When he was driving down the highway, Thorin didn't watch the city lights anymore. No matter what city he was in, no matter how he felt, his always found them. Living in cardboard boxes, sleeping on street corners. Skinny or fat, no in between. At home, most of them knew him, waved smiled, no matter how high they were, or how much of their blood or urine was pooled beneath them. In other places, even then, they felt familiar, as though once they had know each others' names. He found himself talking to them outside restaurants, smiling at them by taxi stands, lending a hand with scrawny babies.

They were homeless and they made him feel at home

As always, when he swung into the driveway the bottom of his car scraped the rough curbside. Something in the engine choked, and as always, he ignored it.

No one was gathered outside, the city air was as cold tonight as its lights were warm. The doorway was piled with boots, lined up according to size and colour. Thorin could almost see Ori crouching outside sorting them out, hating the way his hands shook, needing everything to be straight before he could enter. Drugs made his OCD worse, but no matter how many phone calls Boofus made, all the city's rehab centres were full this winter. Whether that was because of their drug detox programmes or the under floor heating was unsure.

Thorin found his place in the line-up and slipping his feet out into the open air. The door creaked like always, as he hurried in inside.

Heads swung up at the sound of his footfalls and someone dropped a piece of firewood.

"Thorin!"

"Hey look who it is!"
"Finally!"
"Tho'in!"
"Shh Claire, its nap time"
The crowd shuffle apart at the foot of the fire for him.

"C'mere lad, its freezing out"

That was Dis, missing teeth and all, handing him wood to load onto the flames. Her skin and eyes showed the tell-tale signs of an addict, but she was clean. She had been for almost 6 months now, cold turkey, with no underfloor heating.

In a different life, Dis' strong will would have carried her high in the world, earnt her power. Instead, it saved her from her own personal hell, and here, in front of the fireplace with wood covering his hands, Thorin knew which life was more valuable.

"Where're been Thorin? Been missing you pretty face around here for too long!"
Her laugh was wind through wire, all breath and screech.

"I've been away. An old friend of mine got married, sent me an invitation all out of the blue"
The fire curled his hair into dryness. He needed to shave.

"Look at that! A wedding! Were you two close?"
"Oh, we were, in high school. Balin too. Odd fellow, but I guess he found a girl at least"
Claire's mum spoke up from her spot on the stone hearth.

"Good odd or bad odd?"
"Good, good! Just a weird. Nice though, or at least if he liked you. We used to call him 'The Dragon'. If you got on the wrong side of The Dragon, then you'd better watch out! On the right side though, couldn't have a better friend, and as loyal as hell"
They all nodded, Dis more violently than the rest.

"Thats alright then! Only good friends for our Thorin!"
Definite, violent nodding from all this time. Ori, curled up in his chair, smiled in agreement and wonder at all the uniformed and organised head bobbin. Thorin smiled back.

"I'll tell you what though, cheapest bastard there ever was! Worse even than Gloin!"

The man in question blushed indignantly and they laughed at him.

"Unbelievable, but true. And still! Anyone not at the top table: paper plates. At his own wedding!"

There was disbelief, laughter, and speculation. Thorin was a good story teller. After a while, wood crackling behind him, he reached into his bag.

"Luck for you though, I'm not The Dragon. Like any good friend, I thought, I'll need to cheer them up since they haven't seen me for so long. So guess what I brought?"
With a flourish, he produced a small paper packet that fit snuggly into Claire's hand. She abandoned her pretense of sleep and gasped.

"Present?!"
"Present indeed. For everyone!"
He open his bag wider and stood up. Claire's parcel was unwrapped to reveal a small wooden fish. Two cars for the small boys that lay under the grown ups chairs. Flowers for Dis, a miniature model house for Bombur. Seaside rocks, wooden monkey, three baby windmills, a lion. Ori, a bottle for his collection. Nori, cinnamon doughnuts. Dori, two bottles of ginger ale. And a last one for Balin.

"Where is my fine white haired friend?"

Gloin glanced up, lion gripped firmly in hand.

"He's in the office. Or maybe the sick bay. With Bilbo"
Oin nodded

"Two boys came in here this morning, all bashed up. Twins, I reckon. He was doing physical checks for the records and trying to patch them up. Twice, Nori had to go out for extra bandages, isn't that right?"

They all nodded in agreement, sympathy for a young pair of their own so hurt, coming out in head gestures. Bofur looked up at him.

"I think he was trying to convince them to stay the night"

Thorin nodded. They would need persuading, they always did, but in weather like this it was even more important. He left the warm circle of fire half reluctantly.

He would see if Balin need help, or wait outside the door for him.

If there were two new residents needing sleep and a doctor, then there would be plenty of work to be done.