Bilbo awoke some time later to a knocking on the door. Without waiting for a reply Balin gently pushed it open. The old dwarf hadn't faired too well during the battle and was still limping from a blow to the legs that he had been dealt by an orc, but aside from the limp he had healed well enough.

"G'morning lad," he said. Bilbo sat up and gave a loud yawn and stretch. In Balin's hand was a new container of ink. He raised it up slightly so Bilbo could see. "I'll just put this on the desk. Come down to breakfast when you're ready; wouldn't wait too long though seeing as Kili and Fili are both awake."

The hobbit smiled gently. "Thank you Balin. I'll be down shortly."

Not but a week ago, Bilbo had slept in later than he had meant, and when he went to eat breakfast, he found each and every plate and platter empty, and Kili and Fili the only ones present. After Bilbo whining from hunger for the better part of the morning, the dwarves agreed to wake Bilbo every morning.

After struggling with another yawn, Bilbo rolled out of bed following Balin's exit. He splashed his face with the water in a basin he kept in the corner, brushed through his curly hair and dressed in his dwarfish style garbs. He didn't quite mind the style- which included baggy coats, pants and lots of fur and leather- but he still longed for the vests and rolled up pants that were stylish in the shire. He missed the colors of greens and yellows that the hobbits held dear while the dwarves wanted nothing but black and blue. In fact, there were a lot of things he missed about the Shire. Bag End being one of them. How he longed for his own bed, his kitchen stocked full of every food a hungry hobbit could desire, his warm hearth, and his books.

"But I'll be back soon, right?" he murmured distantly.

Bilbo made his way down through the twisting tunnels to the dining hall. The floors changed from pathway to pathway, some contained tiles with lovely patterns on them, and others looked like the rock of the mountain had merely been flattened. Torches provided light in the otherwise dark tunnels. It had taken him a couple weeks to be able to traverse the tunnels on his own; on more than one occasion prior to that he had gotten hopelessly lost to the points the dwarves had to send out a search party for him.

Today however he found the dining hall with ease. Just as he was about to push through the double doors before him to enter, an arm hooked under his on either side, pulling him forward.

"Good morning Master Hobbit!" cheered one voice.

"Come sit by us today Bilbo!" the other one implored.

Bilbo sighed as he was pulled into the room towards the long table, on which platters of food had been dished out by Bofur who was on kitchen duty that week. Kili was on his right, Fili on the left, both grinning from ear to ear in a mischievous way that seemed to be normal for them. Without allowing the hobbit to reply they seated him down at the table before taking up beside him. Fili was already scoping out the food and dragging some towards him and Kili was smiling brightly as a morning person would be.

"Did you sleep well Bilbo?" Kili asked. He had fared badly during the battle, but after a good length of time bandaged up and confined to his bed he turned out alright; he had even been able to finally grow in a thick goatee much to his delight. He had also taken to wearing his dark hair up in a ponytail.

"Not as well as I would have like to," he admitted. He picked up his fork and began stabbing some sliced ham onto it followed by some peaches and walnuts.

Fili glanced over, now frowning. "Is there something wrong with your bed?"

"No it's just-"

"Uncle!" Kili shouted out, cupping his hands to his face to extend his voice to the end of the table. "Something is wrong with Bilbo's bed!" He then wore a wicked grin. "Maybe you should check that out-"

Bilbo slammed his foot down on Kili's making the young dwarf yelp. "Quiet you foolish Durin!" he hissed.

"Is something the matter?" came the rough voice of the king from the far end of the table. His steely blue eyes were staring down Bilbo and the tenseness of his shoulders indicated that he was ready to jump up at a moment's notice.

Bilbo gave a nervous laugh. Fili leaned forward, blocking Bilbo's explanation. "Bilbo is acting funny!"

