The next two weeks were suspiciously peaceful.

They managed to leave Mirkwood with no further attacks by orcs or spiders and without anyone setting the forest on fire.

Once they were out it was fairly flat land alongside a rushing river. They all had packs stuffed with supplies Thranduil had given them that, despite Dwalin's grumblings, did not, in fact, appear to be poisoned.

Bilba was able to start training again though, to her annoyance, she soon discovered the three weeks of inactivity had done her no favors. Where she'd once flown through different sessions with ease she now barely made it halfway before she was bent over with her hands on her knees, panting and fighting off the beginnings of a roaring headache. Not to mention she woke up every morning to her entire body feeling sore and aching, to the point where she had areas sore that she didn't know could GET sore.

"Don't worry about it," Fili said, "it'll come back to you. You just got out of practice, it happens to the best of us."

She didn't get better, however, and, what's more, she couldn't seem to rid herself of the tight feeling in her waistband or the small pouch of fat on her stomach no matter how hard she pushed herself in training.

She tried to limit herself when it came to food but, since Mirkwood, she'd found herself nearly salivating when dinner preparations began, particularly when those preparations involved bacon. Her love for bacon grew so intense, in fact, that she nearly drew her sword on Nori when he threatened to take a slice off her plate one evening.

The Company learned after that to not come between Bilba and her bacon. Not even her continued nausea which, though almost entirely controlled by Oin's herbs, still continued to plague her from time to time could stop her love for the salted meat.

At the very least she'd stopped actually throwing up so she didn't have to experience the taste and feel of bacon coming back UP.

Still, the nausea that refused to subside entirely, the fact she couldn't get herself back into shape and the fact she couldn't seem to stop eating no matter how much she WANTED to did not leave her in the greatest of moods.

As such, her reaction to Lake-town was perfectly understandable.

Particularly when she saw the bridge leading to it.

"What is WRONG with all of you?" She shouted, turning on Thorin who, unfortunately for him, happened to be closest to her. "All the races of Middle Earth are CLEARLY insane! Not ONE of you believes in RAILINGS!"

Thorin's eyes widened and he actually took a step back.

Nori took the opportunity to step forward and hug her. Bilba immediately sank against him, burying her face against his chest. The last thing she wanted to do was look at that Valar forsaken bridge.

"Did you see the bridge over the Brandywine back in the Shire?" she asked, her voice muffled. "It had RAILINGS. In fact, it had SIDES. Nice, beautiful, solid wood sides, the tops are even decorated."

"That's because Hobbits are clearly the most reasonable and rational of all races," Nori said, sounding amused.

Bilba pulled back and glared at him, her eyes narrowing. "Are you placating me?"

Nori's eyes widened. "Of course not."

"Good," Bilba took a breath and walked over to Thorin. Reaching up she grabbed the edges of his Coat of Majesty and said, "I'm. Not. Going."

"Bilba," Thorin said patiently, "it's the only way to get to Lake-town, unless we find a boat, the likelihood of which is slim on this side of the lake."

"That's fine," Bilba replied reasonably, "because I'm not going AT ALL. Who builds a town on a LAKE anyway?"

A few feet away, Fili's eyes narrowed suddenly. "Bilba," he said slowly, "were you unaware that Lake-town was on a lake?"

"Well who would think anyone would be that insane?" Bilba shot at him.

Thorin shrugged, "They're humans."

He had a point. This fact annoyed her.

Bilba had indeed somehow managed to entirely miss the fact that the name the humans had given to their town was actually an adjective and not a comment on the idea that there was a lake NEAR their town, as one with any sort of sanity would expect.

"I'll carry you again," Thorin said.

Bilba looked at him suspiciously, "Will you take your armor off?"

"Of course not," he answered, horrified. "We have no idea what kind of reception we might face."

"Then you're useless," Bilba snapped, beginning to step away from him.

He caught her hands, stopping her. Leaning in he kissed her slowly and long enough that her stomach began fluttering and her toes curled.

