I do not own any of the characters or the Hobbit (just the AU storyline and my OC) those are the work of the esteemed and brilliant John Ronald Reull Tolkien, and without his genius, this and many other fan fics would not be in existence.

Please review! I love getting them-they keep me encouraged! J

After Fili and Kili's sobbing had quieted, Thorin nudged them with his shoulders. He got two soft snores in return, and shook his head, sighing. Despite the reason for their anxiety he couldn't help but smile a bit at the fact that, no matter if they were full grown or not, they could still fall asleep in his arms as easily as when they had been tiny dwarflings, though they weren't quite as cute as they used to be.

And they are much bigger than they used to be too, he thought to himself with a chuckle as he shifted to allow blood to flow back into his now numb arms. Some of his own anxiety had dissipated as he had held the two lads, reassuring himself that yes they were alive and unharmed. For the first time in twenty four hours, his nephews' faces looked calm and peaceful.

Well, as calm and peaceful as they could be, despite the fact that they are drooling on my coat, he chuckled to himself.

He knew better than to say anything the next morning, however. Fili and Kili would never forgive him if it became known to the company that they had cried themselves to sleep in their uncle's arms like tiny dwarflings, and for that matter, he would never hear the end of it from Dwalin if it had been found that the dwarf King actually had a soft side to him.

As he began to wonder how in Mahal's name he was supposed to get these two dead weight unconscious dwarves to their beds, he heard a shuffling behind him and the sound of someone clearing their throat. He jumped a bit, startled at the unexpected presence, and turned his head to glare at the intruder who had caught him off guard.

Bilbo had been standing there for far longer than Thorin knew, thanking the stars above that he was at least one of the things Gandalf had said back in Bag End. He may not be a burglar, nor a warrior, but he could indeed move stealthily and quietly in the quiet manner that his race possessed. He had felt like he was witnessing something he shouldn't, seeing Thorin's gruff exterior melt away and hold his hurting nephews with all the love a father (or in this case uncle as a father figure) could show.

He had also noticed the tears that had threatened to spill from Thorin's face, but recognized the same look that many a hobbit has shown when they were just as frightened as their young ones, and the same resolve to blink them away for the sake of the child they were comforting. He had been held the same way when his mother and father had died during the Fell Winter, and thinking back on it, he thought he could remember his Aunt's face with the same expression that Thorin's had a few minutes ago.

When he saw Thorin try to get up unsuccessfully, he realized that, even if he could not be seen from his current position, he most certainly was in the way, and there was very little chance Thorin would not see him if the dwarf moved. Plus, it looked as though the two lads were out cold, and since everyone else was asleep (and he had learned very quickly on the quest to stand a good distance away and throw something at the dwarves to wake them, when Dwalin had nearly shaved his feet with his axe as he had tried to wake him one morning) he knew that he was the only one who could help Thorin in his current predicament. And, from his vantage point, it certainly looked as though the dwarf king was pinned.

Thorin sighed, knowing that he had been caught, and decided that he was going to make the hobbit absolutely certain that, if he were to divulge the events of the past half hour, he was going to be two feet shorter. Bilbo shifted uncomfortably on his feet as Kili slumped over onto Thorin's lap with a loud snore, further pinning him against the pillar he was backed up against.

"Er, um, Thorin," Bilbo began, but stopped short as Thorin sent him a death glare.

"Burglar, if you tell anyone what happened here, I swear on Mahal's name I will slice you in half and feed you to the dragon myself," Thorin growled. Bilbo gulped, and nodded. He gestured to the sleeping dwarves.

"Do you, that is, would you like a little help getting them inside?" he asked, stuttering a bit, still flustered at Thorin's previous threat. And from the look on the dwarf king's face, Bilbo had no doubt that he fully meant his threat. Thorin was about to reply that he could take care of his own nephews, thank you very much, when Fili's arm suddenly wrapped around Thorin's throat. The dwarf coughed as his windpipe was struck rather hard in the process. Fili settled into Thorin's shoulder and continued snoring lightly. Thorin closed his eyes and reached up to pinch his thumb and forefinger on the bridge of his nose, sighing loudly.

