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This is not a bonus chapter...this one is a scheduled chapter. This morning's posting was a free and clear bonus for you all.

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Chapter 17

~X~

Fili lay there in the dark long after he knew Sier had fallen asleep, not even daring to shut his own eyes. He had only climbed into the bed at her behest, still dreading what he might do should he dare to give way to slumber. Had she been privy to his fears, she would not be sleeping so peacefully, he would wager. So he remained awake, kept his vigil, and did not dare allow unconsciousness to take him.

It might have been an hour…perhaps two, when he heard the door to the bedroom quietly open, a faint light from the other chamber illuminating the entryway. Fili's body tensed, and he sat up straight in bed, seconds away from bounding forth to take up arms, when a little voice in the dark stopped him cold.

"Ama?" the call was followed by a soft sniffling sound, one that immediately tugged at Fili's heart.

"Flinn?" Sier answered, instantly awakened by the voice of her son.

"Can…can I come and sleep with you…please?" he asked, his tiny form silhouetted against the light.

"Of course, my darling," she answered, sitting up and stretching out her hand to him. "Come here."

Flinn, with his blanket in tow, hurried to the end of the bed, his eyes barely making it over the high mattress and his little hands reaching up in a pleading fashion.

"Help," he begged, unable to make it on his own.

Fili leaned down and grabbed hold, lifting the dwarfling up and placing him between the two of them. Even with the small amount of light he could see the tear stains on his son's cheeks, evidence that he had not fared well sleeping alone in his own room.

"Did you have a bad dream, love?" Sier asked, rolling over on her side as she snuggled him close to her.

"I…I don't think so," he told her, pulling his blanket up with one hand as his other took hold of his mother's braid for comfort. "But I woke up…and I was all alone."

"Flinn, you are never alone," Fili corrected him. "Your ama and I might not always be right there, but we will never be far away, and we will always protect you. I promise."

"But…but I can still stay here tonight?" he asked, looking up at his father with pleading eyes.

"And any other night you need to," Fili assured him with a smile, reaching out to smooth down the lad's disheveled hair. "Now go to sleep, you have a very busy day ahead of you tomorrow."

"Will there be another party?" Flinn asked, releasing a big yawn, his eyes drooping closed. "With food…and cake…and lots of party guests…and…" He never finished his sentence, for he had already nodded off, feeling safe and secure between his two loving parents.

"I was worried this might happen," Sier whispered, stroking her fingers against his cheek lightly. "He never had his own room back in Himros. He always slept with me."

"He will grow out of it, in time," Fili smiled lovingly, gazing down at his sleeping son. "Still, there is nothing wrong with wanting company in the dark. Kili used to have nightmares after our father died, so mother moved my bed in with his. We ended up sharing a room for many years after that…in fact, I don't recall having my own sleeping quarters again until after we retook Erebor." He looked around his room, as if thinking back to years past. "The first night I spent here in the mountain, I don't think I slept more than a few winks. It was strange…different, and a bit frightening. But Kili and I both eventually got used to it, and so will Flinn. But until he does, he is always welcome to share with us."

"Thank you for understanding," Sier whispered, lying back down, yet unable to go very far with Flinn's vice-like grip on her braid.

"Do you need some help there?" Fili chuckled, pointing to the way she was now tethered to the little dwarfling.

"No, I am used to it," she assured him with a loving smile. "He tends to do this a lot as he falls asleep, he will let go soon."

"Very well," Fili nodded, lying back down himself. "Sleep well, Sier."

"You too…Fili."

And this time, with little Flinn there to act as a buffer of sorts, he thought he just might.

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Morning came and with it the light of a new day. For even though they were deep in the heart of the mountain, many of the chambers, the royal ones especially, had long shafts dug from outside and refilled with clear crystal, allowing light to filter down into the rooms. At first, Fili was a bit surprised to find himself in his old room, and yet he quickly recalled the events of the past two days that had brought him back to this place. It was then that he noticed an unusual weight on his chest, and looking down he grinned at the sight of five tiny toes, and a foot attached to the outstretched leg of a little dwarfling, lying sideways across the bed. Fili had woken many times before during his childhood with a foot or hand slung across him, but it had usually belonged to his brother, Kili. Yet this time it was his son who had tossed and turned in bed, ending up in such an odd position - and Fili couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of love at the sight.

