At the shriek of fear that echoed through the camp all the Dwarves were on their feet, weapons in hand in the blink of an eye, even Gandalf was on his feet sword and staff in hand, all of their eyes scanning over the camp looking for their Hobbit from whom the shriek could only have come from. They all paused a little confused when their eyes fell on Bilbo standing clutching his hand to his chest and trembling slightly, though it was not a look of fear on his face instead it was slightly stunned rapidly turning into embarrassment. And standing in front of him blinking stunned was Balin his nose dripping blood and looking completely lost.

"What did you do to Bilbo!" Kili scowled jumping between the Hobbit and the Dwarf and glaring at Balin darkly, Fili only steps behind him to also stand in front of Bilbo.

"I just...I...my apologies Bilbo I did not mean to upset you" Balin stammered seemingly coming out of his shock.

"What on earth happened?!" Dori asked confused looking between the two of them, Bilbo still looking shocked and shaken.

"We were talking and I tweaked his ear, I merely meant it as a friendly gesture but I fear that I startled our Bugler and he..." Balin drew off.

"He what?" Dwalin asked a grin starting to form.

"Well he caught me rather by surprise, shrieked and punched me," Balin admitted with a cough.

"Master Baggins it seems you have an impressive punch to be able to hit hard enough to make a Dwarf nose bleed," Dwalin smirked. The rest of them however were looking between Bilbo who was still looking stunned but embarrassment seemed to be taking over more now, and Gandalf who had had to sit down on the floor he was laughing so hard.

"Bilbo...I...you have my apologies I did not mean to offend you " Balin said quickly peering passed the Durin brothers who were still standing in front of Bilbo though their stances were much less protective.

"N...no Balin it is not your fault I fear that this is just a misunderstanding " Bilbo shook his head.

"Sit by the fire while I see what damage you have done to your hand and explain," Thorin ordered but the hand that was pressed to Bilbo's back was gentle.

He sat down by the fire and before he could do anything else Thorin took his hand and started checking for any damage.

"Now what is this misunderstanding about?" Balin asked gently also sitting down himself as he gratefully accepted a rag from Dori to wipe his nose.

"Ah it is more of a cultural misunderstanding I fear. For a Hobbit their ears are very sensitive and well in the Shire touching someone's ears even a brush is seen as a very intimate thing to do it is something only well lovers and partners do " Bilbo coughed as a blush covered his face.

"Bilbo! You have my sincerest apologies I did not mean to offend you so. Doing such in Dwarf culture is merely seen as an act of friendship " Balin explained quickly looking slightly mortified.

"Its ok!" Bilbo shook his head quickly. "I knew you were not doing it intentionally I just...it was more of an instinctive reaction I am sorry for hitting you like that!" Bilbo flustered.

"Have we done anything else to offend you Bilbo?" Thorin suddenly frowned.

"Oh no we Hobbits are friendly creatures, there is little you can do to offend us " Bilbo smiled.

"That is good, if there is something you must tell us straight away " Thorin said sternly before he finished checking over Bilbo's hand and released it gently. 'You're hand is fine,' He added before stomping back over to where he had been sitting watching the company, leaving Bilbo to blink after him.

'Mr Baggins?' Ori's soft voice startled Bilbo out of where he had been sitting watching the fire crackle merrily and enjoying his pipe while in the safety of Beorn's house. Smiling he watched as the young Dwarf sat down next to him, automatically glancing around for Dori, who it appeared was being distracted by Nori on purpose going by the smirk on the middle brother's face.

'Yes Ori?' Bilbo asked warmly.

'Would it be ok if I asked you some things about Hobbits? Your customs and culture?' Ori asked.

'Of course, why don't you ask what you want to know?' Bilbo suggested, settling down to give Ori his full attention. He blinked before chuckling to himself when Kili and Fili dropped down on his other side looking curious.

'Is there anything that I might offend you by asking?' Ori asked pulling out his ever present book and quill eagerly, for once unfazed by the young Princes.

'No not really,' Bilbo said after thinking for a moment.

'So you aren't secretive about anything?' Ori asked, scribbling already.

'I suppose not no, I mean not very many people know about us, but then we don't really like outsiders and don't wander far from our boarders,' Bilbo hummed thoughtfully.

'Hobbits don't often go on adventures?' Kili asked.

'Oh heavens no, well the Took's are much more adventurous, there are normally a couple of lads and lasses that will go adventuring in each generation, but even then its not really very many, the Brandybuck's will occasionally but anyone actually from the Hobbiton never go on adventures. Who knows what they are saying about me there now,' Bilbo chuckled to himself.

