A/N. My dear readers, I'm really sorry for keeping this story for you but I just had to let it grow on me first. For those used to my rapid updates – this is what I've been doing last week instead of updating. Hope you like it. Nearly fifteen chapters coming up in the next several minutes, so happy weekend reading.

„Run Kili run." Ori yelled at Kili and threw a small bag at him. Kili immediately grabbed it and spend up turning into an allay. He knew this part of town like the back of his hand, so he immediately jumped onto the boxes in the yard and skipped over the fence. Ori ran in the opposite direction, trying to mislead whoever was chasing him. The peruse was after Kili, but he knew how to deal with it swiftly, several most turns on his fast legs, and he was safe. Running was the thing he learned first starting his new life with the Luin brothers. In fact Kili had been running most of his life. First from foster care, later from the orphanage and finally from another foster family. The Luin brothers were orphans just like him, he met them in Atlanta and they stuck together for the last years. Nori and Dori the two older brothers were sly, they knew where to get food, and they knew where it was safe to sleep. And Nori was the best pickpocket Kili ever encountered. Ori the youngest was a shy boy Kili's age, but his innocent look was an easy way to get into places and hide things under his clothes. The bag Kili was currently running with was the newest loot from Ori, so it was probably some more medicine for Dori who has asthma.

Kili was barely four went his father died leaving him all alone and he was placed into a foster family for the first time. The Hoster family was a dull and strict place for such a vivid child. Three years in that place left Kili with numerous scars on his back and legs from being beaten with anything in reach. At the age of seven he packed a small back pack and managed to get fifty miles away before someone started asking him questions and called the police. After the investigation he was sent to orphanage and that's where he met the Luin brothers. He was safe there, but his social worker was convinced Kili would do much better in a good family. However instead of sending him to safe place, he sent him to the Mayer family where Kili suffered even more disturbing things than in the Hoster family. Running away at the age of thirteen was his last stand. His body broken, his soul hurt, he was all alone until he met Ori by accident in one of the alleys. The four of them decided Atlanta was not safe for them, so they travelled to Boston and later to New York. Nori's skills in pick pocketing got them enough money to move on, and Dori's serious look and posing as an adult saved them lots of trouble.

They squatted in an abandoned building near the docks, being in a group saved them trouble with other homeless people in the area, they were resourceful and managed just fine, trying to steal as little as possible and trying to live a safe life. When Dori finally became of age, he got a temporary job in a supermarket and made some money so stealing was no longer their main source of income. However all four of them lived in fear someone might find them and place them back into the system.

Running that day Kili couldn't predict what would happen next. As he was getting away from the alley where he hid from his hunter, he clumsily rushed into the street. Before he could even react he heard a car stop rapidly and he felt a strong pain in his right side. Then it all went dark.

. . . . .

"Uncle, I hit somebody with my car." Fili called his uncle Thorin immediately after seeing the boy rush in front of his car. "I can't call the police." He admitted to the interrogation he got from his uncle. "Both." He finally answered. "He's alive but he needs medical attention." He told to his uncle. "Fine, I'll be there within fifteen minutes, call them and make sure I'm accepted in." He put away him phone looking around if there were any witnesses to the accident.

He gently lifted the slim boy and placed him in his car, hoping the boy would be okay. Hitting him was one thing, killing him was another matter entirely. He raced to reach the private clinic his uncle told him to go to with the injured boy.

"I told you not to drive if you drink!" Thorin yelled at Fili on the phone. "You could have taken a cab, and none of this would have happened."

"Uncle I just had like two beers, and I didn't want to leave my car at the bar." Fili tried to explain.

"You were under the influence of alcohol and you hit a person!" Thorin yelled at him.

"He jumped onto the road from nowhere!" Fili tried to explain.

"You were drunk driving the police will always say it's your fault." Thorin told his nephew brutally. "Pray his family won't press charges."

"I think he's homeless." Fili replied looking at the shabby clothes of the person in the hospital room.

"That's first good news tonight; maybe money will be enough to keep this out of the press. Deal with it; it's your problem as of now." Thorin cut the connection very irritated.

