With wide eyes she stared at the dwarf brothers. She didn't move. She didn't blink. She didn't breathe. Fili and Kili seemed to have the same problem, since their eyes started to tear up slowly. They all let each other go at the same time and rubbed their eyes with little groans. Andy also used the moment to catch her breath again, feeling slight faint.
"Alright boys. I guess it's time to clear some things up", she said and sat down.
"What do you mean? We know who you are", Kili said confused.
"No, you don't", Andy sighed. "This might sound crazy, but... well-", she had trouble finding the right way to explain it to them.
"You're the Guardian Angel", Fili said, trying to help her. Andy nodded.
"But-", Kili said slowly. "You're Andy. "
"Yes, I am. But... ah, dammit!", she spat out. The brothers stared at her, trying to work through her confession. Kili's eyes narrowed, trying to understand, how their friend could be the Guardian Angel, when she was with them the whole time.
"Lies", Fili said, ignoring the strong similarities between both of them. "You're not Andy. "
"I am. I can prove it! When we first met, I shut the door in front of your faces. As you asked, if "It's" cancelled, I shouted yes at you, to get rid of you again", Andy tried to convince him. He punched her across her face. Andy head jolted backwards, blood splashing from her lip. With a groan she pulled a grimace, turning back to the boys.
"Feel better now?", she hissed. Fili roared up in anger and wanted to jump at her. Kili held him back from doing so. Ignoring them both Andy wiped over her mouth, trying to get all the blood away. Fili stopped fighting against Kili and just shrugged him off.
"Who are you? Answer, now!", he ordered, his anger filled eyes fixed on her face.
Andy searched for something, that would seem truthful. As she couldn't answer immediately, Fili swung his fist at her once more.
"Answer the question. No more lies", he demanded, anger radiating from him. But under that anger, Andy knew he was being in denial. He didn't want it to be true. Because that would mean, she lied to him. She managed to duck under the swing and stepped a few feet away.
"Fili, please, stop", she pleaded. He took another swing for her head. Again, she dodged. This time, she gave him a little shove, to put more distance between them. As an arrow barley missed her head, she swirled around, looking at Kili with shock. He had another arrow ready, prepared to shoot.
"Don't touch my brother", he spoke with a calm voice.
"I wasn't...", Andy tried to explain. She got interrupted, as Fili crashed against her and threw her to the ground. He was atop of her, pressed her down and held one of his daggers against her throat.
"What sorcery is this? You sound and look somewhat like Andy, yet you're not her," he hissed. "Who are you? And where is she. What did you do to her?"
"Fili, please. I am Andy. It's easier if I show..."
"No!", Fili shouted to her face, making her go silent. "Andy would never keep something like this from us. Which means, you're lying. "
Andy tried to push Fili off, without hurting him. She managed to disbalance him, what made his hand swirl and brought the blade to brush over her skin, leaving a superficial cut. She grabbed his wrist and pushed his arm back, so it didn't cut deeper. Once again, she forgot, that she was not a Hobbit and pushed him with more force than she thought. With a surprised cry, Fili was forced off her and fell backwards. Shocked Andy scrambled herself up.
"I'm so sorry", she rambled, wanting to go help him up. That arrow stroked her arm. With a hiss, Andy withdrew her arm immediately. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry", she kept repeating while she backed up. Her back hit a tree, not allowing her to go any further. With their weapons held ready, the brothers stepped closer to her.
"Who are you?", Kili asked, his voice a little shaky. He stuck to his brother, like every good sibling would do in such a situation.
"I already told you", Andy whispered, feeling deep despair. She feared this would happen.
"No. You're not Andy. We know her. You have no resemblance with her.", Fili spoke, his voice trembling.
Hearing that hurt. Badly.
"What do you know of her?", Andy asked. That made them hold for a second. Their eye met, before they looked back to her.
"Prove it", Fili spoke. Andy kept her eyes on them as she transformed back. It took her a moment longer since she felt so unsettled. When she was in panic or strong fear, she always lost control and slipped into her true form. Trying to reverse that was a little harder. Her body shrank, her short horns disappeared as well as her fangs, her eyes turned brown. Wordless, the brothers lowered their weapons after staring at her for a moment.
"Andy?", Kili asked again. Pressing her lips together, she nodded. Kili let his bow drop and rushed to her. He fell to his knees and pulled her into a hug. Andy felt the tears slowly starting to run down her cheeks, quietly sobbing into his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry", she cried. "I wanted to tell you. I really did." She looked up, to see Fili standing in front of them.
"They why didn't you?", he asked. Kili let go of her also looking at her, waiting. More tears ran down her cheeks and she gave them a sad smile.
"First, I didn't trust you. Then, I was scared."
"Of what?", Kili called out, clearly upset. "What was there, to be so afraid of, to not tell us, who you are?"
