Chapter Seven
Bilbo awoke as light filtered into the hall and smiled down at the two babies in his arms. Both looked up at him through half shut eyes, barely moving. Bilbo stared at them a moment, before remembering that he had ordered them not to sleep the night before and had forgotten to remove that order, before falling asleep himself. He would find them something to eat and then they could sleep. He looked down at the exhausted hatchlings in his arms and vowed that he would be more careful in his words to them. The guards were still out in force and he managed to steal a sling, he couldn't miss the irony that he was more a thief now, then he had ever been in his life. He placed the hatchlings in the sling and walked quickly away, before the woman noticed the sling missing. Next he took some meat from a stall and walked quickly away. He tore into one of turkey legs he had stolen, finishing it quickly. He then chewed and fed bits and pieces of it to the hatchlings, it was not enough for the hatchlings, or himself. If he could not get enough food, this would all be for naught. It was then that Bilbo realized that he couldn't go back to the Shire, or to Thorin. The dwarves would look for him at the Shire eventually and as for Thorin, he had no guarantee that his children would be safe.
He was so tired and couldn't go very far, he might loose the baby, if he tried to escape Erebor and as much as he loved his dragon children, he loved the child of his blood and bone just as much. He would not risk his baby, not for his other children. Yet he could not allow his other children to suffer either and if he weakened, no one could protect his children, or the dwarves from his hatchlings.
Right now however, his hatchlings needed more meat and sleep. He heard the cry then, from the stall he had stolen the sling from and then from the other stall as well. He saw the guards and citizens surround the stalls, there were too many people and Bilbo could not get through, if he could not get through, he could not get meat for his children, or food for himself. They would starve, as would the child in his womb. They would starve if the dwarves continued to protect the food stalls and Bilbo knew that dwarves were a stubborn folk and would not stop protecting the stalls. They owed Bilbo nothing and Bilbo had no recourse. "Sleep my darlings." Bilbo said and saw the hatchlings close their eyes. He stroked their heads gently, they were so very small and they needed him.
He was exhausted and hungry, people were still looking for him and they would never stop looking for him. He couldn't stay, but he couldn't risk the child in his womb by walking long distances. Hobbit babes were hearty, but he knew that the babe in his belly was as much dwarf as hobbit.
"Stop this madness, please Bilbo!" Fili called out, the boys were exhausted. "For my little cousin, if not for Uncle, or the company."
"You are the ones seeking to starve your little cousin."
"You cannot steal from our people Bilbo."
"I'd leave the coin."
"The coin you stole from the treasury!"
"Yes, the coin I stole from the treasury, the coin I believe I deserve for saving your lives more than once."
"We cannot let you go Bilbo." Fili said, as Bilbo moved quietly away from where he had been and guards moved to the area from which he had talked, he was alarmed when they stayed there.
"Will you lock me up then?" Bilbo challenged. "If you lock me or my children up, I may grow to hate all of you."
"You cannot hate Uncle, but did you ever love him?" Fili asked and Bilbo moved again, as more guards came and tried to surround him.
"I love Thorin, but I love my children more, I will not let them suffer." Bilbo said and moved quietly away from where he had been.
"Please Bilbo, those things aren't your children, my little cousin is your child, but not those creatures." Kili said.
"They might not be the blood of my body, but they are the blood of my heart. They are my children as well and I will not see them harmed."
"I vow by my name and by my line that I will not harm the children of Bilbo Baggins of the Shire, be they of his blood and bone, or chosen by him." Kili said.
"What are you doing Kili!" Fili demanded.
"I want Bilbo back, maybe he will come back to us now."
"I need vows from all of you, everyone in Erebor must swear a vow, to not harm them and to keep their existence secret." Bilbo said and heard the vows from all around him. "Thorin must swear as well and all the other halls that are not here. Only then will I return to the royal hall."
"It will be as you say, you hold all power here." Fili said and Bilbo could hear the coldness in his voice. It hurt him, more then he wanted to admit, but it hurt him. Still he could not allow it to affect him, he had to protect his children.
Bilbo moved back to the crates and climbed up them to wait. He watched as the company departed and he was surprised that it only took forty minutes for the elevator doors to open. Thorin looked horrible and Bilbo felt guilty. He watched as Fili went over to Thorin, saw the defeated expression in Thorin's eyes. Thorin should not look like this, Thorin was not like this, Thorin was not this broken man. He had heard that it was hard for dwarves to be parted from their one, but he had never imagined this. Thorin's eyes were wild and he looked desperately around the hall. "Bilbo!" Thorin called. "Please come back to me." Fili whispered something into Thorin's ear and he nodded. "I vow by my name and by my line, that I will not harm the children of Bilbo Baggins, be they chosen or otherwise. I would have never had harmed them, for I love you and could not bear to see you harmed."