Thorin often felt helpless when it came to his nephew. He was a single man, trying to raise his sister's son. He became a single parent of a small boy too early, and he raised him too firmly. Fili turned out to be great in business but as a child he kept getting into trouble and his uncle's phone was the first number he would call. Thorin tried to calm himself and he tried to focus on the documents on his desk.

Fili looked at the boy in the hospital bed. The doctor told him the boy was malnutritioned, but he hadn't suffered badly in the accident. He had some bruising and his leg was broken but he would be fine in several weeks. He glanced to the kid in the bed, he looked really small and the white hospital sheets made him look sick and pale. After the doctor confirmed the boy was going to be fine Fili decided to get out of there. And taking the boy with him was the only option. He carried him back into the car, briefly thinking about the light weight of the kid and about his age. He drove to his flat and carried the boy into the spare bedroom.

Kili woke up feeling pain in his right side. His leg was stiff and in plaster, he could feel pain in his side and wondered briefly if his ribs were broken or not. He looked around the dark room, it was evident he wasn't home; otherwise Ori would be sleeping along his back. The bed was comfortable and clean. He tried moving a bit, and noticed his clothes were gone. He was wearing some kind of hospital gown, and it was obvious a doctor had taken care of his leg. Kili new the difference, his right arm still had a lump after being broken by Mr. Mayer and it never grew back properly because he wasn't allowed to see a doctor that time. He looked around and briefly wondered where he was. He noticed his jacket and his clothes on a chair near the bed, so he swiftly moved off the bed just to gasp in pain. He grabbed his jacket and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly glanced at seven missed phone calls from Dori's number; he didn't want to make any noise so instead of calling he sent a text message. "No idea where I am. My leg is broken, but someone took me to a doctor. No idea when I'll be back." He hid the phone at the back of the bed head and lay back down. His leg really hurt, but he felt he would have many bruises on the same side. He wasn't going to complain about a comfortable bed like this, he would run away sooner or later anyway.

Kili woke up again smelling coffee; he shifted in bed and looked at the door apprehensively. After several minutes the door opened and Kili noticed a young man come in with a tray with some food. He looked at the person not knowing what to think. The man was average height; he had short blond hair, blue eyes and a gentle smile. He was really handsome and seemed young, and Kili briefly wondered how much training had to be done to get muscles so clearly visible under a t-shirt.

Fili took in the sight of huge brown eyes looking at him with a firm glare. Seeing his guest awake made him realise one thing, this was not a kid, he was more probably a teenager. Those eyes were hard and showed experience beyond age. The kid was weighing his options, and Fili could clearly see the greedy way he looked at the food. He put the tray in front of the boy and looked at him glancing at the tray then back to him. The boy didn't say a word, so Fili knew he had to try to explain what was going on.

"I'm sorry I hit you with my car last night." He slowly told the boy analyzing the way the kid looked at him. Only one person had that same kind of weight in his eyes, and that was his uncle Thorin.

"Where am I?" The boy asked quietly, Fili had a feeling the kid was analyzing him.

"My flat, I took you to the hospital last night and they doctor checked you out." Fili told the boy. "You may eat." Noticing the boy was waiting for a word from him. The boy ate in a hurry as if the tray and food might disappear any moment. "Why did you run into the street?" He asked, but he noticed the glare from the kid become even more firm.

"I was running." The boy answered. "May I use the toilet?" He asked finally.

Fili extended his hand to help the boy up. The boy stood up with difficulty so he held him and guided towards the adjoining bathroom.

"Will you manage by yourself?" Fili asked not wanting to intimidate the boy, but the boy shook his head. He held the boy gently as he was reliving himself. The boy glanced at the shower and sighed.

"Would you like to have a shower?" Fili asked noticing the way the boy looked around the bathroom.

"It's going to be difficult." The boy noticed looking at the plaster.

"Would a bath be easier?" He asked the boy.

"Much easier." The boy noticed.

