Author's Note: Hello there. I'm back from New Zealand. But oh, I didn't wish to come back. I would have so happily lived there. It would be so easy! Especially in Hobbiton. And if not there, Queenstown then. I actually got offered a job while I was over there as a LOTR tour guide. I thought my guide was joking but he was sincere, he said if I ever wished to move to NZ, I was get in contact with him and he would give me a job. I was so... absolutely gobsmacked. But that's beside the point, the point is by going over to NZ and visiting all the different places LOTR was shot, I've been inspired again. Yes, I am writing again. Slowly but surely and yes... I have finally written Bilbo and Thorin's reunion scene!
Oh my gods! FINALLY! It's finally done! *breaks down sobbing* I finished that chapter today. I'm so happy.

Anyway, please enjoy this chapter. We're back to me trying my hand at writing crime/mystery. I'm still not sure I succeed but its still fun to write. I also love Nori and I can't get enough of him being a detective/Master Spy.

Chapter Fifty-One

The Investigation Continues

Nori leant back in his chair as Thorin, Balin and Dwalin chewed over the information that he had given them. Or rather, lack of. Oin was able to tell them a bit more about what had been the cause of death for the dwarf. Nori had only, so far, been able to find out the dwarf's name and occupation and that really was about it. The dwarf, known as Weasel by those who bothered to know him had been a dwarf of very little consequence, not particularly liked by many but not hated enough to have been killed by poison and subsequently thrown over a cliff into a supposedly abandon mine. He had been a lower level guard, known best for getting into drunken brawls.

And while many would simply put Weasel's cause of death down to his luck having finally run out during a drunken brawl, Nori would not. Weasel's death was too well executed to be committed by any drunk. And, as Oin was rumbling at that very moment, there was no alcohol in Weasel's system, only the poison that Oin had yet to identify.

"Hate these kinds of murders." Dwalin rumbled when both Oin and Nori had finished their respective reports.

"I hate any kinds of murders." Thorin replied his face creased with annoyance and worry. He had been quite pleased with the low murder rate Erebor had achieved over the years, and while many may think the murder of a low level guard was not worth their king's time they were sorely mistaken. Thorin took a personal interest in all murders that occurred beneath his mountain, whatever the victims' social standing might be; going personally to the families of the victims and making sure those who were responsible for their deaths were held accountable.

It was probably due to this kind of ruling that had caused murder to drop so dramatically within the first couple of years of Erebor's rebuild. Having your king personally look into a murder case does tend to make those thinking of committing the heinous crime to think a moment or two longer on the actual committing of it.

"Has he any family?" Thorin question Nori who shook his head.

"None who live in the mountain and from what I've gather he wasn't close to any of them."

"Friends?" Again Nori shook his head.

"A few drinking partners but that's about it."

"How bout disgruntled lovers?" Dwalin offered.

"I thought that myself for a time," Nori sighed, "but after a bit more digging, nothing."

"So no family, no friends, no lover. He wasn't hated enough for his death to be planned. And he wasn't drunk enough for this to be a spontaneous drunken death." Dwalin growled

"And no spurned lover for this to a passion kill." Balin added rubbing his forehead wearily.

"So what have we got?" Thorin sighed.

"He wasn't high enough in any kinds of ranks for him to be killed off due to him being viewed as any kind of threat." Nori rubbed his beard for a moment before looking at Thorin, "he might be a spy."

Everyone in Thorin's study looked at him sharply.

"Spy?" Balin asked carefully, "for who?"

Nori shrugged, forcing his face to remain neutral even though his stomach was turning with irritation. He truly hated being blind to what was going on within his own home. Whoever was behind this, knew how to bloody well cover their tracks. They covered them almost as well as Nori did.

"Why now? Lords have had their spies for years, why kill one now?" Dwalin growled.

"Accident? Betrayal? They learnt something they shouldn't have or knew too much and were a liability. There are loads of reasons for employers to kill their spies. Don't get any ideas, by the way" Nori added with cheery grin at Thorin who simply rolled his eyes back at his Spy Master.

