The Precious One

by sarenelsoria

All beings have one person that is meant for them, though very few find each other. After Bilbo saves Thorin from death, they find that it is hard to stay only friends and become something more. Yet love is never easy, even for those made for each other. Then Bilbo keeps something secret from Thorin, unsure if it is even possible. Mpreg and slash

14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Bilbo awoke later that night with a fire in his shoulder and Thorin much too hot beside him. He put a hand to the dwarf's head and found that he was burning with fever. Bilbo sat up and groaned, before slowly getting to his feet. His wound was hurting badly and had yet to close. The quilt on the bed would be stained and more then that, his bandages were soaked in blood. For some reason the wound refused to close. He pulled the bandages off his skin, crying out softly, as they stuck to it. Instantly the door was thrust open and Rinar stared at him and at the blood on the bed and on his arm.

"You need a healer." Rinar stated flatly. "That wound isn't closing and its still bleeding." He said and Bilbo nodded.

"I won't take any tonics though." The hobbit said, wavering slightly on his feet, before sitting down in a chair. Rinar nodded and another dwarf ran off to get a healer. Bilbo doubted that the dwarves would let an elf care for him. Ori arrived soon and smiled at Bilbo.

"Hello Bilbo, I'll just get your arm straitened out and it will be as good as new." He promised and Bilbo nodded. Ori was gentle as he stitched up and bound the wound, he smiled at the hobbit then. "There all patched up." He said.

"Thorin has a fever." Bilbo said. "He's burning hot to the touch."

"May I look at him?" Ori asked and Bilbo stared at Ori a moment, before nodding. Ori looked over Thorin, a frown on his face. "I am not sure what is wrong, very few dwarves that have lost their beloved, have had them run from them. It could be his body reacting to your return and fighting off the wasting, I'm not certain." Ori said and Bilbo stared at Thorin.

"I see, do you have something to reduce the fever in him."

"I do, but it might not work...His fever may have to come down naturally." Ori said and pulled out a tonic from his bag, he administered it to Thorin and turned to the hobbit. "If this helps him, it should start to go down soon...If not the fever will have to come down naturally." He said and Bilbo nodded. "See that he is well covered and your touch might help somewhat, failing everything else it should comfort him." Ori said. "Its important that you rest as well, you've lost a fair bit of blood before you woke." He said and Bilbo nodded.

"Thank you Ori." Bilbo said and Ori smiled at the hobbit, before leaving the room. Bilbo thought that their conversation had been entirely professional, he wondered if he had lost all his friends in running for a moment, before decided that he had other worries to attend to. Why for instance had his wound not closed, usually hobbits healed quickly. Still there was the much more worrying matter of Thorin. Bilbo looked at the sleeping dwarf for a moment longer, before he left to get a wash cloth. When he returned, Thorin was moaning, his hands clenching and unclenching, as his eyes roved in dreams. Bilbo put the cool cloth to his head and moved the babies from him, gently putting an arm around him. "Its alright Thorin I'm here, I won't be leaving you again." Bilbo promised, but his words held no effect, he tried talking to Thorin, but Thorin was trapped in his dreams. He moaned and thrashed about on the bed, as his nightmares took him. So much that Bilbo had to let go of him, in order not to be hurt. He took the babies from the bed entirely and laid them gently down on the floor. Unable to do anything but watch the man he loved, go through what seemed to be a form of torture. He tried to call to him, to wake him from the dream, but nothing seemed to work. Thorin would call out half formed words in Khudzul and thrash on the bed despite Bilbo's pleading. Bilbo was worried now that Thorin would do himself injury. It hurt him to do it, but something had to be done. He remembered being unable to move himself, how terrified he had been, but Thorin could actually do himself serious injury if he wasn't restrained somehow. Bilbo knew that Thorin was strong enough to tear through fabric and he couldn't think of putting him in chains.

"Get the potion Oin gave me, Thorin needs it." He told the guard, blocking the view to the bed and the king. "I will not have you look at him, while he is like this." He told the guards. "It is my fault he is sick and I will see him better once more." The guards stared a moment at the fierce little creature, before one broke off and ran down the hall. He returned a few minutes later with a bottle in his hand.

