Little Terror's

Part two

I can't believe that I wrote a second chapter to this ridiculous story! That's all of you people fault who send me even PM's home from FF, glares. I truly didn't expect one to even read this madness of mine leave alone hunt me down for a second chapter, honestly told… oh well, here you go and I hope you enjoy your victory. Shakes her head and mumbles to herself… as if I have not enough going on already, darn plot bunnies! Get me all the time again, urgh!

Thorin warily eyed the 'Lump', alternatively known as Bilbo Baggins by some, on the sleeping platform.

He wasn't the only one that felt rather odd since waking up when thinking about Bilbo. Currently Nori, Dori, Gloin, Dwalin and his Brother sat together with Thorin in a cycle and whispered and gesticulated wildly away whilst trying not to look at the 'Lump' to often. Said Lump was rather unaware of their mortified observation of him or it's new naming and slept peacefully the day away with the ease of a person that had done hard labor the day before to earn the right.

In other words, Bilbo was still fully out cold to the world around him.

They had outworn the poor Hobbit the day before. Now, in the light of the new day, Thorin and co could see the various scratches, cuts, blue and slowly green turning spots all over Bilbo's small frame with ease and guilt written all over their faces. Worse, they even remembered clearly now who had put which one where and when!

And that wasn't even the worst that they did remember… sadly it was far from it actually.

The given Baths, his feeding of them, and so on came to each ones mind in the cycle around the pit as well as his pats on their heads and cuddles. Slowly but steadily they all did remember the events of the day before and some sported rather hard blushes at their own activities from the day prior.

In other words, it was an awkward silence that hung over the group of Dwarves that one could have cut with a knife.

*He took care of me and Balin after I fell into the river. Damn Wizard, can not even watch over a bunch of Dwarvlings!* Signed Dwalin angrily who now sported an adorable blush and a matching scowl when he finished. He opened up a can filled with wiggling worms that way unknowingly and like a waterfall the others followed suit.

Next to him Nori nodded and grinned like a fox while he signed away a short sentence too that had all of them snigger madly. *Rescued me from the Wizard when I stole a part of his beard as a present! He still has it hidden in his pocket. I saw it earlier stick out!* he looked rather smuck at the clearly amused faces of his fellow Dwarves in the round.

Around him they all needed a while to calm down again whilst they covertly looked at the visible tear in the dozing off Gandalfs' beard.

Fili sat down next to his uncle and begun to sign away fast.

*Kept Beorn off my tail when I peed in his bed!* That had a new attack of laughter following in its wake. But Fili wasn't finished. *But what's even better, he send Gandalf and the Bear man running outside with a glare when both begun to cuss in front of us all!*

This time, various members of the ever so slowly growing cycle had to wipe the tears out of their eyes.

Kili, kneeling down next to Fili begun to sign a series of visibly harsher, more hacked off looking signs in their hidden sign language, Iglishmêk. *That Wizard called Ori, Fili and me little Ringwraiths!* He balled his fists and hit them together in front of his chest to point out his displeasure at the naming of him and his friends even more.

Gandalf, who had stepped outside a moment before, missed the angry looks that followed his wake now.

Bifur promptly made a quick series of hand movements that had all soon laugh again and clap him on his back. *And? As I do remember correctly, Bilbo shooed him off when he reached you lot and told him to scam and to not call his, I repeat, lovely little Dwarvling's, that, ever again. Moreso, when I burned his silly looking hat and Gandalf wanted to scold me for it, Bilbo hid me behind him and told the Wizard not to let his things lay around in easy reach of us if he wanted to keep them in one piece!*

He looked rather smug at his doings when Thorin blushed uncharacteristically and then he signed hesitantly away.

*He rescued me again from my own idiocy, it is becoming an me embarrassing habit of his if he keeps that up.* The company looked confused and concerned at their King. Balin looked at him even with slight disapproval showing on his face. *What did you do this time, lad?* He signed carefully avoiding to put too much of his irritation into the way he wove the complicated the gestures. Thorin's blush deepened to a deeply scarlet hue when he finally huffed and signed his answer back to Balin and the group.

