Three miles to the north of Bree, up the hill and through the door with the Mark. The dwarrowdam sighed, adjusting the basket she had hanging on her left arm, The door's Mark is probably long gone by now... "You know," she spoke aloud as she walked, speaking to the pony that walked idly beside her, "It seems only like yesterday evening I was walking this same path to the same destination, when really that was far too long ago." It was, really, only about two years ago. She wrapped Nonoro's reins a little tighter in her right hand, feeling the worn leather run over her light pink palm scars, long since healed, "Come on, Nonoro, only a little farther and you can graze to your heart's content. I shan't make you walk anymore tonight, or tomorrow," grinning, she glanced over at him and he pulled back his lips, grinning back.

 When she reached the round, teal green door Kali dropped the pony's reins and he still stood there, only he dropped his head to munch at the lush green grass. Kali rapped three times on the door and waited, looking around at the rolling green hills of the Shire. The door opened and Kali bowed best she could, sweeping off her black cloak hood, "Kali Silverarm," she stood straight, "At your serv-"

 Bilbo had stepped out and pulled Kali into a tight hug before she was able to finish, "I was wondering if I'd ever see you again."

 "I've missed you too, Bilbo," she smiled, her heart becoming heavy as she buried her nose in his curly, light-brown hair

 He pulled back, sniffling slightly. Bilbo gave a start when he saw Nonoro, "Good Lord you have a pony."

 Kali chuckled, "Well of course I have a pony. Don't you remember Nonoro?"

 "I remember him fully well, thank you very much," Bilbo chided gently. He'd grown a couple inches since last Kali saw him, his hair even more unruly. He still wore his fading white braces, but his shirt was a light brown colour with a red vest today, "May I come in?"

 "Such mannerism," Bilbo chuckled, stepping aside to let the lady enter first. She hadn't changed one bit since they parted and it scared Bilbo slightly. How long would Kali stay frozen in time before aging as a normal dwarf would? "I thought you were a dwarf, have worse manners than that, Silverarm."

 Kali turned to answer him but had to stop to gently push at Nonoro's muzzle, "No, boy, you can't come in. No," she pushed again at the persistent four-legger, "Nonoro!  You can't come in," Bilbo had helped gently push away the pony and close the door, the two of them laughing a little.

 "Now what were we..." Bilbo trailed off, "Ah, yes. You're sudden taste in having manners. What has gotten into you?"

 "If you wish for her to have worse manners," came a second voice from inside, followed by a third chuckle, "Then continue antagonizing her, Bilbo. You remember how spontaneously her moods can change."

 "Balin!" Kali rushed forward and pulled Balin into a one armed hug, holding him at arm's length before harshly butting heads with him, "You look shorter since last we met."

"Shorter, maybe," Balin grinned, "But wise enough to make up for it, I'd say. Still wiser than you though, I'd reckon."

Kali snickered, and crossed her arms, "I've grown wiser since you saw me leave so long ago, Balin. You just wait and see...." she trailed off a little before spinning around, "Gandalf!" Kali spun, careful not to disturb her wicker basket, "Gandalf the Grey."

 "What brings you by this lovely April afternoon?" Gandalf asked slyly, "Surely you weren't just in the neighbourhood...?"

 "I actually had something to tell Bilbo," Kali handed the basket to Balin to hold, "And something to ask of him, and you Balin, and demand of Gandalf," Kali flashed a small, cheeky grin before pulling out the bundle of dark blue blankets from the basket.

 "Have you... knitted something?" Bilbo wondered, stepping closer.

 Balin set the basket on the floor and moved closer as well, just as Kali pulled back a small fold to reveal a sleeping dark haired baby, "Balin, Gandalf, Bilbo," she said softly, looking between the three "I'd like you three to meet Thili Silverarm."

 "Thili..." Bilbo whispered, looking up at Kali's face, "Thorin...?"

 "Heavens no," Kali shuddered, "This is Thili, son of Kili... named after his father, uncle and Great Uncle."

 Bilbo gently reached towards him, "May I...?"

 "Of course," Kali gently handed over the baby and chuckled when Bilbo groaned, "He's hefty, I forgot to warn you."

 "Nothing I haven't handled before," Bilbo waved her off, gazing lovingly at Thili. Bilbo's previous groan had slightly awakened him and Bilbo found himself staring into a startlingly familiar set of dark brown eyes,"He looks so much like..."

 "I know," Kali didn't feel like hearing the name, "I assume that means he'll have most of my brains, though, and that won't be all too good."

 Bilbo wrinkled his nose in disagreement an gently passed Thili into the arms of Balin, "Now you listen here, Miss Silverarm," Oh no, Kali thought as the Hobbit neared her, He's gone to formal greetings, "I have known you for at least fifteen years, and travelled along your side for at least two of those straight through. I know for a fact that anyone who has half the sense you do would do just fine in life."

