It was dark and cold that night, and yet despite the warm blankets on the bed, Fili couldn't sleep. He slipped out of his room, locking it silently behind him, and then he hurried down to the tavern. Maybe if he could get a drink he could manage just a little sleep?

Fili was surprised he wasn't the only one down in the tavern. Several others of his companions were there, looking miserable and downhearted. He was even more surprised, however, to see Rae curled up on the window seat. Forgetting his drink, he hurried over to her and asked if she was alright.

Quickly sniffling away her sorrows, Rae nodded, then shook her head, then simply focused on shrugging her shoulders.

"He's gone, so what is left for me here? But I don't know how to go home, wherever home is… What can I do?"

Fili sighed, pulling up a chair and thinking hard about what was best to say, before beginning to speak.

"Rae," he chose his words carefully, "I think I know where you come from."

Rae shrunk back from him suddenly, her eyes suspicious.

"How could you know that," she asked, "When I don't have the slightest idea?"

"Look, I believe you are a selkie, which means you came from the sea," Fili sighed, "Do you remember that?"

Rae took on a faraway look, flashes and pieces of memories coming to mind, but in the end she shook her head.

"Well, if you are a selkie, you have a selkie pelt somewhere, and that's the only way to return home. I don't know where your selkie pelt is, though. You might feel drawn to it? Do you feel like you should go anywhere?"

"I feel like I should just stay right here," she sighed miserably, "I don't feel drawn to anywhere but here."

"Okay," Fili nodded, he didn't really understand selkies anyway, so maybe this was perfectly normal. "There is something else, though."

Rae looked up at Fili with question in her eyes, and he took a deep breath.

"The man who came and told us of Kili's death, Thorin doesn't trust him. Thorin thinks something is wrong, and he wants to go speak further to the man."

"You mean, Kili may not be dead?"

"I didn't say that, but… Well, Thorin thinks we shouldn't lose hope yet."

Rae gave something close to a smile, "I hope your uncle is right. You know, I want to go home, but Kili, your brother, he is worth not going home for."

Fili chewed his lip, gulping, "Really?"

Rae nodded, and Fili wondered at this. Wasn't a selkie's inclination to always go home, no matter what? Could this be true?

"Well, I'll go up to my room now," Rae stood, "I hope your uncle is right. I'll see you in the morning Fili."

Fili watched her disappear, again rubbing the pendent subconsciously, and then he too went to get a drink. He shouldn't tell the other dwarves of Thorin's suspicions. If Thorin was wrong, it would be too heart breaking for all of them. If Thorin was wrong, Fili shivered, it would be too heart breaking for him as well.

Back at the shop, Krangon was sitting comfortably in an arm chair, guarding Kili and, truthfully, the selkie as well. He didn't trust that this selkie wouldn't talk to Kili against Krangon's will, and this would destroy the whole plan.

Lee was sitting next to the door, almost asleep, when he heard a soft sob through the door. This awoke him suddenly, and he listened carefully. The room was now silent, and his eyelids began to fall shut again, when he heard another soft sob.

Lee glanced inconspicuously at Krangon, the man was still awake, and Lee sighed, pretending to be asleep. Lee awaited Krangon's eventual drooping of eyelids, and when it finally happened, Lee was ready.

He eased himself up, slipping the door open, and then he stepped inside, closing the door behind himself. He glanced down at the dwarf who was still curled in on himself, and the dwarf stared back at Lee in shock. He mumbled around the gag, and Lee quickly held a finger to his lips telling Kili to be silent.

Kneeling beside the dwarf, Lee slipped the gag out, Kili staring at Lee nervously.

"What do you want?" Kili mumbled.

"Look, I just want to find my sister. I don't want to hurt you, if you tell me where the pendent and my sister is, I can help you get away!"

"This is just a trick, I won't tell you anything," Kili mumbled, turning his head away, but Lee shook his own head.

"No, it's not a trick. Do you have any siblings? Wouldn't you hate to loose them?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Krangon told me, and I saw in town, that you were with my sister, Rae. You took her from her home, and it's my intention to bring her back!"

"Rae is your sister?"

"Yes."

Kili looked shocked, pulling back for a moment, his brow creased in concentration.

"I had no idea! She said she didn't know where her home was. She's really your sister? You could get her home?"

Lee nodded hopefully, and Kili gulped.

"Well, I would tell you, but I'm afraid you'd tell Krangon, and I don't trust him. I think he has more motive than getting back your sister."

"No, he's just been helpful to me. He wants the pendant back so that no one can use it again!"

"And what's to keep him from using it?"

Lee hesitated, "Krangon's been nothing but good to me!"

"Maybe so, but would a good man do any of this? He told my family I'm dead! They must be so worried, but then again the last time I saw them we were having a fight, so maybe they don't care I'm missing anyway…"

Lee hesitated, Kili had a point. Surely there were other ways to have gone about this situation?

"Look, do you know where Rae's pelt is?" Lee asked, and Kili shook his head.

"No, I don't have any idea. People have been asking me that since she showed up, but I never knew where it was, honestly. You could look for it!"

Lee nodded, sighing.

"She can't go home without it, you see," he explained.

"Where's yours?" Kili asked, "Did you hide it? Maybe hers in some hiding place and she hid it?"

Lee pondered this. He had left his on the beach, but he had never left it there for this long before. Perhaps he should go check on it soon?

"Alright, well I trust that you don't know where it is. Would you help her get home if you could?"

"Of course, I guess. I mean, well, it's the right thing to do."

"You actually care for her!"

Kili hesitated, and Lee's eyes widened.

"I didn't realize. Sometimes selkies aren't really loved, you see, when they're taken from the sea."

"I know she should go home, so I'll help however I can," Kili told Lee honestly, who nodded slowly, his mind suddenly wandering.

"I didn't realize you actually care for her," Lee murmured to himself, before coming out of his trance. "Here, I've got a little food saved up from my dinner. It's just some bread, but it's better than nothing!"

Lee gave the bread to Kili, whose hands were now tied in front of himself, and then he stood.

"I'd better go better Krangon finds out I've been in here. I'm going to have to put the gag back in, I'm sorry."

When Kili was done with the bread, Lee tied the gag in place before leaving the storeroom, a pensive look upon his face.

Sneaking out of the shop completely now, Lee hurried down to the beach to search for his own pelt. However, his heart pounded when he looked under the rock and did not find his pelt.

Lee now looked under other rocks, but his pelt was nowhere to be found, and his heart dropped, his blood turning cold with horror. Now not only could Rae not get him, but Lee to was stuck on land!

AU: So a break from the Kili!hurt, but that may start up again next chapter depending on your reviews ;) And also, thank you so much for all the reviews on the last chapter, it was wonderful!