"Oin says to give him three drops of this, that should be enough for nine hours. He's sorry Bilbo, he didn't intend to use it on you originally." The guard said and Bilbo stared at the bottle, taking it from him. "He was angry and rightfully so, still a healer should do no harm and once we return his methods will be questioned by the hall." He said and Bilbo nodded, before taking the potion and closing the door firmly behind him, he then slid the lock into place and went to Thorin's side. He felt tears coming to his eyes, as he sat on top of the dwarf, pinning his arms as best he could and administered the potion. Thorin slumped against the bed, though he still let out the occasional moan, he was otherwise still. Bilbo looked at him and felt so powerless in that moment. He gently stroked Thorin's hair, running his fingers through it gently, giving Thorin what comfort he could. He continued to stroke his hair for a while, before the babies started to cry. He picked up his babies and let them nurse from him for a while, he then set them back down on the carpet gently, before pulling Thorin to the center of the bed. He placed the babies on top of him and wrapped his arms around Thorin, closing his eyes. He had to get at least some sleep to take care of the dwarf properly.

The next two weeks were horrible for the hobbit, after a day passed and Thorin was still sick, the dwarves constructed a litter to return him to Erebor. Bilbo rode in the litter with Thorin, as the dwarf threw up what little food the hobbit had managed to feed him. He comforted the king as best he could, as he yelled that Bilbo was dead, or gone, or any number of other things. Whether he was awake or asleep it made no difference, as he was equally delusional. Bilbo manged to get him to eat something, by gently coaxing him and talking with him. He talked all the time and was afraid to sleep, in case something worse happened to Thorin. In caring for Thorin, he slowly realized that Thorin could never truly hurt him, that Thorin loved him deeply. He cried more times then he could count, holding onto Thorin and only fell asleep when exhaustion took him.

They reached Erebor and Bilbo was taken to Thorin's chambers. They were beautiful rooms, the walls were covered with all kinds of stone, forming pictures or simply turning the walls different colors. Still the rooms didn't matter to Bilbo as much as Thorin did. He fed and changed him, much like he did for his babies, he hated seeing Thorin like this. Too slowly it seemed to Bilbo, Thorin recovered. He held Bilbo's eyes for a time, when Bilbo fed him, the delusions became rarer. Until ultimately three weeks after Bilbo had left, Bilbo awoke to find Thorin free of fever. He cried out with joy and kissed the dwarf soundly, Thorin's eyes fluttered open and he wrapped his arms around Bilbo holding him close to him.

"I thought you were dead...Or gone from me." He murmured and they both cried.

"I thought you were too." Bilbo said. "Or leaving me, don't leave me, I'll never run again."

"I could never leave you Bilbo." Thorin said and smiled at the hobbit. "You are the heart that beats outside my chest." He said and held Bilbo close. "How long has it been and why am I wearing a soiling cloth?" Bilbo explained and Thorin nodded. "I see, I've been unconscious and without control of my faculties and you've been taking care of me for all that time." He said. "Where are our children?"

"I have them with me." Bilbo replied. "It was hard to take care of them and you at the same time, but I managed." Bilbo said and smiled at Thorin. "They are much bigger now, they are asleep in the cradle, they still sleep a lot, but not as much as they used to and they are starting to figure out how to move their hands and feet." He said and smiled, Thorin sat up and hastily laid back down. Bilbo looked concerned at him.

"I'm fine, just a bit dizzy and hungry." He said, resting for a moment, before pulling on new clothes, Bilbo took his hand, as he walked towards the cradle. "They are so big." Thorin said and Bilbo smiled. He gazed down at the babies, before looking at Thorin and smiling at the look of love on Thorin's face.

"They are beautiful, Bilbo I don't blame you for running." He said.

"How could you not? All the others do." Bilbo said and Thorin felt incredibly angry.

"They haven't been mistreating you, have they?" Thorin demanded. "Tell me honestly."

"Not really, I've been too busy looking after you. Though I see the condemnation in their eyes and I know that they are right. Because of me, because of my foolishness, you nearly died."

"No, because I wished you to come to care for me naturally and refused to tell you of the danger, I almost died. It was not your fault Bilbo, I hit you, not the other way around." He said and looked Bilbo in his eyes. "You aren't to be blamed for the this Bilbo, if its anyone's fault then its my own. Who has been looking after Erebor in my place?"

"Bofur has been advising me, as the king's intended I had to take over for some reason... I didn't really understand why, I just did as they asked." He said and Thorin nodded.

