Back again! :)

Seriously, the inspiration for this story just keeps coming! Who knows when it will run out xD

This one is kind of a fluffy one, at least with a few of our favorite characters :) The first and last sections were my favorites to write. And also, the end of the chapter is an LotR reference, specifically the Two Towers Extended Edition (which I'm hoping you guys are all fans of, especially if you're reading these stories :) lol) So look out for that!

Enjoy, my dears!

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The Dwarves kept an eye at the gate for if any survivors from Laketown were going to come to the mountain, but none of them did. Soon enough, Thorin's paranoia seemed to die away and he ordered the others to resume searching for the Arkenstone, which made everyone groan and roll their eyes, but they did as they were told anyway. They dug through various piles of gold, jewels and other treasures, but there was still no sign of the Arkenstone. No matter how much they looked, no one could find it.

Balin, Dwalin, Bilbo and Aelin decided they were going to report their progress to Thorin, who was by the throne, just staring up at the cracked display where the Arkenstone once was. Needless to say, he was less than thrilled at what they had to say.

Still facing the back of the throne, he voiced, "It is here in these halls. I know it."

"We have searched and searched," Dwalin informed him.

"Not well enough," Thorin sneered.

Dwalin tried to reassure him, "Thorin, we all would see the stone returned."

"And yet, it's still not found!" Thorin growled loudly.

They were quiet for a short moment until Balin decided to ask him, "Do you doubt the loyalty of anyone here?"

Thorin slowly twisted back around to face them. He glanced briefly at Balin and Dwalin and then over to Aelin, where his gaze seemed to linger longer. He was staring at her with narrowed eyes and she realized that he was actually implying that he doubted her loyalty.

"Don't you look at me that way," she shot at him.

"Are you really surprised?" he asked. "You did abandon us, after all."

"I came back, you imbecile," she replied in irritation. "If I had truly abandoned you, I would not be standing here and we would not be having this conversation."

Dwalin stepped forward beside her and defended her, saying, "Thorin, the rest of us have forgiven her for her mistake."

"That does not justify anything," said Thorin.

"Enough!" said Balin in a raised voice, giving the two of them a hard look. Then he turned back to Thorin and said, changing the subject, "Thorin, the Arkenstone is the birthright of our people. We will find it."

Thorin, however, glanced back at him and said, "It is the King's Jewel." Then he bellowed in a voice so loud, it echoed through the entire hall, "Am I not the King?!"

There was no response from anyone. They remained silent, wary of angering Thorin any further. Aelin exchanged defeated glances with Dwalin.

"Know this…:" said Thorin in a low, threatening tone, "...if anyone should find it and withhold it from me...I will be avenged."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked behind the throne, out of the room. After he walked off, Balin walked away, too, with Bilbo following a moment later. Aelin and Dwalin remained standing where they were.

Once they were certain Thorin was out of the room, Aelin said aloud, "He's never going to forgive me, is he?"

Dwalin sighed. "I don't know. Any other time, I believe he would have," he replied. Then he laid a hand on Aelin's shoulder. "Hang in there, lass. I know it's not easy right now."

She faced him directly and said to him, "Dwalin, I know there is a way to free him of this sickness. I don't know how, but I know that there's got to be something we can do. Earlier today, he spoke with me and he actually was almost himself again. He was kind and reverent, looking at me with love in his eyes the way he used to."

"What had happened?" he asked.

"I told him something that Nori had told me: that my mother was among the dead in the Western Guardroom and that he and Balin found out she was a Dwarf of Erebor, which means I, too, am a Dwarf of Erebor."

His eyes grew large in surprise. "Really? My condolences for your mother, but the fact that you are a Dwarf of Erebor: that is amazing news! You truly were meant to come on this journey with us," he responded.

She hummed in agreement. "That is close to what Thorin said to me. He was genuinely happy for me. I saw it, Dwalin...the real Thorin; our Thorin was there in front of me. So it is possible for him to revert back to himself again."

