Chapter One

Bilbo stared up at the dwarven statues guarding the gate. "That one looks like you!" Kili exclaimed and pointed at the statue on the left, as Fili looked at the statue.

"No it doesn't not really." Fili protested and Bilbo smiled at both the young dwarves.

"He looks a bit like you, just like I look a bit like any other hobbit. Your hair curls similarly so I could see why Kili thought it looked like you." Bilbo said and stretched out his arms. "Personally I want to go to the market and get a proper meal, before we go to find your family, don't think there will be much time otherwise."

"I'm fine with that, I'm hungry as well and well I'm nervous about this." Fili admitted.

"They are your family Fili."

"You're my family Bilbo, you and Kili, you are who I grew up with and who I care the most about. I haven't seen my Uncle or my mother since I was twenty four, I hardly remember them."

"But you remembered enough to know they were from Erebor, that they would be here in the mountain, if they were still alive."

"That's a large if Bilbo, I'm not sure we should have come, I was happy in the Shire with you and Kili."

"But would you have never known your kin, you deserve to know them Fili."

"They didn't look for us!" Fili protested.

"How do you know they didn't, just because they didn't show up to the Shire, doesn't mean they didn't search for you, that they didn't miss you." Bilbo settled an arm around the young dwarf's shoulders.

"How do you know that they will want to see us? How do you know that they will accept us, dwarves that were raised by a hobbit they call brother? How do you know they won't take one look at us and send us on our way?"

"Because you are family and family matters to every race on Middle Earth. Of course they will want to know you, who wouldn't? You are brave, kind and funny young dwarrows and how could anyone that knows you not come to care about you. Your family will want to know you boys, everything will be fine."

"And you'll find your match and we'll all live happily ever after, as we dance through the daisies?" Fili demanded. "Oh its a pretty picture you make, but life is seldom as simple as all that."

"Well can you at least try to hold back your fears, until they are well founded?" Bilbo asked and Fili nodded, as Kili frowned.

"You really think that they won't accept us Fi?" Kili asked.

"I don't know, most likely they will, and if not we'll always have one another and Bilbo." Fili said.

"You can count on that, but perhaps we should buy some dwarven clothing."

"I wouldn't be comfortable in that, I prefer my waistcoat, there's no point in pretending to be something I'm not." Kili stated and Fili nodded.

"I agree with Kili, I wouldn't even know how to wear dwarven clothing." Fili admitted and Bilbo nodded.

"Whatever you boys want to do." Bilbo said and smiled at the guard who stared at him and his nephews.

"What is your business in Erebor?"

"We're meeting with our kin." Fili replied and the dwarf nodded.

"What's in the wagon?"

"Some of our possessions, we are considering moving to Erebor." Fili replied and the dwarf nodded.

"Then you wouldn't mind if we searched your wagon."

"We have nothing to hide." Fili replied and Bilbo nodded.

"If you wish to look inside you may." Bilbo stated and the guard went around back to the wagon, which held furniture, a bed and several other belongings.

"Seems like your more than considering moving, however all are welcome in Erebor, as long as they contribute to the good of the community."

"And we intend to, once we are settled." Fili stated and the dwarf nodded, letting them into the city.

Bilbo nodded towards a place where other wagons were being kept, he parked his and paid a fee for putting the horses in a stable and for someone to watch over the wagon. He then went with Fili and Kili to the section of the market selling food.

"What is all this?" Fili said looking at a stall and frowning. "Why would anyone want something called rock cakes?" He muttered and Bilbo chuckled, as Kili ran excitedly ahead before running back to Fili and Bilbo.

"They are selling meat pastries!" Kili called. "Can we get some? Can we Bilbo?" He demanded and Bilbo smiled.

"I don't see why not." Bilbo stated. "Lead the way." He added and Kili lead him to a stall that smelled good, Bilbo paid for three pastries for each of them and they ate them as they walked around the market. Bilbo saw something that looked somewhat like unrolled sticky rolls and bought some for all three of them. "Where do you think we'll find your family?" Bilbo asked biting off a piece of the pastry and ate it.

"I think we should go to the council hall and see if anyone has heard of them. Though it might be hard to find them without knowing their lineage, I mean the names Thorin and Dwalin isn't much to track anyone down by." Fili said and frowned. "What if the council won't be able to help?"

