Hello, before I begin, I should mention that I do not own the hobbit or it's characters, and that this is loosely based on "While you were Sleeping" Enjoy.
Bilbo Baggins was a woman of routine and comfort, and she liked it that way, thank you very much. Every morning she would wake with the sun, have a spot of tea, go for a lovely walk, eat breakfast, sit down to write until lunch, and then she would take care of any prominent task she had for the day. On Mondays she would putter around in her rooftop garden/greenhouse keeping a sharp eye out for weeds. Tuesdays were the day she usually went grocery shopping in preparation for Wednesdays as they were her favorite because it was her baking day. Of course she always took the day to clean her lovely top floor apartment on Thursdays before enjoying her completely free three day weekend. And every other month, on Friday, she would meet with her editor Beorn about her, now third, novel. Yes, life was fairly perfect for Bilbo Baggins. Perhaps a bit simple and plain, and sometimes very very quiet with no one to share her life with, but she preferred it that way. Or at least that's what she told herself. She really should have known better, by thinking that very thought, 31 year old Bilbo Baggins, of apartment 111 Bagendhill lane, had just invited the universe, to jinx her.
It all started on a Monday, of freaking course it did. Bilbo had decided to go grocery shopping that day. She had been lying abed with the flu all last week, and as a result did not go shopping when she usually did. While her editor had dropped by with some groceries to "keep up my favorite storyteller's health" She was completely out of milk, eggs, lemon, and honey, something she simply could not tolerate. So with great reluctance, she had bundled herself in her more comfortable clothes, a soft knitted red sweater top paired with a pair of her soft brown pants, she put on a kitted hat, her brown coat and finally a face mask. She wasn't fully back to health, but while she was no longer contagious she still had a bit of a cough. Grabbing her purse, Bilbo headed out. If only she had remembered to grab her scarf.
Although the sun was shining, the air was brisk as Christmas was right around the corner. Bilbo silently cursed herself as a chill wind reached her neck, quickly she bustled her way down to the metro, it was surprisingly empty, really there was only a few people, a exhausted couple bouncing a fussy baby, a blond haired man on his phone, and what looked like a homeless man crouched in a corner. Bilbo felt grateful that she must have missed the morning bustle. Quietly, Bilbo went to join the others as they waited for the train.
Perhaps it was because she had been sick and wasn't thinking clearly, or perhaps it was the couple and man next to her that gave her a false sense of security, maybe she simply was too distracted to notice. Whatever the reason, she was there all of three minutes before her quiet peaceful life ended.
She had felt an aggressive hand on her shoulder spinning her around making her stumble. The homeless man she had saw in the corner was before her, he was pale, thin, and lanky with tight-drawn skin. His eyes were grey and sickly like he was feverish or drugged. Before she could even react she felt the unmistakable snap of her necklace chain. The small golden ring, her father's ring, was clutched in the mans hands as he turned to run.
Time froze for Bilbo, and a wave of panic rush over her. Bilbo Baggins most vivid memory of her childhood was when her father had given her that ring. Bilbo had just turned 10 and they had sat on the front porch watching the sunset while her father had wrapped his arms around Bilbo. It was a ritual they had shared, this was always the time he told her about her mother, telling Bilbo stories about how they met, her mothers quirks, how adventures she was. Bilbo's favorite story about her mother was the one where her mother proposed to her father, he was so shocked he tripped, rolled down a hill and into a lake. So while soaking wet, slipping and sliding in pond mud, beet red, and with a frog in his hair, he screamed yes.
Suddenly her father had sighed and kissed the top of her head, he would get like that sometimes, quiet and sad as he looked at that sunset. "I don't think it's worth it" it wasn't the first time Bilbo had thought it, but it was the first time she had said it out loud. Her fathers head had swiveled around to give his daughters a questioning look.
"What isn't worth it love?" her dad had questioned. Bilbo had turned pink and avoided his gaze uncomfortably, she hadn't meant to say it out loud but it was too late to take it back now.
"Falling in love." She whispered meekly. She heard her father suck in a sharp breath before he gently cupped her cheeks and turned her to look at him.
"Now you listen to me Bilbo, sometimes life doesn't turn out the way you plan," Bilbo had frowned and looked down but her father tilted her face up and stroked his thumbs' under her eyes until she was looking at him again. "Sometimes you're going through life and suddenly it feels like your world is ending and there is not a single thing you can do to stop it." He took in a shaky breath before he continued. "I know it's hard, that life is hard sometimes, but on the days you feel you simply can't, or you don't want to try because you don't want to risk any part of your heart, you need to remember your mothers words, Her last words." he said, tears collecting in his eyes. This was the first time her father had intentionally mentioned Belladonnas death. She knew of course how her mother had died, Pneumonia during the coldest winter in recorded history, Bilbo was 2, but he had never spoken of what they had went through. "She told me 'Don't forget my love, there is always an adventure for you just around the corner, you just need the courage to take that first step,'" Bungo had pulled the now crying girl into his embrace to kiss her on the forehead tenderly, gently he pulled away just enough to undo a ribbon from her hair, then he slipped off his ring, threaded it through the ribbon and tied it securely around Bilbo's neck.
