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I know I am posting early...but it is the last chapter for a while, so I thought you shouldn't have to wait.

All right...this is a long one!

Please note: When you see ~XXX~ that means it is a flashback. OK?

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Chapter 93

(10 months later)

~X~

Fili was dreaming…he knew the feeling well, and yet he didn't wish to wake up. He was standing on the battlement of Erebor, looking out over the valleys and hills beyond, at Dale, and the river that ran down to Esgaroth. It was a beautiful sight, for the fields were filled with crops, the wheat and oats swaying with the wind, and the orchards blossoming with color. He closed his eyes, drinking it all in, loving the feeling of peace and tranquility.

"Fili, my love?" came a voice to his side, causing him to open his eyes and smile at the figure that approached. It was Sier. She was dressed in a sparkling gown, her hair tied back in an intricate braid, with his marriage bead glistening in the sunlight. His wife was stunning, and oh how he loved her. "What are you doing out here? You should be inside, the celebration has already started."

"Celebration?" Fili asked, not quite sure what she meant. "What are we celebrating?"

"Oh, Fili," she giggled, walking closer as she stared up at him with love in her eyes. "Don't tease. You know exactly what we have to be joyous about." And with that, she placed his hand over her stomach, giving him a knowing smile.

"A baby?" he gasped, excitement filling his heart. "Another baby?"

"Of course," she laughed. "We still have my mother's name to bestow upon a child. And I think this one will suit it just fine."

"You mean…it's going to be a lass?" Fili could not believe his ears, and he waited anxiously to see if his wife would confirm his guess.

Yet before she could, Fili woke up. Some sound had pulled him from his slumber, causing him to sit up as his ears strained to figure out what it was. And then he heard it again…it was Frerin, fussing in his room, apparently awake and needing attention.

Fili looked down at Sier, still asleep beside him, her face one of pure serenity in the dying firelight. Their life so far had been wonderful, with two beautiful lads to be proud of, and a home that was full of love and peace. They could truly not ask for more…and yet, a lass? Fili knew he would love that, and he prayed that his dream was a premonition of what was soon to come.

Just then he heard another noise, not that of Frerin this time…but Flinn. Fili smiled to himself, knowing full well that his oldest son had heard his little brother and had scurried in to see to his needs. From the moment Flinn had laid eyes on Frerin, they had been inseparable. The five year old staunchly took on the duty of protector, instructor, and helper in all things that pertained to Frerin. And like many times before, he was the first to slip into his room at the sound of his brother's distress.

Fili lay there for a little longer, letting his mind drift back to the day he had first introduced the two brothers to each other. It had been very late by the time Frerin had come into the world, so they let their older dwarfling sleep till morning, and then had Kili bring him to the healing halls. He would never forget the look on Flinn's face when he and his uncle peeked through the door…

~XXX~

"May we come in?" Kili asked, knocking lightly as he pushed open the door.

"Of course," Fili smiled, seeing Flinn's look of excitement from where the dwarfling sat in his uncle's arms. "We have been waiting for you two."

"Is he here?" Flinn squealed, looking at his mother, who was lying in bed, holding a little bundle in her arms. "Am I a big brother?"

"That you are, my lamb," Sier laughed, watching as he squirmed out of Kili's arms and ran headlong towards the bed enthusiastically.

"Whoa there," Fili chuckled, scooping him up and holding him tightly. "You must be very careful, Flinn. Your brother is still little and he can't run or jump or play like you can…not yet. You have to treat him very gentle."

"Will he break?" Flinn asked in horror, looking at his father with wide eyes.

"He could…but not if we are careful," Fili assured him. "Now, go slow and your ama will show you your new brother, Frerin."

Fili set the now still dwarfling on the bed beside his wife, noting how Flinn crawled very cautiously towards the babe. Sier shifted her son in her arms until he was facing Flinn, the baby's tiny blue eyes opening as if on cue to look at his older sibling.

"Hello, baby Frerin," Flinn cooed, reaching out to touch his brother gently. "I'm your big brother Flinn." When the babe curled his chubby little hand around Flinn's finger, the older dwarfling squealed in delight. "He likes me!"

"Of course he does," Kili laughed. "What little brother doesn't love his older brother and idolize him?" He gave Fili a warm smile, the two sharing a tender moment of silent understanding.

