"Then one of the ponies took fright at nothing and bolted. He got into the river before they could catch him; and before they could get him out again, Fili and Kili were nearly drowned, and all the baggage that he carried was washed away off him." - The Hobbit Chapter II: Roast Mutton

This story is my own version of events from "the almost-drowning scene," as many people have come to call it. I wanted to put a bit of a twist on it to make it more of my own, so I have integrated an original flashback scene which fits the theme of the story. So enjoy film-verse Fili and Kili with some dwarf babies thrown in the mix!

Of Rainy Days and Misadventures

The rain was coming down in torrents over the company of Thorin Oakenshield, and Fili wondered if they would ever escape the wet and the cold. Fili had never liked the rain. He preferred to be inside where it was warm and dry during such weather, but Kili was a different story. Ever since they were dwarflings, he had always enjoyed a good rainstorm. So, when Fili turns to his brother riding alongside him, he is surprised by the utterly miserable expression on his face.

"What's wrong," Fili asks, bringing his pony closer, "I thought you liked the rain?"

Kili glowers in response, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "What's to like about being cold and wet all day?"

Fili smirks at him. "How many times was I sent chasing after you because you insisted on playing outside during a downpour? You'd be soaked through before I could get you back in the house!"

Kili frowns. "We were children, Fili. I'm a little old to still play in the rain, in case you hadn't noticed."

He quirks an eyebrow at him. "What's gotten into you?"

Kili sighs, sparing him a sideways glance. "Nothing."

Fili eyes him critically, but decides that this is not the time to press the matter and the two lapse into silence as their ponies trudge along.

The rain finally stops and soon the company reaches a clearing. Thorin reins in his pony at the front of the line, bringing everyone to a halt.

Gandalf stops beside him. "What is it?"

"Do you hear that?" Thorin's eyes scan the terrain ahead and Gandalf frowns, focusing his hearing.

"Running water," he says, catching the sound.

Thorin nods. "Bofur, Nori," he calls back, "scout ahead."

Nori and Bofur nod, climbing down from their ponies, and Fili doesn't miss the frustrated grunt that escapes his younger brother. Fili and Kili were usually the scouts as they were two of the youngest. He eyes Kili sideways, but says nothing.

Soon Bofur and Nori are seen jogging back to the group. "There's a river up ahead," Bofur reports. "It's pretty swollen from the rain, I don't think we can cross it."

Thorin frowns at the news. "Well, I'll not risk it tonight. It'll be getting dark soon." He gives the pair a grateful nod. "Thank you, Bofur, Nori. We'll camp here for the night," he announces. "Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them."

As the company set about their various tasks, Fili climbs down from his pony to join his brother, who has already set to work.

"'Make sure you stay with them,'" Kili mutters under his breath. "He must think we're completely hopeless."

So that's what this is about, Fili muses. "You're still sore about last night, aren't you," he comments, helping Kili with their task.

Kili sighs, "I just wish he wouldn't treat us like children."

"You're over thinking it, Kili. You know both of us are the least experienced ones here, save Ori. And our burglar, of course," he grins. "Thorin worries, that's all. And you can't deny that you've given him good reason to in the past. You've always had a talent for trouble," he finishes, elbowing him in the ribs.

Kili glares at him half-heartedly. "Like you never had a part in it."

"Oh, I had a part in it," Fili grins. "Chasing after you!" He reaches out a hand, ruffling Kili's hair, laughing as he tries to bat him away. The pair fall into a companionable silence as they finish their work.

The evening meal is finished and the camp grows quiet as the company start to settle in for the night. Fili sits half dozing, staring into the fire. He's just starting to nod off when he hears the ponies shift uneasily, and he cracks open an eye as he feels Kili stir beside him.

"Everything alright?" he asks as Kili gets to his feet.

Before he can respond, one of the ponies suddenly breaks away from the group, bolting from the camp. Fili jumps to his feet, but Kili is already racing after the pony.

"Kili!"

He tears off after his brother, trying to keep his footing on the wet grass. As he crests the top of the hill, he sees the frightened pony barreling toward the rushing river below- and Kili shows no sign of slowing down.

