A.N. You didn't have to wait a month! Woohoo! I am ridiculously pleased by this. It's getting nice and hot here in Cali, but we have a decent cool down coming up this week, which will help. The house we're staying at also has a pool, which is sooooo nice. Anywho, we're getting toward the end of the events in The Hobbit, and I've been going back and forth with some ideas (which goes along with your request TikiKiki). There were some things I wanted to explore with this timeline after the Battle of Five Armies, but I also have some ideas for a story with Thorin and Danica set in the Lord of the Rings timeline, but not as a sequel. So what do you guys think?
TikiKiki: Mwahaha. Sad thing is, I love to write cliffhangers, but hate being on the waiting end of them. Lol.
Just4Me: Maybe I did…Poor Thorin just can't seem to help himself, can he?
guest(S.M.): Thank you! I appreciate your review, and am so glad you are liking the story. Also, your English is fantastic.
Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my original characters and plot lines.

She floated from one dream to another, seemingly reliving her experiences since she'd arrived in Middle Earth. It was strange; almost like reading a history book. It was her life she was seeing, but she didn't feel any of the normal emotions that were tied to the images. She looked on with detached observation, almost relieved at her lack of response. Viewing everything from a purely logical perspective made it easier to see where she had gotten sidetracked and made mistakes. She was able to see where her feelings had gotten in the way. Even without those feelings clouding her judgment now, she knew she could never have changed that. Remaining subjective had never been a strong point of hers.

At some point, she began to hear something echo. It was a name. She tried to focus on it, but it was fuzzy and far off. Whose voice was that? When she started to feel cold, she shied away. Whatever was happening, she wanted no part of it. She was tired of pain and suffering. All she wanted was to stay where she was safe and numb. Hadn't she earned that by now? No matter how hard she fought though, whoever was on the other side fought harder. The cool detachment she'd had before evaporated, leaving panic in its wake. Now she could make out the name being called. It was hers.

'No,' she thought. 'Leave me be,'

"Danica!"

'Please. I'm tired. I don't want to fight anymore,'

"Think of all those who care for you. Think of Thorin!"

'No. If I think of him…' but it was too late. His face flashed through her mind, and any resistance she'd put up snapped like an old rubber band.

With a gasp, she came to, coughing instantly at the catch from the water still in her lungs. Someone rolled her on her side and patted her back, hard.

"There you go," Bard said. "Take it easy,"

After the coughing subsided, she opened her eyes to see they were still in Laketown. Bard had laid her on a bridge away from the rest of the fire. He suddenly pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.

"Thank the gods you're alright," his voice was rough with emotion. She relaxed into the warm hug, taking what peace she could when she knew there was chaos coming.

"Get your hands off her," Dwalin growled, pulling Danica back.

"It's ok Dwalin," she rasped, too exhausted to be annoyed. "He saved my life,"

Dwalin made a noncommittal noise that made his opinion of Bard quite clear.

"Where are the others?" Danica asked to change the subject.

"Here," Kili came into view and knelt in front of her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded while Oin checked her vitals. "Just a little shaken up,"

"Just a little shaken up," Kili shook his head. "What were you thinking? Did you want to get killed?"

"No. I just-"

"What happened to your hair?" Oin asked when his hands passed over her neck.

"What did ye do?" Dwalin yelled, glaring at Bard.

"Her hair got caught, and was dragging her down. There was no other way,"

While the others bickered around her, Danica lifted a hand to her hair. With a jolt, she realized that it now hung just about her shoulders, except for Thorin's braid, which she could still see resting down her arm.

"It doesn't matter," she said, interrupting them. "We need to get out of here,"

"There is one more boat we can take," Tauriel said, offering a hand to help Danica up.

"Thank you," she offered the elf what little of a smile she could.

"Here you are Dani," Bofur came to stand in front of her, holding her spear. "You almost lost this,"

The smile came a little easier now. "You're the best Bofur,"

"We should head out," Bard said, raising his voice slightly above the roar of the fire.

