Bilba woke to the feeling of the bed dipping and opened her eyes to see Thorin settling on the mattress beside her. He sat with his back against the headboard and his legs stretched out in front of him. His arms were folded across his chest and the expression on his face was annoyed.

Bilba sighed and reached a hand out to lightly rest on his thigh. "What did you say to him?"

Thorin replied with something particularly rude about Bard, not looking at her. The sun was beginning to go down, lengthening the shadows in the room; she must have been asleep several hours she thought idly.

"That's not very helpful," she said calmly.

"Why do you assume I did something?"

Bilba yawned. "You do tend to say things you shouldn't."

He gave her an appraising look. "You yelled at Thranduil."

Bilba frowned. "He locked you in a dungeon for two weeks," she grumbled, "and I had no idea where you were! Of course I yelled at him". The memory brought back the feelings of horror and fear she'd felt back then and she scooted closer, wrapped both arms around his leg and pillowed her head on his thigh.

He reached down and put a hand on her head in reassurance, lightly playing with her braid. "Good point," he conceded his voice gentle. He was silent another second and then, his tone teasing, asked, "What about Gandalf?"

Bilba winced. She'd hoped he'd forgotten about that one. "We didn't need to hire a boat from him," she finally said lamely.

Thorin was not impressed. "And Radagast?"

"I was not yelling at him," Bilba defended, deliberately trying to pitch her voice as innocent as possible. "I was just asking him a few--"

"-- dozen --" Thorin interrupted, amused.

" -- questions," Bilba finished dryly. "Anyway, you should let me talk to Bard."

"Why?" Thorin asked, "So you can yell him into submission?"

Bilba smacked him lightly, feeling the muscles in his thigh jump slightly from the contact though Thorin didn't react. "I got Thranduil to let us go, didn't I?"

"I seem to remember Glorfindel having a hand in that," Thorin said mildly, amusement leaking into his voice.

Bilba made a non-committal sound and snuggled in tighter around his leg, allowing her eyes to drift shut again. She made another noise, one of displeasure, a few moments later when she felt him shift suddenly; pulling her partway out of the light doze she'd been in.

Thorin said something quiet and she felt him pulling out of her hold for a moment only to settle next, drawing her back in. Still half asleep, Bilba happily rearranged herself so her head and one hand were resting on his shoulder and chest. It left her other arm in an uncomfortable position under her body but she could live with it. She felt Thorin's arm slide around her back, his hand on her waist and then felt him relax.

Priscilla would kill her if she saw Bilba sleeping in the same bed with Thorin, intended or not. Bilba sighed and relaxed, sleep pulling at her.

She just wouldn't tell Priscilla.

She fell asleep.

The dream started immediately.

She stood on a rocky ledge set into the side of a mountain. Around her the rest of the Company sprawled in sleep, their forms still and quiet.

Directly in front of her a dark opening led into the mountain.

On either side of the door stood two armored figures, young and slim, with shoulder length dark hair and the barest hint of stubble that might one day grow into beards. Both had their heads down and held swords gripped in their hands, points resting on the ground.

She didn't recognize them but, for whatever reason, a powerful sense of relief washed over her. She started to rush forward only to stop short as they both vanished, their images breaking apart like smoke and drifting away on the wind.

She found herself, instead, mere inches from the black opening leading inside the mountain. A cool breeze wafted out from it and she could hear the faint sound of water dripping.

This was her last chance.

She didn't know how she knew but she did. This was her last chance to turn away, aside...back.

If she took one more step her path would be locked, no more side paths, no more opportunities to make another choice.

She would have to continue on the path laid out before her, no matter where it led.

She took a deep breath, one hand going up to grasp Thorin's ring where it hung around her neck. It felt like ice in her hand, the cold so intense it nearly burned. It spread outward until her entire body shook with it and the breath she released frosted in the air before her face.

Footsteps crunched on the dirt and she turned to see the two from before had returned. They stepped up on either side of her, their faces grim, each gripping their swords in one hand. They angled their bodies toward the entrance.