"It was not fear of what you would do to them, that made me leave. It was fear for you and for all that I loved. I did not wish to force dragons upon Erebor once more, even though they can never harm anyone. I thought that it would be better, if I left Erebor, to keep all those I loved safe."
"Do you truly love us?" Fili demanded. "Do you truly love my Uncle?"
"I do, but I love my children as well and I will do anything to protect them, anything." Bilbo said. "As I would do anything to protect all of you. I thought it would be best for everyone, if we left Erebor, but I might loose my babe if I do, so I cannot leave and I cannot stay."
"You can stay, please stay with us."
"And you would have two dragon hatchlings grow up in Erebor, would you treat them as our children then, for I will not let them be punished for the race their father was." Bilbo said and stroked the hatchlings heads.
"I vow by name and line that as my One sees the children of Smaug, I will try to see them as well." Thorin said and Bilbo could see the desperation in his voice.
"And you my friends, will you treat them as if they were my own, as I see them?" He asked and the other dwarves gave their vows as well, a dwarf with any honor would never betray his word. Bilbo hesitated a moment, before taking off his ring and running to Thorin. The dwarf stared at the hobbit, who wore a sling.
"Is that our child?" Thorin asked and Bilbo smiled.
"They are my children and yours too, if you would have them." Bilbo replied. "They are small as of yet, though with time I think that they will grow to the size of Smaug." He said. "Would you like to see them?" Thorin took a deep breath and nodded, he gazed down at the babies in surprise.
"But these are human children."
"Not quite, don't you see the scaling? Apparently dragons can take other shapes, in addition to their own." Bilbo said. "They are Vladis and Somor, little ones wake up and there is no need to be quiet anymore." Bilbo told them and smiled as their eyes flickered open, they looked up at him and Somor started to cry. "Its alright my love." Bilbo said softly, rocking back and forth as the babies cried.
"Do they need to eat?" Thorin asked and Bilbo nodded.
"I think that they will need to eat often, though in time they should be able to get their own food." Bilbo said hesitantly.
"When it comes time for that, I will teach them how to hunt and our son if he would like to come along?"
"They might, but they might take after me Thorin and I'm not fond of killing things." Bilbo said and Thorin laughed, wrapping an arm around Bilbo and placing one on his stomach.
"If he takes after you, I would be delighted, most probably he will be like the both of us and his own person."
"You talk as if the babe is going to be a boy." Bilbo said.
"Dwarves aren't given to female children Bilbo and I assumed..."
"I might be a bearer, but male hobbits are just as likely to have little girls. I quite like the thought of you with a daughter, though I'm hoping for a little boy as well." Bilbo admitted and smiled at Thorin. "I did not want to leave Thorin, but I couldn't risk the babies. You are the only one that I will ever love romantically speaking. Yet still there is a greater love, that a bearer has for their children. I will not see them hurt ever and I would do anything needed to keep them safe."
"I understand that Bilbo, I forgive you." Thorin said, but he couldn't let Bilbo go. They went together to the elevator, Thorin buying some more meat along the way and paying for the things Bilbo had taken. The company took the elevator up with them, all the dwarves were tired, but also angry and the ride passed in silence. At least until Kili fell asleep and started to snore loudly, Fili smiled and settled his brother's head on his shoulder. It was Bilbo's fault that the boys were so tired, he was tired too. He hesitated a moment, before sitting in Thorin's lap, closing his eyes and falling asleep.
He didn't wake when the elevator stopped, or when the babies were taken from the sling. He didn't wake until he was halfway down the hall, Thorin carrying him in his arms. He yawned and Thorin smiled at him. "Go back to sleep." Thorin said.
"I can walk." Bilbo said and Thorin smiled.
"Never said that you couldn't, I just might like carrying you. Fili and Kili are carrying the hatchlings." Thorin said and Bilbo yawned again.
"I need to feed them."
"They are already fed, I read the same message you did." Thorin told Bilbo. "You need to rest, your body demands it of you."
"Stay with me then."
"I will, I don't think..."Thorin said but his words were lost to Bilbo, who started to snore once more.
