'It's not fair!'

The childish, silent scream echoed about Fili's head as he turned and ran behind the boulders that surrounded the area. Bilbo had fought to hard only to die here, so close to achieving his goal and just in time for Fili to witness it and do nothing. And now he had no choice but to leave his little brothers body to the orcs.

Fili bit back tears as silently as he could as the orcs appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Ey! Old Shelob's caught 'nother one!" One of them cried, Fili's grip on the rock he was hiding behind tightened.

"Is it dead?" Another asked, giving Bilbo a rough kick.

Fili bit his lip to keep back the outraged cry.

"Nah, Shelob's gone and stuck 'm with her stinger."

The Dwarf's eyes widened in horror.

"He's alive, just paralyzed. C'mon, let's take it up the tower, we can have some fun with it when the poison wears off."

Oh no. Oh no no no no...

-oOo-

Thorin had expected Kili to dawdle as they made their way back through the caves and out onto the grassy plains before Mordor. Thorin was half ready to repeat what Fili had said when Kili begged them to turn back and follow but to his utter surprise he had no need to. In fact, Kili was pressing on faster than Thorin himself was, it almost seemed he wanted to be far away from his brothers.

"Kili, are you angry with Bilbo and Fili?" Thorin asked finally, he knew all to well that letting the young Durin bottle his emotions only lead to disaster in the long run.

"No." Kili replied, "I just want to find these armies everybody is so sure will be gathering. If we wage war on the gate, all the orcs will have to come outside and that will give Bili and Fili the moment they need to get up the mountain."

Thorin hoped Kili was right. If the other nations hadn't had the same idea that Kili had just stated, it could take weeks for them to find anybody, let alone get an army to march on Mordor. It had taken them days to double back, granted they had been able to move much quicker without Bilbo but still, it would be another day till they reached the Black Gate.

They traveled in silence for several more hours after that conversation. Thorin couldn't help but lament over the change that had come over Kili these last few years. Just five or six years ago it seemed the young Dwarf was incapable of staying quiet for more than a few seconds. Now he was silent and brooding, even back in Erebor Kili had become more reserved. Thorin shuddered to think what he would be like after this ordeal.

'He's acting like you.' A small voice within the King's mind prodded.

He wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"Uncle, is that the swamp?" Kili asked, pointing to several large dark shapes on the horizon.

"It can't be." Thorin muttered, "We haven't come that far yet surely..."

Suddenly, he saw the dark shapes shifting in a very distinctive way and Thorin felt himself smile. There weren't dark pools, they were men, or Elves, something wearing armor a few miles from Mordor's black gate.

Luck was on their side.

-oOo-

Bilbo had been sure he would never wake again when he'd felt that stinger enter his body and turn him numb. Yet slowly he felt feeling creep into his body and mind, the familiar aches and pains from his months of travel began to seep back into his bones. After the pain his other senses began to return, he could smell smoke, flesh and all manner of filth and he could hear harsh voices and cruel laughter. Where was he?

With much more effort than it should have taken, Bilbo opened his eyes.

He was laying on a floor, bound, listening to , what he guessed, were orcs or goblins arguing.

"Look at this, what's it supposed to be?"

"Looks like a mountain in a ball, better than this stupid rabbit I found. Can't even eat it."

That comment was followed by the sound of smashing stone and Bilbo felt a pang run through his heart. Whoever his captors were, they had just destroyed the rabbit Fili carved him, one of his few reminders of home.

He could hear them rifling through his things, throwing them down the stairs to other orcs to gawk at. Without meaning to he felt his tied hands to his chest to lay them against the Ring for comfort only to find it wasn't there. Pure panic spread through Bilbo's veins like icy water, they'd taken it, Mordor had the Ring back.

It was gone.

Gone...

He was so busy panicking that he barely registered the sound of knives clashing as his captors started to fight. Eventually, the sound of yells broke his reverie and Bilbo realized he was suddenly alone. Weakly, he crawled to the staircase at the edge of the room and peered down, orcs, larger than he'd ever seen were fighting amongst one another. No way he could ever get past them, let alone find the Ring again.

He'd well and truly failed.

He watched, unfeeling for several minutes as the orcs continued to wipe each other out. Who knows, if he were patient enough, perhaps they would kill themselves off and he could walk out alive. That idea quickly died though, even if he did escape was there any point? He was too weak to fight anymore, without the Ring he had no purpose in Mordor.

So lacking any better ideas he curled up on the cold floor, listening to the quieting sounds of fighting and waited for the end to come. But then,

"Bilbo?"

"...Fili?"

The word was barely a whisper, a broken one at that but some how his brother heard him. Bilbo rolled over to face the stairs once more and there was Fili, looking haggard but smiling from ear to ear.

"You're alive." Fili breathed, Bilbo could barely believe it.

"I'm so sorry." He spoke before he could stop himself, "Gollum, I let him get into my head, I'm so sorry I sent you all away."

"It's alright, it's alright." Fili soothed, uniting the bonds, "Thorin and Kili are on their way to fight Mordor head on, while we take care of the Ring."

Bilbo felt his heart plummet again.

"They took it." He whispered, "They have it now, it's too late."

To his surprise Kili just continued to smile softly, before reaching into his shirt and revealing a thin chain with the Ring hanging off it.

"I...I found you." he admitted slowly, "I thought...I thought you were dead so I took it, so I could finish the job. But then the orcs came and I found out you were alive, so...yes..."

Again, Bilbo felt a familiar feeling of nerves descend upon him.

"Fili, give it to me." He ordered gently, holding out his hand and Fili removed the chain from his neck.

And paused.

"Fili please." Bilbo tired, "Give it to me."

The Dwarf glanced between Bilbo and the Ring a few times before hesitantly extending his arm over his brothers hand. Bilbo snatched it as soon as it was in reach, placing it around his neck once more. Fili blinked, as if waking from some sort of trance.

"This is my burden, brother." Bilbo explained, "I can't let you carry it. It would destroy you."

Fili swallowed and nodded before helping Bilbo to his feet.

"Come, there is plenty of armor downstairs for the taking, we can't wander through Mordor like this. We need to hide."

Bit of filler here but it needs to be done. There will be more Thorin and Kili in the next chapter, a bit of Aragorn and Gandalf too ;)