"Burglar, do you think you could at least push Kili off of my lap?" he asked, giving Bilbo a skeptical look. He honestly doubted that the hobbit was strong enough to move these two deadweights, but Bilbo nodded. He went up to Kili and grabbed his arm, pulling for all he was worth, but the dwarf just mumbled angrily and yanked it away from him, punching Thorin in the solar plexus before fisting into his tunic. The elder dwarf doubled over a bit as the air left his lungs.

That's it, Thorin thought, no longer caring if he woke them up at this point. He grabbed Fili's arm and yanked it off his throat, his elbow pushing the dwarf backwards onto the floor. Fili woke with a yelp, rubbing his back where it hit the floor.

"Ow!" He looked at his uncle in confusion, rubbing his eyes and yawning, before flushing a deep red as he realized he had cried himself to sleep on his uncle.

"Uncle, I-I'm," he stuttered, the flush getting deeper as he fumbled for words in his embarrassment.

"Never mind that!" Thorin snapped. Fili's eyes went wide, and his face looked as though it had been struck. Thorin mentally berated himself, sighing. In a gentler voice, he asked, "Would you please help me get your brother off of me?"

Fili nodded and immediately went up to Kili and began to help Bilbo lift him up. Bilbo stood back and let the two dwarves move the sleeping Kili off of his uncle, and decided to go ahead and go to bed quickly before the dwarf king remembered he had witnessed their family moment.

Kili mumbled and swatted Fili's hands away, but his brother continued trying to move him. Thorin had managed to scoot out from underneath him, and was now working to get his nephew's hand to release his tunic. Finally, they got Kili untangled from his uncle, and Thorin stood up. They looked at the young dwarf curled up on the floor, and eyed each other.

"Um, uncle? How are we supposed to get him to bed without waking him?" Fili asked. Thorin shook his head.

"Somehow I doubt anything would wake him at this point if he hasn't awakened already," Thorin answered, rolling his eyes. Fili smiled a bit, and they reached down to pick him up. Thorin tucked his hands under the lad's arms while Fili took Kili's legs, and they picked him up and began to make their way to the bedchamber. Kili stirred, before his eyes flew open and he began to kick and shove, not really awake yet. The force of his fighting caused both Thorin and Fili to drop him, neither expecting it. Kili hit the ground with a loud thud and focus returned to his eyes.

"Ow!" he repeated Fili's comment from earlier, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up. Suddenly noticing where he was, he also mimicked his brother and flushed deeply.

"Uncle, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—" the words rushed out of his mouth, before his uncle held up a hand to silence him.

"It's fine, both of you," he said, "Just go get some rest. It has been a long day."

Fili reached a hand down and helped his brother up, and the three went into the sleeping chambers, yawning and rubbing their eyes. Thorin subtly nursed the beginning of a bruise on his abdomen and along his neck. His nephews were far stronger in their sleep than they realized.

They lay down in their beds, Fili and Kili facing each other after pushing their mattresses together. They had always shared a bed, neither being able to sleep unless the other was near.

"I won't fail you again brother," Fili whispered in Khuzdul.

"Nor I you, my brother," Kili replied, before the two of them fell fast asleep.

XXX

Kili woke up restless in the middle of the night. He looked around the room, but everyone was still sleeping soundly. He saw the moon shining through the doorway that led to their balcony. The moon was slightly less than full, it being their third night in Rivendell. He could hear the slight chirping of the crickets mingling with the roar of the waterfalls, but otherwise, aside from the dwarves snoring, all was quiet.

Thorin had decided that they would accept Lord Elrond's offer to remain in Rivendell, at least until the girl woke up. He was loath to stay longer than necessary, both because he was eager to continue on their quest and because he did not want to be around the elves any longer than necessary. But, because of the blood debt owed, he felt honor bound to stay at least long enough to thank her for what she had done, and ensure that she would be able to travel to the nearest village of men.

