An Unexpected Addition (Thilbo - Bagginshield)

Reunion

"It's a hobbit babe!" said Kíli. "Isn't he tiny?"

"For the umpteenth time, you two, he's not a babe," sighed Bilbo. "And that thing is my nephew. His name's Frodo, and I'll be taking care of him from now on."

He tried to coax the shy child out from behind him.

"C'mon, Frodo, everyone here is a good friend of mine. Do you remember the stories I told you about the King? Thorin Oakenshield? Well, this is him, darling."

Frodo peeked around his uncle's thighs. "Are you sure? He doesn't have a crown. I thought all kings were supposed to have crowns?"

The older hobbit didn't even attempt to hold in his laughter. "Thorin has a crown, dear, but he just doesn't like to wear it. Dreadfully heavy, crowns are. Besides, you don't like to wear your underpants, now do you?"

Frodo scrunched up his nose. "They itch."

"Well, maybe Thorin feels the same way about his crown," Bilbo reasoned. "Just because Thorin doesn't wear it, doesn't make him an un-King. Just like not wearing your underpants doesn't make you an un-hobbit."

Bilbo could hear the other dwarves laughing themselves silly, especially Fíli, Kíli, and Bofur. He didn't even want to imagine what Thorin's face looked like right now. The hobbit wouldn't be surprised if the stoic dwarf tried to throw him out of Erebor for being so blasé about the royal crown. If there still was a royal crown; Bilbo still wasn't quite sure about that particular matter.

"Frodo?"

"I guess so," his nephew conceded. He stepped out a little bit more and waved up at the King Under the Mountain. "Hello."

And then he disappeared right back behind his uncle again. Oh goodness...

"He's got blood on him."

Bilbo sighed. "I'm working on the shyness issue, but stuff like this takes a good bit of time to overcome."

He actually tried to pull Frodo out this time, but the faunt was having none of it. With a cranky whine, Frodo buried his head in the back of Bilbo's thigh and refused to come out, fingers digging into his uncle's trousers when the older hobbit tried to dislodge them.

"Now, Frodo, it's alright. No one in this hall will hurt you, I promise. Thorin's not nearly as frightening as he appears." Bilbo leaned down to whisper to his nephew. "He's really a big softie inside, just like Hamson's gaffer back in the Shire. And look, Fíli and Kíli are right over there."

Both dwarves gave the faunt reassuring waves. This seemed to perk Frodo up a little bit, his arms gesturing for Bilbo to pick him up. Arms aching from long hours of previous use, the older hobbit still managed to balance the tiny hobbit on his right hip, hugging the youngster close for reassurance. Frodo had been dreadfully shy in their first few weeks together, but he'd been opening up a lot more since Rivendell, something that Bilbo hoped would continue in Erebor.

"Now, give Thorin a proper greeting, Frodo."

The young boy seemed to ponder this for a moment before finally holding out his hand with a determined expression. "Nice to meet you, Mister King."

Thorin looked completely baffled.

"Umm, Uncle," stage whispered Kíli. "Not to be impolite or anything, but I think you're supposed to shake the babe's hand."

The other dwarves didn't even attempt to hide their mirth, Fíli all but snorting when Dwalin said something in Khuzdul. Bilbo didn't doubt that whatever it was, was terribly rude and likely directed at Thorin's bemused reaction. The King pointedly ignored all of them.