With great care, so as not to wake him, Fili took hold of his leg and swung him around so that he was once again lying straight, his head now resting on the pillow beside the sleeping face of his wife.

His wife!

It was still such a shock, and yet felt so right, to see her there, her long eyelashes resting comfortable against her soft skin as she slumbered on. This was a very pleasant way to wake, he decided, propping himself up as he took a few moments to stare at the charming domesticity before him. His heart swelled with love as he watched his son's little thumb find its way into his mouth as he rolled over to face his mother, never waking. Yes…this felt right.

Still, as much as he wished to remain here and enjoy his newfound bliss, Fili knew that his presence would soon be needed and he did not wish to keep Thorin waiting. There would be plenty more mornings like this, plenty of time to share in the warmth he now felt surrounding him. So as quietly as he could, Fili slipped from the bed and grabbed his clothes, boots and weapons. He gave his wife and son one last longing look as he made his way into the living area where he dressed quickly and unlocked the door, stepping out in the hallway with a sigh of happiness.

What he found there, however, surprised him. For sitting against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway was Kili, absentmindedly tossing a dagger up in the air and catching it safely in his hand.

"Well, it is about time you emerged, Nadad," he said, jumping to his feet with a big grin on his face. "I have been sitting here since sunup."

"That is hard to believe," Fili laughed, sliding his last few daggers into place. "Since when do you willingly get out of bed before noon…without there being a royal decree?"

"Since my brother got married of course!" he insisted, good-naturedly slapping him on the back. "So…how was your first night as a husband? Anything you would like to share?"

"And what exactly do you imagine transpired last night, Nadadith?" Fili asked, raising his eyebrow in quizzical manner.

"I don't know," he admitted, looking a bit sheepish. "I just thought, well, maybe…you know." His cheeks had turned a bit red by now but it would appear even embarrassment was not about to stop the inquisitive dwarf. "I mean, it happened before…I just figured there was a chance it might happen again, is all. And this time you might remember enough to tell me about it."

"Even if it had…which I assure you it did not," Fili began, extremely grateful his son had chosen to come and sleep in between them, "what makes you think I would ever share such things with you?" he asked accusingly, though he was more amused by his brother's questioning than anything.

"Because we tell each other everything!" Kili replied in defense. "I mean I told you about the time that dwarrowdam pulled me into the hall and kissed me. Or the time I stumbled upon that human couple in the back room of that tavern? I thought for sure I was going to have to gouge my eyes out with one of your blades to erase that image from my brain!" The younger prince could not help but give a quick shudder followed by a look of disgust. "But I just figured, if there is some great mystery of life that you are now privileged enough to know about, you might fill me in on the details. After all, I want to be prepared if my one should ever come along."

"The difference here, Kili, is that Sier is not my one," Fili answered, looking somewhat disappointed by the admission. "Thus, last night we did nothing more than sleep, and even that was not done alone, since Flinn became frightened and asked to join us."

"Oh," Kili said, appearing very letdown by this news. "And to think, I got up early for nothing."

"Sorry to disappoint you, little brother," Fili told him, putting his arm over his shoulders as he steered him down the hallway towards Thorin's private meeting chambers. "But as things stand, more than likely it will be me who comes to you for details on that particular mystery of life, as you so eloquently put it. Since from here on out, you stand a better chance of finding your one than I do. But there are no regrets with my decision, not one bit. I would gladly go through life not knowing what it feels to be in love, just for the chance to watch my son grow up happy and strong. Sier and I together can give him that chance, and I for one am more than satisfied."

"If you say so," Kili nodded, knowing his brother meant every word. "But still…if something should happen…you will tell me, right?"

"We shall see," Fili laughed. "We shall see."

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Sier woke a bit later, immediately noting the absence of Fili and feeling something akin to loneliness at finding him gone. Flinn however quickly caused all such feelings to vanish as the two of them played and laughed while getting dressed and cooking breakfast. Sier was very excited about the kitchen and had been pleased to find it had been fully stocked. She knew that most dwarves met in the communal dining area for their meals, recalling from her last visit to the mountain that even the royal family did so on a regular basis. But until Fili informed her that it was safe to venture out, she was only too happy to keep herself and her son tucked inside their new quarters.

