A/N: Hello people! I am baaaack! :D Thank you for following/favouriting! To La aL, KaiaRenkin, Silversun XD, shadewatcher, Shiningheart of Thunderclan, queenofthefallenfics, The Super Saiyan Fox, Guest, thank you for the reviews, and for the encouragements! :D

Reminders: I have no betas, so if you spot any mistakes, please do let me know! This story mainly follows the movieverse. Ooc characters, you've been warned~

DISCLAIMER: The characters and the Hobbit universe belongs to J.R.R Tolkien (and the movie company).

Reviews and constructive criticism will be great :)

Here is your long-awaited Chap 7!

Chapter 7

Gandalf finally appeared during dinner, looking older and more world-weary.

"Where have you been?" Thorin demanded as soon as Gandalf sat down opposite him.

The wizard raised an eyebrow. "I've been discussing matters of the Middle-Earth with Lord Elrond Thorin. What put you in such a foul mood?"

"He's just upset that his nephews found a new playmate," Bilbo slid into the seat next to Gandalf, amusement colouring his voice. He nodded towards the end of the table, where Kili and Fili were engaged in deep discussion with Ryadher, heads bowed together. Occasionally, they would stifle a giggle and glance at an unsuspecting Bombur.

Thorin glowered silently.

Gandalf chuckled. "Ah, Thorin, I would be more worried about the tricks the three of them would pull." With that, he excused himself to visit the library.

"I do not like them interacting with those tree-shaggers," Thorin muttered darkly under his breath. Bilbo glared daggers at Thorin.

"At least the elves are kind enough to welcome us," he sniped.

Thorin glowered at Bilbo. "What is with your interest with them? Do you fancy the tree-shagger lass so much that you always defend them instead of us?"

Bilbo glared back at Thorin. "Her name is Ryadher! She's like my sister, there's nothing between us! Plus the Elves have been nothing but warm and welcoming, yet you're still holding a grudge against them. How petty," he drawled.

"Me? Petty? They refused to help us years ago!" Thorin growled.

"Yes, petty! That was years ago, like you said! Years ago! It's very clear to me who's the petty one! It was also the Greenwood Elves' fault, not Lord Elrond's!" Bilbo snarled back.

Thorin slammed his goblet onto the table, eyes burning with anger. "You're but a elf-loving burden who will surely cause more trouble than you're worth! If you enjoy their company so much, stay here with your lass!"

Bilbo narrowed his eyes dangerously at Thorin. The candles flared; his sister looked at him in alarm. "Maybe I will," he hissed.

The dining hall hushed. Tension hung heavy in the air, everyone looking at the scene unfurling before them. Deathly silence.

Thorin stood up and leant forward, bringing his face closer to Bilbo's. "Run along, then, little halfling."

Bilbo sneered, shoving his chair backwards as he stood up. "I'm done with dinner anyway. Have fun attempting to reclaim your precious Erebor without me, Your Highness," he said tauntingly. Fists uncurling and curling, Bilbo folded his arms to hide his elongated nails. Ryadher made to stand, but he subtly shook his head. He wanted to be alone. With a mock bow to Thorin, he stormed out of the dining hall. No one tried to stop him.

His footsteps resounded through the hallway, harsh and angry. The lights flickered as he took in deep breaths, trying to control his fraying temper. He had never been the most patient dragon.

Bilbo headed towards the library; books never failed to calm him down. Surrounded by books and utterly alone, he felt his anger ebb away slowly. A feeling of calm settled, and his claws retracted. He suddenly felt foolish for his loss of temper just now; it was unwarranted. To accuse Thorin as petty was rash and foolish as well; the dwarf leader could be a bit extreme and unreasonable, but he had his reasons. Bilbo had dismissed all those and simply blamed Thorin as being petty; that was childish and he was in the wrong as well. Bilbo groaned. He was probably not welcomed among the dwarves now; what was he going to do? He supposed he could still travel to Erebor alone to deal with Smaug, but that would be too risky for him alone.

Another pair of footsteps - too heavy to be elves' - joined his in the otherwise silent library. There goes his silence, he thought unhappily.

"Knew I'll find you here. Free for a chat?" Bofur whispered, looking terribly out-of-place in the library. Bilbo sighed, nodded, and allowed himself to be pulled out of the library. Goodbye books, he thought mournfully.

