Bilbo sighs softly and rests his head against the wall behind him, replaying his conversation with Balin in his head. That the Arkenstone would only cause Thorin's madness to become worse with no hope of ever getting the King's mind back.

Bilbo reaches into his coat pocket to pull the stone out but his fingers brush against something else. He pulls out the little acorn and turns it around in his fingers before he jumps at a loud voice. He twists around to see Thorin marching up to him.

"What is that?! In your hand!" Thorin glares as he marches up to the Hobbit. Bilbo jumps up and moves a few steps back from the Dwarf, hiding his hands behind his back because it was rather silly to carry a acorn around. "It's nothing" Bilbo says.

"Show me" Thorin demands. Bilbo stammers before holding his hand out and revealing the little acorn to the Dwarf King. Thorin looks down at his hand, staring at the acorn.

"I picked it up in Beorn's garden" Bilbo says glancing back and forth between Thorin and the acorn in his hands. Thorin looks up at him, something changing in his blue eyes. A sense of clarity, the first sign since the Dwarf had set sights on the gold. Bilbo stares at Thorin, at his eyes.

"You've carried it all this way?" Thorin asks in a soft voice a small smile forming on his lips. How did a simple little acorn bring back Thorin Oakenshield's mind?

"I wanted to take it home and plant it in my garden at Bag End" Bilbo explains his mind already coming up with a diffrent plan for the acorn in his palm.

"It's a poor prize to take back to the shire" Thorin says still in that soft voice, his clear blue eyes locked onto the hobbit. A soft smile on his face.

"I thought that one day it would of grown. And every time I would look at it I would remember. Remember everything that happened, the good, the bad. And how lucky I am that I had made it home." As Bilbo speaks, Thorin's smile grows larger as he continues to gaze upon the hobbit. His bright blue eyes loosing all of the maddness they had held within the past few days. Looking into them helps Bilbo decide. He ignores Dwalin's call for Thorin, watching as the clarity begins to fade from those blue eyes.

"Thorin" Bilbo reaches out and grabs onto the King's hand, drawing the Dwarf's attention back to him. Bilbo presses the acorn into Thorin's large palm, closing the large fingers over it. "I want you to have it, for...for luck" Bilbo says removing his hand from Thorin's and taking a step back. The Dwarf king looks down at his hand, the maddness fading once again and to Bilbo's delight the clear look to them stays even when Dwalin calls out to him again.

"There are survives from Lake-Town, they are streaming into Dale" Dwalin says once he sees he had Thorin's attention. Thorin glances back to Bilbo then at Dwalin, "Call everyone to the gate". He turns and walks down the corridor with a acorn held gently in his palm.

A hour later the Company of dwarves were gathered at the recently, re destroyed gate. Thorin approaches them all with clear blue eyes, looking over them all. "We are to go to Dale, offer our help to the survivors. And I will fulfill my promise to their Master. I have sent word to Dain to inform him we were sucessful and asked for food that we will share with the survivors" Thorin says, before moving past them and through the gates. Balin gapes in shock, just this morning Thorin was yelling about the Arkenstone, what had happened to bring back his mind?

The Company trail after their King, sharing confused look but make their way down to Dale where Bard meets them with a suprised look on his face.

Bilbo doesn't get another chance to talk with Thorin over the next few days. First he and the Company helped bring the survivors of Lake-town into Erebor where there was shelter and access to fresh water through a very deep well that ran throughout the mountain. He helped Oin with the wounded which took up most of his time.

Then the Elven King arrived with a army demanding what was his but none the less provided food for them all. Thorin returned the White gems of Lasgalen to Thranduil after the two King's came to an agreement. Dain arrived not long after, almost started a war when he sore the elves at the gates of Erebor. If the young Princes hadnt rushed out to explain then war would of started, luckily they calmed the Dwarf Lord down and brought him to Thorin. Once Dain had been filled in he provided extra help in the start of restoring Erebor, and helped provive more food to the company of Men, Dwarves and Elves.

Bilbo thought that everything was fine then Gandalf came riding in warning them of an Orc army that only made things much more chaotic as Thorin, Thranduil, Bard, Dain and Gandalf discussed war tactics. Bilbo only got a brief change to speak with Thorin when the King called him over while the Dwarves were preparing for war. Some of the men and elves had returned to Dale to gather weapons from the lomg abandoned armory as the dwarven armor and weapons were not sized for men and elves.

