DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE HOBBIT

Stick and Stones May Break my Bones, But Losing You Would Kill me.

"Of course it had to be raining", Thorin muttered as he led his dwarves along the narrow mountain path. He looked back, counting heads as he did. It was only when he saw the familiar flash of gold and that shade of black that he would never mistake for anyone's else's hair, did he let a bit of the tension in his shoulder's relax. They were safe, for now. He looked away into the darkness.

"Hold on!' he shouted and heard the chorus of voices answering him. And in the midst of it he could pick out the voices of his nephews. He always could, after all, one was always able to hear the voices of one's heart and soul, no matter how noisy it was. And he knew long ago that those two had taken those places from the time he laid eyes on them as tiny dwarflings and held them in his arms. The memories gave him a warm feeling in his chest despite the cold and wet and made him smile.

He squinted thought the raindrops trying to see ahead. Behind him, he heard Bilbo cry out but did worry. Dwalin was there, the Hobbit would be in no danger.

"We must find shelter," he called out, but was talking more to himself than to the others. He remembered the last time Kili got wet and caught the cold. He did not want a repeat of that. Just then Dwalin cried out again and Thorin heard it before he saw it. A loud, low whistle. His head snapped up to follow the sound. Out of the darkness a gigantic boulder flew in a graceful arc to crash above their heads. Thorin felt his heart stop for a second as the boulder shattered and rained down upon them. He glanced frantically behind him, trying to find Fili and Kili. He spotted them hugging the mountain side; Fili's arm around Kili's shoulder. He was about to call for them to move when Balin stepped forward.

"This is no thunderstorm, it's a thunder battle! Look!" the white haired dwarf pointed. Thorin followed his hand in time to see the mountain side opposite to them begin to heave. Then slowly, the monstrous thing rose up into the air with a loud low groan. It then plucked out a bit of the same mountain side with one tug. Thorin felt a wave of panic wash over him.

"Well bless me," he heard Bofur say, "The legends are true. Giants! Stone giants!"

On the last word the stone giant have a high pitched wail, ached it's body and threw the boulder. Thorin followed the line of the thrown boulder and saw it smash into the chest of another giant that has risen up from the pathway behind them. He watched in horror as the second giant was flung back. The mountain shook as it hit against it.

"Take cover!" Thorin shouted.

...

Kili flung his hand over his head to protect himself from the rocks that were continuously showering over him. He glanced back to make sure that Fili was still behind him. His eyes locked with the blue ones of his brother and Fili gave him a small half smile. For some reason he could never explain, that small half smile never failed to give him courage. He mimicked the smile and then grabbed Bofur and pulled him close to the mountain side out of the way of the rock shower. They had only taken a few steps forward when the ground under their feet began to move funny.

"What's happening?" he asked, fear rising in his chest. He looked down to see the path between his feet begin to move apart. He stepped quickly forward.

"Kili grab my hand!" he heard Fili call. He flung around. It was as if time slowed down. Fili was reaching for him, hand outstretched and one his face a mixture of emotions. Kili tried to reach him but he kept growing further and further away, till they could breech it no longer.

"No," the word barely made it out his mouth. Fear was replaced by an emotion he could not name. It numbed him and froze him. He watched as the mountain swung his brother away from him and he was helpless and alone. But that was not the worst of it. For the first time in years he had seen the one thing in Fili's eyes that he did not want to see. True, genuine fear. His beloved brother was alone and afraid and he could no nothing about it.

He looked up to realize that the mountain path that they were on was not a mountain path but the legs of a third giant. The giant swung itself up into a head-butt from another. Kili heard himself scream as the giant fell back. He looked across to the other leg, trying to catch a glimpse of Fili. He could see nothing in the rain and dark.

"Fili!" he screamed, "Fili!"

The giant rocked back from the blow and landed against the mountain. The path that they were on lined up with the mountain and he heard Thorin call and then everyone was moving. Kili froze again. If he ran after them, he would get off and be safe. But then that meant that he would leave Fili behind. But if he stayed, how would he be able to help Fili? With a sob and one last scream to Fili, he ran off the giant's leg and onto the safe path.

