BRING ME TO LIFE

By Hannah Mulkey

Music I listened to while writing this:

Shy Boy- Jordin Sparks

See My Side- Jordin Sparks

I See Fire- Ed Sheeran

Only Time- Enya

Pilgrim- Enya

Bring Me To Life- Evanescence

Bilbo walked forward to the throne, his head downcast, trying to hide his luminous eyes. How had it ended up like this? Would Thorin see the difference in him, even after ten years? The hobbit could definatly see a change in the king: his hair was graying, white in some areas, yet still black as night. His face only held laugh lines and wisdom. Thorin was looking at Bilbo with a smile, and he sat there, awaiting him.

Bilbo stood before him now, his stark white skin shimmering in the lights of Erebor. Thorin noticed his paleness and frowned as Bilbo bowed low from his waist.

Bilbo's eyes met Thorin's, the king now standing. He made his way down the steps of the dias and was now face-to-face with his former burglar. He looked at him, studying him. Bilbo's undead heart thrummed, or seemed to, when the dwarf embraced him long and hard.

"I've missed you," the dwarf whispered. And if he smelt the death on Bilbo, felt the coldness of his skin, he said nothing.

"Are you ill?" he asked, his rough voice full of concern. "You are rather pale."

"No," answered Mr. Baggins. "I think a meal would do me good." By this, he meant something completly different. He hadn't fed in days, and his flesh was so cold without the warmth of blood to fill him.

Thorin nodded and said, "What would you care to eat?"

Bilbo shook his head and said, "I'm sure I'll manage later, but I think I need to rest for a while."

Thorin nodded and led Bilbo to a room next to his own chambers. When he opened the door, the sheer beauty was enough to nearly knock poor Bilbo from his feet.

"Wow," was all he could choke out, and Thorin laughed softly.

"My room is next to this one, so if you need anything, all you have to do is come to me," he said. Bilbo felt a dread creep in. What if he grew fiercly hungry, and could not fight the urge? With fresh life so close by, he would not be able to control it. Eru knows he tried. And trying, he failed completly. Many elves in Rivendell were now dead, livestock in the Shire. Could Bilbo touch anything without bringing death?

The king took his leave, bidding the hobbit goodnight and sweet dreams.

"If I slept at night," Bilbo mused to himself when Thorin closed the door.

He jumped when he heard a bird hit his window. He quickly ran and thrust the doors open, snatched up the little thing before it could fly away, and brought it to his mouth, snapping its neck in the process.

Thorin paced in his study, practically leaving a trinch where he had tred repeadidly. What was wrong with Bilbo? He had a guess. He had seen it before, known many of the Undead. But Bilbo couldn't possibly be a vampire, right? He was too innocent to take a life. Thorin knew the signs, though; and Bilbo had them written all over his face.

Bilbo's hair had taken a darker tone, his skin pale like marble, his eyes pale and eerily like a cat's. He was even wearing darker clothes. But that didn't make him any different, right?

Just when Thorin was on to something, Gandalf came bustling in through the door.

"Thorin!" He said. "I got your word. Are you sure?"

"I do not know. But he is not himself. When did you last see him?" Thorin asked.

"The same as you: Ten years."

"What do you think?"

"I'd have to see him, first," Gandalf said roughly.

Bilbo had cleaned the blood from his chin when Gandalf and Thorin entered his room. He quickly disposed of the drained bird by throwing it out the window, pretending innocently that he had been getting fresh air.

"Gandalf!" he cried. "Well I'll be!"

"Hello, Bilbo. How are you?"

"Fine," replied the hobbit. His cheeks were now flushed and his eyes were vividly green.

"Thorin expressed concern for you," the wizard said, his eyebrows raised.

"Oh! Well I'm fine, really!" Bilbo turned from them then, and he bit his lip, his fangs having not retracted.

"Bilbo," Thorin said softly. "You can tell us if something is...not well with you. We will not judge you."

He wanted to say "we will not kill you," but he didn't want to scare Bilbo. If too many people learned something like that, there would be a riot. The penalty for a vampire is death, if discovered. And Bilbo knew this too.

"I'm fine," he reasured.

Thorin wasn't buying it. "Bilbo!"

