AN: Apologies to all my followers for the extremely long wait. A quick recap on the basics. We ended Part One with Thorin's Company atop the Carrock after the skirmish with Azog. Bella and Fili had started courting in Rivendell, but while Fili had known Bella was his One since they first met, Bella didn't receive this confirmation until the Battle of the Stone Giants. Followed swiftly after by the insanity of Goblin Town and Bilbo being temporarily separated from them. Now everyone is reunited and Thorin has accepted both Hobbits with open arms. (This note may or may not remain once part three is ready for publishing. We shall see.)

Part 2: Through Gathering Darkness

Chapter Twenty-seven: Momentary Calm

Bella released a long sigh, as sun-warmed droplets slid down her. It felt so good to be full and clean again.

It had taken possibly a little over an hour to descend the stone stairs from the top of the Carrock to the green valley below. She had felt immensely relieved to see that there was a little cave at the bottom. An inviting sort that would be wonderful to catch up on their lost sleep in. Thankfully, Thorin and Gandalf were in agreement to do so, but only after food was prepared and eaten and baths taken. It would seem that the three day race through Goblin Town and the help from the eagles had managed to put them a few days to nearly a week ahead of schedule if not a little more.

Bella and Bilbo had located some edible plants and herbs while Kili, Fili, and Dwalin went hunting for some small game. In the end, they'd had some plump rabbits, wild carrots, various spices, and small potatoes. With some water from the nearby river, they'd been able to make a delicious rabbit stew with roasted rabbit on the side.

Finally after everyone had been satisfied, the fifteen of them had headed down to the river to bathe. While all the dwarves and her brother had claimed a large, calm pool, Bella had found a bit shielded by a weeping willow and some bushes. Gandalf, even now, stood just outside to make certain that none of the dwarves would disturb her.

She dragged herself back to the present for a final dunking before moving to the bank. Thanks to Gandalf being able to retrieve her pack, she was able to change into a fresh set of clothes. She felt mildly guilty for taking advantage of that while the rest weren't able to, but it couldn't necessarily be helped. She washed her other clothes of the rock, sand, goblin filth, and orc and warg blood before settling back as her hair finished drying.

"Bella," Gandalf called, "you have a visitor seeking admittance."

"It is safe," Bella answered, "but if he be dwarf, let it be known that my open, drying hair is no marriage proposal."

"Aw. I'd dare to say that's a bit disappointing," Fili said.

She turned to him, smiling then blinked. There was something slightly off in his appearance. It wasn't his slightly damp trousers and tunic. Not even his bare feet. It was something more subtle that she couldn't put her finger on. At least not until he sat down beside her.

She yelped, jerking her face forward. "What are you thinking seeing me with your braids undone?! Dori and Balin would have a fit, possibly even your uncle."

"As I seem to recall," Fili said, mischief in his voice, "a certain ranger hobbit pointed out that we are practically engaged already since we're each other's Ones."

She slightly turned to glare at him out of the corner of her eye. Without braids, his mustache looked positively droopy and sad like some old hound dog. His hair . . . fell about his shoulders in soft, damp waves that almost begged her to run her fingers through it.

She resolutely hooked her hands round her knees to avoid the temptation. "So, what has made you so bold?"

"Maybe the idea that we are long overdue for courtship braids," Fili answered.

She turned her head back to him. "You do realize that I would have no way of knowing how to do those, right?"

"I know, but when it's just for the courtship, it's more of showing your signature work to proclaim the other off limits to anyone else," Fili said.

"So, I would just do a simple three-strand braid for you, while you'd do a more elaborate one for me?" Bella asked.

"Precisely," he answered. "You would also exchange beads, but," he chuckled, "last I knew, not even the Tooks have beads."

Bella thought a bit, eyeing her coat, specifically the brass shank buttons. "Officially, no, but we could improvise." Snatching one of her smaller knives, she shaved off one of the buttons. She smirked a little at the acorn settled in the center of an oak leaf. Rather fitting. "Behold, the Baggins family bead."

"You're sure?" Fili asked.

Bella nodded. "We may have to get creative to make sure that it stays in place."

