Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"And you're all done for the day," the math professor announced.

Immediately, the college students surged from their chairs and hurried out of the classroom as fast as their legs could carry them. However, one particular student took her time, making sure to study the problems on the board thoroughly before packing up her things and leaving.

The girl headed out of the classroom when she almost collided with tall, dark haired, handsome James Charleston.

"Hey Sara," the boy greeted, flashing his best smile.

Sara smiled back as she shifted her backpack on her back and drew out her phone, "Hey James."

"Hey Siri," the girl said into her phone, "Tell mom that I'm on my way home."

With that, she closed her phone and turned back to James, "What's up?"

"Oh you know stuff," James replied. "I didn't fail to notice that you're excelling at all your classes."

Sara smiled, "I don't know about that but I really enjoy them."

"Still working towards a degree in medicine?" James inquired.

The girl nodded, "That's the plan. My parents told me to just try school out for the first two years before deciding on a major. So I'm just taking extra math and science right now alongside singing and art."

"You should just still with those two," James observed. "You're probably the best artist in the whole school and singing wise, it's a miracle you haven't been asked to sing in a profession album."

Sara chuckled, "Okay spit it out James. You don't usually waste five minutes of your day to compliment a girl."

James seemed stunned at the girl had guessed that but yet again, Sara was a fast learner and probably the smartest kid in the whole school. She was also incredibly observant and curious which made it hard to hide things from her.

"Yeah I was.... wondering.... if you wanted to grab coffee sometime," James pointed out.

Sara smirked, "You know I'm not a coffee drinker James. I'm short enough as it is."

That was the truth. Sara, even though her brain was full and overflowing with knowledge, she wasn't exactly tall. Barely standing five feet tall, she hadn't grown since she was fifteen.

"Yeah well," James remarked. "I was really just asking if you wanted to go out with me."

The girl turned and looked at the boy a moment before smiling sadly, "Sorry James... I don't think I'm ready to date anyone right now."

The boy's eyebrows ducked down and he huffed, "What is your problem? First you turn down Aiden Baker, then Kenny Smith and now me!"

"What if I don't want to date anyone?" Sara inquired.

James snorted, "Then how will you get married and have a family?"

Sara smiled and lifted her chin defiantly, "I'll do what my parents did: meet someone I care about, get to know them and either go through strictly professional courtship or I'll just know from being good friends with them that they're the right person."

"Your parents are weird," James snorted.

Sara was just about to defend her parents when her best buddy, Cassie, skipped over and wrapped an arm around the shorter girl's shoulders, "Sara's parents rock. It's like stepping into a who different time period! What was it that your dad was really into last year.... wasn't it the renaissance time period? It was so cool!"

Sara smiled gratefully at her best friend who was, of course taller than her with jet black hair, dark brown skin and an adorable smile.

James rolled his eyes and stormed off leaving the two girls alone. Cassie sighed and released Sara.

"Golly that dude needs to get his head into reality. Did you just say that because it is James we are talking about or did you say no because you seriously don't want to date right now?" Cassie inquired.

Sara shrugged, "I honestly don't find guys interesting in that way... I find no one interesting in that way."

Cassie nodded, "Well maybe it's because you haven't found the right one yet."

Sara smiled and hugged her friend, "Thanks again Cass for standing up for me."

"Oh don't mention it," Cassie said, smirking, "You just make sure the moment you meet a guy who catches your eye, you tell me."

Sara smiled, "Believe me Cass, you'll be the first to know."

After navigating her way through the busy traffic of Pennsylvania, she managed to get home. She noticed that her dad's car was gone, meaning he and their mom were probably still at work.

Stepping into the house, she dropped her bag off at the door, "I'm home!"

"Sara!" four year old Ryder cried, charging into the room.

His bright red hair bounced on his cute round head as he catapulted into his big sister. Sara smiled as she scooped up the boy. Even though she was seventeen and at least thirteen years older than her baby brother, she and Ryder were probably the closest, not only because they were practically identical in looks but because Ryder was of a more gentle type than the other boys.

"What's going on?" Sara asked, pulling off her shoes.

"Omar and Axel are watching the Hobbit again," Ryder admitted. "They keep telling me to go to the bathroom whenever the big white orc comes on but I already know he doesn't kill Thorin till the third one!"

Sara chuckled and picked her brother up, placing him on her hip. Her parents were huge fans of JRR Tolkien and the moment the lord of the rings and the hobbit came out, they were all over it.

"Again? Didn't we watch it last week?" Sara asked.

Ryder nodded, "Omar said that since it's Christmas break, we have to watch them again."

Sara smiled and carried her little brother into the living room. Sure enough, her three brothers were sitting on the couch watching An Unexpected Journey. it was their favorite scene: Baggend.

Eight year old Omar was jumping on the couch while fourteen year old Axel was bouncing to the beat. 25 year old Pierce was sound asleep on the couch. Sara smiled. The Aldhard family was well known for their bright red hair and piercing blue eyes. Each of the kids were plagued with the unique, right hair and eye colors.

"Sh!" Omar hissed, "Here's my favorite part."

Sara smirked when she saw that the scene was when Thorin steps into the hobbit hole. The moment the door opens and he greets Gandalf, the two boys yell in triumph, startling Pierce out of his sleep.

"It's he so cool!?" Omar cried.

"I wish I was Bilbo," Ryder said dreamily, leaning against Sara's shoulder. "Then I would get the meet Thorin and Gandalf and the dwarves and go fight SMoog."

"You mean Smaug," Axel corrected.

"Yeah Smoog," Ryder repeated, earning a chuckle from Pierce and Sara.

Just then, the phone rang and Pierce got up to answer it. Sara sat down in his spot with Ryder on her lap and listened to her three little brothers chatting excitedly about the movie when suddenly she heard a crash.

Axel paused the movie and they all turned around to look at Pierce who had returned to the living room. His face was ashen white, completely shocked and horrified. If Sara had to guess, the crash had been him dropping the mug that their dad always placed in front of the phone. You always had to lift it up to grab the phone and from the look of it, that was what had fallen.

Pierce was listening to the voice on the phone and he looked at his siblings who were watching him expectantly.

When he hung up, he just stood there limply, unable to speak.

"What happened?" Axel asked.

Omar looked over at the calendar, "It's December Fifteenth.... your girlfriend isn't coming to visit till next week."

Pierce shook his head, "There was a shooting.....seventeen people were killed."

Sara's eyes widened, "Here? In Pennsylvania?"

Pierce nodded, "At the Christmas party."

The silence that followed was so dense that the kids could hear the CD in the disk player still spinning.

"Mom and dad were there," Omar whispered.

Pierce nodded, "The police were the ones on the phone.... mom and dad....were killed on the spot."

"Sara! My pant legs are wet!" Omar called.

Sara stopped at the stop light and turned to look at her brother. She was driving home from taking the three little boys and their dog, Mason to the park. They had just recently brought Mason into the family. He was a jet black German shepherd puppy and the boys adored him.

"We'll get dry pants when we get home," the girl promised.

She turned back around and saw that the light was green. Driving through, she soon had to pull to another stop when an intersection was blocked up from flooding. The police were directing traffic elsewhere but it was going to be a while before they could move.

Sara's phone buzzed and she flipped it open, seeing that it was from their next-door neighbor who housesat their house on the weekends when Pierce was on business trips and Sara took the kids out.

"Hello Mrs. Alman?" the girl said, brightly.

"hello Sara. I was at your house locking up... when the phone rang."

"Was it Pierce?" Sara asked. "He hasn't returned any of my calls or texts today."

"I know," the woman said. "It was the hospital."

Sara furrowed her brow, "What did they need?"

"They wanted to know when you would like Pierce to be brought home."

Sara sat there, not knowing what was going on. Pierce worked with an engineering company. What did the hospital have to do with his coming home?

"What do you mean?"

There was a pause before the woman spoke, "Sweetie.... Pierce is dead."

Sara was so glad that she didn't have her on speaker. The boys were playing with Mason in the back of the car and didn't notice their sister freeze and go pale.

"The doctor said he has been suffering from brain cancer for a while now. he said that Pierce swore him to secrecy because he didn't want you to worry. He thought he wasn't going to go till next week and then he was going to tell you."

Sara didn't know what to do so she hung up without saying goodbye and threw her phone onto the seat next to her. She stared ahead and saw that the cop was directing her to the right. She turned the car and drove off, blinded by the tears that were springing up.

"Sara!" Axel called. "Can you hear me? Sara! Mason wont sit still."

"SARA!" Omar called.

"SARA!"

The girl was blinded.... she was in another world... all she could hear was her head drumming.... and Mrs. Almar's words repeating in her head.... the voices of her brothers and the barks of Mason in the far away distance.... then.... she felt a jolt.

********

Her eyes flew open and she realized they were no longer on the road. They had rolled off and were heading for a tree! Sara tried to turn the wheel but it wouldn't budge. She saw the tree nearing and the last thing she heard was her brothers calling her name.... then..... darkness.

Darkness filled Sara's vision. Her mind stopped thinking, her eyes stopped seeing and her ears stopped hearing.... it all stopped. She felt a gentle feeling rush over her like water flowing underneath her. Then she felt like something was lifting her off the ground and into the sky.

She saw stars appear below her... and above her and beyond, an endless void of stars and galaxies. She heard a gentle voice whispering to her from far off. She couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman but it kept whispering her name, telling her to wake up, to open her eyes.

Her eyes slowly cracked open and she realized she was lying on a bed. White sheets lay on top of her and a wooden ceiling above her. She didn't recognize where she was.... and the first thing that popped to her head was the crash. Was this the hospital?

She turned her head and found herself looking into the brown eyes of a young boy. He looked barely eleven years old and was smiling at her from behind a head full of blond hair. The first thing Sara thought was that his parents didn't think to cut their son's hair for it almost fell to his shoulders. Then she realized he wasn't wearing normal clothes.... but rather a brown tunic... a belt and sword? What?

"Hello," the boy whispered kindly, "You've been asleep for a few days. We found you outside the city. You had a really bad cut on your head. I'm Theodred by the way."

Sara furrowed her brow. Someone named their son after a character from lord of the rings? Cool.... and it was weird that he dressed like he was from lord of the rings too.

Suddenly, a man appeared at the boy's side. he looked to be about thirty years old and was a perfect older version of the boy. He wore a golden circlet in his hair and he wore similar clothes to the boy.

"I see you've met my son," the man said. "I'm Thengal."

Okay this is getting weirder.

The girl slowly looked around. What caught her attention the most in the large room were the windows. Unlike normal windows, they were shaped like two horse heads.... wait....

The glanced down at the sheets that lay atop her and saw that the pale green embroidery on the white sheets were unmistakably done entirely by hand...and almost looked Celtic.

"Where.... where am I?" the girl asked, deciding that if things got too much weirder than her brothers must be playing a prank on her.

"Rohan child," Thengal replied.

Sara sat up, prepared to call the name of her brothers and call their prank. However, it seemed a little too real to be a prank....this place was too realistic.... the bed felt real so it couldn't be a dream...

"What happened to me?" she asked.

"You were attacked on the road," Thengal replied. "There were no signs of hoof prints so you must have been walking.... but there were no footprints either.... it was like you just dropped out of the sky. You had a bad wound on your head but it wasn't from any weapon of our knowledge... but there were also a few cuts on your left shoulder."

Sara's hand snaked to her shoulder and lifted her sleeve just enough to see that there were three cuts on her arm. Two of them were deep but not deep enough to need stitches. The other had been stitched up and by the look of it, horse hair had been used to stitch it up. Even though it looked ghastly, it was rather good stitching work.

Her hand reached up and she touched the wounds. They were clean cuts.... then she realized why they looked familiar. When she was little, Pierce had been attempting to make dinner for their parents anniversary but had cut his hand in the process when cutting carrots. Sara had put herself to the task of cleaning the cut and bandaging it..... these looked just like Pierce's knife cut... but larger, deeper and wider.... she had been cut by a knife and obviously a large one.

'This is most certainly not a prank,' Sara thought to herself. 'It must be a dream.'

"My brothers...." she whispered.

Thengal shook his head, "There was no one with you child. You were alone... except for the pup."

"pup?"

Just then, the door flew open and Sara felt a small bundle jump onto her and she looked into the staring green eyes of Mason.

"Mason!" The girl cried, reaching over to hug the puppy.

Thengal smiled warmly as the young dog lapped at his owner's face. Theoden was grinning from ear to ear.

"Apparently he knows you," Thengal said smiling.

Mason sat back down on Sara's lap and looked up at her. The girl ran her fingers through his thick black fur.... yep, most certainly not a dream.... but if this wasn't a dream and wasn't a prank... then what was it?

"What.... what year is this?" the girl inquired.

"The year 2941," Thengal replied. "April 20th."

Sara groaned and rubbed her head. Wait.... why did that date sound familiar???? wasn't that when the hobbit was.... but then....what day did it.... April 27th.....holy noodles!

Sara shot up to a sitting position and cringed when the wounds on her head and her arm stung at the movement.

Okay, this wasn't a dream.... she was in middle earth!

Chapter Text

Sara shook her head again. When she looked up, she was still in Rohan. This was starting to really scare her but at the same time, she had a surge of excitement. She was in middle earth! She would always daydream about what it would be like to live there and now, she was experiencing it full throttle!

There was a knock at the door and Sara grabbed the shawl by the bed. Wrapping it over her nightgown, she answered the door. Standing there was a lovely girl of about nine with golden hair.

"Hello miss," the girl said. "I'm Theodwyn. Theoden's sister."

Sara smiled and opened the door wider, "Hello Theodwyn. I'm Sara."

"I know," the girl said sweetly. "Everyone is talking about you. Everyone is wondering where you came from and what race you are."

"Race?" Sara asked then it suddenly dawned on her.... she was in middle earth! There were elves, dwarves, wizards.... wait.... was she still human?

"Well I'm honestly kind of lost myself but I'm quite sure I'm human," Sara replied.

"You're petite for a human," Theodwyn pointed out. "Though it's not unknown for some humans to be petite.

Sara smiled, "I get it from my mother. She was petite too."

Theodwyn caught sight of Mason who lay on the large bed and running over, she fondled his ears, "WHat's his name?"

"Mason," Sara replied, smiling.

The little girl stroked the dog one more time before hopping up with determination in her stance, "I almost forgot. I came here to help you get ready for the meeting."

"Meeting?" Sara asked.

the little girl nodded as she headed to the closet and began to look through the clothes, "Father has called a meeting of all the elders in Rohan. He also invited a few other friends. They're going to try and help you."

"Oh that is very kind of them," Sara remarked.

Just then, Theodwyn returned from the closet with a lovely cotton dress that fell almost to the floor with a green corset top and creamy white skirts and sleeves.

Sara smiled as she took the dress and walked behind the curtain. She quickly pulled it on and marveled at how well it fit and how comfortable it was. When she came out, Theodwyn walked behind her to do the straps.

"Mother always said green was my color," Sara said, a sad look crossing her face.

Theodwyn sensed the girl's sorrow, "DO you have any other family back home?"

Sara nodded, "My brothers..... oh no!"

"What is it?" the girl asked, startled at Sara's outburst, "What happened?"

"The boys were in the accident with me!" Sara gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth, "Where are they.... did they survive....and Pierce....oh Pierce."

"Sh," Theodwyn comforted, stroking the older girl's red hair, "Its alright. I promise my father will help you. And he will help you find your brothers."

Sara shook her head, "I don't think anything will help me find them now."

TIME SKIP

About thirty minutes later Theodwyn led Sara out of the chamber and down the hallway to the great hall where the meeting was being held. When the little girl pushed the door open, Sara found Theoden standing inside the door, one hand on the small sword at his side, watching the adults talking.

"Hello Sara!" the boy greeted, grinning.

"Hello Theoden," Sara said, bowing her head respectfully.

Theodwyn smirked, "I thought I might find you hear brother."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Theoden remarked, going slightly pink in the face.

Sara at first thought that they were referring to Theoden's interest in adult matters but then she noticed Theodwyn and Theoden both look across the room at a young girl who stood across the room with a few ladies in waiting. She was a pretty little girl with rich brown hair and beautiful blue eyes.

"That's Elfhild," Theodwyn explained. "Theoden likes her."

Sara smirked, recognizing the name. Elfhild was Theodwyn's future wife and would later become the mother of Theodore.

Theoden glowered at his sister, "And what about you and Eomund?"

Theodwyn's face went pink and she ducked her head, "HE doesn't even pay attention to me."

Both children fell silent and Sara decided it was time to put her knowledge of the future of middle earth to work. Crouching down, she placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Hey, never give up," She whispered. "If you really care about someone so much that they make you smile and make you feel whole, never give up on them."

Theoden's eyes widened, "You really think that Elfhild will like me too one day?"

Sara smiled, "There's a sizable chance."

The boys face lit up and Sara couldnt help but smile.

"THeoden!" Thengal called.

Theoden suddenly became serious, "Come on Sara, it's time for you to join the meeting."

Of course, the boy couldn't hold his seriousness for longer than that and taking the girl's hand like a little school boy, he pulled her rather hastily over to the group of men. They were sitting at a round table, Thengal at the head. There were about ten men, the oldest who looked almost on death's door and the youngest was about THengal's age.

There was a stranger sitting near Thengal, dressed in a hooded cloak but Sara brushed it off.

"There you are Sara dear," Thengal said, smiling. "Please sit down."

Sara sat down gingerly but felt better when all the elders and Thengal gave her a reassuring smile each.

"My dear," Thengal began, "We are still waiting on one important friend who may have the answers we're looking for. But before he arrives, could you please tell us what you know about yourself? Where do you come from?"

Sara looked around at the table of curious, patient faces. She knew she could trust them... but she didn't know how they would react.

"I don't come from this world," she explained.

Immediately, she had everyone's attention, especially the cloaked figure.

"What do you mean?" an elder asked. "Are you from the Undying Lands?"

Sara shook her head, "I...I come from another world.... kind of like this one.... but different. I...I was I an accident with my brothers.... when everything went black."

"Were you wounded?" an elder asked.

The girl shrugged, "I don't know.... all I remember is losing control of the...." Right then she knew that no one would understand what a car was so she decided to alter it to their understanding, "I lost control of the horse....and we....crashed into a tree.... I don't know if my brothers were hurt....but I just remember everything going black..."

"Then what?" Thengal asked, intrigued. "What did you see before you woke up?"

"Everything," Sara whispered. "I saw the world.... the skies.... the stars.... it was like I was floating in the clouds. Then I felt a pulling feeling... like someone was trying to wake me up from a dream... but it felt so real... then a woman's voice kept calling my name...and then I woke up."

"You heard a woman calling your name?" a voice asked.

Sara spun around and her eyes widened beyond their normal size. Standing behind her was a tall man with a long white beard, kind brown eyes and a gray attire....

"Gandalf..." the girl whispered.

The old man smiled fondly at the girl's surprise, "Quite so my dear. It is an honor to meet you. From what you have told us so far, it seems that we have a major question on our hands."

After Sara had spent a full half hour answering random questions from the council, she was given leave to return to her chambers. She didn't understand what they were hoping to get from the meeting. They asked her things like her age, her full name, her brothers names and what they looked like so they could see if they could be found, if she knew who the woman was who she heard and what she knows about how she got there. The last one she had no answer to.

Sara headed down the hallway, completely lost and unsure of what was happening. IT was all exhilarating but she still needed answers before she could enjoy it fully. Stopping by her chambers, she grabbed Mason and headed outside to get fresh air. Thengal had told her to venture wherever she went but to never leave the walls unless she told someone in case she got hurt or lost.

She found the kitchen and used that exit to go out the back. There was a grassy area where she let Mason run. It was windy and cool out but Sara barely noticed. She stood on the grass, staring at the world around her. This was definitely not a dream nor a prank.... it was real.... but how?

"Fine companion you've got there," a kind voice remarked.

Sara spun around and found herself face to face with Gandalf. She smiled warmly and nodded as she looked at Mason, "He's a loyal friend to have in a time like this."

Gandalf smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. Sara felt a warm feeling rush through her body... this was real.... she was talking to Gandalf... THE GANDALF THE GRAY!

"I know this is hard for you to understand but I think I know what has happened," the wizard said.

Sara looked at him, "How?"

"What you said about the woman's voice," Gandalf replied. "I think I might know who you heard."

Sara's eyebrows furrowed and realization dawned on her. She was about to say the name but realized that it might give away her knowledge of middle earth's entire fate.

"An elf friend of mine would be very intrigued to meet you," Gandalf remarked. "She is very kind and very wise. If anyone knew what this was all about, it would be her."

Sara looked at him, "What do you think happened to make me come here? I mean... with that kind of accident... I should be dead...."

The girl's eyes widened and her face paled, "Do you think I'm a ghost?"

Gandalf chuckled, "I doubt it lass. No, I think the explanation is it wasn't your time to enter the undying lands. In that case, you were brought here. For what reasons I don't know....but perhaps it's either you belong here instead of in your world.... or our world needed you."

"For what?" Sara asked. "I know nothing about how to live here... I have never carried a weapon in my life except a bow but they're nothing like the ones here."

The wizard smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders, "It's your knowledge that I feel our world needs."

"My knowledge?" Sara asked, puzzled. "In what way?"

The man smiled knowingly, "You have seemed strangely at ease despite the fact that you are in a world you do not know... which is why I have come to think you do know this world."

Sara shook her head, "I'm sorry Gandalf... I'm afraid I have never been here before."

"I know that child," he said Kindly, "I mean, you know of this place.... because you have heard tales.... you know everything. You have all the answers of what has happened and is to happen. Thengal told me that when you first met him and Theoden you seemed shocked and almost amused....then the name of Rohan and the date really set you off. I didn't think much of this till you admitted that you are from another world. How did you seemingly know of Thengal and Theoden? Also....why did the date set you off so?"

Sara sighed, "I'm sorry... I should have told you.... you're right. I do know what happens....and you're right. In my world there are stories in great detail about everything that happens in middle earth.... here I mean....I should have told you..."

Gandalf shook his head, "I don't blame you. You are in a world that you thought only existed in books and tales. Besides that, I think it best you tell no one of your knowledge."

"Not even Elrond and Galadrial..." Sara asked before realizing what she had said.

Her eyes widened when she saw the look of surprise and amusement on Gandalf's face.

"So you did recognize the voice," he said, amused. "And in answer to your question, I think Elrond and Galadrial should know but only what they think they need to know. the more people who know about the future of middle earth will be what changes the fate of this world and that could be catastrophic."

Sara nodded, "And some horrible things happen.... but so many good things....wait.... maybe that's it."

"What are you speaking of?" Gandalf asked.

Sara's eyes lit up, "Maybe that's why I was brought here! I know about everything that happens.... maybe I was brought here to change something."

Gandalf's face lit up, "I'm glad you figured it out. THat's what I thought but I had to be sure."

"But what is it exactly that I must change?" the girl asked.

Gandalf shrugged, "That is something Lady Galadrial would know."

Sara sighed and nodded, "Does that mean I must travel to Lothlorien?"

Gandalf seemed shocked at her knowledge of the elven world but then remembered who he was talking to, "No child. I am in fact on my way to join a few friends and we will be passing by Rivendell... hopefully if my friends' stubbornness isnt too much to handle. Galadrial will meet us there. She has already told me in dreams that she has much to speak with you about."

Sara smiled and was just picking Mason up when her eyes widened and Gandalf could sense her shock.

"You.....You're going....to...reclaim.....Erabor!" She gasped.

Gandalf chuckled and smiled, "You are full of surprises Miss Aldhard. Even though I barely know you, I can tell that this will be rather intriguing adventure. And you're right. I am on my way to meet up with the company and I intend to take you with me."

Sara's eyes widened more and she clutched Mason so tight his eyes bulged, "I'm.... gonna....go....holy noodles!"

Gandalf laughed heartily at her reaction and patted her head, "Better prepare yourself. We leave at dawn."

Sara took a deep breath as her hands rested on her hips. She looked at the knapsack she had obtained from Theoden. She had packed an extra pair of clothes. When she had told Theodwyn that she was going on a journey with Gandalf, the princess had a full out fit of joy. She had immediately whipped up a simple leather outfit for Sara as well as some excessories. She had then made sure she had an extra pair of clothes as well.

The girl turned and looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a comfortable white shirt underneath a leather corset like dress that laced up the sides and buttoned up the front. She also wore black leather pants and boots that came al the way to her knees.

On her wrists she wore a pair of black leather bracers to protect her arms and to also keep her sleeves down.

There was a knock at the door and Sara turned to see Theodwyn and Theoden entering. She smiled at them as they shuffled in, Theoden carrying a wooden box in his arms.

"Hello Sara," the little girl greeted. "We have something for you.

Sara watched with curiosity as Theoden laid the box on the bed and stepped aside, "We found this on the edge of the river near where we found you.... we didn't know if it was yours until we saw this."

With that, he pointed out the name that was carved on the side and Sara felt her heart freeze: E Aldhard.

"What does the E stand for?" Theodwyn inquired.

Sara swallowed thickly and felt tears prick her eyes, "Eustace.... that was my father's name..."

"So this was your fathers?" Theoden inquired.

Sara nodded and approached the box. She hadn't recognized it right away for it had been years since she had seen the box. Her father was always the mysterious kind and he always kept that box in the back of their truck behind the seat where no one could see it. Occasionally Sara or her brothers would see him put something in the box, but never take something out. OF course he had made them promise to never open it unless they had no other choice.

Sara sat down beside the box and slowly lifted the lid. Inside were five boxes... each one labeled with her name and the names of her brothers.... one for each of them. Wedged between the boxes was an envelope. Drawing it out, she opened it and realized it was a letter from her father.

Dear Pierce, Sara, Axel, Omar and Ryder,

If you're reading this then it probably means your mother and I are gone. There isn't much I can say that can do justice by putting it on paper. This box holds some things that your mother and I found or collected over the years. There was something about each thing that just seemed to catch our attention. We want you all to keep the things in your boxes, not in memory of us, but in memory of all the good memories we have had together. I love you all so much. Do good and be good and stay strong.

Love, Daddy

Sara quickly wiped her eyes and closed the letter, placing the envelope and letter into her knapsack. She then turned and picked up the box that had her name on it.

When she opened it, the first thing she saw was the small set of silver dwarves beads with the dwarfish rune: S on it. Next to it laid an elven ring with a small blue gem set into it.

Also in her box was a small necklace that was obviously of Rohan with the double headed horses with their foreheads touching

Sara gently drew out the ring and slipped it onto her finger, then taking the necklace, she tied it around her neck.

She closed her box up and put it back in the larger box. She then drew out all her brother's boxes and opening them, she emptied them onto the bed.

Out tumbled several things: a sketchbook and pencils for Axel, a dagger and arrowheads for Omar, a wooden flute and leather belt for Ryder and a wooden horn for Pierce. Also in the box were several sets of dwarven beads.... each set with A, R, P or O on them for each of her brothers.

"They would have loved these," she whispered, fingering the beads.

Theoden placed a hand on her shoulder while his sister hugged the girl, "I'm sorry that they didn't make it."

Sara sniffed and wiped her eyes, "Well Pierce didn't... I don't know if Omar, Axel and Ryder died in the accident.... if they didn't...or if they did.... either way... I'll never see them again."

With that, the tears began to flow down her face. Theodwyn shushed her gently and stroked her hair.

"Look at it this way. You have these things to remember them by.... and to keep their memories alive."

Sara turned and looked at the two and smiled, hugging them both, "Thank you for everything."

The two smiled and after ensuring that she was alright, they left her alone.

Sara climbed onto the bed and sat crosslegged, looking at the contents. She grabbed up the belt and immediately tied it around her waist. She grabbed the flute and placed it in the pouch on her belt alongside all the beads, arrowheads, pencils and the sketchbook. She slipped the dagger into her boot and hung the horn snuggly on the other side of her belt.

She was just tying up the pouch when she noticed another pair of beads. These had the rune letter: M on them.

Sara fond herself smiling and turning, she looked at Mason who lay on the bed near her. Smiling, she reached over to the sleeping dog and gently grabbed his collar. Untying it, she slipped the two beads onto his collar snuggly before tying the collar back on.

She smiled and placed all the small boxes back in the large box. She was just about to close it when something gray and dark caught her attention. Opening the box wider, she saw that there was something lying on the bottom of the box. Removing the smaller boxes, her eyes widened when she realized what it was: her father's pistol!

"He must have left it in there on accident," the girl thought at first.

Then she noticed that the pistol was tied down to the bottom of the box by string. Using the dagger, she cut the string and drew out the pistol. She saw that tied to the trigger was a small bag that contained at least fifty bullets. Inside the bag was a small snippet of paper.

'Use well. Trust your instincts. Protect.'

"Oh dad," Sara sighed. "You seriously thought of everything."

Shaking her head sadly, she placed the bullets in her pouch along with the note and then slipped the pistol into the pocket of her pants underneath her leather outfit so no one would see it.

Sighing to herself, she got off the bed and finished packing before grabbing her bag and swinging it on her back. She then turned and picked up the sleeping form of Mason and headed out of the room.

She found Gandalf outside, two horses with him. one was his black horse that Sara recognized immediately. The other was a lovely brown small horse. It wasn't a pony but it wasn't a tall horse either, easily mistaken for a pony.

Sara stepped over and placed her knapsack on the saddle of the pony, strapping it on. She turned to the horse and stroked his nose.

"His name is Dancer," Gandalf told her. "He'll serve you well."

Sara smiled and stroked the horse's nose again.

She then turned and saw Thengal, Theoden and Theodwyn standing behind her. Walking over, she smiled as she crouched down to hug Theodwyn. She then bowed to Thengal.

"Thank you for everything," She said.

Thengal smiled and nodded, patting the girl's head. She turned back to Theodwyn and smiled, taking the girl's hands.

"Just remember something," she whispered, "No matter what happens, don't grieve over things in the past."

Theodwyn smiled and nodded, hugging her. Sara felt a pain hit her heart. Would those words really help Theodwyn? Would they change the outcome of Theodwyn's passing? Would she really not succumb to grief and leave Eomer and Eowyn alone?

She then turned to Theoden and smiled, shaking the boy's hand before THeoden hugged her close.

"Will we meet again?" he asked.

Sara smiled and hugged him, "I don't know but I'm sure we will if I don't get killed."

Theoden smiled and nodded. Sara crouched down and looked deep into his eyes.

"Trust people THeoden," she whispered. "Always trust people who deserve your trust.... Never turn your back on those who love you and those you love."

Theoden nodded as Sara rose to her feet. She turned to Gandalf who mounted his horse. Sara then swung up onto her pony before Theoden handed her Mason whom she placed in her lap.

The two waved and turning their horses, rode towards the gate of Edoras. They were just heading out when Sara felt eyes on the back of her head. She turned and saw the cloaked figure from the meeting standing about twenty feet from them.

"Gandalf... who is that?" she whispered.

Gandalf glanced back and smiled, "He's a ranger from the north...he's known as..."

"Strider," Sara whispered, realization dawning on her. No wonder she didn't recognize him, Aragorn was only twenty-seven!

"Yes," Gandalf remarked, surprised but then he remembered Sara's knowledge, "And I'm guessing you know his real name."

Sara nodded, "Yes...I just hope that his being here because of me doesn't affect what will happen to him in the future."

"I take it that most of it was good," Gandalf inquired.

Sara nodded again, "All of it was."

With that, they rode out of Edoras and Sara took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of fresh air and the wild.... she was going on an adventure.

Sara knew that if she didn't stay cool and calm that she would drive the wizard insane. It was strange that she had only known Gandalf in person for at least a day and a half and she felt like she had known him her whole life... honestly, she knew all about his future and things he would do so that was one thing.

Gandalf rode in silence for a long time but occasionally asked the girl if she was comfortable. The truth was, Sara was accustomed to riding horses for she had done so back on earth. she would often take take the boys to a nearby farm to ride on the weekends but she was getting a little tired. In that case, she began to find ways to keep her mind off the saddle.

After about three hours of riding, she soon learnt that the bridle on her horse wasn't necessary for her pony didn't stray more than a foot or two from Gandalf's. In that case she tied the reins so that they didnt hang too low and drew out the sketch book that had been meant to be given to Axel.

She felt a pain strike her heart as she opened the book and ran her fingers over the fresh white pages. Axel loved coloring and sketching and was surprisingly good for his age. He had inherited from his father just like Sara had. The three of them were the artists of the family. However, their father was more interested in carved or chiseled art while Axel loved color and paintings. Sara failed at painting but she was quite alright with pencils.

She quickly wrote a small passage on the front page and smiled at it:

Belongs to: Axel Aldhard

Entries by: Sara Alhard

In memory of a loving brother who brought beauty alive wherever he went

Trying to not think too hard about what might have happened to her brothers, Sara turned the page and began to sketch. About an hour later, Gandalf noticed that her eyes weren't on the road. He had noticed not because her horse had strayed for the horse had stayed perfectly on the path, but rather he had noticed that the girl hadn't made any comment to anything around them. True they had been traveling on open or wooded country but he found her silence interesting.

Turning, he smiled when he saw her head bent over the book, her curls falling about the page.

"You draw?" he asked.

Sara looked up and nodded, smiling, "I got it from my dad. This book was meant to be given to my brother.....Axel.... he was an artist too..."

Gandalf smiled sadly, "I'm sorry that you made it and they did not.... but I'm sure that where your brother is in the undying lands, he is watching you and I'm sure he would want you to use it to keep his memory alive."

Sara nodded sadly and sighed as she looked at the sketch. She held it out to Gandalf who took the notebook in his hand and smiled at the sketch. It was a perfect pencil sketch of Mason. He looked over at the pup who was running about the grass happily, enjoying being off the saddle as he followed his mistress on foot.

"It's a very good likeness," he remarked.

Sara smile and tucked the book and pencils back into her pouch, "I just hope the dwarves wont mind him being here."

Gandalf put on an annoyed face, not at her but at the stubbornness of dwarves, "I assume that you know of the dwarves' stubbornness."

Sara smirked, "Believe me, I know at least the minimal."

"Well, I should warn you that especially since you're young, a girl and a human... they may treat you differently. If not for those reasons, but because you are from another world," the wizard pointed out.

Sara pursed her lips thoughtfully, "Should I hold off telling them where I'm from until they... get used to me?"

Gandalf smiled, "A good idea."

"I'm just worried," Sara sighed. "I mean.... in my world I know how disagreeable dwarves can be to elves and how they can sometimes give other people a hard time but...I have no way of knowing how they'll treat me and... I don't even know how to protect myself."

Gandalf leant over and patted her hand gently, "Dont worry about it. Some of the dwarves may take longer than others but most of them may just find the need to want to protect you. Besides that, I'm sure they would love to teach you how to fight."

Sara smiled when suddenly another thought struck her head and she shivered, "And.... orcs."

Gandalf nodded, "Ah yes. They're real here."

Sara shivered again and shook her head, "I guess I'll get used to all of this being.... real.... but there's one thing I'm not ready for."

The wizard looked at her puzzled. He tried to think of what it could be when he noticed the girl's face pale, "THorin?"

Sara shook her head, "That is one thing but....Azog."

Gandalf sighed, "He's alive isnt he?"

Sara nodded, "Very much alive and.... out for revenge."

"Does he die?" Gandalf asked. "Actually, don't tell me. That might ruin the future."

Sara let out a deep sigh and ran her hands through her hair, "I'll be glad when I meet Lady Galadriel. I really want to tell someone... but I know I cannot tell the person it involves because it will break him."

Gandalf nodded, "That's wise my dear but don't worry, all will come clear eventually."

There was a moment where they were swallowed in silence before Gandalf pulled his horse to a stop to water and they dismounted to stretch their legs. Mason curled up the grass to sleep while Sara walked to the river and refilled her skin and splashed water on her face.

She looked at her hair and realized the ponytail she had put in it wasn't going to cut it. She was in middle earth now and they knew how to put their hair in just the right way where it didn't cause a bother. Knowing that she had no idea how to braid any elvish or dwarfish braids, she settled for just braiding a braid she knew but made it tight.

When she finished she nodded and rose to her feet. She then got to her feet and returned to her pony. She made sure that the saddle wasn't chaffing him before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned to see Gandalf standing there, holding out a small bundle to her, "You might need this as the journey progresses."

Sara took the bundle and unfolded it, revealing to be a dark green leather cloak. It laced up the side so that it covered her shoulders almost to her wrists. It had no hood but Sara didn't mind.

"Thank you," she said brightly, pulling it on over her outfit. it seemed to finish up her outfit perfectly, concealing most of her white shirt and the laces on her side.

******

They were soon on the road again but this time, Sara's mind wasn't just clouded with thoughts of the saddle or of the excitement of meeting the dwarves.... but also the prospect of the dangers that were to come... not to mention the hardships and deaths....she just hoped that her being there would change something.

It seemed forever that Sara was in the saddle until they reached the outskirts of the shire, then nothing could keep Sara's attention on her sour backside and legs.

Gandalf occasionally chuckled whenever Sara's face lit up at the sight of a hobbit or a hobbit hole. Of course, when they reached the center of Hobbiton and crested the bridge towards Baggend, Sara felt all the air drained out of her.... it was really real! She was in hobbiton!

Gandalf, being the wizard that he was, couldn't urge his horse to go any faster or he didn't want to which really sent anxiety up Sara's spine as she strained to see what was ahead. This proved to not help much especially since it was getting dark and there were barely any hobbits out to begin with.

When they pulled in front of Baggend, Sara was a little too hasty to get off her horse but Gandalf stopped her gently.

"I'll have to leave you hear Sara," the wizard said.

Sara furrowed her brow, "Arent you coming in?"

"I have to meet up with some of the company to ensure they make it here," The wizard replied.

A knowing smile spread across Sara's face, remembering that Gandalf arrived with most of the dwarves later. She nodded and grabbed her bag from her pony.

"I'll tie Dancer up in the garden where no one will see him. I do suggest that you try to stay hidden at least from most of the dwarves," Gandalf pointed out. "Oh and by all means, if THorin arrives before I do, try to avoid him till I arrive."

Sara nodded and felt relieved, knowing that if she hadn't messed up the timeline too much, THorin wouldn't arrive till after everyone arrived.

She watched Gandalf go around towards the back as she opened the gate and climbed up the stairs. She had the urge to just admire the hobbit hole for a long time but the sound of voices inside caught her attention. She must have not been the first one.

Taking a deep breath, she climbed the stairs to the door and rapped firmly on the door. The moment her eyes fell on the open door and the hobbit before her, she felt her heart skip a beat with joy. Bilbo was exactly as he had been in the story and in the film.... but he was shorter than she thought. He couldn't have come up to her shoulder.

"Sara Aldhard," She said, bowing, "AT your service."

She tried not to smirk especially at Bilbo's confused, stunned reaction but the hobbit quickly cleared his throat, "Bilbo Baggins.... at yours."

He stepped aside and Sara walked in. She noted that the hobbit seemed a little relieved and she knew exactly why.

"I'm afraid that some of your companions have already arrived," Bilbo explained. "And gone and eaten all the decent food."

Sara shook her head, "It's alright. I already ate on the road."

Bilbo nodded and scurried off the moment he heard a crash. Sara smiled, taking in every single detail of the hobbit hole. It was just the right size and she barely had to duck.... in fact, even going through the doorways she didn't have to duck.

She finally found her way into the living room which she decided was the best place for her to stay till Gandalf returned. She walked over to a nearby bookshelf and fingered the spines when suddenly she sensed a presence behind her.

Spinning around, she found herself facing none other than Fili and Kili themselves! The girl was slightly startled that they were her height (in fili's case) and slightly taller (in Kili's case). Then she remembered, these two weren't Dean O'Gorman and Aiden Turner just acting the dwarves.... these were the dwarves themselves!

Kili of course approached the girl first and bowed from the waist, a smirk on his face, "Kili at your service."

Sara smiled and returned the bow, "Sara at yours."

Kili's face lit up as his older brother introduced himself.

"You're no dwarf," Kili pointed out.

Sara nodded, "I'm human."

Fili raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Small for a human I will give you that."

"I get it from my mother," Sara said when suddenly a cloud passed over her face.

Both brothers seemed to sense it and at once set it their task to cheer her up, "care to join us? We're just getting food on the table."

Sara smiled at Kili's offer but shook her head, "No thank you. I already ate. I'll just wait here till Gandalf arrives."

The two brothers nodded and scurried off.

Sara was left alone in the sitting room for some time without any interruptions. She did occasionally get a curious dwarf wandering through but so far other than Bilbo, Fili and Kili, she had only seen Ori, Nori and Dori.

Just when she was quite sure that the dwarves should be finishing, Balin stepped into the sitting room.

"You must be Sara," the dwarf said, smiling softly.

Sara nodded and smiled back, "Sara Aldhard, Master Balin."

Balin's eyebrows shot up, "You know me?"

Sara at once mentally smacked herself for almost spilling her knowledge but she quickly came up with a plan, "I heard your brother call you several times since I've arrived."

Balin seemed to believe that answer and smiled, "Gandalf told me of your arrival. He told me that you're concerned that Thorin will not accept you into the company."

Sara sighed and sank down into a chair, placing her chin on her hands, "It's a long story."

Balin placed an arm on the mantle and considered the girl, "Gandalf told me that there was something private that you would want to talk with me about. He said you had something on your mind that you shouldn't tell everyone yet..."

Sara realized that Balin had been sent to relieve her thoughts. She smiled, knowing that Gandalf knew that they both could trust Balin to keep her secret and it would give her someone else to talk to about it especially if it concerned her.

"I do," she said softly, "It's a long story."

Balin sat down and Sara explained how she had come to be in Middle Earth. She also told him about her parents' death, Pierce's sickness and the accident. Balin listened softly and only occasionally raised his eyebrows when she mentioned dying and ending up in Rohan.

"That is quite a story lass," Balin remarked. "I can see why it is troubling you."

Sara shook her head, "That's not the most of it.... I know I'm here for a reason... to change something but I don't know what."

Balin cocked his head to the side, "Why do you think you're meant to change something?"

Sara let out a deep sigh and rubbed her eyes, "Because I know what happens on the journey."

Balin's eyes widened and he checked over his shoulder to ensure no one was eavesdropping. In truth, the dwarves were too busy singing and cleaning up to pay attention to Balin and Sara's absence.

"What do you mean?"

"Where I come from... you, the dwarves, Gandalf, Bilbo, THorin.... you all exist.... but only in stories. In my world there is a story called the Hobbit where it tells the details of your journey to reclaim Erabor.... and everything that happens afterwards," Sara explained.

Balin's eyes widened and his mouth fell open, "You mean.... you know what happens to us?"

Sara nodded, "Gandalf suggested I not tell anyone the details till we find out what I'm meant to change...."

"So... if you were brought here to change something...does that mean that something horrible happens?" Balin asked, worry on his face.

Sara felt her heart catch. Her mind raced back to when she had watched the Hobbit with her brothers.... she remembered seeing FIli's death, Kili's.....then Thorin's...

"Yes.... something horrible happens," Sara whispered. "And I can only hope that I was meant to change it."

Balin sighed and nodded, "Could you tell me what happens?"

Sara looked at the door and saw Gandalf sitting in a corner, watching her. She gave him a look and nodded.

"It's.. really hard for me to say this," Sara said, choking on the tears that were building up in her throat, "But you must promise me that you will not tell anyone but Gandalf.... he is the only other one who knows...."

Balin nodded, "I promise. I wont even tell my brother or Thorin."

Sara nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes that were building up there, "Thorin...."

Just before she could get it out, there was a loud knock at the door.... three hard thumps. Sara felt her heart leap into her throat....Thorin.

"He is here," Gandalf whispered.

Balin and all the dwarves headed to the door but Sara stayed in the sitting room. She made her way over to stand behind the dwarves, near Gandalf.

Here goes nothing.

Chapter Text

Sara tried to keep herself calm when Gandalf opened the door to reveal the dwarf who stood there. Sara was glad that the dwarves hid her from sight or someone would have noticed the huge grin that spread across her face at the sight of the one and only Thorin Oakenshield.

Sara was glad that she had been taught to have self restraint in her childhood or she would have screamed for joy at the sight of the dark haired dwarf. When the dwarf turned his noble head to look at Gandalf, Sara felt all the air escape her.

"Gandalf," THorin remarked, Sara grinning widely at the familiar baritone voice. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way twice. I wouldn't have found it at all if it had not been for that mark on the door."

"Mark?" Bilbo asked, "There is no mark on that door it was painted a week ago!"

Gandalf closed the door behind him and smiled at the halfling, "There is a mark, I put it there myself."

From Sara's position behind the dwarves, she couldn't be seen but she could see everything. She watched as THorin removed his leather cloak and smile at Kili. She felt her heart soar at the smile that appeared on his face. One thing that Sara had always admired about the character Thorin (wasn't exactly just a character anymore!) was his strong bond with his nephews.

"Bilbo Baggins allow me to introduce the leader of our company," Gandalf continued as THorin handed his cloak to Kili, "Thorin Oakenshield."

"So, this is the hobbit," THorin mused, considering Bilbo with crossed arms, "Tell me mister Baggins have you done much fighting?"

"Pardon me?" Bilbo asked, startled by the question.

"Axe or sword," Thorin continued, "What's your weapon of choice?"

"Well we have some skill at concors if you must know," Bilbo remarked sarcastically "But I fail to see why that's relevant."

THorin smirked, "Thought as much. Looks more like a grocer than a burglar."

With that, the dwarf prince turned towards the dining hall, following the others in. Sara was about to make her way back to the sitting room when Gandalf reached over and patted her shoulder, smiling at her.

Their presence would have gone unnoticed if Thorin's senses weren't so acute. Sara was suddenly shocked when Thorin froze in the doorway and slowly turned as if he had heard something. He turned all the way and Sara knew there was no hiding now. She was glad for the hood that she had on her leather dress so it concealed most of her face except her mouth.

THorin's pale blue eyes locked on her and Sara felt her heart freeze. Months ago if she had watched the Hobbit and imagined herself there, she would have been thrilled to meet THorin for real.... but now.... looking into his blue eyes she suddenly felt nervous, unsure and scared.

The dwarf strode over to them and Sara swallowed, realizing that she only came up to Thorin's shoulder. Curse short genes!

The dwarf looked down at her and Sara had never imagined feeling small compared to a dwarf but she did. She felt so small, helpless and useless as THorin's eyes glared down at her. She could barely take in his sharp features, jet black hair, straight nose, firm mouth and attire without feeling her blood run cold.

"Who is this?" THorin asked, his voice showing no warmth just like when he had spoken to Bilbo but the humor and amusement was gone.

"This is a friend of mine," Gandalf explained. "Who will be the perfect asset to the company."

Thorin crossed his arms and eyed the girl, "And how is that?"

Gandalf mentally smacked himself for leading to Thorin possibly finding out Sara's secret.

"I'm a healer," Sara said, trying to make her voice sound deeper.

Thorin didn't seem to notice her attempt at making her voice deeper and didn't catch on to the slight feminine pitch of her voice.

"A healer you say?" THorin asked, raising an eyebrow in skepticism.

"Indeed," Gandalf added, realizing that Sara had more talents than he knew, "One of the best. She is far more advanced than any healer I know."

Sara rolled her eyes. The truth was she knew how to handle most cases of injury such as broken bones, nurse maids elbow, cuts and scrapes but considering that they would be facing orcs and poisoned arrows.... she wouldn't be that much help in some cases.

THorin eyed the girl suspiciously, "You're no dwarf. You're of lighter build than even Kili."

Sara nodded, "I'm a human."

"A little on the short side," Thorin pointed out, his voice showing no humor or kindness.

Sara snorted, "Not exactly reaching the top shelf yourself," she remarked, quoting her favorite line from The Greatest Showman.

Thorin raised his eyebrows in surprise but the faintest smirk flashed across his face but Sara noted that it was similar to the smirk he gave Bilbo which probably wasn't one of kindness but of teasing.

"Why do you wear a hood?" he inquired.

Sara turned her head slightly towards Gandalf and the wizard patted her shoulder, meaning she could remove it. Sara reached up and pushed her hood off her head, letting her bright red curls fall down her back and to her waist.

Thorin took a step back and his eyebrows shot down but Sara noticed that his mouth parted slightly in surprise. Uh oh.

"A girl Gandalf?" THorin scoffed, "You're suggesting we bring a female with us?"

Sara's face reddens with anger. She didn't know why for even through all his annoying times in the films, she had never gotten angry with the character but hearing him speak to her like that in person suddenly made her infuriated at the dwarf.

"She's just a girl," Thorin pointed out again.

"And you're just a dwarf," Sara snapped.

Thorin glowered at her while Gandalf's eyebrow shot up in surprise at Sara's comeback.

"No don't tell me," Sara remarked sarcastically, mentally thanking her mother for handing down sarcasm to her, "You think that the opposite sex is weaker because of our proportions."

Gandalf covered his mouth, trying to not laugh while Thorin glowered at the girl.

"Women are weaker because of their soft hearts."

Sara snorted, "Having a heart never killed anyone THorin Oakenshield. Not having a heart was what led the man to his grave."

Thorin's eyebrows seemed to continuously lower and Sara wondered how much more he could glower before he broke. He gave her a disgusted sneer which only sent a rush of fury through Sara's body.

"We'll see about that."

With that, the dwarf prince turned on his heel and walked back to the table, sitting down at the head. Gandalf let out a deep breath and patted the girl's shoulder before taking his seat next to Thorin. Sara eyed the table and saw Kili point to a seat next to him. Smiling, the girl walked around the table, avoiding Thorin and sat down next to Kili in the shadows, drawing her hood back up.

"How went the meeting of Erid Luin?" Balin asked once they had sat down, "Did they all come?"

"Aye," Thorin replied, pausing his meal to reply, "Envoys from all seven kingdoms."

There were cheers at the table before Dwalin replied, "And what did the dwarves of the iron hills say? Is Dain with us?"

Sara didn't even have to look at Thorin to know he had put his spoon down, had taken a deep breath and the smile on his face had faded, "They will not come."

There were groans from the table.

"They say this quest is ours and ours alone."

Sara had a deep temptation to raise her finger and point at Bilbo, knowing full well exactly when the hobbit spoke up but that would give away her secret.

"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo inquired.

There was silence at the table when Gandalf spoke, "Bilbo, my dear fellow, could we have a little more light?"

Bilbo headed off to get a candle while Gandalf pulled out a map.

"Far to the east, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands lies a single solitary peak," Gandalf remarked.

"The lonely mountain," Bilbo read.

"Erabor," Sara whispered, having not meant to say it aloud.

All eyes turned to her and she realized their attention was on her. She smacked herself inwardly for not guarding her words more carefully. Everyone was looking at her curiously or surprised but Thorin was glowering with suspicion. Oh perfect!

"The ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold," Oin remarked, interrupting everyone's surprise, "When the birds of Yohol return to Erabor, the rein of the beast will end."

" Uh, What beast?" Bilbo asked, spinning around at the mention of a beast.

" Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age." Bofur remarked, not catching on that Gandalf was signaling him to stop. " Airborne firebreather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious metals."

" Yes, I know what a dragon is." Bilbo remarked, kind of annoyed that they thought him to be thick headed.

"I"m not afraid! I'm up for it!" Ori said, jumping to his feet. "I'll give him a taste of dwarfish iron right up his jacksie!"

As the other dwarves began to agree with him, Sara felt a cold pair of eyes on her and turned to see Thorin watching her, frowning in confusion. Sara suddenly realized in fright that she had turned towards Ori even before the dwarf had gotten to his feet and wasn't surprised by his outburst unlike the others who jumped slightly. Uh oh.

" The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest." Balin observed, breaking the staring contest between Thorin and Sara.

Sara cursed herself inwardly for not faking surprise when Fili's hand made contact with the table, startling Kili who jumped slightly.

"We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last Dwarf!" Fili exclaimed, turning to nod at Thorin who smiled and nodded back at his nephew. However, his uncle's eyes averted back to the girl who sat on Kili's other side who wasn't in the least bit surprised by Fili's outburst and when Kili began to talk, she wasn't startled either.... What was up with her?

" And you forget, we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time." Kili remarked, getting a little over excited.

" Oh,well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't say that, I--" Gandalf stuttered, realizing that everyone was looking at him in awe now but Sara just smirked.

" How many, then?" Dori inquired.

" Uh, what?" Was all Gandalf managed to say.

" Well, how many dragons have you killed?"

The room was swallowed in silence and Sara placed her forehead in her hand, shaking her head ruefully for she knew what was coming next.

