Hello everyone! I am so glad that you all seemed to like the last chapter, and thank you so, so much to everyone who voted in the competition last month. I am so sorry that it's taken me so long to update, but all of my university deadlines in May, so I'm very busy and do not have that much time just to write, but I'll do the best that I can to update faster this time.

Thank you everyone who reviewed, including Sorrellkaren, Veronica, and Hermione Granger (thank you so much! I'm so glad that you still like it, and that you picked up on my not so subtle Mrs Weasley reference ;D)

As I've said I'm super stressed with all my deadlines but hopefully there aren't too many mistakes in here :)

Please do read, enjoy, review.

Chapter One Hundred and Eight # A Long-Awaited Talk #

The secret to successfully following someone without their noticing was to make sure that they noticed you. Fíli had learnt this when Kíli was toddling. If his baby brother knew that Fíli was trying to look after him he would get annoyed, and then he would try to sneak away. If Kíli thought that Fíli was just playing, he would quite happily let the older brother stick by his side like glue.

Following Bilbo Baggins was easy. Getting him alone was much harder, especially without tipping off Kíli. They were training with Dwalin, with Bilbo watching in the stands, when Fíli saw his opportunity. Or, more appropriately, his opportunity punched him in the face.

It was an unexpected move, but a brilliant one, to be frank. Kíli had pulled his leg back to feign a kick, and instead thrown his left fist towards Fíli's face. Unable to raise his block in time, Fíli took the full brunt of the blow and stumbled backwards. His foot twisted awkwardly beneath him as he fell, and he cried out, feeling his ankle tear.

"Fíli!" Kíli's eyes widened and he lurched forward. "Are you alright?"

"Kíli!" Dwalin groaned. "Pin him down, don't help him up! Have I taught you nothing?"

Despite the pain, Fíli snorted with laughter as he held up his hand and outstretched fingers. "Time out, time out! I landed poorly, Dwalin, I think I sprained my ankle."

Dwalin swore as Bilbo stood up. "Really?"

Fíli prodded his throbbing ankle and winced. "Really. Feels like a sprain."

"How do you know what a sprain feels like?" Kíli worried, and Fíli could not help but laugh at his brother's face.

"It's alright, Kíli. Few dwarflings reach their sixtieth year without a sprain, and whenever I got injured Dwalin would wait until I'd described the exact details of the pain to him before he'd take me to the healers," he said.

"That's barbaric!" Bilbo exclaimed, walking down from the stands and scowling at Dwalin.

"Not at all," the warrior looked affronted. "It's the most sensible thing you can do with an injured bairn! If they know what the injury feels like they can identify it later on. If they can identify it later on they'll know best how to handle themselves in an emergency. You can't tell me that doesn't make sense to you?"

Bilbo pursed his lips and furrowed his eyebrows, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet as Kíli helped Fíli to his feet. "I don't like it."

Dwalin snorted. "I don't do it because I like it; I do it because it could save their lives one day."

"I still don't like it," Bilbo strode into the arena, managing to look dignified and even a little haughty despite his rushing. He put a hand on Fíli's arm. "I think that's quite enough training for today."

"You sure it's a sprain?" Dwalin checked.

Testing out his weight on his foot, Fíli hissed. "Yep. Yep, I'm sure."

"Right, you're excused for the afternoon," Dwalin nodded, waving his hand. "Bragi, get down here!"

"Yes, sir," Bragi grinned, stretching out his arms. "I feel like I could train all day."

"Oh, shut up," a rather bruised Ehren growled from the seat beside him, nursing his left arm.

"Come on, Fíli," Bilbo looped his arm through the young dwarf's. "Let's get you to Óin."

"Ah, I don't need Óin," Fíli waved his hand dismissively. "Just need to rest it for a while. Maybe elevate it."

"Alright, then, let's get you home."

"Sounds good to me," Fíli nodded.

It took them a little while to hobble back to the Royal Wing, but eventually Fíli was sitting down on his sofa with his foot in the air and a hobbit bringing him a tray full of biscuits and tea.

He took a deep breath. "Bilbo, I need to talk to you."

"Oh?" the hobbit frowned lightly, sitting in a nearby armchair with his own cup of tea. "Is something wrong?"

"In a manner of speaking," Fíli took a sip of tea. "It's about Amad."

To his credit, Bilbo's poker face barely faltered. "What about her?"

"Are you in love with her?"

Bilbo choked on his tea. "I beg your pardon?"

