Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters get in. Thanks for reading, I hope you've enjoyed the fanfic, and thanks for letting me know what you thought of it.

Epilogue

Ten Years Later

After a long and trying day at work, Thorin couldn't wait to get home and spend the night doing absolutely nothing. Well, mostly nothing, since he had had to bring some paperwork home with him as per usual, and then there were always the unexpected things that cropped up on any given day that needed Thorin's immediate attention or calamity would ensue. Or dealing with calamity that had occurred during the day that he was now expected to deal with because in Bilbo's mind the situation was all his fault somehow. So really, his evenings could often be as stressful and trying as being at work, but he wouldn't change a thing in the long run.

Parking his car in its usual spot, Thorin grabbed his suitcase and laptop bag and then headed inside the house with both resting over one shoulder, calling out to the other occupants of the domicile to alert them to the fact that he'd finally arrived, being just a little late due to a meeting that had dragged on and on until stabbing himself in the ear with his own pen had sounded like a good idea.

It was Frodo's voice that answered back to him, Thorin breaking out in a smile when he met up with his oldest in the main hallway. The teenager had really shot up recently, and Frodo was having a hard time dealing with the joys of growing pains, voices changes, and his sudden clumsiness when he'd always been relatively quick and graceful on his feet. That Frodo had also almost doubled his food intake wasn't a problem though, given how full Bilbo liked their fridge and freezer to be.

"Hey." Frodo beamed a smile of welcome in Thorin's direction. "I was heading upstairs to get her Highness for dinner. We're eating outside since the weather's good. Would you like me to drop your stuff off in your study since I'm going up there anyway?"

"I'll do that and get her while I'm up there. Save you from her legendary wiles."

Laughing, and looking so much like Bilbo despite his coloring, Frodo gravely thanked his father for sparing him the arduous task. It was a sacrifice that would never be forgotten in the history of their family.

And then Frodo cocked his head thoughtfully and stated that he was scratching that since this just meant that he had to go outside and deal with the terrors that were currently roaming their lands. That was worse.

Reaching over Thorin gave his son's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Be brave."

"You too."

Sharing a knowing smile the two parted ways, Thorin heading upstairs and down the familiar hallway to his study, stowing away his work before heading back down towards the room that had once been Frodo's, but was now home to the ruler of the house. She had mercilessly enslaved the other occupants of the house over the past four and a half years and knew it.

Opening the door Thorin stepped into the room, smiling automatically at the sight that greeted him.

"PAPA!"

Looking away from the mirror she'd been studying intently the youngest Durin beamed at her papa as she came running towards him in her ruffled princess dress, slightly weighed down by the countless necklaces, bracelets, rings, and clip on earrings she was currently wearing.

Picking her up Thorin whirled her around before settling her on his hip as he asked his baby girl how her day had gone, Silica immediately launching into a retelling of every minute of her day, including the fact that she'd watched 'Frozen' twice and had had three tea parties with Daddy.

And as she launched into a blow by blow retelling of what her stuffed animals had been up to recently behind her back Thorin found his gaze straying, as it sometimes did, to one of the three windows in his baby's room, the trim currently pink, as were the curtains that hung over the window panes.

In his mind though Thorin could see the formerly brown trim, the simple blue curtains, and a nearly completed circle cut out of the long ago replaced glass.

He could remember, in blood chilling detail, running into this room with his heart in his throat and terror unlike any he'd ever known ricocheting around inside of him since the moment he'd heard the sound of a gun going off. Knowing that the sound had come from his son's room. The room where Frodo and Bilbo were.

But Bilbo had been standing by the bed when he'd come bursting in, his love's empty hands reaching down to pick up Frodo, who was only half awake and appeared to have just been woken up by the loud, unfamiliar sound. Bilbo had turned to him with their boy in his arms and had jerked his chin in the direction of the window, and assuming Gollum could still be a threat Thorin had hurried over, his military trained mind taking in the cut in Frodo's window, as well as the broken pane above it.

He hadn't been able to see anything in the darkness, but Bilbo's quiet words, in French, informed him that Gollum should be directly below the window, the other man's tone making it clear that there was no question that the would be attacker would be there.

Informing security as to where they should be able to find their man, Thorin had left them to it and had walked over to gather his lover and their son into his arms, hugging them tight while Frodo continued to ask what was going on and how come his papa had a gun in his hand. Bilbo had stuffed his in his pocket and Frodo hadn't caught sight of it, thankfully.

Minutes later his men had reported back the news that they'd found the man's body exactly where Bilbo had said it would be and the fall hadn't killed him. A bullet to the head at nearly pointblank range had.

After Frodo everyone on the estate that night would have voted Bilbo the least likely to deliberately kill another human being, but as the man in question had stated, in a very matter of fact tone of voice no less, that one did NOT threaten his baby. It was as simple as that.

Afterwards they'd considered moving to a new house, building their own even, but in the end they'd decided to stay where they were, with Bilbo buying the thorniest climbing roses he could find to plant under the bedroom windows to insure that no one ever got in that way again.

And that their more mischievous children knew better than to try and climb down that way as they got older, which was entirely possible, unfortunately.

The sound of his daughter snickering in his arms bringing Thorin's attention back to her, Thorin deliberately made his voice growly the way she loved as he asked her what was so funny.

"You." She informed him slyly.

"Me, is it? And why is that, exactly?"

"Cause."

"Cause why?"

Silica just shrugged her shoulders, giving him her most innocent of looks. Which he wasn't buying for a minute, knowing her mischievous nature well by now.

