Wow, that was a long wait – sorry about that! As I mentioned, I was away for four days without a laptop, though I wrote what I could on my iPod while I was there, but more importantly I have been agonising over this chapter as I know many of you have been very excited for a long time about Dís' first proper appearance.

As a note to the reviewer Ingrid, thank you so, so, so much! I am flattered beyond belief at your lovely compliments - I was actually speechless, but what's more you actually provided a spark of inspiration that has destroyed the awful writer's block I was struggling with on an original story I'm puzzling over, so thank you, thank you, thank you!

NOTE - in one of the more recent chapters I made I typo that I've just picked up on - I said that it had been a year and a half since they left the Shire. I usually don't mention typos in author's notes, but this one is kind of significant as it messes up the plot - they've been away for just over a year and the upcoming chapters will clarify the exact time frame.

Sorry about that, and on that note please forgive my mistakes!

I really, really hope you enjoy it :)

Read. Enjoy. Review.

Chapter Fifty-Eight # Amad #

"Alright, Frodo my lad, we have the roast lamb, the sausages, mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, roast carrot, roast pumpkin, steamed vegetables, beef pie, the cheese sauce and the gravy… What are we forgetting?" Bilbo hummed, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"Pudding!" Frodo cried dramatically.

"No, I haven't forgotten pudding." Bilbo shook his head. "No, there's something else…"

Frodo looked up from the table, a light frown on his face. "Um… maybe…"

"Aha! The stew, I forgot about the stew!" Bilbo decided, bustling into the pantry to retrieve the necessary ingredients.

Frodo's voice floated in from the hall. "Uncle Bilbo, how do you spell 'burglar'? This doesn't look right..."

"Hang on!" The older hobbit called as he returned to the kitchen with his arms full of ingredients. "I really need another oven or three with so many people here… Oh, this will never be done on time! What was it you wanted, Frodo?"

The little hobbit pointed at the letter he was writing. "That isn't how you spell burglar, is it?"

"Not quite..." Bilbo agreed, mildly amused at the idea of Bilbo Baggins the Bugler. "The dwarves didn't hire me to play the bugle, the last thing they needed was another musician."

Usually, Bilbo would have the lad puzzle out the spelling himself - that was how he had taught Kíli, after all - but today was a rather stressful, busy day, so the hobbit quickly pointed out where his young cousin had gone wrong and returned to chopping vegetables. They had received a letter from Dís two days ago, informing them exactly when Thorin's sister would be arriving.

"Are you sure she's going to arrive today?" Frodo asked, his face screwed up in concentration as he continued his letter. Bilbo had no idea who the lad was writing to – he did not think that Frodo knew either.

"I believe so, yes." Bilbo nodded, wiping his hands on a tea towel and looking around agitatedly. "Oh for goodness sake, why can Kíli never put things back where he found them? Where is that damnable saucepan?"

"Over there, by the sink." Frodo pointed out helpfully.

"Ah, thank you. Shouldn't you be paying more attention to your letters? We don't want you growing up illiterate now, do we?"

"But everything's so exciting!" The child protested, his legs swinging through the air.

"For you, maybe." Bilbo muttered under his breath.

He for one was very, very nervous of meeting Dís - mostly because he had no idea what she would make of him.

Would she be grateful that he had raised her son, or would she resent him for stealing the years that she could have had? Would she think he had raised Kíli well, or would she despise the hobbit qualities that Kíli had developed? Would she see the bond between Kíli and Bilbo and be pleased that her son was so well loved, or would she loathe Bilbo for having so strong a bond with her son when she barely knew him?

To say that Bilbo was anxious was an understatement.

"Are you alright, Uncle Bilbo?"

"Fine, fine, I'm fine…" Bilbo shook his head, bustling around the kitchen.

"You look a little nervous." Frodo commented.

Bilbo walked behind the young hobbit, swatting him lightly on the shoulder. "Be quiet and do your letters."

"Papa used to do that…" Frodo said quietly.

"Do what?" Bilbo frowned, though he automatically began to tread lightly around the topic of Frodo's parents. In the past two weeks, Frodo had become increasingly comfortable speaking about Drogo and Prim, though it would occasionally bring him to tears.

