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Bonus chapter!

That means don't read out of order by mistake.

PLEASE leave me a review at the end of this one.

I really want to know what you think of it. OK?

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CONTEST!

From here on out, if you spot a line I used from the movie, and mention it in a review, I will send you a little snippet of the next chapter. I can only do this for those who have accounts though, sorry...I can't PM a Guest reviewer, the FF site won't let me.

So keep a look out, and let me know if you spot one!

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Chapter 111

~X~

Flinn had been really scared when the orcs had seemingly come out of nowhere while they had been eating their dinner in the cave, grabbing both him and his brother before they had a chance to even scramble to their feet. And while he had lived through an abduction before, by that horrid Bina lady, this was all new for Frerin. Thus, Flinn was determined to do everything he could to take care of his little brother and make sure he was not frightened.

However, that was easier said than done when they were locked in the vise grip of a big, ugly orc who kept sniffing at them like they were a delicious snack. He was very grateful to Bofur for trying to protect them, but his little heart sank when he thought of how upset his adad would be when he found out they were missing. And right now, he was really wishing they had obeyed their parents and gone camping with Bombur.

"What'cha got there, Mul?" another moldy-faced orc asked as they stopped in front of a set of iron doors. "Are they for eat'n?" it asked hopefully, poking at Flinn with his dirty finger.

"Naahh, the boss says not yet," he replied with a huff, but then he gave Frerin an extra squeeze, making the little dwarfling cry out in discomfort. "But when we can…I claim this one, he looks really juicy."

"Fine, but the other's mine then," the second orc laughed, watching Flinn and Frerin's eyes grow wide with fear.

"Don't you touch my brother!" Flinn snarled, wiggling in an attempt to get his arms free so he could strike out at the horrid creatures taunting them.

"Oh, I'll do more than touch him, little ferret…I'll swallow him whole, bones and all," Mul laughed. "But for now, get inside. And don't go giving us any trouble." He then nodded for the other orc to open the cell, waiting as he fumbled with the key before the door at last swung open.

As the orc took them inside, Flinn could see that it was a large cavern, roughly cut and full of nooks and crannies that served as little nests for the many prisoners that were housed there. Everywhere the little dwarf looked, he saw dirty, tired, and beaten down prisoners, huddled here and there as if asleep…or at least he hoped they were only sleeping. There were a few lanterns burning near the doors, causing an eerie shadow around the chamber, making it appear far more frightening than it probably was. But since Flinn and Frerin were already beyond terrified, it truly didn't help matters. The little dwarf was jarred from his thoughts as the horrid orc dropped them on the floor quite roughly. But Flinn was up in a flash, grabbing Frerin and pulling his sniffling brother away from their captors.

"My adad's going to cut you open when he gets here!" Flinn yelled, striking out with his foot and kicking the orc in the ankle. He knew he couldn't do much harm, but his boots had steel toes, and he smiled with pleasure when the gruesome orc let out a cry of pain.

"Why you rotten little maggot!" the orc screamed, lunging for the blond dwarfling. "I don't care what the boss says…I'm going to wring your scrawny little neck!"

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It had been another long day, which he knew would be followed by a very short night, and then right back to slaving away in the mines. Like the other prisoners in the cavern, the tired dwarf was attempting to find escape in the form of sleep, their only refuge from the horror their lives had become. The wooden bowl that had held his meager rations was lying empty beside him, the tasteless mash having already been greedily consumed. He had been a prisoner of Gorbash for nearly twenty years now, best as he could tell, yet this had not been the start of his forced servitude. As the blond haired dwarf sat there against the wall, he wondered for the millionth time why he even bothered going on. So many of his fellow prisoners had given up long ago, preferring death over this life of torment. Yet, he had always found a reason to continue living, a reason to not lose hope...and those reasons came in the form of his beautiful wife and two strong sons. He would never stop trying to return to them, never let despair get the better of him…even if it had now been over ninety years since he, Flinn, son of Frár, had been taken captive by a horde of orcs back near Ered Luin.

