I know I said I wouldn't update...

But I really needed to de-stress.

Ella couldn't understand why Fili wouldn't stop scowling.

He stood in the corner of the house, arms crossed, glaring out at the wall opposite him, not speaking to anyone.

She sat by the fire, next to Bilbo, Bain's coat around her.

"Would you need a blanket?"

Ella glanced up, shivering, to see a tall girl holding a stack of blankets, looking down at her worriedly.

"Thank you," she managed to stutter, taking the top blanket and trying to unfold it to drape around her shoulders, unsuccessfully.

The next thing she knew, a pair of hands had taken the blanket and had dropped it around her shoulders.

"Thanks," she said, as Bain dropped down onto the seat next to her.

"You're welcome," he said. "You look absolutely exhausted."

"I am," she said, smiling back weakly, her eyes flickering back over to Fili.

It seemed as if he was glaring even more fiercely at the wall.

Her heart pounded.

He was obviously far from all right. It probably had, she decided, something to do with the Mountain. The Lonely Mountain, rising far beyond, dream-like in the fog. The whole purpose of his quest.

The Mountain that Smaug the dragon had claimed.

The Mountain that they were prepared to take back.

Ella stood up, abruptly, and made her way over to Fili, drawing the blanket around her even more tightly.

"He was talking to you," Fili said, once Ella had reached him. He refused to turn, his glare still fixed on the wall opposite.

Ella blinked. "What?"

"The boy." He turned his head, slightly, to where Bain had gotten up, now moving over to his father. "He was talking to you when you got up and left him."

"Oh." Ella blinked. "I – I didn't notice."

"How could you not have?" Fili now turned his head to look at her, the scowl on his face clear. "All you've done since we've arrived in Laketown is talk to him."

Ella blinked at him. "Are you – are you jealous?"

This was a new concept to her. For someone to be jealous of her for spending her time with someone else – she didn't think anyone had ever cared for her that much before. Emma cared. Jerelee cared. But this was – this was different.

She felt a rush of affection for the blond dwarf as he turned his head back to the wall, glaring even more fiercely.

"Fili," she said, softly, stepping forwards slightly and slipping her hand into his. "Bain is nice, that's all. I'm not about to fall for him anytime soon. Especially not when – " Here she smiled slight " – not when your stupid blond mane is in my face all the time."

For a moment, he didn't say anything.

"I'll have you know I'm very proud of my hair."

And the next thing Ella knew, he had wrapped his arms around her waist and was pulling her to him, hugging her tightly.

"You're the best thing that's happened to me since I came here," she mumbled into his shoulder. "Like I'm ever going to give that up."

His arms tightened around her.

"You okay, Fee?"

"I am now."

"I don't want her to come with us."

Kili glanced up at his brother, surprised, as Fili fixed his gaze on Thorin.

"Ella?" Thorin asked, voice low, eyes flickering over to where Ella sat with Tilda and Bain, Tilda making them both smile.

"Yes," said Fili. "It's too dangerous. She didn't sign up for this. She should stay here, with other humans. She may have had her nightmares, but we're already so close. She can stay here. At least until we have claimed back the Mountain."

Thorin regarded Fili for a moment, as Balin shook his head, the faintest trace of a smile on his face.

"Very well," Thorin said.

Fili let out a sigh of relief, and turned his attention back to his uncle's words as he began speaking once more.

"She'll never let you leave her behind, you know," Balin said to Fili, quietly, as Bard slipped back into his house, a long package in his hands.

"I know," Fili said, tiredly, glancing over to her. Something twisted in his heart then. "I will find a way. I have to. I can't let her get hurt."

Balin only nodded.

"She's a reasonable lass, at times," said Balin thoughtfully. "A little too stubborn, though. And she has far too much pride for her own good."

Fili smiled, faintly. "I'd noticed."

He watched her as she and Bain laughed at something Tilda said. She wasn't purposely avoiding Bain, but she wasn't talking to him unless it was impolite, and she'd returned him his coat – and Fili was grateful, for that.

He could still remember the shock, the disbelief and surprise in her voice when she'd asked him if he was jealous.

He hadn't been able to understand the anger he'd been feeling, the urge to pick up the human boy and toss him out the window, until Ella had put it into words.

Ella.

"You are the best thing that's happened to me since I came here. Like I'm ever going to give that up."

He hoped she would understand, when he and the rest of the company left without her. She wasn't from this world, she'd little idea how to use a weapon, and she was even less prepared for even a possible encounter with the dragon. Bilbo had made his choice to sign on as a burglar; and even though Ella had made her choice to continue with them from Rivendell, he couldn't let her do this. He couldn't let her actually go to the Lonely Mountain. It was too dangerous.

She would be angry, of course.

But she would forgive him.

Of course she would.

She would understand.

She had to.

"We paid you for weapons. Iron-forged swords and axes!"

"It's a joke!"

Ella scowled at the company surrounding the table, throwing down the hand-made weapons that Bard had brought up for them. At least Fili was standing back slightly, and hadn't said anything. The way the dwarfs were treating Bard – it was, in Ella's opinion, absolutely despicable. From what she could see, these were his own weapons, and iron-forged swords and axes or not, they weren't that bad, not from what she could see of this town.

"You won't find better outside the city armoury," Bard was saying. "All iron-forged weapons are kept there under lock and key."

"Thorin."

Ella was silently grateful for Balin, as she slipped over to where Fili was, his arm extended to rest around her shoulders.

"Why not take what's been offered and go? I've made do with less; so have you. I say we leave now."

"You're not going anywhere."

"What did you say?"

Of course it had to be Dwalin.

"There's spies watching this house and probably every dock and wharf in the town," said Bard. "You must wait till nightfall."

Ella heard the dwarfs grumble as they settled down, obviously not happy with the turn of events, but unable to do anything – not with Bard around. She figured they would probably try to take off sometime soon, if Bard left the house.

"You okay?" Fili asked her, as Ella moved to look out the window, at the dwarvish wind-lance, silhouetted in the sky.

She managed a smile at him. "I'm all right."

He stood behind her. "Do you regret not staying in Rivendell? It would have been more peaceful, for sure."

Ella tilted her head slightly, and then shook her head furiously, her dark hair flying. "No." She reached out a hand to take his. "No, I wouldn't. If I had – well, I wouldn't be here with you, would I?"

She squeezed his hand.

"I'd follow you to the end."

Fili thought of the plan forming in his mind, his plan for leaving her behind, to protect her, and felt a pang of guilt.

Ella, his Ella –

He didn't say anything, just pulled her close to him and pressed his lips to hers.