"I'm fine, Thorin!" Bilbo's eyes had become red and his fangs bared. He realized he had exposed himself in a simple fit of anger and he made to jump out the window. He would have succeded, had Thorin not grabbed his hips and pulled him. He was strong, but Bilbo was no match for the dwarf king, even with his vampire strength.

"No! No! Don't kill me, please!" Bilbo was screaming, his fangs still pressing against his lips, his eyes now glowing green.

"Bilbo! I won't kill you!" Thorin cried. "I promise!"

Bilbo relaxed, still panting.

"Y-you promise?"

"And you know a dwarf never breaks a promise," Thorin replied.

"You hate me," Bilbo wept.

"No," Thorin whispered in to him. Gandalf watched in facination. But he had to interupt.

"How did this happen, Bilbo?" he asked. Both dwarf and wizard looked curiously at the hobbit...vampire.

Bilbo sighed.

"A couple years ago...I- I was in Bree. I was...bitten. And I woke up in the inn there and...They told me a man paid for me to stay there. That he had left a note and a bottle of red wine.

"The note told me I was...changed. It was signed in a strange language...I couldn't read the name...The red wine, well...wasn't red wine..."

"Blood," Thorin whispered.

Bilbo nodded.

"It was blood, and when I drank it, my body burned. I felt...light and...my teeth grew sharp and I...I knew then what had been done to me. What I was..."

Bilbo pulled away from the king, moving in the blink of an eye. He was now across the room, far away.

"I'm a monster," he whispered.

"No, you're not," Gandalf tried to comfort.

"I've killed people!" He screamed. "Elves, men, children!" His eyes were red and and his fangs bared visiously.

"Bilbo, we understand," Thorin said soflty. "I've had friends who were vampires. I kept their secret. I trust you," he added wih a soft smile.

Bilbo looked up then and said with venom,

"Then you're a fool."

"Bilbo..."

"I cannot control it! I could snap your neck and drink your blood without even thinking about it!" And then he felt the need for Thorin. He heard the dwarf's heart pounding in his head.

He covered his ears, but it still leaked through. "GET OUT!"

He threw a book at Thorin, trying to get him to leave before he killed him.

"Bilbo!"

"GET OUT BEFORE I KILL YOU!" His voice rang in the room like a bell and he, without thinking, lunged for the king.

Thorin backed away, but Bilbo pinned him against the wall, his body pressing against the dwarf's. His eyes were redder than blood, his fangs gleaming in the candle light.

"Bilbo," Thorin gasped. Bilbo wrenched Thorin's neck to the side, exposing the flesh.

His lips made contact, but before he could peirce the skin, Gandalf struck him with his staff.

"His heart is unbeating," said a voice.

"But he can hear the heart of his victim, if he feels the compelling need to feed."

"He had covered his ears before he lunged for me, like he..."

"He heard your heart pounding in his head," said Gandalf.

"I know he didn't mean to," said Thorin sadly. "I will not kill him. He does not deserve death."

Bilbo opened his eyes and cried out as a needle was thrust into his arm.

"AH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"

"Testing your blood," replied Oin. Oin withrew the needle to look at it. The blood inside was black.

"You need to feed," he said.

"No..." Bilbo said. "No, I don't."

"If you were full, your blood would be red. I've treated vampires before, hobbit. I know what I am doing."

The dwarf forced a cup to his lips. The blood inside smelled so intoxicating. He snatched it and drank it with passion.

"I knew it," whispered Oin.

"What?" Bilbo asked, the red liquid staining his lips.

"You're drinking Thorin's blood," he said. Bilbo choked and gasped. "WHAT?!"

Thorin stepped forward. "It is a test. You drank it passionatly," he said.

"So!?"

"So," Gandalf said. "That means you are stimulated by one person's blood. Have you ever drank like this before?"

Bilbo ducked his head and said, "No."

"How do you feel?" Thorin asked.

Bilbo said in a quiet voice,

"Alive."

"Here," Thorin said and took a scalpul. He made a thin line in his wrist and offered it to the hobbit. "What are you doing?" he asked, horrified.

"Take it," Thorin said.

Bilbo did so hesitantly. He took the dwarf king's arm and pressed the bleeding flesh to his lips. It was so warm, so intoxicating. His eyes became red and he bit down, sucking passionatly.

He rose and Thorin groaned. "Bilbo..." he gasped.