"Fine, just don't move." Fili grabbed the boy and lifted him easily, and carried him to his own bathroom. He noticed the boy analyze the whole flat on the way, his sharp eyes not missing any detail. Kili immediately knew this was an expensive flat, and the view proved to be breathtaking really in a luxurious area he didn't normally venture to. The man carried him into a bigger bathroom and there was big bath. He observed as the man poured water in the tub, and later head for some clean towels. He helped him take off the hospital clothes and get in. For Kili the perspective of having a proper bath was like a Christmas present. The last time he had a real bath was three years ago, since then it's been cold showers at the places they squatted. He settled in the bath trying to forget someone was watching him. Many people had seen him naked, so one more person didn't make a difference. He grabbed the soap and began washing completely ignoring the person in the bathroom.

Fili was transfixed with the sight the boy presented. He was slim beyond reason, but what was most shocking were the numerous marks on his body. His back was completely scared, as if someone had actually wiped him. He could see strange burn marks and signs of a broken arm which wasn't healed properly. The boy was ignoring him, as if privacy in the bathroom was something he didn't know. He handed the boy some shampoo and watched as the long dark tresses were washed carelessly. He helped the boy rinse his head and later get out of the tub. He wrapped him into the towel and carried him back into the guest bedroom. When he was placing him back into bed he heard a quiet "Thank you."He gave the boy a brush, he still kept around from the times he had longer hair, and sat and watched him comb his hair. He remained silent having no idea what to say, so he just sat there and observed.

"Could you pass me my clothes?" The boy asked looking at the chair.

"I'm going to get you something clean and wash those." Fili stood up and rushed out of the room. He came back several minutes later with a clean t-shirt and a loose pair of short sweatpants which would be easy to wear even with plaster. The boy took them without a word and quickly put the t-shirt on and later slid the shorts on. His long dark hair turned out to be slightly wavy, similar to Thorin's, he noticed. He was slim, but without all that filth his skin was pale, his face without a trace of facial hair. If they boy had actually smiled you could call him cute, he had regular facial features but the strongest point were his deep brown eyes. Fili noticed the boy look back at him, still with that deep analytic glare. Fili finally realised that was the same thing he had been doing, analyzing him. The boy had no idea what to do or what to expect.

"I'm really sorry for the accident." Fili tried to start a conversation again, but the boy didn't reply.

"I was hoping you would stay here until you get better." Fili tried again.

"At what price?" Came a barely audible answer, the boy was looking at him calculating and Fili trembled feeling the deep glare.

"It's my fault, so there is no price." Fili finally said.

"Nothing comes without a price." The boy noticed coldly.

"I didn't want to call the police and get into trouble. So as long as you keep silent about this whole thing, stay here and get better, that's all I'm asking." Fili finally told the boy. "If you want me to call someone to pick you up, or to notify someone about your whereabouts just say so." The boy just shook his head; Fili noticed the glare become even deeper when he mentioned the police.

"My name is Fili." He extended his hand to the boy, still wondering about the age of the kid.

"Kili." Came a surprising answer.

"You're kidding me." Fili noticed.

"No, I'm not." The boy noticed coldly. "But I do admit it's a funny coincidence."

"What were you doing on that street?" Fili tried to get more information from the boy, but the kid just glared at him again.

"You don't want to talk about the accident, and I don't want to talk about it either." The boy finally told him coldly.

"Would you like me to bring you something? Maybe something to eat? A book?" Fili proposed.

"I'm fine." The boy noticed. "Don't you have work or something?" He asked finally after a moment of silence.

"I took some time off." Fili told him. "It's not every day I have to take care of an injured person."

"Or you don't want to leave me in this expensive flat alone." Kili murmured and Fili looked surprised at him. The boy was analyzing him again, and he could feel he was being judged.

"No, it's not that. It was my fault so I have to repay it to you." Fili noticed. "You need my care."

"I don't need nobody's care." The boy's eyes became cold and distant even more.

"And how can you manage by yourself with all those painful bruises and a broken leg?" Fili asked crossly. "You can't even get to the toilet alone."

"No thanks to you." Kili used his first analysis and played on the older man's emotions skilfully. A very useful skill at any orphanage.