Fíli kept his eyes fixed on his own cup. "Please, Bilbo, let's not dance this dance. It's too awkward, for both of us. I just need to know. Are you in love with my mother?"

After a long moment, Bilbo spoke in a breathless voice. "Yes, Fíli. I… I think I am."

Fíli nodded, taking a deep breath. "I thought so."

"I don't want you to worry, though," Bilbo sounded as though there was a lump in his throat. "I have no intentions of acting on my feelings."

"Why?" Fíli frowned, finally looking up at the pale hobbit.

"I could not risk it," Bilbo shook his head, his voice hoarse. "I could not risk any of you. If I acted upon selfish whims it would upset most everyone I care about – I would no doubt ruin my relationship with your mother, with you… Know, Fíli, that I would not risk your friendship for the world."

For a moment, Fíli was taken aback. When he tried to speak, he found that there was a lump in his own throat. "Me? You are concerned about me?"

"Of course," Bilbo smiled sadly. "There are few people in this world more important to me, and I'd never want to make you feel conflicted, or that I am trying to take your father's place."

Fíli paused, bowing his head again. That was not something that he had expected. "I think that he would be happy, Bilbo. My memories of my father are few – I was younger than Bróin and Pippin when he died. But I remember that he loved me, and Amad and Kíli more than anything. He would want us to be happy. He would want my mother to be happy. You've been filling his role for a while now, anyway. Do not mistake me – my father is irreplaceable. But there is a difference between replacing him and caring for and protecting his family."

Bilbo was silent for a long moment, and when he spoke his voice was nothing more than a whisper. "I… I never thought about it like that before."

"It's a complicated situation," Fíli shrugged. "But as long as his memory is honoured there is nothing wrong with loving my mother. Dwarves rarely fall in love more than once, but it does happen. I think you should tell her."

Bilbo lost even more of the colour in his face. "Fíli, I cannot risk-"

Fíli could not help but smile. "If anyone deserves to be happy it's you two. I do not think that there's any risk to your relationship with Amad. You've been dancing around each other for weeks. I don't feel like I need to warn you not to hurt her. Just watch out for Thorin and Dwalin. They'll hit the roof, but it'll probably knock some sense into them when they do."

Bilbo let out a breathless laugh. "You… you really think so?"

Fíli smiled. "I do."

The hobbit rubbed his jaw and took a deep breath. "You've given me a lot to think about, my boy."

"No," Fíli smirked. "I've just warned you that other people know you're thinking it."

Bilbo rolled his eyes. "You're as bad as your brother, you really are. Those that call you the reasonable one are sorely mistaken."

"People call me the reasonable one?"

"Shh," Bilbo smiled, but it quickly faded. "Fíli, what people would say-"

"Bilbo-"

"No, listen to me. I do not much care what people think about me, but I do not want to incite a political catastrophe. Again. Has such a… relationship ever been seen before?"

"I don't know," Fíli paused. "Probably. I've heard of unions with humans before. It's uncommon and often looked on in poor taste, but we've faced that sort of thing before."

Bilbo pursed his lips. "Fíli, the only interracial relationships that I have ever heard of are those between men and elves."

Fíli frowned. "And…?"

"They never end well."

"How so?"

"Well, they inevitably end in misery, heartbreak and death."

"Cheery," Fíli commented. "But that's life, Bilbo. That's how most lives end. If you're lucky you reach the end of your natural lifespan, but you'll always leave someone behind. That's not what you should worry about. You should worry about your happiness. Leave the politics to Amad, Balin and Dain. They'll figure something out."

Bilbo paused for a long moment, before sighing heavily. "Alright. I will speak to your mother. That I can promise you, but I will promise nothing else."

"Good," Fíli beamed, shuffling back into his seat.

Bilbo rolled his eyes once more. "You're too smart for your own good, my boy. Are you hungry?"

"Given that I haven't even finished my biscuits, no," Fíli smirked.

"Tone down the sarcasm or I'll take them away," Bilbo warned breezily.

Fíli just smiled, dropping his head against the back of his chair. His ankle was throbbing, but the pain would soon pass. He was a dwarf, and a sprain was of little consequence as long as you were careful.

He was careful not to think that maybe things would finally go their way. Every time that he thought that things ended up getting perpetually worse, before ending in a puddle of blood, sweat and tears.