Two sets of identical, crystal blue eyes settled on her, two identical expressions of determination.

The message was clear. They would go with her no matter what path she chose.

She took a deep breath and faced the darkness once more.

She stepped forward.

The sound of heavy footsteps thumping up the stairs broke into her consciousness and Bilba stirred, her eyes flickering open to stare blearily into the room. She was startled to see it was now growing light instead of dark, apparently she'd been asleep the entire night though it felt like she'd barely shut her eyes a moment earlier.

Had she had another dream? If she had it was gone, as all the others were, but she felt the strange sense of foreboding she normally had after one.

Dwalin appeared in the doorway a bowl of soup held in one hand.

"Oin ordered me to bring up your breakfast," he said, coming forward.

Bilba pushed up off Thorin's chest and reached her hands out to take the bowl. "Thank you, Dwalin."

He grunted, before addressing Thorin who, up to that point, hadn't moved. "You can get your own."

"Fine way to treat your King," Thorin muttered, his eyes still closed.

Dwalin turned and started to stomp back out, grumbling, "I'll treat you better once we take back the mountain. Till then, get your own food."

"Somehow," Thorin said, "I doubt his treatment will change even then."

"You're probably right," Bilba said cheerfully. She shifted until she had her back against the wall, settling her legs over Thorin's waist. When he opened his eyes and looked at her she just shrugged. "I probably won't change how I treat you either."

"Nice to know you'll both be there to make sure I don't get a big head," Thorin replied dryly.

Bilba grinned. "We live to serve, my King."

He stretched as best he could in such a cramped position and then pulled up to a sitting position, managing not to upset her as he did.

"Do you want to join me downstairs?"

Bilba cocked her head as though considering. "Are we still on a stupid lake?"

"We are."

"Then no."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why is the bed any safer than the rest of the house?"

Bilba lowered the bowl and, as sweetly as possible, asked, "Why are we still stuck in this stupid house on this stupid lake when you told me we'd leave earlier?"

Thorin grimaced. "Because Bard thinks we're going to wake up the dragon and it'll burn down Lake-town."

Bilba frowned. "What does Lake-town have to do with it? Why wouldn't it just eat us and then go back to sleep?"

"Because the man is a paranoid bastard," Thorin groused.

Bilba's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You didn't actually TELL him that did you?"

He said nothing, his eyes fixed on the far wall.

Bilba gave a long suffering sigh. "Tell him I want to talk to him, please?"

"It won't do any good."

"Then it won't hurt will it?" Bilba answered. She slid her legs off him, got up, shoved the almost empty bowl into his hands and then leaned forward to kiss him quite thoroughly. When she pulled back several long minutes later they were both breathing heavily and Bilba felt quite flushed.

"I think," Thorin said, his voice huskier than usual, "you're trying to use my own tactics against me."

Bilba grinned. "They are effective."

He studied her, his eyes heated and Bilba felt her own face heat in embarrassment. She pulled back and then pushed at his shoulder. "Go! Bring me Bard!"

Thorin groused but got up, taking her bowl with him. "It may take time. Not all of us are at your beck and call you know. Not to mention he could just refuse."

"He won't," Bilba said with assurance, "He'll still have residual guilt over his daughters barging in on me. He'll come."

Thorin gave her an assessing look but Bilba put on her most innocent face and then lifted an eyebrow inquisitively.

Thorin shook his head, smirking in amusement and then left.

Bilba watched him go and settled back in the bed again. Idly she lifted her hand to wrap around Thorin's ring at her throat.

It felt strangely cold.

***

Thorin had barely left the house before Nori appeared in her doorway, her pack and jacket wrapped arrows in his hands. It was the first time Bilba had been alone, Fili and Kili off getting supplies and more arrows respectively. Now that she was on the mend they didn't feel as though they had to babysit her every second Thorin wasn't there.

"I was wondering where that all went," Bilba said, holding her hands out. "Hand them over." She tried to keep her voice light and her movements slow but it was difficult. She'd been worrying over the arrows since she'd been coherent enough TO worry.

