*HOME IS BEHIND*

Summertime in the Shire was absolutely perfect. Everything seemed to be enhanced in color as the golden glow of the sun lazily alighted upon them. The green hills and vast forests of Hobbiton was buzzing with life and the sweet smell of baking bread awakened the youngest inhabitant of Bag-end.

The young Bilbo Baggins opened his eyes and stifled an adorable yawn. His curly hair was messy, and so were his bed sheets. The child jumped from his bed and made his way to the pantry after organizing the sheets. He passed his parent's room and saw them still asleep.

Upon entering the pantry he saw the large platter of newly baked bread that his mother prepared. Belladonna Took always woke up early to bake and then sleep again until the sun shone through the windows, signaling breakfast. The young Hobbit was the only one awake and he wanted to have the first slice of the delicious pastry. Bilbo smiled happily and tried to reach the loaf of bread, his little hands determinedly trying to grasp the food. But his small size was not allowing him to get what he wanted.

Bilbo gave a small pout, his cheeks tinged pink with exhaustion and his brown eyes filling with tears. He sniffled before running way from the pantry and towards the front door. Bilbo carefully unlatched the bolt and opened the door before running outside. His little feet carried him to the woods near Bag End.

If I can't get the bread, then my elvish friends would. Bilbo thought. The child ran through the trees, dodging the leaves and branches of some smaller plants. A few tears streamed down his face at the thought of not being able to get what he wanted.

In his young mind, Bilbo absolutely adored the elves. He would read about them in the children's book his mother bought for him on his fifth birthday and he would dream about them at night, walking in the trees by moonlight. So with his knowledge, he automatically sought for them in the forest. But he didn't know the way to them and he realized this when he got lost.

The forest in this side of the Shire was not as wild and dangerous as the Old Forest in Buckland, but no less concealing. The trees were tall, their leaves thick and their branches wide. Only a little sunlight escaped the thick canopy, the place full of shadows. Bilbo felt very terrified and his previous disappointment about the bread was forgotten.

"Mama?!" The child yelled. "Papa?! Where are you? I want to come home." No one answered him. Bilbo's wide eyes once again filled with tears and he started to cry. He brought his tiny hands to his face and rubbed furiously. His pajamas were dirty and filled with scratches when they snagged at the plants as he ran.

Bilbo was regretting his decision to run away when he could have asked his parents for help. The elves will not be able to assist him, since they do not know where he is and no one even knew where he went! Bilbo was completely alone and lost. He was terrified.

The lone dwarf was traveling East to the Blue Mountains, and he needed to pass the Shire to get there. His comrades, sister and nephews were waiting for him and he was very eager to get back to them. Thorin, as he was known, decided to cut through the forest to make the journey shorter. He encountered no problem at all and called it very good fortune, when he heard a soft whimpering sound.

Thorin stopped walking and listened intently for the sound. His eyes roamed around his surroundings before focusing on the thick ferns on his left. The sound came from there and he silently unsheathed his knife. The abundant growth of grass muffled the sound of his footsteps as Thorin slowly approached the ferns. As he neared, the unmistakable sound of crying reached the dwarf's ears and the hand holding his knife wavered.

Bilbo sat down dejectedly on the moss-covered stone and wiped at his face. He blinked his eyes and looked towards the top of the leafy canopy, trying to see even a glimpse of the blue sky or the golden glow of the sun. When he couldn't, the child furrowed his brows and bent his knees towards his chest dejectedly. Every unknown sound he heard made Bilbo even more frightened. Even the songs of the birds did little to comfort him.

"I-I'm sorry." Bilbo whispered softly. His voice breaking at the end as tears spilled from his eyes again. The ferns behind him rustled softly but the child did not notice.

Thorin moved the ferns, determined to find the source of the whimpering. When he was able to break the wall of leaves the sight of the child stunned the battle-hardened dwarf. He registered the tousled hair full of leaves and twigs, dirty pajamas and hunched-over stature and assessed that the young boy was lost. The dwarf walked towards the crying child and placed a hand delicately on his shoulder.

The young Hobbit turned quickly when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His heart beat was fast and his eyes widened in fright. The stranger before him was tall, dressed in thick traveling clothes and had a big sword at his side. Bilbo's eyes remained glued to the sword, thinking about the many ways this stranger could harm him.

"What are you doing alone in the woods boy?" The deep voice of the stranger asked Bilbo. The figure cast back his hood and revealed a youthful face, hardened by years of toil. His dark blue gaze was piercing but not unkind, reminding the young Hobbit about the sky. Bilbo immediately took comfort in the stranger's gaze.

"I was looking for the elves." Bilbo replied in a soft voice. "I could not reach the bread mother baked. I thought they might help me."

Thorin immediately stiffened at the mention of elves. He hated them and the thought that this child became lost because of his fantasy of the wretched beings made him angry. Masking his face into a look of polite curiosity, the dwarf asked more about Bilbo's predicament. The child blinked at the stranger before telling his story. Bilbo slowly found himself relaxing at the stranger's presence and his fears ebbed away.

