Bilbo felt his world stop at those words, that couldn't be possible he was a hobbit he couldn't be Thranduil's son. He knew that Bungo wasn't his biological father, but he had always thought that his biological father was another hobbit. Bilbo wasn't tall like an elf; he barely came up to Thranduil's waist in height how could he be a half-elf? But it would explain why his ears were much pointer than his fellow hobbits.
If it were true how would Thorin react? He hated elves especially Thranduil and Bilbo was afraid that Thorin would not love him anymore. It just couldn't be true. The dwarves who had come to live in Erebor after they had taken it back were already not accepting him for being a hobbit, would they hate him if they found out about this? Bilbo chanced a look at Thorin, and he flinched when he saw he looked thunderous.
"What kind of joke is this? Bilbo is a hobbit he is no half-elf", Thorin said with barely controlled fury.
Thranduil glared at Thorin, "Bilbo is my son it is no joke, what's more I don't appreciate the way you are saying half-elf as an insult".
Thorin scoffed, "What do you expect after you abandoned my people? What proof do you even have that this is the truth?"
Thranduil pulled a necklace from his pocket that Bilbo recognized immediately, it was a beautiful half of a silver heart with an elvish inscription on it that Bilbo knew said "wear this and I will always be with you my love", Bilbo was wearing the matching half that his mother had given to him just before she died, and she had told him what the inscription had meant.
"Your mother gave this to me Bilbo, we wanted to stay together but my people wouldn't accept a hobbit as my queen and she didn't want to cause a civil war, so she left before you were born", Thranduil said trying to keep his voice from wobbling.
Thranduil didn't want to show his emotions in front of Thorin, but it was still painful thinking of Belladonna. Thranduil knew she had died and had never stopped mourning her, he had been wanting to meet Bilbo for decades, but he had been afraid of facing him. He was afraid he would look too much like his mother and he would come to resent him for living when she did not.
But when he had met Bilbo on the battlefield risking everything to give Bard the Arkenstone, he could no longer stay away from him. Thranduil remembered the horrifying moment Thorin had tried to throw Bilbo from the ramparts, he had never been so scared in his life. It would have broken him to finally meet his son only to see him murdered by the one who was meant to protect him.
The thought made him uneasy seeing Bilbo standing so close to Thorin holding his hand. Thranduil wished he could take Bilbo away from the danger, Thorin claimed to be free of the gold sickness, but he was aware the gold was still in the mountain and he feared for Bilbo's safety. He noticed Bilbo had recognized the necklace when he took it out to show it to him, he saw that Bilbo was wearing the matching half. It meant so much to him that Belladonna must have given it to Bilbo, it was proof that she never forgot about him.
"I believe you have the matching half of the necklace", Thranduil said to Bilbo.
Bilbo nodded and took off his necklace and was about to show it to him, but Thorin snatched it harshly from his hand.
"Thorin what are you doing?" Bilbo said, it had hurt him that Thorin had taken his necklace from him so callously and without even asking.
"You really expect this to be enough proof?" Thorin said as he shook the necklace.
"Call Gandalf if you must, I'm sure he could use his magic to prove it", Thranduil said trying to hold back his anger. That necklace was special to both him and Bilbo, he wanted to take it away from Thorin he was not treating it with the respect it deserved.
"Dwalin send a message to Gandalf, I need to leave I must think", Thorin said and stormed out of the throne room.
"I'm sorry Thranduil, I need to talk to Thorin I'll come back", Bilbo said.
"Don't worry little one, just please be careful. I didn't expect Thorin to be so angry about this".
"Thorin wouldn't hurt me, I'll be okay", Bilbo said reassuringly, though part of him was a bit scared of talking to Thorin. Bilbo hurriedly followed after Thorin who barged his way into their bedroom.
"I can't believe that scum thinks you're his son, that's impossible!" Thorin said furiously.
"What if it is true Thorin, where does that leave us?" Bilbo said anxiously.
Thorin rounded on Bilbo, "I can't be with a half-elf, it would mean the end of us if it's true".
Bilbo's heart broke, he had feared this would happen but part of him had hoped that their love would be enough for Thorin to see past his prejudices. This couldn't be happening this had to be a nightmare.
"You would throw away our relationship just because I could be a half-elf? You said you thought my ears are beautiful".
"That was before I knew they were elf ears!" Thorin roared and in his fury, he crushed Bilbo's necklace and flung it at him.
Bilbo flinched as the pieces of the necklace hit him and fell to the floor. Tears welled in his eyes as he saw the broken pieces of the only thing he had left of his mother. Bilbo picked the pieces up and fled the room unable to be in Thorin's presence any longer. The necklace was not heavy so at least it hadn't hurt when the pieces had hit him, but he hadn't seen Thorin that angry with him since he had almost killed him.
