Chapter Text
"It's your fault!" Fili yelled at his brother. He'd just spent the last hour being told off by Thorin for the near loss of the ponies. Thankfully, the rest of the company was still asleep, aside from Kili, so he wasn't humiliated in front of them as well. It really wasn't fair, thougb. They had both been on watch, and it was Kili who'd suggested the game of tag.
After chasing his brother through the woods, and nearly getting lost before they found the landmarks that led back to their camp, Fili had returned to a surprising lack of ponies. He didn't really see what the big deal was, yes they had nearly been eaten by trolls, but everyone was alright in the end. They even got the ponies back.
"Is not!" Kili responded.
"Oh, will you both stop acting like children," Thorin commanded.
"He started it!" Kili yelled, pointing at his big brother.
"Of course. It's always my fault. Can't you just take responsibility for once in your life!" Fili retorted.
"I shouldn't take responsibility because it wasn't my fault! If you had just-just . . ." Kili trailed off. Kili felt really strange all the sudden. He blinked a couple times to try to clear his head.
"Kili?"
"I-I don't feel right, Fili."
"Kili, really. You need to act more like an adult. You're probably just tired," Thorin said.
Kili nodded but his eyes were unfocused. He started to wobble on his feet, before collapsing.
"Kili!" Fili said, his anger at his brother forgotten.
Fili shoved Thorin aside and crossed the distance to where his brother lay in a heap on the ground. "Kili!" Fili started shaking his brother. "Kili, wake up!" There was no response. His brother just flopped into his arms like a lifeless creature. Fili shook him harder. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm really sorry. It's my fault, Kili. I'm sorry. Just WAKE UP!"
Fili felt a hand on his shoulder and snapped his head over to where his uncle stood, a look of concern on his face.
"Don't shake him, Fili. That can't be good for . . ." he trailed off as they both stared at the unconscious dwarf. "Help me move him."
Fili gave his brother one final shake, hoping that it would somehow snap him back into consciousness. It didn't work.
Thorin pulled Fili to his feet and together they half dragged half carried Kili to a clear spot. The rest of the company was awake now, aroused by Fili's shouts, and were staring in horror at the unconscious form of their youngest member.
"It's all my fault, uncle." Fili muttered, staring at where Kili lay breathing evenly, in the appearance of sleep.
"No it isn't. And blaming yourself won't help Kili, now will it?" Thorin replied.
"But maybe if we hadn't fought than none of this would have happened." On some level, Fili knew it was irrational, but some of the last words he had said to his brother were in anger. And what if Kili died thinking that his brother hated him? No! That was not to be considered. Kili would live because Kili had to. Fili would not lose his little brother. Not ever.
"I find that highly unlikely. And even if it were true, we cannot change the past." Fili looked behind him to see Gandalf staring at him, having approached soundlessly some time ago. "Let me see him."
Thorin and Fili showed Gandalf where the unconscious Kili lay. Gandalf first felt the dwarf's forehead. "He has a rather high temperature. Was he acting strange at all?"
"No. He wasn't. He just collapsed all the sudden." Gandalf began muttering incantations while he listened to Fili's response. "What's wrong with him, Gandalf?"
"I'm not entirely sure. I've never seen anything like it. None of my spells are working. I have a strong feeling this isn't natural at all." He touched the dwarves head again, sure his previous idea of the temperature couldn't be right. But there it was. Kili wasn't just hot, he was burning up. "Are you sure there wasn't anything at all that could have warned-"
"We're sure," Thorin cut him off, not wanting more guilt to be put into his nephew's head. "If it's not natural what is it?"
"Magic. A dark and powerful magic. One that I have not seen in all my time. I fear there may not be much we can do for Kili."
"NO! You have to save him!" Fili shouted at the wizard, his eyes red rimmed and brimming. "He's all I have, Gandalf. Please. Without him, I just can't-" The dwarf gathered his composure again. "Please help him."
"I shall try my hardest, Fili. I truly shall."