'They will not approve?' Thorin frowned, startling Bilbo enough to jump as he sat down.

'Oh! Well no, not really,' Bilbo shrugged. 'I'm probably being called Mad Baggins already, not to mention the manner in which I left. I just hope that the Gamgee's are protecting Bag End those damned Sackville-Baggins!' Bilbo huffed at the thought.

'Sackville-Baggins?' Ori asked curiously, busy scribbling away furiously into his book.

'Ah yes, less than pleasant relatives of mines who have been desperate to get their hands on my home since my parents died,' Bilbo puffed his cheeks out in thought of the two loathsome Hobbits.

'And you think that your home is in danger from them while we're on this quest?' Thorin frowned.

'Well they will no doubt be making their best arguments that it is likely I have died never to be seen again and that they should have a claim on Bag End yes,' Bilbo frowned a little himself, he did not like the thought of their grubby paws going through his things, or worse his mother and father's.

'We shall make sure your home is your own once we are done Master Baggins, have no worry!' Dwalin scowled flexing his giant hands making Bilbo mentally snicker at the thought of Lotho and Lobellia passing out the second they caught sight of Dwalin.

'It will be fine, they have no claim on Bag End,' Bilbo shrugged. He blinked when he realised that their little group had expanded to include Balin, Dwalin, Dori, Bofur and Bifur.

'They don't have a claim?' Thorin asked, curiosity on his face.

'Well yes, they may be related to me, but I also have eleven other first cousins aside from Lotho Sackville-Baggins, I have twenty three...oh wait no its passed July so I will have twenty four second cousins, thirty third cousins. Not mentions Aunts, uncles and such. None of them really get on with Lotho or Lobellia, disagreeable family that they are, no I'm sure that the Thain will ensure that they won't get access for at least a little longe...Are you ok?' Bilbo asked concerned when he caught the looks of complete shock on the Dwarves faces, Kili, Fili and Ori were actually gawping at him, Ori having even stopped scribbling away.

'I...' Thorin coughed looking totally flustered for the first time since Bilbo had met him, it was worrying him a little to see them looking so shocked.

'Have I said something wrong?' He asked worriedly.

'No Laddie, just...you have twelve first cousins?!' Balin managed to reassure him.

'Yes...' Bilbo frowned feeling a little confused now.

'Is that...usual?' Dori asked.

'Well its around average yes, though my great, great, great, great grandfather was one of twenty children!' Bilbo grinned before growing concerned again when Bifur seemed to choke on his own breath.

'T...Twenty! How is that possible?!' Bofur exclaimed.

'Well that is one of the highest birth rates recorded for a family. Most average anywhere from five to ten, my mother was one of seven. The Baggins side of my family do seem to have a little of a lower birth rate in the families, it is highly unusual to be only children as myself, Drogo and Lotho are. Why what is the Dwarven birth rate?' Bilbo asked at the end of his musing, Ori was now scribbling furiously to record all the figures that Bilbo was reeling off.

'My mother and Father were thought of as exceedingly fortunate to have the three of us,' Thorin choked out.

'Two is generally the normal, three is blessed, four is nearly unheard of. Our women struggle through pregnancy and with births,' Balin explained.

'What about your men?' Bilbo frowned looking between them all.

'What about our men?' Dwalin asked confused.

'What are their pregnancy and birthing rates like?' Bilbo asked.

'The men?' Dori asked slowly.

'Yes, do they have the same troubles?' Bilbo thought he would clarify.

'As in the men in getting pregnant? Males?' Bofur coughed.

'Yes!'

'You mean to say that male Hobbits can get...' Thorin started to say but didn't seem to be able to finish.

'Pregnant, yes of course!' Bilbo frowned at them wondering if they were teasing him. That is until a great crash announced Dwalin had apparently just fainted.

'Gandalf!' Bilbo yelled for the wizard from where ever he had gone to in Beorn's home.

'You mean to say its true? Hobbits, male Hobbits can get pregnant?!' Thorin wasn't looking too steady himself as he looked between Bilbo and Gandalf. Oin was hovering over Dwalin who was still unconscious where he had landed.

'Yes they can. They are after all the Children of Yvanna, life and growth are under her protection, it is no shock that her children be blessed with the ability to easily give life. Though this is one of the few secrets of Hobbits that those who know of it guard closely!' Gandalf said with a hint of warning in his voice that all the Dwarves nodded in understanding to.

