Ch. 7

Peridot felt guilty over her sister Primrose, she had been so caught up in finding her match and pushing Bofur into a relationship. She had missed what was going on around her. Prim had found love! And like the terrible sister she was, she had not even noticed.

Peri shuffled into their sitting room after the courting ceremony between Prim and Nori, slipping onto the floor next to her in front of the fireplace.

Prim grinned of at her sister before pouring her a cup of tea.

"I'm sorry Prim."

"Sorry? For what?"

"I haven't been here for you. You've been going about it all by yourself and I couldn't even be bothered to notice you had found someone."

"Oh Peri. You were a little distracted."

Peri flushed at the implications. "Well, you know…"

"Do I? I can say that all Nori and I have done is kiss. Though he does like to hold my hand."

Prim grinned as she heard Peri huff next to her. "You mean all you've done so far. There are plenty of dim corridors in the mountain."

"Aye, and I'm sure he knows all of them!" She laughed, "Oh Peridot, I'm not like you. Even just the thought of doing something … intimate…with Nori, sends me flushing bright red."

"Oh?" Peri grinned at her sister, "But you have thought of it."

"Peri!"

The twins laughter carried out into the hall, causing Thorin and Bilba to smile as they walked by, both heading back to their own rooms for some much needed rest.

Everyone was glad when the Durin's Day celebrations had come to an end. A week of feasting and general bedlam was quite enough, even for Dwarves. Thorin sighed in relief when his schedule settled back into the now familiar rhythm of court and attempting to hold in his temper while dignitaries and various representatives spoke for hours about nothing at all.

It was almost with relief when Nori had appeared in the throne room, standing off in the back to one side so that Thorin would see him. Thorin gave a small nod that had, Nori nodded back before vanishing again. Thorin knew he would be waiting when court ended. He had a feeling that he would not enjoy the news.

Thorin had been right. The new was bad indeed. An Ironfist watching Bilba's cousins. He would need to set someone to guard them when they were outside of the royal halls. Maybe Kili? He had been chaffing for something to do since the snows had blocked messages from Mirkwood. Thorin still winced when he thought of the tall red headed elf.

Defiantly Kili then, maybe he would quit mooning about the mountain.

Thoughts of Kili and the twins fled as soon as he opened the door to his and Bilba's rooms and saw her asleep before the fire. She constantly complained about how cold the mountain seemed to get, he had assured her that as soon as the great forges were put back into use the mountain would stay warm, thought it might take a good many years. The dragon had done quite a lot of damage.

Kneeling next to the chair she had curled herself into, Thorin let one hand caress the great swell of her belly. He continuously thanked Mahal for bringing this small, amazing woman to him and all that she had given to him. He had never hoped to be a father, helping raise his nephews as if they would be his only chance of rearing a youngling.

Now he would have two of his own. He leaned forward and rested his head on her stomach as he felt his children move about. His children! He murmured lowly to them in Khuzdul when he felt a limb push against him.

Thorin started when he felt fingers comb through his hair, looking up to see Bilba looking down at him with a sleepy smile. "You're back early."

"I'm sorry I woke you. Nori came to court today."

"Nori? What in the world for?"

"Fili came to him a few nights ago. There has been a dwarrow watching Primrose and Peridot. They don't think he has the best of intentions for the girls."

Bilba looked at his concerned. "What can be done?"

"For now? Not much. We will keep a close watch on the girls and any dwarrow new to the mountain. I'll be speaking to Kili in the morning. I'll have him join Dwalin in watching the girls when they leave the halls."

Bilba nodded as she listened. I hope this does not spell trouble for us. It is the last thing we need right now. She gave a startled grunt as she received a particularly vicious kick. "I will be glad when these little ones make their appearance. I'm quite over being pregnant Thorin."

He laughed at her disgruntled look. "Aye, I'm quite ready to meet them myself. Soon my love, we will hold them in our arms." Thorin dropped a kiss to her belly before standing again and pulling her up. "Come on, I do believe you are supposed to be staying in the bed."

Bilba huffed in exasperation as she allowed herself to be guided back to their bed. "I'm tired of lying around all the time! I've nothing to do but read and feel fat and I've read all my books, twice!"

Thorin merely smiled as he tucked his tiny wife back in, letting her fuss as he brushed her hair from her face. He thought her adorable when she was angry.

"Stop it Thorin, I'm serious!"