"Come on give us a number!" Dori insisted, all the dwarves jumping to their feet to yell numbers at each other.

THorin's eyes played on Sara's calm form a moment before he rolled his eyes and got to his feet.

"Shazara!" THorin yelled, silencing everyone. For a split second his eyes fell on the dwarves who all fell back to their seats.... And Sara who had still not change from her calm, unstartled state." If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do seize this chance to take back Erebor?"

Soon the dwarves were all cheering in agreement happily as THorin cheered them on before sitting down.

"You forget," Balin remarked, "The front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain."

The room fell into silence and Sara lifted her eyes, a smile on her face. THorin noticed this and furrowed his brow just before Gandalf spoke.

"That my dear Balin is not entirely true," with that, he drew out the key and Sara could hear THorin's hushed gasp from across the table.

"How came you by this?"

"It was given to me by your father. By Thrain," Gandalf replied. "For safekeeping. It is yours now."

As the dwarves began to talk about the entrance, Sara's mind wandered off. Thorin thinks his father's possibly dead.... Gandalf thinks he's dead....but he isn't. He is prisoner in Gol Duldur....what if.... What if she could save Thrain? But how?

"Aye the wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves," Dwalin said, snapping Sara out of her daze.

As the dwarves began to agree, even Thorin, Sara rolled her eyes and made eye contact with Thorin. The dwarf caught her eye almost immediately and seemed surprised at the annoyed glare on her face, her amber eyes glowing a faint gold with fury. Suddenly, Gandalf got up and startled everyone present as he began to speak in dark speech.... That is, he startled everyone but Sara. Thorin even was slightly startled but Sara didn't even flinch nor avert her glare from THorin.... This only sent THorin over the edge with suspicion and he glared back at the girl.

"Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet," The wizard pointed out. "They can pass unseen by most if they choose and while a hobbit is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him which gives us a distinct advantage."

The wizard sat down, ignoring Bilbo's shocked expressions.

"And he has a lot more to offer than any of you know! Including himself."

There was a long silence until the wizard turned to THorin, "You must trust me on this."

Sara rose to her feet and quietly slipped into the kitchen, not being missed by anyone as they began to talk about the contract. She could hear the conversation from the other room and smiled. Sara had no idea why she had gotten up but her mind seemed to be leading her on it's own and she couldn't seem to convince herself to not. She automatically walked to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. As she walked out, she saw Bilbo reading the contract and his face had gone pale.

Oh no you don't Sara!' The girl thought in her head, 'don't even think about it! THey'll get suspicious about you knowing he'll faint!'

Sara couldn't stop herself and the moment Bilbo's body toppled over, the girl walked out calmly and stuck out her booted foot. The moment Bilbo's head struck her foot, she gave a slight jolt and he was pushed back onto his feet but he was still unconscious so she reached out, grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder. This all happened within a half second and Sara found herself shocked herself but she didn't show it. She was rather enjoying the stunned looks on the dwarves' faces. She gripped the glass of water in one hand and Bilbo's limp arm in the other.

"Thanks a lot Bofur," she remarked sarcastically.

She turned and lugged the unconscious hobbit into the sitting room where she worked on reviving him. First she sat him in the chair near the fireplace and drizzled water from the glass onto his face. the hobbit spluttered and sat up with a start.

Sara smiled and handed him the mug of water that was half full, "Here's some water. I'll make you some tea."

The hobbit took the water gratefully and Sara headed into the kitchen, passing Gandalf on the way who was off to speak with the hobbit. Sara entered the kitchen, noting that it was spotless.

She found the kettle and filled it with water. She then found some tea leaves and dropped them in the water. As it heated over the fire, she found a glass and set it on the table. Sitting down at the table to wait for it to warm, she drew out the sketchbook.

She was trying to think of what to sketch when an idea popped in her head. She remembered how after the Hobbit came out, Axel and she would draw comics of the hobbit, making the characters look like animated memes but it always lifted the spirits.

Smiling to herself, she set about drawing a picture. She was about five seconds into drawing when she heard footsteps behind her. She tried to guess which dwarf it was for it was obviously not Gandalf or Bilbo. It was hard boots.... so one of the warriors....she tried listening to the breathing but she didn't have to. She didn't even have to turn around to feel the cold stare on the back of her head.

Smirking, she didn't even turn around but stood up and grabbed the kettle from the fire, "Gandalf wasn't joking when he said that hobbits were the ones with light feet,"

She was sure she heard a growl behind her and this only caused her to smile more as she turned and poured the tea into the cup.

"Who are you?" Thorin growled.

Sara turned, showing no amusement or surprise. She gave him a blank look and shrugged, "Nobody really. Just a girl with a name on her back that means nothing to people here."

"You never even gave your name," THorin pointed out, crossing his arms and glowering.

Sara lifted her eyes and met his calmly, "You never asked for it."

Thorin glared and Sara knew she was going a little too far with the sarcasm so she shrugged, "Sara Aldhard."

Thorin furrowed his brow, "Aldhard? Why does that sound familiar?"

Sara felt her heart stop. Thorin recognized the name? But how? She quickly shook it off and turned to him.

"I don't see why it would be familiar."

Thorin seemed to shrug it off but by the way his brow was furrowed, Sara knew he was still thinking about it.

Rising to her feet, she grabbed the mug of tea, "Excuse me."

Without waiting for the dwarf prince to give her leave, she headed out to give the cup to Bilbo. Sadly, the hobbit was already heading to bed so Sara handed the mug to Gandalf and sat down beside him, sighing deeply.

"What a day."

Sara sat alone in the sitting room for a moment until Fili and Kili made their presence noticeable by sitting down rather loudly across from her. They gave her bright grins which she returned.

"So....you are obviously different than most humans," FIli pointed out.

Sara smirked, "You can say that again."

Kili leant forward and Sara knew they were trying to get her to tell them the whole story. The truth was she couldn't tell them everything, especially the fact that she knows their futures. Looking at the two brothers, she felt a cold hand clutch her heart, knowing that in their possible future they are killed.

The girl sighed and drew out her notebook. She quickly finished it and slid the notebook across the table to them. Both brothers' eyes widened as they stared at the picture.

"Wow you're good!" Kili observed, earning a smile from Sara.

Fili, the sensible one, caught on to what Sara was trying to point out. He furrowed his brow and looked at her, "How did you know that THorin is our uncle? I mean... most people who see us don't realize it till we tell them."

Sara nodded and sighed, sitting back, "It's because...I've heard of you before."

Fili's eyes widened and Kili smirked. Sara knew what Kili was thinking and she shook her head, chuckling, "Not in that way kili. I've heard of you from stories.... but not the stories you're thinking of."

"We're in stories?" both brothers asked in unison.

Sara was about to answer when she suddenly realized that both Balin and Dwalin were standing in the doorway. Balin was giving her an encouraging smile while Dwalin's face was furrowed in concentration and curiosity.

Soon, the whole room was full of the dwarves and Sara felt her cheeks go red from embarrassment especially since Fili and Kili were pressing her for details. Sara noted that THorin wasn't present so she felt a little better.

"I don't come from this world," she said bluntly.

Fili and kili both jolted back. That was the last thing they expected her to say.

"What do you mean?" FIli inquired.

Sara sighed, "I mean.... I'm from another world.... called Earth. In my world.... I died.... in an accident and when I woke up....I ended up here."

Kili's eyes widened, "So.... Middle Earth is your heaven? Gosh that's got to suck."

Sara chuckled at this, "Well actually compared to my world, Middle Earth is paradise."

"Seriously?" Bofur asked, not believing that statement, "Even with orcs and goblins?"

Sara sighed and shook her head, "even with orcs and goblins this world is better than mine."

"So.... you're from another world... like another universe," FIli remarked, "How come you know about us?"

"Stories," Sara explained. "In my world, there are stories about real things that happened... but in our world the story of ERabor and Smaug... that is all believed to just be made up in my world."

The dwarves all gasped.

"You mean that for the longest time you thought we were made up?" Bombur asked.

Sara nodded, "Just so. There was a man named John Tolkien who wrote a story about the dwarves of Erabor.... and I always loved the story... so did my brothers....when I woke up in Rohan, I seriously thought I was dreaming and it took me a long time to believe that it was real."

"Why would people in your world make up stories?' Dwalin demanded.

Sara smiled, "For enjoyment. Here, you sing as a form of inspiration and encouragement. In my world, people writing stories that they made up themselves is a form of inspiration, encouragement and adventure....because... in my world we have nothing like what you have here."

"What do you mean?" Ori inquired.

"I mean.... in my world there is no such thing as dwarves, elves, goblins, orcs, wizards or hobbits.... there are only humans. It's a rather boring... and cruel place."

The dwarves' jaws dropped so loudly that Sara could practically hear them.

"That's really got to be boring," Kili remarked, earning nods from everyone. "But why do you say it is cruel?"

There was a long pause during which Sara's eyes glossed over and Kili flinched, knowing he had treaded onto a delicate conversation.

"Because.... the people in my world hate other people. There are humans in my world who hate other humans just because of what they do and what they believe in. Humans in my world rage war on each other just like dwarves do on orcs and goblins.... and how humans and elves did on orcs.... and how the good people here wage war on dragons and trolls... but in my world it is humans killing humans."

There was a long silence, during which Sara felt the urge to cry but fought it well. Mason brushed his head against her leg and she smiled, picking the pup up and setting him in her lap.

"Don't you have family lass?" OIn asked.

When all eyes turned to Sara, they realized she hadn't replied because her face had gone pale and a single tear had rolled down her cheek. Balin had the urge to walk over and comfort the girl but he stopped when he saw her brush the tear away and take on a brave face. She was a strong one.

"My family is dead," she whispered.

The whole room was swallowed in silence. Fili reached across the table and brushed the girl's hand in apology but she smiled, showing no anger at the lad.

Sara rose to her feet, hugging Mason to her chest. She slowly headed out in search of Gandalf, taking the left exit. However, by doing so, she missed seeing the tall dark figure standing in the other doorway, his arms crossed, a firm look on his face but all the anger gone, but the suspicion still there.

Sara sat down next to the wizard and soon, she could hear the dwarves singing the all too familiar song. When they finished, they began buzzing around finding a place to curl up and sleep. Gandalf sat across the fireplace from Sara, blowing his pipe while the girl leant back in her chair, staring at the flames.

"You know that song don't you?" Gandalf asked in a low voice.

Sara nodded, "It's one of my favorites."

"What other songs do you know from.... 'us'?" the wizard inquired.

Sara smiled and ran over the possible songs in her head. Suddenly, she remembered the song that Enya sang for the lord of the rings. A smile creased her face as she closed her eyes and leant back, letting her soft voice ghost out across the room.

(SONG IS BILLY BOYD’S “LAST GOODBYE”)

When she finished, she opened her eyes but stared at the dancing flames, leaning her head back on the chair, feeling her eyes droop shut. Gandalf smiled and looked at the girl but something caught his eye. Thorin was standing in the doorway behind Sara's chair, about six feet from her. His arms weren't crossed but his hands were fingering the key. HIs face showed no anger, but rather sorrow and deep memory. Gandalf smiled, knowing that Sara's song had hit old memories.

Gandalf turned when he saw Mason scurry over and climb into his lap. the wizard ran his large hand over the puppy's black fur and he looked over at Sara who was sound asleep.

"best leave her," Gandalf whispered to the dog as he stood up, "I'm sure Bilbo wouldn't mind you sleeping in the kitchen."

With a nod in Thorin's direction, Gandalf carried the puppy into the kitchen and Thorin could hear the wizard take a seat in the rocking chair in the other room, bedding down in the chair.

THorin stood where he was a moment, thinking over the words of the song. Sara's voice was haunting that was for sure... soft and melodious. It was kind of like the song they had sung but the words and rhythm were different... but it was still soft and faraway.

Thorin looked at the girl and could tell just from behind that she would have a sore neck in the morning from that position. Not knowing why but deciding that his body was moving itself, he walked over to the girl and slowly slipping his arms underneath her legs and her shoulders, he lifted her off the chair.

He was surprised at how light she was but then again, she wasn't a dwarf and probably only weighed about 120 pounds if that which was incredibly light to Thorin. He carried the girl who seemed so small in his arms to the couch and laid her down.

She curled up into herself and buried her face in her curls. Thorin managed to force himself to not brush her curls out of her face. However, he noticed that when her hair fell over her face, it revealed a scar running from behind her left ear all the way down to her collar bone. it had been hidden behind her hair before. THorin eyed the scar. It wasn't the scar of a sword or any weapon he knew... it looked like she had gotten cut in an accident.

He also noticed the still healing cut on her forehead. He stood up and shook his head.

"You have so many secrets," he remarked, "How can one person have so many secrets?"

With that, he turned and headed into another room to curl up to sleep near the front door. However, as he fell asleep, his thoughts were on the red haired girl lying in the nearby room.... a thousand things running through his mind. She was a mystery to him and he didn't know why but he couldn't get her off his mind.
=

Chapter Text

When Sara roused the next morning, she discovered that she wasn't the first one up. Most of the dwarves were already up and packing up silently. She hadn't woken to their noise because they were doing it quietly. Surprisingly, though true. Adjusting her cloak which had shifted in her sleep, she got to her feet and felt her head. Her hair had stayed in rather well so she saw no need to change it.

She quickly located her knapsack, ensured that everything was in there before swinging it on her back. She soon discovered that there was no one in the kitchen except Mason and Gandalf who were stoking the fire.

Mason perked up at the sight of his owner and scurried over to her. Sara bent down and scooped the pup up in her arms while smiling at Gandalf.

"How did you sleep?" he inquired

Sara shrugged, "Okay I guess."

"Lot on your mind?" the wizard inquired, sensing her discomfort.

Sara nodded, "It's just so strange.... before coming here I would have died to be on this journey.... meeting the dwarves, Bilbo, THorin....but now.... I never dreamt that actually being in the story wouldn't be a piece of cake."

Gandalf smiled, "Life has that affect on us. When we think we know what is going to happen... it sometimes doesn't go that way."

Sara nodded in agreement and the wizard sensed that she was frustrated, "Thorin isnt what you thought he would be is he?"

Sara shook her head firmly, "Before I came here...I had a whole perspective up about him just from hearing the stories and knowing what happens....He was stubborn and hard at first yes but never almost....dark and foreboding."

"What was your first perspective of him before you met him in person?" Gandalf asked.

Sara shrugged, "A good leader, thoughtful, stubborn, quiet but accepting....He's not that at all."

Gandalf smiled, "Well. He is still what you thought him to be, its just different because you're experiencing the journey for yourself, not just hearing about it."

"I suppose so," Sara sighed, "But... it's weird. As a teenager I was a huge fan of his! Like.... maybe a little over the top. My brothers even thought it would be amazing to be part of the journey and now that I am... it's like I met a whole different person that who was in the stories back home."

The wizard chuckled and reaching over, he patted the girl on her shoulder, "Just remember, don't judge a book by it's cover."

Sara nodded and snuggled Mason to her chest. The wizard left her there a moment while she pondered his words. Little did she know that a pair of piercing blue eyes were watching her from the shadows. Sara turned and headed through the doorway, off to the front door. She completely missed seeing THorin standing in the shadows.

THorin furrowed his brow in concentration. What were they talking about? Sara spoke as if she had met him before.... or seen him before.... and what Gandalf said about the stories....it was like Sara knew something....she had a secret and he was determined to find out what it was.

TIME SKIP

Fili and Kili glanced over their ponies' backs as Sara began to saddle her pony. There was a wisp of hair in her face that she kept pushing away but it kept falling over one eye, aggravating her. She finished saddling the pony and gathered the reins at the saddle.

Kili stole around his pony and approached the girl, "Need a hand?"

Sara looked at him and smiled. he probably thought that she had no idea how to ride, "Thank you Kili, but I got it."

Kili nodded, a little disappointed. Sara seemed to sense his discouragement so she smiled, "Actually.... sure Kili."

Kili's face lit up. Sara sensed that the boy wasn't used to being around girls other than relatives so he was probably trying to get used to it. Sara wasn't one to discourage boys trying to get used to being around girls since she went through that at one point with Pierce.... and then shortly with Axel.

The boy reached over and cupped his hands low enough for the girl. Sara placed her knee in his hand and he gave her a strong push upwards, surprised at her lightweight. The push he gave her was one meant for someone twice her weight and she would have gone flying over the other side if she hadn't been so balanced and she managed to slip her foot in the other stirrup before she ended up on the ground.

Kili cringed but Sara smiled at him, "Thanks."

Kili nodded as Sara leant over to whisper in his ear, "Remember, girls are usually lighter. Good first try though."

The young dwarf beamed at her and Sara couldn't help but smile at his relief. She watched the young dwarf hurry over to his brother. As he helped Fili into the saddle, Sara smiled and hid a chuckle at how the boy cringed at the weight of his brother after lifting a rather light Sara not moments before.

Sara ducked her head to hide her grin which went unnoticed by everyone... but the dark haired dwarf who had been mounted on his pony for a while. He had watched the exchange between his youngest nephew and Sara with interest. He had noted Sara's quick reflexes and balance and how she managed to not embarrass the boy by leveling out her weight. He also noticed how her eyes had flickered with fondness at the boy and realization at Kili's attempt at being a gentleman.

"Move out!" He called.

As they began to ride out of the still sleeping shire, Thorin glanced back to make sure they had everyone. His eyes at once fell on his two nephews who were riding on either side of Sara. The girl was cradling a still sleeping Mason in one arm while holding the reins expertly in her free hand. Kili and Fili were taking turns leaning over and petting the sleeping pup while smiling, laughing and chatting with Sara freely.

Thorin paused at a corner once to let the others pass him for he wished to make sure that they had everyone and also to ride with Dwalin for a short time. As the ponies trotted past, Thorin kept his eyes on his two nephews and Sara.

As they approached, a wind blew about them and brushed Sara's hair away from her neck, revealing the scar behind her ear that Thorin had noticed before. He furrowed his brow as the girl brushed her hair back over the scar. he noticed with interest that a faraway, pained look crossed her face but it quickly erased to one of joy as she continued to converse with his nephews.

'What are you hiding?' he thought to himself.

He didn't realize he had spoken aloud (luckily going unnoticed by everyone) until Gandalf pulled up beside him.

"Everyone has their secrets of their past THorin," The wizard remarked.

Thorin snapped his head up at him, surprised he had spoken that aloud, "Too many secrets isnt what I call okay."

Gandalf nodded, "I agree, but it is up to the secret holder to reveal the secrets on his or her own time."

THorin sighed and nodded, having given up on the subject and they continued on.

Thorin growled to himself. What was it about that girl that wouldn't let his mind rest anywhere else for long? She seemed so content in the saddle, unlike all the dwarves who wouldn't stop urging their horses faster or slower to chat to the others and lay bets on whether or not Bilbo would turn up.

She was riding calmly near the back of the group, her knees pressing into the pony's side just enough to keep her balance without needing to hold the reins. The reins were wound around the horn of the saddle just tight enough to keep the horse from having too much freedom but enough freedom for the horse to be comfortable. Thorin was surprised at how the pony kept an even walk to keep up with everyone and never straying more than an inch from the ponies.

The girl's long red hair was pulled back but the braid had begun to come out and her long curls were beginning to flop about her perfectly framed face as she looked down at her sketch book. She had been sketching in it for almost thirty minutes now and Thorin had to admit, he was curious as to what she was drawing that was making her smile. It was a soft, calm smile with a faraway but content look.

Even with the distance between them and the chattering of the other dwarves, Thorin could faintly hear her humming to herself ever so softly. The puppy was lying on the saddle in front of her, happily snoozing while she rested the sketchbook on his back. Why couldn't he get his mind off of her?

"You don't need to worry about Sara, Thorin," Gandalf's steady voice remarked. "She is a reliable person. She's gone through a lot yes but it hasn't altered her in the slightest."

Thorin shrugged, "It's not that. She just seems so secretive and I don't trust someone that I know nothing about."

Gandalf smiled knowingly, "Well I can hardly say you're alone."

Thorin raised his eyebrow and glared, "What is that supposed to mean? If you're talking about Balin, Fili or Kili then you're wrong. They already adore her. They pity her."

"And rightly so," Gandalf remarked, "That girl never got a chance to mourn her brothers before she was thrown into this world. But I was talking about her."

When THorin gave him a puzzled look, Gandalf smirked, "She doesn't trust you either Thorin. Even though she was incredibly excited to meet you, it's safe to say she doesn't really like you now."

Thorin's head snapped in his direction but before Gandalf had a chance to even notice, Thorin's keen hearing caught the sound of his nephews calling Sara's name.

"What ya drawing?" Kili asked, slowing his pony to ride beside Sara.

Fili tried to get a look but they couldn't wedge the ponies closer and Sara's curls was concealing the picture. The girl looked up and her eyes danced playfully.

"Just a sec."

A moment later she put her pencil away and held up the book to Kili who took it in his hands. Fili slowed his pony so as to ride beside his brother and both their eyes widened. (Picture above)

"Is that us?" Kili asked, "Is my nose that pointy?"

Fili considered his brother a moment before grinning, "Kinda. I like the colors.... didn't think my hair was that blond."

Sara smirked and ruffled the young dwarf's hair, "Yeah it's like honey."

Fili let out a yelp and set about fixing his hair, earning a snicker from the others.

Little did they know that a pair of bright blue eyes was watching them from the front. Thorin couldn't help but feel a hard pain hit his heart. Since Fili and Kili's father died he had taken it upon himself to be a father figure to them. What else could he do with his own brother dead? However, seeing them smiling and laughing with Sara suddenly pointed out to him that maybe he wasn't giving them a chance to be free... to have fun for they never smiled or laughed like that in his presence.

"So Sara, do you think the hobbit will be joining us?" Bombur called, "Gandalf and Oin are the only ones who think so."

Thorin caught a fleeting faraway look in the girls eyes before she smirked, "Count me in! He'll come."

Thorin frowned. there was something about how Sara talked...about how she responded which told him there was something going on. it was like she knew what was going to happen.... she was confident....too confident.

Almost the moment this began to pass through his mind, there was a loud shout from behind.

"WAIT WAIT!"

There were continuous sounds as the dwarves pulled their ponies to a stop. Thorin turned his pony towards the hobbit who was running in their direction, neither surprised nor unsurprised. In fact, he was baffled and intrigued at the same time. There were things going on that he wasn't aware of and it annoyed him, but surprised him.

"I signed it," Bilbo said triumphantly, holding the contract in the air.

He handed it off to Balin who began inspecting it. Thorin noticed with interest that Sara was watching the hobbit the whole time with a fond smile on her face. He also noticed that she smirked for a moment when Bilbo made eye contact with Balin's pony and stared at it unsurely.

"Everything seems to be in order," Balin remarked, "Welcome Master Baggins to the company of Thorin oakenshield."

There was a small gathering of soft agreement mostly from those who had bet in Bilbo's favor before Balin gave the hobbit a wink.

"Give him a pony," Thorin remarked, turning back towards the front.

"no no no that wont be necessary," Bilbo replied, "I'm sure I can keep up on foot...."

"Bilbo, don't argue," Sara whispered as she passed him.

Right then and there Fili and Kili grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled him onto a pony.

After a while and after Bilbo made a rather pathetic plead for a handkerchief, the company began to travel at a more steady pace with not much talking. it was Oin who spoke up after a long hour of silence.

"Well we're not a very cheery lot. Bofur, give us a tune!"

Bofur began to hum a bit but stopped, "Nothing sounds right. I don't usually sing while traveling..."

"Me neither," Bombur admitted, "What about you lads?"

Fili and KIli all shook their heads. They had to admit, every song they could think of was either too slow and dreary or too bright and fast.

THorin was about to think that they would forget it and return to the silence he was enjoying when Balin spoke up.

"Do you know any songs lass?"

Thorin felt himself groan. Of all things, Balin had to bring the girl to the center of attention. Not that she enjoyed it. Rather, the girl preferred to not be the center of attention but there was something about her that just made everyone want to get to know her and Thorin didn't know why but it aggravated him.

"A few.... what kind of song are you looking for?" the girl asked softly.

"Something about home," Kili spoke up, a faraway look in his eyes, "About wanting to return home."

A soft smile appeared on the girl's face and she pressed her hand against Kili's shoulder in a gesture of comfort which obviously worked for Kili's face perked up.

"I know one..." the girl said.

"Where did you learn it?" Fili inquired, interested.

Sara smiled but it soon faded to one of sadness, "It was my brother's favorite....he always sang it no matter the weather. When our father went on a long trip from home....he would always sing it and it would remind me of my father."

With a few urging nods from the other dwarves, Sara's voice softly rose and soon, the company was swallowed into silence. Thorin had to admit, she was incredibly good for a girl... and the words were spot on... and her voice mixing with the wind and blowing through the countryside.... it almost caused tears to appear to Thorin's eyes.

When she finished, there was a long silence. The silence was so long that THorin looked over his shoulder and what he saw made his throat catch for some reason. Sara was riding silently between Fili and Kili who were smiling, Kili stroking Mason who had planted himself on his saddle and Fili was dreamily looking ahead.... but what neither of them saw were the tears slowly creeping down Sara's face.....

It seemed like centuries that they rode. Sara began to get lightheaded sketching while riding so she took a break and just spoke with Fili and Kili for most of the rest of the ride. The last half they rode in silence and twice she almost dozed off in the saddle. If Fili hadn't poked her awake, she would have fallen off.

Just when she was about to doze off a third time, Thorin took notice of his nephew poking the girl to keep her awake. Thorin didn't know where it came from but he suddenly pulled his pony to a stop and called everyone to make camp. He had been driving them hard the first day, only stopping to water the horses and to let the dwarves use the toilet.

Thorin dismounted and began to unsaddle his pony when he spied Fili and Kili practically launch off their ponies. Both began to fight over who would help Sara unsaddle her pony but by the time they looked, the girl had already done it herself and had let the pony go with the others. THorin smiled to himself, amused at his nephews.

His pony trotted off to join his companions while Thorin set the saddle down with the other saddles. Gloin had already started a fire while the others were rolling out their bed mats. THorin noticed that Bilbo and Sara were nowhere to be seen. Bilbo had already laid out his mat but Sara had just left her pack and mat unrolled, nearer to the edge of the camp. Mason was curled up next to her pack, exhausted from the journey and snoring.

Thorin was just about to lay out his own things when he saw the two return, both carrying firewood and talking. The dwarf prince noted how Bilbo looked completely exhausted, bags under his eyes and stumbling over his feet. Sara had her arm looped through his and keeping him supported. Otherwise, he would fall down. Thorin also noticed how exhausted Sara looked but she braved it and ignored it to help the tired hobbit Carry the firewood.

"Ah thank you lass," Gloin remarked as Sara handed him the firewood before helping Bilbo to his mat. "How is the halfling?"

"Don't ask!" Bilbo declared, falling asleep almost instantly.

Sara chuckled and sat down near the fire, laying her head on her knees.

"Hey Sara," Kili spoke up after a while, "who's that?"

Thorin looked up from where he had been cleaning his pipe to see that Kili was sitting across from Sara who was tiredly looking through her sketchbook. From that distance he couldnt really see the drawing but it looked like a young boy.

"Its....my brother....Axel..."

Instantly the camp went silent and all eyes turned to Sara. Her eyes had begun to pool with tears but she was holding them back.

"He...he loved to draw....he got it from our father."

This was followed by more silence. Fili reached over to touch her shoulder but Sara shied away and closing the book, she shoved it under her mat and laid down, rolling herself up in her cloak and burying her face underneath the hood os that no one could see her face.

"What did I say?" Fili whispered.

He was about to lay down when a hand shot out and gently took his. The young dwarf turned to see that Sara was lying on her back, not covered by the blanket, staring at the sky. Her eyes were pooling with tears but she had a strangely calm look on her face.

"He died... in the same accident as me," she whispered. "He and Omar and Ryder were with me....there was no way they could have survived...."

Kili clapped a hand over his mouth, "Oh my goodness...I'm so sorry Sara! I had no idea!"

Sara shook her head, "It's okay...it's just....I came here...not knowing what was happening...and having no idea if my brothers were alright or not...but now....knowing that they're in a better place puts me at ease but it also...brings back memories."

When the girl didn't continue, all the dwarves leant forward as if trying to entice her to continue. Sara sighed and reached up, brushing her hair over her shoulder. It revealed her scar to everyone and they all jolted in surprise.

"Who did this to you lass?" Oin asked, touching her shoulder gently.

Sara ducked her head and let her hair fall back over her neck, "It's kind of a long story."

"I'm up for a story," Bombur pointed out, leaning against a tree trunk.

Sara looked around at the dwarves and sighed, "Very well...."

She pulled her legs to her chin and began to rock back and forth.

"It was when I was about sixteen years old," Sara began, "I was waiting for my brothers to finish school so that I could take them home. I was standing outside...it was a lovely day and I didn't think anything was going to happen...When... a stranger came up and asked me where he could find the head teacher. I was about to show him...and then he pushed me against the wall and...."

The girl didn't finish. All the dwarves however knew where that was going except Kili who seemed puzzled.

Sara touched her neck, "He gave me this because I refused to let him.... take anything else."

Kili cocked his head to the side and was about to ask what she meant when he felt someone clobber him over the head. He turned to see Thorin standing behind him, giving him a warning look. Kili shut his mouth while rubbing the back of his head.

Balin at once sat down next to Sara and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "I'm sorry lass. I'm sorry you had to experience that at such a young age."

"But why would someone do something like that?" FIli insisted, "It's disgraceful!"

Sara shook her head, "To some people in my world...they didn't think it was..."

"WHAT!?" the dwarves cried.

THorin lowered his eyebrows and frowned, not at Sara but at the thought of a man thinking that raping a girl wasn't a disgrace.

"They...." Sara stammered, "Some people in my world....think it's normal....to....do that...before you're married...."

"What about you?" Ori asked.

Dori at once kicked him as a warning, "What kind of question is that?"

Sara shook her head, "It's alright Dori....my family and I believe in keeping ourselves pure and chaste till after marriage."

Balin smiled warmly at her and patted the girl's red curls, "You're a brave lass to protect yourself like that."

Sara smiled weakly but the dwarves sensed that there was something that was still troubling her but they didn't push it. After soft goodnights, the dwarves all headed to bed. Soon the camp was full of snoring dwarves.

Sara still sat awake, staring at the flames with her knees drawn to her chest. She didn't notice Thorin standing in the shadows. He watched the girl with a thoughtful look on his face. There was something about her eyes that told him that there was something else troubling her... but he didn't know why.

Finally he laid down to rest and rolled over so that his back was to the others. He fell asleep with a firm frown on his face, thinking about who could be so terrible as to try and rape an innocent young girl. He felt a deep anger light inside of his gut but he didn't know where it came from...but he couldn't help but fall asleep remembering Sara's eyes shimmering in the firelight from the unshed tears.

Sara was running down the sidewalk in front of her house, running after Axel who was barely five at the time.

"Axel! Come back! We need to go inside for dinner!"

Axel just let out a joyful chuckle before sprinting up the drive of their close friends: the Deuchers. He pounded on the garage door and soon the five-year-old Deucher boy, Aiden opened it and seeing Axel who was trying to escape his sister, pulled the boy into the garage and closed the door.

"AXEL! AIDEN!" Sara yelled, "That is no fair!"

Just when she was about to ring the doorbell and alert Mr. and Mrs. Deucher to Axel's intrusion, a familiar face poked out the door. It belonged to sixteen-year-old David Deucher.

"Hey Sara! What's up?"

Sara quickly swallowed and tried to not appear nervous in front of the handsome boy, "Oh...hi David...nothing...Axel just disappeared into the garage with Aiden."

"Again?" David asked. "He should just permanently live there!"

Sara crossed her arms, "Then which of you do we get in return? I vote Hannah."

Hannah was the fourteen-year-old Deucher girl who was close friends with Sara and had been since they were babies.

David smirked, "Nah, I vote me. That way I can spend more time with you!"

Sara didn't quite realize what the boy had said, "We live just two houses away from you guys!"

"I know," David replied. "But it always lights up the place to see you."

Sara's face at once went bright crimson which David didn't fail to notice and he grinned, "Hey, Hannah and I were just watching the Hobbit. Want to come in for a bit till Axel and Aiden emerge?"

"Sure," Sara muttered, still bright red from David's earlier words.

She followed him into the living room to find Hannah sitting on the couch, watching the third hobbit.

"Hey Sara!" Hannah greeted, "Come join us! It's the best part!"

Sara plopped down on the couch next to Hannah just as the girl turned the volume up to max. Usually the sound wouldn't have affected Sara...except the sound was one she never wanted to hear ever again...the sound of sword meeting flesh.... Azog's blade striking home in Thorin's chest.

"NO!" Sara screamed.

The girl shot out of her sleep, panting and sweating horribly. Her hair was drenched in sweat, her chest rising and falling in gasps. Her heart was racing. She looked around and found that she was lying on the edge of the camp...the dwarves all asleep. She jumped from her spot silently and treaded silently over to where Fili and Kili lay. She smiled when she saw them sleeping with their backs to each other, both snoring softly.

Turning, she tiptoed over to the black sleeping figure of Thorin. She peered down in the dim morning light and saw his finely etched features relaxed in sleep. His blue eyes closed...his chest still rising and falling while he breathed.

The girl let out a relieved sigh and sank to her knees in relief, "I'm sorry Thorin," she whispered just quiet enough for it not to wake him. "But I will try everything I can to make sure that never happens...ever."

With that, she rose to her feet and walked off to clear her head, walking to the spring to wash herself of her sweat. Little did she know that a pair of blue eyes opened when she left. Thorin furrowed his brow in puzzlement...what was she talking about? And why did her voice shake with concern and worry?

TIME SKIP... TWO HOURS LATER

When Sara returned to the camp, everyone was up, and their bags all packed. They were saddling the ponies and dousing the campfire. Sara had turned up her cloak to use as a bag to carry the herbs and other plants she had located while near the river. She knew they would be handy with colds and wounds coming up.

All eyes looked up when Fili and Kili greeted the girl. She froze in her tracks, still holding the armful of herbs as all eyes fell on her. She quickly ducked her head shyly and headed to her bag which still lay on the ground. She found that someone had already rolled up her things and had placed them in her bag. Placing the herbs on the ground, she picked up a small piece of paper that lay on the top of her bag. It was a piece from her sketchbook, having been torn...and neatly on it was written something in Dwarvish.

Sara frowned. She had no idea how to read Dwarvish and the little dwarvish she knew were sentences and phrases she heard in the Hobbit. She folded up the piece of paper and placed it in her pocket. She would have to ask Gandalf about it later. She placed the herbs in her bag before swinging it onto her back.

She headed over to her pony and was just finishing saddling the pony when her eyes fell on Fili and Kili who were already mounted and poking fun at each other. Sara felt a cold hand clutch her heart...would she fail at saving them? Was it her destiny to change the story and save Fili and Kili? Or would they die like in the book and the movies....and leave their mother alone...the company mourning them...everyone who loved them in pain.

Thorin had just grabbed his reins to mount his pony when he spied Sara nearby. She was sitting atop her pony watching his nephews with a forlorn, faraway sorrowful look in her eyes. For a moment he thought she felt left out...but something about her face...the tears glistening in her eyes...unshed...told him that it was more serious than that.

"MOVE OUT!" he yelled.

Sara jolted in shock at his loud voice and at once Thorin felt guilty about startling the girl but he shook it off and mounted, turning so that he didn't have to look at her. However as they began to ride out, Thorin glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Sara wipe off the concern look on her face when his two nephews trotted their horses over to hers.

What was the deal with that girl?

*********

To say the least, Sara wasn’t at all surprised when the rain began to gently pelt the next day. She smirked to herself, knowing full well what was going to come soon.

“Here! Mr. Gandalf! Can’t you do something about this deluge!?” Dori called.

This brought a smirk to Sara’s face and she tried to hide it behind her hair but her curls were drenched now and having lacked a hood, she couldn’t protect her head from the rain so she just hoped no one saw her grinning.

“It is raining Master Dwarf and it will continue to rain until the rain is done,” Gandalf replied. “If you wish to change the weather of the world you must find yourself another wizard.”

Sara smirked and soon found herself distracted from the conversation by Mason. The puppy had refused to walk once the road had gotten soaked and muddy, so she had placed the drippy puppy in front of her on the saddle where he was huddling against her abdomen, trying to shield himself from the rain.

Sara smiled and ran her fingers through his wet black fur, “You little wet mongrel. What am I going to do with you?”

She glanced up and spied Kili who was distressed at how the water had drenched his cloak and ruined his hair. Smirking to herself, she urged her pony towards Kili so that she was riding beside him.

“Rainy huh?” she asked, smiling.

Kili nodded, “Tell me about it.”

“I know a cure for it,” Sara remarked.

Reaching down she picked up Mason and held out the drippy, furry puppy towards Kili’s face. On any other occasion Kili wouldn’t have minded but Mason was soaking wet and smelly. The dwarf let out a yelp and waved his hands in his face to keep the puppy away from him.

Sara let out a laugh and soon most of the dwarves were laughing with her especially when Kili got all flustered from embarrassment. It got even funnier when Mason managed to lick Kili’s face and whack him in the face with his wet and furry tail.

“Wet pet!” Kili cried, pulling his pony away.

Deciding that was enough, Sara placed the puppy back into his lap and smiled, “Well that is something you two have in common.”

“Well you’re twice as wet as any of us,” Fili pointed out. “You’ll catch a cold.”

Sara smiled, “Oh it’s fine. Unless the temperature out here is below mild, no one will catch a cold and just as long as everyone gets into dry clothes.”

“Hey look at this!” Ori called from behind.

All eyes turned to look over their shoulders at the young dwarf who had stopped his pony and had dismounted. Stumbling through the mud, he had approached a small bush and was touching the petals of a huge white flower. The tips were tinted red. Sara frowned. She didn’t know much about Middle Earth plants but there was a vibe that she got from looking at the plant that told her to be careful.

“Ah!” Oin called from the front, “That’s hoisin. It’s a rare plant.”

Sara’s head snapped in Oin’s direction, “Um… Oin… what does that mean in the common tongue?”

Oin looked at her in confusion before looking to the sky, “Now that I think of it… it means coniine. Don’t know what that really is but…”

The words were barely out of Oin’s mouth before Sara’s face went sheet white. Flying off her horse she sprinted through the mud, not caring that the mud was soiling her pants. She rushed to Ori and quickly grabbed his hand before he managed to grab the plant’s leaves.

“DON’T TOUCH IT!” she yelled.

Ori jumped at the seriousness in her voice while all eyes were on her.

“Sara, what’s up?” Fili asked, urging his horse towards them.

“Coniine is a poison,” Sara explained. “It’s found in a plant back in my world…. It is strong enough to kill you!”

The silence that enveloped the company was so thick that all one could hear was the steady pants from Sara and the rain that still fell.

“Ori you nitwit!” Dori called. “What were you thinking?”
“I didn’t know!” Ori whined.

Sara shook her head and sighed, getting to her feet, “It’s alright. I’m just glad he didn’t touch the leaves or the stem. I don’t know what part of this plant secretes the poison.”

The dwarves all sighed before Nori and Dori pulled their brother onto his pony. Sara slumped with relief in the mud before a hand was thrust in her direction. Glancing up to the owner of the hand, Sara found herself staring in shock into the pale blue eyes of Thorin.

“You’ll catch cold sitting in the mud,” He remarked with a serious, placid expression.

Sara took his and at once felt her cheeks go pink. His hand was huge compared to hers and even though the whole of him was drenched, it was warm.

With a swift motion, Thorin pulled her up out of the mud and onto the back of his pony. Sara let out a slight squeal at the motion before gripping his shoulders. She feared that gripping his waist would be too forward and honestly, she was already flustered. Thorin urged his pony over towards Sara’s pony before making sure that his pony was right alongside hers. Sara gripped his shoulders and climbed off his saddle and jumped into hers. When she was settled on the saddle again, she pulled Mason close to her chest to protect him from the rain.

“Thank you,” a soft voice whispered.

Sara’s head snapped up to realize that Thorin hadn’t ridden off and he was still sitting on his pony right next to her, “Thank you for stepping in. If you hadn’t, Ori might have died.”
Sara smiled, “Don’t worry about it!”

Thorin stared at the girl as she grinned at him sweetly, her eyes closed. Even drenched to the skin, she was… honestly…. Thorin didn’t know what but for some reason he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Chapter Text

When they stopped later that afternoon, the rain had long stopped and the whole company had dried off from the rain.

Thorin chose a small clearing in the woods for the night but Sara didn’t recognize the place. She was about to voice out her opinion when suddenly she remembered that they had no idea that she knew what was supposed to happen. What’s more, she had to remind herself that the books and movies didn’t follow the journey day by day after all.

Sighing heavily with exhaustion, she dismounted and lifted Mason from the saddle. The puppy stretched before scampering off to chase squirrels. Sara laid her head in the saddle and closed her eyes as she began to unbuckle the girth of the saddle. Why did she feel so lightheaded…. And weak? She felt so heavy.

“Yo Sara,” Kili called. “You alright?”
“Yeah I’m fine,” Sara called back but when she first opened her mouth, it came out croaky like there was something in her throat.

Thorin’s head snapped in her direction at the sound in her voice and just managed to see her hide behind her horse from Kili’s view and cough into her shoulder. What is wrong with her?
Shrugging his shoulders, he finished unsaddling his pony and set about helping Oin start a fire. Occasionally he would look up to see where his nephews, the hobbit and Sara had wandered off to. As usual, his nephews wouldn’t stop moving around and playing about. The hobbit was shyly following Gandalf around as usual… but Sara was different. Instead of talking with the others or wandering around curiously, she was seated on a rock nearby, her legs drawn to her chest and she hugged them close, resting her chin on her knees.

Thorin frowned. He felt like there was something off with her. There was no color in her cheeks and her eyes looked sunken in. She kept wobbling back and forth as if trying to either rock herself to sleep or she was dozing off every few seconds.

‘Must be tired,’ Thorin thought to himself.

He went back to setting up the fire when he was snapped out of it by a cry from Kili. He looked up, expecting Kili to be bleeding or getting chased by a rabbit. However, Kili was kneeling next to the rock where Sara had been seated… and was holding the girl in his arms. Sara’s eyes were closed, and her head lulled to the side while Kili struggled to stand up with her in his arms.

“Sara!” Fili cried, rushing to the girl’s side.

Thorin rose to his feet while all the other dwarves in the company rushed over to the two young dwarves.

“What happened?” Oin insisted.

“She just toppled over,” Kili replied. “She looked like she was falling asleep… then she just collapsed.”
“She must be just overly tired,” Dwalin reasoned.

Oin shook his head, “Not so easily… she’s poisoned.”
Thorin had been about to kneel back down to finish the fire when he froze. He snapped his head around and dropped the flint and steel.

“What do you mean poisoned?” he insisted, glaring.

Oin seemed a little shocked at Thorin’s outburst but was quick to recover, “the greenish hue of her skin, the way her eyes are diluted… and the fact that she is bleeding from her mouth.”

Thorin was beside the healer in an instant and sure enough, he could see a small trail of blood seeping from between Sara’s plush lips. Her skin was pale but also had an unnatural color to it and her eyes… well those were closed.

“But what poisoned her?” Fili insisted, helping his brother lay the girl down on a nearby bedroll.

“The plant,” Gloin whispered. “She must have touched it when she pushed Ori away.”

“Fool,” Thorin grumped, “Two days in and she’s already getting herself nearly killed. Is there a way we can remedy it?”

Oin nodded, “Aye. I have something here that will get rid of the poison… but it will be painful because it drains her body so as to drain the poison as well. She will be dehydrated but we cannot give her water. She cannot eat or have any nutrients. All we can do is try to get her to sleep. That will make the poison leave her body faster.”

Kili slowly raised his hand, “How exactly will the poison leave her body.”
Immediately Thorin clobbered him over the head but Oin smiled fondly, “She will vomit laddie. We should keep her comfortable and someone keep an eye on her overnight. Maybe take shifts.”

“So, no drinking, no eating, she will vomit, watch her in shifts… what else?” Thorin asked.

“She will get the chills,” Oin replied, “But we cannot cover her up. That will encourage a fever. The Best thing is to make sure she is bodily warm.”

“How do you do that?” Fili insisted.

Oin shook his head, “Let her shiver. Whatever we do, we cannot cover her up.”

The dwarves all slowly nodded before Fili spoke up.

“Who should go first then?”

“I will,” Kili said immediately, “After all, she is lying on my bedroll.”
Dwalin chuckled slightly before ruffling the boy’s hair, “Aye lad. I’ll take over after you, then Fili can have a go.”

It was around midnight when Thorin woke to the sound of heavy coughing. Lifting his head slightly from his bedroll, he could faintly see the outline of Kili kneeling near the edge of the camp. Rising to a sitting position, Thorin saw that Kili was kneeling beside the form of Sara. The girl was on her stomach and her body shaking with retching coughs.

Rubbing his eyes, Thorin rose to his feet and skillfully walked around the sleeping bodies of the other dwarves. He knelt down beside Kili and considered the girl. The color was still gone from her face, her eyes closed, and she was shivering. She looked terrible, sweating horribly and blood smeared around her face where Kili had tried to dry the constant flow of blood flow.

“What are we going to do uncle?” Kili asked, his voice laced with worry. “I have to force myself to not get her water every time she asks. Oin said all we can do is touch her tongue with a wet cloth… nothing more but she is craving water in her sleep.”
“Has she woken up?” Thorin asked.

Kili shook his head, “But she stopped vomiting a while ago. Oin said now she’ll just sweat till morning, getting rid of the excess moisture in her body.”

Thorin looked down at the girl and sighed. He had to admit, it was hard to watch the girl shivering there, not allowed to have a covering.

“I’ll take over for a while,” Thorin replied. “What should I do?”

Kili glanced at the moon which was directly overhead, “In another hour or so, Oin said to give her heat so she doesn’t get pneumonia. She cannot have water… so just keep her warm in an hour or so.”
Thorin nodded as his nephew scurried off to lay down with Fili on the other side of camp. Thorin sat down next to the sleeping girl, leaning back on his hands. He stared up at the stars, thinking of his father… his grandfather and Erabor. He slowly turned his head and looked at the girl lying next to him. She was violently shaking while clutching her hands to her chest in an attempt to keep warm.

He slowly shook his head ruefully, “What is it about you? You’ve barely been in this company for two days and already I have a thousand questions about you. Why you get so touchy about your family, your knowledge of things that we can barely fathom… how you seem so protective over everyone, especially Fili and Kili… what is it about you that I cannot seem to place? You are a puzzle to me.”

The girl continued to violently shiver in her sleep and soon, soft whimpers and whines began to leave her mouth. At first Thorin thought it was from the cold… but soon he realized that she was dreaming for her soft voice came out in soft whispers.

“Pierce… no don’t… don’t leave… you’ll die… no…no…. they need you…don’t leave…”

Thorin found it virtually impossible to not pay attention to every word she was saying. Whatever she was dreaming about was obviously very realistic… and possibly from a memory. The sweat that built up on her forehead began to pour down more and soon tears were pouring from her eyes and the small stream of blood pouring from her mouth began to pour again. Getting up, Thorin found a rag and dampened it with water. He gently wiped the sweat from the girl’s face and the tears from around her eyes. She had stopped muttering and whining but she was still shivering. Thorin carefully turned the cloth over to the clean side and wiped the blood away from the girl’s mouth. He wiped away the dried blood that had stained her cheek and had reddened her lips. Before he realized what had happened, his finger had stopped wiping the blood and was hovering millimeters from her lips. His eyes were fixed on the girl’s mouth, slightly parted…. The blood gone for now.

Snapping out of his daze, he placed the bloodied rag next to him and looked up at the moon. An hour had passed. Grabbing a nearby blanket he draped it over the girl. The sleeping girl clutched it close to her and nuzzled her face into the covers, balling into a ball to get as much warmth from the blanket as possible. However, about ten minutes later she was still violently shaking. Without even thinking about it, Thorin removed his outer cloak and draped it over the girl. Sara clutched that one close and she stopped shaking for a while…. but soon her lips began to shake and turn blue. Thorin began to worry. He didn’t know much about healing and sickness, but he knew enough that when someone’s lips are turning blue, it’s not a good sign. What’s more, the color wasn’t not yet returning to the girl’s face. He needed to get her completely warm before she got worse.

Thorin glanced over at the sleeping dwarves and huffed. Well there was nothing for it. Lifting the cloak and blanket up, Thorin slipped next to the girl and laid down next to her. Slipping one arm around her, he pulled her flush against him before covering them both up with the two layers. Sara stopped shivering almost immediately and tangled her fingers in his shirt. Thorin’s breathing hitched when she pressed her nose against his chest and let out a deep sigh.

“Don’t leave…” She whispered in her sleep. “not like mum and dad did.”

***********

When Sara woke the next morning, she found that she was neither hot, nor cold… just the right temperature and unusually comfortable. She frowned slightly. She was never this comfortable lying on the ground. Sure, she had done plenty of camping with her brothers so that she could easily fall asleep on the ground but now… it felt like she wasn’t on the ground at all. Slowly lifting her head, she felt something warm and soft flutter across her cheek which felt like a warm breeze.

Turning her head, she let out the faintest squeak when she found out that she wasn’t lying on her bedroll… but on Thorin! Now it would be one thing to wake up right next to him or with one’s head on his chest… but she was practically on him! Her legs were tangled with his, her hands lying on his chest… yep, she was practically his blanket!

Luckily for Sara, she had woken to strange scenes in her life of being the only girl in a houseful of boys, so she knew better than to panic. Trying to ignore her fast beating heart, she slowly moved her hands off his chest and laid them on the ground, giving herself some leverage. She was just about to push herself off of him when she found that something was holding her down.

Glancing over her shoulder, her face went as red as an apple when she saw that she had kicked off the blanket and Thorin’s cloak in her sleep, revealing that the thing that was holding her down was in fact Thorin’s arms! They were tightly wrapped around her waist, both his hands gripping her waist. It wasn’t just the fact that he was holding her, but the fact that his arms were long enough (or her waist slender enough) for his arms to completely encircle her.

Flinching, fearing that she would wake the dwarf prince, Sara reached back and slowly gripped his wrist guard of one of his arms. Slowly she lifted it and placed his hand on the ground next to him. Luckily, the dwarf didn’t make a peep. Next she peeled his other arm off of her and laid it down. Now free from any restraint, she pushed her upper body off of Thorin’s chest. She was just about to let out a sigh and stand up when she found that she had forgotten something: their legs.

When Sara meant tangled, she meant tangled. Sara’s legs were lying between Thorin’s which were slightly spread apart and his lower legs were bent and laying over her calves, pinning her legs down. Was he afraid she was going to move? Geez!

Sara was now as red as fire now and she didn’t know what to do. Carefully she sat up so that she could reach her feet with her hands. Reaching back, she gripped Thorin’s boot softly and lifted it off, doing the same with the other until she was free… but then she realized where she was.

Turning around, she felt herself go completely red from head to toe when she realized that she was sitting atop Thorin’s waist, with her legs straddling him. She reached up and covered her cheeks with her hands.

“Oh, this is so embarrassing,” She whispered. “If Thorin saw this I would be dead!”

Quietly she slowly rose up so that the movement of her body weight off of him wouldn’t rouse Thorin. When she was finally off, she didn’t waste time in tiptoeing past all other sleeping dwarves to the edge of camp. When she did reach the edge, she sighed and brushed her hair out of her face. Her face felt warm even though she was no longer blushing. She felt lightheaded and incredibly thirsty.

She headed down to the small river that ran about fifty yards from the camp. There she splashed her face with water, drank so much that she thought she was going to turn to water soon and sat down to relax, realizing that her legs felt like putty.

Meanwhile, Thorin had awoken shortly after Sara had left for the girl had forgotten to cover him with his cloak or the blanket which meant that because of the lack of heat that Sara brought to his body, he was soon chilled. Glancing to the side, he realized that Sara was no longer lying beside him like she was the last time he checked. Little did he know that both he and Sara had moved in their sleep. Sitting up, he looked about. He half expected her to be by the fire or with Fili and Kili. He noticed that half the camp was up and preparing breakfast but there was no sign of Sara.

“How was the lass last night Thorin?” Oin asked, “Did her fever go down?”

Thorin felt himself go slightly red but was glad his beard hid it, “Yeah it did. Have you seen her?”

