So I'm back! Yay.

Anyway, I realised I have made a terrible, grievous mistake when I wrote about Ella's injury - because I just reread some of my stuff, and I realised that if a Warg really HAD bitten her, the injury would be really severe, and she'd need stitches and everything, and all I really wanted was for her to be injured enough and in danger enough for Fili to get all overprotective! And then I realised how bad the injury would actually have to be, because those teeth are really, REALLY sharp. And it should've gotten stitches or something instead of just being healed by Oin. So yes. I'd like to apologise for messing up that particular aspect of this story SO badly! And especially for downplaying her injury so much when it should probably have been a thousand times more painful. AND also for how it's healed. So, yes, I'm really really sorry! I seek your forgiveness D:

So, you know, I hope the rest of the story's okay, apart from that really, REALLY messed up bit!

And, well, so here's chapter fifteen! It's, you know, fantastic to know that you guys enjoy it and everything (even though I don't ever reply reviews)! Yes I know I'm a terrible person ahhh

Okay, I'll stop now.

"Jerelee?" Pippin was staring at Bilbo, wide-eyed. "She died and ended up in this world too?"

"Yes, she did," said Bilbo, thoroughly enjoying himself, as Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin looked up at him. "She was lovely, absolutely lovely – in our short time there, always ready to help, always ready to make us laugh or smile…"

"She sounds lovely," Frodo said.

Ori couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so much.

After the company had finally met Beorn that morning, who had proved terrifying enough even without his dislike for dwarfs, Jerelee had managed to convince him to treat Ella and to help them. It helped, Ori thought, that they were on the run from Orcs; Ori could understand completely, after hearing Beorn's story, why the skin-changer was willing to help them in order to outwit, or at the very least get away from, the Orc pack.

Ori had watched as Beorn treated Ella's wound, making her let out a string of expletives as she winced and grabbed onto Fili's arm tightly; but somehow, somehow, the ache in his heart did not hurt so much. It had, he realised with a jerk, been fading over the past few days, as Fili and Ella had spent more time together and he'd come to accept it; maybe all he'd really felt for Ella was an infatuation, something he'd thrown his emotions into because she was so different.

Yes, it was still difficult for him to talk to either of them; but now, he knew, it was getting slightly better.

But that had been in the morning, and now it was nearing lunch; and the whole time Jerelee had been entertaining him, Dori, Nori, Bilbo, Kili and Fili, who had been practically dragged away from Ella's bedside by Jerelee, after the human girl had scolded him, telling him that if Beorn said that Ella needed rest and peace and would be healed by sundown she would be, and that he was in no way allowed to disturb her.

Fili had only gaped at her for a short moment before Jerelee launched into a story of how Ella had once fallen down two flights of stairs because she'd been screaming when a squirrel had jumped onto a railing not far from her, making them all roar with laughter.

She had hardly stopped talking since they began, only stopping once in a while for the dwarfs to tell a story of their own.

"And then so because it was a brand new class and the teacher didn't know us, and we didn't know her, she didn't know our names, right? So I told her I had to leave at twelve thirty because I had something on, and so she said, all right, what's your name again? And I told her twelve thirty! And she just looked at me again and asked me the same question, and I told her twelve thirty again!"

Ori doubled over, choking on his laughter, as Jerelee adjusted her voice to change character and made large, expressive gestures with her hands, her face rapidly changing expressions. The story didn't even have to be funny for them to laugh, Ori realised – it was all in the way that Jerelee told the story.

He had never met anyone who'd been able to make him laugh easily and so much before.

He didn't think he'd ever met anyone who was able to make him feel so carefree and lighthearted and happy, and especially not after only a few hours.

He remembered when he'd first seen her, just before she'd thrown herself at Ella – he'd had a strange, tugging feeling in him, and so his eyes had never left her, following her as she moved about the room, still fixed on her as he fell asleep.