"He's exhausted, as are the hatchlings, should we get cribs for them Uncle?" Kili asked. "They are a bit cute, once you get past the scales."
"They are and I suppose that they will be needing cribs, but there is no reason for them to have the royal ones. We'll get them nicely carved cribs, but they aren't of our bloodline."
"I know that, but since you promised to view them as your sons, that makes them my nephews."
"You are not turning them wild, dragons are wild enough as it is." Thorin said and Kili laughed.
"If I can get my One to cause mischief, I can get anyone to. I would like to see you stop us Uncle."
"Will you ever grow up Kili?" Thorin demanded.
"There's no fun in being grown up, so why should I want to?" Kili replied and Fili sighed.
"Because I might want some intelligent conversation, beyond what you want to do to the council next."
"Hey, I'm intelligent, its not my fault that lot are dead boring and deserve a bit of enlivening."
"I doubt that they would like your methods of enlivening them." Thorin said. "Just do try not to make my hair prematurely grey."
"Oh I think its going to be my little cousins doing that." Kili said. "Who's a little trouble maker, you are! You are! Coochie coochie coo." Kili said and chucked Somor under the chin. The little dragon growled and hissed, making Kili stop.
"Apparently he isn't amused by your antics either." Thorin said.
"Dragons don't have gender, they are both genders and neither. When they get older, they choose what form they wish to take, though they can be either man or woman." Ori said.
"Where have you had the time to research dragons?" Thorin demanded
"Back in the Blue Mountains, though most of the company gets this glazed over look about the eyes when I speak of such things. Dwalin and Ballin are the only ones that will listen, but I think Dwalin mostly do to his wish to stop me from droning on as I do sometimes when I get upset at my listeners." Ori said.
"So you do, do that deliberately!" Kili said. "You owe me a gold coin Fi!"
"You made a wager on whether or not I was deliberately boring you?" Ori asked and Kili grinned.
"I make wagers on everything, by the way, ten gold says that Uncle Bilbo's child will be a girl."
"Ha, I'll take that wager." Fili said and Kili grinned, as Thorin shook his head at his nephews. He never understood why the boys were so fond of betting against each other. Then again he didn't really want to know, especially considering that they were each other's ones.
Then Bilbo made a slight humming noise in his sleep and Thorin lost his trail of thought, as the hobbit snuggled against his shirt. He continued to walk to their room and tried to lay Bilbo down on the bed. Bilbo's hands were tangled in his shirt and Thorin found that he couldn't free them and that he didn't want to. He settled down on the bed and smiled at his nephews.
"Is it alright if we put the babies on the bed?" Fili asked and Thorin nodded, before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
Bilbo awoke several hours later, to a slightly damp shoulder and smiled. He released his grip on Thorin's clothing and moved out of Thorin's sleep slackened grip. Thorin moaned and clutched at Bilbo, as he settled his pillow in his place. Bilbo wondered what he had done to Thorin, to make him clutch at him, even in sleep. Still he needed to tend to the babies, before going back to Thorin. They both needed to be changed and he was surprised that they hadn't started to cry. He changed them both, using the clothes he had gotten for them the day before and smiled at them. He then settled back beside Thorin and gently stroked Thorin's hair back with a free hand, as he cuddled with the babies. He picked out one of the books he was given to study and started to read.
He read for several more hours, before he felt hungry. He settled the babies into a sling and carried them to the kitchens. The kitchen staff eyed him warily. "They won't harm any of you, I've asked them not to and they can't disobey me." Bilbo said. "Could I have some meat for them and whatever is easiest to lay to hand for me." He was given some soup and a large slab of cooked meat. Bilbo chewed the meat first, until the hatchlings turned away from it, before turning to the soup, his jaw sore from chewing so much meat. He'd have to find a better way of doing this soon, Bilbo decided, he wouldn't be able to do this several times a day.
"They don't look like dragons." A young kitchen maid said and Bilbo smiled.
"They don't." Bilbo agreed and continued to eat his meal. "They don't act much like dragons at the moment either, they are both newly born and I can't wait to see what they will be like." He smiled at the children. "Could I have some more of this stew?"
"Of course." The kitchen maid said and another bowl was set in front of him. Bilbo ate that as well, before standing and returning to Thorin's quarters. Thorin thrashed on the bed, moaning loudly, trapped in nightmares. Bilbo went over to him quickly and shook his shoulder, until Thorin gasped and sat bolt upright in bed, before clutching at Bilbo and sobbing.