No, he knew just how hard things were going to be, no matter what path his mother and hobbit chose to take. That, however, was life. The ride may be smooth for a while, but the horse will always come across rough ground again. You just had to steady the reigns to the best of your ability and hunker down for the long run.

Hmm, Fíli thought. I'm getting good at this inner monologue business. Maybe Ehren's right. I should be a philosopher…


Glancing up to make sure that Bofur was still busy with his customers, Merry lured Luno over with a smile and a piece of sausage.

"C'mere, boy," he murmured, gleefully grinning when Luno bounded over, guzzling the treat from his hands. Merry put a hand on each side of Luno's face, drawing the wet black nose up to his own. "I have a very important question."

Luno whined seriously, his golden eyes locking on Merry's. The hobbit decided that meant that the wolf understood him.

"Can I please ride on your back?"

Luno sprang backwards with an excited yip, running around in a full circle before wiggling onto his belly in front of Merry. Even when he was lying down, the wolf was taller than Merry by a good few inches, but the delighted boy managed to climb up without injuring either of them.

Giggling, Merry stroked Luno's ears. This almost made up for Denahi sleeping in someone else's bed for the last two nights. Almost. Without the enormous canine his bed seemed so huge and empty. Merry did not know where Denahi was, but he guessed that it was probably important wolf business.

Luno began to walk around the room and Merry laughed. "Faster! Faster!"

As the wolf broke into a trot and then a run his tail wagged faster and faster, and soon the pair were speeding around the back room of Bofur's toyshop so quickly that Merry felt like he was flying.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Aria's voice brought them to a stop. "I really am, Merry, but I've got to take Luno to work now."

Merry pouted, curling his fingers through Luno's fur. "But you already have Lani!"

"I know, it's not fair." To her credit, Aria did look genuinely sorry. "But Dori says I have to have at least two wolves with me when I'm alone, and Kenai and Koda are out hunting."

A nasty sensation trickled down Merry's spine – it felt like someone had cracked an extremely cold egg on the back of his neck. "What about Denahi?"

Aria shrugged. "I can't find him."

Merry chewed on his bottom lip. He recognised the feeling now. It was the same feeling he had got when Nelly screamed in the middle of the night, waking them all up at letting them know that Pippin and Uncle Paladin and Fíli and Gimli were missing.

"Please, Merry," Aria said, mistaking his hesitance for a childish sulk.

"Sorry," he chimed, tumbling off of the wolf and kissing Luno on the forehead before looking back at Aria. "Aria, I'm worried about Denahi. He hasn't been coming home at night the last few days, and you can't find him..."

"He's a wolf, Merry," Aria smiled. "I'm sure he's just fine. But I'll keep a special eye out for him, alright?"

Merry nodded with a sigh. Really, that was the best he was going to get. It was not as though he could go off on his own and look for Denahi. He was absolutely one hundred per cent forbidden to, under any circumstances, walk around Erebor on his own. Annoyingly, unlike the Shire he could not run around with his friends, either – they had to have an adult with them at all times. On the weekend they usually were all together anyway, but Mama had got so fed up with his 'terrible shopping skills' that she had just dumped him with Mister Bofur!

"Merry, lad, come and help me a moment!"

Merry went back into the main room to see Bofur holding up two wooden soldiers.

"Which one do you like best?" Bofur asked with bright eyes.

Merry paused, studying each figure. "That one! I like the colour of its sword, it's kind of shiny but kind of not."

"Perfect!" Bofur grinned. "That's just what I needed to know! Here you go."

Merry blinked as Bofur passed him the toy. "Really? For me?"

"Well, I used to give toys out to little hobbits all the time. Only seems right I'd do so for my favourites now, eh?"

Merry beamed, hugging the toymaker tightly. "Thank you, Mister Bofur."

"You're welcome, Merry. Now, run around the shop and look interested in all my toys – it'll bring in more customers," Bofur's face was serious but his eyes were twinkling and Merry nodded eagerly.

"Yes, sir!" he saluted, running down to the front of the shop so that he could have his soldier storm the castle.

When he came across a wolf carving, however, Merry's game slowed until it stopped. He really was worried about Denahi. What if something had happened to him? Glancing at the dwarves outside, Merry gasped. Dwarves wore furs all the time – what if someone had taken his skin away?! Now that he was thinking about it, it looked as though everyone was wearing wolf pelts.

He glanced at Bofur, his heart tearing in two. He could not go out on his own – he had promised his mama and he would not break a promise. Moreover, he did not want Bofur to get in trouble. But Denahi could be hurt or trapped or even dead!