There were times when she made references that none of them could understand; and her face would fall slightly, and her eyes would glint, and then she'd sniff and look away for a short while, before turning back with a massive smile on her face.

She just pushed all the grief and sadness away, and didn't let it take over her; replaced it with laughter, and lots of it.

Ori could only find himself staring at her across the massive table, with her choppy dark hair and wide brown eyes.

It was, he thought, different from Ella, who kept breaking down, unable to control her emotions, pushing them away and letting herself wallow in sadness.

"And you know I had this friend, she was such an idiot, she brought a glass water bottle to class! And our tables were tiny and flimsy, and you know what would've happened, right? Someone smashed it to the floor after like five seconds, and everywhere was wet and there was glass all over the floor, and someone was asking Lila why on earth she brought a glass bottle to class? Because you don't bring a glass bottle to school, you know, because you could drop it anywhere, in the canteen or in the classroom or in the corridor, or someone could run into you or crash into you or accidentally knock into the bottle and break it! And then Ella, that idiot, she walks in without her shoes because it was raining and her shoes were soaked, and she steps in the puddle of water!"

Here Jerelee dissolved into laughter, a loud, contagious laughter that got all the dwarves around her to laugh as well. Yes, Ori thought, it wasn't even about how funny the story was – it was Jerelee, all Jerelee, she and her wide smile and her contagious laughter.

He thought he could understand why Ella, usually serious apart from her sarcastic comments and occasional funny statements, needed her.

"Wait, wait, okay," Jerelee was saying. "So you're a – a hobbit. That is so cool. I mean, no offence or anything, but I've heard of dwarfs and stuff, but never of hobbits."

Bilbo only smiled at her. "Well, then, I'm delighted to be the first to bring you the news of the existence of hobbits, and to be the proof of it as well."

She laughed.

"And you're Kili, and you're Fili," Jerelee continued, turning to the two. "And you're brothers, right?"

"That we are, my lovely lady," Kili said, grinning and winking at her, causing her to laugh and roll her eyes.

"And Dori, Nori and Ori, right? So that's – you're brothers too?"

At their nods, Jerelee let out a relieved sigh. "Oh god, wow, okay that makes things so much easier. So Balin and Dwalin – and then Oin and Gloin – Oin's the healer guy, right? – and then there's Bombur and Bifur and Bofur?"

"Bifur's their cousin," said Ori, speaking up after what seemed like hours of laughing, and Jerelee's eyes flashed over to him instantly. He felt his face heat up, suddenly wondered why he hadn't spoken up earlier if it meant her looking at him with those wide eyes of hers.

"Right, cousin," she murmured.

He thought he saw her eyes flash over to him again before her face flushed slightly, and she turned to Nori who was beginning to tell her one of his many exploits.

Jerelee couldn't even remember what they talked about.

All she could remember was Dori leaving the kitchen to seek out Balin, and Fili being dragged out by Nori and Kili to do some training instead of watching Ella while she slept.

And then Ori sitting there, his book on the table, scribbling in it furiously.

"What are you doing?" she'd asked, ignoring her heart rate increasing dramatically as she moved around to sit across him.

"Writing," he'd said. "About this house, about Beorn, and about – " Here his face flushed. "About you."

It was one of those few times Jerelee wasn't very sure what to say.

And then they began to talk.

Jerelee couldn't remember much, only that Ori had spoken of the Blue Mountains, or Ered Luin, and about the rest of the company, like how Bifur could only speak some bits of Khuzdul because of the axe in his head, and of their journey so far, and had even shown her some sketches in his book and some of what he'd written – though of course she couldn't understand it.

But even if she hadn't remembered that much, she supposed she wouldn't mind spending days like this.

"How's Emma?"

Jerelee and Ella were lying side by side while the dwarfs were having dinner with Bilbo and Gandalf and Beorn.

Ella stared at the ceiling, blinking back tears that were threatening to spill over.

