The next day the brothers left for a week to go on patrol. Kya missed them terribly. She filled her days with chores and sparring and the days passed. After supper on the day they were to return, she was in her home, working on a project with her mother when Arna burst in the door.

"Kya, come quick. It's Kili." she cried.

Kya jumped to her feet and followed her friend out the door. As they ran Arna explained that she had been near the mountain entrance and had seen Fili enter, carrying Kili, whose face was covered in blood. Kya ran into the healing rooms, looking about wildly for Kili. She spotted him on a bed, bloody and unconscious.

"Kili" she cried and ran towards him only to be caught in strong arms and held back. She struggled in the arms, trying to get to Kili.

"Kya." a familiar voice said. She twisted and saw that it was Fili holding her. She buried her face in his chest. "He'll be fine, Kya, calm down." he said.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We were in a hurry to get back." he answered. "Kili kept talking about you and how he missed you. He wasn't paying attention to his feet, slipped and fell down a hill."

"A hill?" she asked. "And ended up like that?

'Well, it was a rocky hill. And he hit his head on one of them. But you know Kili's hard head, it's not as bad as it looks." Fili smirked.

Kya giggled through her tears.

"Wait, what about you?" she asked as she noticed the blood on his clothes. She started running her hands over his chest and arms in a panic.

"I'm fine." he chuckled, grabbing her hands. "It's his blood."

She reached up and pulled him in for a kiss. "I'm glad you're alright. She rested her cheek against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her and they watched the healers work on Kili.

A few minutes later, just as the healers finished bandaging his head, Kili groaned. Kya nearly flew to his side, quickly followed by Fili. Kili groaned again and opened his eyes.

"I hope you killed the orc that did this to me." he said to Fili, who chuckled. "You did it to yourself, brother."

Kili groaned again and then his eyes focused on Kya's concerned face. He smiled at her and she smiled back before leaning down to softly kiss him. The she sat up and punched him in the shoulder. "And that's for scaring me." she scowled at him.

Fili burst out laughing and even the healers chuckled. Kili rubbed his shoulder and gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry."

"You should be." she growled and then her face softened. "How do you feel?" she asked.

"My head feels like it's been split in two but otherwise I'm fine." he answered.

A healer came up and handed Kili a cup. "Drink this. It'll help with the pain and probably put you to sleep." The healer looked at Kya and Fili. "I'd tell you two to go home but I know from experience that you won't leave your brother and something tells me the lass won't go either."

Fili pulled up a chair, put Kya on his lap and settled in to keep an eye on his brother. Kya got comfortable and reached for Kili's hand. Kili rolled to his side, facing them and took her hand and then let the medicine do it's work.

Arna crept out from the corner she'd slipped into to stay out of the way. She'd stayed so she could be there for her friend in case of the worst. She approached the trio, speaking quietly so as not to disturb Kili. "I'm glad he's alright and I'm sorry for scaring you Kya.

"Oh no, I'm glad you came to get me. Who knows if this one would have remembered to come tell me." said Kya, poking Fili's leg with her free hand.

"I'd have come told you. I was just staying to make sure he would be alright." protested Fili.

Arna smiled at the pair. "I need to go home now but I'll stop and let your parents know you won't be home tonight."

"Thank you, Arna." Kya replied.

Once she left the two got comfortable for their night long vigil. Fili leaned back in the chair a bit and Kya settled back against him, never letting go of Kili's hand.

Arna delivered the message as promised. Unfortunately it didn't exactly please Kya's father and he stormed up to the healing rooms to order his daughter home. At the door he met Thorin and the two entered together. The sight before them stopped them in their tracks.

Kili was sleeping, his cheek resting on Kya's hand clasped in his. Fili and Kya had also fallen asleep, Fili's arms wrapped around her, holding her close. Kya's cheek rested on Fili's chest as she was curled up in his lap, facing, Kili.

Thorin turned to look at Kya's father. "I think we'd better start the betrothal negotiations." he said. Kya's father nodded in agreement.