"Kili, no!"

Fili's cry goes unanswered as Kili dives for the reins and, to his horror, the frightened beast plunges into the river, dragging Kili in with it. Fili races down the hill, half sliding, to the river's edge. He spots his brother in the water, still clinging to the reins as he manages to get the pony turned back around toward the bank. He is so absorbed in his task that he fails to see the rocks the current is pulling him towards.

"Kili!"

He doesn't hear Fili's warning as he finally gets the pony headed toward the shore. The frightened beast launches itself out of the water and before Kili can follow suit, he's caught in the current and slams against the rocks, disappearing beneath the surface of the water.

Fili doesn't hesitate. He is vaguely aware of someone calling his name as he dives into the water after his brother.

Fili was running through the woods, trying to keep his footing on the wet ground as he tore off after the little brown and blue blur that was his baby brother. It had rained all morning and into the afternoon, so the boys had been confined to the house for most of the day. As soon as the rain had stopped, however, Kili could not be contained. He had been running around the woods behind their home for a couple of hours now, but it was going to start getting dark soon, and Fili had been assigned the task of wrangling his brother back inside. He didn't know when Kili got to be so fast, but it seemed the dwarfling's recent growth spurt had served him well.

"Kili," he called, "slow down! Uncle Thorin says you have to come inside now!"

Kili only laughed, picking up speed in his delight at being able to outpace his big brother. "You'll have to catch me first!"

Fili couldn't help grinning as he increased his speed. "You're gonna get it, Kili!" He wove through the trees, closing in on his little brother, when Kili suddenly disappeared from the path. Fili stopped short, feeling a growing sense of panic as he scanned his surroundings for any sign.

"Kili?"

Suddenly, a pine cone bounced off the top of his head, and Fili looked up into the trees. He spotted Kili perched high above in the branches, looking down at him with an impish grin.

Fili folded his arms over his chest in a perfect imitation of their uncle. "Kili, get down from there," he scolded.

Kili giggled, launching another pine cone at his head, which Fili dodged easily.

"You are so dead!" Fili made to climb up after him, but his hand slipped on one of the branches and Kili scrambled higher into the tree.

"Kili, come down," Fili called, turning serious. "The branches are still wet from the rain, you'll fall!"

The dark-headed dwarfling narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously. "You're trying to trick me."

Fili rolled his eyes. "I'm not, Kili. Now get down here or I'll fetch Uncle Thorin!"

The threat seemed to spur his younger sibling to compliance and he started to make his way back down. But, of course, Kili wasn't one to do things the normal way, he had to make everything into a game. He crouched with his feet planted on a branch and his hands held out in front of him.

"Watch this, Fili!"

Fili's eyes widened as he realized what he was about to do. "Kili, don't!"

Kili paid him no heed as he leapt from the tree, hands outstretched, and latched on to one of the lower branches. But Fili's relief at his success was short-lived as Kili tried to pull himself on to the branch and he slipped, falling several feet to the ground below.

"Kili!"

Fili ran around the tree to the spot where his brother fell and found Kili curled up on the ground, hugging his knees to his chest in a defensive position. Fili dropped down beside him, resting a hand on his back.

"Kili?"

He groaned in response, hugging his knees tighter. "Hurts."

"What hurts?" Fili scanned his brother for injuries, but could determine nothing immediately from a visual stand point. He brushed Kili's hair away from his eyes. "Tell me where it hurts, Kili."

"My leg," he groaned.

"Let me see."

"No!" Kili shook his head violently, curling in on himself even further.

Fili sighed. "Well, can you walk?"

Kili bit his lip as he considered the question before shaking his head.

"Then I'll have to carry you."

"You can't carry me, Fili. I'm too big for you!"

"No you're not," Fili said resolutely, "I'm your big brother! Now, come on, you can climb on my back."

Fili shifted himself around so that Kili could get his arms around his neck, and slid his hands under his knees, lifting him gently.

"I think your leg is ok," Fili observed, "but your ankle looks pretty swollen."

"Don't touch it!" Kili cried, burying his face in his shoulder.

"I won't," he replied, shifting his brother's weight until he felt secure. "Now, come on. Let's get you home."