"She was very upset," said Jerelee, straightforward as usual. "She thought it was her fault at first, that if she hadn't been standing there, that if she hadn't wanted to draw that day, then you'd still be around. But we all knocked some sense into her. Told her you'd probably come back and make her life miserable if she continued thinking that way."

Despite the overwhelming sadness that was filling her, Ella managed to laugh.

"And how are my parents?"

"Your mum, well, she's been kind of depressed," Jerelee said, quietly. "But last I saw, her friend – Rosa, or something? – had started to bring her out and make her smile again. Your dad helped a lot too. He's just been throwing himself into his work, but just before I, you know, died, he was spending more time with Emma too, talking to her properly and becoming more interested in her art. She said she wouldn't mind doing art for a living."

"Does she still draw anything and everything?"

"Oh, yeah. She's even painting now."

"What about Addy and Tiffany?"

"They've both been seriously upset. Couldn't pull themselves together the first few weeks. But you know Tiff, she's got faith and everything, and Addy – remember Jason? Her old boyfriend? – she got back together with him and he's been helping her out a lot."

Ella nodded, slowly.

Jerelee, lovely Jerelee, who always knew the right thing to say, who would go out of her way without a moment's hesitation for a friend. Jerelee, who would always be there for her.

"Thanks," she said, finally.

Dwalin stopped just as he stepped into the doorway.

He'd thought Beorn's house was empty. Well, he had expected it to be – almost all the dwarves were outside, trying to get in as much training as they could before they had to leave – and he had seen Ori and that human girl Jerelee disappear some time ago, Jerelee tugging at his arm, Ori's face red. He'd thought that they had gone to find Ella and Fili.

Apparently, he'd been wrong.

Ella was sitting cross-legged on a pile of hay, her back against the wall. It had been a miracle what Beorn had done for her wounded leg the day before, healing it so that she had practically no problems with it whatsoever. Once he had assured her that it was perfectly safe, Ella had been on her feet in an instant, laughing and twirling around, dragging Fili along with her. Beorn had, however, given her a small pouch of some kind of salve to apply to her leg every morning and night, just to make sure the injury stayed healed.

Ella and Fili had, Dwalin realised, been surrounded by the company almost every day since they had left the Carrock all those nights ago. It was only now, in Beorn's massive house, that they could finally be alone.

He saw Ella sitting against the wall, cross-legged, her head bent over something on her lap, her dark hair falling in curtains around her so that he couldn't see what it was.

And then he noticed that there was a pair of shoulders just in front of Ella's crossed legs, with a torso and a pair of legs attached.

And then he realised that Fili was lying with his head on Ella's lap.

He saw the dark mane of hair move upwards slightly.

"The others are probably wondering where we are," he heard Ella say.

"Let them wonder. They'll find us soon enough." Fili's hands snaked up around over Ella's head.

"Fili."

"We are going to be stuck with them for the rest of the journey, you realise. I'm sure they can last a morning without us."

"Well, if you put it that way – "

"Of course I'm right." Fili's hands tightened over Ella's head. "Don't worry so much." And then he pulled her head down slightly, and Dwalin could only imagine what they were doing as Ella's protests were abruptly cut off.

Shaking his head to himself, he backed out of the doorway.

Ella lifted her lips from Fili's once he'd finally released his hold on her head. "That wasn't fair."

"You mean you don't want to do it again?" He looked up at her, grinning cheekily, making Ella roll her eyes and flush.

"I never said that."

"Good."

And then Fili grabbed hold of the back of her head again, pulling her down to kiss her, and Ella felt herself melt.

When Bofur stuck his head around the doorway later that day, it was to find both of them sprawled on the hay, their legs pointing in opposite directions as they lay with their heads facing each other.

"We haven't gotten out of the room the whole day," Ella was saying.

"It's only afternoon."

"You should go out and train."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Maybe I am."

"Well, I'm sure I could find some way to make you want me to stay," said Fili, and he rolled over so that his face was directly above hers.

"Oh, no," she said.