When he pulled away she glared at him again, though without any real heat to it. "That's entirely unfair."

"And yet utterly effective," he said with a smile.

"Wrong," Bilba muttered. "You still refuse to take your armor off and I still refuse to go."

A wicked gleam, worthy of Nori, entered his eyes. "If you simply wanted to see me without my armor on all you had to do was ask."

Bilba felt her face heat. A few feet away Fili groaned. "Cover your ears, Kili, you're not old enough to hear such things."

"I plan to never be old enough to hear such things. Not from Uncle," Kili replied, his tone horrified.

Bilba took a step back and suddenly found herself being swept up in Nori's arms, pack, arrows and all. She looked at him in surprise while, in front of her, Thorin growled.

"I have no armor on," Nori said cheerfully, "I can carry you just fine."

"Your clothes are loose," Bilba said immediately, "if you fell off they'd tangle around you."

She realized what she'd walked into as soon as she said it but it was far, far too late as Nori's eyes glinted.

"I can take them off for you if you want."

"And I can gut you like a fish," Thorin said conversationally before Bilba could even begin to think of a response.

"Oh, for the love of Mahal," a gruff voice rang out suddenly. A moment later Dwalin was plucking Bilba easily out of Nori's arms and depositing her in Bombur's. He removed her pack, and her coat wrapped arrows, and shoved them into Nori's arms. Bilba tensed for a moment but the action had been so quick that Dwalin didn't seem to have noticed the arrows didn't feel quite as broken as she'd claimed they were.

"He falls off, he'll float," Dwalin said shortly, "and I'll personally kick the lot of them in after you."

"Even Thorin and Nori?" Bilba asked innocently.

"Especially those two," Dwalin grumbled. "May even do it if you DON'T fall in."

He stalked away and began to head over the bridge. The others of the Company started as well, their boots sounding as they hit the wood. Bilba flinched as each one struck, expecting the entire thing to collapse.

It didn't and, soon enough, the only ones left were Thorin, Fili, Kili, Nori and then her and Bombur.

Bombur looked down at her, sympathetically. "Ready?"

"No," Bilba said, her voice quiet. She wrung her hands, clasping them anxiously in front of her chest. One hand went up to clasp at Thorin's ring, still worn around her neck. She'd offered it back after Thorin had given her the braid but he'd insisted she keep it. "But I suppose we should go anyway before Dwalin gets even more annoyed."

They moved forward and Bilba shut her eyes immediately, fighting back a small whimper as she heard the clunk signifying they had stepped onto the bridge.

As they continued on a cool breeze, heavy with the smell of water, swirled around them and she felt her body growing tense. All she could think was the water mere feet away and how dark it was and how it would feel closing over her head and dragging her down. She could see herself under the water, reaching up desperately toward the sun shining on the surface but unable to reach it.

She was aware she was shaking and a dull roar had started in her ears. She held herself as still as possible, convinced the slightest movement would cause her to somehow fall off the edge of the bridge and into the water.

A low voice spoke but she couldn't understand the words. Bombur stopped, however, and a moment later she felt herself being transferred to someone else, strong arms wrapping around her back and under her legs. By this time Bilba was nearly panting with fear, her breathing hitching inside her lungs every time she inhaled.

"We're almost there," Thorin's voice, rumbled in her ear.

"You're lying," Bilba said passionately, her voice almost a sob. She slid her arms around his neck and curled against him, her fingers tangling in his hair. She could feel the blood pounding in her temples from the stress she felt and tried, unsuccessfully, to calm down.

After what felt like an eternity they stopped and she was vaguely aware of the sound of voices she didn't recognize speaking. Someone, Dwalin perhaps, answered back. A moment later a rumbling started and she felt a vibration running through the bridge, so strong she could feel it even from her position in Thorin's arms. She whimpered. Her nausea increased, putting Thorin at serious risk of being thrown up on, and she felt lightheaded and faint.

