(A/N: Some occurrences in this chapter are similar to certain parts in Chapter 11 of Hearts of Gold. However, there are some differences.)

Continuing from chapter four...

Thorin spent the rest of that evening and the following morning at breakfast thinking over his conversation with Bilbo.

Had they not been Ones, he would never had understood why Bilbo would still want to be his friend. Not after hearing about the matter of the Arkenstone. If he were anyone else, he would have been upset at the idea of Thorin starting the argument when he had a good reason to keep that accursed jewel from him. After all, it was only right for it to be hidden from him.

Still, Thorin was relieved that he was able to apologize to Bilbo and forgive him. What was more, Bilbo was understanding of the situation and did so in turn...even when he couldn't remember any of it! He was a most amazing person. He figured that that may have been the reason why Bilbo chose to continue their friendship, and he was happy about that. He couldn't imagine not being his friend.

And, as Thorin had promised, he would make sure that he was a better one from then on. He owed it to Bilbo after the way he had treated him before, no matter that he hadn't meant to. Thorin knew that he had been in the wrong. Plus, if he had made amends before the battle, perhaps Bilbo would never have gotten hurt, or lost his memory.

With that in mind, he resumed eating his breakfast, taking in his surroundings as he did.

Except for a fair few, most of the people in the dining hall were having their meals in complete silence. Those who were grieving were feeling too despondent to speak, and others were still waking up.

His nephews and some of the members of his Company were talking amongst themselves. However, he noticed that Dwalin had glanced at him before turning away, and Gandalf was eyeing him rather somberly. Thorin decided to have a word with them soon, especially since Gandalf indicated that he wished to speak to him. But he would settle matters with Dwalin before talking to him.

Once he was done eating, he fixed a tray of breakfast for Bilbo. Then he and Óin made their way to the room the said Hobbit was using.

When he entered the room, he noticed that Bilbo looked as sleepy as he had been since the day after losing his memory. This was really beginning to concern him now. Why was he not getting enough rest? Was it because of the strange dream he said he had two mornings ago? Or perhaps, his mind was racing at night?

He asked Bilbo the second question after Óin had left, sensing that he would change the subject if he asked the first, as he did two mornings before. Bilbo gave a tired smile.

"I do have a lot on my mind, yes, and it's hard for me to relax at night. Even if I do manage to fall asleep, I end up waking up a few hours later," he responded.

Thorin inclined his head in understanding. "Would you like to talk to me about it?" he queried next.

"...Yes...but perhaps at another time. I'm not in the mood to right now."

With another nod, he gave Bilbo his breakfast. He was surprised-but pleased-that he agreed to tell him about what was troubling him. He thought that he would refuse to like he did before.

Bilbo thanked him and started to eat. "You did say that there were going to be celebrations after these three days of mourning?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Aye, that I did. There will be three days of them, to be exact."

"Mmm. I wish I could be there. I love parties, and I would love to see what Dwarves do when they have one...again. It's too bad that the celebrations will be over by the time I get off of bed rest."

Thorin pursed his lips. "I will see if there is a way that you could join us, but I will have to talk to Óin first. He may not think it best that you go, since he doesn't want you to overstimulate yourself."

"I understand. Well, if I can't go, you or the others can tell me all about everything."

"Sounds like a plan."

Bilbo nodded with a smile, then noticed something. "You don't appear to be too excited about the celebrations."

Thorin chuckled. "Only because I'm not. I do like parties occasionally, but they are often too noisy and crowded for me."

"Well, perhaps these won't be so bad. You do have a reason to celebrate."

"Aye," he agreed. Yet he looked as if he believed that there was not much to celebrate at all.

Bilbo chose not to point this out or question him about it this time. He just continued to eat his meal and handed him the tray when he was finished.

"Thank you again. Let me know what Óin says after you have the chance to speak to him."

"I will. I shall check on you later."

"All right. See you then."

