"Ahoy-oy! Good to see you too, missy!" said Tyni, once Amelia released him from a smothering hug.

She stepped back and looked at the gathering in the yard. There were at least a dozen goblins, and about that many dwarves. Several ponies were hitched to carts piled dangerously high with baggage, in addition to the packs and bags everybody was carrying. They all looked tired and travel-worn, and a little apprehensive.

As Amelia was trying to register all the new faces, Shock burst out from the doorway behind her and skidded to a stop at the edge of the porch, tongue hanging out. The clop-clop of hooves announced Pancake, who had Fern standing on his back. Whisper was still on the oven, far too sleepy to deal with newcomers at this time of evening.

"Friends! Friends!" trilled Fern when she saw who had arrived, then "Baby! Baby" as she was instantly diverted at the sight of the swaddled infant in one of the dwarven lady's arms. She flew up and peered at the child, cooing quietly.

"Aye! That's my wee one, Onni. My missus, Elisabet. Meet Amelia and Fern." said Tyni, placing an arm lovingly around his wife and smiling down at the sprite goggling over his child.

Tuuka was next to introduce his teenage daughter Vieno and pre-teen twins, Pasi (the boy) and Lumi (the girl).

Amelia waved at them, and they politely waved back, although the kids were mostly focused on the puppy and goat by that point. After they were introduced, Tuuka pointed out each of the other dwarves that had come with them, members of his or Tyni's extended clan.

By the time Picker started introducing his family, which included his wife, kids (two teens and a set of triplets, about school age as best as Amelia could judge), mother and father, parents-in-law, and a few cousins, she had run out of memory for retaining names. She tried, but it was too much all at once.

About then, Briar emerged from her home under the bramble bush in the garden, and there was another round of introductions. Amelia caught a few more names, but there were just so many, she'd have to start taking notes.

By that time the goblin triplets had curled up together on the ground and fallen asleep, Shock buried in the pile to keep them warm.

"I'm so sorry! Come in, come in! I'll put the kettle on. Have you eaten?" Amelia said as she ushered the newcomers into the living room. Even with all the extra furniture, there weren't seats for everyone. The littlest of the kids curled up on blankets in front of the fire, each jockeying to snuggle with the puppy or the goat. The older kids sat on the floor or on cushions.

It took a few minutes to get the crowd settled in, but Tyni took charge, assisted by Picker's oldest daughter and Tuuka's oldest son. The trio quickly had everybody seated and with something hot to drink and tasty to eat. While they did that, Amelia had been working with Bert to place beds and partitions up in the attic, so there would be enough comfortable and private places to sleep.

She was extremely glad they had the two WCs inside, along with the "multi-holer" out by the gazebo. The bath situation was dire, so she placed a few tubs down in the cellar where there was space between the rows of barrels. They had to queue, but the travelers were able to go to sleep warm and clean, for the first time in many days.

It wasn't until almost midnight that Amelia finally got to bed herself. She'd given the master bedroom over to Picker and his family and was happily curled up on the armchair and hassock downstairs. It was nice to have an excuse to sleep down there again, and she didn't mind in the least. Especially with both Pancake and Shock snuggled under the covers with her.

It was wonderful having her friends back and getting to meet their families. She did kick herself mentally for not prepping for their arrival a bit better, though. But luckily it had gone well enough, and everyone was grateful for the hospitality. Only the ponies had been left outside, and they seemed perfectly happy to sleep in the gazebo. The other pets (who had been in travel crates on the carts) were put up in the brewery for the night, unfortunately still in their boxes. They'd find better places for them in the morning, but for now, the focus was just getting a good night's sleep.

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The sizzle of frying bacon and sausages woke Amelia up the next morning, and she stretched luxuriously in the armchair. Unfortunately, the movement dislodged Shock, who was pushed off the seat. The dog grabbed the blanket with her mouth as she fell, which ended up pulling Pancake off onto the floor with her.

The goat let out a loud bleat as he went from a cozy cuddle to the cold floor with a thud, and glared back and forth between Amelia and the dog. He was still too muzzy from sleep to make any snide comments, but Amelia decided to retreat to the kitchen before he completely woke up.

"Morning Tyni! Sleep well?"

"Morning missy! Like a log! Elisabet didn't believe me about how comfy the beds are here, but last night was the first time the boy slept through the night! A miracle!" he grinned broadly.

"What was your son's name again? I'm sorry, I tried to remember them all, but there were just so many names!" Amelia asked, embarrassed.

"It's Onni. Don't worry, missy! There's a lot of us, for sure, but you'll get 'em all eventually. Nobody minds!" he said as he expertly turned the rashers of bacon on the massive griddle.

