Epilogue:

Brann sat on the shore, gazing onto the sea and feeling the waves touch her bare feet. It had been forever since she had lost Thorin and had come to live with her family in Valinor, all of them waiting for their loved ones together with her. Ceridwen came to visit once in a while, for eternity had to be quite boring with only elves around. Even Lindin had visited once, but most of the time he stayed with Dis, even if his wife could not feel his presence.

The years had passed quickly in Middle Earth.

Bilbo was living in the Shire with his orphaned nephew Frodo. He had become an outcast, which pained Brann alot. The brave hobbit had deserved more than that. He was a hero. But Bilbo himself did not seem to bother and held his ground, especially against the Sackville Bagginses.

Fili ruled the Blue Mountains together with his mother Dis at his side. He never married and it was an open secret that Niars and Gwens son - should they ever have one - would follow Fili onto the throne of the Blue Mountains. Fili was a good king, but he was also aloof. Only Dis could reach his heart and she did never forced him to take a wife. She knew that Filis heart had died together with Kili and that no dwarven lady would be able to fill the void. A marriage would have made both partners more than miserable.

Gwen and Niar were living in Ered Luin and were the most fierce generals the south had ever seen. They did have a son, many decades after their return to the south. They had called their son Kili and King Fili had tears in his eyes as he laid eyes upon his heir for the first time.

Beorn had returned to his animals, as well as Radagast. Gandalf was scrambling around in Middle Earth meddling with other peoples lives.

Zial and Thror had made Thorin a grandfather first and their son was named Frerin. He was adorable and his laughter even reached Brann in Valinor. Sometimes, with the help of Ceridwen, Brann managed to take a look at what happened in Middle Earth. She had caught a glimpse of Gwen marrying and a glimpse of the birth of her first grandson. Frerin was proud and happy that the little dwarfling was named after him and could talk about nothing else for days. Brann laughed until she cried for the first time in years as she learned that Dwalin had been present during the birth of her grandson and had - of course - fainted. Some things simply never changed.

Thorin adored his grandson and pampered him endlessly. A few years later, Zial gave birth to male twins and they were called Thrain and Dan, after Branns father and Thorins father. They adored their grandfather, the king, nearly as much as their aunt Belladonna, who always brought them sweets from the Shire. Belladonna visited Bilbo every few years and stayed true to her duty as an ambassador of Erebor. She managed to settle alliances with Lothlorien, Mirkwood and Rivendell, as well as with Bree.

Dain and Mya still ruled the Iron Hills and secured the northern territory of Middle Earth against the dark forces together with Erebor and Dale, which had been restored together with Erebor and shone even beyond its old glory.

But one thing bothered Brann nonetheless. She knew that Thorin loved her more than anything and that he longed to be with her again, but she still wanted him to live his life to the fullest. If necessary without her. And he did...somehow.

#

Many decades had passed and the northern territory had to face another threat from Sauron. The dark lord had begun to rise again and its forces threatened the borders of the free lands of Middle Earth.

It was in this dark time as Thorin met a woman named Ilco. His cousin Dain had captured the woman from the east along with a few merchants who had crossed their borders unauthorized with some wagons full of weapons. Ilco was a healer and had offered to tend to the wounded dwarves after an attack of rogue orcs on all of their lives. Thorin and a few of his ereborian soldiers had come to their aid during the attack and the king immediately noticed the eastern woman. Ilco looked exactly like Brann. She had long brown hair reaching her hips in slight waves, big brown eyes and the same soft lips. Even Dain had noticed the resemblance of that woman to the former queen, but Thorin had been enraptured. He could not take his eyes of the woman and soon she had managed to land in the kings bed.

Dain, Balin, Zial and Belladonna warned him to not fall for her too quickly, but Thorin would not listen. Branns loss had been hard on him and the desperate wish to be near her again made him deaf to all warnings. And warnings were necessary. Ilco was a spy from the east under Saurons command. The dark lord planned to use her to break down the northern defenses to Middle Earth. Little could he know that Ilco began to fall for Thorin and forgot her assignment with time. The dwarven king was still strong and majestic and only his grey hair revealed his age. He was still a warrior and an attractive dwarf. But one thing rested heavily on Ilcos heart. It was the fact that she knew that the king had only fallen for her because of her resemblance to his lost love, his first queen. When he looked at her he did not see Ilco, he saw Brann. Everytime he took her into his arms and covered her body with kisses, Ilco had the feeling that he did not kiss her, but Brann. Only in the peaks of their lust did she forget that he was not truly hers. For a long time, Ilco struggled between her assignment and her love for Thorin. Or what she thought was love. She liked the powerful position he put her in and the nights in his arms. He was the king and his position alone attracted her. For the moment, she decided to stay at his side, hoping that one day, he and the dwarves would accept her as they had accepted Brann.

