Once the story was over, everyone was wide-eyed and mouthed

Thorin was holding both his children's hands in each of his own as if to protect them from anything that might harm the tiny digits, to think, one of his children, was someone else in the world where they came from, had gone through a fate worse than death, then had his finger bitten off by a crazed ex-hobbit creature who then fell into the pits of Mordor himself, destroying his evil and the rings.

The only real comfort was that the mithril shirt he gave Bilbo, ended up saving that Frodo from harm and that his other self was now going to live happily and safely with them from now onwards, perhaps even joining them someday and being able to be free of the pain of that old life, knowing his struggles had been worth it, that he was being rewarded and had a large family who would never abandon him or act like his spirit was something to be snuffed out or locked up like a rabid beast.

Was their Thora also someone else? She did not look like anyone Thorin knew in the old place, nor did Bilbo seem to recognize her, perhaps as she grew, they would figure it out, but no matter who they were, they are their children now, the new prince and princess of Erebor, beloved son and daughter of the king and consort under the mountain, cousins to the heirs of Erebor and honorary niece and nephew to the rest of the company.

Oh yes

These children would be very much loved

And anyone who did not love them were obvious fools

It was also said that Thorin realized his words to Bilbo, those things he though would once again bring joy to the hobbit. to go back to his books and his armchair, to plant the oak tree and watch it grow, in the end, did not make him happy, that he still craved adventure, that he came home to an empty smial, that had been gutted by his neighbors, who dared question his identity.

If any of his kin regained their memories Thorin would have WORDS for them!

Bilbo most likely would not let him do anything other than that...

"What was Frodo like in the old world?" Kili asked tickling baby Frodo's foot making the baby giggle and kick out at him giving his older cousin a gummy grin.

"Michivious at times, like most hobbits, tend to be when we are young, but he was a good boy, took my stuffiness for what it was, he never took offense when I did not want him looking at my writings, just laughed and went about his own day, I regret every day that he had to take up a burden that I should have taken myself, I am happy that I did find the strength to do it here, that he can grow up as he should" Bilbo also chose to leave out the part of his drunken bum being yanked to the ground by Frodo so he could avoid a nasty burn or head bump from a dragon-shaped firework.

He did not need to make Fili and Kili laugh themselves sick just yet...

Also, he did not wish to give them any ideas, oh help them all if Fili, Kili, Merry, and Pippin ever met up! The chaos that would unfold from that could rival Smaugs rampage!

All four of them changed over that quest though

Bilbo looked at the ground as he wondered if the reason Gandalf gave the hobbit boys so much grief for their mischief was because they reminded him of Fili and Kili, it would not be a surprise.

He could only imagine how everyone felt, coming across Balin's tomb, and Ori's corpse, he had not wanted to believe it, that three of his friends died trying to reclaim Moria, the chilling last lines in Ori's book...

"We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the Bridge and second hall. ... the pool is up to the wall at Westgate. The Watcher in the Water took Oin. We cannot get out. The end comes ... drums, drums in the deep ...

They are coming..."

Sweet little Ori had done his job to the bitter end and his words may have saved many from a horrible fate inside that pit.

Bilbo did not have the heart to ask, to hope, that their deaths had at least, been quick, painless because he highly doubted he would like the answer, creatures of the dark never offered a peaceful death to their victims, they loved the struggle, the pain, the fruitless begging to be spared.

Even Roki, who was not a creature of Morgoth or Sauron, would have relished in seeing the light fade from his and Ori's eyes, cries and screams would have just egged him on and he would have taken the children to use them in his plot to gain power, to try and claim he was a savior, under the idiotic hope it would help him shove someone of his line into the royal house.

Thorin and Fili could be pigheaded at times, but they were not stupid! They would have known something was up, the struggle would have been obvious, not to mention whatever way he chose to kill Bilbo after he was done with Ori, most likely would not have been subtle and would have screamed foul play.

