Chapter Text
Bilbo felt like he had just fallen asleep. When he awoke, he was not in the Mirkwood dungeons. The room he was in had 14 chairs, a black wall, and (by the looks of it) there was a dining room through the nearby doorway. That's when the dwarves appeared, they were scattered across the room as if they had still been in their cells. Bilbo quickly put his ring in his pocket and moved to wake up Thorin (the only dwarf sleeping).
"Mr. Boggins, waking up Uncle is like waking up a hibernating bear," Kili informed Bilbo when he tried, and failed, to wake up Thorin.
“It's good to see ye alive also," Balin noted.
“Yes, how did you escape from the spiders?" Nori questioned.
“That's a long story, but I am trying to find a way out of the Elven palace. I followed you guys. Luckily, the elves haven't spotted me," Bilbo vaguely explained.
"Glad you made it laddie. Ye need to keep hidden or ye shall be found," Dwalin informed the hobbit.
Bilbo nodded and tried to wake Thorin up again, "That's what I was planning to do. Not get caught. Sounds like a bad idea." He kicked Thorin's side. "Wake up!" Bilbo shook his head and sat down in one of the chairs.
“Hello," a kind voice said, "I have brought you here as research."
“Research for what?" Oin asked.
“Who cares about that? Where are you?" Dori asked.
Gloin reached for his axe to find that it was missing. "Oi, where is me axe?"
Fili reached for one of his hidden weapons, "And my throwing knives, and my spare axes, and my stiletto daggers! I loved those daggers."
The voice chuckled, "I have taken your weapons for safe keeping. Don't worry I shall return them all to you after. I am somewhere you cannot see or reach, so don't even try. I will tell you my research when one of you guys awaken Thorin."
"If you could bring us here, can't you wake Thorin up?" Ori asked. "I mean, you brought us from the elven dungeons and stole all of our weapons. Can't you wake up Thorin?"
“Master Ori," the voice said, "my magic cannot awaken others. I can teleport people and objects. That is my limit. But why don't you all sleep? There are bedrooms to the first right in the dining room. Sleep as long as you need. We will start when you are all awake."
"Start what?" Bofur asked.
“My research. Now, there are also enough clothes for you in the rooms. And so it is easier," a small click sound was heard and Thorin was nowhere to be seen, "Thorin has been moved into his own bed so no one will have to worry about him."
“I'm not sleeping until you tell us what research you mean," Dori demanded.
“If you do not sleep then you will not be in the right mindset. Also I want you all to react to it at the same time. So that would mean that Thorin would have to be awake, which he is currently not. So sleep, no harm shall be done to you here.” After a small amount of arguing they all soon went to sleep.
***
Thorin woke up in a bed. A bed? Why would the elves give their prisoner a bed? He slowly sat ip and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Where was he?
Thorin got out of the comfortable bed and walked into the dining room which was filled with the rest of his company.
“Thorin!” Bilbo waved him over, “Come eat! There is plenty of food for all of us.”
“How are you sure it’s safe?” Thorin asked when he sat in his chair.
“The voice told us that is was safe, Uncle Thorin,” Kili assured.
“Voice?”
“Ah yes, the mysterious voice that brought us here. There are some extra clothes in your room,” Fili informed.
“Why?” Thorin quizzed. “Why are we trusting someone we don’t know?”
“Because,” Nori ate a sausage, “otherwise we would be at Mirkwood. And I would fancy this place over the elves any time.” Thorin nodded at that information and started to eat. He ate until he was full.
Once all of the dwarves, and hobbit, were done eating the voice revealed to them why they were here.
“What do ye mean that we are goin’ to be watchin’ the past?” Dwalin asked.
“If you can do that. Then you can have us watch the future?” Ori’s eyes lit ip at the thought.
“It’s my research. You guys are my first tests. I shall have you watch the important parts of the past. And to answer Master Ori’s question, yes. I could have you watch the future. But!” The voice added when there was talking going on. “I will only have it if I need more information from you lot.”
“So, you want us to watch things we already know?” Balin clarified.
“Slightly. I will add parts that none of you know about. Or ones that a few know about, like how Gandalf asked Bilbo to he part of the company.”
“If the rest of my company is alright with it, we shall watch.” Thorin said before turning to Bilbo. “Looks like we might learn more about our burglar.”
“If that is all,” the Voice said, interrupting Thorin and Bilbo’s starring contest. “Please head to the other room and sit down. It will start in a minute.”
So when the entirety of the company sat down and starred at the black screen, two big bold words appeared on the screen and they read: The Hobbit.