King Thranduil closed his gates and his heart before the dwarven king and his family. He gave the treatement of Tauriel as false pretence, although he could not care less about his former captain of the guards. Thranduil was close to the men of Dale and disliked Thorin because of a quarrel with his grandfather, Thror about two hundred years ago.

Billa was the only one who was granted an audience before the elven king and came back to Thorin hopeless and furious. Thranduil had offered protection to herself and Frodo, but Billa had stayed loyal to Thorin and had declined the offer. The dwarf king wanted to pull the hobbit into his arms for her loyalty to him, but instead he scolded her for not having accepted the offer from the elven king. He did not want to lose her, only because he had neglected all diplomatical bonds to the neighbouring kingdoms. Billa stood her ground against the king and smirked faintly as she saw the worried glance Thorin sent her way. She knew what he did, she had learned to see through his grumpy fassade and knew why he scolded her instead of just being grateful. She meant something to him and this thought alone warmed Billas heart.

'What now?' Billa asked the king.

'We need to keep moving, the Mirkwood is not safe. Too many spiders and other dangers.' Nori warned the king.

'Aye.' Thorin sighed. He had no clue where to go, but he had to make a decision. 'We leave for Gundabad. Maybe we will find shelter in the remains of the old dwarven cities there.'

The royal family marched north, without Gandalf. The wizard tried to persuade Thranduil to think over his alliance. The royal caravan moved fast, but the enemy gained on them. Dwalin and his dwarves moved fast and shortly before Thorin and his family crossed the narrow passageway into Gundabad they had blocked the road. Thorin knew that they could not make it to safety and glanced back at his family. He looked at his wives, his concubines and his children and he knew that he had to do everything in his power to guide them to safety. The dwarven city in Gundabad would guarantee their safety. The old palace opened to a codeword know only by the royal families of the dwarves. If Thorins family reached the palace they would be safe. Thorin would give his life to save his family.

'Fili.' Thorin would have to force his heir to grow up sooner than expected. 'Lead our family to Gundabad. You know the word to open the entrance to the palace. I will follow you when I have...settled things.'

Fili only looked at his father with the same unreadable expression Thorin often showed to his subjects. He knew what his father planned. A part of him wanted to talk him out of it, tell him that he needed his father, but the other part of him understood that it was Thorins responsibility to ensure their safe passage. Fili nodded and Thorin pulled his oldest son into his arms. After a while all of Thorins children joined the king and his oldest son in a big hug, the king praying to Mahal that it would not be the last time. Thorin made his way to his pony and was about to leave as someone called his name. As he turned around he saw Billa running towards him.

'What do you think you are doing?' the hobbits eyes were wide with fear. Fear for Thorin, her king. 'You can't just leave!'

'Dwalin will be distracted by my presence. A chance for my family to reach Gundabad. The only chance.' Thorin took Billas hands into his. 'Stay with them, please. I need to know that you are safe.'

'And you? I need to know that you are safe, too!' Billa exclaimed and gripped his hands.

Thorin softly moved his fingers over Billas cheek. Billa closed her eyes at his touch and leaned into his hand.

'Don't do this.' Billa whispered and grabbed his hand.

'I must do this.' Thorin looked at her once again, memorizing her face. Her honeybrown curls, her shining eyes, her small nose, her freckles. With a heavy heart Thorin turned away and mounted his pony. Billa gasped at the sudden loss of his hand and wrapped her arms around herself for comfort. Tears clouded her vision as she watched the king ride towards his doom.

'Please promise me that I will see you again!' Billa called out after him. Thorin pulled the ponies reigns and looked back at her with a loving expression. But he could not promise her anything.

Billa walked back to the caravan, which made ready to take a secret passage to Gundabad. They had to leave the carts behind, also Gandalfs cart with his firework. His firework. Billa stopped dead in her tracks as her brain started to work. She had already lost one husband, she would not lose Thorin.

Thorin rode towards Dwalin and his army of dwarves with his head held high. He had just gotten into visual range as he heard the sound of hoofs behind him. The brothers Ri had followed him and stood their ground at his side. The king had ordered them to stay behind, but they were loyal to him and had ignored his order. He would scold them afterwards. If he was still alive. If they were still alive.

Dwalin was already waiting for him. Thorin slowly rode towards him and looked upon his childhood friend. He stood there with his arms crossed in front of him and his axes strapped to his back. Thorin did not understand how it could have come to this.

'Why?' he asked as soon as Dwalin could hear him. 'You were my general, my friend.'

Dwalin snorted in disgust. 'I am no friend to a weak king. To a king who bows before the people of the West and listens to the words of a hobbit lass like a lovesick puppy. Give me the arkenstone, Thorin. I will rule Erebor as you have done before. Strong and in a dwarven way.'

