Well, only a couple more chapters left to go now! Thorin and Bilbo finally get things sorted out in this one though. Hope you all enjoy ^^

Chapter Thirteen

Thorin and Bilbo hardly spoke for several days afterward. They slept most of the time, and were taken care of, their wounds healing slowly. Thorin's fever finally broke and he began to feel better after that. They were soon allowed to sit up, and to eat and drink as much as they wanted. In fact, everyone seemed to press food upon them to help them gain their strength back.

But Thorin was going mad, always hating to be laid up, and he was only happy when Oin pronounced that he was allowed to stand up and walk around a bit, if he promised to be careful. He still limped slightly from the wound in his thigh, but everything was healing surprisingly well, and though everything still pained him, it was not nearly as bad as before.

One day he was taking a walk—more like a limp—through the woods, glad to be alone for a few minutes at least until Dwalin or someone came and forced him to go back to camp and rest. He was getting very tired of everyone's mother-henning, and was glad for the respite.

He was just leaning up against a tree and filling his pipe for a smoke, when he heard a sound behind him. He jerked toward it, still jumpy after their capture, but saw only the hobbit standing there, making his way slowly over to Thorin.

Neither of them said anything for a long time. Thorin offered him his tobacco pouch and Bilbo silently filled his pipe, but before they lit up, he spoke, not looking at Thorin but at the tobacco he was stuffing into his pipe, "I think we need to talk."

For some reason, that simple phrase, that sounded so much like a demand to Thorin in his currently poor mental state, totally threw him over the edge. He grabbed the hobbit by his good shoulder and jerked him around to look at him. Bilbo winced, but didn't make a sound even when he looked into the dwarf's glaring countenance.

"Talk," Thorin stated blandly. "Yes, Master Baggins, we have much to talk about indeed. Would you like to start, or shall I?"

The growl in his voice put that old indignant look back onto Bilbo's face and the hobbit glared up at him. "You know something, Thorin, I was always taught that it was a noble thing to save someone's life. Something that would make someone grateful, but I've saved your high and mighty life twice now, and I've gotten nothing but snarls and anger from you for both. It's not very encouraging that."

"Do you want praise, halfling, is that it?" Thorin snarled, looming over the hobbit who stepped back involuntarily against the trunk of the tree. "Praise for saving my life? Is that why you did it? Shall I say thank you? Is that good enough for you? Hollow praise, when it means so much more. Shall I give you gold for it? Give you land and titles? Make your name known far and wide?"

"You know I don't want that," Bilbo snapped. "I just thought our friendship meant more than that. Friends don't treat each other like this, Thorin."

Thorin laughed humorlessly, shaking his head. He fumbled to light his pipe, but Bilbo snatched the match from him, his small hand tightening around the dwarf's wrist.

"For once in your bloody life, Thorin Oakenshield, tell me plain what is bothering you!" he said.

"You died!" Thorin shouted, throwing Bilbo's hand off, and sending him falling backwards as he did so. The dwarf swung around to slam his hands against the truck of the tree as he fought to control his emotions. He thudded his forehead against the tree, gritting his teeth as he felt his chest tightening with contained grief, his injured ribs protesting. He heard Bilbo trying to conceal his groans as he forced himself back to his feet.

"Thorin—" he tried, but the dwarf finally spun around, his hands forming fists at his side.

"You died, Bilbo, you died! Do you not see that? Do you not understand?" he screamed, startling the hobbit so much that the small creature stood, pale and still as he listened to Thorin's words. "You died in my arms, Bilbo, there was blood everywhere. I thought…I thought I had lost you like Frerin, that I had failed again!" He slammed a fist against the tree and didn't even register the pain as his knuckles split and bled. "Do you know what you did to me? Do you? Can you even comprehend what it's like to lose a brother, and find someone who reminds you so much of him it hurts and then almost lose him too?" Thorin had grabbed Bilbo by the front of his shirt and shook him in his anger. The hobbit's hands, one bandaged heavily, wrapped around his forearms to steady himself.

"Thorin please," Bilbo tried, pain written across his features.

Thorin shook him again and he cried out, but the dwarf was too angry to realize. "And it wasn't just a close call. You actually died! Your heart stopped beating! I can't lose you, Bilbo, and if you insist on keeping up with these foolish ventures, I swear I will send you home!"

Bilbo gasped, scrabbling at Thorin's arms to get him to let go. "Thorin, please, I can't…"

Thorin looked down at him, realizing for the first time what he was doing. Horror washed over him and he let go of Bilbo who gasped and clasped his arms around his broken ribs and his wounded shoulder, doubling over. Thorin stepped back, afraid to do the hobbit any more harm, and wanting to stab himself for losing his mind to his anger and hurting him in the first place.

"Bilbo," he breathed, and sank to his knees, unable to keep his feet any longer. "Bilbo, oh, Mahal, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Thorin," Bilbo said, shaking his head, having regained his breath. "Just…" And then he groaned in exasperation and simply strode forward and sunk down next to Thorin and wrapped his arms around him.

"Thorin, I'm so sorry, for everything," Bilbo whispered to him and Thorin felt hot tears on his neck. "I'm so sorry for what I put you through, but I couldn't stand watching you take the punishment for me. And your brother wouldn't have taken it either. You've got to understand that loyalty, friendship—brotherhood—is something shared, Thorin. You can't just give, you have to learn to receive too, even if that means someone gives his life for you. Just take it as a gift," Bilbo choked on a sob and his hands clenched into Thorin's tunic. "Just take his sacrifice as a gift and say thank you."

Thorin listened to the hobbit's words, tears threatening to fall from his own eyes and he finally brought his arms up and wrapped them around Bilbo, pulling him close as he rested his forehead on the hobbit's shoulder. "You have no reason to apologize," he whispered against Bilbo's shirt. "I should never have yelled at you for that. It was wrong of me, selfish even. You're right, I should have just thanked you. So, here it is," he pulled back and pushed the hobbit to arm's length so he could look him in the eye. "Thank you, Bilbo Baggins, for saving my life. Twice."

"And thank you, Thorin Oakenshield," Bilbo replied with a small smile. "For saving my life. Only once so far, but I have a feeling it won't be the last time."

Thorin felt a small smile flick at the corners of his mouth. Bilbo grinned harder through his tears to encourage it. "Do I still get the gold and titles, perchance?" he asked teasingly.

Thorin really did smile and chuckle into the bargain this time. "That all depends on if you prove to be a good burglar, Master Baggins."

"I did get you out of the orc camp," Bilbo protested.

"And got us captured again."

"Details," Bilbo replied, pretending annoyance, but they both grinned and Thorin pulled him in for another embrace and this time they stayed like that for a long while.

Balin came to find them worried at their long absence and hoping nothing bad had befallen them. But what he found brought a smile to his lips, as he saw them embracing like brothers and then sitting shoulder to shoulder against the trunk of a tree to share their pipes, chatting happily. Balin saw that they had reconciled whatever had been hanging between them, and that made him glad in his heart. He seemed to have been wrong, the physical healing might indeed take longer than the mental as he had expected. He had no problem with that.

He turned around to leave the two along for a while longer, figuring they might need someone to help them back to camp later, but for now, he knew they would be fine in their own company.

Well, that's taken care of now :) Anyway, I promised that after this angst, I would write some fluff for everyone, so I thought it would be fun if you gave me requests for things you might like to read. Durin family fics or what have you. Anything goes as long as it's a one shot and fluff, I'm not taking angst requests. A little H/C is fine though. And no slash. I'm not going to promise I'll use everyone's ideas, as the muse is fickle, but I will try to do so, even if it takes me a while to get through everything :)