One more chapter after this guys! D: I can't believe it! Thank you all, you are such a great support and this story was never ever planned to be this long so thank you for keeping me on a roll all this time!

In other exciting news, Rascalkat has suggested she will write a story coming off this one, based around Legolas when he meets Gimli, so keep an eye out for that some time after Easter :)

I will also (hopefully) be accepting requests for oneshots covering snippets of the future of this universe for anyone who wants to know more of what happens to everyone in my head (although right now your guess is as good as mine, so your imaginations are just as qualified).

This chapter was quite hard to write, as it's not easy trying to tie up ends. But this had to happen sometime, so I thought I might as well write it rather than leave it to your imaginations. I hope it's turned out ok.

Last but not least, thank you to my lovely reviewers: Syblime, jaymzNshed, Tardis of the Doctor (sorry your name keeps being eaten up whenever I try to save this so apologies for the lack of formatting), GregsMadHatter, tygrislily, fixusi, FoxmistXFeatherdark and Guest. I cannot thank you enough, especially you really dedicated reviewers whose names my iPad now autocorrects even though it doesn't recognise them as words (I know, it's magic!). Enjoy the chapter :)

The first streaks of cold morning sunlight fell across Fili's face through the small crack at the top of the tent flap, and he blearily opened his eyes. He felt worn out and sick, and certainly more tired than he had been when he had fallen asleep. His attempt at rest had only brought on more nightmares, and it had been impossible to pull himself out of them once they had started. Only now could he think clearly and wipe from his mind all the images that his imagination had ruthlessly brought upon him. He looked to his right, and saw that Thorin was stirring. He looked to his left - and a wave of horror washed over him as all his nightmares seemed to come back to life. For a moment he was startled, but then he remembered that he had seen Kili only last night, and that he couldn't have gone far, and that he couldn't have died in the battle because there was his bedroll, unmade as if he had just climbed out of it. But why would Kili leave the tent in the middle of the night?

The answer came to him immediately: Tauriel. If Kili had begun to worry about her while trying to fend off sleep - it must have started to drive him mad. Of course he would need to go and find her. The fact that he hadn't come back probably meant that he was still with her. But this posed a problem for Fili. It was all right Kili being able to get out of bed despite being ordered not to, but Fili could not move even if he wanted to. How was he supposed to find Kili and bring him back before Thorin started asking questions?

"KILI?"

Ah, too late.

"Fili, where is your brother?"

Fili turned his head to see Thorin on his feet, staring down at Kili's empty bedroll in shock.

"I'm sure he is fine, uncle," Fili reassured him.

"How do you know? Do you know where he is gone?" Thorin demanded with a hint of accusation.

"I...have an idea,"

"Well?"

"If you find Legolas, and tell him Kili is gone, he will find him," Fili evaded.

"What, is there something that elf knows that I must not?" Thorin's eyebrows met.

"No, he just...all right, I'll tell you. Kili will be with the elf Tauriel. You will know who she is if you overheard our conversation yesterday,"

"I do...Is she the one who came to me begging for your pardon?"

"She did do that, yes," said Fili cautiously, "she is also the one who saved Kili in Mirkwood, and I believe she put herself in great danger to save him in the battle as well,"

"So naturally Kili feels he ought to repay that debt with kindness..." muttered Thorin, and Fili smirked wistfully behind his back. He could tell his uncle was trying to convince himself that it was purely the repay of a debt that had inspired Kili to leave the tent in the middle of the night to visit an elf. Of course, he didn't know for certain that he was right about his brother's destination, but somehow he felt that he was correct. There was also the puzzle that Kili hadn't known where to find Tauriel...as if that would ever stop him.

"You should go and find Legolas, he will know where Tauriel's tent is," suggested Fili.

"I will not ask help from an elf!" Thorin exclaimed, then strode out of the tent.

Fili sighed. He had rather hoped that if his uncle could go to Legolas first, the Prince of Mirkwood would be able to give Kili and Tauriel some sort of warning. Apparently not. If only he could get up and warn them himself - no, not going to happen. Fili wished he was not in such a helpless state, completely dependent on other people.

Just then, the tent flap moved a little, and a round face framed with bright orange hair peeped cautiously in.

"Bombur!" Fili exclaimed, and the rotund dwarf grinned and with another quick glance around squeezed himself through the tent flap and was swiftly followed by Bofur and Bifur - the latter of whom was jabbering rapidly and excitedly.

"We're not strictly meant to be here..." explained Bofur with a wink, "but Bifur saw Thorin go out, and...well, we're not going to miss this chance to see ya. Where's Kili?"