"As my intended you take my duties, when I am unable to." Thorin said. "Tell me what you have done so far."

"Wouldn't you first like to bathe, or eat something?" Bilbo asked.

"My people come first." Thorin replied. "You know that." He said and Bilbo frowned.

"You cannot help your people, if you harm yourself. Please Thorin, at least eat something first." He said and Thorin nodded, Bilbo grinned at the dwarf and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, I kept careful logs of what was done." He said and handed the logs over to Thorin, Thorin looked over the logs and nodded.

"Everything you decided seems to be necessary repairs, or further renovations." He said and Bilbo nodded. He went to door and called for food, longing to keep Thorin to himself for a small while. Thorin seemed to want to be alone with the hobbit, just as much as Bilbo did. They ate a meal together and Thorin went to the bathroom to take a bath. Only once Thorin was gone did Bilbo allow himself to feel a relief so great, that he had never felt anything like it before. He was surprised when tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks for a while. He knew he must look a sight, grinning like a loon, while tears rolled down his cheeks. The tears stopped after a time, but not the smile. After a while, Thorin came back into the room.

"I think its time to call for Oin and seek his advice on how to proceed in my recovery. I have lost strengh since I have been ill."

"Oin wanted me to understand what you were going through, he drugged me with a paralyzing potion, while I was awake. Luckily I recovered quickly enough, but not so quickly that it did not hurt me, every time I had to use it on you."

"I understand why you needed to, if I wasn't in my right mind." Thorin said and smiled at the hobbit. Bilbo returned the smile and grasped Thorin's hand, together they walked to the the door. "I can see why you don't wish to see Oin, but I do need an accomplished healer to help me recover my strength. I don't truly trust anyone, the way I do Oin."

"He seems to care similarly for you, but I will take a bath while you speak with him." Bilbo said and Thorin turned to the hobbit.

"Can't you find it in your heart to forgive him?"

"He held my body prisoner, it might have been only for a short time but still!" Bilbo said and Thorin nodded.

"I understand." Thorin said and ran a hand through his hair, Bilbo couldn't miss the disappointment in his eyes however. "I wouldn't forgive so easily either, if I was in your place." He added and rested an arm around the hobbit, drawing him close. Bilbo sighed, burying his face into Thorin's chest and breathing in his scent, if only for a moment. He straitened a minute later and smiled up at Thorin, who's hair was still wet from the bath. He then watched as Thorin stepped away from him and to the door, opening it. The guards on duty stared at their king, before bowing.

"Get to your feet, I thought I told you before, I don't want simpering admirers." Thorin said and Bilbo saw the joy in the guards faces, he smiled then. Glad that Thorin had been restored to him, to all of them. "Go and get the healer, I need advice on how to further recover my faculties." Thorin said and shut the door, as quickly as he'd opened it. Thorin walked shakily to a chair and sat down in it. "Come sit in my lap Bilbo."

"I need a bath Thorin, I can't smell good and being clean didn't matter much to me while you were ill." Bilbo said and Thorin nodded, he wanted Bilbo close to him, as much as Bilbo wanted to be in his arms. Bilbo went to the bathroom and took a clean change of clothing with him. He took a bath, hearing Oin's advice from the other room, although he couldn't clearly make out what was said. Suddenly Thorin burst into the room and glared at Bilbo.

"How could you not tell me that Mahal chose you?" He demanded and Bilbo stared at Thorin.

"You were just recovering, I didn't want to trouble you." Bilbo said.

"I'm far from troubled Bilbo, but we need to find what your gifts are and what talents you lost in exchange."

"Wait I lost abilities?" Bilbo demanded and Thorin nodded.

"More like affinities, it often happens with Mahal's chosen."

"I don't want to be a chosen, I just want to have my old abilities back." Bilbo said. "What if I can't garden, or have no talent for cooking anymore?"

"I do not know what the god has taken from you and what he has given to you. I cannot until you try various things." Thorin said and Bilbo nodded. "Where should we start then?"

"I've always had a bit of a talent for music, though I wasn't that interested in it." Bilbo said and started to sing, he winced at his own voice, as it rose and fell unpleasantly. He stopped singing quickly and Thorin chuckled.

"Well that's good at least, you know that you sing like a drunken ork." He said and Bilbo laughed, he was only sad for a moment at the thought that he couldn't sing to his babies like he had before. Then again he doubted that his little ones would mind over much.

