[Altariel]

If Frodo had taken the Ring to Mordor, but Gollum had been killed, the Ring would not have been destroyed. Frodo would have claimed the Ring for his own, like he was going to at the end of RotK. Gollum wouldn't have been there to steal it away from him and fall into the Cracks of Doom. So, one of two things would have happened:

1. Frodo would declare himself Lord of the Rings, and he would be... for a little while. But Sauron would probably track him down and take his Ring back, and Frodo would die a slow, painful death for trying to usurp Sauron's power, and for hiding the Ring from Sauron. Then Sauron would have his One Ring again, and he would "cover Middle Earth in a second darkness." [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

OR

2. Sam would realize that, in order to destroy the Ring, he would have to either take the Ring from Frodo and throw it into the Cracks of Doom, or... failing that... push Frodo in. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

Hmmm... how very depressing.... Now I see why Tolkien decided to keep Gollum alive.