur said. "You need Oin now!"

"When he is finished with Thorin, then I will ask him if he minds…" She trailed off when she came face to face with Bofur's sharp glare. She sucked in a small breath and furrowed her brows, confused as to why he was angry all of a sudden.

"Don't you ever do anything like that ever again!" He said lowly.

"Do what?" She asked innocently, not realising what her heroic actions had done to him during their plight.

"No, you don't get to do that!" He huffed, eyes still glaring; Bilbo and Ori took a few steps back to give them some privacy. "You don't get to throw yourself in danger for us every time you can and pretend like you've done nothing! "

"But I…"

"No, you don't get it!" Bofur raised his voice then, making Todd jump. Bofur pulled his hat off and ran a hand roughly threw his hair. Todd's eyes watering up a little at the thought of him being so angry with her. "You could have died, then what good would that have done?"

"I didn't though!" She replied.

"That's not the point, Todd!"

"Bofur?" She breathed.

"You keep getting hurt, getting hit, slashed and whipped just to prove yourself to us, for us and to protect us. What happens when it's too much for you to bounce back from?"

"What should it matter if it's too much?" She cut in then. "If it helps you all, and gets you to safety then I would do it a thousand times over!"

Bofur sighed then, like he had given up. He moved to turn away from her, but she grabbed at his hand, he turned back to her, his hat still in his hand and his eyes looking tired then.

"I'm sorry, but even though some of you still aren't sure about me, or don't trust me… or like me, you are all still the closest thing I have had to a family in a very long time! You are my friends, together we are going to make it to our home, and together we are going to reclaim it! I will do anything to keep you all-safe, because I care about you! All these years I've been running… running from people that will do me harm, or those that try to use me. I haven't had a home in so long and I'm tired, tired of always loosing everything good in my life, so you will just have to get used to me fighting for you Bofur, ok?"

She sucked in a deep breath; completely unaware that the whole company had heard her rant and had stopped what ever it was they were doing to look to her. Gandalf had the largest smile about him though, his eyes taking in all the shocked and humbled faces about the Company. Bilbo and Ori were both dumbstruck that she had spoken up and completely in awe of her words. Bofur just stood there staring at her, his hand still clasped tightly in hers. He had never met such soul as her in all his life, and in that moment something struck him. He let out a small chuckle and pulled her into a hug, being extra careful not to touch her wounds.

"Todd!"

Both Todd and Bofur broke away from each other then. The sound of Thorins sharp and authoritative voice echoing around the cave they had been left in. She turned to face him, not knowing if she was about to be scolded or not.

"I want to apologise to you…" He started, Todd feeling her mouth fall open a little at his words. "What you did for us in those tunnels, and on that cliff face was more than I could ever ask for… Thank you, Todd but please don't do it again, if only for the sake of Bofur's sanity!"

Thorin cracked a weak smile to her then and she couldn't help the smile she flashed in return. As he turned away and walked back to the rest of the company she couldn't help but feel a wash of relief and something warm flood through her. Not only had Bilbo been received fully, but she had received something that she thought she would never get. Her King had thanked her, thanked her for fighting for them.

The company took to caring for each other after all the initial shock of the past night had taken effect. All the brothers settled to fussing over each other, Ori was practically lifted off his feet and carried away by Dori. Dwalin and Balin took to sitting with Thorin as they talked over all that had happened, and then Fili and Kili joined them. Oin and Gloin were loitering around Todd as Oin tried to fix her up again. Bifur and Bombur came to sit with Bofur and Todd, and Bilbo went to talk with Gandalf. Everyone just seemed to relax back into each other. Todd just thanked her lucky stars that they were all there. No one was missing a sibling or an uncle or a friend. Everyone had made it and that made Todd happier than she could possibly imagine.

Once Oin had plastered almost all of his salve onto her whip wounds and a few slice wounds on her arms and legs, he left her. Yet only after she insisted that the rest would heel quickly and that he really didn't have to worry about it. She had sat down with Bofur on one side and Bifur on the other and felt completely relaxed.

The eagles that had dropped them off in the eyrie had returned with a doe and enough wood for them to be able to make a fire, and so Oin and Gloin had set to starting a fire. Bombur had practically jumped from Todd's side when the doe was dropped for them, rushing over to start gutting it ready for dinner. Therefore Bifur had shuffled up to his spot.

At first Todd didn't really know what to say, the two cousins were sat in silence either side of her, Bifur picking at a hole in his sleeve, whilst Bofur hummed a few light tunes as he fiddled with his hat on his lap. Todd on the other hand was trying to figure out what to say to break the silence. Yet Bofur beat her to it.

"So, your necklace fits even when you are a fox too?" he asked, turning his eyes up to meet hers, a soft smile in them that made her back ease up and the tension leave her.

"Yeah, I made sure that the chain was long enough, it's a bit snug, but I wont loose it!" She stated, pulling at it with her hands. She let her hands fall to his hat then, she took it gently from him and placed it on top of her head, a cheeky grin on her face that he hadn't seen since she had been pinching things from the others bags. "Like your hat, you will never part with it!"

"Ahh well it looks rather fitting on you lass" He chuckled. Bifur also sniggered too, he nudged her on the shoulder, and as she turned to look to him she caught him with the brightest smile. He then placed his hand on her head and shook the hat making her eyes squeeze shut and small giggles escape her. She swatted him away making the crazed dwarf chuckle at her before going back to fiddling with the hole in his sleeve.

"I think he likes ya!" Bofur alleged.

"I hope so." She breathed.

Bofur looked at her then, that feeling in his chest growing a little tighter, his thoughts completely leaving him as he looked to her with her bright green eyes and freckles under his hat. She felt her cheeks heat up as they blushed a light pink, she pulled the hat down even further then so it was completely stuck on her head. Her hair sticking out haphazardly from it, wild red curls spilling out and down her back and over her shoulders. Without thinking he began to lift his hand to push away some of the curls from her face, but before his brain caught up to him Bombur shoved a hot plate of deer on his hands.