Bofur exhaled loudly once they exited the extremely silent library. "Are you alright?" He asked Bilbo carefully. Bilbo sighed internally; much as he wanted to, he could not simply snarl at Bofur to get lost. He had become closer to Bofur recently, and regarded him as a friend. Furthermore, knowing Bofur, he would really get lost, and Bilbo did not need that weighing onto his conscious now. And maybe Bofur could convince the others to allow him along. Sad as it was, it would be safer for a hobbit/dragon to travel in the company of warrior-dwarves. He just had to play this right.

First, gain sympathy.

Bilbo laughed haltingly. "Not really."

Bofur sighed. "Pardon his harsh words; I'm sure Thorin did not mean what he said."

"I'm not part of the Company anymore, am I? Isn't it treason to talk to me?"

Bofur snorted. "I'll like to see Thorin try and convict Balin of treason."

"Of course, it was Balin who sent you," Bilbo said flatly. The tiny flare of warmth in his heart that had sparked when Bofur approached him dimmed. Yet; Balin wanted to salvage this? There was still hope for Bilbo after all.

Bofur held up his hands placatingly. "Don't get me wrong, lad. Balin wanted someone to talk to you. Me, being the great friend I am, volunteered." He bowed with a flourish. "Of course, I was also worried for you," he added with concern. Bilbo was surprised; he didn't expect any of them to actually care.

The tiny flame of warmth re-ignited.

Bilbo cocked his head slightly to one side. "Doesn't Balin think I should leave as well?"

Bofur looked at him in utter disbelief. "Bilbo, you're our burglar! Why would we want you to leave?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because some of you don't trust me or even like me?"

Bofur frowned slightly. "Trust is hard to come by these days, especially for us, Bilbo lad. That doesn't mean we dislike you or want you to leave; we do still care." Bilbo scrutinised his expression, but sincerity oozed out of Bofur's every pore. Either he was an exceptionally gifted liar, or he truly believed that.

Bilbo shrugged. "That may be true, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm kicked out of the Company." A thread of bitterness crept into his voice; when that happened, Bilbo was not sure.

"Well, I know that you're my friend, and neither Ori, nor Kili and Fili, nor Bombur, nor me, would want you to leave. Nori too; he would be moaning about the loss of a fellow burglar," Bofur said firmly. "But it may not have been a wisest decision to call him petty. The wounds run deep, and those take ages to heal, if ever," Bofur added cautiously.

Then, apologise and accept part of the blame.

Bilbo threw his hands up. "I know! I lost my temper, and I'm sorry - I shouldn't have said he was petty. His anger and hatred towards the elves may be justified, but at that moment I just couldn't-" he made a frustrated sound at the back of his throat and gestured wildly.

"Your temper got the better of you?" Bofur suggested wryly. Bilbo nodded miserably. Gaining more sympathy would be in his favour.

Bofur patted Bilbo's back. "Aye, lad, it happens to the best of us," he said wisely. Ignoring Bilbo's mutter of "I'm not a lad", he continued, "Just now, Thorin was being brash as well. Currently Balin and Dwalin are knocking some sense into Thorin as well. He won't kick you out."

Lastly, flattery.

"Thorin's quite an efficient leader, else he wouldn't have such a loyal band of strong warrior supporters" Bilbo admitted. Bofur puffed up slightly. "He's strong and determined, but..." Bilbo hesitated, "...can be a bit too head-strong at times." Bilbo added the last bit softly, as though afraid that some on may overhear them.

Bofur chuckled. "Aye, he's a good king despite his flaws. I know Thorin can be frustrating and stubborn at times, lad, but he had suffered much. A heavy burden he has to bear. The grudges have been held on for century; it's impossible for him to get over it overnight. Do not hold it against him, Bilbo," he advised gently.

They really wanted him to stay? This was going better than expected, Bilbo thought to himself in surprise. He did not even need to try and 'play it right'; they were coaxing him to stay, not the other way round. Wonderful. Oh, right, he needed an appropriate response.

"You think I should just forgive him, with a snap of my fingers?" Bilbo asked incredulously.

"All we're asking is to listen to him, and give him another chance. He's a good king, despite his bad sense of directions and occasional bad choices. Maybe not waxing poetry about elves would be great too."

Yes! They really wanted him to stay. This was simply perfect.

Bilbo gave Bofur a rueful smile. "I wasn't that bad, I didn't flatter the elves at all."

Bofur raised an eyebrow, "But you've made your preference of elven company over dwarven company very clear. You're also very chummy with the Elf lass; we thought she was your engaged. It's vexing; the Company's worried that you would leave us. Now Thorin may just have blown it."

Bilbo wrinkled his nose. "Oh, you dwarves and your insecurities. I'm just closer to them; it doesn't mean I'm leaving all of you for the elves. I'm not having any relationship with my sister either. That's just gross."

