At last, the final installment! Sorry it's taken me a while to post. This week has been horrid. My car broke down, I had a few semester exams, and I had to have my dog put to sleep yesterday. Either way, here it is! Thanks for my faithful reviewers and please check out my profile. I have many other stories yet to be posted and a few Works in Progress waiting to be reviewed on my account! ;)

Dedicated to Feathered Filly, Call Brandybuck and all my other amazing reviewers!

"Kili!" cried Fili as he darted down the hallway, back to his bedroom. He instantly regretted having left his brother alone, under the assumption that he was now having a nightmare. Thorin and Dis pursued him also, thinking the same thing.

However, Fili broke into his bedroom and saw Kili, fully awake, struggling against the silhouette of someone much larger. The offender had clamped it's filthy hand over the young dwarf's mouth, but Fili could still hear muffled screams coming from his brother.

When the door burst open, the creature whipped around to see Fili. In the dull moonlight, the young dwarf could see that this was not a dwarf- it was much to tall- and it's face was most certainly not human.

If his assumptions from the stories he had been told were true, it was an Orc.

Fili wasted no time, not worrying for his own safety. He ran to his bed and reached under his pillow, where he kept his treasured knife, gifted to him by his late father. The Orc stepped back, growling, while still holding Kili captive. Fili held his knife in front of him.

"Let my brother go!" demanded Fili, waving the knife to the best of his abilities. The Orc looked merely amused, but Thorin burst in not a moment later. Recognition and shock appeared on both the dwarf prince's face and the Orc's.

"Release my nephew," ordered the burly dwarf. Dis stood behind him, frozen.

The orc sneered and held Kili roughly by the hair. The youngest dwarf cried out when he was nearly lifted from the floor by the locks of black, curly hair. Fili's heart tore hearing that sound.

Thorin reached for a dagger that was on his belt, but found it was not there. Dis had removed the belt when she was cleaning the wound on his side. He reached towards Fili, not taking his eyes off the orc nor his young nephew. Fili saw Thorin's extended hand, suddenly putting two and two together. He pressed the hilt of the knife into his uncle's hand.

The orc hauled Kili up closer, holding a knife to the boy's pale throat.

"I said..." Thorin growled. "Release. Him. I will kill you where you stand."

The orc replied by pulling Kili in front as a shield. Thorin gritted his teeth, unsure of whether to advance or not. He could see Fili standing to the side, staring at his uncle for guidance. Kili's terrified eyes were wide, pleading.

Thorin stood absolutely still. He did not want to spook the orc- his nephew would surely perish. He thought he heard something outside the open window, undoubtedly the way that the orc entered the room.

Just my luck... if there is more than one orc, I will not be able to protect Fili and Dis, and rescue Kili...

However, Thorin was relieved to see the floppy ears of a familiar hat outside of the window, bouncing shadows in the moonlight.

Perfect...

Thorin saw that Fili was getting a little nervous, wanting to get his brother back in his arms. Thorin wanted to motion for him to be patient, but could not risk a move.

Only a few more moments...

At last, a small pick ax came through the open window, knocking the orc's head. The orc was not seriously hurt, but he was shocked. He whipped around, momentarily letting go of Kili. Thorin took his chance and rushed the creature, shoving it out of the window before finishing it off with a clean cut to the throat. He made sure it was dead before he looked around. A toothy grin and floppy hat came into his line of sight.

"Bofur," Thorin sighed. "I cannot thank you enough."

"There is no need to," Bofur responded. "I heard little Kili screaming. You know that everybody in the Blue Mountains would do anything to help your boys there."

Thorin gave Bofur a small smile. He clasped his friend's shoulder. "Nevertheless, thank you. I was beginning to fear the worst would happen."

Bofur returned the gesture. "Go inside and take care of those boys. I'll go get Dwalin to help me clean this up." He glanced at the dead orc for a moment before nodding to his friend, leaving to hunt down the aforementioned dwarf.

Thorin ran back to the front door and found his way back into the boys' room. Dis stood in the hallway, and stopped Thorin from going in. She shook her head, gesturing for him to be quiet. Thorin and his sister peered into the small room.

Fili held his young brother protectively to his chest, rocking slightly. Kili was clutching to his brother like a lifeline, crying quietly.

"I'm here, Kili, I'm here," Fili continued to repeat.

