Evie took a deep breath, completely unprepared to take her next step forward, but as ready as she would ever be. In this single moment, the hobbit realized she had never felt more afraid nor more sure of herself – and of what she wanted.

Even so, that didn't mean this was going to be easy. If by some perfect miracle of fate Thorin still felt the way he had all those years ago… She didn't dare to hope it could be true. And if it was, she questioned whether everything else could possibly fall into place; there were far too many obstacles to their union, too many uncertainties… Evie did not doubt herself, or him, but she could not bring herself to believe that his people would approve of her, that she would be welcomed here in the cold mountain city of the dwarves, that she could ever truly belong…

So why was she here, then? If what she had come for was so impossible… No matter the odds, Evie knew that this was her chance at finding something she hadn't known until now that she had been looking for. One had to be lost to be found, she supposed, and she had gotten herself plenty lost over the last few years. She had wandered all over Middle Earth, and it was only recently that she had finally discovered a destination. All she could do now was hope that it would be what she expected, what she needed. That this would be the future she had always dreamed of.

.

The hobbit was greeted at the door by a rather eager looking dwarf with a beard which curled in three pieces down his chest. It was a dark auburn color, and he stroked it thoughtfully as he watched her dismount her pony and approach him. Evie tried to pretend as though it was natural that she was visiting, after all this time and rather unannounced, although she immediately felt uncomfortable. Dwarves had a very particular way of judging others on sight – this one's heavy gaze reminded Evangeline of when Thorin first introduced her to Dwalin and the hostile look the warrior had given her. It was as though he had already decided who she was before she had even spoken a single word, and whether or not there was any reason to believe his evaluation was true, he was determined to stick by it. But Dwalin had changed his mind about her by the end of their journey (or at least she thought he had), so perhaps dwarves were not as inflexible as the stories claimed.

"Good afternoon…"

She greeted the dwarf, proud that her voice was full and rich in her throat and did not betray the meagerness she felt in her heart. As hesitant as she was, passing the reins of her pony to another dwarf who came when called by the first, Evie felt an inner strength building inside her… She had faced the darkest nightmares of the open road, poison and sickness and all manner of maladies, even Death itself… She could certainly face Thorin Oakenshield and his doormen.

The blonde took a deep breath, finally reaching stairs where the dwarf was standing. She gazed up at the massive doors leading to the mountain halls of Ered Luin, awestruck at their magnitude. Thorin had described them in his letters, but she had not expected them to be this grand – they stretched high above her, and although they were not carved in any elaborate way, their sheer size was impressive. It seemed as though Durin's Folk had performed wonders over the last few years… The toil Thorin had described proved itself before her very eyes, and their work was beyond her imagining.

Evie's jaw tightened, her nervous grey eyes returning to the porter, who stood elevated a few steps above her.

"My name is Evangeline Took; I have come to speak with Thorin Oakenshield."

She introduced herself, and the auburn haired dwarf scoffed at her as though she had just told a joke of the finest order.

"And do you have an appointment to see the king?"

His tone was far more sardonic than she possessed the patience to appreciate, and the hobbit felt herself puff up naturally in indignation.

"I did not realize I needed one."

She tried to sound confident, but she was afraid some of her uncertainty had slipped through in her tone. Perhaps it had been a great mistake not to wait for Thorin's next raven, but Evangeline had not been able to bear staying in Gondor for another moment. After she had decided to leave, there was absolutely nothing tying her there but the promise of a future of unfulfilled promises and broken chances. She refused to continue living as she had been; after that last long night healing the rangers (or, rather, failing to do so), she had vowed not to let her life prove hollow. She had spent so much of her time fighting for other people, their dreams and their families – it was time she fought for her own.

.

"I'm sorry, lass, but you're going to have to come back another day. The king is doing business this afternoon and is not accepting visitors. If you need somewhere to rest for the evening I may be able to offer you a place nearby or in the stables, and there is an inn not too far off, although you should be familiar with all that if you are indeed Shirefolk, as you seem to be."

Evie felt a lump grow in her throat. Why had she expected to be admitted immediately? What had she expected? Thorin to be waiting for her at the door, his arms open wide? She had not warned him of her coming, she had not thought this through… That was clear enough. Breathing in, the blonde squeezed her hands at her sides into fists and took another step forward so that she was on the same stair as the altogether rather rude dwarf who had greeted her, and who hadn't even given her his name.

Now that they were on equal footing, he only had six inches or so over her and she felt a mite better about things, even though she was accustomed to being physically looked down on. If there was one personal trait she had learned in Gondor, it was how to be commanding.

"If you would please send a message to Thorin, I'm sure he would –"

"The king" the porter emphasized the word and the sound of it made Evie's heart throb in her chest (he was royalty now… How could things ever be the same?) "would not be disturbed in his business. I will have him notified later this evening, and if you come back tomorrow I shall let you know when he is available for an appointment. This is how things shall be done."

