Title: Sky Full of Stars

Author: LastWaterBender

Fandom: The Hobbit

Pairing: Kili X Tauriel, with one sided Legolas X Tauriel

Rating: This Chapter is K+

Summary: Post Battle of Five Armies. Everyone survives. Tauriel discovers a life changing secret that starts new problems between the very new relations between the Elves and the Dwarves.

Cause in a sky full of stars, I think I found you

Legolas stood next to his father, pretending to not be bored.

Today was going to be a slow, diplomatic kind of day. It had been months since the battle between the five armies and they were slowly recovering. Their relations with the Dwarves were on the mend and had started to become trading partners with them, thanks to the young dwarf prince.

Legolas stretched his muscles; the early spring day was asking to be explored. "Legolas, where is Tauriel?" Asked King Thranduil, in a lull between meetings. Tauriel, though she had fought bravely in the war, had disobeyed a direct order and stripped of her title as Captain of the Guard. She now served as one of King Thranduil's personal guards.

Some thought it as a promotion, King Thranduil surveying her as a possible pledge for his only son, but in reality it was a prison. It was to keep an eye on her and to rein her in when she needed to be. "I have not seen her this morning. I will go search for her."

Thranduil granted him leave and Legolas turned on his heels. He trotted down a flight of stairs to the main dining hall. The sight of her red hair absent from early breakfast goers, he turned down another hall to the dorms.

He knew the way to her room better than any path in the forest. He reached her door and didn't bother knocking. Tauriel lay asleep in her bed, dark circles under her eyes as she hadn't been sleeping. Her skin was pale and her cheeks flushed.

The prince sat down on the bed and placed a hand on her arm, startling her awake. "Shh. It's just me, Mellon." He said quietly. She looked around confused, and sweat beaded her forehead. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes." She said sitting up, but the movement was followed by a wavy of nausea and she collapsed back into the bed. "No."

Legolas frowned as she struggled to sit up again, he pushed her back down. "Lie still, I will fetch a healer." He offered.

"I am fine." She said, throwing the blankets off of her. "I am late for my duties."

He sighed and stilled her with a hand on her arm. "You are not well, you have worked yourself into exhaustion. I will go fetch a healer."

She closed her eyes as she was assaulted with another wave of nausea. She had never been sick before in her six hundred plus years of life and it was an awful feeling. Slowly she pushed herself up and set her feet on the cold floor, bracing herself with her arms and her head hung low. It took all of her strength to push herself up into a standing position and tread to her washroom.

Dizziness overcame her and she fell to her knees, emptying the contents of her stomach into the basin. It had been one of the most unpleasant feelings that she had ever felt. A set of cold fingers wrapped themselves around her hair and held it away from her face.

When she finished, she rested her head against her arm. Legolas said something, but it was a muffled sound in her ears; he picked her up from the floor and she looked away in shame. He placed her gently back into bed and Legolas brushed her hair out of her face. "The healer is on her way." He said, walking back to the washroom to return with a wet cloth.

He washed her face gently with it, tender in his touch and she closed her eyes. There was a soft knock on the door and Legolas got up to allow them entrance.

"Tauriel, this is Nimwen." He introduced softly. The elf was a little older than her, with golden brown hair and soft eyes.

Nimwen greeted her and sat her bag down. She looked intimidated by the presence of the former Captain of the Guard and Prince, having heard many stories about both of them and how they fought in the Battle. She had met Legolas before, as he had come with a company of men that had been ambushed and she had patched him up, but Tauriel she had never met.

She reached into her bag for some plants and a bowl. Setting the bowl down on the bedside table, she grounded up some leaves with her hands as she started to chant. She placed the leaves into the bowl and reached in her bag for a vial of liquid that she poured on the leaves.

Taking the paste, she placed some on Tauriel's forehead and she chanted louder and more demandingly. Tauriel closed her eyes as the magic flowed through her body, pooling in her abdomen. Legolas stood back and watched with worry. Had her dealings with the dwarves exposed her to some disease?

Nimwen stopped and stood back with a gasp, her eyes filled with concern. "What is it?" He asked, his heart beating so hard that he was sure that they could hear it. "What is wrong?"

The healer took a deep breath. "This isn't any sickness, only morning sickness." She said, and while Legolas looked confused, Tauriel's face fell in terror. "She is with child."

The world crashed to a halt. Tauriel sat up and jumped away from the healer and Legolas took a step towards her, to still her from panic. "What?" He asked, looking to his friend who looked like she was about to flee. "Is that even possible?"

