AN: I don't own any of the Hobbit characters I am just taking them out of Tolkien's toy box and playing with them.

Warnings of slash.

Six Geese a Laying.

Ori smiled softly at the bundle of kits curled up at his feet. He doubted if he told anyone in Erebor of where he spent his time away from the mountain they would believe him, he also doubted that they would believe him if he told them he spent his time reading to the kits of the Company's Hobbit's neighbours and kin.

He looked into the expectant faces staring back at him and grinned pulling the leather bound journal from where he had hidden it from them. Their cheers made him chuckle and he started in on the newest story he had collected.

"A man and his wife owned a very special goose. Every day the goose would lay a golden egg, which made the couple very rich…"(1)

He was greeted with smiles and handshakes when the parents came to collect their kits and he returned them heartily. They would never understand how it warmed his heart to see so many young ones happy, contented and safe, and he wouldn't try to make them understand. He turned his head as a hand landed on his shoulder and he corrected himself, one would understand.

He walked home, Bilbo's arm tucked in the crook of his elbow and as they paused by the lake they saw a mother goose leading her gosslings to the shelter that the small island in the centre of the lake presented.

Once back at Bag End Bilbo pressed a kiss to Ori's check and wander further into the smial to put a kettle on for supper. Ori put his journal away on the nearest book shelf and toed off his boots. He was always more relaxed in the Shire. He settled at the kitchen table just as Bilbo placed the cheese, bread and tea pot on the scrubbed wooden surface. Here was home, here he was safe and his family were always popping by. He raised his head and met Bilbo's eyes. "Yes."

"Yes what Ori?"

"Yes I will move in with you. Now can we please burn that blasted picture? It is embarrassing."

Bilbo leant over the table and pressed a kiss to his lips. "If it will make you happy then we can burn it. I kept it because it reminded me of the time you were trying to court me and I was stupid and oblivious."

They never made it to the bedroom that night, and fell asleep in front of a roaring fire.

And that picture. It never got burnt. To this day there is a framed charcoal drawing on parchment of six confused looking geese peering at six eggs.

AN:

(1) The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg an Aesop Fable.