Archive of Our Own ^beta

A few years after going to the Undying Lands, Bilbo Baggins passes peacefully in his sleep, napping under an oak tree. He awakens in Yavannas gardens, looking 70 years younger.

As he wakes, he finds himself in a beautiful garden, the warm sun shining down on his youthful skin. He slowly gets up from the bed of grass and flowers he was laid to rest on and looks around in surprise, taking in his surroundings. The faint smell of honey and flowers wafts on a warm breeze, as if the air and land itself is welcoming him.

"Now where have I gotten myself to? This doesn't look like The Undying Lands..." Bilbo muttered to himself, looking around.

"That's because, my child, it's not The Undying Lands" A voice came from behind Bilbo. He turned around and looking up, he saw Yavanna, The Green Mother herself.

Bilbo's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Yavanna, a mixture of awe and confusion taking over. He'd heard tales of the Green Mother, but he never thought he'd meet her himself, especially here. He stood, frozen for a moment, before he finally managed to find his voice.

"Where am I, Lady Yavanna?"

"You are in my gardens, where all my children go once they pass" Yavanna said with a soft smile that looked like it was made from pure sunlight.

Bilbo's heart softened at the sight of her smile, the warmth in it making him feel strangely comfortable. He looked around at the gardens, the vibrant colors and scents now making a lot more sense now that he knew where he was. He turned back to Yavanna, a small smile of his own growing on his face.

"So this is... the afterlife?"

"The afterlife for my children, yes. Other beings have their own afterlives, they do not rest here"

Bilbo frowned, realization washing over him. He would not see his dwarves here...

Bilbo's heart sank at the words, a sense of melancholy filling him as he understood what that meant. He swallowed, his gaze falling down to the ground for a moment before he spoke, his voice soft and a little pained.

"Where will my dwarves rest, then...?"

Yavanna hummed "Dwarrow are created by my husband Mahal, so their afterlife would be in his Halls"

Bilbo let out a soft breath at that, some of his melancholy disappearing as hope began to light back up in his heart. He looked up at Yavanna with a hint of a smile, another question coming to his mind.

"And where are Mahal's Halls? And... could I go there? I... I want to see my dwarves again... my friends again."

Shock filled Yavannas face "You... You wish to not stay in my gardens? I can assure you, the Halls are not a good fit for my children. Here it is green, and the sun shines, and food is plenty"

Bilbo blinked, a little taken a back by the shock and concern on Yavanna's face. He hadn't expected that, a small frown creasing his brow as he spoke.

"I am truly honoured to be here, my lady, and your gardens are beautiful. But... I was happiest with my dwarves. They were my true family."

He paused, a flicker of uncertainty in his gaze as he looked up at the Green Mother.

"I want to see them again."

The shock drained from the Valars face, being replaced with a soft smile "Are you sure that is what you wish? You will be unable to come back"

Bilbo took in a deep breath, meeting Yavanna's eyes with a newfound firmness in his own. He had never been more sure about something in his life. He nodded, determination clear in his voice.

"Yes, my lady. I am sure. I want to see my friends... I want to be with my family. This is what I wish for."

Yavanna nodded "Then close your eyes, my child. I will make it so"

Bilbo nodded, a flicker of relief passing over his face. He closed his eyes, taking a moment to inhale the sweet scents of the garden in. He stood still, ready for whatever was about to happen next.

Warmth filled Bilbo body, a tingling that filled every corner of him. The sweet smelling air was replaced with the smell of damp rock, the twittering birds replaced with the distant sound of hammers against anvils.

The sensations hit Bilbo all at once, a soft gasp escaping his lips. The smells were so different, and yet so much like home. His heart skipped with hope as he slowly opened his eyes. He knew where those sounds and smells came from, and it sent a thrill through him.

Bilbo was in a rocky cavern, carved out by expert hands. A path was on the ground, leading to a stone hallway. Jewels and gems glittered in the walls, every color imaginable speckled in the rock.

Bilbo found himself in awe of the cavern, his eyes flitting all over the place. The jewelstones glittered in the light, making the entire cavern shine like it was made from pure silver. But it wasn't the wealth alone that sent the thrill through Bilbo's body. It was the knowledge that this was Mahal's Halls. That his dwarves were here, somewhere. He slowly followed the path forward, heart pounding in anticipation.

After a few minutes of walking, the hallway opened up into a massive forge, where hundreds of dwarves were working, making whatever they desired. None of them have seemed to notice Bilbo yet.

