DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE HOBBIT


Fili made his way down the halls towards his room. He passed by Kili's door without so much as a glance and entered his own. He closed it behind and walked towards his desk in the dark. Once he reached it he pulled out his chair, sat it in and laid his head on the table.

"Tell me it's working?" he said into the darkness. He felt more that heard Nori step towards the desk.

"We are close," Nori said. Fili gave an inward groan. Just then a knock sounded on his door. He gestured for Nori to open in with his hand, not even raising his head from the table. Nori opened the door to allow Dwalin inside. Dwalin stepped up to the desk.

"Anything?" Fili asked.

"We have it narrowed down to just a few suspects," Dwalin said and then paused, "But nothing certain Fili."

"How long will it take?" Fili asked, his heart sinking.

Nori and Dwalin looked at each other. The heave silence answered Fili before his Captain of the Guard did.

"Hopefully a few more days," Dwalin tried to sound confident but even Fili could hear the lie, "I promise we will find out who threatened Kili." Fili nodded with tears in his eyes. He was glad that he didn't light the candles in his room. He didn't want them to see him cry.

"Thank you," he managed to croak out. Nori and Dwalin exchanged looks again and then mumbling something they both left the room. As soon as the door closed, Fili buried his head and screamed.

It had been a nightmare for him ever since Nori came to him and told him that someone had made a threat on Kili's life. Fili had been frantic with worry. He, Balin, Nori and Dwalin had sat down and gone over a long list of who, why and when. But there was nothing certain. Nothing certain but the why. Why would someone want to kill Kili?

"Simple really," Nori had said, "what better way to break you Fili if not to take Kili from you? Once you are broken, they will try and manipulate the situation and put whoever they would like as King."

It was a logic that Fili could not find fault with. It was true after all; if Kili died then Fili could not continue. He would be more than broken. He would be a dead dwarf walking among the living. Nothing more than an empty shell. Kili was his life.

"What do I do?" he had asked them, "how do I keep my brother safe?"

They had also spent long discussions on that and there was only one plan really that they could come up with. Telling Kili was out of the question. He would never consent to a guard or even if he did, he would not take them seriously. He would insist that he was fine and continue as normal. And during a moment of perceived safety any assassin could strike. Once again it was Nori who put into words what they were all thinking.

"Ignore him," Nori said harshly, "Degrade him, put him down. Show to all that he isn't worth anything to you. And do it convincingly Fili. We have to make them think that going after Kili is a waste of time. Devote your attention and perceived love to someone else and in the meantime, Dwalin and I will hunt for the assassins."

For once Nori and Dwalin agreed on something right away. But they had the easy job while Fili had hell. He sought to break his lifelong bond with his brother. It felt like tearing away part of his soul. Every time he saw Kili's hurt face and attempts at bravado in the face of Fili's harshness, Fili wanted to run to his brother and beg for forgiveness. He wanted to take Kili into his arms and tell him that he still loved him. That he didn't mean the words, but a hurt and alive Kili was better than a happy and dead Kili.

But the worst part of it all was having to pretend to like Hamek the way he liked Kili. It made Fili nauseous with guilt and shame every time he called Hamek to his side and pretended that the dwarf was Kili. He also felt guilty about putting Hamek in harm's way, because if he did play his part successfully then the assassination attempt with move from Kili to Hamek. He prayed long and hard each day that Nori and Dwalin would come through for him. He needed them to come through. He didn't know how much longer he could keep up this façade before the pretence of a severed bond became the real thing.

Fili woke to someone knocking at his door. He lifted his head from the desk with a groan. He stumbled to the doorway and opened it to find Hamel waiting outside. He swallowed the sigh and smiled at the dwarf.

"What can I do for you Hamek?" he asked.

"Reports came in from Prince Kili and Master Bofur," Hamek said gesturing to a pile of paper in his hand, "you told me to bring them to you as soon as I got them. So here they are."

"Keep them for now," Fili said, "Take them to the Counsel Room. I will meet you there. Have you eaten already?" Hamek shook his head.

"Very well. We'll get breakfast there and go over the reports," Fili said smiling at the dwarf. His stomach churned as Hamek smiled back at him and nodded. He closed the door and this time allowed himself a sigh.

Fili sat half listening to Hamek give his opinions on what to do about the Mining Families. Kili had written the report and he was still listing his letters off to one side, obscuring them a bit. Fili smiled, remembering the long night he had sat with Kili helping to write the letters 'standing up' instead of 'lying down.'

"King Fili," Hamek asked, "What do you think?" Fili forced himself not to look blank. Instead he schooled his expression to appear thoughtful. The fact that he could tune out Hamek was only further testament to how much he was becoming incapable of playing this role. He could never tune out Kili. His brother's voice was ever present in his mind as his own. He was frantically trying to recall the last thing that Hamek said when a messenger opened the door.

"A message for you King Fili," the dwarf said. Fili nodded to him hiding his obvious relief at being saved.

"A Master Baggins and company have arrived," The dwarf began. Fili bolted out of his seat.

