An early chapter, enjoy! :) More family fluff...and a hint...

'I thought Dwana was afraid about the birth of her dwarfling, I had not even imagined that she would be afraid of being a parent!' Dis frowned. 'The brat is more grown up than I thought.'

'Maybe we should stop calling her brat for a start.' Brann scolded her sister in law. 'Dwana grew up to be a wonderful adult dwarf. Her forwardness is part of her charm. She is not afraid of dying in childbirth, she sees it as a sort of battle. She will go into labor like a warrior.'

'A female warrior.' Dis corrected her. 'Can you imagine Thorin or Dwalin going into labor?'

Brann had to chuckle. She was about to say something as Dwalin barged through the door. He was holding Spot in his hands, who was meowing in agony.

'You have to help me, I do not know whats wrong with the bloody cat!' Dwalin was near panicking. 'He started meowing and behaves as if he was in pain, but he is not injured. Neither can he be sick, I fed him like Dwana told me! He likes my fish a la Dwalin, he got fat since he lives with me.'

'Fat?' Brann frowned and took the cat out of Dwalins arms. She laid him down on the table and looked at his belly. It looked as if Spot had cramps and seemed to be pushing something out of him.

'Oh dear.' Brann had to smile and looked at Dwalin. 'What is it with you and pregnant creatures?'

Dwalin looked at her as if she had lost her mind. 'I know that me fainting during births is amusing to you, but what does that have to so with...? Sweet Durin!'

Dwalin looked down at Spot and then back at Brann. Dis covered her mouth with her hands and giggled.

'Durins beard! Spot is going to be an amad!' Dis stroked the cats fur.

'But Spot is...Spot is...he is a girl?!' Dwalin slowly began to realise. 'And he...she is giving birth? Oh, for the love of...'

Dwalins knees began to buckle and Dis quickly pushed a chair under Dwalins behind as he sat down onto nothing. 'Who is the father?'

Brann laughed quietly as she saw Dwalins worried face. 'Probably some other cat from the market. A handsome stranger? Don't just sit there, you know how it works, get me warm water and some sheets.'

'Water, sheets...right.' Dwalin began to move. 'Push, Spot, push!'

Dwalin was calling out to Spot to push as long as he was gathering the supplies. Brann and Dis barely contained their laughter, but they thought that the captain of the guard was quite cute in his fatherly worry over the cat he initially did not even want to have.

Some moments later, Spot had given birth to one adorable little kitten. The kitten was black and had four white paws and the tip of its tail was also white.

Dwalin was instantly in love with the little fellow. 'Spot, look its your little...' Dwalin lifted the kittens tail wit two fingers and looked at Brann questioningly. 'Is it a he or a she?'

'I am not sure, he is still too tiny.' Brann answered.

'Well, it does not matter. We thought that his amad was a he, too.' Dis smirked.

'Sock.' Dwalin muttered and took the little kitten into his big hands. 'Sock is a good name.'

'Then Sock it is.' Dis smiled at Dwalin. 'You do know that when my sons get their sticky paws onto this one you will never see him again?'

Dwalin pressed the small kitten against his chest, which made Spot hiss at him.

'Oh, sorry lass.' Dwalin laid down the kitten and watched how it crawled to Spot and began to drink. 'Nah. Spot will stay with me in my room and Sock will stay with his amad. Fili and Kili do not dare to enter my den.'

And so the captain of the guard did. Some guards even saw him leave the his chambers with two cats on his heels at night, muttering something about the kitchens and mice. In the following years, the kitchens of the Blue Mountains were mice free.

'Dwana, would you give me my tunic? Its right beside you on the chair.' Thorin Stonehelm rolled his eyes as his tunic landed in his face.

'Sure, I am a wale, but I'll walk anywhere to get you your clothes. Anything else your highness?' Dwana snarled.

Thorin sighed, but he knew that Dwana was suffering from her mood swings. She was very moody without the pregnancy hormones, but now she was nearly intolerable. Thorin needed to remind himself that she was carrying their dwarfling and that this caused her mood. He was relieved as Dwana informed him that she would spend the day with Dis and Brann. The three females of the royal household and the royal dwarflings would spend the day outside of the mountain and have a picnic, while king Thorin, Thorin Stonehelm, Dwalin and Balin would be bored to death in council. But would he want to trade with his wife and her pregnancy? No way.

'I am insufferable.' Dwana sighed as she sat down beside Brann and Dis. 'I yelled at Thorin three times this morning.'

'Thats normal, Dwana dear.' Dis chuckled. 'I yelled at Lindin the whole day as I was pregnant with Fili. He only looked at me with so much love in his eyes that I hated myself and kissed me when I wanted to apologise, telling me not to.'

Dis had tears in her eyes. Even over ten years after Lindins death she mourned for him and cried whenever she thought of him. Brann took her hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

'Tell me about you and Lindin.' Brann asked her sister in law. 'I know how you met, but tell me more. How was his family?'

