Thorin... Thorin didn't know what to do. His body was automatic as he picked himself up off of the floor. He found a change of clothes that he dressed Fili in. And when the boy tried to grab at him he pushed him away gently. He set a kettle over the fire and sat in silence.

He didn't know what he had just witnessed. It was something out of a fairytale. It was something that didn't happen, not even in the heavy magic known to this world. The changing of the body did not happen not without a very dark power to be the cause, but Fili, he was a child. He looked down at his hands as he waited for the kettle to boil and saw the slight tremble in his left hand. Fili was no beast... right?

"Udâd," Fili tried to gain his father's attention.

"Fili, it's okay." Kili stroked Fili's soft hair.

Fili gave a whine in the back of his throat. "Udâd."

Nothing.

He reached out, his little hand grabbing blue tunic. He yanked and pulled. "Udâd. Udâd. Udâd!" His chest started to puff up and down rapidly as something hurt deep inside. Why was Thorin ignoring him? Why did he not touch him on his head? Fili didn't understand. What did he do wrong? He was only trying to protect Kili from the nasty woman and he didn't mean to hurt Thorin. Surely his father would see that.

"Kili. Take Fili to bed. It's time for your nap." Thorin said softly.

Kili hugged Fili's arm and pulled him over to the door that lead to the bedroom in the small hut. He took Fili to the bed where he got up onto the edge and took off his boots. He watched Fili pace around the closed door, touching the wood in gentle clawing motions.

"Fili." Kili climbed down. "Fili it'll be okay."

"I hurt him..." Fili swallowed, his voice thick.

"You didn't mean to."

"I... how do I..." Fili wasn't sure what the words were.

"You say you are sorry."

"Sorry?"

"It means... um..." Kili scratched his messy hair. How to explain, how to explain... "... You did not mean to."

"You are sorry..."

"No, you want to say 'I am sorry.' But you want to say it when he is feeling better or he won't hear you." Kili took Fili's hand and pulled him over to the bed. He climbed back on and scooted over to the far side, pulling back furs, "Right now we do what we are told."

"Why? Should we not sorry now?"

"Apologize now?" Kili looked at the blond as if he was crazy. "I've gotten into a lot of trouble, you never say you're sorry right away. They never hear it."

Fili got up onto the bed and slipped under the furs next to the brunette. "Why?"

"I don't know." Kili rolled onto his side and wrapped himself around Fili's side. Despite what he said earlier about how everything was going to be okay, he was worried. He had never seen his mother like that. Never seen his uncle shut down either. He hugged Fili tighter in the silence in the room. If he was honest with himself, he was scared. He didn't want them to take Fili away.

Thorin remained quiet for many days afterwards. He did not touch Fili nor Kili, deep in thought. Several nights he fell asleep in his chair next to the fire. Vili came over a couple of times. He was sweet to Fili and even more so on Kili before he would leave to either go back to work or go home to be with Dis who continued to rave over how Kili was in danger.

Late one night Thorin woke up to the fire dying. It was very cold as freezing rain pelted against the sides of his home, cold enough for him to see his breath. Two balls rested on him, shivering. The children whimpered in their sleep and one gave a terrible sounding cough. He got up, waking Fili who gave a small cry being taken from the warmth of his father's chest.

"Stay." Thorin said sternly patting Fili on the head.

He threw on a few more logs to the fire. Slipping into the bedroom he grabbed the straw packed mattress and pulled it off of the frame it had been roped to. A trail of pillows and furs followed him as he pulled the mattress into the main room of the hut. He laid it close to the fire, only enough so that embers would not fly out and catch the mattress on fire. Thorin went back gathering the pillows and furs, brought them back and laid them over the bed. He picked up Kili and tucked him in. Before he could do the same with Fili his pant leg was grabbed hard with one hand, the other small hand gripped a few of his fingers and placed his palm on a tangle of golden locks.

When was the last time he brushed Fili's hair?

He looked at Fili seeing his blue eyes look up at Thorin with fear and pain. His bottom lip pushed out and his chin wrinkled. Thorin's heart broke.

What had he been doing?

Neglecting his son.

Fili was a strange thing, but he had never hurt Kili showing that his nature was good at heart. He was a small thing and... and if Thorin taught him how to control himself then he was no harm to anyone but his enemies.

He felt such the fool.

"I am sorry, Thorin." Fili managed to say. Big tears started to roll down round cheeks as the boy shook trying not to be loud and wake up Kili.

Thorin knelt down. His hands stroking Fili's head and shoulders. It hurt so bad to see the child in such a state.

"Do not call me that. I am your udâd," Thorin took Fili to his chest, the pull of scabs ignored as the lion child clutched onto him. "I am sorry."

That night Thorin slept on a mattress on the floor with Fili on his chest and Kili held to his side. It was the best sleep he had in a very long time.

In the morning he woke up to a strange sensation. Something wet and raspy was brushing against his chest. It tickled more than anything. He cracked open his eyes to find very blue, very distinct, feral eyes looking at him. He stiffened as he watched Fili with his dwarven face drag a very lion like tongue over the now opened scratches on his chest. Thorin didn't make any movements until he could think.

Fili was on top of him with eyes and tongue of a cat. What little he could see of the teeth they were somewhere between lion and dwarven. His small hands had clawed tips and were only holding open his tunic enough for the child to get to his wound. He looked to his side where Kili still slept, then back to Fili. It was at that moment it registered to Thorin what Fili was doing.

He was cleaning the wounds the best he knew how.

Thorin moved to get Fili off only to have the boy growl at him. Obviously he was not done with his nursing. So Thorin put his hand on the boy's back and gave a sigh. He would allow it this one time, they had just started to patch back up the father son relationship he managed to nearly destroy. Plus it would give him time to think of how to deal with Fili when he was like this... actually... now that he thought about it.

He nudged Kili awake. "Kili. Kili?"

The youth groaned, rubbing at his eye. "wha?"

"How do I get him to stop?" Thorin asked.

Kili blinked a few times, his vision coming to focus on what was happening. "You let him clean it."

"Just let him..."

Kili reached over and scratched at Fili's head completely fearless. "He's a good kitty. He cleaned me before."

"That is of no surprise."

Resigned, Thorin closed his eyes. This was certainly a strange morning. It would not be his last.