Author's Note: Hello Everyone. I have something of a special treat for you all today. I'm not just going to be posting this chapter today, but also the next chapter. Mainly due to the fact that this chapter is so short. Originally this chapter and the next chapter were just one big chapter, but it didn't flow well together, so I broke them, which I think has made this chapter a little redundant, but it's meant to set-up the next chapter and chapters to come.
Anyway, this chapter is all Thorin and Dwalin, with Dwalin having fun messing with Thorin over Bilbo and so on. It's a filler, set-up sort of chapter, but its fun. I always enjoy writing Dwalin/Thorin scenes because Dwalin gets away with saying stuff to Thorin that I don't think a lot of others would, but he says them in such a way that makes sense to Thorin and get through his big stubborn head. Anyway, I love these two which is pretty much why I couldn't bear to simply cut this little chapter completely out of the story.

Oh, I know the chapter title for this chapter is by far one of the worst I have ever come up with, but I was completely stumped as to what this chapter should be titled, so yeah, it is what it is. If you can think up a better one after reading this chapter, let me know and I might change it to your suggestion.

Chapter Fifty-Four

Early Morning After

"So this is where you've been hiding." Thorin didn't looked up from his anvil as he brought his hammer down upon the metal that he was fashioning into a frying pan – of all things, but sometimes creating simple and basic items were far more gratifying then the creation of a grand sword or shield.

"How long have you been down here?" Dwalin continued as he walked further into Thorin's personal forge, running a large hand over the odds and bobs Thorin had created over the years and yet had never done anything with.

Thorin shrugged and continued to hammer. He could hear Dwalin grumbling in exasperation behind him but didn't look around. He wasn't in the mood for Dwalin and his teasing. He wished only to be left with his thoughts, to think of her in peace.

"You don't want to talk about last night?" Thorin jumped involuntarily and stared over his shoulder at his oldest friend before realising that of course Dwalin was talking about the company's reunion with their burglar and not what he, Thorin, had been doing last night. Which was having his own reunion with their burglar. Which she had thought to be all just a dream. He felt his temper flare to a burning fire within his chest and he smashed the hammer down a little too hard upon the metal he was working with, beating it completely out of shape.

He cursed loudly, flipping the blasted thing over and tried to beat the damn thing back into some repair.

"Almost think you wanted it to go badly." Dwalin continued calmly once he was done watching Thorin's little show.

"Of course not." Thorin grunted. He looked back at his friend before sighing, "Fine… how did it go?"

"Well, since you asked." Dwalin replied with a grin, "It went very well. The lass was a little high-strung at first, frighten I think but she calmed down after a time. She was almost herself by the end, smiling and talking away."

"So she is happy then."

"Aye, I say she is." Dwalin smiled, "She and the little lad were inseparable."

"Of course."

"She looked for you." Thorin looked back at his friend sharply. Dwalin nodded wisely, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "Talked about you actually."

"You what?" Thorin snapped in alarm, turning once more away from his anvil and stared with wide eyes at his oldest friend.

"I just answered her unasked questions," Dwalin replied innocently. Thorin stared at his friend for a moment longer before staring beseechingly up at the stone ceiling of his forge.

"And what, exactly, did you say to her?" He growled.

"Cool your furnace." Dwalin snorted, "I said nothing terrible… only the truth."

"Oh, just the truth?" Thorin growled sarcastically, glaring in true annoyance now at his friend. "Because no harm ever comes from telling the truth!"

"I said," Dwalin continued, completely ignoring the sarcastic grumbles from his friend and King, "that ya wished to keep your distance from her until she asked to see you. That ya did not want to overwhelm her." Thorin started to let out a sigh of relief when Dwalin added, "I may have also added in that you were a coward." Thorin relief turned quickly back into a scowl to which Dwalin only shrugged in response to.

"Well, you are. At least when it comes to her. May have mentioned that to her also."

"Wonderful." Thorin grumbled but truly he wasn't overly bothered, his mind was once more turning over the events of last night, his unexpected meeting with Billanna.

"You should see her." Dwalin said suddenly after a few moments of companionable silence, "She may be a little hesitant at first but you can talk her round." Dwalin shrugged.

Thorin shook his head and went back to hammering his fry pan.

"Craven." Dwalin rumbled before coming up to slap Thorin shoulders. "Come, you need food or you'll not be thinking straight for the rest of the day. You've been here since we left your study, eh?"

Thorin didn't respond but allowed for Dwalin to help him tidy up his forge.

He set aside his beaten up fry pan lightly upon his work bench before following Dwalin out of his forge in the direction of the kitchens.

Bombur greeted them with a wide smile, ushering them to a corner of the kitchen where they could eat their food in peace and out of the way of the kitchen workers. It took some encouragement from Dwalin for Thorin to eat for his mind to busy mulling over other things to bother thinking about eating.

"Had any more luck with how to lift our burglar's banishment?" Dwalin questioned once Thorin had finished his food. Thorin threw his head of guard a withering look.

"I will not put her threw a trial." He growled.

"Have you ever thought your might just have to?" Dwalin asked, "All your sessions with the council on this matter have fallen flat. They're not going to budge just because you're snarling at them to – in fact that might make them less likely to budge – but a trial… her trial, might just be what they need to get them moving."

"And explain to me how, oh wise one, a trial will do anyone any good beside from causing her more unnecessary grief and humiliation."

Dwalin let out his own growl of frustration.

"It won't be a trial to condemn her," Dwalin snapped, "rather the trial will be all about rescinding her banishment and title of traitor. By having this trial, according to Balin, will be what is needed for this to happen."

Thorin buried his face into his hands.

"I would have for her not to go through it at all." Thorin muttered.

Dwalin reach across the table and clasped Thorin shoulder.

"Aye, I know laddie. But it's the only way."

Thorin groaned.

"Balin and Ori will help her through it, Thorin. All of us will, but those two will help her to say exactly what she needs to say during the trial and to keep her from letting her clever tongue run away with her as it does."

"I pray so."

"Everything will work out, you'll see." Dwalin rumbled reassuringly. "Don't worry yourself so much."

"Easier said than done." Thorin muttered before standing up. He needed to change his clothes, there were meetings to attended this morning and a son to visit in the afternoon. And his mother…

Thorin rubbed his chest at the thought of Billanna.

She had said that she forgave him, for everything, but she had also thought that much of their conversation was taking place within a dream. It had pained him right to the very core of his heart with how easily she had completely disregarded her own feelings when she thought that it was she who needed to ask, to beg for forgiveness from him, and not the other way round. How she had not believed him when he told her that there was nothing to forgive. And her panic attack.

His chest panged painfully as he remembered vividly Billanna's panic attack, her desperate words and panic as she stood before him trembling, looking close to fainting as her terror and desperation began to overwhelm her.

"Thorin?" Thorin shook himself from his memories and followed Dwalin out the kitchen, giving Bombur a nod as they passed.

"Tell your brother and Ori, and if our burglar is up to it, to start preparing for the trial. I will bring it up in today's council. Hopefully we can get this over and done with quickly so that we can focus upon important things."

"Bovin? Bzog?"

Thorin nodded before striding off towards his chambers to prepare for a morning of royal meetings, praying that they would pass by quickly so that he could prepare to the meeting with a fully awake and comprehensive Billanna. Also their son was expecting him to visit today and he couldn't let the lad down, no matter how much he was a coward when it came to facing the lad's mother.

Author's Note: Told ya, short chapter. Longer chapter to come so don't worry about the shortness of this one. Next chapter we're back with Bilbo and her learning about what is to come on the road ahead of her. Stay tune