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~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~ Chapter 21 ~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~

"I'm so glad you are awake."

Dis leaned down and rested her forehead against his gently. Thorin brought his free hand up and rested against the back of her head. She held her eyes closed tightly to keep the tears at bay as much as possible. Thorin let Dis go after a few more seconds and Fili and Kili both hurried over and did the same as Dis. Both brothers spoke quietly in Khuzdul before stepping away from the bed and the rest of the company told Thorin of their relief to see him awake.

"What do we know?" Thorin asked after all of this.

"Bifur and I are still trying to find out how the tunnel collapsed. I had inspected it once it was opened and there was nothing wrong with it. I'm sorry Thorin."

"I believe you, Bofur and there is nothing you need to apologise for. We have suspected there are those that are against the line of Durin on the throne. Have we checked the rest of the most recent tunnels?"

"Yes. All other tunnels recently opened are safe. No tampering could be found."

"Good. The last thing I want is to lose any more lives."

"I have my spies out looking for those responsible. Once found I will notify Dwalin so we can get them arrested."

"Excellent Nori. You have people you trust on this?"

"Yes Thorin. Only my most trusted know what is going on."

"Good."

"We need to let Thorin rest. Everyone out." Oin said.

He ushered most of the company out. The only ones still there were Dis, Fili, Kili, Balin and Dwalin. Dis and the boys were family and Balin was needing to discuss a couple of things with Thorin and Dis. Dwalin was likely to hang around now that Thorin was awake unless he was needed elsewhere.

"I will organise something light for you, Thorin." Bombur said. "And something for our two Hobbits."

"Thankyou Bombur." Bilbo said while Thorin nodded his thanks.

Once everyone was gone Balin, Dis and Fili pulled up chairs to Thorin's side of the bed. Dwalin stood at the foot and Kili sat on the other side to interact with Frodo. Kili knew the next conversation was not for young ears so he was going to distract him. It wasn't like Frodo would want to go anywhere anyway. Frodo hesitate to leave Bilbo's arms before he jumped from the bed and grabbed Kili's arm and dragged him over to a table that had a dwarven game that one of the Company got for him.

"What's been happening?"

"Few of the council had expressed concern that since, in their opinion, that you were likely not going to wake. We should crown Fili, even though you were still alive." Balin said carefully, his eyes skipping to Dis whose hands were in tight fists. "We put a stop to it but there were persistent. These were coming from the council members that didn't come from Ered Luin, so mainly ones that haven't been under your rule before. They joined when they arrived in some of the caravans from other settlements."

"Dis?"

"I have wanted to hit a few of your council members but was able to refrain from physically hurting any but that doesn't include the words I gave them for the suggestion."

"Fili is too young." Bilbo said. "No offence, Fili."

"None taken, Bilbo." Fili said with a smile. "I am not ready."

"I agree you are not ready just yet Fili but if something happened you would be able to rule. You have your mother and Balin to help you along with the rest of the company. I will set the matter straight when I am able. It won't be for a while that I will be able to address them myself, but I will have a couple of the High Council members come here to verify that I am awake so that the matter will be put to rest."

"Thankyou Uncle."

"The dwarves from the tunnel collapse were given a few days off but most of them stayed to help clear rumble out and re-enforce the tunnel again rather than take the few days off. They were shocked to learn that it was likely sabotage."

"You told them?" Thorin asked.

"Only the ones that stayed to help clear up the tunnel. These were all dwarves from Ered Luin as well, so I don't believe we need to worry about their loyalty. The ones that didn't stay and help were from other settlements."

"Alright. I want you to give these dwarves double pay for working through this time frame to get the tunnel cleared and still give them a few days off, which they will be paid for as well." Thorin said.

Balin nodded with a smile at what Thorin was doing. Not everyone would pay someone to extra to help clear something they were involved in and still get paid for few days off. Thorin wasn't obligated to pay them for this either.

Bilbo smiled from where he was laying as Thorin spoke with Balin and Dis. He was glad that Thorin was awake and thinking clearly, it made him feel much more relaxed than he had been for the last few days. Bilbo sighed quietly as he relaxed further into the bed, he didn't have to worry about Frodo now either as Kili had him. Bilbo slowly closed his eyes before they shot open in alarm.

"Bilbo?" Balin asked, seeing this.

"I…"

Bilbo went to speak when he let out a cry of pain. He wrapped his arms around his stomach while Dis stood and went around to his side of the bed and Balin went to the door ordering for Oin and Thranduil to be brought up. Thorin grabbed Bilbo's hand and Bilbo squeezed his hand as another wave of pain swept through his stomach.

"Bilbo, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. It hurts."

"Easy Bilbo. Oin is being sent for." Dis said. "Just breath ok."