Bilbo's eyes closed and he grew hard. His body had never felt so good, so alive. He could hear Thorin's heart, louder and louder.

"Bilbo, too much...let...go..."

Bilbo heard Thorin's voice and his eyes flashed open. He withrew so quickly no one saw him move across the room.

"That was amazing," Oin said in wonder. "Master Baggins, you have been aroused by drinking blood. Has that ever happened before?"

"No," Bilbo said, wiping blood from his chin, licking the rest from his lips. He felt Thorin's blood running through him, stimulating him still.

Thorin sat down in a chair, wrapping his wrist in bandages. "Here," Oin said, giving the king a tonic. Thorin downed it quickly. He sighed and looked at Bilbo.

" I almost killed you," said Bilbo.

"But you didn't. You let go."

"What if I hadn't? You would have died."

"Listen," said Gandalf. "You two have some kind of connection. Vampires are not aroused by their victim's blood. It is a sorce of survival. But with you, Thorin, Bilbo has become aroused. Vampires cannot have lovers because they simply can't be aroused. You have awaken something within him that could make him crave you."

"Crave me?"

"Yes. He will want the same feeling again and again."

"Then I will give it to him."

Bilbo sat at the dining table to the left of Thorin, no plate in front of him, just a wine goblet made of shining crystal. At the table the whole company sat, except for Ori who stayed in the library all hours of the day. Fili and Kili sat next to Bilbo, Gandalf in front of him to Thorin's right. Even Thorin's sister Dis was there, a princess of the dwarves of Erebor, and in every way Thorin's younger sister. Bilbo wasn't hungry at all, so he sat there staring at the empty glass. On the menu for those who did not drink blood was roast beef and potatoes. Bilbo enjoyed the smell of it, though it did not make him hunger, and it did not intoxicate him the way blood did.

But then it hit him like a blow to the head. He felt his skin crawl and the smell of Thorin crept into his nose, making him shudder.

The company knew of Bilbo's curse, and were sworn not to tell a soul, but it still startled them when Bilbo's fangs poked against his lips and his eyes swirled with wild red, his skin growing pale.

"Bilbo?" Thorin said his name so sweetly, it was like music to his ears.

"Do you need...?"

Bilbo nodded and Thorin took a deep breath. The company also knew of what had transpired between the two, so it did not suprise them as much as it should have when Thorin took a steak knife and prepared to slit his wrist. But Bilbo stopped him and simply took his arm and bit down as softly as he could. Thorin winced but let Bilbo do whatever he wanted. Bilbo took Thorin's punctured wrist and held it over the goblet.

The blood leaked out and Bilbo gently squeezed to help it empty. When the glass was half full, Bilbo silently took a napkin and wrapped it around the king's bloody wrist.

Bilbo said quietly, "thank you" and put the glass to his lips.

He closed his eyes as he drank, the warm essence of Thorin running down his throat and into his own veins, making him feel Thorin's life. It was like Thorin lived within him, and he relished in it. The company watched in fascination as the hobbit drained the glass gracefully yet with heated passion. Thorin watched as well, seeing what his essence did to Bilbo Baggins. Did his blood really make Bilbo feel good, alive?

Bilbo set the glass down and wiped his mouth on a napkin with his head downcast, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone, especially Thorin. If he had drank more than half a glass he would have gotten an erection, and he knew it.

But he still felt Thorin's blood running through him, warming his cold body. And he wondered if love felt that way: the person's warmth filling you, making you feel alive.

Bilbo lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was a steriotype that vampires could not go out in the light of day. They actually love the sun because it warms them when blood is not needed, like a snake basking in the sun for energy. They just didn't like to be seen by others. And that was true for Bilbo Baggins. He did not wish to be seen by others. So it was ten in the morning when Fili and Kili knocked on his door.

"Who is it?" He moaned.

"Who do you think?" said Kili through the door.

Bilbo lazily opened the door and let the dwarves in.

"What? Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"

"But it's day," said Kili.

"He's a vampire, Kili. They don't like the light," Fili rebuked.

"Not true," grumbled the hobbit. "We love the sun, but when you primarily stay awake at night, you tend to sleep in the day."

"If you like the sun, you can change that, you know," Fili said.

Bilbo considered this. He could. It would mean he'd see his friends more.

