AN: So...here I am...creeping nervously out of my solitude to bring you the last chapter...afraid for my life because I'm sure you all hate me now...but yeah...here ya go...please don't kill me I love life...not really but still...

OOOOO

The days passed slowly in the quiet halls of Erebor. The news had spread that Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit Under the Mountain, had fallen into a sleep from which he may not awaken. The Lonely Mountain fell silent in the wake of the tragedy, in respect for their King and his Company who mourned the slowly dying Halfling.

Bilbo had been moved back to the Antechamber he had inhabited happily for those few blissful months of peace. Thorin himself could not bring himself to leave the room, unless absolutely necessary. While Dis could not bring herself to leave her room, even to visit the sleeping boy. Fili and Kili alternated between trying to be there for their uncle and trying to comfort their mother. Dwalin had taken to running Erebor, largely with Balin's help of course, and he prayed to Mahal every day for some kind of miracle. Something that could fix what appeared to be irreparably broken.

Every day that passed, Bilbo seemed to get a little worse. His skin grew waxy and his hair faded to a dull bronze color. He looked weak, something made the Dwarf King's heart ache. Because even though Bilbo had allowed Thorin rare glimpses past a mask of bravery, Thorin had never doubted that Bilbo was the very opposite of weak. Even now he did not doubt it, though Bilbo looked so frail. The Hobbit continued living, though only barely, and that was sign enough for Thorin. His Hobbit was very strong, though he admitted that strength was beginning to wilt.

His own strength was beginning to flee him. Every time he fell asleep in the chair he had pulled up to the side of Bilbo's bed, he awoke with a start and a hope that maybe, just maybe, some miracle had occurred while he slept. Alas, no miracle ever came. And every time he woke, he would look upon the pale, lifeless face of his One and weep. There was nothing he could now do, nothing he could even try! Whether or not Bilbo woke up was entirely up to the Hobbit, and Thorin had never felt so helpless in his life. All he could do was hope and beg Mahal for some kind of reprieve. He would do anything if it meant Bilbo could wake up, whole and happy once more, like he was in another life, before the woes of the world fell upon his shoulders.

Thorin knew it was selfish of him. If he was a kind and just king, he would give Bilbo the peace he was seeking. The peace he'd wanted for such a long time now. But the very idea of giving Bilbo up...of ending the boys life...it tore him up inside to even think on it. At least he was not the only one putting their own desires above Bilbo's. Every member of the company wished for him to wake. Only Oin seemed to be able to consider the alternative. It was Oin who came to him to address the situation, nearly two weeks after Bilbo fell into his death sleep.

"Thorin I think we need to discuss something." Oin whispered solemnly. Thorin looked from Bilbo's face to the healer, and nodded. The exhaustion was clear on Thorin's face, but he wasn't about to admit to it. He was slowly grasping back onto his pride. Slowly.

Oin led Thorin out into the hall where the others wouldn't hear. He took a heavy breath and then admitted his thoughts to the king in a whisper. "I think we need to talk about whether keeping Bilbo alive is for the best." Oin was expecting anger from Thorin. He was expecting rage or accusation, maybe even a prison sentence, for suggesting something like that. He was not accepting the heavy sigh of acceptance. Of resignation.

"I know. I'm being self-serving, keeping him here. If things had been different, if we had met at a different time in a different situation, I could have helped him. It could have been different between us. But I look at him now and all I see is pain and misery and a desire for peace. After all the fighting to keep him alive, I wonder if it would have been better to let him die in that dungeon." Thorin admitted, every word sounding too heavy to be possible. Oin could not bring himself to reply, though he agreed with Thorin. Neither liked the facts, but they were facts. Nothing to be done about them.

"I may have a solution." The old, wise voice snapped them out of their silent mourning. Thorin looked up, towards a corner that had been empty when they stepped out of the rooms. Though Thorin was surprised to see Gandalf, he also felt a sliver of hope, both at his sudden appearance and his mysterious solution. Thorin had never been a fan of the Istari and his "solutions", but it had been made clear to him that if anyone could save Bilbo, it was Gandalf.

"What is it wizard?" Thorin asked eagerly, though he still sounded so tired. He was ready to accept defeat if Gandalf's plan didn't work, or if his plan was stupid.

"I could remove Bilbo's memories. Make him forget his life and everyone in it. Every moment of suffering, every moment of pain. But, that would include you and company. You would have to reintroduce yourselves and make sure he never remembered." Gandalf spoke gravely. He obviously didn't like his solution, but he also obviously thought this was the only way. It was this or letting Bilbo go.

"How will that help?" Thorin asked sharply.