"If they are unable to help we'll think of something else Fi, we'll find a way for you to meet your family again."

"I just remember them talking about Erebor, saying about how much better it was before the dragon came."

"At least you can remember them, I can't remember them at all." Kili said and nibbled on his pastry. They walked together through the streets each focused on their own thoughts. They finished the pastries and cleaned their fingers with handkerchiefs.

"Well we should go then, I want to get this over with." Fili stated and Bilbo nodded.

"Whatever you believe to be best." Bilbo replied and clapped both dwarrows on the back. "Now lets get this business done, then we can search for housing." Bilbo said and Fili and Kili nodded. They walked together to the council hall and cued in line behind the others waiting. They got a lot of strange looks for their manner of dress, particularly Fili and Kili, as well as the way their hair was tied back. Fili stiffened at the looks, while Kili seemed oblivious.

Bilbo waited with his brothers until he got to the front of the line and was escorted forward, the king stared directly at him a stunned look upon his face. Bilbo strode forward and smiled at the dwarven king, before bowing low. "I am Bilbo Baggins of Bagend, I have come to find my heartsign and to help my heartkin find their bloodkin. For that purpose I would like to enlist the help of the court to search for the family of those I consider to be brothers. All we have to go on is several names and the memories of small children, but we would be grateful for any assistance you could provide."

"What are the names of those you are searching for?" A dwarrowdam interrupted and Bilbo smiled at her.

"I am in search of three dwarves, Thorin, Dwalin and Gloin, as well as a fourth which Fili and Kili only remember as their mother." Bilbo said and the dwarrowdam stared at the boys in shock, looking at them hungrily.

"How can you be certain that these young men are Fili and Kili?" A bald dwarf demanded and Fili looked over to him and stared a moment before breaking into a wide smile.

"Cousin Dwalin?" Fili demanded and the man looked at him assessing. "You got more tattoos, do you still have the axes? I could lift one now." He smiled at the dwarf.

"That you could, how is it that Fili and Kili came into your care?" Dwalin demanded and Bilbo smiled at Dwalin.

"I am glad that we found you, I never stopped sending missives, but at first the boys used assumed names and later after many years passed I suppose that you gave up hope to see them and so did not pay attention to any notices I had posted."

"Why didn't you take them to a dwarven settlement? Why did none of our folk come for them?" Dwalin demanded as the dwarrowdam continued to simply stare at Fili and Kili.

"Amad?" Fili interrupted as he looked back at the woman and a moment later both brothers ran forward and into the dwarrowdam's arms, she held them and cried, stroking their hair and looking at each one in turn.

Bilbo smiled at the boys and their mother, they had cried at first for her and even though that stopped in time, they had still missed her. She was never far from their thoughts and Bilbo had tried to draw a portrait of her, but had never managed to do so, as he hadn't met her himself. He had wished often that his brothers could find their kinsmen and he was delighted that they had, though slightly unnerved by the dwarf who hadn't yet stopped staring at him. "Several offered over the years to take them in, but either they seemed to be going through hard times themselves, or they seemed unsuitable to care for them. I decided that they deserved to be with their kin and that I would not simply allow any dwarrow to take them. However they also had the right to know their culture and traditions and to that purpose I found a tutor for them in Bree that was willing to teach them Khudzul as well as battle tactics and blacksmithing. When they were not in lessons with that dwarf, they were being taught by my kinsmen."

"So you speak the tongue," Dwalin asked.

"Yes we speak it cousin."

"As do I, I have never met my heartsign, which is the hobbit equivalent of a one, but due to my taking longer to age than the rest of my kinsmen, my One is a dwarf and therefore I am allowed to learn the mother tongue of my One's people." Bilbo said.

"You say your One is a dwarf, but you do not recognize him?" For the first time the king spoke.

"Hobbits recognize their heartkin only by touch." Bilbo replied and the king nodded, before lurching forward and kissing Bilbo demandingly. Bilbo felt Thorin's claim, Thorin's possession and the burning heat radiating out from his chest. He gasped and Thorin took that as encouragement to deepen the kiss. Bilbo felt a white hot fury as he leapt backwards as if scalded. "How dare you? How dare you commit such a public display? Without even offering to court me, or asking to touch that which is not yours!"