Thorin raised a dark brow at his nephew's accusation. He would never admit it amongst his brethren, but he was always worried for the hobbit's health. Bilbo had been put through a sort of adventure that the average hobbit was not accustom to. Hobbits were the sort that sat in their homes all day, telling tales of old; the most physical labor they had were tending gardens. Bilbo had been trekking with The Company for seasons, had to defend himself from the vicious onslaught of orcs, tiptoe around a dragon, survive traveling down river in barrel and so much more. Hobbits also weren't used to being confined in such rocky, dusty quarters. Thorin was grateful, as were all the other dwarves, but he worried that it wasn't in the blood of hobbits to be so brave or kept in such a dark place. Was Bilbo ailing in some way unbeknownst to the group? Was he as healthy as a good hobbit should be? Fili's exclamation worried him more than any in the room could have guessed.

"Don't pay any heed to your nephews," Bilbo huffed. "They're merely trying to get a rise out of me."

The twins began to laugh. "We succeeded did we not?"

The trio began to bicker playfully with each other. Thorin watched, still submerged in worry over Bilbo's wellbeing. He had been acting a little strange, of that there was no question. But why? What was grating on his nerves almost as much was how friendly Kili and Fili had both become with the hobbit. Of course it was good that they were friends, but there was a line that they were trotting that seemed almost more. And for some reason Thorin found himself gritting his teeth whenever the three were together.

Thorin was suddenly roused from his thoughts when he heard Bilbo pushing his chair back and the hobbit took to his feet. All of dwarves looked at him strangely from their positions around the table. A silence fell over the group.

"Actually, I was planning on making an announcement," he stated.

The King Under the Mountain gestured for him to speak. "Well? What is it Master Hobbit?"

Bilbo took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. With everyone's attention-including Thorin's- on him, he found it hard to break the news. But from deep within his gut he roused the confidence he needed to utter out the words that sent Thorin's fork clattering to his plate.

"I'm returning to the Shire."

Nobody spoke. Not a breath was heard. Fili and Kili looked up at Bilbo from his sides in disbelief and there was a collective stare from the others, especially Thorin.

Kili took one of Bilbo's hands. "Why would you want to leave Erebor?" he asked with distress.

"Please don't leave us," Fili whined, taking the other hand in his. "You've become like family!"

Bilbo looked down to their frowning faces. "I am sorry. Truly, I am. But Erebor is not my home."

"We could make it your home!" Fili protested. Then he paused and looked twice as sad. "Have we not done a good job making you feel at home?"

The hobbit laid a hand on Fili's head. "The lot of you have been wonderful. I have never felt more welcomed into anyone's home before."

"Then w-"Bombur began.

"I miss the Shire," Bilbo admitted, his tone low and sad, enough to make Thorin's heart ache. His eyes swept around the room, connecting which each of the dwarves before settling primarily on Thorin's. "I miss the rolling green hills. I miss the gardens. I miss my books. I miss Bag End. I miss…home."

The Company remained quiet.

"I would love to spend the rest of my life with you all," he began again. "Each one of you has been a better friend than any I knew up until our Journey began. But, my place is not here. It is not in the darkness beneath the Earth. That is no place for a hobbit."

He tilted his head back. He hadn't expected the silence. Bilbo expected violent yells, empty threats. Anything but silence.

"I'm going on one last adventure….back home," he finished.

Fili and Kili both whipped around to face their uncle who was staring at Bilbo with a blank expression.

"Uncle! Do something!" Kili begged.

Fili nodded. "Don't let Bilbo leave…"

But Thorin said nothing. He continued to stare for a couple more moments before averting his eyes entirely. But he said nothing. The twins dropped Bilbo's hands slowly and hesitantly as if a sudden fear of him disappearing before them seized their hearts. Bilbo had hoped in the bottom of his heart for some sort of protest from the king, something that might give him inkling if he felt similar feelings that Bilbo felt for him. But the silence was deafening and the message was clear to the hobbit.

He gave a sad nod to the king and began towards the doors he had used to enter the dining area. "I'm going to put the final touches on the book and start packing."

The doors closed behind him with a soft click.


Bilbo set the quill down gently and held the book before him.

"I'm…done."

