Alright, I had other plans for this chapter but I thought it would be better to make this more a filler one with mainly reuniting etc and a little cliffhanger ;)
Might be pretty boring but I promise the next one will be an emotional rollercoaster again!
The Company was still waiting for Smaugs return.
"I'm certain some good archers may have killed him" Legolas said after a while. His eyes were fixed on the horizon.
"He flew towards Laketown" Bofur mumbled. Legolas knew a very good archer living in that city. Bard, the Bowman. The only possible reason why Smaug had been gone for such a long time could only mean Bard had killed him. At least, he hoped so.
"Smaug may be dead,but they might think we're dead as well. They'll come to take their proportion of the gold" Balin replied thoughtfully.
"And we have to go and find Thorin and the girls!" Ori called concerned causing all of them to nod in agreement.
"I'll stay here! I'm going to warn you if anyone gets close to the mountain" Legolas said while Dwalin helped Fili up on his feet. The young prince was still a bit tired amd his knees were shaking slightly but all he wanted to do was find his beloved girl. Kili backed him and the dwarves and Bilbo entered the tunnel.
As they reached the treasury, all of the dwarves were awestruck again as they saw those mountains of gold, jeweles and other precious metals.
"Bilbo! You and Ori stay here so if Legolas calls for help you'll be the one warning us!" Dwalin commanded. The two of them agreed and positioned themselves close to the tunnel entrance.
"The rest follows me. We know where they are, we just have to get rid of the rocks and marble that's blocking the way!" he added and the Company followed Dwalin into the throne hall and moved on until they reached the hallway leading to the cell blocks. Balin recognized the hallway.
"That's leading to the cell blocks. I'm certain they're hiding there. Maybe Lindsey managed to hide in one of the cells as well!" Balin said and looked back to Fili. He could see the eyes of the prince lit up.
"THORIN!" Kili called out in hope his uncle was still alive and not smashed from the ceiling and hopefully could hear him wherever he might be.
Dwalin already began to push rocks aside. He gestured them to help and soon all were working to unblock the way, except Fili who was sitting with his back leaned against the wall trying to get his strength back.
"Did you hear that?" Kate suddenly said and listened carefully.
"Hear what?" Thorin asked but she gestured him to be silent. She went to the iron door and opened it. And there they could hear it. Rumbling sounds down the hallway.
"Hello?" Lindsey called and they listened intentely again. The rumbling stopped.
"Lindsey?!" a voice called and relief showed up on the young ones face as she recognized Filis voice.
"They're here! They'll rescue us!" she cried out and hugged Kate.
Kate looked back at Thorin, smiled at him. He could feel the hand of his father gently pushing him foward. Thorin looked at him and Thrain whispered, "Go to her. She needs you"
Thorin patted his fathers shoulder and walked up to Kate, pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips on her hair.
"Everything will be alright" he whispered and captured her lips in a long, loving, meaningful kiss.
"What about Thranduil?" she mumbled but he sealed her mouth once more. His hand gently stroked her belly before he replied, "We'll be able to fight if necessary. He will not get near that mountain. He will never lay hand on you again And he'll never get any gold or the Arkenstone. If that stone still exists, and we find it—I will destroy it"
Lindsey left the room, too impatient to wait any longer.
Kate took Thorins hand and turned to look at Thrain. Without hesitation she grabbed his left hand with her right one. The two dwarves seemed to be puzzled but Thrain stepped closer to her. Her eyes drifted from Thorin to Thrain and the three of them left the cell block to follow Lindsey until they reached the broken ceiling.
"Fili!"
"Lindsey!"
The two young ones called while more and more of the debris was pulled aside.
"Is Thorin with you, lass? And Kate?" Dwalin called. There was a short silence before she replied, "Y—yes, they're here with me!"
Soon they created a small gap and they could see Lindsey on the other side. She tried to climb through but the gap was not big enough yet. Dwalin grew impatient and began to pull more and more rocks aside with growing ferocity. Finally the gap was big enough and he held his hand out to help the young girl through.
