Understandings
This will be an AU/Slash/Mpreg tale. Sorry for those that don't like that genre, but this story has been itching to be written. Give it a shot if you dare.
This veers off of canon a lot. Sorry for canon lovers. Quite a twist in the story of the Ri brothers' pasts too so be warned.
Please review and let me know what you think, good or bad.
I own nothing. Poop!
Chapter Eleven
"Thank you," Dori breathed, "Thank you for helping Nori. I couldn't no matter how hard I tried. Help him, Dwalin. Nori hurts so badly deep down. Please help him find some peace."
"Do you still have your mother's journal that you mentioned before?" Balin inquired as Dori nodded, "I think that Dwalin needs to read the thing. My brother needs to understand everything that went on in Nori's past to help him overcome his fears."
"I will need to do a bit of digging," Dori agreed, "I will bring it as soon as possible, but please don't let Nori or Ori read the thing. Ori would be devastated and Nori…I fear for how Nori would react to Mother's words."
"I will keep the journal in my office," Dwalin decided as Balin and Dori perked up, "I want those foul words nowhere near my mate."
"I'll go now to start hunting it out," Dori offered standing, "Does the House of In forgive this worthless brother that I am?"
Balin and Dwalin both startled for a moment at Dori's question before gazing at one another.
"Not worthless," Balin denied quickly looking back to the eldest Ri brother, "Misguided at times and woefully wrong in resorting to violence and neglect due to anger when Nori stole, but not worthless. I will be honest and say that I am still glad that Nori is no longer of the House of Ri, but I forgive you to a point, Dori. You were trying to do what you could and was just as much a victim of your mother's behavior."
Dori breathed shakily and turned pleading eyes on Dwalin.
"I agree," Dwalin finally acknowledged as the eldest Ri relaxed a little, "I see the emotional abuse you went through clearer now that I am not allowing just my anger to lead me over the treatment of my Nori. I am willing to allow you to try and start over with my husband, but again, if I feel that your attempts are hurting Nori then it all ends. Nori and our wee lassie are my priority right now and I will allow nothing to harm them."
"I am glad the babe and Nori are your priority. I am very happy to see that my brother will have such a strong support system within your House, Dwalin. I will go and find that journal now," Dori smiled out before gasping as he opened the chamber door and Ori fell to the floor, "Mahal! What? Ori?"
Dwalin and Balin stood as Ori stared up at his brother from the floor while Dori remained frozen in shock. The younger dwarf stood suddenly and darted out at a dead run.
"Ori!" Dori called taking chase, "Ori, wait!"
"Oh dear," Balin gasped looking to his brother, "There is no denying that Ori's been listening at the door. The lad knows the truth now."
"What?!"
Dwalin whirled to see his mate standing in the doorway of their bedroom in a robe.
"You shouldn't be out of bed," Dwalin blurted hurrying over before having to snatch at Nori's arm to hold him still, "Wait. Where are you going?"
"I've got to get Ori," Nori gasped trying to jerk out of his mate's hold, "Dori will never find him. Ori's fast and smart. He knows how to hide as good as I do and he tends to hide himself completely when he is upset."
"No. You are not strong enough," Dwalin denied before hissing as his beard was grabbed and he was jerked down to meet his husband's face.
"Then you help me, dammit!" Nori demanded, "Ori just found out that his mother was not the angel he thought she was. My little brother is hurting. Help me!"
Dwalin saw his mate's determination and made his decision.
"Clothes," Dwalin urged as he lifted his mate and walked him back to the bedroom, "Then we'll find your brother."
"Okay. Good," Nori gritted out, "Hurry your steps. Move, Dwalin."
"Dwalin, are you sure?" Balin asked as he hurried into the bedroom after the couple, "Oin would be totally against this course of action. Don't you two realize this? Nori is supposed to be on a three-day bed rest."
"I'll not rest when Ori is hurting," Nori huffed as he was assisted to dress, "I can do this myself, Dwalin. Give me that."
