Thank you so much for the lovely response to the last chapter! In particular, thanks to I Just Won a Free Toaster Oven, Maternal Savage (I consider myself warned), Hermione Granger (a name for the she-wolf is coming, and I will add more flashbacks for you :D) and other guests to whom I cannot reply directly!

Sorry about the slight wait, please forgive any mistakes I may have made in this chapter.

Read. Enjoy. Review.

Chapter Eighty Three # It Comes Back to You #

The sun was beginning to rise up through the sky and the growing group of travellers were slowly starting to pack up camp. With so many little ones it would be impossible to get off to the early starts that most of Dís' recent journeys faced every morning. By the time the children had been given their breakfast she was all but ready to go.

"Dís?" Pervinca shuffled up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes while keeping a firm grip on her bowl of broth. "My braid's come undone again. Can you do it again please?"

"Of course, nuthanuth," Dís patted the ground before her. "Sit down here and I'll fix it for you."

"Thank you," Pervinca slumped down.

"You're welcome," smiled the princess. She began to ease the old, fraying braid out of the child's wild curls so that she could tame them again. "So, how are you finding the added company?"

"Good," Pervinca said hesitantly. "I think I know who's who now."

"Oh, really?" Dís raised her eyebrows. "That's impressive – it's only been three days."

"Mm-hm," Pervinca nodded. "Bragi's the albino – he's nice and patient and very gentle for a dwarf. Then there's Soren, and he's the one with black hair and a moustache that looks like an anchor and a little braided beard. He likes fighting a lot, 'specially wrestling. But he's scared of worms."

"Ah, he is, isn't he?" Dís smiled at the memory of the previous day, when Merry had excitedly shown off the enormous bug he had found. Soren's reaction had been quite humorous.

"Yep," Pervinca nodded. "Alfr's the one with the brown hair that looks like a mouse."

Dís laughed aloud. "A mouse?"

"Mm-hm," said the child. "But he doesn't act like a mouse. He seems very brave. And he has puppets! He makes stories and it's really fun! Then there's Marta, the women with the blonde hair – and she's lovely. She's Bofur's sister-in-law. And then there's Bofin – who's got the reddest hair I've ever seen, and a long fringe that almost covers his eyes. He likes to play word games the best. Bróin's the next oldest and he's got red hair too, but it's much darker, like cherry wood. He's the one that likes wrestling all the time."

"He does seem to be quite a good little fighter," Dís admitted, hooking another curl over her fingers.

"He's good," Pervinca agreed. "Then there's the girls – and their hair's my favourite colour of all the colours in the world!"

"Is it, indeed?" Dís glanced over at the little girls who were helping their little brother put his boots on. She would readily admit that they bore beautiful hair – incredible even by dwarvish standards, but she was curious to the detail behind the hobbit's opinion. "Why would that be?"

"I don't know what colour it's called," Pervinca mused. "But it looks almost like pink."

"I believe the common name for the shade is 'strawberry blonde'."

"Oh, that's a nice name! So they have pretty strawberry blonde hair and they look exactly the same, but if you look carefully Orla's got a little scar on her lip. She's the more bossy of the two, but she always does what Ola says. Ola's in charge."

"You can already tell them apart?" Dís was impressed.

"Only sometimes," Pervinca fidgeted. "Do we have any strawberries? I'm hungry."

"Stays still, sweetheart," chided the dwarf softly. "That's a girl. We don't have any strawberries and you have breakfast right there in front of you, nuthanuth. Is that everyone, then?"

"Nope," Pervinca shook her head, and then froze. "Sorry, Dís."

The princess smiled. "It's quite alright, little one. Tell me, what do you think of the others?"

"Well, Bodin's hair's completely blondish brown, a little bit like Merry's but darker, and he's even littler than Pippin is, and he's really shy and quiet so the others don't know much about him yet."

"The others? That makes it sound like you do."

"He likes shiny things, and he likes to listen to stories with animals in, but he doesn't like dogs or wolves very much. He's more of a cat person."

"And how do you know all of this?" Dís raised her eyebrow.

The child shrugged. "Looking."

Dís nodded slowly and wove another section of the girl's hair into the braid. "Anything else you've noticed?"