Yes, he was tired as hell, but with a good drink he would be wide awake. Bilbo made his way down into the throne room, his hair falling into his eyes. He had decided to grow it out to his shoulders a few months ago, so it fell into his face sometimes. He looked evil, almost, in his black coat and dark blue waist coat. He decided black looked good on him, and matched his hair and skin better than red and green.

Thorin nearly fell off the throne when he saw Bilbo come into the light.

"Bilbo. I thought you were asleep."

"Kili and Fili inspired me to get out a little...m-more," he was weak now. And it showed. He collapsed and Thorin ran to him, taking his shoulders and giving them a small shake. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes...I just...n-need..."

There was no one but Balin and Gandalf in the throne room at the moment, so Thorin pulled his sleeve up and put his wrist against Bilbo's lips.

The cuts were scabbing over, and Bilbo saw that they were red and irritated.

"No, you're...going to...get an...infection..." he panted. He pointed to Thorin's scabs.

He pulled Bilbo closer to him. "Come with me," he whispered. He led Bilbo to a secluded room ajoining the throne room.

He unbuttoned the first three buttons of his tunic and pushed his hair back.

"Drink," he said, exposing his neck.

Bilbo looked at him for a moment, assesing him.

"No...Not now. Not he-here."

"Yes," said Thorin. "I care about your health, and right now you don't look too good, Bilbo. Drink me." That was it. Drink me. That's all it took to set Bilbo off.

He grabbed at the king and pressed against him. He gasped because Thorin had an erection. Thorin was hard...Bilbo looked up into the eyes of the king. They were closed, waiting. Bilbo didn't mention it, and pressed his lips against Thorin's neck.

He heard his heart beating loudly like a drum. His body began to sway to the beat, like a song that controlled him.

He bit down hard and Thorin groaned. He began sucking passionatly, the blood running through him, flooding him with warmth. Bilbo quickly grew hard, and he pressed more against Thorin. The king gasped out,

"Bilbo..."

Bilbo sucked harder, determined that this feeling never end. He felt Thorin clench his shirt as he drank his essence, his life. The heart was pounding and pounding, faster and faster like a death dance.

And then it began to slow down..dangerously. Bilbo opened his eyes and let go. But Thorin had let go of him and fallen to the floor.

Bilbo let out a cry, a scream...a plead. But Thorin was lank and did not move. His neck was covered in blood and his eyes remained closed.

As he felt Thorin's life flow through him, he screamed,

"HELP!"

He dropped down to the king and slapped at his cheeks, pulled at his hair, beat at his chest. He wept and screamed, and he began CPR. It wasn't doing any good.

And then something leaked from his fangs and it bruned his tongue.

And he knew then how to save Thorin.

He bit down on his neck again and let some of his own life go.

Thorin woke to the sound of voices, all surrounding him.

"He didn't turn."

"Bilbo gave something back."

"He started his heart again."

"This is unheard of."

"I didn't mean to hurt him."

"We know, Bilbo."

"Will he be okay?"

"He should now."

"You saved him."

"I killed him in the first place."

"But you knew what to do..."

Thorin slowly rose on the bed and quickly winced and threw a hand to his neck. It was aching and bandaged.

Bilbo ran over to the bed and looked at Thorin.

"You're okay!" He hugged the king but withdrew as quickly as he came.

"What happened?" Thorin asked.

"What do you remember?" Gandalf asked.

Thorin seemed to blush as he said,

"Bilbo drinking me..." he paused and said,

"I didn't tell him to stop."

"Why not?" asked Gandalf and Dis in unison.

Thorin's cheeks turned red as a Shire tomatoe and he ducked his head and said,

"Because it felt good."

Bilbo blushed. "You liked it when I did that?"

Thorin nodded. "It stinged but it also made me...feel good. Like a warmth washed away by cold winter rain."

It was the opposite then? Bilbo felt the wamth, but Thorin felt the cold?

He had liked it when Bilbo was killing him?

"Wait...If I was dead...or dying..How did you bring me back?"

Bilbo was the one to speak.

"I infected you with vampire blood."

"WHAT?!"

"You're not a vampire! Not unless you drink blood within the next day. It was enough so you could survive! It will wear off by tomorrow and you'll be okay!"

"You put vampire blood in me! You-!"

Thorin put his face in his hands. Vampire blood? He knows that it works in dire matters, but he knew if not treated properly there can be inevitable death.