Dwalin backed off and allowed his mate to dress before wrapping him in a blanket and lifting Nori into his arms.
"I am so sick of being carried," Nori growled, "Let's move."
"Just allow yourself to be pampered for a change, Nori. You should be resting so me carrying you would be a better idea for our lassie. Now, where would Ori have gone?" Dwalin asked as he walked outside of their chambers with his brother following.
"Probably the library," Balin suggested as Nori looked thoughtful before nodding.
The three found Dori in the library, but not Ori.
"Nori, what are you…nevermind. I can't find Ori anywhere," Dori fussed looking desperate, "I'm sure he's got to be in here. I just arrived a second before you."
"The library has always been a haven for Ori so it makes since that he might have come here. Dwalin, sit me here and help Dori look through the aisles," Nori instructed as his mate sat him in chair, "Look in crevasses. Ori has always had a habit of wedging himself into small places."
"Will do, but you keep wrapped up," Dwalin ordered and left to find the youngest Ri.
Dwalin, Balin, and Dori searched the whole library and found not one trace of Ori.
"Dammit, where could he be?" Dori groaned, "He gave me the slip around the kitchens. Ori's not at home and he's wasn't in the marketplace either."
"Our office?" Balin asked before frowning as Dori shook his head.
"Checked there too," Dori sighed, "I can't believe this."
"Let's just get Nori and keep looking," Dwalin encouraged as he led the way.
The three hurried to where Nori was supposed to be and found…nothing.
"I'm going to strangle him," Dwalin hissed picking up the blanket, "No. I won't strangle him. I'll…I'll take his honey away."
"That would be cruel," Balin chuckled before sobering, "Nori, must have gone after Ori on his own. Dori, any clue as to where your younger brothers might be?"
"Do you think I'd be here if I knew?" Dori snorted, "Dammit again! I never wanted Ori to discover the history of our House."
"Give me a minute to lock onto my mate through our bond," Dwalin snapped, "I think that was Nori's plan judging by some of the thoughts I can pick up on. He wants to be found so I can lead Dori to his brothers."
"Know that everything Nori does has a specific meaning," Dori voiced as Dwalin looked over at him, "My brother is always thinking one step ahead. That is how he survives. I should have known that Nori had a plan all along."
o
"Ori?" Nori called as he walked through the doors of the oldest archives in Erebor, "Ori, I know you're here. Come out."
There was no answer and the expecting dwarf sighed in exhaustion. He really shouldn't have walked here on his own. A small flutter made him smile as he laid a hand on his belly. Jocelin had begun stirring recently and he enjoyed the movements of his daughter.
"Ori, my babe is beginning to move a bit," Nori voiced finding a step to sit on as he eased down as carefully as he could with his growing girth, "You might as well come out because I know you are here. Do you want to see if you can feel my lassie?"
Footsteps announced Ori's presence and Nori took his brother's hand and placed it on the swell of his belly.
"Do you feel her?" Nori asked when Ori tensed for a second before nodding with wide eyes, "Dwalin can't yet. You and I have sensitive hands so we can feel what a lot can't at first when the movement is so small. Talk to me, Ori."
Ori's eyes filled with tears as he looked away.
"I want the truth finally, Nori. I want to hear the truth. Did Mother hurt you?" Ori finally asked as his brother sighed.
"Mother…she didn't want me, Ori," Nori admitted as his brother sniffled, "She loved you dearly."
"I don't care!" Ori wailed standing and beginning to pace, "Did she hurt you? Is it true? Did Mother cause you pain?"
"Yes," Nori admitted looking away himself as Ori whimpered softly, "I always told myself that she did what she did because I was a bad child, but Dwalin said that I was an innocent victim that didn't deserve the way I was treated. It is hard to believe that."
"Why is that?" a voice asked as Nori and Ori looked up to see Dwalin rounding a corner with Balin and Dori following.
