Hey guys! Quick update today as I already had this written up. I really hope you enjoyed chapter 1. If you haven't read it yet, then please go back and read it before this one.

Chapter 2

Thorin just watches as Caladwen walks out of the front door. She left her belongings behind, so he's not worried about her leaving at least. However, he is extremely worried by her behaviour. All the times he had though and dreamed of their reunion, this was not it. Sure, he had expected the shock, but then imagined them coming together and just holding one another, not wanting to let go. He is concerned about her cold nature towards him.

"What happened?" Balin asks in confusion.

Thorin shakes his head. "I do not know. She just. . .does not seem to care, anymore."

Balin looks him over as he says this. "Do you really think that?"

"I do not know any more, Balin." Thorin sighs. "This was not how I imagined our reunion to go."

He nods and is about to speak again when they notice Bilbo leaving the lounge to a room further down the hall.

This time it is Balin's turn to sigh.

It appears we have lost our burglar. Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy-makers; hardly the stuff of legend."

Thorin grins at his old friend. "There are a few warriors amongst us."

Balin scoffs "Old warriors."

"I will take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they came. Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that."

Balin stands. "You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains, a life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."

Thorin holds out the key Gandalf gave him. "From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me. They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."

After a moment's pause, Balin nods and pats Thorin's shoulder "Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done."

Thorin just smiles.

"What will you do about Caladwen?"

The smile falls from his face. What will he do? He just wishes he knew what was wrong with her. Why she was putting a wall up to him. Did she fear him?

"Go speak to her, lad. Convince her that all is well."

Thorin looks to Balin for a moment before he nods and goes to the front door, gathering up his courage before he goes outside. He sees her straight away, sitting on a bench by the gate, her head in her hands. His heart breaks as he swears he can hear her sniffling, holding back tears.

He watches as she swipes at her face before talking to herself.

"Come on Caladwen, pull yourself together. All you have to do is keep your head on this quest and then you can leave. . ." She sighs as she looks down at her hands. "It would be the best for everyone."

He walks down to her. "Would it?"

At hearing Thorin's voice, I gasp and jump up, turning to see him standing by me.

He gives a small smile. "Did I just startle an elf?"

I just look away as I sit back down. "I just had a lot on my mind."

"I see. May I?"

Looking up, I see him indicate the seat next to me. "Please yourself."

He sits down, keeping a little space between us, whether that's for his own sake or my own, I do not know. We just sit in silence. I stare down at my clenched hands, trying to stop them from shaking.

"I admit, I did not expect to see you tonight." Thorin says.

"Nor I you. Blasted wizard."

Thorin chuckles at this, the sound reverberating through my being. What must he make himself so irresistible?

"Talk to me, Caladwen. Do you no longer trust me? Do you no longer care for me?"

I close my eyes at this, feeling and hearing the hurt in his voice. Yes, Thorin, I more than care, I love you. I am just afraid.

"You tell me." I simply say.

"What do you mean?"

"I know of the tension between our people, Thorin. I have faced that tension. . .do you feel the same? Do you resent ever being associated with an elf? Once falling in love with an elf?"

Thorin doesn't speak for a moment. "Why would you think that?"

"Not long after my father had you thrown out, I came upon your camp. I tried to gain entry, begging to be let through. Begging to see you. I was turned away. I was told I was not wanted. . .that you did not want me. . .since then. . .I have been afraid. Afraid that everything could be true." I close my eyes to stop my tears from falling. "That you would reject me."

I feel Thorin's hand gently touch my face before turning me to him. I immediately gasp at the look of love, passion and grief on his face.

"Oh, Caladwen. I could never feel that way for you. Do I resent elves? Yes. But, I have never, ever resented you. You are the only elf that I can think of and not be filled by fury. With you, all I feel is love. I have never stopped loving you, Caladwen. And I never will. I only know of your arrival to our camp when we found your gifts a week later. Remember? The food and medical supplies you left for us. I was furious when I read your letter. But not at you, at those that kept you away from me. Believe me when I say that I will never turn you away. Now that I have found you, I do not want to let you go."

I have stopped trying to hold back the tears, his words breaking the dam, the wall I have kept up for so many years.

"I do not want you to let go, Thorin. I also have never stopped loving you. I just. . .I have been so afraid. I did not want to face the possibility of being rejected by someone I love."

