The Miracle of Love

Chapter 6

Bilbo was searching like a lunatic for Bofur in the school. He needed to find his friend and he needed to find him fast. News like this just cannot wait. It took him almost twenty minutes before he was able to find him in the mass of people that were in the school hallways. He didn't actually see him, but he saw his brother Bombur and he knew that Bofur was around there somewhere. He passed the crowd as quickly as he could to reach his friend.

"Bofur," Bilbo sighed when he saw him. "I'm so happy to find you. You have no idea how much time I spent looking for you."

"Really?" smirked Bofur. "How much?"

"Hours," over-exaggerated Bilbo.

"That much time?" teasingly asked Bofur.

"Not really, no," answered Bilbo plainly. "That's not important right now. I need to show you something that's why I was searching for you."

"Is it good?" asked Bofur.

"It's the best thing you'll ever see. Trust me," excitedly explained Bilbo. He started pulling Bofur down the hall and to the nearest bathroom. He was about to explode with excitement and Bofur didn't miss that. Whatever his friend was about to show him, has got to be very important. They entered the bathroom and waited for a couple of minutes so that everyone cleared out and Bilbo locked the doors. Bofur eyed him suspiciously when Bilbo threw his school bag on the floor and started to pull his shirt up.

Bilbo pulled his shirt up so that his stomach was exposed and then turned to the side to get Bofur a better look. "Well?" Bilbo asked. "What do you think?"

Bofur was quiet for a few seconds, unsure what he was supposed to answer. "What am I looking at," he carefully asked because he didn't want to upset Bilbo.

"It's the baby bump," Bilbo gestured to his flat stomach. "Can't you see it?"

"Not really no," Bofur answered too quickly and Bilbo frowned.

"Are you all people blind?" asked Bilbo and pulled his shirt back down. "You are the fourth person I have shown it today and just like you everyone else said that they don't see it."

"There is nothing to see," reasoned Bofur. "You just look a little bloated. This is far from baby bump." Bofur wished he could take back the words he said the moment he told them.

Bilbo's expression changed and he looked like he was about to cry and Bofur quickly pulled him into a hug. He was relieved when Bilbo didn't back away from him. "There is a bump," silently cried Bilbo. "You just don't see it."

"It's hard to see it for us because last week when you invited me for dinner you looked like you were about to strangle your mother because she smiled at you when you filled your plate for the third time," explained Bofur.

"I was hungry," whined Bilbo but still didn't let go of Bofur's embrace.

"I wasn't saying anything. But it's hard for us too. You complain how you gain weight and how that is not fair because you don't show anything and the next day you are all happy about your bump."

"But it's there," cried Bilbo and pulled away from Bofur who reached in Bilbo's bag to get a handkerchief to wipe away the tears.

"The baby is here and I'm sure that it won't take long before everybody will be able to notice it."

"I know. I just wanted to share this with everyone."

Bofur smiled. "I'm happy you did. Come on, let's go to class. You already skipped physical education if you skip some more the principal will call your parents."

"I wasn't skipping anything," explained Bilbo. "I'm excused. The doctor said I don't have to go and wrote me a note."

"I bet you are excited, now that the doctor basically wrote you the permission to sit all day and read books," teased Bofur.

"I don't sit all day and read books," exclaimed Bilbo. "I go to work every day after school, thank you very much."

Bofur just smiled at him and gave him the school bag, before he dragged him to the class.

:::

Bilbo was now twelve weeks pregnant. He was excited about it and terrified at the same time. One third of the pregnancy was behind him. Morning sickness has stopped and he was getting his appetite back. He was slowly gaining weight and sometimes when he looked into the mirror he pictured himself with a large belly. Some days he had a feeling that the bump was already seen, the other days he had a feeling he was just fat. It really depended on the day.

After his encounter with Thorin in the grocery store he was a little worried how Thorin will react when he would see him in the school halls or on the parking lot where Thorin had his car parked. Bilbo had to walk pass him every day to get on the bus after school and Thorin never said a thing or even looked at him. It appeared that Bilbo was invisible for Thorin. It didn't bother Bilbo that much that Thorin ignored him, but he couldn't help to feel used. The only time he got Thorin's attention was when he slept with him. The fact that he was still in love with him didn't help with these feelings. No matter how much he tried to hate him, he just couldn't. No matter how much Bilbo fought against these thoughts and feelings he couldn't get rid of them. The truth was that Thorin was the father of the baby and there was nothing Bilbo could do to change that.