*I, may or may have not, pestered the Beehives for more honey and he had to rescue me and got hurt in my steed from one of those monsters defending it.*

Thorin stubbornly avoided looking at anyone in the round and crossed his arms with a mope. Next to him, Dwalin growled softly. *So, that's why he was rubbing his back yesterday all the time!* Thorin nodded, clearly uncomfortable looking in his skin. His face now clearly showed his remorse at his stupid actions from the day before.

Fili rubbed his back comfortingly with a short laugh.

*We all were mighty morons yesterday as it seems to me.* He signed and then looked at each of the others who suddenly looked everywhere else than the eyes of the heir apparent of the house of Durin in their center of attention.

Balin; *I nearly ate a toxic Mushroom that I usually would not even touch! He took it away just in time and gave me a small cake instead without a scolding.* His soft blush had the others snort.

Dwalin; *I nearly drowned, confound that nearsighted Wizard! From all people it had to be the Hobbit that had to calm me down…I will never forgive Gandalf that happening ever in my life!*

Dori; *He caught me barely before I fell down the stairs of the cellar and rescued Balin when I accidentally gave him said mushroom.* He blushed rather badly when he finished his signs and looked rather uncomfortably at Balin who patted him reassuringly on the back.

Ori; *He did bake me a cake!* Here, all grinned at the young scribe, remembering the cute little baby that Bilbo had coaxed out of his hiding spot with a cake and soft words the day before.

Bifur; Rescued me from the Wizard's wrath and got a glower for it without to make a fuzz about it.*

Oin; *Helped me and Bombur to bake the most perfect sand cakes!* At this, all broke out in wild chuckles. *Oi! Even Beorn seemed to like them! We almost made him eat one… thought Bilbo rescued him in time, darn sneaky Hobbit. Gave him one of the tasty cookies instead.* He joked and new sniggers filled the room out.

Kili; *Didn't say anything when I tried to eat up his toe. Just pulled me off and gave me a sandwich and even sung me a lullaby.* Another bout of wild chuckles swapped over the group. He rubbed the back of his head uncomfortable at that and smiled too.

Fili; *Helped me hiding from Beorn when he wanted to polish my ass for peeing on his bed. Even managed to look completely innocent up at the giant when he wanted to know where he had hidden me away from his wrath.* Several members of their group had now to hold their hands in front of their mouths or had to bite into something to keep from bursting out in uproarious laughter.

They did not want to wake their burglar up accidentally.

Bofur sighed and gesticulated away. *In short, we all own him big time for taking care of us little terrors. Not to mention take the brunt for our shenanigans for more than one time too on the way.*

And just like that, the mirth died down all at once like air released from a balloon. All eyed Bilbo for a few moments before they looked back at each other. All of the Dwarves sported an equally self-conscious look on their faces.

Balin rubbed his face wearily before his hands flew into the signs again.

*He is right, we really do own our esteemed Hobbit much this time! Oh Mahal, we really have been little 'terror's' as you so aptly have named us, Bofur son of Rofur.* He shook his head with a frown. *As if we do not already own him enough as it is and to top that, before it all, we were really a rather unfriendly bunch to the kind soul that is Bilbo Baggins. This is really a bad situation to fall into. Our honor is now at stake here and I don't think that I have to point it out more as necessary to each one of you here anymore as I have already done it. Curse that meddlesome Wizard to forget to warn us about Beorn's special brew!*

He scowled at the wide open doors through those Gandalf had gone out for a longer walk, still gesturing away without looking at the others.

*We will be the scorn and hilarity of all the other Dwarven clans once this comes out and do not do something to clear up this vexing situation soon! Not to mention that such would give munity to those tongue wagers that want us ill all the time and call our race thick, unsociable and hardheaded.

Mahal forbid that the elves ever hear of it!*

Here, everyone in the cycle nodded or grunted their assent. The most now sporting a dark scowl or they were suddenly blanching a little.

Ori's eyes held a dark glint inside that was not normal for the rather kind hearted Dwarf to sport when his hands flew agitated through the gestures of the silent language of his people.

*We really have to think of something to pay his kindness back this time! And more so, we have to apologize to him for our rude manners! Mahal, what if he hadn't taken care of us?! Gandalf clearly has had no experience with little ones of any race before this. It showed in how he reacted to us all the time, if one thinks about it more closely. No matter how we turn it around, Bilbo was the one who feed, cleaned, played and coddled us and even clothed us yesterday. He was the one who took care of us for the most of the time and the one who kept us out of trouble without so much as to scowl at us for only once!*

His face indicated how upset the young Dwarf felt about the entire matter when he dropped his hands into his lap gloomily.