"How do we help him get to that point, though?" Dwalin inquired.

"I wish I knew," Aelin said back. "I don't know what it was about that moment that seemed to trigger something of his old self, but I'm determined to find a way to get through to him."

"I know you are," said Dwalin. "If anyone will do it, it's you. You two are so similar and understand each other more than anyone. You have found a way to Thorin's heart and mind that even those of us closest to him haven't been able to and you've achieved that in only a few days which the rest of us haven't in over a hundred years."

Aelin chuckled softly. "In the beginning, that was quite literally the last thing on my mind," she said to him.

"Oh, believe me, I know," he replied, raising his eyebrows and lightly snickering himself. "However, I will admit: I have come to view you differently than I did at the start of all this after everything you've done for this company, especially Fili and Kili and all the times you've saved their lives. I've grown to see what Thorin sees in you. You really are a strong, fierce woman and a loyal friend. You are the kind of woman that Thorin needs and even more so now. He needs you, even if he doesn't believe he does right now. I strongly believe that, if all else fails, you will be his saving grace."

She was touched to hear such kind, genuine words from Dwalin. Even though she knew that they were friends and on good terms, it still surprised her that he would say something like that to her because it just didn't seem like something he would do. He seemed like he was the big, tough, burly, stern Dwarf that would tell you he would bash your head in if you ever crossed him or his friends in any way. He never struck Aelin as the very emotional kind of Dwarf, but it touched her heart even more to see this side of him.

"Dwalin...that may be the kindest thing you have ever said to me," she replied to him with a smile. "I truly do appreciate hearing that from you." She sighed heavily. "I just hope that whatever I can do will be enough."

Dwalin put both his hands on Aelin's shoulders and stated, "You are a strong woman, like I said. You will find a way." Then, to just astonish her even more, he brought one hand to the back of her head, pulled her forward a little and touched their foreheads together in a reverent manner of respect and care. "You are a Dwarf of Erebor; you are one of us, Aelin. You always have been. Durin's folk do not back down from a challenge. That is what lies behind your stubbornness, and in this case, that is exactly what you have to use against Thorin. Whatever you need; whatever you do, the rest of us are behind you. We're in this together. You have my word."

In that moment, Aelin couldn't help but smile even wider. Now she fully realized the high level of respect at which Dwalin held her now, which shocked her that he respected her so much even after she had left the mountain. Evidently, it didn't matter to him. She was worthy of his respect-which she suspected was not a very easy thing to gain-and, in his eyes, she had not lost it.

"You really are a peculiar Dwarf, sometimes, Dwalin," she commented in reply as they pulled away. "Your words inspire me and you have my thanks for your assistance. I'm relieved that you all will have my back. I promise I will do what I can and I won't let any of you down."

To seal their pact, Aelin and Dwalin then reached out and firmly grasped each other's forearms in true friendship.

A few minutes later, Aelin was wandering in a hallway when she caught sight of Bilbo ducking into another room just ahead of her. Curious, she quietly followed behind him. It was a room filled with many shelves; she assumed it might have once been a library. She heard another sound nearby: the faint sound of someone softly crying. When she peered through one of the shelves, she saw Balin standing at the edge of the room, brushing at his eyes as Bilbo approached him. She crept up a little closer and crouched behind another shelf.

"Dragon-sickness. I've seen it before," Balin said to Bilbo. "That look...that terrible need. It is a fierce and jealous love, Bilbo. It sent his grandfather mad."

"Thorin…," Aelin thought to herself, realizing who Balin was talking about.

Bilbo stepped closer to the older Dwarf and said to him, "Balin, if Thorin had the Arkenstone or if it was found...would it help?"

There was something about the way Bilbo said this to Balin that made Aelin a little suspicious. His mannerisms were peculiar. He had raised his eyebrows and tilted his head forward, the telltale signs of trying to hint something. What was Bilbo trying to get at in referencing the Arkenstone and if it would help Thorin if it had been found?