If his plan went through, Ori and himself would have been dead, and Roki would have been killed anyway, possibly even the members of his family who he wanted to marry in, since they would have had no proper witnesses saying they had no hand in the treachery.

So, in the end, it would have been five or more people that died because of those cruel and selfish actions, his whole family would have been under suspicion of also being traitors and disgraced because of one member's greed and lust for the king under the mountains power.

He would have doomed innocent members of his family

All of the ones who had been with him as well, it made the shireling feel like he had bugs all over his skin, that they would carelessly gamble with the lives of their loved ones, just to kill those that they did not like, instead of accepting the peaceful times, enjoying their families and making their home better, warm food and having soft blankets at night for those they cared for, they would have caused a war between the people of their own race and several others.

No one wanted to think about what darkness would have been unleashed because of that, the dragon sickness had been terrible, as has his own illness with the one ring, it made you someone you were not, but this, this was a completely different kind of sickness, one that had leveled towns, smashed mountains and snuffed out millions if not billions of lives over the course of their history.

Kili's soft voice broke the darkness

"Sounds like he was lots of fun," Kili said and took baby Frodo, gently touching their heads together, thankfully knowing better than to bump the babes head "you and your sister are gonna make great prank buddies!" the younger dwarrow laughed as his hair was yanked, but thankfully pulled it away before it became a snack.

"Oh no, you don't! The last time you teamed up with Gimli to prank some unsuspecting dwarrow you set them on FIRE!" Thorin said crossing his arms.

"Just their boots! and they put them right out in the lake!" Kili defended grinning at the memory

What was it with younglings and fire-related pranks?!

Suppose it was some kind of payment for setting one of his father's favorite robes ablaze when he was a faunt and wanted to see what the big deal was with smoking pipes and striking the match too hard.

No one needed to know about that though...

He was taking that to his grave ...

Well, his second grave...

The doors opened

"Hello cousin!" shouted a voice from the door

Dain walked in and grinned upon seeing the babies nested safely in Thorin's arms and strolled over to look at them better "Well look at you two! a little lad and lassie! congratulations Thorin, way to go! knew you two had it in ya!"

"Please no foul jokes around the babies" Tauriel deadpanned as Bilbo smiled in thanks at her

"Ah, yes, very sorry, but I do have some news, three of that treacherous snakes co-conspirators have been caught and are being...questioned, by my guards, so we should have their leader in a short while I am hoping," Dain said before laughing as Frodo made a grab for the firey beard, no doubt wondering what that color tasted like, thankfully neither baby seemed frightened of the energetic dwarf, and just seemed more curious than anything.

"Good, thank you for letting us know, three less traitors for us to worry about," Thorin said gently handing over Thora for Dain to see.

"Well, your a pretty little lass aren't you? Got your Adad's hair and your amad's eyes!" Dain grinned and lowered his head to kiss her forehead and earned himself a kick in the nose, but this just made him laugh "Strong kicks too! Will be swinging an ax in no time I will bet!"

"No more bets please"

Frodo, as expected, made a go for the red beard when it was his turn for snuggles and this also just earned him laughter in return

"Yeah, my son also enjoyed going for the hair and beard every chance he got, got a curious spirit the both of them, both of them will go on to do great things, there is no use putting a bet on that one!" Dain grinned as he freed his now soaked beard and handed Frodo back to go dry it "Well I need to get back, I will be back though, with hopefully more good news"

"Look forward to it cousin," Thorin said and was trying his best to keep a straight face at the sight of the wet hair Dain now sported "we will have a proper feast in celebration of their birth as soon as the source of this problem is caught and made an example of"

"A feast fit for the new heroes of middle earth! And our third hero will also be joining us soon am I right?" Dain said gently patting Ori's belly who nodded "Take good care of yourselves! The little trio will be walking and causing mischief before long!" And with that Dain left the room to search some more for Roki and any other problems.

"I know we will catch him soon"