Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot of this story.

Chapter 3

A/N This chapter starts off in Thorin's POV, just in case anyone's confused.

Ok, I wrote some of this ages go so it's not the best in the world but I felt the need to update. Short chapter. I tried to replicate my writing style from about a year ago.

I watch in contentment as the morning sun glows high above the green hills. The golden beams shine brightly against the rich blue of the sky and the rolling hills. Being a ghost, the sun doesn't cause my eyes to flinch, but I still feel the urge to blink as I stare up at it through the round window of Bag End.

Last night, while Bilbo slept and my nephews disturbed the neighbouring hobbits, I had taken it upon myself to find my way around his homely home. I noticed first that the largest and most spacious of rooms were located closest to the front door, evidently the result of only front rooms having the privilege of windows.

The second thing I had noticed was that the Halfling had a deprivation of food in his pantry. While Bilbo had slept I had gathered supplies from around Hobbiton. No one would notice.

I look back to the radiant sun ever rising, Bilbo will be waking soon.

"The sun rises beautifully here," I hear my eldest nephew say quietly.

My eyes scan the landscape, taking in its every detail with a sense of calmness that could not be achieved on the road when one was always on their guard; the only thing I could focus on was to cover as much ground as possible. "That it is," I reply earnestly, turning to face Fili.

Fili smiles before looking to the ground. I frown slightly as I read his posture. He is slouched in the spine, his hands folded awkwardly in front of him as he refuses to make eye contact. "Is something troubling you, Fili?" I ask calmly, stepping towards my nephew.

He straitens himself slightly before looking me in the eye. They are full of forlornness "It's nothing," He replies humbly.

That's exactly what Kili said, I think to myself. "Come, follow me."

I wait for him to follow before guiding him to the kitchen. I nod towards the table. "Sit."

Fili sits, his hands folded on the table in front of him. I take a seat in front of him and do the same. He fiddles nervously with his thumbs as he waits.

"Fili I want you to know that I'm sorry for the way I treated you at Erebor,' I say seriously.

Fili's fidgeting comes to a halt. Slowly, his eye's comes to meet mine. "You weren't thinking clearly, uncle."

"No, I wasn't but that does not excuse me. I forced you into situations you did not need to face." I pause so I can meet his eye more seriously. "I told you before Fili, I'm proud of you. You were brave and wise while I was not. If it weren't for you, I may have killed Bilbo..." I trail off.

Fili sits quietly for a moment before breaking the silence. "I let us die," he says earnestly, his bottom lip quivering ever so slightly.

I lean forwards so I can place a hand on his shoulder. "Fili, it is not your fault that we died. I sent you into a trap and you sacrificed yourself in an attempt to save us. You were very brave and I am proud of you," I say, softening my features.

My hand leaves his shoulder as another soul passes through the kitchen wall, knocking several maps of their hooks as he does so. I nod my head in acknowledgement as my rambunctious nephew makes his way over to his brother.

"It's not your fault were like this Fili," Kili says, taking a seat next to his brother. "You couldn't have done anything to prevent me running off."

Fili chuckles, "well obviously brother, I was dead."

"So, will you stop blaming yourself?" I ask hopefully.

Fili nods.

"Can you two ever forgive me for what I've done?" I ask sadly.

"We already have," They say together with smiles.

I nod my head slowly in thanks. "Kili...I want you to know that I'm not bothered by you courting an Elf, in fact I'm happy for you," I say which a smile.

Kili frowns in confusion. "Uncle, what possesses you so, I thought you would be...angry. Mahal, I thought you would walk off and brood for three days straight."

"So did I, but now I see differently," I say fondly.

Kili nods.

We sit quietly for a moment, Kili setting himself to reattaching the maps to the walls.

Silently, I make my way into the pantry. It is newly stocked with anything I could get my hands on. I think carefully about what to choose. Bilbo had told me that Hobbits enjoy seven meals a day once and that he particularly enjoyed second breakfast; the problem was I couldn't seem to remember what each meal consisted off.

By the looks of it, it was well past first breakfast. What do Hobbits eat for second breakfast? Meat? Eggs? Seedcakes? Parsley?! I think to myself as I scan the shelves. I settle for eggs and bacon with some seedcake.

Carefully, I grab several seed cakes, eggs and cut some slices of bacon to cook. Instantly they turn ghostly in appearance. I groan in annoyance and place them back. They turn solid again. I still have to perfect the skill of being able to keep things solid. Concentrating, I levitate the desired food items and guide them towards the kitchen. I swear under my breath when an egg crashes to the ground, leaving a gooey mess on the ground.