"We're going to have so much fun when you get bigger!" Flinn told Frerin, delight dancing in his eyes. "I will teach you everything you need to know. How to eat with a fork, fight with a sword, and how to be the best lookout there is when pulling a prank."

"Flinn," Sier said in a warning tone, making the little dwarfling shrink back with a guilty expression.

"Well…he needs to know these things," Flinn persisted.

"And you will be just the one to teach him," Fili laughed, ruffling his hair affectionately. "Now, give your brother a kiss, and let's let him and your ama take a little nap. They both had a very long night and they need their rest."

"All right," he did as he was told, placing a gentle kiss on the baby's feather-soft cheek. "I'll see you later, Frerin. Get your sleep now…because we're going to be very busy when you wake up!"

~XXX~

Fili couldn't help but laugh at Flinn's words, yet looking back he saw how right his son had been. Taking care of an infant was much harder than he had ever imagined. If it had not been for Sier, he knew he would have been a miserable failure. The first thing he learned was that babies cried…a lot…and often for no apparent reason at all! While Flinn was old enough to ask questions and find out what was upsetting him, with Frerin, it was strictly a guessing game. Was he wet, hungry, tired, or just cranky? Did he require his mother, his father, or his brother? More times than not, Fili was left in a miserable quandary, feeling highly inadequate in his role as a father. Thorin had made it seem so easy…but it wasn't!

Thankfully, after the first month or so, Fili began picking up on little nuances that alerted him to his son's wants and needs. And from what he was hearing now, it was not hard to guess that his son required a nappy change. Well that he could take care of himself, without waking his overtaxed wife. He would let her sleep and see to this personally.

Fili slipped out of bed and silently made his way to Frerin's room, a newly carved out chamber next to Flinn's. It had taken a month for the workers to complete it, and all the while his older son had protested adamantly that they did not need to go to the trouble – that he was more than happy to share his room with his brother. Still, Fili felt that as a prince, he could afford to add on another room, and so it had been constructed. He now stood in the doorway, the embers from the fire lighting the room just enough for him to see Flinn perched on a stool, leaning over Frerin's bassinet. It had been a gift from Bifur, Bofur and Bombur, hand carved by the crafty dwarves.

"Shhhh, Frerin, don't cry," Flinn was saying softly to the fussing baby. "I'm here…no reason to be sad. I'll fix whatever's wrong." He reached in and patted the baby's back reassuringly. Then, as if he sensed Fili there, he turned to his adad with a scrunched up nose. "I think he made a poopey," he informed his father. "He's probably crying because it smells so bad." He waved his hand in front of his face to emphasize his point.

"I'm sure you're right," Fili laughed, the pungent odor having wafted over to where he stood. "What say we change him together, and ease all our suffering?"

Flinn hopped off the stool and pushed it over to the changing table, ready to offer whatever assistance he could. Fili picked Frerin up and held him at arm's length.

"My, my, little one," he chuckled. "You are very pungent tonight."

To this little Frerin simply squirmed and giggled, apparently very pleased with how he could command such attention with so little effort. Fili laid him down and began stripping off the soiled nappy, making short work of the job and soon Frerin was clean, dry, and dressed once more.

Fili was rather proud of how proficient he had become at caring for his infant son. Though as he thought back, those first few weeks were some of the hardest…for him and Dwalin. He truly pitied his cousin and hobbit wife, having to do everything twice…and all at once. For him, one was quite enough to handle and he was extremely grateful for all the help he had been given. His mother had run her legs weary racing between Dwalin's apartment and theirs, willing to offer any assistance needed.

Fili had to laugh as he thought back to the first time Dis had made Dwalin change his children's nappies. The poor dwarf looked ready to faint, and he had almost vomited when he saw what they had left for him in their pants. He had also been the recipient of a little fountain of water in the face, compliments of Tor's fine aim. After that, Dwalin learned to strategically place a cloth in that region during the process…just in case. Fili had chosen to learn from Dwalin's mistakes, and had thus far avoided such a mishap.

Balin was also a constant fixture at his brother's apartment, bringing toys, clothes, and offering to do anything he could to ease Dwalin and Bergie's burden. Turns out, the white bearded advisor was quite knowledgeable about babies, having been almost ten when his little brother was born. He had done a lot to help out his parents when it came to caring for the fussy baby Dwalin.

"He really hasn't changed much," Balin had joked one day, while he rocked his nephew to sleep in his arms. "Dwalin still gets just as ornery when he's hungry or tired. The only difference is, we now stick a tankard of ale in his mouth, instead of a milk bottle to shut him up."