'Wait! Do you mean to say that Dwarven men cannot have children?!' Bilbo finally asked.

'No Bilbo, like men Dwarven males cannot have children,' Gandalf smiled gently at the Hobbit that was looking faintly horrified.

'Wait, that means that Bilbo...' Kili coughed before to Bilbo's amusement blushed furiously.

'Yes he can,' Gandalf chuckled.

'Though only with my Match,' Bilbo added.

'Match?' Ori frowned, still scribbling away. Bilbo noted that his fingers were completely covered in ink with how fast he was trying to write.

'A Match for a Hobbit is like a Dwarves One, however unlike Dwarves if a Hobbit does not find their match they will not settle into a marriage with another,' Gandalf explained.

'Dwarves marry those that are not their Match?! Or One, whatever you call it?!' Bilbo asked looking so horrified that any defensive remarks that the Dwarves may have made died on their lips.

'Bilbo, Dwarves finding their One's is much less likely, much more rare than Hobbits and their Match. And their bodies are not tied to their One in the same way a Hobbit's Match is. Hobbits are bound body and mind and soul. Dwarves are bound soul and mind, they accept that their One may lie with another before they are found, if they find each other at all. Because Hobbits are bound in body to their Match, they are unable to have children with anyone that is not their Match,' Gandalf explained.

'So similar and yet so different,' Thorin said softly.

'You are children of Aule where Hobbits are the children of Yavanna, is it truly a surprise that you bear many similarities? Dwarves were designed from a mind of stone, of building, of creating, Hobbits were designed from a mind of soil, of growth, of new life. A compliment of differences,' Gandalf hummed.

'How do you find your Match Bilbo? Do you know when you see them? Ori asked eagerly.

'Is it when you hear their voice?' Kili added.

'Or when you first see them?' Fili grinned.

'When you first touch?' Dori smiled softly.

'Do you feel them, in your chest?' Gloin asked, his hand resting over the pocket that held the picture of his wife and son.

'Hang on, hang on!' Bilbo laughed holding up his hands to stem the flow of never ending questions. 'For us we find our Match in a number of ways, we can have known them our whole lives but it is not until they the time is right that they are revealed to us. It can be slowly as well, we sometimes feel them before they are revealed to us, so that we do not lose hope of finding them. Some know that they are matched from childhood, others not until they are well passed their coming of age. How we know it is them can happen in a number of ways, the most common are seeing each other or touching, hearing them sing, dancing together, seeing something that they have grown themselves, all of them are ways of knowing,' Bilbo smiled.

'Do you have a One...sorry a Match Bilbo?' Kili asked before wincing when his Uncle clipped him around the head.

'Its ok. Yes, I have a match, I felt it, six months and seven days ago,' Bilbo smiled softly to himself.

'What did you feel?' Gloin asked leaning forwards slightly.

'My heart,' Bilbo closed his eyes and pressed his hand over his chest. 'Its beat shifted, changed to echo that of my Match. I had...I had been worried that something had happened, I am a late developer of some sign for a Hobbit. And then one night I was at home reading my book, and I felt it,' He opened his eyes and chuckled lowly at the enthralled looks on the Dwarven faces.

'So you have not met them yet?' Fili frowned.

'Likely I have, it just isn't time yet,' Bilbo shrugged.

'We also have the right time for when our One is revealed to us, we will feel a pull towards them, but until it is the right moment they will not be revealed. When we come of age we receive a dream of our One, we do not see them but we get an idea of them, their personality, hear their voice, know their presence. Our first creation after coming of age is that of something for your have no sign of them, besides a knowledge that they are out there, and your dream,' Thorin said quietly, his eyes on where Bilbo's hand was resting. Bilbo imagined waiting all your life for your Match and not even being reassured of the knowledge of their presence. It was bad enough waiting as long as he had, he had been beginning to fear that his Match had passed or that he was one of the very rare Hobbits not to have one.

'Mamma and Pappa knew the minute they touched, though Pappa was flirting with someone else when he bumped into Mamma. She broke his nose,' Kili snickered.

'What is your Father's name?' Bilbo asked suddenly realising he did not know.

'My sister Dis is married to Zili, my brother Frerin has not yet found his One,' Thorin answered.

'The story of how I met my wife is very romantic, it started when I went down to the mines to speak to the fore dwarf to find out how much gold was to be expected in a new tunnel and Mimli there, swinging her axe with such strength!' Gloin said, completely ignoring the others who had heard to story a few hundred times and groaned loudly. He was quite happy to have a new audience who was happy to listen to his story.