He stepped in and set her pack down but kept hold of her wrapped arrows, idly pretending to study them. "I'll happily hand them over," he said mildly, "if you'd be willing to explain why they're not broken like you said they were."

Bilba cursed. She'd been afraid the longer he had the arrows the more chance he would look at them but, at the same time, she knew if she had insisted on having them back sooner it'd guarantee he would examine them.

Really she'd been in trouble from the moment Dwalin had taken them and handed them to Nori.

She indicated the chair next to her bed and he took it, leaning forward.

"Did you tell anyone else?" she asked, chewing on her lower lip.

His eyes flashed for a brief instant and Bilba, for the first time, had a sudden realization that this was not someone she ever wanted against her.

"Did I tell anyone you're carrying around unbroken, Morgul shaft arrows instead of the broken, normal arrows you claimed they were? No I didn't."

He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, his posture clearly stating she better convince him why he shouldn't tell anyone.

So she did. Bilba laid out all the things she'd seen along the way showing her that there were far bigger things going on in Middle Earth than just the Quest. Gandalf's actions, the White Council at Rivendell he'd been so worried about, Radagast, Glorfindel and his mission and warnings. Nori never changed expression and Bilba wondered if perhaps none of what she was saying came as any surprise to him.

"You and I both know I'm not walking in there and finding the Arkenstone without waking up that dragon," Bilba said finally, studying him.

He shrugged. "Way I understood it Thorin had no intention of allowing you inside the mountain regardless. I imagine, with the way things stand now, his convictions will be even stronger on that front."

"Which is why I didn't tell anyone about the arrows," Bilba said, her voice pitched low.

Nori frowned. "And, why, pray tell, must it be you who goes in?"

"Because I believe Gandalf was right," Bilba insisted. "Smaug won't know what I am. You know the legends about dragons; they have an almost insatiable curiosity. He won't kill me until he finds out."

"You place a lot of faith in a theory," Nori said, his voice more serious than she'd ever heard it. "What if you're wrong?"

"Then I'll confuse him with a riddle," Bilba said shortly. "The legends are true. I know they are. Dragons have an insatiable curiosity, a need to know everything. He won't be able to resist finding out what I am, especially if I throw in riddles after that." Nori's expression still hadn't changed and Bilba leaned in closer. "And it won't be for long. I'll simply be distracting him, just for a moment." She reached out and set a hand on his hand where it rested on his knee. "You know it's a better plan than the one we had."

"It's a dangerous plan," Nori said, his voice angry. "You could die."

"I could have died a half dozen times on this quest already," Bilba said dryly. "You could have died too, or Ori or Dori or anyone else." She saw his jaw tighten at the names of his brothers and hastened to add, "We're all adults, Nori. We came of our own free will knowing full well the dangers we'd face."

Well, okay, she hadn't REALLY known all the dangers, or the fact that Lake-town was actually ON a lake, and she doubted Nori had expected anything other than Smaug to try and eat them but, still, they were all adults regardless. She also knew if she didn't convince him now all her plans would be right out the window.

"We're going to the hidden door regardless," she said. "Which plan do you think has the better chance of working, mine or Thorin's?"

There was no contest and they both knew it. If they followed the original plan exactly Bilba would have entered the mountain, tried to locate one gem in a treasure hoard without waking up a dragon, get it all the way back to Blue Mountains, hope the dwarves held to their word, then return and hope they could kill the dragon in spite of the fact that the entire army of Erebor had been useless against said dragon. And that was assuming the dragon didn't wake up in the meantime, realize they had been there and come after them or, worse, get involved in whatever had Glorfindel and the Council so upset and make things a thousand times worse. In other words, even if the plan SUCEEDED it could still end up failing, in the end.

Her plan, if it worked, would succeed in truth. Erebor would be free, the dragon would be dead and unable to bother them again or get involved in whatever else was going on in Middle Earth.

Assuming Bilba could distract it. Assuming the arrow worked on him the same way Glorfindel and the legends claimed it worked on others. Assuming it killed him quickly. Assuming the aim was true when the arrow was fired.

