A trailing vine snagged on Billie's pajama bottoms and sent her tumbling to the ground. She tried to stand back up, but collapsed with a cry as a fresh wave of pain washed over her. She made it to her hands and knees and began to crawl. It took her a minute to notice but the stalks around her were thinning. She looked up, it was the edge of the field!

Happy laughter floated on the breeze towards her along with the barking of a dog, Billie dragged herself forwards, crawling into the clear, the laughter stopped. A growl made her look up again, an enormous black lab stood over her, behind him cowered two children, a boy and a girl. The boy held a rock like he was ready to beat her with it.

"Hello," Billie croaked at them, the dog stopped it's growling and lowered it's big, wet nose to sniff her.

"Are you okay Ma'am?" the boy asked in a thick country twang.

"No," Billie moaned, she tried to stand up again, but it hurt too much, she managed to sit with her bad leg stretched out in front of her. The children watched warily, the dog satisfied that she wasn't evil, licked her cheek and went to sit by the little girl who hugged him around the neck.

"Are your parents' home?" Billie panted, her side throbbed, her leg registered its own complaints, she was going to throw up…nope, it was all good, she swallowed it.

"No Ma'am," the boy said, "they went into town for groceries, they won't be back for a while." White spots started to dance in front of Billie's eyes. The little girl took a couple of steps towards her, then changed her mind and ran to hide behind the boy.

"Drat," Billie managed, "Well then, would you please let me use the phone?"

(…And Then)

Thorin's phone rang just as he grabbed his suitcase off the baggage claim, an unknown number, he answered it anyways.

"Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Oakenshield?" a child's voice asked. Thorin stopped moving towards the airport exit, frowning at his phone.

"Yes?" How did a kid get his number?

"Oh, good," the child continued, "Ms. Baggins, I got him!" There were static filled fumbling noises and then Billie was croaking in his ear.

"Thorin?" Her voice was strained, she sounded out of breath.

"Billie! Oh, Thank God! Where are you? Are you okay?"

(…And Then)

The truck holding Thorin, his nephews and Lizzy screeched to a dusty halt outside the address that Billie had given him over the phone. A little girl and a large, black dog ran up to greet them.

"Are you Mr. Oakenshield?" she asked.

"I am," Thorin said, looking down at the girl, who broke into a large toothy smile. She grabbed his hand and started towing him towards the house. The others followed.

"She's in the kitchen, 'cause she said she didn't want to get her blood all over the carpet." They went through a living room and dining room into the kitchen. Billie was propped up against the refrigerator, a little boy was holding a juice box to her lips. She was pale as death.

"Billie!" Thorin dropped to his knees besides her, kissing her forehead, her cheek, her cold mouth. Fili, Kili and Lizzy all crowded in, he waved them off, they retreated a few inches.

"Hey," Billie smiled weakly, "How's it going handsome?"

"She got shot Mr. Oakenshield," the boy told him, "in the leg." Thorin moved his attention to Billie's injuries.

"What happened Billie?" Lizzy asked, crouching down, "Where did you disappear to?" Thorin rolled up the leg of her pajama pants.

"It was Iradessa," Billie told her, Thorin looked up sharply. "I thought I heard you pull into the driveway Thorin, so I ran out to greet you and she whacked me in the back of the head. I woke up in her trunk, she took me to a pig farm and planned on shooting me and feeding my body to the pigs."

"There's a pig farm up the road," the boy said, "Mr. Franklin owns it."

"A man came up before she could pull the trigger and asked us what we were doing there. She shot him and I managed to get away, but she got my leg, I escaped into the field across the road and she drove her car in after me. For all I know she's still looking for me in there."

Throughout Billie's narration Thorin's mouth had gone tighter and tighter, his ears flushed a deep red, but she doubted it was because he was embarrassed. She expected him to ask more questions, or say something along the lines of, "No, it can't be true…it's impossible." Instead he took off his belt.

"Wh-what are you doing with that?" she asked a little fearfully.

"Tourniquet." Thorin explained, grabbing the kitchen towel hanging off the oven, "you've lost too much blood as it is." He shoved the towel into the hole the bullet had made, Billie bit down on her lip to muffle her scream as Thorin tightened the belt over the wound. It felt like he was cutting off her leg with a cheese wire.