"It's all right," she dimly heard Thorin saying through the roaring, "it's just the gate opening."

They started walking again after that and then there were more voices she didn't know. She couldn't understand anything they said and it seemed to go on forever. At one point one of the voices grew louder and suddenly Fili's voice was right in front of her, speaking sharply. The strange voice drew back and then it was more walking and more talking and she was quite sure she was going to go out of her mind if they didn't STOP soon. She risked opening her ones just once; a mere slit, and realized there were bursts of light and black spots floating in her vision. Beyond them she caught a brief glimpse of the back of Fili's coat and noticed an odd, almost rainbow on the fur and dancing in his hair. She squeezed her eyes shut again.

Thorin's stance changed suddenly and she realized they were walking up a short flight of steps. She risked another glance out from Thorin's chest and saw Dwalin standing at a door, holding it open for them to pass in.

As soon as they were in the door shut behind them, closing out the sight of water if not the smell. Thorin didn't pause, making for a second set of stairs leading to a second floor. Once on the landing he walked through the nearest door and gently set her on the bed in the room.

Bilba had no sooner been set down than she was lunging off the bed. She'd caught a glimpse of a bathroom through an open door in the room and barely made it to the toilet before she was violently ill. She vaguely felt Thorin's hand on her back and felt a surge of embarrassment at him seeing her that way.

When she was done she groaned and simply sagged down next to the toilet, wedging herself between it and the counter. Her eyesight was still going crazy so she shut her eyes again.

"Bilba."

"Shut up and go away," Bilba said, waving a hand weakly. "Just let me die in peace."

Pressure was beginning to build up behind her temples and she clenched her teeth at the promise of pain once it finally switched over from pressure to what could only be the beginnings of a titanic migraine. Beyond that she felt weak, wrung out and exhausted and quite sure she would not be moving from her spot for the foreseeable future.

She felt Thorin's hands on her and considered cursing at him but changed her mind; it would take effort and she had none to spare.

He managed to slide her out from her very comfortable spot and picked her up again. The action caused a wave of dizziness which, in turn, caused another bout of nausea that had her clapping a hand over her mouth.

Thorin went still, his own eyes wide.

After a moment the feeling subsided and Thorin carefully carried her back into the room and settled her on the bed once again.

Bilba sank into the mattress gratefully, almost groaning at the feel of it molding to her body. She opened her eyes to the merest slits and waved a hand vaguely, relaxing when Thorin grabbed it in his own. "Where are we?"

Thorin sat on the edge of the bed next to her. "Apparently our return was quite welcome by the people of Lake-town. They're excited about the prospect of the return of the true King under the Mountain."

Bilba frowned. "Probably more excited about the King under the Mountain's gold."

Thorin shrugged. "Be that as it may, they offered us lodging until we have to leave for the mountain."

Bilba's studied him hazily, trying to think past the pounding in her head. "And you just took it without question?" That didn't seem like him, at all.

"I was a little more concerned about you," he responded. "I thought it important to get you inside as soon as possible."

"For which I am extraordinarily grateful," Bilba said sincerely. A new thought occurred to her. "Why do we need a house? How long is it until Durin's Day?"

Thorin didn't answer her. Bilba tried to push up on her elbows only to immediately rethink her decision as nausea gripped her again.

"Thorin," she said, her voice strengthening, "how long until Durin's Day?"

He hesitated before answering. "Two weeks."

Bilba stared at him.

Two weeks. Two weeks, the majority of which would be stuck in a stupid town on a stupid LAKE surrounded by WATER just waiting for her to drown in.

"I'm breaking up with you," she said finally. "I have decided you are an evil, evil dwarf."

And, with that, she, carefully, rolled on her side to face the wall.

As she did she noticed, for the first time, the slightest movement of the bed under her from the water below and made a small sound of despair.

There was no possible way she could handle being here for that long, no way at all.