Nearly a year of work, slaving over those pages with quill and ink in hand and finally it was all over. He had reckoned he would have been happier when the book had been complete, but there was a hollow feeling in his chest. With the book's completion, he was no longer bound to Erebor or the dwarves. His lone bag of his belongings was already packed and sitting on the bed, waiting for when Bilbo chose to depart. It was the middle of the day, not that one could tell that under the Misty Mountains; Bilbo's plan was to leave before nightfall and head towards Rivendale for a brief visit with Elrond before continuing on to the Shire.

"Do you really intend to leave?"

Despite the familiarity of the situation, Bilbo jumped. He cast an irritated look over his shoulder at Thorin who was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His eyes lacked the normal harshness and had replaced with something Bilbo couldn't identify.

"Yes."

The dwarf king gave a deep sigh and advanced towards him. "Kili and Fili suggested I should keep you here by force." By then Thorin was before him, staring down at him. The proximity made Bilbo feel heat rush to his cheeks, especially after talk of force. "But that would only push you away, would it not?"

Bilbo nodded mutely. It was hard to gather himself when his nose was being bombarded by Thorin's scent-a mix of leather, earth, and some spicy smell that was unique to the dwarf.

The dwarf king began rummaging around in his pocket. Bilbo cocked a curious brow but said nothing. Out of his pocket he pulled a small metal trinket that glistened in candle light. Thorin reached down and tilted Bilbo's head to the side by pressing his rough feeling thumb against his chin. He clipped the item on Bilbo's slightly pointed ear.

"What-"

"It's an earring clip bearing the coat of arms for the Durin line," Thorin explained. He ran a finger over the metal piece, tracing the swirls cut into it. "It is only to be given to those who are friends of our people…and you, Bilbo, surpass even that; we are in debt to you for helping us reclaim Erebor."

Bilbo felt another rush of blood to his cheeks. But again, he said nothing. Thorin had expected some sort of answer and when he received none he slowly retreated back to the doorway.

"I cannot think of a reason you would want to stay," Thorin mumbled, his voice no more than a rumble in the back of his throat it would seem.

That's not true.

Bilbo wanted to reach up and run his hands through Thorin's main of black hair, to tug on all the braids, to tell him how he truly felt, how he wanted to stay for him. But not at the risk of being turned down. If Thorin wasn't interested…their friendship would be beyond salvation.

"I've completed the book," Bilbo told him in a flat tone, gesturing at the desk where the book sat.

Thorin offered a small smile. "Thank you, Bilbo."

Bilbo stood before Thorin, wanting with all his heart for something to happen; he wouldn't even protest if one of the brothers came in and pushed them together. He longed for those lips on his, to feel the scratching of his beard against his own soft cheeks. It had taken him nearly the whole journey to come to grips with the fact that his heart was stolen by a dwarf-a male dwarf at that, but he knew he couldn't stand around waiting for something that may never happen.

But time slipped on, and the moment had passed. Bilbo stepped away from him and broke eye contact, as did Thorin.

"We are preparing a going away feast for you," Thorin informed him. "Please attend. It would be best to eat your fill before heading out."

Bilbo looked at his bag on his bed then at the man standing in his doorway. It wasn't like he didn't want to stay, and of course the temptation of food was nearly impossible to resist for a hobbit, but he decided against it. "I don't think I could stay for any longer." Then without meaning to he asked, "Is that why you came in?"

Thorin's heart skipped a beat, but he chose to ignore it. "What other reason could there be?"

A sad smile spread across Bilbo's lips not for the first time that day. "I see," he said in a faint voice, almost defeated.

The dwarf immediately regretted his words, but there wasn't much he could do. Instead of an apology, he gave a short bow of the head and mumbled, "Are you sure you cannot stay?"

"It would be foolish to delay my departure much longer," Bilbo stated, turning away from the dwarf for fear some emotion of longing might break his confident façade. "If I stayed, I would be leaving in the dead of night. I would like to get some distance into my journey back before nightfall."

"I understand. I shall prepare some food to take with you."

"Thanks Thorin-"

But when Bilbo turned around he was gone.