"Help me get her up," Thorin ordered the twins, who obediently grabbed one of Billie's arms each and pulled, the white spots started crowding in from the sides of her vision, she swayed between their support. Thorin handed a business card to the little boy.

"If your parents have questions tell them to call me," he said, motioning for the group to start moving towards the door. He relieved the twins of their burden, scooping Billie up in his arms, she rested her head on his shoulder gratefully.

"Is she going to be okay Mr. Oakenshield?" the little girl asked, trotting after them as they walked outside.

"She'll be fine," Thorin smiled at the youngster, "Thanks to you two." Kili opened the door and he slid Billie into the front seat of the truck, then turned around to look at the children. "Thank you, for saving my Billie."

(…And Then)

One painful car ride, a minor surgery, an IV and a police questioning session later, Billie was sitting propped up in her hospital bed with her eyes shut fighting a losing battle with sleep, when Lizzy walked in. She sat down in the chair next to her bed and handed her a can of Pepsi.

"They didn't have any coffee." She explained, Billie cracked the can open and took a sip, it tasted like Nirvana.

"Thank you," she said.

"Did they catch the Irabitch yet?" Lizzy asked. Billie shook her head.

"They're still looking around the farm, but they said that an officer was going to come check on us at the house every couple of hours, just to make sure she doesn't come there"

"Oh, good." Lizzy's face slowly transformed with the smile of a cat who has drank all the cream. "…Soooo?" she said, leaning forwards and wiggling her eyebrows up and down, "How long have things been going on between you and the good doctor?" Billie let out weak laugh.

"It started in New York," she told her friend, "after his dad's funeral."

"Was that what you were going to tell me over breakfast?" Lizzy asked, Billie nodded.

"Okay, yeah, I'm going to need details," Lizzy said, Billie laughed again just as Thorin walked into the room. There was an awkward moment of silence, Thorin cleared his throat. Lizzy got the picture and stood up.

"I'll just, go see if I can't find some actual coffee," she said. Behind Thorin's back she mouthed the word, "Details!" Billie cracked a smile. Thorin sank down into Lizzy's vacated chair.

There was another long stretch of silence, then…

"I'm sorry," Thorin's voice was soft, his head hung heavy, "This was all my fault."

"What!" Billie exclaimed, "That's crazy, Thorin, what are you talking about?"

"I shouldn't have let you come home by yourself, I should have listened when you told me about Iradessa- ."

"I never told you she was completely unhinged," Billie reminded him, "just that she was a bitch. I hardly think not believing me at the time makes all of this your fault."

"But - ." Thorin started, Billie grabbed both of his hands, cutting him off.

"Thorin, it's not your fault." Another silence stretched between them, filled with things unspoken, they came together, Thorin held her softly, like he was afraid she would break.

"I love you," he murmured against her lips.

There was a beat, Billie knew this was her cue to say the same back, because it was true. She loved him, but, somehow, the words themselves would not come out and Billie found herself pulling him closer, clinging to his coat, pouring everything she could into her actions, because once again her words were failing her.

(…And Then)

"So are you two going to be all mushy all the time now too?" Kili grumped from the backseat.

"Yes," Thorin said, squeezing Billie's hand, "just to annoy you." They were driving home, finally. He hadn't let go of her since the hospital, Billie was trying very hard not to squeal with delight over this. Or the fact that when Fili asked if they were dating he'd said yes without any hesitation. She felt 13 all over again, crushing on the high school JV quarterback. Once she got her tongue to work and was able to tell him how she felt about him everything was going to be perfect. In the back, Kili made gagging noises.

"It's bad enough I have to put up with it from Fili's end, Can't you guys just go back to having loads of unresolved sexual tension? That was working out really well for me." Thorin's ears flashed red, Billie suppressed her giggle. What was wrong with her? Was it the blood loss? Was she getting slap happy? She wasn't even entirely sure what that meant.

"Shut up Kili," Thorin growled. The brunette resumed his pout.