The sight of the forge filled Bilbo with a mixture of awe and joy. He stood in the doorway, taking in all the dwarves with an admiring gaze. He could hear the sound of the hammers and anvil, and smell the smoke and fire. It was like coming home after a long journey. He stepped further into the room, his gaze darting around the forge, searching desperately for the dwarves he knew. His hands trembled, hoping he would see them, that his hope wasn’t in vain...

One of the dwarves finally noticed Bilbo and shouted in Khuzdul. "Ku mê?! Lu khuzd!" (Who are you?! Not a dwarf!)

At that shout all the dwarves stopped their forging and turned to Bilbo. The biggest of them surged foreward, and pretty soon there were axes, spears, and swords all pointed at him

Bilbo could only feel exasperation. Confound these dwarves- he forgot how untrustworthy they all are.

Bilbo placed his hands on his hips, releasing a huff of breath as he rolled his eyes "Oh please, you dwarves. Would you kindly point me in the direction of Thorin Oakenshield and Company?"

The dwarves' eyes widened as Bilbo addressed them, and then a murmur rippled through them. The leader of the group, a bearded dwarf with his hair in braids, stepped forward and narrowed his eyes at the hobbit.

"How do you know the name Thorin Oakenshield?"

Bilbo chuckled "Well I'd hope that I'd know his name, I was stuck with him for a good year or so!"

The dwarf and the rest of the dwarves all blinked at Bilbo's words, a range of confusion and disbelief crossing their faces. The leader stepped forwards even closer and looked Bilbo up and down, before replying in a wary and suspicious voice.

"And what would your name be then, Halfling..."

"Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, the Shire. Or, well, I wouldn't be 'of Bag End' anymore, since I'm dead... Hm..." Bilbo tilted his head slightly, thoughtful.

The dwarves' eyes widened further as Bilbo introduced himself. They all looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and surprise, their weapons still pointed at him. The leader, in particular, looked shocked, his mouth opening and closing for a moment as he tried to find words.

"You- you can't be Bilbo of the Shire. That- that is impossible..."

Bilbo raised an eyebrow, both at this dwarf knowing his name, and at him calling it impossible "Well obviously it's not impossible, is it?"

The leader of the dwarves looked at Bilbo with a frown that clearly said ‘don’t get smart with me’. The rest of the dwarves murmured amongst each other, but they didn’t say anything as the leader continued to speak, still looking at Bilbo suspiciously.

"Prove it then, Halfling. Prove that you truly know Thorin Oakenshield."

Bilbo rolled his eyes once again "Well how am I supposed to do that? What do you want me to do to prove it?"

The leader grumbled to himself a little, clearly not sure what to make of the hobbit. The other dwarves had started to put their weapons down, clearly more curious than hostile at the moment. Finally, the leader spoke up again, a gruff edge to his voice.

"Describe a moment between you and Thorin, something that someone who knew him would only know."

Bilbo thought for a moment, his face softening "After the Carrock, we stayed at Beorn's house for a few days. Thorin found me sitting outside of the house, on a bench, and he sat with me. I taught him how to make flower crowns, and at the end of the night he pressed one of the flowers I gave him into a notebook so it would last"

The dwarves murmured amongst each other again, still obviously not fully believing Bilbo. Some of them, however, started to look a little more convinced. The leader still looked doubtful, but his eyes had soften at Bilbo’s words.

"A flower crown...?" he echoed, looking Bilbo up and down once again. He paused, thinking for a moment before saying gruffly

"What flower did Thorin press in the notebook?"

Bilbo felt his face flush all the way to his ears, even though dwarves would not know the language of flowers. He looked down and shuffled slightly "... A forget-me-not"

The dwarves went quiet, taking in the information. A few of them exchanged glances, a few surprised, a few disbelieving. The leader, in particular, looked a little surprised. His eyes darted up to Bilbo's blushing face, and his own softened slightly more. He was starting to look convinced, but he would still press for an answer.

"Very well. You knew one moment between you and Thorin."

He took a small step closer, peering down at the hobbit.

"But you said you were with him for a year... describe another moment, one that is more specific."

Bilbo nodded "When him and the others were locked in Thranduil's dungeons, it took me a while to get them out. Every night Thorin would give me scraps from his own rations so I wouldn't starve down there. One that I specifically remember is he gave me his whole bread roll, and I tried to give it back, he told me... He told me, 'Take it Master Baggins. You need it far more than I. You need to stay strong'..."

The dwarves were fully convinced now, the murmurs from them sounding more excited and curious than anything else. They all looked at Bilbo in a new light, a mix of awe and belief in their eyes. The leader in particular had a look of shock on his face, disbelief still in his eyes even though he believed Bilbo now. He nodded once again, his gruff demeanor gone now.

"One more thing then, Halfling..."

He took a small step closer and looked down at the hobbit for a moment.

