Back again! I want to take a moment to say that I love Bilbo Baggins. I really do.

"Dain!?" Oin questioned seeing the red haired dwarf towering over Thorin's weak and sleeping body. "What are you doing here?" Oin asked trying to stay calm. Dain had a large sword strapped to his side making Oin hesitant.

"I'm simply returning this," Dain said holding up Thorin's hair claps. He reached down for Thorin's messy braid and reattached the clasp. "You know," Dain said running his fingers though Thorin's hair. "I've always been envious of my cousin's hair."

"Thorin shouldn't have visitors right now. He is still recovering," Oin blurted out.

Dain released Thorin's hair and watched him closely as he slept. Oin slipped into the room grabbing a small knife on the table and hiding it behind his back. He eyed the large sword at Dain's side. Thorin was in no condition to fight back, asleep in a coma-like state and Oin knew he wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight either. He gripped the knife harder; if only Fili and Kili didn't leave to get some rest.

"Tell me…Oin wasn't it, how is my dear cousin doing?" Dain asked putting his hand on the side of Thorin's face. "He's rather cold," Dain said caressing Thorin's cheek down to his neck. He slowly wrapped his hand around Thorin's neck.

"Dain!" Oin yelled out. Dain lifted his hand off of Thorin's neck. "As Thorin's healer I am asking you to leave. Thorin needs rest and should not have visitors until he is feeling better," Oin glared at the Lord of the Iron hills with fiery eyes. If he had to fight Dain to keep Thorin safe then so be it. He was ready.

"I understand," said Dain taking a step away from Thorin. "You will inform me when he's feeling better?" Dain asked and Oin nodded. "Thank you and please, try to keep my dear cousin alive." Dain turned and left the room without another word.

Oin signed in relief and went to Thorin's side. He checked the king's vitals and saw that he was still stable. Dain had not done anything to Thorin while he was sleeping. Oin still held the knife not letting go. He sat next to Thorin staring at the door, in case Dain returned, until Fili and Kili busted into the room.

They looked rested and rejuvenated with big smiles on their faces. They were laughing with each other till they spotted the knife in Oin's hand. The healer explained to them what happened with Dain then apologized for leaving Thorin unattended.

"There is no need to apologize Oin, it's alright. Thank you for looking after our uncle." Fili said giving him a smile. Oin smiled back. "Also, could you get Dwalin for me? I need to talk to him." Oin agreed, gave Fili a bow and left. Fili kept looking at the door with a look of shock on his face.

"What is it?" Kili questioned.

"He bowed to me…," Fili told his brother still looking shocked.

"…And?"

Fili said nothing but thought to himself for the longest time. He turned to his brother, "how is uncle doing?"

"I don't know….you sent the healer away," Kili said and the two shared a laugh. They sat down by their uncle and talked to him as he slept.

Oin returned with Dwalin a few minutes later. Fili told Dwalin what Oin had said about Dain coming into Thorin's room while he was sleeping. Dwalin gripped a tight fist. There was not a doubt in his mind now that Dain was involved in what happened.

"Dwalin, I would like you to keep an eye on Dain. I know he played a hand in what happened to Thorin. I want you to watch him and make sure he isn't planning to do anything like that again. Keep a careful watch on him. I don't want him hurting Thorin ever again," Fili told Dwalin in a stern voice.

"He won't," Dwalin promised. He dismissed himself and went to talk with some friends he had who were from the Iron Hills. Dwalin thought one of them may have some information that proved Dain's involvement with Thorin's disappearance.

"Has he woken up yet?" Kili asked after a while.

Oin nodded. "While you were resting, before Dain came he woke up for a moment. He was a little out of it but he told me that he remembered seeing you two when he first woke up. He seemed very happy about it too."

The three sat with Thorin for a long time. Oin helped give Thorin some water and they took off some of the blankets. Thorin was finally at a normal temperature and his breathing was regular. Oin smiled telling the princes that these were really good signs. Dis came down at one point to sit with her family for a few minutes. She was a very busy and important woman. She had taken a great deal of Thorin's kingly responsibilities since her brother's return. She was helping running the market and dealt with the distribution of profits. Dain, since the council had named Thorin king once more, had ignored all his duties. He was still acting as a temporary king, but wasn't performing any of the obligations that title required. Therefore, Dis and Balin had been picking up the slack and running Erebor while Thorin healed. She did not stay long with Thorin and her sons, though she wanted too, for she had too many things to do.

Shortly after she left Thorin woke up again. He smiled seeing Fili and Kili. He began coughing and Oin gave him some more water.

"How are you feeling uncle?" Kili asked after Thorin seemed to calm down a bit.

"Better," Thorin weakly said. "What happened?"

"Bilbo found you down in an old tunnel uncle Frerin built. We got you out of there and you have been resting here ever since," Kili told him still holding onto his hand.

"Tunnel…," Thorin tired to think through the fog in his mind. He began to remember the chains around his wrists and ankles, the gag in his mouth, and the dark cold room. "How long was I down there?"

"Five days."

Thorin tried to push himself up into a sitting position. He struggled, his body feeling heavy and his arms feeling weak. He fell back down in the bed, unable to push himself into a sitting position. "Thorin, you need to take it easy," Fili told him. "You're still weak."

Thorin stared at his nephews breathing heavy from his attempt at moving. He remembered how dark it was in the tunnel. He didn't know if his eyes were open or not, either way it was pitch black. Thorin guessed that darkness would be the last thing he would ever see. He began to think he would never see his sister laughing as she made fun of him, never see Fili as a king, never see Kili's bright smile, and never see light again. Yet, he did.

The three sat talking for hours. Fili and Kili did most of the talking and Thorin tried his hardest to stay awake for every word. He drifted off a few times, but always woke back to Fili and Kili still sitting by his side talking his ear off. They mostly spoke about the past, about the years in the Blue Mountains and told Thorin about their own trip to Bag End before the quest. They avoided mentioning Dain, guessing they should ease into that conversation.

Eventually, the conversation did turn to the events of Thorin's disappearance. Thorin's mind was still in a fog, the events of the day he went missing a blur and the time while he was gone jumbled into indistinguishable days of darkness and cold. "Five days…?" he questioned trying to remember his time in the tunnel. His nephews nodded. "The council would have…said I died," Thorin softly spoke. His nephews nodded again. Thorin turned to Fili, "So…how was being king?"

"About that…," Fili said awkwardly. "I wasn't named king, Dain was." Fili quickly explained how Dain had taken rulership, but Thorin fell back unconscious during it. This time he slept for hours. Fili and Kili knew he was struggling to stay awake as long as he did. They stayed by his side watching him sleep till they fell asleep themselves, their heads lying next to Thorin on his bed.

Really, wanted to get one more chapter out before classes start. I want to say sorry in advance for how long it might take me to get to the next chapter. Sorry.

Review and have a super day!