Bergie laughed herself silly over this, while Dwalin had just glared at his brother.

At first, Fili had felt rather helpless when Sier was asleep and he was left alone with Frerin, so he would beg his mother to come over and sit with him, just in case. A few times Thorin was required to stand in for Dis, when she was busy helping Dwalin and Bergie, and Fili got a whole new perspective on child care from his uncle. One day when he was watching Frerin while Sier napped, he could not get his son to stop crying, no matter what he did. When Thorin arrived, he gave Fili a look of exasperation, obviously seeing exactly what his nephew was doing wrong.

"Dwarflings are sturdier than you think," Thorin had told him. "You're holding him like he's made of glass." He then took Frerin out of Fili's hands and walked around, bouncing him gently in his hands, making the baby gurgle and coo with delight. "See, if you hold him too tightly he feels trapped. Let your son be free. Don't smother him."

"But Amad said that they like to be bundled up and held close," he protested.

"Yes, and if your mother had her way, you and Kili would never have grown up at all," Thorin laughed, making silly faces at the baby. "If I had not been there to take over for your father, she would have had the two of you locked in your rooms and wrapped in sheep's wool till you were one-hundred. Do you know how long it took me to convince her that you were ready for weapons training?"

Fili mulled this over, recalling how Sier had balked at the idea of Flinn beginning his own sword training. Maybe it was just a female thing? Mothers were apparently much more smothering than fathers.

And so it had gone, with Fili and Dwalin…as well as Bergie, learning from example and experience on how to care for infants. Fili had said he wanted to experience every aspect of fatherhood, and he was certainly getting the chance now. He had loved taking care of Sier when she was carrying Frerin, fetching her foods when she had cravings, and rubbing her feet when they would swell up by the end of the day. The labor part had been a real eye-opener, yet he would not have missed it for anything. The sleepless nights, round the clock feeding, not to mention changing, had left them both tired and sleep deprived, yet once again, Fili cherished every moment of it.

"Can I hold him now?" Flinn asked, scrambling over to the fluffy chair in the corner of the room, sitting down and holding out his arms eagerly.

"Of course," Fili grinned, laying the baby in his older son's arms. Frerin gurgled happily as he looked up at his brother, his arms reaching out to grab hold of Flinn's little braids. The new prince had been introduced to all of Erebor several days after his birth, his name known to all in the mountain. Yet his official naming ceremony and receiving of his family braid and bead would not happen until he turned five. Granted, Flinn had received his own braid and bead a few months before reaching the appropriate age, but that had been under very unusual circumstances.

"Don't pull so hard, Frerin," Flinn scolded his brother good-naturedly, tugging his braid out of his brother's fingers. "Now…close your eyes and go to sleep while I tell you a story about a tiny little dragon that was so small it would fit in your pocket." It was highly unlikely that the baby understood much of what Flinn was saying, but he obviously adored the sound of his big brother's voice and would lay there and listen to him talk no matter what was being said.

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It was this idyllic scene that Sier happened upon as she entered Frerin's room, seeing her handsome husband standing watch over their two adorable sons.

"Fili?" she called, causing the prince to turn around. "So this is where everyone disappeared to? Are you having a midnight party without me?"

"You looked so beautiful sleeping, I hated to wake you," he explained, walking over as he gave her a kiss on the lips. "I'm sorry if we disturbed you."

"Don't be. I rolled over and you were gone, so I came looking," she smiled. "Something told me I would find all three of my males together."

"Well, you know it's impossible to keep those two apart," Fili laughed, placing his arm around his wife as they stared at their sons.

"Your mother says they look more and more like you and Kili every day," Sier laughed, recalling how just last week she had called them by their father and uncle's names more than once while sitting with them. And though Sier could only guess what Fili and Kili looked like as children, even she could see the uncanny resemblance in their features and coloring.

"They act like us too, according to Thorin," Fili laughed. They continued to watch the two children, Frerin still engrossed in the story Flinn was telling. "You know, I think it is time for Ori to draw another picture of them. Frerin changes so much every day."

"It has only been a few weeks since your previous request," Sier chuckled, her eyes going to the very lifelike drawing on the shelf above the bassinet. Ori had done a wonderful job, and the smiling face of Flinn holding Frerin on his lap was now her favorite of the many drawings the kindly scribe had done for them. He had actually made two…the other copy having been packaged up and sent to Frodo in the Shire, the two sword-brothers making good on their promise to keep in touch.