"Hey, kid, are you alright?" a gentle voice asked.

Merry looked up in surprise to see a young but very big dwarf beside him. The dwarf was crouching, but he looked about the same size as Dwalin so the little hobbit still had to look up at his face. He had barely any beard and sad brown eyes, with messy, unbraided black curls, and he looked about Gimli's age. Merry was getting better at guessing dwarves ages, but it was quite difficult.

The hobbit sniffed and nodded. "I think so."

"You think? That doesn't sound that good. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Merry paused, studying the dwarf's clothes. They were worn and dull, and there was not a single fur on his whole person. "Have you seen my wolf?"

"Your wolf?" the dwarf looked surprised, then thoughtful. "Which one is your wolf?"

"Denahi," Merry replied. "Well, he's not really my wolf – he just belongs to himself – but he sleeps on my bed and he's my best animal friend and I don't know where he is."

"Denahi…" the dwarf repeated slowly. "I don't know. What does he look like?"

"Um, he's big," Merry held his arms out helpfully. "And he's more darker and more brown than the others."

For a long moment the stranger paused. "I might've seen him yesterday, down by the fishmongers…"

Merry gasped. "Really? Where's the fishmongers?"

"The western end of the marketplace," said the dwarf.

"Will you take me there?"

The dwarf blinked in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm not allowed to go anywhere without an adult. You're an adult."

"I'm sorry, kurdith. I can't take you out. We'd both get in big trouble."

Merry sighed, flopping down onto his backside. "I'm never gonna find him."

"Ah, don't say that," the dwarf said. "I'm sure you will-"

"Can I help you?" To Merry's surprise, Bofur's voice was hard and cold, and his face was harder and colder. He glared at the stranger with an almost murderous look.

The stranger's face went pink and he stood up with a gentle jangling noise. That was when Merry noticed the two foot long chain that loosely joined the stranger's hands together.

"Yes, my Lord," the stranger bowed deeply. "I'm looking for Lord Bifur-"

The harsh look on Bofur's face softened slightly. "What's your name?"

"Ióni, my Lord."

"Thought so," Bofur smiled, all traces of the cold melting away. "He's waiting for you in the back." Merry looked into the back room he had ridden Luno in. "The other back, Merry."

"Oh. Alright. Bye bye!" he waved at the dwarf – Ióni – who bowed.

"I hope you find your wolf, young master. Goodbye."

"Your wolf?" Bofur frowned lightly.

"Mmhm," Merry nodded. "Denahi's missing. Why did that dwarf have chains on his arms?"

"He made some bad choices and did some bad things, so he lives in the dungeons now, but Bifur's helping him get his life back together, and now he's allowed to walk alone in the mountain, as long as he keeps his chains on. They warn people, see, in case he tries to do a runner or hurt anyone. But he won't. I haven't met him before, but Bifur thinks he's a good lad, and Bifur is rarely wrong."

Merry thought about this for a long moment. "What did he do?"

"He made some bad choices," Bofur repeated. "Now, do you want to paint some toadstools with me?"

Merry nodded excitedly. He had never been allowed to actually help Bofur before! The dwarf was in the middle of teaching Merry the best colours to use to paint spores when Bifur and Ióni emerged from the backroom. Bifur spoke in slow Khuzdul so that Merry could keep up with the words.

"Ióni says Denahi is missing. Shall we go find the wolf?"

Merry gasped. "Can we?"

Bofur stared at Bifur, before looking pointedly at Ióni and then Merry. "Are you sure?"

Bifur nodded, tapping the axe in his head. Merry was not sure what that meant, but it made Bofur relax.

"If you're sure, and if you want to go I don't see why not, Merry. But don't be too long, alright? I wouldn't want to tell your Mama I'd lost you, now."

"I wanna go, I wanna go!" Merry bounded up to Bifur excitedly. In a moment he was sitting atop the dwarf's shoulders.

"You can see much better up high," Bifur said slowly, and Merry nodded again.

"I can, thank you!"

It was not Merry's ideal team for an epic quest, but he was sure that they would get the job done. It was time to hunt.

(But not actually hunt – that would literally achieve the opposite of what they wanted to do.)

I hope you liked that chapter! I'm sorry that it was a little shorter and took so long to upload. Hopefully the next one shall take less time.

Please do review if you have the time and you fancy it, I'd love to know what you think.