Balin tilted his head sideways, eyes narrowed slightly. "Sister?"

Oh shit. That was an accidental slip.

Bilbo made a cutting gesture with his hand. " Friend. Friend, I mean that Ryadher is just a close friend. No relationship. Family. That's all."

His gaze was skeptical. "I see."

There was a long stretch of silence.

"If it comforts you, Thorin is being given a harsher version of this talk at this very moment," Bofur added with a grin.

Bilbo frowned in mock contemplation. "I can't imagine Dwalin giving Thorin a talk similar to this."

Bofur laughed gleefully. "Nay, Dwalin has always preferred the straight-forward method of knocking sense into Thorin's head - literally!"

Bilbo gave a short bark of laughter, and any remaining tension dissipated. Bilbo straightened, a grateful grin on his face, and Bofur let out a small sigh of relief, thankful that his friend was relatively back to normal now.

"Thanks, Bofur. You're a good friend," Bilbo said sincerely. His butt was half-saved; hope rekindled in his chest. Jokingly, he added, "When have you gotten so wise?"

Bofur winked. "I've always been this wise, Bilbo, you just never noticed my charm."

Bilbo agreed to walk back to the Gathering Room (aka Thorin's room) with Bofur. Bofur, being the great friend he was, shoved Bilbo into the room unceremoniously.

The dwarves stared at him for an awkward moment, which dissipated when Bofur cleared his throat pointedly. They soon returned to their previous conversations, and Bilbo decided to ignore the fact that he could feel their curiosity and their not-so-subtle glances. At least they were trying.

Bilbo sat next to Bofur at a corner, chatting away about pointless and harmless subjects, such as whether chicken meat or mutton tasted better. Bilbo was all for mutton; chickens are so small and could hardly fill his belly in his natural form. Not that he could mention that to Bofur.

Within five minutes, Fili and Kili were next to him, each on both side. They looked glum and mildly guilty behind their forced, wide smiles.

"Mister Boggins! I'm glad to see you're still here!" Kili declared.

"We thought Uncle had scared you away-" Fili continued.

"-and we were so sad for a moment," Kili ended, grasping his chest dramatically with a fake sigh. They paused, uncertain as to how Bilbo would react now.

Bilbo smiled crookedly. "Just for a moment? How touching," he said teasingly.

They pounced onto his answer like a cat on a mouse.

"Of course not! We were devastated-"

"-I lost my appetite-"

"-The thought of parting with you breaks my heart!" They clambered, relief shining in their eyes. Bilbo laughed loudly, and they exchanged hopeful looks.

"You're... you're not leaving, are you?" Kili asked tentatively.

Bilbo grinned. "Not unless your Uncle chases me away." They visibly relaxed.

"That's good. We need our burglar," Fili said, and Kili nodded vigorously.

"Sorry... for... well, causing you and Missus Ryadher trouble..." Fili apologised haltingly.

"We should have been more careful," Kili said awkwardly, looking everywhere except at Bilbo. Bilbo's heart warmed.

"It's not any of your faults at all," he told them gently. They hesitated.

"But..."

"No buts. Not your fault, alright?" Bilbo said firmly. They brightened, and nodded, smiling.

"Balin's calling. Kili, we have to go," Fili sounded vaguely disappointed as he stood to leave. Kili nodded, and leant forward to give Bilbo a quick one-arm hug.

"I'm glad you're staying," Kili confided softly, and stood as well. Nodding to Bofur and Bilbo, the Durin siblings straightened and left.

Five minutes later, Bilbo watched warily as Thorin made his way towards him. He stood awkwardly over Bilbo and Bofur for a few seconds. Bilbo sighed, and motioned him to take a seat. Thorin sat a few feet away from Bilbo, scowling at the rest of the dwarves until they looked away.

Bofur lingered, unsure if he should stay. Thorin motioned him to go; reluctantly, he parted them. Bilbo straightened instinctively, body tense as he mentally steeled himself for whatever Thorin would say. Thorin cleared his throat.

"Master Burglar, it has come to my attention," he began stiffly, "That my behaviour may have been unfair towards you." He grimaced. "I apologise."

Bilbo choked down his laughter; Thorin looked constipated with the effort to say a simple "sorry", his face contorted as though he was sucking on a sour lemon. But he was trying so hard to be civil, and it would be highly inappropriate to laugh at him. The knot of tension in his stomach that he did not know was there loosened.