Not very long ago, an artist's rendering of their favorite little hobbit and his brand new baby sister, Holly, had been received, and was promptly passed around for all the company to see. Everyone remarked at how much the little lass resembled her brother, with the same mess of brown curls, expressive brown eyes, and wide smile…even if Holly's was still rather toothless. According to Prim, Frodo was a wonderful big brother as well, always eager to lend a hand. It had made Sier very happy to know that Prim and Drogo now had their ideal little family, and that Frodo was no longer an only child. Flinn still spoke about his sword-brother on a daily basis, telling Frerin story after story about their escapades when the young hobbit had been in Erebor. She and Fili decided they would have to relent and let their son journey to the Shire when Thorin took Marigold…yet thankfully, that trip was still many years away, much to Sier's relief.

At the thought of Thorin and Marigold, Sier's mind drifted back to the previous month and the day their king and queen became parents. Once again, due to the interracial marriage, Oin could only guess at when the babe would be due, though near the end of nine months seemed to be the most logical. But since Bergie had previously given birth to twins, using her as an example of what to expect was out of the question. So, as Marigold grew, so did the anticipation…as well as Thorin's worry and concern. If Sier had thought Fili had been an overprotective husband and father, well Thorin was off the charts. During the final weeks, the king had left much of the royal duties to Fili and Kili, opting to spend as much time with his wife as possible. Unfortunately, Marigold began to feel a bit smothered, and would often disappear for hours at a time, just to get a breath of air.

Thorin tried his best to ease up, but it was in his dwarven nature be a bit obsessive, especially when it came to something he treasured. Yet hobbits had that odd ability to slip away unseen, even directly under the nose of the king and his guards. Thorin thought she did it just to aggravate him, while she laughingly claimed she did it just to see if she could.

It was during one of these times that Thorin, after over an hour of searching for her, found his wife in the Halls of the Silver Fountains, sitting on the edge and dangling her feet in the crystal clear water.

~XXX~

"There you are!" Thorin huffed, storming into the room with a look of pure irritation on his face. "Marigold, you must stop doing this!"

"Why?" she asked, turning her head to give him one of her most innocent looks. "It is not as if you never find me…although, this time it took you longer." She sounded rather pleased with herself about that.

"You are far too close to giving birth to be wandering off alone like this," he scolded, sitting down next to her and tracing the line of her cheek with his fingers. It always unnerved him to not know where she was at all times, especially when she was in such a delicate condition. He knew he needed to keep himself in check, and not let his gold sickness morph into something that now encompassed her…but it was a difficult thing to do. He just loved her so very much. "It would set my mind at ease if you would please just remain in our chambers."

"Thorin," she said, giving him a look that told him she meant business. "I am not a bauble or a trinket you can stick on your shelf and admire whenever you wish to. I am your wife, and I shall go and do what I wish, when I wish it. I know you are only trying to protect me, and I love you dearly for it, but I will go stir-crazy if I stay put for too long. I will be confined to our chambers enough once the baby is born…so until them, let me roam free. All right?"

Thorin gave a sigh of resignation. He knew she spoke true, and the last thing he wanted to do was to take away her liberty.

"I understand," he nodded, looking contrite. "I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven," she grinned, leaning in and kissing his cheek. Just then she gave a small squeak, and placed her palm over her stomach. "She is moving again," Marigold laughed, taking hold of Thorin's hand and positioning it on top of her own. "See? She has been very active today."

Thorin loved it when he could feel his child moving within his wife, it made the babe seem all the more real to him. Granted, he had been given a glimpse of what she would one day look like, but still, these movements only solidified that dream in his mind.

"Have you been feeling any pains? Anything out of the ordinary?" he asked, always concerned about her health.

"Not really, though I have had a bit of a sore back today," she admitted, rubbing her hand over the area. "But with such a large stomach to carry around, it is no wonder. I'm actually surprised that I haven't toppled over from it yet." And while the idea made Marigold laugh, it only made Thorin's eyes wide with fear.

"Do you mean that you feel unsteady? That you fear falling?" he asked, his mind already forming a plan where she would now be carried everywhere she went.

"Now you stop right there!" she warned, holding up a finger to him as she expertly read his thoughts. "I will not only go where I wish, I will do so under my own power. Why do you think hobbits have such large feet? To help us balance well. Now stop worrying, I swear, Dori has nothing on you when it comes to being a mother hen."