“She’s by the river,” Fili called out.

Thorin didn’t know where it came from, but he headed to the edge of camp in the direction of the river. He stopped by a tree when he spied the red hair of the girl by the river. She was sitting by the edge of the river, gazing out at the water. Her red hair was down and billowing around her and before Thorin realized it, he had been standing there a full ten minutes just staring.

Finally, the girl rose to her feet and headed back towards the camp. Thorin headed back and began to saddle his horse, hoping that she didn’t see him staring. He was just strapping on his bedroll when he heard a slight shout that sounded like Fili. Snapping his head around, he saw Fili holding Sara’s forearms and the girl looked like she had stumbled.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

Fili helped her regain her balance but kept a hand on her arms, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, just weak,” She replied, “Riding will make it easier.”

Fili nodded, obviously content with that answer but Thorin frowned. If she was weak, there was a chance she might either fall asleep or slip off the horse. Thorin saw her head over to her pony and grip the saddle… but stop. He saw her shoulders rise and fall as she took deep breaths, preparing to force herself onto the saddle.

Thorin’s hands found her waist and the girl slightly yelped when he lifted her up and placed her on the saddle. She looked down at him in surprise and Thorin found himself smiling at her. She was trying to be strong so that no one worried about her. She didn’t want to be a burden, so she was hiding her pain.

Thorin realized he was smiling and quickly put on a scowl before walking off.

“Thank you,” a soft voice whispered.

He turned around to see Sara looking down at her lap, “Thank you Thorin.”

Thorin felt like he was frozen to the spot. Sara’s green eyes were shrouded by her long lashes and her red bangs that slightly fell over her eyes… her cheeks tinted pink. Thorin snapped out of it and cleared his throat.

“Don’t read too much into it.”

With that, he strode off. However, he didn’t fail to notice that he purposely rode behind Sara the whole day just to make sure he was there to catch her should she fall.

********

It was nearing noon and Thorin was beginning to think that Sara’s poker face wouldn’t last much longer. She had managed to stay in the saddle for three straight hours without stopping for breaks. Once or twice he saw her nodding off but just when her chin almost touched her chest, she snapped out of it.

Thorin shook his head ruefully. She was a stubborn one, he would give her that, but he knew that if she kept forcing herself to stay awake and not rest, it would take longer for her to heal.

Besides that, she wouldn’t let her exhaustion get in the way of her caring for Mason. The puppy was growing so fast that Thorin thought he was a weed in dog form literally. When they were at Baggend, Mason could easily curl up and fit perfectly in Sara’s lap when she crossed her legs and now, he was almost as long as her legs and came up past her knees. He sat in front of her on the saddle for most of the ride but other times he scampered around. Thorin was glad that he didn’t bark or bite at the horses and honestly, he had grown fond of the young dog. Once he got old enough, he would be a great asset.

Thorin urged his horse a little forward so that his horse’s neck was in line with Sara’s saddle so that should the girl topple, he could reach her. Mason was sitting on the girl’s lap, his front paws dangling over her leg while his head was rested against her waist. The puppy was sound asleep and looked so peaceful and innocent.

Sara was holding her reins in one hand and with her other, was stroking the puppy’s head between his ears gently. Thorin noticed that her eyes weren’t on the road but were staring somewhere near the middle of her pony’s neck, kind of off into space. Thorin recognized that look. He had seen it three or four times that day when she had begun to nod off. Until now, he had no reason to worry but something was off.

Sara’s arms were limp and her feet just hanging in the stirrups. She was running out of energy. Her face was pale and her eyes drooping shut.

Sara was racking her brain in an attempt to keep herself awake. If she could keep herself busy thinking or doing something, it would keep her awake. However, her repetitive rhythm of petting Mason was almost like a soothing lullaby and the horse’s soft, smooth gate, the hum of talking around her… she could barely keep her mind on anything but sleep.

She felt herself slipping and she tried to snap herself out of it like she had the past few times, but something was just not letting her. Her brain was switching off, turning off all the lights and she couldn’t stop them from turning off. Before she knew it, she felt everything around her go black and she felt herself slipping…then everything froze.

Her eyes cracked open and she found herself in a peculiar predicament. She was still on her pony…. Partially but she was leaning way too far to the side. She had no idea how she wasn’t falling off.

Slowly turning her head, she realized that the soft feeling on the side of her head was Thorin’s large hand. He was cupping the side of her head in his hand like a pillow, keeping her from slipping to the ground.

“Sorry,” She whispered.

The dwarf prince shook his head. Looking over his head, he called out to Dwalin, “Help me out?”

Dwalin urged his horse over immediately. Riding on the other side of Sara’s pony, he grasped the girl around the waist and lifted her off her pony. Riding around, he set her gently on the back of Thorin’s pony. Riding back, he picked Mason up and placed the puppy on his own pony while tying Sara’s horse to the back of the pack pony so she wouldn’t wander.

“I’m sorry,” Sara whispered, laying her cheek against Thorin’s back and looping her arms around his waist.

“Don’t worry about it,” Thorin huffed, “You need to heal anyway. Just rest and let yourself heal.”

Sara nodded against his back before closing her eyes. Within five seconds Thorin could feel her grip around his waist weaken to almost nothing and her breathing level off. Even over the horse’s hooves he could hear her gentle breathing… and he could feel her chest rise and fall against his back. Thorin felt the tip of his ears going red when he realized that, and it didn’t help that Sara’s hands had loosened around his waist and were now lying limply against his thighs.

“My brothers would have loved to meet you Thorin,” Sara whispered.

Thorin felt himself jolt inwardly. Was she asleep… or had she woken up suddenly… or had she not really been asleep? He glanced over his shoulder to see the girl sound asleep against his back. He must have imagined it… but through the rest of the day he couldn’t get those words out of his mind.
=

Chapter Text

“We’ll camp here for the night!” Thorin called.

The dwarves all began to dismount and began to unsaddle their horses. Sara was feeling ten times better, so she dismounted herself, even though both Fili and Kili rushed to her side to ensure that she didn’t crumble. She smiled at them and patted both of them on the head.

“It’s alright, I’m fine now.” She assured them.

The two nodded, “We know, but we’re worried that you’ll get worse again!”
Sara smiled and gave the two a quick hug each, “Thank you for your concern but I’ll be alright. Besides, if I get sick again I’ll know you two will be there.”
Fili and Kili’s face lit up like fireworks and ridiculous grins spread over their young faces. Thorin had just dismounted and was unsaddling his horses when he saw this reaction and for some reason, it aggravated him.

“FILI! KILI! Look after the ponies,” he called, snapping the two out of their joy, “Be sure you stay with them.”

The two dwarves nodded obediently and headed off to do just that. Sara grabbed her backpack and slung it on her back before kneeling down in front of Mason. The puppy was getting bigger to the point where he was almost too big to ride in the saddle with Sara. He was damp but otherwise clean for the rain had kept all the mud from sticking to his fur.

Sara became aware of a demanding presence in front of where she crouched by Mason. She glanced up to see Thorin standing over her.

“You should get some rest,” he pointed out coldly.
Sara nodded, “I will, just after you go talk to Gandalf. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of a possible brawl.”

Thorin raised an eyebrow at the girl skeptically, “Who says we will argue?”
Sara shrugged, “It’s the tension in the air. It’s easy to read.”
Thorin, deciding that Sara was not in the mood to converse with him, headed off to speak with Gandalf. She smiled to herself the moment she saw Thorin and Gandalf begin their heated argument on elves. She ruffled Mason’s ears and grinned.

“So predictable.”

Two minutes later, Gandalf came storming past the dwarves, his face red with fury. He stopped beside Sara and bent down to her petite level.

“I told you I would never ask you about the outcomes in the future but please tell me that one day dwarves will not hate elves so much!”

Sara smiled and felt the urge to laugh, realizing that if you skipped over Tauriel and Kili’s future romance, the next dwarf and elf who made friends were Legolas and Gimli…. About 60 years in the future!

“Possibly,” the girl replied, biting her finger to keep from laughing at Gandalf’s exasperated look.

“Gandalf where are you going?” Bilbo called, fully concerned.

“TO see the company of the only one around here who’s got any sense!” Gandalf snapped.

“And who’s that?” Bilbo pushed.

“Myself Master Baggins!” Gandalf hissed, “I’ve had enough of dwarves for one day.”
The wizard began to walk off when he stopped and turned back to Sara, “You know what is to happen. Promise me you’ll keep your patience.”
Sara shrugged, “I do not have the world in my hands. Who knows, maybe with my presence certain things will begin to happen or not happen. I can only try.”
Gandalf nodded, obviously satisfied before storming off again.

Sara watched him, a rather amused look on her face. She bent down and wrapping her arms around Mason’s black form, hauled him into her arms. He was so large now that it felt like she was holding a young goat rather than a puppy.

“What were you talking with Gandalf if I may ask?” Thorin inquired, suddenly appearing behind her.

Sara shrugged, “He just asked me to not lose my head alone with a bunch of temperamental dwarves.”

“Do you have something against dwarves!?” Thorin snapped, eyeing the girl dangerously.

Sara smiled, not in the least way scared of the dwarf, “Not at all! I am rather fond of dwarves… when I’m not in their presence.”
Thorin glared, “And what do you mean by that?”
Sara just smirked and pushed past the dwarf prince, carrying the puppy with her. Thorin watched her go, completely flabbergasted at what had just occurred. Mason peered over Sara’s shoulder at him and Thorin could have sworn the dog smirked at him.

The next two hours were rather quiet. Bilbo had headed off to deliver soup to Fili and Kili but had only been gone about two minutes. Sara was seated against a rock, Mason laying on her lap fully asleep. It was rather amusing watching the dog for as a baby, Mason had no difficulty in fitting on Sara’s lap when he slept but now, he was as long as her legs, so half his body was dangling off her legs while his head lay on one of her arms.

“Care for seconds lass?” Bofur called.
Sara smiled and shook her head, “No thank you Bofur.”
“You’re looking a lot better lass,” Oin added.

Thorin looked up from where he had been sharpening his axe. It was true. The color had returned to the girl’s face and she was smiling again. Her eyes still looked a little glossy from exhaustion, but she was hiding it well. However, Thorin noticed a sense of alertness in the girl’s face. Every few minutes she glanced over at where Bilbo had disappeared into the woods and then she would look away, smiling knowingly to herself. Thorin had no idea what was on her mind, but it annoyed him that he didn’t know.

Suddenly, Fili came tramping through the woods, horrified and pale. “TROLLS!”
The dwarves were on their feet in an instant, none of them noticing that Sara smiled and slowly got to her feet calmly, moving so as to not rouse Mason.

“Where?” Thorin insisted.

“They got the ponies… and Bilbo. Kili is keeping an eye on them.”
“How did Bilbo get taken?” Gloin insisted.

“He went off to rescue the ponies,” came a soft voice.

All eyes spun around to see Sara standing there, completely calm and not worried in the least.

“How did you know?” Fili asked, shocked.

Sara grinned, “You happened to have the burglar with you Fili. Do you really think you or Kili would choose to do it yourself when you could easily convince Bilbo to do it?”
Fili looked from Sara to Thorin, then to Balin then back to Sara, “Okay that is creepy. You know more about me than my mother does!”

“Probably because she has seen your dark side more,” Thorin huffed, “Let’s go.”
Sara knew she would be no help and honestly, there was no point in her going but she didn’t want to appear suspicious so she grabbed her cloak, but a hand clapped on her shoulder. She was half expecting Thorin, but it turned out to be Fili.

“Please stay behind. You’re still recovering and we don’t want you getting hurt. Besides, you aren’t armed correctly and you haven’t learnt to even handle a sword.”
Sara sighed and nodded, trying to act disappointed, “Fine. But if you are gone more than twenty minutes I’m following.”
Fili smiled, “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
The two smiled at each other before Fili hurried off to join the others. Thorin had watched the whole exchange and he felt that there was something about how Sara complied to Fili’s short reasoning that almost seemed… off… he knew she wasn’t afraid for the look in her eyes carried absolutely no fear… but he wondered why she agreed to stay behind so readily.

Shaking the thought out of his mind, he turned and followed his nephew through the woods.

Twenty minutes passed and the dwarves were still not back. Sara considered staying and not going after them but then she remembered her promise to Fili and she felt she might as well just go see how far along the trolls were with cooking them.

Leaving Mason at the camp, knowing he would bark and reveal their presence, Sara crept through the woods till she found the camp. Sure enough, half the dwarves were on the spit and the other half were tied up in bags and on the ground.

She smiled when she saw Bilbo standing up in his sack, trying to talk sense into the dwarves… but something felt different. Sara glanced up and saw that Bilbo was at the part of the ‘plan’ where he brought in the worms and infections… but Sara saw no sign of Gandalf. Was something wrong? But Gandalf was supposed to be there… what if…. What if something changed because of what she told Gandalf before he left? What if he didn’t return soon enough like in the movie?

Sara began to feel anxious when the point where Gandalf should have appeared approached and there was no sign of the wizard.

She had to think of more diversion so that Gandalf had more time. Curse that wizard! Of all times to be late! Sara racked and racked her brains for a talent that could possibly help the dwarves. She knew gymnastics but it was dangerous around fire…. She had no weapon…then she remembered something. Sprinting back to the camp, she grabbed up her bag and pulled out the last thing she wanted to use but she had no choice… the pistol. Stuffing it into her belt, she ensured that it was full of bullets and gun powder before running back to the troll camp.

Sara felt nervous about using the gun because of the trolls could locate where she was, she was in trouble. Looking around, she spied the perfect tree behind where Thorin, Fili and Kili were tied up with the other dwarves and Bilbo.

She scurried over to the tree and looked at the lowest branch. She mentally cursed her petite size for there was no way she could get up there without help. Then she spied the unsuspecting Thorin and Kili lying not more than five feet away. Laying down on her stomach, she crawled towards them in the undergrowth before she gently tapped Kili on the shoulder.

The boy snapped around and would have said something if Sara hadn’t clapped a hand over his mouth. This caught Thorin’s attention who turned in surprise but relaxed when he saw who it was.

“Quiet, will you?” Sara hissed into Kili’s ear.

The young dwarf quieted and Sara released his mouth, “I need your help getting into the tree.”
“How?” Kili whispered.

“Scoot back till you’re sitting against the tree and I’ll use your shoulder as a boost,” Sara whispered back.

“What will you accomplish by doing that?” Thorin whispered, skepticism evident in his voice.

Sara smiled warmly, surprised that it was genuine considering how annoying the dwarf was being, “Trust me.”
Kili didn’t wait for his uncle’s approval but scooted back till he was seated against the tree. Thorin sat in front of him, trying to make sure that if the trolls looked, they wouldn’t notice anything. Sara made sure the trolls weren’t looking before she jumped onto Kili’s shoulder and onto the first branch. She could feel Kili and Thorin watching her climb up and she was at once thankful that she had learnt to climb trees as a kid.

When she was sure she was at a part where the trolls couldn’t reach her if they spied her, she sat down on a limb with her back to the trunk so she wouldn’t fall. She pulled out the pistol and removed the safety switch. She held it in her right hand and held the branch above her with her left to steady her.

She remembered all the things that her father and Pierce had told her when they taught her how to shoot. Keep your eyes open, breathe, keep your elbows straight, relax your shoulders. She did this twice before she finally fired the first shot.

The bullet struck the largest Troll in the shoulder and everyone, even the dwarves began to panic. The dwarves began to yell and shout, not sure where the noise was from and who made it. The trolls looked shocked when blood began to pour from the tiny wound on the troll’s shoulder.

“What in the world is that?” one of the trolls asked.

“I don’t know but it hurts a lot!” The shot troll groaned.

Sara fired again at the second largest troll and it struck him in the belly. She knew that they weren’t enough to kill the trolls, but they were definitely distracting the creatures.

“Where is that little beast?” the largest troll asked, grabbing his blade.

He reached over and grabbed Fili from the ground, holding the young dwarf by the neck with one hand and holding the blade to his neck with the other.

“I’ll kill him if you don’t come out!”
Sara smiled. She sighted the next shot for the hand that held the blade. She didn’t want to risk Fili’s life by shooting the one that held him, so she aimed and shot. The blade tumbled from the troll’s hand as did Fili as the troll clutched his bleeding wrist and yelled.

The troll was about to grab his blade again when suddenly light began to stream into the camp and Sara could faintly make out the silhouette of Gandalf atop the rock. She sighed. About time!

***********

Sara felt a splitting pain going through her head and she felt incredibly weak. Was her fever returning or did she exert herself too much after recovering? She slowly slid down the tree before landing on the ground, but her head spun. Kili and Fili were at her side in an instant, supporting her.

“That was amazing Sara!” Fili cried. “How did you do that?”
“What was that noise you made?” Kili asked. “Was it part of your weapon?”
The two young dwarves were pushed to the side when Thorin came storming in their direction. He stopped in front of Sara and glared down at her.

“Hand me the weapon,” he demanded.

Sara decided the best thing was to humor him. Taking out the pistol, she made sure it wasn’t loaded before she placed it in Thorin’s hands. He seemed surprised at the weight of the small weapon. He slowly turned it over, eyeing each part and skillfully running his fingers over the parts.

“How does it work?” he asked, sounding interested.

Sara slowly took the weapon from him before opening it up to show him where the bullets go. “Small pieces of metal are placed it here. There is a little coiled piece of metal called a spring that makes the piece of metal shoot forward when I pull the trigger. It’s like a crossbow, but much more powerful.”
Thorin stared at Sara a long time before nodding and turning away, “Don’t use it in future unless you have no other choice. We don’t want to draw attention to us.”
Sara nodded and placed the pistol back in her belt underneath her shirt.

About fifteen minutes later, Thorin, Bofur, Gloin, Nori, Dwalin and Gandalf had gone off to check out a cave and the others were following. When they approached the cave, everyone took a few steps back at the horrible stench. Sara felt a deep queasy feeling in her stomach which she assumed was because of the smell.

The group took several steps back away from the smell and all sat down in a clump of trees to come up with a plan. Sara was kneeling down, trying to calm down Mason who had been a little upset that she had left him at the camp when a voice broke the silence.

“SARA!” Kili cried, “You’re bleeding!”
Sara froze, half expecting herself to faint right then or a searing pain to appear… but nothing happened. She glanced down at her arms, her chest, felt her back and her neck…. Nothing felt wrong. Suddenly a thought dawned no her and she glanced down at her pants to realize that they were covered in blood. The source? Between her legs.

Sara let out an inaudible groan but put on a smile, “Oh it’s okay Kili.”
“Are you kidding me?” Kili cried, rushing over to her. “That is a lot of blood!”
The older dwarves and Gandalf had taken one look at Sara’s blood-stained pants and had not said anything else on the subject for they had witnessed that in female dwarves. However, Kili wasn’t to be swayed.

“I just need to get some things from Oin,” Sara replied.

“Well, let me help you patch it up then!” Kili cried.

Sara’s eyes widened and her face paled, “Uh Kili…. This isn’t something I can let you help with….”
“I’m on it!” Kili cried, rushing off without letting the girl finish.

Sara stared open mouthed as the young dwarf ran off. Fili was at her side in an instant.

“Kili said you’re bleeding… what happened?”
Sara sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, “It’s a feminine thing…” she started, thinking that Fili wouldn’t understand either.

However, the boy’s face showed pure understanding and his cheeks tinted slightly from embarrassment, “Sorry about Kili then… Ama never had that talk with him.”
Sara shook her head, “It’s fine… I just need him to stop fussing over me while I fix this…”
As if on cue, the young dwarf returned, dragging Thorin with him. Sara buried her face in her hands and groaned.

“Sara! Thorin is here to help! We’ll get you all patched up nicely before you lose too much blood!”
Sara almost wished that she was injured just to make Kili feel better because the boy was so enthusiastic about helping that it was almost funny.

“Kili…” the girl sighed.

Thorin stood in front of the girl and for a split second, Sara saw pure worry in his face, “You’re injured? Where?”
Sara sighed, “I’m injured by embarrassment,” The girl groaned. “It’s a feminine issue.”
Almost immediately Thorin’s face went bright red from embarrassment and he averted his eyes from Sara which made the girl almost want to laugh for she had never seen Thorin embarrassed before.

“Kili you have a head of stone,” Thorin muttered under his breath, grabbing both his nephews by the collar and dragging them off.

Sara smiled warmly at the sight when Oin approached, holding out a handful of clean thick linens. Sara smiled and took them.

“Thank you Oin.”
The old dwarf smiled warmly, “Your cycle must have been thrown off schedule when you arrived here.”
Sara nodded, “That’s true. I’m afraid I’ve worried Kili though.”
Oin waved his hand, “Thorin will take care of it. You should wash out your things before we head off too.”
Nodding her head, Sara headed off to the river nearby. After changing into a fresh pair of pants and undergarments, she sunk her soiled clothes into the river and began to vigorously scrub the blood off of them. Luckily the blood hadn’t dried too much, so it wasn’t hard to get out.

Sara was just getting the last of the blood out when she sensed a presence behind her. Looking over her shoulder she saw Thorin standing behind her. His face was no longer showing any embarrassment and he was giving off a slight stench, so Sara guessed they had already been in and out of the cave.

“I found something you might need,” Thorin replied seriously.

Walking over, he stood next to the kneeling girl and held out a bundle wrapped in oilskin. Slowly Sara took it and opening the skin, she saw that it contained two slender dual swords. Elvish. Along with it was a quiver that was empty and a longbow. It reminded Sara of a compound bow because it was a lot stronger than most bows.

“Thank you!”

“I know there are no arrows… but Kili said he wanted to teach you at some point…” Thorin replied seriously in a gruff voice.

Sara smiled, “It’s alright. I’ll either make some or collect some along the way. Thank you for the blades though.”
Thorin didn’t reply but tried to look everywhere but at Sara. That was when his eyes landed on the water swirling around in front of Sara which had a tint of red from the blood she had washed from her pants. At once his face went slightly red and he was glad that his beard concealed most of it.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asked quietly.

Sara smiled, “Yeah. Just groggy but nothing major. My first day is always the toughest.”
Sara sensed that Thorin still felt out of place and nervous on the topic, so she decided to change it. Standing up, she stuffed her things back into her bag and slung it on her back before turning towards Thorin. She was just going to ask about the cave examination when the all too familiar noise of Dwalin calling out that something was approaching sounded. Thorin and Sara both rushed up to the camp but Sara didn’t move to draw her weapons, knowing what was to come.

*******

“THEIVES! FIRE! MURDER!” Radagast cried as he came tumbling through the woods.

Sara tried to suppress her chuckles but the least she could do was grin from ear to ear at the sight of the small brown wizard and his sled of rabbits.

“Radagast,” Gandalf sighed, having not drawn his sword when he saw Sara approach the scene with a calm but excited expression. “Radagast the brown. What on earth are you doing here?”
As the two wizards conversed, Sara felt a presence next to her and saw Dwalin lean over towards her, not taking his suspicious eyes off the newcomer.

“So, Thorin give you those?” he asked, nodding towards the girl’s weapons.

Sara glanced down at the quiver that hung from her belt, the dual swords which she had strapped crisscrossed on her back and her bow which she had swung over her shoulder.

“Yeah,” she said, smiling at the huge dwarf.

Dwalin chuckled, “Know how to use them?”

The girl smiled, “Not really. I learnt the basics of archery in my world but not enough to hit a target consistently. I’ve never wielded swords before to be honest.”
the dwarf grinned, “We should just place a battle axe in your hands! The orcs won’t stand a chance!”
The girl grinned, pleased that Dwalin was in a good mood. Just then, Fili and Kili both poked their heads around the tall dwarf, huge grins on their young faces.

“I can teach you Sara!” Fili offered, holding up two of his knives and displaying a smug grin on his face.

Kili quickly pushed his brother’s head out of the way and rushed over to the girl, his arms full of arrows. “I found these in the cave earlier! Uncle said you had no arrows!”
Sara smiled and took the arrows before slipping them into her quiver. Every five arrows was different and there were even a few goblin and orc arrows but she didn’t care. At least they got the job done!

“Thanks!” she chirped, “And I’ll take the two of you up on those fighting lessons.”
The two boys’ faces lit up like little kids on Christmas morning.

“Really!? When!?” Kili asked.

Sara smiled, “Just as soon as it doesn’t feel like orcs are on our tails.”
The two groaned before heading off with Dwalin. They had just walked away when Sara clapped a hand over her mouth. OH NO!!!! They had no idea they were being tailed by orcs! They didn’t find that out for a few more minutes when the warg scouts arrived! What if they caught on?

Sara was on the brink of shaking from worry and desperation to the point where she fell over when she felt two hands hook underneath her arms and lift her up. She was carried like a small puppy over to a log and set down in a sitting position. She lifted her eyes to realize that she had gotten dizzy and her vision slowly swam back into focus and she found Thorin standing over her, looking down at her with those bright blue eyes.

Sara felt her cheeks heat up at the calm, placid look on his face but the worry that shone in his eyes, “You alright? Maybe you shouldn’t exert yourself so much while you’re…. you know.”

The girl chuckled at the dwarf prince’s obvious embarrassment from the mention of her cycle. She nodded and sighed as she relaxed and sank on to the log, glad for the rest.

“You seemed kind of stressed out just now,” the dwarf pointed out, sitting down on a log across from her and leaning on his legs, clasping his hands together in front of him in an almost relaxed way. “What is bothering you?”
Sara slowly shook her head, “I just feel like we’re being watched. I know everything has been peaceful… other than the trolls but I just get this dark feeling of foreboding… like when you’re walking into a dark room and don’t know what you’ll find inside.”
Thorin smiled, “I know the feeling but I highly doubt anyone knows we’re even on this journey. We’re fine.”
The girl nodded but inside her head she was rolling her eyes. ‘Wait for a few more minutes when warg scouts come charging down on us!’

Sara was snapped from her thoughts when she noticed Thorin staring strongly at her, brow slightly furrowed and a thoughtful look in his eyes.

“May I ask you something… about your world?”
A smile appeared on Sara’s face and she nodded, her red curls bouncing.

“You mentioned some things about the cruelty of your world but… in your world or at least in your family, what was it like between family members?”
Sara cocked her head to the side thoughtfully, “Why do you ask?”
Thorin shrugged, “I was just curious as to whether families in your world are similar to what my family was like.”
Sara smiled and she felt a soft feeling fill her stomach. “Well. In my family at least I was close with both my parents. I always looked up to them and admired how close they were and how much they loved each other and my brothers and i. As for my brothers, they were the other half of me. My brother Peirce was the only one near my age, but I was still close with them…”

Sara never got to finish for at that moment, Sara heard the all too familiar call of a warg. Mason, who had fallen asleep at her feet perked his ears up and let out a soft bark of warning. Thorin leapt to his feet as did Sara but Thorin planted himself in front of the girl.

“Was that a wolf?” Bilbo asked, “There are wolves out there?”
Sara sighed, ‘only if you knew!’

“Wolves?” Bofur asked, “No that’s not a wolf!”
Just then, a warg came crashing down the hill towards them but it never reached them. Instead it went flying over its head and landed hard on its side, an arrow in its scull. A second warg charged into the clearing but he too got shot down and landed right next to his fallen companion. All eyes turned to see Sara standing there, behind Thorin. Her bow was in one hand and she had just released both arrows.

Sara looked around at the wide eyes and dangling jaws and shrugged, “Sorry, I really wanted to do that.”
Inside her head, Sara was mentally slapping herself for saying that. In truth, she had just acted on instinct and reflex, having known what was going to happen was a good benefit.

“WARG SCOUTS!” Dwalin yelled, “that means an orc pack is not far behind.”
Sara was just waiting for Bilbo’s reply when she froze. Wait… wasn’t Thorin supposed to be the one to say that line? How come Dwalin was the one to say it? And why hadn’t Bilbo said his line?

“Orc pack?” Ori asked.

Sara felt herself jolt. What? Did someone change the dialog of the script… wait… this isn’t a movie anymore… it’s real life…. BUT WHY HAS IT CHANGED!?

The girl felt a soft hand on her shoulder and turned to see Balin standing behind her, a quizzical look on his face. She realized he had seen her grab her head and he probably guessed that something was bothering her.

“I’ll explain later,” she whispered, low enough so Thorin didn’t hear.

“Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?” Gandalf yelled.

“No one,” Thorin replied.

Gandalf huffed, earning a mental screech from Sara. What? What happened to the other half of the argument!? What?

“What is going on here?” Thorin asked.

“We’re being hunted,” Sara sighed, having enough of the messed up dialog and decided to just roll with it till she could talk to Gandalf later.

“We need to leave,” Dwalin pointed out.

“We cant!” Ori cried, “The ponies bolted.”
“I’ll draw them off,” Radagast offered, determined.

Sara smiled. At least someone was following script!

“These are Gundabad wargs,” Gandalf replied, “you’ll get run over!”

“These are Ruscabel Rabbits,” The smaller wizard replied, happily. “They wont stand a chance.

Sara let out a soft groan that only Balin heard. ‘nevermind!’

Chapter Text

Sara groaned. Would they ever stop running!? It felt like they were running forever across that open plain. Even the running in the film didn’t seem this long! Maybe it was because Sara was actually one of the ones running. It got even worse when the orcs began to chase them. Sara’s biggest fear was that Mason was going to try and chase the orcs and wargs but luckily, he stuck close to her.

Finally, they stopped at the familiar rock area which Sara knew was the entrance to the valley. So far so good.

“They’re coming!” Fili yelled.

Sara glanced down at the quiver full of arrows around her waist. Would it change the timeline and storyline if she shot a few orcs? Right? No? Yes? Oh, what the heck!?

Pulling her bow off her back, she loaded an arrow and shot. It struck an orc but not in a vital area…. but in a sensitive area.

Sara cringed and looked away from the sight.

“Nice shot!” Bofur told her, clapping her on her back.

“Interesting target,” Dwalin remarked, earning a clobber over the head from his brother.

Sara sighed, “I need a few lessons from Kili.”

She heard a faint chuckle from behind her and turned to see Thorin standing behind her, Orcrist drawn but an amused look in his bright blue eyes. Sara spun around to look at the orcs, hoping that he didn’t see her face turn red. What was her problem? Sure, Thorin was THE THORIN OAKENSHEILD, a dwarf from the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, an amazing character and warrior, one of the youngest, best looking dwarves, not to mention quite an accidental lady killer…. Okay stop Sara! Stay focused!

Shaking her head, Sara put another arrow on the bow and prepared to aim for another orc. She was just about to shoot when a gentle hand touched her draw elbow. Turning around, Sara saw that Thorin had touched her elbow with the hilt of Orcrist. Sara gave him a quizzical look.

“Lower your elbow,” Thorin told her, “Try to make it feel like your shoulder blades are touching.”
Sara turned around and did as he said and realized that drawing the bow was ten times easier, not to mention her arms didn’t shake when trying to aim. She shot the arrow and this time it struck the orc…. In the abdomen.

“A little higher than last time,” Bofur remarked.

“Another few shots and you’ll have him in the head lass,” Dwalin teased, earning another box from Balin.

Sara rolled her eyes and didn’t even look over at Dwalin, “Might want to check behind you.”
Dwalin spun around just in time to cut down a warg. The girl smirked to herself. Luckily she paid attention to the books and movies. This was fun!

“This way you fools!” the familiar voice of Gandalf called, earning everyone’s attention.

Thorin rushed to the hole and began to call the others. One by one they slid down till it was only Sara, Kili and Thorin out. Sara had begun to slowly inch backwards, still firing arrows but getting closer and closer to the entrance without taking her eyes off the enemy.

Dwalin slid into the hole with Balin close behind.

“Sara! Now!” Thorin yelled, dominance in his voice.

Sara didn’t obey immediately for she recognized that particular moment all too well and putting her bow back on her back, she drew one of her swords and without even looking, spun around and drove it into the scull of the warg that, in the movies Thorin killed but not this time!

She sheathed the sword and rushed to the hole, jumping in right after Kili. Thorin followed close behind.

When Sara struck bottom, she realized that she wasn’t exactly practiced in the art of falling down holes, so she landed on her back at the bottom but didn’t move in time when Thorin came sliding down, the dwarf prince landing on top of her.

Sara groaned not just from the weight but also the fact that the hilt of Orcrist was digging into her abdomen.

“Are you alright?” Thorin’s voice asked, rather close.

Sara’s eyes flew open, realizing who in fact was on top of her and how close Thorin’s face was to hers.

The girl swallowed thickly and nodded, “Could be better.”

She pointed towards her waist and Thorin looked down, realizing why he couldn’t seem to get his hand free. Turning bright red, the dwarf prince realized that Orcrist was wedged between the two of them and his hand, which still held the hilt, was pressing against the girl’s stomach.

“Right, sorry.”
The dwarf prince climbed off of her before sheathing the sword. Sara sat up, rubbing the back of her head as Kili helped her to her feet.

“Great shooting out there,” Kili whispered to her.

Sara smiled at him, “Remind me to ask you about those lessons.”
Just then, the elvish horn blared and all too soon Sara realized that she was in the way of the falling orc body and got run over by it. Kili helped the girl up while Thorin angrily tossed the elf arrow to the side. Sara walked over and picking the arrow up, wiped the blood off of it and stuck it in her quiver.

However, this didn’t go unnoticed by Thorin who gave her a pointed look as if to say ‘we will talk about this later’.

“I can’t see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no?” Dwalin called.

“Follow it of course!” Bofur called.

As the dwarves began to shuffle off, Sara felt a strong hand on her shoulder and turned to see Gandalf standing over her.

“Just a moment,” he whispered.”
The girl nodded and waited till all the dwarves had walked ahead till she and Gandalf followed.

“I noticed that you seemed unnerved or perplexed by something earlier Sara,” the wizard remarked.

Sara glanced over at the dwarves and Bilbo who were ahead before nodding, “Some things didn’t line up.”
“Events?” Gandalf asked, his eyes widening.

Sara shook her head, “Things said. Up until a few hours ago, almost everything said has lined up with what had been said in… the stories back home…. But then in the woods before the wargs appeared, the wrong people were saying the things that someone else was supposed to say….”

Gandalf sighed, “It’s not that drastic my dear.”
Sara nodded, “I know…. But it’s different… I’m afraid that if I alter the timeline too much, I won’t know if some things will happen or won’t happen and I won’t be able to make as big a difference.”
Gandalf smiled, “Do you think that you cannot make a difference unless you know what is going to happen? My dear, it is a rare gift to know what will happen in the future. I never know what is going to happen, but I still am able to help people. It is just the same to you. Even if the timeline is altered, you will make a difference for the better even if it isn’t for the things you think.”
Sara stopped and looked up at the wizard, “You mean…I might not be able to stop…. Some things from happening. Horrible things?”

Gandalf smiled fondly at her and patted her head, “It is not for us to decide what is to happen Sara. What we must do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us.”
The girl lifted her eyes and slowly they widened. Gandalf noticed this and smiled, “What? What did I say?”
“Something that you don’t say for at least 60 years,” the girl muttered.

Gandalf chuckled, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
The two were snapped out of their private conversation by a loud voice, “Keep up!”

Sara jumped at Thorin’s demanding voice and began to pick up her pace. When she caught up to the others, Kili looped one arm through hers and began to pull her along, chatting about something that Sara barely understood. However, what she did notice was a pair of blue eyes staring at her with a confused, suspicious and almost agitated look.

******

Sara had skillfully weaved her way through the company till she was near the front with Dwalin. She knew what they were coming upon but tried to hold down her excitement. Dwalin paused at a turn to wait for the others who had dragged behind and chuckled at the sight of Sara trying her best to carry a lazy Mason who had demanded transportation.

“The dog is growing,” the large dwarf observed, “Soon he’ll be big enough to carry you!”
Sara laughed as she caught up to Dwalin and waited with him for the others.

“Who knows, he might outgrow wargs!” the girl observed.

Dwalin reached over and scratched behind the pup’s ears, earning a happy growl from the pup, “I’m only guessing that he is a reminder… of the past.”
Sara nodded, and her cheerful demeanor faded, “He is... but I wouldn’t call it a painful reminder. Its’ soothing to be reminded of my home and family every now and then. No amount of crying on my part will bring them back to life and I have mourned them for a while now.”

“I notice your hair wasn’t cut recently,” Dwalin pointed out.

Sara’s ears perked up at this, “I have actually heard of Dwarven customs on mourning… I wasn’t sure though if, since I am human, that I should follow your customs without permission.”
The large dwarf smiled, “You are a part of the company lass and a fine one at that. You’re a part of the family now. It would be an honor for you to accept our traditions.”
Sara’s face lit up and she fingered a lock of her long hair. “Then maybe I’ll cut it… as sort of a finalizing my mourning. It might make me feel better.”

Dwalin nodded before holding out his arms, “I could carry the beast for a while.”
Sara nodded and handed off Mason who looked like a baby in Dwalin’s arms.

“He’s about as heavy as Kili was when he was a bairn!”

Sara chuckled before a thought came to her, “Dwalin… why is Thorin’s beard short? I assumed he cut it after his father and grandfather’s deaths but that was a while ago… and it would have grown out by now.”
“You are very observant lass,” Balin said, having caught up to them. “And you are right. Thorin actually cut it recently after the death of his brother Frerin.”

Sara froze. She had forgotten about Frerin and had never known his death date. “Oh…. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault Sara,” Fili chirped, stopping to catch his breath, “Kili and I never knew him like we know Thorin. Thorin has been the best father, brother and uncle we’ve ever needed.”
Smiling warmly at the boy, Sara gave him a quick comforting hug before changing the conversation.

“Do you think you could lend me a sharpening stone? My dagger has gone dull.”
Fili nodded his head happily, “Sure thing! And I’ll give you those sword fighting lessons too!”
Sara nodded happily before noticing that the others had caught up. Thorin, Bilbo and Gandalf were I the back but Sara noticed the dark look in Thorin’s (in case anyone was wonderingJ) pale blue eyes. Uh oh…. What did she do now?

Little did she know, Dwalin and Balin had also noticed the cold glare coming from the dwarf prince and exchanged knowing looks.

“I reached the end!” Bofur cried from ahead.

Sara’s face lit up and tearing her eyes from Thorin, she rushed with Fili and Kili to where Bofur stood.

When Sara’s eyes caught sight of the huge elven house atop the waterfall, she gasped. It had been beautiful in the movie but seeing it in real life reminded Sara that this was not a dream.

“The Valley of Imlandris,” Gandalf said, “in the common tongue it is known by another name.”

“Rivendell,” Sara muttered before she could stop herself.

She felt multiple puzzled eyes on her and felt her heart sink. Oops, she forgot that she wasn’t supposed to know what this place was.

“I read about it…” the girl muttered.

The dwarves seemed satisfied with her answer and didn’t ask further. Sara faintly heard Thorin’s argument with Gandalf and rolled her eyes. So annoying! Without thinking, the girl approached Thorin from behind so that he didn’t see her approach.

“But we have questions that need to be answered,” Gandalf was saying.

“Think about how annoyed the elves will be when they learn who their guests are,” Sara said casually, not really directing it at Thorin but more at the air itself.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Thorin demanded, turning to face her.

Sara smirked, “Dwarves are not exactly known for their good manners and patience.” Then, under her breath she muttered, “Nor their consideration for those who happen upon then when bathing in a fountain.”
The girl smiled, remembering the embarrassing fountain scene in the film before Thorin’s hand found its way around her wrist.

“What was that?” he snapped, having not heard the last part thankfully.

“Nothing I cannot help knowing,” Sara replied simply, showing no fear before pulling her wrist out of his grasp.

The girl headed off to join the others who were heading down the hill and placed herself with Fili and Kili who at once took their places on either side of her, starting a conversation immediately.

Thorin watched her go, thoroughly puzzled and rather intrigued. What was it about that girl that refused to let him ignore her? Even when he wasn’t in her presence, she crowded his thoughts and haunted his dreams. Whatever she said always intrigued him if it didn’t agitate him first. She was like a magnet pulling him in a direction that annoyed him, but he couldn’t help but want to follow.

******

When the company arrived on the front stoop of the elven palace, Sara couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. Everything was so perfect and beautiful. She let out a giggle when she saw a flock of white doves near the edge of the platform. Walking over, she crouched down next to them and the doves waddled over to her, cooing.

Thorin watched the girl as she crouched on the pavement, holding her hand out to the white birds. One bird walked over and nudged its little head against her palm, earning a soft chuckle from the girl. Lifting the little bird into her hands, Sara nuzzled her cheek against its head, earning a soft coo from the bird.

The dwarf prince glared and clenched his fists. Of all things, a dove who had only been in Sara’s presence a little more than half a minute was closer to the girl than Thorin was!

Just when Thorin began to turn green with jealousy, the arrival of the elven warriors was announced by a blaring horn. The dwarves all crowded together but Thorin was aware of Sara who still was crouching but the doves had flown away in shock except the one still in the girl’s hands. She shook her head in exasperation and smirked at the defensive dwarves.

********

“Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain,” Elrond stated, snapping Thorin out of his musing.

“I do not believe we have met,” Thorin replied in a cold tone.

“You have your grandfather’s bearing,” Elrond replied, choosing to ignore the tone. “I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain.”

Thorin glowered, “Indeed? He made no mention of….”

Thorin never got to finish for at that moment, a soft voice rang out, catching everyone’s attention and interrupting Thorin from insulting the elf Lord. All eyes turned to see that Sara had gotten to her feet and had hurried over to the others but with the horses surrounding the dwarves and Elrond, she found it difficult and resulted in ducking under one horse’s belly to get through. Finally, she stood before them, slightly panting with the dove still in her hands.

“Do not say something that sounds like it would come from an enemy,” the girl whispered to Thorin.

Elrond turned to the girl and at once his face softened and he smiled, “And who are you my lady?”

Sara smiled up at the elf with a huge smile, completely fangirling in her head from finally getting to meet Elrond! “I’m Sara.”
Elrond bowed to the girl who bowed her head in respect before Elrond began to say something in Elvish.

“What is he saying?” Gloin growled, “Does he offer us insult!?”

“No master Gloin he is offering you food,” Gandalf replied.

The dwarves quieted for a moment whilst muttering to themselves before they began to follow Elrond. Sara was about to follow but Thorin’s strong hand clapped his hand on the girl’s upper arm and held her back bending down to talk to her in a low voice.

“Stay away from the elves Sara,” he whispered.

Sara rolled her eyes. If only you knew!

“That is not very friendly of you Thorin,” she replied good naturedly, “They’re giving us a meal and a place to stay. The least you can do is trust them.”
“I will never trust them,” Thorin hissed between his teeth but not at Sara.

Sara sighed and turned to face Thorin, still cuddling the dove to her chest, “Thorin, in case you completely forgot, Thranduil and the woodland realm were the ones who abandoned you and your kin when the dragon attacked and at Moria. And I do not believe Thranduil and Elrond are even related!”
Thorin glared, “Then how come the Rivendell elves didn’t come and help?”
Sara smirked, “Maybe there was another part of Middle Earth that needed help. You aren’t the only one who has had a hard time Thorin.”
Thorin was about to come back with something sarcastic when he noticed that a shadow had passed over the girl’s face and she looked down, averting her gaze. Had he hit a sensitive topic. He remembered what she had just said and realized she was probably thinking back to her family. Oh shucks.

Sara turned away from Thorin and began to head after the others. Thorin reached out and was about to grab her hand to stop her but stopped. He had hurt her by letting his contempt of the dwarves get the better of him. He should let her have some space.

Little did he know, that was the last thing Sara wanted him to do but when Thorin did nothing to stop her, she quickened her pace and went to walk with a female elf to a spare room she had been given.

*******

When Sara emerged from the bath that had been drawn for her, she found a simple dark blue dress waiting for her on the chair of the bedroom. I wasn’t as long as some elven dresses and she noticed almost on the tough, warrior side but it was more feminine than the outfit she had been wearing so far. The girl pulled it on and then grabbed her hair. What should she do with it? She wasn’t an elf so she felt doing an elvish braid would seem strange and she didn’t know how to braid dwarfish, so she decided to do something… her.

Finding two hair ties in the small dresser in the room, she pulled her hair up and put it into two pigtail ponytails but tied them low and behind her ear, next to her jaw. Deciding that she was decent, she pulled her boots on underneath her dress, glad they covered them before heading out.

It wasn’t until she was halfway down the hallway when she realized that the hobbit films and books did not give a detailed map of Rivendell… how was she supposed to find the dining area? Then a thought came to her. She paused and listened intently for a moment before she heard the faint elven music and the chattering of dwarves to the left. Bingo!

Picking up her speed slightly to a more, non-ladylike pace, Sara found herself on the patio where everyone was eating. All eyes turned to her when she entered and the girl froze, suddenly very uncomfortable with all eyes on her. She was about to sneak over to where Fili and Kili were but of course, Gandalf had to appear in front of her and hold out his hand.

“You look lovely my dear,” he said in a gentle, fatherly voice, “come join us.”
‘Of all things!’ the girl screamed in her head, ‘I do not need my nerves to be shot by sitting at the same table as Gandalf, Elrond and Thorin!!!!!’

However, the girl couldn’t refuse when Gandalf began to walk back to the table. Silently she followed him but kept her eyes down. Elrond and Thorin rose when she approached, and Elrond pulled out the chair between himself and Thorin. Talk about being put in the center of attention!

Pushing her fangirling side out of the way for the time being, Sara sat down after whispering a thank you to the elf. She was hoping the three men would go back to their conversation and leave her be but of course, Elrond had to turn the conversation onto Sara.

“I noticed that the doves seemed rather taken by you,” the elf said in a kind voice.

Sara smiled, “Birds have always been a favorite of mine.”
Elrond smiled at the girl and nodded at the creature who lay curled up next to Sara’s chair, “I can hardly say the same for your companion.”
“Mason prefers to eat my friends most of the time,” Sara explained. “it makes it a little hard to not become hated by everyone.”
Elrond let out a bright laugh before taking on a curious face, “Why do birds interest you so much my dear?”

Sara sat silent for a moment, thinking about the question. She moved the salad on her plate around with her fork before she set it down and looked at the elf, “I think it’s because we take them for granted when really in a way they are far above us in so many aspects.”
Sara mentally cursed herself for saying that for at once, all three men had their attention solely on her. Gandalf was looking at her with a fond smile on his face, Elrond seemed greatly engrossed while Thorin just looked at her with a placid expression. Well, that was to be expected.

“What do you mean by that?” Elrond inquired.

“Well,” Sara began, “Birds have the ability of flight which is hardly something anyone of us can say about ourselves. They are constantly hunted down by larger animals and, but they always manage to never go extinct. They are so graceful and beautiful but even the most beautiful of birds are the strongest and bravest of parents. If more humans were like birds, I believe that the world would be a more peaceful place. All the birds desire is to live and raise their young. They never complicate things. They never try to take territory or destroy another animal unless that is their prey. I just see them as very powerful creatures for ones that people deem weak.”

Sara slowly looked up to see that Elrond and Gandalf were looking at her thoughtfully with smiles on their faces while Thorin was staring at her with a slightly gaping expression.

The girl felt her cheeks heat up suddenly when she realized that with Thorin staring at her with wide eyes, she could clearly see just how blue his eyes were.

The rest of the meal she averted her gaze from Thorin’s but what she didn’t know was that Thorin had clenched his sword underneath the table, trying to control himself. What was this girl doing to him?

******

Sara unrolled her bedroom next to where she knew Fili and Kili would be laying. They snored but not nearly as bad as the others, so she decided to park it next to them for the night. She dropped her bag on the center of her roll so no one would steal her spot before she called Mason and headed off to explore.

She couldn’t believe she was actually in Rivendell! The place that she fantasized about, the place she fangirled over whenever it appeared in the films…. the place where she would have loved to live if she had ever entered Middle Earth…. And here she was! Standing in the middle of the very elven kingdom!

Sara knew that about that time, Thorin, Bilbo, Gandalf and Balin were talking to Elrond about the map so she decided to explore while it was relatively pleasant. She noticed that Elrond seemed vastly intrigued by her and was afraid that he had guessed that she was from another world. So far, the only people who knew about her knowing the events of Middle Earth was Gandalf, though she was afraid that some of the dwarves were beginning to get a little suspicious. She needed to keep a low profile at least for now.

Walking away from any form of human living, she found herself in a dark garden that was only lit by the moonlight that reflected off of the fountains and pools. Mason would run through the bushes before returning, panting but a happy look on his face. The dog was growing faster than any normal dog would. Sara believed it was the Middle Earth air that was making him grow faster. Kind of like in Narnia whenever the kids appeared, and they would regain their strength incredibly fast. The girl smiled. She wondered if the dog would grow to be the size of a warg! Wouldn’t that be something!

The girl walked around, admiring the flowers and occasionally bending down to inspect a flower she didn’t recognize. She had learnt that very few plants in Middle Earth were similar to plants from her world. The only plants she knew that were similar were some trees, roses and lilies. So far, that was it.

The girl was just about to head back when she sensed a presence behind her. Spinning around, she almost collided with Lord Elrond who had appeared behind her.

“You have good hearing little one,” the elf remarked with a smile on his face. “Is the air of Middle Earth getting to you?”
Sara stiffened. What did he mean by that?

The elf seemed to sense the girl’s discomfort and smiling fondly at her, he patted her head, “Gandalf told me about your other home. I must admit I sensed something different about you. I only hope no one else has.”
“What do you mean my lord?” Sara asked, confused.

“You may call me Elrond,” the elf replied. “my lord makes me sound old.”
Sara chuckled before Elrond continued. “You give off an aura…. Not a bad one but a mysterious one. I have never sensed anything like it, but I noticed that it seems stronger than it was this morning.”
Sara frowned, “You mean that Middle Earth might be affecting me gradually?”
Elrond nodded, “I believe so little one. I don’t know whether it is good or bad for your body… but you seem different than earlier. You appear stronger, more alert… and might I saw almost lighter on your feet.”
There was a silence during which Elrond waited for the girl to drink this in.

“Do you perhaps think….” Sara whispered. “That I might be reverting to a race of Middle Earth?”
“I doubt it,” Elrond replied. “Though, since you are not a human of this world but of another, it may be that you will develop and evolve into a race unknown to anyone of this world or yours.”

“But why?” Sara asked. “Why am I changing?”
Elrond smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders to calm her, “The air here is different…. The gravity and just the very essence of this world is different from yours. I am sure that if we entered your world, we would change as well. It is like…”

“Like I am an alien from another world, and I am beginning to evolve to adapt to this world,” Sara finished, her voice low.

Elrond nodded, “Exactly…. Though I am not sure what an alien is.”

Sara smiled before furrowing her brow again, “Should I be concerned about it?”
“I would be wary,” Elrond observed. “You may become stronger than you are used to. You have to be careful to not harm anyone by accident.”

The girl nodded before bowing to the elf, “Thank you for your advice. I should head back to the company.”
The elf bowed to her before the girl hurried off, Mason on her tail.

When the girl came upon the dwarves, she saw that Bilbo and Balin had returned but no sign of Gandalf. Thorin was also there talking with Dwalin and seemed really ticked off. Obviously, his talk with Elrond wasn’t a perfectly pleasant one.

“So!” The girl chirped. “How did things go?”
Thorin looked over at her immediately, “The elf was able to read the map. We have until Durin’s Day to find the entrance.”
Sara widened her eyes, hoping to appear purely shocked even though she wasn’t, “But Durin’s day is coming!”

“Hey Sara!” Kili called.

The girl turned around and felt her heart drop to the soles of her shoes. Kili had found her sketchbook in her bag. Why was he digging through her stuff? Anyway, Sara rushed over and snatched the book away from him, only to see that he had found her most recent sketch.

“Is that who I think it is?” Kili asked, a pleased smirk on his face.

Sara’s face turned bright red and she glared down at the dwarf, “If you say one more word Kili I will cut your hair in your sleep!”
“One more word about what?” a deep voice asked from right behind her.

Sara clapped the book shut and hid it behind her before spinning around to look at Thorin. She plastered an innocent smile on her face but Thorin wasn’t deceived.

“What did you draw?” he asked, eyeing her.

Sara swallowed and let out a yelp when she felt Fili grab the notebook from her hands and flip through the pages.

“Hey! There’s one of me too! What are we doing in barrels!?”

‘Oh, for the love of all that is holy!’ Sara thought in her head. ‘Why that picture of all of them!?’

Fili held the book up and showed everyone the colored drawing she had done of Fili, Kili and Thorin in the barrels. It was a goofy, comical drawing but if Fili flipped through more pages, he would see the picture that Kili had seen which was a drawing of Thorin…. One with intricate detail and effort.

