Sorry about the wait, guys. And also, sorry in advance.. this is pretty much a filler chapter, but it definitely has importance. I've already got a good start on Chapter 21 though, so it shouldn't take very long. Thanks for hanging on! Enjoy.
Chapter 20
Sick
Bilbo
When Thorin stalked inside a few hours later, equally as wet as Bilbo had been, the small man wasted no time before approaching him.
"What's this?" Thorin grumbled, hanging his jacket on a coat hook as Bilbo held the letter out for him to take.
"That's what I'm asking you."
The taller man frowned and took the paper, reading over it quickly. "Where did you get this?"
"A man just walked right up and handed it to me when I got home. He said he was sent to deliver it."
"Have you talked to Fili about it?"
Bilbo shook his head, hands on his hips. "He and Kili have been gone all day, and I'm not sure when they plan on being back. I would've called, but I didn't see any reason to worry them. For all we know, this could be a perfectly harmless note from one of Fili's friends."
"Well I'm pretty sure it wasn't Legolas or Tauriel, considering they both know Kili. And neither of them seem like they'd go out of the way to send a letter, when they could simply call. What other friends does he have?" Thorin questioned, walking towards the kitchen. Bilbo followed him, grabbing an apple out of the fridge before he replied.
"None that I know of." He shrugged, taking a bite out of the crisp fruit. "But who knows? Maybe it's one of his old friends that he hasn't spoken to in a while. Or maybe it's a new friend, and they don't have his number. All we can do is ask him."
"But you thought I would know?" Thorin asked, perching himself on a stool. He looked at the letter again, his frown deepening. It was obvious that he was just as suspicious as Bilbo.
"I just thought it would be safe to find out if you had any ideas about it. I guess the only thing we can really do is ask Fili."
Thorin grumbled his agreement and dropped the paper on the counter before rubbing at the bridge of his nose. It was clear he'd had a long day.
"How about a cup of coffee?" Bilbo asked, noticing how tired the older man looked.
"That would be wonderful."
Kili
When Fili and Kili stumbled inside, after arriving back home, it was to find Thorin and Bilbo in the sitting room with expectant looks, as if they'd been waiting for them to return. They didn't look upset, so Kili didn't worry about it much, but it was still a little bit odd.
"Boys, we need to talk," Bilbo spoke first, and the laughter and happiness that had been filling the small area suddenly silenced, and Fili frowned at his father.
"What is it Bilbo? Did something happen?"
"No, Fili, it's not what you think. Nothing bad has happened. Yet."
"Yet?" Kili felt his brows pull down into a frown, and he crossed his arms over his chest.
"First I'd like to ask how your day was," Bilbo replied, after clearing his throat, as if he hadn't even heard the brunette speak. "How was the beach?"
"It was fine," Fili responded hesitantly. "It was pretty great, actually, but it started to storm again, so we ended up going to the movies."
Bilbo nodded, giving the two boys a small smile, but it was obvious that he was only partially paying attention. "I'm glad you two had a good time. Ah, well… While you were gone, I received a letter. It's actually for you, Fili."
"For me?" It was clear that the blonde was confused, and by the look on his face, it was obvious that he didn't receive letters very often, if at all. Thorin was silent through the entire exchange, no sign of emotion on his face except for a small frown, as if he was deep in thought. It all set Kili on edge.
Bilbo nodded. "And you know I would never snoop, but something about it didn't seem right, so I opened it and read it," he said, holding the opened envelope out to his son.
Fili took the letter, the confusion still on his face, and pulled out the small piece of journal paper. He read it to himself, his expression deepening, and then he handed it to Kili.
As soon as the brunette finished scanning over the scribbled words, he locked eyes with Fili, the two of them in silent agreement; they both had an idea of who had sent the letter, and neither of them liked that possibility.
"No idea," Fili eventually spoke, his voice smoothing over to hide his fear. "I didn't see anyone I recognized at the beach."
"Do you think maybe it was Tauriel or Legolas?" Bilbo asked, taking the letter back from Kili. "That maybe they just wanted to play a practical joke on you?"