Thorin smiles as he uses his thumbs to wipe away the tears.

"Never. You are my One, Caladwen. The One given to me by Mahal. Who, I have to admit, has a strange sense of humour, I must say."

I just giggle at this. Not at all feeling insulted. "I must say, I have to agree. But, I believe he made a good choice. I could not imagine my life with anyone other than you."

He smiles. "Nor I you, amralime."

I smile, feeling a small sob escaping as he says this. My love. . .it has been so long.

I suddenly feel one of Thorin's hands go to my neck before he leans forward and softly presses his lips to my own. I sigh as I feel my body heat up, the fireworks of colours erupting behind my closed eyes. I wrap my arms around Thorin's neck before feeling his arms go around my back and waist, pulling me close to him, our kiss deepening. Valar I never thought I would feel this again. My whole body numb and tingling. . .the things only Thorin can do to me. . .I have missed this feeling of bliss.

Soon enough, the need to breathe is too much as we both break apart, resting our foreheads against each other as we just breathe each other in. I cannot help but giggle, feeling like a lovestruck teenager. Thorin chuckles as he brushes my hair aside, his hand fingering the courtship braid and bead he placed into my hair.

"I know we are already betrothed, but if you will, I would like for us to get to know each other once again. I fear that I have changed too much and you may not like what you see."

I look to him. "I feel the same way. I too have changed. . .I do not know how much I have. . .but one thing will never change."

"Hm?"

I smile as I place my left hand on his chest, right where his heart it. "That I love you, and my heart will always belong to you."

He does the same to me. "Mine also belongs to you. It always has."

I smile as we raise our arms to cross and then join hands. Something we had done ever since we started courting.

As we kiss once more, before we pull apart.

"So, what is tonight about?" I ask curiously.

"Let us go inside. I will tell you everything."

As he stands to go back, I stop him.

"Wait, Throin. I have to know. . .Frerin. . .did he make it?"

Seeing the heartbreak and grief on his face, I know my answer. I look down as I feel my own heart breaking, the tears appearing. He sits back down and just holds me close. He was so young. . .too young. . .

"I have to thank you. You were able to get him away from battle and I was able to say goodbye to him. He. . .He also told me to find you. Find you and to never let you go again."

He reaches up behind his back and pulls out a silver necklace with an amethyst pendant. I gasp, recognising it as the one mother left for me. I look up at him after he clips it around my neck.

"And I swear to you, I will never let you go. Never again."

I cry again and he just holds me close.

After calming down some, Thorin leads me back inside and to the dwarves. Balin looks up from his chair and sees us, smiling as he sees how close we are. He gets up and walks over to us. I smile as I kneel down and allow him to embrace me. I hold the old dwarrow close, having missed my old friend.

"I am so happy to see you again, Caladwen."

"As am I to see you, Balin." I say with a smile.

We soon pull apart, just hold the others arms.

"You're still lovely as ever, lass."

I grin but give his arm a playful swat.

"Ever the flatterer, old friend."

He chuckles as I stand, coming face to face with Dwalin as he walks over. He reaches his arm out to clasp my own before gently knocking his head against my own.

"Welcome back, namad." he simply says.

I smile wide, happy he still sees me as his sister, as I see him as my brother.

"Thank you, nadad. I am so happy to see you."

He smiles as he steps back. I look over the rest of the dwarves and just see them watching. Some I can't make out their expressions while others are watching me with clear dislike. Although, I do notice two young ones smiling wide as they watch me. I cannot help that these two look so familiar. One has blond hair with braids and beads, blue eyes and a beard and moustache. The moustache is braided and hanging on either side of his mouth. The other has shaggy brown hair, no braids and a stubble with brown eyes. The blond reminds me so much of Frerin, it hurts.

Thorin places a comforting hand on the small of my back before introducing me to everyone. First are Oin and Gloin. Oin is the dwarf with grey hair and beard which is braided and curled around as well as a long, straight moustache. He also uses a trumpet to hear. While his brother, Gloin, has magnificent hair and beard, both are flaming red.

The brothers Bofur – brown hair and moustache, no beard, but he does wear a floppy hat. Bombur – a particularly large dwarf, who has a marvellous beard which circles around his rotund belly and their cousin Bifur – who surprises me at first as I see the axe in his head, but I quickly ignore it as I smile at him, who gives a small smile back and a nod of the head.

