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"Maybe he does deserve to die, but now that I see him... I do pity him."

-Frodo Baggins.

Bilbo Baggins loathed this creature.

If it was an emotion he knew how to name, that would probably have been what he would have called it. Loathing. He'd never felt such fierce feelings in his life, and as a hobbit (especially one from Bag End) he didn't expect to.

But, many unexpected things had been happening. Falling into the depths of the goblin-filled mountain for one.

He'd been frightened by the cold, silent caves, the darkness. The flicker of light reflecting off the trembling river and the fading glow of his lifeline-like blade.

He was unnerved by the wide-eyed, scrawny creature that watched his every move with malice in his eyes, yet...he knew this creature, whatever he was, was insane.

Utterly mad. Bilbo had caught the scattered words as he moved away, looking back and forth, talking to...himself. As if two people were present instead of one.

He'd reached out to the more playful side of Gollum (a name he placed on the creature because of that wrenching sound his throat made) with a game of riddles. But even his playful side was rotten.

So it was a surprise when he found such a powerful and elven-like treasure in Gollum's possession: a small, golden ring. And as soon as he'd discovered it missing, he went even more mad than Bilbo expected.

He didn't know what surprised him more. The scream of fury behind him, the pathetic wail that followed, or the fact that the ring had turned him invisible. He'd followed Gollum out of the cave and had seen which way the dwarves had gone, but Gollum stood in his way.

That ring had saved his life, but it would not do the same for Gollum's. As Bilbo crept up behind the loathsome creature, brandishing his sword at the back of his neck, he felt no remorse for what he was about to do.

It scared him a little. But at that moment he had no doubt this evil thing deserved to die.

But the, Gollum had turned. And Bilbo couldn't do it.

Gollum stared through the presumably empty cave, his eyes wide and watery. His bottom lip trembling just a little now and again, his eyes as lost as a child who'd lost their mother. It was pain Bilbo could see, a distraught, upset expression that pulled something in his chest to see it. The sword stayed under the unsuspecting creature's neck as he stared round in search of what he'd lost. Bilbo had never seen anyone look so alone in his life.

He found a few thoughts fluttering around in his head- questions, rather. What had happened to this wretch for him to become like this? How long had he dwelled alone? Driving himself more insane with no one to talk to...

Gollum gave a tiny, soft and barely audible sob. More like a whimper, as if he were about to cry. Bilbo felt the aggression and frustration he'd felt fade away, and he lowered his sword. He stared down at Gollum with a pitying, but calm look.

Now that he saw him, he pitied him.

Frodo stared quietly at the writhing, struggling creature on the rocky ground. His friend Sam stood by his side, regarding Gollum with disgust and hatred. Frodo remembered Bilbo's story, word for word. The cave, the ring. The riddles and the creature.

This pitiful being crying out before him. He wouldn't say this creature didn't unnerved him, but he couldn't look at that look without pity arising in his heart.

"Maybe he does deserve to die." He said, softly, "But now that I see him...I do pity him."

I saw the scene in the Hobbit and heard Frodo's words when Bilbo spared Gollum's life. I see what you did there, movie...