*ALL "HOBBIT"/"LOTR"/MIDDLE EARTH MATERIALS BELONG TO J.R.R. TOLKIEN. I ONLY OWN MY OC*
I - Storms Inside and Outside
"The MET Offices have released warnings of severe thunder and lightning storms in Cambridge and Northampton as well as in Ipswich and Luton. Anyone living in those areas are to be warned of a potential flood."
In the kitchen of her flat, twenty-one year old Pippa Ellingale put the kettle on the stove before turning on the burner. Along with the sounds from the television, she heard the front door open and turned her head to see a completely soaked Kili enter their flat. A smirk swept across her lips as she desperately held back laughter. Her hand covered her lips.
"Should I get you a towel?" she managed to say in between chuckles.
Kili rolled his eyes and set down his leather messenger bag and coat jacket on the couch. Pippa suddenly noticed the irritated expression on his face and almost immediately her laughter went away. Before she could open her mouth to apologize, he walked past her and without saying a word, she furrowed her eyebrows. She turned off the burner when she heard a loud thud.
"Is everything okay in there?" she called out to him. There was no response, just more noises. She made her way into the bedroom when she opened the door to see Kili sitting on the floor with his back to the foot of their bed and the leather chest in front of him. The shield given to Kili from Thorin was clasped in his hands. His normally inquisitive brown eyes were somber and the only expression in his blank face.
Pippa closed the door behind her gently. "Do you want to talk?" she asked slowly.
Kili sighed. "When Fili and I were children, we used to beg and plead Thorin to tell us stories about Erebor. About the times when the dwarves had everything and more. He would give in, of course, and tell us stories of the glory the dwarves. How our family was born to rule and how one day, he would reclaim his rightful spots king. I remember daydreaming about the day Uncle would be king and Fili and I would be right there beside him. Fili would be the heir to throne after Thorin would-."
He swallowed hard and placed the shield back into the shield. "I suppose some things are just not meant to happen."
Pippa got onto her knees and sat beside Kili, putting one hand behind his back. "You, Fili, Thorin, and the others are the reason the dwarves are no longer suffering," she coaxed in a gentle tone. "You gave them back their home."
Kili turned to her, his eyes now darker and filled with more intensity. "How do you know the dwarves are not suffering?" he snapped. "Which book told you that one, huh?"
Taken back by his attitude, Pippa cocked her head back. She got up from the floor and without even looking at Kili, mumbled," Let me know when you're off your man period."
When she shut the door behind her, Kili shook his head and let out a deep, annoyed breath. "Pippa," he called out for her in an agitated tone.
Pippa returned to the kitchen and turned the burner back on as a crackle of lighting was heard outside. She felt a hand touch her shoulder and turn her to face Kili.
"I'm sorry for what I said," he began with as much composure as he could manage. "It has been a rough day and I-."
"What happened?" Pippa cut him off as she eased the tension in her expression.
"Nothing serious. I just...I...".
Kili let out his frustration with a loud groan. Pippa jumped and stepped back from him, her hands up in front of her. "Jesus!" she exclaimed. "Take a deep breath and-."
"Sometimes I cannot stand being in this-this world!"
As if on cue, thunder roared followed by another crackle of lightning. Silence fell between the two as Pippa's face fell and Kili realized what he said. His eyes returned to their natural puppy-dog state and his mouth gaped open. Pippa couldn't speak let alone make a sound. The stinging sensation she felt in her eyes formed a single tear that rolled down her right cheek.
"Pippa, I did not mean-."
She held up her hand to cut him off and wiped her tear. With a little scoff, she croaked, "I'm sorry I'm the reason you're stuck here."
With that, she walked past him and just like he had done moments earlier, slammed the bedroom door. Kili hit the counter top with his fist, cursing himself. The kettle let out screech and Kili turned off the burner. He put the kettle off the side when the lights went out.