"Baggins?" he asked excitedly, "Bilbo Baggins? And Company? Who is with him?"

"Master Balin reports A Wizard Gandalf, the Skin Changer Beorn, four Elves, one man and Two Hobbits," the Dwarf said. Fili felt his face spread into a wide smile. He turned to Hamek.

"We shall have to cancel this meeting," he said, "I have other business to attend to." He left before Hamek could respond.

Fili dashed out the door at a practical run.

"Fili," he heard a deep voice call his name. Fili turned to see Thorin coming towards him.

"Bilbo is here," Fili called happily back to him.

"I know," Thorin said catching up with him, "They are at the main gates."

"They are early," Fili said as they moved quickly through the corridors, "And Gandalf as well Thorin."

"I know," Thorin said a bit shortly.

Fili stopped, "Thorin what wrong?"

Thorin stopped and looked back to him. His Uncle frowned at him.

"Have you told Kili?" Thorin asked. Suddenly the world seemed to reel around Fili. The cold frosty look in his Uncle's eyes could mean only one thing. Thorin believed the rumors that Nori had spread. Thorin believed that he thought Kili was worthless. If Thorin believed them, that meant Kili did too. Fili opened his mouth to speak but his voice was chocked by an emotion he could not name.

"No," he managed to choke out.

"I thought so," Thorin said and turned away from him and began walking. Fili stared after his Uncle. His head felt suddenly light and his feet felt as if they were made of rock. He took several deep breaths and forced his legs to move and carry him after Thorin.

He reached the main gates in time to see a small group enter the mountain. Thorin and the other members of the company was already there, but Fili did not see Kili and Bofur. Gandalf he recognized immediately and Beorn as well. The elves stood tall and graceful beside them. Fili recognized Lord Elrond from Rivendell, but the other three he didn't know. And there was the one strange man he did not recognize at all. He pushed forward looking for the one face he really wanted to see. And then the curly brown head of hair flashed into view.

"Bilbo!" he called out, "Bilbo Baggins!"

Bilbo's cheerful face turned and scanned the crowd till it saw him.

"Fili my dear," Bilbo called, "Congratulations I must say. I know I've come early but Gandalf absolutely insisted that we come ahead of time. And you know how I like to be on time. I mean it isn't so bad being ahead of time, but by three months is quite ahead, don't you think. I hope we won't be inconveniencing you."

By the time Bilbo had rambled through his speech Fili had reaching the Hobbit. He grabbed Bilbo into a rough embrace. Bilbo returned the hug just as fiercely.

"How can you ever inconvenience me Bilbo?" Fili asked smiling at the Hobbit.

"Come on and move aside," Bofur said behind him, "Stop stealing our burglar."

Everyone laughed but Fili felt his heart skip a beat. He spun around to see Kili standing behind him. He was about to greet his brother only to be stopped by the pained look in Kili's eyes. He instead stepped aside and allowed himself to drift to the outside of the group. He stood with his back to them, taking deep breaths to calm his own pain. He lifted his head and took one last deep calming breath and open them to see a dwarf aiming at the group with cocked bow and arrow.

He froze for a split second then spun around with Kili's name on his lips. His call never came. Kili's voice rang out instead.

"Fili, watch out!"

Fili watched in horror as his brother launched from the crowd toward him. The world seemed to blur into silence and chaos. Fili heard the soft twang of the bow string and the equally soft twip of the released arrow. Then Kili was in front of him and his brother's body was between him and the arrow. He heard people scream and the high voice of Bilbo, but he could do nothing but watch events unfold.

Kili took the arrow to the chest. Fili heard himself give a strangled groan as Kili rocked back into him with the force of the blow. His brother's eyes were wide with pain and shock. Fili caught Kili and held him tight against him. Kili looked up at him with wide unseeing eyes. It was then that Fili snapped.

"KILI!" Fili screamed gathering his brother to him, "KILI! Stay with me! Kili. Please. Don't die. Kili. Kili."

A trickle of blood ran down from the corner of Kili's mouth. Fili was dimly aware of Thorin beside him shouting orders and saying something to him. But he could only hear a loud ringing in his ears and all he saw was his baby brother in his arms with arrow sticking out of his chest. Kili's clothes was soaking up with blood.

"Fi…li…," Kili gurgled, "Fili…I..I…Fee." The last word was said with such agony as Kili convulsed in Fili's arms that Fili felt tears well up in his eyes. Suddenly Thorin was shaking him.

"Come on Fili," he said calmly, "We need to get him to the healing rooms." Fili nodded feeling numb. Thorin tried to take Kili from him.

"No!" Fili shouted pulling Kili back to him, "you won't take him from me. I'll take him. I'll carry him." He bent back to Kili. "Kee. Stay with me alright. Please stay with me." Then he bent closer to his brother.

"Forgive me," Fili whispered, "Please don't leave me. I need you Kili. Please. Please. Kili. Kili, promise me." He looked to see Kili's eyes fixed on him. Kili nodded and whispered hoarsely.

"I promise, Fee."

Fili laughed a ragged sob with relief and lifted his brother up and followed Thorin and the others down the corridors.