"They best way to remember the dead is to continue living."
How long Bilbo sat there, he would not be able to tell, many Dwarrows entered Thorin's tent, but none stayed long, merely paying their respects to a fallen king. All the while Bilbo sat at his king's bedside holding his limp scarred hand in his soft one.
A part of him had been denying the proof before his eyes but he knew when he had to accept it when Thranduil ducked into the tent and made his apologies.
Bilbo kept his face blank until the Elf left and then Bilbo let himself cry, his face buried in Thorin's still chest as he laid himself next to the Dwarf on the cot.
For hours Bilbo cried for all that had been lost and he choked out apology after apology, apologies gave way to begging and promises, if only Thorin would just open his eyes, please.
It was late night or early morning when Bilbo cried himself out and fell into an exhausted sleep.
"Bilbo?" Balin's soft voice woke him.
Bilbo blinked awake slowly.
"Bilbo, it's time to lay Thorin to rest, you need to say your goodbyes." Because Dwarrows were most secretive in all things.
Bilbo sniffled but had no tears left to cry as he pulled away from Thorin's cold, stiff body, hand still tight in his. Bilbo looked at the Dwarrow he had grown to love, despite all the other had done and said to him.
Bilbo lifted Thorin's hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles.
"I'll miss you, my King." Bilbo mouthed against the workworn knuckles.
Bilbo kept hold of Thorin's hand as the Dwarrows carried him to the mountain with Fili and Kili, had he any tears left to dry they would have been streaming down his cheeks by now. He held Thorin's hand until Dwalin gently stopped him from continuing forward.
Bilbo's hand tightened before it relaxed and he let go, watching the party long after they were gone from his sight.
Bilbo looked up at Gandalf as the wizard came to stand next to him.
"I want to go home now." Was all Gandalf could get him to say.
For a long time after Master Baggins Adventure he didn't talk, didn't have parties or dinner invites. For the longest time Master Baggins seemed like he wasn't really there.
Frodo Baggins finding his way into Master Baggins' garden, taken care of by Hamfast Gamgee, with Meriadoc Brandybuck made Master Baggins talk for the first time since he first came back.
"Fili." He whispered to Merry and "Kili." To Frodo, then, "No, they are dead and the eyes are wrong." He muttered.
Bilbo smiled sadly, "Would you like some tea?" He asked.
They nodded.
It would be a long while before Master Baggins spoke of his Adventure, after Frodo came to live with him when his parents died, but when he did Merry and Frodo would see the grief he held for the three Dwarrows he had lost.
When Frodo asked him once what made him take him in, Bilbo answered that he couldn't forget to live…because they never got the chance.
So, I realized that I always tend to Save the Line of Durin, so I wrote one where I didn't. I'm sorry.