"Don't drop me, ok?" Kili's voice was muffled in his shoulder.

"Don't worry," said Fili. "I've got you, little brother."

Fili is shocked by the cold as he breaks the surface of the water. As he scans the depths, he's certain now that he hears Thorin screaming for him. Then suddenly, he catches a glimpse of blue beneath the water and he dives. The current is strong, but Fili swims with all his might. He finally reaches Kili and, when he has a good grip on him, he kicks off from the bottom, swimming as hard as he can for the surface.

His lungs are burning when they finally reach the air, and Fili fights to keep both of their heads above water. He keeps one arm tight around Kili, using the other to swim for shore.

"I've got you, little brother."

As the current threatens to sweep them further downstream, Fili can feel his strength waning. Suddenly, he spots Nori on the shore, rope in hand, and his hopes are renewed. They make eye contact and Nori throws, his aim true, and Fili latches onto the rope.

Soon, they're being hauled from the water by a half a dozen pairs of hands, Fili still holding his brother tight.

He collapses onto the bank, laying Kili beside him, and scrambles to his knees, leaning over his brother's face.

"Kili?"

Fili suddenly feels an iron grip on his shoulder and he turns to see Thorin kneeling beside him. Fili struggles to contain his emotions as matching blue eyes meet.

"Uncle, he's not breathing."

Thorin stood in the doorway, gazing out into the trees behind their home, arms folded across his chest. He had sent Fili to fetch his brother nearly half an hour ago, and the two dwarflings had yet to return. He heaved a sigh. He had nearly forgotten how much of a handful those two could be. But, with their mother away, it was up to Thorin to keep the house, and the boys, in line.

His patience spent, Thorin crossed the threshold and made his way into the woods.

As he moved through the trees, calling to his nephews, Thorin began to feel a growing sense of anxiety. Kili may have been prone to pranks and games that often tested his uncle's patience, but Fili would never let Thorin's calls go unanswered for so long.

Just as he was about to panic, he finally heard a small voice call out to him from the tree line up ahead.

"Uncle, we're over here!"

As Thorin moved toward the sound, he saw Fili struggling toward him with his little brother clinging onto his back. He thought to scold them for their antics, but as he drew closer, his frustration swiftly changed to concern as he took in their appearance. Kili looked quite subdued as he held his arms so tight around his brother's neck that he wondered how his eldest was able to breathe properly.

"What happened?"

"Kili fell," Fili answered, and Kili whimpered, burying his face in his brother's shoulder.

Thorin moved to relieve Fili of his burden. "Come here, little one," he soothed when Kili only held on tighter. He slid his hands under Kili's arms and the dwarfling finally released his brother, allowing Thorin to lift him into his arms.

Thorin took a seat on the ground, holding Kili in his lap. "Where did you fall?"

"I fell out of a tree."

"You jumped out of the tree, Kili," Fili added impatiently, folding his arms over his chest.

Kili glared at him.

Thorin cupped his chin, redirecting his attention. "What have I told you about climbing trees?"

Kili pouted. "To be careful and not to climb too high."

Thorin nodded. "And is jumping out of a tree being careful?"

"I didn't jump out of the tree," he protested, "I jumped in it."

Thorin heaved an exasperated sigh and looked him over.

"Are you hurt?"

Kili shifted uneasily.

"His ankle's pretty swollen," Fili put in.

"Fili!" He gave him a betrayed look.

"Let me see," said Thorin, shifting Kili in his lap so he could look better.

"No!" He squirmed, trying to escape his uncle's grasp.

"Kili," he said, holding him tighter, "you have to let me look at it or it's not going to get better."

Kili whimpered, but he sat still, allowing his uncle to inspect his leg.

Thorin removed his boot, careful not to jar him in the process. Fili was right, his ankle had swollen to nearly twice the size.

"Can you move it?"

Kili scrunched his face at the thought before shaking his head.

Thorin gave him a pointed look. "Did you try?"

Kili whined, squirming in his uncle's grasp. "Don't want to."

"Kili, I need you to try," Thorin responded, patiently.

