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"Ah, yes! One more thing: 6 dozen eggs!" Bilbo amended as he handed over his list to Mrs Greenbrier.
"Having a party?" She asked as she looked over the list with a frown.
"Just woke up with a feeling," Bilbo said with a wink.
"You and your feelings! Your father would be horrified-"
"And my mother would be teasing him along with me!" Bilbo laughed.
Mrs Greenbrier rolled her eyes and waved her nephew over. "Go into the cellar and grab two cheese wheels, one yellow, one white-"
"Oh, do you have any of that lovely blue cheese left?"
"-and that small blue. And 6 dozen eggs."
The younger hobbit hurried off while the matron wandered around her little shop, picking up items here and there.
"I assume you've got a cart coming to pick this all up? I don't think you could manage to carry nine sacks of flour with you. How many people are you planning to feed?"
"The cart well be here as soon as it's finished at the butchers. And I think at least a dozen."
"Oh, are you going to make those lavender cakes? Those do use quite a few eggs."
"Mmm, and honey cakes," Bilbo smiled. He pulled out his little money bag and handed over the correct amount. "And cheese crackers, and egg loaves, and cinnamon biscuits."
"Good luck with your cooking, Bilbo!" She called as he exited the shop. Bilbo had a lot of cooking to do.
....
Bilbo was halfway through seasoning a pork loin when a knocking came on his door. He looked down at his hands covered in raw meat and his flour splattered apron, then stuck his head out the window.
"The door is open! Come into the kitchen!" He continued rubbing rosemary and garlic on the pork while he looked over his shoulder. He gasped when he saw who entered his home.
"Dear me, Gandalf!" He exclaimed. "It has been ages!"
"Bilbo Baggins! Whatever is going on in this kitchen?" Gandalf laughed looking at the normally spotless kitchen that was covered in bowls of rising dough, marinating meats, and a simmering stew. "Are you expecting all of Hobbiton for dinner?" He asked as he found an empty stool and sat down.
"Only however many you are bringing," Bilbo replied with a wink.
"Ah, had one of your feelings?" Gandalf asked as he reached over to grab a roll.
"Yes! And don't eat those! They are for dinner. Give me give minutes to get this over the coals and I'll scrounge up a proper snack."
Gandalf laughed and listened to the hobbit rattle on about all the foods he was making for dinner and puttered around the kitchen.
"And how many guests am I having tonight, just so I know I'll have enough chairs?" Bilbo asked once they had finished a quick bite I'd scones and tea.
"Mmm, including myself? Fourteen." He poured himself another cup of tea. "I do believe you will have more than enough food, Bilbo. This will be a feast in their eyes."
"Fourteen," Bilbo said to himself over and over again as he looked around the room several times. "We'll have to move some tables..."
Gandalf just laughed and enjoyed his tea as Bilbo ran around the kitchen fussing over everything. It was going to be an interesting party.
.....
Bilbo had just changed out of his sweat and flour stained trousers and waistcoat when he heard a knocking on the door.
"Coming, coming!" He called as he hurried down the hallway. He opened up the front door, expecting to see the wizard returning from his afternoon errands, but instead there stood the most intimidating dwarf he'd ever seen.
"Ah, hello!" Bilbo greeted breathlessly.
"Am I late?" The dwarf asked gruffly.
"Ah, no. You're actually the first to arrive, besides Gandalf of course, but he's gone off on an errand." Bilbo rambled. "Please come in," he gestured.
"Tharkun always arrives late," the dwarf muttered. Then he nodded his head at Bilbo. "Dwalin, at your service." Bilbo jerkily bowed back.
"Bilbo Baggins, at yours!" He gestured to the coat rack. "If you wish to hang your coat-" he stopped as Dwalin unstrapped two axes and a giant hammer from across his back and leaned then against the wall. "Ah, yes, well the kitchen is right this way, if you would follow me. The main part of Dinner isn't quite ready yet, but if you're peckish I've got some lovely scones and biscuits."