"Not mine! You belong to me, as I belong to you."

"I belong to myself, just as you belong to yourself. We may share a heartbeat and might have come from the same breath of the valar, but that does not make you have a claim to my person!" Bilbo said he was so angry, this wasn't how courting was done at all. When first being courted such public displays were never done, even married couples didn't carry on so. He had barely spoken an entire sentence to Bilbo, before rushing in and kissing her with a demand that not only frightened her, but also appalled her. To be kissed so publically amidst so many strangers was outrageous to his hobbit sensibilities. More over he had been claimed as though he were a mere servant wench, that others did what they wanted to. King or No, his heartsign or no, he would not allow someone to act so towards him.

"How dare you force yourself upon our brother!" Kili demanded and everyone stared at him in shock, except for Fili who was just as outraged. The boys had missed the kiss, but not Bilbo's reaction to it.

"I did nothing of the kind!"

"You kissed him and he was unwilling, that's still forcing yourself upon him. You did so without the proper courting, without even attempting to get to know him first. Thereby weakening the bond between you and making it harder for a lasting and vibrant one to form."

"There are different bonds?" Thorin demanded and was met with three glares.

"There are potential bonds, bonds that might happen with time and nurturing. A heartsign is different in that those that are connected by one share a part of their life force with one another. At least that is the way with hobbits, one hobbit's life is bound to the life of their heartsign, when one dies the other follows. Moreover hobbits need to have a healthy bond to be healthy they, a weak bond, or one that is faded can do more harm than good. By forcing your first touch upon him and in such a manner, you could only have hurt the bond between you. Heartsigns show a connection that might be strong and lasting, but unlike dwarves hobbits might have more than one. This is to protect them from those that might try to harm them, or a bond that sours, so that they do not have to stay with someone cruel forever."

"So you can abandon our bond?" Thorin demanded and Bilbo nodded.

"I can and I can form another with someone else, if I so desire. Bonds can also change with time, for example my bond with Fili and Kili started as a protective one, but it turned into a blood kin bond. I consider them to be my brothers, as they consider me to be theirs." Bilbo stated. "Even hobbits don't fully understand bonds, when we feel connected with someone else, we spend more time with them, then whatever connection we might have develops naturally. By the time we touch for the first time, it does not hurt as badly as it did when you kissed me."

"I hurt you?"

"It hurts to touch up against another's fae to feel their life energy, if you do not know them and they do not know you." Bilbo replied and couldn't help but rub at his heart. "To touch a hobbit is to show your soul for a moment, but more than that it shows your intentions towards them and the bond you might have. If we accept the touch and are prepared for it, it's different, because our fae accept the energy of the other's fae and we are prepared to feel the touch of another's spirit against our own. Touch is always offered in the Shire, to touch someone without their permission is anathema." Bilbo shuddered still feeling the energy of the bond and the anger inside him, as well as Thorin's possession. For if Thorin loved Bilbo as he claimed, his intentions had not loved when he had kissed him, it had been about claiming.

"You are my One, surely my touch would not harm you."

"Your intention in that moment was not of love, but of possession. You wanted to claim me as yours and for me to recognize our bond. You did not care what might have happened to me, you simply acted upon what I said, without further explanation. You hurt me by claiming me in such a manner and angered me by doing so, I am a hobbit and we do not respond well to others trying to claim us without our consent. Moreover we do not respond well to others believing that they have a right to do what they wish to us. I have no desire to see you at the moment, good day sir." Bilbo said and turned on his heel marching out of the hall. Fili and Kili hesitated watching the hobbit retreat.

"You go Ki, I'll stay with Amad." Fili stated and Kili nodded, dashing after the hobbit and taking him by the hand. Bilbo smiled at Kili and Kili returned the smile.

"So what do you want to do brother? Would you like to run, or bake?" Kili asked and Bilbo laughed.

