Fili looked at his younger brother with wide eyes and swallowed hard. But Kili simply continued to speak. "King Thranduil has agreed as well. You and you're children cause too many problems and we don't need troublemakers here." Then he looked at Poppy, who stood a few metres behind her husband with a crying Ruby in her arms. "You're wife is allowed to stay here since King Thranduil has promised the White Council to look after all of the hobbits. But you are a dwarf and you're children are not considered hobbits either. So you will leave as soon as possible."
Fili paled. "What has become of you Kili? My brother would have never betrayed my like that! I hope you know that you've just signed my death sentence and that my children will most likely die too!" The older dwarf yelled with tears in his eyes.
Kili frowned and wanted to know what his older brother was talking about. But he didn't have time to ask since Fili suddenly punched him again and again until he laid on the floor with a broken nose and jaw.
Fili was too angry to hold back his angry any longer and kept punching his nearly unconscious brother. Kili winced and told his brother how sorry he was but Fili didn't seem to hear him in his rage.
Poppy screamed and put Ruby in her basket immediately. Then she ran towards her husband and yelled at him to stop. She tried to pull him back and Fili nearly hit her as well.
Finally Fili looked at his wife in shock. He heard his brother groan and realised what he had done. He collapsed in Poppy's arms and cried. He had never wanted to hurt Kili but this had been too much. He would accept his fate if Thorin decided to kill him but he didn't want his children to die. They had done nothing wrong and deserved to live. At least Poppy was allowed to stay in Mirkwood but what would her life be like without her family? Fili hoped that she wouldn't die from grief and that Bilbo and Daisy would support her.
Poppy sank to the floor with Fili in her arms and both cried. Poppy wanted to be strong but she couldn't. Without Fili and her children her life wouldn't make any sense anymore.
Meanwhile Bilbo ran towards Fili's room since he heard his the dwarf's yells. He immediately saw what had happened and informed Daisy and fetched a healer.
Daisy found Poppy and Fili kneeling on the floor but she didn't want to disturb them. So she went to the children who sat together on the bed and cried. She took Ruby in one arm and held the others close but there was nothing she could do to comfort them.
A few moments later Tauriel arrived with two healers. She glared at Fili but then helped to bring her husband to the infirmary.
When they were gone Bilbo knelt down in front of Fili and Poppy and asked them what had happened. Fili took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. He looked at Bilbo with puffy eyes and explained everything that had happened.
The hobbit paled and couldn't believe what Fili had said. He looked at the couple sadly and promised Fili to take care of Poppy if the worst happened.
The dwarf thanked Bilbo with a nod and helped his wife stand up. Het died to be strong for her and cupped her cheek and kissed her tears away. Then he took her hand and they went to their children who were still crying. They say down on the bed with them and explained what had happened.
Lili, Vili and Tulip didn't fully understand what might happen but they knew that their parents were very scared and cuddled close to them until they fell asleep in their arms. They put them under the covers and put a kiss on their foreheads.
Later that day one of the elves informed Fili that he was allowed to stay two more days until he would have to leave together with Lili, Vili, Tulip and Ruby.
Fili nodded and pulled Poppy close. She had tears in her eyes once again. "Shh, don't cry! Let's try to enjoy these last two days together as happy as possible." He whispered into her ear.
Poppy looked up at her husband and shook her head. "I will come with you, Fili."
"No Poppy, you can't! He will kill you as well." Fili exclaimed.
The hobbit caressed her husband's face. "I can't live without you, my love! You can't force me to stay behind. I promised you something during our wedding ceremony and I will keep it. Do you remember?"
Fili sighed. "Please, my love! Stay here with Bilbo and Daisy!"
Poppy kissed her husband and whispered into his ear. "Fili, don't entreat me to leave you, and to return from following after you, for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people. I will most cheerfully abandon my home, and determine to end my days in yours." Then she smiled at him with tears in her eyes. "I will keep this promise no matter what you say, Fili."
Fili swallowed hard. He knew that there was nothing he could do to change his wife's mind; sometimes she was a stubborn as a rock. "Fine, we will go together." He whispered. Then he pulled her closer again and kissed her forehead. "I will ask Thorin for forgiveness. Maybe he will find a punishment other than death or he will at least spare you and the little ones."
Poppy sobbed and buried her face in Fili's hair.
That's how Bilbo found them some time later. He had brought some food and wanted to check on his friends. Fili told him that Poppy would go to Erebor as well. The hobbit could understand his friends decision and suggested to join them.
Fili didn't want to endanger another life but understood Bilbo's reasoning. If something happened to him, Bilbo would take care of Poppy and hopefully also his children.
Later that night Fili laid in bed next to his wife but couldn't sleep. He thought about everything that had happened that day and started to sob. He thought that his family was asleep and didn't want to wake them up. They didn't have to know how sad and desperate he really was. He tried to stifle his sounds but he couldn't stop his body from shaking. He turned away from Poppy, wrapped his arms around his knees and cried.
Poppy was awake though and stroked her husband's hair. She wanted to tell him that everything would be fine but that would be a lie. So she didn't say anything at all.
Fili turned around. "I didn't mean to wake you." he sighed.
"Don't worry! I wasn't asleep. Do you want to talk?" Poppy whispered.
Fili sobbed. "I hurt Kili. I hurt my little brother. I'm no better than him."
Poppy pulled her husband into her arms and put his head in her chest. "I'm sure he will understand why you did that. But maybe you can write a letter to explain everything." She suggested and kissed his head. "Try to sleep now, my love."
Thank you for the follows and reviews! I'm sorry that the story is that sad and dark at the moment. I will try to put some happy moments in the next chapter before they finally arrive in Erebor. There will also be more and hopefully happier Fili/Kili moments later in the story.
