They left before the sun was up.

Bilba barely slept. She spent the night cleaning and organizing her house. It just wouldn't do for Fram to move in and see how cluttered everything was. The more she cleaned the more knotted her stomach became at the thought of him in her house, seeing everything so messy and out of place.

If she'd had a month she didn't think the house would look good enough. Finally, after the others had already gotten up and began to get ready she admitted it was as good as it was going to get and got packed. For the trip to Bree she'd only put together a small overnight bag and was at something of a loss as to how to pack for an extended trip to Rivendell.

Eventually she gave in and asked Fili, who was more than happy to show her how to consolidate items and only what was absolutely necessary. On Fili's advice she set aside her dresses and settled on trousers, several shirts of varying weights to contend with weather, and a coat. As Fili pointed out if she actually ended up in trouble she didn't want a heavy skirt tangling around her legs as she tried to wield her sword. He also steered her away from her brighter clothes and toward the ones of a brown or beige color. In the Wild the last thing you wanted was to stand out.

It was as he pointed the last out, moving aside a bright red shirt in favor of a simpler, darker one that the memory came.

"What do you think?" Belladonna twirled in place, the heavy wool skirt swirling in folds around her ankles. The deep russet contrasted well with her fair skin and dark hair. "I was so embarrassed the last time I was at Rivendell. Gandalf hadn't let me bring anything but drab clothes. This time I'm sure I'll make a much better impression!"

"Bilba?"

Bilba set the shirt down quietly and shot a grin at Fili. "I'm fine. Thank you for your help. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave now so I can pack some...more....."

She trailed off, but he got it, his face flushing. "Of course." He bowed and all but ran out of the room. Bilba snickered at the sight of the armed Dwarf running from the thought of a female Hobbit's unmentionables, then sighed as melancholy returned.

The last time she'd set out for Rivendell came flooding back again. She still remembered nothing of the actual trip. She could recall everything up to leaving Bree. After that it was all a haze, the next clear recollection being of standing on the Thain's doorstep in the pouring rain, covered in blood.

Alone.

She remembered her mother had packed all dresses, bright, beautiful clothes. She'd done the same for all of them, wanting to make an impression when she arrived at Rivendell.

Would things have gone different if Gandalf had ever explained to her why wearing them might be a bad idea?

No, she doubted it. Belladonna had loved to dress up and also possessed a startling lack of self-preservation coupled with an intense belief in her own immortality.

Thus her decision, after having gone on a few adventures with a wizard for guard, to drag her entire family into the Wild, supremely confident of her own ability to guide, and protect, her family as well as Gandalf.

And look where that had gotten her, where it had gotten them all.

She sighed and focused on getting finished. Allowing her thoughts to go in that vein never solved anything.

Once done she sat down and wrote letters to the Thain and Priscilla letting them know where she'd gone and about when she expected to be back. She almost wrote to Fram as well, but ended up staring at the blank page for nearly a half hour without the slightest idea of what to write. Did she express happiness at his promise to wait for her? Gratitude over his agreeing to look after her home?

In the end she left it alone and, instead, included a note in Priscilla's letter explaining how Fram would be looking after her home while she was gone.

Finally, she was ready, gathered up her belongings, and headed out.

Thorin, Fili, Kili, Gandalf, and the redheaded Dwarf, who she'd learned was named Bombur, were waiting outside. She joined them, wincing at the cold, and closed the door behind her. She locked it, then slid the key inside the envelope for Priscilla to give to Fram.

"I'll be right back," she told the others, and then hustled down the lane to Priscilla's house where she slid the envelopes through the slit on the front of her friend's door that they used for mail. Priscilla would find them laying on the door mat inside the foyer when she got up. Guilt twisted at her for sneaking out but she knew Priscilla would never agree with her heading out on a trip with a bunch of male Dwarves she barely knew.

SHE wouldn't agree with it either if it hadn't been for Fram giving her the extra little push she needed. Anyone would raise an eyebrow at a young lady heading into the Wild with a bunch of strange males, but the only ones whose opinions mattered to her were Fram, Priscilla's and Seth. Priscilla and Seth would forgive her. And Fram understood her. He wanted her to be happy, to be able to put the past behind her as much as she wanted to put it behind.

The thought settled her nerves, and she quickly ran back to the others.

They set out along the dirt path, Thorin, Bombur and Gandalf taking the lead while Fili and Kili walked easily on either side of her.

Bilba had never had much reason to be out at night, and was surprised at how different it looked. Everything was so silent, only the quiet chirping of crickets and the creak of leather and weapons as the Dwarves moved. All the lights were out, leaving the area looking like a simple collection of rolling hills with fences interspaced every now and then.