When the years passed by, the threat by the dark lord became more and more present. Gimli, son of Gloin, went on a journey with Bilbos nephew Frodo, to destroy the one ring once and for all. Legolas was part of the fellowship as well, which caused endless amusement with the ones still alive of Thorins former company. Sadly, many members of Thorins company had already left Middle Earth for the halls of their fathers. Balin, Oin and Ori had left Erebor to reclaim the ancient city of Moria. They never came back. It was the fellowship of the ring who found their dead bodies in Moria. Dwalin and Dori never were the same again after the death of their brothers. While Gondor and Rohan fought Sauron in front of the black gates, Erebor, the Iron Hills and Dale had their own fight on their hands. An army of orcs and Easterlings had passed the mountains and had attacked the northern territory. Only barely did the dwarves and men fight them back. The battle had cost them the lives of King Bard and lord Dain. Bain followed his father onto the throne of Dale and Thorin III ruled the Iron Hills together with his mother Mya until he would succeed Thorin II on his throne. Zials sons would succeed him on the throne one day, while Nain would become lord of the Iron Hills.

After the costly battle Thorin II Oakenshield married Ilco. The wedding was a wonderful feast and everyone came, but king Fili and Dis. Thorins sister and his oldest nephew would not celebrate a wedding which seemed like treason to Brann. Fili had torn the letter apart which Thorin had wrote them, telling them that he had met somebody and Dis had shaken her head sadly. She knew that Thorin only showed interest in this woman because she reminded him of Brann. She only hoped that the woman knew what she was marrying into. Her gut told her that nobody should trust the eastern woman. Her similar looks to Brann and her appearing shortly before the dark lord had attacked Middle Earth again worried Dis. She wrote a letter to Thorin, politely declining the invitation and warning him to not rush anything. Fili and Dis spent the day of the wedding in the halls of the Blue Mountains, named after Brann and now also Thorin, to honor the former royal rulers.

#

After the wedding, Thorin had retreated to his chambers with his newly wedded wife. The young queen of Erebor still had her doubts about Thorins love to her, but during the wedding he had looked so happy that she had ignored her doubts and had happily married him, too. Ilco had been torn to accept the marriage proposal. Thorins entourage, especially those who had known queen Brann had never accepted her. The kings daughters had a hard time accepting her at the side of their father, but they had always been polite. Only the warmth of a family never established. In the beginning, Ilcos bad conscience had tormented her, for she had never forgotten her original assignment, to kill the king of Erebor. But her attraction to Thorin had always stopped her hand. Today, Ilco felt as if she had achieved an even better goal in life. A marriage to the dwarf she had learned to like despite his sometimes cold heart and his lack of emotion. Even though she had been brought up to hate every western way of life, Ilco had quickly forgotten her old home in Rhun and had blended in.

Tonight was their wedding night. Although Thorin and Ilco had spent many nights together, relishing in their lust for each other, the new queen was nervous. In the beginning, she had given the king her body to ensnare him and to kill him when he turned his back on her. Now, it meant something to her. Ilco was about to get them two glasses of wine as she heard Thorin call out for her impatiently.

'Come, Brann!' Thorin called out to her and Ilco froze. Her heart shattered into a million pieces and she suddenly remembered why she had originally come to Erebor. Sauron was dead and her mission had died with him. But Rhun had been conquered by the dwarves and men, her home had been burned down and her people drawn back to the very East of their kingdom. She had been able to forget that as long as Thorin had shown his appreciation of her. But that was over now. Ilco cursed herself for her naivity. Thorin would always love the other woman, Brann, and never her.

With a tempting smile back at Thorin, Ilco excused herself and walked to the bathroom. In her things, between the oils, lay a tiny bottle with poison. She had brought this with her to make an attempt on Thorins life, but that was before she had fallen for him. Now, in her pain, she took the little bottle and filled the liquid in one of the wine glasses. Back in the bedroom, she filled the wine into the glasses and gave Thorin the poisoned one.

'A toast...to everlasting love.' Ilco smiled grimly and watched Thorin drink his wine. It was a strong poison and it would kill the dwarf very quickly. What she had not planned was the fact that Thorin leaned forward and kissed her passionately, filling her own mouth with the poison as well.

How ironic...Ilco thought as they both collapsed a few moments later.

