A/N: Wow, another story eee! I can't believe I'm actually writing again :D Anyway, this idea came from several places; first I really wondered what Thorin's reaction to having heirs was, so I wanted to explore his thoughts when Fili and Kili were first born. There was also something Richard Armatage said in an interview about wanting to know who the love of Thorin's life was. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the interview again, but I thought he said he kind of made up a backstory about it. Anyway, I thought that maybe the woman (dwarf) Thorin loved died in the Fall of Erabor and since he loved her so much, he wasn't about to go off and marry again, and thus, had no hope of producing an heir so when Dis gave birth to Fili, I can only imagine a huge relief from Thorin.

Then there's Dis' husband, who I could find no name for (and I don't think anyone has) so I made him "Vili" thinking maybe, keeping with typical dwarfish customs, that would be where Fili and Kili got their names from. I also made him blond like Fili because where else would that come from? I know some people say Frerin, but I've never really thought that, so this is my idea of him, and honestly it doesn't really matter lol. I hope you enjoy the story! I've got the other part about Kili's birth as well, and I'll try to post it up of Saturday or Sunday hopefully!

Heirs of Durin

A Hobbit Fanfic

Part One

Fili

Thorin didn't know whether it had been a long time or not—maybe this was normal? Vili sat next to him, jiggling his knee in anxiety, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. Frerin alternated pacing and standing against the wall. Thorin tried to set the example, but he was on the verge of fidgeting himself. It was his baby sister, how could he not be anxious? He took a peek at the door again, wishing he could block out her cries of pain. A particularly loud scream made Vili flinch and jump up before he forced himself to sit back down and Thorin put his hand on his shoulder. The screams were punctuated by curses that made Thorin slightly proud of his little sister at the same time he was shocked by the vulgarity of them. Some were specifically directed at Vili and Thorin saw his ears turn pink before he ducked his head into his hands in misery.

Finally after one final scream from Dis, a thin wail sounded and all three dwarves in the hall stood up, looking at the closed door before glancing at each other, unsure of what to do.

The door opened and Oin stepped out with a smile on his face, beckoning them inside.

"Come, the babe is well, as is the mother." A sigh of relief washed out of the three warriors. Oin smiled brighter. "It is a boy."

Vili looked like he wanted to weep and he pushed past Oin, calling out to his wife as he ran to see his son. Thorin and Frerin let them have a moment, sharing a relieved smile, before they too entered the room.

Thorin stopped with bated breath as he took in the scene while Frerin went straight over and sat at the foot of Dis' bed as she put the swaddled babe into Vili's arms and he looked stricken before he shuffled the baby around to a more comfortable position.

"What's his name?" Frerin asked.

"Fili," Dis said with a weary smile, reaching out to stroke the tiny fuzzy head. "He has your hair, Vili," she teased.

Thorin watched, a deep sadness washing over him along with the elation. Fili, little Fili not ten minutes from the womb, but already the only heir of Durin. He had thought years ago, before the fall of Erabor that the heir would be his own son. Before…before she had been killed in the fire. But he had long ago given up that dream. No, this little one, his sister-son would be his heir, and he would treat him as a son himself.

"Thorin," Dis said and he snapped from his painful memories to look at his sister, going over to her bedside and taking her hand as he smiled, fearing it was little more than a grim twist of his lips. She seemed to see that, to know exactly what he was thinking, for she motioned to the babe still lying in his father's arms. "Would you like to hold him?"

"I…" Thorin hesitated, but Dis squeezed his hand and Vili was smiling up at him, already offering the bundle who had quieted down already.

"Hold him, Thorin," Dis insisted.

Thorin tentatively held his arms out for the precious bundle and Vili laid the tiny thing with the wisp of golden hair like his father's into Thorin's arms. As soon as the babe settled against his chest, he felt a strange happiness and relief fall over him as if it hadn't all been real until this moment. The dwarfling yawned deeply and opened his eyes to reveal bright blue orbs and Thorin smiled, genuinely this time, and cuddled the baby closer to him, rocking him back and fourth. This was the hope of Durin, a new hope, the first hope he had been given since the fall of Erebor, since they had been forced into exile.

"The line of Durin will not fall so easily," he said to no one in particular, but the babe looked up at him with an intelligent face, as if he had understood the importance of what he said. To think that their futures rested on the shoulders of this delicate little creature.

"Fili," Thorin whispered, and grinned wider. He bent to kiss his sister on the temple. "Congratulations Dis," he whispered to her, looking down at the bundle in his arms once more before he relinquished little Fili, who was beginning to fuss again, to his mother.

The warmth might have left his arms, but it was still in his heart, and would always be so whenever he saw those bright blue eyes staring at him.

No, the line of Durin would not fall easily at all.