The thought scared Bilbo and his already broken heart shattered even more at the thought of Thorin breaking his necklace. Thorin knew how important it was to him and yet he had crushed it along with his heart. Bilbo jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he felt guilty for being relieved it was Bofur and not Thorin. But after the way Thorin had treated him, he didn't feel able to face him yet.
"Are you okay Bilbo? I heard what happened with Thranduil".
"So, you know I could be half elf", Bilbo said sadly. Thorin had reacted so badly to the news that Bilbo was afraid the rest of the Company would have similar reactions.
"Yes, but this doesn't change anything for me between us, you are my best friend, and I won't throw that away over prejudice", Bofur said. Bilbo didn't know it but Bofur harbored romantic feelings for the hobbit, he felt bad for being happy that things could end between Bilbo and Thorin but he had pined secretly for Bilbo for years.
Bilbo felt so relieved that he hadn't lost Bofur, but he wished that Thorin thought the same way. Even if it turned out that Thranduil was wrong and he was just a hobbit he didn't know where he stood with Thorin. The way Thorin had treated him hurt so much he didn't know if he could forgive him.
Bilbo had just been starting to believe Thorin saying his ears were beautiful, but Thorin had destroyed his growing confidence by saying he only thought they were beautiful when he had thought they weren't elf ears.
"Thank you Bofur that means so much to me", Bilbo said.
Bofur smiled but then frowned in concern when he saw Bilbo holding broken pieces of his necklace. He had heard Thorin shouting at Bilbo when he was walking down the corridor and it had made him angry that Thorin was being like this just because Bilbo could be a half-elf. He understood Thorin's reason for hating elves in general but how could he transfer that hate to Bilbo?
Thranduil was the one who had refused to help them not Bilbo. Bilbo had risked his life time and time again to save them. He had even forgiven Thorin for almost killing him. Bofur had not forgiven Thorin for that and he knew that Fili agreed with him. Bofur felt that Thorin didn't deserve Bilbo after that and even more so now.
"What happened to your necklace?" Bofur asked, though he had a feeling he knew the answer.
"Thorin crushed it when we were arguing", Bilbo said trying to stop the tears falling.
Bofur had to control his anger he didn't want to yell at Bilbo, he wasn't the one he was angry with and did not deserve it.
"I could try to fix it, it may not be the same as it used to be, but I could try", Bofur said and was awarded with a hopeful smile.
"Thank you so much, this necklace is very special to me", Bilbo said. He gave the broken necklace to Bofur, it was hard to give it to someone else after losing it but he trusted Bofur.
"I understand that I will do everything I can to fix it. Maybe if you feel up to it you could try talking to Thranduil, I'm sure he wants to see you".
Bilbo wasn't sure if he was up to seeing Thranduil, he just wanted to curl in bed and let the tears fall. But Thorin was in their room, and he didn't want to see him. He also had promised he would come back and didn't want to leave Thranduil waiting so long for him, so he agreed and made his way back to the throne room.
Bilbo tried to compose himself on the way there, he didn't want Thranduil to know he had been crying but he wasn't sure how well he did, given the concern in his eyes when he approached Bilbo. Dwalin looked like he wanted to stop Thranduil getting too close but Bilbo smiled reassuringly at Dwalin and subtly shook his head so he would know to stand down.
"Are you alright son?" Thranduil said worriedly.
It felt odd to hear him call him son, Bilbo wasn't sure if he was ready to think of Thranduil as his father and they still had to wait for Gandalf to confirm the truth. But Bilbo didn't want to be rude by stopping Thranduil calling him son, if it was true he didn't want to cause a rift between them before he even got the chance to know him.
"I'm okay thank you", Bilbo lied, he was not okay at all but he didn't want to worry Thranduil. "Would you like to have a cup of tea with me? We could maybe get to know each other".
"I would very much like that".
Meanwhile Thorin was angrily pacing around his room though he reluctantly stopped when he realized Balin had entered the room.
"I understand you are upset Thorin, but none of this is Bilbo's fault".
Thorin's hands clenched into fists logically he knew that, but he couldn't get the thought out of his mind that the one he loved was likely half elf, even worse if it was true he would be the son of Thranduil. Thorin hated him and he could no longer look at Bilbo without thinking about him. Thorin knew Bilbo had nothing to do with Thranduil refusing to help his people, but he was just so blindsided by the reveal, and he couldn't stomach the thought of being with someone who was half elf.
"That doesn't change the fact that Bilbo is likely Thranduil's son".
"I heard the way you were shouting at Bilbo he didn't deserve that. Don't throw him away over this, you will regret it in the future", Balin said.
"Leave me Balin, I need time to think".
Balin sighed and reluctantly left Thorin. He didn't want to leave Thorin alone to ruminate but he didn't want to make things worse by angering Thorin further. Balin feared that Thorin was going to make a terrible mistake, if he ended things with Bilbo over his hatred of elves he would realize his mistake too late.