AN: thanks so much to my guest reviewer that I can't pm to thank in person! And shout outs to Hawk-Knight, Arwen Pevensie, TheMaddieArchives, Savage Kill, Savarra, Biddle29, Fan Girl, No Consequence, LostinKaos, and chaoticmom for reviewing chapter 7!

Chapter 8

"What are you working on?" Cassie looked up from her computer as Legolas dropped into the seat opposite her. Wednesdays and Thursdays were a blessing in disguise in her schedule, something she hadn't learned until after the first week. On those two days, instead of the usual eight 45 minute periods of the other days of the week, classes were split into four ninety minute blocks. On Wednesday, fifth block was two hours long, allowing one of four half hour lunch periods and ninety minute studies for everyone. Thursday, it was sixth period, but since she had a class assigned to that period, study was only on Wednesday. Cassie had learned quickly to retreat to the mezzanine study lounge on the second floor of the library building instead of remaining on the first floor with everyone else.

"My Common Application," she smiled up at the tall blonde, taking a strawberry from the proffered cup.

"Oh? Where does Miss Cassie want to go to college?" the heir of Greenwood Fashion inquired, reclining in a position Cassie was sure he'd learned from his supermodel father.

"My first choice is here, NYU, but if I don't get in there I'd like to go to the Rhode Island School of Design," she replied, raising her eyebrows at him.

He smirked, popped a strawberry in his mouth, and regarded her. "Majoring in photography, of course," he surmised.

Cassie blushed but nodded, closing her laptop when she finished the next section of the application. "And you're looking to go to the Fashion Institute of Technology," she replied, remembering a conversation she'd had with Tauriel. Legolas dipped his sleek head, then turned frozen glass eyes to the stairs. Cassie smiled as Fili appeared, but hurriedly put away her laptop. The blonde was snarling with a fury that had even Legolas's eyes widening. Everyone around him backed away, but Cassie scrambled out of her chair to place herself in front of Fili. "What happened, lion?"

"Get your bag, please. We need to talk," he requested, and she saw the effort it took to unclench his fist before he touched her cheek. Now worried, Cassie took her offered bag from Legolas as he leveled Fili with a questioning gaze. "Kili will explain. He and Tauriel are waiting for you at the fountain." The silver head was quick to bob an agreement and then Fili was towing Cassie away to the privacy of a study room along the wall. "I'm not mad at you," he assured her as he opened the door for her.

"Then tell me who you're furious with," she prompted, sitting on the edge of the table. Bags discarded in the chairs around them, she watched him pace the confines of the room. "Fili, breathe," she suggested, reaching out to catch one of his hands. "Tell me what happened." To her surprise he stopped, bracing his weight against the table on either side of her hips as he leaned his forehead against hers. Her hands came up to his shoulders, fingertips running along clenched muscle and knots.

One of his hands left the table, holding his phone out for her to see the screen. On it was a magazine article, the headline declaring, "Fool Me Once, Philip!" In the picture, Fili was facing the camera in his white home jersey. Before him, back to the camera, stood Cassie. Written across the back of the blue away jersey she wore was, "Durin." The matching numbers left little to the imagination. "I'm so sorry, Cass. I thought I'd have more time before something like this happened," Fili sighed, setting his phone on the table beside her thigh.

"Why are you sorry?" she asked, carding a hand through his growing hair. He'd have to get it cut again soon before it was too long for JROTC. "You didn't do this. Tauriel and I have been talking about this kind of paparazzi incident happening. I see the cameras and security around school; it's not like I haven't realized this school is full of the rich and famous." Polar ice scented breath whooshed across her face as Fili exhaled. Tilting her head, she pressed a kiss to his frown. When she drew back, the frown had faded, but anger still rolled in his eyes. "Why does this make you so angry?"

"The headline, 'Fool Me Once,' it's referring to the last time I had a girlfriend," he admitted, nudging her wrist with his nose. A blush rose up her neck, but Fili's next words drowned the fire. "I let her in, Cass, and she almost destroyed everything Thorin had spent so long rebuilding. She used the media against me."

"That's why you wanted to keep me away from the public eye," she realized, but she couldn't even muster any form of anger or indignation at the idea that he was protecting his family from a past mistake. "Fili, hey look at me," she coaxed, sliding her hand from his neck to his cheek. "You don't have to let me in. I won't ever ask that of you. Protecting your family, lion, I understand that."