“Interesting hobby lass,” Dwalin observed, peering at the drawing, “It’s amusing though.”
Sara forced a smile on her face before snatching the book from Fili and closing it.

“Show Thorin the other one!” Kili cried.

Thorin snapped his eyes toward his nephew before looking back at Sara. The girl had gone beet red and was giving Kili warning glares with her eyes.

“Most certainly not!”

“What if I dare you to?” Kili snickered.

Sara gave him a deadpan look which made Thorin want to smile especially since it made Kili fidget uncomfortably, “I do not care about dares. If you touch this again, I am going to burn it.”
“You wouldn’t!” Kili gasped, his mouth dangling open.

“I would,” Sara replied sternly. “And you cannot stop me.”
“OKAY! I promise to never touch it again without permission!” Kili cried, wrapping his arms around her legs. “Just please don’t burn it!”
Sara smirked before stuffing the book into her bag and closing it up. She sat down and rolled over, deciding to get some sleep. Kili promised to teach her archery in the morning. She was glad that no one had suspected why she had drawn the three dwarves in barrels, and she hoped they would forget it by the time they got to Mirkwood.

The girl was asleep in seconds but that was a terrible mistake. With Kili shushing him cautiously, Fili crept over and opening the girl’s bag, drew out the notebook.

“You promised lad,” Balin pointed out.

“I didn’t promise,” Fili observed. “Kili did. Besides, I want to see the other drawings.”
With that, the two boys sat down and began to flip through the pictures. Most of them were amusing drawings of the dwarves and the two couldn’t understand why Sara had drawn them short and chubby but they had to admit, they were funny.

“Look at this one uncle!” Kili whisper yelled.

Thorin looked up and saw that it was another colored drawing of him clinging to a wall while Bilbo held out a small red dragon to him.

Thorin felt the corners of his mouth twitch up at how the girl had managed to draw such an innocent, amusing drawing of their dangerous journey… as if trying to lighten the mood.

“You’ll love this one!” Kili said, flipping through the pages to the last page before holding the book out to his uncle.

Thorin reached out and took the book, only to almost drop it when he saw what it was. It was a pencil drawing of him! There was so much detail and effort put into it that he thought he was looking at a reflection. It wasn’t like the colored drawings where they were short and chubby…. This was like the girl had meant to make it look just like him.

Thorin looked up from the book and over at his nephews who were wiggling their eyebrows at him. With a single glare from their uncle, the two stopped.

Thorin flipped to the next page and saw that it was a list. He didn’t understand most of the words for they appeared to be in the girl’s native tongue…. But he noticed that some of the words were in dwarfish and elvish. He was able to piece a few sentences together which all made his heart stop.

-Try to find out if my brothers made it to Middle Earth

-Don’t get yourself killed!

-Do not anger Thorin!

-Learn how to fight from Fili and Kili

-See if I can learn how to speak Kuzdul. Writing is handled

-Protect Thorin, Fili and Kili.

-Find answers

Thorin looked up from the book. The first thing on the list made his heart break. She still mourned her brothers’ deaths and was hoping beyond hope that they were alive. It was just like Thorin with his father. Everyone said Thrain was dead but Thorin wouldn’t give up. The girl was still rooting for her brothers even though there was a slim chance they were alive. What interested him was her desire to learn how to fight and speak dwarfish. There was nothing about learning how to speak elvish. Was it because she wanted to understand the dwarves better when they spoke in their native tongue…. Or was she purely interested in them and their culture?

What’s more… did Thorin scare her? Was that why she made a reminder to not anger him? When did he ever get angry with her? He didn’t remember ever getting upset with her…. maybe it was a future reference.

What really caught his attention was the part where she reminded herself to protect him and his nephews. Why would she do that? There were all the other dwarves, but she was specific by writing his name, Fili and Kili’s. Was it because they were the line of Durin and she feared that they were a target… or had she grown to care for them?

Sighing, Thorin got up and ignored his nephews’ pleas and returned the book to it’s place in her bag. He stopped, staring down at the sleeping girl. Crouching down he ran his fingers over her soft silky red hair and sighed.

“What are you doing to me?” he whispered in Kuzdul.

He returned to his bedroll and soon all the dwarves were asleep. What none of them knew was that Sara had been awake and had heard everything. She had been shaking from realizing that Thorin had seen her drawing of him and her list, but she mentally thanked herself for not writing anything suspicious in dwarfish or elvish. All the things she had written about her knowledge of the future she had written in Spanish, since she knew that they knew English. However, Thorin’s words stuck to her head. What was he talking about? Was he suspicious of her? The girl curled up tighter in her cloak, leaning into Mason’s back. Just a little crush Sara. It’s just a little crush.

*******

“Sara!” Omar cried. “Catch me!”
Sara looked up from her Advanced Biology textbook to see that four-year-old Omar was sitting on the top of the railing and about to slide down. Sara jumped to her feet but 21-year-old Pierce had jumped in the way just in time and caught the little boy.
“Don’t you know any better Omar?” Peirce teased his little brother. “You’ll scare your sister before her time.”

Sara rolled her eyes before returning to her textbook. She was just about to close up when she felt a little tug on her pant leg. Looking down, she saw that baby Ryder had crawled over to her and was looking up at her with a mop of red hair and big wide eyes.

Reaching down, she scooped her little brother into her lap and the boy began to play with her long red ringlets.

“Rara,” the boy cooed, laughing at his name for his sister.

Sara smiled and hugged her baby brother, planting a kiss on his warm chubby cheek, “I love you Ryder.”
“I love you Rara.”
“NO!” Sara screamed, shooting out of sleep.

She looked around. Where was she? Then she saw the sleeping dwarves around her, most of them sleeping soundly now and no longer snoring thank goodness. Rubbing her face with her hands, Sara sighed and saw that Mason had fallen asleep with his head on Kili’s chest.

Smiling, the girl got to her feet and quietly tiptoed off the patio. She didn’t realize that a pair of bright blue eyes had been watching her for the past fifteen minutes and still followed her even after she walked away.

Sara ran her fingers through her hair and took in a deep breath of fresh air. It was still dim out, but the morning sun had begun to rise and was lighting the world with a soft glow. Stretching her arms, the girl smiled at the sunrise and began to walk around the small pool that was next to the patio.

“If only the boys were here,” she whispered to herself. “They would love this! Omar wouldn’t know what to make of the dwarves! He wouldn’t sleep!”
She giggled softly, trying to imagine the expressions on her brothers’ faces if they ever met the company. Gandalf… Bilbo…. Fili…. Kili…. Gosh! If they met Thorin, they would probably faint!

The girl smiled before it faded as tears pooled in her eyes. She fought hard to hold them back but that only made her eyes sting. She reached up to wipe them away when a voice spoke from behind her.

“Couldn’t sleep?”
The girl swung around, forgetting about her tears to find herself face to face with Thorin. He looked like he had been up a while and even though he had been sleeping, his hair still looked perfect. His brow was furrowed in concern and the girl saw a glint in his eyes when he noticed the tears in her eyes.

“Did something happen?” He asked, taking a step toward her. “I heard you crying out in your sleep…. Was it a nightmare?”
Sara shook her head and wiped her nose with her sleeve, “No…. It was a good dream… that was why it made me cry.”
Thorin bit his lip, trying to not smile at the words. When he saw her reach out to wipe her tears, he grabbed her hand, stopping her movement. The girl looked at him quizzically. Thorin quickly swallowed the lump in his throat before reaching out with a gentle hand and wiping her face dry of tears.

“I know what it feels like to lose someone close to you,” He whispered. “To not know if they are alive or dead…. To search for them endlessly in the hope that they are somewhere to be found.”
Sara smiled at him. He had no idea that his father was really alive…. How she wished to tell him but that might make some things go terribly wrong.

“Thank you,” the girl whispered, ducking her head to hide her burning cheeks.

Thorin stilled, retracting his hand hesitantly. He saw the girl turn to look at the rising sun and he had to bite his lip to keep from gasping. As the morning sun shone on her face, it lit her hair like it was fire and her eyes reflected the light. He had never noticed before how beautiful she was until he saw her standing there in a simple brown tunic and breaches, her hair a rat nest and her eyes puffy from tears. He was falling…. And falling fast.

“Back home…” Sara whispered, still looking at the sun. “My brother…. Ryder would wake me up long before the sun. Even on the days I didn’t have to get up early, he would jump on me till I got up.”

Thorin found himself smiling at the sound of the girl’s chuckle and how her eyes lit up at the mention of her brother.

“He would drag me onto the porch…. I would sit on the front steps with him on my lap…. Often times he would fall asleep on me but I would always wake him up when the sun rose so we could watch it together.”
Thorin stalled. He tried to picture it. He could definitely see the girl sitting on the steps, her hair a mess from sleep, her eyes heavy but a smile on her face as she held her little brother in her lap, staring at the sunrise.

“Then he would ask me to sing him a song,” Sara finished. “He always wanted me to sing him a joyful, happy song in the morning so he could think of it while he was doing school. That way he wouldn’t get bored. He said he would try to do his schoolwork to the rhythm of the song.”

Thorin smiled as the girl’s voice faded to almost a whisper as she looked away from the sunrise to wipe fresh tears from her eyes.

“Will you sing this morning?” he asked softly.

Sara turned her head in his direction, her eyes widening in surprise. “You want me to sing?”
Thorin nodded, “I have never heard you sing… and even if your brother is not here, he may still be able to hear you wherever he is. You cannot leave him hanging.”
A soft smile appeared on the girl’s face and nodding, she sat down on the steps of the patio, wrapping her arms around her knees and hugging them to her chest. She racked her brain for a song that would make sense to the dwarf with no ‘earthly’ terms that he would be confused by. Finally, she thought of one and smiling, she looked up at the rising sun and began to sing.

Let the bough break, let it come down crashing
Let the sun fade out to a dark sky
I can't say I'd even notice it was absent
Cause I could live by the light in your eyes

I'll unfold before you
What I've strung together
The very first words
Of a lifelong love letter

Tell the world that we finally got it all right
I choose you
I will become yours and you will become mine
I choose you
I choose you

There was a time when I would have believed them
If they told me you could not come true
Just love's illusion
But then you found me and everything changed
And I believe in something again

My whole heart
Will be yours forever
This is a beautiful start
To a lifelong love letter

Tell the world that we finally got it all right
I choose you
I will become yours and you will become mine
I choose you
I choose you

We are not perfect
We'll learn from our mistakes
And as long as it takes
I will prove my love to you

I am not scared of the elements
I am under-prepared, but I am willing
And even better
I get to be the other half of you

Tell the world that we finally got it all right
I choose you
Yeah
I will become yours and you will become mine
I choose you
I choose you
I choose you

When the girl finished, she took a deep breath and closing her eyes for a moment, she could almost see Ryder’s big blue eyes looking back at her, a happy smile on his round little face. Opening her eyes, she looked back at Thorin who had been standing at the bottom of the steps. He was staring at her with slightly wide eyes, his mouth parted slightly in shock…. And…. were the tips of his ears pink?

Sara shook off the last thought before she got to her feet and brushed off her pants from where she had sat.

“We should get the others up for breakfast. We’ll have to find some sort of meat for them or they’ll starve on vegetables.”
The girl turned, about to go start rousing the dwarves when Thorin’s hand shot out and grabbed her elbow gently, turning her back to him. Thorin walked up the two steps that separated them till he was looking partly down her original height. Sara had always thought Thorin looked short in the films compared to elves, men and wizards…. But compared to Sara, he was tall.

Sara swallowed silently, feeling her face heat up at their close proximity, not realizing that when Thorin stepped up to her level, his chest was almost touching hers and his nose was just about to touch hers.

She saw something flicker in Thorin’s eyes…. And it reminded her of the time in the film when he was sick, and Bilbo started yelling at Thorin about doubting the loyalty of his kin. She had always noticed how Thorin’s eyes had begun to shine at that scene. At first she thought it was with tears when she realized… it was because his heart and soul were shining through…. And now, they were doing it again. Was this a glimpse into Thorin Oakenshield’s heart and soul? What was going on in that head of his?

Sara was about to up and die of pure fangirling when she felt Thorin’s warm breath touch her face…. Then she relaxed when he pulled away slightly but only temporarily before he planted his lips firmly on her forehead. Not a featherlight ‘don’t kill me for this’ kind of kiss or a gentle ‘there there’ kind of kiss that a father figure or brother would give but she actually could feel the warmth of his lips and the firmness of his lips as he pressed a firm kiss to her head. Sara honestly didn’t know what he was trying to say with that kiss but all she knew, was that she wasn’t expecting it and she was shocked when Thorin pulled away to reveal that the back of his neck and ears were turning red.

The dwarf prince bowed to her and releasing her arm, headed up the stairs into the patio and began to roughly rouse the dwarves (with his boot). When Kili awoke, Sara could tell for his voice filled the patio, waking all the other dwarves who weren’t yet roused by the roughness of Thorin’s boot.

“Hey uncle! What’s up with you!? You seem ornery…. Are you blushing!?”

“Huh?” Fili’s voice carried to Sara who was still rooted to the bottom step, unable to move. “Uncle, you’re red! Do you have a fever?”
“You sick laddie?” Oin’s voice asked next.

Sara could faintly hear Thorin growl something at them in Kuzdul that she didn’t understand but all she knew was that the dwarves stopped asking and went about rousing themselves.

Reaching up slowly, she touched the place where Thorin had kissed before she felt her face light on fire. What was that? And why was her heart beating so fast that she could hear it pounding in her ears?

********

Thorin sighed as he bit into the crust of his bread. He hadn’t realized what he was eating for his mind was elsewhere. Sara was sitting down the table from him between Fili and Kili. The two boys were chatting happily together, trying to get the girl into the conversation and she would join in but only if they started it. She seemed awfully quiet…. But not upset. Just quiet.

Had he been too forward earlier by asking her to sing? But she didn’t seem upset about it… was it then his sign of affection? Thorin hadn’t realized it but the girl had become very precious to him, not like a female companion that he felt the urge to take care of or like a little sister or daughter that he wanted to cuddle….While a part of him wanted to protect her from every evil in the world, the other part of him wanted to not stand in her way for he knew that being in danger while helping others was what made her happy and he wanted to see her happy.

In kissing her forehead, he had thought that he had conveyed his feelings for her at least slightly but the way she was acting made him wonder if she misunderstood it or did not appreciate it.

The girl’s face changed and Thorin knew she had suddenly thought of something as she turned to Fili and whispered something to him. Fili nodded before reaching to his belt and pulling out a small knife which he handed to the girl. She took it carefully before thanking the dwarf and rising to her feet, left the table.

Thorin frowned, not exactly liking that he didn’t know where the girl was off to, with a dagger no less. Rising to his feet, he was about to follow when Balin quickly caught his brother’s eye and gave him a pointed look. Dwalin got to his feet and placed himself in front of Thorin, planting his hand on the dwarf prince’s shoulder.

“She needs a moment Thorin.”
Thorin looked at him, about to object but Dwalin shook his head, giving him a meaningful look. “Just five minutes Thorin.”
The young prince sighed and sat down, but he looked prepared to jump the moment five minutes passed. Dwalin and Balin gave each other distressed looks. They hoped that Thorin wouldn’t make any assumptions before he heard Sara out.

Finally, Thorin jumped from his seat and hurried off at a brisk pace in the direction that the girl had disappeared. When he came tearing down the stairs to the garden, he froze at the sight. Sara was standing by the pouring waterfall with Mason at her side. The dog almost came to her waist, his ears now standing straight and about the size of a full-grown dog. Mason was sitting next to her, watching as the girl held out her hand, letting something fall into the waterfall where it was lost to sight.

Thorin paused, his hand touching the railing of the stairs, looking over them at her. Slowly the girl rose from her knees and to her full height, revealing that her hair no longer fell in long red ringlets to her waist…. but in short mismatched lengths, the longest falling just short of her shoulders and the shortest framing her forehead in feathery bangs.

She had cut her hair! Thorin felt himself freeze. He wasn’t angry for he was sure the girl had a reason, but he was definitely shocked. He was trying to think of the reasons that could have possibly convinced her to cut her hair when he remembered their talk that morning. Her brothers…. She had accepted their death…. She was no longer going to mourn them and carry on a hopeless hope that they were alive.

Sara slowly turned and her eyes met Thorin’s. He had overcome his shock but now it returned full force when he beheld the girl before him. Her big blue eyes were defined by the feathery bangs that hung low over her eyebrows, brushing against her long black lashes. Her smooth, sharp features were framed by the layered hair and her slender neck pronounced. Thorin had to swallow to keep himself from gaping. The girl smiled sadly up at him before turning back to Mason and ruffling his ears.

Thorin walked down the stairs till he stood before the girl who rose to her feet and while keeping her eyes averted, she stood before him.

“Are you sure about this?” he whispered. “Are you sure that you are ready to put them behind you?”
Sara lifted her eyes and smiled up at him and Thorin gasped, her eyes were shining with tears, but her face was smiling at him. “I’m not putting them behind me, I am just accepting the possibility that I may never see them again even if they are alive. I am here now, and I may never return to my world. I can only hope that if they are alive that they are happy back home…. And if they’re not…. Well that I will eventually see them again when my time comes. I can never put them behind me, but I am accepting that my present and future is surrounded by Gandalf, Bilbo, Fili, Kili, the company…. And you.”

Thorin had been repeating over and over in his mind to not do anything impulsive for it was an emotional, hard time for the girl but now, looking down at her smiling face with slightly puffy red eyes, bright blue orbs staring up at him…. Thorin lost all forms of restraint.

Cautiously he reached forward and ran his firm calloused finger down the girl’s cheek, feeling where her cheek dented just slightly in a dimple shape then down to her slightly upturned chin. His finger found its way back up to her cheek before his hand cupped the side of her face, brushing against the hair that framed her face and against her ear.

Sara felt all the air sucked out of her when Thorin gently pulled her face up to him and bent his down to meet her halfway. Sara had never dreamt that one day she would ever end up in Middle Earth and meet the Thorin Oakenshield, nor had she ever tried to imagine what her first kiss would be like…. But here she was standing in Rivendell, before Thorin Oakenshield…..about to be kissed by him!

Thorin paused, his lips hovering over hers. He could feel her breath touch his face and it was making his head swim.

“If you don’t like it, tell me,” he whispered, not at all shocked when his voice came out in a husky whisper.

When Thorin received no reply, he took the initiative and gently pressed his lips to Sara’s. Thorin felt his head swim at the feeling of the girl’s soft lips on his. Gently he pulled away just enough to open his mouth slightly and kiss her again, this time a little more urgently. When he finally drew away, he almost wished he hadn’t…. just to delay the ending of the perfect moment…. And the beginning of the worst.

Sara wouldn’t meet his gaze and quickly took a step back before ducking her head, so her face was hidden behind her short red hair.

Without a word, the girl hugged her arms to herself before walking past Thorin and as far away from the dwarf as she could. Thorin watched her go and Mason who quickly followed behind his owner. What had he done?

Chapter Text

Sara sat upon the railing overlooking the waterfall. Mason lay next to the railing, basking in the sun while lying on his back with his feet suspended in the air and his nose nuzzled between his front paws. Sara reached up to play with her hair only to remember that it was short and billowing in her face. She tried to push it back again but failed miserably and huffed, leaving it as it was. She was contemplating going where there was no breeze when she sensed a presence behind her. Turning around, she found Arwen standing there, smiling at her.
Sara’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected to meet Arwen especially when she didn’t see her around the day before or earlier that morning and Sara had to admit, Arwen was probably her favorite female character…. Person from Middle Earth.

“I hope I did not disturb you,” Arwen asked in her soothing voice.

Sara shook her head, turning around on the railing, “Not at all Lady Arwen.”
The elf smiled as she held up her hand, motioning for Sara to stay seated. Arwen walked over to the railing and placed her hands on it, Sara turning to face the same direction.

“How did you know my name?” the elf inquired.

Sara mentally slapped herself. She needed to get in the habit of acting completely clueless.

“Oh well…. I erm….” The girl stuttered, only to notice Arwen smiling at her.

“You are not from this world, are you?” Arwen inquired. “My father mentioned it.”
Sara nodded before Arwen looked back out over the waterfall, “And you know what is going to happen.”
The girl started, turning to look at the she elf, only to see Arwen smiling sweetly at the waterfall.

“How did you know?” Sara squeaked.

“I could sense it in how you looked at people,” Arwen replied, “Like you knew them already but acted like you didn’t. And also, how you looked at your companions, especially the three sons of Durin.”
Sara shifted nervously. Was her concern about Fili, Kili and Thorin’s fate that obvious? She hoped that they hadn’t noticed.

“They are completely oblivious,” Arwen remarked, as if sensing what the girl was thinking. “You do not need to worry.”
“Do you think I will be able to change…. Some things that will happen?” Sara asked.

Arwen smiled at the girl before reaching over and gripping her hand tightly, “No one knows, but I have a feeling that if you wish to help them, then that may very well be the reason you are here.”
Sara nodded. The two were swallowed in silence before Arwen turned to the girl and smiled, “I came up here to tell you that your companions are sparring together. I thought you might want to join them.”
Sara’s face lit up and she smiled thankfully at the elf. She turned around to climb off the railing and hopped off. She looked up to realize that Arwen was watching her with an intrigued smile.

“You are very light on your feet and agile,” the elf pointed out. “Unlike any human of this world.”
Sara nodded, “It’s a little uncanny. I used to be incredibly clumsy in my world but since I came here, I have noticed that I have almost lightened up.”

Arwen smiled, her eyes looking like she was staring off into another dimension when she snapped out of it and motioned for the girl to follow her. The elf silently led Sara through the corridors before she came upon a room. Silently Arwen entered and Sara followed. It was a bedroom, but Sara noted that it looked like no one had used it in a while. Arwen brought out a small box before opening it and lifting something delicate, made of slender wire and tiny gems.

“This belonged to my mother. She gave them to me before she died. However, I was never one to be agile and light on my feet all the time.”
Sara’s eyes widened when the elf held it out to her, “I couldn’t take these! They were your mother’s!”
Arwen nodded, “They were my mother’s but now they are mine. There is plenty here for me to remember my mother by and I feel that these would be put to much better use if you used them instead of them sitting in a box going unused.”
Sara paused but Arwen bent down and clipped the two anklets onto Sara’s ankles. Sara glanced down at them when Arwen rose to her feet and she realized that they looked fragile, but they felt strong and durable like they would last much.

“You can wear them underneath your boots,” Arwen explained, “They are incredibly comfortable.”
Sara lifted her head and smiled gratefully at the elf who beamed at her before busying around again.

“Oh! This was mine when I was little but it’s too small for me,” Arwen explained, grabbing something else out of the box and holding it out to the girl, “I think this will help with your hair problem.”
The girl slipped the simple chain over Sara’s head and fitted it at the crown of her head like a headband. Sara reached up and felt it. It wouldn’t slip off or get in her eyes and it held all her hair back nicely out of her face.

“Thank you, Lady Arwen.”
The elf smiled at her before making a shooing motion with her hands, “Now off to practice with you!”

********

“Come on Uncle Thorin!” Kili chirped, “Come and spar with us!”
Thorin didn’t raise his head or reply to his youngest nephew as he continued on sharpening Orcrist. He couldn’t get his mind to go anywhere except Sara’s retreating form from earlier. Her short hair billowing around her face…. where had he gone wrong?

He paused; his sharpening stone still gripped in his hand when he heard a faint grunting sound coming from where all the dwarves were sparring. The grunt was followed by quite a bit of cheering, calling out bets and telling whoever they were betting on to think fast or to look out.

He noted that none of the cheering voices belonged to Sara. She must not have returned. She had been gone for two hours and so far, none of the dwarves had asked where she was. When Thorin had returned to the group after his slip up with Sara, he had seen the girl return Fili’s knife to him with flushed cheeks, faraway eyes and an unreadable look on her face.

The girl had left directly after that and upon seeing the girl’s face and Thorin’s crestfallen, almost frustrated state, none of them asked. Of course, Fili and Kili were going to ask but Dwalin managed to shut them up in time.

Thorin was about to return back to his sharpening when he heard swords clash and Dwalin’s voice called out.

“Watch your flank Sara!”

Thorin’s blue eyes snapped up to his nephew who was itching to rush back to the others but didn’t want to leave without his uncle. Thorin had to admit that his curiosity was getting the better of him, but he wondered if he should come within viewing distance of Sara just yet. Deciding that he could easily walk away if he felt that his presence was a disturbance to the girl, Thorin got up and followed his nephew to where all the other dwarves were standing in a wide circle, cheering on Fili who was going head to head with Sara.

The first thing that Thorin notices was the single sword in Fili’s hands and two long slender blades in Sara’s hands. Thorin noted how she didn’t hold the blades like how she was supposed to but backwards. If she stood straight with her hands at her sides, the tips of the blades would be pointed behind her rather than in front. However, he also noticed that it didn’t seem to affect her.

Fili ran at her, raising his sword to do a hard head swipe. However, Sara pushed forward on her feet to get a strong stance before leaning forward slightly on her left foot, so that she was on her tiptoes while her other foot was driven strongly into the ground, slightly turned so the side of her foot gave her more friction.

She lifted one sword and drove the tip into the ground, blocking Fili’s strike with the sword. Thorin stared in surprised when she didn’t even shake from the contact, the sword’s tip in the ground giving her more resistance to the strike while her other one came up and she spun on her left foot, swiping at Fili’s side with her other sword. Fili didn’t have time to block the blow with his sword, so he jumped but this was what Sara wanted for she continued to pivot on her foot, bringing her other leg around to trip his legs the moment his feet touched the ground.

All the dwarves let out muffled groans as Fili landed hard on his back. He prepared to swipe Sara off her feet but when he looked, the girl wasn’t where she was a second ago and when Fili felt metal on his neck, he looked up to see Sara standing over his head, both swords at his neck.

Fili’s first reaction was to try and grab her legs to trip her but when he tried, her feet wouldn’t come out from underneath her. Fili frowned and pulled at her ankle again, trying to trip her but Sara just smiled down at him.

“Do you know how funny you look right now brother!?” Kili called from the sidelines.

Fili glared at his brother only to see all the younger dwarves staring in surprise and perplexity at Fili’s failure at tripping Sara while the older dwarves including Dwalin were smiling.

Sara removed the swords from the young dwarf’s neck and held out her hand to him. Fili took it and the girl hauled him to his feet with a strong pull.

“So, gonna tell me how you did that?” Fili inquired.

Sara smirked before bending down and pulling one of her boots off. She held it up for Fili to see and the young dwarf saw that there was a small slit in the sole where a small blade was hidden!

“It reacts to fast moving friction. When my feet drag on the ground if I am slipping or sliding,” Sara explained. “It triggers the spring inside, and the blades protrude out to stop my movement. They slide back in if I drag my feet forward.”
“No way,” Fili muttered while Kili came over to inspect the device, “Where did you get that?”
“Bofur helped me make it,” Sara explained, smiling at the dwarf.

Before Sara could say more, her eyes lifted and landed on the dwarf prince who stood beside Balin and Dwalin. Her expression changed immediately but to one that Thorin couldn’t read. Her face flushed slightly but she strained to keep a serious look on her face, her eyes looking everywhere but at Thorin.

Balin and Dwalin peered at the dwarf prince, noticing Sara’s reaction to his presence. Thorin was standing there with his usual serious look on his face but his blue eyes looked troubled. The two old dwarves exchanged looks, knowing what they had to do.

******

Sara breathed in and out like Kili had told her. Once she let her air out, the bow stopped shaking in her hand and she could aim better. Fighting with the swords was one thing but a bow was another. Her agility and awareness made sword fighting like a second nature to her now, but the long bow took aim, steadiness and speed. The two former, something Sara hadn’t mastered yet.

The girl released the arrow and it struck a little too high on the target. The girl cringed before grabbing another arrow and loading it.

“That would be in the nose. Ouch.”
She paused before pulling the second arrow back. She had aimed the last arrow by lining the target with a mark on the bow. Maybe if she lined it up with the mark but lower, she would get a better shot. She was just about to pull it back when a voice spoke from behind her.

“You’re taking too long to aim.”

The girl froze, recognizing the deep baritone voice. Why now? She didn’t deny that she had been avoiding the dwarf prince all day. She wasn’t angry at him, just worried. It wasn’t like she was there temporarily. She was stuck in this world for the rest of her life and who knows how long that would be. With her body adapting to the new world, her aging might slow like a dwarf or elf’s. The last thing she wanted was to mess up the friendship she had with the dwarves and have that dread or possible bounty on her head the rest of her life. She knew if something went wrong between her and Thorin then it would go down with all the others. Besides that, she had a duty to make sure that she tried her hardest to save Thorin. She couldn’t ensure that if she was distracted.

The girl turned around slowly, giving the dwarf a raised eyebrow and deadpan look. “You know, adding advice to criticism makes it sweet. But if you want to leave it like that, it’s fine.”

The girl turned back around, missing the smirk on Thorin’s face. She pulled the bow back when she felt a firm chest press against her back. She froze, feeling her face heat up.

“Life your elbow a bit higher,” Thorin whispered, his voice husky and right behind her ear.

Sara bit on her gum to calm her racing heart before doing what he instructed. When she did, Thorin slipped an arm around her, resting his large hand on her hip, his other touching her hand that held the bow.

“To aim faster and more accurately, line up your top finger with the target. Don’t wait for your arm to stop shaking or you’ll miss the shot.”

Sara did just that and fired the arrow. It struck the target just slightly off the center and Sara let out a soft chuckle, her face lighting up.

“I did it!” she turned slightly to look at Thorin, only to remember he had a hand on her hip and his grip had only increased.

She froze, the grin fading from her face to one of surprise as Thorin’s other hand ran up her arm and into her hair, gripping her short red locks while he kept his head bowed and buried in her hair, preventing her ffrom turning around.

“Why,” he whispered in a hoarse voice, “Why didn’t you like it?”

Sara swallowed, knowing what he was talking about. She felt her grip on the bow waver and her throat went dry.

“i… I didn’t say I didn’t want it….” she whispered.

At first Thorin didn’t move, then gradually he turned the girl around so she was facing him. His eyes were half lidded and dark with want, his breathing heavy. Keeping his hand on her hip and the other in her hair, he bent his head down and brushed his nose against hers. Sara could feel his hot breath on her face, and it made her heart race. Gently she reached up to place her hands on his chest and pushed him back, keeping her head down.

“But I didn’t say you should,” she managed to whisper.

Thorin felt his heart pounding in his chest and wondered if she could feel it with her hand on his chest. She hadn’t hated it… but why did she think he shouldn’t have kissed her? was it because she was human and he was a dwarf? But she wasn’t the type of person to let difference of race affect her… was it that she liked another? But she had said she wanted it…. what was she afraid of?

Sara took three steps back, placing a distance between them when Fili and Kili came tearing through the woods.

“Sara! Come swim with us!”

Sara smiled, though her eyes remained troubled and putting her bow away, she left without looking once at Thorin. Fili stayed behind, watching his uncle’s hurt eyes and perplexed, upset expression.

“Everything alright Thorin?” he asked.

Thorin glanced at his nephew before slowly nodding. However, as Thorin walked off, Fili had a feeling that everything was not alright.

*******

Sara felt a hand shaking her awake but before she was even slightly conscious, something in her snapped and she jumped up, grabbing the person by the neck and pinning them beneath her, grabbing her sword from where it had been lying next to her and placing it against the person’s neck.

“WOAH SARA!” A startled and rather horrified Kili cried, holding up his hands, “It’s me! It’s Kili!”
The girl was breathing heavily, her eyebrows down in a perfect V and her mouth twisted into a furious glare, breathing through her teeth. All the other dwarves had been packing, preparing to sneak out of Rivendell. At Kili’s outburst, they had all spun around prepared to face danger only to find the young dwarf pinned with his legs held down by Sara’s knees and heat of fury practically radiating off the girl.

Fili rushed over to try and settle the misunderstanding and Thorin, who had been talking quietly to Balin prepared to walk over when a large arm blocked his way. Looking slightly up, he found Dwalin to be the one who was blocking him. The bald dwarf shook his head, giving the prince a pointed look. Thorin bit his lip, holding back the urge to argue but he knew it was fruitless. Dwalin was right. After what had happened at the stream the day before, it was better if he gave Sara space.

Looking over, he saw that Fili had managed to fully wake Sara who realized the position she was in and quickly scrambled off the young dwarf, apologizing. Kili assured her that he was used to it, similar instances happening when he tried to wake Dwalin or Thorin. However, Sara’s already slightly upset mood from being roused in such a way was worsened the moment Thorin’s name fell off of Kili’s tongue. Fili did not waste a second in clobbering his brother over the head, his younger brother giving him a purely confused look. Sara got up and began to hastily pack her things, never once looking at any of the dwarves or even Bilbo. She packed up and slung her bag onto her back, calling Mason, she walked to stand at the bottom of the stairs of the balcony to wait for the others.

“What was that for?” Kili hissed at his brother the moment Sara was gone.

Fili nodded over his shoulder at where Dwalin was still blocking Thorin’s way just to make sure that the dwarf prince didn’t choose to follow the girl. Fili could practically see the gears working in Kili’s head as the truth dawned on him and his face changed from confusion to realization and then to horror.

Finally, the group finished packing and joined Sara and Mason who had been waiting with Bilbo. They started off out of Rivendell silently so as to not rouse anyone’s attention to their departure. Sara brought up the rear with Fili in front of her and Dwalin behind. She chose this place because Thorin was near the front with Balin and she couldn’t walk with Bilbo because he was too close to Thorin and Kili…. Well let’s just say that Kili’s similar features to Thorin didn’t help so she chose to stick close to Dwalin who totally understood what was swimming around in that red head of hers and did everything in his power to help the girl have some time to relax.

“We’re about to step over the edge of the wild,” Thorin announced from the front. “Balin, you know these paths lead on.”
Balin took the lead and Thorin paused to look back at the rest of the company. Bilbo had stopped to look back at Rivendell.

“Master Baggins! I suggest you keep up!” Thorin announced.

Bilbo complied without a word and Thorin was about to turn around and keep walking when he heard a faint voice from the back of the company. He stilled his breathing so he could hear better, only to realize that it was Sara whispering to Dwalin.

“He’s not exactly falling behind. He is after all still near the front,” she pointed out in a sarcastic tone.

Dwalin chuckled softly. “You are something lassie. Thorin is just irritable.”
“No, he just has a hard time making friends,” Sara pointed out begrudgedly, glaring at the ground before her as she climbed on.

Fili’s eyebrows shot up, “He made friends with you….”
He never finished for Dwalin had taking his axe and patted the flat part of the blade to the dwarf’s head, cutting him off. Sara however just continued to glare at the ground.

“I’m talking about Thorin’s inability to make friends with Bilbo. I am no better than the hobbit. When I joined the company, I couldn’t fight and if anything, I have been a worse burden because of my ‘feminine’ issues and poor immunity.”
“You were poisoned lass,” Dwalin objected. “And you keep up very well. I guess Thorin is just being harder on the hobbit because he isn’t a girl.”
Sara snorted before taking Fili’s hand which had been offered to her to help her over a ledge, “Thorin isn’t a girl and he isn’t hard on himself.”

Dwalin had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing. The girl seriously did think of everything! Thorin however had turned and had continued to walk, never forgetting the words that had been said in the conversation. It was evident that Sara was very angry with him. She couldn’t stand even hearing his name let alone talking about him and let’s not mention talking to him. That was practically a death sentence in the girl’s eyes.

Thorin frowned. Had he really overstepped his boundaries at the river the day before? He had to admit that maybe he should have taken Dwalin and Balin’s advice about giving Sara time to contemplate Thorin’s expressed feelings, but his mind had seemed to switch off until of course Sara brought him back into it…. painfully.

FLASHBACK----- the day before

“Nope! Not happening! Declined! Rejected!” Sara objected, her back to the elven fountains where the dwarves were swimming. They had invited her to join in, but she had completely forgotten about the scene in the film when Elrond had happened upon the stark-naked dwarves swimming…. That is until she saw the pink shapes of the dwarves catapulting into the water.

“But Sara!” Kili whined. “You promised you would!”
“I didn’t know you wouldn’t have ANY clothes on!” Sara yelled.

‘Well technically I did but I forgot!’ Sara thought to herself.

“The lass is right lads,” Balin pointed out, having come to join and was luckily still fully clothed. “At least put your breeches on. She is a lady after all.”
Sara let out a relieved sigh when the dwarves began to offer agreement and she could hear them exiting the water to grab their pants. She remained facing Balin, away from the others, giving him a grateful smile.

The old dwarf grinned at her, trying to not laugh, “You look like you could use a dip lass. You’re as red as an apple.”
Sara nodded and ran her fingers through her sweaty hair, “It’s late summer. Not my favorite time of the year.”
Balin chuckled but Sara’s eyes drifted from him to a figure that had appeared around the corner. Thorin. He had finally decided to come join in the swimming and instantly his blue eyes locked with Sara’s. The girl quickly broke the stare to look away, only for Balin to notice that the color in her cheeks had intensified. Looking over his shoulder, he spied the dwarf prince and smiled knowingly before putting on a serious look.

“They’re all dress lass,” he assured the girl.

Sara peaked at the dwarves to see that they had indeed thrown on their breeches but left their boots and shirts off. They had ventured back to the fountains except for Fili and Kili who had wandered to the waterfall which fell into a river and were running back and forth under the falls.

Sara sighed before walking over to where the dwarves had piled their clothes. She quickly removed her outer jacket from where she had tied it around her waist to keep out of the way, dropping it onto a place in the grass away from the dwarves’ things. She tore off her boots then her socks, stuffing her socks into her boots so she didn’t lose them. She considered what else would be ‘safe’ to remove since she wasn’t a man and couldn’t very well go bare chested. Thinking about it a moment, she removed the leather skirt but left her pants on, rolling the pants up to her knees and sighing as the air touched her calves. Lastly, she removed the leather corset but left her white shirt on. She mentally cursed herself for not having a top that wasn’t white, but she was glad that at least her bra was dark brown so the water wouldn’t make it see-through. She would have to make a mental note to try and stay under the water at least at chest level.

Taking the jewelry headband out of her hair, she stuffed it into one of her boots but left the anklets on.

Rushing over to where Fili and Kili were playing in the waterfall, she dove into the waist deep river, allowing the cool water to calm her nerves.

She stayed under the water a white, allowing the water to completely soak her before she emerged. Fili and Kili rushed to the edge of the water and jumped in after her, hooting as they went. Sara chuckled as they splashed water at her, and she dodged it. That was when her eyes caught sight of Thorin’s foreboding figure standing near the fountains where the dwarves’ clothes lay.

Thorin glanced down at the clothes at his feet, then at the older dwarves jumping into the fountains then at his nephews and Sara in the river. His eyes fell on Sara’s slim figure which was hugged by her wet shirt which clung to her upper body. Thorin reached down and pulled his boots off and socks before unbuckling his belt and stripping to nothing but his breeches.

“Thorin!” Bombur called. “Join us!”
Thorin chuckled and was about to climb up to the fountains when he heard the voices of his nephews. Turning, he saw them climbing out of the river and running back to their clothes.

“We’re going to find something to eat,” Kili announced.

The two boys hurried off and Thorin paused, glancing over at the river. Sara was still there….

“Thorin,” Dwalin spoke from above. “Maybe you should give her some space.”
Thorin looked up at the dwarf who was seated next to Balin.

The old dwarf nodded, “My brother is right Thorin. She needs time to think about the feelings you have expressed to her. Give her time laddie.”
Thorin nodded and the two dwarves jumped back into the water. The moment they weren’t looking, Thorin walked over to the river which was set aside from the fountains in the shade of the trees, the waterfall falling over a hollowed-out stone, the hollowed part being about eight feet deep.

Peering around the corner, he spied Sara standing near the waterfall, letting the water crash onto her hands. The girl looked up when Thorin took a step into the water and she froze. The left half of Thorin was shaded by the shade of the trees while the other half of him was standing in the sunlight, the sun radiating off of his bare skin and jet-black hair that cascaded down his back and across his shoulders.

The dwarf prince looked at the girl a moment before smiling slightly and then diving into the water. Sara looked at the water, hoping to see where Thorin was but the water was dark because of the shade and she couldn’t see him. She was about to head to shore when two hands grabbed onto her ankles and pulled them from beneath her. With a squeal, she fell into the water, drenching her partially dried upper body.

When she came up sputtering, Thorin was standing about five feet from her, waist deep in the water with a smile on his face and his eyes laughing. His hair was wet as was the rest of him, but Sara was too busy fuming to notice.

“Why you little….” She started, cupping a handful of water and splashing it into his eyes.

Thorin groaned as the water stung his eyes and he quickly wiped the water out before turning to Sara. The girl’s eyes widened, realizing what he was going to do and was contemplating running but remembered that she was in water, thus making it hard to run. In that case, she dove under the water. She was just about to lose all the air in her lungs when two hands snaked around her waist and pulled her from the water. Before she could even get a breath, she was thrown over Thorin’s shoulder and she felt the gush of the waterfall hit her as Thorin dove through the fall.

Finally, Thorin pulled her from his shoulder and the girl huffed, pushing her soaking wet hair out of her eyes and glaring up at him.

“That was not funny!” she complained, poking him in the chest.

However, she froze, noticing two things. The first was that she wasn’t poking his chest through his clothes…. but his actual chest. Her eyes grazed over the muscular body before her, water dripping down his chest and shoulders and she found her eyes glued to his chest.

Glancing up, she noticed the second thing…. The once blue eyes that were now almost jet black looking back down at her, the cheeky grin gone from his face. It felt like he was undressing her with his intense gaze.

She was about to retract her hand when she felt Thorin’s hands which had been resting on her waist slip down to her thighs before lifting her off her feet. The girl’s mouth opened in a silent gasp as one of his arms wrapped around her waist while the other remained on her thigh, keeping her legs wrapped around his waist, his eyes never leaving hers. Taking barely two steps, Thorin walked over to the side wall of the tiny cave and pressed Sara’s back against it, stilling keeping one hand on her thigh and the other on her waist.

Removing his hand from her waist, he reached up and brushed a few strands of wet hair out of her eyes and behind her ear before grazing his fingers against her cheek and the back of her neck, cupping the nape of her neck before drawing her near.

“Thorin,” Sara breathed, feeling Thorin’s breath on her face, his eyes inches from hers.

“Yes?” He whispered back, his voice hoarse and low…. Barely audible.

Sara opened her mouth, trying to think of something to say but felt her mind go blank. When she didn’t speak, Thorin leant forward the rest of the way and smashed his lips to hers. His mind reeled at the warmth of her lips on his cold ones, her body flush against his. Sara placed her hands against his chest, prepared to push him away when she stopped. She didn’t hate this…. In fact…. She liked it…. She relaxed against his hold, bringing her hands to rest on his shoulders.

Thorin tilted his head to deepen the kiss and Sara let out a soft gasp at this, making Thorin’s mind seemingly shut off. His hand which had been buried in her hair slipped back down to her waist then underneath her other thigh, holding her up. Slowly Sara began to kiss back and Thorin decided it was alright to test the waters. Slipping one of his hands behind her waist, he brushed it underneath her shirt, feeling the bare skin of her back. Sara stilled in kissing back but Thorin continued to kiss her, his hand trailing up her spine then back down.

Just when his fingers grazed the skin dangerously close to the top of her pants, Sara pushed against his chest, pushing him away from her but he kept one hand on her thigh to keep her up, so she didn’t fall.

“Thorin….” She said in a warning tone.

However, Thorin seemed completely out of it because he didn’t even let her finish, latching his lips to her neck. Sara tried pushing his head away but he was too strong. Finally, she did the last thing she wanted to. Bringing her free leg that Thorin wasn’t holding down, she jabbed it between his legs.

Thorin completely released her this time and she dropped to the ground. Grabbing the side of the cave to steady herself, she glared at Thorin.

“Have you lost it!?” She asked, her voice rising, “You need to get your head on straight!”
As the girl stormed toward the falls, Thorin reached out to catch her hand, “Sara….”
The girl whipped around, smacking the palm of her hand hard against his cheek, making him reel, “Do not touch me!”
With that, the girl stormed out of the cave. After managing to collect himself, Thorin slowly came out only to find Balin and Dwalin standing at the shore, fully dressed with displeased looks on their faces. In the distance he could hear his nephews calling Sara’s name, asking her what was wrong and where she was going.

“Now you’ve done it,” Dwalin hmphed, storming off angrily to aid the young dwarf princes in calming Sara down.

FLASHBACK END

Thorin sighed. He had gone too far…. He hadn’t even asked, and he most certainly should have followed Dwalin and Balin’s advice. What was his problem? As he turned to keep walking, he didn’t notice Sara lift her eyes to stare at his back that was facing her, his hair cascading down his back. She felt her cheeks go pink, remembering the incident at the river. Why had she stopped him? Sure he was crossing a few boundaries…. But she didn’t want him to think she hated it…. she was just not ready.

*******

“HOLD ON!” Thorin yelled.

Sara rolled her eyes as she gripped the side of the mountain to keep from slipping. The stones were wet, and she was constantly slipping. If it wasn’t for Fili who held her hand to keep her steady, she would have fallen plenty of times. Sara sighed as she pushed her wet hair out of her eyes, only for it to flop back in her way.

“We must find shelter!” Thorin yelled.

Sara knew what was coming and quickly grabbed Fili, pulling him close to the mountain, “LOOK OUT!” she yelled.

All the dwarves looked up just in time as a boulder hit the side of the mountain, breaking some large rocks from the side which tumbled down toward them.

“This is no Thunderstorm!” Balin cried. “It’s a thunder battle! Look!”

All eyes turned just as a huge stone giant rose to his full height. Sara bit her lip in shock. She had expected it but out of the screen and in real life, they were so much bigger…. And more frightening than she thought!
Fili grabbed her to press her against the mountain wall to keep from getting hit by thrown rocks.

‘Bilbo!’ Sara thought. If she could keep Bilbo from falling over the side, maybe Thorin wouldn’t snap at him and maybe Bilbo wouldn’t get upset…. But would that mean he wouldn’t meet Gollum? No, he fell into the chasm by accident, not because of the argument.

Nodding her head in determination, Sara pushed past the other dwarves cautiously as they slowly made their way up the mountain. She soon found Bilbo who stood next to Bofur and squeezed next to him, taking hold of his hand. The hobbit gripped it back gratefully and gave her a weak, frightening smile.

Sara gave him a reassuring nod just before she felt the world beneath her begin to move. Uh oh. Grabbing onto Bilbo, she held onto the rock face with one hand as they began to swing about on the giant’s leg.

“Hold on!” She could hear Thorin yell again but this time it sounded more urgent and worried.

Sara heard a loud crumble nearby and turned to see that the others on the other leg had managed to jump to solid ground… however that was right before she saw the face of the mountain inch closer at a rapid pace.

Sara grabbed Fili and Bilbo’s hands tightly and closed her eyes…. Waiting for contact. The next thing she knows, she feels something strike her head hard, making her feel dizzy then landing under and atop many bodies.

She groaned, rolling over when a pair of strong hands lifted her to her feet. She desperately hoped that it wasn’t Thorin and when she opened her eyes, she saw that it was Kili. Phew!

“Where is Bilbo?” Bofur’s worried voice called and Sara snapped out of her dizzy state. No! She let go of Bilbo’s hand!

“Where’s the hobbit?” Sara cried before Bofur could.

Instantly she caught sight of the hobbit dangling over the side. Lunging forward, the grabbed onto his wrist to hold him still, but realized that she didn’t have anything keeping her on the ledge.

“SARA!” Fili yelled, jumping forward to grab the girl’s free arm to hold her still.

Thorin’s head snapped around at his nephew’s cry and saw that Sara’s grip on Bilbo’s hand was failing.

Jumping down onto a ledge next to the hobbit, he lifted the little man up using one arm when his hand slipped. Dwalin managed to grab his hand and pull him up and by then, Fili had pulled Sara back to safety.

The girl was rubbing Bilbo on the back who was panting and pale from the incident. Thorin felt a jab in his heart at the gentleness that the girl showed the hobbit when she wouldn’t even look in Thorin’s direction.

“I thought we had lost our burglar,” Dwalin panted.

Thorin turned to look at the hobbit, glaring when he saw a small trickle of blood that had appeared on Sara’s forehead, “He’s been lost, ever since he left home. He’s thought nothing of his soft bed and warm hearth since first he stepped out of his do….”
He never got to finish for a stinging pain appeared on the left side of his face and combined with the sting of the falling rain, it made him reel. He looked to see Sara standing before him, her hands clenched and her face red and dark with fury.

“Say one more word and I’ll forget you’re a prince and throw you off the ledge.”
All the dwarves froze and some of them made inhuman noises of shock. Thorin’s eyebrows shot down, trying to match Sara’s fury.

“His actions resulted in your injury,” he snapped.

“Oh, for the love of Durin’s Folk who have sense left in them!” Sara screeched, “I got this when we crashed into the mountain! The only thing that is injured is Bilbo’s feelings because you were thoughtless!”
“You dare to call me thoughtless?” Thorin hissed, angrier at the fact that Sara was angry at him than anything else.

Sara smirked angrily at him, “No, that’s putting it nicely. You’re a jerk!”
The girl spun on her heel and made for the cave opening, not realizing that the others were staring at her in surprise, partially from her outburst and partially from the fact that she found the entrance out of the blue.

That night, Sara laid down, knowing that sleep would never come for she was the only one who knew what lay beneath them. She ended up almost breaking Mason’s bones, having held him in an attempts to fall asleep. The one thing she didn’t know that night was that the main reason she couldn’t fall asleep was because deep in the depths of her heart, she was angry at Thorin for what he said to Bilbo…. But she was also afraid… because she knew she had fallen for him. The other thing she didn’t know was that a certain Dwarf prince couldn’t tear his eyes away from where the girl was curled up with her back to Fili’s, Mason laying against her front for warmth and comfort. Did she really hate him so much that she thought he was heartless and a jerk? He couldn’t sleep at all nor even think of dozing off… which meant that he could clearly hear Bilbo as he spoke with Bofur hours later….

******

Sara groaned as she rolled over, finding that they were still sleeping in the cold cave above the goblin town. Thinking about it made her cringe but her mind was more elsewhere than the goblins below. She had begun to notice little things that seemed off with the ‘events’ of the Hobbit. Things said, looks and actions that were done by certain people in the books and films were now either not being done, being done at a different time or by a different person than who originally did it in the books and movies. It was beginning to worry her.

If things began to change too much, it would be nearly impossible for Sara to tell whether or not something was going to happen, such as Fili, Kili and Thorin’s deaths. She was not a genius or a brilliant fighter. All she had going for her in this battle against evil was what she knew of the future but if the future got messed up because of different events that would alter the timeline and future events, she would be helpless and that would defeat the purpose of her being in Middle Earth. She could not risk losing Fili, Kili and Thorin. It was hard enough when she first met them and realized that she was in fact in front of the real sons of Durin… but over time they had grown on her just as many people grown on oneself and as they grow on you, you do not want to lose them or part with them. In such a way, Sara had found herself attached to the three dwarves and not just them, the whole company including the hobbit and Gandalf.

She couldn’t bear to lose them anymore than she could bear to lose her brothers. She had already lost her brothers and has no way of getting them back, she does not wish for the same to happen to her friends in Middle Earth.

That was probably one of the reasons she kept pushing Thorin away. Not only was she unsure, scared and totally confused, she didn’t want to alter any events to the point where the deaths that were meant to happen either didn’t happen and someone else died instead, or the deaths occur at a different place and time, taking Sara by surprise. She couldn’t lose Thorin and just as she had accepted the fact that she had grown fond of the company, she was beginning to accept the fact that she might be in love with the raven haired, blue eyed dwarf prince. And that was what scared her. In any other circumstances, she would have accepted Thorin’s advances and allowed herself to get closer to him. But she was not even of Middle Earth. She was of a world that believed Middle Earth to be merely a world created by a man named J.R.R. Tolkien and Thorin was believed to be a fictional character played in a film by a man named Richard Armitage. It was as simple as that. Either Sara had lived her whole life in a dream and had just woken up in the real world or it was the other way around. The truth was, both were so real that she wasn’t sure if her world was real or Middle Earth was…. Or if they were both real…. Or both just a dream.