"Wait a minute…," she then thought. The look in his eyes hinted that he knew something. She knew that look from dealing in thieving for years. She had to learn the art of lying and deception and this was the kind of look she had grown familiar with.

Bilbo was lying...and she was certain she knew what he was lying about.

In answer to Bilbo's question, Balin replied, "That stone crowns all. It is the summit of this great wealth, bestowing power upon he who bears it. Would it stay his madness?" His expression turned serious. "No, laddie. I fear it would make him worse. Perhaps it is best...it remains lost."

"The Arkenstone would make Thorin worse? That only makes all of this even more complicated…," was Aelin's next thought.

Soon enough, Balin walked off and Aelin ducked down closer to the shelf. He didn't even notice her at all. A few seconds later, Bilbo turned around to leave. Aelin popped up and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him between the shelves and covering his mouth as he almost let out a startled scream. When he realized it was her, he loosened up and sighed against her hand.

"Great sticklebacks, Aelin! You nearly gave me such a fright, I thought my heart would stop!" he exclaimed as she removed her hand.

She kept a serious expression on her face as she then stated in a low voice, "You have the Arkenstone, don't you?"

He stiffened up and his eyes grew wide. He tried to appear offended, but she could tell it was an act. "What? Why would you say that? I don't have it," he said back.

"Bilbo, trust me; as a former thief, I had to master the art of lying and deception. I know all the telltale signs and, believe me, I know you're lying right now," she said back to him. "Now, answer my question: you have the Arkenstone...don't you?"

For a moment, it seemed as though he was going to try and continue protesting against her accusations, but then his shoulders lowered and his head hung for a second. Then when he brought his head back up, he sighed and had a look of defeat in his face.

He looked her in the eyes and said, "Yes...I do."

As he revealed this fact to Aelin, Bilbo withdrew the Arkenstone from inside his jacket and Aelin gasped. It was the brightest and perhaps the most beautiful gem she had ever laid eyes on. The light that radiated from within it took her breath away. It was no wonder that Thror had been so proud of discovering it and Thorin was so obsessed with it.

"By Durin…!" she gasped aloud in amazement. Then she looked right at Bilbo and asked, "How long have you had this?"

"Since I went into the mountain...shortly after you left," he answered.

Her eyes grew wide in astoundment. "You mean you have had it the entire time I was gone and all the time Thorin has been making everyone look for it?

"Yes, but I have my reasons for keeping it to myself," he responded.

"And what reasons are they?" she asked sternly.

"It's something that Smaug said to me when I spoke with him."

"You actually spoke to the dragon?"

"Yes, I did. I had spotted the Arkenstone on the ground and he noticed me eying it. He said he was tempted to let me take it and his words were, 'if only to see Oakenshield suffer...watch it destroy him...watch it corrupt his heart and drive him mad.'"

"So you're saying...that Smaug already knew what the Arkenstone would do to Thorin?"

Bilbo nodded. "And I'm assuming you heard what Balin just said to me. He thinks the Arkenstone should remain lost or else Thorin will get worse. I have to keep it with me."

Aelin shook her head. "But there is where yours and Balin's logic doesn't work," she said. "You saw how Thorin was acting in the throne room when we told him the stone still hadn't been found. He's growing extremely impatient and suspicious of the rest of us. You can't keep that stone hidden forever or else he could still get worse. He could get even more angry and possibly violent."

The Hobbit's face fell, knowing that she had a point. "You're right…," he admitted.

She sighed and let her back fall lightly against one of the shelves behind her. "This is a very complicated situation. We can't give Thorin the stone or else it will make his madness worse and we can't keep the stone from him because his impatience and his erratic behavior will still make him worse. There's no way to solve this."

"I know...I can't see another way either," Bilbo agreed.

Then Aelin straightened up, held out her hand to Bilbo and said, "Give the stone to me, Bilbo."

Bewildered, he replied, "What? No! Aelin, if he discovered that you have it, he'll think you stole it and who knows what he'll do to you."