"They say that if something can be remembered, then it can come back. The theory follows then that if something can be forgotten, it can disappear. If Bilbo forgets every encounter with Smaug, and his body is purged of any remaining trace of the Dragon, then he can be healed. Potentially." The last word was whispered, and did nothing to really sooth Thorin's fretting. But really, what other option was there? Letting Bilbo go...it was already worse than dying. Thorin knew he would simply cease to exist if Bilbo died now, in this way.

"Do it." Thorin's voice broke on the short words and Gandalf nodded heavily. The wizard disappeared to do his magic and Thorin looked to Oin. "I'm still being selfish." He acknowledged. Oin shook his head.

"We all wish for him to live. Maybe this will be good. His whole life had been one challenge after challenge. He's been hurt more than any of us. We can make him happy now." Oin prompted, Thorin nodding, though he wasn't convinced. He'd have to lie to Bilbo, every day until they both died. Thorin tried to reassure himself that it was for the best, for all of them. He had to believe that, if he was going to have a chance of keeping up this lie.

"How are we going to explain his wounds?" Thorin realized with a wince. Oin winced as well.

"I'm the healer, I'll think of something. You just be ready to comfort the lad. No doubt waking up with no memory will be quite hard for him. Almost as hard as waking with his memory." They both acknowledged that point before Thorin nodded and walked back into the room. Gandalf was standing beside Bilbo, his hand over the Hobbit's forehead, and chanting some strange language. Dwalin was hovering on the other side of the bed, narrowed eyes trained suspiciously on the wizard across from him.

"Thorin, what is he doing?" Dwalin asked suspiciously.

"He's taking away Bilbo's memory. So we can start with a clean slate." Thorin explained, and he turned his eyes to Bilbo and only Bilbo so he wouldn't have to see the disappointment that would probably grace his friend's face. He was veritably forcing Bilbo to live, and live a lie at that, but he had but one other choice. A choice he refused to accept.

"The process will take some time. I suggest you make yourselves comfortable." Gandalf mentioned briefly before launching back into that strange language. Thorin ignored him, remaining standing for quite some time before he reluctantly returned to his chair by Bilbo's bedside. Through the next few hours, the rest of the company gathered in Bilbo's room. Even Dis tiptoed into the room, her sons on either side of her, and hope gleaming in her eyes for the first time in oh so long. She looked at Thorin, and when he nodded, she burst out into tears. This time, thankfully, they were tears of happiness. Dwalin found a chair and sat the princess down next to her brother, and they continued to wait.

The sun had long set, and the mountain had come to a still as families went to bed. The only family awake was the royal family, even the company had fallen asleep. But Dis and Thorin remained on vigil as Gandalf silently sat with Bilbo, his eyes closed in concentration. Eventually the princess couldn't take the silence anymore and turned to her brother.

"How confident are you that this will work?" Her voice was hoarse, lacking use for many days. Thorin cringed at the sound of it.

"More confident than I would be if Gandalf were not here." He answered vaguely, not wanting to upset his sister any more than she was. She nodded softly, but kept looking at him, expecting more. He sighed but turned his heavy eyes to her. "I can only hope Dis, the same as you, the same as any of us. Even with all of my power and resources, all I can do is hope. And it scares me to death that I have to rely on so little assurance, but it's all I can do." Her eyes softened and she reached out to put a hand on Thorin's.

"Like you said, all of us are hoping. And maybe the combination of our hopes and prayers, and Gandalf's magic, will bring Bilbo back to us." He cringed again.

"You do know...that if he wakes up..."

"He won't be the same, yes I know. But...I think he will be. He won't remember anything, and at first he'll be scared. But he'll still be Bilbo and eventually that will show through. Just because he won't have the memory of a tortured thief doesn't mean he won't still be our little burglar." Her fond smile was nearly too much for Thorin's fragile emotions. Tears rimmed his eyes, but he used all his willpower to keep them in. "Have you thought of what to tell him yet?" She changed subjects knowingly, and Thorin was glad for it.

"I had considered a few things. I thought perhaps he could remain our Burglar. A Hobbit hired by Gandalf to join us on our quest to retake Erebor. Initially he was unsure about us, and we were likewise unsure of him, but by the time we reached the mountain...we all wanted him to stay. He sustained his injuries from a random orc patrol while out for a stroll to Dale. His attackers have, of course, been taken care of." Dis half smiled.

"A good story. You must be sure that the company knows all the details, so Bilbo does not ferret out any incongruities between the thirteen of you." She acknowledged, and he nodded. He was already thinking about all the little things he'd need to go over with not only the company, but the population of Erebor at large. He thought the people would be okay with this little deception, they were all fond of Bilbo as well. And Bard would certainly help.

Thorin was only worried about Thranduil and Legolas. If anyone could throw a wrench into this plan, it was the Elvenking and his brood. Still, they liked Bilbo. If they knew the full story, and reason Bilbo had to stay ignorant, they would accept it. They had to.