Next to him, his brothers nodded along and Bombur made a series of gestures that indicated the utter embarrassment of one at ones own actions in their silent language that was echoed from almost all in the round at once.

*The only problem with that, that I see here is that Bilbo will not take too well to such at all, I fear.*

Bofur scratched his head before he continued, gestures coming a lot slower this time to point out what he wanted to get across.

*As I have come to know him, Bilbo will most likely see this as nothing worthy to even talk about it much, he simply is kindhearted like that. Believe it or not. From what I know about Hobbits; they do seem to see what he did as an expected duty for all adults to take on. I mean to care for little ones of any race when they find them in need of it.*

He scratched his arm this time and grimaced at the confused looks that his signs earned.

*Uh, they do not see it as something special, like others normally do it? Rather, like something that is a given fact? No wonder if ye ask me when ye look at the numbers of little ones that run around in the Shire. They, like us, love and adore children and seem to be brought up to care for any little one that they find placed in their paths.*

At that, Thorin groaned aloud. *But this isn't so for all the races in Arda, Bofur! The most would have kicked us around and not taken care of us.*

The Miner nodded. *I know that also, Thorin! But this is how he will most likely see the entire thing and more so; I dread that he will fear now that we will be angry at him again with him having been the one to do so and see us at our weakest point possible. We really did not treat him well at the beginning and that got stuck way too much within our poor Hobbit, Thorin Oakenshield!* his hot glare had the King fast look down. Well knowing that he had earned it.

Another bout of groans and growls, sighs and whines were voiced out from the Dwarves around the fire pit.

Gloin had his carefully braided beard worried open in places and fisted a few strands hard until Oin moved to loosen his grip on his facial hair with practiced ease. *My wife will have my head for this if she ever learns about it! Not to mention what she will do to me once she finds out that we have still not rewarded him for all the trouble he went through on our expense!*

Bofur nodded to that and so did Oin and Balin.

Gloin's wife could react rather harshly at times. She did not easily suffer morons around her and she would certainly didn't like to have to find out that her husband was one of the biggest ones possible, either. They all knew the friend of the lady Dis of the line of Durin and some like Thorin did shudder ever so slightly at the thought of her finding that out too.

Fili groaned subdued next to Thorin and Kili rubbed his face at the prospect of having to face the two formidable she Dwarves.

*So, what do you propose that we do than, Bofur? You seem to have befriended him a bit.* Dwalin signed whilst he arched a brow at the still only half dressed Miner across from him on the other side of the fire. Bofur shrugged softly and begun to gnaw on one of his fingernails. A nervous habit that he had developed into when his family was wandering around in the early days after the fall of Erebor.

Finally he hesitantly signed back a series of gestures to the warrior.

*He is a straightforward creature, our Hobbit. He truly loves and prefers simple things to any gems that we could dig out of the mountains for him. You saw how amusingly he reacts to flowers at times!* Around him snorts and chuckles took up and died down again. *All he craves for himself is friendship and acceptance, me thinks. He really has no ulterior motives further than that, if he even is knowing the meaning of the word, ulterior, that is. From what I could gather so far, he has no close family left in this world at all. A larger distantly related bunch of relatives, yes but no one of his near family. They all did die under the hands of Warg riders and Ork's in the fell winter a few years back, when they invaded the Shire.*

He shook his head fondly and a little sad at his own words. Then his face hardened in an grimace of pain and suppressed rage.

*He even had to watch his mother die protecting him from them, when he was younger and lost his family. Gandalf came with Rangers and helped to drive the Orks away again but it was too late for his mother and father.*

Around him, Thorin and co cursed under their breath or simply scowled mightily at the walls or the fire to hide their shocks.

After a while his cousin made gestures other as expressing his anger again.

*We could begin with it to see to it that Bilbo gets more to eat! He never complains but I heard his stomach growl more than one time. Hobbits need a lot more sustenance as we do. He is almost nothing else as skin and bones under his cloths anymore!*

At the others alarmed looks about his observation, Kili and Fili exchanged a glance with each other before they gathered up their things and went to Beorn outside on the porch. To ask if they could go on a hunt outside of his territory and to tell him why they wanted to do so.