"Well, Gimli's very tough and everything, but really he misses his Papa a lot and he just wants everyone else to be happy. He says we're rascals, but really he's a rascal too, he just wants to look like a big boy so he tries not to get into mischief. I think he wants to be like Fíli and Kíli. And I like his Mama, Dana, but she scares me a bit."

"She scares you?" Dís was shocked. Dana was one of her closest friends and always has been – Fíli and Kíli had grown up calling Glóin's wife Auntie, and when Dana and Glóin had moved to after Kíli's unanticipated move to the Shire they had grown closer still. Dís had never known any dwarfling to be afraid of Dana – intimidated, aye, and afraid of a cloth in her hand had they broken any serious rules in her presence – but afraid of her?

"Shh!" Pervinca twisted around and looked desperately up at her. "Don't be so noisy!"

"But Dana's lovely," Dís lowered her tone to humour the child.

"Oh, I know," the little girl insisted, "But if I make her angry she'll give me a telling off that would make Auntie Esme look even quieter than Bodin!"

Dís laughed aloud. "Don't you worry, Pervinca, you'll be fine. I doubt you'll ever do anything to incur Dana's wrath – though you're right. The wise do avoid it."

"Hmph," Pervinca sounded unconvinced. "If you say so."

"I do say so…" Dís removed a clasp from her own hair to secure the girl's new braid, before tickling Pervinca's ribs. "You're all finished, little one."

Giggling, Pervinca tried to scramble out of Dís' grasp. "No, no! Dís, Dís no, let me go!"

"Never," Dís cackled, dragging her back. "I've got you now, you little rascal!"

"Mama, help me!" the girl squealed, to no avail.

"Get her, Vinca!" Gimli roared from the other side of the camp. "Get her the way that we showed you-"

"I can't do that to Dís!" Pervinca cried in shock.

"Of course you can," Dís encouraged, tensing her muscles to prepare for whatever little blow the hobbit lass could deal her. "Go on, little one, get away!"

Pervinca hesitated until Dís restarted her tickling with a vengeance. Then, with a little squeak, Pervinca feebly kicked backwards at Dís' stomach.

"Come, sweetheart, you can do better than that!" Dís encouraged.

"Go on, Vinca!" Gimli cheered again.

"You can do it!" Bragi added.

With another worried little squeak, Pervinca poked the princess's stomach again. There was everyone's attention on her now, and that was something the hobbit lass usually avoided at all costs.

"You're stronger than that, Vinca!" Bróin yelled, picking up on Gimli's new nickname for the girl and thrusting his fist into the air. "Go, Vinca!"

Merry glanced at the dwarfling before happily taking up their cry. "Get her, Vinca! Go on!"

"Thatta girl!" Kíli whooped, grinning at the nervous child. "You can do it, good girl!"

"Come on, come on," Nelly was now jumping up and down on the spot. "You can do it, get her, get her!"

"It's alright, nuthanuth," Dís said sweetly. "Kick me as hard as you can."

Pervinca screwed up her face and with the utmost concentration she thrust her legs back into Dís' stomach with impressive force. Though Dís' tolerance was such that she scarce felt the pain she grunted and released the little hobbit.

The others cheered so loudly that little Pervinca scrambled straight into her sister's arms, hiding behind Pearl's skirts from the unprecedented and unrestrained attention she was so suddenly receiving.

After a wave of congratulations and encouragements for little Pervinca, the group began to return to their previous tasks in preparing for the day ahead.

Shaking her head with a wry smile, Dís brushed herself off and stood up. The little girl may be a wallflower, but she was an astute one at that. She watched and listened to everything that went on around her without a word – something that Nelly would never be able to do, no doubt. There was a patience about Pervinca that reminded Dís a little of Fíli – he often liked to sit back and listen to those around him.

Finally, they finished breaking camp and began their journey for the day. Several of the children had decided to spend their time in the baggage wagons, and Dís found herself riding alone with her thoughts for the morning. When the broke for luncheon, the little ones began an impromptu game of tag – goaded on by Fíli and Kíli, of course. Even Nori joined in for a time.

Screaming, Pervinca ran at Dís and grabbed onto her legs, hiding from a cackling Bróin.

"I'm gonna get you, Vinca!"

She giggled through her squeals. "Nuh-uh, can't catch me!"

With that the child tore off again, the dwarfling hot on her heels.

"Does she know?"

Dís turned to look at Dana. "Does who know what?"