Sighing, Sara sat up and pushed her blanket off of her before standing up and striding toward the entrance of the cave. The rain had stopped for the time being and as far as she could tell, Bilbo had not stirred. They had only been there about two hours, but the company was already dead to the world, snoring as loud as buffalo in a stampede. It was a miracle that the pale orc hadn’t tracked them by sound instead of by scent. Though Sara still hadn’t figured out which was worse, their smell or their sound.

Her eyes scanning the company, Sara’s eyes fell on the young dwarf prince who slept near one wall, sort of set off from the others but closer to Fili and Kili than anyone else. Smiling softly to herself, Sara crept silently across the cave to stand over the dwarf. Sleeping on his back, Thorin had Orcrist at his side, his cloak draped over him as a blanket, pulled halfway up his abdomen, one hand laying over his stomach while the other lay near Orcrist, the tips of his fingers touching the hilt.

The girl silently crouched down so she could see him better. His black raven hair spewed out like a pillow beneath his head, his blue eyes closed to the world and his lips parted just the slightest as he breathed.

Sara had not noticed how long his lashes really were and not only did she notice that the dwarf had rather long lashes for a man and a dwarf at that, she also noticed other things too. One was that while in the movies and up until that moment, Sara had believed Thorin’s lips were thin and tight, she now saw that they really weren’t and had a little fullness to them. Not like Kili’s but rather like Fili’s. The girl smiled. She had always seen Thorin as the older version of Kili but now looking upon him asleep and unmoving, she saw quite a few traits similar to Fili. His firm eyebrows were more relaxed in his sleep, revealing a more friendly but mature brow. Not boyish like Kili’s but relaxed like Fili’s.

Sara gently reached forward and hovered her fingers over Thorin’s face. She debated to either risk waking him and touching him or to just not risk it and not touch him. Finally, her interest got the better of her and she allowed her fingers to touch Thorin’s forehead so light that even if he had been awake, Thorin wouldn’t have felt it.

“You have been through so much,” she whispered under her breath as she ran her fingers over his creased brow. “It has worn grooves in you like a door that leaves a mark over the years of sliding along the floor.”

Her fingers began to drift down till they paused against his beard. Sara’s brothers and father had never grown beards, so she assumed that beards were prickly but Thorin’s…. was soft…. Almost like the downy fluff that covers little puppies before they begin to grow coarse fur.

Her fingers trailed across his beard to his lips where she traced the shape of his lips before running her thumb over the flesh of his bottom lip.

She paused before leaning forward cautiously and brushing his lips with hers. As she drew back, she looked steadily at his perfect features, feeling his sleeping breath hitting her face at their close proximity.

“I wish I could heal some of those grooves… wipe some of them away and give you what you seek but… I am too afraid. And you’re not afraid of silly things like feelings and emotions like I am. You need someone stronger who does not trust herself to do the right thing and is so busy worrying about how to not lose those she loves to realize that she is failing in the one duty she was given.”
Pulling away, Sara sighed before standing up and returning to her spot. She laid back down on her blanket and wrapped it around her, curling up in a ball facing the wall…. Not falling asleep but waiting for the fateful fall to Goblin Town. Little did she know, she was not the only one awake. The moment she laid down, a pair of blue eyes slowly opened before a hand drifted up and touched his forehead…. Cheek… beard…. And lips…. The feeling of her hands and lips still lingering where she had touched.

Chapter Text

When Sara was awake, she was not nearly as surprised at her environment as she should have been, but then again, it wasn’t every day that you knew that when you woke up, you would be falling into the depths of an underground city inhabited by goblins.

That was the plus side of things. The downside of it was that while it looked rather dangerous and painful in the movie, it had never dawned on Sara how much it would actually hurt to be hurdling down a stone shoot and then to land atop and amidst a pile of large dwarves who, while they barely beat you in height, definitely outweighed you almost four fold in some of their cases.

This harsh reality was what Sara discovered when she found her arms and legs battered and bruised, the knees of her pants having ripped, and the skin scraped till it bled. For some magic reason, her hands were untouched, mostly because when she had started to fall, she had curled up in a ball to keep herself from having any of her limps slammed off her body by the impact and had kept her hands close against her chest.

The first thing that popped into her mind once she managed to suck in a breath of air even though her ribs were straining to hold up the weight of a certain large dwarf by the name of Gloin, was that she had forgotten to grab her backpack!

Looking around, she saw that most of their supplies had landed underneath them and she scrambled to look for her bag. She knew that the goblins would take their things, so she had to work fast. When her hand finally landed on the rough leather bag, she pulled it from where it was stuck beneath Bombur’s behind. Opening the flap, she hastily grabbed her notebook and the other small contents, shoving them down the neck of her white shirt. After this was done, she pulled her leather jacket closer around her and buttoned it up the front, hoping that it would hide the slight bulge that her belongings made in her shirt.

She tossed the bag to the side but not before ensuring that her pistol was well hidden in her boot. And just in time too for she heard the screech of goblins and swallowed with dread.

Being petite wasn’t the only issue as she was hauled to her feet. She could barely see thanks to her forgetting to braid her hair before sleep so her hair was all in her face and she couldn’t even get a second to brush it away as one of the goblins grabbed her wrist and dragged her along.

It reminded her of all those mornings when Omar and Ryder would wake her up on the mornings of her birthday and would blindfold her before carefully maneuvering her downstairs to where the rest of the family had prepared a surprise birthday breakfast.

Needless to say, her brothers were not always careful of where they were leading Sara and quite a few times she came downstairs with a bruise on her forehead from her brothers having failed to notice her walking straight into a wall. Now that Sara thought about it, she would gladly have a thousand bruises on her face than having to be led blindly along a not so stable path to the one place that Sara wished she had missed in the journey to the Lonely Mountain.

When Sara finally came to a stop, the goblins released her arms and she quickly rubbed them to get rid of the horrible, grubby feeling that their hands had left behind on her wrists. Finally, with her hands free, she brushed her hair out of her eyes to find herself face to face with a headful of dwarf hair…. Oh… it was Fili.

The young dwarf was scanning everyone around him till his eyes rested on the girl behind him and his face seemed to relax in relief, having been looking for her.

“You alright?” he whispered, wrapping an arm around her and keeping her partially hidden behind his body.

Sara nodded, “Not so bad considering where we are, who we’re captured by and how little sleep I got last night.”
Fili chuckled at that before quickly removing his cloak and wrapping it around her, pulling the hood up, “Don’t let them know that you’re a girl.”

Sara was about to ask ‘why’ but then she realized that she knew the answer and if she asked, she would appear naïve and stupid. Before the girl could barely pull the cloak closer around her body, they were pushed and banged around as the goblins began to search them, removing all their weapons from their possession.

The bow Kili gave Sara and her swords were torn from her back and thrown on the ground but she kept her eyes on them. When Gandalf arrived, she wanted to be able to grab her swords as quickly as possible.

“Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?” the goblin king inquired. “Thieves? Assassins!?”
“Dwarves,” one of the goblins replied.

“Dwarves!?” the goblin king inquired.

Sara quickly hid further behind Fili who pulled her closer. “Found them on the front porch.”
“Well don’t just stand there!” the king cried. “Search them! Every Crack! Every Crevice!”
Sara gulped. She completely forgot about that part! Please…. Please don’t touch her! Please just think that she is Fili’s pet monkey! Please!
Her prayers either went unheard or it was just not her day because a goblin noticed her and tore the cloak from her body. Fili tried to grab it back from him but by the time he got it back, another goblin had snatched Sara by the arms and dragged her to the front.

“Well, well,” the goblin king remarked, drowning out the shouts that the dwarves were making. “What do we have here?”

“Let her go!” Sara could hear Kili yell and from what she could gather, it sounded like the others were struggling to break free.

“looks like a little kitten washed in with the boars,” the goblin king snorted before approaching Sara.

The girl kept her head down, not even wanting to look in the creature’s direction. However, she didn’t have a choice when he reached out with his staff and poked her stomach. Sara shot him a glare which only seemed to encourage him, and he stuck his staff between her legs, riding up her skirt. Luckily, she wore pants, but this annoyed Sara.

“Leave me alone,” the girl hissed.

The goblin king chuckled, only pushing his staff further up between her legs which caused the dwarves to begin to shout, yelling insults and screaming at the Goblin King to stop.

The goblins completely ignored them, and the dwarves wondered why Sara didn’t fight back. The goblin king also seemed intrigued and leaning forward, touched her stomach with the tip of his staff.

“Not going to bite kitten?”

A smirk worked its way onto Sara’s face before she looked him straight in the eye. “Kitten’s don’t bite. They scratch.”
Even Sara did not quite know what happened next but she had drawn the small dagger from the back of her belt and driving it into the handle of the goblin king’s staff, wedged it in so deep so that when she wrenched her arm back, the staff went flying with it and hurtled across the keep.

“Cover your eyes!” She screamed.

The dwarves reacted just in time and either ducked their heads or buried their faces in the crooks of their arms as a bright brilliant blue light seemed to appear from nowhere, knocking everyone even the Goblin King back.

When the light finally faded, Sara found herself smiling at the sight of Gandalf standing there, his sword drawn and staff at the ready.

“Take up arms,” he demanded. “Fight!”

Sara quickly sheathed her dagger back into her belt before rushing forward to grab her bow and double swords. Just as she was about to grab her bow, she saw that there was another hand near hers, grabbing for another weapon nearby. Sara lifted her eyes and immediately they locked with a pair of striking blue eyes. Thorin looked her straight in the face, a look in his eyes that she couldn’t read but for some reason… it scared her.

As quickly as it happened, it was gone and Thorin had jumped to his feet and began slashing at Goblins. Sara shrugged before grabbing her bow and loaded it.

“Run!” Gandalf yelled, grabbing Sara by the elbow and pulling her along.

Sara did not know how long she was running but all she knew was to keep her feet moving and shoot down any Goblin who got too close.

She began to feel dizzy, not quite knowing why but things began to go fuzzy and she couldn’t quite concentrate on any target. This did not go unnoticed by Gandalf who quickly disposed of a goblin that was getting close to the girl.

“Fili! Kili!” the wizard called. “Take care of Sara.”
The two boys were at her side in an instant, Kili supporting her while Fili protected them.

“What’s wrong?” Kili asked, feeling her head, only to find it a normal temperature.

“I don’t feel so right,” Sara stuttered. “I don’t know what it is…”

The two young dwarves looked at Gandalf who obviously knew what was going on, “it is the altitude and the stench.” He explained. “considering her…. condition…. She is more sensitive to smells and things that don’t usually faze people.”
“You make it sound like I’m a hormonal pregnant woman,” Sara remarked sarcastically as she weakly leant against Kili.

“You’re also adapting to this environment Sara,” Gandalf explained. “Your body is changing to adapt to this environment and the situation we are in is not helping.”
Sara groaned, “Just peachy.”
“Hurry now!” Gandalf called.

Kili wrapped Sara’s arm around his shoulder, slipping one of his arms around her waist so he could partially lift the girl. He soon discovered that the girl barely weighed a thing to a point where he settled for lifting her onto his back in a piggyback fashion and he barely noticed the extra weight.

“Aren’t you eating?” he asked as Fili took down two goblins.

“Who keeps track of that?” Sara groaned against his shoulder. “Besides, I never have an appetite…. At this particular time….”
“Oh,” Kili muttered, turning crimson when he realized what she was talking about.

Fili glanced over at his brother with a smirk, having heard the exchange, “I pity your wife Kili. She’s going to think you’re a teenage boy discovering the wonders of reproduction.”
Kili tilted his head to the side, “What does that mean?”
Sara and Fili exchanged partially horrified looks before Fili went back to clearing a path for Kili to carry Sara.

Before Sara could even begin to clear her head, she felt Fili rush over and wrap his arms around both her and Kili as they began to plummet…. Wait…. When did they run into the goblin king? Was she really that out of it?

When they made contact with the ground, she was squashed like the turkey in a sandwich between Fili and Kili. Fili got off her instantly and lifted her into his arms so Kili could get up. Weakly, Sara tried to stand up, but her knees buckled.

“GANDALF!” Kili yelled.

Sara could barely open her eyes, so Fili slipped his arms around her and lifted her onto his back.

“Only one thing will save us,” she heard Gandalf say. “Daylight!”

*******

“Eight… nine… ten… thirteen… and Bombur, that’s fourteen,” Gandalf counted.

Fili and Kili stopped running and Kili helped his brother set Sara down she was sitting against a tree.

“How is she?” Gandalf asked.

“Like I want to throw up,” Sara replied in a low grumble.

The two brothers looked at Gandalf for guidance, the wizard nodding, “She’ll be fine. She just needs air. That stench would make anyone sick.”
“What happened to the lass?” Dwalin asked, getting the attention of the other dwarves.

Thorin walked over before crouching in front of Sara, stroking her cheek.

“Are you alright?”

Sara nodded but refused to look at the dwarf prince, “I am fine. Just felt a little sick is all.”

Thorin bit his gum before looking away, irritated that Sara refused to meet his gaze.

“Bilbo,” Sara muttered, “Where is Bilbo?”

Gandalf looked around, suddenly realizing that there was no sign of the little halfling. “Where is our hobbit!?”

“Curse the halfling, now he’s lost!” Dwalin groaned.

“I thought he was with Dori!” Gloin snapped.

“Don’t blame me!” Dori argued.

As they began to argue about who had seen Bilbo last, Sara managed to compose himself and rose to her feet.

“I’ll tell you what happened,” Thorin started. “Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. he has thought nothing….”
The dwarf prince stopped when a voice overpowered his ranting.

“Do not finish that sentence,” Sara growled, leaning partially against the tree.

The girl had tried to talk herself out of speaking out but when she heard the words drip from Thorin’s tongue like venom, she snapped.

“it’s the truth,” Thorin objected.

Sara pushed herself from the tree and stormed over ot Thorin, “no. the truth is, you’re jealous. You are jealous of what Bilbo has, a home. He has one and you don’t, which makes you jealous.”
“He is weak,” Thorin hissed.

Sara raised an eyebrow, “I am weak.”
“No you’re not,” Thorin objected. “You are… you’re…”
Sara took a step closer, so she was close to Thorin’s face, “I’ll tell you what I am. I am a girl from a world where dragons, orcs and goblins are all just made up creatures in a storybook. I am a girl who had the perfect family and the moment my parents died; I broke. I am a girl who died, leaving my younger brothers either alone in the world without a family or worse, dead. I am a girl who woke up in the land of her dreams, only to learn that the reason she ended up here is to change a course of events. I am a girl who has one duty and that duty is to ensure that the line of Durin does not die. I am a girl who has one job but is failing because the storyline is changing and every time she looks into the blue eyes of the dwarf she is supposed to be protecting, she loses her mind and cannot even form straight sentences. I. Am. Weak.”

Sara didn’t have to look away from Thorin’s eyes to know that everyone but Gandalf was staring at her in stunned surprise.

Thorin’s blue eyes were wide in shock and his lips parted slightly. Sara stepped away form hi, not breaking her gaze before speaking again.

“You can come out now Bilbo,” she muttered.

There was the sound of ruffling leaves as said Hobbit scrambled forward.

“How did you know I was there?” the hobbit inquired.

Sara did not reply but turned and walked away from the dwarves to stand a good distance from them, her back to them.

“What does it matter? He’s back,” Gandalf said, trying to break the tension.

“It matters,” Thorin objected. “I want to know. Why did you come back?”

Bilbo smiled, “I know you doubt me and always have. But like Sara said, I think of home and that is why I came back. Because it is true I have a home, but you don’t and I will try everything I can to get it back for you.”

Silence enveloped the group and Thorin looked across the clearing to see Sara standing still but he knew she had heard the whole thing. What he didn’t know was that the words Bilbo said sent a wave of worry through the girl’s heart.

“What did Sara mean about a ‘storyline’?” Ori asked, breaking the silence.

Gandalf was about to answer when a howl sounded from above, “No time for that. Run!”

*******

“Sara!” Fili yelled, “Up! Jump up!”

Sara looked around to see that while she was helping Bilbo dislodge his sword from the warg, everyone else had climbed up the trees.

“Hurry!” Kili cried.

Sara rushed to the nearest tree and a hand reached down to her. having no time to think about refusing, she took the person’s hand and was hauled into the tree.

Instead of being helped up, she was practically lifted onto a branch so that she had her arms around the trunk, someone standing behind her, shielding her from whatever was coming. Sara couldn’t turn her head to see who it was but her nose was suddenly filled with the scent of cedar, sweat and pine… oh great!

Sara was about to try and escape the cage of Thorin’s arms when she heard his voice come out in a hoarse whisper yell.

“Azog!”

Sara bit her lip. Not this! Anything but this! Seeing the fight with Azog and Thorin on screen was one thing but to see it in person… she knew she wouldn’t be able to stand it.

“Thorin,” the girl whispered, catching Thorin’s attention instantly.

“you knew?” he whispered, his eyes radiating pain and betrayal. “And you didn’t tell me?”

Before Sara could reply, the tree had begun to tilt before it ran into the nearest tree. Sara quickly jumped across. When she looked around, she found Thorin on the same branch as her, bearing down on her like a bear.

“How could i!?” she snapped, “If I had avenged my dead family and thought the monster to be dead but you knew he wasn’t dead, would you have told me?”

Thorin faltered before turning to look away from her. Suddenly, the tree they were in also began to lean till it fell on it’s side, half hanging off the cliff.

Sara quickly climbed up and knowing what would happen next, decided to go against her plan of following the storyline, at least just this once.

“Thorin,” she said sternly, looking Thorin straight in the eye, “Do not provoke him! Do not attack him!”
Thorin’s blue eyes met hers and it seemed like they were having a staring contest, waiting to see who would falter first. Thorin sighed and was just nodding in agreement when he saw Sara’s eyes widen in fright before she slowly looked down.

The dwarf prince followed her gaze before he choked on his own air. Protruding through Sara’s abdomen was a long orc arrow!
Sara couldn’t tell what happened next but she faintly remembered hearing Thorin’s heart breaking cry, followed by a few more cries from the others. She remembered the soft smell of cedar and pine as Thorin caught her in his arms. Then she felt him pass her to someone else. She tried to tell him to not provoke Azog but she could barely breathe. Everything faded to darkness and the last thing she heard was Fili’s voice whispering her name.

******

Sara slowly cracked her eyes open, groaning at the pain that punctured her abdomen. She slowly cracked her eyes open, only to see Oin hovering over her. she saw the old dwarf open his mouth to announce that she was awake to the others when Sara held up her hand weakly. She put her finger to her lips and the dwarf nodded in understanding. Gently he helped her sit up and the girl saw that they were on the eagle’s crest. She could see the faint outline of the eagles flying off in the distance. Of all the times to pass out and miss something, it had to be when the eagles came!

Sara’s attention was drawn to the rest of the company who were standing with their backs to her, looking at the Lonely Mountain in the distance. The girl was just about to smile when Kili just had to turn around and catch sight of the girl sitting up.

“Sara!” the young dwarf literally shrieked as he sprinted over to her side.

The rest of the company rushed over to the girl. Sara suddenly felt like the new Greenie who got sent up in the box to the Glade from The Maze Runner as over a dozen heads towered over her from all sides.

Kili threw his arms around Sara but the girl cried out in pain. Fili reached down and grabbed his brother’s right ear, pulling him off Sara.

“She just got shot by an orc!” Fili scolded.

Sara clutched her abdomen in pain as Gloin and Oin helped her lay back down. Gandalf pushed through and gently lifted Sara’s shirt to reveal the black puffy wound on her upper left hip.

“Kingsfoil,” Sara muttered. “Do we have some?”
Gandalf smiled and nodded, drawing said plant from his bag and wetting it with some water from his pouch, pushing it onto the wound and began to chant elvish. Sara cried out in pain from the contact and many of the dwarves moved to stop Gandalf when Sara spoke.

“Please tell me Bilbo and Thorin made up,” she said through gritted teeth.

Everyone looked at Thorin who looked as if he had just seen a ghost before he turned bright crimson. “What are you talking about?” he asked.

Sara rolled her eyes before turning to Kili. Thorin was too proud and stubborn but Kili wasn’t. the girl grabbed Kili’s left ear and pulled him down to eye level.

“Tell me Thorin apologized and gave Bilbo a hug and apologized for doubting him.” She whisper growled.

Kili’s face radiated fear as he spoke in a rush.

“Thorin apologized and gave Bilbo a big hug and apologized for doubting him.”
Sara smirked when she suddenly let out a grunt of pain as Gandalf finished cleaning her wound. Oin washed away the black puss and kingsfoil before wrapping the wound in a clean bandage.

Sara sat up and pulled her shirt down only to see that the company were still standing over her.

“I’m just guessing here, but do you all usually hover over people when they’re being patched back together?”

The dwarves took the hint and scurried off to set up camp. Fili and Kili stayed behind though to slowly help the girl to her feet. Sara noted that Kili was still rubbing both his ears from having had them pulled violently so she turned to Fili.

“After i…. passed out….did Thorin…”
“Did Thorin literally break everyone’s eardrums with his blood curdling yell and then proceeded to do exactly as you had told him not to and provoke Azog so much that his warg bit him and then knocked him out, resulting in Bilbo having to go in there and rescue him before the eagles arrived and brought us here? Oh yeah.”

Sara wanted to laugh but she knew it wasn’t the time, so she let the two brothers help her sit down near where Gloin was making a fire for the night.

*******

Thorin looked up from where he was seated to see that across the fire, Sara was lying sort of set off from the others. The company were all sound asleep except for Gloin who was on watch, sitting near the edge of the cliff about twenty feet away. Fili and Kili had offered to sleep on either side of Sara to keep her warm but she had politely declined so as to not let herself be crushed by the two sleep rollers.

Rising to his feet, the dwarf prince walked around the fire to where the girl lay to see her lying on her back under her blanket, looking up at the stars.

“Cant sleep?” he asked, noticing that her eyes were wide open but he got no response.

He slowly sat down next to the girl before looking up at the sky.

“It is quite beautiful out,” he mused.

He didn’t expect a reply but he got one.

“Why?”

Thorin looked down at the girl to see that she had turned her head slightly away from him so that he couldn’t get a good look at her face.

“Why did you do it when I told you not to?”

Thorin felt his heart drop, “Sara…. I…”
“I know I have a lot of secrets and I haven’t told you everything, but I was afraid that if I did, something would happen and everything would go wrong. But that’s not why. I didn’t tell you to avoid Azog because I knew something you didn’t. I did it because i….i….i couldn’t watch you fight and die when I could do something to prevent it. I couldn’t lose you…. Not like that. I distanced myself from you with the fear that if I got too close to you, it would distract me from my duty and would result in you dying. But when everything went black and I felt you let go of me…. Knowing that you were going to fight Azog… I knew that I while I feared losing you, I was more afraid of you dying without me telling you how I felt about you.”
Thorin reached over and turned her face to look at him and that’s when he saw the tears, pooling in her beautiful doe eyes.

“Sara,” he said gently reaching down to pull her into his arms, cradling her head close to his chest. “I am so sorry. When I saw you fall…. No life in your eyes, your face ashen white… I just…”
Thorin felt tears of his own trickle down his face when suddenly a warm hand touched his face and wiped it away. Thorin looked down to see Sara looking up at him, her eyes reflecting the stars. Slowly the girl leant up before brushing her lips gently across his. That was the only permission Thorin needed. Threading his fingers through her hair, he crushed his lips onto hers, snaking his other arm around her waist.

Sara gasped in pain when his hand grazed her wound and Thorin pulled back.

“Sorry…. I’m sorry….”
Sara chuckled softly before bumping his nose with hers.

“Stay here?” She whispered.

Thorin smiled before pulling his cloak off and lying down on the ground next to her, pulling the cloak over the both of them.

Sara curled up close to him, keeping their eyes locked. Thorin wove his legs around hers and cupped her waist with his hands, pulling her impossibly close.

Gently he leant over to reconnect their lips when he heard Sara whisper something under her breath.

“What was that?” he whispered.

Sara smiled before whispering it in his ear. Thorin felt his heart freeze before he caught her lips in a strong, hungry kiss before pulling back. Gently he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead before burying his face in her hair.

“I love you too.”

******

Sara shivered as she listened to the loud roaring of Azog and the wargs. Of course, even though Thorin had just sent Bilbo off to find out how close the pack was, she knew that they were only a couple leagues away. She listened intently, waiting to hear the roar of Beorn but so far, they were too far from Beorn to hear him… yet.

The girl gnawed on her fingernails, not caring that her fingers looked ghastly. She always had the bad habit of biting her nails till they were so short that they hurt to move. The only way she could keep herself from biting them was paint them and the slightest sign of the pain chipping, she would start to pick, peel and chew them again. Her mother assured Sara that it was either a nervous or concentrating habit. Sort of like stress relief. Since entering Middle Earth, she hadn’t painted them obviously and with everything happening, they didn’t even look like nails anymore.

How was she going to tell the company about her knowledge of their fates? She knew she couldn’t tell them any details, whether it was about Erabor, the dragon, the elves, the spiders, deaths…. None of it because the slightest knowledge could trigger a change in the timeline, making Sara’s job near impossible. She honestly preferred the storyline being like it was in the movie. That way, she knew right when and where something would happen, and she could be prepared.

Sara let out a squeak of surprise when she peeled a piece of nail from her finger, splitting the nail and catching a bunch of skin, making it bleed. Thorin was at her side in an instant, taking her hand into his and examining the damage.

His blue eyes lifted as he looked at her. “You bite your nails?”

Sara looked down, biting her lip, “Yeah… it’s a bad habit.”
The girl looked up when Thorin touched her chin, lifting her eyes to meet his to find a smile on his face, “it is relief from stress.”
Sara’s eyes widened, “How did you know?”
“I had a similar problem when I was a child,” Thorin replied, smiling. “My sister Dis hated it, but I had a habit of always wanting to do something with my fingers. Of course, the first thing that came to mind was chewing but instead of my nails, I chewed the skin around my fingers. I peeled so much skin away that my fingers looked like someone had taken a chisel to them.”
Sara chuckled, trying to imagine Thorin biting his fingers. “How did you stop?”

“I found other things for my hands to do,” Thorin replied. “By then, Dis was older and constantly needing someone to braid her hair so that was what I did. When she grew out of that, I started getting into archery and swordsmanship.”
Sara smiled, “I haven’t found a hobby that can distract me from biting my nails… they look horrible.”
The girl almost choked on her own air as Thorin sat down next to her and brought her hand up to his face before kissing her knuckles, one at a time. When he came to the finger that was bleeding, he planted a kiss on the bleeding wound. Taking the sleeve of his shirt, he wiped away the excess blood before applying pressure to her finger by wrapping it in his palm and squeezing.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist, letting his lips linger there longer than need be.

Sara felt her face heat up at these words and she was just about to go hide somewhere (preferably behind Gandalf) so Thorin didn’t see her blush when Bilbo returned at a full sprint. Thorin rose to his feet and approached the hobbit.

“How close is the pack?”

“Too close!” The hobbit replied, skidding to a stop. “Couple of Leagues but no more. That is not the worst of it though.”
“Have the wargs caught our scent?” Dwalin asked.

Bilbo shook his head, “They will soon but we have another problem.”
“Did they see you?” Gandalf asked, not noticing that his choice of words made Sara’s heart drop.

“No that’s not it,” Bilbo panted. “But there is something else out there!”

While the others were getting information out of the small hobbit, Sara bit her lip and began to gnaw on her fingers again. There was something wrong. Why was the dialogue not like in the movie? Did her presence disrupt the timeline like that? What if something happens to her or she does something…. It was one thing to just be there and for the dialogue to be different but what about actions? Would actions of the storyline begin to change because of her presence in the story!?

“SARA!” Fili yelled, catching the girl’s attention, “RUN!”

The girl realized that the dwarves had begun to run out of the clearing with Gandalf. She jumped from her spot and rushed after Fili, allowing him to grab her hand and pull her along at a faster pace. Curse dwarves and their impossibly strong endurance!

******

Sara sighed as she flopped down on the pile of straw, letting her bag fall to the ground and rubbing her sore arms. She flinched when she pulled too much on her wound but quickly wiped the pain off her face when the dwarves approached from having ensured that the door of the stable was locked.

As everyone chose their spot of Beorn’s barn for the night, Sara felt many of them glancing over in her direction. She knew why. Since the Azog and warg attack when it was revealed that she knew something that they didn’t, there had been no time for her to explain her situation to them but now, being safe in a barn protected by a giant skin changer bear, this was the perfect time.

When she saw Ori, Nori and Dori whispering to each other, occasionally glancing in her direction, Sara finally lost her cool. Standing up, ignoring the searing pain in her abdomen, she walked across the barn to the huge table and climbed up onto the seat that was almost as tall as her.

Reaching into her bag, she drew out her sketchbook and laid it on the table before flipping to the first pages, showing her first attempts at drawing the Hobbit members. By then, the dwarves had gathered around, having gotten a look from Gandalf which basically told them to pay attention.

“When I said that… in my world, there were stories about this world… that wasn’t the whole story,” Sara began. “I know about Kuzdul, dwarves, elves, the Lonely Mountain… all of it… because of the stories from my world but… there are more details about this world that I didn’t tell you.”

Fili and Kili must have sensed how tense and nervous the girl was, so they climbed up onto the stairs on either side of her and Fili placed a hand on her shoulder to offer comfort. Sara smiled at the blond dwarf before taking a deep breath.

“In my world… there is a book called: The Hobbit. It…it tells the stories of certain people in Middle Earth and how they defeat evil.”

“The Hobbit?” Gloin inquired. “As in the halfling?”

Sara nodded, “The story is about Bilbo’s adventures…. To help reclaim Erabor.”

The dwarves’ eyes all widened in surprise. “You mean…. You already knew about this journey before you came here?” Dwalin inquired.

“Yes,” Sara replied. “And I know what happens the rest of the time…”

“That’s how,” Balin whispered. “That is how you knew when and where all those things happened… the trolls, Radagast, the goblins…”

Sara nodded, keeping her face hidden behind her hair. “That’s the hard part.”

The dwarves all frowned in confusion until reality dawned on Kili, “Does…. Something bad happen?”
Sara sighed, “I cannot tell you. All I can say is… some things happen that are hard to accept… and if you know about them then….”

“It will change the course of events,” Gandalf intervened, noticing how uncomfortable Sara was. “it is like knowing about your future, it could change the course of events.”

“But wouldn’t that be a good thing?” Dwalin inquired. “It could prevent them from happening.”
“Not necessarily,” Gandalf replied. “Knowing if something is going to happen might not prevent it from happening but might result in it happening at a different time and place.”

Slowly, everyone looked at Sara who had bitten her lip hard to keep from crying at the thought of the future events.

“That is why I am here,” Sara sighed. “I know what is going to happen and I am going to try everything in my power to stop some things from happening but…I cannot even tell you about the good things that will happen.”

Silence enveloped everyone present and Sara felt her heart sink. This was what she feared the most. They would find out that she knew more about them than they did and were going to shun her.

“How do we know that this isn’t just a joke?” Dori inquired, not believing what he had just heard.

Sara sighed and turned her notebook around before showing everyone the sketch that she had been looking at…. A sketch of the Fellowship of the Ring. She knew it was a bad thing to tell them about their futures, but they were not associated with the Fellowship… it would be okay if they knew a little about it.

“Is that Gandalf?” Balin asked, pointing at Gandalf in the drawing.

Sara nodded, “This is a course of events that occurs about 60 years from now. These people will all journey to destroy an evil relic.”

“Is that a dwarf?” Fili asked, pointing at Gimli in the picture.

Sara bit her lip. Should she tell Gloin that his son would one day do this? Well, if Gloin hadn’t been born yet, maybe it wouldn’t have been a good thing to tell him but… Gimli is already alive and a young dwarf…

The girl glanced at Gandalf who seemed to know what Sara was thinking and gave her a reassuring nod. Sara sighed before nodding.

“Yes, he is a dwarf… his name is Gimli.”

Everyone froze before turning to look at Gloin who’s eyes had widened.

“My wee lad?” the dwarf asked.

Sara nodded, “Yes Gimli.”

Silence enveloped everyone once again and Sara closed her notebook, starting to feel like she had almost gone too far.

Rising from the seat, she headed out the back door of the barn into the back yard, leaving her notebook on the table. Not caring if they saw the sketches.

She had located the small well in the corner of the back yard and had sat down on the stone wall, staring down into the water below.

She sensed a presence behind her and turned to see Thorin standing there. The first thing she noticed was her sketchbook in his hand, but she also saw that he had his finger marking one particular page.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice soft and gentle.

Sara sighed, “I don’t know. The reason I held back all that information from you is because I fear it myself… I am afraid that I will not be able to keep those things from happening…”
Thorin walked over and sat down next to her but facing the opposite direction. “Why do you think that?”

“Because some things have changed,” Sara explained. “The things said, who says them… some things have begun to change… and I wonder if my presence here will begin to change things.”
Thorin nodded in understanding, “I am sure your presence is changing things from how they were supposed to be. But I wouldn’t be worried about it.”

“But what if something bad happens?” Sara asked, turning to look at him, raising her voice slightly, “What if something terrible happens just because of my being here?”

Thorin turned to look at her, realization crossing his face, “Is that why you distanced from be back in Rivendell?”

Sara turned to look back into the interior of the well, “Maybe… with my being here, there is another person that you all are worrying about and that extra worry could cost one of you your life! If it weren’t for my being here, we wouldn’t have argued!”

The girl was cut off when Thorin cupped her face in his hands and turned her to look at him, “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have fallen in love.”

Sara felt her heart jump at those words, but her worry overcame her joy and she shook her head, “You don’t know that…”

Thorin smirked when he saw the deep blush cover Sara’s face, “In the story, did I find love?”

Sara hesitated before biting her lip, “No…”

Thorin smiled but noticed that her lip had two red marks where she had bitten on her lip to keep from crying earlier. Leaning down, he brushed his lips dangerously close to hers. “Good.”

With that, he drew her face closer to hers and pressed his lips to hers. Sara melted into the warmth of his embrace, allowing one hand to fall against his chest and she could feel his heartbeat through his clothes. He tangled his fingers into her bright red hair and kept her close as he showered her lips with desperate kisses.

When he pulled away, he nuzzled his lips and nose against her forehead, keeping his hands cupped beneath her chin.

“Don’t ever be afraid to tell me these things,” he whispered.

Sara smiled at his words before her heart dropped. He had no idea the things that she wished she could tell him… namely… his upcoming death.

Chapter Text

Sara watched in wonder as the black and white ponies frolicked and pranced around in the pasture. She still couldn’t believe she was there, sitting atop the chopping block, staring at the bright green grassy hills, sprinkled with the lives of Beorn’s farm animals.

Even after all the things she had seen and done since entering Middle Earth, she was still astounded that it was real. A part of her often feared that she had dreamt it all up and she would wake up at the worst moment, only to find herself in bed with her brothers jumping on her to get up and make them breakfast.

Their favorite breakfast was jam on toast with whatever leftover cold meat in the fridge, a glass of juice and a piece of fruit. Except Ryder who chose milk over juice.

Sara wondered what it would feel like to wake up to find this all a dream. Would she feel sad? Probably. Even if this was a dream, she had made many friends in the company and it felt so real to her that if it all was just a dream, it would hurt.

She hadn’t really thought about what she would do if she woke up to a dream. A part of her felt like she would be happy to see her brothers again but at the same time, she would lose the family she had found in the company and not only that, Pierce was dead. And if the deepest, darkest dread of the possibility that Axel, Ryder and Omar did not survive was true… Sara would be alone in the world where dragons and dwarves were just stories.

The girl was brought from her thoughts by a huge shadow that appeared over her. spinning on the chopping block, she had to look way up at the tall figure of Beorn. He had his axe in one hand and three logs in his other.

Sara gulped. She could barely lift one of those boulders of wood and he was holding three in one arm!

“You are one of them,” the man growled in his deep voice. “One of the people I chased here.”
Sara gulped again and hopped off the block only to feel like a hobbit next to a mountain, “Yes Mr. Beorn.”
The giant tilted his head at her, “You are not a dwarf. What are you?”
“Oh…. I’m a human…. I am just very short,” The girl explained.

The man studied Sara a moment, “You look strong for a human lass. I see why you haven’t died yet.”
Sara smiled, relieved at the king tone in Beorn’s voice though she wasn’t sure if his words were meant to be a compliment. He reminded her of Mason. He hated other male dogs and male humans but adored females of any kind. Maybe that was just a guy thing.

“Can I help you with anything? As a thank you?” The girl inquired.

Beorn considered the objects in his arms and Sara was sure he was thinking about how each of them were almost larger than her.

“I have to chop this for indoors. If you wouldn’t mind stacking the chopping’s….” The skin changer suggested.

Sara beamed and even though Beorn did not smile at the girl’s joyful face, his face softened.

A few minutes later, Thorin slowly came to when he heard the panicked, hushed whispers of his two nephews nearby. Cracking his eyes open, he saw them peering out one of the barn’s windows, whispering to each other.

He sighed. Those two were going to be the death of him. He rolled over and reached out his arm to find Sara’s body but only groped air. He was up in an instant, realizing that the girl hadn’t rolled away but was nowhere to be found! Jumping up, he stormed over to his nephews and the two jumped when his deep voice boomed in their ears.

“Where is Sara!?”

Both boys pointed out the window and Thorin saw what they had been watching. Outside in the backyard was a giant of a man, probably two heads taller than Gandalf. He was slamming his axe into the chopping block, splitting huge logs in a single blow.

Standing next to the giant was Sara. She looked a sight with a bed head, her red hair a mess and the short curls flopping into her eyes that were shining. She was picking up every split log Beorn cut and piled them between two posts with a bunch of other chopped wood.

Standing next to the skin changer, she looked like a toddler next to her large father.

Thorin was amazed at how content and comfortable she seemed around the huge man and even when the axe struck the block, she didn’t jump.

Thorin saw Beorn’s lips move occasionally as he asked Sara questions and the girl would happily reply, a smile on her lips and a light in her eyes.

“Do you think we should go rescue her?” Kili whispered.

“She doesn’t look like she needs saving Kee,” Fili observed. “The guy seems rather intrigued by her. she is probably safer than we are.”

“Why?” the other brother inquired, “Because she is the one standing near the giant with an axe?””

Fili chuckled, “No, because she is a woman and women have a way of making men more at ease than other men. Besides, Sara’s smile could melt a mountain of ice.”

Thorin gritted his teeth at Fili’s words. He knew that Sara was nice like that to everyone but he hated it that Fili was right about Sara’s smile. He wished she only showed him her smile… he didn’t even like it when she showed it to the rest of the company because she melted their hearts and brains (in Kili’s case).

“Good, you’re up,” Gandalf said as he approached the three. “Sara has been out there for the past hour. Hopefully since she has befriended Beorn, this will be easier.”

When Gandalf old the dwarves to wait for his signal as he went out with Bilbo, Thorin knew he would have to wait to get out there to Sara. What was worse, the wizard told him to come out last. They seemed to be out there forever when Bofur finally recognized the “signal” and they started to stumble out. Thorin came out last to find Gandalf giving the company death glares, Bilbo hiding behind the wizard.

Beorn stood with his axe in his hands, glaring while Sara looked confused with an armful of wood in her arms.

Beorn glanced at Thorin before turning to Sara, “They’re your friends?”

Sara smiled and nodded and Thorin saw Kili let out a sigh of relief as if he had feared that Sara would dub them her sworn enemies.

“We need to talk,” the skin changer said to Gandalf before turning back to the girl, “Thank you for helping.”

Sara beamed and Thorin had to bite his tongue to keep from growling.

*********

“We will be staying here the night,” Gandalf announced. “Beorn has agreed to give us supplies and ponies for the journey to Mirkwood. Get some rest. We leave at dawn.”
the dwarves all sighed and beamed with relief. Finally a chance to rest and have some fun.

“Come on lads!” Dwalin hooted. “Time to get dipping!”

Before Gandalf or Thorin could object, the whole company including the hobbit had darted out the back door for the little river out back. Gandalf glanced over at Sara who was sitting on the top rung of one of the stalls, petting the head of the furry cow who resided there.

“Are you not going to join them?” the wizard asked with a smile, knowing full well why the girl hadn’t moved.

Sara glared, “Considering that my undershirt got ripped to be used as bandages for my side and my jacket happens to take hours to dry, I will not be joining. I cannot possibly be a man who is inclined to walk around shirtless.”

Gandalf chuckled, not filing to notice that Thorin stood in the corner in the shadows listening in, a blush on his face from what Sara had just said. Just then, Beorn emerged from one of the back rooms with a small bundle in one hand. he held it out to Sara who took it confused.

“It is the smallest shirt I’ve got… thought it may still be large on you…” the skin changer explained.

Sara smiled and took the clothes form him, “Thank you Beorn.”

The large man walked off silently but with a soft look in his dark eyes. Sara hopped from the gate and skipped out of the house. She saw that the company were further upstream so she headed downstream to where no one could see her.

Stripping her clothes away, she laid them in the water, placing a rock on them so they wouldn’t flow away but under the water so the water would soften the crusty blood and mud caked clothes.

Feeling exposed, she submerged herself under the water. Luckily, she had ended with an extra pair of underwear when she entered middle earth and the people of Rohan had equipped her with a few pairs so she changed into a clean pair of underwear and a new bra. When she emerged from the water, the water around her was a reddish brown so she climbed out. Realizing that she didn’t have anything to dry herself with other than the clean shirt Beorn had given her, she shook herself off in an attempt to dry. She was just reaching down to grab her now clean but soaking wet clothes when she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

Spinning around, she felt her face go red when she saw Thorin standing about twenty feet away from her, one hand on the tree next to him as he watched her with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Thorin!” the girl squeaked, grabbing the oversized shirt and hugging it to her chest in an attempt to cover herself, turning her back to him. “What are you doing?”

“I came to check on you,” Thorin replied, his voice closer now meaning that he was approaching her.

Sara tried to get her shirt on but couldn’t tell the difference between the sleeve and the head holes since they were so large and found herself stuck. Finally, Thorin gripped the shirt and helped her pull it on. the shirt was very baggy and fell to her mid thighs, the sleeves looking long on her even though they were short. The shoulders of the shirt were wide and left one of her shoulders bare. When Thorin didn’t move his hands from where they rested on her shoulders, Sara was about to say something but froze when Thorin leant forward.

He pressed his chest snug against her back, trailing one hand down to her waist. The other he reached up and pushed her wet curls to the side, exposing her neck to him. Sara shivered when his hot breath touched her neck and his hand gripped her bare hip through the shirt.

“Thorin,” she said, surprised when her voice came out in a hoarse whisper.

Thorin buried his nose against the back of her ear, pressing a kiss there. “Hm?” he whispered back.

Sara gasped when Thorin’s hand crept beneath the hem of the shirt, brushing his hand over her smooth skin.

“You were thinking of home weren’t you?” Thorin whispered against her skin as he ran his lip over the rim of her ear. “This morning….”

“How did you know?” Sara whispered, her breathing becoming uneven as Thorin’s warm hands caressed her bare skin.

Thorin buried his nose in her curls and inhaled her scent, “The way you spoke and acted since we got here… like you were seeing a ghost.”

IN other circumstances, She would have thought about how Thorin was practically a ghost to her since in the movie he was dead. However, she could barely think straight. All she could comprehend was the loud pounding of her heart against her chest… the feeling of Thorin’s taut muscles against her shoulder blades.

“Being here… in such a peaceful place reminds me of home. I was just thinking about what I would feel if… if this all turned out to be a dream and I woke up to find you all gone…”
Thorin’s hands stilled and Sara realized that he was holding his breath. Dreading what she would say.

“What would you feel?” he whispered.

Sara sighed, “I would feel conflicted. I honestly do not know if my brothers would be alive… if they were I would be happy but if they were dead… I would be hurt… even if they were alive I would feel hurt because I left this place and all of you behind… I do not know if I would be able to move on… even if you were okay with my leaving…”

Thorin’s grip on her waist tightened and he spun her around to face him. Sara realized that because she had turned around so quickly when he had appeared, she hadn’t noticed that he had shed all his clothes except his boots, pants and white shirt. His hair was slightly damp, having just come from swimming with the others.

Grabbing one of her hands, Thorin lifted it and placed her palm over his heart. Sara’s mouth parted at the feeling of his pounding heart.

“Does this sound like I want you to leave? That I wouldn’t dread every day that you were not in?”

Sara let her hand trail across his chest till it came to rest against the parting of his collar before slipping beneath the material to touch the roughness of his skin. Thorin’s breathing caught in his throat as Sara’s cool fingers stroked the skin of his chest, wishing that the whole shirt would just disappear…. Not to mention the shirt keeping Sara as covered as possible.

“And what would you feel if I stayed?” she whispered, standing on tiptoe to press her front against his chest before brushing her lips across the skin of his collar bone in a teasing manner like he had done to her.

Thorin seemed to snap when her plush lips touched his neck. Reaching down, he grabbed her neck and pulling her closer, he crushed his damp lips on hers. Sara felt her legs buckle at the urgency of the kiss, holding onto his forearms to keep from falling over.

Thorin’s hands gripped at the material of the shirt she wore, pulling it up slowly to reveal her navy blue boxer shorts and a strip of her stomach before they parted, panting and their pupils blown.

“I wouldn’t let you go,” Thorin whispered. “And if we don’t stop, I might do something I shouldn’t… yet.”

Sara pulled away not before pressing a chaste kiss to his swollen lips. A the two began to pull their clothes on, Sara realized what Thorin had said: I might do something I shouldn’t… yet.
*******

Sara was so distracted the next morning by thoughts of the day before that she could barely register what was happening as the company packed up and made to leave. The whole company sensed her distracted state but only two people knew the origin of her behavior and those two people were Thorin and Gandalf. Thorin had not expected Sara to realize the core meaning of his words he had so carefully chosen at the riverbed in the hopes of eliciting a reaction from the girl that would, whatever her reaction was would give the dwarf some sort of hint as to what her reaction would be if he had stated the deepest secret hopes of his heart more plainly.

However, her reaction puzzled him and he did not know what to make of how she was behaving. Gandalf however did not know what Thorin had said but after perceiving how Sara acted in her alone time and around Thorin, he was able to deduce what the gist of the conversation had been about. The way Sara looked at Thorin in wonder and puzzlement when he wasn’t looking indicated that whatever Thorin had said had awoken a confusion in the girl. And when Sara’s eyes widened, her cheeks heated up and how she quickly averted her eyes the moment Thorin met her gaze told Gandalf that the words of the dwarf prince had flustered the usually calm girl. When Sara was alone was the time the wizard saw what Thorin did not. The spark of hope shining in the girl’s eyes, clouded by worry and concern in the way her brows furrowed.

Of course, since only Gandalf seemed to understand the situation, the rest of the company saw it fit to keep a watchful eye on the red head, not just because of her behavior but rather because of the fact that when Oin asked Sara to fetch some water, the girl had absent mindedly walked towards the pastures, in the opposite direction of the stream, too distracted by her thoughts to realize where she was going. Fili and Kili were following the girl like double shadows in such a way that whenever Sara turned to the left or the right, she head butted one of them.

Thorin was perched atop his pony, waiting for the others to mount and for Gandalf to finish speaking to Beorn. He saw his two nephews trying to help Sara get her things loaded onto her pony and Thorin knew that they would bicker over who she rode with since Beorn was short one pony. In that case, Thorin urged his pony over to the three and nudged the two boys away with his boot before reaching down to Sara. The girl looked up at him and her eyes widened.

She was about to look away when Thorin grabbed her wrist. “if you don’t climb on, I’ll throw you over my saddle,” he threatened.

Sara did not know that his threat was just teasing playfulness because from the hand motions Fili and Kili were giving her, she deduced that the threat was fatal.

The girl took his hand and Thorin lifted her onto the horse in front of him, much to Sara’s embarrassment.

“Gandalf,” Thorin called. “Time is wasting.”

As they trotted off across the pure green countryside, Thorin sensed Sara’s tense state. He had both hands on the reins, Sara’s hands gripping the pony’s mane.

Pretending to not do it on purpose, Thorin bunched the reins in one hand while he slid his free hand along Sara’s pant leg that clung perfectly to her legs now that her pants were clean.

Sara shivered under his touch and Thorin smirked when she instinctively leant back against his chest. Keeping his eyes on the company ahead, he rested his chin on her shoulder. He was glad that the only ones behind him who could possibly see what he was doing were Balin and Dwalin who knew better than to comment on Thorin’s behavior especially around Sara.

“Why are you avoiding me?” he whispered, brushing the tips of his fingers against the inside of her wrists.

Sara’s heartbeat increased and she bit her lip to keep from making an inhuman noise. This movement didn’t go unnoticed by Thorin who gritted his teeth.

“You better answer or I am going to turn you around and kiss you senseless,” he growled in her ear, trying to not look at where her teeth dug into the pink flesh of her bottom lip.

Sara blushed and letting go of her lip, she spoke, “I didn’t know what to make of what you said yesterday…”
“Which part?” Thorin whispered against her skin, planting a kiss on the bare skin by her shoulder.

“The part… where you said you might do something you shouldn’t…” Sara whispered.

Thorin hummed, indicating that he was listening, “And?” he asked, kissing her neck.

“What did you mean by ‘yet’?” Sara finally asked.

Thorin stilled before breathing against her ear, “I meant that I am sorely tempted to show everyone and everything that I love you. But to do it now would be immoral.”

“Then… what is the difference between the now and later?” Sara asked.

“The difference,” Thorin whispered in a growl, “is that in the near later something might occur that makes it not immoral.”

Sara stilled, her thoughts earlier having been confirmed by those words, “You mean…”
“Exactly,” Thorin whispered, kissing her neck again. “The only thing stopping me is the fact that we are being hunted by Azog as of the present and the fact that I do not know how I would be received by the other party.”

Sara tried to stop the huge grin that appeared on her face but to no avail. He might as well have just asked her to marry him.

“Well…” Sara said with a smile in her voice. “What are you going to do to keep all the other males away from the other party until the opportune moment and your courage arises?”

Sara felt Thorin stiffen behind her in surprise and she smirked. She felt him brush her hair from her neck before locking his lips on her soft flesh beneath her ear and sucked. Sara gasped and had to cover her mouth to keep from moaning as Thorin left a mark on her neck right where her hair could cover it. Sara shivered before touching his thigh that was pressed against her leg. Thorin buried his face in her shoulder to muffle his growl.

“Well then, we better hope the girls stay away… because I do not really like to share.”
Thorin’s grip on her thigh tightened and the rest of the company swore they heard Thorin growl a string of curses in Kuzdul but when they looked at him to see his eyes darkened and Sara’s face alight, they thought it better to not ask.

*******

The air around the company felt stiff and heavy as if the usually weightless air had overeaten and had gained weight. Thorin lifted Sara down from her pony and set about unsaddling the pony.

Sara stared up at the tall looming trees. She spied Gandalf looking at the statue of Galadriel. Sara knew what lingered ahead in the forest. Why did spiders have to be at the top of her most dreaded fears? Right up there next to snakes?

Suddenly Gandalf strode back towards the ponies, “not my horse! I need it!”

“You’re not leaving us,” Bilbo said in more of a question than a statement.

“I wouldn’t unless I had to,” the wizard assured the little hobbit.

Sara frowned. The wizard was off to look for the tombs in the mountains of the nine wraiths. He would end up at Dol Goldur where… oh gosh!

“Gandalf!” Sara cried, rushing over to him without even thinking.

The tall wizard looked down at the girl who whispered something only Gandalf could hear. When she pulled away, the wizard smiled knowingly at her before mounting his horse.

“No matter what happens, stay on the path. Don’t leave it. if you do, you’ll never find it again. I’ll meet you on the overlook. Do not enter the mountain without me.”

Sara frowned. Was the line the other way around?

“No matter what may come, stay on the path!” The wizard hollered as he rode off.

As the man rode away, Sara felt someone touch her shoulder and turned to see Balin standing there.

“What did you tell him lass?” he asked.

Sara shook her head, “Something I probably shouldn’t have. I might have just altered history.”

**************

Everything was hazy as Sara came to. The first thing she thought was how she ended up there. the last thing she remembered was Thorin telling everyone to keep walking…moving where? All she remembered was trees… and no path… Path! Oh no, they lost the path! But hat meant…

Sara sat upright, only to realize that her vision wasn’t hazy but blocked by the filmy substance wrapped all over her body!

“Oh gross!” she groaned, peeling the webbing from her body.