Bilbo was still feeling a little lost inside of the Mountain, though Kili had shown him to a set of rooms that opened out onto what seemed to be a Dwarf made garden balcony. The young Dwarf had been quite pleased with Bilbo's reaction to seeing the rooms, he had been in charge of finding rooms for all the company considering Thorin and Fili were both unable to walk around, Fili due to his broken leg, Thorin due to the extent of injuries he had received in the battle.

Gandalf had offered to return Bilbo back home to the Shire a week after the battle as he needed to make his way back that way to deal with some unfinished business, and to go to Ered Luin to send the first of the caravans to Erebor to help start rebuilding. But he had had to thank Gandalf but tell him no. Thorin's request on his sick bed, while they had honestly all been unsure that he would make it through the night, Thorin had held his hand and begged for his forgiveness for the things he had said and done while under the goldsickness, and he had asked Bilbo to stay in Erebor until he was better, until he could right the wrongs he had done. There had been enough of a glint in the Dwarf's eyes to have Bilbo agreeing, completely sure that the stubborn Dwarf would try and follow him as soon as he was able to stand himself if he did not.

And so Gandalf had left after making sure Bilbo was sure of his choice. And Thorin had recovered quickly given how badly injured he had been. Rebuilding had started on Erebor where they could with the Dwarves here, Dain had left some men to help until the caravans from Ered Luin arrived, and the Mountain was alive again with sounds of rough Dwarven voices, hammering, mining, the great forges. And before Bilbo had realised month had passed with him helping where he could trying to stop Thorin from over doing anything and setting his healing back, ensuring that the company were kept well fed while they worked, and stopping Fili and Kili from getting into trouble. And making his little garden a proper garden, cleaning it out and making it ready for spring.

It was one such day that he was making his way back to his rooms after helping in the cleaning of the dining hall with Bombur, Ori, Gloin, Oin, Nori and two dozen of the Iron Hills Dwarves. He was streaked with dust and dirt, his muscles aching with lifting and carrying and scrubbing but feeling quite accomplished and happy with the progress they had made. They had received word that the first caravan was due to arrive in the next couple of weeks and the idea of having more helping hands seemed to have spurred everyone one even more.

Bilbo walked into his rooms, stripping out of his jacket and shirt ready to have a wash as soon as he closed the doors behind himself. Of course the clothes were nowhere near Hobbit style considering those clothes that he had brought with him were truly no longer even as use for rags, but it had not escaped his notice that the clothes provided were of the highest quality, even the clothes he had requested as work clothes!

He was halfway to the water basin when something on his bed caught his attention, and he paused for a second before redirecting himself over to see what it was. It was resting carefully on the beautiful emerald green silk covers, the light shining in from his balcony doors catching off the jewels of the object and making it shine perfectly. When Bilbo reached the side of his bed he gasped in awe as he took in the object properly.

A ruby had been used for the head of the flower, each petal so detailed that Bilbo expected to reach out and feel the silky softness of a flower petal, and even though he knew very little of jewel working he knew there had to be hundreds of hours of work into the dozens of petals alone to give the shape of a camellia flower head. And it was set into what Bilbo could now easily recognise as mithril as the stem and the leaves, this part not having escaped the minute detail that the ruby had received into making it look completely real, even the lines and details on each of the four leaves was painstakingly perfect.

Bilbo became aware of his hands covering his mouth, not wanting to touch the flower so beautiful and perfect as it was, but at the same time he could not stop his fingers from reaching forwards and stroking over the piece. What he was not expecting was the jolt that went through his body, a jolt that he had never felt before and never would again, but knew exactly what it was.

Staring wide eyed at the flower in his hand his mind started whirling over the events of the last few months, and then the last few weeks, his brain pulling all the pieces together and figuring out the puzzle. Sucking in a deep breath he tenderly placed his gift down onto the bed before rushing to scrub himself clean and tug on a clean shirt and jacket, reclaiming his gift before storming back out his room in search of one obstinate, infuriating, stupid Dwarf, whom had been digging furiously through the piles of gold and jewels in the treasure room and worrying them all silly in his refusal to tell them what he was doing.

As he stomped through the halls of the place that had become his home Bilbo's mind flicked back to the conversation that they had had in Beorn's house about Hobbits Matches and Dwarven Ones, and his hand tightened even more protectively around the flower in his hand as he realised that he was holding the token of his Match's first works as an adult, the token he had made after receiving a dream of Bilbo.

