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Thank you all for your continued support and most appreciated reviews!

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Chapter 11

~X~

As the next hour passed, any worry or tension that remained in the room melted away. Fili became increasingly more comfortable, relishing the fact that Flinn appeared in no hurry to leave his lap. The little dwarrow had snuggled in quite nicely as they all joyously conversed, his bright blue eyes drifting up to stare at his father at regular intervals. Fili too was often caught gazing down at him, as well as running his fingers through his downy soft hair, doing what he could to try and tame the wild locks, so much like his own. It was all too clear that father and son were enchanted with each other, neither one wanting this much anticipated moment to end.

On several occasions, Fili's eyes locked with those of his brother and uncle, conveying without a word the deep joy and satisfaction he was feeling at that moment. Kili was literally beside himself over his brother's amazing discovery, unable to contain his excitement as he grinned back at him. Both he and Thorin had been greatly concerned by Fili's shift in mood after the incident five years ago, the easygoing, contented prince having become increasingly withdrawn and sullen. Dis had been equally troubled, doing all she could to encourage him to talk about his distress, in hopes that it would ease his mind…yet nothing had seemed to help.

Thorin had even given up inviting eligible dwarrowdams to the mountain, especially after Fili had begun to recede deeper within himself whenever female guests would arrive. Kili knew the encounter with Bina had scarred his brother more deeply than any had realized, and it appeared that the idea of making small talk, or forming any emotional attachments, had simply become too much for Fili. Thus, any discussion of marriage had been curtailed and they all did their best to simply aid the prince in returning to the happy-go-lucky dwarf he had once been.

While Dis and Thorin had kept a close eye on Fili, only Kili was aware of the true extent of the damage. Even after Oin claimed the herbs he had given him had returned the young dwarrow's body to its stone-like state, Fili secretly continued to take the bitter tasting concoction. At first Kili assumed it was because his brother feared the chance of such a vicious attack being made upon him again. Yet he soon realized that it was not what others might do, that had Fili so afraid…but what he might.

At his lowest point, Fili confided in his brother that he had begun to have nightmares…possible memories of what had taken place that night. And though he never recalled being violent or cruel, the idea of not being in control and unable to stop himself, completely terrified him. For even if the drugs had been the catalyst…Fili was still consumed with an overwhelming guilt for the part he had played in the defiling of an innocent maid.

Since that fateful night, Fili had refused to sleep in his own bed chambers, opting to bunk in Kili's rooms on his sofa. But when the nightmares started, Kili insisted that they both abandon their separate apartments and move into a larger one together. After that, they shared one large suite, allowing him to be close by should Fili wake in the night and need to talk. Growing up, the close knit duo had always shared a room, and it was nice to have his brother nearby once again. While they retained separate bedchambers, the combined living space was a great comfort, and knowing that Kili was only a shout away, seemed to ease Fili's sense of dread.

However, as Kili now watched his brother, gazing at the little dwarf in his arms, he gave a sigh of relief, for he had not seen Fili this content…this happy, in a very long time. Flinn was like a breath of fresh air, and he couldn't wait to spend more time with his new nephew. Kili was also very anxious to find out what his mother might have to say about it all. That should prove to be very interesting!

Sier, however…that was another matter altogether. He knew that Fili and the young dam would need to work out some kind of arrangement, not to mention he was certain that Thorin had his own ideas about how this would all play out politically. But those were things to worry about tomorrow, and right now he just could not wipe the grin off his face as he watched the brother he loved more than life, slowly returning to his old self.

"So…when you were away fighting, you were really taking back Erebor from that mean old dragon?" Flinn asked, trying to match the puzzle pieces he had been told with what he was now learning about his sire.

"Something like that," Fili agreed, not wanting to mislead the child, yet also unwilling to contradict what Sier had told him. There would come a time for full disclosure, later on…when he was older. Yet for now, it was best to gloss over the more difficult details and just focus on what was important. "But I am here now, and that is all that matters."

"I am glad," Flinn nodded, doing his best to stifle a yawn that snuck out.

