Capture
Leah and Bilbo wished their farewell to Fili and Kili, who made their way to find Gandalf and Thorin to track down Azog. The brothers disappeared out of the door with a nervous smile each. Leah clasped her hands together and sighed again, feeling the weight of everything sitting on her shoulders. Her future with Thorin and the lives of everyone was now resting on her. If she could not open a portal herself to send Azog away, then he'd have access to either world via the portal the moon had control over. There was no way she could pass over into Middle-earth knowing that Azog was behind in her world, butchering innocent people.
Surely there was a way she could find him alone and not have to risk the lives of anyone else. If she had no other choice, maybe even drag him through a portal with her if she even opened one.
"Are you alright?" Bilbo asked, smiling. "You've gone quiet again."
"I was just thinking about things, and wondering how I can make it right. It should be me, Bilbo. I should be the one going after him, not Thorin. He's already lost his life once," she began, and gradually felt her mind being pulled into the memory. "When I saw you with him, Bilbo...the pain. It...it was as though I'd been stabbed in my gut. And when I looked into his eyes and saw him smile, I finally realised he loved me. It was as though he'd held on just to see me." Tears streamed down Leah's cheeks as she spoke, re-living the moment. "Such a beautiful and strong man had become something so broken through the sickness, but when he died, I saw that strength rise back up in him. He truly died a king."
"Even kings have their weaknesses. None of us are perfect, no matter how strong or privileged."
"I thought Thorin was," Leah said, looking at Bilbo. "I really thought he was perfect until he said what he did in Erebor. He'd seen Fili holding me when I got upset, and I was upset because of the change in him. And when I saw him sat there, with the crown on his head, I knew he wouldn't love me. He became something I'd always despised in a man. And then he saw us, and in his own anger he told me that I was nothing. I don't know what was worse; losing him to the sickness or to death."
As Leah was speaking, Bilbo noticed the coffee table begin to shake. But it was only just visible; Leah hadn't, as of yet, noticed it.
"I can't stand the idea of losing him again, Bilbo, and I'm adamant I won't. I'd quite happily take his place," Leah continued. "I...I can remember him lying on a stone table...His body. Bilbo..." She began weeping almost uncontrollably.
Bilbo kept his eye on the table, noticing that the vibrations were becoming stronger, until suddenly the whole table disappeared. "Leah!" he called out. "Look!" Until now she'd remained completely oblivious to what was going on. "You made the table disappear. Your memories are coming back and that is what's driving this. The more you talk and focus on Thorin, the stronger your memories become...keep talking."
Leah jumped up from the sofa. "I can't...This is killing me. All of the memories that keep coming back are ones where I lose him in one way or another. My head is pounding." She raced to the door, pulling it open and dashed out as fast as she could.
"Leah?" Bilbo called, following behind her.
xxx
Gandalf and Thorin waited for Fili and Kili in their current location. Leah had spoken to Thorin over the phone, asking where he was so that his nephews could make their way to him.
Thorin smiled as he saw the two young men walking towards him. They may have been considerably taller in this world, without their beards and long hair, but he could tell those smiles anywhere. "Thorin!" Fili beamed as he finally stood before his uncle, throwing his arms around him. Kili also embraced his uncle. "I think we are finally up to speed with what has happened."
The group began to move, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible. Their discussion was quiet in order to stop people overhearing them. "Azog must be close by now," Gandalf said. "He has been leaving a trail for us to follow and this is the place where he took his last victim."
Fili looked at Thorin questioningly. "I don't understand this. Why would he go to the trouble of wanting us to follow him?"
"Because he wants me!" Thorin snapped. "I was the one who slay him before, as he did me. And he wants to finish what he started. That means killing me again...for good this time."
"And what will happen if Leah can't get the portal open? That means he can escape back to Middle-earth," Kili interrupted. "He will have the window of opportunity tomorrow night with or without Leah."
"And that is why we must get to him; keep him locked down until Leah can get to us," Gandalf explained. "She is the one we are relying on now."
"How does she know which world he will be sent to?" Kili asked.
"That is something she must learn to control," Gandalf sighed.
"Do you think she will be safe with Bilbo?" Fili asked.
