Hey, it's the next one and it's about someone helping Bombur cook. Heh, it's sorta wrong 'cause no one except the Bilbo actually cooks (and maybe the fourth part, not sure really) but instead most of them helps with the preparation of the actual cooking. You'll see what I mean later. This is just bad, sorry about that.

I messed up in the last chapter, guys. Well, maybe not the chapter itself but the notes. I meant to say three chapters, not two. I counted wrong, again. So I'm posting this today then the next chapter after three days and so on.

Leona2016: Do you really expect Thorin to admit that he likes Bilbo? We'll need Gandalf and his magic and a lot of sneaking to get him to admit that. I wonder how that'll work out...

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit or else Bombur would smack me with his ladle across the head because of all the scenarios I get the Company to get through.

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I.

"Master Burglar, go help Bombur cook!" Thorin Oakenshield sneered as he added, "I'm sure, as a creature of food and home like yourself, you would know how to prepare something as simple as stew."

Bilbao blushed hard as several of the Company laughed openly at his expense. The hobbit muttered under his breath as he not quite stomped towards the big - even for a hobbit - dwarf.

"My word, he is just like a fauntling! In fact, everyone in this journey are worse than Hobbit fauntlings! Why did I ever join this adventure in the first place if he treats me like a helpless grocer?"

"You do not need to help me, Master Baggins," Bombur protested as he gripped his ladle tightly. "I can cook for fifteen perfectly fine by myself."

"Oh no, Master Bombur, I insist on helping. After all, I'm just a Hobbit."

Something in Bilbo's face and tone seemed to scare the big dwarf as the shorter being marched past him and furiously yet meticulously laid out the cooking materials.

Bombur was smart enough to get out of the Hobbit's way. Bilbo Baggins was a creature on a mission and the cook could not stop him.

During dinner hours later, Bombur couldn't help but chuckle at Bilbo's face as a wide grin took him when Thorin begrudgingly complimented on his cooking.

II.

"Need any help, Nadad?" Bofur swung his arm around his brother's broad shoulders. "Ah know it gotta get 'ard to cook fer such a rowdy bunch like us."

"What do you want, Bofur?" Bombur rolled his eyes as he continued stirring the broth he prepared. The flaps of the toy maker's hat hit him lightly on the side of his head as the brunet laughed.

"Ya know meh so well, Bombur!" The toy maker's laughs turned into chuckles. "Let meh help ya wi' dinner."

"You just want to get out of watching the ponies with the lads, don't you?"

"Right again. So, can ah?"

The orange-haired dwarf again rolled his eyes. "Go and prepare the bowls and spoons. That should keep you our of trouble."

The brunet laughed again as he pushed himself off Bombur and whistled joyously as he bounced towards Bombur's pack.

III.

"Thanks, Gloin," Bombur beamed. The redhead grunted as he ambled off somewhere to polish his axe. The fire the family-loving dwarf (normally he wouldn't care, as he had a family himself, but Gloin was taking it to a new level) made crackled brightly.

Normally he wouldn't bother the others to make a fire, as he could do it himself, but the last rainfall (deluge, really) had soaked the surrounding wood and he couldn't find his flint at all, so he opted to ask Gloin to make a fire, as he was one of the more successful of the group to light a fire.

Like any other dwarf he disliked asking for help. But unlike other Dwarrows, he knew when to lay down his pride and ask for it. Besides, he didn't want to disappoint Thorin. Mahal, he was one scary dwarf!

IV.

"Er, run that by me again, lads?" Bombur blinked.

"We have ta help ya, Bombur!" the more temperamental of the two, Kíli, exclaimed.

The blond nodded solemnly. "Yes. Uncle says we have to help ALL the members of the Company. Otherwise he'll kill us himself."

"Isn't that a bit extreme?"

"Nope." The two replied at the same time.

"O...kay. Er, what do you need to do?"

The two brothers practically lit ,please as the grinned at the cook. Bombur shifted, slightly nervous at the way they took a step forward. This... was not good for him, was it?

"We're going to cook tonight!"

Uh oh. Not good. At all.

He was correct. Not even five minutes in, Fíli massacred the vegetables with his knives (note to self: the blond seemed to have a vendetta against the greens), making them all different sizes, while Kíli managed to set the water on fire. Who does that?!

(Note to self... again: don't let either of the two 'help' him when he cooking.)

V.

Bombur nodded happily at Dori as they treaded the undergrowth back to camp. He was glad the strong dwarf could help him as everyone had their own duties or had mysteriously disappeared.

The dwarf could have gotten by himself but Thorin didn't want anyone left by themselves and for some reason, the wizard wanted lots of wood. If he'd gone by himself, the king would've been angry and it would have taken twice as long to get this much wood.

So here he and Dori were, piles of wood stacked high in their arms. At least now, Bombur mused, they would have enough wood for two, maybe three, fires. It would certainly help when he's cooking the boar Kíli and Fíli took down later.

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Shadow: Well, that was something.

Bombur: There was little to absolutely no cooking in this chapter, you know that, right?

Shadow: Well excuse me if I'm not a Hobbit, I'm practically useless in the kitchen, just like Fíli and Kíli.

Fíli and Kíli: *from the distance* HEY!

Shadow: So don't blame me - wait, actually, do it. It's my fault for never learning how to cook actual meals. Unless you include those instant-cooked noodles stuff?

Bombur: That doesn't count.

Shadow: *sigh* Knew it. Anyways, bye Bombur, your food is burning. *runs off*

Bombur: Oh no! *runs off*