This had Thorin chuckling, for they all knew just how protective the older dwarf was of his little brother, Ori. And if he was being even half as bad as Dori…well, Thorin realized he really needed to ease up.

"Come along then," he said with a warm smile. "Allow me to escort you back to our chambers…on your own two little feet," he added with a laugh.

"Little?" she chuckled, removing them from the water and wiggling her toes to help them dry a bit. "I know it has been a while since I have been able to see my feet, but my memory is not so bad that I don't recall their true size, my flattering husband."

"To me, every part of you is perfect, be they little or big," he assured her. Yet he couldn't help but get a wolfish grin on his face as he noted that some parts of her had grown pleasingly large in anticipation of the baby. He was certainly not complaining about that!

And so they headed back to the royal suite, talking, laughing, and dreaming of the days ahead. Yet by nightfall, Marigold's back pain had increased, as did her discomfort in other areas as well. She did her best to hide it from Thorin, yet after spending almost an hour trying to find a comfortable spot in bed, she gave up and threw off the covers. Getting up she began to pace around the room, her movements alerting Thorin to her predicament.

"Love…what's wrong?" he asked, lighting one of the lamps and hurrying to her side.

"I don't know," she admitted, her face scrunched in pain with one hand on her stomach and the other on the small of her back. "I feel…strange."

"Should I get Oin?" he offered, reaching for his house robe. "Or Dis…maybe Sier?"

"I…" Marigold began, yet suddenly she stopped and looked down at the floor, giving a startled gasp at what she saw. Water…all over the stone! "Thorin…I…I think it is time!"

The king stood as still as stone, looking at the pool of liquid at his wife's feet. He knew what that meant…he was not that uninformed. But for some reason, the ability to move, speak, or even think, had completely escaped him. The baby was coming!

"Thorin?" Marigold repeated, breaking him from his trance.

"Yes…right…baby!" he stammered, moving forward and scooping her up into his strong, but shaking, arms and rushing for the door. "Don't you worry…I have everything under control."

On the way to the healing halls, Thorin managed to lose his way…twice! Marigold attributed that to being nervous about becoming a father, and not his sense of direction. Others might have disagreed.

Word spread quickly and soon the whole family had crowded into the waiting room, eager for news about Marigold. Ilin and Dena were kind enough to care for Flinn, Frerin, Tor and Tal, so that Sier and Bergie could be on hand for their queen. As the hours dragged on, and night turned into day, many of the company stopped in once again to check on things. Each one brought food or activities to distract those waiting the long hours for the baby to arrive. Even Nori, who had not bothered to take any bets on the gender of the child – given Thorin's dream and all – even came by to offer his support.

Thorin, who had long ago promised his wife that he would indeed be with her in the delivery room, had gone in full of confidence…yet quickly realized why males normally waited outside. He was a jangle of nerves! Battling Azog had been a cakewalk compared to watching his precious little Mari endure such agonizing pain. He held her hand, spoke soft words, and rubbed her back whenever she would allow him to assist her…but he still felt helpless. Dis, Sier and Bergie assured him that he was doing well, and that even if Marigold barked and snapped at him from time to time, it was only the pain talking, not her true feelings for him. This helped to ease his mind somewhat…for by the sound of things, his wife had no intentions of ever allowing him to touch her again!

"I told Dwalin the same thing," Bergie informed Thorin. "Give her a few months to recover and forget the pain, and she will be back to her usual loving self, I guarantee it."

Thorin was going to hold the hobbit lass to her words.

Sier was in charge of keeping the waiting room up to date on the progress, and when she at last reported that it was time, everyone was in eager anticipation. Inside the room, Thorin braced himself for the final moments before birth, with Oin assuring him that everything was going beautifully. The king only prayed this was true, for he had decidedly other ideas on the whole process…especially where his precious Marigold was concerned.

"Just a few more moments and we will be welcoming your little one," Oin said encouragingly, urging Marigold to give one final push.

"Our little Rose is almost here," Thorin whispered into his wife's ear, hoping it would bolster her resolve. It apparently did the trick, for with one final burst of effort, the baby was out and Marigold collapsed back against the pillows with a sigh of unmitigated relief.

"It's a lass!" Oin announced.

"Of course she is," Thorin retorted, never once wavering in his knowledge that he was having a daughter. His precious Rose.

