They searched for the arkenstone. Thorin was getting worse and Kaléa was losing her petience.
„Don't look so upset, sunshine. It doesn't suit you.", Fili said.
„I find that kind of sexy. As long as she is angry at elves, orcs or goblins though.", Kili commented.
I will shove my boot up the old badgers tight ass if he doesn't snapp out of his craze.", she hissed.
„I would actualy love to see that.". Dwalin chuckled.
„Maybe lover boy can break the curse. Like in a fairy tale.", Kaléa mused.
„Lover boy?", Bofur asked confused.
„Our dear burglar of course."
They break out in laughter. „You don't really think...", Nori snorted.
„I don't know. Just a feeling."
„Or your hope?", Balin teased.
„That too. They would make a great couple, I think.", Kaléa smiled at the thought.
„It would be quite interesting, I'll give you that.", Fili agreed.
„But uncle gave me his courting bead saying, he would never find his One.", Kili reminded and threw a coin over his shoulder.
„That doesn't mean anything. He could be denying his feelings, like we did. After all, he is a king and Bilbo a hobbit.", replied the female.
„True. Now that you pointed it out, I totaly shipping them.", Kili winked.
„They might need a little push though.", Kaléa responded thoughtful.
„Oh – oh- She is planing something! I'm in!", Fili exclaimed excited.
„Me too!", Kili raised his hand.
!Ah, fuck it. Count me in.", Dwalin growled but his eyes sparkled full of mischief.
„This shall be interesting.", Balin snickered.
„Less talking, more searching!", Thorin ordered.
„Oh, now I'm done with his shit.", Kaléa barked annoyed and stormed up to the king.
„Léa, don't.", Kili tried to stop her but too late.
„This will end badly.", Fili sighed.
„For Kaléa or Thorin?", Ori wondered.
„Uncle has no real chance against her.", Fili answered.
„Thorin!"
„What are you doing here? Go back there and find the stone."
„Go find it yourself if it's so bloody important to you! Instead of sitting on your hairy ass and shout at us."
„Your forgetting your place, girl.", he pointed his finger threatening at her.
„For fucks sake, Thorin. You don't need the arkenstone. That's not what makes you a great king. But your actions and strong will.", she reasoned softly.
„My people vowed to support the person who has the arkenstone, you know that."
„Well, that's bullcrap. Any fool can hold a damn stone. But that doesn't make him a king. You earned it through determination and passion."
„I appreciate your words, Kaléa. And I wish others would share your believes, but sadly it's not the case. I need this stone, niece.", his eyes filled with sadness.
„Fine, but stop the yelling. We ain't deaf, except Oin. I get a headache.", she pleaded and Thorin nodded smiling.
Thorin ordered to make a wall to protect the treasure from the people of Laketown.
„This is absolute bullcrap!", Kaléa sweared.
„Yeah, but what can we do about it? He won't listen to anyone.", Bilbo replied.
„Knock him on the head is no option, right?", she asked hopeful.
„No.", the hobbit answered firmly.
„Diplomacy didn't work either.", Balin sighed.
„Kaléa . Bilbo. Stop yapping and help.", Thorin harshly interrupted.
„No!", the female snapped.
He whirled around to face her furiously. „What did you just say?"
„You promised this people help. And after they lost everything, thanks to us, you just abondaning are no better then Thranduil."
A slap! The company gasped shocked. Kili stepped between them and Fili tired to prevent his brother to kill their uncle.
Thorin seemed to realise what he just did. Looking back and forth at the female and his own hand in utter horror. „Kaléa... I'm so sorry... I don't know what..."
„Don't even try! You'll do good to stay away from her or so help me.", Kili warned angrily.
Kaléa put a comforting hand on his shoulder, calming him dow slightly. „It's alright. He didn't mean to. I provoked him."
„That's no excuse, Léa. He hit you! It's the biggest crime to dwarves."
„He is right. I'm deeply ashamed. I can understand if you two can't forgive me...", Thorin bowed his head.
„That's not the important thing right now. The point of the wall and the people of Laketown remains.", she waved off.
