Chapter Four. I Dreamed A Dream

"Naomi. My little girl." Lauren knew that she was crying, and normally she would have been disgusted with herself, but she also knew that her daughter was safe. After ten years her oldest daughter was safe.

Fili had just put their six year old son and daughter to bed, and had come into the living room to find his wife of eight years, sobbing and holding the phone.

He moved to her side and placed his hand on her shoulder. Bending to whisper in her ear he asked, "Who?"

He moved back when Lauren turned her head to look at him. "Naomi." She replied shakily

Fili's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" It had happened before, where sick people pretended to be Naomi and called the house.

Lauren only nodded curtly as something on the other end of the line commanded her attention again. "Vivian? …Yes, shortly….Uh-huh…We'll get one…I know that but this is important! Is there anything that you want me to…..Yes, of course I do!…. Excellent! Alright. Yes. Put her on again. Hello?…Hi baby. Fili and I will be there as soon as possible….Of course! Are you sure honey? Okay, they will be. We're bringing something special for you by the way. Mmm-hm. Alright baby. I love you and I'll be there soon…. I love you so much…. Bye honey."

Fili raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"We still have all of the wedding videos and such in the tote under the bed, right?"

"Of course. Why? What's happening?"

"Just pack an overnight bag for the kids and get them ready to go out. I'm going to get that tote into the car. The scrapbooks are in there too, right? Even Thorin and Viv's?" Lauren was more hurried and expressive than Fili had seen her since she had found of that she was pregnant.

"Yes. Dolts can't keep track of their own memorabilia, and I'll never understand it, but yes." Fili paused and processed the rest of her statements.

"Dear Jesus Ren! I just got those stubborn little things to go to sleep! Why in the hell am I going to wake them up now?!"

Lauren became deadly. "I have waited. Ten. Fucking. Years. For my daughter to come home. I don't care what I have to do or who I have to piss off. I am going to see her tonight. And she has asked to meet her brother and sister."

Lauren relaxed, her statement made. "Would you mind, dear? I have other things to attend to at the moment."

Fili couldn't remember a time when his wife had been so vehement. Normally the spot of Pushy, Demanding Bitch was filled by Vivian.

Deciding to spare himself he said, "Yes dear."

Lauren awarded him with a kiss. "Thank you!" she singsonged as she disappeared into their bedroom.

Fili took a deep breath. The prospect of Smaug eating him alive had been easier to deal with. At least they had a chance of killing him.

An eventful car ride later Fili and Lauren arrived at Vivian's place.

Fili had his arms full with two sleepy children, while Lauren raced to the door carrying the overnight bag and the medium-sized blue tote that held all of the wedding pictures and videos, as well as the baby albums and other miscellaneous memorabilia collected over the years by both households.

The door was opened by a young woman who was not familiar.

Seconds of stillness passed between the mother and her daughter before Lauren dropped what she was holding and embraced her oldest child. Naomi opened her arms to Fili before she realized that his arms were full, and she quickly relieved him of the softly snoring Charles.
They exchanged an awkward one-armed hug, laughing together as Fili promised her a better one as soon as they twins were situated.

Charles noticed when he left his father's arms and he picked his head up from Naomi's shoulder. He looked at her oddly. "Who're you?"

Naomi smiled. "My name is Naomi. You can call me Mimi if you like. What's your name?"

The young boy seemed to come to some conclusion. "I'm Charlie. You look like Mama."

Naomi's eyes widened slightly. "That's because she's my Mama too."

He nodded sagely. "Mmm." Charlie laid his head back on her shoulder.

Vivian told Naomi and Fili that, since her children were spending the night with one of her other close friends' house, the twins could sleep in the boys' room.

Once Fili and Naomi had settled the twins in their beds they embraced tightly.

"I never got to know you. I'm sorry for that." Fili had her at arms' length, hands firm on her shoulders.

"You have no need to be. We can fix that with time." Naomi sighed. "Let's go say hi to Mom."

Back in the living room Vivian and Lauren were talking rapidly and rooting through the box of memorabilia.

They finally chose the wedding and bachelor/bachelorette video for Thorin and Vivian who were, needless to say, the first couple married.

Naomi was snuggled with Lauren, her legs over her mother's, head pressed to Lauren's shoulder, as they had when she was younger.

The bachelor party was wild to say the least, Fili holding the camera and providing narration. In the beginning Thorin was obviously smashed and speaking animatedly to a depressed-looking Kili who was nursing a beer.

At one point Fili was hit in the face by some bystander and instantly the camera was left to showcase the brawl on the floor. Thorin and Kili had jumped instantly on the man who had cracked Fili across the face.