"I know, but I'm just terrible with names. Maybe I should make up name tags for everybody to wear for the next few days, that'll help!" she joked as started mixing up a massive batch of pancake batter. It was nice to have an oven large enough to cook for an army.

"Smells good! Need any help?" came a female voice. Amelia glanced back to see Quiet, Picker's mother. The goblin didn't wait for an answer, and slid into the kitchen to start cooking the clutch of eggs Amelia had pulled from the pantry.

"Good morning! Sleep well?"

"I did! Thanks! Best sleep in ages, and I've slept in some pretty fancy places back in my misspent youth. My son couldn't stop singing the praises of this place, so I had to see for myself. He wasn't wrong!"

"Picker? Said more than two words? Wow!"

"That boy, you just have to know how to read him. He's just like his father. Hoards words as if they were his life's blood."

As they worked and chatted, more and more of the dwarves and goblins woke and came downstairs. Amelia finally broke away from the cooking to organize seating, but she found Bellows, Picker's father-in-law, had already set up the tables and benches outside. They'd sit under the open sky so they wouldn't have to move the ponies before breakfast.

It was a boisterous group that finally gathered around the tables to eat, well-rested and cheerful. The good food didn't hurt, either. Tyni already looked more relaxed than when he'd arrived, happy to be cooking again. He barely sat, running back and forth from the kitchen to refill plates and mugs, a satisfied grin on his face.

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Amelia blushed as she was praised and thanked repeatedly as they ate. She truly didn't feel like she deserved the kind words. Bert provided the space and food, Tyni had done most of the cooking, and she was just the caretaker here. But she was glad people were happy.

Fast broken, the conversation eventually turned to future plans. The dwarves and goblins had been focused on getting to the hollow, with its promise of a safe place to live. Other than mining the cavern in the vault, they hadn't given too much thought to the future beyond. Amelia listened as the debate ranged far and wide. It was generally agreed the miners would focus on extracting valuable minerals from the seams in the cavern, once the dangerous fungi were eliminated. They had contacted Reginald, and the boar had arranged a contact to buy some raw ore. That, plus the returns on the money they had invested with the merchant's help, they hoped would carry them through until they could set up some other business ventures. It remained unspoken, but it was obvious to Amelia they were concerned about being taken as freeloaders, and they were planning on doing everything they could to earn their place in the hollow.

Of course, with so many happy, ebullient people around, Bert was gaining energy like crazy. That wasn't at all why she had invited them to stay, but that more than made up for their keep, had they known.

[Notice: Energy at maximum. Buffering overcharge temporarily. Consider placing or modifying rooms.]

As soon as she received that message from Bert, Amelia perked up. She'd been doodling some sketches and notes on a notepad already but wanted to consult with the new inhabitants before making any changes. She was going to reorganize again, and she wanted it to be a surprise! But hopefully, a pleasant one that catered to their needs. She decided to start with Tyni. The dwarf was puttering around in the kitchen, more for his own amusement than for anything needing doing.

"Hey Tyni! Got a minute?" she asked when she made sure there was no one else around.

"Sure, missy. Whatcha need?"

"I just wanted to check something. I can't remember names, but I did remember some things. I know you like to cook, and Tuuka is a brewer. I think Picker likes to fish, but I don't know if that's actually his hobby. Several of the girls said something about printing, like with a press? And I think I heard something about blacksmithing. Is that everybody? Besides mining, of course."

Tyni dried his hands on a towel while he thought about it. He stared off into space for a moment or two as he thought over those who had come with them to the hollow.

"Lets see. Miners by profession, many of us. You knew that. Brewing is Tuuka's passion. Printers, Blacksmith, yep. My Elisabet loves to sculpt when she has time. The kids really haven't had time to find themselves, so no worry there. Scorper is a wood-worker--goblin names tend to work that way. Hmmm. I think some of the lads would be happy to try anything that isn't mining, for a bit. Picker and his mum were adventurers. And of course, cooking and hospitality is my passion." he finished, nodding his head as he ticked off the list.

"We'll probably work on getting a forge and smithy set up first. Then we can make and maintain tools for the rest. Don't worry, missy, we'll be out of your hair as soon as we can!" he assured her.

"None of that! You guys are staying, and that's final! I'll be back in a bit. Bert is feeling full, and I'm gonna solve several problems all at once." Amelia responded enigmatically.

She started to leave the kitchen, then turned back with a thought. "While you guys were gone, we opened the hollow to ramblers and other visitors. I've been stocking the table in the gazebo with snacks and tea and such. Would you have any interest in doing that sort of thing? I was thinking tea and biscuits should be free, just to entice people in. But maybe we could sell cooked lunches, baked goods, things like that. What do you think?"