"I would trust the hobbit with my life," Thorin replied.
xxx
Leah raced as fast as she could through the darkened street, hearing the sound of Bilbo's frightened footfalls becoming quieter, until she could hear them no longer. She hid around the side of an old abandoned pub and watched for any signs of movement. Bilbo must have lost her somewhere down the alleyway further back. In the dark she waited, hearing her own breathing becoming steady again. And then she thought of Thorin. Above everything else she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, but if this was the only way to save his life, and also the lives of his nephews, Bilbo and Gandalf, then so be it. Her emotions were the catalyst to opening a portal, and whether she'd find a way to fully control that she had no idea, but there was no way she could wait around any longer. Too many families had lost loved ones because of her. Azog would be damned, one way or the other, she'd make sure of it.
Leah made her way back home, checking behind her constantly for any signs of Bilbo. But he'd seemed to have disappeared. With shaking hands Leah picked her mobile from her pocket and sent a text to Thorin. Don't blame Bilbo. This is something I have to do myself. I will always love you. As she hit the sent button, she let the tears fall down her cheeks once more. If the Leah that Thorin had fallen in love with had become lost during the transition from Middle-earth and with her memories, she was adamant that tonight, if she died, that would be the Leah Thorin would find.
She had no idea where she would go next. How would she even find this Azog? Surely he wouldn't be that hard to find considering the description Gandalf had given from the front of a newspaper. He was an extremely pale man, scarred down his face and had one arm. Surely he'd stand out!
Before leaving completely to track down Azog, Leah made her way back home. As quietly as possible, she unlocked the door, still having her flat key in her pocket. Then she went inside, creeping down the hallway, hoping not to wake Rachel. But upon further inspection, it seemed that Rachel was not home; obviously working the night shift, which was perfect for Leah.
She stepped into the living room and switched on the light. Should she even leave a note? Should she warn Rachel? But there was no way she could warn her sister quickly without looking as though she'd completely gone insane. The only way Rachel would understand Leah's predicament was if she were facing the same danger and could see the miracles take place around her.
Suddenly Leah's phone began to vibrate in her pocket and upon further inspection, she could see that it was Thorin. She stared at his name on the screen and then with a lump on her throat, she cancelled the call.
Leah pushed the thoughts of Thorin out of her mind as she moved around the kitchen and pulled out knives from the drawers. She would definitely need some kind of protection and here this was the only weapon she had access to.
xxx
Bilbo was out of breath after he'd raced the same three streets. And nothing. Leah had completely disappeared. He was not only terrified for Leah's safety, but also his own. If Thorin found out about this, there wouldn't be much of him left. Panic set in, deep in his gut.
xxx
Thorin was seething in anger and was ready to smash his phone across the pavement. "How could she even consider this?! She's gone to find Azog, too!" he shouted.
"Thorin, calm down," Kili said softly, although warily.
"Do not tell me to keep calm!" Thorin boomed. "She has defied me for the first and last time!"
"Thorin," Gandalf began. "There is honour in her defiance. She loves you and is trying to protect you as you protected her. There is more of the old Leah breaking through than we first suspected. She is fiercely loyal to you."
As the ruler of Erebor, Thorin knew that he could find no one more loyal than Leah to be his queen. But she did not understand that he had sworn to protect her, and by trying to take everything on to her own shoulders, he would naturally fight for her, to the death if need be. She was distracting him from the task at hand which was to find Azog himself. He knew why she was acting the way she was and that was because she wanted to make everything right and protect him, too.
Thorin jumped as he felt his phone vibrate in his hand, the same phone he had nearly smashed across the street in frustration. He turned his back on the rest of the group and stepped away a few paces. "Leah?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, Thorin," she said softly down the line. "Please don't blame Bilbo for this. I have to put this right. And I needed to hear your voice before I go."
"Where are you?" was his next question, naturally.
"It doesn't matter. Bilbo's looking for me. I think someone needs to try and find him. I ran out on him."
"Yes, it does matter where you are!" Thorin barked. "Leah, if you are adamant that you wish to join this fight, at least let me come to you and we will find him together...all of us." He was now negotiating in any way he possibly could to make sure she remained safe. "I know your stubbornness will ultimately win out if I am not there. You'll go out and find that damned creature whether I like it or not. Let me come to you."
He heard her hesitate. The line went quiet.
"I can't..." she whispered, her voice breaking.
"You can, and you will," Thorin replied, his voice soft but firm. "My love, tell me where you are. And I promise that we won't part this time. You can stay beside me."
"Oh...no..." There was then a sudden round of smashing down the phone line.
"Leah? Leah?! Where are you?" Thorin shouted.
"I love you..."