Hello my darlings, I'm back and bloody hell. I was only gone for a few days! 66 Reviews, 73 Faves and 107 Watches. I love you guys. I really do. Oh my goodness you have no idea how giddy all this makes me and now I feel really bad about how lacking this chapter is! Ugh, I've re-written it so many times and this was the best I could do!


That night, when Bilbo Baggins had returned to camp after his outburst, Thorin Oakenshield knew something was very wrong. Bifur had returned earlier empty-handed and quietly set up his bed-roll and fell asleep. He ignored the frantic questions of the dwarves, demanding if Bilbo was alright. Thorin believed that the only dwarf that would have been able to coax the hobbit back was Bifur. Thorin believed wrong.

It was an hour after the outburst when Bilbo had returned to camp. By then Nori was placed on watch and everyone had fallen into a quiet sleep.

Bilbo looked absolutely awful to say the least. Thorin couldn't help but feel sorry for him; he was certainly not the same hobbit who had left the Shire so many months ago. He was thinner, so much thinner. And it definitely showed. His blue-green eyes were dull, glassy with fever, and sunk into their sockets. His movements were no longer swift and calculated, but rigid and stiff. Even his hands were bad. They shook alarmingly as they were clutched to a small chest. The dwarf kind watched closely as their burglar looked around sullenly before curling under his bedroll in a shivering mess. There was no doubt about it now, something was wrong with Bilbo.

When Thorin woke up in the morning, he was surprised to catch the hobbit walking back into camp, looking paler than before and, if it was even possible, more ill. It didn't take a genius to notice that Bilbo was having troubles packing his bag with his shaking fingers. It made him feel bad that nobody was helping the Halfling at all Thorin ripped his eyes away from the sight, not wanting to see anymore, and spoke loudly to the awkwardly silent Company.

"Move out."

The dwarf King couldn't help himself when he looked back every once in a while to check if their hobbit was still with them. He gritted his teeth when he noticed Bilbo was falling more and more behind every time he did and looking dead on his feet.

On about the umpteenth time Thorin looked back, he noticed the Halfling was gone. He paused and noticed the small being was leaning against a tree, clutching tightly at his stomach and the tree to his right.

"Stop!" he barked, moving past the company as he made his way back. There were murmurs of confusion from all of the dwarves as their eyes locked with the smallest member of the company.

"What's Bilbo doing?"

"Is he alright?"

"He's probably just a little under the weather"

"The lad's gonna drag us back again"

"He doesn't look to well"

"Master Baggins?" Thorin ventured once he neared. Bilbo didn't look good. Not in the slightest. Was he- Was he struggling to breathe? "Bilbo, are you alright?" he demanded, worried now. Baggins breathed in and looked up with his cloudy eyes

"Bilbo?" Fili stepped in closer and Bilbo's eyes snapped to him "Are you okay?"

The burglar's mouth opened for a reply and Thorin expected for the small thing to say something along the lines of 'I'm alright' or other lies like that. He didn't expect blood to come out of his mouth and for him to double over in seemingly agony. There was screams of his name as Fili grabbed him, only to be roughly shoved away as the coughing intensified. Fear flashed in glossy blue-green eyes and Thorin's breath stopped.

Bilbo was going to die


I'm going to die

Was one of the thoughts that spread like lightening across Bilbo's mind as he struggled to take a single breath in. He felt the cold, clammy fingers of an Orc close around his throat and squeeze, tighter, harder and he clawed at his throat, willing for the hands to be gone and away so he could just breathe.

"H-" he choked on a word "He-lp –m-e" he spat weakly as blood dribbled down his lips and stained his shirt. There was a sudden force whacking him on the back and his back arched in pain and he threw his head back as he could finally breathe small and shallow breaths. He staggered into the tree, tears mixing with the blood on his cheeks. He stared at the Company who were no longer looking at him. The whole Company's eyes widened as they saw what soaked the oldest Durin brother's hand as he moved it so all could see. They looked up to the hobbit.

Fili's hand was glistened red with Bilbo's blood.

Bilbo's breath hitched and he could feel it as his whole world crumbled around him.

They knew.

They knew he was sick.

They knew he was hurt.

They knew something was wrong with him.

This is bad.

This is very bad.

They can't know about it.

They shouldn't know about it.

They weren't supposed to find out.

Gandalf was supposed to be the only one when he arrived.

They were going to laugh at him.

They were going to think he was weak.

They were going to make fun of him again.

He couldn't go through that.

He didn't realise he was hyperventilating and his hands were shaking as he choked on tears

They weren't supposed to know!

He was panicking as Thorin's eyes locked with his. They were filled with an emotion he couldn't recognise. The company were shouting at each other and at Bilbo. He covered his ears with his blood-soaked fingers and his knees buckled; he fell hard onto the floor.

"Bilbo?!" Kili's voice managed to slice through the haze and his hands "Bilbo can you hear us?!

"Please! Please, Bilbo!" That was Bofur.

He felt like he was underwater and cotton was in his mouth. He thought he could hear something screaming in the distance and he realised sluggishly that it was him. He was the one screaming. Bilbo Baggins was screaming.

There was rushing in his ears and he leaned forwards. He didn't feel the pain of falling to the floor, he didn't hear the alarmed yells and worried shouts from those around him, nor did he notice the purple veins clawing onto his face and blossoming like a flower across his cheek.

He was numb and he knew nothing more.


Yes, yes, I shouldn't have ended it there but I did anyway because I ran out of ideas XD Don't worry, it'll be back soon as well as another chapter!

Votes are pretty much the same, Multi-Chapter is still in the lead.

Please, please review, they help me so much!