The Happy Couple (Tag: Alidia and Rahim) rated M

"No, that elf was not a friend.  I keep his portrait to remind myself not to be hasty.  And what would you like to know?" Caleb asked.

Ruby smiled as she embraced him. "Everything." Then she kissed his nose. "And you could never be hasty." She giggled. "It's not in your nature. You're kind sweet funny and smart." She smiled again.

"You might not say that if you knew what I was back then.  My parents were killed by dwarves when I was still very young, and smashed whatever siblings I would have had.  I came to the Lonely Mountain after King Thror accumulated so much gold, drove his people out, and made the mountain my home." Caleb began.

Ruby's heart squeezed with pity and sadness. She held him tightly. "What else happened my love I'm here so don't get upset..." She felt his breathing was becoming uneven. "I'm here..." she repeated.

"For sixty years, I slept on that treasure.  I did it to forget about the past.  But after that, I was awakened by the scent of something new in the treasury.  A thief was in my home." Caleb went on.

Ruby led him to a chair and sat him down as she rubbed his shoulders. "And then what happened my love? Who was the thief?"

"I didn't see him at first.  I knew he was there, I could smell him and hear him.  He never gave me his true name.  I thought he was a dwarf, but I noticed that he wasn't bearded and his feet were too large for any shoes.  I knew, of course, why he was there; to steal treasure from me for those filthy dwarves that were too cowardly to do the job themselves." Caleb said, fisting one hand as he remembered them.

Ruby noticed the fist her beloved was making so she quickly ran to face him and hold his hands. "Caleb? My love? Relax. It's me, Ruby." She gasped when she felt his scales. "Come on Caleb please." Ruby plead "Come on back to me my love." Her heart began to squeeze when she saw him like this.

Caleb snapped out of his reminiscing at her voice.  He could see he was scaring her like this, the reaction he had expected when they first met.  But she wasn't afraid of him, she was afraid for him.  It was enough to make him do something he had never done, even when his family was destroyed.  He felt his eyes water, like he was going to cry.
"I'm sorry, Ruby.  I'm sorry, but that's something I've never been able to let go of.  They broke into my home, tried to bury me under molten gold, and then the humans who lived close by shot me down with a Black Arrow." As Caleb explained, he revealed the scar on his chest, on the left side.  His only vulnerable spot, and the arrow found it.

Ruby cupped his face. "And hopefully fate will be on our side cause I can't bare losing you." Her hands slowly slid to his wound. "You poor dear..." Her lips touched it. "Nobody deserves to be treated like that." She smiled. "Peoe need to be treated with kindness love and have joy."

"That's hard for most to give to a dragon.  They just see a creature that can destroy them with a single gesture.  Most don't take the time to know a dragon." Caleb replied, holding her hand to his chest.

Ruby smiled as she felt his heartbeat and their eyes locked into each other's. "Caleb...I want to get to know the dragon but I am scared that you might get mad and couldnt control it..."

"The problem wasn't that my anger was too much for me.  It just acts as the trigger to deactivate my glamour.  My true form is larger than this house though." Caleb warned her.

Ruby smiled as she got him to his feet. "I love you."

"And I love you, Ruby.  It means so much to have found someone who really cares." Caleb said, gratefully.  He grasped her hands a little more securely.

Ruby blushed. "My Caleb..." Then the phone rang. "It might be Bigby." She whispered.

"I'll go see who it is." Caleb told her.  He picked up the phone.  Snow's voice came from the earpiece.
"What?  Snow, you're not making sense.  Calm down." he instructed.  She was able to get in some explanation.
"I'm glad to hear that he'll make it.  But he has to take it easy?  I don't know if he will, you know him.  I can't be there to watch him every minute of the day.  He'll just have to slow down for a while, that's all I can say, and I bet Dr. Swineheart said the same." Caleb continued.

Ruby smiled as she waited for Caleb. Then there was a knock and she answered downstairs "Is Caleb Black in?" A young man with large feet asked with a large treachcoat. Ruby shook her head. "No he isn't." Then the man grabbed her and covered her mouth that way she kept quiet "I'm sure Smaug or 'Caleb' will miss you." Then the man ran them to his car and drove off.

After saying goodbye to Snow on the phone, Caleb headed downstairs.  But something was wrong.  The front door was open and Ruby was gone.  It was like the events at the mountain all over again, only this time, the thief had taken something more precious than gold from him.
"No!" Caleb cried.  But then, he noticed something.  The kidnapper had left very dirty shoeprints behind.  The size indicated someone with very big feet.
"That miserable thief!  Well if he wishes to swim in those dangerous waters again, who am I to deny him?" With this thought, he began to follow the trail so he could find his dear Ruby and his old tormentor.

Meanwhile: Ruby was blindfolded and gagged as the stranger dragged her along. "Mmm... Caleb!!" she yelled but it was muffled. They were on a mountain. She felt the rocks. She was so scared. "She's so pretty and Smuag will do anything to get her back." The stranger sang.

Caleb followed the trail as far as it led.  He was angry that he was being forced into this again.  But he was doing things differently this time.  He was going to take back what was his and punish the true offender.
"You think you can deceive me?!" Caleb shouted when he caught sight of the abductor and Ruby.

Ruby heard Caleb's voice and smiled through the gag. The abductor just smirked as he held Ruby over the ledge. "Your choice dragon. The girl or me? Cause one more step and Ruby gets it."

"Why are you here?  How could you possibly bring me lower?  What more do you hope to gain from this?" Caleb demanded.  He wanted so much to attack him for threatening Ruby, but he knew in his heart that she was more important.
"Please let her go, and I will do you no harm.  I have always been one to keep my word, unlike the friends whose company you keep." he said in a much calmer voice.

The abductor smirked. "I want money, fame and glory..." Rocks began to crumble underneath Ruby's feet. "Mmm...Caleb..." Then the abductor laughed that sent chills down her spine. "Well... Looms like she will be your payment... For your parents." And with that Ruby was dropped from the cliff. "Your choice me or her?"

At that moment, Caleb realized this was not the thief he'd talked to.  He looked more carefully at the man's face and recognized it.  This was the dwarf he'd hated most.
"Thorin Oakenshield.  Even here, you are still second to me.  So I leave you to ruin your own life, as you did then.  She is more important to me!" With that, he slid down to catch Ruby.  By some lucky chance, he caught up to her and grabbed an up-turned root to stop their descent.
"You'll be okay, Ruby.  I promise." he told her.