He had been very angry when the white wizard had tried to dissuade them from their quest, and after badgering, he had finally decided to just make as though they would turn back, before continuing on. Gandalf had secretly agreed, saying that he and another member of their council believed that their quest was right, despite the white wizard's insistence on abandoning the quest. Gandalf also said that he would try to make sure that the dwarves, when they did decide to leave, could leave in secrecy while he prayed for time so that they could continue on. Thorin had been unhappy about it, but in the end he had to acquiesce to Gandalf's plan, knowing that, thanks to the debt, he did not have any choice in the matter.

Kili laid there staring at the ceiling as his thoughts again drifted to the girl. She was still unconscious, but it appeared that the elven healing she had received had been working, and there was no sign of infection. Oin had, with Lord Elrond's permission, examined her wounds himself and approved of what Lord Elrond had done. He was not familiar with Kingsfoil being used for healing, but remarked that it hadn't seemed to harm her at all, and it had seemed to keep any potential infection at bay. So now all they needed to do was wait until her body had replaced enough blood for her to awaken.

Kili hated the waiting. He had never been the most patient dwarf, and he was still very confused by what she had done. He had gone over each possibility in his head, sometimes with Fili, and was still no closer to a reason. The one reason that had made the most sense was that she had helped him because he had carried her. But that action alone didn't seem enough to justify saving his life by risking hers. At least, that is what the brothers believed. But they wouldn't find out for certain until she woke.

If she even speaks to us, Kili thought, she only spoke two words since we found her, and they were both in Khuzdul.

That was another thing that was bothering Kili. If she was a dwarf, why didn't she have a beard? And if she wasn't, how did she know Khuzdul? Neither brother had come up with a solution to that question either. It left Kili very puzzled. Tossing and turning, trying unsuccessfully to get comfortable again, he laid back down on his back and sighed at the ceiling in frustration.

Fili seemed to be unaware of his sleeplessness, snoring blissfully away as one arm hung off the side of the mattress and the other was around his pillow, which was currently pinned under him. His mouth hung open, and his mustache braids kept blowing with each exhale. Kili sighed again, before giving up his quest for sleep.

Quietly, so as not to disturb his brother, he slid out from under his blankets. Tugging on his boots and his jerkin, he reached over and grabbed his bow. He stood up and quietly made for the balcony, glad that Thorin had deemed watches no longer necessary with them being able to lock and barricade the door.

He stepped out onto the balcony, and leaned over. The ground was a little ways down, and there were sturdy vines twisting up the pillars on each side, winding around the elf maidens carved into the white marble. He guessed the distance to be about ten feet from the balcony railing to the ground.

Casting a glance over his shoulder, he quickly leapt over the railing, landing deftly on the grass below. He stood up from his crouch, looking around. He began to make his way toward a set of stairs that led into the halls, about one hundred and thirty feet from where he was standing. He didn't notice any guards on the stairs, and he stepped as lightly as a dwarf could.

He made his way down the hall until he found the long stairwell that led up toward where the girl's room was. The hallways were lit by low lamps, casting shadows about them. But the aura of this place was not one of fear, but of peace. Though Kili kept his eyes and ears open, he did not find himself afraid, merely cautious as he headed closer and closer to the healing rooms.

Rounding the last corner, he could see the valley lit by the bright moon through arched openings in the wall to the east. The moonlight danced off the waterfalls similar to the way the sunlight did during the day. The trees reflected in the rivers below as they joined the larger river flowing eastward, and fireflies danced around in the night.

For an elven valley, Kili thought it rather pretty. He had always enjoyed the outdoors slightly more than most dwarves, and could find beauty in things many dwarves could not. However, he told few about it, for fear of more ridicule. Fili understood, being one of the few he told, and they had many "adventures" in the woods outside of Thorin's halls when they were growing up.

But he didn't sneak out of their chambers because he admired the scenery. He continued to make his way to the door where the girl was recovering from her wounds. There were no guards that he saw, though he was confident that they were there and just out of his sight. He reached for the doorknob and turned it, opening the door slowly and quietly.

The girl's room was softly lit by two candles, one on each small table by the head of the bed. Since it was a healing room, it actually had real glass windows instead of open arches to help prevent the breeze from disturbing the patients, though they could be opened. Kili started as he saw movement to his left, and reached for his bow out of instinct. A female elf stood from her chair. He recognized her as one of the many healers in the room from the day before. He shouldered his bow.