Dana watched Bróin take Pervinca down. "Does that little girl know that she wears a charm announcing that she is of regal status?"

"No, I do not believe that she does," Dís smiled softly to herself.

Dana hummed in her throat. "Well, I hope she doesn't lose it."

"She will not," Dís was certain of this. "Little things mean the world to that girl. She cares greatly for little tokens of people's affection, much more than she does for plentiful attention or the like. That's why I suspect we shall all be calling her 'Vinca' by the time the week is out."

"Reminds me a little of Finn. She's much less boisterous and infinitely more timid but there's something about her that brings him to mind."

"Aye," Dís tried not to allow her features to follow the fall of her heart at the mention of her late husband's name. "Though funnily enough he hated nicknames."

"That's because Auden would suggest such silly things," Dana laughed. "Was Fin-fin not one of his favourites?"

Dís laughed. "Yes, yes it was… Those days are long gone now, Dana. Long gone…"

"But not forgotten," Dana put a hand on Dís' arm.

"Never forgotten," Dís managed a genuine smile.

"Now, do tell me to shove my pathetically small nose out of your business if you don't want to answer this, but what do you think Finn would make of Master Baggins and this whole situation?"

"There's nothing wrong with your nose at all, Dana," Dís shook her head slowly. "It has passed across my mind more than once. I think he would like Bilbo very much, but he would like the loss of his son much less. I could honestly not tell you how he would have coped…"

"You like Master Baggins very much yourself, don't you?"

"I can think of no one I would rather entrust with my children." Dís answered honestly.

"More so than me?" Dana asked indignantly. "Or your own brother?"

"I suppose you could have an argument to equal ranking with Bilbo, but not Thorin. While he was as great a father figure for Fíli that I could ask for, he knows not when to be gentle – and gentleness brings out something in folk that Thorin would send running away to hide, with all the good will in the world." Dís explained. "I love my brother, but is as good at dealing with emotions as he is at cooking vegetables."

Dana winced and rubbed her stomach. "I had no idea that you could get food poisoning from tomatoes, sprouts and lettuce. Not to mention the taste of it, oh that was a terrible time. I said to Glóin, I told him that we wouldn't have enough meat to go around if he didn't go hunting but did he listen? Did he my arse. He's a useless thing, and I miss him terribly."

"It shows," Dís laughed, thinking back to Thorin's 'assistance'.

Dana had swelled to an enormous size, having reached the end of her pregnancy with Gimli at the time, and the family were yet to move to Lake Evendim. Dís had planned a wonderful feast for Kíli's upcoming birthday, but some idiotic accident with a crossbow and a bout of the flu left her hands full – Fíli was recovering from a (thankfully superficial) arrow wound and Kíli from the flu. Dana had originally offered to host the meal, but Thorin would not have a pregnant lady slaving away over the stove so he and Glóin had set about cooking. It had not ended well – Fíli and Kíli had only escaped food poisoning by tearfully refusing to eat anything but the birthday cake Glóin had managed to create. It was the only occasion on which Dís allowed her sons to refuse the food before them – and in their defence it was one of very few times they pushed away anything.

"By Durin, those vegetables were foul…"

Dana laughed. "The worst to ever pass my lips… Speaking of your wonderful brother, how do you think he'll react to so many hobbits – especially young hobbits – turning up to stay in Erebor. And how long are they planning on staying for, in any case?"

"Well, as long as Kíli does, I would imagine." Dís answered the last question first. "And I do not know Thorin's reaction. I would imagine that he will be quite surprised and not entirely sure how to react. He won't protest, though."

"How can you be so sure? To have so many of another race living in a dwarven kingdom like Erebor is unheard of," Dana pointed out, before hastening to add "Not that I have any objection to it myself, but it is not something one hears of every day."

"Certainly, but Thorin won't run the risk of upsetting Kíli so greatly. He's in enough trouble as it is."

Dana smiled wryly. "I suppose he must be."

Dís shook her head, finally able to really vent her irritation at her brother. "Of course he is – what was he thinking? Kíli had less weapons training than Gimli – he'd been lost for decades and the first thing Thorin thinks to do is to drag him halfway across the world on a ridiculous quest that nearly got him killed. Then, after endangering his life many times he allows Kíli to partake in a battle larger than the one which took Frerin from us and almost got him killed. Again. And then he sends him back across the world straight into the arms of traitors-"

"What?" Dana's eyes bulged.