Thorin opened his mouth to respond, but Ori ran towards them. „Bard is here.", he announced.
Thorin nodded and went to the mountain. „The sickness gets worse. Normally he would never raise his hand against a women. Never!", Balin said still shocked.
„No sane dwarf would.", Dwalin grumbled.
„Maybe this wakes him up.", Kaléa hoped.
„Not for long, I'm afraid.", Bilbo shook his head defeated.
„I can't believe him!", Fili hollered frustrated.
„Calm down, my lion prince. Nothing we tried seemed to help. I'm on my wits end.", Kaléa played absently with her hair.
„There must be a way to make him see what he is doing. There must be!", exclaimed Kili.
„We did everything we could.", his love tired to calm him.
„What about a kiss from his true love? Like in a fairy tale.", Kili suggested.
His One and his brother looked at him as if he has completely lost his mind. „Kee, I was jesting about this whole thing."
„No, no. I mean, I know. But it could still work. Who knows, crazier things happened already."
Like falling in a different world.
„Kili, your my brother and I love you, but your full of shit."
„What harm could it do? What else to do?", the archer pressed.
„Amrâlimê, knock it off before I am forced to hurt you."
He sat between them defeated. „I just hate it, to not be able to do anything."
Kaléa laid her hand on the side of his face. „I know, love. Bot that's where we at right now."
„I don't want to lose him. He was like a father to us...", slowly his eyes teared up.
Fili wrapped an arm around his younger brother. „We won't. I promise you that."
„Come on, let's return to the others. Food should be ready.", Kaléa changed the topic.
„I'm not hungry. I'll go lay down earlier.", Kili sighed sadly.
„Alright, come on."; Kaléa stood up and offered him a hand.
„No, you can go. I'll be fine."
„I don't have much appetite either. It has been a long stressful day.".
Kaléa and Kili laid on the bed. The female stroke the archers hair in a smoothing manner.
„I'm glad to have you, you know? I would break under these circumstances if you wouldn't be there for me.", he murmured int her cleavage since he rested his head on her chest.
„Your never alone, Kee. None of us is. We got each other.", she pressed a soft a soft kiss on his forehead.
„I can't wait to introduce you to my mother. She's gonna love you. She always wanted a daughter."
„Balin told me a little about Dis, she seems to be great.", she smiled.
„She is. She lost her One when I was but a babe. She did had Thorin's support., still... you know us. We are quite the handful.", he told with adoration.
„She did a great job raising you and Fee. As did Thorin. I look forward to meet her too."
„He'll be better, right?", suddenly the archer asked and looked up at her through his long lashes.
„Yes. I'm sure of it. Greater wonders happened. Like a dwarf that found his One in a human.", she smiled reassuringly.
He grabbed her hips and turned her on top on him, smirkling mischievously. „Good point there, beautiful. But what a wonder it would be if a human and a dwarf merry and start a family."
„Sounds like a dream come true to me. But you know that the second thing might won't be possible, right?", she bit her lips.
Kili kissed the tip of her nose. „I know, but we can't know for sure. Never before did a dwarf fell in love with an other race. I'm for one am eager to try it though and find out.", his eyes darkened with lust and his voice became huskier at the end.
Now the dunedain smiled sensually. Her hand slowly opening this tunic. „Same here, handsome. Now, come here."
„Kaléa? Thorin wants to speak with ye.", Dwalin told her when their had breakfast.
„Doesn't sound too promising.", Kili commented.
„Is he himself?", Kaléa asked.
The warrior shrugged his shoulders. „Hard to tell, lass."
„Be careful, love.", Kili warned worried.
„I got it, little wolf."
„You wanted to speak with me?", Kaléa approached the king in the treasury.
„Yes, please. Come closer.", he smiled happily.
„You seem pleased. Did yu found the stone yourself?"
Thorin chuckled. „Sadly no, but I had a great idea."
She crossed her arms and gloated. „You and a great idea? No such thing." she joked and her uncle laughed.
„Thank you, for your vote of confidence, dear niece. You gonna love it, I promise."
„Now you got my attention."