"Thank you ever so much for that comment Thorin." Bilbo said though his voice held only amusement. "I don't care overmuch for singing anyway and I would much rather talk with you in your native tongue, then sing any song, no matter how beautiful." Thorin's mouth dropped open and Bilbo smiled at the shocked dwarf, before Thorin wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug.

"To speak to you in my own tongue... I am not worthy of such a gift." Thorin said and held the hobbit tightly to him, Bilbo enjoyed being held against Thorin, feeling safe when his world was changing around him. "What other skills might you have."

"I defended you and the babies, when a guard threatened you in Dain's name." Bilbo said and Thorin stared at him.

"You defended me?" He asked shocked and Bilbo nodded. "A chosen of Mahal is always able to defend those that they care about, or wish to protect." He said. "Might I see the jewel Mahal in his wisdom has given you?"

"Of course, but why are you using such flowery language Thorin?"

"The god watches over its chosen and I would not want to anger him." Thorin replied and Bilbo smiled.

"Surely the god wouldn't blame you for talking with his beloved, please Thorin, don't use such flowery language around me, it makes me uneasy." He said and Thorin laughed.

"We have that in common I suppose." Thorin said and Bilbo nodded. "Come now, lets see what you have skill in and where that skill falters." Bilbo nodded and together they went first to the kitchens, where Bilbo baked a cake and iced it perfectly, grinning at realizing that his culinary skills were still with him. However he was dismayed to discover that flowers that seemed once to flourish under his hands, wilted and died when he touched them. He cried into Thorin's shoulder for a time, at that discovery. Yet as Thorin had pointed out, simply because he could no longer garden, it didn't mean that he couldn't advise others how to do so. Thorin went on to say that he would gladly tend to whatever plants Bilbo wished to grow. Thorin couldn't have known that tending to plants together was another part of a hobbit's courtship ritual and the one made just before the couple was formally joined. Bilbo found he didn't care, he had learned in the last few weeks that time was precious and not to be wasted on traditions. Still he didn't approach the subject with Thorin yet, he wanted to know whatever was happening to him first, before offering himself to Thorin. Who knew if at the end of these discoveries, Thorin would even want him. "Bilbo, speak to me Bilbo, are you alright?"

"I am fine." Bilbo replied, staring down at the dead flowers nearby him. "Lets go from here, please?"

"Of course." Thorin replied and they left the courtyard of a woman in the builder's hall who enjoyed flowers. They walked together for a time and Bilbo stared at the columns, he could clearly see how each were formed and his fingers actually started to itch, much as they had when he longed to garden before. He saw a dwarf applying hammer and chisel to stone and he could see the shape it should be in his mind's eye. He stared longingly at the stone, before Thorin asked if the man might show him how rock was carved. Bilbo took up the chisel and after a few rough tries, realized he knew how to carve the stone. He felt the lines and hastily handed both babies to Thorin, as he examined the stone, chipping at it, letting it form between his fingers. He caressed the smooth stone, enjoying the feel of it, wondering why it hadn't ever called to him before. He felt it form under his fingers, imagining the block turned on its side as he carved. Grass took form under his fingertips, as did the rolling hills of the shire and his own hobbit hole, he then set down the chisel and smiled at Thorin.

"Its not finished yet, but that's enough for now."

"More then enough, this is a very fine stone carving Bilbo."

"Thank you." Bilbo said and smiled at Thorin. "I'm sorry I took over your piece of stone, I just felt the need to carve into it..." He said and the dwarf laughed.

"Its alright, I imagine all of this is very confusing to you, stone carving is a rare skill, even among dwarves. Very few can shape stone from nothing, I can shave off your carving from the block. Its no trouble, not when I had just begun to carve it." He added and grinned at Bilbo. "You have a rare eye, you captured your homeland well."

"Thank you." Bilbo said and smiled. "How do you shave off the stone?"

"That is done with a stone saw, I don't have one on me. I'll work on the other sides and give you enough stone left to finish this carving."

"Thank you." Bilbo said and the dwarf nodded.

"Of course, its a honor to have the consort work off my block." He said and Bilbo blushed, Thorin looked to Bilbo and set an arm around him.

"Thank you all the same and I will pay for the cut stone." Thorin said and grinned broadly. "I have a feeling that I will be paying for uncut stone quite a bit in future, eight inches should be enough." He added and Bilbo smiled, he could do both sides then.

