CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE – A HOLE IN THE GROUND
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit..."
J.R.R. Tolkien
July 2962 TA
"Mister Bilbo, I really like your home," Drúdin said, his short legs swinging from where he sat on the countertop, "It's much different to my home."
"Well thank you, Drúdin, I rather like it too," Bilbo smiled, "Do you miss your home yet?"
Drúdin shrugged, "I guess… but I like being on an adventure better. Home will still be there when we get back, won't it?"
"I should hope so."
Drúdin hummed to himself as he watched the hobbit bustle about the kitchen. His head was tilted curiously and a small frown furrowed his brow, no doubt as he thought of more questions to ask.
Poor Bilbo hadn't had a moment's peace since the surprise arrival of the Durin's, but he found he enjoyed it more than anything. After years of a solitary life, alone in his large hobbit hole, it was nice to have a purpose again. To make sure there was food in the cupboard for the Princes or clean sheets on the beds. Not to mention the patters of small feet running through the formerly empty hallways.
The hobbit was never one for children – he could tolerate them at the best of times – but he found himself falling head over heels for Thodin, Drúdin and Frerin. They were such clever, curious young lads who showed only the best qualities of Bilbo's closest companions.
"You're a really good cook, Mister Bilbo," Drúdin said earnestly.
"Thank you, little one," Bilbo smiled, "You may call me Bilbo now, you know."
Drúdin shrugged his shoulders and nodded.
"What are you cooking now, Mister Bilbo?" the dwarfling asked. Bilbo couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips.
"I have told you, Drúdin," Bilbo said patiently, "An orange and poppy seed cake – my mother's recipe, you know."
"Why?"
"Well for you and your brother's to eat, of course," Bilbo said, "And perhaps to help your mother get well."
Drúdin giggled at the absurdity, "Cake won't help her get better!"
"You never know," Bilbo said with mocking seriousness, "Food has the capability to mend more than you think."
Drúdin let that sink in and frowned, "So… cake can make mum better?"
Bilbo chuckled, "It may not cure her, but it will certainly help her feel better."
Drúdin still seemed skeptical however, as he continued swinging his legs aimlessly.
"Can I help you?"
"Well of course, if you want to," Bilbo said kindly, "Have you cooked before?"
"I tried once with Bombur," Drúdin said, scrunching his face at the memory, "But Dad says I'm not allowed to anymore."
"What happened?"
"I burnt cookies," Drúdin said bashfully, "…and they caught fire."
"Oh my," Bilbo blanched, "Well we won't let that happen this time. Come, you can help me stir."
Drúdin grinned brightly. He leapt from the countertop and practically skipped to the hobbit's side. He was enjoying this adventure very much, despite its lack of trolls.
"Are you sure you would not rather rest?" Thorin asked his wife anxiously, "You do not look well-"
"Thorin," Hayden sighed.
She stopped in her tracks to look at him and he stopped alongside her. They were taking a short stroll along the rocky paths of the Shire, passing hobbit holes and enjoying the odd looks they received from hobbits in return. Thodin was walking ahead holding Frerin's hand, lest the toddler wander off from the path and lose his way. The elder of the two was enjoying the sights while pointing out little things to his sibling. Frerin however seemed more interested in the rocks he was standing on than anything else.
"It was only a stomach ache, honestly," Hayden assured Thorin, not for the first time (nor the last time, she presumed), "I'm not dying."
"You had a fever," Thorin retorted, "And you still do, as a matter of fact."
"You know Frerin caught a little flu just after we left Rivendell," Hayden stated, "I probably caught something off him."
"I do not want you becoming ill," Thorin said, "And while we are so far from home-"
"Gandalf and Balin are here with us and I'm sure the Shire has capable healers," Hayden assured him, though he didn't seem at all convinced. She smiled gently and stepped towards him to take his hand. "If it really makes you feel better I can go see someone. I'm sure Bilbo knows a nurse nearby."
Thorin mulled this over silently and then nodded, "Yes I would like that very much. Only as a precaution."
"Of course," she smiled, giving his hand a small squeeze as they continued along to catch up with their boys.
"I hope you found Mary's home alright, Hayden?" Bilbo asked, as they sat around the dining table eating dinner.
"I did," Hayden smiled, "I'm quite good with directions." She added, with a subtle teasing glance Thorin's way.
"Nothing too serious, I hope?" Bilbo asked in a lower tone. While he seemed mindful of her privacy, his eyes portrayed nothing but concern.
"Nothing at all," Hayden said, with a slight shrug, "Like I said, it was probably a small bug I caught on the road."
"Better safe than sorry," Bilbo added, smiling.