"Change the subject when someone said that he looked scared or angry…" Frodo sighed sadly. "Do you think they miss me, where they are?"

"I'm sure of it." Bilbo smiled, ruffling Frodo's curly hair as he heard heavy footsteps coming down along the corridor.

"Are we interrupting anything?" Bofur called from the doorway.

"Nope!" Frodo called, grinning up at the now familiar dwarf. "Have you finished?"

"That we have," Bofur nodded with a smile. "Just in time too, I think. Do you want to come and see?"

Frodo looked to Bilbo eagerly and the hobbit rolled his eyes, swiping the paper up off of the table.

"Off you go."

The hobbit rolled his eyes as his young cousin scrambled down from the table and bounded over to Bofur's side, and the miner smiled. Frodo had taken a shine to the toymaker in mere days – in fact all the children of Hobbiton had. Some of the parents suggested that it was because he gave them free toys, but that opinion was dropped as soon as they met him. All hobbit children appreciated a good story teller and a friendly face, especially the particularly open minded younger generations.

Bilbo had been surprised when Bofur had refused to take payment for the toys he gifted to the little ones, remarking that he could have made a small fortune with his brilliant creations. Bofur had scoffed and reminded Bilbo that he had a fortune waiting for him in Erebor.

"Do you need any help in here, Bilbo?" Bofur asked calmly.

"He needs help to calm down and chop all the vegetables." Frodo said with wide, innocent eyes. "He's very stressed."

"Is that so?" Bofur raised his eyebrows and Bilbo pointed a nearby wooden spoon at his little cousin.

"Frodo Baggins…"

"Yes Uncle Bilbo?" Frodo asked innocently.

Bilbo opened his mouth but he did not know quite what to say so he just huffed and shook his head. "Behave yourself."

"I'll send Nori in to give you a hand." Bofur offered with a knowing grin.

Bilbo shook his head again. "No, no, don't do that, he'll swipe everything of from under my nose and eat it all before we even start cooking!"

"Right you are, I'll send you Kíli." Bofur winked, taking Frodo out of the room.

Smiling to himself wryly, Bilbo put Frodo's letter away, returned to chopping vegetables and thanked goodness for Bofur. When they had arrived back at Bag End and Bilbo had confessed how worried he was about accommodating everyone, Bofur had laughed and clapped a hand down on the hobbit's shoulder, telling him not to worry. Within hours, the miner had come up with a solution.

"Fíli and Kíli won't mind sharing and there's more than enough room for another bed in Kíli's room. Nori and I can share, it's not a problem, and that opens up two rooms. Frodo should get his own room – it will do him good to have a space to call his own after everything he's been through. When Fíli's mother arrives, she can have the last room."

Bilbo had nodded slowly and begun to worry that they did not have enough beds and Bofur had calmly promised that he and Nori would make the beds – a task that they had finally finished, apparently. Frodo had been very excited at the idea of having his own bed made especially for him and Bilbo could hear his exclamations of delight from the kitchen.

Well, at least someone's happy… he thought with a soft sigh.

"Bofur says you could use a hand?"

Bilbo glanced over his shoulder at Kíli with a smile. "There's a lot to cook."

Nodding, Kíli grinned and strode over, swiping an apron from a nearby counter. Bilbo needed no words to explain to Kíli what to do – they had cooked for large crowds before.

"Nervous?" Kíli asked lightly as he began peeling even more potatoes.

"A little…" Bilbo confessed, knowing that his son would know if he lied. "Are you?"

Kíli nodded, grinning as he took a deep breath. "Excited, but very nervous…"

"I'm sure it will all be fine," Bilbo promised, determined to offer Kíli some comfort even if he could not give it to himself. "And if for some reason it does go south, I have a rescue team on standby."

"A rescue team?" Kíli frowned.

"Yes, the children of Hobbiton are on standby – they've attacked dwarves for you before and they're prepared to do so again if need be." Bilbo declared sombrely and Kíli laughed.

"It's good to know that I have trained professionals to rely on." He agreed with a grin.