It seemed so final; she did not know what else to say. Hobbits paid homage to no king, and although she had spent considerable time in Gondor, she never experienced privilege of meeting the steward who held the highest position in that realm. She supposed the bureaucracy involved in meeting him was just as tedious, but she had rather hoped that here, at least, things might be different. But a king needed rules which made him so, she supposed.

Sighing, Evie unfalteringly staged one last protest.

"Are you sure there is no way I could see him this evening? I have come a very long way and I…"

Without thinking, she impulsively slipped the thick chain carrying Thorin's ring from around her neck, and offered it for the dwarf to view.

"Might this convince you that he holds an interest in seeing me?"

"How did you get this?!"

He questioned her, his brown eyes lighting up with unexpected fire. He yanked the necklace from her fingers, holding the ring up to the blistering sunlight and looking at it more closely.

"How in Durin's name –"

"I think that's quite enough, Nrerir."

A new voice joined the conversation, and Evie turned her desperate eyes upon another dwarf, this one with a long white beard and a scar running across his temple. He held out his hand for the ring authoritatively, as though the other dwarf was a child, and the doorman relinquished the trinket without another word. The new arrival gazed down at the ring, running his finger along the engraving and then passing it back to Evie, who was feeling more frustrated than she had been in a long time.

"Thank you…"

Her gratitude, at least, was honest. The white haired dwarf looked her over (although not in the same way as the other had; this one nurtured an inexplicable kindliness shining in his eyes which she took comfort in), his mouth twisting into a smile.

"You must be Evangeline."

He guessed, and Evie's eyes widened in surprise.

"How did you.."

She stammered, feeling altogether foolish. There was something calming about this other dwarf, something inexplicable which put her strangely at ease.

"My name is Balin, and I am most certainly at your service."

She took a breath and replied, almost mechanically,

"Evangeline Took, at yours."

The healer did not know what to say or how to act… How had he known her name? She put her necklace back on, pulling her hair through the chain and letting her hand rest almost unconsciously around the small metal ring hanging from it.

"Now, why don't we go and try to find Thorin?"

The gatekeeper, Nrerir, opened his mouth to protest, but Balin silenced him with a glance.

"I expect you will be having a conversation with the king you have proven so objectively loyal to before the night is up. I doubt it will be a pleasant one."

Evie's grey eyes flashed with astonishment as the shock wore through her – they were going inside.

She was here. And she was about to see Thorin again.

It was only now that they were past the overzealous guard and through the front doors that Evie realized just how frightened she was of this moment. She admired the gaping entrance hall, the smooth stone surrounding her which managed to appear elegant and beautiful despite its coldness. Balin led her forward, their footsteps echoing through the wide, open spaces.

"I am sure you have many questions, but I do not think I am the right one to answer them."

He suggested, gesturing for her to enter a side room.

"Wait here for a moment, and I will find out where he is. Please don't mind Nrerir – he thinks that because our settlement here is so new he has to make everything more formal… Apparently we are not regal enough for him as we are."

Evie tried to smile, her grip on the ring growing a little tighter. Her new acquaintance turned to walk away, but after taking a few steps forward he spun back around, looking her over once more.

"Is he expecting you?"

He asked, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. The answer to his query was altogether too obvious, but he thought it was polite to ask it all the same.

"No..."

She informed him, swallowing. His brown eyes were warm when they met hers, and there was a twinkling in them which amazed her.

"Well, then. A pleasant surprise."

The dwarf winked at her, and a true smile flickered on the hobbit's pink lips in reply.

"I certainly hope so."

She sighed, trying to relax. Balin grinned, affirming,

"I'm sure it will be."

His encouragement was not misplaced, and she tried to let it sink in. He knew who she was, and most likely why she was here, which meant Thorin must have spoken of her… That, at least, was a good omen. She nodded to the white haired dwarf as he disappeared into an adjoining room, trying to remember how to breathe.

"I have already lost you once, Evangeline. I will not lose you a second time."

As she stood alone in the empty halls of Ered Luin, waiting to see Thorin Oakenshield for the first time in five years, Evie desperately hoped that she had not lost him.

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Author's Note: This is not my best, but I really wanted to write something and I've been working on this scene for a little while. It's been hard to find the time (or the computer!) to write, but at least it's something! My thesis is due Friday (ahh!), so expect a lot more from me after that! Thank you for sticking with me- your comments really help keep me going when things get rough, and I appreciate each and every one. 3 I hope you're all well! And sorry for delaying the big reunion… But I want to do it right, which means I have to wait until I'm not living on caffeine and feeling crazy! :X But I'll try to get something together soon!