"Where did Adad go?" Flinn asked, shoveling a spoonful of porridge into his mouth. "Will he be back soon?"

"Your father has a lot of responsibilities to take care of," Sier told him, raising an eyebrow at the ill-mannered way her son chose to speak with his mouth full. "Yet I do not doubt that he will be back very soon with news of how the day will proceed."

Almost as if on cue, the door indeed did open and in stepped Fili, followed closely behind by Kili and their mother, Dis. Dropping his spoon on the table with a loud clang, Flinn scampered down from his chair and raced over to his father, launching himself into his arms with a shout.

"Adad!" he cried, giving his sire a warm greeting. "Where have you been?"

"Attending to my duties," Fili laughed, tickling the lad's tummy and making him giggle. "Today is your naming ceremony, the day you stand before all of Erebor and I introduce you as my heir. Are you ready?"

"No, he is not!" Sier announced firmly, causing all to turn to her with shocked expressions. Was his mother now forbidding such a thing?

"What? Why?" Fili asked in a confused voice.

"Because he has yet to have a proper bath or his hair combed," she stated, allowing all present to release a sigh of relief. "I will not have my son appearing in public looking so disheveled."

"Then I shall make sure that he is presentable," Fili laughed, more than eager to take on some of his fatherly responsibilities. "Once he is bathed and dressed, I believe I can tackle this unruly mop?" He reached up and tousled the lad's hair a bit in emphasis.

"I gots to take a bath?" Flinn moaned, acting as if he had just been given a death sentence. "Whyyyyyy?"

"Because your adad and ama love you very much and they want you to look your best," Dis interjected, stepping forward as she took the dwarfling from his father's arms. "And if you will permit me, Sier, I would be more than happy to see to this lad's bathing. I became quite an expert, you might say, having had to deal with these two over the years."

"You can't give me a bath!" Flinn objected, trying to wiggle out of his N'anad's grasp. "You're a dam! Dams can't see dwarrows with no clothes on!"

"That is true…but isn't your mother a dam?" Dis argued, "And we are family now."

"Don't matter!" Flinn continued, at last making his way down to the floor, where he promptly held his ground, crossing his arms over his chest in protest. "And she's different…she is Ama!"

"Can't argue with him there, mother," Kili laughed, stepping forward until he was standing right in front of the stubborn child. "How about you and I get that bath taken care of, little nephew? Would I be an acceptable substitute for your ama's care? And I bet I can show you a few tricks about how to get nice and clean with as little time as possible spent in the tub."

It was obvious that Flinn still hated the idea of taking a bath, but at last he agreed to accept Kili's help – especially if it meant learning how to speed this torturous process along. Soon the two of them disappeared hand in hand towards the washroom, leaving the other three to snicker and laugh amongst themselves.

"Well, it would appear that my little grandson has quite the mind of his own," Dis admitted, once she could at last control her mirth.

"Oh, you have no idea," Sier assured her, still unable to stifle her own laughter.

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So it was, later that day, with Flinn washed, dressed and his hair neatly combed and braided just so, they stood off to the side in the royal throne room of Erebor. Every dwarf that was able had turned out for this grand and auspicious occasion. Most had no idea why the king had called everyone together, but any reason they were asked to lay down their hammers or axes for the day, must indeed be of noteworthy importance. Thus, when the royal family stepped up onto the dais beside their king – Kili and Dis on his left, while Fili, looking so very handsome in his royal attire and regal crown, on his right – the dwarves in attendance knew the time spent away from their craft would not be wasted.

"Dwarves of Erebor," Thorin began, his deep voice booming out over the hushed crowd. "Today is a day of great rejoicing. In less than two months' time, on the annual celebration of Durin's day, it will officially be the tenth anniversary of our retaking the mountain from Smaug." Here Thorin had to pause, for the cheers that rose up at his statement were near to deafening. When once they had simmered down to a dull roar, he continued. "This year, such a celebration will be twice blessed, for we will be joined by not one, but two new members of the royal house. As you all know, I have long wished for my sister-sons to make a match and find their one, and today I am gratified to announce that your crown prince, Fili, has achieved this goal. In actuality, such a blessing occurred five years past, yet due to certain political threats and dangers surrounding his union, we are only now at liberty to introduce you to your new princess…and princeling."