"You would know before I did if I ever planned to kill you." Thorin pointed out causing the younger ginger haired dwarf to grin wider.

"True that."

"So we have a dead lower level dwarf, who was poison and shoved off a cliff from one abandon mine to another and," Thorin said trying to bring the conversation back to their immediate problem, "who might also possibly be a spy." As the spy theory seemed to be the most logical one to go with at this point in their investigation.

Thorin really needed a drink. And he knew he wasn't the only one either. Despite having a cool, nonchalant exterior, Thorin knew his Spy Master well enough to know that Nori was positively stewing over this case. The dwarf took everything that managed to slip past his nose as a personal failure and insult, refusing to see it as anything else until he had found everything that had managed to slip past him, discovered all it secrets before filling in all the holes it used to sneak pass his sharp eyes and ears with as many rocks as the holes could hold. Possibly even more, if Nori felt the holes still threaten them enough.

Thorin sighed.

"Why now?" the question was asked more towards himself than to the dwarves present and when he thought hard upon it he found he did not at all like the answer he came up with. And apparently it was the same one that Nori had come to too.

"Bilbo." The thief replied simply, giving a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders even though there was steel behind his usually mellow eyes.

"Ever since her very existence was mention, her role in the quest, you've had those who accepted our little burglar and those who have screeched that we should have run her threw after the troll incident."

"Even so…" Oin started but Nori cut him off.

"Even if she hadn't stolen the Arkenstone in attempt to keep us safe from either starving to death here or being slaughtered by the elves of Mirkwood and men of Laketown, she did things during the quest that are making some lords very unhappy. One absolutely perfect example is," He gave Thorin a broad look as he spoke, "her getting pregnant. By our King no less. You've got a whole lot of lords muttering about succession, legitimacy and all kinds of bloody crap about Bilbo planning all of this to bring the mountain to its knees. As if our lass would ever do that. The most she's planned to my knowledge is getting her son back by her side."

"She's been here a total of three days. And unconscious more over."Dwalin rumpled, "they can't be making that much fuss about her…"

"They are." Nori snorted, "Dwalin, you need to remember that these lords did not grow up in the times that we did. While we worked our fingers to the bone to make ends meet, these lords were sitting back in their stone halls, watching life roll them by with a smile. Now, now everything changed; there is a King once more on the throne of Erebor, they no longer have the power that they're used to, or the wealth, or the people. Most of their people have moved to live here. They are unhappy with their loss of power. And to add further insult to injury, their king, who a good deal of them have been shoving their daughters at for the last eleven years, suddenly has a son to his supposedly dead Halfling burglar. All prior rules have been smashed to bits by Mahal's hammer. At least… that's how they see it and they are insulted by it. And we all know how we dwarves hold a grudge."

"There's a significant different between holding a grudge and committing murder." Thorin sighed, rubbing his temple.

"But the rumbling have been going on for years," Dwalin grumbled.

"Aye but now they see an opportunity for the rumblings to become more," Balin sighed from where he had been standing quietly to the side, reading over reports of the last council meeting, "Bilbo and Frodo."

"The chink in the armour." Thorin sighed before frowning, "How did he know?"

"Who?"

"Bovin." Thorin growled.

"He mightn't." Nori replied reasonably, "it's a common phrase and he was referring to Bozg, not to the idiotic lords in here."

"No," Thorin growled, "he said that she was the chink in my armour. That she was going to my down fall."

"Thorin," Nori said calmly beating Balin to the punch of trying to calm their angering king down, "I know you want to heap as much as you can upon Bovin for his trial so the bastard will suffer for all the misery he's caused, but I do think you stretching it a bit with this."

"More than a bit." Balin cutting in, "Thorin, if I am understanding you correctly, you're saying that someone, within this mountain, is working with Bovin to bring down the line the Durin."

"Which technically he is," Dwalin pointed out, "the bastard is working with Bozg, remember."

"Aye, but just because one dwarf has lowered himself to work with an Orc does not…" Balin protested.

"What about a dwarf lord lowering himself to work with a dwarf working with an orc…" Dwalin rumbled back.