Bilbo nodded and squeezed Thorin's hand again in pain. Bilbo saw movement from beside Dis and looked up to see Frodo there watching in worry. Bilbo smiled through his pain at Frodo and held out his hand to him.

"Uncwle?"

"I'm ok."

Bilbo went to say something else when the door opened and Oin came running in. He moved around to Bilbo's side while Dis moved aside and guided Frodo from the bed with her.

"Bilbo what is wrong?"

"I don't know. My stomach hurts and the baby is kicking up a storm."

"Alright, well I think you are about to have the baby. Is Thranduil sent for?"

"Yes. He is being collected." Balin said.

"Good. Now I need everyone out."

Fili and Kili went over to Frodo who was clinging to Dis as he watched Bilbo each time he cried out.

"Come on Frodo. We will go play in your room."

"No. I wanwt to stway."

"You can't Frodo. We all need to leave."

"Stway."

"Frodo, I need you to go with Fili and Kili, ok? I will have you come back when you can."

"Uncwle." Frodo whined

"Please Frodo."

"Okwy."

Fili and Kili took Frodo's hand and led him from the room and a look from Thorin to Dwalin had Dwalin following the three. Dwalin would stand outside the room to make sure no one else that wasn't supposed to be there entered and he could get them as soon as Bilbo was allowed to have visitors.

Oin moved around the room and ordered for more of his healers to come up to the room along with the supplies he needed. They had a spare cot set up in the room for when Bilbo went into labour when Thorin was unconscious. They wanted to do this so there was less moving of Thorin and risk of further injury. Oin set the cot up on Thorin's side of the bed at Bilbo's request as he wanted Thorin beside him, before walking around to Bilbo's side of the bed.

"Bilbo, we need to move you over to the cot now. Balin give me a hand."

Bilbo whimpered and sat up and with Oin and Balin's help moved from the bed. Bilbo shuffled along and made it to the cot and laid down before another wave of pain went through his stomach. Bilbo let out a cry of pain and reached for Thorin's hand.

"Easy Bilbo. I am right here."

"Here laddie, drink this. It will help to ease the pain a little."

Bilbo took the drink from Oin and quickly swallowed it as it was an awful tasting concoction. The door opened to Thranduil walking in with a couple more of Oin's healers.

"How is he?"

"I believe he is in labour." Oin said.

"Alright. Let's have a look." Thranduil said.

He walked over and stood at Bilbo's side and his hands rested on his stomach. Bilbo let out a cry as another wave of pain went through him and he squeezed Thorin's hand. Thorin gently squeezed his back and gently rubbed his thumb over the back of hand. Thranduil stepped back and Bilbo looked at him.

"Well, you are definitely in labour and quite close too. Did you feel anything before this?"

"I thought it was just the baby kicking. I didn't realise it was any other than that."

"That can happen. Oin will give you a tonic that will help alleviate some of the pain but unfortunately it is still going to hurt. Once you have taken this, we will get you undressed and see what is happening."

Oin helped Bilbo sit up a little to take the tonic before he allowed him to lay back down. Bilbo settled before Oin grabbed a sheet they had brought it and laid it over Bilbo's lower half. Oin instructed Bilbo to unbutton his pants and then Oin help Bilbo slide his pants down and also his underwear when Bilbo moved them down as far as he could.

"Alright Bilbo, I need you to bend your knees for me so we can see how far along you are."

Bilbo did as requested and let out a cry of pain when another wave of pain went through and he squeezed Thorin's hand hard. Oin moved the sheet up and rested it on Bilbo's knees while he had a look.

"Well you still have a little while yet but not too much longer." Oin said as he laid the sheet back down.

Bilbo whined and felt Thorin squeeze his hand gently to comfort him. Thorin wanted to hold Bilbo close while he went through this but given his injuries and the fact that he can't move made it impossible for him to do anything but hold his hand.

"You are doing so well Bilbo." Dis said from beside him.

Dis was holding a cloth and dabbing Bilbo's forehead as he was sweating through this. She knew the pain he was going through. Bilbo let out another cry of pain and squeezed Thorin's hand again before the pain stopped and breathed again.

~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~

"You're doing so well Bilbo." Thorin said after a particularly hard push.

"You are going to not get any anymore after this Thorin." Bilbo growled at him before letting out another scream of pain.

Dis chuckled at the look on Thorin's face at what Bilbo said. Thorin had a look of horror at what Bilbo said to him. Thorin let a small smile cross his face as he squeezed Bilbo's hand gently.

"Almost there Bilbo." Oin said. "I can see the head."

"You can do this Bilbo." Thorin said.

"Alright Bilbo. Next one I want you to give a big push."