"I was thinking of having Ori write the journey down, with Bilbo a member of the company. And we'd have to hide the scrolls detailing the real quest."

"Naturally." Dis agreed softly. They did not speak for a long time, and when Thorin looked over next, Dis was asleep. Thorin himself was exhausted, but he would not sleep. He could not sleep, not when Bilbo could potentially wake up any moment. Despite his adamant belief that he would not rest, he began to drift a few hours later. He came an inch within unconsciousness and then the softest of whimpers met his ears and he was instantly awake.

Gandalf was standing to the side of Bilbo's bed, looking well and truly exhausted, but relieved none the less. And Bilbo, he was squirming slightly as he always did when he was being woken up before his body could wake him up. A disappointed little frown pulled down at his lips but he huffed and slowly his eyes opened. It was such a normal way for Bilbo to wake up, like nothing in the world could be more important than sleeping, except maybe food, that Thorin had to chuckle. That caught the Hobbit's attention, and his blue eyes flicked to Thorin's.

There was mostly confusion as Bilbo took in the Dwarf King, but fear lurked right behind, as well as a lot of vulnerability. Thorin tried to sooth it as much as possible by giving Bilbo a soft smile, full of love and happiness. It worked a little, and the fear stemmed to more confusion, and a bit of curiosity.

"Hello." Thorin finally whispered. Bilbo swallowed heavily, and Thorin couldn't even imagine how dry his throat must be. He carefully filled a cup, nice and slow so Bilbo wouldn't be spooked, and offered the cup to the Hobbit. Bilbo glanced between Thorin and Gandalf, trepidation on his face, but he did take the cup. His grip was shaky, so Thorin followed the cup to his mouth, just in case. Bilbo took a swallow, and seemed to loose most of the tension in his body as it soothed his throat.

"Thanks." He whispered, and his voice was even more quiet and raspy than Dis'. But it was better than Thorin expected it to be.

"Of course. How are you feeling?" Thorin asked, trying to act normal. Bilbo's brows crinkled, but he almost looked calmed by the normal tone Thorin was taking.

"I-I don't know. Who...who are you?" Thorin let his smile slip away slowly, and creased his eyebrows in what he hoped looked like concern.

"Wizard...is this your doing?" Thorin breathed, looking now at Gandalf. Thankfully the Istari seemed to know to play along. He frowned and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "You don't remember us Bilbo?" The Hobbit flinched a little, a red blush coloring his cheeks. If Thorin wasn't as strong willed as he was, he would be forced to reach out and touch those glowing cheeks. But he needed to play this right.

"Am I...is that my name?" Bilbo asked at length. Thorin nodded, cautiously putting his hand on Bilbo's.

"You are Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit of the Shire, and now a resident of Erebor. I am Thorin, King Under the Mountain, ruler of Erebor. And this is Gandalf, the crazy bastard that convinced you to come on a journey with thirteen Dwarves to retake this mountain from a Dragon. Do you remember none of this?" Thorin explained softly. Bilbo's eyes glazed over a little in concentration, but moments later the only result was a huff of exasperation.

"No, I do not." He admitted in a strangled little voice. "Are we...friends?" Thorin felt his heart squeeze in his chest. In this moment he regretted everything. All he wanted was to tell Bilbo that they were lovers, that they held each other closer than anything in the world. But he could not lie to the Hobbit any more than he already was. He just couldn't.

"We are. Though I do annoy you frequently, I hold you in high esteem. I do not know what I would do if you had not woken my friend." That at least was purely the truth. Bilbo flushed again, and it was the most beautiful thing Thorin had ever seen.

"Brother?" Dis' tired voice startled Thorin slightly, and he leaned back to look at her. In doing so, he revealed Bilbo to his sisters eyes, and within moments she was in tears. It scared Bilbo a little, Thorin could tell, and the Hobbit looked to him in confusion.

"Bilbo this is my sister, Dis. Another of your friends here in Erebor. She thinks of you as her son, and you two were very close. Surely you remember her?" Bilbo guiltily shook his head 'no'. Dis sniffled a little, and gently reached out to take Bilbo's hand. Thankfully he let her, probably feeling terrible for making Dis so emotional.

"It does not matter. You are alive, and awake. That your memory has not immediately followed, I care not. My Bilbo is alive." And she dissolved into tears again. Thorin could not quite read the look on Bilbo's face. Certainly he was confused, and a little nervous, but there was also a look of almost awe on his features. He would not remember it, but it had been so long since he felt unconditional love like this. Thorin would guess it had been since his father's death.

"I...I don't know what to say...how did I forget you all?" Bilbo asked shyly. Gandalf looked warily at Thorin, telling him without words to be careful with his story.