"But we'll make it work," Fili said.

"Any family braids you need to take care of?" she asked.

Fili nodded a bit sheepishly as he took a section behind his ears, divided into four and deftly wove a braid. "Like Uncle's, these show that I am of the line of Durin," he explained, fastening his bead before repeating on the other side.

"Will I need them after the wedding?" she asked.

"Might be best to ask Balin about it," Fili answered, finishing the second braid. "I believe that if a dwarf, that would be the case, but I'm not sure since you're a hobbit."

Bella nodded as she reached up to his temple to start a braid. She almost paused when she found that the strands were thicker, sturdier than she first thought. But they were still soft enough that they weren't coarse, yet not so soft as to be fluffy.

Fili's amused smile brought her back to the present. She poked the tip of her tongue out at him before focusing on a simple, three strand braid. At the end, she handed it over to Fili to figure out how to keep the button in place as she snipped a second off and repeated the process on the other side. Then simply because she could, while he fixed the second button into his braid, she snagged his silver clasp and fixed it at the back of his head like he always did.

"I suspect that you like my hair," Fili said, still amused.

"Something wrong with my liking the hair of my One?" she returned.

He chuckled. "I am almost certain you were lost for half a minute when you started the first braid."

"I was not!" she protested, maybe a little too quickly and her cheeks were betraying her with a blush.

"My turn," he said, sounding too pleased with himself. He knelt behind her, snagging her brush before she could argue. His strokes were loving, strong, confident as he started at the ends and worked his way up.

She released a sigh as she propped her chin on her crossed arms where they rested on her knees. "No one has brushed my hair out like this since Mama passed away."

"Hmm. Good memories?" Fili asked.

"The best," she confirmed.

"I hope to join those, for many years and memories to come," Fili said.

Bella smiled. "Make sure you survive this quest and you will." She then felt his fingers just above the right of her forehead. They half-lingered as he gathered and separated the strands he wanted. A corner of her mouth quirked up a bit higher. "Get lost?"

He softly chuckled, an almost breathless sound. "Should I deny it as you did?"

"I could feel you," she returned.

"I could see you," he said.

She chuckled and then let silence slip over them as he braided back above her ear and over her crown before going across the back of her head. "What does it feel like to you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Fili asked his fingers now at the nape of her neck even as the braid coiled up.

"Well, I thought that your hair was the perfect middle of strong and soft," she said. "Not strong enough to be coarse, but not so soft as to be fluffy." Her cheeks burned as the silence stretched. "I said something wrong, didn't I?"

"No, no. Nothing like that," Fili said hurriedly. He half-laughed. "I was just trying to find the right words. Your hair . . . I'm not sure if I've ever felt anything like it before. It has the strength of spider silk, yet it is thicker. It's not straight and smooth like corn silk, but it isn't as tightly curled or rough as raw wool." He stopped, taking a deep breath. When he released it, his fingers slowed even as the weaving left her head. "It is like satin threads as they're woven into ribbons. Like the wind over a field of grain. A kiss from the warm sun on a cool day." He groaned. "I've rambled. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine," Bella said. "I just feel that I didn't do your hair justice now." She turned toward him even as her cheeks glowed with a softer blush. "It is the greatest of compliments among hobbits to be compared to things in nature."

Fili half-ducked his head as he focused on the braid. "Dare I ask if you could compare my hair in that fashion?"

She smiled. "Now that my mind isn't in a happy muddle, I believe I can. Golden grain in the summer sun. Strong and thick as a fox's winter pelt, but soft as a rabbit's coat." Since their positions denied her the ability to kiss his nose, she tapped the tip with a single finger. She giggled as he momentarily went cross-eyed.

He chuckled as he shook his head, slipped his bead onto the end of her braid, then coiled it at the back of her head. With the placement of three or four of her pins, he declared it finished.

She lightly ran her hands over it. Her jaw dropped. "How many strands did you weave?" she asked.

"Just four or five," Fili answered casually, leaning back on his hands. "It actually isn't too much different than when you usually twist your braid up."