...

Fili could not remember the last time he and Kili had ever truly been separated. Sure they rode, walked and slept apart (well at least once or twice) but they always had each other in sight. And even when he slept he always found himself jerking awake and automatically searching for Kili's dark head. Just to make sure he was safe. But now, he could not see his brother, he did not have him in his sights. He could not make sure he was safe. Dwarves had always loved the mountains; rock and dark places were their home. But not this time. This time he hated this mountain and this dark place. It had snatched Kili away from him in a swift moment. Left him hand outstretched and calling, begging for Kili to reach and be safe. Fili rarely ever felt truly afraid. Sure he had been scared when they had to run into battle against orcs and sure he got nervous a bit when he hunted. But true fear, he never really got it. And now he remembered what it felt like. It made him feel shaky and unsure. It made him want to scream. But the fear was not for himself. His baby brother was out there, being swung along on a giant's leg. And Fili was not there to hold him safe.

The giant that he was on was engaging another in a fight. Thick rock arms swung punches into the air. Fili found himself unconsciously analyzing the stances of the two and deciding who would win. His giant, he settled and so thought, so done. The giant defeated the other. Just then, Fili saw a shape loom up behind them. He turned to see the remaining giant hefting a massive rock. 'We are not going to make it,' he thought as the giant threw the rock, 'we will take the hit and go down. I will never see Kili again.' Hot tears welled up in his eyes as he watched the rock crash into his giant's head and took it clean off. Now he was riding a headless giant. He lifted his eyes to the skies and summoned the image of Kili to his mind.

"I am sorry Kili," he whispered as his giant flayed about, "I am sorry."

The giant was rocking backward now but his body was swinging forward. Fili fixed his eyes ahead and set his face. If he was going to die, he found face his death. He would die like a warrior. The giant seemed to rock forward in agonizing slowness as if to draw out the last moment. The mountain rushed up towards them. At the last moment Fili took a deep breath and screamed,

"Kili!"

And they smashed into the mountain side.

…...

Thorin felt cold; not the cold of the rain or the darkness but the cold of a man who had no heart. He had set out to reclaim the Heart of the Mountain but in return the Mountain had taken his. Fili had been on that giant. He heard Kili's voice behind him screaming.

"Fili! Please no! Fili! Fili!"

"No!" he echoed his nephew calls, "No!"

The headless giant reeled away from ruined mountain and fell slowly down into a gorge. He forced himself to move despite the fact he just wanted to break down into tears right there. He grabbed onto the rock wall beside him to help him to move.

'No,' he kept thinking, 'he cannot be dead. He cannot be dead. What am I going to do if he's dead? What am I going to tell Dis? What am I going to tell Kili?' That last part struck home. The tears came to his eyes, blurring the path in front of him. If Fili died. He didn't know what Kili would do. No, that was lie, he knew what Kili would do. Kili would die. Those two were one. Their heart were joined in a bond that was uncanny. If Fili died…

"No, Kili…" he groaned out loud, his thoughts unable to say unvoiced and unable to be finished spoken. He rounded the corner, closing his eyes for that last second, not willing to see a pile to bloodied mess that would be his nephew. Then he snapped them open. His eyes instinctive locked onto a pair of confused blue ones.

"Fili," he breathed, trying to swallow the tears. The other surviving members of the company were voicing their joy and surprise at being alive. Fili looked over to him and gave him a smile that said "I can't believe I am alive!"

Thorin gave a half sob and sigh. The relief that was coursing though him made him feel weak and wobbly. He felt his face twist as he tried to smile back but felt the tears ready to fall. He made his way over to Fili and stood over him for a few second. Fili held both hand up to him as if he asking to be picked up, like he used to when he was a dwarfling. Thorin let the sob break this time and he dropped to his knees, pulling Fili into a rough embrace.

"I'm fine," he heard Fili mutter into his chest; "I'm safe. I'm safe now."

"I know," Thorin whispered back, "I know."