The arkenstone. Now Thorin understood. It was now as Thorin realised that Dwalin had spent more time in the treasury since Thorin had concentrated in his negociations.

'He has the goldsickness.' Ori said aloud what Thorin was thinking. 'Thats why he betrayed us.'

Thorin sighed in relief. It was bad, very bad, but at least they had an explanation for Dwalins behaviour.

'You cannot have the arkenstone, but you can have me.' Thorin rode nearer to Dwalin. 'This is only between us, Dwalin. Fight me and the winner gets the arkenstone.'

Dwalin roared of laughter. 'I see what you are doing, king. You try to buy your family time to escape. I know you and I know that you offer your life to me to save your family. But everyone of your dwarflings is a potential threat to me. I cannot let them live. I will kill you first and then I will kill your family...and the hobbit.'

Thorin and his guards drew their weapons, but they were only four. Fours against a few hundred.

'You will die, Oakenshield. Here and now. The line of Durin will end here.' Dwalin smirked and suddenly a pale huge orc appeared behind Erebors former general.

Thorin closed his eyes in defeat. Azog, the Defiler, had killed his grandfather and had sworn to kill him, too. Dwalins betrayal went further than he had expected. He had allied himself with orcs.

Dwalin and Azog charged at the king of Erebor, but suddenly the world around them exploded.

A red dragon emerged from the hills behind Thorin and descended on Dwalins shocked dwarves. The dwarves fled and only a few dozen stayed with Dwalin. The general winced as he saw the dragon burning up in the air.

'Its just a firework! Stand your ground! Its just a firework!' Dwalin tried to call his dwarves back, but they had alredy fled in panic. Growling, Dwalin turned towards Thorin and roared in fury as he attacked the king. The Ri brothers charged the former general, the pale orc and the remaining dwarves, but they would succumb in number sooner or later. Thorin drew his sword Orcrist and swung it against the pale orc, while Ori and Dori fought Dwalin. Nori was about to charge at three attacking dwarves as two of the three were hit by arrows and fell to their knees, fataly wounded. Nori had no time to wonder about this and continued to fight. Arrow after arrow hit the remaining dwarves and soon only Azog and Dwalin were fighting. Ori managed to startle Dwalin with a well placed shot of his slingshot and Dori disarmed him, knocking him unconscious in the process. In the meantime, the pale orc had managed to wound Thorin and the king was about to lose the battle.

Three figures emerged from the forest behind the king of Erebor. Billa gasped in horror as she saw Thorin standing his ground against the huge white orc, bleeding from various wounds. Their eyes met and Billa could see the affection the king felt for her. It was more than affection and it warmed her heart. Thorins gaze drifted to the people standing at Billas side and his eyes widened in recognition. Tauriel and Kili stood at the hobbits side, their arrows drawn and pointing at Azog.

The king of Erebor wondered why these people had stayed loyal to him, then he realised that they were probably loyal to Billa and not to him. But he had not time to think about it. Azog charged at him with his warhammer and only missed him by a hand. The presence of the hobbit and the others gave him strength and the king felt new energy running through his body. Azog underestimated the wounded dwarf and attacked without shielding himself. Thorin spun around and beheaded the pale orc with one single blow. He saw the dead body fall to the ground before him and heard cheering behind him before his vision blurred and he collapsed to the ground. The last thing he heard was Billas horrified scream.

Thorin awoke a few moments later. Gandalf was standing above him and murmured something in a language unknown to him. The king of Erebor felt the pain lessen and managed to sit up. So the blasted wizard was back, but as usual he had missed all the action.

'The hobbit?' Thorin whispered hoarsely. He noticed a movement at his side and turned his head to face Bila. 'You did not obey me. Did you not say yourself that you would not survive in the wild? You came for me, although I ordered you to leave. I doubted that you would be able to stand your ground in battle. I have never been so wrong, in my entire life.'

Thorin was about to pull Billa close as Fili stepped forward, determined to protect his tutor from his fathers scolding. 'You put me in charge, father. Blame me.'

'I do, son. I do.' Thorin smirked. 'And I am very proud of you.'

The king smiled at his son lovingly. He was still smiling as Tauriel and Kili kneeled down before him, asking for his forgiveness.

'Stand up.' Thorin ordered them in an icy tone. 'You do not kneel before me. I should kneel before you. You have saved my life and the life of my family. Thank you.'

He nearly smiled again as he saw Kilis big eyes. He wondered how the young dwarves parents had ever resisted these puppy eyes. Probably not at all.