At the base of the hill a large hedge stood on either side of the lane, separating the wealthier residents from the less wealthy. Fram used to live on the far side of the hedge, before his father unexpectedly came into an inheritance after a relative died. After that he'd moved to the wealthy side and, shortly, after that Bilba had seen him for the first time.

It had been just after she'd lost her family. She'd been sitting on the bench outside her, now empty, home and saw him wandering the lanes and marketplace. He'd seemed so excited about things she'd taken for granted, so happy and full of life she couldn't help but watch him, that day and every one after.

He seemed so respectable, so proper, so perfectly Hobbit like. He was everything her mother hadn't been, everything Bilba tried so hard to be, and he did it with absolutely no effort. She envied that, even as she fell in love with the one who exemplified it.

They passed through the hedge. The sky was just starting to lighten, the first hints of the sun rising.

Bilba watched it, her thoughts still caught up her triumphant return, and the waiting smile of her intended.

So enamored was she with these thoughts that she almost didn't hear the whispered, "Bilba! Bilba!"

She turned to look and, there, standing with his back against the hedge was none other than Fram himself.

Bilba stared, then quickly pushed past Fili and Kili with a quick "go on ahead. I'll catch up."

Then, without giving them a second thought she nearly ran to where Fram was waiting in the shadows.

He grabbed her hands and grinned, his teeth shining white against the darkness. "I thought you were going to tell me what your decision was."

Bilba felt her heart flutter in her chest. "I'm sorry. They wanted to leave right away and I got so busy getting ready. Then it was so early and I didn't want to wake you."

"It's all right," he answered, his voice hushed in spite of there being no one around to hear. "Did you get everything taken care of at Bag End?"

"I did," she said. "I put the key in an envelope for Priscilla to give to you. She'll see you get it."

He was silent and, for just a second, his hands tightened, squeezing hers in an almost painful grip. Bilba flinched, startled. "I'm sorry." She said quickly. "It's not that I had any problem with it. I had no idea you'd be here or I'd have brought the key to you as I left."

She had no idea what the problem would be aside from the possible belief that her not bringing him the key was somehow seen as a slight, though how she couldn't being to imagine.

His eyes, in the rising light, flicked past hers, and widened fractionally. He released her hands and took one step back. "It's fine. You could have brought it to my house though. I wouldn't have minded being woken up."

She would have minded waking him up though. Not only that but Fram's house was much farther down than Priscilla's and she hadn't wanted to make the others wait.

"I'm sorry." She said again, though she wasn't sure what it was she was apologizing for.

"It's fine," he said again, the grin back. "I'll just get the key from Priscilla later. It won't be a bother. I'll make sure to take good care of your home while you're gone."

Bilba nodded. Something in the back of her mind niggled, a feeling of unease she couldn't quite define.

Fram pulled his hands free, and Bilba felt the cold rush into replace the warmth that had been there a moment earlier. "Have a safe trip Bilba. I hope you find out what happened to your family."

"Me too," She whispered. He nodded, and then turned and strolled away, back through the hedge and up in the direction of Bag End.

Bilba turned, and saw Fili and Kili still standing in the middle of the road watching her. Thorin, Bombur and Gandalf were farther away but had also slowed their pace.

She flushed and went to catch up. "I told you not to wait."

"I don't like him," Fili said without preamble as they started walking again.

Bilba rolled her eyes. "You don't even know him."

"He doesn't have to," Kili announced. "Fili is an excellent judge of character. It's like magic, he's never wrong."

"Or he's just insanely judgmental and too stubborn to admit when he's wrong," Bilba responded. "And he's wrong this time. Fram is a far better Hobbit than I am."

Fili snorted. "I sincerely doubt that."

"Like you'd even know," Bilba shot back. "You've only just met ME."

He shrugged. "Like I said. I'm a good judge of character."

Bilba blinked, startled. "Your instincts are very skewed Master Dwarf."

His eyes narrowed. "And your self-image is very distorted, as is your opinion of a certain Halfling."

"Hobbit," Bilba muttered. "We don't like being called Halflings."

Kili looked back over his shoulder. "It is odd that he was waiting there. He didn't know when we'd leave, he must have been waiting all night."

Bilba flinched. First they complimented her and then expressed surprise anyone would go to the effort of waiting to say good-bye to her. Hiking her pack better on her shoulders, she quickened her step until she walke ahead of them but still behind the others.

Behind her came the sound of a smack, a surprised yelp from Kili and then a hissed, "what? What did I say?"

Bilba sighed. It stood to reason they would have the same bad habits as their Uncle when it came to opening their mouths.

She stared at her feet and wished this entire thing was over and she could be walking back to Bag End instead of away from it.

Much, much later, she would look back at that moment and laugh at her own ignorance.

It would be a long, LONG time before she set foot back in Bag End and, when she finally did, it would be under circumstances she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams.

Or nightmares.