:::

It was a few days before Frodo's eleventh birthday and Bilbo just entered his fifteenth week when he first thought about the doctor and the fact that he told him that Thorin was the father of the baby. The doctor didn't call him and Bilbo didn't know if he should take the silence as a good or as a bad sign. He was just hoping that everything was alright with the baby.

In a few days his little brother will be eleven years old and Frodo would bring them little presents. There wouldn't be a big birthday party like Frodo silently wished for but it would be just a quiet family dinner. If he could work for an hour or two more every day until Frodo's birthday then he could take that afternoon free and he could make him a cake. He knew that it would make Frodo really happy.

He was, like always, working in the grocery store after school that afternoon. He was ordered to put some things back on the shelves. It wasn't heavy physical work and he was happy to do it, although he had to admit that sitting behind a cashier and reading a book didn't sound so bad either.

"Hello," someone said behind his back and Bilbo almost dropped a jar of pickles he was holding. He turned around only to see Thráin Durin standing behind him.

This doesn't look good, thought Bilbo. He must stay calm, nothing bad could happen. Thráin Durin was just here to do some shopping and nothing else. "Hello, Sir," Bilbo greeted with a trembling voice. "How can I help you?"

Thráin smiled at him, but it wasn't a genuine smile. No, this was more like I am so happy you asked, now I can slowly kill you smile and it sent shivers down Bilbo's spine.

"Yes you can. I would like to talk to you," said Thráin not once dropping his smile. "Perhaps we can go somewhere private."

Bilbo turned white. "I can't go anywhere right now. I'm working." He went back to putting jars on the shelves.

"If you prefer we can talk here if you like," offered Thráin.

Bilbo stopped for a second. "I'm sorry Sir, but I don't know if there is anything we could talk about?"

"How about if we talk about the fact that you are pregnant?" asked Thráin plainly.

Bilbo heart was beating really fast. He needed to stay calm. "I don't know what you are talking about," said Bilbo and avoided eye contact with Thráin.

"Are you sure?" Bilbo didn't answer. "It's very noble of you that you didn't say anything when my son knocked you up. You two did have sex on the 12th of June , didn't you?"

Bilbo once again stopped and looked at Thráin who was holding a file in his hand. It was the file from the doctor's office Bilbo noticed. "What do you want from me?" asked Bilbo afraid of what the answer will be.

"I would just like to talk to you. We can talk somewhere private of we can talk here. It's your choice."

Bilbo looked at Thráin for a second before he nodded and lead Thráin through storage room, behind the grocery store where they could talk in private.

"What do you want from me," asked Bilbo they were outside.

"It's very simple actually. I want to have the child you are carrying," said Thráin like he was buying bread and not taking away someone's baby.

"I am not giving you my child!" Bilbo stood up proudly. He didn't want to show that he was terrified.

"You don't really have a choice. You are underage and you and your family can barely afford the doctor let alone taking care of the child."

"We will manage," hissed Bilbo and wanted to go back inside but Thráin grabbed him by the arm and stopped him.

"I don't think you understand. I wasn't asking. I want that child and I will get it. You cannot win against me." Bilbo recognized the threat in Thráin's voice.

"I won't say a thing to anyone," tried Bilbo. "No one will know who the father of this child is, I promise."

"I know you won't tell. You stayed quiet until now, if you had any intentions of telling you would have already done it. You want this child for yourself and I want it for me. You see here our interests collide."

"Thorin won't accept the child," said Bilbo.

"Of course he won't. He is a child who apparently doesn't know what the purpose of contraception is. I don't want this child for Thorin, I want it for myself. I want to raise it as my own child, as Thorin's brother or sister."

"I'm not giving it to you!"

"You don't have a choice!" Thráin raised his voice but quickly calmed down. "You have two options. You can give it up willingly. In that case I'll pay for the doctor and everything that comes with it. I'll even force Thorin to give some blood and the doctor will be able to give you the proper treatment. After all, it's your life that will be in danger if Thorin's Rhesus factor is positive and not the baby's." Bilbo swallowed hard and Thráin's words. "Or you can choose the second option. You and your family can use all the money for the doctor. You will very soon realize that your parents don't have as much money as you think they have. I would say it will be enough for a visit or two. Let us hope that you stay healthy because they won't be able to afford the treatment. And you know what will happen then. Your parents love you very much and they would sacrifice everything for you. You know what will happen then, don't you?"