"Well supper is ready, apparently. Maybe some food will jog your memory, hmmm?"

With a happy screech that grated the ears but still made Thorin smile because of her enthusiasm at the idea of food, Thorin informed her that when it came to her food she really was her daddy's daughter.

In most ways his baby girl was a Durin to her little bones, her obsession with jewelry already out in full force as Silica didn't consider herself dressed for the morning without at least five pieces of her costume jewelry on her person, not to mention her tiara and the Durin stubborn, 'my way or the highway' attitude that warned of dire consequences if she wasn't obeyed.

Thankfully today she was hungry enough not to insist that her papa let her dress him up for dinner, Thorin grateful for that since Bilbo was pretty much the only member of the household who didn't give in eventually, his husband somehow managing to always stick to his guns where their youngest was concerned. And thank heavens for that, since everyone of their acquaintance shuddered to think of how spoiled she'd be if the other males in her family were put in charge of disciplining her without Bilbo around to keep them all in line.

Setting his princess on her feet as soon as they were outside Thorin watched her run across the grass towards the picnic table Bilbo was standing by with Frodo, his husband of near a decade looking over in his direction as soon as he sensed him. But no smile for him, Thorin noted, the reason why being very apparent when the love of his life pointed his finger in the direction of the two children currently sitting nearby on the grass, backs to each other and…fuck, what had the done to themselves now?

Looking up towards the sky as he prayed for strength, years helping Dis with her boys having only just barely prepared him for the chore that was raising his two middle children, Thorin sighed and then walked over towards Merry and Pippin to find out why the two of them were now sporting very short haircuts and some minor face lacerations.

)

As he explained to his daughter that no, she couldn't have dessert first, Bilbo gave her a carrot slice to nibble on while shooting quick glances in the direction of his husband, who was currently towering over two of their children as the boys explained how they'd decided to try and make a fake volcano like the one Frodo had made for a science project recently. The weekend before had been Bilbo's birthday, with Gandalf getting the bright idea that they should set off fireworks, and their darling boys had helped themselves to a couple when no one was looking. And then the two had decided to put one in their volcano so that theirs would really erupt like something out of a disaster movie. That they'd decided to do their little experiment outside and not in the house was the only thing that had kept Bilbo from grounding them both until they were thirty.

Well that and he wasn't entirely sure that he and Thorin could survive living with the two for that long.

"They're probably telling him that losing most of their hair should be punishment enough." Frodo commented dryly, after taking a large gulp of his lemonade.

As that was one of the multiple excuses the two had offered up since he'd been forced to cut off his babies' beautiful curls, the eight and seven year old twits had set parts of their hair on fire, Bilbo grimly nodded and hoped that one of Thorin's lectures would suffice. Unlike their much idolized older cousins Merry and Pippin could be reined in and made to behave surprisingly well for decent periods of time if properly disciplined, though everyone was in agreement that the two would drive Bilbo and Thorin into earl graves once they hit their teens.

If the world didn't just self-destruct in self-defense first.

Catching sight of his daughter's hand inching towards the plate piled high with Nanaimo bars, Bilbo reached over to give one of her curls a warning tug, not surprised in the least when he was treated to a wide eyed look of confusion in return. His children had innocent looks down to a science.

"Not yet."

And knowing it was only a matter of time before she tried again, plus Thorin had been late getting home to begin with, Bilbo called for them to all come to eat, informing Merry and Pippin that they were not done discussing the volcano yet when they gave him relieved looks. That had their little faces falling a little, though they eagerly got to their feet and ran over to take their seats at the table on either side of Frodo. The two weren't allowed to sit side by side anymore at the table.

On the other side Thorin took his seat so that Silica was between them, insuring that they could cut up her food, reach things for her, and general keep her from starting a food fight with her brothers, since they'd taken such glee in introducing her to the concept recently.

Shaking his head over memories of that fun day, Bilbo couldn't help but smile softly at his boys regardless, loving them with every breath he took.

It was hard to believe that ten years ago it had been just him and Frodo, Thorin visiting as much as he could but not with them as Bilbo had struggled with being a single parent who was still desperately in love with a man he'd thought had never loved him back. Then a serial killer had targeted him, necessitating that he and Frodo come and live with Thorin for a while, and finally he and his love had gotten their heads straight where the other was concerned.

Bilbo knew many people, especially Thorin, wondered if it haunted him, the fact that he'd deliberately and cold bloodedly pointed that gun at Gollum's head and pulled the trigger. It didn't, and in a morbid sort of way Bilbo figured that he owed his happy marriage and children to the now long dead bastard. By threatening to harm those most important to him Bilbo had discovered just how strong he was, and that still gave him courage, as well as an appreciation for life and those he loved most.

Even when they were tempting him to pull every last curl from his head.

Chuckling at the thought Bilbo shook his head, still smiling as he looked over to meet his husband's gaze, Thorin having asked him what was funny.

"Life." Bilbo answered, reaching around their daughter to undo the purple and green bow Silica had no doubt covertly clipped into Thorin's hair when the man wasn't paying enough attention. Always a mistake around their children.

Giving him a grateful, rueful look, Thorin picked up his glass of lemonade and held it up in Bilbo's direction, Bilbo lifting his own glass as his eyes continued to hold Thorin's gaze.

'To you, My Love.' Bilbo silently communicated to his husband.

'To us.' Thorin's return gaze replied. 'Forever and always.'

The End