If one were to look at the mountains from outside they may have been none the wiser that dwarves inhabited it. Of course, they may have at least guessed (it is common knowledge that dwarves inhabit mountains), but there was no actual sign of the living. Not even a single crop or garden. In fact, the land was somewhat barren that Bilbo was not the least bit happy to see it.

"If I come to live here," Bilbo said to himself, "I shall make sure that it is filled with green lands. Even if I have to pay the whole Gamgee family to come and do it all up for me. There's no one better for the making of gardens. Though perhaps I should actually hire the Proudfoots or one of the other families who are more kin to farming. I don't think this whole land could be made into a garden, though I would much prefer it that way. Besides, that would be far too much work for the Gamgee family alone. Although, perhaps there is a reason that the dwarves don't want greenery in front of their mountains. Of what I recall from my books, I don't think I can remember a single place where there was crops. What a way to live that would be. We would forever have to deal with trading. Of course, trading's not exactly a bad thing, but I shouldn't be dependent on it. Father always says that it's nice to depend on others sometimes, but you should always be able to take care of yourself no matter what. I don't think I've ever heard him ask for a favor. Except when asking mother of course. Though I do remember that many people owed him favors. But that's beside the point. The dwarves might not like to make crops and they might prefer their trade but I wonder who they trade with. I don't see any settlements anywhere near here. I'm sure there is one somewhere, but I don't think I've pulled out any maps of the Blue Mountains in a while, so I don't know where one might be."

Even without taking into account the lack of fields (which could also be explained away by the fact that the dwarves probably had only just moved in) there wasn't even a single living person outside the mountain. Not even a guard stood outside its walls. It reminded Bilbo somewhat of how deserted the lonely mountain had felt. Not a single living thing within the vicinity of its walls as though it had all been burned away. "Oh. I do hope there isn't another dragon in this one. I think I've seen enough of dragons in one life, and I shouldn't hope to see another here. Although, I don't feel any danger for my soulmate, so I suppose I shouldn't be too worried about it."

But now there was a little dilemma. Bilbo did not know much about the Blue Mountains, but unlike the Lonely Mountain, he did know that there was no grand entrance within its walls. And with no guards how was he supposed to know where he was to enter. "It would be rude not to enter through the front gate," he said to himself, tapping his foot in the air. "If I accidentally go through the back entrance then they might find me a little suspicious. I certainly wouldn't want that. Just imagine if my soulmate should think me some kind of a thief! I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I would be so ashamed. But it's not like I can just knock on the front door either. Especially not knowing where it is. I don't even know if I can touch things in the first place! Oh. I wonder if I can actually be seen. I suppose if I could, there would be a lot more sightings of random hobbits traveling the wild to find their soul mates. Oh, if only that were the case, maybe we wouldn't lose so many of them. But I suppose it can't be true then, and I worried for nothing. Wait a minute. Does that mean that my soulmate can't see me either? Well, that's just cruel. I travel all this way just to meet them and they can't even see me! Well, I suppose I didn't travel all this way just to meet him. I did have something else that I had to do. What was it again? I'm sure it was important. Oh! But now I can't remember!" Bilbo stomped his foot (tripping slightly when he was met with air). Of course, Bilbo was known to have horrible memory, but he had never once forgotten such an important task. Oh, it would surely haunt him if he didn't figure it out soon.

"Well, perhaps I am just distracted by the prospect of meeting my soulmate. Perhaps, once I do that, my mind will start working correctly again." Mind made up, (without much argument since Bilbo was not one to say no to the pleasure of meeting his soulmate), Bilbo decided that no wall was going to stand in his way of getting to his soulmate.

And, very surprisingly, no wall did. Because immediately after he decided it wouldn't, he was on the other side of it in a dark pathway lit only by some torches. Happily, there were also dwarves rushing about within the halls as well. Bilbo found himself jumping out of more than one of their way (and he almost thought them rude for not at least saying excuse me until he remembered that none of them could probably even see him), as he scrambled after his thread. He was so distracted, in fact, by dodging one dwarf after another that he didn't notice he was heading straight for a large wooden door until he had run straight through it and the noise suddenly grew quiet.

Bilbo froze. The room, in and of itself was nothing to gawk at. It was a simple room with a long table at its center that was surrounded by chairs of every size and shape. Whoever owned this table must have a good (which to a hobbit means large) family (because what's the point of ordering matching chairs when another child would soon be on its way to add to the number).

Any thought of the room and the family that might have owned it was only passing as Bilbo's eyes were glued mostly on the glittering thread that swayed over the table until it reach the handsomest dwarf Bilbo had ever seen (to be fair, though, he was a little bias).

The dwarf was large with broad shoulders and muscular arms, but he looked even more so with the cape of fur thrown over his shoulders. His hair was long and deep brown with only two small braids tucked behind his ears. Bilbo could not yet see his face (and what a shame that is to be denied such a handsome face) because the dwarf's head was held in his hands, but he was sure that it would be better than anything he had ever imagined. Oh, and the dwarf's hands were so large that Bilbo was sure that he could probably envelop Bilbo's own with ease. To be held by such hands would be the height of happiness (because hobbits loved to touch the ones that they loved and holding hands was they're favorite pass time with each other).

Oh, what a lovely dwarf Bilbo had received as a soulmate. He clapped, jumping on his toes (very happy to be able to now that he was firmly on solid ground), and the dwarf's head shot up. Bilbo froze as his eyes met those lovely blue eyes. He was lost in them as the two stared at each other for several blissful moments.