Kili screwed up his face, testing the limb tentatively. He managed to wiggle his toes, turning his ankle ever so slightly before whimpering in pain. "It hurts!"

Thorin sighed and reached for his leg to inspect it more closely.

"No!" He shrieked, pulling at his uncle's hands.

"It's alright, Kili," he said, wrapping one arm around the dwarfling to keep him still. With the other hand he reached down, prodding gently at the swollen limb. Kili whimpered, trying to squirm out of his grasp.

"I don't think it's broken," Thorin declared, "but it's badly sprained. Come on," He said as he slipped a hand behind Kili's knees, lifting him gently as he rose. "Let's get you home. We'll have you fixed up in no time."

Kili clasped his hands behind his uncle's head, burying his face in his neck, and the three heirs of Durin headed for home.

Thorin watches his nephews from the other side of the camp as they tend to the ponies, speaking quietly amongst themselves. Kili has been uncharacteristically subdued since morning and Fili seems to be making an attempt to rouse his brother out of his foul mood.

Thorin sighs, suspecting the cause of his youngest nephew's behavior.

"You think you were too hard on them?"

He turns at the familiar voice, giving his old friend a weak smile.

"You tell me, Balin."

Balin stands at his elbow, surveying the young dwarves fondly. "I think it's necessary to be a little harsh at times, given the circumstances," he begins, "but they need to know that it's for their good."

Thorin sighs, "Fili has always taken reprimand in stride. He accepts criticism and makes adjustments accordingly. I suppose that's why I've always been harder on him. Fili uses it to his strength. But Kili," he shakes his head. "Kili takes things to heart. I think he's always seen my criticisms as an indicator of my feelings towards him."

Balin nods his understanding. "Aye. Kili has always been a more sensitive soul. Although, I will say that it gives him passion. He is a fierce fighter, there is no denying. Especially where his family is concerned."

Thorin smiles. "That is true."

"But Kili needs to learn to take criticism better," Balin continues. "It's all a part of growing up."

Thorin nods. "I will speak to him soon."

"I believe that would be wise. Before we progress too much further on this journey." Balin gives him a pointed look and moves away, taking a seat beside the fire.

As the camp begins to settle, Thorin forgets the matter for the time being as he sits deep in conversation with Dwalin over the next day's plans.

Suddenly, the calm is broken as one of the ponies bolts at nothing, tearing away from the camp with Kili not far behind. Before Thorin can even get to his feet, Fili is already racing after his brother.

Without a moment's thought, Thorin takes off after them both, Dwalin close behind him.

Thorin halts at the top of the hill, scanning the terrain for his nephews. He spots them just in time to see Fili running towards the river.

"Fili, no!"

It's too late. Fili dives in, disappearing beneath the surface of the water.

"FILI!"

Thorin races down the hill, but before he can reach the bank, he's caught in an iron grip.

"Thorin, no! We can't lose you too!" Dwalin plants himself in front of Thorin, blocking his path.

"I will not give up my nephews, Dwalin!"

He tries to push past him, but Dwalin stands firm as stone.

"Fili is a strong swimmer, let him go after Kili. He'll bring him back."

Suddenly, Fili breaks the surface of the water, holding his brother tight against his chest. Thorin tries to break away, but Dwalin grips him by the arms.

"You'll only complicate matters!"

Dwalin turns just as the rest of the company starts pouring down the hill after them.

"Nori, get a rope! Dori, Gloin, catch that blasted pony before he bolts again!"

Dwalin's commands spur the company to action and soon Nori stands on the shore, launching the rope into Fili's hand.

"PULL THEM OUT!" Thorin orders, still fighting against Dwalin's hold. As soon as the boys land on shore, Dwalin let's go, and Thorin races towards his nephews.

He skids to a halt, dropping to his knees beside Fili who is leaning over his brother. Thorin grips him by the shoulder and Fili turns, blue eyes wide with fear.

"Uncle, he's not breathing."

Thorin lays a hand on Kili's chest and leans an ear over his face. There is no sign. He straightens with a frustrated grunt and, turning Kili on his side, starts hitting him on the back with the heel of his hand.