Thorin squeezed Bilbo's shoulder before he left, and he could have sworn that he saw that latter's face reddening as he turned away. He found himself chuckling at the idea of it.

He returned Bilbo's tray to the kitchen before going on his first round. After that, he went to look for Dwalin.

It didn't take long to find him. He was sitting in the Great Hall with his nephews and the rest of the Company. A majority of those who were in mourning were also there, but some had chosen to gather in smaller rooms.

Dwalin noticed him approaching and gazed at him warily. However, he bobbed his head when Thorin requested to speak to him in private and cautiously followed him to an empty room.

"Now before yeh start," Dwalin began when Thorin closed the door behind them. "Yer not plannin' on punishin' me or givin' me a thrashin', are yeh?"

"No," Thorin replied earnestly. "But I do want to know why have been avoiding me."

"Because I disobeyed yeh. Did yeh honestly think that I could look yeh in the eye again what happened ta Bilbo? He would never 'ave gotten injured and lost his memory if I had protected 'im and gotten 'im away from Ravenhill like you ordered me to."

"But you know me, Dwalin. If I wanted to punish you or give you a "thrashing", I would have sought you out and done so already. And in any case, I know that what happened to Bilbo is not your fault, and I never thought that it was either. You did the best you could to get him to safety, and if the Gundabad Orcs had not shown up, you would have. Neither of you would have been forced to fight them, and you wouldn't have been separated either."

Dwalin opened his mouth to protest, but Thorin raised his hand.

"I understand if you don't agree with that, but let us not argue about it. Just know that I'm not going to punish or harm you since I don't believe that what happened to Bilbo is your fault," the latter remarked.

With a heavy sigh, Dwalin nodded again and chose to let it be. "Fine. Very well," he muttered.

Thorin inclined his head too, relieved to have gotten that off of his chest. Then he went back to the Great Hall to join his nephews and the others.

Balin was looking at him with concern as he sat down next to Kíli. "Is everything all right, laddie? You weren't chewing my brother out, were you?" he asked in a whisper.

Thorin said no. "I only wanted to know why he was avoiding me, and to let him know that it wasn't his fault that Bilbo had lost his memory."

"Ah. He thought you were angry at him."

"I wasn't, even if he thinks I have a reason to be."

"Mmm. Well, where is...? Oh! Nevermind," Balin said as Dwalin returned. "So, how is Bilbo this morning? Óin told me that you gave him his breakfast."

Thorin sipped the ale that Dori had given him. "He's been tired lately, but fine otherwise."

Óin frowned a little. "He did say that he was having trouble sleeping last night. I told him that I could give him sleeping medicine if he needs it."

"Good, good. Is the cut on his head and his lump healing all right?"

"Yes. They should be gone before next week. And other than lack of sleep and his memory loss, he hasn't had any other health problems."

Thorin nodded. "Excellent. Oh, and speaking of Bilbo, he expressed his wishes to be there for the celebrations. He would understand if you didn't let him, though, since you don't want him to overexert or overstimulate himself."

"I'll think it over. If nothing serious happens in the next couple of days, I'll let him join us on the second and third nights. But I will still want him to relax for the most part, just in case."

"I will be sure to tell him that."

Bofur leaned over. "Did 'e mention anythin' about the story?" he inquired.

"No, but he believes what we told him...as far as I can tell. I think he would have told us if he didn't," Thorin pointed out.

"Tha's true. I wonder what 'e thinks of it all."

Gandalf chuckled. "Probably that it was a wild and insane journey, if nothing else. I would be surprised if he didn't think so, but then again, it would just be his Took side coming out in that case."

Everyone laughed along with him.

"Yes, it would be," Balin agreed.

They stayed in the Great Hall until dinnertime, and it was then did Thorin remember that Gandalf wanted to speak to him. The said Wizard reminded him while he was eating.

"We can talk after I give Bilbo his food. Do you prefer to have our talk in private, or...?" Thorin questioned.