Bilbo was paralyzed on the spot.

"They would be forced to sell the small house you live in, you would be forced to work all day and I'm sure that your little brother would find something to do so that he could keep you alive. They would have to make all these sacrifices just because you didn't accept my offer. And would you like to hear the best part?" Bilbo shook his head. Tears were pooling in his eyes but he didn't let them escape. "At the end I would still get your baby."

Bilbo let out a whimper. It was hard to stay strong when someone had a plan how to destroy your life.

"I'll give you a few days to think about my offer. I'll be seeing you soon." Thráin ruffled Bilbo's hair before he walked away.

Bilbo was able to hear his heart beating in his ears, he started to breath heavily and wasn't able to stop the tears anymore. He leaned on the wall for some support but wasn't able to stand for long and he quickly slid to the floor and cried. His mother found him half an hour later. Bilbo still wasn't breathing normally and Belladonna quickly got worried. She managed to get him home and in the bed. Bilbo calmed down after a warm meal and three cups of tea. His parents asked him what happened, but he refused to tell them and lied that he had a panic attack.

He didn't tell anyone about the conversation he had with Thráin and his demands. He was worried for the next few days that Thráin will suddenly show up and demand his grandchild but luckily he didn't and Bilbo put the incident behind him and took it as an empty threat from Thráin. Maybe he was just afraid that Bilbo will tell that the baby was Thorin's.

:::

Frodo's birthday was a pleasant affair. Bilbo got a small rattle for the baby from Frodo. It was the first gift he got for the baby and he couldn't be happier about it. He spent the entire afternoon making Frodo's cake, but it was worth it.

After dinner Belladonna cut the cake and everyone got a piece. They were comfortably sitting in the living room eating the cake when the doorbell rang and Bungo went to open the door. Bilbo thought it was a little strange that someone would come and visit them at this strange hour, but he didn't move and continued to eat his cake.

A few seconds later Bungo returned to the living room but he wasn't alone.

"Good evening everyone," greeted Thráin and smiled. Bilbo's jaw dropped and he stared at Thráin for a couple of minutes with mouth open wide.

"How can we help you Mr. Durin?" politely asked Belladonna.

"He said he wants to talk to Bilbo," explained Bungo and Bilbo lost all the color from his face.

"Yes, I offered a deal to Bilbo and gave him some days to think about it. Now I want to hear his answer."

"What deal is he talking about?" asked Belladonna and all eyes in the room were on Bilbo.

"Oh, you didn't tell them?" asked Thráin and smirked. He was more than happy to do all the explaining. "You see, your son is pregnant because my eldest son knocked him up."

Now it was Bungo's and Belladonna's turn to look at Thráin with their mouths open.

"I told him I want the baby he's carrying, he just has to decide if he wants to make things easy and hand me the baby without making any fuss or if I will have to call a few people to get it."

"Now wait a minute," Bungo stood up from the armchair he was sitting in. "You can't just come here and demand-"

He was suddenly interrupted by Bilbo. "I accept."

Thráin smiled victoriously.

Author's notes:

Hey guys!

I need to say a few things. I noticed that a lot of you hate Thorin. Please don't do that. I know that he looks and sounds horrible right now but in reality he is a really nice guy. You just need to give him some time and a few chapters. So please don't hate him. If you hate someone hate Thráin. He's the one to blame for everything. He is sick, if you want you can call it gold-sickness, but it doesn't really matter. The important thing is that he isn't in his right mind. Also, Bofur is Bilbo's friend and Bilbo will only see him as a friend, how Bofur will see him in the future you will have to wait to find out.

This story doesn't have a beta reader (that's why there are mistakes) so if anyone is interested, let me know. (If you think about it, it's a good offer. You get to read the chapter before everyone else does.)

One more thing. I blame all of you amazing writers out there who post on AO3 and FanFiction that it takes so long for me to write a new chapter because every day I spend hours reading your stories. You are amazing and I love you :)

Thank you for reading, leaving comments and your support.

[So now I'm thinking… should I post another chapter tomorrow or should I make you wait a little longer… help me :P]

Guest03 - Thank you for your help. Please send more because it really helps.