"You know me too well, but I don't think I can go anywhere to bake for the moment, so I suppose running it must be." Bilbo said ruffling Kili's hair. Kili laughed and dodged Bilbo's hands, before taking off down the corridors. Bilbo hesitated a moment, before following him. People stared at the hobbit and the dwarf who ran through the marketplace. Bilbo had always loved running and when he had been in middle childhood and the boys children, they had spent many hours running and playing in the Shire. Bilbo stopped in front of an alehouse and Kili chuckled.

"You want to drown your sorrows then?" Kili asked and Bilbo laughed.

"Actually I wanted to try some ale, the run helped clear my head." Bilbo said and Kili grinned.

"So you can muddle it, well I'll join you if that's alright."

"Of course." Bilbo said and sat down with Kili, they drank four flagons, before Bilbo even thought of going back. "We should go..."

"One more round." Kili said. "I don't want to think about it. I'm sorry Bilbo."

"Its not your fault who your kinsman is." Bilbo replied and drank another flagon with Kili, starting to feel slightly drunk, while Kili was clearly more than slightly. Bilbo ordered two more flagons each and tried to order a third, which the dwarf tapping the barrels refused.

"You've drunk enough." He stated and Bilbo frowned, he was drunk, but not so drunk that his mind could be free of what had happened, nor the disappointment that went along with it. He had never expected his first meeting with his heartsign to go so and he felt hurt fill him. He had traveled across middle earth, for a man that wanted only to possess him he put his head on the table and started to cry.

"Sahalll right." Kili slurred, his hand stroking against Bilbo's back, Bilbo felt his brother's desire to comfort him and continued to cry. "Iahm heeer." He continued to stroke Bilbo's back until Bilbo was able to gain control of himself. Bilbo sat up and dabbed at his cheeks with a handkerchief. "Lehts go.

"Alright Ki, thank you." Bilbo said and the stall owner stared at him in confusion, as Bilbo took Kili's hand. "We could go back to the wagon for now."

"No, Fili." Kili said and Bilbo smiled.

"I'll get Fili for you, you need to sleep it off, it's stronger than hobbit ale." Bilbo said and Kili laughed, then nearly stumbled over the cobblestones. Bilbo tried to correct his balance and nearly caused them to both overbalance. They both laughed as they managed to right themselves and walked down the street. Bilbo realized soon that he had no idea of where they were and the streets were much like a maze. Kili stumbled along with him and he was growing tired of feeling the young dwarf's drunken good cheer. Moreover he was getting hungry and it was clear that they had somehow made their way into the crafter's portion of the market. Bilbo realized that perhaps that part of the market wasn't the best place to be in drunk and followed his nose back to the food stalls. At this point Kili was yawning.

"Mm sleepy Bilbo." He complained and Bilbo sighed, clearly the ale had helped Kili, but as for him, it had only seemed to darken his mood.

"I know, next time don't drink as much as I do." Bilbo said and Kili pouted.

"Its not fair, why you get to drink more?"

"Because I hold it better." Bilbo stated and Kili smiled.

"Wanna run?" He asked and Bilbo shook his head.

"No Kili, I want to get some food and find our wagon." Bilbo replied and Kili pouted.

"I wanna run." He said and Bilbo sighed, Kili acted a few years younger than he should at the best of times, but in his cups he sometimes had the habit of acting like a belligerent fauntling.

"I know, but lets get something to eat first alright?" Bilbo asked and Kili frowned a minute before nodding. They walked together to a stall, when a man in the colors of the royal guard ran up to them.

"Your wanted in the dining hall."

"We are fine eating here and then we need to get back to our wagon, if you know the way."

"It is the King's orders." The man said and Bilbo arched an eyebrow.

"Well if the king orders it." Bilbo stated and walked with Kili and the guard to the dining hall. He took the spot next to Fili.

"Your chair is at my side." Thorin stated.

"My chair is where I want it to be."

"Do not defy me!"

"You aren't my king, nor do you have a right to seek to control me." Bilbo stated and glared at Thorin. "I will sit between my brothers." He stated and Kili picked that moment to turn green. "Someone take Kili to the privy." He said and one of the guards leapt up and escorted Kili to the nearest privy, Bilbo followed behind them and held back Kili's hair as he threw up most of his ale. "Don't try to out drink hobbits if you want to keep your ale instead of loosing it." Bilbo chided gently. "That's it lad better out then in, soon you'll be feeling better." He promised feeling slightly bad about not making sure Kili didn't drink too much. Finally Kili finished and dabbed at his mouth with his handkerchief. "Do you want to eat, or would you rather lie down, I'm sure your Uncle would forgive your absence due to your being sick."

