Boggins, not Baggins. {A Kili love story}

Chapter 10: Return

The company was tired, battered, and some of them bloody. Saraen was taking in short and shallow breaths as quiet as she could so not to be a further burden to those that would inquire to her well-being. But as she looked around at the company, how they were gasping for their own air as they ran, she felt shame, and anger.

Saraen turned to Kili and tightened the arm that was around his waist; when he turned to meet her eyes, he placed his forehead upon hers. Sweat shone slightly on his forehead but she didn't mind, because she was most likely drenched in it.

Or blood. Possibly blood.

By now they had stopped and the company wheezed as they too leant on eachother while Gandalf began a head count.

"I thought I lost you", he whispered seriously.

Saraen shut her eyes tight, that feeling of shame making her heart clench.

"I am so sorry Kili.", she pleaded softly. Several times on the journey so far, the ranger had been so insensitive, and she fully realised it now.

Kili looked upon the ranger with tender eyes as he then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to rest on his chest.

They stayed peacefully for a moment, thankful for Thorin not screaming at them.

Then Gandalf began questioning some of the dwarves on the whereabouts of a certain Halfling.

"Where is Bilbo?" he called lowly.

When he received no response he yelled louder.

"Where is our hobbit!?".

Upon hearing this Saraen's head bolted up and Kili pulled away in time to not get hit.

The company looked around for a few moments while dwalin swore.

"Curse the Halfling, now he is lost? I thought he was with Dori!"

Saraen reached for her sword once more but kept it sheathed. She stood quietly and began to walk back the way The Company came, sneaking through the tall grass up the hill, careful not to trip on rocks.

"Don't blame me!" defended the old dwarf.

Saraen was still going unnoticed as she began to pull herself onto a large pine branch as if to get a better vantage point.

"When did you last see him?" insisted the wizard; then Nori spoke.

"I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us." His words made her snap her head in his direction with a clenched jaw. By now a few members of the company noticed where she stood concealed in the tree, including Thorin who merely acknowledged her.

"What happened exactly, tell me!" as the wizard spoke those words Thorin stepped forwards and snarled.

"I will tell you what happened, master Baggins saw his chance and took it. He has thought of nothing but his soft bed and warm hearth since he stepped out of his door. We will not be seeing our hobbit again, I am sure of it.". Her head fell back against the tree, and she could not help but to close her eyes.

Not that she believed it, but even so, that these good people could say such a thing about the Hobbit they had fought beside. Yet she could not help but feel deflated as several moments in silence passed, and she slid down the trunk so that her feet dangled off the side of the branch.

And when she heard a familiar voice reply to Thorin's challenge, she jumped in shock and fell back off the tree, to look up at her Hobbit with wide eyes and an even wider grin.

"No." stated Bilbo as he appeared from completely out of nowhere, not noticing the woman behind him sitting on the roots of the pine, "he is not".

He turned to the woman on the ground beside him and before he knew it was grabbed, and shaken as the ranger screamed in his face.

"BLOODY HELL MAN, WHERE WERE YOU?! DO YOU WANT ME TO GET GREY HAIRS BEFORE I'M NINETY?!".

The company laughed at Bilbo's slightly terrified expression, while Gandalf stepped past an awkward looking Thorin who shifted on his feet.

"Bilbo Baggins, never before have I been so glad to see anyone before" greeted the wizard.

"We had given you up!" began Kili undoubtedly meaning well, still earning a glare from Saraen.

"How on earth did you escape the Goblins?" finished his brother, stopping his brother by slapping him in the chest.

Then Dwalin echoed the prince from beside Thorin, "How indeed...".

Saraen and Gandalf watched Bilbo intently as he fiddled with something in his pockets, and Gandalf quickly masked his darkening face.

"Oh, what does it matter? He is back." He said trying to abandon the subject.

Thorin rumbled once more, "It matters. Why did you come back?".

And though under pressure from the King, Bilbo stood as tall as he could and met his gaze.

"I know you doubt me, you always have. And you're right, I often think of Baggend," he added with a shrug not looking guilty, "I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See that's where I belong," his mention of a home clearly hit hard for the company, including the tall woman leaning against bark of the tall tree. He continued, "That's home, and, that's why I came back. Because.. you don't have one, a home. It was taken from you, but I will help you take it back if I can."

His speech had all eyes on the hobbit, and the company thought wistfully of their long lost kingdom, and while Saraen thought of her own, she felt the same as the dwarves, hopeful, and renewed.