'His family was from Ered Luin. Awful lot, this folk!' Dis shook her head. 'I have no idea how Lindin could grow up to become such a charming, intelligent and loving dwarf.'

'That bad?' Brann chuckled.

'His mother used to introduce me as Lindins first wife, everywhere!' Dis exclaimed and made Brann laugh out loud. 'At first Lindin did not dare to oppose her. We had to visit them at Durins Day the year after we married. She made me so mad and Lindin did not stand up to her! As a punishment, I totally cut off his sex.'

'It grows back?' Dwana looked at her with big eyes and Brann shrieked of laughter.

'Yes, Dwana, he was a lizard.' Dis remarked dryly and Brann actually thought that she was going to die of laughter.

'He married you despite of his mothers feelings about you.' Brann stated as she could breathe again. 'Wasn't that enough for you?'

'Yes, it was.' Dis said dreamingly. 'I was crazy about him, I could not keep my hands off him at times. But I am sure you know how I felt?'

Dis blinked at Brann and Dwana and sighed. 'I still remember how...eager...I was when I was pregnant...you should be, too!' she looked at Dwana and the young female blushed furiously.

'I...I will not talk about it, here!' she whispered.

'Why not? Its fun to share!' Dis chuckled. 'As I was pregnant with Fili, I had to have Lindin every morning. And then he had the nerve to actually go on a scouting mission with Thorin! Lindin was not there and I had to go through this heat! I made it three weeks without even looking at another handsome dwarf and there are many! Then came the moment of truth, there was a dwarf who asked me to sleep with him. I said no, but I felt my will power crumble, so I asked my former courtlady for help. She came straight over, she took him by the beard and told him that she would put an axe through his head if he asked me again.'

'Oh, she seems...interesting...' Brann was stunned. 'I know that dwarves are very fierce, but was that not a bit over the top?'

'Oh, did I not mention that this dwarf was my courtladies husband?' Dis grinned and Dwana and Brann rolled their eyes.

'How did Lindin propose to you?' Brann asked after their laughter died down. 'Was it romantic?'

'Well...he planned it to be...' Dis smiled and then she grinned. 'Lindin invited me for a romantic dinner and he put the ring in my glass of wine. I was so nervous that I gulped it down all at once. As I looked at Lindin he only looked at me in shock. The ring turned up three days later...'

'Where did it turn up?' Dwana asked, but this time she was faster. 'Oh. Oh! Sweet...'

Brann giggled and looked behind her to watch her dwarflings. Gwen and Zial were playing with Gimli and Belladonna was sitting with Fili and Kili. Gimli and Gwen were close like sibblings and Gloins son watched over Gwen as if she was his real little sister. Zial was more introverted, she enjoyed to read in her books and help little Ori in the library. Belladonna was cuddling with Blacky and had just grown to be bigger than her toy. Brann still chuckled when Kili told her how Thorin had gotten the stuffed animal for his daughter. That evening Brann had pulled Thorin close and had kept him awake and pleasured all night. In the morning she told him why and could not help but grin at his dreamy, but smug, expression.

Brann was ripped out of her thoughts as the yelling started. Fili and Kili had gotten into a fight and little Belladonna looked at them with big eyes.

'Orcarse!' Fili snarled.

'Wargspit!' Kili retorted.

The bashing continued and Brann shook her head.

'Moron!'

'Idiot!'

'Adad!' Belladonna exclaimed.

'Yes, adad!' Fili threw towards Kili. 'Wait, what?'

Brann smiled as she saw Thorin Oakenshield, Thorin Stonehelm, Balin and Dwalin appear and pulled her husband down for a kiss.

'What are you doing here?' she asked. 'Aren't you supposed to be in court?'

'And let you ladies have all the fun?' Thorin smirked. 'I missed you.'

Brann smiled into their kiss and they parted as someone cleared their throat.

'Hello? There are dwarflings present.' Dwalin smirked. Turning to Thorin Stonehelm he glared and pointed a finger at him. 'Don't ya even think about it.'

Brann smiled and watched her family with a heavy heart. She had not told them about what she had learned from the elves, yet. But she had to someday. Thorin had wanted to ask her various times since her return home, but he had held his curiosity back. And for that Brann was thankful. She did not know how to start the more than depressing topic.

'So? What did the tree shaggers tell you?' that was blunt Dwalin to the rescue. 'Will you spent eternity with that boring lot or will you be able to enter Mandos Halls with Thorin as his wife? You have been gone for two months now, girl, and Thorin here was a real pain in my captains behind, so speak!'

Brann chuckled and Thorin shot Dwalin a glare, but then he looked at his wife questioningly. With a heavy sigh, Brann sat up straight and started to speak.