"Very well." The stone carver said. "I will send an invoice for the materials and time it took to smooth down the stone."

"Thank you." Thorin said and they left together. They walked down to the markets together, there people stopped merely staring at Thorin as they had earlier and started to cheer. Bilbo fought back the urge to hide, before the gem buried in his clothes gave him courage and he faced the crowd, though he still had no desire to be there. Together they walked through the streets, until something called to Bilbo, he didn't know what it was or why. Still he felt the prickle of danger, that his babies should be taken back up the elevator. He panicked, running towards the elevator and others running after him, no doubt thinking that he would escape again. He left a puzzled Thorin behind and was incredibly thankful to have the luck of finding a free elevator. He pressed the lift up frantically and didn't calm until the elevator started to rise. He cradled his babies to him, wondering what had frightened him so for them. The babies had both woken and started to cry, he comforted them as best he could, rocking them until they settled once more. He reached the upper corridor and wondered who he could trust his babies with...There was something down in the markets, something dangerous to his children and if it was dangerous to his children it may be dangerous to other children as well. He found Bomber in the kitchen and looked relieved at the dwarf.

"Can you watch Fili and Kili for a time? There's something wrong down in the markets, I need to see what it is." Bilbo said and Bomber stared at the children and the hobbit, before nodding.

"I will watch them for a time, though why are you going back down to the markets when you just came back from them?"

"Something felt wrong down there." Bilbo said. "I suppose I should get Oin as well, Thorin no doubt followed in his own elevator."

"Thorin is awake?" Bomber demanded and Bilbo realized that with explaining about Mahal choosing him and Thorin insisting that he discover his gifts, he had forgotten to tell his friends about Thorin's recovery.

"Yes, he is fine." Bilbo said. "Apart from the fact that I ran from him and the crowd without a word of explanation, I just had to follow my instincts." He said and Bomber nodded, as Thorin strode from the elevator.

"What's wrong Bilbo?" Thorin demanded. "Was it the crowd?"

"There was some danger to Fili and Kili in the market, are both elevators still here?" He asked and Thorin nodded.

"I halted them both, but why?"

"I don't want to spend a hour and a half with Oin." Bilbo replied. "Still I think we need his help, or at least the help of a competent healer."

"You think that there is some outbreak?"

"Why would I sense danger to our babies, but not to us?" Bilbo asked. "That's the only thing I could think of." He said and Thorin nodded, looking very grave indeed.

"I see, I will go with you Bilbo."

"Its better if you stay back, your immune system may be compromised from the illness you just suffered. That way you can take care of Fili and Kili, I'll leave bottles for you." He said and Thorin frowned.

"I don't feel comfortable letting you go alone into an unknown situation."

"I didn't feel danger to myself, just to my children." Bilbo said. "Whatever this thing is, it affects children and I can't stand by and let someone's babe die, not when I could stop it." He said and went to the room, currently he felt no danger for his own babies, he pumped several bottles full of milk, by the time Oin arrived.

"Thorin told me that you sensed danger."

"For the children, do you know what that could mean?" Bilbo asked and Oin stared at him.

"Usually when there is a disease, the youngest and oldest are first to suffer. If you have to find whoever has caught this, then you will need to wear a healers cloak. They are used in cases of contamination, you should also get someone to give the babies milk over the next several days, just in case if you go through with this."

"And if I don't it might be days before you find the first victim, by that time the sickness will have spread." Bilbo said and Oin nodded.

"We will leave at once." He said and together they walked to the elevator. "You do know why I did what I did, don't you?" He asked and Bilbo nodded.

"I suppose it was out of loyalty to Thorin, something that I don't take lightly...Still Oin, you poisoned me, that's not something one forgives or forgets easily." Bilbo said and Oin nodded, they took separate elevators down to the healer's hall. There they got the cloaks used in case of outbreak. They covered the entire body from head to toe, gloves and boots were included. Together they continued down and Bilbo heard his heart beating in his chest, all the way down to the market place. The sense of danger for his babies started a few minutes before the door opened, which made Bilbo pace the small inclosed space. The second the doors opened he darted out, running full tilt towards the danger, his instincts screaming at him to stay away. He found a small boy holding his mother's hand and the sense of danger came off of him in waves, but he didn't even look ill. Bilbo crouched down to the boy, as the mother screamed and tried to take her son away from him. As the boy looked frightened at the hobbit, Bilbo knew that there couldn't be any doubt. Though the boy looked scarcely older then a toddler, he was the danger to Bilbo's children. "I've got something nice for you, I'll make you a special toy if you come with me now." Bilbo said to the child, while the woman tried to grab her son, who stared wide eyed up at Bilbo. He held up his arms and Bilbo took his small body into them.