"That's what Thorin wants to know," grinned Fili, finding Bofur's beaming smile highly infectious.

"Ah, I see. And you're left here because...?"

"I can't get up," Fili's smile dropped abruptly.

"Ah. Right. Heard you got a bit of a bashin' to save Thorin," Bofur said, "how're you feeling?"

"Not too bad, considering," Fili said lightly, deciding not to bother them with all his aches and pains - of which there were many.

"Good to hear," Bofur's grin was back, "an' how's Kili? He must be well if he's sneaking out o' bed like that,"

"Well, he's not really supposed to be out of bed," admitted Fili with a smirk, "but he's better off than me, anyway,"

"Ah, well, someone has to get the rough end of things," Bofur said consolingly, "you're better off than Azog, and that's a fact,"

"I suppose so," Fili chuckled, though he couldn't help but think of the nightmares. That was when he noticed that all three of his friends - actually no, just Bofur and Bombur - seemed to be more tired than usual. "How are you all? Kili said that no one got out unscathed," he asked.

In reply, Bofur pulled up his sleeve, showing off a thick bandage, Bombur pointed to his leg and Fili remembered that he had been limping when he came in, and Bifur turned his head to the side to reveal a part of his beard that had been cut short around a long red scab that stretched from ear to chin.

"We were the ones who got off most lightly," admitted Bombur, "apart from the Burglar, of course. He only got a bump on the head!"

"All the better, he's scarred enough for a hobbit as it is," Fili chuckled.

"I think he was scarred from the moment we told him there might be a shortage of food on this journey," said Bofur with a grin, "so why did Kili sneak out of bed in the middle of the night?"

"He couldn't sleep," Fili evaded, feeling bad for giving Kili away to their uncle and not wanting to add any more names to that list.

"That's no reason to go wandering off," commented Bombur, "now I'd understand if he was hungry-"

"You'd understand anything if it was done in the name of food," Bofur rolled his eyes, "you're as bad as Bilbo. But tell me...does it have anything to do with that she-elf?"

Fili stared at Bofur uncomprehendingly. Since when had he known about Tauriel?

"Oh, come on, anyone can see that they're close," Bofur raised an eyebrow, "so does it?"

Fili clamped his mouth tightly shut. He would not betray his brother again.

"I'll take that as a yes," grinned Bofur, "come on, let's go tell the others,"

"Don't you dare!" Fili found his voice, and Bombur turned.

"They're going to find out anyway when Thorin starts shouting loud enough for the whole camp to hear. Better to find out from us first, and then they're prepared," he winked, then waddled out of the tent after his brother and his cousin.

Fili gave a long, exasperated yawn and groaned, wishing he could use telepathy. He was really glad he was not in Kili's shoes right now.

Tauriel was awakened rather abruptly from her short and rather restless slumber when Kili's hand ceased to move through her hair. She had eventually fallen asleep about one hour before dawn with her head in his lap and his hand keeping an unfaltering rhythm across her head. It was that which had finally allowed her to rest peacefully: the knowledge that Kili was right beside her and that the battle was over and that nothing would be quite the same again but at least they could try to rebuild themselves after being part of such horror. Being able to voice her sorrow - even the bits that she couldn't put into words and had been reduced to conveying through looks alone - had helped more than she had believed possible, and hearing Kili's troubles had reminded her that she wasn't the only person in the world recovering. It had brought her back to herself again.

The sudden change in her surroundings lifted Tauriel up out of her dreamless sleep like being pulled out of a river, and she opened her eyes with effort, well aware that she had got one hour of sleep at most, and Kili hadn't got any. She sensed her dwarf's tenseness before she saw the figure in the tent opening. Then with a jolt she understood. She sat up quickly, eyes wide, and stared into the angry face of Throrin Oakenshield. A glance at Kili's face, and she saw that he was scared. He knew his uncle. That meant that she should probably be scared too.

"Kili, what are you doing here?" Thorin's voice was quiet and threatening.

Kili did not answer, knowing it was futile. His uncle's eyes narrowed.

"When you said you were friends with the elves, I certainly did not expect...this,"

Kili's mouth remained clamped shut.

"Care to explain?"

"No,"

Bofur had just got round to Oin and Gloin when he heard the distant yell.

"That'll be Thorin now," he remarked casually.

Fili was coming to regret his current predicament more and more as the minutes shuffled reluctantly by. If he wasn't at the scene to play peacekeeper and calm his uncle while backing up his brother, what might happen to Kili? Instead, he was as good as locked up with nothing but his own thoughts to keep him company, and helpless, completely helpless.