It would take hours and water to clean all the webbing from her hair. It literally felt like every time they cleaned up; they were dirty the next day!

“Where’s Sara!?” a voice called, sounding like Thorin.

“I’m here!” Sara called out, only to have someone grab her hand and pull her to her feet.

“I’ve got her!” Fili called over to his uncle, keeping his hand on Sara’s elbow to support her.

“More are coming,” the girl panted, still lightheaded from the fumes of the forest and from having been hung upside down by the spiders.

Fili patted her cheeks to wake her and it worked until a thought dawned on her and her eyes widened.

“Kili!” she gasped.

Fili looked around immediately for his brother until he saw his dark-haired brother off in the distance fighting off a giant spider… unarmed!

Fili’s hand had barely released Sara’s arm when another hand grabbed her hand, and everything changed. It looked like everything had become gray and foggy and there was a buzzing sound all around Sara. She wondered why this seemed familiar until it dawned on her.

Looking at who was holding her hand, she saw Bilbo staring at her just as surprised as she was.

“How is this happening!?” she whispered to the hobbit.

Bilbo shook his head and whispered back, “Whenever I touch someone when wearing it, nothing happens… it must be because you are from another world… I wonder… are you invisible right now too?”

Sara looked around and saw the fuzzy figure of Fili running toward them but looked everwhere but at Sara and Bilbo.

“Sara!” the blond dwarf cried. “Where are you!?”

Sara looked at Bilbo and nodded, confirming their suspicions. When Bilbo touched Sara, she went invisible too. Sara was about to let go of the hobbit when she spied the white figures of elves surround the company and begin to empty their pockets.

“What do we do?” Bilbo whispered.

“Wait till the elves take them away and we follow,” Sara whispered back.
Carefully, the two walked towards the dwarves and elves and Sara saw Legolas questioning Thorin. THE LEGOLAS! She was actually looking at the real deal!

Sara heard the elf yell something in elvish and the dwarves were pushed off. Sara saw Bofur say something to Thorin which made the dwarf look around in concern and she knew he was looking for her and Bilbo. The hobbit squeezed her hand and Sara nodded.

“Time to go.”

Sneaking after the company and into the Woodland kingdom was not as hard as Sara thought, except for the part of not making too much noise. Luckily, elves didn’t leave thingsaround that one could trip on which made this feat much easier.

When the dwarves were dragged off into their prison cells, Sara knew that in a few moments, Thorin would be taken to meet Thranduil before the Keeper of the Keys would venture to the cellar.

In that case, when the elves locked Thorin up, Sara waited for Legolas and the other elves to leave to inform the king about the guests before approaching the dwarves’ cells. Sara nodded to Bilbo who released her hand and the girl rounded the corner to reveal herself to the imprisoned company.

“Sara!” some of the dwarves whisper yelled.

“You’re here!”

“How did you not get caught?” Balin asked.

Sara smiled as she approached Thorin’s cell to find the dwarf prince rushing to the bars to look at her in surprise.

“I have my ways. Bilbo and I are going to find the keys and get you out so sit tight,” she explained.

Thorin reached through the bars of his cell when she approached and touched the girl’s cheek with his rough calloused thumb.

“I am sorry these things keep happening,” he muttered to her.

Sara smiled and shook her head, “You cannot control what happens Thorin. I doubt even I can.”
Thorin bowed his head, ashamed of the state Sara found him in. Reaching through the bars, the girl grasped Thorin’s jaw in her hands and lifted his head to look at her with those pericing blue eyes.

“You want to know how I fell for you so quickly?” she asked. “So easily even though you are the most stubborn and big headed dwarf in the world?”

She was well aware that the whole company was listening in rapt attention to whatever she was saying but she really didn’t care.

“Back home, whenever I heard your story, all these things happened but no matter what, you kept going. You kept fighting and kept leading your kin no matter the obstacles or embarrassments. That is how I grew to love you. Not for your downs but how you always rose up again.”

The company all softly agreed to the girl’s words but Sara was watching a soft smile growing on Thorin’s lips and how his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“Mahal, I love you,” he muttered.

Sara smirked before leaving her face against the cold bars and planting a soft kiss on his lips before stepping back. Releasing his hands, she stepped back toward the darkened corridor where she could hear Bilbo’s breathing where he waited for her.

“Whatever you do Thorin, try to not curse in Kuzdul too much when you see Thranduil.”

With that, she sank into the shadows and allowed Bilbo to grab her hand, completely missing the chuckles from the company and the surprised expression on Thorin’s face.

*****

Sara clung to Bilbo’s hand as if her life depended on it. Basically it did because if she let go, she would become visible and at present, she and Bilbo were down below in the cellar surrounded by elves. The only thing standing between them and being discovered was a pile of barrels and the ring’s power.

Sara had to admit that she hated the idea of using the ring and had almost suggested to Bilbo about not using it but then she remembered that Bilbo’s actions played a part in what would happen in sixty years during the Lord of the Rings.

If Bilbo didn’t use the ring like he did in the book and movies, Sauron wouldn’t have the power he did in the Lord of the Rings, meaning that it might alter what and when things happen in the quest of the ring, possibly saving some people but it might also result in Sauron winning. Sara wasn’t willing to risk that.

“How do we get the keys without them realizing?” Bilbo asked Sara in a hushed whisper.

“Wait a moment. They’re almost drop drunk. Then we can snatch them,” Sar whispered back. “Then we need to find a way to escape through the gate.” Bilbo whispered.

Sara frowned. What about the barrels? Then it dawned on her: her presence there changed things.

“What about using the barrels?” She asked. “They’ll float downriver and through an ungarded gate.”

Realization dawned on the Hobbit and his eyes widened. He practically had all the answers right next to him.

“Is that how we escape in the story?” he asked, curiously.

Sara nodded, “Though I am starting to wonder if it matters anymore.”

After waiting for another ten minutes, the elves were snoring in a drunk stupor and Sara released Bilbo’s hand to walk over and grab the keys.

“We must hurry,” she whispered when she wrapped her fingers around them. “We need to get them out before Tauriel notices they’re missing.”
Bilbo grabbed her hand, bringing her back to the world of invisible but didn’t bother to ask who Tauriel was. He figured she was someone he would soon meet.

As the two silently treaded back up to the dungeons, Sara felt a strange sense of concern wash over her. Technically she was experiencing the vents of the second movie of the Hobbit. They were almost to Erabor….just a week or so… how was she going to accomplish the one thing she came here to do? And that was save the sons of Durin. When they reach the mountain, Sara could try to make a plan or set a trap in the three designated areas of future death… but what if she couldn’t? She only had five bullets left in her pistol. For all she knew, the bullets might not kill an orc like Azog or Bolg! Heck, bullets didn’t always kill humans but Azog managed to live with an amputated arm without any hitches. She didn’t have extra gunpowder so she couldn’t blow them up even if that idea had occurred to her.

Sara stopped her worried thinking when Bilbo released her hand and everything flooded into focus.

“I’ll wager the sun is on the rise. Must be nearly dawn!” Bofur whined from his cell ahead.

“Not stuck in here you’re not,” Bilbo announced softly, poking his head around the corner and the dwarves leapt to their feet.

“BILBO!” Balin cried happily.

“Sh!” Sara scolded as she took half the keys from Bilbo and began to unlock the other doors. “There are guards nearby!”

Sara managed to release Fili, Kili and Balin before she came upon Thorin’s cell to find him holding the bars in both hands and staring down at her petite form with icy blue orbs.

Sara felt herself blush beneath his fierce gaze as she fumbled with the keys and managed to unlock the door. She had barely pulled the keys from the hole when Thorin blew the door open and grabbed her around the shoulders, holding her to his chest so hard she feared her ribs would pop.

“Sometimes I wish the company was not always within hearing and seeing distance,” He grumbled in her ear, his deep voice reminding Sara greatly of Geralt of Rivia from the Witcher especially in how his chest rumbled in his rough tone.

Sara chuckled, aware that there were several dwarves watching them.

“Do not wish for things so lightly Thorin,” She whispered into his chest.

Thorin pulled away and looked at the girl with a smoldering look that sent a chill down Sara’s spine.

“What makes you think that I don’t want to be utterly alone ith you without the constant eavesdropping and stares?”

Sara felt her mouth go dry and heard Fili and Kili snickering behind them.

“I am almost inclined to agree with you,” Sara whispered in his ear, a smirk on her face.

Sara felt his body tense when her lips brushed his beard before hovering over his lips without touching.

“Sara, we need to get going.” Bilbo whisper yelled.

“Coming,” Sara whisper yelled back, pulling away from Thorin just when they were about to kiss, their lips not even touching. Sara scurried over to where the hobbit stood, leaving a flustered Thorin behind.

“Easy Thorin,” Dwalin chuckled as they followed Sara and Bilbo down the stairs. “You look about ready to kill someone.”

Thorin grumbled under his breath but Dwalin heard it, “I’ll kill the hobbit if he interrupts us like that again.”

**************

When they tiptoed down into the cellar, Sara snuck ahead to check to see that the elves were still asleep while Bilbo tried to assure the company that coming to the cellars was part of the plan.

“Into the barrels,” Bilbo whispered.

“Are you bonkers?” Kili hissed. “They will find us!”

“No, they won’t!” Bilbo assured the dwarf but when he didn’t move to say anything else, Sara spoke up.

“Just get in the bloody barrels!” She whisper-yelled.

When the dwarves began to mutter amongst themselves about the possible outcomes of listening to Sara and Bilbo, both girl and hobbit turned to Thorin for guidance. He was watching the whole exchange and his eyes landed on Sara’s meaningful gaze before he snapped his eyes in the direction of the company.

“Do it.”

As the dwarves began to scramble into the barrels, Sara bit down on her lip. She was not in favor of climbing in one of the barrels and being jostled around but if she stayed behind with Bilbo, she would have to jump in the water and then find a barrel.

Scanning the stack of barrels, she noticed that there were two spares. Good. One for her and one for Bilbo. She scurried over to where Bilbo stood when all the dwarves suddenly poked their heads out of the barrels.

“What do we do now?” Bofur inquired.

Sara smirked but tried to hide it behind Bilbo’s back.

“Hold your breath,” the hobbit suggested before grabbing the lever and pulling it.

Chapter Text

Sara grinned from ear to ear, quite positive that she looked like the cat from Alice in Wonderland. She watched as Bilbo stared at the air in front of him, the realization dawning on him that he had just sent the dwarves out in the barrels but he himself as well as Sara were presently still in the wine cellar.

The girl couldn’t help but giggle when she saw him running back and forth, testing the floor to see if it would budge with a little push or jump. She didn’t stop until she heard the voices of the elves coming down the stairs. Finally deciding that Bilbo was taking long enough, she rushed over and grabbing him around the shoulders, pushed all her weight into the floor and it tipped, opening up to throw them into the river.

Sara knew she would get an earful from Thorin the moment she emerged from beneath the water for making him worry and then jumping into the river without a barrel. Luckily, the water was crystal clear (Typical) and Sara could see Bilbo emerge from the water, gripping onto a barrel.

Sara remembered how in the movie, Thorin had been at the front of the… troop of barreled dwarves so in order to avoid an immediate lecture, Sara grabbed onto the barrel nearest the back and emerged.

She spat the water out of her mouth and took a deep breath of air. A pair of hands grabbed her forearms and pulled her almost entirely out of the water and Sara saw that it was Balin.

“You alright Lassie?” the old dwarf asked.
Sara nodded, wiping the extra water from her eyes.

She was about to look around for any sign of Thorin when she was yanked from Balin’s hands by a single hand that grabbed her by the belt and hoisted her completely into another barrel.

Sara didn’t have to look up to know who it was but she did anyway and found a pair of icy blue orbs staring down at her sternly.

She smiled sheepishly, “Did I forget to mention that I am an excellent swimmer?’

“You are lucky that neither of us are in the position to even argue or I would have taken you over my knee and tanned your hide!”

Sara had read plenty of fanfictions about Thorin back home and some dirty ones had shocked her at how they had thought of Thorin spanking the reader would be enjoyable. Sara personally only remembered being spanked as a child when she had tried to run across the street during rush hour to catch a cat and her dad had taken her over his knee to express how foolish she had been. Needless to say, she did not find it enjoyable and Sara found herself shivering in fear at the cold icy look in Thorin’s eyes.

“We need to get moving,” Sara muttered.

Thorin released her elbows from their iron grip but kept one of his hands firmly wrapped around her wrist.

“Let’s go!” he yelled to the others.

Sara was almost relieved when Thorin let go of her wrist to paddle but also felt a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She knew what was coming and what could happen that did not coincide with the original story plot because of her presence. In the book and movie, there wasn’t a girl in Thorin’s barrel to slow him down or distract him. Not only that, having another person in his barrel meant that there would be double fire aimed at them and Thorin would try to deflect it all not just to protect himself but to protect an extra person… possibly getting hurt in the process.

Sara’s head began to buzz with ideas as the water swarmed into the barrel, but she kept a firm grip on the side in order to remain in the barrel. When water flooded into her eyes, she began to think. She could pretend to get knocked out… no that would make the others worried and distracted… she could climb onto the shore to fight… then again, do not overestimate your fighting abilities Sara!

Finally, something seemed to click in her mind. She remembered what her father said when he taught her and Peirce what to do if they were caught in mad water.

“The water may seem like it wants to kill you above but remember that it is just the waves. Deep beneath the surface you will find calm water. Fill your lungs with air and go under. It will be easier to see, swim and you will not accidently get water in your lungs.”
Sara sighed, spying the next waterfall ahead. “Thorin,” she said, grabbing the dwarf prince’s shoulder and turning him to look at her.

“Do you trust me?” she whispered.

Thorin looked at her confused before nodding. Sara let out a breath of relief. She had disrupted the timeline enough already. She needed to give it time to get back on course before it got so lost that it never found the path again (Pun intendedJ). Without her, there would be casualties on the river but none that they couldn’t overcome themselves… but with her there, who knows what could happen.

“Then don’t worry about me,” She whispered before taking his large hand in her small one and planted a kiss on the palm.

She leant back, letting go of his hand, never once breaking eye contact. When Thorin realized what she was doing, his eyes widened in fright before he reached out to grab her hand again… but she had already slipped over the edge of the barrel and into the raging water.

“SARA!” the dwarf yelled, looking around at the water in the hopes of seeing her red curls or her brown jacket to prove that she was alright… nothing.

“THORIN!” Bilbo yelled, floating by on his barrel that he was hardly on all the way, “Sara knows what she is doing!”

Thorin bit his lip hard, drawing blood. That was why she asked him to not worry and to trust her before she jumped… she knew he would panic… then why did she do it in the first place?

He did not have a chance to dwell on it further for suddenly an elven bridge appeared around the corner, guarded by armed elves… GREAT!

**********

Sara was sure that if anyone saw her as she dragged herself from the river, they would think she was a drowned fish. And fish cannot drown so that was saying something.

Sara felt like she had become a literal raisin for her whole body was so waterlogged that even her stomach and face felt prune like!

When she had toppled over the waterfall, she only had enough time to fill her lungs with fresh air before she went under again and swam through the river gate. However, as she had gone through the gate and over the last waterfall, the gate had begun to close and the metal had cut her lower arm on the soft underneath flesh.

Sara sat up to let more air flood her damp lungs as she took a look at herself. No major injuries… no broken bones or headache so no concussion… her knees were skinned so much that she could see the muscle in some areas. The pain was so great she didn’t notice except for the blood trickling down her legs slowly.

She took a look at her arm and cringed. If she thought her knees were bad then her arm was ghastly.

A perfectly straight wound ran from just above her wrist to the underneath of her elbow. Luckily it had missed the major arteries but it was deep enough that Sara could have fit her pinky finger in all the way to the cuticle of her nail.

Using her left arm that wasn’t wounded, Sara opened her bag and searched for something that would serve as a bandage. She came across the cloths she had used for her period. Luckily she had stopped bleeding a few days prior and had managed to wash the cloths at Beorn’s.

Grabbing three of them, she didn’t care that they were soaking wet. She carefully began to bind her arm, using a piece of string to secure it. the blood seeped through a little but she was glad when it stopped shortly afterwards. She looked through her bag, praying that her needle and thread were still there. They were!

Sara contemplated just leaving her arm without stitches and just bandaging it but the blood began to seep through the cloth again and she knew she would loose too much blood if she didn’t close it. She bit back the pain and threaded the needle. Wedging the hard cover of her notebook in her mouth, she muffled her pained cries as she slowly stitched her arm closed. When she was done, she rebandaged it with fresh cloth before looking at her knees. They needed to be bandages even though they had stopped bleeding and were just covered in puss. Her pant legs needed to be mended as well. However she knew that would have to wait since she heard the faint sounds of shouting and recognized it as the company coming down the river!
Scurrying to her feet, she hurried into the woods and realized that Bard was nearby. Cautiously she neared where the barge should be anchored. Sure enough, it was there. Checking to make sure the bargeman was nowhere nearby, she hastily climbed aboard. She noticed a large crate at one end that was turned upside down and she realized it was what the company ended up using to count their coin. That would work! Lifting one end up, she pushed her weak and throbbing legs underneath before shuffling the rest of her under, laying the crate down on top of her. There were a few tiny cracks that let minimal light in and just enough to breathe. Shifting around, she found a comfortable position on her side where her knees were drawn up slightly so she could blow on them to help them stop throbbing.

She had just gotten comfortable when she gasped.

“I left my sketchbook by the river!”

*****

“Anything behind us!?” Dwalin yelled over his shoulder to the dwarves behind them.

“Not that I can see!” Balin hollered back from the very back of the drifting company.

Bofur emerged from his barrel and spat a stream of water from his mouth, “I think we might have outrun the orcs!”

“Not for long,” Thorin retorted, “We’ve lost the current.

“BILBO! Are you alright?” he called back to the hobbit.

Bilbo was leaning over the side of his barrel looking like a wet rat and his lips were blue from the cold, “Yeah… just peachy.”

Balin chuckled at the hobbit, “You sound like Sara, laddie.”

Thorin felt a pain in his chest at the mention of the girl. Where was she now? Had she left just for a time or… for good? She didn’t even give a reason!

One by one, the dwarves stumbled onto the shore, spluttering water as they squelched up onto the rocky earth. Kili stumbled weakly to a rock and sat down as he tried to tend to his shot leg. Bofur and Fili dropped to their knees in front of him and began to help him.

“What do we do now?” Dwalin asked. “where to?”

“The mountain,” Bilbo said through chattering teeth. “We’re so close!”

When Thorin did not say anything, Balin looked around to see the young dwarf standing near the shore, looking back at the river they had just traveled down. Slowly the old dwarf approached him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“I know what you’re going to say,” the dwarf prince muttered. “We cannot afford to waste time looking for her.”

Balin shook his head, “I wasn’t going to say anything. We may be taking a journey to reclaim our home but even if we fail, it is just a material thing. Sara is not. She is this… and this,” the old man said, touching Thorin’s forehead and heart as he spoke the last part.

Thorin gritted his teeth to bite back the tears. “We could lose the mountain forever if we don’t succeed.”

Balin sighed, “You need to ask yourself the question Thorin: Which can I live without… Erabor or Sara?”

Thorin froze at those words. A few months ago he would have done anything to get Erabor back… but live without Sara? To him it would be like trying to live without air… without sunlight…

Balin patted the dwarf’s shoulder before walking back to the others but not before saying one last thing.

“We might not get our home back, but all of us have already found a new home… in Sara.”

Thorin was just about to sigh when Kili’s voice called out, “UNCLE!”
Spinning around at the urgency in his voice, Thorin saw Kili holding something small in his hands. Striding over, Thorin looked down at it and almost choked on his own air. It was Sara’s journal! Kili had carefully gone through the still damp pages to see that because Sara had used pencil, none of her drawings were ruined.

“How,” Thorin gasped, taking the book from his nephew.

“She must have left it by accident,” Fili observed.

Dwalin walked over before looking around, “She got here before us. That means she is more ahead of the orcs. No signs of blood so she must be okay. If she weren’t, she would have washed ashore and would still be here.”

“We need to find her,” Thorin started when an arrow struck the book from his hands.

Everyone spun around to see a tall man standing nearby with a bow drawn.

“Don’t move,” he hissed.

As the dwarves considered the man, Fili gasped and taking the book from Thorin, flipped to a page and showed it to the others.

“look! Sara drew him! He must be part of our journey,” the boy whispered.

Dwalin took the book and carefully removed the arrow, “That doesn’t mean anything,” he said, trying to not let the stranger see that they were talking.

“Brother,” Balin whispered. “Look, the next picture is a town on water. Laketown. If Sara knew where we would go, she must be heading that way herself.”

With that, the old dwarf approached the bargeman and began to offer a deal to him.

Dwalin groaned while handing the book back to Thorin, “What do we do?”

Thorin stared at the cover of the book that now had a small hole from the arrow. “We’ll go to Laketown. We need to put the water between us and the orcs. If we do not find Sara before we leave the town for the mountain, we’ll leave a few of the company to look for her.”
Dwalin nodded. Thorin walked over to Balin, the others following. Dwalin hoped Thorin did not notice the fresh human bite marks on the cover of the book that he had noticed when he had held it… and he hoped no one had noticed that while they had been talking, he had purposely stood over a small puddle of blood on the rocks. He had noticed that a very faint trail of blood went up and into the woods. He also hoped that Sara was okay… wherever she was.

*******

Sara felt herself tense when she heard the voices of the company and Bard as they climbed aboard the barge. She could hear through the wooden planks as Bard rolled the barrels one by one onto the barge. She tried desperately not to whimper when some water splashed onto the deck and under the crate, soaking the left side of her clothes. And just when she was almost dry too.

She covered her mouth to keep from gasping when the barge began to move and she heard the voices of the dwarves right above her.

“I don’t like this,” Gloin grumbled, “It doesn’t seem right leaving when we don’t know if the lass has passage into the town or not.”
“Sara is a smart lass,” Balin observed. “She’ll find a way… or she has already found a way.”
“Was Thorin serious when he said that he would leave some of us behind in Laketown to find Sara?” Kili’s voice asked.

Fili’s voice came out in a whisper but close enough that Sara could hear him, “You kidding? Ever since we found her journal, Thorin has been unapproachable! If we didn’t have limited time to find the hidden door, he would have gone to look for her. I don’t know what you told him Balin but I was shocked he agreed to take the barge.”

Sara felt her heart drop. Thorin put the mountain as a priority over her…

“I reminded him of Sara’s importance but besides that, Sara specifically told him to not worry about her,” Balin spoke up. He trusts Sara more than he trusts himself.”

Sara smiled faintly to herself before she heard Fili speak again.

“If we don’t find Sara in Laketown, who will stay behind?”

“Not it!” Kili cried, putting his finger on his nose.

Sara smirked, remembering when she taught the two young dwarves that back at Beorn’s.

Meanwhile, Thorin had been staring back at the foggy shore that was disappearing from sight. Had he made the right choice in not staying to look for Sara? Was she safe? Warm? He looked down at his journal in his hands and bringing it to his lips, kissed the cover. He froze, suddenly realizing that it smelt of Sara! Vanilla, jasmine and a hint of spice… he didn’t care that half the company were wondering why he was practically breathing in the book… he wanted to see her. to make sure she was okay. To hold her again.

*******

The stench of dead fish began to fill Sara’s nose and it wasn’t until the voices of the company and Bard disappeared that she realized that she had been left behind… well not left behind since none of them knew she was there!

Unable to stand the fish stench, she crawled out from under the crate. Glancing around, she saw that no one was about. Good!

Climbing out weakly, she hissed when her still raw and puffy knees touched the ice-cold air. Pulling her jacket closer around her, she hobbled off the barge and into a nearby alleyway. She needed to find the Master’s house since that was where she would reveal herself to the worried company.

She was just trying to think of a way to get a better view when she heard a voice from behind her.

“Who are you?”

Sara spun around to see a little boy of about five and a girl who looked about two holding his hand. they both had curly brown hair and deep brown eyes.

Sara smiled at them, “My name is Sara.”

The little girl smiled and waddled over to Sara. The red-head crouched down to be eye level with the girl.

“I am Estron and this is my sister Ruby,” the little boy chirped, walking over. “You have fire hair!”

Sara looked at her shoulders to see that her hair had begun to grow back, the red curls now touching her shoulders.

“Oh, it’s just red,” Sara assured him, “Are you two lost?”

Estron shook his head, curls bouncing as he did so, “WE were heading home. Mum and da have dinner on the fire. Where do you live?”

Sara went silent, “I don’t have a home.”

Estron’s eyes widened, “You’re an orphan?”

Sara nodded, glad that the boy’s question gave her a good excuse that was a truthful answer.

“That is sad! You should come with us!” the boy chirped.

“Oh I don’t think your parents would like that,” Sara assured him.

“Mum always tells us to make friends and bring them over for dinner. Come on!”

Sara was about to object when little Ruby wrapped her chubby arms around Sara’s neck and nuzzled against her shoulder. Sara scooped the girl up before ooking at Estron.

“Well…. Alright….”

**********

“Mummy!” Estron cried, barging through the front door and into a small but rather neat and cozy home, “We’re home!”

Sara paused, not sure if she should have come home with Estron and Ruby. The little girl was sound asleep in her arms, her chubby cheek resting against Sara’s bosom, her breath tickling the girl’s neck.

A lovely woman of about thirty or so appeared from the back room. She was the splitting image of Ruby with dark brown ringlets falling to her hips. If she wasn’t almost a head taller than Sara, the girl would have mistaken the woman for a hobbit with her plump round cheeks and big brown eyes.

The woman’s kind brown eyes noticed Sara and she smiled, “Who is this Estron?”

“This is our new friend mummy,” the little boy announced, “Sara.”

The woman approached Sara and smiling, shook the girl’s free hand.

“Lovely to meet you Sara. I am Grace. I am sorry about Ruby.”

Sara shook her head, “I do not mind. She is a sweetheart.”

Graced smiled before she took in the dried blood on the girl’s knees and the crude bandage on her arm.

“Oh my dear, you look a fright! Do come in and we’ll fix you up.” Grace said, takin the sleeping Ruby from Sara.

“I do not wish to intrude,” Sara began but Grace interrupted, tutting like a mother hen.

“Nonsense! You need those wounds cleaned, fresh clothes and hot food before you catch a cold! I insist!”

Sara couldn’t really put up a fight since er strength had begun to fail her and could do nothing but obey the woman. After Grace laid Ruby on a small sofa near the fire, she led Sara into a back bedroom. From the look of it with the small bed, dolls all over the floor, Sara guessed it was Ruby’s room.

Grace pulled in a large metal tub that smelt strongly of cabbage and other vegetables. Grace handed Sara a towel and hurried off. By the time Sara had peeled her shirt and pants from her black and blue skin, Grace and Estron had brought in buckets of water to fill the tub before Grace poured three kettles of boiling water in to heat the cold water. Grace shooed Estron out of the room and helped the very sore and weak Sara remove the rest of her clothes before slipping her into the warm water.

Sara felt her body begin to defrost, literally, as she felt sections of her skin gradually heat up. When the water became cool from her lack of body heat, Grace brought in a final hot kettle of water before settling down behind Sara. Grabbing a bar of soap and a cloth, she wetted and lathered it before handing it to Sara. As Sara washed her legs and front gingerly, Grace set about washing her back and shoulders.

“What happened to you?” Grace asked as she watched the dirt and blood darken the bath water.

“Fell over a waterfall…. Several actually,” Sara said slowly.

Grace gasped when she saw the hand stitched wound on Sara’s arm, “Running away?”

“Bit of a long story,” Sara admitted. “Some friends of mine were falsely arrested over a silly feud between them and some other people… so I sort of broke them out of jail… and then I ran away from them…. To protect them.”

Grace stilled as she slowly poured water onto Sara’s hair, “Did you think you were dangerous to them?”

Sara shook her head, “A distraction. They would get hurt trying to keep me safe and… I couldn’t have that.”

Graced smiled as she finished washing Sara’s hair and rinsed it, “Well, I think that is very noble and selfless of you…”

The woman paused when she saw the way Sara’s face fell and a faraway, longing look appeared on the girl’s face.

“You loved him… one of your friends that you ran away from?” She asked, recognizing the look.

Sara nodded, “I am starting to wonder if I should stay away… he would be better without me and there are other girls who would understand him better.”

Grace smiled, “You fell over a waterfall to protect him. No one is more worthy. I am sure he is worried about you. Why don’t you start drying off and I will fetch you some padding.”

Sara frowned, “Padding?”

“For that,” Grace said, nodding toward how a trickle of blood had begun to trickle down between Sara’s legs.

The girl groaned, “Of all weeks of the month!”

True to Grace’s word, across Laketown, Thorin was staring out Bard’s window but not at the Windlance… but at the vast town before them. How could they find Sara in such a busy place with only a few hours to spare? As the other dwarves chatted together behind him, Thorin gripped tightly to the journal he held close to him… and in his other hand he grasped something small, hard and cold… and every time his fingers brushed the metal, Sara's face flashed before his eyes.

*******

“Does it hurt?” Estron asked Sara as he watched his mother gently but firmly wash Sara’s busted knees, destroying the scabs that had formed in order to kill the germs that had settled beneath.

“A little,” Sara admitted. “But not as bad as my arm had.”

Grace finished washing the wounds before she grabbed fresh bandages, a padding and a salve jar. Dabbing the padding in the salve to keep it from sticking to the wound, she laid it on Sara’s left knee and bandaged it up, covering the whole knee and part of her thigh. She did the same with Sara’s right before she began to clean up the supplies.

“I laid out some clothes for you on Ruby’s bed. They’re too small for me so they should fit perfectly.” Grace said with a smile.

“Thank you,” Sara said before slowly walking into the room.

When she finished changing, she considered herself in the clean window of Ruby’s room. A simple brown cotton skirt that fell to her knees and because of Grace’s slim waist that was similar to Sara’s, the waist came high on her abdomen, almost to her chest. Sara pulled on the pair of brown snug pants and the pair of clean cotton socks. She tucked in the white cotton shirt but discovered that because of her and Grace’s different “dimensions”, while it would have fit Grace perfectly, the ties in the front left a little visibility of her skin beneath. Luckily, Grace had laid a wool shawl on the bed which Sara wrapped around her shoulders and tied in the front.

Lastly, she pulled her now dry boots on which were the only thing of her old clothes that survived. When she stepped out, she saw Grace talking with a tall man, probably twice Sara’s height with curly brown hair but the bluest eyes…. Almost blue enough to rival Thorin’s. Sara was just wondering at how much the man looked like Ruby and Estron when the two adults turned toward Sara. Grace smiled while the man’s eyebrows shot up with interest.

“Good, the clothes fit!” Grace said happily, “Sara, this is my brother Zain.”

Sara smiled as the large man strode over with a smile and held out his hand, “Grace was telling me you escaped from the Elven kingdom! Quite a feat!”

Sara smiled. This man reminded her of a big teddy bear. Not a black angry grizzly like Thorin but a cuddly teddy. His smile was bright, showing his perfect white teeth. His blue eyes radiated kindness but protectiveness and mischievousness. His curly hair, she noticed, was not long like most men from Middle Earth but shorter as if he had recently cut it which intrigued her.

“Where is Royse?” Graced as of her brother.

“He’ll be coming along,” Zain replied. “He had to lock the shop up.”

Sara felt a pair of arms grab her leg and looking down, she saw a still drowsy Ruby. Reaching down, Sara scooped the girl to her arms where Ruby snuggled against her shoulder again.

Just then, the door of the house opened and in stepped another very tall man with dirty blond hair and kind glowing eyes.

“There you are Royse,” Grace said, skipping over to peck her husband’s cheek. “How was your day?”

“Good,” the man replied, “Zain and I got the new goats in.”

The man turned and caught sight of Sara, “Ah! Zain, did you finally decide to bring a girl home?”

“No!” Grace sassed, interrupting her brother who had turned crimson. “This is Sara, Estron and Ruby… sort of kidnapped/adopted her. she’ll be staying with us till she can find her friends.”

Sara froze and was about to object when Grace spoke again.

“No, I will hear none of it. you are exhausted, malnourished and wounded. You will stay with us until you can find your friends.”

“Wonderful!” Royse said, clapping his hands. “Zain, let’s go get washed up before Grace faints from the stench.”

As the two men sauntered off to avoid Grace’s wrath, Sara turned to her, “IF you don’t mind my asking, how come your husband and brother keep their hair short?”

Grace chuckled, “it’s a family thing. Royse owns a cheese and milk shop, so he cuts his hair to keep it out of the way. He employed Zain to help with the animals when we were married so Zain keeps his hair short because Royse does.

***************

As the family and Sara sat down to eat, Sara found herself sitting across from Zain and wedged between Ruby and Estron who were trying to sneak bites of food from their plates onto Sara’s. However, the girl would sneak the food back when they weren’t looking and the two kids began to wonder if their food was multiplying.

“So Sara,” Royse spoke up, “You said you were traveling with some friends. Do you have any family back home?”

Sara paused, her face falling, “My parents died a few years ago… before I left home with my friends, my eldest brother died from an illness and shortly after my little brothers died in an accident…”

The table became silent when Zain spoke up, “I am so sorry Sara. That must have been horrible for you.”

“What were your little brothers like?” Estron asked.

“They were a lot like you… happy, always smiling… they had bright eyes and wild red curls. Their names were Omar, Ryder and Axel.”

“Did you leave any friends behind?” Ruby inquired.

Sara nodded, “My best friend…. Cassandra. We called her Cassie for short. I never got to say goodbye…”

Sara bit her lip, remembering how she had promised to call Cassie that night and plan a sleepover between the two of them…

“Well, you have new friends now,” Estron giggled. “us!”

Sara smiled at the little boy before nodding, “You’re right.”
She smiled at Grace, Royse and Zain to show that she was okay when there were shouts outside the house.

Sara knew what it was and when everyone got up from the table to see what was going on, Sara followed.

“Robb, what is going on!?” Royse called to another villager.

“The guards have caught some prisoners!” Robb called back, “Taking them to the master’s house. They’re dwarves!”

At that, Grace turned to look at Sara quizzically, realizing what was going on. the two men turned to see an excited but worried look on Sara’s face.

“It’s them…” She whispered. “It’s him…”

Nodding determinedly, Grace grabbed the coats from inside the house and chuckled them at the two males before handing Estron to her brother and Ruby to her husband.

“Come on,” she said, handing Sara a coat and grabbing one herself. “Let’s go see!”

*******

Snow littered Sara’s red curls and the brow shawl that Grace had leant her. she was huddled between Zain and Grace as they stood amongst the crowd of Laketown people as the guards dragged in the dwarves. Sara’s eyes were glued upon them, counting heads to make sure they were all there. She saw Kili limping a bit and he looked pale but he looked the same in the film. Sara felt all the noise and voices around her disappear when her eyes caught sight of the bold and demanding figure of Thorin.

His black hair making the snow in his locks stand out and his eyes as icy blue as the winter sky.

“What is going on here?” the master of Laketown demanded as he barged out the door with Alfred on his heels.

“We caught them stealing weapons sire,” one of the guards announced.

“Ah,” the master hummed, “Enemies of the state eh?”

As the master continued to speak, Sara turned to look at Grace who had been watching her out of the corner of her rich brown eyes.

“It’s them,” Grace whispered to her, “Your friends?”

Sara nodded, “I have to go to them,” She whispered back.

Grace smiled and hugged the girl, “I am glad you found them.”
The girl was about to speak again when Thorin’s voice rang out.

“We are the dwarves of Erabor. We have come to reclaim our homeland.”

Sara turned her eyes back onto Thorin and Grace smirked, “That’s him huh?”

Sara blushed crimson before Zain leant over and spoke to the two, “who?”

“OH nothing,” Sara explained, “I have to go.”

Zain’s blue eyes saddened and he shifted Ruby onto his other hip in order to cup the side of Sara’s face with his large hand, “You’re leaving?”

Sara nodded sadly, “I’m afraid so.”

Zain bit down on his lip before bending down and planted a kiss on her forehead, “Take care of yourself.”

The girl smiled, “I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”

Ruby held out her chubby little arms and Sara gave her a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek before returning her to Zain’s arms. Estron hugged both Sara’s legs while letting the red head ruffle his curls and kiss his forehead before giving Grace a hug.

“Thank you for everything,” she told the woman.

Grace grinned, “Don’t mention it! It gave me an excuse to get rid of my old clothes that were too small for me! Now hurry off before your friends become more worried.”

Sara beamed and sunk into the crowd. Thanking the heavens for her short and petite stature, Sara wove through the crowd till she stood directly behind where most of the company stood.

“How do we know we can trust you? We know nothing about you,” Alfred was accusing Thorin.

“Do you have someone to speak for you?” The master demanded lazily.

Sara carefully snuck forward before tapping Bilbo on the shoulder. the hobbit turned before his eyes widened beyond normal size. Sara quickly put her finger to her lips to keep him from blurting something out.

“You’re okay,” the hobbit whisper yelled.

Sara nodded, “You had better speak up for the company or I’ll reconsider being ‘okay’.”

Bilbo quickly spun around and raised his hand, “I’ll speak for him!”
All eyes turned to Bilbo and Sara duck behind one of the guards to keep form being seen by the rest of the dwarves.

“I have traveled a long time with these dwarves and I believe in Thorin’s word.”

Sara was too happy at seeing the smile grow on Thorin’s face to care that the dialogue of Bilbo’s words was off. She honestly didn’t care right now. She was back with the company… back on track…. She just hoped Thorin wasn’t too upset with her.

The roar of the crowd cheering snapped Sara from her thoughts and she stepped out from behind the guards, only to hear at least three screeches of joy before her ribs were nearly crushed by two young dwarves.

“Sara! You’re okay! You’re back!” Kili squealed like a girl, “If you weren’t practically courting uncle Thorin, I could kiss you right now!”

The boy yelped when Fili swatted him over the head before enveloping Sara in another hug. The rest of the company began to crowd around her, hugging her and asking if she was alright. they must have caught Thorin’s attention because he descended the steps of the town house and approached the group.

“What is going on?” he asked.

The company all grinned like cats that had a devious plan before stepping back to reveal Sara who was trying to escape a bear hug from Bombur. When Thorin’s blue eyes locked on the girl, he almost choked on his own saliva before his eyes widened. Sara lifted her eyes and saw Thorin staring at her. She smiled and waved sheepishly.

“I told you to not worry about….”

She was cut off mid sentence by Thorin striding over to her with large strides and grasping her face none too gently in his hands, crushed his lips down upon hers.

Sara felt all the air leave her lungs and her knees felt like putty at the desperation and intensity of the kiss that said: “I am really angry right now I just want to scream,” “Don’t scare me like that again,” and “I love you so much that it hurts,” all wrapped into a single kiss.

As Thorin slowly tore his lips from hers, th dwarves cooed and catcalled but Thorin ignored them. He pressed his forehead to Sara’s and sighed heavily.

“Mahal woman do not do that ever again!” he growled.

Sara smirked, “No promises. I love you.”

Thorin grinned devilishly before squeezing her waist, earning a gasp from the girl, “I love you too and you’re lucky I do or you would be in serious trouble right now.”

Chapter Text

“This should fit you for the night,” a young maid said as she left a night gown on the bed along with the towel and wash cloth for Sara.

The red head smiled, “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

The maid nodded before exiting the room to leave Sara to get ready for the night.

Sara removed the cloak and shawl Grace had given her before sitting down to remove her boots when she sensed a presence behind her. turning around, she smiled when she saw Thorin standing in the doorway in the clothes Bard had given him, his shoulder leaning against the doorframe.

“You don’t have to stand guard you know,” the girl said smiling.

Thorin pushed off the doorframe and entered the room, leaving the door cracked behind him. “The love of my life jumped over a waterfall and disappeared for almost three days, of course I am going to be on guard.”

Sara chuckled as she unlaced her boots, “I won’t be jumping off waterfalls again anytime soon. I promise you that.”

Thorin smiled, “I am glad to hear that. But I am still not going to leave.”

Sara smirked but it turned into a grimace when she bumped her sore knees. Thorin noticed right away and grabbed her hands, pulling them away from her boots. Kneeling down in front of her, he gently removed her boots and socks, his gentle but firm touch eliciting content hums from Sara. When he finished, Sara went to stand up but Thorin spied the bandaging beneath her pants and caught her hand.

“You’re hurt,” he observed.

Sara shook her head, “It’s nothing serious.”

Thorin raised his eyebrows in disbelief at her words. Sara sighed, knowing Thorin wouldn’t be content till he saw it for himself. Standing up, Sara removed the pants but left her dress on. Thorin pulled her back over and made her sit back down on the couch in front of the fire so he could see her knees better. Gently grasping one leg in his hands, he unwound the bandages to be faced with a mostly scabbed over wound but he could see how sever it had been.

He glanced up at Sara before removing the bandage on her other leg before gently touching the edge of the wounds with his calloused fingers. The warmth of his fingers brought no pain but a soothing relief to the ache Sara had been feeling in her knees all day. When Sara released a pleased sound when he kneaded her sore ankle muscles, Thorin’s icy blue eyes locked on the girl from beneath his black lashes.

“Where else are you hurt?” he asked.

Sara didn’t bother avoiding the question, knowing Thorin would poke and prod the answer from her. Grasping the sleeve of her dress, she rolled it up till Thorin could see the large bandage on her arm. Rising to his feet, he sat down next to Sara on the couch and gently took her wounded arm in his hands. He cautiously unwound it and Sara was glad that the stitched wound was no longer swollen and sensitive but healing nicely. Thorin grasped her wrist in his hand before lifting it up to place a hot, slow kiss on her palm. Sara felt her throat go dry when he placed a second kiss on her wrist, stopping to look at her from beneath his lashes like a hungry predator having just laid sights on his prey… her.

Thorin continued to trail kisses up her arm, being careful of the stitches till he reached the underside of her elbow where he pressed a stronger kiss to the soft flesh there. By then, Sara had forgotten how to breathe and didn’t resist as Thorin grasped her legs and pulled her sideways onto his lap so he could continue his trail of kisses over her clothed shoulder, up her neck and behind her ear. He stopped there, raining kisses along her jaw and cheeks but steering clear of her lips on purpose.

“Thorin,” she gasped, practically pleading with him.

Thorin pulled away just enough to look her in the eyes, his eyes clouded over with want and desperation, drinking in the sight of her glossy orbs and flushed cheeks.

“For three days… three days Sara, I thought you might be dead… there was no trace of you… nothing but your journal that you left on the shore.”

“You found it!? I was afraid I wouldn’t get it back!” Sara sighed.

Thorin leant over and sucked at her skin just beneath her ear, leaving a pink mark and earning a shocked squeal from Sara.

“Don’t get off topic,” he growled as he hovered his lips dangerously close to hers, “Do you know the pain and agony I went through? I barely slept for fear that when I woke, someone would tell me that they found your body… or worse… I would wake expecting to find you beside me but find your cot empty again.”

“I’m sorry,” Sara whispered, “What can I do to make it up to you?”

Thorin drew back before a smile graced his lips. Reaching into his tunic pocket, he drew something out and grasping one of Sara’s hands, placed the object into her palm. Sara stared down at the two little silver beads that lay in her hand, the intricate designs of the house of Durin worked carefully into the metal. Sara dared to meet Thorin’s burning gaze, feeling tears prick her eyes.

“Be mine, love. All mine… my wife, my queen, my soulmate… Aralime.”
Sara bit her lip to hold back the tears nad Thorin dug his fingers into his leg to keep from kissing her raw. Sara hastily wiped the rebel tears from her cheeks before grabbing Thorin’s hand and kissed his palm.

“Yes, Thorin Oakenshield. I will be yours… your wife, your queen, your soulmate… your love. Forever and always.”

Thorin’s face split into a wide grin and he took Sara’s hand that still held the beads and kissed her knuckles before cupping her cheeks and giving her the most chaste kiss, he could muster. They were both crying and could taste their salty tears upon their lips. When they pulled away, Thorin took the beads from Sara’s hands and saw her biting her lip again. He kissed her harshly, swiping his tongue over her lips.

“Stop doing that or I wont be able to hold out till we are wed.” he muttered.

Sara smiled mischievously before biting on her lip again but then found herself squealing when Thorin squeezed her hips roughly as a warning.

Hours later when the company went in search of the strangely missing prince and girl, they found Sara sleeping atop Thorin’s chest as they lay stretched out on the couch by the dying fire, sound asleep. There, resting in Sara’s red curls, were two dwarven braids that were held together by a pair of silver beads.

“About time,” Balin muttered.

“I win the bet Fili,” Kili whisper yelled to his brother the moment Balin closed the door.

******

Sara cracked her eyes open to find herself looking up at a smiling dwarf prince. His hair was clean and from the look of it, he had taken up the Master’s offer and taken a bath, his face clean and freshly trimmed. He still wore the dark blue worn fleece jacket from Bard but over it he wore a deep crimson cloak gifted by the guards of Laketown.

“There is someone here who would like to say hello,” Thorin whispered as he leant down to plant a kiss on her forehead.

Sara tilted her head quizzically before she felt something leap onto her lap and she shot to a sitting position, only to find Mason sitting upon her legs, tongue dangling out the side of his mouth. Seeing his mother awake, Mason clumsily crawled over Sara to plant wet slobbery kisses over her nose and cheeks.

“Hey boy!” she cooed, “I thought we left you with Beorn! What are you doing here!?” she demanded of the dog.

“The guards found him scratching at the front door this morning. The moment they let him in he charged right to this room. He stunk like fish and who knows what else. He probably ran away and followed you by scent,” Thorin explained.

Sara shook her head in disbelief as she ruffled Mason’s big black ears, “You good dog! You’ve grown!”

She leant back to consider the now full grown dog. Time really had passed since they arrived in Middle Earth!

“Come,” Thorin said, helping Sara stand up, “You should get dressed and eat. We leave within the hour.”

Sara smirked before tilting her head, “We’re leaving Bofur I’m guessing,”

Thorin looked at her puzzled, “That is the plan… how did you… wait… I already know how you figured that out.”

Sara smiled as she pulled on her pants, socks and boots. Thorin grabbed her shawl and cloak before helping her pull them on.

“I am going to have Kili stay behind as well,” Thorin said after a moment.

Sara felt her heart rise and drop at the same time. She was glad things were still following the storyline and with Kili staying behind, he would get the treatment he needed from Tauriel but at the same time she remembered the pained look on Kili’s face when Thorin told him. Thorin seemed to sense her distress and turned her around to look at him.

“Does that now happen?” he asked, worry etched into his features.

The girl sighed, “not, it does happen… but Kili will be heart broken when you tell him.”

Thorin nodded hanging his head, “I know… but he’ll get worse if he does not rest.”

Sara smiled at the concerned gentleness in his tone… very different from how he tells Fili and Kili in the film… could Thorin possibly be fighting the upcoming dragon sickness? Could Sara’s presence there keep the madness at bay? The thought brought joy to her heart but concern… would that difference be too drastic to the storyline?

She snapped from her thoughts by Balin and Dwalin knocking on the bedroom door and poking their heads inside.

“Ah good, you two are all ready to go,” Dwalin sighed, “Bofur wont wake up.”

“He’s staying,” Both Sara and Thorin said in unison, causing the two older dwarves to look at them with raised eyebrows.

“Well then, we should head to the docks,” Balin said with a smile.

Sara grabbed her bag and whistled to mason before following Dwalin out, leaving Balin and Thorin alone in the room. The old dwarf glanced at the dwarf prince to see the dwarf staring lovingly at the space Sara had occupied not a moment before. The old dwarf smirked before clearing his throat.

“I take it things went well last night?” the old dwarf asked.

Thorin smiled and Balin had his answer just from that.

“She accepted my request of love and marriage,” the dwarf breathed.

Balin beamed, “That is wonderful! You know I was anointed in the administration of marriage. If you wish to wed her soon, I would be happy to marry you two.”

Thorin smiled, “I wish we had more time… and a place to stop before the mountain… I would marry her tomorrow if I could.”

“Well there is that small mountain village near Dale and it is not out of our way. The people there are friendly enough from what I remember.”

“Thorin!” Gloin hollered from somewhere outside.

“We had better go,” Thorin said, “But we will discuss this later.”

*****************

Sara quickly wiped her cheeks, knowing that Thorin was staring at her and she didn’t want him to see her crying.

They had left Laketown behind almost five hours ago and were nearing Land. Thorin had said it would take three days to hike it to the mountain village and three more days to reach Erabor itself, giving them twenty four hours to find the hidden door and twenty four hours to spare. Sara did not remember there being a mountain village but felt that the pitstop wouldn’t hurt since Bilbo would figure out the secret door riddle.

Sara felt a hand touch her elbow to see that Thorin had come to sit next to her and was looking at her with worry in his eyes but for some strange reason, the look didn’t spread to the rest of his face.

“Why were you crying?” he asked.

“I was just thinking about Kili… he looked so broken when we left.”

“Fili is with him as are Bofur and Oin,” Thorin observed with a deadpan expression.

Sara nodded, “I know, I just feel bad for him.”

“He would have slowed us down,” Thorin mumbled before returning to the front of the boat without a single hesitation.

Sara bit her lip to keep the tears from resurfacing. It was happening… the dragon sickness. The way only bits of Thorin’s real self-shown through his eyes while the rest of him was rigid… Sara was slowly losing him.

She felt someone else touch her tense shoulder and turned to see Balin sitting there, his face showed the same worry Sara felt.

“You see it too,” he whispered, “The change in Thorin… the way he seems to be driven by success and self-confidence rather than in his friends, family and loved ones.”

Sara nodded, “I hate to have to say it but he will suffer from the sickness Balin and… worst of all, we cannot avoid it or try to stop it. something worse could happen if we do.”

Balin nodded, “it is you I am worried about Lass. Thorin spoke earlier of marrying you as soon as tomorrow but preferably when we stop at the mountain village…”

“Why do you worry about me?” Sara asked as Mason snuggled his head in her lap.

“You are the most important thing to Thorin lass and if he becomes sick, the fierce and jealous love he’ll feel for the gold may be what he grows to feel towards you instead of the honorable and devoted love he has felt so far for you… even if he were mad, if you two were not wed, I would trust Thorin to still respect you and your being… but if you two were married by the time he goes mad…”

Sara’s eyes widened when she realized what Balin was insinuating, “you think he’ll take advantage of me against my will?”

Balin sighed, glad that the others were far enough from them to hear what they were talking about in hushed tones.

“That is the worst-case scenario… but I fear that if you two are wed or not, Thorin’s love will become possessive and jealous and if you are wed… I fear he may become aggressive.”

*********

Sara blinked her eyes open to find that her head felt groggy from sleep and her back cold, having fallen asleep with her back to the fire and the fire now dead.

She saw that half the company were still asleep while the other half were cleaning up camp and eating the dried meat and bread, they had been living off of for three days.

Sara glanced to her side, hoping to find Thorin laying close to her or at least facing her but was met by the view of his broad back facing her, at least four feet between them.

The girl wasn’t sure if he was keeping a distance because of his slowly growing madness or because since Laketown, he had ben gazing at her longingly when he thought she wasn’t aware… or it was just normal coincidence that they had barely spoken two words together since they left.

She missed feeling his chest beneath her cheek, his heart beat lulling her to sleep. She missed waking up to his arms holding her close as if she was a lifeline and he was drowning, his face buried in her curls as he breathed in her scent.

It all felt like a distant memory now and it hurt to wake up cold and alone with Thorin so far away that Sara couldn’t even hear his gentle snores. The girl climbed to her feet and hastily rolled up her sleeping bag before gently rousing Mason. After she finished strapping her things to her back, Dwalin handed her a chunk of bread and meat. She split it in half and gave the other half to Mason before eating her own serving. By then, the rest of the company were up and ready to go.

Sara saw Thorin looking at her and when she met his gaze, he began to walk toward her but Sara looked away and walked over to stand with Dwalin.

The past three days, every morning Sara would try to walk near or with Thorin but he would always skillfully avoid her so that she would end up either at the front with him in the back or the other way around. In that case, she would walk with Dwalin who had noticed the “trouble in paradise” they were having.

Sara could feel Thorin’s intense gaze on the back of her head but refused to look his way. Dwalin noticed the determined look on Sara’s face before whispering ot her.

“Thorin looks furious. What happened?”

Sara shrugged, “he’s been avoiding me for three days so I’m giving him space.”