"Of course you are." Thorin crawled under the covers behind Bilba, pulling her close. "I've changed my scheduling again so that I can be here with you in the early evenings. No more late court or meetings. I've already handed the mines over to Bofur so I no longer need to go to inspections more than once a month. Gloin has taken over the treasury. Dis and Fili and Balin are going to be slowly taking over more of my duties so that I can be here for you. They will be watching over everything for several months after the babies arrive."

Bilba gave a sigh as she relaxed into Thorin, he was always so warm and the best thing to cuddle up to when the draft mountain chilled her to her toes. She felt her worries melt away with the constant back pain as she drifted into sleep.

…..

Fourteen months, Bilba had now been pregnant for fourteen months. She was snappish and cursed any time she had to get up for something. Oin ignored anything he could hear while the girls laughed themselves silly.

"Laugh all you want! The two of you are courting dwarrow of your own and everyone knows marriage eventually ends up like this!" She grinned in satisfaction at the embarrassed blushes spreading to the girls' ears. "Though for your own sakes, I don't recommend being pregnant longer than a full year."

"Aye, I can see for myself how inconvenient It is. Don't worry though, it won't be much longer."

Peri nodded along, "That's right Bilba, and the babies have already dropped. So they could come any day now."

"Good." Bilba dug her knuckles into the small of her back. "I'm tired of hurting all over, and I long to see my feet again."

…..

Any day turned out to be almost a full week later. Bilba had been sitting on the edge of the bed, knuckles firmly pressed into her back as she felt pressure building again and wrapping all the way around to her front. She knew she needed to call for someone, but couldn't haul herself out of the bed to walk the short distance to the door.

Thorin would be back soon to check on her anyway, it was almost lunch. She just had to last until then.

An hour later Thorin found her in the same spot on the bed letting out a hiss reminisce of one of Doris tea kettles. He froze when she looked up at him, pain clear in her face as she eased through what he could only guess must be a contraction.

In just a few strides he was easing her back into the bed, laying her on her left side. "Will you be okay for me to get the guard? I'll have to send someone for the girls."

"I've made it this long; I think I'll be okay for a few minutes." He hissed through her teeth as she felt another contraction coming on.

He gave her a worried look before rushing to the door, sending a guard running to find help before joining Bilba again on the bed.

"They are close together, how long have you been feeling them"

"All morning I think. I didn't feel the greatest when we went to bed last night. I thought I was overly tired."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have stayed."

"It's okay Thorin, you're here now."

It felt like ages before Bilba's twin cousins came racing through the door followed closely by Oin and Dis.

Things became hectic after that, Thorin found himself shoved off the bed briefly while they looked Bilba over, "The babies are certainly ready. The question is are you?" Primrose grinned up at Bilba as Peri helped Thorin slide in behind her so he could support her.

"more than ready for this to be over you mean!"

Bilba hissed again and gripped Thorin hands tightly while her terrible awful cousin laughed at her ire.

"Let's get those babies out then yeah?"

….

It was early the next morning when things finally settled down in the royal wing. The twin sons of Bilba and Thorin were born almost twenty minutes apart, the first having taken his sweet time coming out. Thorin had wept when Bilba asked if he wanted to name one of them Frerin.

The girls and shooed Thorin out into the sitting room with the babies after Bilba had fed them, allowing him to present them to the company that had all drifted in over the course of the last several hours.

Dis, Prim, and Peri helped get Bilba cleaned up and situated back in her bed to rest before calling Thorin back in.

Primrose had gone to retrieve Thorin when she found him seated proudly on the couch before the fire. He held his sons cradled close, their tiny bodies fitting snuggly in each massive and scar covered hand. His nephews sat close, one on each side looking down in wonder at their cousins. She felt a smile crawl over her face as she heard Thorin muttering lowly in Khuzdul as Fili ran one finger gently across the fuzzy cheek of the babe closest to him.

"She's ready for you to come back now Thorin." Prim spoke gently, almost afraid to break the sweet scene before her.

He glanced up at her, a huge smile splitting his face before he slowly rose from his seat and made his way back across to the bedroom. Prim stepped aside as he slid into the room, settling back down on the bed beside Bilba, Frerin, the eldest, and Falin, the younger, nested snuggly between them.

With orders to come get them if they needed anything, Dis, Oin, and the Twins filed out of the bedroom, leaving the new family to bond before shooing out the members of the company that had come.