 Kali was taken aback at Bilbo's sudden out-of-character outburst, making Gandalf chuckle, "He's right, you know. You're a smart young lady."

 "Not smart enough, it seems..." Kali looked out the window, "I'd broken my promise to the boys, I'd given them my word I wouldn't leave their side-"

 "And if you hadn't left their side," Gandalf cautioned, "You'd be with them, still."

 "He's right," Balin agreed softly, "And then we wouldn't be talking to you today..." Balin trailed off, looking between Kali and Thili, who was looking around with wide brown eyes.

 "Balin?" Bilbo questioned, "What is it?"

 "The Line of Durin hasn't been wiped out..." Balin looked down at Thili, who'd begun attempting to pull at Balin's long beard. Balin grinned and laughed, "The Line of Durin lives on!"

 Gandalf scratched his temple, a smile moving across his lips, "It seems he's right..."

 "Doesn't that mean, then..." Kali was slowly putting together pieces to a puzzle that had been in her mind for the past ten months.

 "Thili is the rightful heir to the Throne of Erebor," Bilbo whispered in awe, "And he's only four months old!"

 "Five, actually..." Kali winced a little in pain at remembering, "Dwarves carry for ten months, not nine. He was born mid-December and by Durin's name was it painful. Thili weighed a good eleven pounds or more!"

 Bilbo's expression went horrified, "You poor woman..."

 Kali chuckled a little bit, "I'll survive. After all, I have been hit with worse before... Oh!" Kali jumped, turning serious, "Now back to another reason I came here. Bilbo, Balin, Gandalf, I wish for you three to be Godfather... s."

 "Godfather?" Bilbo and Balin both raised an eyebrow, "What's that?"

 "It's a tradition of Men," Kali explained, "Where the best friend of one or both of the parents is responsible for the child if anything were to happen to.... the parents. To me. You're all my first choice, but not the first I've asked. You don't have to accept, but I would be delighted if you did."

 Balin smiled, "I accept."

 Gandalf nodded best he could without hitting his head on the candles hanging above him, but stayed silent to allow Bilbo to speak through his shock, "I would be honoured to be Godfather."

 "Whom are the others you asked?" Balin asked, paying no attention as Gandalf gently reached over and took Thili. Thili's high-pitched giggles rang through the room as Gandalf began tickling him.

 "Bard, first and foremost," Kali began, "And his children are cousins whether they want to be or not. After I spoke with Bard I travelled to The Woodland Realm and made up with the elves there. Celedir is Grandfather, obviously. Thranduil, Legolas and... Tauriel accepted. They all worried I would die during my travels and requested I have an escort, which I not-so-willingly accepted for a while."

 "And you came straight here afterwards?" Bilbo slid a hot cup of cider towards Kali.

 "No," Kali sipped the cider quick and set the cup back down, nodding a thanks at him, "Then Beorn and Radagast," she glanced at Gandalf, "You know he moved further East? He and Beorn are practically neighbours now."

 "Actually, I had heard that from the two Blues," Gandalf mused, hardly glancing up from Thili, "Whose names, I may add, are named Alatar and Pallando, but not knowing the two very well I thought they were lying."

 "How many Godfathers are there supposed to be?" Bilbo asked.

 "Only one per child, I believe. But oh well, that is a tradition of Men, not Dwarves so I can do whatever I wish," Kali looked back at Gandalf, "Complete truth about Radagast, Gandalf," Kali nodded a little, "After telling those two of my pregnancy I set off to Rivendell to speak with the Elves there. Elrond, Alanon, Arandil, Lindir and Limdur were all truly delighted about my news. All accepted the offer and shortly after they did I went into eighteen painful hours of labour before being blessed with a baby boy."

 "And then you came straight here?" there was still a hint of worry laced in Bilbo's voice, as if he was afraid Kali would keel over in his dining room.

 "Yes, I came straight here," Kali agreed.

 "What of the others?" Balin's bushy eyebrows scrunched together, wondering about his kin in Erebor, "Surely they accepted?"

 "I'm sure they will, without a doubt," Kali challenged, "Just as soon as I tell them I've a child."

 "They don't know?" Gandalf asked.

 "Bard was the first to know," Kali clarified, "I'll travel back with Balin and share the news."

 Bilbo shook his head, "Such backwards thinking, Miss Silverarm."

 "Obviously," Balin slurped more of his drink, which Kali suspected was ale or whiskey, "That's the only thinking Kali knows how to do."

 Kali chuckled a little, sipping more cider. She glanced around at the faces of her friends and her son... and thought to herself that perhaps life would turn out for the better. 

 After all, it was already beginning to. 

A/N: I can't epilogue, so I gravely apologize for this disgrace. 

ON the bright-ish side of things: Kali had a baby! Yay!