Author's Note: This is a little-I guess it's canon all the way up until the spiders of Mirkwood. Then it's all AU. I don't know what to call that. Just a little treat for those who are reading RC; I know i haven't updated but time and newly started school has taken a toll. I can promise though that you won't be disappointed by the next chapter. But now on with the show!

Tree branches slapped into his face, and the stones in the ground cut into his feet, but Bilbo didn't stop running. He saw the dwarves being led away by the elves, and remembered Balin telling him to stay hidden. But he was tiring out quickly, and the tall shadows amongst the trees were growing.

It wasn't long before Bilbo tripped. Whether on a branch or his own feet, he wasn't sure. But when he looked up, there were a pair of elvish boots in front of him. That was the last thing he saw before something hit him in the back of the head, and Bilbo blissfully fell into the darkness.

"So this is the King Under the Mountain. But you don't have a mountain anymore do you?" Thranduil mused, enjoying the glare that Thorin sent him.

He had been surprised when they were brought before him, but he couldn't understand why they were in his domain. The stern, tight lipped faces of the dwarves told him that they wouldn't be telling him anything. However, he kept calmly pacing in front of them, wondering what he should do with them when Legolas entered.

"Father, we found this strange small creature in the woods."

"There are many creatures in Mirkwood. Be more specific, Legolas."

"It is smaller than dwarf, with auburn hair and large feet twice the size they should be. He also was found near to where the dwarves were," Legolas said calmly, noting the way the dwarves began shuffling subtly.

Thranduil's eyes narrowed, watching the dwarves as well. Why would such a creature be travelling with a group of dwarves?

"I shall go see this creature. Tauriel, take them to the dungeons. Perhaps time will make their tongues wag."

"Don't hurt Bilbo,'" blurted out a dark-haired dwarf with barely a stubble along his jaw. He was kicked in the shin by a golden-haired dwarf beside him before the dwarf was chastised in Khuzdul.

Raising an eyebrow, the elf king said nothing and motioned his son to bring in the creature. At the same time, many of the dwarves were protesting their treatment. Until the doors opened, and a pale auburn-haired creature was protesting weakly against Tauriel's iron grip.

The dwarves fell silent at the bruised sight of the hobbit. Most of them hadn't been paying attention to the condition and health of the halfling, and were stunned by the thinness of Bilbo's frame.

"What is this? A halfling of the Shire? What are you doing so far away from your home?" Thranduil said condescendingly, gripping Bilbo's chin roughly so that he would look up into his eyes. Bilbo whimpered at the cold, unfeeling eyes of the elf king and he look around the room wildly. His eyes landed on the eyes of his leader. Thorin felt a pang of pain at the helpless look in the halfling's eyes, and he longed to cut down the elf with Orcrist and take the halfling in his arms where nothing would touch him.

Thranduil watches the way the hobbit looks at the exiled dwarf king and wonders as to their relationship. I shall use the halfling against that blasted dwarf if he won't tell me what he is doing in my lands. "Answer me, Halfling."

Wincing, Bilbo says, '"Well, you see, Hobbits aren't the m-most adventurous of beings. But I am half Took, and that does make a Hobbit quite a bit the opposite of respectability."

Glaring, Thranduil tightened his grip on Bilbo's chin. "Do not toy with me, Halfling. Why are you in the company of these dwarves?"

"I-I would have to quote my Great Uncle when I say that your nose shouldn't be in anyone's apple pie but your own."

At that, the dwarves began to snicker and the elven guards shoved them roughly with their spears, almost knocking Balin to the ground. Thorin finally cracked and said, "Leave the halfling alone, Thranduil. He has better things to do than converse with a tree-shagging traitor like you!"

Immediately, the temperature in the room dropped and Bilbo felt fear run through him at icy fury in the elves eyes. Straightening up, Thranduil motioned for Legolas to step forward. He reached and grabbed the silver dagger at his son's side and walked over to Thorin, pressing the knife into his cheek. "My temper is rising, Oakenshield. And I do not take kindly to being insulted in my own home. A lesson in manners seems to be in order."

But before he could cut into Thorin's bearded cheek, there was a yell.

"Don't!"

If it looked like Thranduil couldn't get any angrier, he proved the dwarves' and surrounding elves wrong. Turning slowly, he looked at where Bilbo was shrinking back in Tauriel's grip. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he tightly said, "The insolence and cheek is not serving you well, Hobbit."

At that, Bilbo stuck out his chin stubbornly. He was a Baggins and no Baggins was going to let anyone insult them, elf king or not!

"But the discourtesy of you, Oakenshield, and your refusal to tell me where you are going means I'm going to punish your petty little group," Thrandruil said.

"Bah, any good that'll do!" Gloin shouted.

"I shall start with the Hobbit," the elf king said conversationally, as if he was ordering dinner.

At that, the dwarves all started yelling and protesting, only stopping when Thrandruil help the knife to Bilbo's throat in a warning. Once the hall was silent once more, he said," The worst punishment for a dwarf is to have their beards shaved off. If you had one, halfling, trust that it would have been gone by now." At that he stops in order to wait for silence while the dwarves roar in protest.

"But to a hobbit-" he grabbed Bilbo's chin and looked into his large fearful eyes for a moment before continuing "-their pride and joy is their furry feet."