Prim slid up next to Nori as everyone began to left, watching as her sister did the same with Bofur. She sent a playful admonishment across the link to behave, receiving the equivalent of Prim sticking out her tongue in return.

Prim simply shook her head in amusement before giving her attention to Nori, who stood before her with his arms crossed and a strange look on his face. "You okay?"

Nori merely hummed before moving a curl that had fallen back behind her pointed ear, lingering over the tip and causing her to shiver. "You need rest, you've been up all night."

"So I have. Though I don't really feel like sleeping at the moment. It's strange. Every time we deliver a babe I feel strange after. Almost jealous in a way."

Nori tilted his head in question.

"I almost wish it was me."

At that Nori sucked in a quick breath. "Lass," he swallowed thickly, "Ye can't be saying things like that. We…we are still courtin. Not to mention there is more than one dwarf that would beat me blue if I touched ye before we wed good and proper."

Primrose pulled Nori's hands into her own, tracing the knife scars on his hands as she thought. Was this something she wanted, or was it baby fever; it tended to take over young hobbit lasses anytime they were presented with newborns. Making probably the rashest decision ever, Prim looked Nori in the eye while she gripped his hands. "Tooks are not known for being 'good and proper'."

Prim heard a strangled sound come from Nori before he snatched her up and marched off down the corridor. She had made a startled sound at being suddenly thrown over his shoulder before breaking out in delighted laughter. Fool of a Took indeed. She felt Peridot would be proud.

…..

Peridot had grinned at Prim's teasing across the link before she pulled Bofur off and down the corridor. He had enough sense to keep his mouth shut until she pushed him boldly into her own room, shutting and locking the door behind them. "I can tell you already that Prim will not be back the rest of the day, and probably not all night. And I don't really plan on letting you go anywhere either."

Peri watched in excitement as Bofur's eyes darkened, it was a moment before he could bring himself to speak. "Peridot," He whispered her name, making a shiver crawl up her spine. He had made to say something else but she cut him off before she could think through what she was doing.

"Bofur I'm tired of us dancing around each other, I'll admit that a winter wedding is a little strange by Hobbit standards but I don't think I can wait anymore." She gave him a grin. "And I don't think you can eith…" Peri squeaked in surprise when she found herself picked up suddenly and pressed against the door. Feeling the excitement building as he kissed her senseless. Only one thought raced through her mind, 'Fool of a Took indeed.'

….

Dori was going to kill him. If he found out that was.

Nori lay in his bed, Primrose across his bare chest like a limpet as she slept, one of his hands brushing through her curls. Dori was going to kill him, and probably Thorin and Bilba if they can look away from the babies long enough to notice. Dead for sure.

…...

Peridot had broken away from Bofur briefly to check on Bilba when she went to collect something to eat. Grinning as Thorin sat and watched in fascination as Bilba fed their sons. "It's good that they are eating good. It's a month early for a dwarrow birth, but they are half hobbit and should have been born a while ago."

Bilba laughed. "They arrived when they needed to and not a moment too soon."

"Aye," Thorin replied as he took Falin from Bilba and began patting him on the back.

Peri left them before making her way back to her own dwarf. She didn't care how improper it was, she wanted what Bilba had.

She began stripping almost as soon as she walked back in. Crawling back in the warm bed and curling his mustache around her fingers as he grinned down at her. Green lady willing she would be next.

Word had gone out to the mountain the day after the birth of the princes. Thorin had torn himself away from his new little family long enough to make the announcement, watching as the assembled dwarrow erupted into loud excited cheers.

Two sons! Mahal be praised two healthy sons. The celebrations began before Thorin could return to the royal wing. He would not be holding court for several months unless something happened that required his exclusive attention. Fili, Dis, and Balin seemed to have everything well enough in hand.

…..

Deep in the lower halls of the mountain an Ironfist sat drinking as the others celebrated around him. This was the sign he had been waiting for. The queen had born two healthy sons to the crown. The hobbits were the answer he had been searching for. A smirk crawled across his face when he thought of the two other hobbit lasses in the mountain. He had already found a place to hide them, now he just needed to get ahold of them.

Unknown to the dwarrow he was being watched. Three miners were sat across the bar seemingly deep into their cups. They were in fact taking their turn in watching the lone dwarf, trying to discover why he was so interested in the girls.