"I'm hungry, your right I drank too much." Kili said and Bilbo shook his head, as he followed the young dwarf back to the table.

"Are you alright?" Fili asked and Kili nodded.

"Need to learn my limits." Kili stated and smiled at his brother, as Bilbo sat between them.

"So what did you do after leaving the hall?"

"We ran through the market and found an ale stall, dwarven ale is stronger than what's brewed in the Shire." Bilbo said and smiled at Fili. "We then found our way back to the food stalls, when the guard caught up with us." Bilbo saw a pitcher of water and poured some for Kili, adding a few sprigs of mint from one of his pockets.

"Thanks Bilbo." Kili said and drank the water slowly before chewing at the peppermint. "Not as good hot, but still a relief." He said and Bilbo smiled at his brother. He poured himself more ale and Kili eyed the cup. "You sure about having some?" He asked and Bilbo nodded firmly.

"I know my limits." Bilbo stated and waited for the courses to arrive. He was hungrier than anticipated and was surprised at the different things on the table. Kili started asking what they were, as several courses seemed different than what people ate in the Shire. Kili poked at a grey cake frowning down at it and Bilbo looked at the young dwarf, until he finally put some of the rock cake in his mouth and hastily reached for his water.

"Don't try the cake, its spicy Bilbo." Kili warned and Bilbo smiled.

"I thought you liked spicy.

"Not something that burns like fire!"

"Really like fire?" Fili asked and took a bite of his cake, chewing thoughtfully a moment, before hastily reaching for his ale cup. "You can't taste anything but the heat." He complained after downing his ale.

"That's the point, it puts hair on your chest and warms you in the cold." Dwalin stated laughing at the reaction the boys had. "You should try it, you could do with more hair." Dwalin told Bilbo who arched an eyebrow, before cutting into the cake.

"Don't do it Bilbo." Kili said as Bilbo hesitated a moment, before taking a bite and chewing. The cake was filled with hot peppers and what seemed to be potatoes. Bilbo found that he actually liked the taste; he'd developed a fondness for spicy food when Fili and Kili had started asking for it years ago. While it was much spicier than anything he had tried and felt like his mouth was on fire and made him break out in a sweat, he found it was not entirely unpleasant, particularly when washed down with ale. He finished his mug and switched to water, noticing how the world had started to blur pleasantly. He continued to eat the cake, as other dwarves stared at him in astonishment. He finished it and dabbed at his face with his napkin.

"A bit hot for my taste, but it was excellent none the less. I could never get peppers to grow right in our garden at home, do you like it Fili?" Bilbo asked and smiled at Fili who grinned at him.

"Well enough with ale to wash it down." Fili stated and Bilbo laughed smacking Fili on the back, as Fili laughed as well.

"The boys wanted spicy food and so I learned how to grow peppers and prepare them, while I don't usually make things that spicy, I found it to be quite tasty. As for hair we grow that on our feet and not on our chins as you dwarves do. I doubt my hair will grow overmuch from eating spicy peppers." Bilbo said and leaned back. His mouth was finally easing in its burning. "Could I trouble someone for some lemon?" He asked.

"Ooh I want some too." Fili said and finished his mug of ale.

"And me." Kili said. Several lemons were brought and Bilbo cut into one squeezing it into the three glasses. He then downed his and shuddered slightly at the sensation, his mouth filled with the sour and the leftover spice. He then poured a glass of water for himself. He smiled as Fili downed it and laughed at his face as he gulped down the water.

"Why are you eating lemons?" Dwalin asked.

"It helps to dull the spice." Bilbo replied. "The sour doesn't last as long on the tongue." He explained and drank a further two cups of water. "Not to mention that they used to have fun watching my face, when I cooked something spicy so I decided turn about was fair play. I learned to enjoy spice and they learned to enjoy sour things and we all got to enjoy each other's faces." Bilbo laughed at the memory.

