I've decided to tweek Bilbo's age in this fic, instead of being fifty he's ten years younger at forty and decided to give him a pain filled past. I like to think because of Bilbo's past that he was able to identify with the dwarves more and was part of the reason why he joined them.

Thorin stayed longer in the garden trying to sort out his jumbled thoughts, before long the sun began to set and it drove him back inside the house. The Company were in much the same positions as they were when Thorin had slipped out. It was with a heavy heart that Thorin also realized that Oin was still in the other room with Bilbo. More than a few eyes looked up as he took his place beside Dwalin.

"Any change?" he asked Dwalin, though he could guess the answer.

Dwalin grunted, "Oin hasn't come out yet so no change. Though we did hear a bit of yelling out in the garden"

Thorin scowled, "I might have had a slight disagreement with the wizard and forced him to realize a thing or two."

Dwalin snorted, "Not the wise Gandalf, what could a dwarrow teach that elf-loving wizard?"

"Only that Gandalf treated Bilbo as bad as we did, he basically blamed Bilbo for what happened to him."

That caught the attention of every dwarrow there as they all yelled "What!"

Thorin sighed and went to pinch the bridge of his nose as all eyes were upon him, stopping himself as he realized he still had a cut there. He pulled out the pieces of gold out of his pocket and held them were everybody could see them. "I picked these up when we were escaping the goblins, there twin solid pieces of gold. Every hobbit has them, they signify what two clans they are from. Before we left Bilbo's house, Gandalf had a conversation with him about one of his ancestors, Bullroarer Took."

"Aye I heard him speak of that" murmured Balin his eyes growing wide in understanding.

"What, what was the conversation about?" demanded Kili from his place beside Fili.

Thorin glared at Kili until he was silent again. "Bullroarer fought in a battle called Greenfields; Gandalf said that he took off the head of the Goblin King. This is what the Goblin King was talking about when he mentioned revenge. Apparently Bilbo was aware of the grudge that goblins carry when he ran out of his door, Gandalf told him to leave these at home. But Beorn has informed me that these are the equivalent of hair beads, it's their heritage and no hobbit would dare leave them behind."

There were more exclamations of outrage among the dwarrows, until Dwalin roared at them to be quite. In the uproar none had noticed Oin come into the room.

"Bilbo's fever broke, his condition is stable for now, and given enough rest he should make a full recovery." A great cheer went up from the dwarrow as they ran forward to slap Oin on the back. That had him scowling, "I said he needed rest, and to get rest he needs quiet so you all need to shut up."

The hall fell deathly quiet at those words, but it didn't stop the smiles that were plastered on the dwarrow's faces. "Someone get this dwarf an ale" cried Gloin

"No ale Master Dwarf but I do have mead" came the booming voice of Beorn, "I am happy to hear that your little friend will make it."

"It was because of your kindness Master Beorn, without your supplies I wouldn't have been able to save him" said Oin, not afraid to admit that his skills as a healer wouldn't have been enough to save Bilbo. Beorn inclined his head and smiled as his dogs and sheep came into the room bearing mugs of mead that was given to each of dwarrows and a large one was given to Beorn. The mood was joyous with the news that their hobbit would recover. It was during this merriment that Beorn demanded that his payment be paid.

"I think it's about time for my payment" murmured Beorn loud enough to be heard by Thorin. Thorin took a large drink before he settled down into his tale. He recountered everything from Bag End to the present leaving nothing out. During the telling Fili and Kili had snuggled up next to him as he admitted that the Company hadn't been welcoming to Bilbo as they should have been. He struggled to keep his voice calm as he told Beorn what accrued in Goblin Town. The Company was deathly silent as they listened to Thorin, a few wiping tears from their face as they relived what happened under the Misty Mountain.

It was after Thorin ended his tale that the Company demanded Oin if he was sure if Bilbo would recover, their fears coming back with the memories. Oin was happy to tell his companions that Bilbo would recover from his wounds. Though thinking back he remembered a question that he had for Beorn.

"He's been calm ever since you talked to him Master Beorn, though might I enquire what you said to him?" asked Oin.

