Hey again! This one is full of emotion and relationship developments, but a big, excited update is soon to come! :)

Jennifer: Thank you! Keep the love coming :3 hahaha i want them to kiss as well, but we all have to wait for it..
TeddybearLovingInsomniac: She'll get better. :) I think you'll love this one!
whiteredebony: You're welcome! Hahaha that was the most fun part! Glad you like it, he was hard but amusing to describe.
SilverPenguin87: Fili is a clever one, isn't he? ;)
Birdy21: :3 :3 thank you for sticking around!

Enjoy!


Fili pushed the wooden door open and the young princes went back inside. The dwarrows were all occupied with their own thing. Without a doubt, Oin was the busiest as he covered the injured ones with his special ointment. Gloin and Bombur were absent, probably looking for food and some dry branches to start a fire with. Bofur and Bifur were engaged in something just as important; woodcarving. They were trying to carve a masterkey out of wood, that would free them all from their cuffs. They were consulting each other in Khuzdul every once in a while. Bifur's concentrated face and gentle way of working on the wood was something to see. A person who didn't know about him at all would never tell that he was normally a very quick-tempered and excited one.

"Oin, please go get your hearing trumpet fixed, ALRIGHT?"

The roar that soared unannounced scared the young princes off. It came from Fai, who had gotten sick of trying to make herself heard. She wanted him to fix that damn trumpet as soon as possible, so she could give the specifics about her injuries, like where it hurts the most. Her face softened when Oin smiled at her guiltily, and she sighed.

"Go now, okay? Bofur will be more than glad to see to it."

Kili was nailed to his spot at the sight of her. She looked completely worn out. Her face was pale, but her lips, her chin and neck was smudged with her crimson blood. There was a scar on her cheek, probably caused by a damn Goblin nail. The tunic she was wearing was tattered and thorn, and it too, was washed in her blood. Even some strands of her long gold hair was stained with blood. It all gave Kili a tightness in his chest, as if someone was sitting on his ribs and keeping him from breathing. He couldn't tell but his fists were already clenched and something was pulsing along her jawline as he gritted his teeth.

When Fai meet his gaze, she got goosebumps out of fear. He looked like as if he was going to punch something, or somebody. She quickly considered what she might be done this time, however came up with nothing. She definitely had had no choice this time, she hadn't volunteered for the torture, nor she had tried to save someone. If he was angry with her, because she refused to tell their plan? No, she thought, it'd be too insane, even for him. When Kili broke the eye contact and stomped towards Ori, she felt heavy.

Fili shook his head in disbelieve towards his brother and walked to the girl who suddenly had puppy eyes. "Any better?" he asked, clasping her hand in his own two. Fai faked a smile.

"Kinda. Oin has taken care of the wound on my shoulder so far, but I doubt if there's anything he could do about my arms and legs. I feel like a puppet with disconnected wires, Fili. Being useless sucks. Not that I was useful before-"

"You are not being anything but a fool, love." his voice was so warming that Fai smiled for real this time. "If there's anyone being useless, that is me."

Fai frowned at his words as he made no sense to her. She tried to straight herself in the bed, but it was way too painful and her muscles was still in no use. "What do you mean by this nonsense?" she inquired, looking right into his eyes.

Fili let go of her hand. He was suddenly having difficult time looking into her eyes, and when he finally spoke he sounded heart breaking. "I had offered you my sword, you know. I had sworn that I would protect you at all costs. You managed to save my brother's life, yet, I failed to save you and here you are, lying on a makeshift bed with countless wounds."

Fai would hug him if she could. His dwarven pride was unbelievable, thinking that he should've stand up to the Goblin King and his multitude of an army to save her, it was the most loyal thing she'd ever heard. "Fili," she mumbled. "I know you would, if you could. Please don't beat yourself up? And seriously, you don't even have to! That was a one big oath you took, you know.."

This time it was Fili who eyed her in disbelieve. He was looking at her as if she suddenly grew a third arm or something. "Of course I have to?" he squawked. "You are my sister now, Fai." The way he uttered the words left no room for surprise. He acted as if what he said was the most natural thing, and that Fai should be knowing that already.

"Am I what?" The lump in her throat was no such thing to easily gulp away. No one, again, no one had ever referred to her as a sister. She had no family, nor she knew how to be a part of one.

