Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they are the property of their creators, nor am I seeking to make a profit from this.

Thorin paced nervously outside his sister's bedroom. It was two in the morning in the middle of November. He couldn't hear it from their place in the mountain, but he knew that it was still storming outside. She had been in labor for nearly sixteen hours now, and Thorin was beginning to worry – despite Oin's reassurances that it was entirely normal for a long labor. Nevertheless, Thorin had only ever witnessed the birth of one other dwarf – his nephew Fili – and that had only taken seven hours.

Fili's birth, however, had been under much better circumstances. Fili had been born in the summer, on a calm day, with no complications. Dis's first birth went fantastically well, and everyone had high hopes for her second when she announced that she was once again with child.

But her husband, Thorin, Frerin, and their father and grandfather had not counted on going to war – and when Thorin returned alone in Dis's seventh month of her pregnancy and told her that her husband, brother, father, and grandfather were dead she had become so upset she went into premature labor.

Thorin stopped his pacing when he heard a particularly loud scream from behind the closed door. He stared at the wooden door, unable to hide the worry and fear that pervaded his thoughts. She's my only family, I can't lose her too. . .

"Uncle Thorin?" he heard behind him. He turned, surprised to see Fili awake and wobbling in the darkened hallway.

"Hello, lad. You're up a bit late, don't you think?" he asked softly. Fili practically fell against Thorin's leg, still obviously too tired to really be awake. Thorin put his hand down on Fili's head – the tiny dwarf barely reached his waist.

"Why's mama still screaming?"

"She's doing a very difficult thing," he said, and he leaned over to grasp Fili under his arms and lift him to rest against his hip. Fili let his head flop down onto Thorin's shoulder. "She's bringing your baby brother into this world – and that's hard work."

"Where's he coming from?" Fili asked, his curiosity piqued. Thorin stopped, blinked a few times, and took a deep breath.

"I'll tell you in a few years." Thankfully Fili was too tired to put up an argument, and only nodded minutely.

"Is he going to play with me?" Fili asked, whipping his head up, suddenly as excited as an exhausted dwarfling could get. Thorin gave a small smile and nodded. "That's going to be so much fun," Fili said, putting his head back down. He didn't say anything else for a moment, and Thorin resumed his pacing, only slower this time. He hoped to lull Fili back to sleep.

He winced slightly as he heard Dis scream again, and he started to move away from the door lest she wake the now finally sleeping dwarf in his arms. He moved down the hall and towards the living room. He sat down in the dark room. No one had had the chance to light a fire – not since everything that happened with the few dwarves that remained returning from the war, and Dis. . .

Thorin still hadn't really thought about what had happened. In truth, he had no desire to think about it, not for a while at least. He had lost his brother, father, grandfather, and brother-in-law, all on one fateful day and there he was, sitting in the comfort of his own home, holding a sleeping dwarfling. It didn't feel right. How could he go on living when so many others had sacrificed their lives that day? He didn't think he could do it.

Fili made a soft noise in his sleep, shifting so that his face was pressed into Thorin's chest and his tiny hand fisted in Thorin's hair. He looked down, and as he stared at the sleeping dwarfling he felt like crying. He had to look after Fili now – and the new baby, once he was born. Thorin had never really given the fact that he was an uncle, and everything that entails much thought until that moment. He felt a rush of emotion surge into his throat as he stared at Fili. He lowered his head slowly until his forehead rested on the top of Fili's head. "I'm sorry. . ." he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I couldn't save your father. . . but I promise I will do my best in his stead. You will be king someday Fili, and I will be there to guide you."

He sat like that for an hour, not thinking about much of anything. He listened to Fili's soft breathing, and every now and then the sounds of Dis's distress drifted down the hall. He was nodding off himself when he jerked awake at the sound of a set of boots thudding down the hall. It was Oin. Thorin looked at him expectantly with a little more anticipation and anxiety on his face than he would have liked.

"It's a boy!" he announced loudly. Fili stirred in Thorin's lap, and when he sat up, eyes bleary, Thorin pushed his golden blond hair out of his face.