Tauriel hid her face in her hands, her breathing escaped in ragged breaths. "You are only going to make things worse if you keep hyperventilating." Nimwen said trying to calm her patient. The healer knew that whatever was happening was much bigger than she was. She looked at the prince. "Will you fetch me some Chamomile Tea? It will calm her stomach."

He hesitated before nodding and left the room. Nimwen set out on calming the red headed elf. "Come on, Tauriel, lay back down please." The healer pleaded and slowly she coaxed her to lay back down. "You need to calm yourself, all this worry is not good for the baby."

"You must check again! I cannot be with child." She cried as a strong wave of nausea rocked her body and a bucket found its way in front of her to catch the contents of her stomach.

Nimwen pushed back her long hair and took the bucket from her. "I can test again, but if I had to guess you are quite far into your pregnancy, from the color of light . . . and the look of the bump under your dress. . . I would guess nearly five months." She said and Tauriel threw her covers back to look at her normally toned abs to see that they were replaced by the small swell of her belly.

Tauriel paled and her hand traced the curve as tears escaped her eyes. A sob escaped her lips and her other hand went to cover her mouth.

"Really, you need to calm down before I have to do it for you." She said gently as Legolas returned with a kettle and a cup that he handed to the healer. He looked to see Tauriel crying into her hand and became more worried than when he left.

He sat next to her on the bed and gathered her into his arms, and she laid her head on his shoulder still crying as Nimwen prepared the tea. He tried to comfort her like he did when they first found her after her parents had died and she would awaken to nightmares.

Nimwen handed her the cup and it shook in her hands. Legolas steadied it with his much bigger hands and help her place it at her lips, she hesitated. "It's okay, it will calm your stomach." Nimwen said softly. "It will help you rest."

In a matter of seconds, her head lulled back onto his shoulder and her breathing evened out. "It's okay, she is only sleeping." Nimwen assured the prince, who took the cup from her and set it on the nightstand, and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his side.

"Will she be okay?" Legolas asked in a quiet voice.

Nimwen nodded. "I believe so, as long as she stays calm she should be fine." She explained, rubbing her chin as if she was contemplating something. "I didn't know she was promised to anybody."

Legolas shook his head and looked away. "She isn't." He said.

"Oh. This is bad." Said Nimwen, looking at the woman who was sleeping soundlessly. "If I had to fathom a guess, she is five months along, so it must have happened near when the battle happened."

He stared at her sleeping form, and there he could indeed see the curve that was accommodating the new life growing inside of her. He hadn't noticed it until now and she was nearly half way through the pregnancy. He slid out from underneath her and got up. "Stay with her until I return." He ordered as he traced his path back to the throne room.

His dad stood at a table with his dignitaries, pointing at a map of some sorts. "Did you get lost?" He chided, turning around to face his son. He frowned at the lack of the red-headed elf. "And where is Tauriel? I sent you over an hour ago to search for her. . ."

Legolas nodded his head in apology. "I apologize, father." Legolas answered, he was going to have to lie to him in order to save his friend. "Tauriel is with the healers right now." Well, at least a half lie.

"Whatever for?" Thranduil asked, his fatherly concern shining through his kingly facade.

"She was sparring before her duties and hit her head. The healers wouldn't let me see her because they had to sedate her in order to heal her." Legolas said, his face neutral.

"Oh? Inform them that I wish to be updated of her condition." He returned to his work with the dignitaries. Legolas nodded and left. It always amazed him the times that Thranduil had felt so paternal towards the Silvan Elf, but how long would it last? He would immediately assume that Legolas was the father and assume that they had wedded in secret. Legolas wasn't stupid, he knew that his father did not like his affection towards her and would never allow him to pledge himself to her.

He sighed. He would cross that bridge when he got to it.

/

When Tauriel woke up, she felt heavy. Like every fiber of her being was weighted down. Her eyes opened and she could see Legolas sitting in a chair talking with the healer. She must have moaned because in the blink of an eye both of them were at her side. "How are you feeling?" Asked the healer, starting an examination.

"Fine." She said hoarsely. Legolas handed her a glass of water and she drank it slowly to prolong having them question her. He took the glass from her and she slowly pushed herself up, turning in order to get out of bed.

Legolas placed a firm hand on her arm and shook his head. "You are not getting up, Mellon." He said in a low voice. "I have some questions that we need answered."

