Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit.

This story goes out to vampygurl402 who asked me to write this and gave me the idea.

He felt fine. He felt like he was okay. It was a lie he told himself. His clothes had grown too big but their bagginess helped him to hide. He passed on breakfast once again and noticed Balin eye him suspiciously. What right did he have to be suspicious? Bilbo had proven himself time and again. He was worthy to be part of the group. He was worthy. Despite their mockery and constant teasing he was worthy. Worthy of friendship. Worthy of love. Worthy to be part of this quest. He knew they meant no harm, they were just teasing. They meant no malice or hurt to fall upon Bilbo but it still cut deep. It was raining yet the skillful dwarves had started a fire. All of Bilbo's clothes stuck to his skin as he dripped water. They clung to his sickly thin frame. Last time he'd eaten was two weeks ago. He'd begun to eat less and less than none at all. After a while all the dwarf eyes had fallen on him. He felt defensive. He had every right to be here. To experience the warmth of the fire. To fight alongside these dwarves. His friends. His family. "What?" Bilbo snapped at them.

"Do you know what anorexia is Bilbo?" Balin asked. Thorin's eyes flicked to the white haired dwarf and Bilbo was thankful that not all eyes were on him but then Thorin turned back. Once again, all eyes on him.

"No." Bilbo answered honestly. He'd never heard the word growing up in the shire.

"It means you're very sick. It's something one may die of." Balin said. Kili and Fili's eyes went wide as they all stared at the hobbit. Thorin's eyes hardened into a glare. Tears welled up in the brother's eyes as they rushed over to Bilbo's side and cried on his shoulders, both sobbing pleas not to die.

"I'm not dying." Bilbo snapped at them before shaking the two off his shoulders.

"Eat." Thorin growled forcing a hunk of bread into Bilbo's hand. It was soggy from the rain. "Eat or we're not going to continue."

"I'm not hungry." Bilbo said glaring at the bread as if it had personally offended him. The crust looked particularly guilty.

"Thorin-" Balin tried to get some sense into the young king.

"Fine then." Thorin snapped at the hobbit. "Starve!" He yelled stomping off into the darkness. Bilbo glared at his retreating form and shoved the whole piece of bread into his mouth and chewed until he could swallow it. After they had broken camp and continued waking the rain had cleared up and they had caught up to Thorin. Bilbo felt nauseous. His legs felt like jelly. He looked at the passing landscape watching it go by slowly. Then slower as he fell to the back of the group. Then stop all together as he felt the hunk of bread come back up. He puked and puked. Most of it was liquid but there were bits of bread in it too. He spit when he was done and wiped his mouth on his make-shift handkerchief. Standing up he noticed the group of dwarves watching him.

"Can we stop for a while?" Bilbo asked wiping his brow with his sleeve. He felt a sudden need for sleep.

"No." Thorin growled before he continued walking. Balin went to him and Bilbo watched their heated conversation from a distance. After a while they returned to the group. "Kili carry Bilbo. Fili carry the supplies." Thorin said before he continued walking.

"Thorin." Balin said again. "He needs help."

"He doesn't want my help." Thorin snapped at him. So that was the problem. Thorin was mad because Bilbo didn't want his help.

"He may not want it but he needs help." Balin urged.

"We'll deal with it when we break for dinner." Thorin growled before stalking off. Kili scooped up Bilbo easily and Fili took his things. All their supplies he'd been carrying. They had weapons; he had the food and such things.

"He's so light." Kili noted sadly as he held Bilbo over his head. "More clothes than hobbit."

"Put me down!" Bilbo squirmed. Kili decided to cradle the hobbit rather than hold his writhing body over his head. He was holding the malnourished hobbit, cradled to his chest like a baby. Bilbo fell asleep after a few minutes, or at least Kili thought he had.

"What's wrong with him Balin?" Kili asked worriedly.

"He's stopped eating, stopped sleeping, and pushed himself harder. Weak, exhausted, overworked, and dangerously underweight." Balin said. "Only he can tell us why he did this to himself."

"You talk about me as if I'm not right here." Bilbo said as his eyes found Kili and then Balin.

"I- ah- I thought you were sleeping." Kili said.

"We're all worried lad." Balin said with a hard look at Bilbo before he went off to walk with Thorin.

"Why'd you do it Bilbo?" Kili asked looking worriedly down at the hobbit in his arms. Fili appeared next to him nodding.

"Which part?" Bilbo asked.

"Sleeping?" Fili said before Kili could say anything.

"Nightmares, snoring, cold, uncomfortable bed." Bilbo said.

"What about now? Can't you sleep now?" Kili asked. "It's warm and comfortable and there's no snoring." He said looking at his brother for support. Fili nodded.

"But not yet because we still have more questions." Fili said. Bilbo allowed a small smile and nodded.

"What about the eating?" Kili asked.

"What about it?" Bilbo returned.

"Why haven't you been?" Fili pressed.

"Reasons." Bilbo said as he huddled into Kili's arms and pretended to sleep. The dwarfs questions held at bay for now did not help Thorin's rage when he saw the scene. Fili looking intently at the little bundle in Kili's arms as Bilbo cuddled against Kili's chest. No. He must not. Too late, his feet were already taking him over.

"Your arms must be tired." Thorin said. It was a very matter of fact tone, no questions, no nonsense. He plucked Bilbo out of Kili's arms and cradled him in his own.

"I wasn't. He weighs nothing." Kili said as Thorin went back to leading the group. Kili was right, Bilbo weighed nothing. All the weight from the bundle in his arms was the clothes. He looked down at Bilbo with an angry look to find Bilbo was glaring up at him. The group walked in silence for the rest of the day without stopping.