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You asked for another chapter quickly...well here you go!

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Chapter 14

~X~

"You really don't need to walk me back to my chambers, Fili," Jade told him, feeling a bit awkward all of a sudden. "I told your mother the same thing. I do know the way."

"I'm sure you do," he agreed, his mind a bit distracted over all the things he had been wanting to say to Jade since the moment they had found her and Kili alive in the cave in. "But…well, I wanted the chance to speak with you."

"Oh? About what?" Jade questioned, turning her head a bit in order to stare up at his odd expression. "Have I done something wrong?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Fili assured her, halting in his tracks and turning to face her. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know," she said with a shrug, tucking a stray lock of hair nervously behind her ear. "It just seems like that's all I do lately…get myself in one kind of fix after another. I swear, I was never this foolish or clumsy before, but since I traveled to the Blue Mountains, and now Erebor, I'm all thumbs it seems."

"I would hardly call surviving a cave-in being clumsy," Fili smiled. "And in doing so, you saved my little brother's life, so I'm in your debt, My Lady."

"Oh, don't say that," Jade groaned. "Kili said the same thing, as did your mother and uncle. I don't think I can take another round of gratitude right now. I only did what anyone else would have in the same situation, honest."

"Well, regardless of that," Fili told her, his voice growing very serious. "I can't tell you how much your actions mean to me…or the rest of my family. The Durins are at your service for life." Here he took a step closer, prompting her to retreat, placing her against the wall as she looked up at him with wide eyes. "And like it or not, Lady Jade, I fully intend to demonstrate my appreciation."

"You…you do?" she whispered, her heart racing from the nearness of him. Jade had found this happening a lot lately, and if it continued she would have to sit down and figure out exactly why. Yet right now, all she could seem to do was focus on Fili's mouth as it curled into a devastating smile.

"I do," he nodded, his own eyes focusing on her slightly parted lips as well. "And I can think of only one way to express my feelings at this moment." Fili could hear his words, and they were a shock to even his own ears. When had he become so bold? His uncle had warned him not to trifle with Jade in any way, and he knew his mother would roast him alive if he hurt her. But somehow, deep within, he couldn't seem to stop himself. He truly wanted to kiss her, to find out if what he was starting to feel was real. Fili only prayed that he wasn't making a huge mistake and that she wouldn't haul off and slap his face over the offence. So, leaning down further, he held his breath, giving her plenty of time to stop him should she so wish.

"There you are, Jade!" came the relieved voice of Dis as she rounded the corner and spotted the two of them alone in the corridor. "I waited for you at the end of the healing halls, but you never came."

Jade had literally jumped at the sound of her name, her face turning beet red at the idea of what she had just been hoping was about to happen. Yet, surely it had only been her imagination, there was no way Fili, Prince of Erebor, had truly meant to kiss her! And now with Dis approaching at a determined speed, she would never know for sure.

"Mother," Fili said with a sigh, one that seemed to mirror Jade's own disappointment. "I could have escorted Jade back just fine."

"True…but how was I to know that you were doing so, and what kind of dam would I be if I let Jade make her way back alone," Dis questioned. "After what she's just been through, I'm surprised she's still on her feet."

"No, really, Dis…I'm fine," Jade tried to assure her mistress.

"Well, a bit of ale and a soft bed will assure that," she stated, placing her arm around Jade and leading her down the hall. "Your uncle wishes to see you, Fili, in his council chamber as soon as possible. Don't keep him waiting."

Fili watched them go, noting that Jade turned around and looked back at him twice before rounding the corner and leaving his view. He had been so close! He still ached to know how soft her lips were, and here his mother had just ruined everything!

So, with a heavy sigh, Fili headed off to see what Thorin wanted. Yet no matter what it was, he knew his mind would only be on one thing. Jade's lips.

Wait…Fili thought to himself…or was that two things?

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As much as she hated to admit it, Dis had been right. After a few sips of sweet ale, and her feather bed beneath her, Jade was out like a light. She slept well, her body apparently needing the downtime after her harrowing experience. Still, while she slept, Jade dreamt of Fili, of him kissing her, of his hands on her skin, threading through her hair, and pulling her closer…always closer. Yet just before she allowed her dream-self to give in completely to his tantalizing seduction, Jade suddenly noticed that Kili stood nearby, the look in his eyes one of utter betrayal.