"Perhaps it is time we headed off to bed," Sier suggested, suddenly realizing just how late it had become. "It has been a very long and full day."

"No! Not yet," Flinn whined, burrowing deeper into his father's embrace as he fought against another yawn. "I don't wanna go to sleep, Ada…don't let Ama make me."

While this had pulled a few snickers from the other dwarrow, Fili realized that his next response could very well set a precedent for all future interactions with the child. So, giving it a great deal of thought, he answered in a firm, yet loving, voice.

"Flinn…while I would love nothing more than to sit here and talk with you all night, I think it is very important that you get your sleep," he informed the lad. "I am still rather new at being a father, but your mother has had a lot of practice, so I think she knows what is best. And though I am touched by your wish to remain with me…you will find that I will more times than not side with your mother when it comes to your care and protection. So, no arguments, Flinn…it is bedtime."

Fili snuck a quick glance at Sier, catching the look of gratitude and admiration she gave him for his support on the matter. It sent a surge of pride through him to think that he had not only performed his first act as a father…but made Sier happy in the process.

"All right," Flinn relented, though his lips still stuck out in an adorable pout. "Will you tuck me in and tell me a story?" he begged.

"Of course I will," Fili laughed. "Wild ponies couldn't stop me."

"Great!" he cried, hopping down and grabbing his father's hand as if to pull him along. "I can't wait to see your room! Is that were you keep your swords?"

"My room?" Fili stopped, looking down at the child in confusion.

"Yes! We will stay with you now…won't we?" His original expression of excitement was quickly replaced by one of concern as he looked from Fili to Sier, and then back again. "Adads and Amas are supposed to live together, that is what Mace told me. Omer and Maywen lived together…won't we do the same thing?"

Sier was shocked by her son's question, and apparent observation of how a normal family interacted. Yet their situation was anything but normal, and she was suddenly at a loss about how to explain this to him.

"Well…Flinn," Fili began, knowing that he was treading on very thin ice here. No matter what he said, he ran the risk of confusing his son…or offending the mother of his child. He felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard place, and even for a dwarf that was never a good spot to be. Thankfully, his younger brother's voice broke the silence and the tension.

"The problem here, Flinn, is that we were not expecting you and your mother to arrive so soon," Kili spoke up, pulling the youngster's eyes towards him. "And since Fili and I currently share our quarters, being brothers and all, you see, there is just not enough space for two more…even for one as small as you. Right now the only spare chambers that are made up would not be big enough for the three of you either. So…for tonight at least, it would be best if you and your mother stayed in a room together…without your adad."

Everyone waited to see if the perceptive little dwarfling would accept Kili's reasoning, or if he would choose to argue the point further. In the end, he nodded his agreement, looking up at Fili with questioning eyes.

"But only tonight…right?" he bargained.

"Your mother and I will discuss the matter first thing tomorrow…I promise," which was all that Fili could in truth insure without lying.

"Now, tell everyone goodnight, and then it is off to bed," Sier broke in, desperate to change the subject before Flinn became more detailed in his requests.

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It took several minutes for the dwarfling to make his rounds among the company, giving hugs to those he was more familiar with, while offering polite handshakes to the others he had just met. Kili was the exception to that rule, seeing that he was family, and had quickly won the lad over with fanciful tales of toe-nibbling trolls. But at long last, Fili escorted them out of the meeting hall and into the corridor, heading towards the guests' sleeping chambers. Apparently another one of Bofur's assignments, upon his early arrival back at Erebor, had been to notify the cleaning staff to have a room prepared for Sier and Flinn's use that evening.

Flinn kept up a steady stream of questions as they went, punctuated by the occasional yawn, saving the two adults from having to make small talk. Their belongings had been delivered, more than likely thanks to Balin while he had been out of the room attending to Thorin's request. And it did not take Sier long to locate the child's night clothes, quickly getting him cleaned up and ready for bed. Fili had remained nearby the whole time, but did his best to stay out of the way, marveling at how efficiently, and with such care, Sier maneuvered their son through his nighttime routine. When he was snuggled under the covers at last, his little head propped up on a big fluffy pillow and the warm covers tucked under his arms, Flinn announced that he was now ready for his story.