Oin quickly had the babe cleaned and wrapped in a blanket and handed her over to her mother's waiting arms. The baby was the spitting image of her father, from her dark hair, her rounded dwarf ears, to her vibrant Durin blue eyes. The only evidence of her hobbit parentage was the light brush of peach-fuzz on the top of her feet, which were unusually small for a halfling. Yet the only thing that mattered to Thorin and Marigold was that she was healthy, and from what they could tell, that was very much the case.

"She is beautiful, Thorin," Marigold said, tears of joy streaming down her face. She couldn't take her eyes off of their lass, her perfect little features mesmerizing her to no end. She could sit and stare at her forever, and imagined herself doing so for hours on end. "Would you like to hold her, my love?" Marigold asked, turning to look at her husband…yet he was no longer there!

It was the loud thump at her side that alerted her to the fact that her mighty king of a husband had passed out…fainting dead away on the floor!

"THORIN!" she called, sitting up just a bit as she stared in alarm at the prone dwarf.

"Don't worry," Dis called, racing to his side. "You just concern yourself with that babe of yours…I will take care of this one!" She began to fan her brother with her hand.

"Oh, my! Dwalin will never let him live this down!" Bergie laughed, causing both Sier and Marigold to join in.

How the mighty king had fallen…literally!

Not long after, Thorin…who was now fully awake and swore he was not going to faint again…was allowed to hold his daughter and bring her out to the waiting crowd. He had strictly charged everyone in the room to not breathe a word about his little fainting episode, yet he knew eventually the tale would slip out. Still, as he held his daughter in his arms, he found he didn't have the heart to care. She was just as perfect as he remembered from his dream and he couldn't wait for the day when she would learn to speak and call him Adad.

"May I present to you all, Princess Rose, daughter of Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór." He held her up for everyone to see, a collective round of quiet congratulations spreading through the crowd.

"Two lads and two lasses now," Dwalin grinned proudly. "We have done well for the house of Durin."

"Aye, that we have," Thorin nodded, giving both his sword-brother and nephew a wide smile. "We have all been truly blessed by Mahal."

~XXX~

And as Sier looked back over their lives thus far, she found she had to agree. Unlike Fili and Dwalin, Thorin took to parenthood like a duck to water, requiring very little assistance in taking care of his wee one, unless it be when the two of them were completely exhausted and just needed a nap. Being king took up enough of his time and energies, but with an infant in the home, Thorin soon found he was ready to hit a wall. Thankfully, Fili and Kili stepped up, offering to care for their uncle's duties for a full two weeks following the birth, just to give him and Marigold a bit of breathing room. Thorin was extremely grateful.

Rose was the new doll of the mountain, with everyone eager to catch a glimpse of the little princess whenever the happy parents took her out in public. The four babes would grow up together, each one guaranteed the love and support that only siblings and cousins could offer. Flinn was especially happy with his new gaggle of playmates, even if he would have to wait a bit for them to grow to where they could run and play with him. Still, he looked forward to that day with great anticipation.

"And what has you smiling so, my love?" Fili asked, noticing the look of happy contentment on his wife's face.

"I was just thinking about our lives…of Dwalin and Bergie, and Thorin and Marigold. Of how wonderful things have turned out," she explained, snuggling into Fili's side as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I agree," he smiled. "The only thing that could make our family more perfect…is a little princess of our own."

"Oh?" Sier asked, looking up at him questioningly, his tone saying more than his words. "Do you know something that I don't?"

"Nothing for certain," he told her with a wicked grin. "But…I just had this very wonderful dream…" He left the implication hanging in the air, causing her eyes to open wide.

"A lass?" Sier asked in shock. "When? Are you sure?"

"My dream was not that specific…but I have it on good authority that your mother's name will be put to good use very soon," Fili revealed, his heart beating a mile a minute at the idea. He loved both his sons to distraction, yet even he could not help but wonder what it would be like to hold his daughter in his arms.

"Well," Sier replied, unable to hide her excitement over the news. "How about you and I return to our chambers and see what we can do about that."

"So soon?" Fili chuckled. "Frerin is only ten months old…don't you think that is rather quick to be having a third one?"

"You know as well as me that babes only come when they are ready," she pointed out, always eager to have her husband in her arms. "Still, there is no harm in practicing…is there? What do you say?"

