Bilbo honestly considered running away. He probably should have. There were no guards and Thranduil was too distracted pacing in his anger to even notice Bilbo slip past. But he just couldn't. He had to know what Thranduil would say to his One. Would he tell Thorin right out who he was, or would he keep it a secret and lord it over his soul mate? Bilbo honestly didn't know which he thought would be better. It might be nice to have his secret finally out in the open, but for it to be told by someone like this selfish elf king was not how he wanted it to happen.

So he stayed upon the throne and watched as the elves escorted Thorin to meet the king of the elves of Mirkwood.

Thorin, surprisingly, did not fight as he came upon them. Bilbo had expected to see the elves dragging Thorin by the arms as he tried to escape, but instead he came with his head held high and proud. Thranduil frowned and Bilbo couldn't help the silent snigger he let out. The elf king was surely expecting Thorin to be more put out than he was acting and the fact that the dwarf was so calm when the elf was not put Thorin on higher ground then him. As if to make them even, Thranduil turned and headed up the stairs as calmly as he could and Bilbo scrambled out of his seat so the elf wouldn't sit on him. He just barely managed to dodge being stepped on before he rushed down the stairs to stand as near to his Soulmate as he could get without alerting anyone to his presence.

Thorin glanced around him seemingly uncaring before turning to look back at the elf king who was trying to look as though he was lounging in his throne. "Where is Bilbo?" the dwarf demanded even as Thranduil opened his mouth to begin speaking. "What have you done with our hobbit?"

Thranduil's mouth snapped shut and he glared at Thorin as the King Under the Mountain spoke, but then a smirk graced his lips as he leaned forward. "Your hobbit?" he asked with a raised brow. "Then you do not know who he truly is." Bilbo squeezed his eyes shut. He should have known that Thranduil would not let this chance to lord himself over Thorin pass him. Nor his chance to betray a secret Bilbo was obviously keeping from the dwarf. Anything to be the petty elf that he was.

Thorin did not let himself be baited, though. "I demand to know where you have taken him," he said.

"And why should I tell you?" Thranduil asked, waving a dismissive hand at Thorin as though he cared not for any of this. "You who were trespassing on my lands. Tell me Thorin Oakenshield what a group of fourteen dwarves is doing traveling through these woods and perhaps I will tell you what you want to know." Bilbo ground his teeth as Thorin's eyes narrowed. Clearly the elf was not going to come right out and say who Bilbo was, but he was going to hint at it if only to play with Thorin's mind. Bilbo really hated this elf. "You have my word."

"Your word means nothing," Thorin said, still not rising to the bait. Bilbo had to say that he was very proud of his Soulmate in that moment. He had never thought that Thorin would so easily keep his calm in the face of someone that he despised so much. He did not have this much calm when he faced Azog again. But then again Thorin was a little more invested in his hatred of the orc. "Who would trust one who has broken his word in the past. If I give you what you desire, you will still keep him from me. Tell me where the hobbit is."

Thranduil scowled, his patience already worn thin from his meeting with Bilbo and his talk with his son and the dwarf was not at all aiding it. Perhaps I should tell you something interesting that will change your mind," he said.

"Whatever you say will not sway me," Thorin said.

"Truly?" Thranduil raised a brow, but it was clear that he was just barely holding onto his composure. "Not even if I told you that your beloved Hobbit is actually your Soulmate, Haran son of Vorin, and he's hiding it from you?"

Bilbo jerked as the truth finally came out and he stared wide eyed at Thorin. What would happen now? Would Thorin be angry at him for keeping it a secret? Would he think that Bilbo didn't want him anymore? Would he feel betrayed? Would he turn away from Bilbo then and there? Would he reject the one who had taken his Haran's place when he clearly wasn't the same person?

Thorin's eyes darkend and his lips thinned and Bilbo had to throw his hands in front of his mouth so he wouldn't cry out as tears came to his eyes. He knew that look.


Bilbo sat upon the gates of Erebor as he read one of his favorite books from his library. He was not on watch, but he had taken to stationing himself there whenever his One was off on some task or another that he was not allowed to join in on. This time his husband was off on a hunting trip with Frerin and Dwalin and a couple of other guards. It was the little brother's birthday week and he had requested that he and his brother go on a hunting trip as a birthday present. Thorin had asked if Bilbo wanted to go too, but Bilbo had the feeling that one of the reasons that Frerin was asking this was because he didn't see Thorin as much now that he spent almost all his free time with Bilbo. He didn't think that Frerin would be very happy if Bilbo did join them. He had simply given Thorin a kiss and sent him on his way before sitting atop the gate and waiting for him to return.

