Authors note: I do not own anything to do with The Hobbit or LOTR franchises, everything belongs to Tolkien! I am just a poor college student having some fun. Comment and reviews but lease no flames! If you don't like it don't read it- easy enough right?

Chapter 2

Bilbo woke with a gasp, still shaking from his nightmare. Looking around, it was still pitch black outside and he could hear the snores coming from the other rooms. Letting out a deep breath, he sat up. He hadn't had nightmares in many year, and it was troubling to think they might start up again. For a long time after returning to the shire he had fought night terrors, mood swings and panic attacks. Very little had been able to calm him until he had taken Frodo into his home, and he felt he had lost much of his sanity in those years.

Shuffling his way to his deck, he retrieved the deed to Bag End for Drogo and made his way quietly through the house. Around him dwarves were piled into chairs and on top of tables and on the floor by the fire. It was quite comical as they made a chorus of snores that were shaking the windows. Entering the dining room he found his table occupied by Bombur which interrupted his plan slightly. Turning into the living room he found Fili and Kili were lying with limbs spread in every direction from his grandmother's love seat. Ori was asleep on the floor cuddled up to Nori; Dori asleep in the chair above them like a guard dog.

"What are you doing?" a menacing voice intoned from the shadows, making Bilbo jump. In the corner sat Thorin, smoking his pipe in the dark. Bilbo drew closer to him so as not to wake the others with their conversation.

"I'm looking for a place to put this," He waved the paper in front of Thorin's face," so that my cousin will be able to find it when he arrives."

"What is it?"

"It's the deed to my house; I'm giving it to my cousin Drogo since I doubt I'll be returning…" he trailed off, thinking of the future (past) that awaited them.

"Why would you join us if you don't believe you will survive?" Thorin gruff tone pulled him from his dreary thoughts.

"I guess it's because you don't have a home, it was taken from you, and I would like to help you get it back if I can. And besides I didn't necessarily say I would die now did I? Just that I won't likely be returning." He smiled at the dwarf king. He remembered what it had been like in the beginning, with Thorin doubting his motives. He wouldn't have that this time, he had made his decision and would gladly give up every part of his calm life to help his friends again. Placing the deed on the and table beside the dwarf, Bilbo gave a slight bow before turning to return to his room.

An indiscernible whisper followed him as he made his way through the house, however he paid it no mind.

Soon after the others began to rise and breakfast was made quickly and simply with eggs and bread. The sun still had two hours before it would rise, but the company was eager to begin their journey.

And thus, Bilbo found himself once again on a pony. While he loved the animals, he doubted he would ever be used to being up off the ground. He just couldn't get used to the jostling between his legs. He spent a few hours trotting along at the back of the group trying to get comfortable before Dwalin road up beside him.

"Where have you fought?" the dwarf asked, as blunt as ever.

"Excuse me?"

"You mentioned you could fight, where and for whom?" he explained as if speaking to a child. Bilbo paused, flashes of dragons and fire and death clouding his mind.

"Umm, local skirmishes I guess, I helped some friends get their homes back…" he trailed off, the smell of ash burning in his nose as he found himself lost in the flashbacks.

Dwalin saw the change in the hobbit as if the wind had blown away all the sand to expose a jagged black stone in its place. He could see the loss in the hobbit's eyes much the same as what you would see in any dwarf from Erabor; and while he wasn't sure on the details, the hobbit had definitely fought for something. His doubt on the hobbit's "tale" fled in a rush. Nodding at the burglar, he made his way back up to the front of the line where Balin and Thorin were ridding.

Bilbo reminded lost in thought most of the day after that as most of the company continued to give him a wide birth. He finally pulled himself from his head as night began to fall. Camp had already been put together and dinner was well on its way with Bombur overseeing its cooking. Taking a seat next to the fire, he watched the large dwarf add various ingredients to a pot.

"Good evening Master Hobbit," Bofur took a seat beside Bilbo, causing him to start.

"And to you Master Dwarf," he replied with a smile. He remembered the toy maker being the first to befriend him, and wondered if it would again be so.

"Please, call me Bofur. If you call all of us 'Master Dwarf' we will never know who it is your talking to!"

Bilbo laughed, "I suppose your right. Very well Bofur."

"Then you must call me Bombur as well," the brother called from across the fire.

"Indeed, Bombur it is then." Rubbing the hair on his toes, he looked to Bofur," Are you both from the Lonely Mountain as well? Your accents are different than some of the others."

" Oh no, we are from the Blue Mountains to the west. Dori, Nori, and Ori are also of the Blue Mountains, though they are Durin folk by blood." The dwarf continued to explain the lineage of each member of the company through dinner, with Bilbo interjecting a question every so often. While he already knew the information, the conversation was still enjoyable. Pretty soon, dinner was over and Kili and Balin had joined in sharing various Dwarven legends. Ori was off to the side writing in his book, while everyone else had found seats and were smokeing their pipes.