Dwalin spared Bard one last dirty look before moving beside Danica as they followed Tauriel and Legolas to the boat. Even tucked tightly between Kili and Dwalin, Danica shivered in the cold air. When the sun began to rise, she looked to the mountain, and felt dread.

"I'm sure they're all fine," Bofur said, seeing the look on her face.

She nodded, not sure how to tell him that there was something else nagging at her. When she looked over at Legolas, a silent understanding passed between them. Dragon sickness. If Thorin really thought they were dead, God only knew how he would react. She desperately wanted to get to him, but it would take them another full day or so to make it through the desolation to Dale.

"Would you like me to even your hair out?" Tauriel asked, bringing Danica out of her thoughts.

"Um, sure," it must have looked pretty shaggy for the elf captain for make the offer.

It only took a few swipes with her knife, and she was finished. Danica tried to ignore the breeze on her neck.

"What do we do now?" Bofur asked, looking mostly at the elves. 'What are you going to do now?' was obviously what he meant.

"We need to rejoin our people and gather our army. The best place for us to meet would probably be the ruins of Dale," he looked to Danica for confirmation, and she nodded.

"If you want to go straight to the mountain, we can disembark over there," Tauriel pointed to a nearby part of the shore.

"I should see what the Master has planned," Bard's voice was dark and held no enthusiasm. "It would be wisest to go to Dale as well, but he may want to salvage what he can from Laketown,"

"I'm sure if he knows Thranduil's army will be there, he will be more willing to go," Danica said.

"When will you need us?" Legolas asked Danica once they reached the shore.

"Not for a few days, but the sooner you are able to get to Dale, the better. Since the orcs know that I have knowledge of the future, they will try to change their original plan as much as possible,"

"We will do what we can then,"

"I am sure King Thranduil will want to meet with Thorin to discuss terms over the treasure soon," Tauriel said. "That will help get us there faster,"

"I'm sure he will," Kili muttered sarcastically. Legolas gave him a quick glare while Tauriel's lips curved upward for the briefest moment. Kili saw only her smile.

"Take care of yourself," Bard said after he jumped out of the boat. "Even if the Master wants to go back to Laketown, I will bring who I can with me to Dale. If you need anything, you will find me there,"

Danica nodded. "I will. Thank you, Bard the Dragon Slayer," she grinned at the title, especially when he cringed.

"Is that really going to be my title?"

"Yep," she laughed at the resigned way he sighed as they rowed away.

Any good humor was lost as she and the others made their way first through the desolation, then Dale. They stopped for a few hours in the ruins, huddling around a fire in the great hall to regain some of their strength. Danica had been unable to sleep, staying awake through everyone else's watch. The dark, cold feeling she had while dreaming in the water had persisted like a bad flu, aided and abetted by the tense stillness of the air. Even with Smaug gone, the threat of attack felt real and close.

"Hello?"

It was Bofur's watch, and both he and Danica jerked at the sound of a voice.

"Did you hear that?" he asked. She nodded, holding on tightly to her spear.

"Kili? Dani? Anyone?"

Despite her mood, the sound of Fili's voice had her heart lifting.

"Fili! We're in here!" ignoring the grumpy comments about her shouting from the once sleeping dwarves, Danica ran to the door of the hall, barely making it to a standing position before she was off.

"Danica? Call out again!" he suddenly ran into view, leaving his request unnecessary. His face broke into a huge grin, and he leaped up the steps to wrap Danica in a tight hug. "I knew you were alive!"

Though she had known the dwarves survived their encounter with Smaug, relief had Danica hugging him back just as tightly.

"It's so good to see you," she said.

"You too," he let go and walked past her to greet the others. "What happened out there?" he asked once they were all sitting around the fire again.

Danica let the others tell as much of the story as they knew, only speaking when she absolutely needed to. She was beginning to get tired, her body aching and heavy.