"The hunters return," said one of the dwarf guards who stood nearest to Bilbo. They had long since grown used to Bilbo's presence and would sometimes speak to him if he wanted to start a conversation, but usually they just left him to himself unless announcing Thorin's return.

Bilbo glanced up from his book at the group that was appearing beyond the horizon. "Something's wrong," he frowned, placing the book beside him on the bench that he sat on. The group was moving too fast to be returning from a leisurely and exhausting hunt. Bilbo had one of the best eyes of all the dwarves and though he could only see shapes, he could make out several shapes too big to be a single dwarf. Shapes that could only be created by one carrying another. "Go and call the healers," he demanded of the guard who rushed away. Any other dwarf guard who stood close enough to hear him readied bows and arrows and others followed suit until all of them stood ready to shoot any who would be chasing their princes.

Bilbo paid none of this any mind as he ran down to the front of the gate, demanding that it be opened immediately. The dwarf guards here also suddenly stood at the ready and watched cautiously for anyone chasing their people. Bilbo took up a pack of healing medicines and ran to meet his One. He was not a healer, but all dwarves had some amount of knowledge in the healing arts. He could at least try to help while they waited for the healers to join them. He did not have to wait, however, as he found himself surrounded by both guards and healers carrying as many stretchers as they could get their hands on to take the injure inside.

Thorin was at the front of the pack looking wild and determined to make it back to the mountain and Bilbo had to physically restrain him for him to even notice that his One was there. "Breathe Thorin," he said. "Breathe. What has happened? Tell me what has happened."

"Orcs," Thorin growled. "Frerin's hurt. I have to get him back to the mountain." Bilbo looked past him to find Dwalin carrying a very pale Frerin on his back. The guards face was dark and solemn and Bilbo knew what that meant. Frerin did not need any healers. Not anymore. "I need to get him to the healers."

"I have brought healers," Bilbo said. He couldn't tell Thorin that his brother was lost. He had to calm him down first. There were still others who needed looking after "Look at me, Thorin," he said. "Look at me. You've brought him back. You brought him back."

Yet none of the healers went to Frerin's side. Bilbo didn't blame them. There was obviously nothing that they could do for him now and they had to concentrate on the injured that they could save. Still, Bilbo looked beseechingly at Oin, who lead the group. Oin answered only with a nod before directing Dwalin to place the young prince on one of the stretchers and with another guard rush him inside while Bilbo distracted his husband.

"They ambushed us," Thorin said. "We weren't expecting them. We didn't even know they were there. We went to our usual hunting spot. We've never had problems before. It was safe. It was supposed to be safe."

"I know Thorin," Bilbo said, "but you've brought him back. You've brought everyone back. Come inside."

"Is he going to be okay?" Thorin asked, his eyes dark and lips thinned even as he calmed from his crazed mentality. "Tell me he's going to be okay." He dropped his head into Bilbo's shoulder even as everyone rushed around them to treat the injured.

"I don't know," Bilbo lied. It didn't matter anyway. Thorin already knew the truth, but he was just denying it because the truth was too hard to bare. To have lost a younger brother when you had tasked yourself with his care. It was just too much. "I don't know."


Thorin had already suspected him, but he was refusing to believe it because the truth was too painful. If Bilbo truly was his Soulmate reborn, then he would be sending him once more to face that dragon that had been the cause of much suffering in their past. Back to the one that had nearly killed him in the past life. Thorin knew who he was subconsciously, but didn't want to believe it because of the pain it would cause them both. He couldn't believe it because Bilbo had to go to face the dragon no matter what.

But there was something else in his eyes that Bilbo had never seen on him before. A glint that he recognized from another. A desire so maddening that it made a person blind. Something that Bilbo had only ever caught in the eyes of Thorin's grandfather.

Bilbo ran away, not even looking as he rushed passed the guards. It must have been luck that they didn't notice him. He heard behind him as Thorin accused the elf king of lying and he could no longer hold back the hiccupping gasp. He needed to find somewhere to hide. Somewhere where he could think. Somewhere where he would not see that horrible light in Thorin's eyes that he knew to be one of the first symptoms of Gold Sickness.