Come Back When You Can[Thorin Oakenshield]

Chapter[4]

Thorin stood there in the doorway looking at the child as she ran through the house being chased, by his fearless warrior. " Why you little runt, give me that back!" Dwalin grumbled as he ran after the little girl. She ran passed them and stood behind a chair laughing. "Don't you dare do it!" the dwarf uttered. The child chuckled as she plopped the last piece of cookie into her mouth.

Thorin and Fiora came into the house, shutting the door behind them. Dwalin was about to go after the child again when his brother stepped out in front of him and placed a hand on his chest. And the little girl ran over to her mother. " Really brother?" Balin began, witness the whole thing. Finding it funny that a small child had manage to sneak his cookie away from him.

" Mama. You're home!" Isabelle squealed, hugging the woman's legs. Thorin looked down at the little girl that now stood between him and the half-breed. Balin had gotten the others to leave the room to give the three of them some alone time. Fiora crouched down so she was eye level with her daughter.

" Sweetie, I have someone I'd like you to meet." Fiora began. Isabelle looked up at Thorin, slightly terrified. " This is your father." Fiora, then looked at Thorin. " Thorin this is Isabelle." Thorin looked from Fiora to his daughter and crouched down.

"Hello Isabelle." Thorin said as he smiled at the child. Isabelle backed away and hid partly behind Fiora and peered around to see the the dark haired scary dwarf watching her curiously. Thorin noticed she was a splitting image of Fiora, except for her eyes, this child had his eyes and black wavy hair, but it was a little more curly, probably from Fiora's hobbit side.

" Can you say hi." Fiora said, looking at her daughter, when she wouldn't answer.

" H-hi." Isabelle said nervously as she looked back up at her mother. " Mama, will you read me a story?" She asked, while tugging at Fiora's dress, and let out a yawn. Fiora looked at Thorin and he nodded and got back up. The woman picked up her child and carried her over to the chair in front of the fire and sat down with Isabelle sitting in her lap and she began to read her daughter's favorite story.

Balin joined Thorin in the hallway talking, when they saw Fiora walking out, caring Isabelle who had her hands tangled in her mothers hair, as she headed the opposite way down the hall. " Beautiful child you both have." Balin stated as the two of them stared after them. But Thorin wasn't looking at the child, something else was on his mind. Balin noticed the prince's silence and knew his mind was somewhere else." What's wrong laddie?"

" She's different. It's like I don't even know her anymore. Balin." Thorin said. Balin sighed realizing Fiora must have told him the truth, she was only half dwarf.

" Do you love her?" The question caught the prince off guard. He looked at the ground, knowing how he truly felt.

"Of course I still love her. I don't know if I trust her." Thorin admitted. " She couldn't even trust to tell me that she was only half dwarf and she's not telling me something else." Balin looked at the dwarf, wondering what made him think she was hiding something else.

" Thorin. I know your...upset with her, but she did what she thought was right to protect the both of your's child. Would you rather have found her slaughtered by the pack of orcs that took her?" Thorin found his adviser's question harsh. Of course he would never wish to find her that way. It was the fact she didn't even try to send word to him that she was alive. Balin, again saw Thorin was lost in thoughts and the elder dwarf decided to say something else. " Maybe it's best if Fiora and Isabelle stay here. They will be safer here in the Shire. And our burglar wont be joining us." Balin said but Thorin shook his head.

" No. There coming with us. I have a daughter now to protect. And despite everything with Fiora, I can't lose her again either. I wont go through that again." Thorin stated.

"Thorin. Do you really think that is wise? This quest were going on will be dangerous. The wild is no place for a woman and child." Balin protested. Fiora came down the hall, making Thorin and Balin look in her direction as she approached them.

"Excuse me. I'll leave the two of you to talk." Balin said as he gave the both of them a smile and he left.

" I'm sorry about Isabelle. She's just a little shy at first." Fiora admitted awkwardly. She found it difficult to speak to Thorin the way she used to. Things were different.

" Fiora, I want you and Isabelle to leave with us tomorrow." Thorin began. She looked at the ground and nodded. They were both silent for the longest time. She could feel the dwarf's frustrations and she knew it was because of her. He was hurt from her betrayal. " We leave at dawn. You should get some sleep." Thorin finished, and glanced at the floor.

"Did you want to come to bed?" Fiora asked him. Thorin had to stop himself. He wanted nothing more than to hold her close to him while they slept like he used to every night. He had so many restless nights, since he disappeared, but he needed to think and he couldn't do it when she was around him.

" Fiora.....I think it's best if I rest out here tonight. We both have a lot to think about." Thorin stated. She swallowed and looked to the ground and nodded. Thorin could tell she was sorry for everything and she was trying but he couldn't go back to way things used to be, when there were still things unsaid that he needed to know. He stepped forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Get some sleep Fiora. It's going to be an early start" Thorin stroked the side of her cheek and then left to go to the room the others had gone into. Fiora walked to her room. She climbed into bed. Trying to fall asleep when she heard Thorin and the others begin singing about the Lonely Mountain. The woman shed a few tears until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer and fell into a deep sleep as her daughter crept onto the bed with her.