As Bilbo and Kíli made the dinner, Fíli made his way down to the edge of Hobbiton to await his mother's arrival, excitement and joy filling his stomach. For the last two decades, there had been no one closer to Fíli than his mother, and he had missed her fiercely during the past months.

What truly made his stomach curl up in exhilaration, however, was that within short hours he would be able to introduce his mother to his brother.

Fíli could not wait.

At last she was there, riding into Hobbiton with all the majesty of a princess. Since it was a weekday, most hobbits were at the market, but the few that were around that were around stared openly out of their windows in a mixture of awe and immediate wariness, for Dís gave off a certain aura that she was dangerous when crossed.

Fíli knew that this was an understatement - if you crossed her, Thráin's daughter was lethal. He held up a hand and gave a little wave, a huge grin spreading across his face. When she saw him, her stern expression melted into a warm, relieved smile and she urged her pony on faster.

"Fíli!" She cried as she dismounted, and the young dwarf did not know who moved first. All he knew was that one moment he was standing still grinning like a fool and the next he was being enveloped in a crushing hug from his wonderful mother. "My little Fíli!"

Fíli laughed, returning the hug fiercely. "Hello, Ama. I've missed you!"

"Oh, I've missed you too…" Dís whispered back, her arms tightening around him as she entangled her fingers into his hair. "So much… I've missed you so much…" She pulled away to hold her son's face in her hands, her fingers tracing over the new scars on his face and neck. "Oh, Fíli… Are you alright?

"I'm more than alright, Ama…" Fíli was unable to lessen his smile even as tears prickled at his eyes and he wrapped his arms around her and held her close again. "I'm so happy you're here…"

Dís laughed quietly. "You are never, ever going on a suicide mission again, do you understand me?"

"I understand," Fíli assured her, pulling away from his mother to grin at her. "But I am so glad that I came on this one…"

The younger sister of Thorin Oakenshield swallowed, her smile flickering anxiously. "Fíli… I cannot believe that… I can't… your brother…"

"He's alive," Fíli promised, putting his hand on his mother's shoulder. "And he is wonderful."

Dís' eyes filled with tears even as she tried to smile. "But he does not remember me?"

"He remembers very little," Fíli said carefully. "When we first arrived he had no idea who we were, but he showed me a little book he has, a sketchbook, and in it there are pictures of three faces – mine, yours and Thorin's. He used to dream about us, but he didn't know who we were, so his friend drew the faces he described for him. Since we started the quest he's had several flashbacks in dreams to little moments in time, and he remembers you braiding his hair on my sixtieth birthday."

Heartache appeared on his mother's face, and it was a heartache Fíli knew because he had experienced it himself more than a year ago when his baby brother had stared at him as a stranger.

"And that is all he remembers of me?" she swallowed, and Fíli nodded slowly.

"I think so…" the golden haired dwarf smiled sadly at his mother. "He remembered less of me. Ama... He's perfect. He isn't... He isn't the same Kíli we lost, but he's grown up brilliantly. He's brave and strong and his skill with a bow is fantastic, but he's also gentle and merciful and diplomatic. Kíli's just… Kíli! And Bilbo is wonderful, too! Truly, I cannot do them justice with my words, Ama, you must come and meet them."

Dís smiled sadly and wiped at her eye. "You always did worship your brother."

Rather than deny it, Fíli simply smiled serenely. "There is no one more precious in this world, Amad."

"Then let us go and meet him." Dís smiled wryly.

"Right away madam!" Fíli grinned, slinging his arm over his mother's shoulder and leading her to the stables.

"Fíli, are you truly alright?" Dís asked quietly as they walked up Bag Shot row.

"I am well," Fíli nodded, a wry smile spreading across his face. "This place helps, and these people. Kíli could not have ended up in a better place, and he could not have ended up with a better hobbit."

Dís pursed her lips and did not reply.

"I mean it, Amad," Fíli murmured. "Truly, I do."

Striding up the garden path, Fíli pushed open the door to Bag End. "We're home!"

In the kitchen, Kíli stiffened at his brother's call and looked desperately at Bilbo, feeling anything but ready. His mind raced backwards to the first time he met the company.