"What was the last thing Thorin said to you, before he passed...?"

Bilbo looked down at the ground, his eyes starting to water. He knew these words by heart, for they ran through his head for all the years afterwards. " 'Farewell, Master Burglar. Go back to your books and your armchair. Plant your trees, watch them grow. If more people valued home above gold, this world would be a merrier place.' "

There was complete silence in the forge as the words ran through the space. The eyes of the dwarves widened as they looked at the Hobbit in front of them, some feeling tears prickle in their own eyes. The leader's face was the expression of shock itself as he took a final step forward, standing directly in front of Bilbo. The gruffness was completely gone from his face, replaced with a mixture of wonder and belief.

Finally, he spoke, his voice quiet and gruff.

"You are truly Bilbo Baggins of the Shire..."

Bilbo chuckled, blinking away the tears gathering as he looked back up. "Well I'd certainly hope so, otherwise I'd have a lot to think about"

The dwarves were silent at his quip, their own expressions still a mixture of shock and belief. The leader in particular paused for a moment, before letting out a small chuckle of his own, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Yes, I suppose you would. Follow me then, Halfling"

He started walking towards the cavern doors, other dwarves nodding and stepping aside to let Bilbo through.

The leader of the dwarves led Bilbo though a series of tunnels and halls, all of them having stone carvings and other markings on them. He weaved through groups of dwarves, all watching Bilbo with a mixture of awe and surprise. Finally, after what felt like an age to Bilbo, they reached a carved set of doors, the leader opening one and gesturing inside.

Past the doors, several figures sat in a stone room, chatting quietly amongst themselves.

Bilbo counted how many there were... 12... Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Fili, and Kili... He took a deep breath before stepping through the doors and clearing his throat.

The twelve dwarves instantly looked up as Bilbo entered, going completely silent. The looks on their faces were priceless, going from complete shock to disbelieving happiness all at once. Their eyes widened as they gaped at Bilbo, as if they weren’t sure if he was really standing there. After a moment of silence, Bofur broke it with disbelief in his voice.

"Oh my word.... Bilbo? Is that truly you?"

Bilbo chuckled "Yes, yes it is. I lived quite a lot longer than I thought I would, so sorry about the delay" Only Bilbo would say sorry about being alive longer.

All twelve of the dwarves were silent for a moment, still not quite comprehending the fact that their burglar was standing in front of them. Finally, Balin spoke up, the only one of the eleven able to string a sentence together at the moment. His voice was shaky however, as he said the name of the hobbit in disbelief.

"Bilbo... You're alive..."

Bilbo chuckled "Well, considering we're all in the afterlife, I think it would be more accurate to say I'm dead"

This brought the first laugh from the dwarves, all of them laughing in a mixture of awe and happiness. They all still stared at Bilbo, as if they thought he might disappear at any moment. Finally, Fili spoke up, a small look of worry crossing his face.

"But- but how is it possible for you to be here? You're a Hobbit, and you aren't meant to be here"

"Well, now that's a story. I arrived in The Green Mother's gardens, and if I'm being completely honest, it did not sound pleasing to spend the rest of eternity there. I already had to deal with Lobelia Sackville-Baggins in life, I certainly don't want to deal with her on death." He chuckled "So I asked Yavanna if I could go to where you all are, and... Here I am!"

The dwarves stared at Bilbo again, all of them silently processing the information. Finally, Kili let out an amused laugh and clapped Bilbo on the shoulder.

"Only you, Master Boggins. I swear, you're the most stubborn Hobbit I've ever met."

Bilbo huffed "Kili you know my name. And I'm the only hobbit you've met!"

Kili let out an amused laugh at this, his eyes sparkling mischievously. The rest of the dwarves shared an amused smile, each of them still unable to fully comprehend the fact that Bilbo was really there. Bofur let out an incredulous chuckle.

"A miracle... by Mahal, it's a miracle"

Bilbo nodded "Now, not that I don't appreciate the reunion, but... Where might I be able to find Thorin?"

The dwarves' expressions dropped almost immediately at the mention of their king, and a sad look passed across their faces. They all exchanged glances, and a moment of silence passed over the company. Finally, Balin let out a small, hesitant sigh.

"Thorin is most likely in his stone room, lad"

Bilbo didn't quite understand why the others suddenly turned melancholy, but he'd ask about that later. Right now he wanted to see Thorin "Can you lead me there?"

The dwarves collectively winced, the looks on their faces making it very clear that it might not be a good Idea for Bilbo to go speak to Thorin at the moment. Balin, in particular, tried to come up with an excuse as he spoke.

