Chapter 3

"I need your help." and bilbo gasped, in the entire history bilbo knew luca he had never asked for help. thorin looked at the hobbit and nodded for him to continue. luca took a huge breath and began, "I'm going to explain our family and then ask this favour."

he bit his lip and explained, "my mother had just reached her majority when my 'father' raped her, got her pregnant with me and forced her family to marry her to him." he paused and the dwarves were filled with rage, forced marriages weren't really looked on highly and rape- well let's just say you'll never find the body.

"he did this for the money, mother's family was rich and he wanted it; he wouldn't be able to woo her so he did what his sick and twisted mind thought he should do; he raped her and impregnated he with me, so her parents were forced to marry her to him in the entire history of hobbiton was a wedding not celebrated. sure they had the all of the stops but no one was happy; my grandmothers wept for my mother and practically begged for her forgiveness." he grabbed the bottle and took a deep swig.

"the months leading to my birth was not good; he worked her to the bone and starved my mother. as soon as I was born he beat her until she went unconscious for a week before raping her again. for me I was my father's punching bag when she was pregnant… he also used me for, how should I put it?, sexual release."

the dwarves grew pale and then very red, and the respect for the hobbit in front of them grew, "I didn't really care as my mother wasn't being hurt. when león was born, I promised myself that he should remain as innocent and pure as I should've been- but I failed. I was out gathering food to eat when he was asleep and I heard this screaming. I rushed back and saw león clutching his face and father standing over him with his member out and a knife in the other, after that león has never showed his emotions and always fought against his father when he was near mother." he looked regretful and rubbed his face in a way that only thorin did when he felt older when he was.

"he raped mother a further 20 times before she found she was pregnant with luna. we both made an oath to make sure luna would be everything we weren't. and we three did our best; she was an adorable babe and the rest of the village and bilbo especially made sure she was safe… and then mother got ill. the frequent starvations, beatings and rapes had taken its toll on her and she just couldn't carry on.

the only solace I can hold to is that she passed peacefully in her sleep. the funeral wasn't a big one; we went deep into the wood- there's a clearing there she took us when father was gone and we could pretended that it was all a bad dream, and one day we'd wake up with a loving father and a healthy mother. luna thankfully is never touched, león and I make sure that he never hurts her and tonight we failed." he looked like he was going to cry with the defeat in his eyes but he steeled his gaze and looked straight into thorin's.

"I know you couldn't but could you please try and get my family to riverdale?" he asked and thorin looked at luca and couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I know the relationship between dwarves and the elves are tense enough; but I have- need to get león and luna out of here, at least I know they'll be safe in riverdale." he sat slumped in the chair with his face in his hands.

thorin was shocked by the utter defeat the hobbit exuded, "but what about you luca? shouldn't you go with them?" bilbo asked softly and luca threw back his head with a bitter laugh. "as if they'll take me in- pah! I'd dirty the place by just looking at it! no I think I'll just leave on my own; if I die- even better, at least león and luna will be safe; they deserve that much." he muttered and the company grew worried. they didn't say anything as luna rushed in laughing, dressed in a pair of small trousers and an oversized shirt that drowned her petite form.

"well, it looks like the lassie's all done then?" asked balin as fili and kili sandwiched her between them. she smiled brightly and had a curious look on her face as she looked keenly at the brother's braids. she then grinned and looked at luca.

"luca look!" she pointed at one of fili's beads on his moustache, "it says heir of durin! he's one of the princes you told me about in your stories!" she looked so bright-eyed and child like that the dwarves couldn't bring themselves to tell her that no other race should be able to learn, let alone read, kudzhul.

instead fili and kili raised their eyebrows ad looked at the now blushing hobbit. "oh? luca, you've been telling stories about us?" began fili and the tomato hobbit turned crimson. the others started snickering and didn't help the suffering luca.

"we are very flattered luca." said kili a he turned to luna, "what stories has he told you?" he asked and luna grinned. luca knew that he was never going to hear the end of this as he looked at a unsympathetic león.

"well there was one when you and you're uncle get imprisoned by the witch king and you saved the entire of middle earth by pushing him and lord sauron into the volcano in mordor." she said with great enthusiasm, "and there was one where your mother sent smaug running because he set fire to her washing." and everyone shuddered, luna looked confused and thorin said:

"we dwarves are known for our short and fearsome tempers, but my sisters is historical; you would never want to be the target for her anger, there is no pace safe for you when she's angry at you." he rubbed his neck slightly when dis threw a meat cleaver at him when she was pregnant with kili. luna giggled and hid her smile with her hand which was covered by the shirt sleeve she was wearing.

"there was also one that involved all of you too… forget it!" she shouted as she realized what she had said. león grew tight faced but he looked at the company with hope shining in his eyes and luca just stared at the ceiling.

"go on luna they won't get mad. I promise." león said as he glared at them. luna sighed and she lowered her hand again.

"you all came to shire and saved us." she whispered but instead of falling silent she continued, "dwalin used his war hammer and destroyed our home, and king thorin sentenced father to become a toy for the wrags and let us come with you to reclaim erabor defeat smaug and finally have a home family with them under the lonely mountain, where they had honor and respect and know the meaning of family." she said passionately and looked very determined.

the rest of the night was spent in a good mood and luna fell asleep on kili's shoulder as she bear hugged fili's arm who hadn't the heart to move it. "been here for one night and she's wrapped them around her fingers." balin said amused and the royal brothers just rolled their eyes but didn't disagree.

"I'll sign the contract, but I want luca to come." bilbo said as he signed his name by thorin's. luca was about to speak but he raised his hand.

"you have given your whole life and sacrificed so much to get so little, so you will be coming to erabor and your brother and sister to riverdale and once the quest is over they can come and stay and have a home and family with the dwarves." thorin said and luca looked at him disbelieving. "yes we will help you and your family."

tears ran down luca's face but he wiped them away quickly and nodded his head. "thank you." and bilbo almost passed out again, luca hugged thorin and muttered thank you about a hundred times. thorin was shocked but didn't move he felt a wet patch on his neck and realized luca was crying.

the small body shook as it was wrecked with sobs. luca pulled back and practically collapsed on the floor as he muffled his mouth as he tried to fight the loud sobs as relief filled him and he knew he and his family would be free.