Bilbo gapped at her father a moment. "Wha?" but Bungo sweetly shushed her.
"A reminder, to have courage to make that first move." he said affectionately. Both father and daughter had sat there that day and just held each other while they cried. She hadn't cried so hard before in her life, but now, now her father's ring, her most cherished possession, was slipping through her fingers.
Desperately, Bilbo lunged.
The two crashed onto the floor in a tangle of limbs, the man hissing and cursing all the while.
"OFF!" the sickly man hacked at her sounding like he was choking on his own saliva, as he threw his fists at her over and over again.
"SECURITY!" a deep baritone voice boomed echoing through the metro while the blond haired man that was on his phone rushed to help, pining the man by his chest as Bilbo clutched desperately to his legs. The man under Bilbo increased his struggles twice fold, and Bilbo prayed she would be able to hold on to the thrashing man until help came, at that moment, the horrible man managed to knee Bilbo's face.
The world spun for Bilbo and her eye felt like it would burst. The man slipped free from Bilbo, kicked the Blond man in the ribs and started to run. Bilbo watched in horror as the Blond man that tried to help stumbled back, lost his balance, and tumbled head first onto the train tracks. A horrified shriek behind her brought Bilbo back to the present.
"THE TRAIN!"
For one horrible moment, Bilbo considered going after the Thief instead, and immediately felt like the world most horrendous monster for doing so. Quickly Bilbo dashed to the edge of the tracks. The Blond man was laying there bleeding from a head wound and unconscious, Bilbo felt dread, the train was coming.
Without even thinking about what she was doing, Bilbo jumped down on the track, completely ignoring the panicked calls behind her.
"Wake up! WAKE UP! Please wake up!" Bilbo begged as she violently shook the unconscious man before her. Glancing up Bilbo saw that the train was racing toward her desperately blowing the horn in warning. "Oh God!" Bilbo spat out, "WAKE UP NOW" Bilbo screamed slapping him harshly across the face. There was absolutely no reaction and she cursed up a storm. Thinking desperately, Bilbo did the only thing she hoped would work to move the great lug twice her size. She wrapped herself around him and threw her body weight to the side to roll them both.
By the mercy of Yavanna, it worked, she rolled both of them off the track just as the Train passed them, and then Bilbo ended up doing something she never, ever, thought she would do. She passed out.
The next 45 minutes were a blur. When Bilbo was roused she got checked out by the paramedic, a kind woman, named Arwen Rivendell, Bilbo was fine, other that overexertion before she was ready for it and a black eye. For some reason Bilbo ended up riding in the ambulance with the unconscious man all the way to the hospital, he never woke up. Bilbo felt monstrous, it was her fault he got hurt, her fault. Feeling absolutely pitiful and with no way to right her wrongs, Bilbo reached out to clutch the unconscious man's hand gently in her own and silently apologize for what she put him through. She hadn't realized she was shaking until one of the paramedics put a shock blanket over her. Bilbo gave the dark haired woman a shaky smile. Before she knew it she and the unconscious man were separated and Bilbo was sitting in the waiting room, nervously tapping her foot against the floor and holding ice to her swelling eye.
"Mrs. Baggins?" A voice called out. Bilbo sprang to her feet. It was a tall man with dark hair that Bilbo recognized as the Dr. on call when they had come in. "I'm Dr. Rivendell." he said kindly. Bilbo walked over and shook the man's hand.
"How is he?" She asked nervously. In any other situation, Bilbo would have been absolutely mortified at her bluntness and lack of manners, especially when inquiring about a perfect stranger, but in this moment Bilbo was so exhausted that she wasn't all the way coherent.
"Mr. Oakenshield-Durin, is in a coma," a strangled whimper escaped Bilbo's throat, oh god, she put someone in a coma. Dr. Rivendell must have seen her distress and held up a hand of reassurance. "There is a good chance he will pull through it. He is stable and none of his injuries are life threatening, I'm going to transfer his care to his family doctor, Dr. Oin, he should be in good hands." He further explained. Bilbo let out a rush of air in relief.
"Oh good, That's good." Bilbo said shakily sitting down, oblivious to the concerned doctor aiding her. "That's very good. I'm so relived." and suddenly, like a dam breaking, Bilbo started sobbing. Bilbo was conscious she was crying and burned with embarrassment for doing so in such a public place but she couldn't stop, it was all too much. So she berried her face in her hands and sobbed and sobbed and sobbed, crying herself hoarse while Dr. Rivendell rubbed her back.
It all came loudly pouring out, between fits of gasping breaths, Bilbo apologized. "I'm sorry, So sorry, It's my fault! If I hadn't even been there or gave up sooner! oh god! he's in a coma all because I wanted my fuging eggs and oh god the ring is Gone and I know it's selfish to even think about when he's in a coma but it was my Fathers and means so much to me and now it's gone and I loved my father so much and I'm scared I wont remember my favorite story about their proposal or her last words, what I promised, and I feel oh god I feel so alone, and I shouldn't cry and I'm so sorry, so sorry!" and with that final apology, Bilbo dissolved into a sobbing mess, no longer able to speak.