"I- I'm afraid Thorin isn't- he isn't in the best state of mind at the moment, Bilbo..."

Bilbo scoffed "Please, I've seen him while gold sick, how bad could it be"

The dwarves all shared a grimace at Bilbo's words, remembering the days of Thorin's gold sickness. They all glanced at each other again, obviously not wanting Bilbo to see Thorin in his current state, but also knowing that he would not be denied.

Finally, Balin gave in and sighed in defeat.

"Very well... follow me then"

It didn't take long for them to reach Thorin’s room. The door was closed, and a faint banging could be heard from inside the room. Balin winced as he stopped in front of the door, putting a warning hand on Bilbo’s shoulder.

"Bilbo... Thorin is not himself at the moment. Whatever you see in there... You cannot blame him. Please remember that"

A look of determination passed over Bilbo’s face. No matter the state that Thorin was in, he was going to see him. He nodded once at Balin.

“I understand. I want to see him”

Balin let out an uncertain sigh, and he reached out to knock on the door gently. The banging inside the room paused, only to continue a second later as Thorin’s gruff voice came through the stone.

“Go away, Balin! I do not wish to be disturbed”

Bilbo rolled his eyes. Stubborn dwarves. "Thorin"

The banging inside the room paused instantly, Thorin having obviously heard Bilbo’s voice. There was silence for a moment, the banging not resuming and Thorin not answering. The company winced, thinking that Thorin was not going to answer. However, a moment later, Thorin spoke.

“I must be going mad, for why do I hear an impertinent Hobbit?”

Bilbo huffed "Now that's just rude"

There was a moment of silence from the other side of the door, before Thorin’s voice came through again. There was hesitation in it this time, and disbelief in it as well.

“Is... Is it really you, Bilbo?”

Thorin was silent for a moment, obviously trying to process the fact that Bilbo was actually at the other side of the door. It was a few more moments of silence before he finally answered, his voice sounding quiet and uncertain.

“Prove it. Say something you wouldn’t know otherwise”

Bilbo thought for a moment "... Forget-me-nots mean true love, and 'do not forget me'..."

There was a moment of silence from the other side of the door. Then the sound of Thorin’s footsteps echoed through the stones, the sound of his boots getting louder as he approached the door.

There was a brief pause, and then the door swung open, revealing Thorin on the other side. His face was covered in stubble, his hair was a mess, and his eyes were rimmed red and swollen. He just stared at Bilbo for a moment, as if to make sure that he was really there.

Bilbo chuckled "Goodness, I didn't think it was possible for someone to look worse in the afterlife than when they died"

There was a moment of silence from Thorin, simply staring silently at the hobbit for a moment. Then, much to Bilbo’s surprise, a small smile crossed Thorin’s face and he let out a quiet, rasped chuckle.

“Of course you would, you impertinent Burglar”

"Once again, that's just rude" Bilbo smiled

Thorin chuckled again, a small look of disbelief still in his eyes. He took a small step forward, studying Bilbo closely. He was trying to make sure that he was still real, and not some kind of hallucination.

“I don’t understand... How- how is it possible for you to be here?”

Bilbo huffed "Well, when I died, I simply asked to be here. It's simple enough, I don't know why nobody else thought of it"

Thorin couldn’t help the laugh that came from his chest at the Hobbit’s words. Only Bilbo would say something like that.

“Yes, because asking the Gods for something is just that easy”

"It really is!" Bilbo laughed and looked at Thorin softly "It's been so long Thorin..."

Thorin’s expression softened as he looked at Bilbo again. He took a small step forward, his eyes scanning Bilbo’s face again. As if he couldn’t quite believe he was really there. Then, he spoke, his words quiet and shaky.

“You have no idea how much I have missed you...”

Bilbo chuckled "Oh really? Because I had to live 70 years without you after you died"

There was a look of guilt that passed over Thorin’s face at Bilbo’s words, and he took another step towards the hobbit. He reached out a hand, as if he were hesitating to touch Bilbo, afraid he would somehow vanish. Then he spoke again, his voice even quieter than before and his usual gruffness gone entirely.

“Did you- did you miss me as well?”

Bilbo nodded "Of course I did, Thorin. I missed all of you, but of course I missed you the most"

Thorin’s expression softened again as he listened to Bilbo’s words. He took in another shaky breath, the disbelief that Bilbo was actually in front of him still clear in his eyes. Then, finally, he reached out and pulled Bilbo into a tight embrace, his grip strong and his breathing erratic. He spoke, his head buried in Bilbo’s shoulder as he did so.

“Gods, I missed you so much...”

Bilbo relaxed into the hug, squeezing Thorin back. After all, he was finally with his dwarves again...