Bombur proceeded to shove another plate in Todd's then Bifur's hands, telling them to eat up for there was more left and plenty to go around. Todd lifted her wide eyes from her plate back to Bofur, who was immediately ensconced in his food, and she could have sworn that there was a slight pink hue to his cheeks. Her mind jumped, was he about to touch her? To touch her hair?

Then her face fell and she placed the plate down before her, suddenly not in the mood to eat at all. For something had touched her hair, something had completely ruined and spoiled it. That greasy monster of a Goblin King had grabbed her by her hair and dishonoured her. She felt a sick feeling in her stomach rise and settle. She pulled the hat form her head and set it back on Bofur's lap, her eyes staring off into the fire as she then started pulling at her hair.

Her mind was exploding with complete and utter devastation. Hair was one of the most important and more respectable things about a Dwarf. They took so much care into preserving and styling their hair. Hair was the sign of purity, status and wealth. Hers had been touched without her consent, and by a filthy creature none the less. She felt exposed and suddenly extremely dirty. Like she was the lowest of the low.

"Todd?"

She heard someone call her name, but her mind was completely lost in thought. Her hands started to shake and her breathing started to pick up. A few of the Company had noticed and clicked as to what was going on. Thorin in particular could understand her distraught behaviour. When they were in exile from their home, wandering the wilderness some of their woman had their hair touched wrongfully by men. It was a horrid and completely disgusting thing to do, especially to a Dwarrowdam.

"Todd, what's wrong?" Bilbo called from his perch next to the wizard.

"Oh Mahal above, I almost completely forgot" Bofur stuttered, moving to kneel in front of her.

"Todd, look at me!" Bofur spoke loudly and clearly. Yet Todd just kept on pulling at her hair and shaking, her breathing getting further and further out of sync, she was almost hyperventilating. Bifur shuffled round to fully face her too, sharing a concerned look with his cousin. "There is nothing wrong with it, you are still the same!" he tried, his words having no effect at all. Bilbo moved forwards too, coming down on her other side, he watched as Bofur tried to calm her down, only exceeding in working her up even more. Bilbo shook his head and just grabbed her hands, pulling them out from her hair and down to her lap.

"Todd, look at me now!" He said loudly. Her eyes snapped from her hands on Bilbo's to his eyes. They were wide and as soon as they cleared and she saw him they spilled over with fresh tears. Her pained and broken face was heartbreaking, and Bilbo had to take a deep breath before he carried on.

"He ruined it, I need to get rid of it!" She gasped. Bofur felt his heart break, along with the rest of the company. "Cut it off, please!"

"We cant do that, and do you know why?" Bilbo tried as calmly as possible. "Your hair is too beautiful, even now, even with all your struggles and pain woven into it, its important and no one will be cutting it, ok?"

Even more tears spilled over as she reached to pull Bilbo into a hug. He enveloped her his arms and let her cry on his shoulder. She had almost completely collapsed into him, her chest heaving with ever shaking breath she took, sobs escaping every now and again. Bofur took off then, he stood and started making a space for her to sleep, trying to find anything to make it comfortable for her, in the end Thorin stepped in and gave him his cloak, of which Bofur was extremely thankful for.

The company ate in silence then as Bilbo moved the still sobbing Todd to the bed Bofur made and made her lay down. Although she had immediately grabbed onto Bilbo's hand not letting him leave until she had cried herself to sleep. Once she was gone and sleeping he slipped away back over to Bofur, who was staring blankly into the fire.

"Thank you laddie!" Balin spoke from across the fire.

"We're not very good with dealing with… anything like that." Fili reiterated. "Not when we cant just go and kill the filth in her honour."

"I don't understand completely though, she wanted to cut off her hair?" Bilbo asked, his voice low as to not wake her.

"It's a horrendous crime to defile a Dwarrodams hair like that without their permission you see…" Gandalf began. "It seen almost on par with, well…"

"The way she see's it, is that she is now broken and filthy, that she has been ruined…" Bofur muttered next to Bilbo. "She should never have been in that position in the first place"

"Too right, that was an extremely brave thing she did back in those tunnels!" Balin countered.

"And on that cliff!" Ori piped up.

"She is one of the bravest Dwarrodams I've ever met!" Kili added, his voice full of truth and youthful honesty.

"We need to make sure that we look out for her, these next few days!" Thorin then added, making everyone turn to him. "She is one of us now, and deserves our care and trust!"

Bofur and Bilbo both shared a look then. They knew that if Todd had been awake to hear that, she would have been over the moon. They hoped that the care and trust of the company was enough to make her feel better. Especially Bofur. He was hot with anger and cold with worry all at once and he had no idea how to fix it. His Todd was broken and he didn't know how to fix it. Then it hit him. Standing he moved to her sleeping form, slowly he pulled his hat from his head and placed it under her arm. If she wanted it, he would let her wear it until she was ready to show her hair again, until she felt fixed.

AN:

So I wanted to play on her hair and her relationship with Bofur for the next arc of the story. This chapter took so long to come to me. I had a major case of block and it was so frustrating. BUT I think I know where I'm going now.

Her hair is a big problem to her, a massive weakness so I'm going to play on it for a while. Mainly because in my eyes and how I interpreted the dwarfish race, was that it was such an important factor to everyday life. To symbolise wealth purity and all sorts. So for her to have it been tainted is a big thing. She just needs the company to tell her that she is still the same person in their eyes…

If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them! So please review and f/f, it would make my day. My tumblr Url is kingofcarvenstoned...

Farewell chicken nuggets, until we meet again!