She gave him a deadpan look. "My hair is not usually a work of art. You have made it a work of art." In the very center of the coil he had made, she could feel his bead on prominent display. "No denying that we're courting now."

"Was there really any doubt?" Fili asked.

She considered. "No, I guess not. Although, there was a few moments I doubted myself when you looked positively lovesick whenever I was steps away and I still didn't know that you were my One."

"Are all doubts gone now?" he asked half-rolling to his knees so that they were within arm's reach of each other.

"All gone," she answered. She had just enough warning before his lips met hers in a gentle caress, his right hand cradling her jawline. She returned it as her hands drifted up to his shoulders and round the back of his neck.

A half-discreet, half-pointed clearing cough broke the quiet moment. Bilbo stood just inside the willow's canopy, fingers in his vest pockets as he raised an eyebrow at them. "And where is the chaperone?" he asked.

"He just came in," Bella answered innocently.

"I do hope the two of you have been behaving yourselves," Bilbo said.

"Certainly," Bella said. "Just finished our courtship braids."

Bilbo started to nod then paused as he finally caught sight of her hair. He came closer and around to inspect it. "Well. It would certainly make several hobbit lasses green with envy to see that."

"And dwarf lasses too," Fili said. "It shows that she is my undisputed One and there is no limit to my love for her."

Bella lightly laughed. "If I had been standing, I would have gone weak in the knees at that."

"Hmm. Is a certain hobbit ranger starting to feel a touch lovesick as well?" Fili asked, teasing.

"Maybe," she answered, her cheeks dusted with a blush.

"And we officially have two hopeless romantics," Kili said slipping in.

Bella heaved a breath before running her hands over her face. "Should we be expecting the rest soon?"

"I'm the last one," Kili promised. "Bilbo said that there was something all four of us should probably talk about."

"Yes," Bilbo said, settling onto the ground, deadly serious.

Bella turned to him, setting aside the light-heartedness of earlier, as Fili and Kili settled on either side of her. "What is it?" she asked.

"I have a feeling that we found one of the missing pieces of Galadriel's vision," Bilbo said.

The dwarven princes stiffened. "Azog," Fili murmured.

"There are few others who would want us dead so badly or would consider us a prize," Kili said, his voice holding traces of fear.

"At least I didn't start hoping that last night was the last we'd see of that abomination," Bella said, resigned. "That would have been a sore disappointment if I'd started to entertain that thought."

"Unfortunately, amralime, that's how it is when someone has placed a price on your head," Fili said, catching her hand and squeezing it. "But now that we have a better idea of who we're facing, we might start thinking of how to counter possible attacks."

Bilbo nodded. "Sadly, I am hardly a strategist, so I doubt I'd truly be of any real help."

"But we can teach you Khuzdul," Kili said. "I doubt that Azog and his lackeys know anything aside from Black Speech and Westron."

"And so we can share plans and fight tips without them being the wiser," Fili agreed.

"Or at least they won't know what we're planning," Bella said.

"Some Iglishmek wouldn't hurt either," Kili added.

"For when ultimate stealth is needed," Bilbo said.

"Well, we'll certainly be busy for the rest of the journey," Fili acknowledged.

"And don't forget your Sindarin lessons," Bella said, poking his ribs.

"Hey!" he jerked back with a laugh. "And actually, the occasional Sindarin word might confuse the orcs even more."

"As much as I encourage learning," Gandalf said, "at this time I would also encourage rest." He smiled at them from where he stood half-in and half-out of the willow's canopy. "The others have dressed and are now heading to the cave for sleep. I believe that we have enough distance between us that we needn't fear a proper rest."

"We're coming, Gandalf," Bilbo said.

"Might I ask what you are holding council about?" the wizard asked.

"Something an elven lady told me through a vision," Bella answered.

Gandalf froze a moment before stepping forward. "Lady Galadriel?" he asked.

"Yes," Bella said. "Is something wrong?"

"When did you have this vision?" he asked.

"Not even an hour before we left Rivendell," she answered. She suppressed a shiver. "Gandalf, what is it?"

Fili wrapped an arm around her as they all waited for the wizard to explain himself.