By then, Pippa was on the bed with her knees hugged to her chest as she let the tears smear all over face. She knew he didn't mean it. She knew. But what he didn't know was the secret guilt she had carried since the day he came to her. She was over the moon the moment she saw him for the first time since the battle and couldn't believe he would change his entire life just to be with her, but she knew that no matter how much he loved her, he would always struggle to find a sense of belonging in her world. Despite her pleadings, he changed his look and got a job and pretended to be somebody she knew he wasn't just so he wouldn't have to lose her again.
Maybe I didn't do enough to help him, she thought to herself. Maybe I was too wrapped up in him that I didn't see he was miserable here.
She heard the door open and watched as Kili entered the room with a flashlight in one hand and a cup of tea in another. He stood by the bed and held out the tea.
"Hopefully this makes you loathe me a little less than you do right now," he said with a hopeful tone.
Pippa shook her head and let out a sniffle. "I don't hate you. I-."
"Give me a moment. I will be right back."
He left the room with the flashlight for a second before returning with another cup of tea in his hand. He plopped on the bed beside her and pulled her to his chest. There was a brief moment of silence before Kili spoke up.
"I am sorry for taking my frustration out on you," he said slowly, a calming tone in his voice. "Things have been quite difficult lately. Between work and us, I feel like I am losing my mind."
Pippa lifted her head up and gently pulled back from him. "What do you mean 'us'?" she asked.
Kili ran a hand through his scruffy hair, looking away for a moment. "To be quite honest, there is this distance between us and it has been going on for months now. You are always engulfed in your studies and that has been stressing you out. Not a month let alone a week goes by when you don't have an anxiety attack. For as long as I have known you, I have never seen you have an anxiety attack until months ago. You can not get through a day without getting yourself worked up."
I'm not sure whether this is him apologizing to me or him prepping me for an intervention, but if this him apologizing then he's more terrible at apologizing than I am, Pippa thought to herself.
"So it's my fault?" Pippa asked pointing her finger to her chest.
Kili shook his head violently and pleaded," No, no! It is both of our faults."
"Then please skip to the explanation that states how it's your fault too because dragging out my faults is not going exactly help me understand this let alone want to help you fix the problem."
"I was not trying to blame it all on you, Pippa. I was only-."
"Please put that aside and move along before this gets any worse."
"You are only making it worse by interrupting me and not listening to me."
"I'm listening but-."
"Oh come off it! If you were really listening to me then-."
"Goddammit Kili!"
"Pippa!"
The crackling of lightning cut in as a lighting bolt dashed through the bedroom window, breaking the glass. Both Pippa and Kili jumped, Pippa letting out a scream.
And by a scream, it was," MOTHER FUCK! "
Wind picked up as leaves started flying right into the room along with a couple drops of rain. Kili and Pippa hopped off the bed and as Kili closed the leather chest, Pippa went to the window to close the blinds. When Kili looked up to see Pippa, he shouted," GET AWAY FROM THERE!"
He ran to her when the split second he put his arms on her to duck her down, another bolt of lightning struck right next to their arms. The bolt cut passed their skin and before they knew it, everything was black and silent.
When she opened her eyes, the very first thing Pippa saw was the clearest and most bright morning (or was it afternoon?) sky...which was odd. She stirred for a moment before closing her eyes and nesting her head on something warm.
I don't remember sleeping outside, Pippa thought to herself.
Then it hit her.
I wasn't sleeping outside.
She opened her eyes and lifted her head up. Before her was a dirt trail with a forrest just on the other side, looking right back at her. Her eyes looked down to see she was lying in the grass and right beside her was Kili, who was fast asleep or passed out. Either way, he was breathing so Pippa knew she could wake him up which is precisely what she did.
"Kili...Kili, get up, now!" she exclaimed as her hand shook his shoulder. "Kili, get your arse up right now!"
" 'Ucking hell," he mumbled sleepily. He stirred for a moment before opening his eyes and looking at Pippa. He furrowed his eyebrows and his eyes glanced around. Suddenly, he shot right up and moved his head side to side and turned behind him. He looked right back at her. "I do not recall sleeping outside."
Pippa looked over her shoulder and then back at Kili. They stared at each other with wide eyes.