Dwalin smirked. Whenever he, Balin and Thorin had discussed women in the past, Dwalin always feared that Thorin’s One wouldn’t be able to handle his frustrating nature but Sara had proved him wrong from the start and still never ceased to amaze Dwalin.

“Do you need help avoiding the avoider?” the large dwarf asked.

Sara smiled sadly, “Just tell me if he is approaching.”

“He’s approaching,” the dwarf muttered before quickly departing to avoid both Thorin and Sara’s wrath.

The girl spun around to see Thorin striding meaningfully towards her and she didn’t have time to escape before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her far enough ahead of the others that no one could hear them and wouldn’t catch up for a few moments.

“What is wrong with you!?” Thorin demanded, his voice stern and furious

Sara crossed her arms and pushed her curls out of her eyes, “You are one to talk.”

“You’re avoiding me deliberately,” Thorin growled, still not releasing her wrist.

“You’ve been avoiding me for three days,” Sara scoffed. “Just returning the favor.”

Thorin growled, “I didn’t have a choice!”

Sara rolled her eyes and made to pull away only for Thorin to pull her forward until their noses were almost touching.

:If I didn’t put some distance between us, I wouldn’t be able to control myself. You have no idea what goes through my head when I see you lying next to me every night, your very presence taunting me with the fact that I cannot touch you until we are wed.”

Sara frowned, “You never had trouble holding back before… what changed?”

Thorin released her wrist to reach up and finger one of the silver beads in her red hair.

“The difference is that you are both mine and not mine. Before you accepted my proposal, I could only dream of having you wholly in every way… but now it is not just a dream but a knowledge of the future and that for sure you want me too and it will happen… soon if that is what you want.”
Sara’s eyes widened as she reached up to touch his cheek, “You have always had me Thorin… nothing has changed except we both know that we want each other in all forms.”

Thorin sighed shakily as Sara’s fingers drifted along his jaw to his lips. Slowly she leant up and pressed her lips to his. She could feel Thorin trembling as she moved her lips in sync with his, their tongues tangling together. When they pulled back, Thorin’s eyes were glossy and his face flushed which only made Sara blush as well.

“Do not starve yourself o things Thorin or it will be harder to not feed,” she whispered.

Thorin sighed before cupping her cheeks and kissing her roughly for a second before pulling her into his arms, her head nestling against his chest. Sara could have stayed there for hours but Balin called to them.

“THORIN! Come here!”

The two hurried over to see Dwalin and Gloin speaking with a group of about ten strangers, all of them men between the ages of 12 and 40. They were dressed in simple but warm attire.

“It is the mountain villagers,” Balin explained. “A hunting party.”

Thorin strode over to the group who took one look at Thorin before bowing their heads.

“Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain,” the leader said politely, “Your friends say that you need a place to rest and resupply for the night.”

Thorin nodded, “if you do not mind.”

The leader shook his head and smiled before a young man standing next to him spoke, “It would be an honor to host you sire.”

Just then, the leader offered to show the company the way to the village when Thorin turned and called Sara by name. The girl trotted over only for another voice to split the silence.

“Sara?”

The red head peered around Thorin’s broad figure to see that the young man who stood beside the leader had taken a step forward. He was a lean lad with square shoulders, sky blue eyes and a head full of curly hair. He couldn’t have been more than fourteen or fifteen.

Sara felt all the air leave her lungs and almost felt her knees give out.

“Axel?”

********

All eyes were upon the two red haired young people who were staring at each other like deer in headlights. No one dared to breathe or even move as the silence seemed to drag on for eternity. Sara did not know what to think as she stared at the boy before her. a part of her had doubted that he was really Axel because he wasn’t the slightly plump boy she remembered. With his red curls touching his shoulders and freckles spanning the whole of his face. This boy wasn’t even really a boy anymore. He was almost a man! Body slimmed out with firm shoulders, strong hands and sharp jawline, Sara had to do a double take to make sure she wasn’t envisioning Axel’s vital statistics on the body of a random villager. No, this was Axel. There was no mistaking the red curls even though they were no longer covering his ears, the button nose, full lips and sky-blue eyes. His freckles were gone and his skin tone paler due to the living in the mountains.

Finally unable to keep her volcano from erupting, Sara charged forward to meet Axel who had also leapt towards her. Sara didn’t care that it felt stranger hugging an Axel who was almost as tall as her when she last hugged an Axel who was almost two heads shorter than her.

“Oh my gosh, it is you!” Axel cried into her shoulder.

The two pulled back after a moment and Sara began to pat his hair, cheeks and arms to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.

“How… I thought… you… the crash…” Sara stammered.

Axel nodded, “We woke up here… almost three months ago! We didn’t remember this place from the books so we thought we were dreaming until two weeks passed and we were still here!”

“Wait… we?” Sara whisper screamed before her face split into an even bigger smile, “Omar and Ryder…”

“They’re okay,” Axel said, tears springing to his eyes, “We thought you died in the crash… when no one knew of you and we couldn’t locate you.”

Sara sighed, feeling her own tears spill, “I think we all died in the crash Ax and ended up here… though apparently since you three were in the back bench and I was in the driver’s seat, I ended up in Rohan instead.”

Axel’s eyes bulged, “You woke up in Rohan!?”

Sara smirked, “You’ll never believe who I met… Théoden!”

“Isn’t he like a kid right now?” Axel asked.

Sara nodded, “And guess who has kept me company all these months…”

The girl turned and whistled, only for Mason to barrel over from where he had been trying to steal Ori’s meal while he wasn’t looking. Axel’s eyes lit up before he was almost totaled as the large black dog rammed into him in a mess of licks and barks.

“Mason my boy!” Axel laughed.

While Axel untangled himself from Mason, Thorin walked over to Sara who was trying hard to not cry. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. Axel managed to get back to his feet before looking at Thorin’s arm around his sister and the beads in Sara’s hair.

“Holy Noodles…. Sara, are you and Thorin…”

Sara beamed before nodding, “We were actually going to have the ceremony while we stayed in the village…”

Axel’s jaw dropped before he gathered his sister in another bone crushing hug, squealing like a girl. When he made Sara almost pop, he released her and turned to Thorin before holding out his hand.

“Thank you for taking care of my sister,” he said solemnly.

Thorin smiled before taking Axel’s hand and shaking it, “it is my pleasure.”

Axel grinned before looking at his sister, “Sara… did Pierce end up in Rohan too?”

Sara’s face dropped and she bit her lip.

“Ax… Pierce… the reason we crashed was because I was distracted…” Sara began slowly.

Axel frowned, “I remember you had been on the phone shortly before…”

Sara nodded, “I had been called… because of Pierce… Mrs. Alman called saying that pierce’s doctor had been trying to get ahold of us… Pierce… is dead Axel. He died from cancer the morning of the crash.”

Axel took a full step backwards before covering his mouth with his hand, “No… oh no…”

Sara pulled from Thorin’s hold and approached her brother before wrapping him in a tight embrace, allowing the boy to bury his face in her shoulder.

Thorin watched, his heart breaking as Axel’s muffled sobs reached his ears and he saw Sara biting her lip to hold back the tears in vain, drawing blood from her lip in the process.

“Omar and Ryder will be happy to see you,” Axel said as he pulled away, sniffling and wiping his eyes.

Sara smiled softly, wiping her own tears away, “have they changed?”

“That is a surprise,” Axel chuckled softly.

Sara stuck out her bottom lip in a pout before Axel looped his arm through hers and began to lead her toward the village, the company and hunters following close behind. It was not long before Axel came to a stop and Sara took in the village that lay below them in the valley. At the foot of the snowy mountains rested a small crystal-clear lake between two small cliffs. Resting atop giant jutting rocks that littered the small lake were tiny houses. About twenty feet in diameter with rounded metal roofs, stone chimneys and little round porches that circumferenced each house gave them an almost hobbit burrow look. Between each house was a bridge that connected them and a large bridge that reached the shore.

“It’s beautiful,” Sara whispered to her brother who beamed with pride. “Where are Ryder and Om…”

She was unable to finish her sentence for Mason shot past her so fast that the girl almost fell over if it was not for Thorin’s broad chest behind her and his arms that quickly wound around her waist to keep her from landing on her bum.

As Thorin propped her back on her own two feet, Sara looked toward where Mason had run to see that a group of young children had come running out of one of the houses and across the main bridge towards the approaching party. At the head of the group were the unmistakable figures of Ryder and Omar.

Their curly red hair was bouncing around their still round cheeks that were rosy from the cool air but their blue eyes alight with joy. When their eyes landed on the large black dog who was running in circles around them, trying to not run them over with his body, the two froze in their tracks.

“Mason?” Sara heard Omar whisper, reaching forward towards the dog that was almost taller than him.

The dog let out a joyous bark and licked the boy’s face, causing the boy to fall back on his rear but the boy laughed.

“Ry! It’s Mason!”

Ryder’s face split into a huge grin as he dropped to his knees beside the dog and grabbing a fistful of black fur, turned the dog’s face to look at him before he laughed.

“It is Mason! He has the same eyes!”

Omar managed to crawl out from underneath the large dog before looking at the group of hunters who had returned and at the head… the company, Axel and Sara. His eyes fell on the petite figure of his sister before tapping Ryder clumsily on the head, missing his head and patting his cheek. Ryder turned and when his eyes landed on Sara, they widened almost twice their size before he let out a high-pitched screech.

Catapulting up the path, the 4-year-old boy sprinted straight into Sara’s waiting arms. The girl had to keep from breaking down into sobs right then and there as the boy’s plump arms squeezed her around the neck and he buried his button nose into her neck, his little shoulders shaking.

“Sara! You’re here! You’re okay!” he sobbed.

“Sh,” Sara cooed to the boy, gently trying to pry his arms from around her neck where he was almost strangling her, “I’m here Ry. I’m here.”

The boy refused to let go so Sara had to shift him to the side a little as Omar approached and wrapped his arms around Sara’s abdomen. She planted a kiss in Omar’s red curls that had grown out, surprised that the 8-year-old boy was almost tall enough to reach her shoulder.

“Ry, Omar, there is someone I want you to meet.”

Omar finally lifted his head to peer around Sara only for his jaw to drop when he took in the bold form of Thorin who hadn’t strayed far from Sara’s side.

“Sis…. Is…. is that….” Omar stammered.

Before Sara could answer for him, Ryder tilted his head just enough to look at Thorin before he finally released his death grip on Sara’s neck and reached out toward Thorin. His chubby hand reached out and patted Thorin on the jaw, his face spreading into a grin at the feeling of Thorin’s bristly beard.

“It’s Thorin, Omar. Don’t you remember? He’s the king.” Ryder said cheerfully in his little voice.

Thorin chuckled softly at the boy before reaching over and gently stroking the boy’s red curls.

Omar watch the dwarf constantly before he noticed how Sara smiled lovingly at Thorin and the dwarf returned it. The gears began to turn in his head before he patted Sara’s hand and spoke again.

“Sara, is he going to be the daddy when you become a mommy?”

Both Sara and Axel looked at their brother in shock and both were about to scold him when a belly laugh broke the silence and everyone turned to see Dwalin standing there, beginning to cry with laughter while Balin and Thorin were covering their mouths with their hands to hide their amused smiles.

Thorin crouched down in front of Omar before smiling at him, “It is up to your sister if she wants to be a mommy but if she does want to be a mommy, I will be the daddy,” he assured the boy. “And that would make you the uncle.”

Omar grinned before taking the hand that Thorin was holding out to him and shook it while Ryder whispered to Sara but managed to say it just loud enough for everyone to hear.

“I like him Sara. He has a smile and he fights orcs. Can we keep him?”

*******

Thorin sat between Dwalin and Balin at one of the many tables that filled the eating hall. The hall was the size of three of the houses and with long tables lining the walls and center. There was just enough room for the whole village plus the company to sit. Sara was sitting across from him, a few seats down squashed between Omar and Ryder while Axel sat directly across from Thorin. The eldest Aldhard boy was watching Thorin steadily, summing him up.

Thorin rested with his arms crossed and, on the table,, an abandoned mug of ale in his hand that he was absent mindedly stroking with his thumb. His eyebrows were not down like they were usually in the movie but relaxed and his eyes sparkled with love as he watched Sara interacting with her brothers. Axel smirked. Three years ago when he promised himself to not let Sara marry a douche like James, he never expected his sister to end up marrying the king under the mountain himself.

Considering that up to this point, Axel had only thought of Thorin as a fictional character but now he had to wrap his head around the fact that he was sitting in the flesh across from Axel, making puppy eyes at his one and only sister.

The boy leant his forearms on the table and looked steadily at the dwarf prince. “So, were you serious when you said you and Sara would be married here?”

All eyes turned to Axel, the hall going stone quiet before eyes turned to Thorin and Sara. Sara was blushing crimson, trying in vain to hide it behind her curls. Thorin finally took a chug of his untouched ale before looking Axel square in the eyes.

“Yes, and I still plan to if that is what Sara wants,” he said confidently.

When all attention was turned on Sara, the girl squeaked especially when Omar began to gently prod her side with his finger in order to gain an answer from her.

“If… I mean… yeah… erm…” the girl stammered, going so red that her ears turned pink and Thorin found his eyes once again locked on her, resisting the urge to growl like a bear who saw his mate trying to taunt him.

“We could have it in here,” the leader of the villagers, Deke, suggested, “We can move some of the tables and it could be ready by tonight.”

Sara dared to look at Thorin who was looking at her steadily.

The dwarf hummed a few times before turning to Deke, “We’ll do it. Thank you.”

The young leader beamed before turning to the lovely girl at his side, “My sister Rose will help you Lady Sara.”

Sara was about to refuse when Axel miraculously appeared behind her and almost yanked her from her seat before gently pushing her towards Rose who was smiling at her knowingly.

“Perfect! We’ll see you in a few hours sis!”

Rose looped her arm through Sara’s and began to drag her out of the hall. Just before they disappeared from sight, Sara looked back at Thorin only to see him watching her go, his teeth gnawing on his bottom lip in anticipation and excitement.

***********

“This will look fabulous on you,” Rose squealed as she lay out a long pure white dress, “it is warm in the hall, so you’ll only need your cloak when you are leaving or entering.”

Sara watched as the girl busied about, finding a pair of white shoes to go with the dress and locating hair pins. Rose reminded Sara of Cassie: her cute rosy cheeks, bunny nose and naturally beautiful features. The only difference was that Rose’s rich brown hair fell in straight locks to her waist.

Rose helped Sara strip down before carefully slipping into a hot bath. Rose washed her back while Sara did her legs and front. Once clean, Sara dried off and let Rose slip the long white dress over her head. Once the laces were tied, Rose stepped back and gasped.

“You look beautiful! Your figure fits with it just right! This dress was my mother’s. She left it with us in the hopes that someone else would use it eventually.”

Sara smiled, “Thank you for letting me borrow it.”

Rose beamed, “Now for your hair!”

Sara sat absolutely still as Rose worked on getting Sara’s red curls into a mostly up hairdo. Being sure to not ruin the two courtship braids, Rose pinned them up so that the two beads lay nestled against the back of Sara’s curls. Rose handed Sara a small mirror and Sara studied the work.

“It is perfect,” Sara stated, “You truly have a gift Rose.”

The girl blushed, “I adore weddings. I cannot wait until my own.”

Sara smiled, “I am sure you will find an amazing man and have a dream wedding.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door and the three Aldhard brothers poked their heads in. when they saw Sara, their jaws dropped, and Axel had to pinch Omar to keep him from crying.

“You look like a queen, Sara,” Ryder said, coming over to look up at his sister.

Sara crouched down and hugged the boy before Rose spoke. “She might be one soon.”

Axel chuckled before coming over and hugging his sister, “Mother and father would be so proud.”

Sara smiled before a thought came to her. grabbing her bag, she looked around till she found the three sets of hair beads for the three boys.

“Father left theses… I have no idea how they ended up here with me, but I know he’d want you to have them.”

One by one, Sara helped her brothers slip the beads into their hair before she went to grab the other gifts. However, the moment Axel saw them, he stopped her.

“Sara, there was a reason you were the one who woke up with those things. You keep the dagger and other things… I have a feeling you’ll need them.”

Sara went to protest but Omar and Ryder smiled at her, assuring her that they agreed. Axel then held out his arm to his sister, “Ready to get married?”

Sara took a deep breath before taking her brother’s arm, “Yes.”

Omar and Ryder grinned before Rose shooed them out of the room and back to the hall. Axel and Sara followed but waited outside the hall door for Rose’s signal.

“Nervous?” Axel inquired when he saw Sara shaking.

Sara nodded, “I never thought I would be living in a world and marrying someone who were all just a make belief to me a year ago.”

Axel smirked, “Well at least we know a lot about this place already….. oh no! Sara… Thorin, Fili and Kili…”

Sara nodded, “They die. I know… but Thorin also doesn’t get married and there is no mountain village in the books or movies.”

Axel’s eyes widened, “Do you think that is why we are here?”

Sara shrugged, “I hope it is. Gandalf said that he believes we were brought here to change something… I only hope it is for the reasons I hope.”

Axel sighed, “We’ll figure this out. I’m sure.”

Just then, Rose poked her head out the door and nodded before opening the doors wide.

Axel led Sara inside and down the aisle that had been made by all those present. There, standing opposite them were Balin, Dwalin and Thorin. Balin stood in the place of the minister and Dwalin stood slightly behind Thorin, talking to him. When everyone turned to look at Sara, Thorin looked away from Dwalin and gasped softly. Sara looked like an angel as she slowly glided towards him on her brother’s arm. Her hair up really brought out her beautiful features and slender neck. Thorin found himself swallowing multiple times. When the two came to a stop in front of Thorin, Axel kissed Sara’s cheek before turning to Thorin.

“Take care of her and please do not hurt her,” he whispered, knowing that only Sara and Axel knew the significance of the last part but he hoped that when Thorin did go mad, Sara would not be in danger.

“I promise,” Thorin stated with such sincerity that Axel smiled.

He turned to Sara and gently placed her hand in Thorin’s larger one before stepping back to stand with Omar and Ryder. Thorin and Sara barely registered anything Balin said except the part where they answered with “I do”. Sara could not believe that standing before her was Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, dwarf king under the mountain of Erabor in the land of Middle Earth…. About to marry him!

Thorin smiled adoringly at the girl before him, realizing that after this point, she was his and he was hers, wholly and forever. No one and nothing could take her away from him and he would never let her go. The two were brought from their thoughts by Balin clearing his throat.

“or you could just skip the whole kiss if you are not up for it…” the old dwarf teased, knowing that the two had been daydreaming when he had said: “Kiss the bride”.

Thorin leapt into action, cupping Sara’s cheek with one hand while gripping her waist with his other, drawing her into a gentle kiss.

When the whole hall erupted in cheers and whistles, Thorin and Sara smiled into the kiss. They were married! Husband and wife! However, as Thorin turned to smile at everyone present, Sara felt a deep dread fill her heart. Thorin had no idea that their joy would be short lived when he went mad and if she didn’t come up with a plan soon, she would lose him completely…. She needed to keep him alive.

Chapter Text

f Sara thought that Thorin’s consistent shouldering staring was obvious before their marriage, it skyrocketed ten fold over the course of a few minutes. Only now, it seemed less out of jealousy but more possessiveness. Whenever Sara had joked and spoken with the other members of the company before, Thorin would watch her like a vulture, afraid that if he looked away, someone would steal her clean off the earth. Now, he didn’t just watch but looked ready to bite of any man’s head if he got too close to her. Sara found this rather amusing but also troubling since she could barely dance with anyone other than Balin without Thorin’s deep throat growling reaching her ears. The rest of the company had noticed and had been careful to steer clear of the mad male baboon’s mate. They also saw to it that only Sara’s brothers danced with the girl.

Thorin had avoided dancing even with his bride which put Sara out until she learnt from Dwalin that Thorin had avoided all dancing lessons as a kid and young adult in order to spend most of his time in the armory and stables. Sara found this enticing since Thorin hated seeing her dancing with someone other than himself but couldn’t dance at all. Finally, unable to spend more time dancing while Thorin stared, Sara decided to give him a signal. Leaving Omar to learn how to dance from Rose, she walked over to where Thorin stood, leaning against the wall with one hand on his belt and the other holding a mug of ale, once again abandoned of all thought.

“Hello Handsome,” Sara said, using her favorite line from Gabriel’s Inferno, “Are you not going to dance?”

Thorin had already told her “no” earlier but from the way she was gazing at him from under her long lashes, he couldn’t stop himself from answering.

“No,”

Sara smiled, “Well in that case I am going on a walk. It is getting warm in here.”

With that, she leant forward and planted a kiss on the edge of Thorin’s lips, purposely missing most of his mouth.

Thorin instinctively leant forward to capture her lips but Sara swerved out of the way before smiling and waving as she grabbed her cloak and headed towards the door. Thorin watched her go before he felt dozens of eyes on him and turned to see that across the hall, the company were all smirking and giving him signals of all sorts to follow the girl.

Thorin went to take a chug of ale but hesitated and instead slammed the mug on a nearby table as if to give himself confidence. With no one but the obnoxious company watching with cat like stares, Thorin stormed after Sara, not caring that he forgot his cloak.

When he found Sara, she had entered the room that Rose and Deke had leant them for the night. She had left the door open as she dropped her cloak to the floor.

“How come you do not wish to dance?” she asked, not turning around.

Thorin sighed, “I never learnt how to,” he admitted as he closed the door behind him.

Sara turned to him and held out her hand, “Dance with me?”

Thorin froze, all the times she had asked him to dance, she never asked him to dance with her and he realized she had been waiting for him to ask, she had just been hinting at it. Approaching her, Thorin took her hand, letting her take the lead. Sara gripped his hand before grasping his left hand and placed it on her waist. Thorin immediately held her close as he placed her left hand on his shoulder and began to slowly sway to the lack of music.

This felt so much more different from earlier. Other than holding hands and kissing during the ceremony, Thorin had not been this close to Sara all night and he liked it. she was flush against him, her hand slipping around his neck and her cheek pressed against his shoulder. he wrapped his arm further around her back before pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder.

Sara sighed at the feeling and he continued, laying kisses up her neck to her jaw when he felt her tremble. He pulled away and looked down into her eyes.

“Are you afraid?” he whispered, concern evident in his blue eyes.

Sara shook her head, “I just… I don’t know what to do… or expect.”

Thorin smiled warmly at her, “it will not hurt too much…”

Sara looked up and her eyes widened, “how do you know?”

Thorin froze, “My sister Dis told me… sadly my mother died before I learnt about all those things and my father never spoke of it so when Dis had Fili, she told me.”

Sara bit her lip. On the outside, Thorin was so stern and serious but deep down, he was like an innocent puppy. Thorin sensed Sara’s uncertainty and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“To be honest, I know about as little as you do… I do not know what will bring you pleasure or what will bring you pain… so you will have to tell me, so I don’t hurt you.”

Sara lifted her eye and smiled at him lovingly. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she let him pick her up by gripping her legs before planting a hot needy kiss on his lips.

“Just love me… and I know you will not hurt me.”

And that is what he did. Thorin and Sara showed their deep love for each other and gave themselves up. It was almost morning when Thorin finally put Sara to bed, laying pillows and sheets around her as if making her a nest before snuggling up beside her, keeping his arms securely around her waist, refusing to let go. When Sara woke, she was still in Thorin’s arms and he was sleeping soundly beside her, their red and black hair entangled. She smiled at the peace and love on his sleeping face, savoring it for she knew that in three days, that would be gone… and she would begin to lose the real Thorin Oakenshield.

Hey all! Sorry I didn’t get spicy and make this chapter smuttyL the last time I wrote an intimate scene I got a lot of hate for my lack of knowledge in that area so unless ya’ll vote me out, I will not get too spicy. Sorry! Don’t kill me!

********

Pale white light streamed in through the curtain-less windows. The light was not rustic and orange like the light that had touched Sara’s eyes on the road. Nor was it the bold blinding light she had woken to when she had mistakenly fallen asleep facing the east. This light was gentle and soothing like a gentle flutter rousing the sleeping girl. The obnoxious sounds of birds reached her ears and she was just glad it wasn’t the Whip-or-will she had heard on her travels, just yearning to annoy.

Sara rolled around, testing out the temperature of the bed. She half expected to roll over and find where the blanket had been pulled at too much in her sleep but she found herself cuddled amongst all the pillows and an extra blanket cushioning her legs like a cocoon.

The girl looked around for signs of Thorin but there were none. His place was empty and his side of the bed made as if he hadn’t been there in the first place. Sara sat up with a start, causing everything to swim from her sudden change in position. She was just about to push away the sheets when the door to the washroom opened and in stepped Thorin.

Despite how they had spent the night before, Sara blushed crimson at the sight of the half dressed dwarf prince. With only his pants on his lower body, his abdomen and chest were bare to the girl. He was always wearing thick dwarven clothes and Sara never knew what he looked like beneath all those furs and last night the room was dark. Now, fresh out of a bath with steam coming from the open door behind him, Thorin did not disappoint. His arms had the build of a hardworking blacksmith and the rippling sinew traveled from his arms to his incredibly broad and thick shoulders. Like most of him, Thorin was incredibly hairy, with black hair curling over his chest and lower abdomen but leaving most of his stomach partially clean shaven.

“Good morning,” Thorin said with a husky lilt to his voice, making Sara’s heart skip a beat.

The dwarf strode over to Sara and leaning his partially damp self over the nest he had procured for Sara, he pressed his lips to hers, making sure to bite her lower lip as he pulled away.

“Good morning,” Sara murmured, still trying to absorb everything.

Thorin’s eyes scanned her and that was when Sara realized that she was stark naked. She grabbed the sheet and made to cover herself but Thorin grasped her hand to stop her. Bending down, he planted a kiss on her shoulder before trailing down till he reached her stomach where he peppered kisses and then laying his forehead against her stomach.

“I cannot wait until I see you rounding out with our child.” He murmured against her skin, sending tingles down her spine.

Sara smiled. She could only hope he would be around to see that happen. She reached down and threaded her fingers through his black locks, emitting a growl of satisfaction from Thorin.

“We need to get dressed,” Sara muttered, “WE still have to reach the mountain in three days.”

Thorin froze in his movements before pulling away and striding back into the bathroom. Sara felt her heart clench. The moment she mentioned the mountain, he forgot about all else…

**********

“Are you sure you do not want to come with?” Sara asked her brothers.

The three boys nodded. “Axel and I were gonna go see if we could help some of the Laketown people when you-know-who attacks you-know-where.” Omar whispered.

Sara chuckled, “This is Middle Earth, Omar. Not Hogwarts.”

Axel chuckled before turning to his sister, “I promise we will be careful. We explained the situation to Deke and Rose and they want to help us.”

“We’ll see you again Sara,” Ryder chirped, “In Dale.”

Sara smiled at the boy before leaning down and kissing his forehead, “Darn right.”

“Let’s get moving!” Thorin bellowed from where he had already begun to walk off.

Axel raised an eyebrow and looked at Sara, “Will you be alright?”

Sara smiled and nodded, “if worse comes to worst, I will have Bilbo and Balin.”

“Be careful,” the boy whispered as he hugged her one last time.

“Sara! Let’s go!” Thorin called in a demanding tone, cutting off Sara’s reply.

The girl smiled at her brothers before trotting over to Thorin. She half expected him to take her hand but he didn’t even look her in the eyes as he kept walking.

“You didn’t say goodbye,” Sara observed.

Thorin turned to look at her with expressionless, empty eyes, “And?”

Without waiting to hear her reply, Thorin walked on, leaving Sara in the dust.

The girl sighed, “never mind. I am sure your new in-laws wouldn’t mind in the least.”

She felt a hand touch her shoulder and looked into the soft eyes of Bilbo.

“You okay?” he asked, worry lacing his words.

Sara shrugged, “I’ll be fine.”

As Bilbo walked on, sensing that he couldn’t force a different answer from her, Sara kept repeating that answer over and over in her head as if trying to convince herself that it was true.

“Lass,” Dwalin whispered, coming to walk next to her. “Balin told me of you and his worries for Thorin. Is it true? Will he get the sickness?”

Sara swallowed, remembering what Thorin told Dwalin when he was ill in the film. “Yes… but if we do not reclaim the mountain, the world will fall.”

“Does he ever get over it?” Dwalin asked, gnawing his gums as he waited for her answer.

Sara nodded, “As far as I know… I just hope he overcomes the illness before it is too late.”

“If he hurts ye…” Dwalin started.

“He won’t hurt me,” Sara assured him rather weakly.

Dwalin frowned, “He is hurting ye now lass.”

Sara turned to see that Thorin was way ahead at the front, no emotion emitting from his broad back. Just a few hours prior he had been snuggled up next to her with hunger and adoration in his eyes, a boyish smirk on his lips and warmth in his embrace…. Where did that all run off to?

“He isn’t trying to hurt me,” Sara whispered, earning a sigh from Dwalin.

“But he is lass and if it gets worse, you need to thick less about others and worry more about yourself and what you are willing to endure.”

********

Sara yawned heavily as she trekked over the rocky terrain, Gloin and Dwalin on either side of her, ready to catch her should she fall. The company had been protective of Sara from he start but now that she was family, kin and possibly their future queen, they hovered over her like helicopters. Maybe their ulterior reasons were the fact that Thorin practically ignored Sara during the day and she was lacking on sleep. Since leaving the village, Thorin would fall asleep long before Sara, holding her in a caging grip with his arms wrapped around her from behind and wouldn’t let her up till dawn. This meant that if Sara had to get water, relieve herself or shift, she couldn’t which then resulted in her losing sleep by trying to not think of her dry mouth, cramped legs or heavy bladder.

“Anything!?” Thorin hollered.

“Nothing yet!” Dwalin called back to the prince who was consulting the map.

“According to the map, the hidden door should be directly above us.”

Knowing that they would find the door in no time, Sara sat down on a nearby rock to catch her breath and drew out her sketchbook. She smiled at the familiar sight of the company spread out looking for the giant dwarven statue. Grabbing a pencil, she began to roughly sketch the view, making a mental note to add the details and features later when she wasn’t about ready to fall asleep.

“Over here!” Bilbo’s overjoyed voice cut through and everyone rushed to him.

Sure enough, rising like a mountain of its own was a giant stone dwarf, the zigzag of the stone making the trail of the stairs up to the narrow ledge above.

“Well done master Baggins,” Thorin muttered with the largest smile Sara had seen in days.

Dwalin immediately held out his huge hand to help Sara onto the first step but an icy cold hand laid against the small of her back and she was shocked to find Thorin standing behind her, giving Dwalin a death glare.

Without asking for consent or rejection, Thorin lifted her up by the waist and set her on the high first step. Sara quickly grabbed on the next step to keep from wobbling. Heights had never been one of her greatest favorites. She saw both Dwalin and Thorin move to help her to the next step but she gave them both a stern look to back off. Dwalin hesitantly obliged, knowing that she hated being treated like a china doll but Thorin glared darkly at her defiant look. He moved to climb up to grab her and lift her up by Sara hastily climbed up two steps to put distance between herself and the scary dwarf. In her haste, her toe caught and she almost slipped when Balin’s hand shot out and stopped her fall.

He gave Thorin a disapproving look over Sara’s head as he aided the girl further up the stairs. When they finally reached the top, Sara made sure to stay wedged between Balin and Bilbo. She watched as Thorin stared at the grey stone with awe before turning to the company with the key in his hands.

“And all those who doubted us! Rue this day!” he cried with a wide grin, earning cheers from the company.

“We have a key,” Dwalin muttered, “So that means somewhere there is a keyhole.”

Sara watched as Dwalin and Nori tried to find the keyhole but when they found none, the rest of the company began to slam their weapons at the stone, the metal splintering.

“Stop it!” Sara finally yelled, “it’s sealed shut!”

“It cannot be opened by force,” Balin finished.

Slowly the sunlight began to fade and Thorin let out a cry. “NO!”

As he weakly muttered aloud the map’s instructions, Sara was tempted to tell him about the moon but never got the chance when Thorin turned his gold gaze on her.

“You! You knew this would happen but you led us on!?”

“Thorin,” Balin warned but Sara stood her ground.

“You never asked,” Sara hissed. “And for all you know, you might die tomorrow and I’m the only one who knows!”

She was glad Thorin was too angry to notice the shock in Sara’s eyes at her own words.

“You vixen!” Thorin growled as his eyes flared, “You don’t even want us to succeed! This is all part of your plan!”

“Trust me,” Sara snapped back, “If I could change history, I would make you never reclaim the mountain but as it happens, I cannot avoid this crisis! You’re lucky I am more worried about your life and line rather than a giant rock!”

Thorin made to snap back when Sara forcefully pointed at the sliver of moon that was appearing in the sky, “The sun is not the only form of light.”

All eyes but Thorin’s snapped from Sara to the moon and Bilbo squealed. “The last light! It’s the last moon! The light of the moon!” he cried, prancing around in joy.

At the hobbit’s words, Thorin finally looked away from Sara and his whole demeanor changed from angry and dark to hopeful and spirited. Sara bit her lip to hold back the tears as Thorin rushed over to look at the keyhole that Bilbo was joyfully pointing out. She felt a presence next to her and saw Balin standing there, joy and worry on his face.

“You alright lass?” he whispered, earning only a nod, “What you said about Thorin’s life and line…”

Sara sighed. Of course, Balin would notice that, “I’ll explain later… if there is a later.”

Just then, the door swung open with a thud and the company crowded forward to look upon their homeland. As Sara slipped in behind the others, she did not feel like a fangirl entering the Lonely Mountain, or the wife entering the home of her husband’s childhood… but rather like a rabbit knowing full well that she was entering the realm of dragons and lions… strange Lannister and Targaryen irony!

*******

‘I seriously miss nail polish,’ Sara thought to herself as she sat far enough from the edge in order to hide how high they really were, chewing her nails until she could see the puffy pink flesh beneath.

The whole company was sitting around, waiting for Bilbo to locate the Arkenstone. Thorin stood near the door, having not looked at Sara once since their argument earlier.

“Do you think he’s alright?” Ori asked when another loud thud sounded from within the mountain.

“Give him time,” Thorin muttered almost absent mindedly.

“Time for what? To be killed?” Balin muttered back.

Thorin turned his sights on the old dwarf angrily, “You’re afraid!”

“Yes, I’m afraid,” Balin said in a tone that dripped “duh!”.

“I fear for you! A sickness lies upon that treasure which drove your grandfather mad!”

“I am not my grandfather,” Thorin argued back.

Balin huffed, “You’re not yourself. The Thorin I know would not hesitated to go in there and…”

“I will not risk this quest for the life of one hobbit,” Thorin interrupted.

Balin frowned, “His name is Bilbo! And the Thorin I know would not go back on the vow he made to his One three days ago when he said he would love her above all things.”

When Thorin did not even give Balin a glance, the old dwarf walked to Sara and sat down next to her.

“Will we die from dragon fire?” he whispered to her.

Sara shook her head, “No one in the company will.”

“Then you should choose to take a very delayed relieving session,” Balin whispered.

Sara looked at him puzzled, “I am not going to abandon the company when you face a serpent that breathes fire!”

“You said no one in the company dies of fire but las… you were not in the original story till now. For all we know, you could be the exception.”

Sara sighed, “It will make me a coward.”

The dwarf shook his head, “Protecting yourself is not cowardice. You have spent months doing nothing but protecting others and putting yourself in danger in the process. Allow this one time to be selfish. Besides, you are not making the choice yourself. I am.”

The girl looked at Thorin and the door into the mountain. Truth be told, she did fear what lay within and Thorin probably wouldn’t notice her absence. Also, for all she knew, she might put the company in more danger if they tried to protect her while facing the beast.

“Fine,” she huffed. “But the moment it is over, I am looking for you guys.”

Balin smiled, “Fair enough.”

The girl sighed before standing up, “I am going down to relieve myself. Don’t wait for me.”

Thorin ignored her but the rest of the company nodded and almost smiled in relief, glad that there would be distance between their queen and the dragon. Sara purposely took her time as she climbed down the long steps, trying to not think about the height. When she finally reached the bottom, she looked up just in time to hear Dwalin and Balin yelling at Thorin to be careful. That meant that he was going into the mountain…. Oh no…

Sara looked around, wondering what she should do while waiting for the dragon to leave. She decided to make her way to the front entrance. That way she would know for sure when Smaug was gone and she would be able to find the others watching the Laketown attack from Dale.

***********

Sara wondered greatly where her brain had been the last few days since it obviously was not in her skull. When she had reached the tower of Dale that overlooked Laketown, she had just been in time to see Smaug’s fire rip through the village the first time. She nearly swallowed her tongue in horror when the screams of the villager’s reached her ears from across the lake. This was no movie… this was real… and there were real people dying!

Her brothers were there, trying to help gosh darn it! Oh Mahal, please let them, Fili, Kili, Oin and Bofur be alright! If anything happened to them, Sara would never forgive herself for taking her brothers into the car with her that fateful day! And Ruby, Estron, Zane, Grace… Deke and Rose… all of them! Would they survive this crisis!? Would she ever see them again!?

She shivered, deciding against joining the company at the top of the tower since it would only give her a better view to the disaster. She slumped to sit down on a nearby rock and was about to burst into tears when the horrid rotting smell of death, fire and dragon reached her nose and she lurched forward, almost face planting in a nearby bush as her breakfast poured out of her and into the leaves.

“Sara?” a soft voice asked from behind her.

She didn’t have to look to know that it was Balin and as another puking session rose up, the old dwarf rushed to her side to hold her short red curls out of her face.

“Lass…” he whispered, realization dawning on him when he realized that she had no fever.

“Oh Balin,” Sara teared up, wiping her mouth before sitting on the rock to burst into sobs, “Why now? I do know if Axel and Omar are okay…. Smaug is burning Laketown, Thorin hasn’t said my name in three days and all hell is gonna break loose in four days!”

Balin sighed as he sat down next to Sara, “It will be fine lass. But now this will make you have to rethink some of your choices. You aren’t just thinking of caring for one person now when you think of yourself.”

“Thorin had better not die on me now,” Sara muttered tearfully.

Balin’s eyes widened and when Sara gave him an earnest look, he knew the truth.

“In the real timeline…. Thorin dies…. He is killed.”

***********

Sara hated her bed chamber. No true sunlight reached through the windows and she woke up feeling like she lived under a rock… though she sort of did. She tried desperately to not ask Thorin anything unless he asked first in the hopes of eliminating how many times she had to see that sick look on his face and hear him snap at her. if it weren’t for the bundle of joy growing within her, she would gladly take his fury to lessen how much he picked on the others but Sara wasn’t avoiding confrontation to protect herself but the unborn babe within her.

Because of her desire to not spark a conversation with the king, Sara never brought up the subject of sleeping arrangements or rooms and Thorin never mentioned it so Sara found the bedroom that didn’t look like a dust home and took refuge there. she needed to make a plan to clean one of the rooms that allowed more light in.

Finding herself less nauseous than she was the day before, Sara got up and set about looking for something to eat. Her extra enhanced sense of smell thanks to the bairn led her down the corridors until she came upon the company who were all eating a meaty soup Bombur had prepared. She slumped down in a chair next to Dori and began to happily gobble down the soup and a piece of bread. When Gloin slid a pot of ale over to Dori, Sara stilled in her eating and tried desperately to not breathe in the musty scent of ale, having already puked twice in the past two days because of the stench it gave off. Apparently the baby didn’t like the smell of ale.

Balin noticed this and quickly handed her a mug full of herbal honey tea. Sara hovered her nose over the steam, breathing in the warm scent which drowned out the ale stench. Dwalin peered at the tea and raised an eyebrow, “Didn’t know ye were a tea drinker Lass.”

Sara shrugged, “I am not one usually.”

“Don’t tell me Thorin snapped at ye too!” Ori whispered.

The girl shook her head, “I have been successful at not bringing up a conversation with him in a few hours.”

Dwalin furrowed his brow thoughtfully, “You have been acting peculiar lass since the dragon fell. Is it Thorin!?”

“Half of him,” Sara muttered into her mug, earning a confused look from Dwalin and an amused grin from Balin.

“What do you mean by that?” the large dwarf inquired.

Sara peered at Balin as if waiting for him to say it but when the dwarf purposely took his time drinking his ale (Which he had finished long ago), Sara sighed.

“Promise to not tell Thorin?” she pleaded with the company.

Bombur almost choked on his soup, “You found the Arkenstone?”

Sara resisted the urge to laugh when she saw the horrified look on Bilbo’s face, mixed with confusion.

“No,” Sara murmured, “I am with child.”

The room got so quiet that one could hear a pin drop but no pin did any dropping…. Dwalin’s ale pot did though and the remaining contents poured all over the floor.

“You…. You’re…. with Bairn?” Gloin stammered out.

Sara nodded, not daring to meet anyone’s gaze. However when she did look up, she was met with almost a dozen wide grins. Bilbo soured across the room to scoop the girl into a tight hug, the rest of the company following suit.

“That is wonderful news!” Bilbo chirped, “You had me thinking something terrible had happened!”

When Sara’s demeanor didn’t brighten, everyone froze and Dwalin spoke, “Unless you don’t want the bairn, lass…”

“No I do!” Sara hastily assured them, “I have wanted a child for so long… it’s just…”

“The timing is not the best,” Balin finished, finally stepping in. “There is a war on the way and Thorin is… well… you know.”

Dori grumbled, “Thorin has no idea what he is missing out on.”

Sara hung her head, “Please don’t mention this to him please… if he finds out it might make him happy but for all we know, he might get angry….”

The company nodded and one by one assured the girl that they would keep her secret under lock and key.

“When do you suppose the bairn will be born?” Gloin asked, his excitement having resurfaced.

“Well, human pregnancies last for nine months but I’m barely a week and already having symptoms and I feel my body expanding… which seems odd.”

Balin nodded, “Dwarven pregnancies last for five months, lass. Because the bairn is both human and dwarf, the pregnancy time may be longer than usual or shorter. From the look of things and the fact that your appetite has spiked, it may be shorter.”

“Even more reason to keep you safe,” Dwalin said, “if the Bairn grows fast, Sara will be showing in no time and there will be no keeping it from Thorin. And if she is injured, both she and the bairn are at risk.”

All eyes turned to Sara at once to see the girl gnawing on her lip. She knew they would ask… but how could she tell them what she had planned without revealing too much.

“Do not tell Thorin this but the people of Laketown will seek refuge in Dale. When I get a chance, I will be going there. There needs to be space between myself and Thorin… I wish it didn’t look like I was running…”

“Not at all lass,” Gloin assured her with a pat to the head, “You are making the right choices for your child. Do what you see is fit and we will support you.”

Dwalin pursed his lips in thought, “Are ye sure ye will be safe in Dale lass? Ye said that a war is coming and Dale is not as fortified as Erabor.”

Sara nodded, “I am not going to Dale for safety from the war. I am going there to protect the baby from Thorin and to make sure that my brothers made it out of Laketown safe. They told me that they were going there to help with the attack. I lost them once and I wont do it again.”

“But Sara,” Nori interrupted, “Why are you leaving the most safe place? We could just send a message to Dale…”

Sara shook her head, “That is not the only reasons I have to leave…”

When she didn’t continue, Dwalin went to speak but she beat him to it.

“Nori… I need you to do something really important for me…without Thorin knowing.”

The dwarf tilted his head as Sara explained, “I need you to weave mithril into the coat that Thorin wears. He wears it when he goes to sleep but takes it off whenever he is in the treasure chamber. The navy blue one from Laketown.”

Nori nodded, “But why?’

Sara sighed and bit her lip, “To keep him from dying, should I fail.”

Chapter Text

Sara knew that if she explained the danger Thorin was in, she would get some reactions. While most of the company carried on like normal but did make an effort to keep an eye on Thorin, Bilbo went so far as to try and wiggle the details out of Sara and once or twice, she almost did. They would be talking about something completely unrelated and Bilbo was throw in a question asking who Thorin was in danger of and Sara would almost answer him if she didn’t have such quick reactions.

She had only told them that in the previous timeline, Thorin was in danger. She didn’t specifically mention when, where or by whom and didn’t tell them that Fili and Kili were involved in the matter. Not on did she notice a change in the dwarves because of this information, but they also treated her differently. They always made sure that she never got the night watch shifts and Nori, Ori and Dori had even helped her clean Thorin’s chamber so she could sleep in a well-lit, clean bedroom.

Because Oin was not with them, Balin took it upon himself to monitor what foods and smells Sara encountered to eliminate the girl’s feelings of nausea and vomiting. Bombur always reserved extra servings of food for Sara and Dwalin always ensured that Thorin and Sara were at least six feet apart. (Social distancing pun intended;))

Sara appreciated their help and the thoughtfulness but she began to worry that Thorin would notice the change and begin to suspect why Sara was getting special treatment.

Not only that, even though Sara tried to avoid an argument with Thorin for the sake of her very high emotions and for the baby’s wellbeing, she missed him dearly and with the doubling of her “guard”, she never got a moment alone with him.

In that case, she decided to go against Dwalin’s advice of plenty of sleep in the safely locked royal chamber and snuck out to locate the dwarf prince.

This proved simple since everyone who wasn’t Thorin or the one on guard were in an ale stupor. Slipping into the treasure room, Sara found Thorin pouring over a table of teeny tiny white, pink and blue gems.

“Thorin?” she whispered softly in the hopes of not surprising him.

The dwarf spun around even though her voice had been soft, and his face lit up, “Givashel! I thought you were asleep,”

Sara almost saw a glimpse of the old Thorin then but then she realized that he didn’t call her by her name…. but by “my treasure”…

“I couldn’t sleep and I thought…” she started.

Before she could invite him to rest, Thorin had jumped up and grabbed something from the table and held it out to her with a huge smile.

“This will make you happy.” He said, holding out the most beautiful ring Sara had ever seen with a pale pink gem in the center of the golden band, “It is better than that trash I made you in the mountain village.”

Sara bit her lip. She had grown fond of the solid gold band that Thorin had fashioned for her on the day of their marriage. It was simple but made of love…

“It is beautiful Thorin,” she said, noticing how sunken in his eyes and cheeks were from lack of sleep.

When she made no move to take it, Thorin’s smile faded into a frown, “You do not like it!?”

“No, I love it…” Sara assured him, taking the ring from his waiting hands and slipping it onto her ring finger, right above her original wedding ring. “I just… I am worried about you! You never eat or sleep. You’re gonna kill yourself at this rate!”

“I do not need to be babied!” Thorin growled.

“I am not babying you! I am caring about you! I am your wife and it is by duty!” Sara snapped.

Thorin grabbed her wrists and pinned her against the wall, “And that is the only reason?”

Sara felt her heart drop. Was that why he was snappy with her? Because he thought she only did things because they were married? The girl gently reached up and touched his pale cheek, feeling tears prick her eyes at the pain in his orbs.

“No, because whenever I see you sad or in pain, I breaks my heart,” She whispered.

His eyes shining with tears, Thorin dipped down slowly and brushed his lips over hers before pausing as if testing the waters.

“I love you,” Sara murmured.

That was the only invitation Thorin needed before he caught her lips in a full kiss.

Sara half expected it to be heated with hunger and anger and was surprised when she felt his body tremble from emotion, his lips caressing hers gently and full of love. When Sara looped her arms around his neck, Thorin took the invitation and scooped her into his arms. Not breaking the kiss, he took her to their bed chamber.

When Sara woke to the birds chirping, she no longer felt the warm and secure arms that had embraced her all night, nor the gentle breathing noises and the soft lips that had fallen asleep pressed to her forehead. The girl sighed, burying her face in the plush pillow to muffle the whimpers and sobs that ripped from her throat as her heart shattered. She was jolted from her misery by a loud echoing voice that called out.

“Hello!? Bombur…. Bifur…. Anyone!”

The girl was up in an instant, clothing her naked form before pouring warm water on her face in the hopes of easing her red, puffy eyes.

When she burst from her room, she almost tripped over Mason who had come in search of his master. She stumbled into the dining room just in time to find Oin, Bofur, Fili and Kili happily embracing their fellow dwarves. Oin was the first to notice Sara and his eyes widened at the sight of the flushed, slightly more round than he remembered, snuggling into a sweater young girl.

“Mahal…”

All eyes turned to Sara and the girl was engulfed by Fili and Kili who began chattering her ear off.

“You’re alright!” Kili screeched.

“Axel and Omar send their best,” Fili assured her.

As the two brothers ranted, Oin pushed through and touched Sara’s abdomen, examining her and the girl was happy that he chose to not mention the puffy red eyes that she had managed to disguise from everyone but Oin who never missed a thing.

“Lass, you are with Bairns!” he whispered.

Sara’s eyes widened, “Bairns…. As in multiple!?”

Oin nodded with a huge smile, “With your size and how much you are already showing, there is no way it could be two… lass, I think you might be carrying three!”

********

“Twins!?” Dwalin whisper-yelled, “Oin, perhaps half of your brain got roasted by dragon fire.”

Oin shook his head, never taking his eyes off the petite red head who’s eyes shone with joy and love but her face sheet white with worry and fear.

“The lass has already begun to show. She is barely a week and already she has the motherly glow and her symptoms are kicking in. This does not usually happen till the fourth or fifth week.”

“We thought that because the Bairn is part human, part dwarf that it would explain the early symptoms,” Balin intervened.

Oin nodded, “That is so, that would explain the symptoms but Sara is already bumping which can only be explained by the number of bairns she carries.”

Sara glanced down at her abdomen and smoothed the sweater she wore, only to realize that Oin was right. Sara had never been one to worry about her weight and she had not realized that her loose pants and sweater hid the barely noticeable bump. She looked at Oin, her face shining with worry.

“How long do you think the pregnancy will be?”

Oin pursed his lips in thought, “At the most…. Four to five months.”

“And the earliest?” Balin asked, interrupting Dwalin who had been about to ask the same question, leaving him with his mouth open.

“Considering the facts…” Oin mumbled, “One to two months.”

Sara’s eyes bulged, “So as far as we know, I could be about a fifth or fourth through my pregnancy?”

Oin nodded, “Aye. Your appetite will continue to grow and you will begin craving strange foods.”

Sara did not really worry about that for she knew it would come but her mind was buzzing. Azog would be attacking Erabor and Dale in the next two days… she needed to leave the mountain and come up with a plan. Not only that, she needed to ensure that her brothers would be safe during the battle.

“I’m gonna be a cousin!” Kili hooted.

Fili was about to join in with the celebration when Dwalin whacked them over the head to shut them up just as the door opened and in strode Thorin.

“Everyone to the gate, now!” he growled.

As the prince began to leave, the company looked to Sara, only to realize from the look in her eyes that it was the Laketown people arriving. Sara hurried over to Thorin and grasped his forearm. The dwarf looked at her with no expression in his pale blue eyes.

“You stay here. We need to take care of this.”

Sara nodded, not bothering to object, “I will see you later Thorin.”

With that, she stood on tiptoe and planted a loving kiss on his lips. Thorin did not react but Sara knew that the dwarves were staring with worried looks on their faces, knowing that her words were not really “see you later” but “goodbye for now”.

The girl looked at the dwarves and smiled gently at them before exiting the room. She hurried down the corridors to her chamber and she dove in, locking the door behind her. She needed to move quickly. Thorin would begin to rebuild the gate and she didn’t want him to realize her absence. Grabbing her bag, she loaded her knife, notebook, gun and a few pairs of clothes in before strapping her bow and swords to her back. She turned to Mason and softly told him to follow her only to open the door and find a small pouch on the floor outside with a note attached to it.

Sara, be safe. Use the hidden door to leave and give my best to Ryder, Omar and Axel. We will miss you until we meet again. Bombur insisted that you take the food in the pouch. It will last you a few days. Dwalin also put in a bag of explosive dust. He said that it might help you with your plan. Keep safe my queen. – Balin.

Sara smile and hastily placed the pouch in her began before rushing down the corridors to where the hidden door was. She halted as she passed the treasure room. No point in leaving a note in the bedroom since Thorin never went there. She reached to her pocket and drew out the letter she had written Thorin before pinning it to the door of the treasure room. Takin gone last look over her shoulder, she slipped up the staircase, through the hidden door and into the fresh air. She looked down at Mason who stood by her side like a sentry. She then reached down and rubbed her stomach before feeling tears prick her eyes.

“Don’t worry babies. We will see your daddy again… and he will be alive. I promise you.”

Shifting her bag and weapons, she began the slow climb down the stairs with mason following closely behind. They had just reached the bottom when Sara froze and touched the stone that made up a good amount of the surrounding rock.

“Magnesium…” She whispered.