#

Thorin woke up to the sound of waves crashing against the shore. With a grunt he sat up slowly, wondering why his muscles and hinges did not ache of stiffness. He felt young again. Young! He looked down at himself and realised that his hair was raven black again. His hands were strong and the wrinkles gone. Then he looked up at his surroundings. He was sitting on a white shore. In front of him was a wide blue sea and behind him lay a flush green forest. A mountain similar to Erebor stood high in the horizon, its tip covered in snow.

The wind carried voices to Thorin and the dwarf king blinked as he laid his eyes on a small cottage at the rim of the forest. He could see people walking into it and frowned. Where in the name of Durin was he? Stumbling up, Thorin walked to the cottage and peaked through one of the smaller windows. What he saw nearly took his breath away. He saw his parents, Frerin and Brann sit at the huge kitchen table, as well as Kili, Tauriel, Dara, Levek and Dain. They all looked like he remembered them, young and unconcerned.

Suddenly, Thorin realised that he had died and that this was Valinor. Ilco... Thorin remembered. It had been her who killed him. Either that or his old heart had stopped during their wedding night - no, that could not be - Thorin shook his head. He was still a proud dwarf and even in such a situation he would not question his stamina. Suddenly he remembered. He had called Ilco Brann. The pain in her eyes had been obvious and Thorin felt remorse for hurting her for a short moment. But then again, that woman had poisoned him. There was no excuse for murder. Nevertheless, Thorin only hoped that she had died quickly and not under the blades of vengeful royal guards.

Although he did feel guilt, Thorin forgot everything about Ilco as he looked at Brann. She was sitting beside his mother and laughed at one of Daras stories. Thorin felt as if time had brought him back to the merry days of his youth, the time when he and Brann had just been married. That had been the happiest time of his life.

The group inside of the cottage was talking merrily and Thorin sighed as he had almost forgotten how it was relaxing to talk about completely banal things.

'A woman has more erogenous zones than a man has hands. When a woman has her hands on the erogenous zones of a man she still has one hand free.' Dara smirked and Brann and Thorins mother chuckled.

Frerin tried to dismiss this fact. 'Wait, wait, wait...it is not that simple!'

But after a while, Frerin gave in and laughed. 'But what is it with you females and equality? I remember that dwarven lass at my coming of age...that was way before I met you, sugar lips...OUCH!'

Brann had slapped Frerin on the arm, much to Thrains amusement. Thorin only frowned at his brother slightly, knowing that he was only joking.

'As I was saying...females always want to be treated equally, but when we do, they do not like it!' Frerin complained.

'Wait a minute, you are not talking about that blond piece of rock who liked to cook for you? This lady from the Iron Hills, who you pursued for a year?' Zial, Thorins mother, asked. 'You invited her to dinner in one of the best Inns in the Iron Hills and made her pay half the bill! You did not open the doors for her and you did not court her at all! I raised you a better dwarf!'

'I thought that was what females meant with equality! Why should I do all of this when they want equality to males? I would never treat males like that!' Frerin frowned.

'Frerin...' Brann answered with a chuckle. 'Females do not want to be treated equally...'

'That´s what I said!' Frerin exclaimed.

'They want to be treated better than males.' Brann ended and made the table laugh. Frerin chuckled and shook his head.

Thorin was about to walk in on the merry gathering, but then Frerins voice made him stop.

'I was the nice one. Thorin always put a foot in his mouth when he wanted something. Or someone.' Frerin grinned at Brann and Thorin stopped mid-motion.

That was the understatement of the year. Thorin smiled and leaned back against the stone wall outside of the cottage. He was back with family, he still could not believe it. He could sit with them and talk about nonsense if he wanted to. Right now. He let out a relieved sigh and realised that it had become silent in the cottage.

'Do not look so sad, my dear.' Thorin suddenly heard his mother say. 'I thought you wanted him to be happy.'

'I do.' he heard Brann answer with a thick voice. 'I just never thought that he would...move on...without me. It is utterly selfish of me...'

'Nonsense!' this was Dain. 'Everyone who loves another understands how you feel. And Thorin...he never loved Ilco. He loves you - this woman looked so much like you...it was impossible for him to stay away.'

'I know...it is just...hard.' Brann sighed and Thorin felt his heart tear in his chest. He could not believe that he had managed to hurt Brann once again, he felt utterly stupid.

'Still he should have kept his pants on.' another female voice snarled.

'Oh, you are the one to talk!' but this time Brann chuckled.

'Hey, this is long over, will you ever forgive me?' the other female pouted and Thorin realised that this was Dara speaking.

'I am just teasing you, my dear.' Thorin could hear Brann smile. 'I have no right to be angry at him. I only long for the day when...he will join me here. Oh my goodness, this sounds as if I hoped for him to die soon...and I do not! I mean, not really...'