"You will need this" Thorin says holding a silver shirt in his hands. He holds it up for Bilbo to see, explaining that it was a Mithril shirt and that it would protect him from any sharp weapon. He slips the Mithril shirt on, feeling rather ridiculous. Before he could even attempt to complain Thorin holds his hand up to silence him. "It is a gift, a token of my thanks. Of my friendship. It is only fair i gift you something in return" Thorin says with a small smile. He reaches up and pulls a leather corded necklace out from under the confines of his armor. Bilbo gapes at the sight of his acorn tied to the end of the leather cord. Thorin kept it. He turned it into a necklace he was wearing.

"But Thorin! This is to much for thanks. Thats only a acorn!" Bilbo frets. Thorin hums and nods softly in thoughts, "Well then think of the Mithril as a part of your share. And these.." Thorin pauses and reaches up to his braids, unclasping the beads on the end. "As a gift in return for the acorn" The King finishes. Bilbo stutters but nods, not thinking of an argument against the gift.

The King smiles and reaches up to brush his fingers against Bilbo's hair. "May I braid them into your hair?" He asks. "Won't I look silly with braids?" Bilbo questions but complies none the less. Thorin leads him to a small enclosed section off the corridor where he sits the Hobbit down and begins to expertly braid Bilbo's hair. Bilbo stays quiet and lets his thoughts wonder. Thorin seemed to have his mind again, no longer driven by the gold-sickness, or dragon-sickness as Balin called it. Balin's warning of what the Arkeonstone could do still echoed in his head. The stone seemed to be heavier in his pocket. He was at a lost on what to do, did he return the stone to its rightful owner?

"There we are" Thorin says stepping back to admire his work. Bilbo reaches up to feel the braids, very similar to Thorin's own but much shorter due to the shorter length of his hair, even though his hair had grown in length since he left the Shire. "Thank you, Thorin" Bilbo smiles turning to face the kind. The ends of Thorin's braids were starting to come loose without the beads to keep them intact. "No Thank you, Bilbo" Thorin says with a incline of his head.

Bilbo hesitates for a moment "Thorin I-" he doesnt get to say much more as a horn sounds from outside the mountain. The orcs were here. War had started. Thorin clasps him on the shoulder, shouts orders in his Dwarvish Language and dissapears down the corridor with the Dwarven Company following after him. Bilbo sighs softly, it seems that the Arkeonstone was to remain with him for now. He touches his new braids before he follows after his Dwarves, his hand on Sting's handle.

The dwarves rush out into War with Bilbo staying behind at Gandalf's side, watching nervously as Thorin fights along side his cousin Dain, Dwalin, Fili and Kili not far from him. Bilbo tries to keep them in his sights as he too fights, staying close to Gandalf's side the Wizard offering protection and aid as Bilbo tended to wounded or faught against a orc. The battle rages on and Bilbo looses sight of the Dwarven King. He is eventually whisked back inside Erebor after he falls whilst fighting an orc. The Mithril shirt did well to protect him though he had gotten a nasty cut on his leg and a knock to the head. He is taken inside Erebor where Elf healers and the Women of Lake-town had set up a war hospital. He is bullied into laying down by an Elf, though worry eats away at him. Exhausting and a concussion causes him to drift off into a fitful sleep where he is awoken hours later by a horn and shouts.

He climbs off the makeshift bed and is suprised to find Gandalf at his side. "The war is won" the Wizard informs him, helping the Hobbit stand. "Thorin? Kili? Fili? The others?" Bilbo asks in worry, growing nervous at Gandalf's dark expression.

"They are alive" the Wizard informs him once he sees the Hobbits panic. "But not without cost. They are all badly injured, they went off to fight Azog themselves and nearly got caught in a trap if it were not for Tauriel and Legolas. Fili and Kili both suffered serious wounds but will live, Fili will most likely have a limp for the rest of his life. Thorin suffered more serious wounds, it is a wonder that is still alive. He received a very bad stab wound" As they talked Gandalf was leading Bilbo through the busy hospital to a more private wing of Erebor. The Dwarf King and his Nephews were inside. Dwalin and Dain standing guard with only minor injuries. Dain goes to stop them but stops at the sight of Bilbo, staring at his hair. Dwalin says something in the Dwarven Language and the pair move out of Bilbo and Gandalf's way.