Fili gave her a hurt look. "You're getting sick of me?"

"I'm sure that'll probably come some time soon in the future."

"I could always persuade you otherwise." He grinned at her, wriggled his eyebrows, making her laugh.

"Oh, just get back down and talk to me." And Ella yanked him down onto the hay next to her as he chuckled, his hand finding hers.

Bofur let out a low chuckle and returned to the garden.

It was Nori who found Jerelee and Ori stumbling around in Beorn's massive garden, both of them talking non-stop, Jerelee occasionally grabbing Ori's hand to drag him somewhere or pointing something out to him, making both of their faces flush red.

At times, Nori noted, they would both start talking eagerly, turning to face each other and smile widely at each other, before their smiles would falter and they would turn their faces away, looking embarrassed.

Sometimes they would talk, murmuring in low voices or yakking away cheerfully, with either one of them perpetually breaking out into laughter.

Ori and Jerelee.

Nori watched them for a while.

Ori, he thought, looked happier than he'd ever seen him. No, that wasn't exactly accurate – he'd almost looked this happy yesterday, when Jerelee had been making all of them laugh.

And as for Jerelee, her whole face seemed to be lit up from the inside as she chattered eagerly, this time making Ori laugh.

Nori smiled to himself. He'd told Ori he'd find someone, hadn't he? Even if it seemed as if neither of them had fully realised or accepted the fact.

He backed away quietly.

Beorn raised his eyebrows when he saw Jerelee and Ori stumble back into his house hand in hand, making Jerelee flush when she saw him glance at her.

Jerelee and the young dwarf.

Well, it was good for her. Of course Beorn would on no account let her follow them on this quest – a foolish quest, especially as they were on the run from Orcs, and the fact that they had to pass through Mirkwood and still find some way to get to the Lonely Mountain and defeat Smaug – but if the young dwarf was willing to travel back all this way to find her…

He supposed he wouldn't mind parting with her then.

The skin-changer had formed a close bond with the human other-worlder since she'd first arrived shrieking her head off and dressed in the oddest assortment of clothes, including a skirt that fell to her knees – her knees! – and it had been discovered that she was from a completely different world. She hadn't accepted it easily, but she'd accepted it soon enough, using laughter and cheer to hide her grief and sadness at leaving her old life behind.

She was content to stay with Beorn, but she wasn't exactly particularly happy or full of life.

And seeing her with that young dwarf – Beorn decided that yes, he really wouldn't be very displeased if she chose to leave him, if the dwarves' quest succeeded and that young dwarf came back for her.

Night was falling when Fili heard movement behind him.

"I need to talk to you."

He turned around, slowly.

It was Jerelee, her face still flushed from her walk around Beorn's house with Ori – Fili wasn't an idiot, he saw how the two looked at each other the day before, even if they'd barely spoken to each other at the time – and she was running her hands through her hair, her face serious.

He glanced back quickly, to where Ella was sitting with Bilbo, the hobbit making her laugh with tales of his exploits in his youth, his constantly getting into trouble.

"Okay."

He got to his feet and followed her through the house, looking back every so often.

"She's fine," Jerelee said, as they entered yet another empty room, this time sinking down onto a bench by the wall. "Just exhausted, that's all. It's a miracle she managed to keep up with all of you for so long, with that kind of injury."

"I carried her most of the time."

"Ah." Jerelee observed him as the blond dwarf sat by her, uncomfortable.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked, hurriedly, finally, as Jerelee continued to sit still, watching him.

"Ella, obviously," she said. "And I will tell you this. If you ever hurt her, I will personally hunt you down and cut off your balls."

Fili swallowed.

Somehow, he didn't think that Jerelee was joking.

"But I have seen how you look after her." Jerelee had turned to face the window. "Hell, I've seen the way you look at her. And I don't think you would do anything to harm her, not on purpose."

Fili decided it would be safer to just nod.