"It wouldn't be nearly as bad as what he could possibly do to you if he discovered it was you who took it," she retaliated. "Thorin trusts you and he's already doubting me. Whatever he would do to me, I can take it."

"But he'll think you've gone back to thieving again," said Bilbo.

"No, he won't. He knows I've put that all behind me. Perhaps if I have the stone, I can find a way to get through to him, especially if he knows I didn't steal it," Aelin said back.

Bilbo still wasn't sure about her idea and he shook his head at her and said, "No...it's too risky. I can't let you do this, Aelin. My conscience will not let me."

Even though she was slightly irritated that he wouldn't just give her the Arkenstone, she had to admit that his courage was admirable and she couldn't be mad with him. "Sometimes, you are too kind for your own good, Bilbo," she commented. "Very well, you can keep the stone, but you and I: we are in this together, you hear me? Whatever you choose to do with the stone, keep me informed."

With a nod, Bilbo confirmed to Aelin, "I will. You have my word."

Thorin ended up getting so paranoid about the Laketown survivors finding refuge in Dale that, by that night, he had ordered all of the Dwarves to bring large pieces of stone rubble to the gate to have it barricaded. Even though they all moaned and groaned about doing it, they begrudgingly obeyed nonetheless. They all split throughout the mountain, gathering pieces of rubble they could find in wheelbarrows or just carrying them all themselves. By nightfall, the gate had been around halfway barricaded.

As they continued bringing more stone to the gate, Thorin declared as he approached the barricade, "I want this fortress made safe by sunup. This mountain was hard-won. I will not see it taken again."

Kili, who had been helping Aelin pull a wheelbarrow of stone, dropped the rails of it and replied to Thorin in unbelief, "The people of Laketown have nothing. They came to us in need. They have lost everything."

"Kili is right," added Aelin. "They are of no threat to us."

Thorin didn't seem to hear Aelin as he addressed Kili, "Do not tell me what they have lost. I know well enough their hardship." He turned their back to them to look out to the city of Dale, whose many braziers were now lit. "Those who have lived through dragonfire should rejoice. They have much to be grateful for." A short moment later, he turned back around and yelled out, "More stone! Bring more stone to the gate!"

Both Kili and Aelin sighed. They just couldn't believe that Thorin would be so paranoid about all those helpless people of Laketown trying to come after them.

"Please tell me this is all a dream, Aelin," Kili said quietly to Aelin after they had unloaded their wheelbarrow and were leaving the room again. "Tell me that we're just imagining all of this and soon, we will all wake up and Thorin will be himself again."

"I wish I could tell you that, Kili. I really wish I could," Aelin replied.

"I hate seeing Thorin like this," he said.

"You and me both, brother," then said the voice of Fili, who was coming in their direction ahead of them with a sack slung over his shoulder. As he approached, he asked them, "I think everyone else has the gate covered and frankly, my arms are dead right now from carrying all that stone. Do you two want to get out of here?"

"Where would we go?" asked Kili, confused.

Fili just grinned and answered, "Nowhere far. Come with me."

Both Kili and Aelin looked at each other and shrugged, figuring there would be no harm in whatever Fili had planned. As he turned and quickly walked away, the two of them followed after him. He led them up several flights of stairs and both Fili and Kili were patient with Aelin as she started struggling partway through their trek. A little while later, they came up to a corridor where, at the end of it, was a balcony with a few benches and chairs on it.

"Come on, just over here," said Fili as they came to the top of the stairs. Kili, who was a couple steps ahead of Aelin, turned around and took her hand, helping her up the last steps and she thanked him as she came up beside him. Then they went after Fili towards the balcony. As they stepped outside into the night air, they were gladly surprised to see the view from that high up. They could see all of Dale, which was now dimly lit by torches and braziers. In the distance, they could see the Long Lake and what remained of Laketown. Around and beyond all of that were the valleys that surrounded them that almost glowed in the moonlight.

Fili then explained, "I went exploring earlier today and I found this. I don't think anyone's been all the way up here yet."

