That evening Fili had told Poppy, that his mother as well as his brother and his elvish wife were going to have a baby. Poppy was happy for Dis, who seemed to be a very nice person. But the knowledge that Fili's younger brother was going to be a father made her sad. Still she told her husband that now they knew for sure that it was possible for a dwarf to have a child with a female from a different race and that maybe they'd have a child one day, too. Fili tried to smile but his heart nearly broke when he saw tears rolling down her cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her and carried her to their bed. He hugged her tightly and let her cry and told her that everything would be fine until she fell asleep. He held her much smaller, more fragile body close to his and suddenly wondered if this was the reason why they might not be able to have a child. Poppy might not be able to carry a big and sturdy dwarf baby. For a tall, strong elf this wouldn't be a problem. But for her? Maybe the Valar didn't want to risk her life in order to find out if a hobbit could and that was a good thing after all. Fili would rather live without children than to lose his wife during the pregnancy or in childbirth.

He wasn't sure if Poppy wanted to live without children for the rest of her live though. He had seen the longing in her eyes when they played with Primula or when she held her little brother. Sometimes he wondered if she ran away one day to marry a hobbit who could give her the fauntlings she deserved. He pulled her close and put a kiss on the top of her head. He would try to enjoy every moment with his flower as much as possible.

After that night neither Poppy nor Fili talked about a child or the lack of it. Both of them heard the hobbits talk behind their backs but tried to ignore it as good as they could. They practiced to make a new baby very often but if the Valar didn't want them to have one, there was nothing they could do to change that.

In early winter Fili finally decided to sell toys, too. The hobbits had asked him about it quite often and he wasn't too busy in the forge. So he spent a lot of his time at home carving wood instead of in the smithy. Poppy was happy to see him that much and one evening announced that she had decided to stop working at the Green Dragon for a while. She'd help them if they needed her very much but didn't want to walk that far in winter so often only to work for a few hours. Instead she wanted to help Fili with the toys. A few days ago she had told him that the fauntlings might like them even more if they were coloured and now suggested that she could paint them. Fili agreed happily. They sat in the kitchen together the whole evening laughing, talking and working.

The next morning Daisy came over to pick up a few knives from the Inn. She hoped to talk to Fili alone. So she followed Fili into the smithy. Poppy was busy in the kitchen to cook lunch.

"Fili, do you have a few minutes? I'd like to tell you something." Daisy asked shyly.

Fili turned around and nodded. "Of course!"

"Well, it's about Poppy. Did she tell you why she doesn't want to work at the Green Dragon anymore?"

"She said that she doesn't want to walk so far in winter only to work for 2 or 3 hours." He started to frown. "I guess that's not the truth?"

Daisy shook her head "Well, it may be one of the reasons. But..." She trailed off.

Fili walked closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please tell me what happened."

Daisy took a deep breath. "Very well, I think you deserve to know the truth. But please don't tell her that I told you she doesn't want you to worry or to blame yourself."

Fili nodded with a deep frown.

"A few days ago I heard a few hobbits from Bywater talk about you at the Inn. One of them asked why Poppy stayed with you. He suggested that she'd marry a hobbit instead. He'd give her plenty of children. Suddenly Poppy had disappeared. After half an hour I found her crying in one of the storage rooms. I tried to comfort her. When her sobs had lessened, she told me that this hobbit had not just talked about you but had asked her directly."

Fili gasped and looked down "My poor Poppy! She doesn't deserve such treatment." He tried to stiffen a sob.

"No, she doesn't! I feel so sorry for you two! I think that's the main reason why she doesn't want to work there anymore." Daisy said and sighed "Please don't leave her, Fili! She loves you so much and needs you."

Fili tried to smile at Poppy's best friend. "Thank you for telling me, Daisy. I'm glad you did. I'm never going to leave her."

Daisy smiled at Fili and said goodbye.

A few tears started to roll down Fili's can heeks. All of this was his fault, he should have never come to the Shire. Poppy would be a normal happy hobbit without him. Now she stayed in her home most of the time trying to avoid the other hobbits and their mean words. He was glad that she had Daisy, Camelia and Bilbo.

Fili tried to behave as normal as possible when he was with Poppy, which was most of the time now. He didn't mind spending the days and nights with her but he knew that this wasn't normal for the social hobbits. They still visited Bilbo and played with Primula but when Fili suggested to go to the inn for lunch or dinner, Poppy always said no.

Quite often Daisy came over though. She convinced Poppy to come to the market or to go on a walk with her. Daisy missed her best friend and Fili was happy to see his wife laugh.

#

Winter passed and Fili received a letter from a hobbit from Frogmorton. Many hobbits there had heard about his good work as a blacksmith and even about his toys and wanted to order something. They also wrote that it was difficult for all of them to travel to Hobbiton and asked if it might be possible for him to come to Frogmorton for a few days.

Fili was torn, one the one side this was a fantastic opportunity for him but in the other hand he didn't want to leave his wife.

He told Poppy about it and she urged him to go since she was very proud of her husband. She wouldn't be lonely. She had Bilbo, Daisy and Camilia and her children.

So Fili decided to go to Frogmorton. It wasn't that far and he'd be home soon.

Two days later Fili stood in front of their smial and kissed Poppy goodbye.

He wanted to climb upon the cart, he had hired, when Daisy came around a corner with a basket in her hands. She wrapped her arm around Poppy's waist and told her that she'd stay with her as long as Fili was gone. They had loved to stay at each other's home as fauntlings and they could still do that as adults.

Fili smiled at them. He knew that Poppy would be in good hands as long as he was gone.

Another sad chapter. But I promise that there will be more happiness for Fili and Poppy soon ;)