"Being alone again!", Andy shouted at his face. That answer took them by surprise. "I found friends. A grumpy pack of stubborn dwarves with an even grumpier leader, who despised me. I was fascinated of you. It took a while, until I warmed up to being around dwarves, but I couldn't deny it. You guys made me feel alive again. I was angry, I was happy, I was upset, I was laughing, I was bleeding, I was joking around." Another sad smile formed on her lips. The dwarves mirrored it. "I didn't want to lose that again", she sniffed and looked to the ground. "I feared... I fear that everything we managed to achieve would fall apart again. And the longer I was silent, the more difficult it became to tell you. "
Silence. That was all she got.
"I'm sorry", she whispered. Fili kneeled next to them and looked her in the eyes. Andy tried to blink the tears away, but couldn't, the longer she looked at him. Then he hugged her. First, she was shocked. She was sure, that he would never forgive her, for keeping such a secret from him. He was one of her closest friends after all. They both were. She closer her arms around him and hugged him back.
"You're just as stubborn and thick headed as a dwarf", he muttered into her hair, making her chuckle.
"Well, it's a part of me", she said. Fili pulled back and eyes her questionably.
"What do you mean by that?", he asked confused. Irritated by that question, Andy looked at Kili, only to find the same expression on his face.
"I'm the Guardian Angel", she spoke hesitantly, not understanding, how they couldn't follow.
"Yes, we got that. But what do you mean with 'It's a part of you'?", Kili asked. All tears were forgotten as she looked back and forth between them.
"You had whole theories around my person. "
Kili's eyes widened. "Wait! Are you saying that some are true?", he asked. Pressure built up in Andys chest. First, she giggled hysterically, then it turned into a laugh.
"Of course, Dummy. "
"More secrets?", Fili asked, and let his shoulders drop with a deep sigh. That made Andy feel terrible again. Hesitantly she laid a hand on his shoulder making him look down on her.
"I'm telling you all right now. You don't have to agree on any of my decisions. Heck, I myself don't! But please try to understand, why I chose the way I did", she begged with puppy-eyes.
With a little frown on his face, he looked over to his brother. Kili gave him a little nod and a smile. "All right", he answered and made himself comfortable. "Shoot."
And so, Andy started telling her story. First, she stumbled over her words. But as the brothers moved closer and reassuring leaned in, she gained confidence. At some points, she hesitated to speak. But then she remembered she promised not to hide anything from them. So, she continued. It started to turn dark, as she finally was finished. Awestruck the brothers sat there and stared at her.
"Well, I did not expect that", Kili huffed. Fili nodded in agreement, though he looked thoughtful.
"Andy?", he asked her, his voice serious. Mentally prepared for a backlash she looked up to him. "We have to be careful about how we share this with the others. Some of this is really mind-blowing." His statement surprised her.
"Wait, you won't tell Thorin?", she asked for clarification, staring at him in disbelief. A little grin appeared on his lips.
"For the moment we'll ignore, that you just singled out our uncle and that his view of you clearly means something to you and instead think about a way, how we slowly introduce you to them, aye? "
Kili's eyes widened, as he connected the dots and he understood, what his brother was hinting at. A sly grin appeared on his face. Andy knew, he would not let go of that matter. Fili just started a fire and everything Andy would say on the matter "Thorin" would only add fuel to it.
"Oh dear, look at the time", Andy exclaimed and quickly got to her feet. "We need to go back, before they start looking for us. " With a hasty pace she walked off and trusted them to follow. As they reached the farm of Beorn, the company was waiting for them at the gates.
"Where were you so long?", Dwalin barked, clearly upset with them. "You could have been attacked by Orcs. "
Andy scoffed and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"Please. As if I would let that happen."
Nori in the background lifted his eyebrows.
"You left all your weapons here. You would have had no way of defending yourselves", Thorin now also joined the conversation and broke away from the pole he was leaning against. His heavy steps thumped loud enough, to appear intimidating. The dwarves stepped aside, letting him through. With a stern look, he stared down on the little Hobbit and his nephews. The boys didn't dare to look at his face, their shoulders sheepishly pulled up.
"We're sorry, uncle", Kili apologised. Again, Andy scoffed, gaining Thorin's full attention.
"No, we're not", she said, making the kings frown deepen. "We were out. We talked. We enjoined each other's company. We're back. Nothing to be sorry about. "
Slowly a smile creeped up Balin's face. Dwalin's lips also twitched into a pleased expression. She was back.
"You didn't inform anyone of where you were", Thorin tried to get Andy to see, how dangerous their action was.
"I said I'm going to catch some air. It's not my fault, your nephews failed to inform you of their whereabouts. "
The two brothers beside her let out appalled gasps, holding their hand to their chest. "Andy, how could you sell us out like that", Fili exclaimed, a playful grin on his face, all trouble forgotten.
"Hey, I don't put my head on the block for two clotpoles. Not in such idiotic situations, that is", she clarified, giving Fili a meaningful look. His playful grin turned into a heartfelt, thankful smile. None of the others saw it, but Andy did. And it meant a lot to her. She swung her head around, making her hair fly and accidentally smack it into Kili's face. "Now, if you'd mind stepping aside, this old woman is in desperate need of rest." The dwarves watched confused as she walked past them. Fili and Kili were bent over in laugher.
Clueless, Ori leaned over to Nori. "I don't get the joke. She's not that old." Fili and Kili, hearing that, burst out with another round of laugher.