Hi everyone,

Here is the next chapter.

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~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~ Chapter 18 ~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~

A couple of months later

~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~

Bilbo sighed as he lay on his side in Thorin's chambers. He had been spending most of his time there now as he couldn't move around much and seemed to be unable to be far from Thorin most of the time. Also the fact that he was overdue was also a reason he wasn't allowed out of bed.

Thranduil had arrived a week after Dain had and there was a fight when Dain made comment and Thranduil wouldn't take that lying down. Bilbo had heard the fight from his chambers and when he went to find out what was going on he was shocked.

~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~ Flashback ~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~

Bilbo jumped from his sleep hearing a crash somewhere outside his chambers. Bilbo heard raised voices and he decided to see what was going on and tell everyone to be quiet. He hadn't had much sleep at nights recently, so he wasn't in a very good mood. The little one had been acting up and no matter how much Bilbo tried he couldn't sleep, even Thorin holding him and rubbing his stomach did little to calm the child down. Bilbo had then realised that after the first night with Thorin away as much as he was it couldn't continue, so he kept quiet about it and allowed Thorin to just hold him when they went to bed, his hand on his stomach. So Bilbo had little sleep as he lay there trying to calm the little one down while Thorin slept. Thorin needed his sleep so he could deal with running of the kingdom and to deal with Dain.

Bilbo put on a dressing gown and wandered over to his door and opened it to find a chair was in the middle of the corridor and broken. Bilbo frowned and looked around and saw the guards, at the entrance to the Royal Wing, were a little tense and unsure on what to do. Bilbo looked back towards Thorin's chambers to find another chair smashed against the wall across from Thorin's door and Thranduil standing just off to the side.

Bilbo took a step towards him, causing Thranduil to look up and held his hand up to tell him to stop. Bilbo heard shouting from Thorin's chambers again and this time he could make out the words.

"I don't care that you are allowing that faithless woodland sprite into the mountain. I want him gone Thorin." Dain shouted.

Bilbo looked at Thranduil to see a neutral, bored look on his face. Bilbo walked closer ignoring Thranduil who was trying to get him to stay back. Bilbo looked in to Thorin's chambers to see Dain and Thorin in there along with Fili and Kili. Thorin saw him and quickly walked closer in case Dain decided to throw something else and not see Bilbo. Thorin took his hand and stepped in front of him slightly.

"Thranduil is here to oversee the rest of Bilbo's pregnancy and the birth." Kili said.

"That's all well and good but he doesn't need to stay in Mountain."

"That's enough Dain. Thranduil is here as my guest and you are not king here."

Dain looked taken back at what Thorin had just said to him. Bilbo wondered how much Dain would push the issue.

"Very well." Dain said and Thorin turned to Bilbo.

"What are you doing up?"

"You two woke me up."

"Sorry Bilbo."

"It's alright. Why is Thranduil standing outside your chambers?"

"I was just finishing my meeting with Dain in here, when Thranduil knocked."

"Oh"

"As we have finished our meeting I will go." Dain said catching the hint Thorin gave him.

"Dain." Thorin nodded and turned to Thranduil. "You may come in."

Thranduil walked in with a nod of his head to them both. Dain left shutting the door behind him. Thorin led Bilbo over to the couch he had in the room and made him sit down. Thorin looked over at Thranduil who had walked over towards them. Thorin stood and faced Thranduil who stopped beside on the of the chairs. Thorin waved his hand towards the chair for Thranduil to sit on, before he moved to sit beside Bilbo.

"Thankyou for coming." Thorin said, and to be fair all the occupants in the room were shocked.

"I suspect not everyone will be happy that I am here."

"There is a lot of bad history between dwarves and elves." Thorin admitted. "But the members of my company are glad you are here."

"And yourself?"

"And myself." Thorin admitted.

Bilbo smiled at their conversation, it was a start he thought at repairing the bad blood between dwarves and elves. He knew there was a long way to go but at least they weren't yelling and threatening each other just yet.

"Perhaps we could rebuild the relationship between Erebor and Greenwood." Thranduil said.

"I thought it was called Mirkwood?" Bilbo asked.

"It is but I am hoping that it might change. We are slowly eradicating the spiders. Now that the necromancy in Dol Guldur is gone, it has made it easier."

"It would be nice to see it how it used to be."

"It was definitely different." Thorin said. "What we journeyed through was completely different to all those years ago."

"Once we get the forest back to normal I would be happy to host you and your court in the Greenwood in the hopes of further repairing the alliance between Erebor and the Greenwood."

"We would be honoured." Thorin said with a nod of his head.

"So how will you be able to help Bilbo with the baby." Kili asked now that there was silence for a minute.