Bilbo lay there panting in pain before he felt the next way of pain and started to push. Oin, Dis and Thorin all in the background encouraging him. Bilbo screamed in pain as he felt the baby move through and then there was a tiny scream start that wasn't from Bilbo. Bilbo felt relief from the pain and looked to Oin who held a little baby in his arms. Bilbo felt tears gather in his eyes as he looked at the little bundle in Oin's arms. Oin passed the child to Thranduil who took the child over to a small table with the other healers and checked the child over. Bilbo was about to say something and let out another scream of pain.

"Alright Bilbo get ready to push again."

"What?" Bilbo asked.

"You have a second child."

"Oin, I can't do this."

"Yes, you can. Now push."

Bilbo let out a scream as he pushed again. This one was quicker and soon it was over, and Bilbo laid back on the bed panting in exhaustion as Oin walked over with the other child to the healers. Bilbo felt Thorin rub his hand gently making Bilbo look over to him.

"You did wonderful Bilbo." Thorin said.

Bilbo gave a small smile as he panted in exhaustion. Dis gently wiped his forehead and helped him sit up slightly so he could have a glass of water. Bilbo laid back against the bed he was on and started to relax. Bilbo frowned slightly before letting out a scream of pain again.

"Bilbo? Bilbo what's wrong?" Thorin asked in worry.

"It hurts."

"Oin!"

Oin was already on his way back when this all happened and hurriedly moved the sheet back over Bilbo's legs. Thranduil was next to Dis holding his hands over Bilbo's stomach.

"Hmm this is interesting." Thranduil said.

"What? What's interesting." Bilbo said.

"It seems you have a third." Oin said.

"A third?" Thorin said.

"Yes, there is another child." Thranduil said taking his hand away.

Bilbo let out a whimper before another scream as he started pushing. This one took Bilbo longer than the others as he was already exhausted. Bilbo finally collapsed onto the bed as another scream joined the room. Bilbo lay there panting as Oin walked away with this one as well and checked the child over. Bilbo felt the exhaustion seeping in and he was struggling to stay awake now. Thorin squeezed his hand gently and Bilbo turned his head to look at him and gave a small smile.

"You did so well Bilbo."

Thorin looked over as Oin came walking over with a bundle in his arms, along with Thranduil and a healer both carrying one each. Bilbo turned his head as they came over and struggled to sit up slightly. Dis came over and helped Bilbo sit up and supported him so he could stay there.

"Thorin, Bilbo, I would like to introduce you to your three healthy babes. You have two girls and a boy. The boy was the first followed by the two girls. Congratulations."

Thorin was still in shock, while it was all happening there wasn't much time for him to be shocked but now that it was over, he couldn't believe he had three dwarflings and two of them were girls. He never dreamed that he would have a dwarfling let alone three at once. Bilbo let a smile as Oin held out one of their children to him and looked down to see himself looking a sleeping baby boy. He had Thorin's dark hair and facial features and smaller than normal size hobbit feet for an infant but still larger than a dwarves feet.

The healer walked over with the second babe and laid it beside Thorin in the crook of his arm, so that he could at least have some contact with his heirs since he couldn't sit up right now. This girl looked like a combination of both Thorin and Bilbo. She had Thorin's hair like her brother and Bilbo's facial features with similar size feet as her brother but only slightly smaller.

The third babe was handed to Bilbo from Thranduil into Bilbo's other arm. She was smaller than her siblings and looked very much like Bilbo. She actually, when Bilbo looked at her more closely, looked like a splitting image of Bilbo's mother, Belladonna. She also had more of the hobbit sized feet for an infant as well.

"Oh, Thorin look at them." Bilbo said unable to finish his sentence.

"They are beautiful. Just like you."

Bilbo smiled at him before looking to the babe in Thorin's arms. She was quite happy wrapped in her blanket sleeping quietly. Bilbo looked to Oin who now stood beside him and reached out for one of the babe's closet to him.

"We are going to get you cleaned up and moved back to the bed where you will be more comfortable. Then the company can come in to meet their new prince and princesses."

Bilbo handed Oin the little boy before Dis stepped forward and took the little girl from him. Bilbo shifted and groaned in pain that he still felt. Thranduil stepped forward and put his hand behind Bilbo's back to help him sit up more and shift to the side of the bed. Bilbo wrapped the now dirty sheet around himself and hobbled over to the bathroom and into the bath. Oin followed after him and helped him into the bath given how stiff and sore he would be.

"Now in a few minutes the afterbirth will come through and feel unpleasant but shouldn't be painful."

Bilbo nodded and sat in the bath and took the cloth from Oin as he sat beside him and Bilbo started to clean himself off in the bath. After a few minutes like Oin had said he felt something slip between his legs and after a minute stood when it finished, and they drained the bath and refilled it so Bilbo could rinse off. Bilbo shakily stood and Oin helped him from the bath and dry off before Bilbo dressed in something comfortable and went back into the room. Oin helped him into the other side of the bed and Bilbo relaxed against the pillow sitting up slightly.

~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~ End of Chapter 21 ~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~

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