'Here, sugar lips, you need another ale...Ouch, for Mahals sake!' Thorin grinned as he heard someone slap Frerin.

'Stop with this nickname already!' Brann laughed. 'It makes me uncomfortable and Thorin would kill you.'

'I am already dead, what's he to change about that?' Frerin replied smugly. 'Besides, I saw you first! Hey, when he dies and brings this other woman, I could marry her!'

The table errupted in laughter at Frerins idea and Thorin shook his head. He had never realised how much Frerin was like Kili.

'I...I have to get some air.' Branns stomach hurt from laughing and Thorin heard a chair being pushed back.

'What? Like there is no air in here!' Frerin laughed and turned back to the others as Brann stepped outside. He nearly fell from his chair when they all heard an ear-piercing scream from the outside.

Brann had been feeling strange for a while now and she did not know why. As soon as she had been out of the door she had turned to spot Thorin and was overwhelmed by her feelings. With a high pitched scream she threw herself into his arms.

'Good Durin, woman. Be grateful that I am already dead, or else I would have died from a heart attack...brother!' Frerin did not even bother to warn the others. They all came rushing out of the cottage to greet the new arrival. Thorin and Brann were in each others arms, crying and hugging. Frerin rolled his eyes as he could hear vows of love whispered between the husband and wife. All of Branns hurt about Thorin marrying again was forgotten now that he was back with her. It simply did not matter anymore.

As Thorins lips met Branns, the world stopped turning. There was only them. Thorin could feel Branns body in his arms and her tears on his face. He knew that this was real and he could feel the utter happiness reaching his heart.

'Thorin...' Brann whispered against his lips. 'I missed you so much!'

'I only wished for this day to finally come.' Thorin laid his forehead against hers. 'I have been nothing without you. And I am so sorry about...everything...the way I died will make up for everything to you though...'

But before he could tell them what had happened, Kili cleared his throat loudly and stepped forward with a huge grin on his face. 'Excuse me, uncle? But we missed you, too!'

Tauriel chuckled as she watched her love purse his lips towards his uncle, who looked at him in a mixture of amusement and annoyance. It was then, when Thorin began to laugh wholeheartly and let go of Brann. Brann watched with a smile as Thorin greeted his family and friends. This evening, the cottage was filled with delicious food and lots of ale. Frerin did not hold back to tell his brother that no matter how much they drank, there would be no hangover in their afterlife.

Seing Brann and Dara getting along was more than difficult for Thorin in the beginning, but soon he had accepted the fact that they had all started new lives - if you will - in Valinor while waiting for their loved ones to join them. Dara had developed a truly domestic attitude in Valinor. He had tried to set the table, but Dara had taken the plates from him.

'Brann has told me what your nephews did to the plates of the poor hobbit when they visited him in his little hobbit hole. You. Are. Not. Touching. These.' Dara grumbled and set the table herself.

'So, when crazy plate lady is finished, will you join me for an ale?' Frerin grinned at Thorin and tipped his head into the kitchen. 'Your wife and your mother are cooking and we will be fat before we know it. It will be easier to accept that whilst drunk.'

'Wait right here, you still have to tell us how you died!' Dain roared and toasted towards Thorin. 'It seems to be an interesting story.'

'Oh dear.' Brann sat down on Thorins lap and was not sure if she wanted to hear this. 'You did not die in battle did you?'

'Not exactly.' Thorin took a deep breath, but he owed Brann the truth. Now in the afterlife he suddenly knew all about what had happened and who Ilco had been in reality. A spy of Sauron. This knowledge made him feel less pitiful towards Ilco. 'I had just married...Ilco...'

Thorin took Branns hand and gently squeezed it, but Brann smiled at him reassuringly. Thorin asked himself anew what he had done to deserve such a loving woman at his side.

'By Mahal, you died in your wedding night?' Frerin barged in and lifted his eyebrows expectantly. The males in the round roared of laughter and the females rolled their eyes.

'It did not come to...this.' Thorin grumbled annoyed, but the smile on Branns face made him forget his annoyance. 'Anyway...I...told her to come to bed and - I called her Brann.'

'Oh. Ouch.' Dara shook her head. 'But may I add, that is a typical Thorin.'

'I beg your pardon, but what in Durins name is a "typical Thorin"?' Thorin frowned deeply as Brann chuckled.

'Well, putting your foot in your mouth for one. Being completely oblivious to other peoples feelings and getting into trouble. And getting lost, although you did find your way here and that is the most important thing.' Brann grinned at her husband.

'Well, thank you, my love.' Thorin frowned playfully. 'But I guess I deserved that.'