"Sister, Fai. Khazush." Fili looked her with great compassion. He definitely knew how to be a big brother, and he was probably the best at being one. He could see then, that Fai was no way near of knowing what is it like to have a brother. He tried to understand if it was from the memory loss, or if she had no family at all. He held her gaze again, and spoke. "After what I saw today, I am more sure, even. You didn't say a word, Fai. They couldn't break you. You are one of us now, better start considering yourself one."

Fai couldn't form a single word. She just spread her arms clumsily, looking like a broken puppet and tried to make him understand that she needed a hug. Yet, Fili shook his head no. Instead, he held both of her hands this time and sent a genuine smile.

"I can't dare. You have way too many wounds for a hug."

Eyeing a very dispirited Kili with the corner of his eye, Fili thought he wouldn't dare to hug her also for another reason. His brother was spying on them since they began to talk and everytime Fili showed affection, Kili's eyes on him felt like lasers. Fili wanted to laugh, more than anything actually, but he wouldn't do this to his brother. Insisting on she must be resting, the gold-headed prince smiled one more time and excused himself. Just before he turned his back, Fai's impish voice called for him.

"Admit it, the whole sister thing. It's just because we both have golden hair, innit?"


.oOo.


"What did that filth mean about the Pale Orc?"

Out in the woods, the King Beneath the Mountain stood with a face that was solid as a statue. He wore a violent frown, and under it there were volcanos replacing his eyes. Dwalin and Balin were accompanying him. Dwalin was sitting on what once was a tree. It was looking like a wide, slick table instead. By whomever it had been cut, the dwarf wondered.

Right in front of Thorin was Balin, studying him with a concerned expression on his face. He didn't know how to put him wise to what had been going on for all those years. Of course, Balin had heard the gossips. After all, they had never be a witness to the Orc's death first hand. As a matter of fact, they had only assumed that he was destroyed, by looking at the mortality of his wounds.

The gossips had grown wilder with the passing of time, but somehow Balin always managed to keep Thorin immune to them. They couldn't afford to have him went after that beast after all, they couldn't afford to lose another king. It had took Balin a little, yet crucial conversation with Gandalf to know that Azog was alive. The Wizard had pulled him aside back in Bag End, to had him warned about their enemy. Later on, the attack of the Orcs with Wargs had made it pretty clear that they'd been hunted. And finally, the Goblin King's statement left no room for doubt that the pale Orc was alive.

"You my lad, have more fateful things now to concern about." responded Balin finally, with a persuasive tone.

"I demand an answer!" Thorin roared, so loud that his voice made couple of ravens fly away.

"If you don't want to reveal our hiding place for the night, I suggest you keep your voice down." Balin's voice stiffened up as he glared at Thorin. There was times when Balin treats Thorin like the reckless child he was, instead of a king. That was one of those times. The old man used his authoritative side against Thorin's pure dwarven stubbornness. And surprisingly, it worked as Thorin lowered his voice down to a more reasonable level.

"I have to finish what I had started, Balin."

His words stirred Dwalin. The dwarf stood up and lurched towards his best friend. His face looked firmer than usual, if such thing was possible with Dwalin. "Look," he started, his voice all gravelly. "If that is what you want, I will follow you to the Halls of Mandos."

Thorin's eyes became glassy over Dwalin's remark. "I know you would." he tried to smile, putting his hand on his shoulder. "But this my fight and my fight only. I need to separate his miserable head from his filth of a body by myself."

"Not necessarily." Balin interrupted, putting on the indomitable face. "The journey once has been started, and you were the one who called upon us. You will not be leaving us for a side-quest."

"You know just as well master Balin that this is not an issue I can take lightly. I will have my father's revenge, this is another quest itself. Azog the Defiler, shall die a terrible death." his voice grew wilder as he came to the end of his words. With early rays of sunlight shining upon his head, he was looking like the mighty king he is.

"Then let him get into hot waters. Let him come to us, instead of abandoning our main purpose." Dwalin spoke, with fires burning in his eyes. Balin gazed upon the King with his confidant standing beside him. Dwalin, Balin's brother, and Thorin was always alike. And Balin had felt the need to look after them both. He had been watching over them both for all those years, and they had grown up to be pretty similar to each other. Their rage and loyalty, and all the other personal traits that made them who they were were completely the same.

Balin shook his head worriedly, and spoke with a throaty voice. "We won't be waiting out in the open, exposed to the fullest, to be hunted. We have children amongst us. Children Thorin, son of Thráin, children who have risked their lives for you without a second thought."