If his position was reversed with his brother's, he considered, Kili probably would have tried to get out of bed by now.

A pale blond head poked around the tent flap, then frowned.

"There seems to be rather a commotion at the other side of the camp," said Legolas.

"That'll be Kili and Uncle," sighed Fili.

Legolas's eyebrows shot up. "I didn't know either of them were supposed to be out of bed?"

"They're not - at least I know Kili's not. But I'd be out of bed too if I could, I'm worried that Uncle will do something drastic,"

"Why? What has happened?"

"When I woke up, Kili was gone, and I think he went to see Tauriel. Judging by the commotion you describe, Uncle has found them together. I would have gone and warned them, and I tried to get him to find you first so that you could, but it didn't work,"

Legolas's eyes widened in panic. "Right, I'd better go and sort it out. Are you sure you'll be all right here alone? I'll be back once it's over,"

"Thanks, I'd much rather you were there sorting it out since I can't be," Fili smiled gratefully, "do whatever you have to, and don't let Uncle get his hands anywhere near a weapon,"

Legolas chucked nervously. "No, I certainly won't,"

As he sprinted through the rows of tents, Legolas slightly regretted that Fili couldn't be doing this job - he would be a much better person for it, after all. But nothing could be done about that now, and he was stuck with this job. He knew the way to Tauriel's tent, but he didn't need to worry about that because he could have found his way just from the crescendo of shouting coming from that area. When he drew near, he found a small crowd already gathered, however the main interest seemed to be happening inside the tent.

Before he made his way through the people, Legolas paused for a moment and considered. It had been difficult for him, seeing Tauriel grow so fond of a dwarf, not least of all because at one point, he had thought himself to be in love with her. Now he understood that those feelings had just been an accumulation of the sort of love that exists between siblings: the need to watch over and protect, and the innate understanding of her every move. The only reason he hadn't realised that before was the lack of blood relation between them.

But seeing Tauriel as a sister did not make it any easier to see her fall in love. It was like he was handing her over, like he was no longer the one supposed to keep track of her from a distance, no longer the one allowed to smile simply because she was happy, or frown simply because she was sad. Her successes were no longer his to be proud of, and her sorrow was no longer his to share. Another had filled that place, and a dwarf no less. The consequences of mortal love were well known to all, and if this was the path Tauriel chose, then Legolas did not know how he would bear to see her burn bright and then fade so fast, like a candle snuffed out the moment it was lit - the fate of all mortals. But this was her choice, and Legolas would support it whatever the consequences. Kili was a worthy dwarf.

Raising his voice, Legolas pushed his way towards the tent flap, and the last few elves stepped aside to make way for him (though he did not get that courtesy from the number of Iron Hills dwarves among them) then he stopped before cautiously pulling aside the canvas enough to duck through the doorway. Before he entered, he turned and called an order for the small crowd to disperse, and most of them did so, though it was reluctantly.

Thorin was swearing in Khuzdûl now. Kili was on his feet facing him, and Tauriel was kneeling on the floor by a small wooden stool looking stricken. When she saw Legolas enter, her eyes seemed to beg for help. He acknowledged it with a small smile, and that seemed to give her a little comfort. But he was really too late to help anything, as the argument seemed to have reached it's peak.

"Uncle, please listen to me! You said you would try harder with our alliance, I thought you had got over your resentment of elves,"

"And according to you that means shows of intimacy? You bring disgrace to our line!"

"I was only braiding her hair!"

"Exactly! You know what that means, even if the elf does not!"

"She has a name!"

"She is an elf, and that is all that matters!"

"Please Uncle, just hear me out!"

"No, this ends here," announced Thorin curtly, "Kili you will come with me right this instant, and do not let me see you within a dozen feet of that elf ever again! Your mother will be hearing of this as soon as I can send a raven, mark my words,"

Kili looked about to protest, but then something seemed to break inside him and he slumped, eyes downcast. "Yes uncle," he said sullenly, casting a rueful glance back at Tauriel before trailing out of the tent after Thorin. But Legolas, with his sharp Elven hearing, distinctly heard him mutter as he went past, "I won't let you see me,"

Once they were gone, Legolas knelt down beside Tauriel, who was still speechless.

"What was that all about?" he breathed.

"I only...nothing...Kili came and..." Tauriel took a deep breath, "apparently in dwarven culture, braiding another's hair is a show of love. They only let the ones most dear to them braid their hair. And..." she trailed off, her hand automatically moving to finger one of many small plaits that adorned her head, open ended and fraying at the bottom but exquisitely neat at the top. "He didn't tell me. He did most of this while I was asleep,"

"Perhaps he was worried that it would not hold as much meaning for you," suggested Legolas gently.