As soon as she was with them again she cried out and let herself sink into Filis arms. They both cried of happiness and relief, placed loving kisses on their lips.
"You're alive, my love!" she whispered and he nodded.
"I'd never leave you. Just like Balin once said: The Line of Durin would not be so easily broken" he replied and kissed her again, pulled her into his embrace. Suddenly he recognized that the others looked stunned at the three figures now with them as well. He could see his uncle, Kate and an older dwarf he'd never seen before.
Lindsey turned around and smiled.
"King Thrain?" Balin was the first to find his voice again.
"Not king anymore. That title belongs to my son now" Thrain replied proudly.
"How is this even possible?" Gloin mumbled.
Dwalin pulled Thorin into his arms, embraced him tightly. "Am so glad you're alive!" he said and Thorin patted his friends back. As they broke apart, Dwalin also hugged Kate.
Thrain stepped closer to Kili, his eye scanned his face and suddenly he said, "You look like your mother, Kili"
Kilis eyes dwelled with tears as he realized that this was his grandfather whom he thought would be dead for a long time now. He was unable to speak, simply embraced him and Fili stepped closer to them as well. Thrain grabbed his oldest grandsons hand and pulled him closer as well.
Thorin and Kate exchanged a happy glance with each other.
Another week passed by and the Company had begun to block the main entrance again so no enemie could enter the mountain from that side.
"How is that possible that your father is still not here?" Thorin asked Legolas one day while they stood outside up on the mountain in front of the tunnel entrance.
"I have a bad feeling he might ally with the Men from Laketown. If they create an army against us, a battle will be unevitable" the elf looked into the sapphire eyes of the dwarf king.
"Do you think the message you've sent to the Iron Hills arrived in time? Do you think Dain will be with us before they come?" Thorin asked quietly but highly concerned. Legolas nodded with a determined look on his face.
Thrain joined them, placed a hand on his sons shoulder. "Thorin, there is something we have to discuss"
"What is it, father?"
Thrains eye drifted to Legolas, the elf understood that should be a private talk and so he vanished into the mountain again. As soon as he was gone, Thrain turned to look at Thorin again.
"There is not much time left, Thorin" he began and could see the confusion in his eyes.
"Time? For what?"
"Kate—" the elder one said and Thorin seemed to understand. His eyes lowered and drifted towards the horizon.
"How long?" he asked.
"Oin said it's only a matter of weeks. What shall we do if there's a battle? She needs safety. A safe place, Thorin"
Thorin looked back at his father. "You both need a safe place. And her sister as well" he said and could see the protest in his fathers eye.
"No—father, I know you've always been a great warrior but you're old and I lost you once. I'm not willing to lose you again for this would be forever"
Thrain nodded slowly. "Where shall we hide when the battle rages?"
Thorin seemed to think hard about it. Erebor was still in ruins and there was no place he could possibly think of except for the cell block.
"I know you've been locked up far too long in there, but I want you to take Kate and Lindsey to the cell block once it's time to fight. You'll close and block the door from inside"
Thrain nodded and patted his sons shoulder. "If that's your command, I'll do it"
They smiled at each other before turning to enter the mountain again.
Fili and Kili had been sent out to catch three of their ponies that had bolted towards the river. They'd been away for four days and as they came back they could see that the mountain looked pretty safe against any enemy.
One night Kate sat on the patch of grass in front of the tunnel and stroked her grown belly. Thorin approached her slowly, sat down and embraced her from behind. His nose snuggled into her hair and she giggled quietly. She turned her head around and kissed him deeply.
"I will always love you, whatever there may come" she whispered.
He smiled at her and she could see his eyes wetting a little. "I love you too, Kate. Whatever there may come"
It was by now that they saw a flickering light in the distance. Thorin got up, pulled her with him.
"Thorin?" she whispered, grabbed his hand tightly. With horror they could see an ocean of burning torches and campfires lighten the city of Dale.
Thorin grabbed her hand, held tight to her and looked into her eyes.
"They're here"
Like I said more a little filler for whats there to come :)