"How is she?" he asked quietly, moving toward the foot of the bed. He looked at the sleeping girl, and for the first time really looked at her. Her face was no longer ashen, though it was still pale, and Kili could finally see her whole face. Her red-brown curls fanned out on her pillow, framing a face with a small nose that was rounded at the end. He saw long eyelashes curled on the top of her cheeks, which were slightly red. She had slightly full brownish pink lips, and no beard that he could see. He could see her ear as well, and it was rounded and tiny, whereas dwarves have larger ears than humans.

So she is a human then, he thought to himself, at least she is not an elf. It may have solved one mystery, but it created more questions.

Why would a human girl save the life of a dwarf? Humans scorn dwarves, unless they have need of their services or wares, he thought. He turned his attention to the elf, who answered his question.

"She is still unconscious, master dwarf," the healer replied, "but she is healing well."

"Are you sure she hasn't awakened yet?" Kili replied, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"She has had a healer in here with her at all times, and Lord Elrond checks in on her frequently during the daytime. If she had woken, he would have been informed, and your kin as well," she replied, returning to her seat. She eyed the dwarf warily as he pulled up a chair next to the bedside and sat down. The room was silent for a moment, and then the healer's voice sounded, making Kili jump a bit.

"What brings you to her chamber in the middle of the night, if I may ask?" the healer asked him warily, "Is she your kin?" Kili shook his head.

"No, she is not my kin," he replied, wondering why the elf asked him. He was sure it was rather strange for her to have a visitor at night, though Thorin had insisted on at least one of the company keeping an eye on her at all times.

Bilbo had even sat with her reading some of the books he had found in Lord Elrond's library, claiming that perhaps she could hear him, and maybe it would help her feel better. Thorin had scoffed at that, until Oin had said it couldn't hurt, and that he had heard stories of people waking up from unconsciousness that way. Thorin had acquiesced, deciding that if the hobbit wished to sit with her and read, then that was his business.

Thorin insisted on the company staying together at night, however, since Gandalf had offered to sleep in the room next to hers so that he could keep an eye on her instead of the dwarves (more for ensuring that he got some rest, because he knew that if the dwarves interacted with the elves without him there to intervene if necessary things may get out of hand. And he trusted Elrond, so he did not worry if he was sleeping when he was "supposed" to be keeping watch over the girl, and this way everyone got their rest). Thorin had wanted Gandalf to actually be in the room with her, but the wizard assured him that his hearing was excellent even in sleep and that if there was trouble he would be in there in half a second. Thorin didn't like it, but finally agreed, as long as the door that joined the rooms is kept open. Gandalf had rolled his eyes at that, and gone off muttering about stubborn dwarves.

Kili noticed the door was shut, but he wisely decided that was between Thorin and Gandalf, and he did not want to get in the middle of their arguments. The girl seemed safe enough, and since he was here he didn't deem it necessary for both him and Gandalf to lose sleep. The healer spoke, distracting Kili from his thoughts again.

"Why are you here then if she is not your kin? Your friends have been here during the day, but I was told Mithrandir would be the one to keep an eye on her at night," the healer asked, looking at the dwarf suspiciously. Kili looked back at her, wondering why she was asking him all these questions.

"Does it matter why? I am not going to hurt her," he replied defensively. He glared at the elf, crossing his arms over his chest. The elf stared back, then suddenly her eyes lit up as realization dawned on her face. She smiled knowingly, confusing Kili. Why was she smiling like that? He wondered, not sure what to make of the change in her expression.

"Ah, I understand now," she said, winking at Kili, who was becoming even more baffled at the elf's expressions. Was he missing something? He looked at the girl, who was still resting peacefully, the confused expression still on his face.

"Don't worry, master dwarf. If you wish to be with your betrothed in secret, I won't tell anyone, as long as you do nothing improper," she said, smiling. Kili's head shot up, eyes wide as he gaped at her. His cheeks flushed a deep red as his mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

Wh-what did she just say? B-but I-I'm not…

"B-but I'm not… she's not… we-we're not betrothed!" the stunned dwarf finally sputtered out, "She just got hurt rescuing me!" and then his face reddened even further as he realized he just admitted to an elf that he had needed rescuing by a woman. The elf simply smiled knowingly, and shrugged.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," she said, eyes sparkling with amusement.