'Yes.' Brann, Dara and Thorins mother answered together.

Thorin rolled his eyes and wanted to continue as Thrain popped in.

'At least you did not lose my key and found the secret door as you reclaimed our home.' tried to help.

'Ah...Bilbo and Brann found the door...' Thorin remembered.

'Well, it could have been worse...' Thrain grinned. 'After you found the keyhole the key could have become stuck.'

'Thats true...' Thorin smiled at the thought, but Frerin interrupted.

'You wanted to tell us how you died, remember?' he urged and grinned apologectically.

'Durins beard, she killed you for this did she not?' he asked and watched Thorin nod.

'Now I know that she was a spy from the east, under Saurons command. For some reason she had not followed his orders to kill me in the first place, but in the end...' Thorin sighed.

'In the end you made her mad and she remembered what she was sent to do.' Dain nodded. 'Makes sense.'

'How did she do it?' Dara asked. 'I would have killed you slowly.'

Thorin frowned at her, but continued with his story. 'I think she poisoned the wine. I only remember that I felt incredibly hot after I drank it - And it was not the wedding night, Frerin!'

Frerin grinned and shook his head. 'What happened with her after this?'

Thorin blushed in embarassment. Somehow he knew what had happened, but he could not explain how he knew, he just did. Afterlife was very much interesting to him.

'I...I kissed her and apparently...I poisoned her back.' he told the others and looked into their astonished and amused faces.

'Well...' it was Brann who spoke first. 'That is a way to do it. I have to say that you both got what you deserved.'

'Thank you very much.' Thorin saw the teasing and loving look in her eyes and knew that she was not mad at him.

'Is she here as well?' Frerin asked and looked around. 'I am the only single dwarf here and I am sure that she would like me. I am like Thorin, just that I am nicer.'

The group burst into laughter and Brann cuddled into Thorins shoulder. 'I would not want my bear any other way.'

Thorin kissed his wife and shrugged his shoulders. 'I guess the Easterlings might have their afterlife of their own. And she did not really love me, nor my people, so I do not think that she would land here, with us.'

'A shame.' Frerin pouted. 'Ah well...so back to my second love. Ale.'

Thorin chuckled and joined his brother at the smaller table in the living room. After two or three ales, Thorin looked out of the window and saw two tiny lights moving on the shore. Many elves, dwarves and even men had passed these shores in the last...days, weeks, years - Thorin had no idea how much time had passed - but these made for the cottage. Thorin and Frerin were at the door as someone knocked timidly. The jar in Thorins had fell to the ground and the ale splashed over two pairs of naked and hairy feet as he saw who was standing in front of their door.

'Good evening. Are we late for dinner?' Bilbo asked and warmly smiled at Thorin.

Thorin let out a laugh and invited his former burglar in. Bilbo looked young again, as young as he had been when he had joined Thorin on his quest. His nephew, Frodo, who had destroyed the one ring, was at his side. The young hobbit looked haunted, but Thorin was sure that he would feel better in this place. He just had to.

In the following years, the small cottage got an own garden and soon, it was extended to a bigger cottage filled with dwarves, hobbits and even occasional elven and human visitors. Mahals Halls remained empty from the line of Durin since Thorins death and this caused amusement to the other Valar. But Mahal only smiled into his beard. He had already dreaded the day, when king Fili would join them and would be reunited with his brother Kili. The mayhem they would have caused in his halls, together with the dwarven burglars cousins Merry and Pippin one day. Thank the Valar, this would be the cottage´s problem now.

#

When the cold of winter comes

Starless night will cover day

In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams
I can hear your name
And in dreams
We will meet again
When the seas and montains fall
And we come, to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there
I will go there
And back again

#

The End.

The Song is "In Dreams" from the LotR The Fellowship soundtrack. It makes me cry everytime. And IMO this song would have been more fitting for the last Hobbit movie than Billy Boyds one.

I started this story exactly on year ago and now we have come to an end.

I wish to thank you all for the continious support! I am pretty sad that the story is over, but it had to come to an end one day. I hope that I could make you smile more than once and that I managed to find a better ending to our beloved Durins than Tolkien and PJ.

Thank you to all my readers, reviewers and followers! You are the best and I could not have finished the story without your constant support!

I want to take this opportunity to thank Nicci1234 for her help and support concerning the ending of this story, and CL Tex and Just4Me for actually following and reviewing all of my stories! :*

Thanks to Queen of Erebor, kaia, dragon-fire, Aranel, biddle and all the wonderful people who stuck with this story from the very beginning.

That being said, I was really happy about every single review, so thank you so much, all of you! :****

I have some stories more to come, stay tuned!

Love,

:*