Chapter 9

(Two days after the second date)

"Thorin? What are you doing here?" Billa was shocked to find the man at Galadriel's door.

"Are you busy?" he asks.

"Not really, Frodo's at Sam's house tonight." She tells him.

"Would you like to go to a movie with me?" he asks.

"Well this is a little out of the blue. Sure, I'd love too go; just give me a minute to change." He nods as she invites him in. Galadriel had to help the night manager deal with a difficult guest so she didn't have to worry about Thorin being interrogated.

(-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-)

(The day after date number 3)

"And we watched Ironman! It was AWESOME!" Frodo told her excitedly "He was a like BAM and like BLOO!" He tried to reenact the noises. "And then the bad guy was 'I got my own armor, its better then yours!' and Ironman was like 'haha, no.' and then they fighted and there was big 'polisons and Pepper pulled the switch and they saveded the day!" Billa couldn't help but smile at Frodo's animated re-telling of Ironman.

"Really?" she asked enthusiastically. She was holding Frodo's hand as they walked back to the hotel.

"uh-huh, an-an-and he told everyone he was Ironman! And they were like 'what, wow!'"

"No way."

"Yes way!"

Billa noticed an ice cream parlor just down the street they were on. It was a good day for ice cream. She crouched down to Frodo's level. "How about we celebrate Ironman's win with some ice cream and then a trip to the park?" Frodo gasped and nodded rapidly.

(-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-)

Frodo and Billa were sitting on a bench in the park enjoying there Ice cream. Frodo was swinging his legs, happily licking away at his vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles (Cause they're isn't any other kind Mommy.) Billa was enjoying her own butterscotch dipped cone.

Billa had loved butterscotch since she was a little girl and her mother had sneaked her some right before dinner. Shh, don't tell your father.

"Mommy, do you like Mr. Thorin?" Frodo asked randomly.

"Yes, I like him quite a bit. Why do you ask?"

Frodo pointed with his ice cream, but caught his mistake before he could lose it. He pointed with his other hand at Thorin who was chasing what looked like Fili and Kili through the park.

They had arms full of balloons occasionally tossing them over their shoulders at Thorin. They were running right toward the bench where Billa and Frodo were sitting.

Billa gasped when Thorin was suddenly tripped by one of the balloons. He tumbled to the ground. Grabbing her messenger bag, she held her ice cream with one hand and Frodo's with the other. They hurried over to Thorin who was still on the ground.

"Thorin are you okay?" stupid! He obviously isn't, he's also soaked.

"Billa." Thorin rolled on to his back, "What are you doing here?" He blinked.

"Frodo and I were just walking home and happened to get some ice cream to enjoy in the park." She told him, letting go of Frodo's hand to help Thorin sit up.

"It's very nice to see you again Frodo." Thorin smiled at the little boy who was clinging to his mother's leg. Frodo waved, which is more than Billa expected him to do.

"Was that Fili and Kili you were chasing?" She asked.

"Yes, you see it's Kili's birthday." Thorin told her as he stood up. "Instead of everyone getting him gifts he and Fili came up with this idea. All-day water balloon fight. He doesn't like being fussed over because he's one of the youngest."

"It's Kili's birthday?" Frodo asked. Thorin nodded.

"They decided to single me out this time. Dis, Bombur, and my mother are working on preparing a big dinner for Kili, so there off limits, as are my father, Balin, Oin, and Dori. Dwalin, Ori, and Gimli are around here some where, I think they've teamed up. Nori, Bofur, and Bifur teamed up as always."

"So you're all alone in the war?" Billa supplied.

"Yes, it appears that way."

Billa glanced down at Frodo, biting her lip, then back at Thorin. "Would you like some help?" she asked. Frodo gasped looking hopefully between Thorin and his mom.

"It would be much appreciated." Thorin smiled.

(-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-)

"Fee, I think we lost him." Kili said panting. They had taken shelter in some bushes.

"You think we should loop around and check?" Fili asked moving next to Kili, looking out into the park.

"Yeah, let's go back to the play ground. Gimli should be there with your Dwalin and Ori now."

Fili nodded before giving Kili and quick peck on the check. "Happy birthday, my love."

"You know you still have to give me a present later." Kili winked.

"I will, and it'll be the best sex you've ever had." He said with a smirk.

"I don't know, you're birthday will be hard to beat." Kili moved in for another kiss when Fili stopped him. "Hey it's my Birth-"

"Is that Frodo?" Fili asked moving out of the bushes. Kili followed him pouting. But it was indeed little Frodo. The raven haired boy was happily strolling through the park, not a care in the world.

"Hey Frodo." Fili smiled as he walked up, trusting his brother the keep lookout.

"Hi Fili! Hi Kili!" he waved walking up to them. Kili couldn't see Billa or Hamfast anywhere.

"Where's your Mommy" Fili asked, looking around with Kili.

"She's wit a friend. What'cha doin'?" He asked.

"We're celebrating-" Frodo turned and ran behind the nearest tree. Before either of them could react the were hit with a wave of water balloons. They couldn't react at all. It occurred to Fili, mid-attack that they had left their own balloons in the bushes.

By the time it was over the couple was covered head-to-toe in water. Kili pushed his bangs out of his eyes to see who had hit them. Thorin was chuckling next to the tree Frodo had hid behind. The little boy was next to him on the ground in laughter.

Billa was near them, her hair was pulled back and she was panting a little bit. She had a smile on her face as she walked up to Thorin and Frodo.

"It's rude to pick on people." She called to them wiping her hands on her shirt.

"That's cheating!" Fili pointed at Thorin.

"No," He walked up to them hands behind his back, "There is nothing in the rules against asking for help." He told them before smacking a balloon each against their backs. He walked back to Billa extending an elbow for her and a hand for Frodo. "See you boys back at the house, tell your mother that I'm bringing two extra guests."