Bilbo had planned out how he was going to tell Thorin. He had done his research and found out the correct symbol that he needed and even roped Fili and Kili into the plan by getting them to find the bead.

He had offered to redo Thorin's braids and the dwarf accepted which was the last piece of the plan that he thought could go wrong. As he redid one of the braids, he subtly slipped the new bead into the King's hair where he knew it would be easily spotted by the other and smiled secretly to himself. He had been hiding his smile for the rest of the night, waiting for the next morning when the King would spot it in his hair.

Thorin was always up first and he assumed no different when he awoke that morning and saw the bead, deftly undoing the braid to remove it before fastening it again while the Hobbit was still asleep. What he didn't know was that it was a special occasion and Bilbo made sure he woke earlier than usual just to see the joy on the other's face when he realised. Bilbo watched him remove the bead and waited for him to leave the room before he began to sob, the texts about the beads had all explained what the removal of them meant. He curled into a tight ball as he cried and clutched at his stomach as the phrase repeated itself in his head as if on a loop.

'The removal of a pregnancy bead signifies either: the loss of the child before birth or the rejection of the heir and, by default, the mother.'

He couldn't focus on anything other than the King rejecting him only months after their wedding, he hadn't even thought there was anything wrong between them to have prompted the rejection. He didn't even notice when he missed breakfast or lunch but he left before Thorin could come back to the room so that he didn't have to face the other. He found an empty chamber on the other side of the mountain and decided he would claim that as his own for the meantime. He was so far removed from everyone else he didn't notice Thorin searching the mountain for him for the whole night.

The following day he heard the King's voice worriedly calling his name as he checked the chambers along that corridor so he slipped on the ring and watched the man look in there before walking out again in a panic. The gold ring slipped from his fingers with ease but it did nothing to ease the pain in his heart at the rejection. It seemed that Thorin didn't wish to reject Bilbo, only their child and the Hobbit couldn't comprehend that.

His stomach protested loudly at the end of the second day without sleep and Bilbo curled up on the floor as he shivered from the lack of warmth around him and clutched his stomach from the pain. Thorin slept restlessly without his betrothed by his side but the council had deemed that a day of searching he should return to his duties as it was clear the creature had left the city.

Thorin was sparring with his nephews the following day when he finally got a chance to understand the sudden disappearance.

"How's Bilbo been uncle?"

"I haven't seen him. The other day the hobbit asked to braid my hair and I let him but then I haven't seen him since the following morning. Do you know, my silly burglar put in a pregnancy bead? He really ought to learn what these things mean if he's going to live here. Naturally I took it out before anyone else could see. He might not know the meaning but every other person here does." Thorin was not expecting the sudden punch to his jaw from Kili who looked furious at what he heard.

"You bastard!"

"I am your King, your uncle and your elder. Treat me as such."

"I will treat you how you deserve to be treated. You are not the King I thought you were."

"If you are not happy here, you can leave, no one is holding you here!"

"Going to throw me from the parapets like you wanted to do with Bilbo?"

"I didn't."

"No, you didn't. You did something far worse. You crushed his heart, his joy, not his body. That stupid hobbit, as you say, spent weeks researching our customs to find a way to tell you until he asked for my help. I gave it uncle, I helped him find the information he was after on our ways and then I even helped him to get hold of one of the beads without you finding out. I gave him the pep talk that enabled him to tell you because he was so excited but so nervous, so scared of you sending him away. He wanted to tell you properly according to customs, our customs as he knew you wouldn't understand him suddenly planting a grove of orange trees."

"He knew what it was?"

"Yes, as little as you think of his willingness to learn he asked Fili and I to teach him all of our customs to surprise you with his knowledge when you mentioned or did something. That's how he guessed on the existence of the bead."

"But I took it out."

"Like I said," Kili whispered icily, "you bastard."

"I did not intend to hurt my burglar."

"But you did Thorin. What really matters is what you did, not what you intended to do."

"He thinks I rejected him?"

"You know the customs, there are only two reasons to take out the bead, he hasn't lost the baby."

"How was I meant to know he was being serious?"

"Because you should have trusted him to know what he was doing!"

"Orange trees you say? Gather all the seeds you can while I get ready. I'm planting his grove and then taking the journey back to Bag End to find my hobbit and bring him home."

Bilbo had decided he couldn't go longer without food so he slipped on the ring and began walking to the kitchens. The entire way there he heard murmurings from those he passed of the King undertaking the journey to the Shire and knew that he was the only reason he would be going there. After eating his fill, he slowly made his way back to the Royal chambers, suddenly exhausted. Only once he was there and knew no one could see him, he slipped off the ring and under the covers, burrowing down with a shiver but refusing to go to sleep.

The King appeared after an hour or so and Bilbo had never thought he looked more like his perfect match than with dirt covered hands like he'd been in the garden and it smudged across his forehead. Thorin didn't notice Bilbo under the mound of covers but he heard the sudden intake of breath when he turned around slightly and a bit of light shone on the bead he had returned to his hair. Instantly he was on his knees next to the edge of the bed and tentatively reached out a hand to cup the Hobbit's cheek.

"Bilbo," he breathed out in relief and lent over the edge of the bed to connect their lips sensuously. As soon as their lips met, Bilbo began to cling to Thorin like a lifeline and refused to let him move back, even after they parted from the kiss. Without moving the small arms from where they clutched at him, Thorin carefully climbed into the bed and wrapped the other up in his returned embrace, pulling him into his chest. "You came back."

"I never left. I walked past you this morning and you were going to pack and then there were whispers going around that you were going to the Shire to find me. I couldn't let that happen. You put the bead back in."

"This morning? I found out that you did actually know what you were doing rather than just putting a normal bead in."

"So it wasn't because you don't want me?"

"No love."

"And it wasn't because you want me to get rid of our child?" he asked fearfully.

"Never," growled the King, gripping the man tighter to him. "You lost weight."

"I didn't want to run into you in the mountain."

"You didn't eat."

"I had some lunch today."

"Not good enough. I want you and my baby healthy and that means you have to eat. The full 7 Hobbit meals a day. Are you hungry now? Does your back hurt, do you want a back rub? Cold, more blankets?"

"Thorin, there is only one thing I want right now."

"What? Tell me and you shall have it."

"You."

"Oh, Mahal. I love you, I do, I love you. I always will. I'm so glad you didn't go home for me to find you as I have you back so much sooner this way."

"Shut up," Bilbo purred before pulling the other back into a fierce kiss. "You were wrong by the way. I did go home. I reclaimed it for you and your kin and claimed it alongside you as my own once I had. I am home in your arms."

"You shall ever have a home there."