"Elves have a good deal of knowledge with healing as you all know. Because this is a dwarf and hobbit birth it will be a little more complicated than a normal dwarf or hobbit birth. There are many differences between both races. I will be able to help tell the health of the baby, how fair along it is and give a more precise time of when he is due. Along with the birth." Thranduil said. "Why don't we have a look and see how you both are doing?"

"Ok." Bilbo agreed.

"Fili, Kili why don't you both go and see where your mother is?"

"But Uncle…" Both started to say, wanting to stay.

"Now." Thorin said and both walked out.

"They are very protective of you both." Thranduil mentioned.

"They are." Bilbo said with a smile as he cast a look at the door. "They are likely going to be standing right outside." Bilbo chuckled before looking back at Thranduil. "What do I need to do?"

"How about you lay down? The bed might be the most comfortable for you." Thranduil spoke as he stood.

Bilbo nodded and stood with Thorin by his side and laid down on the bed. He was a little unsure what would happen, but he trusted Thranduil even if Thorin didn't, even with all that was said just before.

"I should ask before I begin. Do you want to know how many and what gender?" Thranduil asked, making Bilbo look to Thorin.

"It is up to you Bilbo."

"I don't want to know, I would like to be surprised."

"Very well. I will not tell anyone, besides your healer of course."

"Thankyou."

"No one but yourselves and your healer will know anything I find out if that is what you want."

"Just us and Oin can know anything, we will pass on any information to others."

"Very well." Thranduil nodded and looked at Bilbo. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, what do I need to do?"

"Nothing; just relax. All you might feel is slight pressure or strange sensation. Everyone is different." Thranduil said as he held his hands out over Bilbo's stomach.

Bilbo watched Thranduil as he stared at Bilbo's stomach and his own hands. Bilbo wondered how he could tell anything when he felt a sudden pressure around his stomach that was not to do with Thranduil's hands as he was not pressing at all.

"Well you are both fine. I can see a little bruising but nothing to be concerned about. I would like to see you eat a little more as you are still on the underweight side for a hobbit let alone pregnant hobbit, but other than that you are fine."

"Oin has been trying to get my weight up but its slow going."

"Well I will consult with Oin about getting your weight up, if that is alright with you Thorin?"

"Of course."

"I will speak with your healer when we are done." Thranduil said.

"I will have someone take you to him."

"The only thing I should warn you both about is because you are underweight and were malnourished till recently the birth might be later than initially thought."

"But it will be fine?" Bilbo asked.

"Yes. I just wanted you to know it might be longer than we thought."

"Ok."

~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~ End of Flashback ~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~

Bilbo wasn't enjoying these last few weeks. The pressure on his body was not what he thought. He was also so big that he was sure that there was more than one dwobbit. He was thankful that, for any reason, if Thorin was away longer than normal the kicks were not overly strong. It meant Bilbo could have someone get Thorin for him since he was on bed rest.

He was only allowed two short walks a day, and they were only the length of the hallway outside. Most of the time Bilbo would in the morning walk to Thorin's chambers, sit, relax and have lunch with him before walking back in the afternoon to his own chambers. He would relax again and have dinner in there with Thorin and sometimes the company.

Bilbo was also on daily checks with Oin and Thranduil, making sure everything was still going ok. That was not so bad. He just wanted to be able to move around more. If he was not going between rooms or the bathroom, no one would let him do anything.

Bilbo was startled out of his thoughts when he heard shouting in the hallway. Bilbo sat up, making sure to not disturb Frodo who was having an afternoon nap beside him. Bilbo frowned when the shouting became louder and more panicked. Bilbo climbed out of bed and made his way over to the door. Bilbo opened the door to find dwarves running to and from Thorin's chambers and what confused Bilbo even more was that they were carrying medical supplies to the room.

"Excuse me, what's going on?" Bilbo asked a dwarf leaving the hallway.

Bilbo was ignored which he didn't like. He tried again and again which just increased his frustration levels.

"WHAT IN YAVANNAH'S NAME IS GOING ON!" Bilbo shouted over the rushing, yelling dwarves.

All the dwarves stopped in stunned silence, surprised at the normally polite, quiet hobbit. As Bilbo got ready to speak at the dwarves who had yet to speak, more yelling sounded from outside the royal halls, coming towards them.

"Make way, the King is injured!" A voice yelled.

Bilbo froze in shock and stared at the end of the hall as Oin came around the corner. Following him was a group of dwarves carrying a pallet. Bilbo stepped past the dwarves in the hall, all of whom had moved apart as Oin came to the hall.

"Oin what…" Bilbo started to say.

"Not now Bilbo. I will see you soon." Oin said as he passed him, not slowing down.