"Come on, Kili," he says when there's no response. "Come on. Breathe!"

Suddenly, Kili's eyes fly open and he starts coughing up water, sputtering and gasping for breath. Thorin grips him by the shoulder where he lies on the ground, rubbing his back with his free hand.

"That's it, Kili, deep breaths. There's a good lad. Just breathe."

Kili's breathing finally starts to even out and he rolls onto his back, staring up at the faces above him. Soon, exhaustion overtakes him and he loses consciousness once again.

"We need to get him back to camp."

Thorin pulls his youngest nephew into his arms, positioning him so that Kili's head rests on his shoulder. He slips a hand behind his knees, lifting him off of the ground as he stands.

"Thorin, are you sure you can manage him?" Balin looks uncertain. "He's a lot bigger than he used to be."

In response, Thorin simply adjusts Kili in his arms until he feels secure and starts marching back toward camp.

"Dwalin," he calls over his shoulder, "look after Fili. Let's get these lads near the fire."

"I'm fine, Uncle," Fili protests.

"Nonsense, laddie," Dwalin says, pulling Fili's arm over his shoulders to take his weight. "You look as though you're about to collapse."

Fili can offer no further argument and the company make their way back to camp.

Thorin stood in the kitchen with Oin as the elder dwarf finished packing up his supplies.

"Just a sprain," the healer confirmed. "He should be just fine in a couple of weeks. Provided you can keep him off it, of course."

Thorin gave a weak smile. "That will be a challenge."

"Oh, aye," Oin nodded. "Kili most certainly isn't one to sit still for any length of time." He lifted his bag off the counter. "But try your best. Keep that ankle wrapped like I showed you and send for me if the swelling gets worse."

Thorin inclined his head in a respectful nod. "I'll do that. You have my thanks, Oin."

"Not at all, laddie," said Oin with a grin, patting his arm. "You've got your hands full with those two. Glad to be of service!"

Thorin saw Oin out and said farewell, closing the door behind him with a sigh. It was after dark now and time for the boys to be getting ready for bed, so Thorin headed for their room.

As he made his way into the hall, he could hear murmured voices on the other side of the bedroom door, then Kili was shrieking with laughter. Thorin shook his head. This is going to be more difficult than I thought, he mused, easing open the door.

Kili was still where he left him, lying on the bed with his foot propped up on a pillow, but Fili seemed to have decided to take his immobility as an opportunity to torture his little brother. He loomed over Kili's prone form, tickling him mercilessly as the younger giggled and squirmed, trying to curl in on himself without jarring his leg in the process.

Thorin shook his head in amusement before coming to Kili's rescue. He crossed the room in a couple easy strides and scooped Fili up, taking a seat on his side of the bed.

"Fili," he chided, still holding the wriggling dwarfling in his arms, "don't torment your brother. He needs to keep that leg still so it can heal."

"I was just trying to cheer him up," Fili answered in defense, "he was pouting because he can't get up."

"I was not pouting," came the retort as Kili folded his arms over his chest.

Thorin bit back a laugh at his expression. "You're doing it now, little one."

Kili whined.

"See," said Fili. "I was just trying to make him feel better."

"Oh, does that make you feel better?" Thorin grinned as he reached down and starts tickling his sides.

Fili erupted into a fit of giggles as he tried to squirm out of his grasp, which only served to give his uncle an opening as Fili slid down on his back and Thorin tickled his tummy instead.

Kili looked on in amusement as the tables had turned and Fili shrieked with laughter. "That's what you get, Fili!"

"You think that's funny?" Thorin responded with a grin.

All prior arguments forgot, he transferred one hand to Kili and now both dwarflings were caught in fits of giggles as they both got tickled.

Soon Thorin had to call play time over as the boys tried to turn the tickle war into a wrestling match and he had to break things up before Kili further injured his ankle. Getting them to settle for bed was another ordeal, but Thorin knew he only had himself to blame for winding them up.

Eventually, Thorin found himself wedged between two little dwarflings, both curled up fast asleep against him on either side. Not wanting to wake them, he accepted that he would be sleeping there tonight. Thorin released a contented sigh as he gazed at his nephews fondly. But then again, he was pretty sure there was nowhere else he would rather be.