"You don't think...," Pippa began with her voice trailing off.
"It cannot be," Kili said as he shook his head.
They heard a mumbled singing mixed in with the sounds of clicking and clacking. Pippa and Kili looked over to Kili's right where in the far distance, there was a man on a wagon with a horse. The couple looked at one another as Pippa moved closer to Kili and Kili wrapped an arm around her. As the man on the wagon drew closer and closer, Pippa's jaw dropped and when she went to spring up to her feet, she was stopped by Kili pulling her down, bringing her into his arms.
"Pippa, it is him," Kili whispered in awe.
"No! Really?!" she hissed. "Thanks for pointing it out, Captain Obvious!"
Kili moved his head to her and shot her a glare. "Would it be so awful for you to hold back your temper?" he whispered to her.
"Don't start with me," Pippa warned.
"Can we not get ourselves into-."
"What on Earth are you two doing?" an all-too familiar voice interrupted them.
Pippa and Kili looked up and there before them was a dear old friend. They stood up on their feet with a look of wonder and disbelief in their eyes. Pippa stepped forward first.
"Gandalf," she breathed out with a tear strolling down on her cheek.
"And who might you be?" Gandalf asked with a confused expression.
"It's me. It's us!"
"Who is us? What kind of a name is 'us'?"
Kili stepped forward and put an arm around Pippa's shoulder. "Mr. Gandalf," he nodded his head.
Gandalf was not having it. "What are your names?!" he snapped. "If you know mine than you should be able to-."
"Pippa of Ellingale," Pippa cut in sharply. She swallowed hard. "It's me, Gandalf. It's Pippa."
Gandalf's eyes widened as he took out the pipe in his his mouth. His mouth gaped open and he stepped down from the wagon. His eyes were fixated on Pippa. "Pippa of Ellingale?" he asked.
"That's literally what I just said a moment ago!" Pippa exclaimed.
It was then that Gandalf's eyes lit up and Pippa ran to him, hugging him tightly. His arms squeezed around her as he started laughing.
"Oh my god, I've missed you," Pippa said as she let out a sniffle and slowly began to weep.
"Are you actually tearing up, Pippa?" she heard Kili call out to her with a laugh. Pipp let go motioned Gandalf toward Kili.
"Gandalf, look who it is," she sniffled with a large grin on her face. Gandalf stared in shock and disbelief as Kili stepped toward Gandalf and (much to Pippa's surprise) bowed.
"Kili, at your service," he greeted as he lifted up from the bow. Gandalf pointed a finger at him.
"I watched you die in the hands of Azog at the Battle of Five Armies," Gandalf said. "I watched you, your brother, your uncle die."
"Aye, and I did," Kili nodded with a smile. "But I made an agreement with Pippa's mother that if I was to die, I would be put into Pippa's world so Pippa and I could be together."
Gandalf smiled as Kili walked toward his old friend. "It is so great to see you," Kili teared up as he hugged Gandalf. Gandalf embraced the young man into his arms. Pippa watched with the biggest smile on her face.
"Alas," Gandalf sighed happily as he put one hand on Kili's shoulder and the other hand on Pippa's." You have returned."
BACKSTREET'S BACK, ALRIGHT!
(Okay...maybe not...but still).
I am so glad you guys wanted me to continue you this! It feels so amazing to write about Pippa and Kili again and I am just so excited right now! When I saw "The Battle of Five Armies", I walked out of the theatre refusing to believe it was all over and desperately wanting to go back to 2013 when I wrote "The English Paper" and when we were all waiting for "Desolation of Smaug" to come out. I knew I wanted to bring back Pippa and Kili and so I thank you for letting me do one last series.
Thank you guys for allowing me to bring these two back and I will not let you down. I've looked back at old chapters of "The English Paper" and I am so sorry for all the spelling errors, grammatical errors, and whatever errors there are. There was this one error ( I forget which chapter ) and I said," A country called Europe". For those who live in Europe, I apologize. To the reviewer who called out on it, thank you.
Anyway, thanks again and let me know what you guys thought :)
~Danielle