Hours later found almost everyone asleep in the cave Gandalf had found. Only the wizard himself, Dwalin and Thorin were still awake. Gandalf because he said he would take up the first watch, Thorin because he was still in shock (no matter how hard he tried to deny it) and Dwalin because he was worried about his king. He'd never known Thorin to be so quiet, so withdrawn. He understood the hobbit had meant a lot to Thorin, but Dwalin had been around Thorin since the king was just a young dwarf and he'd seen Thorin go through his fair share of relationships. He had expected Thorin to be more stoic, to be a little cold, but this…..this shutting everyone out, the blank look in his eyes, his fingers stroking over the hobbits walking stick that had somehow survived was scaring Dwalin. Why, you might ask? Because Dwalin had seen this reaction too many times to not fear what would come next. For these reactions normally came from dwarves who had just lost their One. After a time, maybe a few hours to a few years, the dwarf would just give up. Would shut down. The elves called it Fading, but it was not like the elves' Fading. For with dwarves, who were like the stone, they crumbled, they fell apart, they were destroyed completely. There was nothing left in the end, not even the ability to do basic everyday functions. Often, suicide happened with these dwarves. Dwalin had buried too many comrades because of it to just abandon his king.

"Thorin," Dwalin sat down next to Thorin, nudging him with his shoulder. Thorin didn't look up. Dwalin sighed, "Did you tell him?"

"No….but I think he knew," Thorin answered after a few moments of silence. Dwalin ignored how Gandalf had shifted slightly to hear. "I should have….should have said something, should have done more."

"I don't want to seem mean, Thorin, but you don't have time for should haves or what ifs," Dwalin didn't look at Thorin, focusing on the handle of his axe in his hand. "We're all counting on you, need you. Your people need you. Once we have Erebor, then….then you can let go. But….but, Thorin, we can't do this without you."

"Do you know what its like, Dwalin, to lose half your soul?" Thorin growled, glancing at his friend and freezing, seeing the lost look in the dwarf's eyes as he stroked the handle of his axe.

"Yes, I do. It doesn't get easier, but I have others….Balin, you, the boys, Dis, who are counting on me. I can't abandon you," Dwalin took a deep breath before looking at Thorin, eyes hard. "And I need you to not abandon us."

Thorin wondered who had Dwalin lost to make him look so…empty in that moment, but Thorin didn't ask, just nodded, "It won't…Dwalin, I didn't know how much….how much I loved him till that moment. Whenever I close my eyes now…."

"I know," Dwalin nodded, and Thorin caught the glance Dwalin shot towards Ori. Oh. Oh, Thorin was going to hurt Dori and Nori if… "But you just have to learn to live again. It will always hurt, but you have me to lean on."

"And you have me," Thorin nodded discreetly to Ori. "Did you ask?"

"He's been betrothed to someone else," Dwalin looked away.

"Does he know how you feel?" Thorin nudged Dwalin.

"No, I never told him," Dwalin glanced at Thorin. Being rejected by your one, even unknowingly, hurt more than anything imaginable. Thorin knew the feeling in Dwalin's heart right now.

"You should. They might just be pushing him into something he doesn't want but what he thinks he should, for their sake," Thorin grasped Dwalin's shoulder as a single tear escaped Dwalin's eyes. "I don't want to see you hurt."

"Neither did I," Dwalin said gruffly and Thorin felt the tears he'd been holding back break free then. Dwalin pulled him into a hug as Thorin cried softly. After a few minutes, Thorin pulled away, both dwarves wiping at their eyes, nodding gruffly. They were more than willing to cry in each other's company, but neither wanted any of the others seeing. They were the "leaders" of the company and had to stay strong. Both had been under this pressure for too long and hopefully it would be lifted soon, but neither wanted to find out what would happen when the event finally arrived.

"Do you two hear that?" Gandalf called softly, standing, looking down at the floor. Dwalin and Thorin reached for their weapons as they stood, looking down. From beneath their feet, they could hear a series of clicks.

"Get up!" Thorin growled, moving to shake his nephews. "Everyone, out!"

"Move!" Gandalf yelled as the floor beneath their feet split open, dumping everyone into the dark. Thorin just caught a glance of Gandalf somehow getting out before he was falling, hitting hard rock sides of a slide dug into the rock before being dumped onto some sort of wooden shelf. He looked up, seeing a high railing before Dwalin was yelling.

"Look out!" the bigger dwarf yelled as he shoved Ori behind him. Goblins soon were swarming over them, taking weapons and shoving them down wooden walkways. Thorin could only think how having his little hobbit here would change a lot of things. He made sure he caught sight of all of his company. Gandalf was missing, hopefully finding a way to get them out of where ever they were. For now, Thorin needed to protect his company, his people, his friends, his family.

"For Bilbo," Thorin whispered as he was shoved in front of a giant goblin. For Bilbo he would keep going, protecting those he could, fighting for those he couldn't. For Bilbo he would live.