It is the middle of the night when Bilbo finally makes his way down to the heart of the Lonely Mountain, the soft padding of his still bare feet do not echo in the cavernous Dwarven halls. The flickering of torches illuminates the solemn chamber set in the deep where Thorin's tomb lies as still and unyielding as the dwarf himself. It seems as if dust itself does not dare to lie upon it and the smooth, polished dark marble glows in the dim imperfect light of the small flames. His tomb is grand, fit for a king; though the Arkenstone does not glimmer in the darkness. Thorin's tomb is not alone, and Bilbo spares a moment of his grief to remember the brothers who fell in vain trying to protect their Uncle and King; he privately thinks that it is better that they died together and did not have to learn to live without the other half of their soul.

The time he spends here, in this cavern away from gold and glittering gems and councils and life (regrets) - this is the only time he spends alone; away from the hustle and bustle of running a Kingdom that was never supposed to be his (it still isn't his) and trying to raise his son to be a King like his father even though his father never had the chance to set an example. He speaks sometimes, to the cold stone of Thorin's tomb, whispering his fears and worries and even sometimes his joys into the stony silence. Some nights he comes to rage, because how dare Thorin leave him alone with a child to bear and raise by himself?

Sometimes, when the loneliness takes hold so strongly he merely comes here and sits, letting the steady weight of the mountain crush him back into what he knows himself to be.

Tonight he speaks of their son; the young prince who has Thorin's glacier blue eyes and Bilbo's wide furry feet. He tells the stone of a young boy who is half dwarf and half hobbit but is all joy and mischief. He laments the fact that the young Frodo, who, despite being a Prince under the Mountain is still a Baggins but will never see the Shire. He has never seen the wide rolling hills of green nor has he known the soft comforts of Bag End (he only has the cold stone and gold and in Bilbo's opinion that is not enough). Frodo is happy though, he loves the Mountain and all the wealth it has to offer him.

He also tells the stones about how very soon everything is about to change (again). Frodo is days away from reaching his majority and his throne. Bilbo will be free again, to see the Shire again or merely to take a step back and watch his son rule his fathers Kingdom. Bilbo has done everything he can here, stepping up to rule as Prince Regent for well over fifty years even though he had never truly married Thorin; because ten dwarves refused to let Dain Ironfoot rule after he had denied his King the first time he called for aid. The remaining companions had proven themselves even more valuable after he had agreed to watch over the throne (it wasn't his to take), but Balin and Ori are leaving for Moria and the others are focused on their own families. Bilbo is starting to feel more alone outside this cavern than he has ever felt sitting beside this cold tomb.

He does not worry about Frodo; he is as ready to be King as his father was.

(Bilbo thinks of the gold ring he keeps in his pocket, about how easy it would be to just put it on and walk away; to listen to its seductive whispers of freedom.)

Bilbo thinks that maybe he won't be going home to the Shire; it isn't really home anymore anyways. He also thinks that maybe the mountain isn't really his home either even though his son is there.

Bilbo knows that his home was always Thorin.