"I suppose," Hayden shrugged, "I rather liked her – Mary, I mean. It was quite nice to see a woman healer for once. Not that I don't adore Oin."
"She is very nice," Bilbo agreed.
Hayden smirked to herself and raised her eyebrows, "She's also very pretty. But I'm sure you've noticed that." She was hoping to catch him off guard, but Bilbo was too quick to fall for that.
"You are heading towards a lost cause, Hayden," Bilbo said with a gentle smile, "I am too accustomed to a bachelor life."
"You can't want to spend the rest of your life alone, Bilbo," Hayden said.
"Leave him alone, Hayden," Thorin said, through pursed lips.
She sent him a sharp glare, before turning to Bilbo and softening her expression, "Surly there's someone who-?"
Bilbo shook his head, while still smiling at her efforts.
Hayden sighed, defeated. She knew it was a lost cause, but that didn't mean she couldn't try every once in a while.
"Don't feel bad, Bilbo," Thodin said, having overheard their conversation, "Mum tries the same with Kee, but it never works either."
Bilbo chuckled under his breath.
"I don't do the same thing with Kili," Hayden said, "I'm only trying to help him."
"How will getting a wife help Kee?" Drúdin asked.
"Well… uh," Hayden stuttered, stumped for the right answer, "I just don't want Kili to be lonely. It might be nice for him to have a family, like Fili and Dura do."
"Does that mean you want us to get wives?" Thodin asked, looking thoroughly disgusted.
"Not quite yet, Thodin," Thorin said, quite amused, "But you will when you are much older."
"But I don't want to be married!" Thodin cried.
"Thodin love, you don't have to worry about that now," Hayden said with a gentle smile, "Just eat your dinner."
Thodin nodded and went about eating his food, though his little brow remained furrowed in deep thought.
"A wife is a girl," Drúdin stated, "Like you, mum?"
"Well, yes," Hayden said, confused as to where this could be leading.
"But girl's are yucky," Drúdin said, scrunching his face.
"How?" Hayden blanched, whilst Thorin and Bilbo seemed quite amused.
"They just are," Thodin said, "I'm glad I only have brothers."
"Me too," Drúdin agreed, with a cheeky grin.
"What would you have done if Frerin had been a girl?" Hayden asked.
Thodin and Drúdin turned in unison to their brother, sitting in a high chair and eating his potatoes contentedly. He was getting more food in his hair and face than in his mouth, but he was still quite happy, his short legs swinging carelessly below him.
"He wouldn't make a very good girl," Thodin said.
"He's too messy," Drúdin said, "Girl's like to be clean. Like Dala."
"Alright you two, just eat your dinner," Hayden said, shaking her head.
"You did start it," Thorin pointed out.
Hayden narrowed her eyes, but didn't get a chance to insult him as he handed her a small piece of parchment.
"What's this?" she asked.
"A letter from Dís," Thorin said, "Arrived this afternoon."
"Oh? Is everything alright?"
"Aye, but you should read it," he urged.
Hayden obliged, flipping open the parchment to reveal a familiar handwriting written in thick black ink.
Dear Thorin, Hayden & my darling nephews,
I hope your trip from Rivendell to the Shire was a peaceful one and you made it safe to the home of Master Baggins. Be sure to give him the best of regards and wishes from his companions here and myself.
All is well in the Lonely Mountain. Fili has managed to keep the kingdom in tact, so do not worry yourself Thorin.
We received word from the Woodland Realm that the threat from spiders has increased quite alarmingly. This does not effect Erebor so much as it does the men of Dale and the elves within Mirkwood, but I would urge you not to return until I have sent a letter giving the all clear. I'm sure you understand it would not be safe for you to travel through the forest with a threat so prominent.
Do not be alarmed and please do not worry yourselves, for all is under control.
Enjoy your time with Master Baggins and give hugs and kisses to the lads for me.
All my love,
Dís
"What does this mean?" Hayden asked. Though she knew Dís meant well with this letter she couldn't help but feel slightly panicked by it.
"It means we may have to intrude on Master Baggins' home for longer than we expected," Thorin said.
"But what about-?"
"Do not worry yourself," Thorin said, "I have full confidence in Dís and I have taught Fili well enough to deal with these situations. We are here to enjoy ourselves remember."
He was taking this rather coolly, Hayden thought, for the Thorin Oakenshield she knew. But then again he did have a point. They were on the other side of Middle Earth – there was nothing they could do, even if they wanted to.
"Dessert now, I think?" Bilbo announced, which was met by enthusiastic cheers and grins from the three dwarflings. "Drúdin, would you like to fetch your surprise?"