Behind her she felt Thorin get up and heard him moving.

A few minutes later the bed dipped and she felt him pressing up behind her wearing only, from what she could tell, his tunic and trousers. He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her back against him, tucking her head just under his chin and twining his legs with hers.

Bilba soon felt his body heat radiating into her back, easing tense muscles and causing her to slowly relax.

Bilba started to calm down somewhat though she doubted anything would stave off the migraine now.

She snuggled back against him and closed her eyes to wait out her body's attempt to betray her.

Maybe, just maybe, she could make it through this week and a half after all.

"I'll try to get us out sooner," he promised. "We'll need to refresh our supplies and find passage over to the shore. We'll camp there until we have to head for the mountain."

They should have done that in the first place, Bilba thought, even if the supplies Thranduil had given them had been running low.

That or she could have walked around to the other side. She would take the possibility of Azog coming back over this.

"It won't be long," Thorin said, squeezing gently, "I'll get us off as soon as possible. I give you my word."

"Thank you," Bilba managed to mumble. She had no doubt Thorin would do everything in his power, though she didn't know how she'd ever deal with a boat ride to get to the opposite shore. Still, she was grateful.

Not that it didn't mean Thorin wouldn't owe her, FOR LIFE for convincing her to come to this Valar forsaken town in the first place.

* * *

As she'd thought, she soon found herself in the grip of a migraine for the ages. Bilba felt as though a pike had been driven into her skull and was convinced that, if she reached her hand up, she'd be able to touch broken pieces of skull under her hair.

She did not reach her hand up, though, because that would require movement and even the slightest caused her stomach to rebel against her in an almost savage manner. Suddenly she couldn't move without triggering intense nausea, her stomach cramping so badly all she could do was curl up in a ball and cry in pain and misery. Crying of course made her head pound even more but she couldn't seem to stop, the tears coming no matter how hard she tried to hold them back.

Thorin was there as much as possible but he was also gone a lot, trying to negotiate them leaving as quickly as possible. He apologized when he was there, swearing he hadn't realized just how bad things would be for her. Seeing as how Bilba hadn't realized it either she couldn't particularly blame him.

When he was there she would curl up against his chest and bury her face against his shoulder, shivering as he rubbed her back and arms and tried to comfort her. He would talk to her quietly, telling her about the latest rounds of negotiations with the leader of Lake-town, a man whose title was the Master.

If she hadn't been so miserable she might have made a smart comment about so pretentious a title but, as it was, she just listened. From what she could tell the Master was a truly odious man who, as Bilba had suspected, had so completely welcomed the dwarves in hopes of getting his hands on some of the gold rumored to be in the Mountain. Thorin was forced to negotiate not because he cared more about the gold than her but because the Master's demands were so ridiculous that to agree would not only bankrupt Erebor but would likely leave the Master as the King under the Mountain instead of Thorin or his heirs.

When Thorin couldn't be there Fili or Kili, or sometimes both, were. They would lay on the bed with her and she could curl against them as much as she did with Thorin, burying her face against their chest, a hand usually clutching at their shirt. Her other hand would always be holding onto Thorin's ring, so hard at times the edges would cut into her palm. She thought perhaps she had an argument with Kili at some point about the possibility of her head actually exploding but the memory was vague and it could have been an odd dream.

Oin was in there quite a bit too, trying to get her to drink different brews of this herb or that until she nearly started crying from being forced to sit up all the time and Fili threw him out.

In the end, the only thing she could do was ride it out.

* * *

When she woke up to find her mind clear and her headache gone she froze, convinced she was either dreaming or the pain was simply torturing her and would return the second she moved.

She opened her eyes carefully, barely a slit, and found her vision clear and unhampered. Her nausea was gone as well, for the moment at least, and in spite of the rocking motion she could still feel from the water below the house.

She felt exhausted, worn out in a way she hadn't felt in a long time, but she didn't feel sick or in pain.

The relief almost made her cry.