"That's possible." Nori relented, his spy master mind already running through lists of possible candidates for which lord could be working with Bovin and by proxy Bozg.

Balin groaned.

"If we start thinking like this," he sighed, "we'll end up trusting no one."

"I don't." Nori offered, "I don't trust a soul outside the company."

"I don't like this either Balin but…"

"Thorin," Balin cut in, "these rumbling have been happening for years. Aye, I agree with Nori that the rumbles have most definitely increased with our lass's return and Frodo's existence being revealed, but I can't accept that our problems within this mountain are connected with the ones with Bozg."

"Except that they are. Bilbo is the connection." Nori pointed out helpfully. Balin shot him a thoroughly exasperated look before turning back to Thorin.

"Thorin, all I'm saying is, that until we have further proof that there is more of a connection then Bilbo and Frodo, I advise we look at them separately. Hopefully, the problem with the lords, the rumbling will become once more rumbling once we have Bilbo's banishment rescinded and have her fully accepted as an honoured member of the company."

Thorin scrubbed his face.

"Not going well, I take it?" Oin questioned with a grunt.

Balin winced.

"No," he admitted, "as like the numerous times before, when we've tried to have Bilbo's banishment rescinded and for her to no longer be labelled as a traitor we are met with… walls. Many, many stone walls. More now than ever before now. I do belief though that I may have found a way for Bilbo herself to convince the council but…" Balin looked at Thorin who was silently fuming.

"But?" Nori asked.

"No," Thorin growled, refusing to consider that option, "I am the one who caused this; I am the one who will fix this." He shook his head in quiet fury, "they follow the orders of a mad king without blinking an eye but the moment the sane king tries to rescinded that order, they start protesting."

"Easier for things to be broken then they are to be mended." Balin replied gently. "Amendments are being made now. The best we can do is to get them done as quickly and as smoothly as possible. Maybe we will be able to convince the council of lifting the label without Bilbo having to stand any trial."

Thorin snorted under his breath, trying to force down the guilt burning within his chest. This was all his fault, his mess and every turn he took to try and rectify it he was met with another stone walls. It was maddening! And he absolutely refused to allow Billanna to go on trial for something that had, for better or worse, saved the very hide of his and his company's back. They would find another way to rescind her label of traitor without her having to take any part in the process. He refused to cause her any more grief over this matter.

He opened his mouth to say more on the matter when his door was thrown open in the unceremonious manner that only his youngest nephew could manage. The oak door smashed into the wall of his study with a cringe worthy crack, bouncing off of it again and was only stopped from knocking his nephew flat on his back was by his eldest nephew catching it mere centimetres from Kili's face. His youngest nephew didn't even blink simply continuing his troll-like stride in his Uncle's study, his eyes bright and face twisted into the widest grin that it could manage beneath the scars that covered it.

"KILI!" the dark hair lad ignored all reprimes as he bounced eagerly towards his uncle.

"She's awake."

Thorin half rose out his chair before thinking better on it and sank back down.

"She awake. Properly this time. Apparently she was awake before but Amad didn't tell anyone so that Bilbo could rest, but she's properly awake now and…" Thorin allowed for his nephews excited ramblings to roll over him as once again his brain decided to desert him and his heart threaten to burst from his chest. He could vaguely hear Oin rumbling that he should have been informed the moment she regained consciousness the first time not when she was happily up and about, being visited by her family.

He swallowed thickly and mentally watched as all his carefully thought out plans as to how he would approach and behaviour around the Halfling woman fled from his head, not even a stitch of strategy remained. He was at a complete lost as to what he should do and how he should be when it came to seeing Billanna again, this time awake and alert and most likely ready to rip him to pierces over his treatment of her years ago. It was no more than he deserved of course, but even so, he was terrified.

He had spent almost eleven years hating himself over what was said, what was done but to have all that hate thrown back at him by her, to have her look at him with the same amount of fury and loathing that he, himself, had directed towards Azog, Thanduril and… and finally her.