The rumble of his uncle's voice woke Fili, who opened his eyes but didn't move. "I'm sorry we didn't report in, Uncle." he said quietly, not wanting to wake the other two.

"It's alright lad, I assume there is nothing to report?" Thorin asked.

"We saw nothing." Fili replied.

"And your brother?" Thorin inquired.

"Fell down a hill in his haste to get home and hit his head. Healers say he'll be fine." Fili said.

"Good, go back to sleep." Thorin said.

Fili closed his eyes and did just that. The adults watched them for a moment more before leaving, discussing the impending betrothal as they went.

Kili woke first in the morning. He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Kya and Fili cuddled together on the chair and his first thought was how much he would love to wake up to that sight every morning. His second thought amended the first to add himself cuddled up with them. He gently shook Kya's hand and softly called her name to wake her. Her eyes opened and the smile she bestowed on him made him change that second thought to include that smile every morning. She gently pulled her hand from his and reached up to tug on Fili's mustache braids to wake him. He raised a hand to brush away her hand, grumbling sleepily.. Kili and Kya laughed and he opened his eyes to their smiling faces. He grumbled again, gently pushing Kya off his lap.

"So that's the thanks I get for being your bed all night." he grumbled.

"He's not a morning type, is he?" Kya mock whispered to Kili, who chuckled.

"I am when I'm not woken in annoying ways." grumped Fili.

"Then I shall have to think of more pleasant ways to wake you." said Kya. Fili actually blushed a bit at this. Holding her in his arms in his sleep had made his dreams… interesting… and his current idea of pleasant might have been a bit different than hers.

It was not.

The trio stretched, stiff from sleeping in the same position all night. A healer noticed that they were awake and came over to check on Kili. She replaced the bandage, asked him a few questions and, satisfied with the answers, told him he could go, as long as he took it easy for a few days. As they were gathering their things, the brothers exchanged a few looks that communicated far more than they appeared to.

They left the healing rooms, going towards Kya's home. She wanted a bath and a change of clothes and bluntly informed the brothers that they very much needed to do the same. A week on patrol had left them rather nasty smelling, something she had ignored in her worry the previous night. They agreed to meet at the hideout when they were finished. They all went in when they reached Kya's home so that they could apologize for keeping her out all night. That done, Kya went to her room.

Once she was gone, the brothers turned to her father and said. "Sir, we request permission to Commit to your daughter."

"After seeing the three of you last night, your uncle and I have already begun the betrothal negotiations. So yes, you have my permission." her father replied. "Now off with you, if you are going to be ready to spend the day with my daughter." He and his wife had had a long discussion after his return the previous night and she had convinced him that these were the right lads for his precious daughter, erasing any objections he might have had to the trio spending a whole day alone together. The discussion with Thorin had helped as well.

The brothers left, heading through the halls to their home. They separated to bathe, returning to their shared room to dress. Completing these tasks, they each went to their own treasure box and withdrew a hair clasp. Pocketing the trinkets they went in search of their uncle. Knowing it was only a formality, given what Kya's father had told them, they bowed and said "Uncle, may we have your permission to Commit to Kya?"

"Permission granted." Thorin said, adding, "I think I might have known she was the lass for you after the berry picking incident. You lads need a good strong lass. Then he pulled the brothers into a hug. "Congratulations, nephews."

Meanwhile, Kya finished bathing and dressing and left her room to find her mother packing a basket with food. "For you and your lads. Be back by bedtime." she said with a smile. She remembered the day her husband proposed fondly and knew her daughter would want to spend as much time as possible with her betrotheds, particularly after the scare with Kili the night before.

Kya hugged her mother, took the basket and made her way to the hideout. She only had time to set the basket down, out of the way, before she heard the brothers entering behind her. She turned to face them and they each went to one knee in front of her.

They each took a hand and Kili began. "We have been to some dark and hard places in our lives. We hid much behind jokes and pranks."