The house was an extremely welcome sight after, well…everything that day. The driveway was empty, the police babysitting service must not be there yet. Good, Billie was exhausted, she didn't want to talk to any more officers of the law, she just wanted sleep. It was only 7 at night but she was going to go straight to bed. She needed about a good 15 hours of shut eye before she was going to feel like herself again. They pulled into the driveway and she heaved a happy sigh. Thorin looked at her questionably.

"Home, sweet home." She explained, he smiled and then a shotgun shell blew out the back window.

Kili screamed, a second shot blew out the front window and then Iradessa was there, throwing open the door, holding a gun to Billie's head for the second time that day.

"Thorin," the blonde said, "You're back! I missed you."

"Iradessa," Thorin had his hands raised, "please, put the gun down."

Iradessa laughed, "No, I don't think I will sweetie. You see this little bitch," the shotgun poked Billie in the corner of her eye, "keeps messing with our future and this," she stroked the gun with her none firing hand, "is the golden ticket to making her stop. Permanently. Say, bye, bye." Her finger tightened on the trigger.

Everything went into slow motion, Billie saw Iradessa's hand flexing, knew that it meant the end for her. She instinctively pulled back, the barrel slid off her temple. A thunder clap sounded next to her ear, hot sparks like demon's claws scoured her face. She fell to the side, ears ringing, heart going a million miles an hour.

Screaming, faint and far away, shouting, cursing. She tried to open her eyes, to bear some witness to what was surely her trip to final judgement, but it burned. A heavy something slid over her, to her right there were several thuds. More screaming, cursing. Another thunder clap and then silence. Slowly, the ringing faded out, she managed to open her eyes, they immediately filled with tears, blurring her vision. A hand cupped her stinging cheek.

"Billie?"

Thorin.

(…And Then)

It took a while for the whole incident to make sense. Thorin had explained it to her while they waited for the police to show up to take Iradessa to jail.

"You pulled back, the bullet missed you, barely missed me and shattered the driver's window. The boys jumped out and tried to wrestle the gun away from Dessa, she shot at Kili, but missed and then I managed to get her on the ground. We tied her up with a power cord I'd left on the porch."

Billie heard him but, had trouble believing that she could be that lucky. To survive not one, but two attacks by a psychopathic would-be-murderer? Maybe she was actually dead and she just didn't know it.

"Stop being ridiculous Billie," Lizzy advised her, the next day when Billie told her what had happened, "and be grateful. The rest of us are. The world would suck without your particular brand of sunshine." Billie smiled.

"Speaking of sunshine and cloud nine and all things romantic? How are things going with Thorin? Lizzy asked. Billie's smile grew brighter, which cracked one of the scabs on her cheek. She'd gotten a multitude of minor burns from the gun going off right next to her face.

"He told me he loves me," she said.

"And do you love him?" Lizzy asked, Billie nodded, heat flooding her face. "Did you say it back?"

Billie's smile faded a bit, "I wasn't sure how…I..I don't know…I think I panicked." Lizzy laughed.

"Oh Billie."

"And now if I say it I'm afraid he's going to think it's forced or…that I'm trying not to hurt his feelings…or -."

Lizzy cut her off, "Have I mentioned that when it comes to relationships you overthink everything?" she asked. Billie sighed.

"Yes."

"Good, because, again, you are being ridiculous. Just tell him, it's not like he's going to want it spelled out on homemade chocolate cupcakes."

"There's an idea!" Lizzy laughed, giving her friend a shove so she slid off the couch they were both sitting on.

"Go tell him!" she insisted, making shooing motions. Billie gave her friend a hug and practically ran out the door.

(…And Then)

She found Thorin at work in the main bedroom, assembling a large bed frame. He stopped trying to find what part corresponded with the part he was holding and turned to look at her, standing, breathless from running, in the doorway.

"I'm getting tired of sleeping on a camping cot." He started to explain.

"I love you too!" Billie told him. Feeling her heart leave her mouth along with the words. Thorin blinked at her, and she started babbling.

"I've loved you for ages. I just didn't know how to tell you, because first you had a girlfriend and then I'd thought you'd think I was clingy and then I, I'm not sure what happened, I think I panicked." Thorin moved towards her, his smile would have lit up a cave. His kiss was long and sweet, Billie wound up breathless once more.

"Say it again." Thorin begged. Billie smiled against his lips.

"I love you too."