Return To Me[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]DISCONTINUED

[Chapter Two]

 It was later in the evening. Freya and her daughters were home getting ready for Bilbo's birthday celebration. It was to be a marvelous fest and dancing and Gandalf's fireworks. The other hobbits were already making their way down the hill to the open fields where long tables and a few tents were set up. Thora and Thea joined the crowd with Freya right behind them. Most of the hobbit's found the girls oddly strange since the day their mother returned to the Shire with them, accompanied by elves. Neither of them had a passion for what hobbit's enjoyed the most. They wanted more, they wanted to see what was passed their borders, go to the great mountain where their other kin were from. When they were old enough, Freya had told them of their birthright and that it would be their choice in the end if they wish to claim that right to take the throne, but neither wanted that burden they just wanted to be themselves, but found their lives here in Hobbiton quite dull. The fireworks had already began. Hobbit were already dancing to the music and filling their bellies with delicious food.

"Hello cousin." Thora greeted one of the hobbit's. "And where do you think you two are sneaking off to?"

"Thora. Thea. Were not up to anything." Merry quickly said, as Pippin nodded his head in agreement.

"You two aren't planning another one of your pranks are you?" Thea grumbled at them. "This is Bilbo's birthday"

"Sounds like fun." Thora stated as she joined the two of them. " You going to join us sister?"

"No I will not join in your childish antics and ruin uncle Bilbo's birthday sister." Thea replied, folding her arms across her chest.

"Ohh Thea, come on it will be fun." Pippin assured but she shook her head and left and joined her friend Rosie, one of the few hobbits that accepted the fact that she was half-breed and joined in the dancing with the other hobbit's.

" Go on, Sam. Ask Rosie or Thea for a dance." Frodo encouraged when he saw his friend constantly watching them both as they twirled around and then just turning away before they'd catch him.

"I think i'll just have another ale." Sam stammered, getting up from the table he was seated at.

"Oh no you don't. Go on." Frodo shoved his friend towards Rosie, and he took her hand and placed his other hand on her lower back. Thea went and sat by Frodo and the two of them laughed wondering if those two would ever admit their feelings for one another. Gandalf continued to set off his fireworks that lit up over the entire village and even joined in the dancing.

Bilbo and Freya were off telling stories of their journey to the younger children, whilst Thora, Merry and Pippin were about to put their plan into action as they saw the wizard at the back of his wagon grabbing a few of his animal shaped fireworks for the hobbit children. Merry and Thora kept watched from behind the tent until it was safe to send in Pippin. Merry helped the other hobbit get into the wagon as Thora kept an eye on the wizard if he should spot them.

"Hurry up. He's lighting the last one." Thora hissed.

"Oh! Up they go!" Gandalf proclaimed, chuckling as the children chased the fiery looking butterflies.

"No, no, the big one. Big one." Merry pressed. Pippin dug through the supplies a little more and found one in the shape of a dragon. Pippin jumped out of the wagon and ran for the other tent with the other hobbit and half-breed right behind him.

"Mrs. Bracegirdle, how nice to see you. Welcome, welcome. Are all these children yours?" Bilbo asked, as he saw at least a dozen children go running passed him.

"Yeah." she admitted.

"Good gracious, you have been productive." The young woman awkwardly laugh before sneaking away with the one child in her arms.

"Uncle Bilbo. Happy birthday." Thea praised as she hugged the hobbit and kissed him on the cheek.

" Oh, thank you Thea. You are too sweet like your mother." He stated as he looked up at her. "And where is that sister of yours?"

" I couldn't tell ya. She's probably off causing mayhem with Merry and Pippin." Thea muttered.

"Aye. That sister of yours is quite stubborn, like her kin." Bilbo chuckled.

"My mother says the same thing." Thea laughed. "Speaking of, I should go find her and join her." The half-breed informed before leaving.

Pippin lit the firework. " Done!"

"You're supposed to stick it in the ground." Merry pressed, pushing the firework towards Pippin

"It is!" Pippin argued, shoving it over to Thora.

"Outside!" Merry finished as it got shoved back to him.

"This was both of your idea!" Thora declared as she backed away just as the firework shot up into the air and sent both the hobbit's to the ground and their faces covered in soot. The hobbit's heard the commotion looked up into the sky. Freya was walking with Bilbo, Frodo and Thea when the hobbit's began scream and shout after the firework grew wings like a dragon and began coming towards them through the sky. Tables of food were knocked over in the process as the little folk ran to take cover.

"Bilbo..."Frodo began looking into the sky, Thea along with him.

"Watch out for the dragon!" Thea yelled.

"Dragon? Nonsense. There hasn't been a dragon in these parts for a thousand years." Bilbo informed as all four of them hit the ground as it flew passed them across the river and began shrinking into the distance and finally exploded into beautiful colors and the hobbit's; including the four of them all cheered.

"That was good." Merry said as he enjoyed the sight.

"Let's get another one." Pippin insisted.

"Aah!" Both of them shrieked when they felt someone grabbed them by one of their ears.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. I might have known. "The wizard said giving them a disappointing look. " Come on out Thora Oakenshield, I know you had something to do with this."

The young woman came out as a wizard raised an eyebrow at her and she gave a slight awkward chuckle. For there childish joke the three of them were punished by having to clean up the mess the made and the dishes. Pippin washed the dishes, Thora dried them and Merry stacked them and they were under the constant eye of the wizard who was enjoying a mug of ale and smoking his pipe.

"Speech, Bilbo!" A hobbit from the crowd shouted. "Speech!"

Bilbo made his way to the front of the crowd and climbed onto the lid of a barrel to address his fellow hobbits. " My dear Bagginses and Boffins, Tooks and Brandybucks, Grubbs, Chubbs, Homblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles, and Proudfoots." Each group of hobbit's cheered after their heard their families name being called.

"Proudfeet!" The hobbit corrected, causing everyone to burst out laughing. Bilbo waved him off and continued with his speech he had planned for this evening.

"Today is my 111th birthday." Bilbo proclaimed. Most of the hobbit's wished him a happy birthday as they raised their mugs to him. " But alas, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

The crowd went silent at this. Looking at one another as their murmured at this new development. Freya narrowed her eyes at her cousin wondering where all this was going. She knew he had been acting odd for months but he was defiantly up to something. "I, uh..." Bilbo stuttered as he slowly moved his hand to his pocket and startled fiddling with whatever was inside it. " I ha-have things to do." He removed his hand and without revealing the ring he placed his hand behind his back. 'I've put this off for far too long.' He hissed under his breath.

" I regret to announce this is the end. I'm going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell." He said as he gave them all one last look. " Goodbye." And with that he disappeared into the air, the hobbit's gasped. Freya was surprised and then looked at Gandalf wondering if this was some magic trick, to scare them all or something, but as she saw his face, he too seemed to know nothing of this being part of this even's feast.