A Flicker of Light

Summary: (Sequel to A Shot in the Dark) She had asked him to make her son into a king worthy of legend. Bilbo is still not sure how that even works.

Author's Notes: This story takes place in the A Shot in the Dark universe. I suggest reading that first or you'll be confused here.

Pairings: Bilbo/Thorin, Glóin/Canonical Wife, Bard of Laketown/Canonical Wife, Dís/Canonical Husband.

Disclaimer: I do not own any familiar characters/settings/plot featured in this story. They all belong to (most likely rolling in his grave) J.R.R. Tolkien.

Part One

Bilbo goes to Bard for some advice on parenting. He quickly realizes why this is always a bad idea.

"Estel hates me," Bilbo confessed to Bard halfway through their lunch of cold sandwiches.

Bard nodded, looking unsurprised. "Of course he does. You're the awful villain that tore him away from his Elven Lord of a daddy and beautiful home to force him to live in a mountain of ruins. I would hate you too."

"But it was his mother's choice!" he defended childishly, trying not to pout. "I didn't make them come here! Lady Gilraen decided that all on her own!"

"So? You still accepted," Bard reminded cruelly because he was the worst Best Friend in all the Ages. "Plus, that's his mommy. He's never going to hate his mommy. But you and the King of Furrowed Eyebrows are fair game."

"You give horrible advice," retorted Bilbo, scowling at the Man across from him. "Why did I ever decide to ask you for help? I should have known you would give bad advice. I should have gone to Dís."

"Yes, please, go to the Lady 'I Can Have You Killed With A Snap Of My Fingers' for advice on your ward," agreed the Man as he snatched one of Bilbo's sandwiches; cementing his title as Worst Best Friend Ever. "I'm sure she'd be happy to help. What was her latest kill count by the way? 936? That is, not counting the bodies they never found."

"Dís wouldn't hurt Estel. He's family and that's her weak spot," he argued though he didn't deny the murdering aspect. Dís was not a morally upstanding citizen and didn't bother to hide it now that she had real power to back her up again. Sometimes Bilbo wondered what would have happened if Dís had been born a male, but that was a thought too scary even for him to visualize so he didn't think on it very hard.

Bard shrugged and pushed back some of hair behind his remaining ear. "I would be more afraid of her taking him under her wing and teaching him all her tricks."

Bilbo felt the blood drain from his face. "Oh please, Bard, never utter such a horrible idea to me ever again. The complete carnage that would result in Estel growing up to be like Dís..."

"It'd make him taking on Sauron a lot easier," the Man replied cheerfully.

"Do you listen to yourself when you talk?" the Hobbit wondered, staring.

Bard simply smiled. "What does your furry king think of all of this?"

"He says it's normal," Bilbo admitted, peeling at a loose end of crust on his sandwich. "That Estel is suffering a huge sense of loss as his entire world has been changed. He says to give Estel time and not to put any pressure on him to accept us."

"Wow. Thorin sounds like he actually knows what he's doing here." Bard looked suitably impressed and then suspicious as he leaned out of their ruined hovel in Dale to peer up at the overcast sky. "Nope. No pigs flying or a great tear in the sky announcing our deaths. I guess Thorin being good with children just isn't big enough for the Valar. Shame. I would have liked to seen the pigs."

"When it starts raining, I'm leaving you here so your foot rusts," Bilbo declared.

"But he's right you know," added the Man as he nudged one of Bilbo's feet with his said prosthetic piece that the greatest smiths in Erebor had put together for him. Bilbo was half-convinced it was made of mithril.

"Estel needs time and space to get used to all of you. It is a big change that he's been forced to deal with."

"I've been trying to give him time and space but nothing seems to please him," the Hobbit admitted, biting his lower lip. "He's so moody and distant with me. He never smiles and barely even speaks. I don't know how to deal with such a child. Frodo was never like that growing up. I'm not used to this."

Bard looked sympathetic. "Frodo was a different sort from Estel. Of course this experience is going to be different. All you can do for now is try your best to make the boy comfortable. Maybe have him help on one of the reconstruction jobs in the mountain? It might help him feel more comfortable with Dwarves and maybe even forge a connection to Erebor."

Bilbo thought over the suggestion and realized the Man was right. There were enough tasks going on in Erebor to keep Estel occupied for years to come. Perhaps by building the kingdom up, he would grow attached to the Erebor he was helping create.

"It's worth a shot," he agreed with a smile. "Thank you, Bard. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you around."

"Fail at raising your children and die doing something dumb and needlessly heroic obviously," the Worst Best Friend of All Ages replied with a roll of his eyes.

Bilbo mentally decided it was time to get new friends.