Thorin was fighting himself. At first, he looked angry. "They have all been but informed," he spat. "No one had promised them security." But then his stance loosened, his face looked desperate than ever. "Balin."

No one said a word for a respectable amount of time. But when Thorin spoke, his voice was all powerful and determined again. "We will keep going," he said. "We'll do as we have done till today. Trouble seem to be chasing us no matter what we do, so maybe that scum's path will cross ours as well. But till then, we will be in no search of him."


.oOo.


The Dwarrows were pretty happy to finally be freed from their cuffs. Bofur and Bimbur were wandering around, unlocking them carefully. The happiest of them all was Dwalin. Back in the Goblin tunnels, he had been the first one to separated from the group. As soon as Gandalf had come, Dwalin had hammered his chains and darted forward to save Fai. Since there was no way to unclock the cuffs, he had to keep wearing them till this very moment. When Bofur got rid of them eventually, Dwalin started a song so loud that the rest of them worried he might awaken Fai and Ori.

When Bofur headed towards Fai's bed, he wavered for a second for she was asleep. He finally decided to leave the makeshift key on her bedside. What he didn't know that was someone eyeing him intensely.

When Bofur moved away from her bed, Kili stood up oh so quiet, carefully looking around as if someone was after him. He took uneasy steps in Fai's direction. She was sleeping, the sunlight leaking through the cracks on the rooftop was washing her face. Her hair never looked this golden and that reminded him of his brother, so he smiled. As he got closer, he got a better view of her bruises and wounds. The air had become an issue again, and he hated that feeling. Her arms that had repeatedly pinched by Goblins were covered in bruises, and her lips were torn, painted in her blood. He remembered how she choked on her own blood lying on that torturing table.

He then slowly moved ahead and sat on her bed, so slow that it took him minutes. Her chest was going slowly up and down as she breathed in her sleep and Kili didn't know what he would do if she wakes up. He slowly leaned forward to take the key standing next to her, but when he did their faces got so close that he felt her breath in his ear. What made his heart suddenly skip a beat?

That was it, he couldn't do it. He withdrew at full steam with a full blush on his face, and got up on his feet only to toss into his brother.

"What are you doing?" Fili inquired then, his tone was highly amused that Kili didn't know if he should punch him, or blush even more instead.

"I was going to get rid of her cuffs." Kili retorted defensively, pushing a step back so that they can see each other properly.

"Why did you backed down then? She's still wearing 'em."

"What are you two bickering about?"

Fai's sleepy voice startled them. Fili held her gaze with a huge smile on his face, and placed his hands on Kili's shoulders. He then turned him around in her direction. The brown headed one instantly started talking without giving his brother the chance, but only to be interrupted back.

"I was about to lea-"

"My brother is going to free you from the cuffs. Bet you've head enough of them, aye?"

Fai couldn't tell what was going on but their facial expressions were priceless. Fili, standing with the cheekiest smile ever, and Kili, gazing her intensely. She had always liked that about him; the face he pulled when he was thinking, confused or uncertain about something. But it was different to be at the center of his glance than to admire it from afar.

In a heartbeat, Fili was gone and they were alone. Fai didn't know why it was so awkward between them again, or she didn't know why Kili was acting like a mental. He had been all protective and concerned about her down in the Goblin Town, but in that moment he was looking like he doesn't even want to see her face. It had been easy for Fai to forget about her huge crush when there were Wargs, Orcs, Trolls and Goblins around. But now that they were in a rather calmer place all the feels seemed to rush back into her, making her all uncomfortable around him again. So she didn't say anything as Kili sat beside her and hesitantly hold the cuff in her left hand.

She winced in pain when the cuff scraped the scars on her wrist. Kili instantly froze on spot, cursing himself in his head. "Sorry- I'm so sorry," he gasped. "I'll be done with it in a minute."

And he really was. When he flung the cuffs down aggressively, his sleeve got rolled up and Fai saw the same scars she had was encircling his wrists also. Without a word, she shiftlessly moved her wrists before him, and placed them onto his. Four wrists wearing bracelets out of blood rested together, as Kili's eyes got wider on her bold move.

"This is almost more annoying than the torture itself." Fai mumbled referring the scars, and for some reason she avoided his gaze. Her eyes were fixated on their wrists and her body was taken over by the feeling of his touch against her skin. "It stings all the time." And you deserve it, she scolded herself, you are being a total fangirl in the middle of a life and death situation. She was feeling stupid to the fullest, and didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable, so after a few more minutes she slowly retracted her arms. She'd been thinking about how she acted around him and every little thing she had said or done since the first day, and they all seemed idiotic.