Unbeknownst to Bilbo, that through her sorrowful confession, the longer she talked the less coherent she became and some of her words didn't make it through, nor did they sound like the actual word. So while this is what she meant, what was heard went something like this. " I'm sorry *sob* So sorry, It's my fault If I had*choke* been there *sob..sob..sob* sooner! *sob..sob* Oh God! He's in a coma *Sob Sob* my fuggingeggs and *Sob sob* the ring is gone and *sob* selfish *sob* even think! *sob* he's *sob* coma *Gasping breaths* but it was my Fathers and *sob* means so much to me *sob* it's gone and I love*choke* so much and I'm scared *sob sob sob* my F*choke, sob* proposal *sob sob* last words *sob sob* I promised, and I feel *Choke* Oh god I feel so alone, *sob* I shouldn't cry and *sob* sorry, so sorry"
Now it is important to note that, Bilbo's face was already smothered in her hands. So paired with her raspy crying, the general noise of a hospital, and perhaps a twist of fate, one of the words Bilbo said, 'fuggingeggs" ended up sounding peculiarly like 'fiancé'. Now, completely oblivious to Bilbo, Dr. Oin, a dear family friend to the Oakenshield-Durin family, along with Officer Dwalin Fundin, who had grown up with Frerin Oakenshield-Durin, the blond man now in a coma, had walked into the room just before she started crying to get a statement.
Both men froze, gapping at the woman openly weeping over their friend. She was his fiancé?! Both man scrambled to think when this possibly could have happened. True Frerin didn't spend as much time with them as he used to, but that was ok. Frerin was an architect and he had to travel a lot for work, they knew that. Sure he had been traveling a lot more than he usually did and acted a little bit more secretive lately, more silently smug for no apparent reason, but he often got like that, usually when he was hitting the night life and sleeping around. Frerin was a good man, don't get them wrong, but he often lamented how life was too short to be tied down so young, youth was a time for fun and pleasure. No strings attached seemed to be his moto when he engaged in any type of relationship, usually they didn't last very long. Then again, they had barely seen Frerin for almost a year at this point, Could it be that he finally found someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with? Did he really fall in love and propose to this woman without ever introducing her to the family?
"Shit." Oin whispered quietly before looking down into his palm, Dwalin leaned over his shoulder to get a better look, there sat a simple man's golden ring with the words " To my love and grandest adventure." engraved inside. The paramedic had told them that it was clutched in Frerin's hand when they got to him.
"Rein, Rida and Dis are going to kill him." Dwalin whispered fearfully, beside him Oin simply nodded. "I need to make some calls, can you?" Dwalin gestured helplessly to the still crying woman, wordlessly, Oin nodded and Dwalin shuffled away. Taking a deep breath, Oin braced himself and strode over.
"Excuse me, Miss, I'm Dr. Oin, may I speak with you for a moment?" The young woman in front of him looked up with glassy green eyes and a quivering pink lip before taking several deep breaths, scrubbed her tears away, and gave him a small wobbly smile.
"Yes, of course, I'm so sorry about that, I really don't know what's come over me. I'm sorry, what do you need to speak to me about Doctor?" She said shakily collecting herself. Oin breathed a silent sigh of relief, he was never good at comforting crying patients, he was a retired military's doctor, he was used to barking at his patients to stay still.
"You came in with Frerin Oakenshield-Durin, did you not?" The young woman bit her lip, but nodded her head. "I was wondering if you could tell me your name, what happened, and if you recognized this." Oin said holding out the ring to the woman, her breath audibly caught in her throat. With shaking hands she reached forward and gently plucked up the ring, running her fingers reverently over the engraved writing.
"Where?" she breathed out, eyes wide.
"Frerin managed to keep a hold of it, even while unconscious." Oin said to her, he watched as the woman's tense figure all but melted as she folded herself over the ring, keeping it clenched close to her heart.
"May I see him?" she whispered, all but begging him. Oin nodded and watched as she carefully got to her feet, nodded her thanks to Dr. Rivendell and followed him to Room 2799. "I'm Bilbo Baggins, by the way." she croaked as she began to follow him.
"Pleased to meet you" Oin replied subtlety watching her out of the corner of his eye. She was pretty, sweet and soft looking. Her face was heart-shaped with high cheekbones, a softly defined jawline, and a delicate nose. Her hair was a light chestnut brown with hints of honey that fell down to her shoulders in naturally wavy curls, although in this instance it was down right unruly with how frizzed her ordeal made her. She had a sun-kissed tone to her complexion and bright green almond shaped eyes framed by thick, dark lashes.
On his way, Oin passed by Dwalin, the man was still on his phone and barley disguising his wince, catching Oin's eye he quickly pointed to his watch before shaping his hands into a 1 and a 5, Oin sighed heavily, only 15 minutes till the family got here and all chaos rained loose.