He remembered his confusion, his fear and his sudden spark of hope. He remembered the fury he felt towards the strange dwarf that had attacked Bilbo. He remembered the apprehension he felt towards one who had walked right out of his daydreams claiming to be his brother. He remembered the fear and anger he felt when he heard the dwarves muttering criticisms of Bilbo beneath their breath.

"You have no idea what Bilbo sacrificed bringing me here! For weeks, his family and friends were too afraid and ashamed of him and of me to come within five yards of Bag End! He spent years, years defending me from all sorts of things - maybe not orcs and wargs and goblins but gossips and rotten fruit and suspicious mothers. He took me in when I had nothing and no one, he named me his heir and he has asked nothing in return! Frankly, for as long as you scorn Bilbo I don't care who you are, only that you stay out of my way. He may not be the only family I have ever had, but Bilbo Baggins is the only family I know!"

For the first time, Kíli thought about what he had truly said that day.

"He may not be the only family I have ever had, but Bilbo Baggins is the only family I know!"

Swallowing, Kíli shuddered at the pain that must have caused Fíli. If his brother went missing now, only to turn up two decades later with no recollection of him… Kíli was sure that he would not be able to cope, but last time he had focused only on his own dismay and he had not truly thought about how horrific the whole situation must have been for his big brother.

Determined to apologise to Fíli within the next few days, Kíli took a deep breath. He would not allow himself to be swallowed in his own emotions this time. The fear had seized control of his racing heart and the anticipation was wreaking havoc in his stomach, but Kíli refused to let it show.

The uncertainty was harder to control – should he smile, and if so should he smile widely or softly? Should he shake this stranger's hand or should he embrace her? Should he try and joke and lighten the tension or should he keep himself solemn and respectful?

"Kíli," Bilbo said softly, putting his hand on his son's. "I'm here. Come on, let's go…"

Realising that he had been standing, frozen, in the middle of the floor, Kíli forced himself to put one foot in front of another and follow Bilbo towards the entrance hall. With every step, the butterflies in Kíli's stomach grew more and more frantic, and by the time he reached the entrance hall he thought that his stomach would explode.

This was it.

There had been two decades of wondering and wishing and fearing and hoping and dreading and praying what his mother might be like, and now she was here, and Kíli did not feel ready at all.

He tried to hold his head up high, to keep himself strong, but he did not feel like Kíli Baggins, heir of Durin. He felt like Kíli Baggins who hid behind Bilbo's legs when people scowled too harshly, like Kíli Baggins who relied on little Esmeralda Brandybuck when the other children got a little too mean – like Kíli Baggins who was scared of kittens.

A lump grew in his throat and he did not even notice his fingers tightening around Bilbo's sleeve as they turned the corner, and then he saw her, standing next to Fíli, with an expression as unreadable as Thorin on a bad day.

Ten years younger than her brother, Dís had certainly aged as gracefully as he had, if not more. There were few streaks of grey in her raven black hair, and though her face bore the worries of a difficult life and a troubled people, she still looked beautiful to Kíli.

She looked just how she did in his dreams and his flashbacks, with the same raven black hair and brilliant blue eyes as Thorin, though her face was far more feminine and lacked even the small trace of a beard that Thorin had.

She was beautiful. She was his mother.

And for once, Kíli had no words – he had no idea what to say to her.

What words were there to bridge so huge a gap?

The young dwarf's grip tightened around Bilbo's sleeve but before the silence grew overwhelming the Baggins manners Bilbo had instilled in him rose above the noise and confusion to take over his mouth. "Hello..."

"Hello..." Dís returned, her eyes fixed upon Kíli. It looked like she was drinking in his appearance as much as he drank in hers. "It… it has been a long time, Kíli..."

He tried to smile as her name broke from her lips but there were tears in his eyes and the grin faltered. "It has..."

"You must be Mister Baggins?" Dís asked, her analytical eyes flickering over to Bilbo. Kíli thought that she looked just as uncertain as he felt.

"I am." Bilbo's voice was surprisingly calm and immediately Kíli felt a little calmer himself. "You are very welcome here; it is lovely to meet you at last."