"Did I not tell you?" Dís had to look over at her youngest son to make sure that he was still standing before her before she could tell Dana what had happened at Beorn's home. "On the way back to the Shire they encountered a band of assassins plotting against Thorin's rule. Fíli, Bilbo, Bofur and Nori were almost burnt to death – that little wolf Luno saved their lives. And Kíli… they took Kíli. Fíli says they tortured him, and badly, but Kíli won't speak of it. He said only the basics – and that they managed to trick him into believing that Dwalin was the one to order the torture."

Dana's eyes narrowed fiercely. "And the bastards that did it?"

"Four dead, one captured and two captured later – they're those who follow behind us." Dís explained.

"Good," Dana shook her head. "Filthy cowards. Of course they'd go after the vulnerable. Spineless, worthless, absolute-"

"Excuse me - Auntie Dís?"

"Yes, Frodo?" Dís bit back a laugh as Frodo silenced Dana's rant.

"What's a motto?"

"What's a motto?" she repeated with a frown, certain that the word should be in the child's vocabulary.

The boy grinned. "Nothing. What's the matter with you?"

Dís laughed, poking the boy's nose. "You got me, little one. That was very funny."

"Thank you," Frodo beamed up at her.

"What else can I help you with?" she bent down slightly, aware that Frodo had something more on his mind.

Frodo twisted his hands together, biting his lip. "I was just…just wondering…. Is everything alright with Kíli?"

Dís looked up quickly, seeing Kíli laughing happily with his brother. "Why on earth wouldn't he be, kurdith?"

"You just look very serious and you keep looking at him like you're worried. Is there something wrong?" Frodo asked quietly, his face the picture of concern. It was an expression far too serious to be gracing the face of so young and innocent a child.

"Oh, no, sweetheart," Dís lifted Frodo up onto her hip. His little arm wove around her neck immediately and his other hand was entwined in her hair. "Nothing's wrong. I was just telling Dana about the some of the bad things that have happened to Kíli. It made me a little sad but nothing's wrong. I'm sorry that I worried you."

"It's alright," Frodo played with her braid for a moment. "And there's nothing wrong? Really?"

"Nothing," Dís planted a kiss on his forehead.

Frodo smiled at her with nothing but trust in his eyes. "That's good. Do you want to come and play with us?"

"Not today, thank you Frodo."

Unperturbed, Frodo kissed her on the cheek. "That's fine. Thank you Auntie Dís."

"You're welcome," Dís lowered him to the floor and watched him run off with a wry smile.

"Auntie Dís?" Dana raised her eyes.

"I was living with him," the princess pointed out. "He picked it up fairly shortly, and I have no objection to it."

Dana nodded, but said nothing. The look in her eyes told Dís that her friend was holding something back.

"What? What is it?"

"Nothing at all," Dana patted her friend's hand.

"You're thinking of something-"

"Nothing, Dís, I mean it," she smiled. "I like these hobbits. I'm glad that Kíli was raised among such decent folk."

"Aye, as am I. As am I."

That afternoon they made good progress, and Dana's curiosity had apparently been piqued.

"So were there any problems when you first moved to the Shire, Kíli?"

Dís watched Kíli scratch his pony's ears with a small smile before he replied. "A few, but did not last long."

"We made sure of that." Saradoc said smugly.

"Technically Kíli made sure of that, with Rosa's help." Paladin reminded him. "He was such a sweet little boy, and impossible not to love."

"Oh, shut up, Pal." Kíli rolled his eyes.

The hobbit grinned. "They're my mother's exact words, hand on heart."

"There was an incident with a tree that we're not allowed to talk about." Esme grinned, pulling her pony back a little to join the conversation. "It gives Bilbo heart palpitations."

Bilbo sighed heavily. "There was a party tree caught on fire with Kíli and a little girl called Rosa stuck right at the top, not long after Kíli and I moved to Bag End. Kíli grabbed her and jumped out, saving both of their lives and nearly giving me a heart-attack before I even came of age. After that, everyone began to accept him."

"Almost everyone," Kíli amended.