Sitting up in bed with a gasp, she did her best to control her breathing and bring her heartbeat back under control. And while she longed to meditate on that kiss a bit longer, the sad expression on Kili's dream-face left an impression. Jade needed to be more considerate of the younger prince. Fili was his brother, a bond that held more meaning and significance than her fake courtship ever could. She would need to attempt to limit her time with Fili or make certain that Kili didn't feel excluded during their expected outings. It was a small price to pay to keep Kili happy – for she honestly had become rather attached to him during the time they were trapped – as well as still get to enjoy Fili's company. And she was determined to relish every moment with him, until the fateful day when it would all come to an end.

What would she do then? Just go back to being Dis' maid? Could she even do such a thing? The idea of being around Fili after breaking things off had suddenly become rather unthinkable. Still, what were her options? Jade supposed she could always go back to the Blue Mountains, but the place would seem rather lonely without Dis or many of the other dams she knew who had traveled with them to Erebor. Still…it wasn't like she had any other home to go back to, or any other family.

"You will simply have to put him out of your mind!" she informed herself sternly, pulling back the blanket and getting up. "And you can start by doing so during dinner. Be aloof, don't let him charm you…and whatever you do, don't look longingly into his eyes, or at his lips! Because if you do…you're sunk."

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Meanwhile, Fili was having a similar conversation with himself, only his was how to woo Jade, not push her away. He would attempt to make her laugh more, he loved the sound of her laughter, as well as the way her smile lit up the room. He would compliment her more as well, make sure she knew just how irresistible she truly was. And, given the chance, he planned on holding her hand, placing his arm around her, and generally getting closer to her at every opportunity.

"Fili, are you even listening to me?" Thorin grumbled, taking note of his nephew's far off look.

"What? Oh…yes, of course, Uncle," the blond prince said with a start, looking rather sheepish.

"Really? And what did I just say?" Thorin demanded, crossing his arms and offering him the chance to respond.

"That…that the King of Rohan will be here sometime tomorrow and that we need to make certain that the halls are cleared and that he takes a specific path so that he does not see too much of Erebor's innerworkings," Fili replied hopefully.

Thorin sat there staring at Fili for a few seconds before giving a huff.

"Lucky guess," he mumbled, leaning forward as he began reading off the paper in front of him once more, missing his nephew's relieved sigh. "Things might be a little different from the old days, where we kept our lasses hidden away from other races, but still, I would rather the men of Rohan not be made aware of our greatest treasures. There are so few dwarrowdams as it is, no sense in placing them in any unnecessary danger by having them mingle with foreign men."

"But our lasses go to Dale all the time," Fili reasoned.

"And I trust Bard and those under him more than I do some horse-riding king from far away," Thorin huffed. "Just see that none of our females are in the area while he and his men are here. It is only one day, it could hardly be an inconvenience to anyone, and you know what they say…better safe than sorry."

"I would run this by Amad if I were you," the prince warned him.

"Your mother will obey my command, I am king after all," Thorin stated firmly.

"Has that ever stopped her from doing whatever she wanted to in the past?" Fili questioned, a sly grin on his face.

"There's always a first time for everything," Thorin said with a roll of his eyes. "And one can only dream."

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That night at dinner, Jade was met with a round of applause when she entered the hall with Fili, the tale of how she had saved Prince Kili during the cave-in having already been widely circulated. She had blushed a deep red at all the attention and accolades, nodding shyly, but graciously accepting all the fuss. Fili did do his utmost to impress Jade, by telling the wittiest jokes, acting like a gentle-dwarf, and being the most attentive partner a lass could hope for. And yet, her reaction to it all was sadly disappointing. What had happened? Had he done something to offend her? Did his near slip in the hallway earlier frighten her off? What?

Yet, it all became painfully clear when he asked if he could escort her back to her chambers.

"Yes, of course," she agreed, causing Fili's face to split into a wide grin. Yet, in the next second it all turned sour. "On the way, could we stop by and see Kili? I didn't get much of a chance to speak with him after Oin released me, and I want to see how he's doing."

"Kili?" Fili asked, all the blood draining from his face. "You want to see Kili?"

"Yes…don't you?" Her expression appeared so forlorn over this that he quickly assured her that he did, yet all the while wishing he had not even suggested walking her back to her room now.