"What kind of tale would you like?" Fili laughed, sitting down beside him on the bed. Kili was the true storyteller of the two, and he only hoped he could measure up in his son's eyes.

"One about you!" he insisted. "Ama already told me about how you beat the goblin king at a game of cards, and how you saved the mother bear and her three cubs, and the one where you dug a huge hole and trapped an oliphant…so something new this time."

"Your mother told you all that, did she?" Fili asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced over at Sier. He gave a soft chuckle when the only reply he got was an uncomfortable shrug of her shoulders.

"Oh, and she also told me about how you saved the caravan from the bad men by fighting with their leader," Flinn added, this one now being ranked among his favorite stories concerning his father.

Fili was even more amazed by this, for while he could understand the made-up tales – seeing how they knew so little about each other – it touched him greatly that she had apparently gone out of her way to learn something of his past in order to tell their son. From what he recalled, the only other dwarf who had been with him on that trip, that Sier might have spoken with, was Bofur…and he made a mental note to thank his friend for his part in this.

"Well then…that leaves me with only a few good stories left to tell," he informed the lad, stroking his short beard and looking upward as if in deep thought. "Have you by chance ever heard the one where me, Kili and a few others invaded the home of a funny little hobbit and ate all the food in his pantry?" When Flinn's eyes grew wide and he shook his head, Fili knew he had chosen wisely. "Well, I think we have struck upon the perfect bedtime story then."

And indeed it was perfect, even by Sier's standards. It was both exciting, funny, and did not involve any scary spiders, trolls or goblins. She especially liked the part where they all took care of the dishes at the end of the meal…much to the shock and dismay of the put-upon little hobbit. Having never met such an odd creature herself, Sier had to rely on Fili's very detailed description of this Bilbo Baggins person. With his unruly mop of brown curls, a twitchy nose, and bare feet covered with hair, it was no wonder that Flinn was completely enthralled. When the story was over, the dwarfling begged for another, but Fili stood firm, saying that it was now time for sleep.

"Good night, Flinn," Fili murmured, reaching out and letting his fingers run down the side of his son's face. He still had a hard time believing any of this was real. When he had awoke that morning, he had no idea how much his life was about to change.

"Thanks for the story. But…but I need to talk with Ama…alone," Flinn said, looking a bit sheepish about asking his father to leave, especially after he had made such a fuss about him joining them.

"Certainly," Fili nodded, standing up. He truly hated to go, but it was obvious that the child wished for some privacy with his mother, and he was not about to deny him this. "I will see you tomorrow," he promised. Yet before he could turn to leave, a little voice stopped him.

"I might not be a dwarfling anymore," he began, looking a little nervous. "But…I am not so growed up that I don't like being kissed goodnight. I mean…if you wanted."

Fili felt his heart constrict. If he wanted to? He couldn't imagine a situation where he would desire anything else! So leaning down, he placed his very first kiss upon the forehead of the son he had just met, feeling the tears well up in his eyes over the fact that Flinn had asked for such a gesture. Fili could only hope he would be afforded many more opportunities in the countless days to come.

"Goodnight, Adad," Flinn told him, gifting him a bright smile.

"Goodnight…my son," Fili replied, not daring to look in Sier's direction as he made his way out the door, waiting to brush the tears from his eyes after he was no longer in sight.

"What did you want to talk about?" Sier asked, filling the spot that Fili had just vacated. She imagined it had plenty to do with the dwarf who just left the room, but she was surprised by her son's reply.

"I wanted you to sing me a song," he answered in a quiet little voice. "It…it is kind of scary here…and maybe if you sung to me I could go to sleep better."

Sier knew that Flinn only asked to be sung to when he was feeling frightened or vulnerable, and while she could tell he was already quite comfortable around Fili, being in Erebor - and perhaps having heard one too many stories about trolls - might have set him on edge.

"And this was something you did not wish for your father to hear?" she asked, cocking her head to one side. "I don't sing that badly, do I?" Sier reached down and gently tickled his ribs, making him giggle.

