Menu denapdul-You are honourable
aingeal = angel

Eight months later (Yes, I skipped time a little bit)

The evening was just settling in, casting a red glow of sunlight into the tavern room. the journey back had been relatively boring in comparison to the journey to Erebor, one difference being they had the luxury of having roofs (rooves?) over their heads and a soft mattress to sink into far more often than they had. One exciting thing that had happened were the nights. Always the nights, Fili and Bofur simply stayed up till midnight talking, softly touching, maybe even stealing kisses. It had been a good eight months.

"Where are Fili and Bofur?" Bilbo asked Kili.

"You'll find out soon." Kili grinned at him. "Come on, let's play Tag again."

"Fine, but not in the kitchens again. Bombur still hasn't forgiven us for breaking the oven door."

Kili chuckled. "That was brilliant."

"That was not."

"Well, how about Hide and Seek?"

"Aren't we a little old for that?"

"No." was the answer, and personally, Bilbo was glad of it. "You count first, Uncle Boggins."

"It's Baggins!" Bilbo called after the sprinting Dwarf prince. He closed his eyes, counting to thirty, slowly, to give the Dwarf time to find a place. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see two circles of blue, crinkled in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"I might ask you the same thing."

"You might, but you haven't."

Bilbo playfully punched Thorin's arm. "Kili and I are playing Hide and Seek."

"Aren't you both a bit old for that?"

"It was either this or Tag."

"You are both banned from it. I'll make a decree."

"Help me find him?"

"Of course."

They must have been strolling through the palace for ten minutes when Thorin pounced on a small, silver object. "He's always losing these."

"There's a shadow."

Upon closer inspection, there were, in fact, two shadows. One taller, arms reaching down to the smaller one. Holding hands. "Dis?" Thorin whispered. "She must be playing too."

It wasn't Dis. It was the flame-haired Elf-maiden. Thorin stared blankly as she leant down, his nephew, his heir, closing his eyes in blissful anticipation.

"Kili."

Kili glanced away from Tauriel, his hands loosening their grip. "Uncle, we can explain."

"An Elf?"

"Yes."

"An- Your One?"

"Yes."

"Well." Thorin seemed lost for words. "Right."

No way, thought Kili, no way was he going to apologise for this. This was not something he regretted. Not at all.

"I hate your kind, Elf." Thorin said to Tauriel, looking her in her eyes. "They are a cold, disloyal people. And you, with your arrows and your knives.. Menu denapdul."

"I am?"

"Yes. Certainly more so than your King. As you are Kili's One, you have my blessing."

"I heard that Dwarves fade without their Ones." Tauriel said to Kili

"Not exactly. if we can't have our Ones, we will fade. But if we don't ever find them we can survive." Kili explained.

"Your uncle had to accept it." Tauriel murmured.

"He didn't have to. He just loves us too much to let his problems get in the way." Kili paused and looked at Tauriel. "You seem tense, mi aingeal. What ails you?"

"Thranduil. He holds no love for Dwarrows. I fear he may not be like your uncle."

"Well, he can't force us apart, can he? Dwarrows, Men, Elves, Shirelings, we all love and he can't tear it open."

Tauriel nodded. "You are right, he knows of love and I don't think he would allow anyone to fade just because he dislikes their chosen love."

"No." Kili said, pleased of the lack of arguments. "He wouldn't. I doubt he's that evil."

"'That' evil?" Tauriel raised an eyebrow.

Kili coughed nervously. "You know what I mean."

Tauriel softly smiled and teasingly pulled one of his braids. "I know."

"I thought you were going to rip one of their heads off." Bilbo told Thorin.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Thorin asked, speaking very conspirationally.

"Yes."

"So did I."

"Yet you still accepted the fact his One is an Elf. You really do love those boys."

"Just realising that now?" Thorin nudged Bilbo. "Perhaps I should start reading them bedtime stories, and bathing them and sitting them on my lap like I did when they were Dwarrowlings. Would that help hammer the point home?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Bilbo chuckled. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

"I know." Thorin kissed the Halfling's forehead. "True, I am tough with them, tougher than Hobbits are with their children, probably-"

"There's no 'probably' abou it." Bilbo muttered.

"-But they are most important to me. Should I have sent her away , Kili would have faded. Nothing is worth that happening to any of my kin."

"Thorin," Bilbo began hesitantly, "What happens when a Dwarf fades?"

"Exactly that. He or she loses the will to live completely. They stop everything and slowly cease to exist. Their hearts are broken, their spirit dying. Often there is no turning back for those who fade. I could never allow that to happen. Despite the fact I hate that people with a passion."

"You said something to her. What was it?"

"I told her she was honourable, despite her clan. For she is brave," Thorin looked like the words were being forced out against his will, but he kept going. "And she knows her king will most likely hit his too-high roof when he finds out that she holds feelings for Kili. And yet, she holds no shame, no fear for them. Besides, she's a fairly decent warrior for an Elf, I suppose..."

"At least he didn't want Thranduil's son."

"Oh, stop, before I cast you out of this bed!" Thorin threatened. "The thought of that stick insect's spawn desecrating my youngest nephew.." He shuddered.

"For all you know, Kili could be the one doing the..." Bilbo stopped, suddenly overcome by the look of horror the king was now wearing.

"Oh, Mahal," the poor Dwarf sighed. "Forget Orcs and Goblins and Elves, I do believe that no other creature on Middle Earth is as evil as the Hobbit."

"I apologise." Bilbo gently cupped Thorin's face. "I do."

"Apology accepted." Thorin caught the small hand and kissed the fingers attached.

"Thorin, when will Fili and Bofur be returning?"

"Soon, mi aon."

"Where did they go?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

In the soft red glow of the fire, Thorin's sapphire eyes were glittering in a way that made Bilbo shiver. "I do wish you wouldn't go all mysterious, Thorin."

"You will find out soon, my love." Thorin promised. "Very soon."

Hooray! I'm doing longer chapters again! Have discovered my partner in fangirling, EHBC, isn't the only one with an evil streak. Heheheh. I'm sorry, but I really doubt that Thorin would cast away Kili's One, given that Dwarrows fade if they lose their loves. Right, hope you enjoyed and OH YAVANNA, NINETY REVIEWS?! Son of a Warg, thank you all so much! That's incredible and it's genuinely incredible how this got liked so much, it's weird, but I'm honoured that you all like it so much. Thank you :)

Love from Shania. xx