"Thank you, the feeling is mutual." She nodded politely before turning her gaze back to Kíli as the tears began to trickle from her eyes. "I...I am so happy you're alive, Kíli."

Kíli nodded but he could not reply - his lips were shaking and his eyes were filled with tears and he could not breathe or move or –

A little hand tugged on his sleeve and Frodo looked up at him solemnly, speaking in a quiet, sombre voice. "You should just hug her now, Kíli. You got your Mama back, and you should hug her now in case you can't tomorrow."

Even as his heart broke that Frodo knew such a thing at such an early age, Kíli took a faltering step forwards, his fingers slowly releasing Bilbo's sleeve as his eyes sought out Fíli.

Dís mirrored the hesitant movement, heartbreak in her eyes and anguish in her face as mother and son fearfully tried to cross the endless distance between them. Finally the tension was too much to bear and Dís stepped forward and hesitantly lifted a hand to touch the side of Kíli's face. With a poorly hidden sob, Kíli stumbled forward and wrapped his arms around her.

The dwarven princess' arms tightened around him in an instant, and the uncertainty vanished like a snowflake in the glove of a baby hobbit.

This was his mother, and he loved her.

"Kíli…" She whispered in his ear, holding him tightly. "Oh, my little Kíli, you're alive…"

"I am…" he murmured back, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. "It's good to see you…"

Dís laughed, a small, tearful laugh. "It's good to see you too."

For an infinite moment Kíli and Dís rocked back and forth a little, before finally breaking apart with almost identical smiles. Dís hand rested on the side of Kíli's face for a moment and she sighed.

"I never thought I'd see you again…" she smiled weakly, wiping away her tears with one hand without removing the other from Kíli's face.

Kíli did not know really what to say to that, so he just smiled sheepishly.

After a moment, Dís pulled away slightly and smiled at Bilbo. "Thank you, Master Baggins. Thank you for…" the woman's voice broke off and she shook her head. "Thank you…"

"You are most welcome." Bilbo smiled back, his hand on Frodo's shoulder. Kíli could see the way his hobbit's fingers clenched the fabric of his cousin's shirt, and he wondered whether or not his mother could pick up on Bilbo's nervousness. "And please, call me Bilbo."

"Very well, Bilbo." Dís inclined her head. "You may call me Dís, if it pleases you. And who is this young fellow, may I ask?"

Kíli looked at Frodo, who was looking with open curiosity at the dwarven woman, though there was also a heavy thoughtfulness in the little boy's eyes.

Bilbo cleared his throat. "This is my cousin – his parents passed away over the winter so he is living with us now."

Frodo straightened with a courteous smile, glancing at Bofur and Fíli as he recited carefully. "Frodo Baggins, at your service."

Dís smiled widely. "Very well met, Master Baggins."

Instantly Frodo beamed with pride. "Thank you! You can just call me Frodo if you like."

When Dís then turned to Bofur and Nori to greet them both politely, Kíli noticed Frodo's face falling into a frown of concentration. Wondering what could have made the child so pensive, Kíli crossed the hall and crouched down next to him to whisper in Frodo's ear.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Frodo pursed his lips, looking so much like his mother that Kíli's heart pinched slightly. "I don't like it…"

"What don't you like?" Kíli frowned. He was almost one hundred percent certain that Frodo was not speaking of Dís herself – the young hobbit was not one to make up his mind about people in the blink of an eye and besides, he had not confused his pronouns for many years.

"It's too awkward." Frodo complained, turning to Kíli without bothering to lower his voice. "There should be lots of cheering and laughing and hugging and maybe a bit of happy crying but there's not really, there's just awkwardness and people standing around not knowing what to do or what to say. Everyone seems really scared - it's almost like no one understands."

Kíli stiffened at Frodo's frank honesty, and Bilbo coughed slightly.

"We all understand, Frodo, but it is a rather strange, complicated situation for everyone."

"Oh, I know that." Frodo nodded. "But that's not what I meant. It's almost like you're all scared that Kíli can't belong to everyone."

