A/N: Hey, welcome back! So this continues right after Drifting Through Time and will be completely AU. I've fudged the timelines and ages of characters to suit the flow of this story and I apologize for any mistakes or errors.

Gorbadoc Brandybuck loved all his children dearly, but even he had to admit that he had an obvious favorite. It wasn't an uncommon notion to have a favorite child; the families in the Shire tended to have quite a lot of children and managing them all always took a toll on the parents. Even with the age requirement to join the Bounders, they were still such a hassle. But his youngest child was also his oldest; she just happened to mature at a much slower rate than the rest of his children. But what could one expect from a mixed breed of Hobbit and Dwarf?

Before he had gained the title as the Master of Buckland and before he became even remotely aware that Mirabella Took had a romantic interest in him, he was the best of the Bounders. He was a spry thirty-six year old with much to prove and it was whispered throughout the Shire that he would be the next legend after the great 'Bullroarer Took'. Which was quite the compliment since the Brandybuck Clan was more aggressive than most. His family was fiercely loyal and a bit on the strict side, but they functioned well in Buckland.

It was no wonder that he gladly offered his aid to a caravan of Dwarrows seeking assistance with a goblin problem in the Blue Mountains. It was there he met Luella daughter of Lorís and one of the best warriors he had ever met on the battlefield. There was little time for romance in the middle of a bloodbath, but he was mesmerized by her grace and efficiency when it came to beheading goblins trying to stab her in the back. She was different from the other Dwarrows in the caravan in both appearance and mannerisms; she was also quite isolated amongst them despite her prowess with a blade. When he had inquired why to one of the others, he was given a gruff response that she was an abomination between races. A bit alarmed and altogether very curious, Gorbadoc asked for his companion to further explain how and why. At the older dwarf's explanation, Gorbadoc's eyebrows rose well into his hairline.

"Well, now. That is an odd mix."

"Aye. You cannae fault her for her parentage though. Luella is as strong as they come and she's damn near the best fighter out of all of us, Elvish father or no.

Maybe that was why he was so dazzled by her. She was a slim dwarrowdam with hair a mixed shade of hay and a touch of starlight. Her bright blue eyes entranced him like no other and when he had expressed his wish to court her, he had been sent flying.

Literally.

There was nothing more foolish than a Brandybuck in love and Luella was impressed by his persistence to at least get to know her. That and he was a dab hand at crafting with leather; something she discovered when they stopped over at a tannery to resupply. He made intricate braided bridles for her pony and the saddle he had spent weeks on was the envy of all. When he had spoken of his people in his beloved Shire and his rowdy family in Buckland, she had pounced on him wishing to know more. Perhaps they could set up a trade agreement and both their lands could flourish from such an endeavor. When he had readily agreed to the idea, she was so excited that she had given him a celebratory head butt and promptly knocked him out.

When he came to, his head was on her lap and she was apologizing profusely while she ran anxious hands through the curls at his temple. He had reached for her then, a smile of love and acceptance as he sealed his lips to hers—

"Da!"

His second oldest, Rorimac, burst into the tavern and was shaking him so hard his ale spilled from his mug.

"What is it, my boy?"

"It's Luna, Da. We were playing and then Camellia Sackville said—"

Gorbadoc sighed. Those Sackvilles always had something to say about his daughter and he was of half a mind to say something back.

"Is she hurt?" Despite being two decades older than Rorimac, Luna was closer in mental age to his third oldest Amaranth. The tween years were always hard on any parent of the Shire and for one who aged as slowly as his Luna, they had been especially trying.

"No, she's alright. She's at the old forge. She said she'll be making something to settle her nerves."

Of course that's where she would go. She wasn't much for working with steel, but she used the fire from the forge to create other things. Her elaborate sculptures sold well on Market Day when the Dwarrows would come to sell their wares.

"I see. Make sure she gets home on time for supper. Your Ma doesn't like it when she comes home dirty."

"Yes, Da."

He watched his oldest son depart and he felt an old stirring in his heart. While he was happy to have had so many children with his dear Mirabella, a part of him always wondered what kind of children he would have had with Luella if she had lived past Luna's birth. Would they have been craftsmen, farmers, or warriors? Would they have more of his darker hair coloring or the spun silver like Luella's?

"Master Gorbadoc! There are some dwarves here to see you about the next Market Day!"

He supposed he would never know, but he would always dream of the children he never had with his Love. Enough moping, Gorba. You have work to do. Her nagging tone echoed in his head and with his mind's eye he could see her standing beside him, eyes stern and lips curled up in a smirk.

Yes, dear.