Bilbo rushes inside, to an unconscious Thorin's side, careful to stay clear of the elves caring for them; Oin moving around them and the unconscious Dwarves. The Dwarf King was free of his armor, leaving him in only a pair of pants. One of his feet were bandaged, his entire torso and part of his head. Resting on Thorin's chest was his acorn, somehow still intact and connected to the leather cord Thorin had tied it to.

To the side was Fili and Kili, the later also unconscious. Fili had a bandage on his head and around his leg, injured leg propped up on a pillow. The blonde dwarf Prince was watching his unconscious brother. Kili had a bandaged chest like Thorin. Bilbo barely noticed them as he latches onto Thorins hand, cradling the larger hand between his smaller ones. Gandalf dissapears back out leaving Bilbo with the injured Dwarves.

"Thorin?" He calls softly to the King, reciving no reply. The gentle rise and fall of the Kings chest helps ease his worry and he focuses on that instead of the deathly pale color of Thorin's skin. "Thorin, dont you dare die" Bilbo says bringing Thorin's hand up to his cheek. He leans his cheek against the cold still hand.

His voice draws Fili's attention, who calls out to him on a exhausted voice. Bilbo looks up at the Prince blinking away the tears in his eyes. "They will both live" Fili says, a thing he had repeated multiple times before to ease his own worry. Bilbo releases Thorin's hand, resting it back down before he moves to Fili, wrapping his arms around the Prince.

Fili lets out a sob and clings onto the Hobbit in return. The pair just cry together, Bilbo gently stroking the blonde strands. "You're braids are loose" Bilbo mumbles earning a soft laugh as Fili pulls back. Indeed the multiple braids in Fili's hair had come lose, leaving only one that was still intact. The braids in his mustache had also come loose, proving just how long it actually was. "Would you like me to re-braid them?" Bilbo offers, offering to distract them both from their worries.

"Oh no, you can't. You don't know of the customs of Dwarves, i keep forgetting that. Dwarves consider our hair and beards sacred, only a Dwarf's family or lover can typically braid or wash another's hair" Fili explains, reaching up to tug on his remaining braid, "The beads we wear are also sacred".

Bilbo gapes and lets out a strangled noise. "A-And if a dwarf braids someones hair that is not a family member?" He asks thinking back to Thorin braiding his hair before the battle. "It can means many things, that they are saying that the one they are braiding is under their protection, friendship, employment, that they are romantically interested. It depends on the dwarf and braid same with beads" Fili explains with a shrug that causes him to groan. His ribs had been bruised.

"Oh...uh and these?" Bilbo motions to the braids in his hair. He bends so Fili could inspect the braids. "Oh those mean protection and romance. Wait...these are Uncle's beads. By my beard! Bilbo!" Fili sounded way to excited.

Bilbo draws back to look over a the unconscious Thorin, thinking over Fili's explanation. "Giving away our beads means that the owner has proposed, wearing both beads means that you are considering it. If you return one then you have agreed to marriage....by your expression im going to assume that Uncle didnt explain any of this?" Fili says following Bilbo's gaze to Thorin. "No he didnt" Bilbo mumbles reaching up to his braids. "He said they were a gift because i gave him my acorn" Bilbo mumbles.

Fili laughs and only winches. "Ow...oh Bilbo. You have much to learn. An engagement gift; is what he meant. Giving him the acorn basically meant the same as us giving away our beads" Fili says. "What?! No! I only gave it to him because he was Thorin when he sore it, not driven by the madness from the gold" Bilbo rushes to explain.

At some point Kili had awoken and lets out a moan. "So thats how the spell broke..." the young Prince groans. Fili practically shouts his brothers name reaching out for him. Elves rush to Kili's side and start fussing over him, Tauriel, the red headed warrior elf hovering nearby. Bilbo draws back to Thorin's side where Oin was adjusting the bandages on the unconscious King. "Fili speaks the truth" Oin says patting Bilbi's arm before joining the elves around the two Princes.