"Need any help there, uncle?" Fili asks in amusement.

"Yea looks like you're having an eggcellent time," Kili adds.

I roll my eyes, "No."

I stretch my arms in content, enjoying the feeling of waking up in my own home once again. I know I've overslept, but I think I can let it pass just this once. Still half asleep, I climb out of bed and reach for my very much missed dressing gown, not bothering to change out of my sleeping clothes. Yawning, I stagger towards the door.

I stretch my arms in content, enjoying the feeling of waking up in my own home once again. I know I've overslept, but I think I can let it pass just this once. Still half asleep, I climb out of bed and reach for my very much missed dressing gown, not bothering to change out of my sleeping clothes. Yawning, I stagger towards the door.

Crash!

My ears twitch to the sound of muffled voice.

"Uncle, that's two things already!"

"I know...what...no...I don't know what that is."

"Kili...crack the egg over the plate...slowly...NO!"

"Sorry."

"Do you think maybe...we should...wake him up?"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

My nose twitches in confusion. Quietly, I leave the room and head towards the voices. One day back and the three are already causing trouble. The corner of my lips twitches upwards as I take note of the crooked maps lining the walls and the newly stocked pantry.

"Just let it cook for a bit," Says a deep voice. Thorin I decide.

I jump in surprise as I feel something gooey and wet under my feet, it's cold and unpleasant. The past two years I had grown used to stepping in unpleasant things but this was my house and I was not prepared for it. Fortunately, it's an egg...or what's left of one.

Shaking the egg yolk of my foot, I take a step forward and instantly regret it. I seem to pass through something chilling that makes my insides cold, like fog on a winter's day. In my shock, I lose my balance and fall forward, strong hands steady me.

"Sorry...," Thorin's voice says, sounding slightly nervous.

"Thorin...what's going on?" I ask curiously.

He looks panicked as he tries his best to block my view of the next room. Flour and egg litter his hair and tangled braids. "...Bilbo...how do you fair this morning? Sleep well?"

My eyebrow rises. "I'm fine, best sleep I've had in months actually," I answer, attempting to look over his shoulder.

"Thorin."

"Bilbo?"

"There's a fire in my kitchen and your nephews are staring at it," I say calmly. I'm concerned...but...I can't help but feel slightly amused as Thorin bolts into the next room, swearing loudly in Khuzdul.

Chuckling, I take a seat at my dining table. This should be interesting, I think to myself as I listen to the mild commotion going on in the next room.

The wait takes a few minutes, never once to I hear a plate clink against a fork or a fire go out, but the smell disappears. Dwarves may have the worst table manners imaginable but they were...usury...careful with the plates.

I smile as Thorin enters the room, a food tray in hand. He places it down in front of me with a nervous glance before he backs off to stand next to my chair.

The plate in front of me consists of bacon, some strange looking eggs and some seedcakes. I chuckle.

"What is it, what did I do wrong?" Thorin asks, sounding disappointed.

"Nothing, just got our meals a bit confused is all," I answer calmly. In the corner of my eye, I catch Thorin smacking his hand into his face.

I have never been so grateful to see cutlery in my , I place a bit of egg in my mouth and chew. It's slightly over-cooked and I swear there is still egg shell in it, but I eat it none the less. It has been so long since I last had an egg.

Thorin takes a seat next to me, he looks at me curiously. "How is it?"

I swallow and place my folk down. "The best thing I've ever tasted," I lie.

The smile that spreads across Thorin's face makes the lie all the worth.

Once the dishes had been cleared, carefully I might add. I had set myself to moving my things from the front door to the hallway so I could sort through them.

I roll the chess piece between my fingers as I think about the memories it holds. While the company had resided in Beorn's company for a short while I had challenged the skin-changer to a game of chess. I lost, obviously. When my companions and I had passed through Beorn's house on the way back to the shire, Beorn had given me a knight chess piece as a sign of friendship.

"What are you up to?" Thorin kneels beside me and scans over the items before me.

I smile before placing the chess piece in the chest that I had decided would hold memories of my journey. "Just unpacking," I say. I look into Thorin's eyes. "I feel a bit sad actually, unpacking and putting away my journey's things...it's well... I feel like I'm trying to go back to the way things were when I know I cannot." I lower my head and stare at my hands.

A gentle hand turns my chin towards deep blue eyes. "Do you want things to go back to the way they once were?" Thorin looks genuinely concerned.