Tauriel sank back down onto the bed, her back against the headboard. "Did you promise yourself to someone?" Asked Nimwen when Legolas fell silent. She shook her head, no, she wasn't secretly married to someone. Premarital relations were not something elves discussed, but it wasn't supposed to happen.

"Were you forced?" Asked Legolas in a small voice, rape was often a casualty of war and it would kill him if she was taken against her own will and forced to live with the consequences.

"No." She voiced and he sighed in relief. "I was not forced."

"Then you know who the father is?" Asked Nimwen, and Tauriel shifted nervously, only nodding. "Who is it?"

She bit her lip and looked away, her cheeks as red as her hair. "Tauriel, I cannot help you if you do not tell us everything." Legolas prompted, reaching for her hand with his and she pulled away from his touch.

Her silence and the small sob that escaped her lips spoke volumes to the prince. "It's the black haired archer." He said flatly. "The dwarf prince."

She buried her face into her knees and her shoulders started to shake, basically telling him what he needed to know. "A dwarf?" Asked Nimwen with a hint of disgust. "You mated with a dwarf? Is that even possible, to conceive with a dwarf?"

"Nimwen!" Snapped Legolas. "Leave us!"

The healer nodded and took her leave without another word. "Tauriel, let me help you." He pleaded. "Talk to me, Mellon."

She knew she was being difficult, but now he knew of her secret, her love for the dwarf prince. She suspected that he thought something before now because her affection for him went from platonic to professional after the war. "I cannot talk with you." She said in a small voice, not lifting her head from her knees.

"Why not, Mellon-nin?" He asked softly.

Tauriel cried out. "Do not call me that, it breaks my heart." She cried. His hand went to her back, she flinched, but didn't brush him away.

Legolas had always been one of few words, which was probably why there were things left unsaid between them. His mouth opened and closed it a couple of times. "Is it his? The dwarf?"

She nodded. "Before the battle and after I healed him." She whispered honestly, knowing that he deserved her honesty. Legolas thought back to the time after the battle when he was sure he caught the tail end of a kiss between them, but he thought that she was better than that.

Legolas felt as if his soul was being ripped out. "Do you have feelings for him?" He spat out as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

She nodded. Not trusting herself to speak she sat up and wrapped her arms tightly around herself, wincing slightly at the newly found tenderness in her breasts. He got up and started to pace like a caged animal, his own feelings making him emotional.

She watched him with tears streaming down her cheeks. She hated that she had hurt him. "I will pledge myself to you and we will tell my father that it is my child." He said, stopping his pace to look at her.

"No!" Tauriel said shaking her head. "I will not allow it."

"Why not? We could be happy together." He pleaded.

She got up from the bed to stand in front of him. He could see the small bump that was forming under her bed clothes even better. "No, you cannot be happy with me." She whispered. "Your father has already forbidden a union between us and I cannot allow you to waste eternity raising a child who will not look like you."

"Then we can go somewhere else. To Imladris or wherever the stars may lead us." He pleaded taking her hands in his. He didn't want to lose her.

She shook her head and looked at their hands. "You are my friend, and I will not allow you to throw your life away for me."

He was quiet and looked at their joined hands. "I do not know if I can protect you when my father finds out." He said in a very small voice.

Her hand went to his cheek. "I will be okay." She whispered and he nodded against her hand. He didn't want to ask what she happened. Surely she would be exiled come news of her growing belly.

"I will let you rest." He said in a whisper, he pressed his lips to her forehead. She nodded and he took his leave. With the door shut, he closed his eyes and sighed, before putting on his brave face.

/

She didn't trust the healer to keep her mouth shut and knew it wasn't long before King Thranduil knew her secret. She quickly dressed and threw on her heavy winter cloak. She grabbed a satchel and placed a few of her most prized belongings, mostly small things that her belonged to her parents and some provisions for survival.

But one thing that lay hidden in her nightstand found its way into her deep pocket, Kili's stone and the letters that he had written to her. With her things gathered, she exited her room swiftly. She avoided all popular walkways into the wine cellar where she took the door to the cavern where the dwarves had escaped. She knew the path like the back of her hand, she and Legolas had snuck out many times through their six hundred year companionship.

She trotted to the end of the forest and followed the river. Her ears were listening for movement, for someone to find her-she'd be as good as dead for abandoning her home. She was probably dead anyway once word got out that she had bedded with a dwarf that resulted in a child.

The grey sky above gave way to light rain, she wrapped her cloak tightly around her and she slowed her pace.