Bilbo decided he wasn't a fan of this horrible place. Fog constantly shrouded the lower parts of the sheer cliffs and when he did finally breach it by climbing up the steep surfaces he was greeted with nothing but more mountains stretching into the distance for miles and miles to come. Serving as nothing but a reminder as to how much further he had to go.

The near constant rain didn't help either.

Sometimes Thrain found small caves for him to huddle in but more often than not he ended up soaked. He was filthy and exhausted, not to mention he knew he must look ghastly. He'd long since given up trying to neaten his fraying braids and he was starting to get an even coating of much over his skin and clothes, not to mention his weight loss due to a diet of lambas bread.

He knew Thrain was concerned for him. But thankfully he didn't voice it often, Bilbo found he was rarely in the mood for talk these days.

Bilbo also couldn't help thinking about his grandfathers transformation. Each day he lost more and more of the ghostly pallor, he was almost always completely healthy looking now. He wasn't sure but he felt the ghost was nearing his time to pass on. Bilbo remembered being told as a child that all ghosts had unfinished business and once that business was done, they left our world for the next. Perhaps he had only been stuck in the land of the living because nobody had come along to remind him of his past life, make him happy again.

"Damn this fog..." Thrain muttered, floating about looking annoyed, "This all looks the same."

"Because we've been here before." Bilbo sighed, "We're going in circles."

He wished he had Fili's dagger right now.

The sound of gravel shifting made Bilbo's sharp ears prick up.

"Did you hear that?" He asked Thrain slowly, the ghost shook his head and continued looking for a path they hadn't taken.

He glanced around, he didn't see anything but he was sure he heard-

"Precious!"

Bilbo shrieked as he was suddenly knocked over by some sort of creature, without thinking he began to fight back at it, trying to reach Sting but unable to do so as he needed both his hands to fend off the creature.

"Thrain!" He yelled, even though he knew the ghost wouldn't be able to help him much.

The snarling creature scratched at him and bit with it's filthy nails and teeth, growling and hissing like some sort of animal. Finally, making use of his big feet Bilbo kicked him off, unsheathed his sword and held it to the creatures throat.

"You." He breathed in shock.

It was the Gollum, from under Goblin Town. The same one he'd taken the Ring from in the first place.

"You know this creature?" Thrain questioned.

"This is Gollum." Bilbo replied darkly, "And he is going to help us find our way."

-oOo-

It had taken them weeks to make their way to the cliffs. Thorin just hoped they were right and Bilbo had decided to come this way, but as the trudged along the edge of the sheer, fog filled expanses they found no sign that any living creature had been by.

"It rained a few nights ago." Fili argued, "Perhaps the rain washed away his path?"

Thorin nodded but didn't say anything. Fili knew not to push it.

"There!" Kili cried, pointing into the distance, "I see a rope."

Thorin praised Kili's sharp eyes, he was right. There was Bilbo's rope, probably severed at the bottom, tied with the knots Thorin had taught him to the side of the cliff.

"It's a good thing I was given the Elven rope not Bilbo." Kili sighed and he started to climb down, "Or we'd never have found which way he went."

It took them a great deal of time to find the bottom of the bit, Bilbo had severed the rope as high as he could managed in order to save it, which meant they'd had to take a small leap of faith into the fog. Thorin felt his concern grow when he saw the desolate, stony surroundings, he hoped Bilbo was surviving okay on his own.

-oOo-

"Must we keep this...thing, with us?" Thrain asked with a strained voice which could hardly be heard over Gollum's insistent shrieking.

"It burns us! We hates it! We hates the mad creature!"

"I'm not mad, you are." Bilbo snapped.

"Its mad it is. It takes to air! Its keeping us prisoner!"

Bilbo rolled his eyes and tugged on the rope. He'd tied a loop in it and fastened it around Gollum's neck to keep him from scurrying off. Even if he never relented and told Bilbo which was was the right one, he felt better knowing Gollum's location lest he attack him again.

He knew Gollum was lying when he tried to convince them he was choking. Bilbo had been very careful to tie the loop small enough that Gollum couldn't remove it, but loose enough that he wasn't uncomfortable. Well, being on a lead cant exactly be comfortable but still, he was in no danger of choking.

Bilbo would never admit it out loud but he pitied the creature. Whatever it had once been, it was now a hollow, mad shell of it's former self. The Ring did that to him...

"He was weak..." The Ring whispered, "You are strong, with me you can be stronger still."

Bilbo ignored it and as a result he got heavier once more.

'Maybe...' Bilbo wondered, 'Maybe now that the Ring was no longer with him, he could make Gollum whole again, well, more whole.'

Gollum had obviously not had any form of compassion in hundreds of years, perhaps he hadn't even conversed with others before Bilbo had come along.

'Maybe I should stop treating him like an animal and give him a chance.'

Slowly, he walked over to Gollum and he shuffled back, eyes at Bilbo's waist where Sting rested. Clearly the sword frightened him.

Bilbo saw the shock in Gollum's eyes as he carefully untied the rope.

"You know the way to Mordor?" He asked softly.

"Yes..."

"You will take me there." Bilbo continued, making sure his voice was kind but firm, "To the Black Gate."

"Bilbo do not trust it." Thrain warned but much to his surprise Gollum began to lead the way.

-oOo-

Thrain was worried. Not only for the life of his kin but for himself. That may sound strange considering that he was already, well, dead. But Thrain could feel it creeping up on him. He was beginning to fade more. He could no longer become solid, not even for a second and Bilbo kept telling him he was becoming more and more transparent.

He was crossing over.

But for the first time in decades that was not what he wanted. It must have been Dol Guldur, that cursed place where he died that had been keeping him here. He spent years dwelling on his death, that is what had stopped him crossing into the Halls of his Forefathers. Now he was gone and not focusing on his demise, he was fading.

He needed to stay in the land of the living to protect Bilbo, or at least watch out for him. He couldn't leave Bilbo with this...creature, Gollum.

But something told him that he wasn't going to be able to watch over his kin much longer...

Sorry sorry sorry!

There is this thing, called University and it has this stuff called Exam and they are coming fast and it's very hard to writer but I promise I wont give up on this story!