Bilbo sits quietly by the King's bed, thinking over the imfomation he had learnt. That explained Dain's reaction at the door at least. "Now you really can't die idiot" Bilbo mumbles to Thorin reaching out to grab his hand again. The Hobbit sits quietly before reaching into his pocket to pull the Arkenstone out his pocket. He reaches over and tucks the glowing stone under the King's hand. He ignores the gasp he coukd hear from the Prince's, focusing down at Thorin.

"I should of returned this long ago but i was afraid. I watched you fall to the madness, and i was scared what the stone would do to you. But then your mind cleared..all because of an acorn...then you go and propose to me. Without even telling me! Perhaps you were scared to..but if you had only asked me then you would of known my answer" Bilbo reaches up to un-clasp one of the beads in his hair. He braids a section of Thorin's hair, a simple braid but a braid none the less and clips the bead on at the end. "You have to wake up okay Thorin? Because I love you, you idiot" Bilbo grabs onto Thorins hand again, settling down against the bed as he waits. He ignores the low murmur of the elves, of Kili and Fili talking. He simply watches Thorin.

"I knew you had it..." A strangled voice says which makes the entire room go silent and for Bilbo to jump up. Thorin's eyes were open, blinking up at the Hobbit before him. "I figured it out once my mind cleared..but i didnt care as you were still here with me. You are worth more than any stone or gold" Thorin groans and coughs again which gets the room moving. Elves rush to the bedside shooing the Hobbit to the side as they work their magic. Thorin's eyes stay on Bilbo before they close again as the King once again goes unconsious. Bilbo hovers near the Prince's as he watches nervously.

He rarely leaves the room for the new few days, staying by Thorin's side or Fili's or Kili's. They were all deemed to expect a full recovery, though they simply had to wait for the Dwarf King to awaken again. He would wake briefly, enough to drink or eat before going back to sleep. Oin reassured Bilbo that Thorin simply had to regain his strength. By the time Thorin wakes and stays awake longer than a few moments a week had passed and Fili had tried to escape enough times that Oin had to threaten to tie him down. Kili was much like their Uncle, awake for only a few moments before sleeping again, though had regained full consciousness a day before and was happily chatting with Bilbo and Fili when Thorin calls out.

Bilbo is at his side in seconds, smiling in relief. "Bilbo" Thorin mumbles with a smile, gazing up at his Hobbit. Bilbo returns the smile full force and reaches down to cup the side of Thorin's face. "You are well? Fili? Kili?" Thorin asks, letting out a small sigh as he nuzzles against Bilbo's palm. "Everyone is fine, all alive" Bilbo informs him. Thorin nods slightly, looking around the room before his gaze settles on the Arkenstone resting beside his bed. "So i didn't dream that..." Thorin says with a raised brow.

"Uh...no...I'm sorry Thorin. I should of -" Bilbo goes quiet as Thorin shakes his head.

"No, dont apologize. You did the right thing" Thorin says groaning in pain. Bilbo pulls back to go call for Oin or one of the Elves but is stopped by Thorin's hand on his.

"Wait..Bilbo" Thorin waits until the hobbit was facing him again. "Did i dream your words too?" The King asks searching the Hobbits face before his gaze settles on the single braid in Bilbo's hair. "You have some explaining to do Thorin. Proposing like that! I never would of known if Fili didnt tell me" Bilbo huffs in annoyance but a smile was on his face.

"You agreed?" Thorin mumbles with a smile of his own. "Well of course i agreed! I love you" Bilbo says letting out a small yelp as Thorin tugs him down with strength Bilbo didnt expect him to have. "I love you aswell my love" Thorin hums and kisses his Hobbit while Fili and Kili cheer in the background.

Bilbo knew then as he kissed the Dwarf King that everything would be alright.

((So i recently watched the Hobbit movies for the first time. Became obsessed and fell in love with the Bilbo and Thorin ship. I loved the acorn scene and the clearness in Thorin's mind during that part that inspired this and i had to do something to fix the ending of the Hobbit because gosh darn it that ending is not at all okay. So this was created! I hope you all enjoy!))