So I was reading the Unfinished Tales the other day & got up to the Erebor Quest part & Gandalf mentions that he meets Thorin in Bree & it gave me this fanfic idea.

Summary: After Gandalf suggests to Thorin to take a hobbit on the quest, Thorin runs into a certain Baggins in the Shire.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; The Hobbit belongs to JRR Tolkien.

Bilbo

Looking around for some pipe-weed, Bilbo was annoyed to find that he had run out of his Longbottom supply. Great, now he'd have to venture to the Southfarthing again to visit the Hornblowers for more. It's not that he didn't mind the Hornblowers; he just hated venturing too far from Hobbiton. Sure, the Southfarthing was still in the Shire, it was just too far from Bag End and Bilbo disliked gallivanting around the place. However, it couldn't be put off. This was Longbottom Leaf, the best pipe-weed the Shire had to offer!

Shutting his front door, Bilbo made his way down the steps, passing Holman Greenhand with his new apprentice, Hamfast Gamgee, in the garden. After a brief conversation with the two, Bilbo went on his way.

Thorin

Making his way through the Shire back to where he lived in exile (which was just beyond the north-western borders of the Shire), Thorin wondered if the wizard Gandalf was making a mockery of him by suggesting that one of these simple folk should join him on his quest. Thorin had passed through the Shire many times, but he had never taken much note of its inhabitants. As far as Thorin was concerned, they were merely food-growers who happened to live on either side of the dwarves' ancestral road to the Mountains. However, this time as he made his way though, he took some note of them.

The first he noticed was that many hobbits were ignoring him, despite this however they were giving him indignant looks. He would've been enraged if it weren't for the fact that he did not care for them much. Continuing on his way, Thorin was too busy musing over Erebor that he almost didn't notice a hobbit walk right into him!

"Watch it!" Thorin barked, as he captured the large package that the hobbit was carrying.

After a stumble, the hobbit got back up to his feet, "Terribly sorry there!" he said, brushing dirt off his clothes.

"Don't mind it." Thorin grunted. He took note of the package he was holding, "Pipe-weed?" He asked.

"None other than the Longbottom Leaf, best in the Shire!" the hobbit answered proudly.

Thorin couldn't supress his smirk; he had tried the Longbottom Leaf once. It was good, but not the same as the pipe-weed he usually smoked. The hobbit noticed this, and got a little offended.

"Well" he started, "It may not be fancy enough for some of you folk but it does well enough for us here, thank you."

With that, the hobbit snatched the pipe-weed out of Thorin's hands, and gave him, as many other hobbits had, an indignant look.

Thorin lost his temper at this, "I'll have you know I'm a dwarf of great importance and will not be treated as such!"

"If you're a dwarf of great importance you should learn to treat others with respect if you wish to be treated with respect in return. And you can start off by not tramping your way through the Shire making such a great racket! Good day!" and with that the hobbit stormed off.

Cursing to himself, Thorin continued on his way, only to stop at what the hobbit had yelled at him, "You can start off by not tramping your way through the Shire making such a great racket". Finally, Thorin realised how the wizard had made some sense. Maybe a quest of stealth would be better after all.

Bilbo – the night of the unexpected party

"I'd have not found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."

"Mark? There's no mark on that door it was painted a week ago!" Bilbo said as he walked over to the door to see what "mark" the dwarf was talking about. He didn't take a note of the new dwarf as he was too concerned about his door.

"There is a mark, I put it there myself" Gandalf explained as he shut the door, "Bilbo Baggins" he continued, "Allow me to introduce you to the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

Turning to face this Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo stood there in shock, as did Thorin, for the two quickly realised that they had already met before.