Disclaimer: I don't plan on making this a long story as it was meant to be a one-shot but for all those that start writing a story meant to be a one-shot and... well turns into a two or three shot you know where I'm coming from. Anywho as I posted the first chapter I had already finished the second and third one as well so I figured why not post them all in a timely fashion? It been a whiled since I had a complete story. Edited for grammar.

Bilbo was concerned about the Arkenstone in his pocket it weighed heavily upon him. He took the stone out and gazed at its beauty. The words Smaug had said to him laid bare in the front of his mind.

"I can't wait for you to watch as your king slowly falls into madness brought upon him by the search for the Arkenstone and the gold sickness, just as it drove his father and grandfather mad before him."

Bilbo sighed in deep thought looking at the Arkenstone once more before putting it back in his vest pocket. The company of dwarfs were down in the treasury(the temporary name for the room with the mountains of gold until someone thought of something better) searching for the "king's stone" as Bilbo sat upon the front gate to Erebor watching the sun set behind the lake and the distant land scape. The hobbit smile to himself in memory of the dwarfs knee deep in gold. Thorin among them doing his fair share of searching. Getting up Bilbo prepared himself to join in the search for the stone already knowing it would prove to be fruitless as he held the stone safely tuck away in his vest pocket. He'd had possession of the stone since the first encounter with Smaug and kept it long after Smaug had left to burn Laketown.

In the Depths of Erebor

Thorin tried his best to make his way through the maze that was Erebor without gagging at the smell of dragon. "Did Smaug not take a bath or clean at all during his centuries of sleep?" Thorin decided then and there one of the first things he would do to get Erebor back to its former glory was to air out the mountain some way and get the smell of Smaug out. He turned the corner deep in though and almost knock poor Bilbo right over in his rush.

"Oh hello Thorin." Bilbo said in greeting. "I was just coming to assist you and the company in searching for the Arkenstone." Bilbo finished right himself from his near fall.

"No need for that bugler we are taking a much deserved break from stone searching." Thorin said as he patted Bilbo on the shoulder in a friendly manner.

"I do however find myself in need of your talents bur-Bilbo(please called me Bilbo I insist)." Thorin says brushing of Bilbo's stare at the burglar bit.

Bilbo smiles ready to hear what Thorin might need his assistance for.

"Of course I'll help in anyway I can." Bilbo replies as Thorin gestures to follow him as they move deeper into the center of the mountain.

The twist and turns that Thorin was taking every five seconds was almost giving Bilbo whiplash. They climbed higher and higher with every turn into the mountain. Soon they approached the familiar grand hall where the floor was now a bright gold from the melted gold they had used against Smaug. Bilbo knew this place well, however he didn't remember coming this way the first time. Bilbo had to pause a moment in thought since he was being chased by a fire breathing dragon and running for his life at that particular moment he couldn't be to sure if the way Thorin took was the originally way. Trying to save your hide does that to you.

Thorin stopped a nice breeze of late morning air flowed down from the hole where Smaug had threw a crazed fit and flew throw through on his way to burn Laketown. Bilbo gazed up at the hole in awe (Smaug was pretty amazing for a narcissistic dragon, but hey he was the last dragon in all of middle earth) he held a small spot for Smaug in his hobbit heart.

He had managed to survive in a world where dragons had become myth. Bilbo was sure if any still wandered middle earth they were extremely good at laying low and/or evolved to be smaller and much stealthier due to the ever changing environment and the continuation of their species. Thorin followed Bilbo's line of sight and smiled.

"Bilbo my dear hobbit friend I have an idea I wish to run by you before I tell the others." Thorin said.

Bilbo turned his head to its natural level feeling slight pricks from starting at something so high and looked at Thorin. He feels a rush of dread 'maybe' he thinks to himself 'this has something to do with protecting the freshly won back gold'.

"After some thought I have decided to build a watch tower to cover the hole Smaug the dragon (there a hint of venom in his words) has made at the top of the mountain." Thorin paused for effect and to give Bilbo time to let the words sink in.

Bilbo blinked owlishly. This was not on the list (a long one at that) of things Thorin would ever utter to him. He wasn't expecting something like this at all. Coming back to himself he coughed to cover up his surprise.

"He-hum yes well I think that it is an interesting idea. Brilliant really besides that fact that it's a bit of a strange one." Bilbo answered.

"I thought you might say something like that, which is why I brought a print of how it will look. You see my dear hobbit bugler and friend if there is one thing this whole ordeal has taught me in our long journey to reclaim Erebor it was to learn from the past and not make the same mistakes as my predecessors did." Thorin said with the conviction of a king ready to make swift changes for the betterment of his subjects.

Bilbo beamed at Thorin in pride, relief, and joy. Maybe Smaug was wrong about Thorin. However Bilbo would wait and see what happened before he gave Thorin possession of the Arkenstone.

"Well my dear mother Took that's the most words I've heard you speak since first meeting you in the shire." Bilbo said with a slightly teasing tone in his voice.

Thorin coughed in embarrassment but nodded in agreement with the hobbit. He was by nature (since he was a very wenne lad) a man of very few words. He didn't really need to say a whole sonnet of words to get his point across.

"(Cough)Yes well I think it would benefit Erebor and the people of Laketown if we had a watch tower of that magnitude and height. Orcs, goblins, and any foolish thing stupid enough to try and attack Erebor or Dale would be spotted long before it has a chance reach Dale or Erebor." Thorin explained.

Bilbo listened with growing interest.

"It's brilliant Thorin." the hobbit gushed in amazement.

"Yes I think it a brilliant idea too. The only problem is that word will have already been sent out that the dragon is dead and Erebor has been reclaimed. I have already sent word with Kili and Fili to Bard the Dragon Slayer that his people may take shelter here." Thorin said as he led Bilbo to sit down in one of the rooms off the main hall at the center of the mountain.

Bilbo hummed "that's wonderful and it is the least we can do after he helped us with food, weapons, and shelter."

Thorin nodded his head in agreement there was much work to be done and so little time to do it. He had no doubt that the elves would be on their way in a few short days. A part of him also knew Azog the Defiler wouldn't be far behind with his "men".

Long into the night Thorin and Bilbo talked of plans that has to be put into order. They were joined by the company in good time as they discussed their next move.

A Few Days From Erebor

Thranduil took a break signaling his elven warriors to rest since they were a day or two march away from Erebor. He could see smoke on the wind. He could make a very educated guess that was where the still burning rubble of Laketown once stood.

The Elven King knew elves could go on marching for weeks without tiring but he wanted his warriors in top form should the need to go to war arise. His Elk drank from the stream as the elven warriors refilled their water skins for the next few days. Thranduil waved his royal guard off before they had a chance to set up his tent.

Before he was a king he was a prince and before even that he had been a elven warrior who guarded the Mirkwood borders. He would rest like everyone else, for this was not the moment nor the time to be lording over his people.

"Thorin Oakensheild King Under the Mountain I hope you are prepared to set right what your grandfather made a err judgment on those many moons past or you shall have to face the wraith of the elves." Thranduil's thought to himself as he patted his elk.

End Note: Yay a finished chapter two and the plot thickens. I am so happy I had time even if its a little bit to post this. As for my other story please give me time I am a full time student and I work so I really have to squeeze in time to post my other stories. As always thanks for reading and please R&R or not(it would be nice though if you did so I know your out there reading my work). Edited.