"How could I ever go back to being the same? I've changed, Thorin. I'm still the same Hobbit that wanted nothing to do with anything unexpected. I've just gained a sense of adventure...courage...fear...loyalty and most of all love." I pause to slowly to move his hand away from my chin. "I could never wish those things away." I say slowly.

Thorin's lips curl slightly as his usually serious eyes soften. "Again you surprise me, Bilbo Baggins. Why I doubted you, I will never quite understand. "

"I will never understand either, a number of times I have saved you and our friend's lives," I say teasingly.

Fili and Kili snicker from the next room.

Thorin smiles fondly at me. "Come then, I'll help you unpack. "

We set ourselves with crossed legs in front of my large pile of things: small weapons, books, random bits and pieces, a decent amount of gold, a rather special acorn and a ring. I try not to pay too much attention to how Thorin's hands brush over mine a little too regularly to be considered accidental.

I return Fili's knife to him as soon as I locate it in the jumble of mess. I must have picked it up somewhere and forgotten to return it...some part of me fears that if I had returned it...he would not be dead.

"Thank you, I was looking for that," Fili says, running his fingers along the blade.

I nod slightly, trying to conceal my guilt. "I'm sorry that I didn't return it sooner, I forgot I had it...I hope it didn't...I hope you weren't in need of it when you..." I trail off, turning my head away so he can't see the tears prickling in my eyes.

Fili shakes his head sadly. "Bilbo...it wouldn't have mattered. I was trapped, the completely surrounded me and stripped me of my all my weapons, Fili says reassuringly. "Even if I had a knife on me I would never have been able to reach it...and even if I did there would be little I could do with it. There were too many of them...I had to keep my family safe..." Fili stops and lowers his head, his own ghostly tears forming.

"You did, Fili," I say softly, trying to meet his averted gaze. I knew Fili was blaming himself, I could see it weighing down on him every day. He was too selfless for his own good, only focusing on the happiness of those around him. He was always making sure Kili was both physically and mentally happy, safe and healthy. Now he would not forgive himself for what had happened and was constantly blaming himself for what had happened. I can't help but wonder if there is more to it than that...

Fili nods before turning and disappearing into a wall.

Sighing sadly, I return back to where Thorin was. He was sitting cross-legged in front of an open chest, one hand raised while he examined the small acorn it held. I smile and approach him. I had picked it up for the very reason I had told him, to remind me of everything, the good, the bad, those that survived...and those that did not... But the fact that it was an acorn just made it all the more special.

"You should plant this, you know," Thorin says calmly, turning his head to face mine.

My nose twitches and I sit beside him. "Yes, I suppose we should."

Thorin lifts my hand, placing the acorn in it before gently closing my fingers over it. "If you plant it by the side of your house you will have your own Oakenshield."

I smile calmly. "I already have one."

Thorin's lips curl upwards. He turns his attention to the remaining items, deliberately averting his gaze from the gold. It's sad almost, he looked almost fearful of being in its presence for too long, not that I blamed him. I assume Thorin had lived his whole life in fear of gold sickness, so succumbing to it must still haunt him, let alone fighting off the demons that lived within his mind.

Carefully, to Thorin's request, I move the map the drawing room to be framed later.

"Bilbo, what is this?" Thorin asks uncertainly. He holds up the one item I feared he would find. My magic gold ring. He holds it with the tips of his fingers, almost caressing the gold surface.

I felt something...the same thing I had felt in Mirkwood when I had almost lost it to a spider. It is a horrid possessiveness, a protectiveness that makes me want to keep it away from all others. "Thorin. Give that to me now," I hiss.

Thorin looks puzzled for a second. He frowns and pulls the ring close to himself. "Bilbo...what's wrong."

Anger fills me. How dare he keep it from me? "That ring, is mine. You have no right to hold that, it came to me," I sneer.

Thorin shakes his head. "Bilbo, I don't think you should be around this ring anymore," He says, his voice sounding concerned, fearful even.

Thorin, you're not thinking straight. This gold...the Arkenstone, it's blinding you from reason, is it really worth the life of you friends? Your Nephews? Me? The words flicker inside my head.

I nod, turning my gaze away from the ring. "Your right, there is something off about it..." I say. In the back of mind a voice, a cold evil voice tells me to take it from Thorin, to kill him if necessary. My fingers tighten around the acorn in my palm.

Thorin nods and places the ring in the chest, closing the lid on it and the other treasures within.