It was Christmas Eve. This day was two after the gone wrong prank incident and they were ready to party. The Durin family household was holding up relatively well, though Kili was still grounded but Thorin told him it was off for christmas. Fili smiled as he watched Kili throw some tinsel to Thorin who hung it above their door. The house sparkled with decorations, and every year until this day Fili never realised how much he missed christmas.

"We have a few guests tonight." Thorin announced.

"Who?" Kili asked.

"I invited over a few dwarves. We wanted to discuss something." Kili shared a confused glance with Fili for both brothers had been unaware of this information but they shrugged and nodded anyway.

They helped their uncle get prepared in the kitchen with only one disaster - they made a lot of different food - so much that they forgot about the stuffing and when they pulled it out the burning smell filled the aroma and it was completely black, and hard if you dared to touch it. After a long while of hassle it was eventually all laid out on their large dining table, ready to be heated later and they huffed proudly at the sight.

"Wait, uncle who is coming?" Fili asked.

"Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Ori, Dori, Nori, Oin and Gloin."

"Does that mean we need to buy presents?" Fili and Kili asked simultaneously with a groan and Thorin chuckled.

"No. They won't care."

"Bofur lost his hat to the orcs so I was going to go to the arcade to by him a new one. It's a real shame it's not christmas until tomorrow and I'm still grounded."

Thorin knew what he was attempting and spun around. "I'm not stupid."

"Uncle, please."

"I'll go with him!" Fili spoke up. "Uncle, he won't be getting up to any trouble whilst I'm around."

Thorin shook his head and silently relented with a wave to the door and both squealed in excitement as they practically ran out into the breeze. Both had almost forgotten that the festival was still on at the arcade so the music and amount of dwarves lingering was a pleasant surprise when they entered. Fili spotted his friends and with a confirmed nod from Kili he quickly ran over for a quick catch up as Kili walked over to where he spotted Elena selling cookies, some of which Thorin had brought in from the baskets that his frenemy gave him.

Her back was turned for she was talking to someone so Kili leant his hand on the table and picked one off of a plate and observed it.

"You have to pay for that." Elena pointed out as she turned back around. Kili grinned mischievously and took a bite and she gasped, opening her mouth. "You did not!"

"Looks like I did." Kili replied, leaning with his hand on the table. "Lud didn't put enough butter in these. Why are you here anyway? Shouldn't you be off riding a horse or something?"

"There is enough staff over there so I volunteered to do this. It gives me enough time to win enough tickets on the games to enter the raffle."

"And what are you hoping to win?"

"The bow." She replied. "For my brother."

Kili tilted his head. "My brother is trying to win me that."

"Well you stole a cookie, so I'm not sure you deserve it."

"I saved your horse and it's fifty pence, let it go. They're technically mine anyway." Kili muttered. "Lud broke my old bow."

Elena scoffed. "Why?"

"A prank went a bit wrong and he got mad." She laughed mockingly at that. "I'm gonna go."

"You know being cute doesn't change the fact that you just thieved."

Kili felt a laugh bubbling in his throat and he spun back around. "One question."

"What?"

"You think I'm cute?"

"Leave!" She exclaimed whilst attempting to hold back a grin as Kili looked down, also hiding a hugely brewing laugh and ambled in the other direction to find a reasonable hat for the toymaker.

Kili walked over to the door and pulled down the handle, stepping back in surprise when ten familiar faces all fell in a pile inside. "Hi..." He furrowed his brow and waited patiently for them to gather themselves and stand up.

"Ello, lad." Dwalin greeted as he smacked him on the arm before entering the house.

"Very bright." Nori commented.

"Aye." Balin agreed with a curt nod.

"Sit down." Thorin offered one of the many chairs in the room - he had had to drag out a few more wooden chairs from outside. He let Kili have the sofa chair as it was the easiest to sit on and his back still gave him trouble. Fili poured some drinks, mostly ale and handed them out as everyone cheered and sipped greedily.

"So why are they here?" Kili asked once everyone had settled. Well, settled rather well for dwarves but that was nowhere near silent.

Thorin sighed. "I am going to start at the beginning. During my recent travels, when I stopped in Bree, I was a approached by a wizard who goes by the name of Gandalf the Grey. He told me that he could help us reclaim our home."

"I've been talking to some of the others in town and all of these dwarves are willing to join us." Balin added.