Since then, Flinn had been sold and traded from one backwater town to the next, working for different masters on boats, in mines and on land. He had attempted to escape many times, but those who paid money for slaves guarded their possessions carefully, and he was always dragged back after only a brief taste of freedom. Only once had he almost given in, wishing for death and a quick trip to the Halls of Mandos, and that had been when he was sold into a fighting ring, pitted against others for sport. Flinn was a strong dwarf, and after the dragon had stolen their home, he had been trained to fight by the best…by Thorin. Yet he had always loved working with his hands, both in the mines and in the forges, preferring to create instead of destroy. He hated the idea having to kill simply to remain alive, and day after day, it ate away at him until he felt as if there was so little of who he used to be left.

But then they would come to him in his dreams…his lovely wife, Dis, his precious diamond, and his two little dwarflings, Fili and Kili. He would see their faces whenever he closed his eyes, and that alone kept him going. Kept him alive, simply for the hope of seeing them once again. So, when he was at last brought here, to this accursed mine, Flinn knew it was only one more nightmare he would have to survive if he wanted to hold his loved ones in his arms again. For where there was life, there was hope. And right now that was all Flinn was living on…hope.

Yet when he heard the chamber doors open, and the orc they called Mul came in carrying two small dwarflings, Flinn sat up and took notice. Around him were many others, all prisoners who had been brought here and beaten down by hard labor and cruel treatment - yet hardly any raised their heads to see what was going on. Flinn might have remained where he sat as well, choosing to rest his weary body and not get involved, but when he saw the older looking lad bravely kick the brainless orc, he knew he had to intervene. What if it were his own lads being tossed in here, lost and helpless? Wouldn't he want someone to step up and protect them? Well, Flinn could do no less…even though he knew it would more than likely lead to him being punished.

"Why you rotten little maggot!" Mul screamed. "I don't care what the boss says…I'm going to wring your scrawny little neck!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Flinn warned, his voice deep and threatening.

"Oh, yah? And who's gunna stop me?" Mul sneered, eying the ragged looking dwarf. "You?"

"If I have to," he nodded. "Yet if Gorbash told you not to harm the lads, like you just said, then I would worry more about him than me. The boss don't like it when his lackeys disobey him."

Mul seemed to be thinking this over, while the two dwarflings scrambled into a nearby corner, the older one placing himself protectively in front of the smaller one. The orc looked from Flinn, to the children, and then back again before making up his mind.

"They ain't worth the trouble," he muttered, giving one last longing glance at the dark haired dwarfling's tasty looking legs. He then turned to Flinn, pointing his gnarled finger at him in a threatening manner. "But you…I won't forget this come morning. I'll make sure you are put into the pit first, and you can forget about there being any food or water sent down with you this time."

"What else is new?" Flinn replied, not backing down in the face of his tormenter's threats.

"Watch your mouth, grub!" Mul snarled, hating how this one never seemed to fear him like the others. "You don't wanna get on my bad side."

"That would imply you have a good side…which I ain't seen hide nor hair of in all the time I've been here," Flinn snorted, watching the orc storm out the door, slamming it with such a force that it caused dust and dirt to rain down on those inside. When the air finally cleared, and the older dwarf was able to see clearly again, he eyed the two lads who were now huddled together on the floor in the corner, hidden partially by the shadows. From their size, they looked too young to even be away from their mother…and far too young to be here!

"Come on, lads," Flinn said, doing his best to sound comforting. "No one will hurt you, I promise." When the two didn't even raise their heads to look his way, he gave a heavy sigh and stepped closer, kneeling down in front of them in hopes of appearing less intimidating. Flinn knew he probably looked a sight, his hair and beard in desperate need of a good wash and combing, and his clothes were hardly more than rags any more. But he did his best to appear friendly, giving the dwarflings what he hoped was a warm smile – it had been a very long time since he had a reason to even try such an expression. "There's no need to be scared of me, I'm about as harmless as they come."