With a grin plastered on his face, Drúdin ran from the room at full speed. When he returned he was holding a plate with a yellow-brown cake in the centre of it.
"What's this?" Hayden asked, smiling and looking curiously from Drúdin to Bilbo.
"A little something Drú prepared," Bilbo said.
"I only helped," Drúdin shrugged modestly, "Bilbo did most of it."
"He cooked?" Thorin asked, raising his eyebrows.
"But I didn't start a fire this time, I swear!" Drúdin cried.
Thorin laughed and reached forward to ruffle the dwarflings hair, "I'm proud of you, son."
"I want some cake please," Thodin said, leaning forward eagerly.
"Mum first," Drúdin said, pushing the plate in Hayden's direction proudly, "It'll make you feel better."
"Oh thank you darling, that's so sweet of you," she smiled, beckoning him over so she could plant a kiss on his cheek.
Bilbo cut the cake into very generous slices before handing them out to each of them. You could easily tell the cake was a hit with the Prince's, as not a word was heard from them as they ate away.
"Do you want the rest?" Hayden asked Thorin in an undertone, having given up on her slice after only a few bites.
"Are you not hungry?" Thorin asked.
Hayden sighed, "I don't need this cake."
Thorin resisted the urge to purse his lips, but accepted the cake from her plate quite happily.
"Is it because you are ill?" Thorin asked.
"I think I've gained weight," Hayden said, her eyes subtly moving down over her form unhappily, "It should be impossible after all the travelling we've done, but I've managed it somehow."
"Hayden you have not gained-"
"Don't go there," Hayden interrupted him quickly, "I have and that's the end of it."
Thorin huffed, but he knew the conversation, rather like Bilbo's love life, was a lost cause. And so he continued to eat the remainder of his cake in silence, until a knock sounded from the front door of Bag End.
"Who could that be at this time?" Bilbo frowned, making to rise from his seat.
"I'll get it, Bilbo," Hayden offered, standing up.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, you finish your desert," she said.
Like Bilbo, she wondered to herself who might be calling upon them at this hour. Bilbo hardly had visitors at all, let alone ones so late at night. When she opened the round green door she certainly wasn't expecting at all to see a familiar lady hobbit waiting patiently behind it.
"Good evening, my lady," Mary, the healer said, smiling kindly. She dipped into a small curtsey.
"Oh Mary, good evening," Hayden said, unable to hide her surprise, "Is everything alright?"
"Oh, yes," Mary said, "I apologise for the hour of my visit but I felt it better I did now than in the morning."
"Oh?" Hayden said curiously.
The hobbit paused and seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment, "Might I… come inside?"
"Yes, of course," Hayden said, stepping aside to allow her into the hobbit hole.
"Hayden? Is everything alright?" Thorin's voice called from the dining room.
"Yes – it's Mary, the healer," Hayden said in return, turning to the hobbit, "Would you like to come through? My son's cooked a cake for dessert."
"That's very kind of you, my lady, but I'd rather not intrude," Mary said timidly, "Might we speak alone?"
Hayden, taken aback, nodded and led the way down the hall to a smaller sitting room off the main corridor.
"You haven't come to tell me I have some deadly disease that will kill me in a few days, have you?" Hayden teased.
They both took seats on the generous couches by the roaring fireplace, facing one another.
"Thankfully not, my lady," Mary said, smiling slightly, "This might sound a little… odd."
"I'm quite used to that," Hayden encouraged.
Mary smiled again and bit her lip in thought, "I… did notice something in my examination of you yesterday."
"Oh? Nothing bad I hope?"
"Not at all," Mary said, "That is… I wasn't quite sure how your culture handles these situations, so I thought it best to stay quiet."
Hayden began to frown in confusion. "You mean dwarves?"
"Yes, my lady," the healer said, "But as I thought more of it I wondered whether you know of your condition, as it can be hard to tell at times. And what if you didn't know of it and something were to happen on your returning travels? I would feel utterly responsible for it-"
"Mary, I don't know what you're talking about," Hayden said.
Mary stopped her ramblings instantaneously. Her eyes, oddly enough, dropped from Hayden's face to her stomach, and widened.
"You don't know then?" Mary asked.
"Know what?" Hayden asked, becoming more flustered by the minute.
After a few moments of tense silence, Mary rose from her place on the couch to sit beside Hayden. The hobbit took Hayden's hands gently.
"You are with child, my lady."
Whoop, there it is! So I know there have been a lot of questions / requests on Hayden falling pregnant again and I've managed to avoid them til now. Since I began this sequel I always knew Hayden and Thorin would have a fourth child, it's just taken a while to get to it :3
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and fear not, there will be another chapter soon enough :)