"You were attacked by orcs just outside the city. They left you with deep injuries and also with a bad head injury. You have been sleeping for quite some time. We all feared for you, I suppose none of us thought about how your memory would be affected by the attack." Thorin explained.

"Do you think I will someday regain my memory?" They could only hope not.

"We can only hope so." Dis soothed with a shaky smile. Bilbo returned the smile, still looking rather nervous about the whole thing. But he also looked calmed, even pleased, to have them near him. And he kept hold of Dis' hand with no apparent intention to let it go. Thorin found himself breathing easier than he had in months. And as Dis began to talk to Bilbo, and answer his numerous questions, he felt a real and true smile curve up the strong line of his lips for the first time in what felt like forever.

Slowly he reached out and put his hand on top of his sisters' and Bilbo's. The Hobbit's eyes flicked to his hand then to his eyes, and another blush spread across his cheeks. Thorin could only smile, feeling his insides turn to jelly. Things could be better now, he knew it. They would be better. He'd never let anything bad happen to his Hobbit again. He swore it.

OOOOO

"Thorin?" The King's head snapped up quickly, always at the beck and call of that sweet voice belonging to an even sweeter being. Bilbo smiled at him from where he was laying on the floor across the room, a big red leather book in front of him. He was tapping the feathered tip of a quill to his lips as if in deep concentration.

"Yes Bilbo?" Thorin asked, smiling lightly at the innocent little thing Bilbo had become. So carefree, so happy, in a way that the old Bilbo never would have been. And while the fact that Bilbo's old life had been lost in a haze of magic still tugged at Thorin's guilty conscious, he loved the way Bilbo could so easily smile now. He loved Bilbo's smile, he loved everything about the Hobbit. He only did what he had to do so that Bilbo could be happy, and stay alive. He had to tell himself that, and frequently. He could not regret his decision, not now.

"Could you tell me the story of our journey again? I want to write it down, but I've forgotten the details Ori told me." Bilbo said cheerfully, eagerly. A part of Thorin cringed at the blissfully oblivious smile on Bilbo's face. The Hobbit trusted him, unreservedly. And in return Thorin was lying to Bilbo about his entire life. But, he considered the alternative. He considered seeing Bilbo so pale and lifeless as he tried to end his own life through will alone. And while he hated himself for lying to Bilbo, he couldn't bring himself to regret his choice.

"Ori has it written down." Thorin reminded Bilbo with a small smirk. Bilbo only shrugged, seeming so much younger as he did.

"But I'd like to have my own copy." He insisted and blinked his big blue eyes pleadingly at the Dwarf. Thorin was absolutely powerless against it. He had a feeling Bilbo knew that, but he would never call the sweet Hobbit out on it. Not when he was absolutely, unreservedly willing to be under Bilbo's spell.

"I'd love to Bilbo." He whispered after a few moment of simply smiling at the Hobbit. If Bilbo noticed that it was a sad, small smile, he didn't say anything. Instead he smiled brightly, gathered his book and ink pot, and hurried over to sit on the opposite side of Thorin's desk. Thorin couldn't help but chuckle.

"Start at the beginning!" Bilbo encouraged, eyes bright with excitement over an event that never happened, but the company swore was real. They had to, because the reality was too cruel. This was the only way they could keep Bilbo, so they all agreed, it was the way it had to be. Thorin breathed in deep through his nose and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk and his chin on his hands.

He felt guilty, every single day he felt it. But every single day he also thanked his maker for delivering Bilbo Baggins back to him. He could not regret his decision when Bilbo was here, living and breathing before him. There could surely be nothing better in the world than beholding the Hobbit who held his heart. So he would live this lie, and make sure everybody kept this lie alive, for the sake of keeping his Hobbit. He was a selfish Dwarf, but he was happy. And Bilbo was happy. Surely this lie wasn't so bad, if it made Bilbo happy. He would do anything to keep Bilbo happy.

"Well, my dear Master Baggins, it began as you might expect. In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit..."

END

OOOOO

AN: TIS DONE! I WASH MY HANDS OF THIS MADNESS! In case anyone doesn't get the ending, Thorin is telling Bilbo the story of The Hobbit as we know it, where they hired him as a burglar, etc etc. I thought it was clever. Anyways, I'm so sorry it's taken so long for me to finish this story, but life has a way of torturing me whenever I get within the last few chapters of a story. Seriously, it's a proven fact. I'm not sure when I'll return to the world of fanfiction, as I'm currently working on some original works of my own (five to be exact) that I'm really excited about. Maybe someday you guys will be reading something more official of mine. I love you all, and I hope this story has been a good one! Thank you for reading you lovely little Ringers! Adieu!