Bilbo saw most of the company were the ones carrying the pallet that Thorin lay on. Bilbo gasped as he saw the state that he was in. He was covered in dirt. He had a large gash to his head and a few other gashes over his body given the blood to his clothes that Bilbo could see. What was worse for Bilbo was that fact that he wasn't awake.

"Thorin…" Bilbo said softly as the dwarves past him.

Bilbo went to follow them as one of Oin's healers shut the door on him. Bilbo went to push the door open but one of Bilbo's guards put his hand on his shoulder.

"It would be best to wait Master Baggins." He said. "You will only be in the way."

Bilbo took a step back as the door opened and the members of the company that carried Thorin in, walked out. Dwalin was the last to leave and shut the door behind him.

"Dwalin?"

"Come with me." He said as he led Bilbo back to his room.

"Dwalin what happened?"

"Come, sit down first." He said.

He led Bilbo to the couches in the room, somehow Frodo was still asleep after all the noise. The company that were there gathered in the room with him; Bofur, Bifur, Nori, Dori and Gloin. Bilbo was sure he saw Balin at some point, but he was likely still in Thorin's room with Oin and the healers.

"Thorin was inspecting one of the lower reopened mine shafts when one of these tunnels to the shafts let go. He pushed one of the workers out of the way. Because of this Thorin was covered at the very outer section of the collapse, but in the sealed section with the other dwarves. He did get his leg pinned with a large boulder in the process. But without his efforts we would have lost people."

"The dwarf he saved?"

"Couple of scratches and a broken arm. He would be dead if Thorin did not act. Possibly others as well."

"Took a bit of digging to get to them. We had about a dozen dwarves on the other side of the collapse. The trapped dwarves actually dug most of Thorin out of the rubble. If not, than I am not sure he would still be alive. He would have suffocated before we got to him."

"Dis is down at the tunnels now making sure there is no one else trapped and the rest won't collapse. I had best get back down there." Bofur said. "Will you be ok, Bilbo?"

"Yes, I will when we hear from Oin. Thanks Bofur."

Bofur gave his cheery smile and hug to Bilbo and left with Bifur. Bilbo also noticed that Fili and Kili were not here either. They would have been one of the first at the scene of the accident.

"Where are Fili and Kili?"

"They are out on patrol. They will be back soon."

Bilbo sat on the couch before the fire staring, unsure of how bad Thorin really was. Bilbo's worry increased at the thought of possibly losing Thorin. Bilbo gripped at his stomach as a sudden kick due to his thoughts of losing Thorin.

"Bilbo?" Dwalin said, seeing the move.

"I'm ok."

"You sure?" Dwalin asked, all the dwarves in the company had gotten more protective over Bilbo because of his pregnancy.

"Yeah I think so." Bilbo said and he received a firmer kick making him gasp.

"Ok you are not fine."

"I think I need to be near Thorin. The baby is worried at my distress."

"Let's go."

Dwalin stood and helped Bilbo to his feet just as Bilbo received a firmer kick making him almost collapse as he cried out. Dwalin caught him and waited till Bilbo calmed down for a second.

"Dori, stay with Frodo." Dwalin said as he saw Frodo sitting up, having woken at Bilbo's cry. "Nori get the doors." Dwalin said before he swung Bilbo up into his arms and Bilbo wrapped an arm around his neck and one around his large belly.

"Gloin, we may need Thranduil if he's not already in Thorin's rooms." Bilbo said.

"Right."

Gloin followed Dwalin and Nori out of the room and into Thorin's before he turned and left to find the elf. Dwalin had walked into the room much to Oin's annoyance till he saw what was happening.

"Lay him on Thorin's right side. Bilbo try not to get too close so we can work. Be gentle with his arm as well. He has a nasty gash there. I will check on you soon."

Bilbo nodded as Dwalin laid him where Oin had said and Bilbo carefully laid on his side as far as he could so the healers could work but close enough so Thorin's hand could rest on his stomach. Bilbo felt a few more softer kicks to where Thorin's hand was resting before they stopped. Bilbo sighed and relaxed a little more into the bed. A few minutes later Thranduil swept into the room and over to Bilbo as Dwalin stepped aside where he was standing beside Bilbo.

"Master Baggins what happened?"

"Just a few nasty kicks. A result of me worrying about Thorin."

"Alright let's see if we can get you on your back without disturbing anyone."

Bilbo slowing rolled back, leaving Thorin's hand back on the bed beside him. Thranduil reached out and gently pressed around Bilbo's belly not finding any sore spots. Thranduil then held his hands over Bilbo's belly for a minute before pulling his hands away.

"Everything is fine Bilbo. I suspect you will be in labor in the next week."

"Really?" Bilbo asked surprised.

"Yes. In the next week."

~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~ End of Chapter 18 ~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~

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