The next clip of the bachelor party was of a different bar, Kili now holding the camera and shaking with laughter.
"Et wood appear tha' me broter an' me unkl 'ave walked 'emsevves inter tha rong bar. Tha've asso decided to fit in wiv' the regulars."

Kili's brogue came through with a flaming passion when he was drunk.

The camera panned to Thorin and Fili in the middle of a dance floor, grinding, and with their tongues down each other's throats.

The three women looked scandalized at the blushing Durins.

Vivian paused it for a moment and cocked her head. "It's kinda hot to be honest."

Everyone simply grinned. Kili coughed something like "Horndog." and all was silent again.

The video continued into the bachelorette party. Vivian and three of her girlfriends, Lauren among them, were out in various bits of lingerie. As the girls entered a bar the camera was passed to Lauren, who was giggling madly. There were brief videos of them dancing and otherwise having fun, but the most entertaining was when some strange man had grabbed Vivian's ass, causing Thorin to growl and wrap his arms tighter around her. Vivian had smiled at the man sweetly as she turned to face him. There was a pale blur and the man was on the ground. Vivian moved her foot over the man's face and when the edge of her heel was resting on his nose she stomped hard. She called to her friends and they all left.

The wedding video made Naomi cry. Thorin and Vivian had written their own vows and the rings that they exchanged were made by Bofur, and brought to them by Gandalf. The reception was nearly as wild as the bachelor and bachelorette parties had been. Occasionally Kili was brought into the view but he was usually depressed-looking and/ or nursing some for of alcohol.

The next few hours passed much the same way. By 2:30 the next morning Naomi had watched the both of the wedding videos, all of the birth videos and all of the birthday parties.

Thorin, who ended up carrying Vivian into their bedroom, told Fili that he and Lauren, who was also sleeping, that they could have the spare upstairs bedroom and that Kili and Naomi would have to share the futon.

Kili ducked into the bathroom and changed into green flannel pajama pants and a wife beater, leaving a grey t-shirt and a pair of his boxers on the sink for Naomi.

Naomi also changed and appeared in the living room, quickly shimmying underneath the covers. Kili moved closer to her and tentatively slipped an arm around her waist. Naomi giving no resistance, he pulled her closer to him until they were flush.

Naomi flipped herself over so that she faced Kili and tucked her head in the juncture of his neck and shoulder. The pair sighed and moved closer together and fell asleep.

Later in the night Naomi began murmuring and thrashing in Kili's arms.

"No! No! Daddy! He's mine! You can't!"

Kili sat them up. "Naomi? Naomi, relax. You're safe. Shhh."

Naomi thrashed harder. "Don't take him! Daddy, I'll do it if you want just please don't take him!"

Kili pulled her into his lap, holding her head to his throat. "Shh. Shhh. Baby I'm here. Relax. Shhh."

Naomi woke with a start. "Michael!" She cried, reaching for something.

Kili wrapped the arm that wasn't holding her head around her own and pulled her to him. Naomi straddled his waist and sobbed into his shoulder.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Kili he took my baby! He took Michael!" Naomi looked at him, eyes shining. "Why? What was wrong with him?" She sobbed brokenly.

"Honey, who was Michael?"

"My son. The only baby he let me bring to term."

Kili leaned his head onto hers. "What happened to him?"

Naomi shook her head.

"Baby tell me, please."

"Last year I got pregnant again and I begged Daddy to let me keep this one. He did and I named him Michael when he was born."

Naomi lifted her head to smile at Kili. It was a broken hearted smile.

"He was a month and a half old when Daddy took him from his crib and I woke up to my baby crying. Daddy had taken him into the bathroom and was drowning him. I tried to make Daddy stop. I tried to take my baby away. But Daddy slapped me backwards into the sink. When I woke up Michael was in my arms, but he was blue. Kili my baby was blue!"

Kili looked her tortured, weeping eyes. Naomi continued. "Daddy said that I had to get rid of him. I didn't want to and Daddy ripped him from my arms. Daddy took Michael to the burn barrel outside and dropped him there. Daddy told me that my son was where he and I belonged, in the trash."

Naomi moved from Kili's arms, speaking now with vehemence. "It was then, when my father took away the only person that I could have ever admitted to loving in that shithole of a life that I had, it was then that I decided that was going to leave. And when that dirt bag FUCKER of a father came for me I would be ready. I would kill him."

Naomi sunk to her knees, weeping. Kili picked her up off of the floor and pulled her back into bed with him. "Naomi you're safe now. I will protect you always from anything. I promise. I love you."

Naomi wrapped her arms around is neck and threw one leg over his hip. "I love you too."

And there they stayed.

A.N. :( I did make this one nice and long for you all! RnR please!