Gandalf inclined his head, looking morose as he did earlier. Thorin knew that whatever he had to tell him, it wasn't good. "In private will be best. Could you meet me outside of the Great Hall when you return?"

"Of course. Expect me in about three-quarters of an hour."

"Very well."

The chambers Bilbo resided in was quieter than usual when Thorin arrived there minutes later. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer.

He frowned in concern and unlocked the door. However, he saw that he had nothing to worry about; Bilbo was only napping. He smiled in relief before laying the tray of food on the table next to the bed. Then he shook him gently.

Bilbo woke up right away. "Oh...hello," he mumbled. He looked around groggily and sat up. "What...What time is it?"

"It's a little after one. Are you hungry? I brought your dinner," Thorin added, gesturing to his meal.

"Oh! Yes, I actually am hungry...thank you," Bilbo said as he placed the tray on his lap.

Thorin grinned once more. "You're welcome. Are you feeling okay this afternoon?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just wanted a bit more sleep."

"Ahh, I see. Óin told us that he would give you sleeping medicine, yes?"

"Mmm-hmm. And don't worry. I will be sure to ask him for some if I need it."

"That's good."

Bilbo started to eat. "Did you ask him if I could go to the celebrations?" he queried.

Thorin nodded. "Yes. He said that you may join us on the second and third nights, as long as your health remains in good condition. You will have to rest, though. He still doesn't want you to do too much."

"Well, that's all right. It's better than nothing. I love parties...but I'm sure you must know that."

Thorin chortled. "I do. You told us so."

Bilbo snickered, then eyed him curiously. "Are you all right? You seem worried," he observed.

He waved his hand. "Gandalf just needs to talk to me about something. It appeared to be serious, but I'm sure that it's fine, whatever it is."

Neverthless, he didn't look convinced that it was fine. Bilbo decided not to point this out. Instead, he just nodded and changed the subject.

"I've been meaning to ask you something. Do you know who this room belonged to? I still say that it's very grand and that you didn't have to let me sleep in here."

Thorin smiled. "Yes. It used to be mine when I was a child, before Smaug's attack."

He gaped at him. "This was your room?"

"Aye. But once we came back, I decided to have my grandfather's bedroom, since it would have been left to me anyhow. And if you think this room is grand, it's nothing compared to my new one."

"I believe you."

Bilbo finished his dinner not long after and laid back down to continue his nap. Thorin was just about to leave when the said Hobbit called out to him.

He turned around. "Yes, Bilbo?"

The said Hobbit opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. "Er...nevermind. It's nothing," he whispered.

He rose an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"'

Bilbo nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

"...All right. But let me know if you want to tell me what it is later."

"Okay. I will."

Thorin bobbed his head and walked out of the room.

A sense of foreboding crept into him as he returned to the Great Hall. Gandalf was already waiting for him outside of it, looking even more doleful than he had earlier.

"Yes? What is it?" Thorin inquired warily after standing in front of him.

Gandalf pursed his lips. "I have something very important to reveal to you. I would have sooner, but there was not much time to before the battle, and I did not think that it would be prudent to then. I knew it wasn't a good time to after the battle either, what with Bilbo losing his memory. That alone was troubling enough, for you as well as the rest of us. Besides that, there were meetings and conferences for you to attend, and your other duties to perform.

"I regret having to tell you this even now because I feel that it is still too soon. But I have news for you about your father, Thráin," he responded.

Thorin became more alert. "What about my father? Did you find him?"

"Yes, when I had left you all at Mirkwood's entrance to attend to some personal business. He was at the place I needed to go to...an abandoned fortress. It was where Azog had created his army. If I had known that he was there, I would have gone there much sooner."

"...Oh. That's good. But where is he? Why did he not return here with you?" he queried with a frown. None of this was adding up.

Gandalf exhaled deeply. "I am so sorry to have to say this...but he is dead. He was killed before we could escape the fortress."