"You are aware that what she shared with you is of the utmost importance, that you must heed what she said," Gandalf said.

"That is why we were talking," Bilbo said. "We discussed it as we were leaving Rivendell, and we were confused about some aspects of it. But I had reason to believe the events of last night shed some light on at least a few things."

Gandalf breathed deeply before releasing it low and long. "Good. Good," he said. "Oh!" His hat disappeared, seconds before Kili half-danced with an impish grin away from the wizard.

"For scaring my future sister by your reaction," he declared, "you must answer two questions."

Gandalf chuckled. "Of course. My apologies, I did not mean to cause distress. One question from Bella or Bilbo and one question from Master Kili." His eyes twinkled. "You were the one to steal my hat."

"Boggins first," Kili said, grinning as he twirled the wizard's hat.

"Baggins," Bilbo corrected. Rolling his eyes he said, "Bella?"

"I think that I have a good one," she said. She eyed Gandalf. "Would you know if Thranduil is as grouchy as they say?"

The wizard chortled. "It would depend on who he's dealing with and when. Catch him outside of his royal duties with young ones, he plays with them and has a rich laugh that can warm the chilliest of hearts. In the midst of his duties with someone he isn't fond of, he is stern and cold enough to freeze the warmest of fires."

"So, it's mostly dwarves that he's grouchy with," Bella concluded.

"Unfortunately truer than not," Gandalf said. "Now, Master Kili, your question."

Kili sobered, the hat twirling became edge worrying. "Are Thorin, Fili, and I able to catch gold sickness like grandfather and great-grandfather?"

Bella studied Gandalf as he sobered while he considered the serious question. "Every member of this company, with the exception of the hobbits are susceptible to the sickness. But the dragon sickness that plagued your great-grandfather? That is unique to the direct line of Durin, namely the royal family. Of the three of you, Thorin is the most vulnerable. At this time you and Fili are nearly equal in vulnerability."

"How's that?" Fili asked.

"As the next in line," Gandalf said, "you are the dragon sickness's next intended target. However, something more precious than gold has already laid hold of your heart. It will be more difficult for even gold sickness to lay hold for long. Kili is the youngest and at times more childlike. It would be difficult for either sickness to catch on him. Yet, he also has a free heart, granting a possibly easy foothold. Thus he is just a touch more vulnerable than you are."

"I won't let him fall." Both dwarves spoke at the same time, apparently surprising the other.

"And we won't let either of you fall either," Bilbo added.

"Exactly," Bella said. "And with the four of us working together we will do what we can to keep Thorin from falling too."

"Good," Gandalf said. "That is the spirit we need. Now, all plans can be laid after we all get a proper sleep."

"I'll pack up my things and come along then," Bella said, stretching a little.

"I'll help," Bilbo said.

"And we can start a simple lesson," Fili said.

So, after Kili returned Gandalf's hat, the four of them packed up Bella's now clean things and went over various Khuzdul and Sindarin words, focusing on what would be most likely needed in dangerous situations. As exhaustion slowly crept up on them, laughter started to sprinkle their talk, especially when they stumbled over a foreign word. Finally, they were packed and returning to the cave.

They settled down together, much like they had before they were dropped into the goblin caverns. Kili, Fili, Bella, and Bilbo in a row along one wall. As talk gave way to yawns, Bella snuggled back against Fili's chest as he wrapped an arm around her waist. She barely caught her brother's slight smile before she succumbed to sleep.

Author's Note: And we're back. If there are any questions that you don't feel like reading back to find them, feel free to ask. A nice slow start for Part Two, although that may or may not change come next chapter.

In other news, I have started another NaNoWriMo challenge, working on the (currently planned) last book in my Kingdom Hearts/Sherlock crossover. Not to say this will be the very last, just that I have no concrete plans to do more. (Even if I have jotted little thoughts concerning future Sherlock episodes.) I already have a bit over a thousand words, so a good start on the first day of November. I may or may not add a little note of update each chapter through this month. We'll see.

Anyway, back to Hobbits. Feel free to ask any questions or voice what you think may be in store for our characters in the future. I'd love to hear from you. Until next time.