Chapter Five
Bilbo came outside, to check up on Bernadette. "Bernie, are you okay?" asked the hobbit. "No. I'm not okay." said Bernadette, her voice rusty from crying. Bilbo sat down next to his sister. "I told him not to go near you anymore." said Bilbo. "YOU DID WHAT?!" yelled Bernadette. "You hear me, Bernadette. I ordered him not to talk to you anymore. And we're not going on this stupid quest, and that's final. After the way he spoken to you. What do you see in him, Bernie? He's an angry, bitter dwarf. He will hurt you. I don't want to see that happen to you, Bernie." said Bilbo.
"Bilbo, Thorin wasn't always like this. He wasn't like this the day I met him." said Bernadette, bowing her head. "Well times have changed. People change. And not for the better, unfortunately." said Bilbo. "Bilbo, you don't understand." said Bernadette. The two sat in silence for a while. "Listen to me, Bernadette. I don't care what that sand blasted wizard says. We're not going." said Bilbo, and he walked back inside the house. "Bilbo." said Bernadette. She wanted to go and helped, because she wanted to be with Fili and Kili, because they were like brothers to her.
And she also enjoyed the companionship of Balin and Dwalin as well. She wanted to go, but there were two people standing in her way, and once and for a all, she wasn't going to stand for it. Meanwhile, inside the home, the time came for the reading of the contract. Bilbo listened in as they talked back this. "Thorin, what of Miss Baggins? Will she have a contract?" asked Gandalf. Thorin remained silent. Fili and Kili looked at their Uncle. "Please, Uncle. Let her come." said Kili. "We will train her." said Dwalin, smiling. "And Bilbo too." said Fili. Thorin rolled his eyes. "Very well. Where is Miss Baggins?" asked Thorin. "She's outside." said Gandalf.
Thorin stood up, but before he stepped out the door, Bilbo stopped him. "Go easy on her. Don't let me hear you say anymore mean words to my sister." said Bilbo. "I assure you, Master Baggins, I will go easy on her." said Thorin, slightly smiling at the hobbit, and he walked outside. Thorin shortly found Bernadette, still sitting on a bench looking up at the stars. "Beautiful evening, isn't it, Miss Baggins?" asked Thorin, approaching her. "You have the nerve to come out here." said Bernadette, turning away from Thorin.
"Bernadette." said Thorin softly, sitting down next to the hobbit woman.
Bernadette stood up and glared at Thorin. "Don't Bernadette me, Thorin Oakenshield! You really hurt my feelings! For one who says who loved me more than life itself, who turns out to be an arrogant, cold sexist pain in the.." began Bernadette hotly. "You walked out on me, Bernadette! Do you have an idea how I felt?! Do you?" said Thorin sharply. "Thorin, about that. I'm really, really sorry. Its those people of yours. They pushed me away from you." said Bernadette. "Bernadette, what happened was all a misunderstanding, and I took care of it. As for Estelle and her idiot of a father, you don't have to worry about them anymore either." said Thorin.
"I know, Balin told me of that. You banished them, forcing them to leave Ered Luin." said Bernadette. "They had no right talking about you like that, Bernadette. I spoke defending your honor! I defended you, and you left!" said Thorin. "But I didn't know at the time that you done that!" protested Bernadette. Silence fell between them. "Thorin, I'm really truly sorry. If I only stayed behind and knew you spoke defending my honor, I would've never had left. But I also have a home here too, and my brother to think about." said Bernadette.
"I know, Bernadette. Its rather funny how fate brought us together again. I didn't know you and Bilbo are related, and your brother being so protective of you." said Thorin. "That's Bilbo for you." said Bernadette, a slight smile appear on her face. "There's that famous smile I like to see." said Thorin. "So you really never meant to say those words earlier, did you? About my brother and I?" asked Bernadette. "No, I never meant to say any of it, Bernadette." said Thorin. Thorin lied to her. He liked her, but her brother however, he would have trouble getting along with. For some reason, he didn't like the hobbit, thinking him as a weakling.
It wouldn't hurt to lie to her, but I really hate to lie to her like this, Thorin thought. Bernadette noticed the contract in hand. "So, you're going to allow me to go with you and your companions?" asked Bernadette. "Yes, I got the contract here to sign, Bernadette." said Thorin, holding up the contract and quill. Bernadette took the quill and contract, and she signed it. "Thorin, I really truly am sorry for leaving you like I did." said Bernadette, taking Thorin's hands. "Bernadette, I will protect you, but promise me you'll allow my companions to train you in weapons." said Thorin, gently placing his hand on her cheek.