He turned to her with a white necklace. „Do you know what that is?"
„That's the necklace from pure starlight. The very thing Thranduil desires the most.", she answered.
„Precisely. The perfect piece for a brave, beautiful princess.", he said ans looked at her expectently.
Her grey eyes widened. „Thorin. That's too much. I never wanted any of this."
„I know. You risked your life and never expected anything in return. Only drove by love. It's the least I can do for all you have done for us."
She was deeply touched. „Your friendship is all the reward I need."
He smiled. „I still like you to have it, please. As a token of appreciation and as an apology."
„Thorin...", she softly tried to argue but the king interrupted her gently.
„Think of it this way. It would piss Thranduil off to see the women who rejected him wearing his beloved jewels.", he smirked mischievous.
„Now we are talking!", she exclaimed enthusiastically and Thorin laughed out loud.
Kaléa turned with her back to him and put her hair up. Thorin putting the necklace on her neck. She turned around and smiled at him.
„Absolutely breathtaking. And it goes greatly with your courting braid."
„Thank you for everything, uncle."
Thorin took the dunedain into a loving embrace.
„Wow, Léa. You look great.", Fili said when the female returned.
„Is this...", Balin asked carefully.
„It sure is. He is himself at the moment."
„You look like a true princess. A queen even.", Bofur comlimented.
„Whoa... don't get ahead yourself. Princess? All fine and good. Queen? No, thanks.", Kaléa laughed with a hands up.
„Your the queen of my heart, amrâlimê.", Kili whispered and took her hand in his. Bringing it to his lips, kissing her knuckles.
„Cheesy sob. Still love you though.", she winked giggling.
„Ugh, I go 'fore ye two lovebirds make me sick.", Dwalin growled and stormed to the treasury.
„Your just jealous.", Kili shouted after him.
„No, he's right. Your sickening sweet sometimes.", Fili agreed jokingly and went after the warrior.
„Are we really?", Kili asked Kaléa.
„No, just you, laddie.", Gloin snickered.
„Oi, like your any better with Iga. I swear, the old ass is worse then any lovesick, drunk elven poet.", Oin interjected.
„Enough, enough. Let's give the couple a rest and go continue the search, as long as Thorin has a good modd.", Balin calmed them down.
„Let them talk. I'm too happy to care about their teasing.", Kaléa said to Kili and kissed his cheek.
„Yeah, me too.", he beamed.
„Um... I'm sorry to interrupt your moment, friends, but...", Bilbo stuttered nervously behind them.
„You do no such thing, What do you need?", Kaléa asked him kindly.
„I'm wondering what you would do if you would find the stone, Kaléa."
She leaned her head slightly to the side and Kili raised an eyebrow. „Giving it to Thorin? What question is that?"
„Balin said that it could make everything worse.", Bilbo licked his dry lips.
„What else should we do? He won't stop.", Kili argued.
„Why did you asked in the first place? Did you find it?", Kaléa asked accusing. Knowing the truth. I hate to make him squirm like that, but I have to keep my reputation.
The hobbit fidgeted with his pocket. „W – what? No! I swear."
„Well, good then.", Kili petted his shoulder and joined the others.
„Bilbo, I know your lying. You found it, right?", the darkhaired women asked him quietly as soon as Kili was out of hearing reach.
He looked guilty at her. „Yes. I had it the whole time."
„Then go to Bard. Tell him to use it as a bargain offering for the promised part of the riches."
He looked at her stunned. „Are... are you sure?"
She nodded. „Go tonight."
„What about Thorin?"
„Don't worry about him. I manage him. I got your back."
„Thank you, Kaléa. You are a true friend."
„And you too. He means a lot to ya, hm?", she asked teasingly.
He had a confused expression. „Excuse me?"
The dunedain chuckled. „Oh, come on! And they say Kili and I am blind. There is something there between you both."
„You think he...", he trailed off. Realising his error.
„As I thought. And yes, I think hre returns your feelings. We could use it. Love is the greatest power in the world. Maybe you can heal him."
Bilbo looked at his feet. „I don't know..."