"No! Mahal no! Not my son, not my boy!" The woman shrieked as the crowd around her, several of them with children of their own started to bolt.

"STOP, IF YOU HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH THIS CHILD OR ARE IN THE AREA, DO NOT GO FROM THIS PLACE. IF YOUR CHILDREN ARE SICK, ONLY HEALERS CAN HELP YOU." Oin shouted and Bilbo stared at him, holding the child in his arms, the boy wasn't even warm, he didn't even feel feverish to Bilbo, yet the wrongness came off of him in waves. Bilbo held the child, knowing that his face must be frightening to the boy, as he was covered from head to toe in red.

"Why's mama sad?" The child asked confused. "I wan' toy! I wan' 'oune." He started to kick Bilbo with his feet. " 'Oune! Oune." The child said.

"Don't kick the nice man Hodor, Mama will give you a sweet, if you don't kick the nice man." The boy's mother said and the boy smiled.

"S'eet." He said and someone passed something to Oin, who looked greatfully at the woman, as he took out a bottle and put a few drops of liquid on it.

"It will make the sweet taste better, little pebble." Oin said.

"Go on, take it from the nice man Hodor, its a special treat." The boy's mother said and the boy's face started to pale, as Oin handed him the candy, he looked at it and moaned.

"My 'ummy 'urts." The child said.

"This will make you feel better, go on take it." Oin said and the child ate the piece of taffy, his eyes closed a moment later and he was asleep, but sleeping didn't seem to help any as the danger seemed to increase and Bilbo pointed the boy's head away from him, holding it steady as he vomited, his little body shaking in Bilbo's arms. "Mahal, its the shaking! Everyone back, get back now, Bilbo put the boy down!"

"He's not a danger to me, but..."Bilbo frowned as suddenly the sense of danger redoubled, this time it was Oin as well that was in danger. "What is this?"

"It effects all dwarves, it tears apart the host's insides, until they vomit blood. It lasts for a few days, before the host is lucky enough to die. Its not contagious save for the very young, until the shaking begins and then all can catch it, by being in contact with the host."

"Is there any way to cure it?"

"None that's ever been found, anytime a healer tries, they wind up getting the disease themselves and dying." Oin said and Bilbo stared at the boy in his lap. People were screaming all around him and he felt a nagging sensation, as well as the danger that came from the boy.

"BE QUIET, I CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT!" Bilbo yelled at the crowd and the hushed to a dead silence, he listened not with his ears, but to the sense of danger. He hated acting like a grim reaper, but as he tuned out all other sounds, he sensed where the danger was coming from. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply and pointed.

"Not my baby!" A woman screamed, as a child's cry could be heard, Bilbo felt something roll to him on a platform and he stared down at a six month old child, with chubby little cheeks and the most beautiful eyes. He stared down at the little one and knew he couldn't let the child die. He had to think of something, anything! Still the danger was still growing.

"Give me something to sooth their stomachs and a potion to make the babe sleep." Bilbo called to Oin and two bottles landed at his feet. He took both bottles and reached out with his mind once more, this time the danger if it could be called that was from a one year old little boy. The child clapped his hands excitedly as he was wheeled over to Bilbo on the cart. He stared at the three small children and had no idea of what to do, but he couldn't let them die, he wouldn't. He felt around him and could sense no more danger, they had somehow been incredibly lucky, or they had caught it quickly. Someone tossed him a sweet and he put a few drops of the sleeping potion on it, soon the boy was asleep as well. He looked over the sleeping children, before gently forcing the second potion into their mouths. The little boy that had first caught the illness was shuddering against Bilbo, but at least the potion stopped him from throwing up. What could he do? What could he do? He looked around frantically at the scared and sad faces of the crowd and found no answer with them.