"I say," Fili began, stepping back and bowing to her from the waist, "At your service, my lady," he joked, causing her to giggle at his antics. "But first I think we need to put these two back to bed, before we can return to our own." He gestured to where Flinn still sat, with little Frerin having already fallen asleep in his brother's arms. The older dwarfling continued his tale about Spark the tiny dragon, even though he knew he had lost his audience to slumber.

As he watched Flinn cradle Frerin in his arms, Fili couldn't help but imagine him and Kili. The two dwarflings would grow up to be the best of friends, just like they had. Granted his sons' lives would be far less difficult, never knowing the hunger or fear that came with being raised in exile. Still, as Fili looked back, he and Kili had never felt deprived in any way…except for the loss of their beloved father. But Thorin had stepped in and done a fabulous job of raising them, and they loved him dearly for it. They had had him, their mother, and a host of cousins to see that they became well rounded fighters and princes…and now Fili would pass on all that knowledge to his own sons. He only hoped that Kili would one day get to experience such joys as well. Yet that, it would seem, would have to wait for another time and tale.

"Flinn," Fili called to his son, careful to keep his voice low so as not to wake Frerin. "I think your brother is asleep."

"I know…but I'm not done with the story yet," he explained logically.

"Maybe you can finish it in the morning," Sier suggested. "Right now you belong in your own room, and your own bed."

"No!" Flinn stated stubbornly, yet with a pleading look. "I belong with my brother!"

Fili grinned. He couldn't fault his son there. Tomorrow he would relent and move Frerin's things into Flinn's room, allowing the two lads to share at last. Besides, they would need this chamber soon for their daughter…if his dream was any indication.

"Yes, you do belong with him," Fili told his son, walking over and giving him a kiss on his cheek. "And I couldn't have said it better myself."

The End…of part two

Thank you all for reading part two of my story. I honestly never dreamed it would be going on this long when I began…but Thorin, Dwalin and Kili's love life just cropped up unexpectedly. I am going to list this story as 'complete'– even though you know I fully intend to continue on with Kili's tale. But just in case for some terrible reason I fall off the face of the earth, this is a nice place to call it done…for now.

I will continue on with part 3 right here, not making it another story, so that no one will be confused or have trouble locating it when I begin posting again. I will write as quickly as I can and make my beta readers work overtime, but I need to get a nice healthy helping of chapters stockpiled ahead of time before I can start posting. So be patient with me, and don't drift away before I get it done!

Thanks again for all your wonderful reviews and comments. I treasure every one. See you soon!

T.O.W.G.

Guest Reviews:

(Any reviews you leave for THIS chapter, I will respond to on the first chapter of part 3...whenever it gets posted)

Emrfangirl: Yah, well, Balin just seemed the most logical to pass out...since he did it before. ha ha. Glad you enjoyed the names, I worked really hard on them. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews and for sticking with the story so long.

abc: I do like to leave you laughing...or going awwww. ha ha. And yep, SOMEONE had to faint. Fili is all ready for more kids, but Sier is NOT. Give her time though...give her time. Thanks again for reviewing so often, and for distiguising who you were by your abc name. It really helps me keep the 'guests' straight. Hope to see you again in part three.

gginsc: So glad you enjoyed it. And I think Nori will survive losing ONE bet. ha ha. He is still one of the richest dwarfs in Middle Earth. ha ha.

Feu d'Argent: Ha ha, I can remember when it was only chapter 1 ! Oh, that was a long time ago, since I started posting back on Jan. 9th! Oh, I think that Tal will be a daddy's girl for sure! And Balin already embarsed himself when he fained last time...but I had to let him do it again. Bergie was fine with the names. She is a good egg. Your squeal pieced my ear drums! ha ha. Fili might have been planning for another one, but Sier said NO to that...at least for now. ha ha. Yep, the two boys are named after Fili's dad and his sword brother Frerin. Very fitting. I agree, I see Flinn as a protector too. You are reading about Glorfindel in the book right now? See, he is a great character...why did no one use him in the movies? Thanks for the potato...not sure who said you offer them though, and for what? But I will bake it up and slather it with butter and sour cream and have it for dinner. ha ha. I appreciate all your kind reviews! Thanks a bunch.

Aranel Mereneth: Yep, Fili and Kili...the next generation. ha ha. You are right, a daughter next would mimic Thorin, Frerin and Dis! Too funny. We will see what happens in part three then. And I hope to see you back when I start posting part three. Thanks for your continued support and wonderful reviews. Always appreciated.