A/N Soooo, here's the part where you follow me around with pitchforks in order to kill me XD You got your happy ending in "Only time will tell" so here's a fair warning this ending is angsty, dark and contains character death. Consider yourselves warned! Also, the timeline of the last days of the Third Age is a bit messed up, but I needed it in this way for the story.

Part III: In waking I join you

He sees huge, monstrous eyes in the darkness, glittering with malice. He hears the click-clack of claws in the shadows and knows exactly what Frodo is facing in the tunnel that is supposed to lead to Mordor. Bilbo knows Gollum has betrayed his "master" and he watches helplessly as the huge spider – much, much bigger than the ones in Mirkwood – stings his nephew and poisons him.

After Sam wounds the spider and chases it away, Bilbo wants to scream at the young gardener, to shake him and tell him that Frodo is not dead, that these monsters prefer their prey fresh before they eat it. He cries out in his sleep, begging Sam not to go, but of course, the brave hobbit cannot hear anything and with tears in his eyes he takes the Ring and leaves his master behind. With a lurch Bilbo wakes up and tears stream down his cheeks.

"Frodo," he whispers brokenly in the darkness of his room. "It's all my fault..."

Days pass and night come, but the dreams do not return. Part of him fears there is no one left to dream about, but he does not voice the thought aloud. They are all tense knowing that an army is marching towards Erebor. Easterlings and orcs are all set to attack Dale and The Kingdom Under the Mountain. The Shadow is stretching farther and farther, trying to rule all Middle Earth.

But no one is going to give up that easily...

The first attack is vicious and leaves Dale ablaze. The beautiful city is in ruins once more and the women and children seek refuge in Erebor. The men all regroup and, aided by Erebor's army, face the Easterlings in order to reclaim their home. The Battle of Dale ends in tears for everyone; their dead had not been this many since the Battle of Five Armies. King Bard is lost that day along with Dain Ironfoot, Thorin's cousin who remained behind to protect his body from being hacked before the city gates.

Nori too falls in that battle, taking a spear to the chest that was meant for Dwalin. The Head of the Guards fights with unparalleled fury and takes down a large portion of the enemy army in order to avenge his sometimes friends, sometimes enemy.

The Company is missing most of its members now. Balin, Ori and Oin had all falled in Moria. Nori and Bifur fell in the Battle of Dale, the second fighting to protect his cousin who had been injured gravely. The same battle rendered Dori comatose when a poisoned blade struck him down. The healers announced gravely that he would never wake up again.

The remaining members all are wounded in some way. Kili's torso is all bandaged up tightly after a mace broke half of his ribs. Fili's leg was almost cut off; the healers managed to save the limb in the last moment, but infection had settled in and the Heir Under the Mountain is delirious with fever in the healing ward. Thorin's body is like a jigsaw puzzle as a result of all the wounds he sustained during the battle. As for Bilbo, regardless of the fact that everyone tried to keep him away from the fight, his mind would not be swayed; he chose a small, light sword from the armoury and, like many years before, fought alongside the Heirs of Durin.

Now, as he lays in the healing tents, half delirious with fever, with his chest almost slashed open, pale due to blood loss and with eyes shadowed by pain and fever, he figures he will not live to see the next day. Regardless of that fact, he does not regret a single thing. Thorin's fingers tread through the hobbit's hair gently, remaking a braid worn for entire decades, a braid that spoke of home, family and a life far away from the Shire, yet full of happiness and a sense of belonging.

Bilbo's eyes start closing, his eyelids too heavy to keep them open anymore. With a sigh he murmurs his last words to Thorin and smiles when he hears the Khuzdul song for those who are departing this word following him in the darkness.

Before he slips into the Halls of Mandon and knows no more, he sees his nephew and his gardener in the heart of Mount Doom looking at a plain, gold ring melting in the lava.

All will be well...