Yet as both children slowly lifted their heads, and Flinn got a good look at them for the first time, all the blood drained from his face. He was so shocked by what he saw that he lost his balance, falling back onto the stone floor.

"No…no it can't be!" he gasped, rubbing at his eyes as if he somehow believed they were playing tricks on him. "What madness is this…you…you can't be them!" He reached out a hand to touch the two dwarflings that so resembled his long lost sons, yet jerked it back when it seemed to frighten them. "F-f-fili?" he stammered, staring at the blond child as tears filled his disbelieving eyes. "Kili? Is…is it really you?" He then moved forward, inching closer as if afraid they would vanish into thin air. "You…you've grown," he murmured, a loving smile touching his lips. "You're both bigger than when I left. Fili, you only came up as high as my knees…and Kili, you were still crawling around on all fours." He was now rambling, not knowing what to say or do when faced with the joy of seeing his little sons at last, his Fili and Kili, the pride of he and Dis.

Yet as he looked once more at the two frightened children, his desperate mind suddenly realized his foolish mistake. They couldn't be his sons…they were far too young! Fili and Kili would be grown dwarrow by now, nearly as old as he had been when they were born. Flinn had done his best to keep track of the years, counting each one and trying to imagine what his lads would look like as they grew. Did Fili now look like him, as he and Dis had suspected he would…and did Kili still favor the Durin side of his blood, taking after his beautiful wife? It was then, as he stared at the darker lad, he caught sight of his eyes.

"No…you can't be my Kili…he had brown eyes, and yours are blue," he mumbled, slowly rising to his feet and stumbling back to the side of the wall and sinking against it. He brought his knees up to his chest and buried his head in his folded arms. "You're not them…you're not real. I've gone mad…totally mad from years of separation and grief…it's just a dream, you cannot be them…they're far, far away." By now his shoulders were shaking violently from the force of his sobs, obviously believing that he had finally lost his mind…and with it, his last bit of hope.

After what could have been only a few moments, or perhaps hours, Flinn felt a small hand touch his shoulder, causing him to jump. If they were not real…they couldn't be touching him, could they? He dared to lift his head, a mixture of fear and apprehension in his moist eyes.

"Please don't cry," the blond child said, cocking his head to the side as he stared at him curiously. "We didn't mean to make you sad."

"No…you…you're not real," Flinn stated once more, desperate to cling to any shred of sanity he had left.

"We are too," Frerin argued, but quickly ducked behind his brother when the strange dwarf turned to look at him.

"Why did you call us Fili and Kili?" young Flinn asked, his little brow furrowed in confusion.

"Because…because you look like someone I knew with those names, long, long ago." He then reached out and touched the older one on the arm, finally convinced that they were not an apparition like he had initially believed. "But even if you are real…I now know you're not them. Those aren't your names, are they?"

"No…my name's Flinn, and this is my brother, Frerin," the little prince introduced proudly. "But our adad's name is Fili…and we have an uncle named Kili."

At this Flinn's mouth fell open in utter shock, making him glad he was sitting down, for if not he would have certainly been brought to his knees. The blond dwarfling bore his name…and the dark haired one had the same name as his beloved sword-brother, who had perished in battle so many years ago. How could this be? What were the odds? And the older one looked so much like his Fili…so much like him, where the younger lad bore a striking resemblance to his little Kili.

"What did you just say your father's name was?" Flinn asked slowly, his spinning mind battling to put everything into place.

"Fili," little Flinn answered. "And our uncle's name is Kili. Do you know them?"

"I…I think I used to," Flinn smiled, as tears once again began to stream down his cheeks. "You see, I named my two little lads those names…lads who looked an awful lot like you."

"You kind of look like our adad too," Frerin spoke up bravely, inching away from behind his brother. "Or you would…if you combed your hair and took a bath."