"I'd like to try some." Dwalin said and Bilbo frowned.

"Well there's enough left." Bilbo said and passed Dwalin a lemon, he squirted it into his cup and knocked it back. His face was a picture as he let out a yell and quickly reached for the water.

"How do you stand that?" He demanded and Bilbo laughed.

"Its something that takes some getting used to." Bilbo said.

"Some getting used to?" Dwalin questioned as the next course arrived, this time it was fish, with corn and mashed potatoes. Bilbo enjoyed the subtlety flavored fish and corn, as well as the potatoes. He skipped the next course, which seemed to be some sort of spicy soup. The course after that was a potato casserole. Bilbo tried some of it and decided that he liked it, despite it being somewhat more spicy than what he would have made.

"Where are we staying tonight?" Kili asked suddenly.

"In the royal quarters, where else would you stay?" Dwalin asked. "After dinner is done, a servant will show you to your rooms."

"Oh alright." Kili said and smiled. "It will be good not to sleep in the wagon again." He said and yawned. "Excuse me." He said as the deserts arrived. Bilbo was glad because he felt slightly uncomfortable with everyone looking at him when they thought he wasn't looking. Bilbo took a slice of pie, before passing it down the table. He ate the pie and smiled at Kili who had taken several of the different cakes. Bilbo chuckled as Fili frowned.

"You were sick earlier, how can you eat so much? Won't you be sick again?"

"I'm fine." Kili assured his brother, before digging into the cake. "Just drank a bit much is all." He said and Fili nodded. Bilbo had stopped trying to fully control what his brothers ate several years earlier. Bilbo finished his slice of pie and sat at the table, when he noticed that no one else had stood. It took several more minutes before Thorin got to his feet swaying and clearly very drunk.

"Goodnight." He said and left the hall; a servant came up to them and led them to their rooms. Bilbo frowned when he heard crashing next door to his, followed by cursing. Bilbo went hurriedly into the room and stared at Thorin who was tangled in his armor.

"Do you need help?" Bilbo asked.

"Go away." Thorin said and Bilbo frowned, as Thorin tried to untangle his armor from around his legs, only he was uncoordinated due to being drunk and wasn't managing much of anything. Bilbo straitened out the armor and helped Thorin out of it, which glared at him. "Why you helping me?"

"Because you need it." Bilbo replied, feeling a bit of anger as well as lust from Thorin.

"So you can touch me, but I can't touch you?" Thorin actually looked like he was pouting.

"Do you not want me to help, because I can go back to my room." Bilbo said and stood swaying slightly, as he held out his hands and Thorin took them lurching to his feet.

"Why are you helping me?" Thorin asked.

"Because you need it and you're too stubborn to ask for it." Bilbo replied and smiled. "I am quite used to how stubborn dwarves can be. Let me tell you, that was a challenge when they were small." Bilbo laughed at the memory as he helped Thorin out of his chain mail shirt. "Do you need help with your shoes?" Bilbo asked and Thorin grumbled, before he sat down on the bed and Bilbo untied his boots. This time it was a bit of confusion and gratitude as well as the ever present desire Bilbo felt directed towards him. "Goodnight." Bilbo said, before retreating towards the door, before he was half way across the room, Thorin started snoring. Bilbo smiled, before realizing that he had to snuff out the candles in the room still and so he went around the room blowing them out. He hesitated by the bed, looking at the dwarf who had sprawled across it. Thorin laid on his back his arms and legs outstretched, his mouth open as he snored. Bilbo smiled softly, before seeing a blanket on the back of the chair and going towards it. He had almost grabbed it when Thorin let out a moan. Bilbo turned back towards the bed and stared as Thorin's hips jerked up and down. he muttered something in his sleep, which was unintelligible. Bilbo stared at the dwarf in shock, he felt his face flame in response to the sleeping dwarf's wanton behavior and felt his cock harden in response. Bilbo knew he shouldn't be watching Thorin, but he was held transfixed as the dwarf pleasured his dream partner and took his pleasure in return.

"Bilbo!" Thorin cried and stilled as a wet stain spread across his underclothing. Bilbo blushed and nearly ran from the room and into his own. He closed the door behind him and stripped to his underclothing. He then got into bed and fell asleep