A/N: This chapter is longer. Hope you enjoy. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing.

Disclaimer: Don't own/Don't profit.

Chapter 7: Home Coming

Home...at last...I can see light flicker through the windows even though the sun has not completely set. I can just imagine the resignation that I'll see on Mum"s face and the irritation on Uncle's. How Thorin will be proven right in his decision not to take me on the trip today because I am not ready. He thinks I'm still too much of a dwarfling, even though Fili lacks ten years before coming of age himself. They will consider this as just one more of my stupid, reckless stunts., and the evidence that their interpretation is accurate.

As Fili walks through the door with me, Mum looks up from setting the table taking in my torn clothes and the bloody bandages on my feet.

"Oh, Kili," Running over she reaches out to touch my cheek. "What happened?"

Not ready to talk about it, I shake my head and look away, not wanting to see her disappointment.

Thorin, too, moves from his seat before the hearth, taking in my bedraggled appearance. "I'll get Oin," he growls shaking his head, irritated. He's used to it by now, Oin's frequent visits, usually for me but sometimes for Fili. At least Uncle doesn't say what he's thinking, although I can see the embarrassment in his eyes, like I have so many times before. I duck my head to avoid his glare.

Fili continues into our room with Mum following. He sits me on the bed then steps back turning to look at me. "I don't suppose you want to talk about it yet." It's not a question.

I shake my head not meeting his eyes either, afraid of what I might see there for at times I do things that even Fili doesn't understand. Sometimes even I don't know why I do them. "

I'm sorry," I mumble. "Thanks for coming after me and bringing me home."

What else can I say? Just like Thorin, they think that this is all about my not getting to go this morning. I'm still not ready to talk about what happened today and the hateful things I overheard. I know I will not be able to avoid it forever, but I just can't do it now.

"Kee, I'll always come after you. You know that," Fili returns ruffling my hair. "Let's get you cleaned up before Oin gets here." Fili shrugs off his scabbard.

Assured that I am conscious and coherent, Mum shakes her head returning to the kitchen, to get things ready for Oin. She's done this so many times before that she can anticipate what our healer will need. Sometimes I wonder why he hasn't just left a healing kit at our house.

While we wait, I change clothes and wipe off most of the dirt. I sit on my bed feet hanging over the edge Fili is seated behind me pulling twigs and leaves from my tangled hair, neither of us speaking.

I stare at my boots lying where I had thrown them earlier. I take a deep breath. If only I hadn't panicked. If only I had taken the time to pull them on. If only I looked more like a dwarf...acted more like dwarf...I feel my eyes burn with the start of tears and slam the door shut on that line of thinking. I refuse to cry in front of Oin. Quickly I blink away the moisture and focus on my hands.

The closing front door heralds Thorin's return with our healer. Soon everyone is crammed into our little room. Oin looks from me to Mum to Thorin and back to me. "So, lad, tell me what happened."

Now I have no choice but to explain the reckless thing I have done without thinking. I do not look up from my hands where I have been fingering the scrapes on them.

"I ran through the woods barefooted."

"You what?" Thorin bellows, taking a step forward.

I flinch at his tone and Fili puts his hands on my shoulders and squeezes in a show of support.

Mum grabs uncle's arm, "Not now, Thorin," she chides. He looks at her for a moment and nods his head briefly. My gut clinches knowing I will have to face him later.

Oin nods then reaches for my hands. "Just a few scratches here. We'll take care of this first." It stings as he cleans my hands then applies some salve to prevent infection. They are not deep enough to need bandaging, but Oin wraps them anyway. I suppose that will keep the ointment on. So far it isn't too bad.

Next Oin turns to the abrasion on my leg. Once again, he cleans the area. The scrape is not deep but it is painful and I gasp as he starts to scrub it clean. Finally he applies some more infection-preventing ointment and bandages.

Then it's time for my feet.

I know he will have to remove the strips of fabric I had wound around them. What I haven't thought about is the blood that has dried onto the fabric. Oin unwinds the pitiful bandage on my left foot. When he removes the final layer the scabs rip away opening the cuts again. Unprepared for the flash of pain, I howl and reflexively jerk my foot out of his grip, fairly certain now that I really do not want Oin's help.

I try to pull myself even farther away from the healer, but Fili is still behind me. As if anticipating how I would react, Fili throws his arms around me pulling me back against his chest in a tight bear hug. I don't tolerate healers very well, and I rarely co-operate with their instructions to rest or take their potions, not wanting to appear helpless or weak. Dwarrow should be strong and sturdy. We just force down the pain and carry on...at least that's what we try to do. I don't always succeed.

I squirm trying to break Fili's grip to no avail. I can't pry his arms away from me. All I can do is keep my leg drawn up out of the healer's reach.

"Kili!" Three voices ring out in chorus, a mix of anger, warning, and concern.