Beorn took a long drink of mead before he answered Oin, "He was crying out for his Mother in Hobbitish, I told him she would be there soon." The happy mood that had been recovered, vanished instantly as all eyes turned towards the back of the house. A thought hit a lot of the Company, how young was Bilbo? When they first meet him in his Hobbit hole he acted like a grumpy old man but as they journeyed he seemed to get younger, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and awe over many sights that they had seen with enough energy to keep up with the whirlwinds known as Fili and Kili. They also remembered how empty the big hobbit hole was, did Bilbo have anyone in his life?

A voice spoke from the darkness to answer there unspoken question "Bilbo's been alone for a long time" said Gandalf stepping into the light, ignoring the glares that were sent his way by everybody in the room. "His One died in his childhood, drowned in the Brandybuck River by a flash flood. His father fell ill when he was just a tween and passed on shortly afterwards. His mother was killed in the Fell Winter a few years before his Majority, when they were trying to reach his grandparents' house in Tookbourgh. He had to fight his father's relative to keep his home while he was still in mourning, since he was not considered an adult yet. They argued that he had no need of it since he would never have children, Bilbo refused to desecrate the bond he had with his One by taking another, something many hobbits do if their other half die young. It was only the fact it was Belladonna's house, since Bungo had given it to her as a wedding gift that Bilbo managed to keep it. Only someone from his Mother's side could legally take Bag End, and the Old Took forbade any of his sons or daughters to do this. Bilbo's Grandfather was his last ally, and protected him from his greedy relatives until he reached his majority when they couldn't legally do anything. Of course like the norm in Bilbo's life the Old Took died a week after his birthday the oldest living hobbit in history, I often think that he only held on that long because of Bilbo."

The dwarrows were shocked at what Gandalf was revealing, "He has two people that he considers family, his cousin Drogo Baggins, and his cousin Primula Brandybuck. Though he rarely sees them since they don't live in Hobbitton, and neither judge him for his quirks that come from being half Took and half Baggins. He tolerates the rest of his relations, a skill he's perfected, you might have noticed it when he put up with thirteen dwarves in his house, and though he was flustered he was polite."

"So how long has Bilbo been alone?" Asked Bofur gently setting down his empty mug.

Gandalf stroked his beard in thought, "Elven years, he had just turned 29 when the Fell Winter happened. He's forty now."

That statement settled something inside Thorin, as he gazed down at the crests in his hand he knew what he could do to repay Bilbo. He turned to Ori.

"Ori can you sketch this out onto a piece of paper as best as you can?" asked Thorin handing the pieces of gold to Ori. Ori took the gold and examined them closely and then nodded.

"I can have replicate sketches within the hour Thorin" said Ori confidently. The others were curious at what Thorin had in mind.

"What are you going to do Thorin?" asked Balin.

Thorin just gave his advisor a gentle smile, before turning to their host. "Master Beorn, do you have a forge that I might be able to use in the morn?"

The Man looked amused but nodded, "I will show you it in the morning Master Dwarf, but now I must be off. Remember stay inside during the night no matter what you hear outside" with that Beorn left the dwarves to their own devices and walked out the front door.

Thorin felt all of the Companies eyes on him as he stood, most waiting for an explanation but Thorin was not going to tell. He left the living room intending to go to the room Beorn had told them that they could rest when he veered at the last second and headed to the room that held Bilbo. The room was mostly dark except for a few candles on the bedside table. One of the many dogs that Beorn had around his house lifted his head from where he was lying beside the hobbit, guarding him while also keeping him warm. Thorin nodded at the dog and made his way to the chair that was beside the bed and gently sat down, minding his injuries as he took in the condition Bilbo was in.

The hobbits curls hung limply around his pale face, almost matching the color of the bandages that covered part of his face and a stark contrast to the bruises that covered the rest of the hobbits face. His breathing was soft and shallow but easier than it was the night before. As Thorin watched Bilbo's calm face began to scrunch up as small noises escaped his throat his one good hand clenching at the sheets that covered his body. Thorin knew a nightmare when he saw it his nephews prone to them when they were younger and after their father had died, and Thorin did the only thing that he knew how to soothe nightmares. Singing a dwarf lullaby lightly he began to brush Bilbo's hair off his forehead gently, his ministrations worked as the sounds stopped and the tension left Bilbo's limbs as his dreams turned away from the nightmares.

Thorin left as soon as he was sure the nightmares were over, knowing that his decision was a right one. For someone who risked everything for them, he would repay that debt with the guarantee that Bilbo was never alone again.