Was this the reason for the cold shoulder? She was attracted to his little brother, and not him at all? What had gone on in that alcove? Kili said they talked…but did more take place than that? And why had his naddith suddenly had a change of heart about Jade, saying that he approved of her? Fili's mind was spinning, hardly even noticing that they had both risen from the table and headed for the doorway. He also couldn't recall a thing that was said on the walk to the healing halls, but apparently he had managed to say something intelligible, for Jade never questioned any of his responses. Yet now, as they approached Kili's room, Fili could feel a burning in his chest that caused more pain than if a true fire had taken root. Was he about to lose any chance he might have had with Jade because of his little brother? Forced to watch her moon over his own flesh and blood while his own feelings for her were still a jumbled mess?

"Are we going in?" Jade's voice broke through Fili's thoughts, making him realize they were indeed just standing there in front of the closed door.

"Yes…of course. You first," he offered, reaching for the handle and pulling it open so she could step inside. As she did so, he watched her expressions, looking for anything that appeared to resemble infatuation.

"Kili? Are you asleep?" Jade asked quietly, noticing that the young dwarrow was laying on the bed appearing to be dozing. Yet the moment he heard her voice, his eyes flew open and his head popped up.

"No! Not at all! Please come in!" he all but begged. "It gets really lonely stuck in here all alone."

"You're not in prison," Fili grumbled following Jade inside. "And you've only been here for less than a day."

"Still, for a lively fellow like myself, one that's used to getting all the attention he wants," here he winked at Jade playfully. "I feel quite isolated. So, tell me…what's new with the outside world?"

Fili only rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall at the foot of Kili's bed, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at this little brother. He was goofy, to be sure, but he also knew that Kili's lighthearted charm and silliness had won him the attentions of many a lass back in Ered Luin. Still, had he not just stated that his heart lay with the elf-captain back in Mirkwood? Fili was really confused.

"Nothing catastrophic has taken place since we were rescued from the cave-in, Kili," Jade laughed, taking a seat on his bed and giving him a warm smile. "The sun still rises in the east, Gondor still stands against Mordor, and last time I checked, dwarves still loved their gold."

"Well, that's a relief to hear," Kili chuckled. "I would hate to miss out on anything exciting." He then leaned over, reaching for a cloth bag on his nightstand. "Do you two have time for a game of stones? I seriously am going stir crazy here."

"Sure we do!" Jade grinned, standing up and pulling a small round table closer to the bed along with a comfy chair. Yet instead of sitting in it herself, she gestured for Fili to occupy the position. "Here, you play against him while I watch…I don't know the rules and don't want you to have to take the time to teach me."

Kili didn't seem to mind her reasonings and was quickly dumping out the pieces and setting them in place on the spread-out cloth, eager to play. Fili slowly moved to the chair, but sat there quite rigidly, eyeing both Jade and his brother suspiciously. When Kili had the game set, he reached forward and moved one of his pieces, not even caring if it was strategically sound. Jade sat there, watching with interest, and even asking a question or two, but not even five minutes had passed - and the game was far from over - when she let out a yawn and stretched her arms over her head theatrically.

"My, I'm suddenly really tired," she announced, leaping to her feet with more energy than she claimed to have. "I think today's events have exhausted me beyond what I realized. I best head off to bed now."

"Oh…well, let me escort you," Fili offered, remembering his manners and starting to rise.

"No! You're in the middle of a game!" she sounded aghast at the idea. "You stay and finish, I know my way back and I promise I'll be just fine. Thank you for a lovely dinner and I'm happy you're feeling better Kili." Jade quickly headed for the door, not giving Fili the opportunity to stop her, waving to them both as she left.

"It's your move," Kili stated, acting as if Jade's departure hadn't bothered him a bit. "But I'll warn you, I think I have you on the ropes, Nadad." He rubbed his hands together with gleeful anticipation.

"You have me more than that! You have me completely flummoxed!" Fili said in exasperation, throwing up his arms. "What gives, Kili?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking up at his brother in all innocence.

"What's going on with you and Jade…or not going on…I'm thoroughly confused!" Fili huffed.

"And now, so am I," Kili admitted. "Maybe you should be the one doing the explaining."

"All evening Jade practically ignored me, giving me nothing but polite smiles and half-hearted responses. That is until I suggested we leave the dining room, whereupon she lights up like one of Gandalf's fireworks when I agreed to take her to see you! Yet, the next thing I know, she's all but running out of the room. This makes no sense!"