And then the dwarf stood, knocking his chair back while his hand went to the hilt of his sword. "Who are you?" He asked, his voice a deep bass that made Bilbo's heart flutter.

Bilbo looked behind him. Then to his right. Then to his left. Not another living soul in sight. He scrunched his brows and looked back at his soulmate who was still very much staring at him with a scowl (such an expression did not suit him and Bilbo didn't like it at all) on his face. Then finally he pointed at himself, tilting his head in question.

"Of course, I'm speaking to you," the dwarf growled. "Now tell me who you are and what you are doing trespassing in these lands."

"You can see me?" Bilbo asked.

"You stand there clear as day. Do you think yourself invisible? Or perhaps you think me blind."

"You can hear me too?" Bilbo grinned. Oh this was the best day so far. He finally, finally got to meet his soulmate and he can both see and hear him. Bilbo could not have asked for anything better! Oh, this was truly all he need in life. He could be content to stay here forever."

"Answer me!" The dwarf demanded.

"Oh dear!" Bilbo gasped. He had only just met his soulmate and he had already made him angry. Oh, what was with him and his making bad first impressions? Bungo Baggins would be turning in his grave (and Beladonna would certainly jump on the chance to say that if she were here)! "I'm terribly sorry! I just wasn't expecting anyone to see me. No one has thus far, but you are so amazing! You can both see and hear me!

The dwarf's eyes narrowed, but his hands slipped from his sword. "Are you some kind of a spirit?" He asked.

"I'm a hobbit!" Bilbo said indignantly. "But, although, now that I think about it, I suppose I am a spirit right now. I mean, I don't have my body with me, but I'm not actually dead. Well, at least I don't think I'm dead yet. The dwarves did say that they would look after my body and I have no reason to distrust them, but you know, you can never know what might happen. Not that I'm hoping that anything happened to them. I should be very sad if anything should happen to them."

"What dwarves?" the dwarf said when he could finally get a word in (Bilbo was indeed a master babbler).

"The dwarves I'm travelling with, of course," Bilbo said. "They are so good to me. Though, I think it's only because they like my food." Bilbo laughed. "But they've been taking care of me ever since we left the lonely mountain. Although, sometimes I think it's a bit much, if I do say so myself. Sometimes they act like I'm just going to keel over at any minute. All because I fainted. I think I was highly justified in fainting, though, thank you very much. I mean, I'd like to see them not faint when coming face to face with a dragon!"

"A dragon?" The dwarf asked.

"Oh yes," Bilbo said. "What a frightening creature he was. He was large and red with massive golden eyes and I don't even think I was bigger than his snout. Oh, and his breath didn't smell very good, if I do say so myself. So, you see, I was very justified in my fainting when I returned to them, but they certainly won't believe that!"

"You are talking about the creature Smaug," the dwarf said. His words came out like a someone who had not gotten any breath in some time and his eyes widened as he leaned forward over the table.

"Was that the dragon's name?" Bilbo asked. "I don't believe I caught it until now. Oh, maybe that's why he was so angry with me. It was so rude of me not to even bother asking his name before conversing." Of course, he's completely forgotten the fact that he has yet to exchange names with the dwarf (his soulmate) he was currently speaking with. "Now, I feel bad."

"Could it be," the dwarf said, "that you are travelling with dwarves of Erebor?"

"Of course!" Bilbo said. "There was so many dwarves of all sizes stuck in this small room. I offered them food and they've been following me ever since. There's two in particular who have been kind to me. Although, I suppose I should actually include a third, though until recently I was absolutely sure he hated me. Perhaps you know them. Their names were…Their names were…" Bilbo tapped his chin. Surely he wouldn't have forgotten the names of such good friends. He didn't have that bad of memory. Yet nothing was coming to him even as he thought and thought. "What were their names again?" How could he have forgotten their names? He clutched his head. He had travelled so far and they had been taking such good care of him this whole time. Yet he couldn't even recall one of the dwarf's names. "I don't understand," he said, pounding his fist against his forehead. "I don't understand." He yanked at his hair, pacing back and forth (partially dipping into the wall as he went) and his heart ached. Perhaps his dwarf friends would be worried for him, but he didn't deserve it if he couldn't even remember their names. Such a horrible friend he was. At least he could remember his pony's name…right? Her name was Myrtle. Yes. Myrtle. Of course it was. Myrtle was such a kind sweet pony. There was no way that Bilbo would ever forget her name. And yet, for some reason he still couldn't recall the dwarves' names! Such a horrible friend. He slammed his hands against his head again and again. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Stop!" Suddenly a massive hand encircled both of Bilbo's wrists and pulled them away from his face. "Calm down!" The dwarven face of his beloved soulmate was suddenly so close that Bilbo could see each strand of the dwarf's beard. It had been freshly cut, but there were still a few places that looked a little singed. It was his eyes that truly caught Bilbo's attention while they had been beautiful from afar, they were absolutely stunning up close. Their depths were such that Bilbo was sure he would drown in them if he stared for too long. Yet they looked so sad. There were even dark swollen bags under the dwarf's eyes that could have been from lack of sleep or from crying too much. Perhaps it was both? "Perhaps I do know them as you've said. If you describe them, I may even know their names. So please, stop crying." His fingers caressed Bilbo's cheek and the connection was electric. They were so warm that Bilbo thought he might actually melt into them. But then they came away wet with his own tears and Bilbo was shocked. He hadn't even realized that he was crying. Nor that his soulmate could touch his tears. Nor that he could touch him. His soulmate truly was amazing.

AN: Just want to wish everyone some happy holidays! ^_^