"Its alright love, it was only a dream, you're hurting the babies Thorin." Bilbo said and Thorin reluctantly released him. Bilbo set the babies on the bed and wrapped his arms around Thorin. "I'm fine, see, absolutely fine."
"Dragon ate you!" Thorin said and Bilbo laughed.
"I don't think that they will be up for eating me any time soon Thorin and in case they get it in their heads to do so...Children, you aren't to eat me, or any other intelligent being in Erebor. There that's settled now Thorin, but really if they ate me, who would feed them?"
"They don't know that, they are too young, once they get teeth, they will eat you!" Thorin said and Bilbo sighed, Thorin sounded like a child in his fear, but Bilbo knew better then to point that out.
"I'm fine, they can't harm me, even if they wanted to. I haven't seen them breathe fire, or even smoke and I can order that they don't do that around us."
"They hissed at Kili, I didn't want to frighten my nephew, but they hissed at him."
"What was Kili doing at the time, I doubt that they could actually hurt Kili. Did the hatchling snap at Kili? Or did it just hiss at Kili?"
"He just hissed and growled." Thorin admitted.
"And it didn't truly harm Kili?" Bilbo asked.
"It didn't harm Kili, but that doesn't mean it can't harm any of us."
"They have imprinted on me, they cannot harm me, or anyone else in Erebor. I understand that you are conserned..."
"Consurned, you've never seen people you've known all your life, burned to ash by dragons. Burned until nothing is left to bury and ash is on the air and the smell of burning flesh is so overpowering that you want to gag. Yet you can't because if you stop, even for a moment, you will die. Live through that and tell me of my consern. I know that you cannot stop yourself from loving them, I understand, yet I do not see how I can love them."
"Just try to, for me, please try." Bilbo said. "Like you promised Thorin, you promised that you would see the hatchlings as our own children. Our children would never kill our people, or us, so why do you think the hatchlings would?"
"There's never been a good dragon Bilbo."
"When you are a hundred foot tall reptile and everyone is afraid of you, what do you expect them to do? Anyway I'm not sure if they are bad, because their race is by nature bad, or they are bad because the world teaches them to be."
"If we found some ork babes, would you adopt them too?"
"If they needed me, I would try. I wouldn't have said that a few days ago, but feeling my own child grow inside me, I can understand why Smaug did as he did."
"I will never understand."
"Won't you, what if someone was going to kill us both and our child, wouldn't you do anything to save our child, if you couldn't save me or yourself?"
"I would, but there was no mention of Smaug having a mate."
"The principle is the same, however Smaug might have created the hatchlings, the fact is that they are here now and I will raise them with or without your help."
"I could stop you!"
"How, their life is tied to mine and would you break your vows to me? Vows you swore in front of half the mountain?" Bilbo asked and saw Thorin's hands tense on the blankets. "You will not punish the hatchlings for being born dragons, or else we will leave and this time you won't find us. I give second chances, but I don't give thirds. This is twice now that you have threatened me, do not make it a third time Thorin."
"How dare you threaten me!"
"I do not threaten, I state fact, if you harm me or someone I care about again, I will leave you." Bilbo said. "I can only bend so much, before you break me Thorin." He added quietly.
"But I haven't harmed them!" Thorin protested.
"You threatened to harm them though, I won't live contantly in fear of you, or what you will do to my children. The hatchlings are my children, whether you like it or not! Nothing you can do can change that, they are mine and I am theirs. Much as you are mine and I am yours, but that does not mean that I will allow you to threaten to harm us."
"I would never harm you Bilbo."
"I see there is no mention of the hatchlings, if you harm them I will leave. It will be like ripping out my own heart, but I will do it." Bilbo said and took a deep breath, as Thorin's eyes filled with tears.
"Don't leave me again, please don't leave me again." Thorin said and Bilbo stared at him a moment, surprised that Thorin would even say those words, surprised further by the panic in his voice.
"I won't leave, as long as you don't harm me or my children Thorin, I'm not leaving not yet and if you really don't want me to leave never." Bilbo said and hugged Thorin. Thorin sobbed into his shoulder, until his crying stopped and he fell asleep. Bilbo pushed Thorin back against the pillows, still held in Thorin's arms. He realized suddenly how tired Thorin looked. Bilbo was tired himself, but Thorin looked exhausted and Bilbo realized that he wasn't fully over the affects of the potion he drank. Bilbo hoped that he would be better, after he slept some. Bilbo yawned and settled against Thorin, closing his eyes and falling asleep.