"Then you came into our lives." Fili continued. "And brought much love and light and true laughter."

"Because of you, we can finally see a future worth having. We love you. Will you Commit to us?" they finished together.

"Aye, I want nothing more that to spend my life with both of you. I love you too." she answered with a radiant smile.

The brothers rose and hugs and kisses were exchanged all around. They guided her to a seat. Each took a lock of hair near her temples and plaited it with an intricate braid, placing the clasps they had brought on the ends. When they finished she pulled the braids forward to examine the clasps.

The one from Kili was antiqued silver, the knot work upon it matching that which decorated all of his clothing. Fili's clasp was the brightest gold, it's design matching the one Fili favored. These clasps and the braids they were on would declare to one and all that she was betrothed and to whom. She would wear them for the rest of her life..

She smiled at both of them. "They're beautiful." she said. "Now come here so I can thank you properly."

The three of them sank down onto the pile of old blankets. Fili was closest to her so she rolled to face him, twining her fingers into his hair as she kissed him. Kili slid in behind her, lifting her hair to kiss her neck. Fili's hand wandered up and down her side, finally settling on her hip as he pulled her into him. They both moaned at the contact, she could feel him hardening against her body. Kili pressed up against her from behind, pulling her chemise aside to nibble on her shoulder.

Sandwiched between their hard bodies, their lips and tongues against her skin, she could only give in to the incredible sensations. She vaguely noticed Kili's hand sliding beneath her skirt until she felt his hand, burning hot, on the skin of her thigh. He pulled her onto her back as he caressed her hip and thigh, his lips capturing hers for a searing kiss. Fili loosened her bodice as his lips and tongue slid down her neck to nip at the top of her breast. His hand found her other thigh and slid over her skin from hip to knee. She moaned as her hips thrust towards him, seeking further contact.

Fili chuckled. "Not yet, love" he murmured in her ear, his hot breath sending further shivers though her body.

She growled deep in her throat at this and moved towards Kili, who deftly avoided the contact she was seeking, whispering, "Not this time."

She growled again, scowling at them, breathing heavily. She knew their reasoning of course. It would not do for their firstborn to arrive too early, especially with them being princes. In the heat of this moment, she really didn't care. She just wanted more of their touches.

Grinning at the frustration so visible on her face, they fixed her clothing as best they could, still raining soft kisses on her face and neck. Vowing to herself that she would get her revenge, she tried to calm down, her breathing slowly returning to normal.

She pushed Kili onto his back and half lay on him, her head on his chest, leg thrown over his. She reached behind and pulled Fili close, almost using him as a blanket. She rested her hand atop Kili's on his stomach and Fili placed his hand over both of theirs. They rested like this, enjoying the closeness. They soon fell asleep, for while they had slept the night before, it had not been that comfortable of a sleep and for Kili, medicine induced sleep was never as good as natural sleep and they were all still tired.

Kya woke a few hours later, hungry. As much as she would have loved to spend the day surrounded by her loves, she needed to eat. She nudged Fili gently until he rolled onto his back and carefully slid out from between them. She went to the basket of food and pulled out a few selections. She chose a sandwich and began to eat as she sat back down between the brothers. She realized that this was a perfect opportunity to get her revenge. She contemplated her options and as she finished her sandwich she decided on a plan of action.

She began by straddling Fili's hips. She slipped a hand beneath his tunic to caress the muscles of his stomach and chest. Not getting much of a reaction, she removed her hand and pressed her chest to his, placing her lips by his ear. She nibbled and licked his ear and neck, her breath tickling his skin. He moaned softly, shifting to give her better access but still not quite awake. She continued her actions, gently grinding her hips into his. His arms went around her, pressing her into him with a slightly louder groan, his hips bucking slightly. She added soft whispers of "Wake up" to all she was doing and was rewarded with moan as his eyes opened. She grinned and kissed him, continuing to grind against him for a moment more. She pulled back, sitting up, still straddling his hips.