A deafening silence filled the room before realization filled Bilbo's face and he cried out in fear, struggling anew in his chains. Tauriel was caught by surprise and momentarily let the flailing hobbit go. Bilbo fell to the ground and began crawling backwards towards the dwarves. Tauriel caught him and slapped him, causing him to stop squirming.

"Please, don't-anything but that-please don't," Bilbo pleaded, his face contorting with fear and helplessness. His eyes met Thorin's, who immediately began struggling against his guards in a desperate attempt to help his halfling.

"Legolas," Thrandruil commanded.

The elf prince hesitated for a moment, face filled with conflicted emotions. "Father, perhaps this is not the best way to-"

"Are you questioning me!"

"No, my king," Legolas said bitterly. He grasped Bilbo's legs and lifted them up to make it look like he was lying on an invisible table, held down by elf hands in place of chains.

Bilbo renewed his screams and pleas, thrashing the the elves' grip. The dwarves, at the distress of the hobbit, began calling out words in Khuzdul and fighting the guards, Thorin the most of all. But they all went still as Thandruil began cutting off the fuzz of golden-brown hair off.

Shrieking, Bilbo sobbed in pain and fear as he continued pleading with the elf king. Horrified by the torture, many of the woodland elves left the room, many of them protesting the act they were witnessing and pitying the small halfling. All the dwarves stood in horrified silence, all feeling shame and anguish of watching a brother-in-arms be tortured. None felt it more than Thorin, who roared in enraged terror at the sight of his lover's pain. He hated the look of vulnerability in Bilbo's eyes and the weeping that left his lips.

As for the hobbit, he couldn't get pass the shame of having his feet hair cut off in front of his lover. No one in known hobbit history had ever had their hair cut off and it was only used as a threat in the gravest of situations. To have it actually happen at the hands of the king of one of the races he most treasured as a child was heartbreaking and mind shattering. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and his cries and shrieks fall silent, a part of him slowly falling apart.

Dori, Gloin, and Bombur all were sobbing. Bifur and Oin were praying together in Khuzdul while Nori and Bofur were clutching each other. Fili and Kili held each other, the elder hiding his brother's face from the torture before them. Ori was holding himself tightly until Dwalin pulled him against him tightly, tears streaming down the warrior's face. Balin was silent before joining Bifur and Oin in prayer, unable to stand the painful silence after watching Tauriel and Legolas stiffen. Thorin did nothing but mutter endearments in Khuzdul as he watched his hobbit's prone form from where a silently crying Tauriel and Legolas held him as Thrandruil continued cutting off all the hair on his right foot before moving to his left.

Because the silence was so vast and the hall so large, faint whispers were slowly reaching the ears of the company.

"Mama...mama, please...help me mama..."

At those broken words, Thorin broke. He collapsed onto his knees and sobbed out his halfling's name. "Bilbo..."

The words had some effect, but it was unclear whether good or bad.

"Thorin...please help...don't let them...please...mama...Thorin..."

"That should be enough," Thrandruil said, casually straightening up as he tossed the silver dagger aside like trash. "Now will you talk, Oakenshield?" Silence. "Very well then. Take them to the dungeons. I'm sure I can wait a hundred years."

With those words, the elf king left the empty room. Legolas let go of Bilbo's legs, causing him to limply fall in Tauriel's arms. A heavy, somber air settled over the group in the hall, before the elf prince even moved him. He turned to the silent group of dwarves, letting them see the tears in his eyes before he straightened his shoulders and quietly said, "You will not go to the dungeons."

"My prince, your father said-"

"I don't care what he said, Tauriel! Unchain the dwarves. Get several trusted guards and have them take the dwarves out of Mirkwood now. I will not have anyone else hurt by my father's actions."

"And Bilbo?" Thorin croaked. He was no longer the distinguished exiled king, but a heartbroken lover who had to witness his worst nightmare.

"I shall give you a bag filled with ointments and remedies needed. For now the best I can do is put a cream on it and wrap them in bandages," Legolas offered.

"Oin will do it." Thorin said.

Legolas blinked. "Master Dwarf, you forget that elves-"

"Oin will do it."

Realizing there was no arguing with the dwarf, Legolas moved on and proceeded to unchain the dwarves. As for Tauriel, she hesitantly handed Thorin Bilbo's limp form. Clutching the halfling to him, Thorin whispered words begging for forgiveness and of love. For several moments all he did was stroke Bilbo's hair and face before reluctantly allowing Oin to bandage the strangely hairless feet.

The sting of the ointment caused Bilbo to stir. He owlishly opened his eyes at Thorin and they were still filled with fear. He clutched the dwarf king's fur coat and whispered, "Thorin?"

"Shh, azyungal. Rest for now," Thorin replied just as softly.

"Stay with me. Please," Bilbo asked timidly.

"Anything for you. Rest while we leave."

"...Don't...tell...him anything," came the sleepy voice of the hobbit. "I...love...you, Thorin..."

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Thorin pulled the dozing hobbit closer to him once the wrapping was done and whispered, "I love you too, Bilbo. I'm so sorry..."

A/N #2: Ooh, that turned out...well, I'll just let you comment how it turned out. I hope you enjoyed! Oh, and RC readers, check out my poll on my page about the RC finale!