___________
It was a good day in Haven. The sun had eaten it's way through the fog, and was lighting up the streets of the small Maine town. The air smelt of summer, and it was far too nice a day to be locked up in the police station, at least in Audrey Parker's opinion. Nearly an hour ago she had proclaimed to her partner that they were going to get coffee and proceeded to walk over and poke him repeatedly until he agreed. Normally she would have just thrown things, but Nathan being Nathan she had to resort to walking the whole seven feet to his desk, not that she minded though.
It had taken about six minutes of this before Nathan got so fed up with her antics that he agreed to walk down to the coffee shop with her as long as she promised to let him work upon their return.
It started out as every other trip to the coffee shop had. Audrey ordered a cup for each of them, and grabbed their usual place at the tiny table for two farthest from the door. Anything to keep the residents of Haven from pestering them with there quirky and often disturbing issues during the fifteen minute break that usually made up lunch "hour". She wove her fingers through Nathan's and they talked about the little oddities of the town, which art shop had the best supplies, whether it would be Vince or Dave that attacked them with problems first, and basically anything that was not work related. All was as it should be.
Then came the honking.
Well, one car honking wouldn't have caught their attention in the slightest, but when almost every car on the street started honking their horns at the exact same moment, the police officers decided it best to see what was causing the commotion.
What they saw in the middle of the street was far from what either of them suspected.
A short guy, around the same height as Audrey, was standing square in the middle of the street, eyes frantic, shooting arrows at the cars as they attempted to move around him. He was dressed from head to toe in leathers and furs and had hair hung with ornaments that stretched a little past his shoulders.
"Hey!" Nathan yelled, deciding to temporarily ignore the issue of what the hell could possibly be wrong with this guy and deal with the part where he was standing in the middle of the street. He put his hand on his gun, and advance slowly toward the man. A couple of steps in Audrey caught his arm. "I think it might be better if I handle this one," she whispered in his ear and after a second of consideration he nodded. This seemed more a job for Audrey's skills with the hysterical than his admittedly lacking social skills. He stood back and watched as she strode slowly and confidently toward the guy.
"Hello," she said sweetly. "Would you like to tell me what's wrong?"
The man turned his large brown eyes on Audrey. "Where am I?"
She smiled sympathetically. "You're in Haven. You're also in the street. Would you maybe like to put the bow down and-"
With that she raised her hand slowly to take the bow from his grasp. Thinking that she meant to harm him, the dwarf yanked her forward and raised his sword to her neck.
"Audrey!" Nathan shouted, taking off running towards his partner before he could think better of it. She could not get hurt, he kept telling himself. "Look, we don't want to hurt you." he shouted pleadingly at the man. "We want to help you, actually. Why don't we all just lower our weapons . . ." Nathan put his gun down in the street.
The dwarf, however, did not lower his weapon.
Meanwhile, Duke was just about to open up The Gull for lunch hour. He happened to glance over at a nearby coffee shop when he saw Nathan, Audrey, and - wait. Who was that? He squinted against the sunlight to try to make out the strange man. Why was he holding Audrey like that and what was - Duke dropped the plate he was holding, letting it land with a crash upon the floor. He darted out the door of the Gull and into the street, but after taking a moment to observe the situation he slowed his pace and crept up behind the man.
Duke reached up and moving much more quickly now wrapped one arm around the man's neck, simultaneously using the other to knock the sword from his grasp and on to the ground. Audrey left away and the man turned on Duke.
"Where-where am I? Who are you people? Where's my brother?" the dwarf asked, voice cracking.
"We can answer all your questions if you just calm down," Audrey coaxed.
Instead of calming down they guy's eyes flicked to his sword, Duke glanced at Audrey and she shook her head. He stopped for a brief moment, wondering if you could be arrested for helping the police. Oh well, he thought, and lunged for the dwarf.
The fist slammed into Kili's face and the dwarf's eyes flicked shut as pain blossomed. His breath hitched as, for the second time that day, he wobbled forward and collapsed.
___________
Fili was looking at his brother, concern written all over his face. Kili hadn't been this sick before. Sure, he got fevers now and then, but they were never this bad. He brushed his fingers through the sweaty mop of dark hair that was his brother. "Please get better, Kili," he whispered into the dark. "I need you to get better. I've been a bad brother, Kili. I won't do it again. Not ever. I'll never blame you for anything. You can let all the ponys go and never get them back and I won't be mad. I'll buy you a new bow too, and all the arrows you like. And I'll never get mad at you for shooting at my stuff. All you have do is wake up."