The Ri brothers Dori (One of the ones who looks at me with dislike)– who has intricate braids in his grey hair and beard. Nori – red haired dwarf which is tied into three points above his head and his beard braided into three sections, I'm also sure I can see his eyebrows braided into his hair. And then Ori – the only dwarf with short hair, apart from Dwalin who has hair around his head. Ori's hair is the same colour as his brother Nori's.

With the younger two, Thorin waves them over and they walk up to us.

"Caladwen, I would like you to meet Fili and Kili. My nephews."

I gasp as I look to him. "Nephews? Dis had sons?"

He nods with a smile.

Fili's grinning away. "I am so happy to finally meet you, Caladwen. Amad and uncle have told us so much about you

"Yeah! We feel as though we know everything about you already!" Kili says with a smile that matches his brother's.

I kneel down slightly and put a hand on each of their cheeks, just looking them both over.

"Oh, look at you both. You look so much like your amad and uncles." I instantly pull both boys into me, holding them both close. They hold me just as close. "I have missed so much. I am sorry I could not be there to watch you both grow up."

"Don't be. We cannot dwell on the past. We can only focus on the future." Fili says.

I chuckle as I look to Thorin over his shoulder. "You can tell he's your nephew."

He gives a chuckle as the boys laugh. The lads and I pull back and I kiss them both on their cheeks before sitting in a chair by the fire, Thorin sitting on the arm besides me.

"So, why are we here? I know I missed a lot tonight, so please fill me in."

And they do so. Telling me about their plan to take back the mountain from Smaug. I just stare at them as I try to work my mind around it.

"You are all insane. But, I agree. Smaug has been in that mountain for far too long." I look up at Thorin. "My daggers are yours to do with how you will, meleth nin. I will be right by your side."

He smile as he wraps an arm around me and pulls me into him, kissing my head as some of the dwarves begin cheering. Balin soon comes over with a contract and without reading it, I sign. Not caring what is written in it. All I know is, nothing is going to stop me from being there with Thorin. To help him reclaim his home.

Once everyone has calmed down, everyone settles down in the lounge, most of them smoking. I watch and listen as they suddenly begin humming. Thorin standing by the fireplace, pipe in hand as he begins to sing. His voice doing things to my heart. I have missed hearing him sing.

"Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away ere break of day

To find our long-forgotten gold"

Balin stands as he joins in and then the others do the same.

"The pines were roaring on the height

The winds were moaning in the night

The fire was red, it flaming spread

The trees like torches blazed with light"

Silent tears fall as I just listen. They sing with so much heart and emotion abuot their fallen home. Thorin gives me a look of concern as he notices the tears. I just smile and shake my head as I wipe them away, reassuring him that I'm fine. He nods before announcing that we should all get some sleep. Everyone puts away their pipes and get themselves settled down. Thorin takes my hand, helping me onto my feet and we walk over to a spot to lay down. Fili and Kili soon join us, Fili positioning himself on one side, while Thorin is on the other.

Thanking Kili as he passes me my pack, I take out my blanket before using my pack as a pillow before covering myself up with my blanket. Thorin lays down beside me before wrapping an arm around me and pulling me over so I rest my head on his chest. I just sigh in contentment and I place a hand over his heart, feeling it beating beneath. Thorin place a kiss to my head.

"Goodnight, amralime."

I smile as I look up and kiss him. "Goonight, meleth nin."

He smile at me as I settle down.

"Goodnight, irak'amad." Fili and Kili say together.

I look up to Thorin in confusion at the one and he's just smiling as he whispers, "Aunt."

I smile wide, happy to be called that by them.

"Goodnight, boys. Sweet dreams."

Thorin wraps both of his arms around me and holds me close, causing me to smile. I cannot believe this is actually happening. After decades of thinking I will be rejected by him, Thorin has turned my world upside down and still loves me, still wants to be with me after all that has happened. I must be the happiest elleth in Middle Earth right now. I let out a sigh as I allow my eyes to go out of focus as sleep takes over me.

Well, there we have it. Chapter 2 is done and everything seems great between Caladwen and Thorin. Let's hope it stays that way, right? I hope you enjoyed it and please keep and eye out for chapter 3. As usual, leave your thoughts and comments in a review. I love you all xx

Translations;

Amralime - My love

Meleth nin - My love

Namad - Sister

Nadad - Brother

Irak'namad - Aunt