The warrior hurried over and rewrapped his mate in the blanket that Nori abandoned and sat with the smaller dwarf on his lap.
"Tell me, Nori," Dwalin encouraged, "Why is it hard to believe that you did not deserve the way you were treated?"
"Mothers love their children," Nori murmured, "Mahal made mothers and carriers to love their children. Mine didn't so there had to be something flawed…off about me because…because then I went through all those years of pain and neglect for no reason. There has to be a reason. There has to be something Mother sensed in me to make her act the way she did."
"There wasn't anything wrong with you," Dori huffed sitting between Nori and Ori, "You were an innocent born into a horrible situation. There was no internal flaw within you, Nori. Don't think that way."
"Why wasn't I told the truth, Dori?" Ori snarled, "Why did you allow me to love a dwarrowdam that hurt one of my brothers? She hurt our Nori! Mahal, I…you!"
Ori choked as Nori looked on in alarm.
"You hurt Nori too!" Ori yelled turning with livid eyes on his eldest brother, "Nori is…he didn't deserve that! He didn't deserve to be hurt!"
"You're right," Dori agreed as Ori huffed in anger, "The House of Ri has not done right by Nori from the beginning. Our brother did not deserve to be hurt."
Ori burst into tears and reached blindly for Nori. Dwalin jerked the lad over and set Nori on the step so that he could wrap his brother in his arms.
"I hate her!" Ori sobbed as Nori rocked him, "I hate that you are frightened when people get close to you. I see your fear. I always have and now I understand why. I don't want that for you. I want you happy. I hoped that with the new babe and your husbadn you could be happy finally."
"Dwalin and my lassie makes me happy," Nori soothed as Dori kneeled near his brothers looking unsure if he should reach for them, "I'm healing. Dwalin's helping me and so is Dori."
"Dori hurt you too," Ori bit out looking up at Dori angrily, "I'll not forgive you for doing that to my Nori. You knew, Dori. You knew Mother was at least emotionally abusing Nori and you still hurt him. How could you?"
"It is the biggest regret of my life," Dori admitted as Ori hugged Nori closer, "If there was anything that I could change in my life it would be not taking you and Nori and simply disappearing where Mother could never have found us."
"Did Mother kill my father?" Ori pushed as Dori paled and Nori gasped loudly looking horrified, "Nori?"
"What?" Nori breathed looking to his elder brother, "She…what? I thought Corbi's death was a drunken accident. Dori?"
"I think…Mahal, Brother! I think Corbi was pushed down those steps by Mother when he threatened to go to the King to help you, Nori," Dori whimpered as Nori paled himself, "I have no proof of that, but I would bet my honor on my theory."
"Then it's true because you would never bet your honor unless you knew the truth," Nori moaned, "Because of me, Corbi died."
"Oh, hell no," Dwalin growled clasping his mate on each side of his head and turning Nori's face to look at him, "Nothing happened because of you. Everything that happened was because of your Mother, not you. You and both of your brothers are living a life that is still riddled with the repercussions of what that beast did to you three. Do you understand, Nori? Nothing is your fault. Nothing. Is. Your. Fault."
Nori nodded and laid his head against Dwalin's shoulder. He was so tired. He really shouldn't have walked here by himself.
"Ori, I'll tell you everything," Dori promised as Ori looked away from him, "Nori and I never said anything to you because we were protecting you and…Dwalin, Nori's sleeping. Why don't you take him home. Nori doesn't need to hear the retelling of the traumas he went through as a child with a babe in his belly."
Dwalin nodded and carefully gathered Nori back into his arms and stood.
"Don't run off again, Ori," Dwalin whispered so not to disturb his mate, "Nori will come after you and he needs to stay in bed. I know that you are hurting more than I can imagine right now, but you have a duty to protect Nori and your niece. Don't run off and upset him in his condition. Do you promise?"
"I do," Ori agreed, "I got to feel your daughter moving in Nori's belly. That's how he lured me out from my pouting place."