"Who are you?" Bilbo asked curiously after saying his story. Thorin peered at the Hobbit before replying.

"Oakenshield is what I am known by young one. What about you, hmm?" The dwarf said, choosing to use a different name. Bilbo tilted his head with curiosity but answered the question. "Bilbo, sir." He replied bowing his head shyly for a moment.

Thorin's lips curved into smirk as he glanced at the small Hobbit that was staring at him in fascination. The dwarf knew that the boy was very young, probably four, but his eyes held knowledge and understanding for someone so little. "We should go then, Bilbo. Your parents will get worried because of your absence." Thorin said before he rose from his kneeling position.

The child took a deep breath and stood up too. Standing beside Thorin, he barely made it to the dwarf's hip. Bilbo tugged at the dwarf's hand and the two began the journey towards home. While walking, Bilbo asked the dwarf for stories of adventures he must have had. Thorin was amused by the child's sudden eagerness and relative amount of childish curiosity when moments before he was crying. So, the two companions entertained each other with stories of heroes and majestic battles and mythical beings that loved children. It was a sight to behiold….

It was nearing the afternoon when Thorin found the break of the trees and saw proper sunlight. He carefully adjusted the sleeping Hobbit in his arms and walked towards the light. When he stepped foot on the clearing, he saw the beautiful rolling hills of the Shire and Hobbits walking around in the distance. A cool breeze blew from the North and the sweet smell of honeysuckle and baking bread reached the dwarf's nose. The sound of merrymaking in the distance caught Thorin's attention and he marveled at the simplicity of Hobbit life. How I miss these things. Thorin thought sadly. How I miss home. The dances and festivities, the delicious food and the everyday chores we do in Erebor's vast halls. I miss my familiarity of family.

With the thought of home, the dwarf suddenly remembered the sleeping child in his arms. The young Hobbit also reminded Thorin of his two nephews waiting for him on the Blue Mountains. Bilbo was probably far from home, just like his family, when he found him in the forest and Thorin's heart ached at the notion of the young boy losing his home. So with newfound determination, Thorin began his mission of finding Bilbo's home and bringing him back to his parents.

The young Hobbit told Thorin that his home was near the woods and unlike some of the other houses, had a small fence and a larger than average house. The dwarf did not realize however that there were many others just like the child's description, however vague.

Thorin grunted with impatience when he immediately realized that the third house he inquired about was not Bilbo's. The dwarf was already having a hard time asking questions because the Hobbits were looking at him strangely and with no small amount of confusion mixed with suspicion. He already attracted some unwanted attention to himself because of his height, which is greater than that of the Shire-folk. He didn't need anyone asking about the child in his arms. So he used his cloak to partly conceal Bilbo from any prying eyes.

Just when the dwarf was about to move to the next dwelling, Thorin saw a young Hobbit woman with a panicked expression that was gesturing wildly to her male companion, walking towards their direction.

"Where could he be?!" The woman asked worriedly.

"He could not have gone very far, Belladonna. I'm sure Bilbo is still in Hobbiton." The man replied, trying to comfort his hysterical wife. They have been looking all morning for their son but they can't find him anywhere.

"Excuse me." A male voice called out. The two Hobbits turned towards the voice and they saw the tall hooded figure walking towards them. Belladonna turned to her companion with a hopeful yet cautious gaze and watched as the stranger stopped before them.

Thorin eyed the Hobbit couple before carefully moving his cloak aside and letting the two Hobbits glimpse the sleeping child in his arms. A tiny yelp of surprise and relief was all the confirmation he needed to know that he found Bilbo's parents.

"My son!" The woman said happily and stretched out her arms for the child. The dwarf bent down and expertly passed the sleeping boy to his waiting mother after placing a light kiss of farewell to the child's temple.

"Our thanks to you sir, for bringing him back! Come with us and have lunch in our home." Belladonna said, while she softly caressed her sleeping son's cheek. The stranger chuckled but politely refused and said that he still needed to go somewhere.

With a smile on his face, Thorin made the traditional Dwarven etiquette of pledging his service to his host as a sign of gratitude before excusing himself. The dwarf was already a good distance away before he decided to turn around and saw the Hobbit family walking back joyfully towards their home. So Thorin, with a considerably lighter heart, resumed his journey to the Blue Mountains.

And it was after many years that Thorin Oakenshield found himself once again in the Shire. To a place known as Bag End where unbeknownst to him, the child he saved in the forest was now a young man and would later be repaying him with the kindness he once gave in ways he never knew. ~THE END~

A/N: This is my first fanfic and the inspiration I had was a picture I found in Pinterest. It was simple but the emotion and the depth was so profound that I knew I had to just write my thoughts quickly before they evaporated. I wish you liked it, my dear readers! Thank you so much for the support. –Livrean