Kili was trying to compose himself enough to speak, but found it improbable. Fili soothed his little brother's messy curls back, waiting patiently. Finally, Kili moved back, though he still hung onto his brother's shirt.

"Are you okay?" Fili asked quietly, scanning his brother. "That creature did not hurt you?"

Kili shook his head, still not trusting his voice. Fili could see a small line drawn across his neck where the knife had been, but it didn't appear to be bleeding.

Fili noticed, worried, that his brother still seemed distraught. "Hey, Kili," he said, tipping his brother's chin up to lock eyes with him. "The orc is gone, it cannot hurt you anymore."

" 'S not that," Kili replied, rubbing his nose. "When it grabbed me, it told me..."

Fili saw his brother struggle. "You don't have to-"

"It told me if I made a sound, it would kill you!"

Understanding washed over Fili. His brother's eyes were filled with fear and guilt.

"Everybody is okay, though."

"But he could have got you! I was supposed to be quiet and I wasn't!"

Fili's eyes softened. "He was trying to scare you. That is their nature, they live to cause fear. Nobody could have been quiet."

"Uncle Thorin probably would."

In the hall, Thorin tensed slightly. Those boys have so much faith in me... Too much.

"You know, Uncle met a party of orcs on the way here. He tried to fight them off, but he couldn't. He got hurt."

Kili sniffled, whipped his gaze to meet his brother's. "Is he okay?"

"Yes. He just arrived not long ago. But you see, my point is that not everybody is perfect. Uncle Thorin got hurt, but he still won. That is what's important. You may have shouted, but you are alive. That it what's most important."

"I didn't want you to come rescue me," Kili admitted.

"Why?" Fili replied, flabbergasted.

"I didn't want you to get hurt. 'Specially because of me."

Fili straightened up, glaring hard at his brother. "Now, you stop that. None of what just happened could ever be your fault. Okay? You were brave, I probably would have been screaming my head off, but you were brave. You've nothing to feel guilt over.

"And secondly, do not worry for me. I am your big brother, I should be watching over you. That orc underestimated us, you know why?"

"Why?"

"Orcs don't have a family. They don't know what love is. They can't understand it." Fili made sure his brother was listening. "And family never ever leaves one behind. I don't care if it is one orc or a hundred, I would still come to your aide. That is just what family does. And I've no doubt that if I got myself in a bit of a pickle, you would not hesitate to rescue me."

Kili nodded.

"And no matter what, we have each other. That's what really matters. Family sticks together, and that won't change. Uncle Thorin, mom, you and me. We'll always look out for one another and be there when we need to be."

Kili finally nodded with confidence, giving his brother a puppy-dog-eyed smile.

"Come on then," Fili said, standing. He pulled his brother up off the floor.

"Where are we going?"

Fili looked down at his brother. "To have some cocoa. It's the best medicine."

Dis hurried away before she could be seen, with Thorin on her tail, as the boys turned and headed for the door. When they reached the sitting room, Thorin was sitting on the couch, holding the cloth to his side again, and Dis was making a few mugs of cocoa.

And so, the broken little family sat with their mugs in hand. They told stories. Sometimes they laughed, sometimes they sat on the edge of their seats for Thorin's next words, but they were content. They sat in the room for hours, talking until the throats hurt and laughing until their sides were sore.

Eventually, everybody drifted to sleep, mugs dropping to the floor unnoticed.

In the morning, Thorin was the first to wake. The early morning sun shone through the windows and he gazed upon the sleeping figures. His sister sat curled up on her favourite chair with a blanket around her shoulders. Thorin smiled, standing. He readjusted the blanket and set a pillow under his sister's head so her neck would not hurt.

He then turned and saw his nephews. Fili sat up against the back of the couch, his legs drawn up on the couch. Kili rested peacefully with his head laying across his brother's lap, snuggled into the warmth. His little hands had been clutching his brother's shirt when he fell asleep. A small hand lay on the curly hair- Fili had been absentmindedly stroking his brother's locks when they fell asleep. The two breathed in sync, little snores echoing through the silent room.

As Thorin went to the kitchen to clean up from the night before, he could not resist a smile.

This is home.

Well, that's the end! Sappy sappiness is super sappy. I had to write something not heart-breaking because I have a few angsty fics in mind. I am also open to ideas- I love to write! Send me a message or leave a review if you have an idea! (but you can also leave a review for fun ;) )