"Frerin! That's not nice," Flinn scolded, yet knowing his little brother spoke the truth. It was strange to see his father's features on another dwarf…yet a bit older looking, with more wrinkles and some grey hair in his unkempt beard.

"I'm sorry, Mister," Frerin said, hanging his head in shame. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"Don't be sorry, young one, you didn't say anything that wasn't true," older Flinn laughed, possibly for the first time in years. "I know I'm not exactly up to spit and polish."

"What's your name?" little Flinn asked, his mind finally starting to put things together, though he was unsure how it could all be true. "If you named your own kids Fili and Kili…what's yours?"

"Flinn," he answered, reaching out and touching his grandson's cheek gently. "I'm called Flinn, son of Frár, father of Fili and Kili, and husband to princess Dis of Erebor."

"Hey! Our N'ama's name is Dis!" Frerin gasped, looking up at the strange dwarf and eyeing him suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"I think that he…he's our Ugmil'adad, Frerin!" little Flinn whispered, never taking his eyes off of the legendary dwarf before him. "He's our adad's adad!"

"But I thought he died a long time ago?" Frerin argued, not yet fully convinced. "If he's our grandfather…where's he been?"

"I've been kept prisoner for a very long time, lads," Flinn explained. "I was stolen from your grandmother, your father, and your uncle, when they were both smaller than you are now, and never allowed to return. I have tried and tried to escape, and longed for nothing more than to see them again…but the orcs, and others, have kept me prisoner for years. Obviously, I have missed out on a great deal."

Flinn wanted nothing more than to pull the two lads into his arms and hold them forever, yet he worried that it might yet be too soon. They had only just met, and from the way little Frerin kept looking at him, he could tell the dwarfling was still unsure. Flinn decided that he would wait, he wouldn't push the lads. Yet something he couldn't hold back on was his need for knowledge about Dis. He then shut his eyes and asked the question his heart had longed to know for nearly a century.

"Is…is your grandmother still alive?" he begged to know. "Please tell me that my beloved Dis has not departed to the Halls of Mandos."

"No…she's alive, and the best N'ama ever!" little Flinn assured him, causing the older dwarf to cover his face with his hands and weep once more - but this time out of pure joy.

"Oh, my darling Dis…I have prayed so many times that you would not fade from this earth without me," he said out loud, speaking to her as if she were right there. And yet, with his two precious grandsons standing before him, he now felt her presence like never before. She was alive…Fili and Kili were alive…his prayers had been answered. "And Thorin…what about him?"

"Uncle Thorin's alive too," little Flinn nodded. "He's the king of Erebor."

"King…of Erebor?" This was news to him, yet somehow Flinn never doubted his brother-in-law's intent to retake their homeland. Still, to hear that it had been accomplished brought a proud smile to his face. "But what became of the dragon?"

"Dead," Frerin informed him matter of factly. "They killed him with the help of the men of Dale and the elves of Mirkwood."

"Men, and elves, aided Thorin?" Flinn wondered if he wasn't in fact still dreaming after all, for he could hardly believe his ears. "Thorin accepted help from elves?"

"Elves are nice!" Frerin huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at his grandfather sternly. "And Miss Tauriel is the best one of all! She's pretty and smart and brave and a great fighter!"

"Now, now, little one," Flinn smiled, seeing that he had touched a nerve. "I never said elves were bad…just that I was surprised that your Uncle Thorin was friendly with them now."

"He wasn't always," little Flinn shrugged, recalling how things had improved over the past years. "But he likes them well enough now…except, he still seems to get a sour look on his face when King Thranduil visits. But I think the elf king's amazing, and Adad says it's all right if I do."

"Me too!" Frerin nodded, always willing to back his brother up.

"And your mother?" Flinn asked, eager to hear more about his sons' lives. "Who did my son Fili marry? What is her name?"

"Ama!" Frerin supplied, looking as if it were a foolish question.