Beneath him he felt his brother stiffen. "Kili," he said hoping against hope that somehow his brother had woken up. Kili twisted a little bit, a small whimper escaping his mouth. Fili put a hand out to touch his brother's face. Then without warning his brother's back arched under him, throwing Kili forward. His limbs flung out and twitched at his side. Fili grabbed his brother, holding him down so he couldn't injure himself. Kili let out another long whimper and then went still.
After a few minutes, Kili opened his eyes to a welcome site, before him the tall trees of Middle Earth stretched above into the clear blue sky.
"Fili," he croaked. His throat hurt more than it ever had in his life, and after a moment he realized it wasn't the only thing. His head was pounding as if someone was slamming a mallet into his skull, and his stomach roiled as if he might vomit.
"Fili," he tried again, a little louder this time. He heard someone shifting next to him.
"Kili!" his brother cried, "Are you awake?"
"Yeah, I think so," Kili croaked and Fili laughed. Suddenly his brother's tear-streaked face was over him, a wide grin splitting his features.
Fili pulled his brother into a hug. "Don't you ever do that to me again, you stupid dwarf!"
Kili moaned in pain as the movement made his head throb even worse. "Fili! Down."
Fili jumped back in alarm. "Are you alright? Where does it hurt?"
"Head," Kili croaked. "Throat, stomach."
"I'll go get Gandalf," his brother said. Kili was just about to nod.
"Fili. I feel a bit strange."
Fili laughed humorlessly. "'Course you do. You're sick, little brother, but we're gonna get you better, ok? I'll be right back."
"No!" Kili cried, suddenly feeling that it was urgent that he kept his brother from leaving. "Stay. Please. Just a minute."
"Okay," Fili agreed, his voice full of concern. He sat back down and pulled his brother close to him. "Are you alright?"
"'m okay" Kili slurred "Just sleepy."
That got Fili's attention. "No! No sleep, Kili. Do not go back to sleep. You can sleep later. Stay here. Stay with me."
"Trying." Kili's head was growing thick. He didn't want to back to sleep, back to whatever strange fever dream he'd just escaped from. "But 'm so tired." His eyes started to flutter shut.
"NO! Kili, please. Don't leave me again. Please don't go to sleep again. PLEASE!" Fili's voice cracked, but his brother was too far gone to notice.
"G'night Fili." Kili whispered and his eyes closed on his brother.
_______
Kili awoke inside a strange jail cell. It wasn't at all like the ones he's been in way too often back home. No, this one had cold, metal bars and a gray floor. He banged on the door.
"Let me out!"
Kili then thought of his brother begging him to stay. He'd left him. He'd left Fili the only time his brother had asked him to stay. What if something happened? What if Fili got hurt?
"Please!" he sobbed. "Please just let me out! I need to get back to my brother! Please!"
A door opened in front of his cell and a man emerged. He gave Kili a look that was a mixture of sympathy and caution, and walked up to where the young dwarf was locked in the cell "Listen. We want to help you. Can you just tell me what your name is?"
"Kili" he sniffed.
"Kili what?" The woman he had threatened emerged from the door behind the man, still looking calm and sympathetic, making Kili feel especially guilty.
"Kili Oakenshield. Please I want to go home." He knew he sounded like a child, but he was frightened and he wanted Fili and oh, Durin, his head hurt. Not quite as bad as it had back in middle earth, but really bad.
"How did you get here, Kili?" the woman asked.
"I don't know! I was just arguing with Fili and then my head hurt so badly and-" Kili broke off.
"It's okay. We'll get you back to your brother," the woman told Kili. "Nathan." She motioned for her partner to follow her.
"So, what do you think? Insane? Or troubled?" he asked once he was out of the strange man's earshot.
"Probably just had too much to drink last night. But I don't know. It could be a trouble. I mean, this is Haven, after all."
"What about the weapons?"
"He could be into collecting old swords and bows and arrows. Still, we should keep an eye on him." Audrey looked back to the cell to see Kili weeping silently.