"I want to let you in, though. I want my mother to nag us both about college applications and Kili to tease us in front of reporters and Thorin to look at us with the same pride he looked at my parents. But I wanted to do this on our terms, not because someone else forced us. I wanted you to be prepared and comfortable with this idea before it happened," he told her. One of his hands had, as always, found its way into her hair. The other traced what was probably a Norse rune on her hip, and Cassie felt a blush rising again. Fili was gentle, far gentler than his broad shoulders and wide hands would suggest. "Thorin's going to want to do something about this. Dori will probably advise some kind of public appearance together. We can keep in low-key until you're comfortable, but it might not be avoidable."

"Whatever needs to be done, golden boy, just tell me. I'm not going to make you handle this alone. I'm in that picture too," she promised, meeting his eyes. The same resolve she'd had in her eyes when facing down Sydney was presented to him now, and he smiled before he kissed her. A low hum was startled out of Fili when she slid back on the table, allowing him to stand between her knees. Since homecoming three weeks earlier, Cassie had become more confident in any kind of affection, though only in private. She'd yet to lose her blush, but Fili wasn't inclined to ever make that go away.

The phone ringing jolted them apart. Fili groaned and Cassie laughed, inevitably coaxing a deep chuckle from her boyfriend. They turned to look down at the sleek Samsung sitting on the table. "He's seen it," Fili realized as they stared at Thorin's picture. She gestured for him to answer it, and he swiped the screen like the phone might explode in his hands. "Uncle?"

"Is she with you?" Thorin asked.

"Yes."

"Put the phone on speaker."

Fili looked up at Cassie, startled, but did as he was ordered. "You're one speaker."

"Ms. Mason?"

"Sir?" Cassie replied, wide eyes staring at the phone.

"Both of you listen to me. The blame for this lies with neither of you. Philip, do not lose your temper. Ms. Mason, do not hide. I need the two of you to present a strong image to your schoolmates. You should also expect a heavy number of media outside the school today. Do not avoid them. There is nothing for either of you to be ashamed of. Do you understand, Ms. Mason?"

"Yes, sir."

"What are we going to do?"

"Dori has reminded me that the Halloween Masquerade Ball is next weekend. He recommends a public appearance there, together. Unlike a charity dinner or something of that ilk, it will be less questionable for Ms. Mason to be present."

"Sir, does Fili have to wear a suit?" Cassie asked, a mischievous gleam entering her eyes.

"He does."

"Sounds fun." She grinned over the phone at the blonde boy and he laughed.

"We'll go, Uncle."

"Very well. I'll leave you and your mother to sort the details of Ms. Mason's attire."

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"You can call me Cassie."

The two blondes were surprised to hear a rumble through the phone. "Uncle, did you just chuckle?"

"I did, indeed. In that case, Ms. Cassie, you may call me Thorin."

"Deal."

Three days later Cassie stared at Fili, open mouthed. "Cass?"

"You want me to do what?"

"My mother wants to take you to the salon. She insists that you let her treat you to getting your hair, makeup, and nails done for the ball."

"I've never even met your mother, Fili."

"Isn't this the best possible way?"

"What if she has them do some horrible hairstyle or something?"

"Lamb, think about this for a minute. It's my mother. Why would she do that?"

"Because she doesn't approve and wants to ruin my first public appearance with you?"

"She wouldn't do that even if she didn't approve."

"Kili!"

"Yes, Cassie?" The brunette straightened in his seat across the lunch table, breaking his conversation with Tauriel.

"Does your mother like me?"

"Has she told you she doesn't?"

"No?"

"There you go. If she didn't like you, she'd have marched right up to you and said so. My mother is very blunt."

"So she hasn't approached me at all because?"

"She respects that you weren't ready." Kili shrugged and turned back to the red-head, leaving Cassie to face his grinning brother.

Fili sent his mother back a message, "She'll go. Just don't throw everything in her face."

"I'm so screwed," Cassie muttered, dropping her head onto her arms atop the table.

The day of the ball she just couldn't believe the girl in the full length mirror was her. Her blonde hair had been braided and curled into what the hair stylist had called a Romantic Greek Goddess. (1) She had a French manicure and pedicure for the first time in her life. Then another stylist had done something with silver and gray eyeshadow and black liquid eyeliner that Cassie could never hope to replicate even when she did her best smoky eye. Plus, her lipstick never looked this smooth, or made her lips this full. Silver peep toe pumps made her tan calves look amazing, and she was even gladder that she'd picked out a high-low dress. Of course, her original intent had been less of a skirt to avoid tripping over, but the view of her legs was an added bonus.

"Cassie, sweetie, you okay?" Dis called through the door of her bedroom.

"Yeah," the girl replied. She'd tried to speak around the lump in her throat, but her voice came out strangled.