Fili shook his head. "Neither of them would do something like that. And besides, I didn't tell either of them that we were going to the beach today. Nobody knew, except for you guys."
Bilbo stared at the blonde for a moment, concern in his eyes. For a moment Kili thought the older man had it figured out - that he knew who had sent it - but that was impossible. Neither of the older men, or anyone besides Kili, for that matter, knew about Fili's first parents and what they had done to him. "Well, then," he eventually spoke. "I guess we won't worry about if for now."
Kili watched the blonde breathe a deep sigh of relief and secretly wished that he would just tell Bilbo and Thorin what had happened. He knew it weighed heavily on Fili, and he'd most likely feel better if he got it off of his chest, but he wasn't about to force the boy into doing anything.
When nobody spoke, Bilbo continued. "Why don't we go get something to eat? I don't know about you boys, but I'm quite famished."
After dinner, once the family had arrived home and decided to head off to bed, Kili found himself traipsing up the stairs to his bedroom. He'd wanted to sleep with Fili again, but the older boy had been pretty quiet all evening, and he didn't want to bother him. The note Bilbo had shown them had obviously left him a little shaken, and he probably needed some time to himself. Kili couldn't blame him.
He walked passed the bathroom, where Fili was taking a shower, and paused to listen to the water run for a moment. He wished there was something he could do to help the blonde relax, but he honestly couldn't think of anything. Kili had never experienced the same thing that Fili had, considering he hadn't even had any parents, and he definitely hadn't ever been sexually abused. A few gentle words wouldn't do the trick. Fili was hurt too deep, and simply talking to him about the matter wasn't going to solve his problems.
Kili sighed and continued on, pushing inside his room and shutting the door before collapsing onto his bed. The day had worn him out immensely, and even though it taken a sour turn, the first half of it had been one of the best times of his life. After the beach, the two boys had had a wonderful time at the movies and eating lunch, and the more Kili learned about the other boy, the more he liked him. Thinking about it brought a smile to his lips.
Once he became uncomfortable, Kili began shifting around, but quickly stopped at the sound of crinkling paper. With a frown, he sat up and lifted his pillow up to find a piece of folded journal paper under it.
It was all too familiar. Kili swallowed heavily before reaching out with a shaking hand to pick it up, his stomach dropping to his feet.
Who are you?
Kili stared at the note, a frown on his face. What was more disturbing than the fact he'd been sent a creepy note, was the fact that someone had managed to get inside of his bedroom and leave it under his pillow. It made him sick, and it made him worried. Fili was definitely in danger.
It was only seconds before Kili was knocking soft but urgently on Fili's door, across the hall. He knew the blonde was in there, because the door was shut, and he was no longer in the bathroom.
"Fee, answer the door," he spoke, leaning against the piece of wood dividing them.
After a few moments, when he still hadn't answered, Kili opened the door and stepped inside, unwilling to walk away from Fili again.
Fili was indeed in his room, sitting on the bed, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, and was holding a piece of paper similar to Kili's. He wasn't looking at it, but at Kili, and had very distressed expression on his face. Kili's heart broke.
"Fee, what does it say?"
Fili held the note out and Kili took it.
You're Ours.
"I got one too," Kili spoke, handing said note to the blonde.
"Kili, we are both in danger," Fili finally spoke. "And I can't let them hurt you. We have to do something. Maybe I should go to them - let them find me, or whatever. It would put an end to this before anyone gets hurt."
"No." Kili shook his head, moving to sit next to Fili. "There has to be different option."
"The only other option is to tell everyone what happened and get help."
The brunette gave Fili a pointed look. This second option was far better than the first one, and the expression Kili gave the older boy made it clear that's what he thought on the matter.
Fili sighed, casting his blue eyes towards the floor. "Okay."
Okay...
So now Fili gets to tell Thorin and Bilbo about his first adoptive parents and what they did to him... what a stressful conversation. But, of course, it will all turn out fine, because they are family and love each other! :)
Anyway... hope you guys enjoyed. As always, comments, suggestions, hellos and the like are all appreciated! Let me know what you think and what you want to see happen!
Until next time...