"B-but," Kili stuttered, but the elf just winked at him again and went into a small room off to the side to prepare some medicine. He thought he heard some slight shuffling in the adjoining room, but was too flustered to pay it any mind.

Kili groaned, leaning forward to put his head in his hands in frustration. He could feel his ears and neck heat up as well as he thought of the elf's insinuation, and cursed her under his breath, not caring if she heard. He could only hope that she would keep her gossiping mouth to herself, for if this incorrect rumor began to spread, he would surely die of embarrassment. He still felt the sting from the last time he had experienced rejection, and the self doubts that had plagued him then began to reappear.

Maybe coming here had been a bad idea, he thought to himself.

XXX

Suddenly, Kili heard a slight moan, and his head snapped up, all embarrassment forgotten as the girl's eyelashes fluttered, before squeezing tightly shut as a soft groan emitted from her.

"Healer!" he cried, "Healer, she's waking up!" He jumped out of his chair, and wasn't sure whether to get the healer or keep an eye on her. The healer rushed back into the room and to the other side of the bed and laid a hand on the girl's shoulders as her eyes fluttered open. Her eyes widened, and she began to scream and struggle, but the healer's hands held her down.

Kili had been unaware that Gandalf had entered the room until he pushed the healer aside and laid his hand across the girl's forehead. She immediately began to calm, and fell back into unconsciousness. He looked at the healer, and said, "Go get Lord Elrond!" She nodded and left the room in a hurry.

XXX

Only after the healer left did Gandalf finally notice the dwarf across the bed from him. If he was surprised to see Kili here in the middle of the night, he didn't show it. Kili swallowed, and looked down at the floor, allowing his hair to partially conceal his face before looking up at the wizard.

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would check on her," Kili said, hoping the wizard hadn't overheard the conversation five minutes ago, and felt his cheeks grow warm again. He was very grateful for the low light of the two candles. Gandalf didn't seem to notice his discomfort and merely nodded.

"To be honest, young Kili, I was surprised you waited this long," he replied. The dwarf looked up at him in confusion, wondering what he meant. Why can't anyone around speak in a way that makes sense?

Gandalf must have seen the questioning in Kili's face, for he continued, "You have never met this girl before the troll cave, I gather?" Kili shook his head, wondering what the wizard was getting at, and hoping, no praying that he would not arrive at the same ridiculous conclusion as the elf.

Gandalf leaned on his staff, and explained, "You have never seen her before, and none of your kin have seen her before, though she seems to know at least who Thorin is. And yet, she jumps in front of a warg to save you from certain death, nearly dying herself." The wizard looked at him thoughtfully. Kili met his gaze, and looked away, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Like I said, I am not surprised you are here, though I do wonder what took you so long," Gandalf asked, "You have many questions, I am sure." Kili nodded, then looked at the hands in his lap.

"Why did she do it, Gandalf?" he whispered, looking up at the grey wizard, "Why did she save me?"

"Why does anyone do such things?" Gandalf responded, and Kili groaned again.

"Why does everyone around here speak in riddles?" Kili replied testily. He had certainly had enough of them for tonight. Gandalf chuckled as the dwarf hunched in his chair with his arms crossed in front of him, looking very much like a pouting dwarfling as he glared at the wizard.

"I suppose because it can make sense, if one is good at solving them," he replied, the twinkle still in his eye, "But as to why she did what she did, I am afraid I do not know any more than you do." Kili sighed, and looked at the girl, then back at Gandalf.

"Why did she wake up screaming like she did?" he asked. Gandalf cast a concerned glance over to the girl, then looked back at the dwarf.

"It is pretty common for someone who fell unconscious during a battle to wake up and be disoriented," he replied. "She doesn't know where she is, nor does she remember being brought here, and she could have thought that she was still surrounded by wargs on the plain." Kili nodded in understanding. He was about to ask Gandalf what he did to calm her down, when Lord Elrond burst into the room.

