DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE HOBBIT

Here we come this day,

To chant the final lay,

That has no end,

For family and friend ( Verse 1 of the Requiem for Kings)

Bilbo Baggins unhooked the kettle from over the fire and while humming a soft tune poured the steaming water into his cup. As the pleasant fragrance of tea filled his nostrils he gave a happy sigh. He then set the kettle to the side and picked up his plate and went to retrieve dinner from his stove. It had been fourteen years since that horrible Battle of Five Armies and he still hadn't fully recovered. There were times when the memories would rush back to him and he would stand stiff in a corner with his hands shaking and his fingers reaching for his ring. Then the moment would pass and Bilbo would sink to the floor and cry his heart out. The horror of the war and the pain of the passing of his friends were still fresh in his heart and those wounds simply refused to close.

He settled down at his table and tucked the napkin into the top of his robe and reached for the salt. He sprinkled it over his food and then reached for a slice of lime and did the same. As the last drops of juice dripped from between his fingers, the door bell rang. Bilbo's head jerked up. The last time he was in this position and a door bell rang, he had opened it to see a tall bald, tattooed dwarf. Bilbo's heart began to beat faster as he got up while whipping his hand in his robe. It couldn't be. They were all in Erebor. There was no way in the all the good green Shire that his wish would come true and he would open the door to find Dwalin standing in the night in front of his house.

He reached for the door handle and hesistated. Then he shook himself, took hold of the doorknob and swung the door open. Bilbo let out a small squeak.

"Dwalin, at your service," Dwalin said bowing to Bilbo in the same manner he had all those long years ago. But this time Bilbo did not hurriedly tie his robe and return the greeting. This time he gave another small sound of happy disbelief and flung himself at the tall dwarf.

Dwalin caught Bilbo his broad thick arms and hugged his burglar tight. Then Bilbo pulled back laughed with tears in his voice.

"Where are my manners? Come in. Come in. You're not late this time. And it is here. You are most welcome to dinner."

Dwalin smiled and reached behind to pick up a rather large basket.

"I came prepared this time," Dwalin said, "I broght some stuff to help along with getting dinner prepared."

Bilbo laughed again and the two went inside. Dwalin swung his cloak off and followed Bilbo to his little eating table by the stove.

"Go ahead and start eating," Bilbo said gesturing as his still hot dinner, "I'll go and open up the pantry." He went off humming again toward his pantry to make sure that he was not under stocked. He knew how much dwarves ate, especially Bombur and…

Bilbo paused at the pantry door and took a ragged breath. The words 'Kili and Fili' burned in his mind and made his body shake with a pain that ran hot through his veins. As he stood trying to compose himself he heard the door bell ring again.

He reached the door in a few steps and flung it open to find Balin standing looking out into the night. Balin then turned and smiled at Bilbo.

"Balin, at your service," Balin said spreading his arms wide and bowing. Bilbo grinned back at him.

"Good evening," Bilbo said.

"Yes it is," Balin replied grinning back then he stepped forward and whispered conspiratorially, "But I think it might rain later."

Bilbo could not hold himself back. He laughed and hugged Balin. Balin held the hobbit fondly and then turning he spotted Dwalin who just came out from finishing Bilbo's dinner. Balin left Bilbo's side to go over and greet his brother. Bilbo watched with a smile as they embraced and butted each other heads. Hard. Then the three proceeded to continue checking out the pantry.

Bilbo left them to pry about the shelves of food and hanging rows of onions and bottles of jams, while he leaned against the doorpost offering comments about food when they picked it up and asked what it was. Just then the door bell rang again. Bilbo jerked around and almost ran to the door but then caught himself. Kili and Fili were supposed to come next. Bilbo walked slowly to the door, wishing harder than he ever had before that he would open the door and see a golden haired dwarf with a raven haired dwarf standing next to him. He wished he could hear them introduce themselves and see Kili's bright smile again as he mispronounced his name. He wished he could be rough housed away from his own door and be forced to hold their various assortment of weapon. He wanted Fili and Kili back.

He swallowed his longing and pulled open the door to see an assortment of dwarves fall through it and sprawl on the floor. Bilbo shook his head and sighed in amusement as they began quarrelling with each other about this not being the same order they fell in last time.

It was chaos in the kitchen just as it was the last time. Bilbo tired to help move things to the table but instead he felt like leaf being blown this way and that through the busily moving bodies of the dwarves. In the end he simply stood, closed his eyes and held his head in his hands until he felt someone hold him about the waist and set him on a chair. When he looked up, he saw Bofur smiling down at him before going back to get more food. Then the eating began. Bilbo laughed and drank and even tossed some food around for old times' sake as the dwarves ate around him. But yet the gaiety felt strained. As if they were all trying just a bit too hard to be happy. Bilbo fell silent and carefully watched each of his friends. He began to note the small signs that had been so cleverly concealed before. Balin's drawn out look and Dwalin's lack of fire in his eyes. Bombur small frame and Bifur's less vibrant gesturing. Oin's slurred speech and the hidden panic in Gloin's features. Ori's and Dori's grateful yet worried glances at their haggard looking brother. And what hit Bilbo the hardest was the forceful way in which Bofur was keeping that smile on his face and the steady stream of cheerful banter going.

Then suddenly everyone began to grow silent. The merry shouts and actions all grew less and less until it finally stopped. The dwarves sat with their faces looking tired and old. Then as if given a signal they all got up and began to clear away the food. No song was sung as they moved like ghosts around the table stacking the wares up. There was no Kili and Fili to start the clean up song. Bilbo watched in a sad awe as they flung, kicked and juggled the wares about their bodies and into the sink and onto the table.

When they were all done they stood about the room awkwardly. Bilbo felt confused then it hit him. They were all waiting. It was time for Thorin to come and pound on the door announcing his arrival. An awful silence filled the room and the minutes ticked by and no longed for knock came on the door. The dwarves looked around at the each other and then without warning, Bofur burst in tears.