He was a coward. It made him sick realizing just how much of coward he was in regards to Billanna and their situation. He wanted to deal with it, to clean the mess that lay between them, to be the father to their son that he wished to be but that meant taking that initial step and that… that was an absolutely terrifying prospect. He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to face Billanna, to face her righteous rage and accusations. For her to demand that he allow for her and their child to leave, threatening to cut him completely out of Frodo's life due to what had passed in these last few months.

Or, and this to him was an even worse prospect than if she hated him to very last hair on his head – in fact he might even prefer her hating him – was the very real possibility that she was scared of him. Nori had hinted as much, that she was scared, that he would need to be careful with her so as to not frighten her further.

She had every right to be scared of him, to hate and fear him. He had after all, even though he doesn't truly remember exactly what happen and his company were on most days, less than forth coming about the events that had torn them so horrifically apart – even Bofur who had been one of the most vocal in his fury over what had transpired between Thorin and their burglar had never gone into full-details as to what exactly had happened once Thorin had regains control over his mind – but he knew enough to know that he had threatened her and if there had not been any love for her still burning within his heart even in his darkest moments he probably would have killed her. Her and their child. Now that was terrifying thought. Had she feared that too when she thought back on her banishment?

How could he have ever have fooled himself into believing that he might be forgiven for his sins against her and their child?

"Uncle?"

"Go," he forced himself to smile at his youngest nephew, still rocking eagerly back and forth on his heels "Go and see her."

"But…" Kili's voice trailed off as his face turned into a frown. He wasn't the only one frowning either. All his companions seemed to have heard the words that he had not spoken.

"I will see her at a later date," he relented before he had them all jumping down his throat for one reason or another, "let us not overwhelm her."

His youngest nephew looked set to argue but was quickly steered out of Thorin's study by Fili who was whispering urgently into his ear.

"You will need to face her eventually Thorin," Balin muttered softly once the others had left the room, leaving only himself, Balin and Dwalin remaining.

"I will," he grunted unconvincingly. He sighed when he felt Fudin sons' glare at him, "If she wishes to see me, then I will go to her, otherwise…"

"Thorin." Dwalin started but was stopped when Thorin shot him a desperate look.

"Have I not put her through enough? Have I not made her suffer enough? I will not force her to endure anymore pain by my visiting her unwantedly. If she wishes to see me, then I will gladly go and face her judgement. But until then, I will not impose my presence upon her."

"I don't know if your being a good man or a spineless coward." Dwalin grunted.

"Both." Balin answered for him while giving Thorin a thoroughly exasperated look before nodding his acceptance of Thorin's plan.

"Craven." Dwalin rumbled with a shake of his head but the two let the matter lie for the time being at least.

"Go, both of you. I know that you wish to see her also." Thorin waved his two oldest friends' way.

"Thorin…"

"I mean it. I will be fine. I won't even refill my cup, I swear." Thorin was feeling exasperated himself by his friend's nervous mother hen attitudes towards him. "Go."

With final looks that were clearly questioning his sanity, the brothers left him to his thoughts. Thorin tried to drown himself with his work but lasted around ten or so minutes before the suffocation of his thoughts grew too much and he needed to physically work out his frustration and anger.

He arrived, unhindered, to his personal forge, hoping that by spending some mindless hours beating steel his courage would return to him.

Author's Note: So, next chapter is obviously Bilbo's reunion with the company. She meet with all but one major exception. Yes, Thorin is being a spineless coward... again. But he truly is thinking of Bilbo - along with being a coward. He truly is worried about her being overwhelmed and/or being overcrowd and honestly does believe that he's appearance will just break the camel's back. He doesn't want the company's reunion with Bilbo tainted by him if Bilbo truly does hate or is scared of him. He wants her comfortable with the rest of the company before he meets with her again. But before you all get to up and arms about Bilbo and Thorin not meeting again next chapter, let me just say that the chapter after, chapter 53 is the chapter that they'll meet again... Happy? It's finally happening... after 53 chapters, they're going to meet again, face-to-face and actually have a conversation... and that's all I'm saying on the matter.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. See you around for the next one.

Bye for now