He didn't want to explain how Thráin was murdered. He would save that for another time, when it was crucial to.

Thorin turned pale as he stared at him blankly. He couldn't quite believe his ears or process what he had been told.

His father had been killed. His father was...dead. So, that meant that he was right to suspect that he was still alive, but missing. Until recently, that is...

Sympathy filled the Wizard's expression as he laid a hand on his shoulder. "Again, I am very sorry. He asked me to tell you that he loves you, your sister, and his grandsons for him before he was killed. That was the last thing that he said to me. I was certain that he would be able to tell you so himself...I truly believed he would escape with me. Unfortunately, it wasn't so."

Thorin slumped as he bowed his head and nodded. Every word Gandalf uttered had finally registered in his brain.

"Thank you for letting me know this," he mumbled.

He made his way to his bedchamber, picking up a few wine bottles as he did. He was not in the mood to stay in the Great Hall any longer; he just needed to be alone.

It was not until Thorin was there did he snap. Overwhelming grief and rage coursed through him as he flung one of the bottles across the room with a yell. It shattered into pieces as it hit the wall. Wine dripped onto the carpet underneath, staining it red.

He wished that he had been the one to find his father. He had been meaning to continue searching for him after the battle. Now, it was too late. There was nothing that he could do. He couldn't even have a proper burial for him. All he could do was mourn for him while honoring him in another manner.

Of course, Thorin was not surprised that his father was dead. He suspected that he might have been. However, that didn't make it any less painful for him.

The only thing that comforted him slightly was knowing that his father loved him, as well as Dís and his nephews. That made everything a little easier to bear.

Still, it seemed as if everything was falling apart. His One had lost his memory, and now, his father was gone.

Thorin sat on his couch in defeat and laid his face in his hand. His vision blurred with tears of sorrow.

"I love you too, Father," he whispered, and prayed that he would arrive at the Halls of Mandos safely.

XXX

The celebrations were postponed indefinitely once Gandalf informed Thorin's nephews, Dáin, and the rest of the Company about Thráin's death. Therefore, the days of mourning were to continue. It was just as well; no one in Erebor was up for partying after they learned about what happened.

Bilbo didn't find out about this until Óin gave him the news hours later. It hit him harder than he expected it to (which confused him), and he was incredibly sad for Thorin as well. It didn't help that he felt wretched because he couldn't remember if Thorin ever told him anything about his father either, other than that he had gone missing during the Battle of Azanulbizar.

Thorin remained in his chambers for more than two weeks. He wouldn't eat much and stayed in bed all day. In the evenings, he would cry himself to sleep, only to be plagued by nightmares soon after. Nightmares in which he would find not only his father dead, but his grandfather Thrór, his brother Frerin, and his brother-in-law Fíli as well.

He also had dreams of Bilbo too. The said Hobbit would gaze at him with a mixture of sadness and reproach before walking away. He never spoke, but he didn't have to. The look that he gave Thorin told him enough.

Fíli and Kíli tried to comfort Thorin and make him come out of his room, but he only ignored them. Balin and Dwalin weren't successful in their attempts either. In the end, they decided to leave him alone and let him mourn in peace.

It was quieter than ever during that time. Thráin's death was a great tragedy to them all, not just to those who knew him best.

Bilbo was also affected by the cheerlessness that permeated Erebor. He grew depressed and wasn't in the mood to do anything. Anything other than trying to remember what had happened in the past three years, that is. Yet, he had no rewards for his attempts, save a few splitting headaches.

He didn't even feel happy when Óin told him that he was no longer on bed rest five days afterwards. What was the point in going anywhere in the Mountain when he had forgotten his way around?

Of course, he knew that Fíli, Kíli, or any member of the Company would have been more than happy to give him a tour of the Mountain in Thorin's stead. However, it wouldn't have been the same, though he would never say this.