Kili stared at his brother for a moment, blinking a few times before speaking.

"You aren't imagining that she likes me or something…are you?" Kili questioned looking nearly dumbstruck at the idea. Yet when Fili turned a bit red and looked away, the dark-haired prince burst out laughing. Unfortunately, the motion caused him to fall back against his pillow as he gripped his leg, his sounds now a mixture of mirth and pain. "Don't make me laugh, it hurts too much!" Kili said between gasps.

"I'm not making you do anything!" Fili countered, not pleased by his reaction at all. "So, knock it off and tell me what's so blasted funny!"

It took a few moments before Kili could compose himself, wincing as he sat up and looked his brother directly in the eye.

"Jade is not in any way, shape or form, interested in me," Kili assured him. "And I know this because she is fully aware that I'm in love with Tauriel."

"You…you told her about Tauriel?" Fili was shocked, knowing that his little brother kept that a very closely guarded secret.

"Well, we were stuck in a life or death situation, and as she pointed out, there was a rather high chance she would never live to tell anyone," he said with a shrug. "Still, I trust her to keep my secret. But the bottom line is, Jade is not interested in me like that." He then got a thoughtful look and tapped his finger against his chin. "Though…I couldn't blame the lass if she did fancy me, I mean just look at me! She'd be crazy not to find me attractive."

This of course earned him a playful sock in the arm from Fili, the two brothers grinning at each other over his joke.

"So…seriously?" Fili asked. "She's not after you?"

"No." he stated emphatically. "And from the way she reacted every time your name was brought up, I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"You two talked about me?" Fili's voice full of hope and curiosity.

"Well, your name came up in conversation," Kili clarified. "But you should have seen the way she blushed when I offered her your hand in marriage for saving my life. I got the definite impression that this was something she might have liked to take me up on."

"Really?" This news had Fili sitting back and rubbing his short beard thoughtfully. "Yet, if that's the case - and I truly hope it is - why was she so standoffish tonight at dinner?" Again, he truly hoped it had nothing to do with his earlier actions in the hallway.

"Ummm, well, that might actually be my fault," Kili admitted, sounding rather guilty. "You see, Jade kind of figured out that I had my nose bent out of shape because I felt like you two were spending too much time together. She's a smart dam, you know. Anyway…I'm willing to bet that she dragged you down here tonight, and then left, just so you could visit with me…not because she didn't actually want to spend time with you."

"What? That's silly!" Fili objected. "I already told you that no one could ever come between us…and you believe me, right?"

"Of course I do," the younger brother nodded sheepishly. "At least I do now. But that's not what Jade saw, and well, it's rather sweet that she's going to all the trouble to make sure I don't feel left out. Even if it's not necessary anymore." He reached out and placed his hand on Fili's arm. "Don't worry, Nadad, I'll fix this. I promise."

"You will?" Fili looked hopeful. He hadn't liked the way Jade had seemed to be pushing him away at dinner, or how she had so quickly abandoned him either.

"First thing tomorrow," Kili assured him with a smile. "Oin says I can be moved to my own quarters in the morning, and I'll request that Jade come visit me. That's when I'll put all this nonsense to rest."

"Thanks, Kili," Fili smiled. "I owe you one."

"Nah, it was my fault she got the wrong idea in the first place," he said with a shake of his head. "In fact, that was the reason she followed me down to the lower chambers, because she saw me storm off in a huff when I stumbled upon the two of you together this morning. I was just being dumb, still she was sweet enough to take my feelings into consideration nonetheless. But I know how to fix it, trust me."

"I do…most of the time," Fili hedged, giving Kili a wink. He then turned back to the game they were in the middle of. "Now, you think you have me on the ropes, do ya? Well, it's your move, little brother…show me what you've got."

And so, the match continued until they at last called it a draw and said goodnight, both brothers having had a wonderful time together.

Again, another brotherly talk that seems to have straightened out all the misunderstandings. Now if only Fili would be that forthcoming with Jade. ha ha.

And wow, nice almost kiss there...too bad Mommy stepped in at the WRONG time.

Now Jade is a hero, for saving prince Kili. Wonder how long her decision to be strong will last...not long if Fili starts using his lips for more than just pouting. ha ha.

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