"Adad!" Torsten wheeled his chair as quickly as he could. They were here. His family was here. It had been too many months. At least six now since he had said goodbye to his family in Erebor.

Kili ran to his son and threw his arms around him. "Tor, it's great to see you," Kili said.

"Amad," Torsten said as his attention and arms switched to his mother. The twins grabbed him from both sides of his chair and finally Iomhar gave his brother a hug.

"I've missed you all," Torsten said.

"You look well," Tauriel said, looking over her son.

"They've been very good to me here."

"Kili!"

Kili turned to see his cousin, Gimli, and his friend Legolas walking towards them. Kili and Gimli gave each other a friendly head-butt. Legolas and Tauriel rolled their eyes.

"Dwarves," Tauriel muttered in a teasing voice. She turned to her oldest friend. He looked exactly as she remembered. Well, almost. There were a few lines around the eyes she did not remember. His time as a member of the Great Fellowship of the Ring had been a stressful time. No one else probably saw what her eyes saw. Of course, she figured it was the same way for her as well. After four children, her body was not as it was when she had lived in the Greenwood.

"Mellon," she said and opened her arms to Legolas. He embraced her and they spoke quickly in Sindarin.

Gimli rolled his eyes at Kili. "Elves," he said.

"Are you Master Gimli and Prince Legolas?" Klin asked, his eyes wide.

"We are, little one," Legolas said.

Keil's eyes were just as wide as his brother's. "We've learned about you from our tutor. We've been told the tale of the Fellowship of the Ring."

"It was hard to believe that Adad is cousins with Master Gimli and that Amad is friends with Prince Legolas, but it's true!" Klin said.

"Yes, your mother and I have known each other for more than six hundred years," Legolas said, ruffling the dark brown hair of the youngster in front of him. "And please, you must call me Legolas. What are your names?"

"I'm Klin!"

"And I'm Keil!"

"At your service," they both bowed together.

Legolas was introduced to Iomhar and was very impressed with the youth. He was much the way Torsten had described him, a tall, slender, dwarf, with Tauriel's red hair and golden eye color. His face was long and angular, more elvish than dwarvish and he held himself more like an elf than a dwarf. He noticed the youth's bow and quiver of arrows across his back. Yes, he knew he would like Tauriel's second son a lot. Of course, the two youngest boys were endearing. They looked to him as a story book hero. While they had been alive during the time of the War of the Ring, they would have only been tiny children and had no memory of it. To them, it was a history lesson, a great story to hear at bedtime and he was one of the characters in the story. It was an odd feeling.

The family was given the grand tour of the Glittering Caves by Torsten, Gimli and Legolas. Kili had to admit, the Glitter Caves were beautiful.

There would be a feast that night, but before the feast could begin, Torsten had arranged for his family to meet his love.

Things with Agli were going very well. Torsten was in love. They all went to Agli's family home. Kili and Lord Fuldan remembered each other from their time in the Blue Mountains. Lady Luda admitted that before moving to the Glittering Caves, she had never met an elf and would have been absolutely horrified to have her daughter become romantically involved with anyone who was even friends with an elf, much less half an elf himself, but when she had come here and met Legolas, her outlook changed. Now she admitted to being very fond of the elves she had met through Legolas and she was especially fond of Torsten.

Tauriel laughed and told Luda that she had felt the same way about dwarves once.

Agli's two older sisters were there with their husbands. One of the sisters looked ready to give birth any day.

Kili and Tauriel were very happy to meet Agli, the young dwarrowdam who had stolen their son's heart. She was as lovely as Hrafn said. During dinner, conversations were pleasant among old friends and new as Kili and Fuldan chatted, Legolas and Tauriel talked and Agli and Torsten became acquainted with each other's siblings. Tauriel watched her son. He and Agli seemed very happy.

That night, Kili climbed into his bed and sat alongside Tauriel, who was reading a book. He laid his arm around her waist. "What do you think of the love birds?" he asked.

"Aren't we too old to be calling ourselves love birds?" Tauriel teased.

Kili laughed, "Never, my love." He nuzzled his face into her arm.

"As for Torsten and Agli, I am very happy for them. They seem to be a good match," Tauriel said.

"I can't believe they aren't courting yet," Kili rolled over to his back and put his hands behind his head.

"Not officially," Tauriel said. "but I believe they are courting and very much in love."

"So, if Torsten decides to marry this lass, what do we do?"

"Congratulate them and give them our blessing," Tauriel laid down next to Kili. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck.

"He's awfully young," Kili said.

Tauriel laughed, "So were you."

He kissed the top of her head. "I would give them my blessing. Lord Fuldan is a respectable dwarf. They are a good family. If Torsten is happy, then I am happy. Unless they decided to live here, in which case I will be very sad and miss him."

"So will I, dearest," Tauriel lifted her face and kissed Kili's neck, just where his beard ended.

"So," Gimli sat back and put his boots upon the table. "You're interested in a hobbit."

"You make it sound like we are looking to buy a slave," Kili's eyes darkened.

"No, cousin. I know your love and respect for hobbits," Gimli said. "Believe me, I understand. I love and respect hobbits as well, probably more so than you as I have journeyed with four of the best hobbits who have ever lived, and don't forget, I've met your Mister Bilbo Baggins. He was a good lad."

Kili's face softened a little.

"What I don't understand," Gimli went on, "is what you want with a hobbit in Erebor."

Kili frowned. "Erebor and the surrounding lands suffered from a drought this year, making our store of winter foods scarce. We have always relied on the men of Dale for our grains, but now, we wish to farm our own rather than be so dependant. The problem is, we have never farmed before. We don't know the best land to use or even how to put a seed into the ground properly.

"Hobbits are excellent farmers," Kili continued. "We would like a hobbit, or two, to come to Erebor and teach us how to raise crops. The problem is, hobbits don't like to leave The Shire and the only Hobbit I've known has sailed off to the Undying Lands. We were hoping, with your better connections with more hobbits, that you could recommend to us a hobbit who might be willing to aid us."

Gimli looked amused. "Farming dwarves?"

"We don't want to have to rely on men and elves if we can help it. We had to get extra food this year from others," Kili said. He had really hoped Gimli would be more accommodating.

"Alright. Well, as a matter of fact, one of the hobbits we travelled with," he pointed to Legolas and himself, "is a gardener. His family worked the gardens of the Baggins family for generations."

"Really?"

"He's as good a hobbit as they come. We saw him, not so long ago. Had a gaggle of children with him," Gimli laughed.

"Do you think he would come to Erebor?" Kili asked.

"All we can do is ask," Legolas said. "Merry and Pippin would probably accompany Sam, if he came. They aren't farmers, but all hobbits know how to grow things."

"We could also offer an exchange. That way they know for sure that we don't intend to hold them hostage. We can send a good blacksmith to The Shire."

"Sounds like a good proposal," Legolas nodded.

"Who would you get to go live in the Shire for a year or two?" Gimli asked.

Kili chuckled, "I think Fili would do it if he didn't have other responsibilities."

"How soon would you like your hobbit in Erebor?" Gimli asked.

Kili frowned again. He really didn't like the way Gimli kept referring to the hobbits like they were property to be traded. But, he knew his cousin's gruff words and exterior protected a good and kind heart. "As soon as possible. Spring is just about here. It might be too late already this year for anyone to travel that distance for this growing season, but they at least could help us to get started."

"Legolas and I will make the journey ourselves. It's been far too long since we visited our friends in The Shire."

Legolas nodded. "Yes, we'll go."