"You'll need an archer," Nori said, his voice startling her. "And a good one at that."

Bilba took a deep breath. "I was sort of hoping you might help me with that."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I need to talk to Kili," Bilba said, "alone. You know how hard it is to get him away from Fili, even for a second."

Her gut twisted as she spoke. She was dragging Nori into her deception and soon would have Kili involved as well, forcing him to lie to both his brother and Thorin. What if she got him killed? How would she ever face Thorin again?

Well, her mind supplied immediately, odds were if the dragon killed Kili it would kill her too so she probably wouldn't have to face Thorin, or anyone else. She sighed, twisting her hands in her lap. Maybe if she had Kili stand near the entrance so he could run out at the first sign of trouble?

"Weren't you the one just commenting on how we're all adults?" Nori mused, breaking into her thoughts. Bilba looked at him in surprise and saw him giving her a knowing grin.

She really needed to work on her facial expressions, Bilba thought, that or Thorin, Fili and Nori were all able to read her thoughts.

A disturbing notion.

She gave Nori a weak grin. "I did say that."

She was still touching his hand and he moved it, grabbing hers in reassurance. "For what it's worth, I think you're right. Thorin will see it too."

Bilba gave him a rueful smile. "If we survive."

Nori shrugged and stood. "Try to be optimistic. Maybe the dragon will eat us all and he'll never find out."

Bilba gave a small laugh. "You're right. Why didn't I think of that? The last stop on the tour of things in Middle Earth that want to eat you."

He grinned. "Last stop is always the best." He turned and headed out. "I'll make sure Kili sees you, alone."

"Thank you," Bilba whispered and then settled back to wait, a sense of relief washing over her. Nori was the first one she'd fully laid her plan out to and he supported her in it.

Now all she had to do was convince Kili.

And then Bard.

And then she'd have to figure out a way to get on the boat without freaking out and making herself sick all over again.

Bilba gave a low moan and pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them and dropping her head on them.

How had this become her life?

***

In the end, Kili took less convincing than she'd thought. She didn't know what Nori said or did but Kili showed up in her room, alone, and, when he left, it was with all three of the Morgul arrows. He wasn't happy about having to lie to Thorin either but agreed with her reasoning.

He was also confident he could hit the dragon if given the opportunity. Particularly since, as Bilba explained, there was no reason to worry about the reported toughness of the dragon's scales or to even look for a weakness.

All he had to do was put an arrow in its eye.

A nice, big dragon sized eye.

He could do it, of that he had no doubt, and Bilba trusted him.

After that Bilba only had to convince Bard to help her.

And then figure out how to get off the Valar forsaken lake to the other shore.

Personally, she imagined Bard would be the easiest task.

***

"Thank you for coming," Bilba said politely to Bard. She tried not to shift in her chair as she spoke, not wanting to give the impression she was a wayward child before a responsible adult. When Thorin reported Bard had agreed to come, as Bilba had thought he would, she'd made the effort to look presentable and adult, in spite of how much smaller she was than the Human. She'd taken a bath and gotten dressed in her normal clothing again, ignoring the irritation over her trousers STILL being to tight in spite of her illness and lack of proper eating for several days. She felt almost back to normal, only a slight fatigue still plaguing her.

He nodded at her. "You're welcome. I had wanted to return, if only to apologize again for Tilda."

"No harm done," Bilba said. She gave him a rueful grin. "In truth, I feel I must apologize also."

"Indeed?" Bard said. "What for?"

"Well," Bilba continued, "I have to admit I questioned the sanity of anyone who would choose to live ON a lake. Now that I've met you, however, I can see my initial assessment was wrong."

Sort of wrong. In reality it made her even MORE confused that he would appear so rational and yet choose to live in such insanity.

Bard chuckled, leaning back in his own chair and resting a foot on his opposite leg. "To be honest, it wasn't my idea. My family is originally from Dale. We were forced to flee after the dragon came and, well, Lake-town is really all there is on this side of the world, particularly when you have no money for travel."