As the first day of their journey ended, Bilbo closed his eyes with a smile on his face.

The woods around them were cool and misty with the sky having just finished pouring rain down atop their heads. The smell was heavenly, both clean and musty at the same time. Small birds flitted about from tree to tree, and the company was in much better spirits now that the rain had eased. The first week came and went, and now Bilbo finally remembered a question he needed to ask.

"Gandalf, are there other Wizards?"

"Why yes, there are five of us including myself. Saruman the White is the head of our order, then there is Radagast the Brown. Finally there are the two Blues… though I've quite forgotten their names…" Gandalf puffed on his pipe in contemplation.

"And what are these other wizards like?"

"Well Saruman is very proud and logical I suppose, while Radagast is the kindest of us. He prefers to live with his animals rather than in the company of people. The Two Blues were quite fun when I knew them, however they traveled to the east long ago so I know not if they've changed." Bilbo supposed fun was a better description than if Gandalf had said evil tricksters. He hadn't worried about who he was dealing with when he had agreed to come back, but after thinking about it for a week he supposed it was a good idea to try and find out a little more about these being he had trusted his life to.

However, Gandlef was of little help in this matter having almost forgotten about the two completely; and Bilbo soon left his company to ride alongside Ori who was again writing in his book now that the rain had ceased. The smaller dwarf didn't seem to notice him, but was instead drawing a leave he held pinched in his left hand. There was ink on his face and in one of his braids, and Bilbo had to wonder at how he was able to stay atop his pony.

After a minute or so of watching, he reached into one of the pockets on his new vest pulling out a bag of dried fruit.

"Would you like some?" he offered, pulling a piece out for himself.

"Yes Please!" The young dwarfs eyes sparked with excitement over the sweet treat, reaching into the bag with an ink stained hand. "You'd better be careful, if Nori finds out you have these you won't have them for long."

Bilbo shrugged, "That's fine, I'm more than happy to share."

"Is that why you brought them?"

"Not necessarily. While I don't mind sharing, I mostly brought them to make of for my metabolism. Hobbits need to eat a lot, and it would be unfair of me to take more than my share during meals. So I brought this bag of fruit and another of nuts. Oh and I've also been picking berries on the road side when I get a chance."

"Oh… But then won't you go hungry sharing with me!" Ori reached as if to put his half eaten peach slice back in the bag.

"Don't worry, I'm used to it." He assured him, which was very true at this point. It was a small sacrifice in exchange for this second chance, and he found he wasn't nearly as uncomfortable with the feeling of hunger as he had been the first time around.

Ori turned back to his drawing with a small frown on his face. Around them the trees were getting thicker and larger, and they had to pay a bit more attention to their surroundings. Bilbo couldn't help but notice how beautiful the sunlight was coming through the canopy above. Pillars of light reached the floor of the forest, leaving patches of grass scattered along the road.

"Master Baggins, why are you helping us?" Ori asked, pulling Bilbo from his thoughts.

"Ummm, well I suppose…" Bilbo paused, contemplating a truthful answer that wouldn't get to deep." I suppose it's because you lot have a more serious case of Sackville- Baggins infestation. You know I had one once, it's a dreadful business."

"Oh? And what did you do about it?" The young dwarf asked, clueless as to what fierce creature a 'Sackville-Baggins' could be.

"I had to force them out by sword point!" He smiled at the memory of Lobelia's face. "I'm afraid they did get away with many of my belonging though. It would have been easier if I had had help removing the wretches though."

"Indeed? You must be a mighty warrior to have been able to face them by yourself though!" There was a shine to Ori's eyes now, like when small children hear of the stories of ancient heroes. He had closed is book, giving Bilbo his full attention.

"Well I'm afraid that's not the case, I am but a simple hobbit and there are many greater than I…" Bilbo waved his hand in the air, dismissing the idea. He would never compare himself to a true warrior, beings like Thorin and Dwalin and the like. The stories of ancient heroes were written about people like them, not simple hobbits. "But like I said, it would have been easier to remove the pests with greater numbers, and given we're now dealing with a dragon, I wanted to help in any why I can."

Ori nodded in understanding, "I wanted to help as well; my brothers however are a little over bearing and don't think I'll be of much help. They mean well, but there isn't much use for a scholar in battle." He tugged on one of his ink stained braids.

" I don't think that's true; a pen is just as important as a sword."

"Do you really think so?"

"I do, and besides, who but you will write our story when we reclaim the lonely mountain?" Bilbo smiled knowingly.

It didn't take long before they had settled down for the night. They had nestled themselves high up against a rock outcropping, with a beautiful view of the forest below. Stars lit up the night sky in a dazzling display, while the heat of the fire carried red embers high above them to burn out into the blackness. The air was a little chilly, being high up and from the rains residual wetness. Everyone gathered around the fire except Thorin, who stood looking out over the edge.