Growing up without a memory was a strange thing. It was summer now, nearly seven months after Kíli had arrived at the Shire, and he was happy. He had a routine, friends – a family in Bilbo. But there were things that did not quite add up, things that seemed very strange. Like climbing trees – he loved every second of it but there was a little nagging part of him that thought it was wrong.

Another thing that felt strange was studying. When Bilbo had suggested that Kíli have lessons he had automatically protested – something that seemed to make Bilbo all the more adamant that he needed to study. The hobbit had a whole list of subjects for Kíli to study, but somehow with the way that they were all put together Kíli loved it. He was even growing interested in the studies of plants that Bilbo kept sneaking into his makeshift curriculum.

Still, it was strange. As much has he enjoyed learning with Bilbo as his wonderful, entertaining tutor, something in him felt like he should be protesting.

It was a warm day, and when he asked Bilbo if he could take his studies outside, the hobbit agreed. As if Kíli's thoughts had called him, Bilbo walked outside.

"We're short on a couple of bits and pieces in the pantry, I was thinking of heading down to the market. You'll be alright here, won't you?"

Kíli nodded with a smile. "Yes, Bilbo."

Bilbo grinned, bending down to ruffle Kíli's hair affectionately as he strode past. "I won't be long, but if you could stay here until I get back I'd appreciate it. Just so I know where you are."

"Yes, sir!" Kíli saluted, giggling as Bilbo dug him gently in the ribs.

"Don't mock me, boy," the hobbit growled in a voice of mock anger.

Laughing, Kíli stuck his tongue out.

Bilbo gasped and put a hand to his chest, staggering out of the door with wide eyes and a look of disgust that reminded Kíli of Saradoc's mother upon hearing of some scandalous mischief her son had gotten up to.

"I…I don't believe it! The cheek of you!"

Kíli laughed all the more as Bilbo flounced away, watching until his hobbit had disappeared with a final wave before he looked back at what he was working on.

A soft breeze tickled the corners of the paper he was writing on and Kíli shifted the pebble he was using to keep the paper down. Finishing off his sentence with a flourish, Kíli looked at the next translation. His first job was to translate the words from the common tongue to elvish, and then he had to write them in the elvish alphabet which was even more complicated.

Kíli was getting the hang of it, though. He liked elvish – he liked the way that it sounded when he spoke it. It was nice-

"Elvish? You enjoyed learning elvish?" Dana sounded both shocked and appalled.

"Well, of course," Kíli smiled his great big winning smile at her. "It's a very beautiful language."

"Elves dust gonna be bad though," Bodin piped up quietly, his little fists tightening around his mother's sleeves. "Dey…dey make us huwt and poor and den dey wun away and dey hate us because we dust awe dwarves."

"They aren't even!" Pippin cried back. "That's not true. Elves are wonderful!"

"There's a lot of bad blood and misunderstandings between dwarves and elves," Kíli interrupted gently, and Dís was rather proud of him. "But that is not the point of this story – are you happy for me to continue?"

"Of course, of course," Dana bowed her head. "My apologies, Kíli, please continue."

He got through a whole four translations before he heard footsteps coming his way. They were not Bilbo's footsteps, they were much too loud. Most hobbits were all but inaudible, but there were some who wanted to make their presence known before they arrived. These footsteps were fussy, heavy. They were not familiar enough for Kíli to recognise, so he looked up. Then his heart sank and he began to shrink backwords.

His heartbeat began to quicken and he tried to gather his papers up in time to escape, but it was too late.

"You there! Dwarf!" the harsh tones of Otho Sackville-Baggins made Kíli want to disappear into the ground.

"Yes, Mr Otho?" Kíli murmured.

Otho tutted in disgust. "Up, get up, when you talk to me you… you filthy usurper!"

Kíli hastened to his feet, staring down at the ground. "Sorry, Mr Otho."

"Shut up and look at me."

Kíli glanced up silently.

"Now, you listen here and you listen well. I'm Bilbo's successor, alright? I always will be, when he kicks the bucket Bag End goes to me! To a proper hobbit, someone who belongs here and deserves it!"

Kíli was confused. "Excuse me, Mr Otho, but what does that have to do with me?"

"I know what you're doing," Otho yelled, striding forward so that he was standing over the little dwarfling. "You want to take my inheritance. You want to get your filthy little paws on Bag End!"