The large shapeshifter looked down at the duo for long moments before he told them where to go and what they had to keep in mind while they hunted.

Both bowed deeply to the shapeshifter and thanked him vehemently and did promise not to shoot one of his friends accidentally. Than both walked out of his estate to get some food other as the honey, bread and fruits from the tall man's home and gardens, for their Hobbity friend to consume this evening at the evening meal.

In the meanwhile, Ori had walked over to Bilbo's clothes that lay neatly folded at the foot of his bedding. He made a softly tittering sound before he showed the group what was left of Bilbo's once so prim and proper looking waistcoat and trousers with a grimace.

Obviously, they all had yesterday given the entire garb the rest.

It was torn in some places with parts of the heavy wool missing in places. Drool, dried Orc blood and other unpleasant things had colored it in several places. In short, the Hobbit badly needed new outfit. Some of the Dwarves remembered horrified how some of the various stains and ribs had come to pass and blanched at the sight of the only collection of clothing that their Hobbit had to his owning after the debacle with the Goblins and warg riders.

Thorin even blanched rapidly at the blood stains he saw marring the once so fine a waistcoat. Well knowing how easily those stains could have been the Hobbit's own blood because of his lack of a proper armor to keep him from harm.

*That fits it for me!* Dori clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention to him to then sign away with a heavy scowl on his normally friendly face.

*Ori, you go and knit the lad some good mittens and a damned shawl. It will be colder now where we travel to, this region was always a colder climatic zone in the past. Since it is situated nearer to the northern Iceland's, he will freeze otherwise as thin as Bilbo has become under our 'care'! Bofur, maybe you and your cousin can whittle down some items for him to replace the ones that he lost in the caves and on the run?*

At the nod of both and Bombur's signs that he would make a better filling dinner this eve, Dori who had taken over somehow without so much as a complain from anyone in the round, nodded.

*And for us others too, please. We all lost nearly all of our gear. And we need to regain our weight to be healthy enough to got through Mirkwood in one piece. I will take Balin with me to Beorn and between the both of us we should be able to charm our host into giving us out some of his leathers to make Bilbo new garments.*

He crossed his arms with a frown in the direction of Bilbo's sleeping form. Than he signed away again.

*The poor lad needed better clothing since the beginning anyways! That Wizard and his meddling, what was he thinking, throwing the Halfling headfirst into such an adventure without to help him pack for it at all?! What kind of attire is Bilbo's garb to begin with it? It has no protective abilities at all. I get an ill feeling when I think of it, what all exactly, could have injured him until here so easily! It is a wonder in itself that he is still in one piece and with us if you ask me.*

The entire group of Dwarves nodded at his observation of the obvious.

Thorin gave the fuming Dori a shortcut nod to show his acceptance of his ordering around of his Dwarves.

*Dwalin, Gloin and I wanted to put up a small forge for repairs in the yard anyways. We have already asked Beorn when we arrived if we could do so to replace and mend our equipment. He gave his acceptance in turn for us to repair some of his items here. We will see to it that he gets some better protection, even I do know well enough that Bilbo will try to bite our heads off for putting him into a Dwarven gear most likely. I will not suffer it any longer that Bilbo is so easy a target that he was before! From here on, our real troubles begin and it gets more dangerous as even on our journey here!*

Thorin crossed his arms with a stubborn setting of his chin that his nephews often showed too when they were dead set on getting their will done. It was a sight that Balin and the others had secretly duped the 'Durin scowl'.

Never less, all agreed that Thorin was right in this and did not comment on it too overly much.

Sure, Bilbo would probably fight against it to be put into an armor of any kind, even they had gotten to know him well enough already to predict this easily but this time, their Burglar would have to face down thirteen stubborn Dwarves at once if needed to get their will done.

And if Bilbo threw a temper tantrum from here on until they reached Erebor; he would wear an armor from now on and that was the final word in this as far as all the Dwarves were concerned.

Blinks out from her safe hiding spot under the desk… damn but are they a stubborn bunch, or what? I thought at times that they would jump into my face in their anger.

someone wants another chapter? Well… than please get me a Beta? Directs her huge and teary Puppy dog eyes at her readers.