/ / / The Shire \ \ \

The first time Thorin and Bilbo travelled back to the Shire they only had Liliana and Theron. They were small but big enough to make the long journey from Erebor to Bag-End. It took them longer than it did when they travelled to reclaim the mountain. They travelled along better roads, stayed at inns and boarding houses along the way and went at a much slower pace. Bilbo had wanted to return since everything calmed down but he wanted to show Thorin his home more than he wanted to go back alone.

Dwalin was too preoccupied with his new pregnancy to travel with them for protection. Bilbo, personally, was quite impressed with the idea of the warrior dwarf pregnant though he knew it should be no different from the King pregnant. Ori was nervous that he could lose Dwalin as Ori had almost lost his life but there was no indication that Dwalin would have the same difficulties. Dwalin had sent his very best warriors to protect the King, Bilbo and their children with the parting message that if anything occurred to hurt the four of them then the soldier dwarves should best come back dead. It wasn't the most rousing speech Bilbo had ever heard but it seemed to have worked for the dwarves who looked very invested in keeping everyone safe.

Eventually they made it to the Shire and Bag-End.

When Bilbo went inside he could see the wreck that those Sackville-Baggins had wrought on his home before the dwarves that Thorin had sent had arrived to stop them and sealed the hobbit hole with unbreakable dwarfish locks. Bilbo knew he would need to look through everything when he tidied up and probably go and collect things back from those terrible thieves but he had a group of dwarfish guards with him and he wasn't afraid to use them.

"Popa," Theron asked coming in behind him. "It's messy."

"It is," Bilbo said scooping him up. "But we shall clean it up and then it will be lovely. Until then let's find you a nice place to sleep."

Theron nodded tiredly into his shoulder. Bilbo walked through the house to the spare room – last used by Thorin that night so long ago. Everything was a little dusty from his time away but at the foot of the bed in a chest were extra sheets. They were a little musty but they would do for now. He stripped the bed after handing Theron back to his father with Liliana at their side. As soon as he was done he tucked Theron into the bed and closed the door.

"Popa," Liliana said. "I'm hungry."

"I have sent some dwarves out to collect food," Thorin said with a smile.

They spent the rest of the day cleaning out the kitchen, lounge room and their bedroom. Their dwarfish guards were going to be staying at the Inn closest to them as there wasn't space for them all in Bilbo's hobbithole. They would take turns guarding the family and Bilbo was sorting out the second guest bedroom for their use while they were in the Shire.

"I have a secret," Thorin said on their first night in the Shire when their children were in bed and they had a dwarf sitting in a chair before the fire and another outside guarding them as though anything sinister could come to the Shire.

"Is it a secret from me as well?" Bilbo asked kissing Thorin again.

"No," Thorin said. "Though I thought I might keep it a secret from you until we arrived."

"Mmm?"

"Soon we shall be adding to our little family."

Bilbo didn't even realised what Thorin had said for several moments until it sunk in and he sat up next to his husband. "What?"

"I'm pregnant."

"Again?"

"Yes."

"Oh," Bilbo said and sat silently for a few minutes. "We shall have to get married while we are here then."

"What?"

"You promised me a hobbit ceremony when we came back to the Shire."

"I did," Thorin agreed and pulled Bilbo back down to rest on his chest. "We shall have to do so soon then."

"Yes," Bilbo said kissing him. "Another dwobbit, how lovely."

Thorin smiled and kissed him again.

/ / /