"No, Ama," he laughed. "But only babies need to be sung to sleep…and I don't want Adad to think I am a little dwarfling."

"Well…I hardly believe he would think any less of you," she smiled. "But I won't tell him if you don't want me to. Now, which song would you like?"

"The one about Adad and the mountain," he requested, that one having long been his favorite.

"Very well," Sier nodded, reaching down to pull the blankets up to his chin as he snuggled in and closed his eyes. As she began the song she considered how natural it felt, to be back in Erebor, singing to her child while his father waited outside. Things had gone smoother than expected, and even if there were still many unsettled issues, Fili had not reacted badly…no, not at all. Perhaps everything would turn out right in the end after all.

As Sier let her voice fade into a faint whisper, she could tell that Flinn was already sound asleep. She would join him later, curling up beside him as she let his soft breathing erase all her worries away. But for now, there was a dwarf in the other room that she still needed to speak with. Placing a feather soft kiss on her son's cheek, Sier doused a few of the lanterns and quietly made her way out the door.

As she pulled it shut behind her, Sier discovered that Fili had been standing right outside the bedroom, leaning against the wall with a faraway look in his eyes.

"You have a very lovely voice," he complimented. When he turned to look at her, she could see his eyes were still misty with emotion. "What you sang about his father…about me, you didn't have to do that, you know."

"As far as Flinn is concerned, that is how the song was written. And any deviation in the words would not have gone over well," she chuckled.

"No, I meant that you were never under any obligation to tell him anything about me…made up or otherwise," Fili clarified. "And yet you did…why?"

"Why wouldn't I?" she questioned. "Even if I had no intention of returning to Erebor, I would never have kept tales of his father from him. Nor would I have spoken badly about you, or said anything unkind. Flinn deserves a father he can be proud of."

"And what about you?" Fili asked suddenly, his tone turning deadly serious. "You deserve a great many things as well."

"I have all I will ever need, or want, sleeping in that room," she told him. "As long as I have him, I am content."

"I could never offer you anything as great as Flinn…but I wish to do something," Fili insisted, pushing off from the wall as he began to pace back and forth once more. His eyes were darting here and there, as if his mind was going mile a minute. "Out of us all, you are the one who has endured the most hardship, and still had the strength to carry on and raise a magnificent child. It is time that someone took care of you…time that you were offered no more worries. You have given me the greatest gift I could possibly imagine, Sier…let me repay you somehow."

"I don't need any compensation," she argued, knowing that she did none of this in hopes of a reward. Flinn was payment enough. "I am just happy things worked out as well as they did."

"But I wish to do more! For both of you!" he all but begged. He then stopped in his tracks, turning to stare at her as if his next words were the most important ones he would speak in all his life…and perhaps they were. "Marry me, Sier…become my wife."

Ummm, say what?!

Soooo, think she will say yes?

And how did you like Fili's first attempt at putting his son to bed? Or Flinn's rather startling insistence that they should all live together now.

While I don't really like to put song lyrics directly into my stories, - preferring to leave that to your own imagination - if any of you would like to see what song I imagine Sier sang to Flinn, here are my musings on that:

It is the lullaby that Dick Van Dyke sings in 'Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang'. But I just added a few references of 'his Da' into it for Flinn's sake. And I chose this song in my head because it talks about a mountain, and that reminded me of Erebor and like something a dwarf would sing about to their children...being mountain dwellers and all. Understand?

A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain
Softly blows o'er lullaby bay.
It fills the sails of boats that are waiting-
Waiting to sail your worries away.
It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain
And your Da waits down by the quay. (Key)
The winds of night so softly are sighing-
And soon he will fly your troubles to sea.
So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain.
Wave good-bye to cares of the day.
And watch your Da from Hushabye Mountain
Return soon to you, at lullaby bay.

Guest Reviews:

Aranel Mereneth: ha ha, they are both pretty awesome, are they not? And who knows, there might be a love match on the horizon...perhaps...maybe...we will see. And YEP, Flinn is pretty darn adorable!