"If you two agree to come then we'll have thirteen." Thorin had thought long and hard about this decision - he couldn't leave them here by themselves, and he knew that they were lethal warriors when they needed to be.

Ever since the day they had got back Dwalin and Thorin had been on a hunting trip at least twice a week to hunt down a certain monster who was too cowardly to show his face. Thorin didn't see any reason for him to suddenly turn up on the quest, but then again he had suddenly done it three weeks ago. He knew that he couldn't bring Fili and not Kili so he had reluctantly come to that conclusion after a mind debate that seemed to get him nowhere, for there was no right or wrong answer. He began to wish he could predict the future.

The brothers locked eyes in surprise. "That's really sudden." Fili commented.

"I know. We've been planning it for a while, but I didn't want to say anything until it was definite."

The brothers nodded in understanding. "We'll do it." Fili grinned. He thought about it for a moment - maybe that was what Kili needed. To leave. He thought that being on the road would help his still suffering brother - he didn't miss the way Kili flinched whenever they were outside at any little noise, or how he often zoned out when they were talking and when they snapped him out of it he had no idea of what conversation had just occurred.

"We will?" Kili asked. "I mean, aye, we will! We will."

Thorin looked uncertain at that response - he had assumed Kili would jump up and down with excitement and Fili would be the unsure one but he nodded. "We will discuss the details over dinner tomorrow."

At that moment a knock sounded on the door. Thorin pushed himself up and opened it, frowning at the girl who stood there with her arms crossed and he called over his youngest nephew. "Oh!" The archer exclaimed. "If it isn't the cookie creep."

"Thanks." She muttered. "I came for my fifty pence."

"You came all the way over here for fifty pence?" Kili asked in surprise.

"Gimmee." She held out her hand and Kili bit his tongue as he rummaged through his pocket and handed her what she desired.

"You're welcome." He told her. "Now you can leave."

"Are you mad because my brother is getting that bow I want and you're not, I take it?" She asked with a speck of humor shining brightly in her light blue orbs.

"Who even is your brother?" Kili questioned.

"Galvin."

"Your brother is Galvin?! Oh, then that bow is the perfect size!" Kili exclaimed sarcastically, for said dwarf could barely hold a sword he was so young. "You know, while I'm at the giving you presents you should take my book on horses."

She scoffed. "I don't need that junk."

"No really!" Kili yanked something off of the bookshelf in the living room as everybody watched the conversation in amusement. "I insist. It saved the life of that horse the other day."

Elena let him drop it into her arms and she looked up, shooting him a sarcastic smile before spinning on her heels and strolling away. "I'm gonna throw this in the bin!" She called.

"Forget you!" Kili yelled after her before slamming the door though neither realised that the other wanted to burst out laughing.

Thorin silently told Fili that Kili should have his gift and they led the confused archer outside in the direction of their stables that housed Thorin's old pony, storm, and Fili's pony Bumble. The blonde heir walked excitedly behind, having discussed this very gift with his uncle and they got it for him. Kili stared at the new pony in utter adornment, blinking to check that this was really happening.

"You got me the pony?!" He asked in shock.

"Do you still want it?" Thorin asked, chuckling as Kili bounded into his arms for a tight embrace.

"Of course I want it! I love him! Thank you!" He stroked the ponies nose and excitedly pulled out a carrot from the chest in the stables, watching in adornment as the pony took it with a nuzzle to Kili's shoulder as a thanks.

"The breeder said he has trouble getting to like new people but he seems to really love you."

"Yeah." Kili cooed as the pony let out a noise and stuck out his tongue to lick the air.

"What are you going to name him?" Fili asked.

Kili grinned. "Fili." Thorin and Fili stared at him in surprise and Kili snickered at the expressions laid on both countenances. "Kidding!" Thorin and Fili breathed in relief, making the brunette laugh harder as he watched the pony in wonder. "Rebel."

"Ooh." Fili hummed. "I love it."

"Very unique." Thorin added. "Just like the pony." The exiled king watched with a rare smile before declaring that he was going to make sure that his company was causing no havoc and Kili looked at his brother.

"I have something for you too."

Fili raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Uh oh."

"Open it." Kili snarled playfully and Fili chuckled as he unwrapped the tissue to reveal a sparkling new dagger. "Yours got totally destroyed and I figured you could use a new one." Fili slung an arm over his little brother as he studied the intricate details laced into the dark blue hilt of the perfect weapon.