Dwalin did not seem very talkative so Bilbo chattered away while he finished making preparations and placed a large platter of scones and oatmeal chocolate biscuits on the table and a large pitcher of milk and a pot of tea. At one point the hobbit turned around to find Dwalin had a biscuit in each hand and one in his mouth. Bilbo blinked for several moments.
"I'm glad you like them. My mother's aunt's recipe."
When the door knocked again, Bilbo piratically ran to the door, hoping for Gandalf. Instead it was another dwarf: white haired and smiling pleasantly.
"Good evening," Bilbo greeted. The dwarf looked up at the sky.
"Why, yes! It is! But there might be a bit of rain later." He smiled back at Bilbo. "Balin, at your service."
"Bilbo Baggins, at yours," the hobbit quickly replicated his bow. "If you would like to come in, Dwalin is in the kitchen-"
"Brother!" Dwalin roared from directly behind Bilbo, making him jump in fright. The white haired dwarf embraced his brother in what looked like a bone crushing hug. Bilbo was totally baffled when they seemed to crack their skulls together in some sort of greeting.
"You must try the scones," Dwalin said as he guided Balin into the kitchen. Bilbo was just about to follow them when another knock sounded on the door. He opened it again, praying that it was Gandalf.
Two very young looking dwarves stood on his doorstep, smiling.
"Fili," the blonde said.
"And Kili," the brunette continued.
"At your service!" the chorused together with a perfectly synchronized bow. "Bilbo Baggins, at yours," he replied mostly on reflex. Fili stepped inside and recognized Dwalin's axes.
"We're not late are we?" he asked as he dumped a whole set of knives and 2 small axes in Bilbo's arms.
"But we got here right on time!" Kili said, dropping a bow, quiver, and a small looking sword on top of his brother's knives.
"Fili! Kili! Help us move this table!" Dwalin called from the other room. Bilbo quickly dumped his armful of weapons and hurried into the kitchen. "Wait! Don't upset the place settings!"
.....
By the time they were ask seated at the table and eating like mostly civilized people, Bilbo had nearly been crushed by a small group of dwarves on his doorstep, almost smacked in the face with a flying loaf of bread, and been run into by an entire wheel of cheese.
"Gandalf, we have another chair. Are we missing somebody?" He asked as he ran back and forth from the table to the kitchen to refill platters of food that seemed to disappear the instant he set it down.
"Aye, our leader!" The one with the funny hat replied. Bifur? Bofur? He knew it ended in UR.
"He's probably lost again," Kili snickered. "Remember when he got lost in Bree and it took us four hours to find him?"
The table roared with laughter. Bilbo leaned over to Gandalf and whispered, "Their leader is perpetually lost? How does one get lost in Bree?"
Gandalf's answer was cut off by a loud knocking on the door.
"He is here," the wizard said seriously.
Bilbo rushed over to the door and quickly opened it. The slightly damp dwarf standing on the other side was... Majestic. The was the word Bilbo would use to describe his appearance and air. Then he opened his mouth.
"Gandalf! You said this place was hard to find! I lost my way twice!" He shucked his damp fur- lined coat and hung it up on the remaining peg by the door.
"Lost in Hobbiton?" Bilbo asked confused. "There are only two main roads!"
The dwarf switched his attention to the hobbit with piercing blue eyes. Bilbo felt as if he were under a search light.
"So this is the hobbit," he said condescendingly. "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."
It all went down hill from there.
......
Bilbo woke in the morning, gasping for air as he burst out of bed.
Dragon! He had to warn Thorin! Dragon!
He was halfway out of his room when he realized it was only a dream. He stopped and sighed. Then he realized it was too silent in his house. He looked around ... The Dwarves were gone!
He did find his unsigned contact sitting on the sitting room table. Bilbo stared at it for a few moments before he team back into his room and began furiously packing.
He was going on an adventure!