Dis immediately bustled into the room, frowning. "Tell me what you're thinking," Fili's mother ordered, and Cassie blinked back tears.

"I can't believe that's me," she gestured to the mirror as the older woman zipped up the sheer lace back of the blue dress.

The satin skirt rustled as Dis smoothed it. "Breathe, sweetie," she coaxed, and Cassie laughed.

"This is surreal. I never imagined I could get my hair professionally done, or have a French manicure and a pedicure, or have a dress this expensive, or being going to an actual masquerade ball with an amazing guy. I just can't believe that's actually me. Thank you for all of this." She smiled at the older woman in the mirror and was surprised to see tears in the fierce blue eyes. Startled, Cassie pivoted and took Dis's hands. "Why are you crying?"

"You're something special Cassandra Mason. I can only hope my son knows it," the Durin matriarch replied. Cassie blushed, and Dis laughed. "There's that blush he talks about. It certainly is adorable." She grinned as the blonde ducked her head, then squeezed her hands. "Now let's get you down to my son before he comes up here looking for you."

Dis went down the stairs first so she could have the camera ready. Fili got to his feet from where he and Kili were seated at the counter, smoothing his black tuxedo. "Is she ready?" he asked, and Dis was amused to see that her eldest was nervous.

"Cassie, sweetie, come on down," Dis called back up the stairs. Only Kili saw Thorin appear in the doorway to watch.

Fili waited at the bottom of the stairs, his mouth dropping open when he saw his girlfriend. "Wow Cassie," he breathed, reaching out for her hand. "Mom, take a picture of just Cass so we can send it to her dad." Before the Durin heir could step away, Cassie surged forward, bracing one hand on his chest to kiss him. When she pulled away, Fili was grinning down at her. She didn't have to explain for him to know it was her thank you for remembering her father's absence.

Dis managed to get several rounds of pictures of Cassie and Fili, sometimes adding in Kili. At Cassie's insistence, she handed over the camera to pose with her sons, and then Cassie spotted Thorin in the doorway. Her heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she approached him, biting her painted lip. Then she stuck out her hand and met commanding blue eyes. "You're far less intimidating when you're hiding in the doorway," she told him.

He took her hand and proved her theory that Fili had learned his mannerisms from his uncle by turning over her palm and kissing her knuckles. "You should never hide this smile, Cassandra, not when it makes my nephew smile brighter than I have seen in years," he replied, too softly for the rest of his family to hear. "And know that any man, Army officer or not, would be proud to be your father," he added, watching her black lined eyes fill with gratitude. Fili had told his uncle about her deployed father and the lack of attention from her grandparents that she'd never commented on. Thorin recognized a lonely Army child when he saw one, and knew her drive to make the absent proud.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking down at the camera in her other hand. Blinking away the tears, she looked up with a smile and decided, "Your turn, Thorin."

"As you wish, Cassandra." Outwardly, the man showed no sign of his joy at watching the three teens, but Cassie seemed to sense it all the same. She also understood that Cassandra was as informal he was going to get when addressing her for now. Thorin had seen the pictures Cassie had taken for Dis at various school events, so he held his tongue when she posed them for the best lighting and angles. Behind the camera, the girl had very little trouble giving orders or making requests.

Fili bundled Cassie in a pea coat before they headed out to the limo, and laughed at Cassie's wide eyed intake of the car. Dwalin, also in a tux, was waiting for them at the hotel entrance. The chief of Erebor

Security was at ease as he opened the door for Thorin, backlit by flashing cameras. Thorin offered his hand to his sister, and Cassie took Fili's hand. "I'm right here, lamb," Fili assured her as Kili stepped out of the limo. His elder brother followed, then helped Cassie from the car.

The cameras flashed to an erratic tempo as reporters called out to Fili and Cassie. "Just smile," Fili instructed, leaning over to whisper in her ear. She caught sight of a mischievous smirk out of the corner of her eye before he kissed her cheek. Kili laughed at her as her signature blush stained her cheeks, and Fili led the trio inside to the table to pick up their masks.

Kili took a silver mask and Fili slid a gold one over his eyes. Dis appeared behind Cassie to place the matching gold butterfly wing mask over her hair. The purple jewels in the wing matched Cassie's dress with a perfection only Dis could have provided, and Cassie was unsurprised to see the same purple trim on Fili's mask. Fili pulled the coat from Cassie's shoulders, then took her hand again. "Ready?"

"Not at all," she replied.

"I'll be right beside you," he promised, kissing her once more.

Thanks for being so patient guys! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, and to my American viewers, Happy Thanksgiving!

1=See Lili the Dark Moon on