What did people do in case of illness, first they kept a clean area. If an area wasn't clean, then sickness spread. "Give me a brush and something to sop up the sick with." Bilbo said and the requested items were tossed to him, he brushed away at the vomit, wringing it out into the wooden bucket someone had provided, until the stone was clean. He then was tossed a set of matches and taking the bucket far enough away from the sleeping children, lit it on fire. That done he looked back to the crowd, what else was needed, when he had a flu. This was just a flu, just a more viralint population killing variation on that, he assured himself. "Toss me something warm, nothing nice mind, as I'll need to burn it, but something to keep the children off the cobblestones."

"Bilbo lad, its hopeless..." Oin said and Bilbo shook his head.

"I won't let them die, I know I'm not a healer but I'll do everything in my power to make sure they live." Bilbo said and the crowd stared at him, he saw hope in some faces, others simply stared at him, as if he were a madman. A man tossed him an animal skin, it was of a bear and would work nicely for his purposes. "I need herbs now, as many as you can find and quiet." Bilbo said remembering the remedies his mother used to make, the sense of danger eased somewhat and Bilbo sighed, he had made the right choice. Herbs were brought from all over the markets. "I need the flowers picked from the plants, Mahal decided to take my abilty to touch growing things from me." Bilbo said and felt an ache in his heart. The plants were slowly sent over, with water and a motor and pestle. "Can you think of anything else Oin?" Bilbo called.

"Knives and a cutting board mayhap." Oin said. "Sometimes herbs need to be cut not ground. Sometimes they need to be boiled too." He said and Bilbo nodded.

"Get me wood and an old cookpot, we can melt it in the forges after I'm finished." Bilbo said and was passed a cookpot and firewood. He started a small fire, before his hand hovered over the herbs. He felt for the sense of danger and found it lessening as he hovered over a certain plant. He didn't even recognize it, but he picked up a handful at first, before letting it fall through his hand until three stems stood out, his hand hovered over the cutting board, before going to the pestle. However when he picked up the pestle, he felt the danger return. Sweat came to his face and soaked the suit he wore. He added herb after herb, it was much like the child's game he used to play that little hobbits called hot and cold. Unfortunately as he grew closer and closer to the end of it, the sense of danger grew fainter and fainter, until he had to take more and more time before reaching a decision.

"What's happening Bilbo?" Oin demanded.

"Quiet, I'm concentrating." Bilbo said. "I don't have time to explain, just wait now, I can't be hasty or I might ruin it." He said. "How long before the children need their next dose."

"If you don't hurry, they won't be needing much of anything Bilbo." Oin said.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Bilbo said. "You should try this! Oin how long?"

"They should be good for a few more hours, its only been four, a dose like the one they were given usually lasts for eight. Though babies start dying around sixteen hours in and older children can sometimes hold on for forty eight hours. I've never actually seen anyone with this disease Bilbo, so this is all healer lore to me." He added and Bilbo nodded, Oin was quiet once more, as Bilbo concentrated, feeling for what to do next. He finally found the herb and cut it, before adding it to the potion. He felt a sense of relief as the nagging dulled considerably. He took a bottle and filled it with the hot potion, exposing it to air for a moment, letting it cool. He then took a small wooden mug that he had been using for drinking and added the potion and some water to it. After that he transferred it to another vial. "I need some ice, so this can cool." He said and was tossed a bucket full of ice, he put the vial into the ice and kept it there for several minutes. He then took the vial out of the ice and fed a few drops of the potion to the boy, stopping when his senses told him to. He then fed it to the other children and watched as the boy's coloring returned to normal and he stopped shaking. Bilbo still had to burn his supplies. He took someone's oven mitts to take the cookpot off of the fire and started to burn things, he added the blanket and stripped the children from their clothes, adding them to the fire as well. He then looked to the dwarves. "Turn your backs." He said and they did, as he stripped himself completely bare, until he kept only his necklace on. He burnt the clothing and when the sense of danger didn't completely abate, tossed his necklace into the flames as well. He then put the vial he had cured the children with into the cookpot and carried it with the ovenmitts to the nearest furnace, getting directions on the way, from the dwarves that kept their backs turned to him. He carefully placed the cookpot and the ovenmitts in the gigantic furnace, before returning to the children. He still felt a slightly nagging sensation.