"I also shouldn't have lost my temper, or called you petty. You aren't petty. Sorry," Bilbo said graciously. Thorin relaxed minutely.

"Once again, I'll like to extend an invitation for you to join our Company. You have not been...kicked out," his face twisted at those words, "but should you choose to leave, it is understandable." No, no it is not, his expression said. Bilbo took in a deep breath, trying to hide his sudden relief and joy. He was still accepted! Amazing - his plans need not change now.

He deliberately paused and tilted his head to one side, as though seriously considering that option. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Thorin's jaw clench. Since he had nothing to worry about now, why not tease the dwarves a little? All in good fun.

"Unfortunately..." he dragged. The dwarves held their breaths. "...I'm staying," he gave a Cheshire grin and giggled. They sighed audibly, and there were shouts of outrages of "you stinky burglar, you did that on purpose!" and "sneaky hobbit!". Bilbo snickered and smiled innocently.

"My, were all of you eavesdropping? That's such a rude thing to do," he said sweetly. Instantly there was a clamour of "no Mister Baggins we were not", "what were you both discussing?", and "I misplaced my ear horn, couldn't hear anything to begin with." Bilbo snorted disbelievingly.

He turned to Thorin, serious once more. "Alright, we should set some things straight. Firstly, there's nothing between Ryadher and me. Secondly, I get that you loathe the elves. Sure, go on and hate them; who am I to tell you otherwise? But I like them and they're like my family, so let's just steer clear of any elf-hating remarks. In fact, let's just not have any elf-related conversation, so there'll be less pain for everyone, and no potential bloodshed. Thirdly, please do try to be polite to your hosts! Being rude is such a turn-off, and extremely un-kingly, and I won't hesitate to replace all your pipe-weed with random leaves if I feel that you're offending my Baggins Sensibilities. Alright?"

Thorin looked amused at his rant. "Sounds reasonable," he admitted gruffly.

Bilbo hesitantly added, "It would be a bonus if you could allow Ryadher to interact with your nephews. She's different from the rest, less condescending and all. It'll be good for them." Seeing Thorin's scowl re-emerge, Bilbo hurriedly added, "Your Highness."

Thorin sighed resignedly, wrinkling his nose as he agreed. "I have been told to try and be more accepting," he grumbled, glowering towards a pleased-looking Balin and a smug Dwalin while rubbing a bruise on his forearm. Huh, Bilbo was sure that bruise was not there this morning. Not that he was scrutinizing the Dwarven King this morning, no. He just happened to occasionally notice details like that.

Bilbo stuck out his hand. "Deal?"

Thorin considered him for a moment before taking his hand. Thorin's hand was rough with calluses, but warm and strong. It engulfed Bilbo's entirely. "Deal," his low baritone voice rumbled. Then he smiled.

Oh Yavanna, that smile. The corners of Thorin's eyes crinkled, his blue eyes sparkling as his lips curled upwards invitingly, making Thorin look years younger and much more handsome. Bilbo blinked a few times before remembering to respond.

"Uh," he mumbled. Thorin raised an elegant eyebrow at him, his previous smile disappearing behind his usual stoic expression. "You should smile more, it makes you even more handsome," he blurted out, before turning an interesting shade of red. Why, oh why, did his mouth feel the need to say that? Oh Yavanna, oh Yavanna, that was embarrassing.

The dwarves, who were still eavesdropping, roared with laughter. Thorin's lips twitched upwards minutely. "I take it that we're alright now?" He said as he stood.

Bilbo nodded vigorously, his ears still red. "Yes we are," he said quickly, and covered his face with his hands.

"Also, thanks," Thorin said. Bilbo looked up inquisitively. "For the compliment," Thorin elaborated, "Never knew you found me handsome." The laughter amplified tenfold. Thorin grinned wickedly, a quick flash of white, as Bilbo buried his face into his arms. This was not good for his poor, poor, heart.

End of Chapter 7

Omg I didn't plan to write the whole argument thing, it just sort of happened. I sat down and was like, "hmmm okay some Kili, Fili and Ryad hanging out and giggling and planning tricks and scaring everyone with their behaviour would be fun", but then that happened. Yeah. And I got too lazy to rewrite everything so that stayed. It got longer than it was supposed to be. Their conflict haven't dissolved, and thorin is still mistrustful towards Bilbo, but it's a compromise and they're getting there. I couldn't resist adding in the last part heh.

The Rivendell Arc (as I call it in my head) may end up longer than I expected, but it's ending soon. Maybe~ Seriously hope this chapter was okay.

Reviews will be great! Thanks! :)

-littlesparrowkeet