Epilogue 1:

I sprinted to the front of the embankment and stared over it. My eyes picked out the form of an old man, carrying a gnarled staff, in grey robes and hat with a silver scarf.

I yelled happily, waving frantically, and his head came up. A tiny smile seemed to cross his face, although it could have been a grin for all I knew. He was at least the length of a rugby pitch away from Erebor.

I carefully aimed my bow, with a note attached to the arrow, and sent the dart flying at the old man.

It landed between his boots, and he stooped to pick it up, read it, then moved a little faster toward our gates.

With a joyful whoop, I sprinted through the halls, searching for Kili.

I dodged around servants, and citizens alike, and they all slid carefully out of my way - the entire city of Erebor knew about the crazy sister-in-law to their king, and had learned very quickly to get out of my way when I started running like a maniac.

I skidded to a stop, almost running straight into Fili. As always, nowadays, he wore a thin circlet about his brow - he refused to have anything fancier for a crown.

He chuckled, letting me lean on his shoulder. "Why're you running this time, Freya? Looking for Kili, I assume?"

I smiled and gasped, "Gandalf's here."

His expression changed from teasing to joyous, and he yelled to someone nearby to alert the guardsmen that the Wizard was approaching. The dwarf took off, and I told Fili a quick goodbye, then resumed my search for his brother.

I nearly ran headlong into him as he came sprinting out of a cavern. "There you are!" I cried out, grabbing his hand and yanking him after me.

"Whoa, where are we going?" he yelled, following me only to prevent his shoulder from being displaced.

"Gandalf's here!"

He released my hand, and moved a little faster to run by my side. I matched him stride for stride, despite his height advantage, and we sprinted together through Erebor.

We reached the gates just as Fili was greeting Gandalf.

"Mithrandir!" I shouted gladly, throwing myself at the Wizard and hugging him desperately.

"Hello, Freya," he said, sounding amused as he returned my embrace. "I assume you know where I have been?"

"Only too well," I replied, releasing him and backing up. "You missed a lot."

"I can see that," replied the Wizard softly, taking in Fili's crown.

"Not just that, but this." I raised my left hand and wiggled my fingers, giggling like a maniac.

"I don't -" Gandalf began, puzzled, then his eyes widened. "I see. Congratulations," he said, unable to keep a smile off his face as he cast his gaze at Kili, as well. "When?"

"About a month ago. The entire kingdom knows they're stuck with me now," I said happily, chortling uncontrollably.

In a quiet moment that evening, Gandalf ensured me that Bilbo was fine and at home and perfectly safe. Not that there were many quiet moments -

Suddenly longing for my own company, I slipped into a nearby little cave off of the Great Dining Hall. I admired the ring on my left hand, which I often did whenever I could. This one was technically my engagement ring, and the one that Kili had given me during our marriage ceremony was thin, gold, and had the Durin clan's crest on it. It resided on my right ring finger, opposite to Earthen customs. According to tradition, it had been placed on my hand by Kili even as I had put his on his hand.

The engagement ring was silver, and it had a tiny jade set into it, with six sapphires of similar size surrounding it. Kili and I had agreed that it was a good fit.

I stared at it, slipping it on and off of my finger. On the inside of the ring, which nobody would ever see but me and a few others, was an inscription of words inlayed in bronze (I had refused to have gold, due to Thorin's obsession with the metal when he was alive): Fy hud a gwaith chi, efallai y byddant yn cyfuno am byth a bob amser.. This meant, in a rough mixture of Elvish and dwarfish, "My magic and that of yours, may they combine forever and always."

I swallowed back unexpected tears. I had never expected to be with Kili forever. I had never thought that I would actually have a place to be, once that bloody quest had finished. Hell, I had never thought I would survive. Even as Tralique, I hadn't thought to be with Kili forever, despite the immense love I had for him - which I hadn't realized how strong it had been until I had been to Earth and back, twice.

I sighed softly. Tralique's - my - memories were so new, it seemed like I was watching little movies of myself from ages ago, not seeing my own memories. However, it worked. I loved being able to know things about Kili that I hadn't before.

"Reconsidering?"

The voice made me jump, and I hadn't realized I was still staring at the ring. Kili's form followed his voice, with a small grin on his face.

"By the Valar, no," I muttered. "Not in a million years."

"I know," he said softly, enveloping me in a soft hug and pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "I was teasing."

"I know," I replied. We sat like that for awhile, just like we had so many months ago when I had finally woken up in the infirmary after being sent back to Earth.

Gandalf came in and said, "Freya, you know that you may speak with Bilbo, yes?"

I shook my head. "How would I do that, he's in the Shire," I said, feeling a bit tired all of a sudden.

Gandalf conjured a little ball of flame, reddish-orange, unlike my blue-green. "If you cast the right spell, you may see him. In the flame. Transport yourself there."

I eyed the fire warily. "What if it goes wrong?"

"It will not," Gandalf said, his voice adopting a rather teasing manner. "I will cast the spell."

"Oh, gee, thanks," I muttered while Kili laughed, almost falling over.

The Wizard didn't reply, just smiled and gestured at the flame.

"What do I do?" I asked, feeling foolish as I poked it with my right index finger.

"Simply step into it and you shall be transported to Bilbo's hobbit hole, in the Shire. I will warn you, however - it's a bit of a mess. Lobelia or whatever her name is, of the -"

"Sackville-Bagginses," I interrupted. "I know. He'll get around to fixing it - probably already has. You first, Kili."

He stepped through the flame, and disappeared.

I quickly followed, and as my foot hit Bilbo's carpet in his living room, I tripped and overbalanced and went crashing into Kili, knocking him to the floor with an "oof" from him and causing Bilbo to leap out of the way from where he had jumped up to greet Kili.

Kili sighed from underneath me. "You really make a habit of this, don't you. This is the second time, to say nothing of the times when you were Tralique." He propped himself up on his elbows, and I grinned down at him.

"I guess." I kissed him, and then, I remembered Bilbo. "Oh, shit -" I rolled off of him, which was more effective than trying to stand up. I jumped to my feet and Kili jumped up as well. "Hi, Bilbo," I said happily.

He chuckled. "You sure know how to make an entrance."

I laughed. "That, I do."

HIIII! SO, 'nother epilogue after this, 'cause this damn story is like a freaking kraken. Then I'm writing a prologue story, and then (this is new to everyone) I have created and am working on a fic describing the events leading up to, the events of, and the events after KILI AND FREYA'S WEDDING.

SO MUCH FUN!