Thorin has no idea how long they stay like that. Bilbo clinging to Thorin, Thorin wrapped protectively around his hobbit. For all he knows it could have been hours, days, months, even years. In reality, it was but a few minutes. The silence, that comfortable, welcoming silence was broken by a tentative knocking at the door. It was pushed open a little as Thorin looked up, only just realizing that Bilbo had fallen asleep against him. Dwalin poked his head in, taking in the scene before him. He nodded at Thorin, "Its about to rain so the boys and I were wondering if we could come in."

"I'm sure Bilbo won't mind," Thorin said softly. "I'm going to put him in his bed. Make sure everyone takes their boots off and is quiet. He needs rest."

"Make sure you stay with him," Dwalin replied just as softly. "It would be cruel for him to wake up and think it was all just a dream."

"I….I will," Thorin nodded before standing, cradling Bilbo in his arms. He looked so small, "Was he always this tiny?"

"No, he wasn't," Dwalin sighed. "Keep him safe."

Thorin nodded before heading down the hall. Even though it had been a while, Thorin still remember where Bilbo's bedroom was . There was a nice sized bed, big enough for a hobbit and a dwarf, easily. He pulled off Bilbo's coat and waistcoat carefully, folding them over the back of chair before making sure Bilbo was comfortable. He then took off his own boots, his belts and coat and armor and crawled in beside Bilbo, wrapping himself around the hobbit. He let his eyes trace over the lines on Bilbo's face, finding that in sleep it looked like Bilbo was younger. A few less lines, a few less stresses. Maybe it had something with Thorin being there, holding the hobbit close. It was easing something in Thorin's chest as well. Thorin smiled a small smile and buried his face in Bilbo's curls, easily falling asleep for the first time in 60 years.

Elsewhere

The dwarves had entered slowly, quickly removing their boots and getting settled. Bombur had dragged Dori into the kitchen to work on making food and tea while they waited. Dwalin was cuddling with Ori on the one couch, both talking quietly. Fili, Kili and Balin were going over some work they had brought with. Nori, Oin and Gloin were setting up a dwarf game while Bofur and Bifur were looking over their weapons. They all kept the noise down, the quietest they'd been since learning that Bilbo was dying. They stayed like that for hours, quietly moving around the hobbit hole as needed, occasionally looking down the hallway to the closed door.

It was getting close to suppertime when the door finally opened. Bombur and Dori were making lots of food by now, as a way to cope. They all looked up when they heard the door open. Thorin came out first, for the first time in a long time looking very refreshed. He had one hand on Bilbo's elbow while the hobbit shuffled out of the room. He was blinking slowly, obviously still tired. He looked up to see all the dwarves and smiled, letting Thorin steer him down the hall, "I am sorry, my friends, for earlier. I was just….surprised you all came so far just to see an old hobbit."

"You are not just any old hobbit, Bilbo," Balin said quietly. "And we wanted to make up for the way we treated you so long ago."

"That was not your fault. If anything, it was mine. I should have realized," Bilbo started but stopped with Thorin growled.

"That was not your fault. We let the gold take over our minds. Do not apologize," Thorin leveled Bilbo with a stern look and the hobbit sighed.

"Of course, dear, of course," Bilbo looked around. "You all must be terribly hunger. I've been such a terrible host, but I don't get many visitors now a days so I don't know what all I have."

"We've taken care of it," Bombur stepped out of the kitchen. Thorin moved aside so the large dwarf could hug Bilbo, "Dori and I have cooked up a feast for you."

"Oh, Bombur, Dori, you didn't have to," Bilbo hugged Bombur back.

"But we did," Dori spoke up from the door as Bombur let Bilbo go. "We're here, for you."

"To take care of me while I die," Bilbo supplied and noticed how everyone's face went pale. "You all knew that hobbits have shorter lives."

"We should have, but we let it slip our minds," Dwalin, surprisingly moved forward and pulled Bilbo into a hug. "We thought we had longer to seek your forgiveness."

"Forgiveness?" Bilbo squeaked, awkwardly returning Dwalin's hug.

"Yes, forgiveness," Balin nodded. "We treated you cruelly and us being the stubborn dwarves we are didn't know how to go about asking for forgiveness."

"Well, that's….this is too much," Bilbo gasped as Dwalin let him go. Thorin was by his side, an arm wrapped around the hobbit, "You didn't need to travel all this way and cook and."

"But we are. And we aren't leaving anytime soon," Fili finally spoke up. "We'll be here, however long we need to be."

Bilbo smiled, "I would like that. Greatly. It's awful lonely in this big smial all by myself. But you all are going to work. I won't have you all being lazy."

"Whatever you wish," Thorin smiled. "We are at your service."