"Not fair," Dwalin huffed, "You Ri's and your sensitive hands. I want to feel my lassie."
Balin nodded at Dwalin when he walked down the archive steps and together the brothers returned to the couple's chambers. The warrior felt better when his mate was tucked back into bed again and bid his brother goodbye as Balin left to attend his duties.
"I really should take your honey away, you minx," Dwalin huffed as he pulled Nori close, "Scared me, disappearing like that. Wore yourself out to boot. What am I going to do with you, hm?"
Dwalin placed a kiss to his mate's temple and settled down to sleep. He woke to a panicked husband later when Nori had gotten upset that Dwalin might be angry at him for being sneaky, but the warrior assured Nori that he had figured out his plan.
"I'm sorry," Nori offered, "Ori wouldn't have come out for anyone, but me. I needed to find him, Dwalin."
"I know," Dwalin agreed pulling Nori back down to lie on his chest and began to run a hand along his mate's plaited mane, "Dori was talking with him as I left. Ori will need a lot of time to process everything, but I think it is better that he knows the truth. The lie of your mother could not continue. Not if the three of you were ever going to begin to heal again."
"Do you really think we can heal?" Nori asked before pausing as Dwalin nodded, "I wish I was as sure as you are."
"You'll see," Dwalin soothed, "It will take time, but all three of you will heal and be better for it."
Nori decided to trust in his husband's words. He strengthened again and was allowed off of bed rest. The change between the couple was evident for those who looked. Nori was not afraid around Dwalin anymore and the shared intimacy between the two was pleasurable for both sides. The warrior continued working with his mate to help him learn trust. The path was not easy and Nori's fears were deep rooted and hard to overcome, but the expecting dwarf tried hard for Dwalin and for the babe that grew in his belly.
Dwalin and Thorin had also made good on their vow to set up a system to watch for the evidence of abuse within the Erebor community. Nori himself had some good suggestions and the first board for dwarflings welfare was set up to step in when there were questions about a child's safety. The system was new, but backed by the King with good staff that cared.
Ori ended up moving into the spare bedroom of the couple's home. The youngest Ri was hurt and just couldn't bear to forgive Dori right away. Dwalin wasn't in the least put out by having his mate's youngest brother move in and appreciated that Ori kept Nori entertained and out of trouble when he was at work. Nori was nearly eight months pregnant now and the decent, baby bump that showed through his clothing gave evidence that their daughter was growing nice and strong.
"It's about time," Dwalin grinned out as his hands stroked his mate's belly as their daughter kicked about inside of Nori, "Feel those kicks. She's a warrior."
"Certainly strong," Nori agreed, "She knows your voice, Dwalin. I can feel Jocelin's glee when she hears you talking."
"Really?"' Dwalin beamed, "Hello, Treasure. I can't wait to hold you one day."
"Is he talking to your belly again?" Ori laughed as he walked into the living room.
"No. Dwalin's talking to our daughter," Nori offered as his mate smiled, "Go to work before you are late and bring me some more honey on your way home."
"Got it," Dwalin agreed, "Strength levels?"
"Fine," Nori assured, "You've already bolstered my supply. Shoo."
Dwalin leaned and kissed his mate's forehead before exiting with a bounce.
"He's in gold heaven," Nori snorted resting a hand on his burgeoning stomach, "Jocelin's finally kicked for him hard enough that he can feel and against my ribs to boot. He's happy and I'm bruised."
Ori laughed at his brother's put upon face. Nori stood as the youngest Ri watched in confusion.
"What are you doing?" Ori asked as his brother slipped on a coat over his tunic, "It looks like you are planning on going somewhere. Dwalin doesn't like it when you leave and don't tell him where you are going."
"You are coming with me," Nori huffed as tried and failed to slip into his boots, "Help me here. I can't see my feet anymore. We've got some small errands to run and will be back in no time. No fussing."
Ori rolled his eyes, but helped Nori slip into his boots. Dwalin was going to have a fit.
To be continued…