"How high up are we?" asked Kili while he sat down in a chair with Aelin sitting down next to him in another one.

"I would reckon we're close to the very tip of the mountain," answered Fili.

"What, really? This is amazing," said Aelin.

Fili smiled. "I had a feeling you and Kili would like it. I thought the view up here was nice and we're guaranteed to get some privacy here, because I don't know if anyone will get up this high in the mountain anytime soon."

"I get the feeling I may need to escape here a few times in the future," commented Aelin with a frown.

Kili sighed and nodded. "We know what you mean," he told her.

"None of that, now," said Fili, taking the sack off of his shoulder. "We are here to enjoy this peaceful time together while we still have it." From within the bag, he withdrew a large bottle of malt beer and a loaf of bread.

"Where did you find that?" Aelin asked, pointing at the bottle.

He chuckled. "There are some storage rooms in the lower levels of the mountain and there were plenty of these bottles still intact. I decided I'd sneak one out for us." As he said this, he took out three metal cups and handed one to Aelin and Kili. Afterwards, he poured them some of the drink into their cups and handed them a portion of the bread

"You're the best, brother," Kili said as he took a swig of the beer. As the old liquid brushed on his tongue, his eyes squinted and his lips pursed. "Ah, whoa!" he cried out. "I know it's been some time since I've had malt beer, but by Durin, this is the tastiest kind I have ever had!"

"That's surprising considering how old that must be and how long it's been in storage," said Aelin, biting into her bread.

FIli then followed suit and drank from his cup. HIs reaction was similar to Kili's and his eyes went huge. "Oh my, the Dwarves of Erebor certainly knew how to make excellent beer!" he exclaimed.

Aelin took her turn and took a drink. "Mmm, that really hits the spot!" she added to the praise. Then she decided to stand up and moved over to the railing of the balcony, resting her forearms down upon the cool stone. She let out another heavy sigh. "I still can't believe I'm really here…and that I come from here," she said.

"What do you mean you come from here?" asked Kili, both he and Fili coming beside her on either side.

Upon realizing they didn't know her true heritage yet, she chuckled. "I had supposed Nori had already told you by now," she said to them. "But then again, maybe he thought you would rather hear it from me." Then she explained Nori's discovery of her connections to Erebor to them.

Just as she expected, they were taken aback, yet overjoyed at the same time.

"That's tremendous!" exclaimed Kili. "This calls for another drink!"

The three of them all hit their cups together, a few droplets of the beer jumping out from inside them and to the floor. After that, they all took a big drink.

Once he swallowed the warm liquid, Fili said to Aelin, "It would seem that the Lonely Mountain really is your true home, after all."

Even though she appreciated the comment, Aelin couldn't find the strength to smile. "It doesn't feel like home yet…," she replied.

"I'm sure you just need time to let it all sink in," said Kiii.

She shook her head. "No...that's not what I mean."

Confused and a little concerned at the downtrodden look on her face, Fili then asked her, "What do you mean?"

For a brief moment, she was silent. Then she answered, "I have learned on this journey the true meaning of home. It is not just a physical place, but it's also a joyful feeling you get when you are in a certain place or with certain people. During this quest, I have found a home with the company...and while all of you are here with me, Thorin is not...and I found a home with him more than anyone. The Thorin I love is fading away and my home just doesn't feel complete without him."

Now understanding what Aelin was talking about, both the young Dwarves exchanged looks and nodded.

"You're definitely not alone in that," Fili responded, taking another drink.

"I should have been here...I could have possibly stopped all this...I never should have left…," she said.

Kili put a hand on her shoulder and told her, "But think of it this way, Aelin: had you not left, Fili, Bofur, Oin and I would maybe be dead right now. More than likely, Norin would have killed me and he would have either done the same to the others or Smaug's fire would've killed them instead, but you came and you helped us all escape in time. Who knows what could have happened had you not gone to Laketown."

"Why did you choose to go to Laketown when you could have easily gone back to the mountain?" asked Fili.