Thorin and the royal family returned to Erebor safely. Dwalin was arrested in the dungeons and waited for his trial. The goldsickness was fading and the general of the Ereborian army was plagued with guilt. Thorin feared that his old friend might never forgive himself for what he did under the influence of the golsickness. Balin spent alot of time with his younger brother and tried to comfort him. Thorin wanted to forgive his friend, but Dwalin had killed Frerin and many of Thorins soldiers. He had to be punished.

Billa returned to Erebor together with the dwarves. Tauriels and Kilis banishment was annulled and the two were free to begin their new life together under the mountain. They were offered a job in the archery wing of Thorins army.

Thorin walked down to the treasury to burry the arkenstone in a box under piles of gold, out of reach for everyone. The stone had almost cost him his kingdom and he would not put it back in its place over the throne again. If the dwarves trusted his rule, they would also do so without it. As Thorin reached inside of his coat pocket to pull out the arkenstone he felt that the stone was cold. Usually it was warm and pulsated. The king looked at the pale stone in his hand in astonishment. Its gleam was gone and it was not calling to him anymore. As he turned the stone in his hand, he could see that it had merged with a golden ring. Billas golden ring. Billas ring which she had not accepted back from him. The stone and the ring had become one. For some reason the ring had neutralised the stone. It was worthless now, the heart of the mountain had died. But Thorin did not need it anymore. The dwarves were the heart of this mountain. A long as his people were at home under the mountain the mountain would live.

Billa stood at the balcony of her wing in Erebor, while Frodo was away with Fili. The two boys had become close friends, almost like brothers and that complicated things. Billa knew that she could not stay in Erebor. She wanted to, but she could not. Thorin was married. He was married and she would not share him with his wives and concubines. Billa knew that he did not love any of the females. He was close to Dis, but their relationship was more one of sibblings. They loved each other, but not in the way a married couple loved each other. Nevertheless Billa could not stay. She loved Thorin, she knew that now. The thought of leaving him made her heart ache and trapped her breath in her throat. She could not stay, but at the same time she could not leave. Never before the hobbit had felt so lost.

Billa spun around as she heard steps behind her. She gasped as she saw king Thorin stand behind her, smiling at her warmly.

'You will leave.' the king stated with a quiet voice. There was no allegation in his voice, only sadness. As Billa nodded the king reached out for her. 'Then please grant me the honor of a last dance.'

Billa looked at his hand and took it with her own shaking one. The king pulled the hobbit in his arms and they began to move in a slow rythm, both remembering the music of their first dance together at the ball. Thorin took Billas hand and placed it over his heart.

'Until now, I did not understand the supposition that one dwarf could be satisfied with only one woman.' he murmured and looked down into Billas eyes, shining with affection and unshed tears. Billa could not help but gaze into the king´s blue eyes and for once, was at a loss of words.

At the door to the garden, Fili and Frodo were watching their parents.

Half a decade later, Fili, son of Thorin, son of Thrain, sat on the throne of Erebor. His father, Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, had embarked to Valinor. It was a great honor and most importantly he embarked on this journey with his One, Billa Baggins. Fifty years ago the hobbit had left the Lonely Mountain and had taken the kings heart with her. In exchange she had left her heart with him. Erebor had made huge progress after the hobbits influence. The diplomatic relations to other kingdoms stabilised Middle Earth and the dark power growing in the East had no chance of spreading. The Iron Hills and Erebor made a peace treaty and Dwalin spent the rest of his life in the service of both kingdoms. The combined army of dwarves secured the safety of the whole north of Middle Earth. The arkenstone had neutralised the power of Billas ring, the One ring, as well as the arkenstone had been neutralised by the ring. Frodo lived in the Shire and was in close contact with his old friend Fili, now king of Erebor. Fili married Tilda, the daughter of the lord of Dale and he stayed faithful to her and only her. No king after Thorin married more than one woman. Fili also put an end to slavery and the Lonely Mountain florished in newfound prosperity and the increasing amount of free dwarves. Fili often thought about his father. And also about the hobbit. The burglar who had stolen his fathers heart.

I was only a boy, but the image of my father holding the woman he loved for the last time has remained with me during the years. Such meaningful moments, most over before they start, cast a light on the future and make the person who originated them unforgettable. Billa Baggins had shined such a light on Erebor. Brighter than the arkenstone ever could.

Author's note: I linked the arkenstone to the goldsickness, because it made more sense for my story, I hope thats ok! I had one review which said, that the love between Thorin and Billa was not very obvious. I tried to give this story a subtle romance, because Thorin was already married and Billa was still in mourning at the beginning of the story. They both experienced a love which had no chance while they were together, not under those circumstances. But the heart wants what it wants and in the end, they came together. I hope I could do both stories justice with my mix!

Plus I let the arkenstone and the One ring neutralise one another, you know AU ;)

Thank you all so much for the reviews, favs and follows!