Her mind raced back to the time when Axel practically forced her to watch ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ staring Josh Hutcherson for school. Sara’s face lit into a huge smile and she turned to Mason.

“I’ve got an idea,” she whispered, “Good thing Dwalin gave me extra explosives.”

About six hours later when Thorin made his way back to the treasure room after leaving the rest of the company to continue stacking stone, he was confused to find a small piece of paper tied to the door. Thinking perhaps it was another letter from Sara asking him to get some rest and eat, he made to tear it off and crumble it when he noticed two words that made him freeze.

I’m sorry.

He quickly unraveled the crumpled letter and scanned the letter hastily before reading it a second time, very slowly this time:

Dear Thorin,

I’m sorry that I am telling you this in a letter instead of in person, but I know that if I tried to explain the situation to you in person, you would not let me leave. I am leaving to go to Dale for a while. I need to check on my brothers and ensure that they are safe and well. I promise, I am not leaving you nor betraying you, but this is something I have to do to ensure that nothing terrible happens to anyone. Please trust me and know that I love you more than you can even imagine. Be strong Thorin and fight this sickness that has changed you. Remember, I will love you no matter what, but you have to fight this.
I love you with my whole heart.

Your wife, Sara

Thorin hadn’t realized it but by the time he had read the letter a fourth time, a single tear had escaped his eye and he stood there frozen, not believing what had just happened…. But his pain and misery was soon ended when he heard the company talking and he returned to his serious self, storming into the treasure room, leaving the letter abandoned on the floor.

*******

When Sara and Mason slipped through the back entrance of Dale, she was glad to find that almost all the inhabitants were at the front gates, welcoming Thranduil, his army of elves and his carts of food. However, the joy at having an easy entrance was clouded by fear. She only had till morning to get a plan under way. She did not have to look far before she rounded a corner and smacked into a hard chest, spluttering an apology.

“Sara?” A familiar, deep voice rumbled.

Sara lifted her eyes and a huge grin split across her face when she recognized the tall, bear like figure of Zain.

“You’re okay!” Sara squealed, throwing her arms around the big man’s abdomen. When she pulled away, she noticed a silver bracelet on his thick wrist and her eyes widened. Grace had told her that human custom was instead of beads, two betrothal silver bracelets were used to signify the members of an engagement or betrothal.

“And engaged!” Sara chirped with joy at the blush on Zain’s smiling face as he tried to hide behind his curls.

The tall man smiled and nodded, “Aye, Rose is a special girl.”

Sara’s eyes widened further, “Rose!? As in the Rose from the mountain village!?”

Zain nodded and Sara breathed a sigh of relief, “She and Deke… are they okay? What about my brothers?”

Zain nodded, “Deke and Rose are well. They are with Grace and the kids. Axel, Omar and Ryder are over here…”

Sara joyfully followed Zain to a corner of the marketplace to find her brothers sitting with Deke, Rose and Grace’s family. Omar was the first to see her and leapt to his feet, running over to embrace his big sister. As Axel and Ryder came for their hugs, Omar went to pet Mason.

“What are you doing her!?” Axel whisper yelled, “Shouldn’t you be with our husband?”

Sara bit her lip, “Thorin is too far gone. I need to come up with a plan to save him, Fili and Kili before dawn when Thranduil attacks Erabor and Dain appears.”

Axel nodded, “Whatever you need help with, you can count me in.”

Sara beamed at her brother, “I noticed that there is Magnesium all over Erabor. I need to find out if there is any on Ravenhill.”

Axel cocked his head quizzically, “Who or what are you planning on blasting to smithereens?”

Sara smiled, “I have got a backup plan for Thorin but I need to find out if there is Magnesium where Fili is…. “Killed”. And also to find out how to get him out of there.”

“What about Kili?” her brother quizzed.

Sara shook her head, “That is a part of the plan that I haven’t figured out yet.”

“If only Mithril weren’t so scarce,” Omar muttered.

Axel nodded in agreement when suddenly Sara’s eyes widened and she spun Axel around to face her, “Axel… you took those snorkeling diving lessons right?”

Axel nodded, “Yeah… .why?”

Sara smirked, “I need you to go swimming for something.”

All three of her brothers tilted their heads in confusion. Sara just smiled, “Mithril is not the only thing that is impenetrable.”

When Axel gave her a look as if to say, ‘you are making no sense and I cannot understand a thing you are saying’, Sara smirked.

“What did Thorin say to Bilbo about mithril?”

Omar hummed in thought, “no blade can pierce it.”
Sara smiled, “And what did Bilbo tell Frodo?”

“Ooh!” Ryder squealed, “I know! He said… ‘As light as a feather and as hard as dragon scales’!”

All at once, her brothers caught onto what she was getting at and smiled in excitement.

Sara beamed, “Now, while you and Omar re off doing that, I am taking a hike up to Ravenhill.”

The girl got to her feet and made to call Mason hen the whiff of rotting, burnt bones from the past Dale inhabitants reached her nose and she doubled over, puking into a nearby corner, away from the others.

Grace hastily poured a mug of water while her husband helped hold back Sara’s hair as she emptied her stomach onto the gravel. After she finished and washed her mouth with water, she turned to find Axel looking at her suspiciously while Omar and Ryder looked highly concerned. “Well do that,” Axel remarked, “Right after you tell us the whole story. What is going on!?”

“Azog and Bolg will be attacking tomorrow,” Sara pointed out, trying to avoid the question, “It would be best if Grace, Rose and the kids left for the mountain village.”

“Sara Renee,” Axel said sternly, “What was the ulterior motive you had for leaving Thorin and Erabor?”

Sara opened her mouth to escape the real answer but Axel gave her a warning look.

The girl sighed, “You might be expecting a niece or nephew soon and because every event in Middle Earth is against us, you might meet them sooner than expected.”

**********

Sara did a full 180 degree turn as she studied the ledge where Azog would stand as he killed Fili. She scanned until her eyes fell on a particularly smooth layer of rock, right where Fili would land after Azog dropped him. If Azog happened to drop Fili over the ledge when Sara set her plan in motion, she needed to make sure Fili wouldn’t die from the fall. Sara ran her hands over the smooth rock, partially covered by snow which hid it well. How did it not break under Fili’s weight? Sara tapped the rock around the match of Muscovite and found that it was a narrow section of the thin rock… with water underneath? From the sound of it, it was a good amount of water… possibly an underground reservoir that connected to the lake and waterfall that was frozen over. Sara pulled out her sketch book and began to do the math.

“If the section is this wide… with this distance between the rock and the water… and Fili’s weight didn’t break it…and this weight would be needed to break through the rock…Then Fili’s weight should be around this much… so I would need this additional weight…. Rocks will work as good additional weight… just add the extra weight to the rock and when Fili drops….just need to know wone thing… how do you ask a guy how much he weighs!?”

******

“Do you think it will be just like in the movie?” Omar whispered as the four children watched Bard stand at the huge gate of Erabor, negotiating through the peephole. The four kids were sitting in the tower of Dale, peering over the railing in the hopes of not being spotted by a particular grump dwarf king.

“Either that or Thorin will poke bard’s eye out with an arrow through the hole,” Axel mumbled.

Sara poked her brother in a gentle scolding manner. Axel smirked, “Oh, Omar and I got that shipment you requested.”

He held up a small sack and Sara beamed, taking it off his hands and tucking it under her arm. “When Grace and Rose leave with the children tonight, Ryder and Mason must go with them. It is dangerous enough for Omar.” Sara whispered to Axel who nodded in agreement.

“You are going to the gate with Brad and Thranduil tomorrow right?” Axel whispered, “Anything you want me to tell Bilbo?”

Sara nodded, “Give him this,” She said, handing Axel a folded note, “And tell him to be careful.”

Axel smiled but being the curious teenage boy he was, he opened the note and read it.

“Sara, what goes through your head these days? I think the babies are getting to you! Why do you need to know Fili’s body weight? Are you using him as a mold for the baby’s clothes!?”

Sara smirked, “Don’t worry about it. I just needed to make sure I estimated his weight right. it is part of the plan.”

“What about Azog and Thorin? Did you figure out a plan B for Plan B in case Plan X fails and when that fails, if plan B might fail?”

Sara shook her head, “Hopefully Plan A or Plan A’s Plan B will work.”

Axel nodded with worry etched across his face, “You know you only have three shots left.”

Sara sighed, “I am well aware.”

“You have three shots to save the three dwarves,” Ryder chirped.

Sara smiled, “I wish life were that simple bro, but life has a way of working against you.”

“Which can also be titled: The existence of Azog and Bolg.” Omar muttered which made Axel’s blue eyes widen.

“Sara, Azog is out to destroy the line of Durin!”

“Duh!” Omar mumbled, “He’s out to deliver us peaches and pineapple!”

“Sara,” Axel whisper yelled, ignoring Omar, “You happen to be carrying the next two heirs of Durin!”

Sara shrugged, “Well I don’t make it a habit of telling orcs that I am pregnant with Thorin Oakenshield’s children who happens to be king under the mountain, the dwarf Azog is out to kill which happens to make me Queen of Era…. Oh no!”

“Now you get it,” Axel mumbled as his sister’s face paled.

“What is it?” Omar asked, confused.

“Looks like we’ll need a plan B for Plan B, second edition,” Axel remarked.

***********

“Bard!” Sara called, deciding to not call him Mr. Bard since that sounded too American. “Excuse me!”

Bard turned to see Sara hurrying over to him and he smiled, “What can I do for you little lady?”

“erm…” Sara mumbled, “My name is Sara…”

Bard’s eyes widened, “I have heard of you… you are a member of the company of Thorin Oakenshield.”

Sara looked down, “Not anymore.”

Bard’s face softened, “you ran away, like the halfling?”

Sara nodded, “I know that makes me look like a coward…”

“Not at all,” Bard assured her, “You had to do what was for the best to protect yourself.”

“I was wondering if I could ride out with you tomorrow when you declare war on Thorin?”

Bard’s eyes widened, “You knew of that?”

Sara nodded which seemed enough to convince Bard, “Very well, but on the condition, you ride on my horse behind me. If Thorin is angry to see you, I do not want you shot.”

Sara beamed and nodded, “Thank you!”

She made to leave when she heard a voice behind her, “So it is you.”

Sara spun around to come face to face with the elven king, Thranduil. She bowed her head but Thranduil lifted her chin with his finger and studied her face.

“When I heard that Thorin Oakenshield had taken a bride, I did not believe it,” he touched the beads in her hair and eyed the two rings on her finger, “But I see that it is true.”

The elf stepped back when he saw Sara’s eyes flare in warning at his close proximity.

“What inclined the queen of Erabor to leave her throne and spouse?” the elf king inquired.

Sara squared her shoulders, “I did not marry Thorin for his throne. Nor di I leave him. I left the mountain to protect him and his…”

When she cut herself off, Thranduil frowned but his sharp eyes caught sight of the slight bump that was visible beneath her tunic.

His eyes widened, “His heir… this may work to our advantage.”

Bard went to object to Thranduil’s selfish plan but Sara intervened. “I will cooperate but on my terms.”

“Fair enough,” the elf smirked.

*********

“Do I have to go?” Ryder pleaded, his arm around Mason’s fluffy neck s his brothers and sister bade him farewell.

Sara smiled as she kissed his curls, “it will be safer for you. Tomorrow Grace and Rose will bring you all back and everything will be well again.”

Ryder stuck out his bottom lip in a pout, “Don’t forget to consider the names I picked for the babies!”

“We don’t even know the gender yet,” Omar observed.

“Which names did you pick?” Axel inquired, “Legolas Jr. and Pippin?”

Ryder shook his head, “That was Ruby’s idea. I picked Charlie Brown and Snoopie.”

********

“You ready for this?” Bard whispered to Sara who sat perched behind him in the saddle, her arms around his middle, his tall stature hiding her from sight.

“Yeah… totally…” Sara whispered back, “I am totally ready to reveal to my ornery dwarf husband that I am pregnant with his twin children, I ran away because I was afraid of him and I knew that Bilbo had the Arkenstone…. Yeah…. Definitely.”

Bard chuckled softly before pulling his mare to a halt next to Thranduil’s elk. Sara cringed when she heard an arrow strike the ground in front of the elk and Thorin’s voice bellowed from above.

“The next one will be between your eyes,” Thorin growled, followed by the cheers of the company.

Sara stifled a giggle when she heard the dwarves gasp when the elves pulled their bows on them at the nod from Thranduil.

“Payment of your treasures has been offered and accepted,” Thranduil growled through his teeth.

“What payment? I gave you nothing! You have nothing!” Thorin bellowed angrily.

Bard reached into his coat and drew out the Arkenstone, “We have this!”

Sara felt a hand touch her leg and looked to see Gandalf standing there next to the horse, shrouded by his big grey hat and cloak, “Bilbo went back didn’t he?”

Sara nodded, “he will be fine… with a little help from you.”

Gandalf smiled before leaning up and whispering something to the girl who beamed with joy.

“The Arkenstone is in this mountain!” Thorin yelled, startling Sara, “It is a trick!”

Sara bit her lip, knowing that Bilbo had appeared.

“What do we do?” Bard whispered with worry, “Thorin may kill him!”

Sara shook her head, “Help me down in a moment…”

“Curse you!” Thorin bellowed at Bilbo, seeing red as he dragged Bilbo to the edge and pushed him half over, “And curse the wizard who chose you for this company!”

Thorin froze in his movements when he heard Gandalf’s rumbling voice call out, “If you dislike my burglar, then please do not hurt him, return him to me!”

Thorin loosened his grip on the hobbit who went scurrying away from him instantly and snuck down the rope while Thorin sneered at Gandalf.

“Never again will I have dealings with wizards or shire rats!” he hissed.

“You are not making a splendid figure as king under the mountain are you?” Gandalf retorted. “You have fallen so far into greed and envy that you drove your own wife away.”

“You know nothing about me!” Thorin growled, “Not me, nor Sara!”

At those words, Gandalf, Bard and Thranduil all turned to Sara who gripped Bard’s hand and slipped from his horse to come stand next to Gandalf. Thorin’s eyes widened at the sight of the girl and he let out a shaky breath.

“What are you doing with those traitors!” He snapped, his eyes darkening with anger but glistening with sadness.

Sara growled under her breath, “If anyone is a traitor it is you Thorin! You promised to love me and never hurt me. Well guess what? You hurt me! Even when you had me, you had Erabor… when you had everything it was not enough for you! Even if I had told you that I carry your child would it have been enough!”

Silence enveloped everyone and Thorin almost choked on his own breath, the darkness in his eyes fading to give way to a light of hope and joy… clouded by pain.

“You… this is just another trick… a plan to make me cave…” Thorin mumbled mostly to himself.

Sara scoffed before reaching down and smoothing her tunic to reveal the visible bump hidden beneath. Thorin froze and his eyes widened, tears springing to the sky-blue orbs.

“You hid this from me? Do you trust me so little!?” he almost muttered.

That struck a cord and Sara shouted so loud that even Thranduil jumped, “What did you expect me to do!? The day after we are married, you treat me like I do not exist! You never slept or ate and spent all day searching for a bloody rock! You treated your best friends and family like dirt! Did you expect me to hand you the news on a silver platter with a ‘here you are Thorin, another life that you can treat like a slave!’” Sara hissed, “Fat chance.”

Thorin seemed shaken by her words and his eyes glossed over with tears. Sara’s face softened at the sight.

“I love you Thorin, more than anything but I feel that you do not love me anymore. I have lost you… and I have to think of the baby. So until you find yourself again, I cannot be near you or on your side.”

When Thorin did not speak but turned to hide his face from Sara’s vision, the girl sighed. Not yet…

“Are we agreed?” Bard called, noticing that Sara was not going to speak further. “The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised? Will you have peace or war?”

Sara closed her eyes, awaiting the fateful answer.

“I will have war,” Thorin said just loud enough over the sound of approaching feet, 1000 fold.

Sara groaned as she turned to see the silver armored dwarves cross the crest of the hill. “Ironfoot. The more the merrier I suppose…”

Gandalf reached down and grabbed Sara by the hand who in turn grabbed Bilbo’s wrist and pulled them toward where the dwarves were approaching.

“Who is that?” Bilbo whispered. “Doesn’t look very friendly.”

“Thorin’s cousin Dain,” Sara replied. “Lord of the Ironhills.”

“Is he and Thorin… similar?” the hobbit inquired.

Gandalf paused for a second, “Thorin was always the more aggregable of the two.”

Bilbo looked at Sara with a completely distressed look and Sara smirked, “Stay close to Gandalf and make good choices. If you need help, Axel and Omar are defending Dale.”

The hobbit nodded, “What about you? You are in no condition to fight! You’ll get hurt!”

Sara just smiled knowingly, “Do not doubt my intelligence dear Mr. Baggins. Just pray that things don’t go wrong.”

“Like what?”

“Like a certain dwarf prince having a not so friendly reunion with a particularly not friendly white giant orc creature.”

Chapter Text

Sara was completely out of breath when she reached the bottom of Ravenhill. She could hear the battle roaring behind her and above her, Azog’s voice calling out orders to his men on what to signal to the troops. Sara knew that because it took her thirty full minutes to get this far, she only had about ten extra to get in position before Thorin arrived with backup. Reaching to her bag, she drew out her pistol and made sure it was fully loaded with the remaining three bullets before sticking it into her belt against her back. Next, she drew out the extra jacket she brought in case it was cold and golly it was! Pulling it on, she buttoned it up and then rolled her bag up in a ball, placing it behind a large rock and covering it with stones so it wouldn’t get in her way.

She then proceeded to quietly climb the steep incline to the frozen river and lake above, keeping her eyes and ears open for orcs or Azog. She had just slipped to the ledge that looked up at the top of Ravenhill when she heard a battle cry below and the sound of yak hooves… Thorin, Fili, Kili and Dwalin!

She sighed and ran her fingers over her covered stomach fondly, “It’s okay babies. Daddy will be here soon, and everything will be okay.”

“Sara?” a voice asked from behind her.

Sara looked over her shoulder and all the broken pieces of her heart reassembled and healed back together at the sight behind her. There stood Thorin, wearing just his pants, boots and the navy blue jacket Bard had given him. Sara could see the little stitch marks where Nori had woven mithril into the fabric. Good!

Thorin’s face was one of shock, surprise, joy, pain, hope and smitten adoring love. He was panting slightly and Orcrist was black with blood but he was unharmed. Sara couldn’t even breathe out his name but instead let out what sounded like a mixture of a cry and a gasp. Spinning around, she rushed to Thorin and the dwarf had just enough time to open his arms when Sara flung herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck, hands weaving into his black hair, nose buried in his neck and chest shaking with joyous sobs. Thorin’s strong arms encased her and his face found refuge buried in her red curls.

“I thought I lost you,” Thorin choked, clutching her close.

“You never lost me… I was just waiting for you to throw down your crown and find yourself,” Sara said, pulling away to cup his cheeks, watching as tears sprung to his blue eyes and trickled down his cheeks.

“How did you know I threw…” Thorin began but then smiled, “Oh right… you already knew.”

“Well I was still afraid,” Sara admitted, feeling tears prick her eyes, “I was afraid you wouldn’t overcome it like in the story… I thought… I thought I had failed and…”

Thorin cut off her tearful rantings, grasping her cheeks, “no, no, no! If anything, I failed you both as a husband and as the father of our children. I should have listened and been stronger for you. I love you so much and I failed you. Forgive me…”

Sara let out a sobbing laugh before crushing her lips to his, their tears mingling upon their lips as they caught up on all that they had been deprived of for days.

“Are you…” Thorin whispered, almost nervously, “Are you really with child?”

Sara smiled and taking Thorin’s large hands, placed them over her rounded womb, “not with child… but with children.”

Thorin’s head snapped up to look at her and his eyes glowed while a huge grin broke across his face, “Two of them!?”

Sara barely nodded before Thorin swept her up into his arms while he showered her lips, neck, nose, cheeks and forehead with kisses. Finally setting her down, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips, he held her gently by the waist.

“Aralime,” he muttered against her lips, sending butterflies through her heart. “You are too good for me.”

Sara went to reply when she felt a small jolt in her gut and she looked at Thorin worried, “Where are Fili and Kili!?”

“They are fine,” Thorin assured her gently, “I sent them to scout the tower for signs of the orcs. Blasted Azog disappeared.”

Sara swallowed but knew she couldn’t tell Thorin anything when suddenly she heard Dwalin rushing toward them with Bilbo on his tail.

“Thorin! Sara! Azog is here!” Dwalin cried.

“Bolg has a second army coming from the North, they will be here in seconds,” Bilbo panted. “We will be trapped here.”

Thorin’s eyes widened, “He wanted us here… this is a trap…”

Then it came… the sound of pounding drums that only aided in making Sara’s heart drop… oh no…

The four of then turned to the tower, only to see the glow of torches as Azog walked to the edge with a few orcs flanking him, a young dwarf grasped in his grip. Sara was not prepared for what she saw… it wasn’t Fili…. But Kili!

“No….” she gasped. Where was Fili!? What happened to change this!?

Azog began to speak in black speech before lifting Kili to hold him over the edge of the cliff. While the three males gasped and stared in horror at the scene, Sara crouched down behind Thorin’s figure and slipped her gun from her belt before lifting it and aiming… she needed to make a perfect shot that would not hit Kili but strike the Magnesium beneath Azog… a little to the left… up… avoid Kili’s flailing legs… click the safety off… gun loaded and ready? Yes… now… fire…

A loud crack sounded as Sara pulled the trigger… then silence…

*******

That silence… It was the silence you endured when waiting for someone to answer the phone… that silence you feel when you load your mail to see if you got that email… waiting for your teacher to tell you if you passed or failed the test. That silence when you think you just failed your greatest purpose and all eyes were on you… then that crackle, the spark that signals that not all hope is lost.

Sara smiled, watching Azog who looked around for the source of the noise, unaware that the noise was beneath his feet. When the magnesium erupted beneath him, all the orcs began to scramble away but Azog wouldn’t let go of Kili’s coat! Sara lifted the gun again and aimed, biting her lip. For any one listening, guide my hand. The second shot sounded, directly followed by Azog rearing in pain as he clutched his hand which was now bleeding horribly. He released Kili and the dark haired dwarf plummeted toward the rocks below. Sara’s heart stopped beating for a full second when Kili’s body made contact with the ground… but his body barely touched it when the muscovite gave way and there was a splash and the sound of said dwarf spluttering water from his mouth.

Sara beamed when Kili’s head emerged from the hole soaking wet. She saw Bilbo, Dwalin and Thorin staring at her in stunned silence.

“That’s one down,” Sara observed, pocketing her pistol.

When Bilbo rushed over to Sara, telling her how brilliant she had bene, Thorin looked to the tower where Azog was disappearing into the shadows.

“Fili!” Thorin yelled, realizing he couldn’t see his second nephew!

As he ran across the ice toward the tower, Dwalin called after him and followed.

Sara turned to Bilbo and placed her dagger in his hand, “Stay safe,” she said before running off.

“Oh, great. Just leave the hobbit here…” Bilbo mumbled.

*********

Find Fili, find Fili… Find Fili; Sara kept repeating it over and over in her mind as she wove through the hallways of the tower. Luckily she had not encountered many orcs and the ones she had got a good taste of dual sword steel. She needed to find Fili… and Kili! Knowing them, they hadn’t stayed put wherever they were!

“Fili!” she called, “Kili!”

Her voice echoed off the stone walls and she got no reply. Running around two corners, she went to call their names again but another feminine voice beat her to it.

“Kili!” which was followed by the unmistakable voice of Kili… oh no…. Bolg time!

Sara sprinted blindly toward the voices, hoping beyond hope that when she got there, Tauriel was not on the ground and Bolg’s pike was not through Kili’s chest.

Crap! She should have told Nori to weave Mithril into Kili’s clothes too! Please oh please let this not happen! She could barely see the ground beneath her feet as she sprinted through the tower, tears streaming down her face, red curls in her eyes and her swords in her hands, black with orc blood.

When she came stumbling down the flight of stairs, she saw Kili jump from a ledge onto Bolg’s shoulders but the dwarf missed Bolg’s head! She was in time. Sara took in the scene. She saw Tauriel on the ground holding her leg which was definitely sprained and Fili was crouching over her, sword in hand and ready to pounce to his brother’s rescue only for Bolg to throw Kili from his back and straight into the blond dwarf who cushioned his brother’s fall.

Both boys scrambled to their feet and reached for their weapons when Sara called out, making herself known.

“Hey! You witless worm!” she could resist using Thorin’s famous line he had spoken to Smaug in Erabor not three days prior.

Bolg’s huge figure turned to the girl who stood under the archway, opposite the two dwarves and the she-elf, Bolg smack dab between the two parties. The orc grumbled with joy at the prospect of another kill.

“I don’t suppose you know English?” Sara inquired.

As Bolg approached her, she looked at Fili and Kili who were watching with saucers as eyes, Tauriel confused by Sara’s presence but also horrified at the dangerous situation she was in.

“Trip him,” Sara muttered to the three, ignoring the approaching figure of Bolg.

“What?” Fili shouted in horror when he saw how close Bolg was to Sara.

Sara slowly sheathed her two sords before touching the pistol hidden in the back of her belt beneath her tunic. “Trip him,” she said again with a firm confident voice.

When Fili and Kili saw the small black contraption in Sara’s hands, they caught on and while Kili pulled the immobilized Tauriel out of the way, Fili got up and stuck out his foot, readying himself. Sara saw that they understood but when she went to meet the black eyes of the giant orc, all she saw was white… a searing pain clutching her chest and the air getting caught in her lungs. She heard the blood curdling screams of Fili and Kili, the sound of Bolg grunting in satisfaction… and then the click of the safety button, the pressure of the trigger beneath her finger and then the power of the gun went off with a bang. She heard the distant yell from Bolg and then the stumbling of feet, the sound of a voice plummeting over the edge… and then the hard ground beneath her back and then darkness overtook the white light.

********

Thorin gasped. How was this even possible? He had been pinned underneath Azog’s huge body, Orcrist being the only thing between his chest and Azog’s pike. He had chosen to do the last thing from sanity and slipped Orcrist away, allowing Azog to pierce him but using the now free elven blade to bury into Azog’s heart. Thorin had rolled over so Azog’s limp body was beneath him as he drove Orcrist deeper. As he watched the orc’s breathing falter, he awaited the warm feeling of his blood seeping through his clothes… but none came.

Rising to his feet, he touched his abdomen but the navy-blue tunic he wore was untouched. No pierce hole… not even a scratch! Was Azog’s blade blunt? No… he checked it and the blade was razor sharp. He should have been dead… the pike could have skewered a wild boar! (Hehe, sound familiar;)) Thorin continued to pat himself, expecting a wound to appear when he noticed that the seams of the tunic had been torn and new thread had sewn it back together. Grabbing the hems, he ripped it and he saw what lay between the two thin layers of the coat… Mithril! But how? It was not by coincidence that the mithril ended up there, protecting him from death! Wait… Sara!

She knew! She… did that mean… he would have died then? She knew it… and she saved him… Thorin’s one-sided conversation with himself was brought to an end when a yell of misery echoed through the whole of Ravenhill… that was Fili!

Grabbing Orcrist, Thorin sprinted across the ice and up the stairs toward the sound. When he found his eldest nephew, he feared that he would find Kili down and wounded but what he saw made his heart stop and his breathing falter. There stood the red-haired she-elf, holding a thrashing Kili back as the young dwarf fought against her arms to get to Fili, tears streaming down his face and a scream ripping from his throat in a frenzy of agony. Kneeling nearby was Fili who had his head bowed, tears soaking his short beard, his shoulders heaving with sobs. And there, lying on the cold stone with her limp head in his lap was Sara. Her red curls plastered from sweat to her face, one hand limp at her side and the other wrapped limply but protectively around her abdomen. Her swords were sheathed and lying on the ground was her pistol, still smoking from the shot.

Thorin let out an ear piercing cry before running to them, falling to his knees next to Fili who allowed his uncle to pull Sara from his arms. Thorin cradled her body to him desperately as he rocked back and forth soothingly.

“no! This cannot happen… please… please don’t leave me… please…”

Sara did not respond, and her piercing blue orbs remained closed as Tauriel finally released the frantic Kili who fell into Fili’s empty arms in a fit of heart wrenching sobs.

“Thorin!” A voice cried as several figures approached.

A small figure sprinted over and fell on the other side of Sara, touching her limp hand and Thorin barely noticed the red curls of Ryder as he stared at his sister, too shocked to speak.

Bilbo rushed over next, clutching something in his arms, “I found this hidden under some rocks… it is Sara’s bag.”

Hastily taking the bag from the hobbit, Fili began to search for something that might rouse the girl from her slumber. Sara always did have unusual things in her bag that Fili did not understand but things that managed to do amazing things.

“it is her notebook,” Fili muttered as he drew out the single content of the bag.

Flipping through the pages, he paused near the end and looked at the others in shock.

“Thorin… look…” he whispered.

Thorin barely looked but when he did, his eyes widened. The sketch was of him, Fili and Kili all lying on tables… dead…

“Sara told us that Thorin was in some sort of danger,” Dwalin explained, having been there the whole time with Gandalf, Omar, Axel and some others but no one had noticed. “She told Nori to sew mithril into your coat Thorin.”

Thorin brushed his fingers over the material of his coat, “It saved me from dying…”

“And when Azog had me dangling over the ledge,” Kili sniffled. “If she hadn’t… done whatever it was she did… I might have died… and Fili…”

The two brothers looked at each other in shock which did not go unnoticed by Thorin.

“Boys… what happened?” he demanded when the two went silent.

“If Sara had not gotten Bolg’s attention and shot him… one of us… or all of us could have been dead right now,” Fili muttered.

“She did it on purpose… she let Bolg kill her… to save us… just like how she shot Azog’s hand and made me fall into the water,” Kili murmured, tears pooling in his blue eyes again.

“Why?” Thorin muttered, pulling Sara’s body closer to his chest. “Why would you do that Sara?”

“Because she had a plan,” a voice observed.

All eyes lifted and Thorin and Dwalin stared in shock and disbelief as a small figure stepped from behind Gandalf. For a moment, they did not know him till they saw the eyes, the nose and the tattoos…

“Father?” Thorin breathed.

Thrain smiled as he dropped to his knees next to his crying son and pulled Thorin into a tight embrace. When he pulled away, he looked at the girl in his son’s protective arms and smiled.

“She is a clever one Thorin. She knew of my impending death and warned Gandalf before he found me in Dol Goldur. If it had not been for her planning, I would be dead. Just like she had planned to save you my son from the beginning, she knew how she would go about it. She had mithril sewn into your clothes for a reason and that was to protect you. She reserved enough shots in that contraption of hers for a reason… to rescue my grandsons. Everything she has done has a reason.”

“Then why did she give her life so willingly?” Thorin sobbed, his voice cracking and husky from tears.

Thrain smirked, “She didn’t. That is no ordinary tunic she wears, my son.”

Thorin frowned in confusion before looking at the rough brown fabric that covered Sara’s body… he looked to his father and Gandalf who were both smiling and then he spied Omar and Axel nearby, proud smiles on their faces.

The dwarf turned his eyes back on Sara and saw that her face was not void of color, her lips parted in barely visible breathing, no blood pooling around her…

“Dragon scales.”

*******

Everything was hazy when Sara came to, groaning from the pain in her chest that felt painfully similar to cardiac arrest and heart burn, even though Sara had no idea what the former felt like.

She went to sit up when she suddenly felt an arm slip behind her shoulders to support her while another hand grasped one of hers gently but firmly.

“Sweetheart, are you feeling alright?” a deep gently baritone voice asked.

Sara turned her head and the haziness faded to reveal the concerned face of one Thorin Oakenshield who sat beside her.

“Thorin?” Sara whispered, “You’re okay! You’re alive!” she cried joyfully, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest.

Tears pricked Thorin’s eyes at the joy in his wife’s voice, “All thanks to you darling. Fili and Kili are fine too. They are helping clear the battleground.”

Sara’s shoulders slumped in relief at those words, leaning her head against Thorin’s neck before her hands crept to her womb.

“The babies are fine,” Thorin assured her, “Oin checked you.”

Sara went to answer when a little kick against her palm made her gasp with happiness. Reaching over she took Thorin’s hand and pressed it to her belly just as another kick came. Thorin’s face split into a huge grin and he bent down to press a kiss to Sara’s belly before pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, afraid that she would break like China if he did anything more than that. Their loving moment was interrupted when the door flew open and in rushed the whole, and I mean whole, company plus Gandalf, Ryder, Omar, Axel and a strangely familiar dwarf.

Fili and Kili were at the other side of her bed in an instant, asking her if she was alright, sore or tired but Dwalin quickly shushed the two mother hens. Next, Omar and Ryder hopped onto the end of her bed to give her quick hugs and patted her over to make sure Oin didn’t miss a wound or bruise.

“I’m alright,” Sara assured everyone. “So happy to see you all safe and unharmed… wait… Lord Thrain!?”

The older dwarf walked toward Sara who moved to sit on the side of the bed, Thorin not letting her move further. Thrain smiled at the girl and took the hand that Thorin was not holding possessively.

“Thank you so much my dear for protecting my family. Not just rescuing my son and grandsons but loving them and giving Thorin a chance to live a happy life. If it were not for you, half of us would not be standing here today.”

Sara smiled past her tears, “I was afraid the whole time… afraid that I would fail and all of you would die…”

Thrain smiled and when he spied the smitten look his son was giving Sara, he turned to the others with a knowing look. “We should let her rest up for the feast tonight.” He said.

Fili and Kili went to object when Thrain gave them a warning look and if they thought Thorin was scary, Thrain was terror itself. The door had barley shut behind their retreating forms when Thorin turned to Sara and cupping her face in both hands, pressed a heated, hungry kiss to her lips. The girl let out a squeak in surprise before melting into Thorin’s loving kiss.

When they parted, Sara’s eyes were glazed over, her cheeks rosy and her lip swollen. Thorin playfully kissed her nose before looking at her lovingly.

“Mahal woman. What did I do to deserve you?” he mumbled.

Sara smiled and booped his nose with hers, “You gave me a fairy tale love story. One that I never thought I could have. That is how,” she whispered.

Thorin groaned and buried his face in her neck, muttering something about words being seductive. He lifted his head and sighed.

“I should get myself under control before I do something explicit in front of Mason.”

Sara looked to where Thorin had nodded to see that he had procured a little bed in the corner of their bed chamber where the large black dog lay curled up, snoring happily.

“He refused to leave your side,” Thorin whispered playfully. “I am starting to think between him and the twins, I will have some daunting competition for your attentions.”

*********

“Are you sure you cannot stay?” Thorin pleaded with Bilbo as he walked with him to the front gate, “Not even till the twins arrive?”

Bilbo smiled, “I would love to but if I stay much longer, people may begin to think I am dead!”

Thorin chuckled when suddenly Fili and Kili sprinted over, calling their uncle’s name. Thorin began to run but Kili held up his hands in surrender, “Easy there uncle. It is not the babies. Sara is not in labor. We just came to say goodbye to Bilbo.”

Thorin relaxed and Bilbo chuckled. Ever since Oin said that Sara would go into labor any minute, Thorin had been on edge. If someone called his name or even shouted, he began to sprint to the royal chambers.

This made for several false alarms every day for the past three days. Kili almost pranked Thorin and told him that Sara was in labor but luckily Fili found out and called his brother’s bluff before it went off.

Bilbo was just about to bid them farewell when Ori came running their way, eyes wide and face split with a grin.

“Thorin! It is time! The twins are coming!”

Thorin hesitated for a moment, waiting for someone to stop him but when no one did, he rushed back inside at full speed.

“Well I guess I can stay a while longer,” Bilbo muttered.

When Thorin found his father, Dwalin, Balin, Gandalf, Axel, Omar and Ryder standing outside he and Sara’s chambers, he listened for the screams… Oin had told him that Sara would probably scream and cry… but it was silent… another false alarm?

But then the door opened and Oin stepped out with a huge smile on his face.

“Congratulations Thorin! They are here!” the old dwarf said.

Thorin blindly walked into the room alone to find Sara sitting propped up by pillows on their large bed. Never had she looked so beautiful with her face sweaty, hair a mess and nestled in her arms were two tiny bundles. Walking over slowly, Thorin stared down in wonder at the two round faces that lay sleeping against Sara’s bosom. Their little round cheeks were puffy and red but smooth and healthy. Adorable buttons noses and long lashes that brushed their cheeks. One had jet black hair while the other had hair as red as roses.

“Thorin, meet Soren and Thora,” Sara whispered, smiling.

Thorin slowly sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her and the twins, pressing a kiss to Sara’s brow before slowly bending down to kiss the twin’s foreheads one at a time.

He ran his finger over his son’s fire red hair and then touched his daughter’s rosy cheek, feeling tears prick his eyes when Thora wiggled at the feeling and grabbed his finger with her tiny little fingers.

“Thank you,” he whispered to Sara, “Thank you for loving me and rescuing me from everything.”

Sara beamed and kissed his lips, “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, doing anything with anyone but you.”

********

Epilogue – 5 years later.

“No, no, over to the left,” Thorin instructed the men as he and Dwalin tried to explain to the constructing dwarves the order in which they had to rebuild Erabor. The front of Erabor had been finished about a year ago and all the gold and gems had been put in crates, multiple crates sent to each suffering town, village, or city before the remaining were stored away in vaults in the deepest chambers of Erabor, only to be brought out if the need of extra coin ever arose.
“It will be grand again Thorin,” Dwalin beamed with pride as he watched the dwarves move away the broken pillars (a curtesy of the deceased Smaug) and began to decide how to go about putting up new ones. “Just like the old days.”
Thorin smiled and nodded as he looked around. Already the halls of Erabor were filled with golden light and the rustic grey color of the interior of Erabor had returned to its beautiful bluish green marble look after much cleaning and construction. The sounds of laughter, yells and voices filled every nook and cranny of the kingdom and Thorin was proud to realize that a part of the noise was thanks to him and Sara.
“Papa!” a small but bright voice cried.
Thorin immediately spun around with a huge grin on his face as he bent to one knee and held out both arms. The little bundle of joy and red curls leapt into Thorin’s waiting arms and wrapped her plump little 3-year-old arms around Thorin’s neck before planting a wet slobbery smooch to his cheek, cringing at the feel of his beard on her face. (Sora below)

“What are you up to pumpkin?” Thorin asked as he planted the little girl on his hip, her arms still tightly around her neck.
Dwalin smiled at the sweet exchange and waved at his little goddaughter. Sora’s fire red curls fell all the way to her waist which, considering that she was barely two feet tall, was not that long. Her eyes were so blue that at first everyone feared that something was wrong with her but there was absolutely nothing wrong with spunky little Sora other than her infatuation with her father, giving her the title: Papa’s Princess.
“Thain was pulling my hair so mummy told me to play somewhere else,” Sora said, sticking her bottom lip out in a pout.
Thorin chuckled and kissed her rosy cheek, “Thain is only two years old pumpkin. He doesn’t know that it hurts when he pulls your hair. Is Thea asleep?”
Sora nodded, “Sorin got her to sleep but she threw a fit when Thana tried.”
(Sorin below)

The youngest Oakenshield, little one year old Thea had a habit of being particular about who put her down for a nap and everyone soon realized that her favorite rocker was 5-year-old Sorin which honestly was a saving grace because quiet, gentle Sorin took after his mother and preferred to help with the little ones while Thana was a perfect replica of Thorin, spunky and hating to be indoors. With a sixth child on the way, Sara was able to take some rest with Sorin helping with the little ones and Thorin had to worry less when he left every morning to his duties.
“Papa,” Sora whispered, pulling Thorin’s attention back to her, patting both of his cheeks with her little hands. “Do you think mummy is mad at me?”
Thorin furrowed his brow, “Of course not pumpkin! Mummy is never angry with you.”
Sora shifted on her father’s hip, “But she was crying and frowning all day today…”
This caused both Dwalin and Thorin to stop. After having five children, you would think that a mother would go crazy since her eldest were only five years old but not Sara. She was full of energy and she never tired of caring for her children that she saw as pure miracles. She never snapped or got angry with her children and whenever one of the kids had done something really bad like hit their sibling, she sent them to Thorin because she knew he would discipline them instead of just giving them a gentle reprimanding like she would.
Thorin looked at Dwalin who nodded. There was only one explanation for Sara’s attitude… pregnancy hormones. Dwalin reached out his hands to little Sora who leapt into her Uncle Dwalin’s arms.
“Go take care of the queen,” Dwalin said with a smirk. “We cannot have a replay of Thain’s pregnancy.” (Thea below)
Thorin smiled. When Sara was pregnant with Thain, the little boy was so small that she barley started showing until the final month which worried Sara, fearing that perhaps she had miscarried the baby and was carrying a dead baby around in her womb. One day when baby Thain was asleep in her womb, Sara had broken down in sobs because she couldn’t feel him move and Thorin had found her sobbing in the bathroom and he spent the rest of the day in bed comforting her. Luckily, the next morning Thain decided to announce his presence by jabbing his mother in the gut with his foot which erased that fear but after that, Thorin always made sure he was ready to run back to the royal chambers if Sara ever needed him.
When Thorin entered the royal chambers, he saw Sorin gently carrying a sleeping Thea to the adjoining room where little Thain was probably sleeping for his nap. He gave his eldest son a questionable look and Sorin nodded towards Thana’s room, silently answering his father’s question about where Thana was. Finding that Sara was alone in their chambers. (Thana below)

Thorin slipped silently into the room to find that the four poster bed sheets had been overturned and messed up from the children playing on it. Wooden blocks and little wooden animals were scattered on the floor. Sitting by the fading fire was Sara, rocking back and forth slowly in the rocking chair. Thorin knew that look… she was tired. He moved to close the door when he heard a faint sniffle and froze in his movements. Looking back at his wife who had her back toward him, he saw her reach up to wipe her cheeks… crying… that meant only one thing and Thorin found himself smiling at the thought despite himself.
Closing the door, he walked over and bending down, pressed a kiss to his wife’s bare neck, eliciting a warm sigh from her. Sara turned her head, eyes closed in an effort to come into some form of contact with her husband that she had not heard return.
“You’re early,” she whispered when her nose found his and she rubbed her cheek across his like a baby seeking skin contact with its mother.
Thorin smiled as he wrapped his arms around Sara from behind and continued to press kisses to her neck and jaw, rubbing her arms with his hands. “Sora told me that you were feeling down. Miss me much?”
Sara chuckled softly before turning to look him square in the eyes, showing that her blue orbs were pooling with unshed tears. “How do you manage to know exactly what is wrong with me?”
Thorin smiled before bending down to press a warm kiss to her lips that were swollen from her biting them to hold back tears. “You cry silently whenever you miss me or are lonely.”
Sara sighed in defeat but Thorin beamed, coming to stand before her. Bending down, he slipped one arm under her legs while wrapping the other around her waist and picking her up slowly and gently, minding the rather large bump of her womb. Sara wrapped her arms around his neck and silently allowed him to carry her to the bed where he placed her down before crawling in next to her. This was their routine whenever one of them or both of them needed some physical contact to ward off the stress and anxiety. Sara rolled onto her side and Thorin shuffled till his front was flush against her back, slipping a leg between hers before wrapping his arms around her expanded abdomen and burying his face in her hair.
“I miss you too,” Thorin whispered as he felt himself drift off to sleep. “Every day. The moment I walk out that door I fight with myself to not turn around and go back in, calling for a sick day.”
At first, he thought Sara had fallen asleep when she didn’t reply but then he felt her fingers touch his before turning to kiss his hairy cheek. “I love you, big bear.”
Thorin smiled at her pet name before returning the kiss but this time to her lips. “Took the words right out of my mouth Pixie.”
“You know I hate that nickname,” Sara muttered into the pillow.
“What can I say?” Thorin chuckled. “You are petite and cute like a little pixie fairy… or we could go back to honeybun.”
“Nope,” Sara observed. “Pixie is fine. Honeybun sounds like you are referring to by bum.”
Thorin stifled a laugh which came out as a chuckle before he held Sara closer, both of them falling into a peaceful sleep.
Thorin’s eyes cracked open and he looked around. Oh… it was a dream. It was so real that he felt like he really was back there a few months prior to that evening when he comforted his heavily pregnant wife. Rolling over, he saw that all five of his children had made their way into the bed he and Sara shared, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Sora lay directly behind him, having probably clutched his body in her sleep. Her cheek pressed into one of her hands and her lips parted as she snored softly. On the other side of her lay Thana who had her back to her twin whose arms were wrapped protectively around little Thea who had her thumb dangling from her mouth where she had fallen asleep sucking her thumb, her free hand holding onto Sorin’s fingers. Thain was lying in the empty space that Sara usually occupied, probably had been sleeping up against his mother but when she had left the bed, he had rolled into the extra space, spread out like a star fish and snoring louder than all his siblings combined. Definitely a trait he picked up from his uncles.

Slowly getting up and pushing the blankets aside, he spied a faint light in the bathroom, but the door was cracked so Sara wasn’t using the toilet.

He rose to his feet and didn’t bother to put anything on over his pants or bare upper body. Mason who lay at the end of the bed perked his ears at his master’s movement but Thorin put a finger to his lips and then pointed to the children. Mason got the hint and crawled over to take Thorin’s place on the bed, nuzzling the sleeping Sora with his snout.

Thorin crept to the washroom and peered inside to see Sara staring at herself in the full body mirror. Her hands were hanging by her sides before she reached up and ran her fingers over the roundness of her abdomen. Thorin saw her shoulders drop and she sighed softly.

“Amralime,” Thorin whispered, stepping in.

Sara looked at him over her shoulder and from the puffy look of her face, Thorin realized that she had been crying.

“Hey,” Thorin cooed, walking over to her and wrapping her arms around her, drawing her against his chest. “What is wrong love?”

Sara didn’t not look him in the eye but stared out at the huge bump that was wedged between them, “I’m fat.”

Thorin’s eyes widened before a smirk flashed across his face, “You are not fat darling. You’re round with our child.”

Sara remained silent and the smirk faded to a frown on Thorin’s face. Pulling away, he cupped her face and lifted her eyes to look at him. “Darling, if you do not want to have any more children after this…”

Sara shook her head violently, “No Thorin! It’s not that. I want to have as many children as possible with you… I love being pregnant and the morning sicknesses, cravings and labor pains are so worth it. I just… I just never feel pretty when I am pregnant…”

Silence enveloped the two before Sara shivered as Thorin untied the tie of her nightgown and let the silk pool at her feet, leaving her stark naked except for her underwear. She had stopped wearing a bra because her swollen breasts felt constricted and painful when she did. She moved to cover her ample bosoms but Thorin grasped her hands in his and looked her dead in the eyes.

Just looking at the expression on Thorin’s face made Sara’s whole body heat up even though the room was chilly, and she bit her lip when Thorin’s hands trailed from her palms to her elbows. Slowly he began to walk around her as if stalking his prey, eyes drinking in her ample curves that had only increased with her numerous pregnancies. Sara felt Thorin’s fingers briefly touch her thighs and backside before trailing up her spine to her neck, over her shoulder and then down the center of her front, between her bosoms, over her bump…

Sara stared at him speechless as he knelt down in front of her, blue meeting blue as he held her gaze. When he dropped to his knee in front of her, he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her closer till his face was pressed against the side of her womb, arms around her lower back and her hands instinctively weaving into his messy black locks.

“You are beautiful sweetheart,” he whispered. “It is all I can do to not ravish you when I see you rounding out with our child. Your fingers and feet are not skinny, your belly expands, your chest grows, and your cheeks seem perpetually crimson and glowing. You are a picture of beauty when you are pregnant love.”

He lifted his head to look up at her before planting a warm kiss to the side of her belly, doing the same to the other side before placing one more at the crest of the bump. His hands ghosting over every inch of her body, he slowly rose to his feet, lips trailing up her chest to her neck where he placed a chaste kiss to the corner of her jaw before pulling back to look her in the eyes.

He muttered something in Khuzdul under his breath just loud enough for Sara to hear and when she did, her eyes widened at what he had said. Thorin’s darkened eyes locked on hers before he slipped a hand behind her neck and brought his lips down on hers hungrily, Sara letting out a little gasp from the intensity, but she found herself melting into it, her head swimming and her hands gripping at his bare shoulders for support of her weak limbs.

“You brought me out of the darkness and into the light. Only someone truly amazing and spectacular could do that. Never ever think that you are not beautiful or you are unloved. If my last words are not “I love you” then you’ll know that I did not have time.”
Sara smirked before poking her husband’s bare chest. “Quoting Jamie Fraser from Outlander huh? You’ve been hanging out too long with my brothers.”

Thorin smiled before helping his wife pull her nightgown back on before picking her up into his arms and returning to the room. The two soon realized that there was no chance that they could squeeze back onto their bed so Thorin lay down on the large couch, Sara laying down between his side and the back of the couch, her head and hand on his chest and the two fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. Needless to say, when they woke the next morning, all five of their kids had somehow squeezed onto the couch and were sleeping on top of them, around them on between their legs. Mason sat on the floor looking Thorin in the eye as if saying “I tried.”

“And that dear Frodo is the end of the story,” Bilbo said with great ceremony, clapping his hands together before leaning back.

The white-haired hobbit considered the little boy who sat on the floor before him, barely five years old with curly black hair all over his eyes, bright blues staring at his uncle with amazement.

“But that cannot be the end!” Frodo objected. “How did it really end? Are they still alive? What about Sara’s brothers? And the children! Was the baby a boy or a girl!?”

Bilbo chuckled as his nephew ranted on and on about his questions. “Now, now lad, one question at a time.”

Frodo stuck out his lip in a pout but listened silently and intently as Bilbo continued.

“Sara and Thorin Oakenshield had another son: Shayne (above) with raven black hair like his father and the same blue eyes as both his parents. Sara’s brothers grew up and all went their separate ways. Axel went off to Gondor in search of adventure, found a lovely lass there and settled down for the rest of his days. Omar and Ryder remained at Erabor until they were grown men before they journeyed out to visit every corner of Middle Earth. They finally returned to the Mountain Village where the duties of Chief were handed to Omar after Deke passed on. They married and lived there till the end of their days. Young Kili married the love of his life, the red-haired she-elf. Not long ago, Kili’s age began to dwindle and the two took a boat to the undying lands so they would never be separated from each other ever. Kili was crowned king when young Sorin rejected the crown and he lived many years as a wonderful king of Erabor. Sorin married Zain and Rose’s little daughter Annabelle and their two children live in Erabor to this day. Princess Thana could not sit still and went to live in the Ironhills with her younger brother Thane. Thane died in a battle a few years ago but he had lived a long and fulfilling life. Thana never married. Thea and Shayne married and live in Erabor to this day. Sora could never part from her parents and when they died, she became a traveling writer, writing stories of her parents and family. Thorin and Sara lived till their grey years until they both died peacefully in bed together. Sora was the one who found them, the two wrapped in each other’s arms in peaceful sleep.”

When Bilbo did not continue, Frodo seemed satisfied that it was the end and with a huge grin, clapped before running off to find a new occupation now that the story was over. Bilbo sat in silence for a while, thinking with a fond smile back to the letter he had received from Sora just a year prior telling him of Thorin and Sara’s passing. He knew without a doubt that the two were happily dancing together on the White Shores.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Bilbo got up to answer it. There stood a young mailboy with a package in his hands. “Sorry Mr. Baggins, but this package arrived for you.”

Bilbo nodded and closed the door as he ripped the paper and stared at the rough, worn leather book. Flipping to the first page, he felt tears spring to his eyes.

Dear Bilbo,
I know that out of all of the company, you will be the one who will still be alive by the time we are gone. You and Gandalf. Don’t ask me how I know this, it’s a gift. Do what you think is right Bilbo and we will see each other again soon in a happier place.
With much love,
Sara and Thorin Oakenshield.
Slowly turning to each page, Bilbo smiled as he remembered when and where Sara drew each of the sketches until he came to the last page and he stared wide eyed. Wedged in the back page of the notebook was a small sketch… of him! Of his younger self! He smiled as he tucked the picture into his coat before finding a safe place to put the notebook on his shelf.

Little did he know that two figures stood at the edge of the White Shores, watching with smiles on their faces as they watched over Bilbo and Frodo from above.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! IT"S DONE!!!! I"M CRYING!!!!! Sorry that this chapter was so long but I got carried away in the fluff and angst:) Love ya'll and I hope you enjoyed!