So, it was the last day of school for me today, so I figured, "Shoot, let's upload the last chapter (excluding the epilogue)."

That's what this is.

It's been a blast, guys. Really.

She spent the most of the day after that searching for Bilbo, but the hobbit had gone missing, or rather, he had hidden himself from her. Cheyanne found herself at one point standing outside the doors to his room, waiting for him. She had no idea what else to do.

At last, however, it seemed she had gotten lucky, because the hobbit appeared, looking down at the floor. He lifted his eyes when he felt hers on him, and he stopped dead, face turning from shock to stone immediately. "What do you want?" he muttered.

Cheyanne leaned against the wall to allow him to pass into his room, but Bilbo remained where he was. She let out a breath. "Bilbo, I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Sorry for what?" he demanded, voice rising. "Sorry for getting rid of me? Oh, I accept your apology, cousin." The last word was dripping with poison.

Cheyanne shuddered as it stabbed at her. "Don't… Don't act like that," she managed after a second of regaining her composure. "Just listen to me, for one minute."

"I'm done listening to you, Cheyanne," Bilbo said, voice dry. "You're sending me home, I get it. Now please, leave me alone so that I can pack."

"You are going to listen to what I have to say," she growled, suddenly getting a burst of anger. Bilbo's eyes widened as she stalked over to him and pointed a finger in his face. "You are my best friend, and I know that you're angry with me right now, but I'm asking you to go back to the Shire because you're supposed to be there. That's where you belong, that's your home."

"And this is yours?" he asked her.

"Yes!" Cheyanne exploded, shocking herself. It was?

Well, all right then. Good for you, Cheyanne.

Bilbo took a small step backwards, but she grabbed the front of his vest before he could move any further and pulled his face down to her level. "Bilbo Baggins, I am going to miss you more than you can imagine. If you think I'm sending you home for my sake, you're wrong. I'm sending you home for yours."

Bilbo tried to keep his face hard, but she saw that he was struggling. After a long moment of glares, his eyes softened and he let out a breath, bowing his head. This brought their foreheads together, and Bilbo didn't move away. "I'm going to miss you too, coz."

Cheyanne let go of his vest and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Bilbo returned it, his breathing heavy. He was very close to tears. "We'll keep in touch," she told him before he could start crying. "And I'll figure out some way of visiting at least once every two years or so, I promise."

"And when you don't visit I will," Bilbo added. "Maybe Gandalf will travel with me, if I can find him before I leave the Shire."

"Maybe he will," agreed Cheyanne. She pressed her face into Bilbo's shoulder. "I'm sorry I was so hard about it earlier, Bilbo," she whispered. "I just… I didn't know if there was any other way you would listen to me."

He shook his head. "I understand, Chey," he told her. "I do. I just… I wish, in a way, you had been wrong about me belonging in the Shire."

"I know," she said, "but you do."

"Yes," he answered. "I do."

That night, there was a feast for Bilbo, since he would leaving in the morning. Cheyanne sat next to him throughout the meal, while the dwarves spent more of their meal getting drunk. Cheyanne knew that there was no way they would be awake the next morning to see the hobbit off, and she whispered as much to her cousin.

Bilbo nodded in agreement and stood, knocking his spoon against his goblet. "Can I have everyone's attention, please?" he asked them all. The company all turned their eyes to him, quieting down almost at once. "Thank you. I just wanted to say my goodbyes now, since I doubt any of you will be conscious tomorrow." This received scattered laughter, and the hobbit smiled. "So... If any of you are ever around Bag End, uhm, tea is at four, but you are welcome at any time." He paused and then chuckled to himself. "Don't bother knocking."

More laughter, all together this time. Bilbo waited for everyone to settle down again before he continued "Thank you, all of you, for taking me out of the Shire and showing me what the world looked like." He lifted his mug. "To adventures!"

"To adventures!" The call rose up along with the sound of clanging mugs as the dwarves all toasted. Bilbo settled down and looked at her before he took her hand and nodded.

She winked back and lifted her own mug to him before taking a drink. Thorin sat down in the vacant chair to her left, and she adjusted herself so that she could lean her back against him. He turned so that she was against his chest, and not his shoulder.

Bilbo grinned at them. "I'll miss Thoranne," he said above the off-key singing of the dwarves that had suddenly begun. "I'll miss teasing you about Thoranne."

Cheyanne returned the smile and let out a laugh. "I'll miss your teasing, believe it or not."

Bilbo simply nodded, and Cheyanne focused her attention on the song the dwarves were singing as it slowly started to drift into key. When she heard the words, she felt an odd sensation go through her. She knew this song, but… How could she? She'd never heard it before, right?

Bilbo seemed to know it too, however. His brows drew together, and he let out a small gasp of realization. "The last goodbye," he murmured to himself.

Slowly, he rose from his chair and started to sing it himself. The dwarves, hearing their song being sung perfectly, quieted down and looked at him. The hobbit walked around the table, lost in his own little word.

"I saw the light fade from the sky.

On the wind I heard a sigh.

As the snowflakes cover my fallen brothers

I will say this last goodbye."

The dwarves contented themselves to humming, wanting to add onto the song that Bilbo was singing so well on his own. Cheyanne longed to join him, but this was his song, not hers.

"Night is now falling

So ends this day.

The road is now calling

And I must away.

Over hill, and under tree

Through lands where never light has shone.

By silver streams that run down to the sea.

Under cloud, beneath the stars

Over snow one winter's morn.

I turn at last to paths that lead home.

And oh where the road then takes me

I cannot tell.