Kili hadn't said a word the whole time. And it was impossible to read his face, for he was still keeping the same, intense gaze of his. The wrinkle between his brows was deepening at times, but other than that there was nothing.

"Kili," she said, her voice was barely louder than a whisper. If she really didn't need someone, she would have never spoken but considering her condition, she had no choice. "Can you.. Can you like- get me someone to clean my wounds? I know Oin already did, but they keep bleeding, so.."

The dark headed prince was lost in his own thoughts. He was so concentrated on caging his anger that it had paralyzed his talking function completely. Seeing her wounds all so closely had hit him harder than he thought. She saved you, didn't she, he ruminated. You should have been able to protect her. He didn't know with whom he was more angry with. The Goblins or himself? It was the stupidest thing ever, really, to constantly acting deranged around her. And they say I don't take after my ancestors when it comes to some traits of the dwarvenkind, he thought. I can happily share some of my protectiveness and anger. Apparently there's more than enough for us all.

When her voice finally pulled him out of his trance, he tried to smile to break the awkwardness, and nodded. "Alright, I'll go get Oin." And just like that, he left.

Looking around, it didn't take him long to see that Oin was absent. As he walked outside troubledly, he bumped into his brother for the second time that day. Except this time they were alone and Kili got some things to say.

"Do you remember how I told you about I loved having someone to protect?" he asked, not bothering to hide his dander.

The conversation had taken place between them in Bag End, Fili remembered. His brother had told him about how having someone that needs protection was making him feel useful. So instead of giving a reply Fili just nodded, encouraging his brother to keep talking.

"Well, I take it back. It sucks. I feel tired all the time."

That was when the fair headed one got filled with compassion. His younger brother was standing before him, his hands crossed against his chest, looking all furious. It reminded him of the times when he was a dwarfling, and how angry he had gotten when Dwalin eats his cookies. Barely restraining himself from a chuckle, Fili then spoke. "This is one of that rare situations that I don't get you at all."

Of course he lied. Fili knew him like the back of his hand and right at that time, he knew what his brother really needed. For Fili to not to know. So the older one kept what he figured out to himself, and decided to do so for quite a while more.

"I act deranged around her." Kili bursted. "But only when she is in danger or wounded. By Durin's beard, my twisted mind lets us to be friends as long as she's not injured. How stupid is that?"

Fili shot him a soothing look and tried to calm him down with his honeyed voice. "Stop being so harsh to yourself, brother. You know that it's in your nature."

Kili's burst got even wilder at his brother's remark. "So basically I am too young to grow a beard, but my youth is definitely enough to bear all those rage?"

"But it is your age that makes everything much more intense." Fili cooled him down one more time. Thinking about that maybe it was time for a little joke, he added with a sly grin. "Except your beard tho."

"I swear to Mahal, don't push me." Kili groused."It's already hard enough to keep myself from punching things when I'm around her. Her scars overwhelm me so much that I almost showed a handful of hay down my throat back there. That, or beating my own chest in rage, you tell me which one would be more ridiculous."

Fili could no longer hold it inside. The image of his brother eating Fai's bed had blessed him with a hoot of laughter. It was so contagious that at some point, Fili heard his brother's laugh joining his musical as well. Two brothers were standing there cracking, one of them in utter joy. The other, laughing at himself in the hopes of it all to get easier in time.


.oOo.


The old barn was washed in moonlight this time. As the dwarrows was sleeping on hay, some of them were snoring loudly as always. The night was making everything harder and Fai almost got nauseous from all the toss and turn. Her muscles were still burning when she moves, but she didn't care for her mind was burning more intensely. It was the first night after what happened in Goblintown, so she'd already known that sleep wont be coming her way.

Studying the moon blinking from a crack on the rooftop, Fai sighed. A part of her felt happy, even felt proud of herself for not blowing the whistle to the Goblin King. But what she really felt was an earthquake right in the middle of her soul. It was surreal to be tortured, to be beaten, to be pinched and chained. The Middle Earth was relentless, and she once more thought that if she could really survive at all. Reading the book or watching the movies had done her no good so far, since everything was happening in split seconds, and lately nothing was going in accordance with neither of the universes.

She had been listening to someone else also toss in turn restlessly the whole time. She knew exactly who he was, and she knew what kept him awake.