He'd never been on the receiving end of a lecture about how to treat a girl properly. Well, not by said girl's friends. His mother had lectured him once, after noticing how much time he'd been spending with Freya, back in the Blue Mountains – even though there had been absolutely nothing between them – and it had nearly turned into an argument.

"I need to tell you, though," continued Jerelee. "That Ella's an idiot."

She leaned back on the bench, turned back around to face him.

"Oh, she's great, yeah," she said. "But she is also an idiot. And she has very low self-esteem. A few more days, and you'll probably find her drawing away from you because she won't believe that anyone would care for her so much."

"I – "

"Shut up and let me talk. And not only that, she's got a really short temper, and it can get really bad. And she's very prideful, very stubborn, and when she's emotionally hurt, she tends to see only herself and forget about others around her who could be hurt as well. She's careless and clumsy and prone to injury, and sometimes she'll just be in a terrible mood and nobody can get through to her. She needs people, and needs people to need her, and she doesn't forgive easily."

"I thought you were her friend."

"What do you take me for, some kind of hypocrite? Of course I'm her friend. But I'm telling you this because from what I understand you haven't known each other that long. And I want you to fully understand what she's like, in case something happens between you two. Hell, to prevent something from happening between you two that would hurt either one of you or both of you emotionally. Okay?"

"I wouldn't – "

"Hey. It's a warning."

Jerelee folded her arms and looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Thanks," he said, finally. "I think."

Jerelee smiled widely. "As long as you don't do anything stupid, you should be safe. Ella doesn't mind the feeling of being protected, but it's only to a certain extent."

Fili just nodded.

"And do me a favour," she said. "Take care of her. She's a complete idiot."

She rose to her feet, nodded, and left him.

"So you're leaving tomorrow."

Jerelee and Ella sat cross-legged opposite each other.

"Yeah." Ella bit her lip. "I'm sorry I didn't manage to spend so much time with you."

Jerelee laughed. "It's okay. I've spent almost all my time with you since we were thirteen. I'm pretty sure I could spare you for a few days."

"But – " Ella faltered, then continued, "You thought I was dead – "

"Hey." Jerelee shrugged. "It was bad, at first, but we did remind ourselves how you'd probably come back and start nagging at us if you found us mourning. And after I ended up here and Radagast explained things – I figured, you know, if I ended up here, you must've ended up somewhere else too, right? So it wasn't that bad. And I wasn't going to interrupt your time with Fili." Jerelee winked.

"Lee!"

"Hey, I'm serious."

Ella just pushed up her glasses, tugged at her hair.

"Just asking," Jerelee said, "but how the heck did your glasses stay intact throughout the whole journey?"

"That," said Ella, "is an excellent question. My dad must've known I'd end up with huge wolf-like beasts and ugly Wargs and disgusting goblins and basically spend my days running and screaming through the woods and fighting to stay alive."

They laughed.

"Ella?"

It was Fili, glancing around the doorway.

"Go," Jerelee said, smiling, inclining her head.

"But – "

"Go."

Ella smiled at her, widely, and then clambered to her feet.

And as she stood up, Fili's eyes widened. "You're bleeding!"

Jerelee and Ella looked at him – and then both glanced down to where Ella had been sitting on a pile of hay, stained red with blood.

The dark girl began blushing furiously while Jerelee got to her feet, choking back laughter.

"Is it your injury? Are you okay?"

Fili was walking towards her now, eyes wide, full of concern, frowning, full of worry.

"Oh my god, yes!" Ella's voice came out in an embarrassed squeak as Jerelee struggled to hold back laughter as she dug through a cupboard. "Just – just stay there, oh my god, please, this is embarrassing – "

"But – "

"Stay there!"

Her voice had turned slightly hysterical, and Fili stopped, looking at her worriedly.

"She'll be fine," Jerelee said, returning to Ella's side with a few strips of cloth. "Just – just go out, please – "

"But she's bleeding," Fili argued, taking another step closer.