We came at this way, but now comes the day

To bid you farewell."

The hobbit had stopped at the head of the table and had realized the dwarves were humming along. Cheyanne saw him grin and he lifted his chin.

"Many places I have been.

Many sorrows I have seen.

But I don't regret

Nor will I forget

All who took that road with me."

As he sang this part, he looked around at everyone. All of the dwarves simply nodded, their humming not breaking.

"Night is now falling

So ends this day.

The road is now calling

And I must away.

Over hill, and under tree.

Through lands where never light has shone.

By silver streams that run down to the sea."

He met Cheyanne's gaze, and he gave her a small smile.

"To these memories I will hold.

With your blessing I will go

To turn at last to paths that lead home.

And oh where the road then takes me

I cannot tell.

We came all this way, but now comes the day

To bid you farewell."

The humming went very quiet, and it almost disappeared. Cheyanne wouldn't even have realized it was still there if she hadn't felt Thorin's chest vibrating against her back with the deepness of his voice. Bilbo's voice was very quiet as well.

"I bid you all a very fond farewell."

The Gallery of the Kings fell silent. Cheyanne felt a tear slide down her cheek, and she hurriedly brushed it away as Bilbo bowed his head to everyone and walked away from the table, disappearing down a passage.

Cheyanne pulled away from Thorin and hurried after her cousin. "Bilbo!" she called down the hall to him. He stopped, a shadowy figure against the light at the other end. She went up to him and took his shoulders in her hands, turning him around to face her. The hobbit didn't meet her eyes immediately, but when he did, she saw his were full of tears.

Cheyanne slumped her shoulders and pulled him to her in a tight hug. "Don't cry, coz," she whispered. "Please."

"I wasn't going too," Bilbo responded. "Not until you followed me!" Cheyanne laughed and allowed him to pull away. He grinned at her and brushed away the tear that had managed to escape and slide down his cheek. "I'm a mess," he chuckled.

Cheyanne reached forward and pressed her hand against his cheek. "No, you're perfectly fine," she assured him. "I'm very proud of you for singing that song. I think it was perfect."

"Yes it was," Bilbo agreed. He frowned, forehead creasing. "I just wish I could remember where I first heard it."

Cheyanne moved her hand down and took his. "Can I stay with you tonight, coz?" she asked him. "I want to make sure I get as much time with you as I can before it's too late."

Bilbo smiled and nodded. "Of course. If it's all right with our king." He glanced past her shoulder down the passage. "Is it?"

"Yes," Thorin's voice responded. Cheyanne turned around to see him standing at the end of the passage. "Sleep well, halflings." He turned and walked away, back towards the feast.

Cheyanne looked back at her cousin. "Sleep. Funny," Bilbo mused. "We won't be sleeping tonight, will we?"

She shook her head. "Too much to talk about."

The night was spent with them talking about the journey, until they at last fell asleep as the sounds of the feast died down somewhere within the mountain. The next morning, Cheyanne walked with Bilbo down to the main hall, hand in hand with him. Thorin and Gandalf were waiting for them near the main doors.

The two hobbits gazed at each other for a very long moment before Cheyanne reached forward and pulled him to her in a tight hug. Bilbo returned it instantly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders gently, almost like he knew her rib was aching.

"Don't worry, coz," he said to her quietly. "This isn't the last time you'll be seeing me."

"It better not be," she responded.

Bilbo released her, but she didn't release him. "Uh, Chey-" Bilbo tried to pry her off of him, but she wasn't letting go. "Cheyanne."

She felt strong hands grab her shoulders, and she was gently pulled away from her cousin and into Thorin's chest. He held her against him so that she wouldn't go back to Bilbo and cling onto him again. She tugged her eyes away from the hobbit and looked up at Gandalf.

"Keep an eye on him, please," she said softly.

"Of course," the wizard replied with a wink. For a brief moment, it looked like there was a change in his face, and she blinked, and Gandalf was back. "He's safe under my watch."

She pulled against Thorin. When he didn't let her go, she sighed. "I'm not going to… Let me go, please." Thorin did so after a moment, and she walked back over to Bilbo. He gazed at her with eyes that reflected her own, and she reached out and touched his cheek with her fingertips. "Safe travels, Bilbo."

He stepped forward and rested his forehead against hers for a long moment before he brushed her hair back and kissed her there gently. He then turned to Thorin and held out his hand. The dwarf shook it firmly, and Bilbo grinned. "Take care of her, please. As payment for my help."

Thorin merely nodded. "Thank you, Master Baggins."

Bilbo dipped his head and tweaked Cheyanne's chin before he glanced up at Gandalf and exited Erebor. The wizard tilted his hat to them both and followed. Cheyanne moved out of the mountain and stood at the doors as hobbit and wizard walked away from her into the early morning mist. She saw Bilbo stop once and his head bowed.

For a second, she thought he was going to turn around, but he didn't, and after a moment, he continued walking. Cheyanne let out a breath, and it floated away from her as a white cloud. Thorin gently pulled her against him as she watched Gandalf and Bilbo disappear from view.

When they were gone, she allowed Thorin to lead her back into Erebor, and they stopped just inside. Cheyanne lifted her head and gazed around the main hall. "Bilbo is going home," she said to Thorin, glancing up at him, "and I'm already here."

Thorin smiled and kissed her temple gently. "Yes you are."

There we go. That's seems like an appropriate ending.

Perhaps.

I dunno.

I'll post the epilogue on Saturday or somethin'. Just too give MIWGBA a solid conclusion.

Thanks for sticking around for this.