He realized that he had to clean himself and the children after a time. "Can anyone stretch a hose to us and I need soap as well." He said and somehow the dwarves managed it. How they did it blind was beyond Bilbo and he knew it was stupid to be conserned with his own nakedness, but he didn't fancy being naked in crowd of people, not one bit. He was given a hose and some sort of metal cooling pool, to wash himself and the children in. He carefully washed their bodies, attending to every inch of them, before starting in on himself. He scrubbed his hair and face, washing himself as throughly as he could, before hardening the spray on the hose and turning it on his back. He stepped out of the pool shivering and holding the spray over where the water had come up to on him. He then stepped back from the pool, having no idea how to take care of it and shivering. The sense of danger was all but gone, but he didn't like the look of that water. "Can you get me a giant bucket?" He demanded and one was given to him. He slowly filled it with the water from the pool, before going back and forth between the forge and the pool dumping bucket after bucket into the gigantic furnace. Finally the pool was practically emptied and he rolled it to the furnace, tossing it and the bucket into the flames. Finally the sense of danger vanished completely and he breathed a sigh of relief. He went back to the children and requested some clothes for him and the children. "It should be safe now."

"Are you certain?" Oin asked and Bilbo nodded.

"I don't feel..." Suddenly six people converged on him, taking up their children, Bilbo hastily covered himself and blushed, knowing that his being naked was no excuse to stop the worried parents from seeing the children they had almost lost. One of the women dropped a cloak around her and he thanked her shly.

"You saved my little Gormal, you owe me no thanks." She said and retreated with the child, the other parents thanked him and took back their children, before someone thought to hand him a proper robe. It was much too big for the hobbit, but he was glad of anything to cover himself by then. The people all turned and started cheering him. He didn't like any of this attention at all, but he braced himself, for it, before he remembered the stone. Someone gave him something to pull it out from the fire with and although the chain Thorin had bought for him was melted, the stone itself was unblemished by the fire. Steam curled off of it, as someone else handed him a small metal box to put it in. He set the stone down and felt exhaustion come over him. He hadn't noticed before how many hours had gone by since he had last eaten and hadn't considered how worried Thorin must be. He saw Thorin then, as the dwarf raced towards him and wrapped him in his arms.

"Don't ever do something so recklace ever again."

"If it means saving my people, of course I'll do it again Thorin." Bilbo said. "Anyway it was a dwarven disease, I was never in any danger."

"You didn't know that Bilbo."

"Yes I did, I never felt the danger for myself, not like I did with Jorik. It was always others that were in danger in this case, first the babies and then Oin." He said. "I was fine my love, I couldn't sit by and do nothing...You wouldn't want me to be so callous would you. Your one to talk anyway, to rush to me you would have been close."

"Calous hardly, I don't want you risking yourself, you do so too often. As for myself, I waited until word was brought that you healed the children."

"That was dangerous Thorin, it could have spread without me sensing it. As for risking myself, you just will have to protect me won't you?" Bilbo asked and kissed Thorin on the cheek. "Come on I'm starving and this robe doesn't fit right." He said and walked back to the elevators with the king. Someone passed him some meat that he tore into after a moment, offering some of it to Thorin, while the king shook his head. He was then continually offered food and stopped every five feet or so by the crowd, other things were offered to him as well, things that he had no notion of how to refuse. Ultimately Thorin tried to buy a large cart but was given it instead.

"Confound it all, just tell them you don't want it Bilbo and they won't give it to you." Thorin said and Bilbo stared at him wide eyed.

"Won't I hurt their feelings though?" Bilbo asked and sent Thorin mumbling about the idiocy of hobbits. "Are you done with your ranting?" Bilbo asked amused.

"They feel obligated to give these things to you Bilbo, they are greatful...but..." Thori threw his arms up in the air.

"Alright then. YOUR GIFTS ARE KIND, BUT PLEASE STOP GIVING THEM TO ME." He shouted, but things were still thrown into the wagon as they passed by. "What if we just leave the wagon?"

"Then it would stand here in the middle of the street, usually they listen to me. Maybe its because I've banged enough heads together, when someone tried to give me their last bit of bread." He said and Bilbo stared at the king, these weren't gifts that his people could spare and he cursed them, as more were added. Finally at least four wagons were full of so many different things that Bilbo couldn't possibly keep track of it all. They had to use all three elevators and another beside to get it all to their floor. Bilbo then walked to Thorin's rooms which were closest to the elevators and fell onto the bed exhausted, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.