"Would you like to watch some TV, or perhaps play on my play station?" Fili proposed, and for the first time he saw interest in the boy's eyes. He reached out his hand and helped the boy up and guided him into the living room.

Kili glanced at the sight again, taking in all the orientation points. He could see he was at least five miles away from where he lived. He glanced at the flat again, it was like nothing he saw before in his life. The Mayer house was top class, but not in this league. Whoever this guy was he was filthy rich, and naive as a baby, Kili noticed immediately. He helped him, but told him vital information about the accident. He let him into this beautiful flat, not worrying about being robbed. Apparently he really felt guilty about the accident and wanted to help truly. For Kili that was good news. The first moment when he awoke in the morning he was scared he would land in similar situations like in the past. Waking up for more pain, waking up for starvation, for beatings or worse for being raped. Or worse after being raped feeling huge pain in his body. This guy was a good guy, it was evident he didn't plan on hurting him. He seemed innocent, and he seemed to honestly want to help. Seemed, the Mayers also seemed nice the first week, he reminded himself quickly.

Fili could feel those hawk eyes on him all the time, the boy was tense, his body rigid, his eyes deep and gloomy. He wondered what could make a person so serious and sad. What kind of person could cause those marks he saw on the boy's body. Suddenly a wave of new emotions filled him, the need to protect this person. He saw a victim of extreme abuse, someone who suffered more than Fili could even imagine. Being who he was, raised by his loving uncle, Fili felt the need to protect. He knew the kid would immediately reject any notion of needing protection, but until he can't move about Fili was going to make sure he was safe.

They sat on the couch and Fili turned on the play station and handed the boy the controls, but quickly realised the boy had no idea how to use it. So he patiently explained how to play and how it worked. The boy took in all the information, and quickly grasped what to do. Fili noticed the boy never had contact with expensive toys like this, but what surprised him most was how quick the kid learnt new things. He was very observant, and Fili immediately realised living in the street and surviving whatever the kid survived required lots of intelligence.

They spent some time playing, and to Fili's frustration after an hour he started losing. The boy was learning how to play, and after two hours he was better than Fili at his favourite game.

He changed the game to something solo and got up to prepare some lunch.

"It's not much, I'm not best in the kitchen." Fili confessed putting something on a plate in front of the kid. The boy just glanced at the food and started eating clearly not caring it was overcooked and bland. Fili watched the boy with jealousy, he couldn't even force himself to eat half of the portion of the food he prepared. When the boy glanced at his half full portion, Fili immediately moved the plate in his direction, and with amazement he watched the boy swallow the other half of his plate.

"I'm not planning to cook dinner, would you prefer pizza or Chinese?" He finally asked.

"No difference." The boy replied and looked back at the game, but Fili noticed the spark in those dark eyes. Fili glanced at the screen only to see his record being beaten. Suddenly he heard his phone ring, and he saw it was an incoming call from uncle Thorin, he grabbed the phone and went into his bedroom.

"So what happened?" Thorin asked coldly.

"The kid has a broken leg and lots of bruising, apart from that he's fine. He'll be okay in several weeks, according to the doctor." Fili explained.

"And where is he now?" Thorin asked.

"My place." Fili replied.

"I sometimes wonder if you're actually related to me. You let a stranger into your flat having no idea who he is. He might rob you or kill you in your sleep." Thorin began yelling.

"He can't even walk to the toilet alone." Fili noticed sternly.

"A broken leg won't stop him from walking, as soon as his bruises go away he'll be on his feet." Thorin told his nephew.

"I took some days off at the office and I'm planning to stay here with him." Fili informed his uncle.

"Your first logical decision." Thorin murmured. "Why didn't you take him to his family?"

"He's homeless." Fili replied. "He's in pretty bad shape."

"And you're on a mission to save the world. This is just your guilt speaking, he's playing on your emotions." Thorin noticed bluntly. "Give the kid some cash and get rid of him, the sooner the better. Place him at the clinic if needed."

"I'll think about it." Fili replied.

"I'm going to come back to New York in three weeks, get it done by then." Thorin ordered his nephew.