"Tease." he grumbled, trying but failing to conceal his grin.

"Was that a better way to wake?" she asked?

"I could certainly get used to it." he returned.

"There's food over there." she pointed as she slid off of him and he got up to go investigate.

She turned her attention to Kili. She straddled him and carefully loosened the laces at the top of his tunic. She dropped her lips to the exposed skin, nibbling and licking. She continued this for a few moments until he moaned softly, lifting his head to expose his neck. She kissed higher, pressing her body against his. His hands lifted to grab her backside, pressing her against his hips. She moved to his ear and his hips thrust against her as he moaned louder. She gently bit his ear and his hips bucked, if not for his hands holding her, she'd have fallen off. His breathing quickened. She whispered his name, breathing gently across his ear. He moaned again, his eyes fluttering open. She moved to look into his eyes. Slowly he focused on her grinning face. She could see it in his eyes when he realized that'd he'd not been dreaming. His eyes went wide when he realized where his hands were and he quickly slid them up to her waist. She giggled and kissed him. "Sleep well?" she asked.

"Oh, aye. Quite well." he answered, seeming determined not to mention what had just happened.

"That's good." she said and added nonchalantly, "You taste good, by the way."

Behind her, she heard Fili choke as he tried not to laugh. Kili just blushed.

Satisfied that she'd gotten her revenge on them both, she motioned to Fili and the food behind her. "We'd better go eat before Fili finishes it all." Still blushing Kili followed her over.

Once they were full they settled back down on the pile of blankets, Kya sitting between Fili's legs, leaning against his chest while Kili lay with his head in her lap. She idly played with his hair.

"You mentioned dark and hard places earlier. I assume you were talking about retaking the mountain. You've never spoken about it to me. Will you tell me now?" She asked.

Slowly the story unfolded. It wasn't all bad. In fact there were many humorous moments. But it got darker and harder as it went on and the ending nearly drove them all to tears.

"But we succeeded and we won and it's over now." Fili concluded.

"And now we have you, love, and a bright future to look forward to." Kili added.

They had shifted positions some during the story and now Kya went to each of them for a kiss.

"Now you have me and I have both of you and before long we'll have dwarflings of our own." She giggled at the slightly panicked looks both got after that statement.

After finishing the last of the food the Trio decided to have a riddle war. Kya went first.

"What belongs to you but others use it more than you do?" she asked.

The brothers thought about it for awhile. "Can we have hints?" asked Kili.

"No hints. One guess apiece and you can't work together." Kya said firmly.

"Oh, I know." said Fili. "My name."

"Correct. You ask the next one." she replied.

He thought for a moment. "At the sound of me, men may dream. Or stamp their feet. At the sound of me, women may laugh. Or sometimes weep." he said.

Kili and Kya thought about this one, Kya perhaps regretting her no helping each other rule.

"Music." Kili exclaimed, remembering the stomp dance.

"Aye." said Fili.

"The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it?" Kili asked.

This one was hard. Kili smirked. He liked knowing the answer when they did not. Kya closed her eyes as she thought. Then it came to her. "Darkness." she cried.

"Good job." Kili said to her.

They continued the game for awhile, the riddles getting harder as they went.

Kya asked. "A cloud was my mother, the wind is my father, my son is the cool stream, and my daughter is the fruit of the land. A rainbow is my bed, the earth my final resting place, and I'm the torment of man."

Fili and Kili thought about this one for quite sometime. Finally, unable to figure out the answer, they gave up.

"Rain." Kya told them.

"Should've thought of that." said Fili. "Aye." agreed Kili. "We've been caught out often enough to be tormented by it."

"As much as I would like to stay here forever with the two of you, we should probably be going home." Kya said.

"Aye, but it's only a month until the commitment ceremony and then home will be together." Fili replied.

"It's going to be a long month." Kili declared.

A/N I've reached the end of what I had already written so it will take longer to update from now on. I've got plenty of ideas. I just need to flesh them out.