'If it was that simple.' Brann frowned. The first days in the Grey Havens had given her the worst headache of her life. She had been happy that she had met Lindir, the elf whom she had met years ago. He had recognised her and had granted her access to the city. The elves of the Grey Havens were surprised to see the queen of the Blue Mountains in their city and her concern surprised them even more. Never before had a human worried about the afterlife at the side of a dwarf! After several questions about how she had even fallen in love with a creature as sturdy, stubborn and greedy as a dwarf, Brann had almost snapped. But she stayed calm and had scolded the elves for their ignorance. She had told them about her love to Thorin and had pleaded to them to help her find a way to stay at his side in the halls of his fathers. None of the elves had understood her and most of them had denied her their help. Only Lindir had stayed with her and had watched her carefully. He could see her love for Thorin in her eyes and he could feel her desperation. He had been the only one who helped her. They had spent days and weeks in the library, but in the end they had not found a definite answer.

'As you all know, elves, men and dwarves will all arrive in the halls of Mandos before they will be granted access to Aman. The elves will leave the halls of Mandos to live in Valinor, the dwarves will enter the halls of Mahal, the halls of their fathers in the north and the men...the men are supposed to leave Aman to the West. And thats the problem.' Brann sighed. 'If I was an elf, we would spend eternity in Aman and nothing could keep me away from the halls of Mahal in the mountains of the North. But as a human, I am not even granted to live in Aman. Maybe, as Thorins wife, I will be granted access to the halls of your fathers. But there is no way to know.'

Lindir, the elf who had helped Brann had promised her to ask his lord about that matter. The lord of Rivendell was supposed to be a wise and old elf, with knowledge above most of Middle Earth. The grey Maiar Olórin, also called Gandalf the grey, was a friend of the lord of Rivendell and Lindir would ask him, too, if he had the chance. Brann had asked Lindir, if it would be possible to contact the grey wizard, but Lindir had shook his head. The grey Maiar tended to show up and leave whenever and wherever he chose. Lindir was not even sure if he would be able to contact him about Branns matter during her lifetime. As she told her family about the grey Maiar, she saw hope gleam in their eyes. She only hoped that this hope would not be in vain.

A sad silence spread through the group of dwarves and the queen. The thought of Thorin and Brann seperated after death was alot to handle. But Thorin would not give up. And neither would Brann.

'I will refuse to leave the halls of Mandos to the West when the time comes.' Brann smiled at Thorin. 'I will wait for you there and not even the Valar will be able to break us apart. That I swear!'

Thorin smiled despite the situation. He knew how stubborn his wife could be if she wanted something. 'And I will not leave Mandos halls without you at my side.'

Dwalin shook his head and caught the groups attention. 'You two will cause such a mayhem in Aman when the time comes. I hope that I will be there to witness it.'

Quiet laughter filled the group and the sad mood was forgotten as Fili, Kili, Zial, Gwen, Gimli and Belladonna crashed the gathering and threw themselves into the arms of the adults. It was not the time for sadness now, this was their life and they would all live it to the fullest.

Eight months later, Thorin and Brann were about to relish in the pleasure of the marital bed, as Dwalin stormed into their room, two cats in his arms and only dressed in his undergarment. Brann had just been on her way down to Thorins dwarfhood and practically jumped a few feet as the door opened with a loud bang and Thorin already had his sword in his hands, the real iron sword, not the sword Brann had been about to pleasure.

'Good Mahal, Dwalin!' Thorin growled. 'What the F...'

'Dwana is in labor!' Dwalin yelled. 'I know I am going to faint again, Mahal, Brann, you need to help me! I have to be there for my little daughter!'

'Calm down, Dwalin. And by Durin, cover yourself!' Brann held up her hand and chuckled as Dwalin held a furiously meowing Spot in front of his family jewels. 'Thorin, would you please give him one of your tunics?'

Thorin rushed to his closet and pulled out a tunic. Dwalin was shivering and not from the cold. Dwarven pregnancies were dangerous and Dwana was Dwalins only daughter.

'Calm down, Dwana is strong, she will make it.' Thorin mumbled and handed the tunic to Dwalin. The captain of the guard was still holding the cats and looked at Thorin with big eyes. 'Oh, give me this, OW!'

Thorin cursed as Spot as well as Sock burried their claws in his hands. 'OW, for goodness sake, you little monsters!'

Dwalin tried to squeeze himself into Thorins tunic and a pair of pants. Thorin was strong with broad shoulders, but Dwalin was even broader. Brann could hear the tunic tear as Dwalin put it on and winced. But apparently, Dwalin did not care. With a determined expression he grabbed the queen and pulled her to the infirmary where Oin was already waiting. The king looked down at the cats for a moment and decided to follow them. Spot and Sock were left in the royal chambers, but the cats soon found a way out. They meowed so loud that they woke up the princesses and made them open the doors. The guards watched surprised as two cats and tree princesses walked out of the royal chambers and ran down the corridors after the captain of the guard and the queen, followed by the king. The guards exchanged an uncertain look, but then they shrugged their shoulders and straightened their backs. Like statues, they held watch over the now empty royal chambers.