Tauriel smiled wistfully. "Perhaps. I wish he could have told me though. He didn't need to worry..." she paused thoughtfully, then sighed. "We had no warning of his uncle coming,"

"Fili wanted to warn you, but he's not out of bed yet. Kili shouldn't be either, really,"

"He told me," Tauriel smirked lightly, "I couldn't get him to lie down, though," her face fell, "he's been having nightmares, same as me. He says Fili's been getting them too. He flat out refused to even try to sleep, even though he hasn't got a wink since the medicine wore off,"

Legolas bowed his head regretfully. "I don't think they'll ever really go away. I hear father muttering in his sleep sometimes, and he says names I've never heard of - that I've never heard him speak of. I think it's too painful for him,"

"It...it was better with Kili," admitted Tauriel quietly, resigning herself to telling Legolas everything. If it was all coming out now, then it was nice to know she could confide in her closest friend.

Legolas simply nodded, inviting her to continue.

"I got about an hour of sleep, without dreams of any kind," she looked sadly into the middle distance, "I suppose that's never going to happen again, now,"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Legolas's lips twitched upwards slightly, "this is Kili we're talking about - not to mention yourself,"

Tauriel turned to face him, and a smile started to grow on her face. "You know, you do have a point,"

Legolas grinned outright now. "I think Kili would defy Mahal himself if he wanted something badly enough,"

Tauriel raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that just what he's doing?"

Later that day, when Kili was once again confined to his bedroll - partly due to Thorin's threats of setting Dis on him as soon as she arrived from the Blue Mountains, and partly due to the growing ache in his side - Thorin set out to make a request from Dain, who also had not escaped the battle unharmed but was giving the healers significantly less trouble than the King and Princes of Erebor on the other side of the camp. The King Under the Mountain, however, was to be disappointed, as the ruler of the Iron Hills flatly refused to post guards outside Thorin's tent at night. Thorin left in a bad temper.

It did not help that when he returned to the tent, he found the entire company inside, laughing with Fili and Kili despite the assortment of injuries they all sported. Even Ori had been persuaded out of bed, and sat with his notebook closed on his lap - which was unusual - laughing just as loudly as his more errant brother - which was even more unusual. Thorin wondered what change the battle had brought about in Ori, and hoped that the dark bags under his eyes (which meant he had found no sleep for several nights) would disappear as the youngest Ri brother learned how to endure the nightmares and could sleep once more.

There was only endurance. Never victory.

Such a contrast to how they all laughed now, and how they welcomed him even though most of them could sense his bad temper and his irritation at finding a crowd when he wanted peace and quiet. After a short internal struggle, he sank down into the circle next to Fili and listened quietly to the rolling conversation, and it almost felt like they were on the quest again, sitting round the fire late at night before sleep. But underneath it all, Thorin could sense a tone of grief, and knew that none of the company would ever be the same again. People could not simply go back to how they were. In a way, Thorin felt guilty for this - it had been his quest after all. Fili and Kili especially did not laugh so easily, did not share mischievous grins when they thought he wasn't looking...perhaps he had been a bit too harsh on Kili earlier.

No. He had been braiding an Elf's hair, for Mahal's sake! He should know better than that - what had he been thinking? It was a disgrace!

All the same, Thorin felt guilty. But he also felt an overwhelming sense of pride for his nephews, who had overcome so much since they left the only home they had ever known, and had become much more than just lads from Ered Luin: they had become princes. Thorin couldn't help but be tremendously proud of them. He would send a raven to Dis on the morrow, provided he could find one able to fly the long distance or pass the message as a relay to the Blue mountains. She would have the task of leading the rest of the dwarves in Ered Luin all the way east.

It never crossed Thorin's mind that he had long ago blanked out to the conversation around him. It had happened often on the quest, but back then he had been thinking about Erebor. All he thought about now was the shining future. He looked at his nephews, and suddenly in his mind's eye he could see them clearly, dressed in royal attire, circlets of mithril on their brows like true princes. He closed his eyes, and he was in a rebuilt Erebor, the intricately carven columns of stone and the arched ceilings of the great halls all seeming to bow to the two radiant figures that stood foremost in Thorin's mind. But it wasn't the clothes, or the jewels, or even Fili's hair that was the most radiant. It was their smiles - robbed of childhood innocence, and wiser than they should be at their age, but as true as mithril.