The crowd began to murmur, each one looking to those around them in confusion and anticipation. Everyone knew that a marriage of two princes had been greatly desired ever since Thorin had taken up the crown, it being no secret as to why the long line of high born dwarrowdams had been paraded through Erebor. Yet in ten years' time, no match had been made, and over the past five years, the invitations to dams to visit the mountain had all but ceased. And now they suspected why.

Here, Fili stepped forward, addressing his people with a proud smile on his face.

"It is my great honor to introduce to you all, my chosen bride and your new princess, Sier, as well as my son and heir, Flinn." At this he held out his hand, gesturing for the two of them to enter and join him on the dais. And while Sier did so with a quiet dignity befitting her station, Flinn was practically pulling his mother along, more than eager to make his way up to stand with his father. When both of them finally took their place, a hush came over the mass of dwarves, all eyes on the lovely dam, and the lad that so mimicked their crown prince that there was no one there who questioned his parentage. And since, as far as anyone knew, the only way a dwarrow might awaken to sire children was to have found his one, they all released a thundering cheer of approval over this announcement.

And while the applause was still going on, Fili stepped forward and placed a silver clasp at the end of each tiny braid he had woven on either side of Flinn's head that morning. The little dwarfling stood straight and tall, the wide toothy grin never faltering as his father bestowed upon him the coveted symbol of his family's house.

"I officially present to you, Flinn, son of Fili, heir of Thorin, and of the line of Durin. May he grow in strength and dignity, to one day protect his people and rule with might and honor. Hail Prince Flinn!"

"Hail Prince Flinn!" they responded. "Hail Prince Fili!" And then, each dwarf there carrying a weapon, drew his sword or ax and held it high, their eyes turning to Thorin. "All hail King Thorin!"

The royal family stood there for a bit longer, waiting for the cheers to die down, whereupon Thorin stepped forward to speak once again.

"To commemorate the naming of a new son of Durin, I hereby declare this a day of celebration! Break open the wine barrels, let the ale flow like river water, and I bid you all to eat and be merry!"

To this announcing there was no end to the whoops and shouts of joy, the assembly slowly making their way out of the throne room to congregate in the dining areas, and anywhere else they might partake of the free wine and food that their king had so generously provided.

This left only the small group of close friends to celebrate this auspicious day with the royal family. And just as Flinn had hoped, a party, the likes of which even he had not expected, was held in one of the grand chambers nearby. There was indeed cake and food, and the only thing Flinn might have found lacking - if he had taken a moment from the festivities to notice - was a much desired crown.

But it seemed the little dwarrow did not miss it one bit.

Give him five minutes, he will be harping about that crown again soon. ha ha.

So...I know there was no unexpected snuggling in the morning, like a lot of you wished for, but I hope you liked what I did anyway.

Think Fili WILL share with Kili one day...IF anything ever does happen?

How did things go with Erebor finding out about Sier and Flinn...and Flinn getting his braids and beads?

Guest Reviews:

enilorac44: Awwww, a little Fili with your morning coffee to get you going, is it? Well now you had a little Fili nightcap as well. And I will indeed keep going...maybe even tossing in a few bonus chapters again! Thanks for reviewing. I would have done so personally, but you have your PM thing turned off so it wouldn't let me.

Guest: Yes, of course Fili was right to show him where their room was and assure him it was fine to come in any old time he wants. yah, as you can see, your idea only 'kind of' happened. Hope you liked my way too. Kili has to marry so that he will be happy AND so Dis can have more grandbabies! And cuz I said so. ha ha. As for Thorin...well, he aint dead yet, hee hee. More Kili/Fili/Flinn action heading your way. All in good time. Plenty of chapters to go before the end and I love the family interaction. ha ha. What a cute scene with Fili eating his peas just to be a good example for Flinn! Hmmmmm. And you are still going on about that little girl baby, are you? Nope, not gunna tell you what I got up my sleeve...but whatever it is, you will HAVE to live with it. maybe they will just get Flinn a warg puppy and never have any more...ever think of that? ha ha. ha ha, so you too caught that little hint about Bombur's kids? Well Ilin, Bombur's wife, WAS ready to play matchmaker, ha ha. And I LOVED your warning! I might have to use it on an upcoming chapter or two...if you don't mind my stealing it. Thanks so much for your wonderful review!