The hour was late, the sky dark, and the moon was shining brightly above Rivendell. You and your companions had been ushered away from the dining hall, and into the gardens to make camp for the night. The elves had offered to set you all up in rooms, but still mistrustful of the elves, everyone had declined. Whilst a soft bed would have been nice, it would take some time before elves were regarded with anything but suspicion.

The group was camped beneath an elvish gazebo, and several pieces of furniture had been pulled apart to make wood for a fire. Your companions were strewn around the shelter, relaxing before it was time for bed. Bofur was cooking some sausages over the fire for supper, much to the contentment of the rest. It was a widely held consensus that dinner had been mostly definitely inadequate.

You sat towards the back of the shelter, back to the wall, Fili and Kili by your side. Fili was cleaning his knives, the expensive burnished steel glinting in the firelight, whilst Kili smoked his pipe. You and the young dwarves had hit it off straight away, even though you were a good fifty or so years older than Fili, the elder of the two. The pair were rather boisterous and funny, making for excellent company, and all of you were 'young at heart', so to speak. Kili had been attempting to blow smoke rings earlier in the evening, with rather comical results.

Your mind wandered to thoughts of their uncle, who was mysteriously absent from the gazebo. The hobbit was also missing, along with Balin, Gandalf and Lord Elrond, so you presumed it had something to do with the quest for Erebor. No doubt, you and your companions would be filled in later as necessary.

Fazing back into the conversation, you realized that Fili and Kili were discussing their home in the Blue Mountains.

"I wonder how Ma is doing," Fili was saying to Kili, and the younger dwarf waved off his worrying.

"Don't fret, brother," he said, waving an arm towards his elder sibling. "She'll be fine. She did alright raising us up without Da, I'm sure she can handle us being gone for a while".

This was again news to you. You had known Thorin's sister Dís quite well, as you two had become friends after Thraín and Thrôr took you in. Being only a little older than you, you had formed a strong friendship with the dwarf woman. You even remembered her confessing her feelings to you about a strong dwarf lad by the name of Vili, with hair the colour of golden wheat, in the latter half of yours and Thorin's relationship. You also recalled her excitement at Thraín's approval of her suitor, and a betrothal and marriage had soon followed. You remember the birth of their first child, and reeled in shock when you realised that that very bairn was sitting in front of you, scrubbing away at his sword's hilt.

Looking at Fili's gold locks, you recognised the description, and sadness tugged at you heart. These dwarves had grown up with little to no memory of their father. And your dear friend had lost her loving husband. Similarly to how you had lost Thorin.

"Besides," Kili continued "I'm sure she'll be helping Gloin's wife with young Gimli."

"Who's Gimli?" you asked, curiosity sparking in your mind, and the pair turn their heads the face you.

"Gloin's son," Kili explained, "He's only 3 decades younger than me, and he'd been itching to come with us, but Thorin said no."

"Gloin has a son..." you pondered out loud. If so much had changed in 60 years, what was to say Thorin had not changed too? Anything could have happened. He could have a new lover, for all you knew... After all, you had believed that Fili and Kili were his sons, momentarily.

"Aye, and the old ginger battleaxe has a wife too," Fili added, but then sees your pensive facial expression.

"I know it feels like you've missed a lot in sixty years, Y/N, but honestly Uncle's still the same," he comforts you, resting a hand on your shoulder.

"How would you know?" argued Kili. "You were still a tot when Smaug came, I doubt you can even remember what Uncle Thorin was like!"

"And what were you, a foetus?" Fili retorted, and you immediately step in.

"Calm down, lads," you say soothingly, placing a hand on both dwarves chests. "Don't fight over something so silly."

"Besides," you continued. "If Thorin has changed, I'll know soon enough".

"True," Kili admitted, and clasped his brother's arm. Fili elbowed his younger sibling back, and they knock heads familiarly.

"You sounded like Ma then," Fili joked at you. "But she'd have grabbed us by the ears and-"

CRASH!

The loud noise made you three turn your heads, to see Bombur sprawled upon the floor, a table crushed under his weight. The entire Company erupted into gales of hysterical laughter, clutching at their sides. You couldn't contain your mirth, adding your laughter to the racket.

Amongst the chaos, you see Thorin, Balin and Bilbo quietly slip back into the gazebo. Gandalf is still absent, though you're sure he will reappear eventually. Thorin's blue eyes meet yours, and it's like a bolt of lightning to your stomach. He gestures for you to go outside with a nod toward the door, and you stand up, legs trembling slightly, and pick your way through the Company towards the door. None of the others noticed Thorin's arrival, or your movement. They were still too busy laughing over poor Bombur's misfortune.

Finally you reached Thorin, standing directly in front of him Every time you looked at him, you still saw the dwarf you had loved 60 years ago in him.

He really hasn't changed that much, you placate yourself. This Thorin was just a little older, with grey streaks in his hair and a sense of weariness about his shoulders. And despite your continued anger at him for yesterday's argument, you knew that you both had to talk. Otherwise it would be futile to attempt any sort of relationship with him.

"Come," he said in his deep, gravelly voice, sending shivers down your spine. He turned and walked out the doorway, with you trailing behind.

It was time.