XXX

Lord Elrond immediately approached the bed, and checked the girl's pulse. Kili moved against the wall as he had been ordered to do when they were healing her that first day. Lord Elrond spoke some words in elvish to Gandalf, then turned toward the woman healer.

"Send for Lord Thorin. He was to be notified when the girl awakened," he instructed in Westron. The healer nodded and left immediately. Lord Elrond then turned toward Gandalf.

"How long will your calming spell last?" he asked.

"Not long," he replied, "I merely sought to calm her knowing you would arrive soon." Lord Elrond nodded. He went to check her bandages, and Kili turned around out of courtesy. He startled a little as Lord Elrond addressed him, not realizing that the elf had indeed noted his presence.

"It's all right, Prince Kili. I am not removing her bandages. I am simply making sure her wounds didn't reopen," Lord Elrond reassured, "She will not be indecent." Kili turned back around, and silently wondered if there was any possible way for him to sneak out of the room and return to the dwarves' bedchamber before Thorin arrived, but realized he only knew the one way to get back, and would run into Thorin on the way. He hoped that he would not get in trouble for slipping out in the middle of the night.

"It appears that her wounds are fine," Lord Elrond pronounced, drawing the blanket back up.

"She is healed?" Kili asked, surprised. He would have thought such an injury would take longer to heal, especially with the amount of blood loss she had.

"Not quite," Lord Elrond replied, "She is healing nicely, but I merely meant that her wounds had not reopened during her struggle." Gandalf and Kili nodded. They heard footsteps, and turned as the door was opened and the healer and Thorin strode in.

Thorin glanced at Kili, not seeming surprised to see that he was there. The healer must have told him I was, Kili thought. But the look Thorin gave him told Kili that his uncle would definitely be having words with him about his midnight excursion. He sincerely hoped the healer hadn't told him the other part of their conversation.

XXX

"I thought you said the girl was awake," Thorin asked gruffly. He never was a morning person, and being awakened unexpectedly in the middle of the night when he didn't have watch wasn't much better. However, he had told them to inform him immediately if she woke. He just hadn't expected it to be still dark when she did.

"She was," Gandalf replied, "But she was very disoriented. She kept screaming and thrashing so I put a calming spell on her to keep her from injuring herself further. But she should be coming around soon."

As if the wizard somehow had the power of foresight, the girl began to stir again. Gandalf and Lord Elrond positioned themselves on either side of the bed, prepared to intervene in case she panicked again. Thorin and the female healer stood at the end of the bed, and Kili hung off to the side, not quite sure what to do.

Her eyelashes fluttered, before popping open. She bolted upright, and cried out in pain as she wrapped her arm around her middle. Lord Elrond and Gandalf caught her shoulders and laid her back down. Her breathing was fast, but her eyes weren't as unfocused as they had been. They darted from Lord Elrond to Gandalf, to Thorin, and back, and she tried to scoot backwards, but stopped as her face scrunched up in pain. Her face suddenly went very pale and she shut her eyes, swallowing repeatedly.

Lord Elrond had been a healer long enough to see when someone was going to be sick, and immediately thrust a basin under her chin, and she promptly threw up in it. It was mostly bile, and her lips were cracked and bleeding slightly from dehydration. She laid back when she was done, and Lord Elrond ordered the healer to bring him a pain draught in some lukewarm tea. She went into the small room off to the side, and the four looked at the girl.

She was lying on her back, face still scrunched up in pain. She curled in on herself, groaning loudly, still clutching at her abdomen. The healer reappeared with the tea, and handed it to Lord Elrond. He put his arm around her shoulder and leaned her up, placing the cup next to her lips. She managed to drink a couple sips, before collapsing back onto the bed in exhaustion. Her eyes shut for a few moments, before they opened back up to gaze up at Lord Elrond.

Thorin moved to stand next to the elf, and Lord Elrond backed up, allowing the dwarf to approach the girl. She saw him and shut her eyes again, before looking back up at the dwarf king. Pain still echoed in her features. Thorin crossed his arms over his chest.

"Who are you?" he asked the girl, "And what in Durin's name did you think you were doing, jumping in front of a bloody warg with only a dagger?!"