Bilbo didn't want to admit to himself that he secretly missed Thorin either. He couldn't understand why he did, and reprimanded himself for it. Thorin was mourning for his father, after all. He had every right to do so alone and not be bothered. Bilbo could sympathize; he shut himself away from everyone except his mother Belladonna when his father Bungo died in his sleep. When Belladonna passed away due to a fever eight years later, the Shire may as well have never existed. He refused to go outside-or even look out of a window-for nearly a month.

His visits from Thorin's nephews, the Company, and Gandalf didn't help since they mostly talked about Thorin. Bilbo felt like he was being ripped to pieces every time they did, knowing the state he was in. He wished to give his condolences and let him know that he understood his pain. However, he didn't know if Thorin would allow him to.

When Bilbo confided this to Gandalf-he was the only one he felt at ease with besides Thorin-the said Wizard raised an eyebrow.

"I believe that he may. You two are...well, were...good friends, after all. I am certain that he wouldn't mind if you were to do that."

Bilbo heard something in his tone than made him curious, but didn't ask him about it. "Are you sure?"

"Quite so. And in any case, you are off of bed rest now, so you are more than free to."

He nodded, and once Óin revealed to him where Thorin's bedchamber was later that afternoon, he made his way there. The aforementioned Dwarf healer had given Bilbo an odd look when he asked him where it was, but dawning comprehension lit up his face when he explained why he wanted to know.

His room wasn't hard to find, since it was only around the corner from the one he slept in. Plus, its door was cut off from the other four on the right side of the hallway.

Bilbo just stood there at first. He still wasn't sure if Thorin would answer the door, or let him in. But he collected himself a moment later and knocked on it loudly.

Silence.

He knocked again. Still no reply.

When Thorin didn't answer the door the third time, Bilbo sighed heavily and decided to let him be. However, just as he turned to leave, he heard movement coming from inside of the room.

"Yes? Who is it?" a hoarse voice grunted.

He jumped. "Er...It's me...Bilbo."

Another moment passed before there was a click, and then there was the sound of retreating footsteps.

Bilbo frowned and twisted the knob. The door opened with a low squeak. He entered the room after a brief hesitation and closed it gently.

He wandered across what looked like a den and a small library combined. A sofa and an armchair stood in the middle of the room, as well as a desk and a bookshelf. He couldn't see very much because it was dark.

The bedroom was connected to it. Everything in it was larger and more impressive than the one he was sleeping in. He couldn't help but marvel over everything.

It was here that he found Thorin. He was sitting on the edge of his bed and staring into space. There was a dry red stain one of the walls. Broken glass littered the floor underneath it.

"Yes?" Thorin repeated. He didn't move or look at him. "Is anything wrong?"

Bilbo stepped over to him. "No...I just came here to...to give you my condolences. I am sorry for your loss. I know you miss your father."

He nodded once. "Thank you, Bilbo."

There was another long silence before the said Hobbit cleared his throat.

"Well...I ought to go...but if you ever want to talk, you know where to find me." He timidly placed a comforting hand on Thorin's shoulder, though he didn't know what made him do it.

Much to Bilbo's surprise, Thorin reached up and took his hand in his own. He was even more shocked and dismayed when he began to cry softly.

"Thank you again. And I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop you from getting hurt. It's my fault that you were, and that you lost your memory. It's all my fault. I know that you have forgiven me, but if you hadn't...I wouldn't have blamed you...I would have more than deserved it. I feel as if I had failed you," he whispered before melting into sobs again.

Bilbo felt tears well up in his own eyes, but he didn't let them fall. He also kept himself from protesting against what he said. He just kept his hand on Thorin's shoulder. The latter then turned to bury his face in his chest, and even though Bilbo was astonished by this too, he noticed that he didn't have any qualms with taking him into his arms.

This was exactly what he did, and he held Thorin close as he continued to let out his grief.

(A/N: Please review and let me know what you thoughts are! I am busy at work and having trouble finding time to write, but I still promise to update when I can. Until next time!)