Oin, alone, doesn't yell at me; he simply turns to Mum to ask, "Could you get me a cup of chamomile tea, please?" She nods and leaves, undoubtedly glad not to have to watch my embarrassing dwarfling behavior any more.

This time Thorin does cross the room, glaring at me with his piercing blue eyes. "That's enough," he warns as he sits on the bed beside me putting his hand on my knee and forcing it flat, and not very gently.

I stop struggling, but it is not because of Thorin. For at the same moment Fili tightens his hold around my chest even more making it a little hard to breathe. He leans close to hiss tersely in my ear, "Stop, now." Where I expect Thorin's anger, I do not anticipate the disapproval in my brother's words.

I close my eyes and draw in a deep breath trying to calm myself. So Fili is mad at me, too. He's always been there for me, but this time, I guess I have crossed the line of his tolerance, too.

As I consciously relax my muscles slumping back against Fili, he loosens his tight grip around me. I know that every dwarf in the room thinks this is just another example of my immaturity; but I didn't do it on purpose. What started out as a purely reflex knee-jerk reaction turns into one more strike of condemnation against my name. I don't even try to explain. I doubt they would believe me.

I realize I need to salvage whatever dignity I can from the situation, so I resolve to stay still and keep my mouth shut. I'm just not sure I can control my reflexes any better. Not only do my feet hurt, but the soles are very ticklish, as Fili can attest. When I was little and Fili would try to get back at me for something, he resorted to tickling. After a while, I learned to curl into a ball to protect my stomach and ribs. Then he had just attacked my feet until I was screaming and begging him to stop the torture. Even years later, I seriously doubt I can sit through Oin's ministrations without moving. Of course, that will not be an acceptable excuse.

"Sorry, laddie, I didn't realize that would happen," Oin offers, taking my foot in his hands again. "I guess you did more damage than I thought. Bear with me while I clean this up and we'll see what we've got"

I nod and bite down on my cheeks while Oin cleans the blood and dirt from my foot. Whatever he uses makes my foot feel like it on fire, but I do not move because Thorin and Fili still have me pinned tight. Neither do I make any noise, save an occasional quick intake of breath, despite the discomfort of Oin's actions.

Mum returns with the tea and Oin nods towards me. Fili loosens his grip just enough for me to take the cup in one hand. I hate chamomile tea, but I know I have no choice. Either I drink it on my own or one of them will force it down my throat, so I drink.

Once finished with the cleansing, Oin applies some poppy ointment that smells of lard to the two deep cuts on the sole and begins to suture them.

I've been told before that both the tea and the ointment help dull pain, and if that is true, then I am grateful that Oin didn't try this without them. I close my eyes and feel a grimace twist my face while I twine my hands in the bed covers. Finally it's over. Oin slathers something else on my foot to stop infection and begins to wrap a bandage.

I sigh and slump back against Fili again, realizing I have been holding my muscles rigid. I need to stretch them, but that will have to wait because Fili's not letting me go, yet. He does, however, lean over to say, "Good job, Kee."

Thorin releases my knee and moves to the other side, putting his hand down on my right knee. This time Oin wets the makeshift bandages before unwinding them. At least it helps.

Once again our healer cleans my foot then examines it, shaking his head. I tense, not knowing what he's finding. "There's a hole here, looks like you stepped down on top of something. I'm afraid it's going to take a little more cleaning out than the rest."

My eyes go wide in shock fearing what that means as Oin reaches for a bottle. Before I even realize what is happening, liquid fire shoots from the sole of my foot all the way through my leg.

I no longer care about appearing weak in front of my family. I try to scream but can't even force the air out of my lung and only a hiss escapes through my lips. I taste the coppery tang of blood where I am biting my cheeks. My leg jerks reflexively but is held in place by my uncle. My chin begins to quiver and I feel the tears slide unbidden down my cheeks.

The burning pain goes on as Oin cleans out the deep wound two more times oblivious to the grimace on my face and my ragged breaths. "We don't want this to get infected, now, do we?"

I open my mouth to retort, but Fili tightens his hold around my chest again as a warning. I let the words die unspoken, replaced by a groan I can't seem to stop.

Finally Oin's particular brand of torture is over. He salves and bandages my foot. I take several deep breaths and release my grip on the covers as both Thorin and Fili let go of me.

Oin goes about his business repacking his healing kit and giving instructions to Mum. She will remember what he says so I do not pay attention, until Oin puts his hand on my leg. I look up to meet his eyes.

"Those feet do not touch the ground for 10 days. Understand?"

My eyes widen in disbelief. Did he really say I can't walk for 10 days?

"B-but...but..." I can't even find the words to protest; then Fili slaps my shoulder.

Oin continues. "And if they do, I will personally come back and tie you to this bed." If this is a joke, Oin is not smiling.

Finally, I nod, not knowing if this is an idle threat, because Oin knows how notorious I am for not staying put when told to, or if he really means it. Somehow I do not want to test his sincerity. But what am I going to do for ten whole days?

A/N: Reviews greatly appreciated.