Bilbo didn't like what he knew had to come next, but he played his part. The wargs cried eerily out into the night, the princes tried their best to scare him, and Balin began his tale of the great house of Durin. This was in fact one of his favorite stories, and he had often told it to Frodo when the lad was a youngster. However, he didn't care for the rigid stance of the dwarven king who was able to hear the tale from the edge of the clearing where he stood. Everyone looked at him in awe as the story concluded, while Bilbo stared into the flames watching battles that had long since passed dance in the light.

As the fire dwindled down, and everyone began to snore, Bilbo returned his gaze to Thorin. He kept watch for the next few hours with the dwarf until Dwalin awoke to relieve him.

"Have you not gone to sleep yet Master Burgler?" Thorin approached him.

"I'm afraid I have too much on my mind to rest yet."

"Oh? Are there many worries for a Hobbit to concern himself with?" His voice leaked just the barest hint of contempt.

Bilbo looked at him from the side," Not nearly as many as there are for an arrogant king."

"You think me arrogant?" His bushy brows rose up in mock surprise.

"Sometimes, but not wholly I'm afraid. You aren't nearly that superficial."

"And you believe you know something of my character?"

Bilbo didn't respond, but instead reached into one of his pockets to pull out a bag of pipeweed. He remained silent as he offered the bag to Thorin, who pulled out his pipe in response. And still he remained silent as they lit their pipes in the dimness. The sparking light of the small flame held up to his face showed that Thorin was staring at him, still waiting on a reply. Bilbo sighed.

"Not nearly enough," He finally admitted, taking a deep drag from his pipe. It was the truth, because while he had known quite a bit about Thorin's character the first time around, it was unfair of him to judge this Thorin by those memories.

Bilbo spent the following week avoiding Thorin as best he could. While he already knew that his shouldn't let his feelings get away with him, that he had a mission to see to, his heart at hurt terribly after spending the twilight hours smoking in silence next to him. Instead he had spent his time trying to devise a plan against the coming task. He couldn't remember the exact date at which they had found themselves under the shadow of a burned down farm house, but he knew it was fast approaching and he still had no idea how to keep his friends from ending up in sacks as he bluffed is way to victory. He didn't want to take such a chance this time around, and while he didn't want to change too much of the timeline their safety came first

He was indeed correct in his timing, as they came up to the building after a couple of hours.

"We'll camp here for the night. Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them," Thorin ordered as he dismounted his pony. "Oin, Gloin, get the fire going."

Gandalf eyed the building warily, "A farmer and his family used to live here."

Gandalf soon began arguing with Thorin about moving on. Bilbo wanted to intercede but remained where he was, knowing it would be unwise not to let the wizard storm off. He didn't want to change to many variables. Soon Thorin was left standing by himself, and Bilbo cautiously approached him.

"Pardon me for asking, but would it be okay if I watched the ponies in Fili and Kilis' stead?"

"Why would you wish this Master Baggins?"

"Well I'm not much help setting up camp, and you could probably use Fili and Kili better than me." Bilbo lied through his teeth; everyone knew Fili and Kili only caused a mess when it came to setting up everything and preparing dinner. More often than not they were sent off on some task or another away from the more important matters.

"Hmmm," Thorin tugged his braid in thought. "If that is what you wish, you may join them."

Bilbo scurried away before giving into an irritated huff. It wouldn't do arguing about how he needed to watch them by himself. Not only would that seem suspicious, but the king might change his mind in response. He would just have to figure out a way to convince the boy's go off on a different task. He had no wish to risk their safety in this his way up the hill he found the brothers wrestling in the dirt. His approach went unacknowledged as they each grappled for the upper hand.

"Oi!" Bilbo gave a shout as the mass of flailing arms and legs made its way his direction. They jumped in fright, untangling themselves to stand before him. It amazed him that they were so unaware of their surroundings, until he remembered that they had completely missed a troll stealing two horses the first time around. In fact, that troll had even uprooted a tree if he was remembering correctly.

"Master Burglar! What a nice surprise." Kili laughed.

"Aye, a nice surprise indeed."

"Thorin sent me to help you look after the ponies."

"Did he then? Well that's perfect, would you mind watching them for us for a minute?" Fili elbowed his brother. Bilbo gave them a skeptical look before nodding.

"On one condition, I need a weapon."

They exchanged a look before they both burst into laughter.

"You?! A weapon?! You'll just hurt yourself"

"Can you even pick one up?"

The jokes continued for a full minute before Bilbo grabbed Fili by his beard braids and Kili by his hair, pulling them down to his height. He gave them a cool stare before speaking in a slow calm voice.

"I don't need much; a simple dagger will do the trick. And I know you both have multiple from the arsenal you both unloaded on my mother's side table in Bag End." They both looked at each other again, looking as if they were communicating telepathically, before Fili gave a nod. He then pulled out a crescent shaped dagger from his waist band as Bilbo released them both.

" Don't poke your eye out with it." Kili chuckled, all the while looking slightly spooked. "Has anyone ever told you that you can be scary?"

"Yes, my nephew used to tell me that on occasion."