"Why are you here by yourself?" Kili's question made it through the haze of her groggy mind, waking her up.

Fili's jaw clenched, and he stared hard into the fire. "The others are looking for the Arkenstone. Thorin believes you all died in the attack,"

His words solidified all of Danica's worst fears, and had those around the fire frowning.

"How could he?" Kili asked, voice raised and passionate. "How could he just give up like that?"

"I asked him the same question, but he is too far gone to see reason,"

"We need to get to the mountain. Now," Kili stood, only to be brought back down again when Dwalin yanked on his sleeve.

"We are all worn from last night. It would not do anyone any good for us to arrive dead on our feet," the older dwarf reasoned, though he didn't look pleased about it either. "I will take watch. We can figure all of this out tomorrow," his eyes rested on Danica for a second, their expression unreadable to her.

No one slept well, but there was a high energy among them as they headed out toward the mountain. The only one who was still dragging was Danica. She didn't want to do this. Didn't want to face what was waiting for them. If she hadn't been able to save him from the sickness before? How could she possibly do it now? It seemed so hopeless. Her dread sunk hard and deep in her stomach when they paused under the shadow of the mountain.

"Come on Lass," Dwalin said softly. "We won't know how bad it is until we see him,"

"It's strange actually being here in person," she murmured.

"Your dreams?" Bofur asked.

She nodded, gazing up at the stern faces of the dwarf statues guarding the gate. Kili took her hand and squeezed it, giving her a reassuring smile. They all walked in together, trying not to look at the scatter of bodies around them. It was going to take forever to sort through it all and make the place livable again. Not to mention getting rid of the sulfuric smell of dragon.

"Hello?" Kili called, his voice echoing multiple times through the stone halls.

"Bifur? Bombur?" Bofur joined in.

"Wait!" Bilbo's small figure came running up the stairs. "Wait! Stop, stop, stop," he was panting by the time he arrived in front of them. "You need to leave. We all need to leave,"

"How bad is it?" Kili asked.

Fili moved in front. "Has it gotten worse since I left?"

Bilbo nodded sadly. "He's been down there for days. He won't eat. He won't sleep. I've tried talking to him, but he won't listen," he looked at Danica. "Maybe he'll listen to you. I've heard him repeating your name over and over as he paces,"

They all looked to her now, but she was frozen. "I don't-"

"Come on," Kili pushed past Bilbo. "Let's see about this,"

"Kili! Wait!" Bilbo followed closely, eyes wide with panic.

Danica followed slowly behind them, unwilling to see what had become of Thorin. She knew he was no longer hers, and didn't know how she was going to handle it. All she really wanted to do was turn around and walk back out, stopping only when she was too tired to continue. Somehow, she was able to push herself forward, down the stairs. By the time she caught up, Fili was already holding the ruby Thorin had thrown.

"Welcome, my sister's sons, to the kingdom of Erebor,"

Just hearing the change in his voice made her feel ill. When she turned the corner and saw him down among all of the gold, a burning began to take over.

"Thorin," her voice reverberated off the walls, catching his attention. He looked at her, his eyes clearing ever so slightly. Even then, he still looked like a stranger to her.

"Danica. You're alive," he spoke softly, but every word carried easily to her ears.

"So it would seem," she didn't realize how cold and hard her voice was until the others looked at her, brows drawn.

Thorin frowned, but she wasn't sure if it was because of her voice or just the mere fact that she was alive. He looked confused and lost. "What happened to your hair?" he asked, almost bemused.

"I got caught in the lake, and Bard had to cut it to save me," why couldn't she emote even the smallest bit? There was plenty of feeling burning in the pit of her stomach, but it seemed trapped there.

"Go to him Lass," Dwalin whispered, the barest gleam of hope in his eyes.

She did as he suggested, but knew without a doubt that it would do no good. Whatever lid was holding her emotions down shook slightly when she finally made her way in front of him.

