They were given till the next morning to have peace. Just as Bilbo said, they were all put to work. One crippled hobbit could very well not keep Bag End up to par, so he immediately set the dwarves to fixing the place up. Cleaning, repairing, sweeping, the washing. It was all done while Bilbo watched, a smile just barely on his face. Thorin watched from where Bilbo had set him up at a desk to work on stuff he had brought from Erebor. It was better to know Bilbo was about to smile than about to cry, Thorin decided. It seemed to bring some life back into the hobbit.
Right now Bilbo was watching over Dwalin, Bifur and Bofur repairing parts of the ceiling. It should've been done years ago, but Bilbo hadn't thought about it at the time. Bilbo nodded to himself before turning away, catching Thorin watching him. The old hobbit smiled and limped over, "I see we are staying busy."
"Oh, I think the others are busy enough for me," Thorin chuckled. "I've never seen them work so hard."
"They do seem highly motivated," Bilbo sighed. "You all will be alright when I'm gone? Won't you?"
"No, Bilbo, we won't be. There is no use denying it. But we will be fine some day," Thorin reached out and took Bilbo's hand. "For now we are here for you, we worry about you and life will never be the same without you."
"Thorin….don't say that," Bilbo looked down, his smile disappearing.
"But it is true and you need to hear it. We shouldn't act any differently around you just because you are dying," Thorin pulled Bilbo into his arms. "You would get very crabby, I think."
"Yes, I would," Bilbo sighed. "Still….its different now. I had accepted I was going to die and then….and now I don't want to leave just yet."
"We have a little time now. We'll make the most of it," Thorin pressed a kiss into Bilbo's hair just as the front door banged open.
"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY COUSIN!" A high, female voice roared. Thorin could've sworn the entire smial shook at the force of her shout. Bilbo flinched in his arms but didn't make to move away and rescue whoever was incurring the wrath of an angry she-hobbit.
"Should I be concerned?" Thorin glanced down at Bilbo.
"No its just," Bilbo started but was cut off by a pain-filled cry from what sounded like a dwarf.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MR. BAGGINS, YOU GARDEN-RUINING FIENDS!" a very male hobbit roared and this time Bilbo did pull away.
"Hamfast, if you just broke the good shovel over a dwarf's head, I am not buying you a new one!" Bilbo quickly limped out of the study, Thorin right on his heels. Standing in the doorway were two hobbits. The male, Hamfast, was not wielding a shovel but a pitchfork. A very well made pitchfork if it not only could knock Dwalin to the ground but still be in one piece. The she-hobbit was keeping the others back with a bright pink umbrella as Hamfast had the pitchfork at Dwalin's chest.
"No, Mr. Baggins. I'd never ruin a good shovel on the likes of dwarves," Hamfast didn't look up but the she-hobbit shifted her umbrella to point at Thorin.
"Who are these dwarves, Bilbo-dear, and why are they here?" she practically growled.
"They are my friends, Lobelia, and I would absolutely adore you if you stopped threatening them with your umbrella," Bilbo sighed, leaning forward on his cane.
"Lobelia? Lobelia Sackville-Baggins and Hamfast Gamgee?" Balin took a small step forward.
"We may be. Why? Who's asking?" Hamfast growled.
"We are here, actually, because of the letter you two sent us," Balin took another small step towards his brother.
"Oh…OH! You….Hamfast! They! Oooooohhhhh!" Lobelia's face was turning a very bright red.
"Breath, Lobelia, and let it all out," Hamfast growled, his glare turning glacier.
Lobelia did just that, "Thank you, Hamfast. You horrible, dirty dwarves with your crude, barbaric ways cannot just waltz into a civilized hobbit's smial and expect to get away with it! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT! You will be properly punished for the pain you have caused my cousin and, the Green Lady willing, I will be apart of it!"
"But you sent us the letter!" Kili cut in.
"Yes, I may have, but that does not stop me from treating the lot of you like the naughty fauntlings you are!" Lobelia smacked Kili over the head with her umbrella.
"Lobelia, really now," Bilbo started and faster than anyone could blink, Lobelia was by his side, pulling him into a protective hug.
"Don't worry, Bilbo-dear, I will make sure that they suffer for what they have done," Lobelia patted his head.
"You want them to prune your hedges, don't you?" Bilbo sighed.
"Well, I'm sure not letting them near my flowers. Look at those hands!" Lobelia huffed, letting go of Bilbo, looking over the dwarves. She jabbed her umbrella at Fili, Dori and Gloin," You, you and you, with me. Now. We have hedges to rescue."
With that she marched out of the smial. Fili, Dori and Gloin looked at Thorin who shrugged," I would just go."
The three sighed before doing as they were told. Hamfast straightened up, taking the pitch fork away from Dwalin, eyeing the large dwarf, "Good with an ax?"
"Born with one in each hand," Dwalin growled.
"Good. I'll take you then and the two younger fellas and we'll see out getting a new fence up," Hamfast nodded before stalking out, Dwalin, Ori and Kili following warily. Bilbo sighed before plopping down on the bench near the door.
"Well…that went better than expected," Bilbo looked around at the others.
"They'll be slave drivers to us, won't they?" Balin sighed.
"More than likely. They have my honor to defend and what not," Bilbo chuckled.
"Well, lads, you know what that means," Bofur looked around at the others, who nodded and headed out the door.
"Make sure Bifur is with Hamfast. He seems nicer!" Bombur called from the kitchen.
"What are they doing?" Bilbo frowned, looking at Thorin who was heading back into the study.
"Getting a head start on the work. Might as well try to play nice here," Thorin shrugged before disappearing into the study. Bilbo laughed, but the laugh turned into a cough and he quickly pressed his handkerchief to his mouth, silencing the sound so neither of the dwarves left would hear. He pulled the handkerchief away as he stood, looking down at the red flecked fabric. He moved into the sitting room, glancing into the study on his way. Thorin was focused on his work and Bilbo had no doubt Bombur was cooking up a storm. He sighed before throwing the handkerchief into the fire. It was only a matter of time now…..