"Shall we go meet your brother?"

When they entered Dis's room the first thing Thorin noticed was the small pile of bloody rags on the floor next to the end of the bed. He felt alarm shoot through him, but when he looked at Oin, his eyes wide, Oin simply shook his head and waved him off. "Don't worry about that," he said. "Your sister is perfectly fine, she did wonderfully."

"Thorin, come look." He turned and stopped, suddenly gripped with anxiety. Dis was laying on the bed, the blankets strewn around her in a mess. She was sweaty, and her hair and beard were all stuck to her face. She looked happy though, in a sad kind of way. She looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms with a look of reverence on her face. Thorin put Fili down when he noticed that he was struggling, and Fili ran over to the bed and climbed up next to his mother. He looked down at his baby brother and after exactly one second he pulled a face.

"Uncle Thorin I can't play with him, he's too small!" Dis laughed, and despite himself Thorin chuckled, finally exhaling a breath that he hadn't known he had been holding. He took a few steps forward and stopped next to the bed. Dis pat the space next to her and Thorin sat down heavily. He hadn't realized until just then how tired he was. He had been unable to sleep since Dis had gone into labor, and before that he had slept poorly for several weeks.

"Thorin, I would like you to meet your nephew." She adjusted her hold and swaddled tightly in the thick blanket was the tiniest face Thorin had ever seen. He was so tiny that Thorin was sure he could hold him in one hand.

"What's his name?" he asked softly, not wanting to wake the tiny sleeping dwarf.

Dis smiled and looked down at her son. "His name is Kili."

Kili stirred and opened his eyes, looking straight at Thorin. He gasped, not expecting his eyes to be so blue. "His eyes. . ." he started, but Dis shook her head.

"They will probably change, all babies are born with blue eyes."

"Fili's didn't," he said, putting his hand on Fili's head once again. The blue-eyed dwarfling in question was still staring at his new brother – even if he couldn't quite play with him yet he was still fascinated with him.

"This is true," Dis conceded quietly, but even as she did Thorin knew she was probably right. Blue-eyed dwarves were exceedingly rare. "Do you want to hold him?" Dis asked, holding her arms out slightly away from her body. Thorin took a deep breath, and looked wary. "Oh come on, you won't break him."

Thorin nodded, and carefully took Kili. He was about the size of Thorin's forearm, and he looked so impossibly small bundled in that blanket, held tightly in Thorin's arms. Despite himself he smiled as he looked down on his newest nephew. He had no hair yet, and Thorin wondered if he would be blond like his brother and father, or if it would be dark brown like nearly everyone else in their family.

"He looks like you," he murmured to Dis, not taking his eyes off of Kili.

"He looks like you," she countered, and Thorin looked up, surprised. He looked back down, and Kili stared into his eyes.

And promptly started screaming.

A month later Thorin stood in Dis's room next to Kili's crib. He held Kili tightly in his arms as he gently swayed back and forth, humming softly. Dis had been too exhausted from both her grief and taking care of a newborn dwarfling, and so when Thorin heard Kili start crying again he had rushed into Dis's room before she could get out of bed again and had insisted that she go back to sleep, that he would handle it. Dis had agreed much faster than he had thought she would have, and had lain back down and was asleep almost instantly. Thorin had gone to the crib in the corner of the room and picked Kili up, quickly cradling him against his chest. He still marveled at just how small his nephew was, and how easily he fit into Thorin's arms.

He paced slowly around the room, and Kili eventually calmed down enough to fall back asleep. Thorin continued pacing for a few more minutes. He thought about how lucky he was. Yes, he had suffered a lot in his life. And yes, he would probably continue to suffer, but he had Fili and now Kili to look after. He had something to fight for now – their futures.

He would one day reclaim Erebor, and he would do it for himself, and his people, but most of all he would do it for them.

I hope you enjoyed this little fic - it came to me quite suddenly last night and I had no choice but to write it. It was inspired by a painting done by theevilpickle on tumblr - I've posted a link to the post on my profile so you can go see it.
As always, please review! They make my day.