"How did you survive?" Thorin's gaze was still dumbfounded as he took in her appearance.

"Mostly luck. It's a long story,"

"Danica," he took a step toward her, reaching a hand out.

"Don't," feeling a sudden panic, she jerked away from him. As his eyes widened, his gaze once again cleared.

"What is it? Are you hurt?"

"You forgot," the words were quiet, and harsh.

His brow furrowed in deeper confusion. "What do you mean? Forgot what?"

"Your promise! Damn it Thorin!" the burning emotions that had been locked away suddenly burst free. She was angry, she realized. No. She was pissed. "I thought you could withstand temptation, but boy did you prove me wrong,"

"We need the Arkenstone to unify the clans. You know that,"

"Don't you dare try to reason your way out of this Thorin Oakenshield," she growled.

She heard some kind of muttering behind her, but ignored it. With her fury growing to full strength, she didn't give a damn what anyone else thought.

"Choosing duty over me I could understand. Hell, I've lived through it once already. But choosing gold over me is unacceptable. Especially when you promised that you wouldn't!"

"I haven't-"

"You left me!" her shriek bounced shockingly around them. Her hands were shaking madly, and her face was wet from tears she hadn't noticed until then. Unable to stop, she continued. "After Smaug attacked, when there was a chance we were still alive, when Fili came to find us, you gave up. You gave up on me, and would have left us all for dead. All because you would have rather stayed here with your precious treasure. Was everything you said to me in Laketown a lie? Was this a lie?" she held up the braid, which hung almost ridiculously longer than the rest of her hair.

"Of course not," confusion was completely gone now. Instead, pain and doubt colored his expression.

"Then why?" her voice broke on a sob. "Why was finding that damn stone more important than finding us?"

He sighed, about to answer, when his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You know where it is, don't you?"

A lie was on her tongue, but spite and anger beat it down. "Yes,"

"And you would keep it hidden from me?" the haze of sickness covered his eyes again as his voice lowered with anger. He stepped toward her again, each movement measured.

Despite the dangerous way his eyes flashed, she stood her ground. "Yes. I had hoped not to, but I see the same sickness in your eyes that you saw in your grandfather. You are just like him,"

"Lass…" Dwalin warned, but it was too late. Before anyone could take even another breath, Thorin's hand shot out and grabbed her by the throat.

"Uncle!"

"Thorin!"

The multiple cries of protest fell on deaf ears. Thorin glared at Danica, his grip tight and threatening.

"You would dare betray me this way?"

She grabbed at his hand, trying to get loose. "As always, I'm trying to save you,"

"You have no right to keep the Arkenstone from me," his hand tightened further, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"Thorin, let her go," Fili said, his voice closer than before. "You don't want to hurt her,"

"Stay back! All of you!" Thorin barked the command, eyes never leaving Danica's face. "Tell me where it is,"

"Thorin…please," she choked, heart breaking.

"Tell me!"

Gathering all her strength and courage, she looked him in the eye, and said, "No,"

With a roar, he released her, only to backhand her with enough force to send her sprawling into the treasure. Stunned silence filled the cavern. Danica lay on the ground, face stinging, joining other aches and pains, but none of them compared to the pain in her heart. Not even after the death of her husband had she felt so weak, tired, and defeated.

"Come on Dani," Fili's voice was gentle, as were his hands when he helped her up. "Let's get you out of here,"

"Danica…" Thorin reached out to her again.

"Don't touch me," she cringed away from him, further into Fili's arms. "Just leave me alone," she couldn't look at him, just kept her eyes down.

Fili gave his uncle a withering glare before helping Danica out. Just before they got out of hearing range, she heard Thorin call out her name, voice desperate. Clutching a hand to her aching chest, she leaned on Fili and let the tears fall unrestrained.

P.S. That ended up being pretty hard to write. :'( Oh lordy, how things are messed up now. Thank you for reading! Reviews are always lovely and appreciated!