Tyni was surprised but intrigued by the idea. "I might need to draft some help, what with keeping that lot fed as well, but that would be grand! Pies, cakes, biscuits! Ooh! Soup with bread bowls for cold days. Bacon-wrapped bacon on a stick!"

The dwarf didn't answer her question, but she took his grinning chortle as a yes. His gaze was off in the distance as he rubbed his hands together, already planning a menu. She quietly left him to his daydreaming.

A moment later, she was back. "Uh, sorry to interrupt. And I don't mean to be rude if this is insensitive or anything. But do goblins and dwarves prefer to be above ground, or below ground, or do you guys care?" She winced as she asked it, realizing how stereotypical the question was.

"No worries! Goblins prefer underground, almost to a man. Dwarves are more individual, but we're usually fine either way. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just needed to know which way to expand, is all. Uh, you might watch your footing for a bit. Cottage might move around a little soon."

"What? Missy, what are you up to?" but the girl had already zipped out the door. He watched as she went from goblin to goblin, then dwarf to dwarf, asking questions and taking notes on a pad of paper. They all seemed happy to answer her questions, and frequently he saw them pointing out things in her notes, or several times taking the pad and writing or drawing themselves. He wasn't sure what she was up to, but she seemed determined to get lots of input, whatever it was.

The dwarf was just putting another kettle on for more tea when he felt a strange, sort of stretching feeling that lasted just an eye blink. Suddenly, the kitchen was at least twice as long as it had been before, with even more counter space, tables, cabinets, and floor space. The oven had grown correspondingly larger as well, with multiple cooktop spots and several doors for different baking compartments. Rows of industrial-looking pots, pans, and utensils hung from hooks all around the room. Most of the surfaces were now gleaming stainless steel or porcelain. Only the flower and baby animal motif on the backsplashes and trivets remained like the original.

Whisper wobbled up from her spot, disturbed from her nap. She glowed angry blue for a moment, then started drifting around examining the new space.

Tyni smiled, enticed by the new capacity in the room. He made a beeline to the pantry, which had also doubled in size, and now had a tight spiral staircase descending to a second level, delightfully chilly. It was packed to the ceiling with perishable goods like meats and dairy products, all clearly labeled and stored appropriately.

The dwarf scratched the back of his neck for a moment. He'd certainly have to find an assistant. Or two.

Amelia was certainly making it clear she wanted them, and him especially, to stay and be happy. Which was fine with him. The days on the road after living in the cottage for just a few nights had felt like torture. Arriving home to the spartan hovel his family had been forced to subsist in were worse. It nearly broke his heart seeing his wife making do like that. He had vowed he would do better for her, and for Onni.

Wiping a tear away with his apron, he composed himself, then went back upstairs to the ground floor. If the kitchen had changed that much, there were bound to be other changes to see. Like the new dumbwaiter, and the new room suddenly attached to the kitchen!

Amelia gathered the group that were still debating at the table, then had to wait while a few ran off to round up the children, who had wandered off to play with Shock, Pancake, and Fern. Briar was even pried out of her inspection of the vastly expanded garden region. Amelia had taken care not to have Bert place any plants there, but just to expand the boundaries and tillable soil, so the goblin could choose how to spread out her lovelies.

"Okay, everybody! Sorry to interrupt, but I've made some changes to the cottage and grounds, and I wanted to show you what we got, before you guys make too many more plans. Hopefully, you like it!" she called, trying to make sure everybody could hear her. There was an excited murmur in response.

The first stop was a new clearing a short way behind the cottage. A path led around the tower, along the backside of the cottage, through the trees about twenty feet or so, then into a cleared space. It was obviously meant to be a private space, not attached to the walking trails of the rest of the hollow.

The clearing was about the same size as the cottage yard, with two large stone, timber, and thatched buildings at opposite corners, and a roofed stable area in another corner. The nearer stone structure was completely enclosed, with no windows. A chimney was on one side, and a second pipe next to it appeared to be venting steam. The far building was roofed over, but three-quarters of the space was an open workshop, with the rest a large storage and inside workspace.

Bellows, Picker's father-in-law, nearly fainted when he saw the new, fully stocked smithy. Amelia practically had to shove him inside, telling him three times that it was his, and to make himself at home. Several of the goblins and dwarves whistled in envy, but Tyni, Tuuka, and Picker assured them they wouldn't be forgotten. They could tell by the mischievous look on their host's face.

"I put this here so it would be out of the way of any visitors, so you could work in peace. And so the noise wouldn't be a problem if someone wants to sleep in or something." Then she led them towards the other stone building. Stet, Bellow's wife, had to drag the goblin by the ear to get him out of the workshop. He still clutched a hammer to his chest like a drowning man would hold a life preserver, a grin plastered on his face.

"Just wait until you see this next one!"