Shaking his head slowly, Kíli took a step backwords. "Please, Mr Otho, I don't know what you're talking about. Bilbo's not here right now, and-"

"Don't you dare interrupt me! Let me tell you what you're going to do," Otho growled. "You're going to leave. Right now. Before Bilbo gets back."

"What?" Kíli's mouth fell open.

"Leave," Otho stepped forward once more. "Scram! Go back to your own kind – or does nobody want you there, either?"

Flinching, Kíli stepped back again. "I…I…don't…"

"Otho? What brings you here…" Bilbo's voice trailed off at the look on Kíli's face. "Otho, what're you doing?"

"It's been months, Bilbo Baggins, more than half a year – when are you going to send it back where it belongs?"

Bilbo's face hardened and his eyes frosted over. "Excuse me?"

"This little freak here-" Otho gestured at Kíli. "When are you sending it back to its people?"

"Otho Sackville-Baggins," Bilbo's voice was shaking as he stormed down the lane, pushed past his cousin and picked Kíli clean off the floor, settling him onto his hip. "How dare you speak to Kíli like that – he is not an 'it', he is a child. And he is not going anywhere. He will be staying here, with me, until the foreseeable future. And while he is here you will not speak to him or about him like that."

"Or what?" Otho looked at Kíli as though he was some sort of slime. Kíli tightened his legs around Bilbo's waist and leant his head on his hobbit's shoulder.

"Or you will become the worst social pariah that Hobbiton has ever seen." Bilbo snarled.

Otho snorted. "As if you could do that-"

"I can," Bilbo's tone hardened harshly, but one of his hands wove into Kíli's hair. "I am the head of this family and the last time I checked I was still the favourite cousin. Will you kindly leave us alone? Now."

"Well, I think-"

"Leave, Otho. If you don't I swear on my father's memory that I will ruin you. And if you ever, ever speak to Kíli like that again I will ruin what little reputation you have left, I promise you."

Flustered and red faced, Otho shook his head and stormed off. Bilbo shook his head and looked at Kíli.

"Are you alright?"

Kíli nodded, wrapping his arms around Bilbo's neck and burying his face in the hobbit's neck. "Thank you, Bilbo."

"Don't thank me," Bilbo scoffed. "Nothing to thank me for. That's what family does."

Kíli curled further into Bilbo's embrace, relaxing as the only family he had ran gentle fingers through his hair and murmured soft reassurances into his ear.

"I'm here… I want you here. You are wanted, Kíli. You are loved."

Dís smiled softly at Bilbo as Kíli's story came to an end. The hobbit was not looking at her – his eyes were on their son.

Soren snorted. "Well, Otho Sackville-Baggins sounds like an actual-"

"Soren," Bragi sung. "Language."

"Whoops," Soren rolled his eyes. "He doesn't sound like someone I'd care to meet."

"He isn't." Kíli, Saradoc, Esme and Paladin all spoke at the same time.

"Nasty Otho," Pippin scowled. "He's mean, mean, mean."

Frodo snorted. "Lotho's meaner. Just ask Sam."

Dís glanced over at Sam, who was riding with Bilbo on that particular day. The little boy blushed a little, unused to being the centre of attention.

"He said some awful things about Frodo and the others," Sam admitted. "Said that they'd die – or stay in Erebor forever."

Soren snorted. "I love how that sounds worse."

"If they stayed in Erebor then that'd mean they didn't want us anymore." Sam said quietly.

Silence fell and Dís knew that every adult in the room was felt the sucker punch to the stomach upon finding out that a child so young knew the difference and feared abandonment with that ferocity.

"Don't be silly, Sam," Frodo replied, his tone both quiet and sad. "You're family. We'll always want you."

"Dís," Pervinca whispered from where she was now perched on the back of the princess' pony. "Dís, would it be alright if we talked about something happier? Please?"

Knowing that Pervinca herself was unlikely to pipe up any louder than that, Dís smiled over her shoulder. "As you wish, nuthanuth."

"Thank you," Pervinca whispered, curling Dís' hair around her fingers.

"So, Kíli," Dís called. "Tell us more about your childhood. I'd like to hear some more stories…"

Kíli glanced at her, then at Pervinca and smiled. "Of course…"

So, that's all folks! I hope you enjoyed it, and please, if you can I would appreciate knowing what you think of this chapter!

The next chapter will be up fairly soon – thanks for reading :D