"To be honest, at first, I had thought that, since Smaug had left the mountain, he had killed everyone else inside. That and I was closer to Laketown and I had the thought that, if I couldn't save Thorin or anyone in the mountain, I could, at least, save all of you in Laketown," she answered.

Fili sighed and then looked at Kili, "I'm telling you, brother, she's got this giant heroine complex; she just can't seem to stop saving us!" he said in fake exasperation.

As Kili snickered, Aelin said back in response with a wily smirk on her face, "If you two would just stop getting yourselves into trouble, I wouldn't have to!" Then her expression softened into one of genuine care as she set her cup down on the ledge and told them, "Fili, Kili, you both are young and have so much to live for. I can't help but worry about you and I want to protect the both of you, even with my life, if need be. I know you're both strong, capable fighters; I know you can hold your own in a fight, but when I know you're in trouble, I can't help but charge in. You two are my boys and I love you...I love you like you're my little brothers."

Both Fili and Kili were just beaming with joy and pride at hearing these things from her, even though they already knew all of that for themselves. Even though she had told them before how much she cared about them, they knew that it still was a big step for her in admitting such things after all she had been through and being abandoned so much.

Fili put his own cup down, with Kili mimicking his action, went up to Aelin and took her into a big, tight hug. Then he replied to her, "We love you, too, Aelin. I'm pretty sure we've loved you since we first met you. We knew right away that you were a special woman. Without you, I'm certain that neither of us would be here."

Kili then came up beside Aelin and wrapped his arms around both her and his brother. "And we love you like an older sister," he said sweetly. "Although, you might want to get used to looking at us as nephews because I can guarantee that you will be our aunt one day."

At hearing the phrase, "you will be our aunt one day", Aelin couldn't help but smile and a couple tears fell from her eyes as she buried her face in the boys' shoulders. The thought of Fili and Kili being her nephews and her officially being a part of their family filled her with overwhelming joy.

In a choked up voice, she said back, "I like the sound of that."

"Us, too. Probably more than you," replied Fili.

The other two chuckled at his remark and, as they all came apart, Aelin quickly brushed away the remnants of her tears. "Well...in order for that to happen," she said, "I need to marry Thorin and right now, I cannot choose to bind myself to the person he is becoming. I need to save Thorin from himself first."

"You mean we need to save him," Kili corrected her, motioning in a circular motion with his finger to her, himself and Fili.

"Aye, you're not doing this alone," added Fili. "We're in this together."

Aelin let out a surprised scoff. "That's the third time that phrase has been used today," she commented.

"Then that should tell you that this isn't something that any of us have to do alone. All of us here in this mountain are a company; a family," stated Fili. "We all watch out for each other, we protect each other and, when one of us is in danger in any way, the rest of us rally together to help in whatever way we can. I believe Mahal brought us all together for more reasons than just to reclaim Erebor and saving Thorin from this sickness he's under is definitely one of them."

"I agree," said Kili.

"Well, I'm glad you two are with me in this, as well as the rest of the company," Aelin told them with a smile. Then she released a light laugh and said, "But what are we doing? We said we were going to enjoy this time while we still had it!" She turned around, grabbed her cup off the railing and said to Fili, holding it out to him, "Help a woman out and top me off, will you, Fili?"

He grinned and gladly obliged, picking up the bottle of malt beer and pouring more into her cup as well as his and Kili's. Aelin raised up her cup and Fili and Kili lifted theirs in kind, touching them to each other.

Aelin then proudly declared, "Remember today, little brothers. For today...life is good."

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Awww! xD

Seriously, I couldn't get enough of this chapter. I just love writing members of the company getting close with Aelin! There may be a little more of that with a couple other Dwarves next chapter.

However...that last line (anyone know the reference?) may be slightly foreshadowing... :P but of what, exactly? Well, you will find out in due time! With the rate I'm busting these chapters out, it may not be too long ;)

Hope you enjoyed that! Leave a comment or send me a PM! :)