Silence fell immediately at the child's words and Kíli glanced between his father, brother and mother. No one seemed to know what to say or how to react, and after almost a whole minute of silence Frodo sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Well, once Kíli belong to the dwarves and just them, and then you lost him and he didn't remember you, so he belonged to just us for a long time. Then you came here and took him away for a little bit and he knows everyone, so now he belongs to everyone." The boy elaborated. "And I think that you're all scared that Kíli will choose one over the other now and that he can't be a part of everyone's lives, but that won't happen because love doesn't divide, it multiplies. My Mama told me so."

Kíli's mouth fell open slightly as tears sprung to his eyes despite himself and then he slowly smiled, lifting the little boy into his arms. "Your mother was a very wise hobbit, Frodo Baggins, and I think you're very wise too."

Frodo scoffed. "Mama was wise, but I'm not… I'm just good at remembering what Mama told me."

"I think you're very wise." Kíli grinned, planting a kiss on Frodo's forehead. "And probably very right, too. Since you've so many good ideas, how do you think we should break the ice?"

"Food!" Frodo declared instantly. "Food is good."

Kíli glanced at Bilbo, who nodded and smiled.

"I think we'll be ready for lunch in a short while, I'll just get everything sorted. Fíli, Kíli, do you want to show your mother to her room – I'm sure she would appreciate a moment to freshen up before dinner?" Bilbo offered and Dís smiled at him.

"Indeed, I would appreciate it, Bilbo; I have been on the road for many days now." Kíli's mother nodded gratefully.

Bilbo smiled back. "Take as much time as you need…"

"This is a lovely house…" Dís commented as Fíli and Kíli led her through the halls of Bag End. "Did Bilbo do all of this himself?"

"No, his father built the house for his mother, and most of the furniture has been in the family for generations." Kíli explained proudly. "Though Bilbo has added some modifications – for example, the door was yellow when I arrived. This will be your room while you're here; I hope you'll find it comfortable."

"I'm sure that I will." Dís smiled warmly.

"The bathroom's down the hall on the right if you need it." Fíli added with a wide grin, one that had barely shifted all afternoon.

"Thank you." Dís nodded graciously.

"Um, excuse me Miss Dís, but are you a princess?" Frodo asked seriously.

"I am," Dís inclined her head with a small smile. "But you can just call me Dís, little one."

Frodo smiled and nodded. "Thank you. Is that why your manners are so Baggins-y?"

"Baggins-y?" the princess frowned and Kíli blushed slightly.

"He means no offense… There's no real concept of royalty in the Shire at all, but the Baggins family is very old and well-respected, with a reputation for being dignified and respectable." The young dwarf explained slightly awkwardly, but the curious eleven year old was not done yet.

"If you're a princess, does that mean that you have to be all well-mannered and polite all of the time, even at home and inside?" he asked curiously. "Because that would be exhausting!"

Before Kíli could chide the child or die of embarrassment, his mother grinned at Frodo, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Well, Fíli is a prince, and the same rules apply to him, so can you tell me – do I have to be all well-mannered and polite all the time?"

Fíli made excessive gestures and nods behind his mother's back, but Frodo grinned devilishly. "Definitely not!"

Dís winked at him, though she also turned to her oldest son and raised her eyebrows. "Have you been being a bad influence on this fine young hobbit, Fíli?"

"No!" the blonde protested, looking far more sheepishly submissive than Kíli had ever seen him.

"Hm…" Dís raised her eyebrows. "Very well… I will see you shortly."

Kíli and Fíli bowed in accidental unison and smiled at their mother, leaving her alone for a while and Kíli let out a breath he did not know he was holding. Fíli slung his arm around his brother's shoulder.

"Well, this is going well!"

And there I must leave it for today, I'm afraid! The next chapter will be up shortly. I hate to pause right in the middle of this, but it's going to be too long a chapter if I go all the way to where I planned to end it so here it is.

I hope you enjoyed that chapter, and the brief insight it gave to Dís' arrival, I have been agonizing over it for days!

Now, the reason why this chapter is so short and awkward is to reflect the shortness and awkwardness. I'd love to know what you thought of Dís – the next chapter will be her POV.

God, I hope this worked. I've never been so scared of posting a chapter in my life!

Leave a review if you can, I'd love to know if I did your wonderful imaginations justice!