"I love it." Fili declared as he stood up. "I'm going to go and sharpen this masterpiece, and then you and I are going to go to the arcade, get that pony of yours some hay, and then do something that will make this christmas so much better."

Kili frowned. "And what may that be?"

Fili and Kili grasped hold of as much hey as they possibly could and shovelled it in bags before walking over to the till where Elena looked up. Kili noticed the lame book he had given her on the side and he hid a grin as he handed the woman three gold coins before she waved them goodbye. Before he exited through the door he spun around to look at her and noticed her peeking inside the book and he laughed.

"Ha! Ha!"

She looked up and snapped the book closed. "No, no no no." She started to protest as she grabbed some pony reins and stepped out from behind the counter.

"You were reading the horse book!"

"No!" She exclaimed with a huge smile that she tried her hardest to contain but failed profusely.

"You had been dying to do that the moment I saved that pony!" He teased.

"Yeah well..." She flustered. "There are too many facts in the world!"

"Yeah, and you love reading it...for the help, that you need, from me!" he danced victoriously as she shook her head repeatedly.

"I am never gonna hear the end of this." She decided.

Kili shook his head largely as he waved his hands. "Never!" He exclaimed as he followed Fili excitedly to the door. The blonde heir hid a grin at the conversation before his eyes. Elena thought the archer was out of sight and allowed herself to relax but he poked his head back around the door and pointed at her. "Haha!" He squealed before swiftly disappearing as she punched a fist to the table in annoyance.

"Darn it!" She hissed to herself.

Fili lead Kili across the arcade to the dance machine and Kili crossed his arms and turned to stare with a raised eyebrow at his brother.

"One last time?" Fili asked. Kili nodded with a grin and stepped on with his brother after sliding the coins into their slot. "By the way I didn't manage to win the bow. Someone else got it." Fili told his brother as they picked the music.

"Fee, it's fine! I'll find one soon." Kili promised.

The music suddenly blurted out as they jumped on the arrows, laughing as it seemed as though they were two years old again. They crossed one another as people around them danced on the floor to the music. Everything felt right in that moment, and both brothers had learnt a valuable lesson from their not very fun adventure - appreciate the best moments whilst they last, and treasure them when bad things are happening around you.

The brothers hopped off and laughed to one another for they hadn't done that in a long while. They stepped out into the breeze once again where ponies were being led into the stables. Elena spotted them and walked over to Kili after Fili awkwardly declared that he needed to go and water a toilet.

"Hey cookie creep!" He greeted. "Or should I say 'woman who works in stables and knows nothing about horses!" he teased.

"I know more than you." She shot back. "You wouldn't manage to get a job here if you tried."

"Could too." Kili hissed, tensing at the challenge.

"Nah." She waved him off and sighed, opening her mouth to speak when Kili interrupted her.

"I see you have finally tore yourself away from the games just to come and speak to me!"

She looked at the floor with a smile. "I know. I won something in the raffle."

"Oh, well this has just been a super great night for you." Kili smiled sarcastically.

"Yeah it has." She agreed. "I mean, how else was I supposed to..." She pulled something out from behind her back. "Win this for you?" Kili's eyes widened immensely as the teasing smile dropped abruptly from his face as he took the bow carefully in his hands. "I...that's why you..."

She smiled. The amazement she had felt when she entered that stable door to see a suddenly well-healed pony had indeed made her heart soar, and she felt like he needed, deserved the weapon more than anyone in the world, no matter how much playful banter she knew got passed between the two. "My brother can wait."

"I can't believe you did that." Kili breathed. "I...thank you." He stepped forward and embraced her which she gladly returned as Fili watched with a smug grin from the distance. The blonde dwarf was just thankful to Mahal for letting his life steer in the direction of normal once again. He knew that Kili would never truly be ok until Yaznug was burnt deep under the ground but he had his brother back and that's all he could ever dare ask for.

The end! Well, it's a happy ending in its own way! I updated the chapter because I didn't like the old one really, it was really rushed :( I think this whole story will have three parts to it, so three separate stories. Thank you for reviewing and know this isn't the end for poor Kili (or Fili). I don't know if the Durin family household even have christmas and I know in reality Thorin's company wouldn't be caught dead having a happy christmas party but I guess they are now hehe :) The only relatively important OC's are Lud and Elena for there are reasons why I've added them in, so don't worry about any others. Hope you enjoyed!