"I promise. I want to use a bow as my weapon of choice." said Bernadette. Thorin smiled. "Have you used a bow before?" said Thorin. "This may surprise you yes. I have. I went hunting a few times with some friends, and I used a bow." said Bernadette. Thorin leaned towards her, kissing her gently on the lips. "I'm glad I found you, Bernadette. I never thought I ever see you again." whispered Thorin. "Me neither." Bernadette whispered back, and she returned Thorin's kiss, wrapping her arms around Thorin's neck. Shortly, the kiss broke. "Come! We must go back inside and join the others, and give the contract to Balin." said Thorin standing up.
Bernadette smiled, standing up, they walked back inside Bilbo's home, hand in hand. Bernadette returned the contract to Balin. "Where's Bilbo?" asked Bernadette looking around the room. "We started talking about dragons, and all of a sudden, thump! He passed out on the floor!" Bofur replied. "Oh dear! Bofur, why did you do that for? You scared him!" said Bernadette. "I'm sorry, Miss Baggins." said Bofur. "Where is he?" asked Bernadette. "He's in his private drawing room. Gandalf took him in there." replied Gloin. "Thanks, Gloin." smiled Bernadette.
Bernadette went into the drawing room, and she could hear Gandalf and Bilbo talking.
Bilbo stood up, looking at Gandalf. "I'm sorry, but I cannot do this. Good night." said Bilbo, as he walked away from Gandalf, making way to his bedroll. "He's not going, I'm afraid." said Gandalf, sadly. "Oh no." said Bernadette sadly. Bernadette turned around, and she followed the dwarves into the parlor room, and she sat down in between Balin and Thorin. Thorin stood at the fire place, smoking his pipe. To her surprise, she could hear humming coming from all the dwarves. Suddenly, Thorin started to sing in a soft deep baritone, shortly followed by the other dwarves:
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day
To find our long forgotten gold
The pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire is red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches, blazed with light.
The song ended, and Bernadette sat in awe and amazement. She could never forget that voice. That beautiful baritone coming from Thorin, and now she really wanted to go on this quest, to help them reclaim their home. Most of the dwarves went to bed, but Bernadette remained awake. She couldn't sleep. "You're going to sit there in the dark alone? You can come and sit with me, I don't bite." said Thorin. Bernadette smiled, as she walked over to Thorin, and sat next to him by the fire place on the floor.
"Are you sure you really want to do this, Bernadette?" asked Thorin. "Why are you asking me this?" said Bernadette. "I'm just worried that's all. I don't want to lose you." said Thorin. "Thorin, you told me yourself you're going to allow your companions to train me in weapons. I will be just fine. I just wish." began Bernadette. "Wish what?" asked Thorin. "I wish my brother would go with me." said Bernadette. "Bernadette, your brother had made his decision. He doesn't want to go. Its for the best really." said Thorin. "Thorin." said Bernadette, glaring at Thorin.
"Bernadette, maybe he just don't want to go plain and simple. You both are hobbits. You are Baggins." said Thorin.
"I maybe a Baggins, Mister Oakenshield, but I'm not like any other. Our mother is a Took, and she loved adventures, and I got that side of her." said Bernadette. "You look just like her." smiled Thorin. "How did you know mother?" asked Bernadette. "I knew her and Bungo. They visited us from time to time with vegetables. They had been friends with my family, especially with my father and grandfather, and Dis." said Thorin. "You never told me of this, why?" said Bernadette. "I never thought of it at the time, Bernadette." said Thorin, taking the hobbit woman's hands.
"I'm glad you're here, Thorin." whispered Bernadette, as she laid back in Thorin's arms, resting her head on the dwarf's chest. "I am too. I love you Bernadette." whispered Thorin. "I love you too, Thorin." Bernadette replied back. The two of them sat in silence for a little while. "Bernadette, you should be going to bed. You need your rest." said Thorin. Bernadette stood up. "Good night, Thorin." said Bernadette. "Good night." said Thorin. Bernadette went to her room, and she laid down in her bed, closing her eyes, smiling brightly.