"She'll be fine," Jerelee insisted, her eyes flicking over his shoulder briefly.

"Fili."

It was Bofur and Gloin, both looking faintly embarrassed, moving up to stand next to him.

"Just come," Gloin said to him, in a low voice, as Ella backed away slightly so that she was pressed up against the wall, uncontrollable giggles now leaking from Jerelee who was hunched over in laughter.

"But – "

"Lad," Bofur said, "it's a female thing." He glanced over at Ella, who was whacking Jerelee on the shoulder, hissing something to her. "She'll be fine."

"Trust me," said Gloin, "my wife's gone through it. She'll be perfectly all right."

Fili took another look at Ella, who was determinedly avoiding his eyes, her face still flushed from embarrassment, and unwillingly stepped out the doorway.

"This is humiliating," Ella murmured to Jerelee after dinner. She'd stayed by her friend throughout the whole evening after they'd scrubbed the stain out, still avoiding Fili's eyes. Now they sat in Jerelee's room, Ella still much too embarrassed to face the dwarfs. "It had to be Fili who saw it."

"If you're together with him, it shouldn't be that embarrassing – "

"But that's just exactly why it is!"

"Don't be an idiot, he'll have to know about this kind of thing – "

"But he didn't!"

"I'm sure one of the dwarfs will tell him," said Jerelee, dismissively. "Really, Ella, you're over-thinking this."

"I am not!"

"Don't argue with me. You are."

Ella opened her mouth – and then chuckled, softly, sadly. "Do you remember having nearly this exact same argument before?"

"We've probably had it every other week," said Jerelee, smiling sadly. "From buying a new water bottle – "

" – to getting new shorts – "

" – to whether we should get food when we were trying to be weight-conscious – "

" – and remember when you got those shorts – "

" – don't remind me about those shorts, remember that tank top?"

They both smiled faintly.

"And Addy and Tiff would laugh so much," said Ella softly.

"Diane and everyone else, too."

They sat, quietly.

"Bofur and Gloin have told me of what has happened."

Ella glanced up, flushing, to see Thorin before her, his arms crossed.

"You know that our time is limited," he said.

"I'll be fine," Ella said, feeling anger rise up in her slightly. She knew how to take care of herself. "Lee's taught me how to deal with it. Just give me a moment every few hours and I'll be fine."

"I have a sister. I – "

"I," Ella cut in with gritted teeth, "will be fine."

Thorin took a long look at her.

Then the briefest of smiles broke out over his face.

"Very well, Miss Aidan," he said.

Jerelee and Ori stood opposite each other, Jerelee running a hand through her hair while Ori clutched his book tightly in his hands, both of their faces red.

"I have something for you," he blurted out, suddenly, pulling a folded loose sheet of paper and passing it to her. "Don't – don't open it now, open it when we leave, please?"

Jerelee's faced turned even redder, if possible. "I – ah – okay." She held the paper in her hands, held it as if she would never let it go.

They stood awkwardly in silence for a moment.

"Will you – " Jerelee paused, bit her lip, then hurried on: "Will you come back? After your – after your quest? I mean, I'd like to follow, I really would, but there's Beorn, and you already have so many people, and all right, to be honest, I wouldn't really be fond of trekking around in the woods and mud like Ella is, but anyway, that's not the point, but I mean, if it's not too much trouble, or anything, I mean, could you – would you – you know, come back?"

Ori looked at her, eyes widening.

"Do you – do you want me to?"

Jerelee ran a hand through her hair again.

"I – I mean – I – yeah – yeah, I would," she stammered, glancing back down at the ground, looking embarrassed. "I mean, if you – if you, you know, can't, or it's too dangerous, or something, it's okay, I mean, I was just wondering – "

"Yes," Ori said, and Jerelee's head shot up, her eyes searching his. "Of course. Of course I will."

Nori, leaning against the wall, smiled to himself.

Well so here's the end of chapter fifteen...hope you liked it!