"No, silly, her name is Sier," Flinn said with a roll of his eyes. "Only you, me, and Freya, call her Ama."

"Freya?" Flinn questioned. "You have a sister?"

"Yes, but she's really little," the blond dwarfling told him. "So she's back in Erebor with Ama and Uncle Thorin. But she's probably happier there, since she has Rose, Tor, and Tal to play with."

"And who are they?" Flinn was a bit confused now.

"They're our cousins!" little Flinn said proudly.

"Cousins? Does Kili have a wife and little ones as well?" Flinn felt his chest swell with pride as he imagined the families his two sons might now have.

"No!" Frerin said, starting to laugh at the idea. "Uncle Kili's not married. Uncle Thorin is Rose's adad, and…" the little dwarfling began to explain, but their grandfather cut him off.

"Thorin is married…and has a child?" Would wonders never cease? Flinn could not believe it…who on earth could have ever tied that crotchety dwarf down long enough to catch his eye? The Thorin he remembered had been a confirmed bachelor. "What dwarrowdam did he marry?"

"Auntie Marigold," little Flinn filled him in. "But she's not a dam…she's a hobbit."

"A what?" This part came as such a shock that Flinn began to choke on his own air, and had to cough a few times as Frerin moved around and patted him on the back like their mother did when they ate too fast. "Thorin married a…hobbit?"

"Uh-huh," little Flinn nodded, not quite sure why he would find that so strange…it was perfectly natural to him. "Uncle Dwalin married a hobbit too, and he and Aunt Bergie have twins, Torin and Talin, who were born on the same day as Frerin."

Older Flinn was completely speechless for a good minute, before he was at last able to gather his wits once more. He then patted the stone floor on either side of him, inviting his grandsons to take a seat.

"Flinn…Frerin," he began, wonder and amazement in his voice. "I think you should start at the beginning and tell me everything. And please, do me a favor…speak very slow, or I fear I might pass out from shock."

Sooooo? Did I shock you? Were you surprised? What do you think of Fili and Kili's dad being alive?

I worked so hard to keep it a secret, even though I planned all this way back in the first part of the story with Fili and Sier - hinting around that his father's body was never found, that Dis still held a torch for him, and talked to his statue in the burial chambers, that there was this Gorbash character enslaving dwarves, etc. I tried to drop a lot of hints without outright telling you what I had planned. I hope you were surprised.

And now you know why I had to have Flinn and Frerin tag along on the journey. Because I thought it would be great fun to have him meet them first.

Now...who found some lines from the movie in this chapter? What were they?

Please drop me a line and let me know what you thought of Flinn Sr. coming back.

Guest Reviews:

Feu d'Argent: I can barely speak the language I was born to, let alone learn a new one. ha ha. Does Pig-latin count? Bribery works...and no Romeo and Juliet here. As you can see, your baby rabbit with puppy dog eyes worked. Now...tell me, were you shocked about Flinn Sr?

Emrfangirl: From the bonus chapter, you can see that I was not mean...I didn't leave you hanging. And ha ha, I never meant to let Fili get hurt, but I couldn't resist using that line. ha ha. Thanks.

Guest: Well, since in my version, Fili never said that line "I've got this" because he never separated from Kili and got himself killed...so I thought, why waste a good line. ha ha. I agree, Bain needs to show his quality...Bard is a hard act to follow. True, a dwarf trapped under rock is one thing...but an elf. Sad. It would be a miracle if Flinn and Frerin got out of their own predicament and saved others...but don't hold your breath. ha ha. Sooooo, what did you think of Flinn Sr. coming back from the dead?

Aranel Mereneth: Yes, but thankfully this time, that line came true...Fili really DID 'have this' ha ha. And as you can see, I gave you the bonus chapter.

abc: Yep it looks like just about EVERYONE is in deep trouble right now. And I will fix it...not saying how or when, but I will. ha ha. Thanks.