Pain brought him back. Mind and body numbing pain. Everything that could hurt did and some parts he hadn't even known about were hurting. A groan slipped past his lips when he tried to move and it only magnified that agony. How could one hurt so much and still be alive?

"Kíli!"

A different kind of pain beset him. His brother's voice. Fíli was alive! The last he remembered he had seen his beloved brother fall under a wave of orcs. His lips, the only thing that didn't seem to hurt, turned down. Or perhaps they were both dead, but why then all the pain?

"Kíli, can you open your eyes?"

It was a struggle, but he managed to do it and his vision went blurry as tears swam in his eyes. "Are we alive?" he managed to whisper.

Fíli smiled in relief even though he looked as bruised and battered as Kíli felt. "Aye, brother," he said quietly. "We live and Erebor his ours again."

Relief temporarily banished the pain. They had done it. The odds had never been in their favour, not that he had had any doubts of their success, but that last battle…. For the smallest moment, his belief had wavered, shattering slightly as he had seen friends and family struggling to hold onto what was theirs. But it had only taken a single look at his uncle to know they could win. Thorin had finally reclaimed Erebor and he was not going to lose it to people who saw themselves as overly entitled.

His peace was short lived however. "Thorin!" he gasped, jerking upright despite the pain.

Strong hands forced him back down despite his struggles to stay upright. "Easy, Kíli. Our king lives as well."

He sagged into the mattress, but something about the way he said it made Kíli go cold. "What happened?"

Fíli shook his head. "You need to rest and regain your strength."

Something was wrong. Fíli never avoided a question like that, at least not with him. They were open with one another and the thought of his brother hiding secrets now didn't sit well with him. "How can you expect me to rest when you won't tell me what is going on?"

A deep sigh left his brother and he looked away, staring across the room. "Thorin lives," he finally said, "but he will not wake."

Kíli's heart stuttered. They had failed to keep him safe?

His brother gripped his arm. "He's alive and he'll pull through, Kíli. You know he will."

He would never forgive himself if his uncle died. He could have done more. There had to be more he could have done!

"Don't do that, Kíli," Fíli said softly. "We did everything we could."

"There could have been more!" he insisted.

"Short of our lives there was nothing else and we nearly gave those as well."

He gladly would have given that if it meant his uncle would be safe. Judging by the look on Fíli's face, he knew exactly what the younger was thinking.

"Kíli, Thorin would never want either of us to die so that he could live."

But things would never be the same if their uncle did die. The mere thought terrified him. Thorin wasn't supposed to be able to die. He had always been strong and confident, a constant figure in Kíli's life. He was everything Kíli wanted to be. If he died….

"Kíli is finally awake?"
Both turned to look at the door and saw Balin standing there. The older dwarf came into the room and sat near Kíli's bed. He didn't look too worse for wear, but he was moving a little slower. Kíli almost winced. He hadn't thought to ask if anyone else had been harmed or killed. It was unsettling to think that any of those dwarves could possibly die after everything they had been through.

"It's good to see you awake, laddie. We weren't sure for a while if you ever were going to wake again."

"Is Thorin alright?" Kíli demanded, his fear that Balin was the bearer of bad news blinding him to everything else.

"You should worry about yourself. You've been here for nigh on a week."

A week? Fíli nodded when he glanced at him. "Why are you here, Balin?" Fíli asked.

"To remind you both of something you may have forgotten. It isn't the most pleasant topic to discuss but it needs to be done."

The brothers glanced at one another. Could they really deal with another unpleasant topic right now?

Balin let out a deep breath. "We need to discuss what will happen if Thorin doesn't wake up," he said quietly.

Kíli tensed even though it made his body scream in pain. But that was nothing compared to the pain in his heart at the thought of losing his uncle. "Balin, he won't die," he insisted.

"I know you don't want to think about it, laddie, but it needs to be thought. Erebor is ours again, but we need a king. Those that came with Dain are demanding that someone be named regent until Thorin's fate is apparent."

"And I suppose they want their king to be named to it," Fíli said dryly. "Even though he only came at the end and originally denied us help when Thorin met with him."

"Even so," Balin agreed. "He does have a claim to it because he is of the line of Durin, but there are those who have a stronger, closer claim to it."

Meaning them. As Thorin's nephews, it had always been unsaid that they were his heirs. Kíli doubted either of them had ever thought about actually claiming the throne though. Their uncle was unbeatable and would rule Erebor for the rest of his life before passing it on to Fíli. Or possibly a son of his own if he ever had them. Neither of them had honestly thought this day would come.

"Fíli, you're eldest," Balin continued. "If you chose not to take up the mantle of regent, it will fall to Kíli. If neither of you wish to assume the role, then we may have yet another war on our hands because I know many that will not want to have Dain ruling them. Even if it is only by proxy."

Kíli shifted as much as he could to look at Fíli. He was watching Balin, his expression unreadable. Kíli knew that he didn't want to be regent. It felt like he would be admitting that his uncle wasn't coming back if he did, but at the same time, he didn't want Dain on the throne. They had fought long and hard to win that throne back for Thorin and no one but the King Under the Mountain was going to sit upon that stone.

"Fíli?"

"I'll do it," his brother said lowly, shocking Kíli. "I'll rule our people in my uncle's name until he is well enough to do it himself."

Balin nodded. "With Kíli as your heir?"
Fíli's blue eyes flicked down to him and his lips quirked. "I don't think my brother is much suited to ruling, but then neither am I. Yes. We are grandsons of Thrain and great-grandsons of Thror. While we live, no other shall claim any part of this mountain as their own."

It was Balin's turn to smile. "You should know that the company is staying here as well," he said after a moment. "I don't think any of them want to leave until they know what will become of Thorin. Even when we do know, I don't think they're going to leave. We fought too long to reclaim this as our home and that is what it is now."

Fíli nodded. "Good. I will need a council to help guide me in my uncle's place. Balin, you will serve?"
Kíli couldn't believe what he was hearing, but at the same time he wasn't completely shocked. Fíli had always known that he was the heir. That if ever they reclaimed Erebor, this duty would fall to him eventually. As second in line after his brother, Kíli had always been afforded more liberties, but to see his usually jovial brother taking this so seriously made him realise that he needed to step into his brother's shoes. He had no heir and if he did something reckless someone else would claim Erebor.

"Of course. We all will, laddie. We'll help you keep Erebor running until Thorin wakes to claim it as his own."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Kíli sent a small prayer to Mahal. He had never done so before but it was all he could think of now. Let Thorin awaken. Let him take up his rightful place on the throne. Do not let our struggles be in vain.

He felt Balin pat him through the blankets before the older dwarf left the room.

"You're really going to do this," Kíli said softly once they had been alone for several minutes.

"Aye. There's no other choice. And Thorin would expect us to follow through on our duty. This kingdom is our birthright and it will remain ours until the day our line is gone." Fíli paused and looked at Kíli. "But I can't do this alone. I'm going to need your help."

He honestly had no idea how to run a kingdom or govern a people, but he knew how to support his brother. Forcing his hand to move, he grasped Fíli's forearm. "I am with you, brother," he said firmly.

Fíli nodded and squeezed back.

Neither of them cared for this arrangement, but they knew that this was what Thorin would have wanted from them. And if there was one thing they always agreed on, it was that they never wanted to let their uncle down.