The dark haired prince was no good friends with sleep that night, and it was unlikely of him. He lied still, gazing at the ceiling and thinking about whether it would be a good idea to join Nori, who was on watch outside. But something kept him lying and soon he was buried in his thoughts again. Thoughts that frequently passing by Fai and how she looked when she was sleeping that afternoon. He squeezed his eyes shut annoyedly, as if it would sweep the thoughts away.

"I know what you're thinking."

What in the-?! He almost fainted at the young woman's voice softly breaking the silence. It was all unexpected, and what she just said freaked Kili out. Does she really? He opened his mouth, in an attempt of saying something that would save him from the awkward situation, but her voice flew about the abandoned barn again.

"Come on, Ori. I know you're not sleeping as well. How could you anyway, after what we've been through?"

Ori? So Kili was off the hook. A few seconds later, he heard Ori's unsteady voice answering Fai's call.

"You're right." After a brief moment of silence, he continued. "Do you still suffer too, like, so much? I don't like feeling like this."

When Fai responded, Kili felt his heart sink due to the pain in her voice. "Yeah it does, my dear Ori. But we have to get better you know, by tomorrow we should be walking."

At first Ori nodded in the dark as an answer. It took him a full minute to realize that Fai didn't have the night vision of the Dwarvenkind, so he gave a real answer this time, putted into words. "I know. And Dori said we would be. But there's something that's much worse-"

"I know, the nightmares." Fai sighed in insight. Another needle pinned onto Kili's heart.

Even though neither of them had fallen asleep, there was nothing but silence for a while. Just when Fai -and Kili- was certain that that conversation had ended, Ori's voice raised again, this time folded in curiosity.

"Why did you endure it all? No one could blame you if you di-"

"You are the first family I have."

Kili was to feeling guilty for secretly listening to them, but he had no choice, he couldn't force himself to sleep now, could he? And after the turn their conversation had took, how could he not listen? Something inside him tensed up in jealousy, related with not being the one she revealed herself to, but he had no idea about it, not yet at least.

This time, it was Ori's turn to ache. Fai was surprised with herself for saying something this intimate, but everyone else was asleep and there was something about the torture that brought her and Ori closer. They were the only ones to put up with traditional Goblin torment, and it was traumatic enough for them to bond over.

"I thought you still don't remember anything." Ori was the first one to ask about her memory loss, since the beginning of their journey. Fai had been waiting for that moment to come, since falling from a tree and losing all memory would one day become a weak excuse to tag along. She had to give them more.

"See, there's nothing to remember." Fai whispered, she wished no one else to hear that for she wasn't actually lying. Back on Earth, she really had nothing or no one to remember and it was her weakest spot. "I decided to stay among your company even after I remembered some parts about my past, because I have no one. To put it more correctly, I decided to be with you guys especially after remembering. You guys are family to me, Ori. I don't know if you see me one as well, but that's how I feel."

And how much she meant those words scared her. For the second time that day, she had this lump in her throat. After Fili's words about sisters, she hadn't stopped thinking about it. She couldn't recall the exact time they stopped being fictional characters to her and became family, but they really were. When it was all fun and games, they were still kind of two dimensional to her, she knew what they would say or how would they react. But after fighting shoulder to shoulder, camping, hiking and eating together, sharing things and caring for each other she was certain that they had all become real. Their reactions and words were out of her control. And all of them with all of their traits, meant so much to her. For the first time in her life she had this kind of relationship with someone

"You are." Ori mumbled all sentimental. "A Dwarf never forgets loyalty and honour. I may be too young for these kind of words, but I'm a Dwarf after all."

Hearing about Fai's mysterious past excited Kili, even though she hand't said much. He tried to telephatically manipulate Ori into asking further questions, yet it didn't happen. He wore the intense gaze of his again, and kept with overhearing.

"This is all between us now, Ori, alright?"

Yeah, us three, smiled Kili, while Ori nodded again and mumbled that it was alright. Some more quiet time had passed when she spoke again. From her voice, it could be told that she was smiling.

"Ori," she started straightening her back a little. "How do you wish good night in Khuzdul?"

That Ori could answer. "Lomil ghelekh." he smiled back, uttering the word just right.

"Lomil ghelekh." Fai tried clumsily. Her voice was so soft for the rough Dwarven accent that Kili had almost let a chuckle out.


E/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Review if you have anything to say/ask. :)