'Where is your Uncle!' Bilbo snapped as soon as he saw Kili and Fili, the two blinking before quickly pointing when they saw the expression on his face. Dwalin popped his head out of a nearby tunnel and then stepped fully out when he also caught the expression. 'THORIN!' Bilbo shouted, bringing Bofur, Bifur and Balin from a third tunnel and familiar hurried footfalls from the fourth.

'Bilbo? Is everything ok?' Bilbo would feel guilty at the worried tone that reached him before Thorin even was in sight, but his expression was settled into a glare, one hand on his hip when the King under the Mountain appeared in sight. 'Ah...you have returned to your room earlier than you normally do,' Thorin coughed as his eyes fell on the object in Bilbo's hand.

'I am going to help Bombur cook our meal tonight, so I went back early to get cleaned up,' Bilbo glared darker, Thorin gulping in response. 'You...you...you...'

'I'm sorry?' Thorin offered, his blue eyes scanning Bilbo's face frantically.

'Mahal and Yavanna save me from idiot Dwarves!' Bilbo growled out before gripping Thorin dirty, sweaty shirt and tugging him down into a kiss that curled the hairs on his feet. Both of them ignored the cheering and clapping coming from behind them as Thorin's arms wrapped around his One and held him tightly as he sighed happily and kissed Bilbo with all the emotions that he could manage to express into the kiss.

'Bilbo...' Thorin sighed resting his forehead against Bilbo's, neither of them aware of Balin and Dwalin dragging Fili and Kili away as the others left them to their moment.

'Foolish Dwarf,' Bilbo said affectionately running his free hand through Thorin's beard before tangling with his tied back hair.

'I am...' Thorin could not finish as he watched Bilbo nervously.

'Of course you are my match!' Bilbo shook his head.

'When did you know?' Thorin asked softly, seemingly unable to prevent himself from kissing Bilbo's cheeks tenderly, his fingers stroking over his cheekbones or holding him tightly against his body.

'I hoped and guessed since Mirkwood. I knew for sure when I picked up the flower. I guess we can add something a Hobbits Match has made to something they have grown in discovering your Match now,' Bilbo beamed. 'It is perfect Thorin!'

'You truly like it? I was not skilled at designing things into flowers, it is not...' Thorin blinked when Bilbo's hand covered his mouth.

'It is perfect, it looks so real!'

'I have known since you took my hand in the tent, and I knew that I could not leave you alone, I could not let you down again. My token was lost here when Smaug attacked and I wanted to find it and give it to you before I told you, I wanted to do it properly,' Thorin confessed. Bilbo closed his eyes and breathed in the sweaty, smokey, earthy scent of Thorin as he pressed a gentle kiss to his Match's lips, feeling his heart jump in his chest and then warm in knowing that he had finally had found his Match.

Bilbo smiled as a gentle kiss was placed on the back of his neck while strong arms wound around him and tugged him back into a warm chest. He laughed at the rumble that went through that chest in laughter as Frerin let out a mighty roar and heaved himself to his hands and knees and tried to crawl forwards only to be brought down by Thrain throwing himself onto his back while Bungor, Dwilinor, Garnor, Harnor, Thror, Amelia, Bella, Lillia, Rose, Haylin and Talinor clung on and threw their body weight onto him as well.

'My love, no more children, I do not think that Frerin can take it,' Bilbo laughed rubbing his swollen stomach ruefully as he watched Thror carefully settling his two year old sister Haylin onto Frerin's back.

'One more?' Thorin pouted kissing Bilbo's cheek.

'You said that last time, and the time before that, and the time before that, and the time before that!' Bilbo glared even harder when he just received a cheeky smile from his husband. Huffing he jabbed his elbow into Thorin's stomach, shaking his head at the cheeky grin he received from his husband.

'Don't worry I'll round up Frerin and the little bastards,' Dwalin smirked walking passed Thorin as the King looked between his husband and children.

'That's my children you're talking about,' Thorin tried to glare but the proud smile on his face ruined it a little.

'Yeah, yeah and you know I love your hoard of Dwobbits from the deepest mines to the highest peaks. But they're still Little Bastards,' Dwalin snorted before stomping over to throw Thror over one shoulder and scooped Harnor and Amelia under one arm each, the children giggling in delight.

Thorin turned and hurried after Bilbo, smiling when he found his husband waiting for him with a loving smile at the end of the corridor, his hand held out in offering. Taking the smaller hand inside his own Thorin bent to kiss the greatest gift Mahal had ever blessed any of the line of Durin with.