Kili opens his eyes slowly as he tries to bring the world around him into focus. He is lying on his bedroll near the fire with what feels like several blankets piled on top of him. He turns his head to the side and sees Fili sitting close by wrapped in his cloak and a blanket, staring into the fire.

"Fili?"

The blonde snaps to attention, fixing his gaze on Kili before shedding the blanket and all but throwing himself on his younger brother.

"Kili! Thank Mahal, I thought you'd never wake!"

Fili pulls his brother into his arms and Kili closes his eyes for a moment, resting his head on his shoulder as a wave of dizziness takes him. Sensing his discomfort, Fili looks at him with concern, brushing his hair away from his face.

"Are you hurt?"

"Dizzy." Kili opens his eyes, looking up into his brother's face. "My head hurts."

Before Fili can respond, a shadow passes over them and Fili turns to see Thorin standing before them looking furious.

"What in Durin's name were you thinking? Both of you? Of all the ridiculous stunts you've pulled-"

Kili scrambles to sit up on his own, but he's still unsteady and Fili keeps a firm grip on his arm.

"It was my fault, Uncle," Kili begins, not meeting his gaze. "I should have been watching the ponies more closely.

"We were both in charge of the ponies, Kili," his brother responds, giving him a pointed look. "I should have got to you sooner."

Kili shakes his head. "It isn't your job to fix my mistakes. I can take responsibility for my own actions-"

"Enough!"

They both fall silent at Thorin's outburst and Kili casts his eyes downward. As he stares at his hands in his lap, he realizes belatedly that he has Thorin's fur cloak draped over him and he feels even more miserable about this turn of events.

Thorin kneels down before the pair and when he speaks, there is a softness to his voice. "This isn't about the pony. You two put yourselves in danger for the sake of some supplies." He shakes his head. "Do you not think that you are worth more to me than that?"

"I was just trying to prove that I could handle things," Kili says miserably, still not meeting his gaze. "I guess I couldn't even do that right."

"You have nothing to prove. Neither of you." He drops a hand on Fili's shoulder, giving it a squeeze, and with the other hand he cups Kili's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. "You are Durin's heirs and my nephews, but you are young and therefore still learning. There is no shame in that. I will not see you risk yourselves so senselessly again, do you understand?" He pauses, trying to keep his voice even. "I could have lost you both."

Before either can say a word, Thorin pulls them both forward, hugging them tightly against him.

"We're sorry, Uncle," Kili says, burying his face in his shoulder.

"It won't happen again," Fili affirms.

As the camp settles back down for the night, Kili lies on his back and pulls the blankets tighter around him, trying to ward off the chill. He feels a tug on the covers and turns to see Fili crawling in beside him.

"We're a little old to still be sharing, Fili," he comments with a smirk.

"You're freezing," is the only response.

Kili offers no further objection as Fili slips an arm around him, holding him against his side. Kili curls up against him, dropping his head on his shoulder.

"Don't ever do that to me again," Fili says after a pause, stroking his hair. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Sorry, Fili," he answers with a grin, "but you're stuck with me."

Fili chuckles, "I think I can live with that."

Kili yawns, burying his face in his shoulder and Fili wraps his arms around him, holding him tighter. Soon, Fili recognizes his deep breathing and knows that he is fast asleep. He heaves a contented sigh, closing his eyes, and before long he drifts off with his little brother still secure in his arms.

From the other side of the camp, Thorin surveys his nephews with a mixture of contentment and apprehension. In sleep, he is jarred by how much they resemble the children he once knew, and, not for the first time, he questions his decision to bring them on this quest. The day's events have done much to bring his fears to the surface. Still, both nephews have come through relatively unscathed, and for that he is grateful. Thorin has much faith in his nephews' potential and skill and he knows without a doubt that, no matter what happens, Fili and Kili will always look out for each other.

No, he thinks, this quest belongs to Fili and Kili as much as to himself. It's their home that they seek to reclaim, and Thorin wants nothing more than to have that legacy to bequeath to their future. They will reclaim their homeland just as they have embarked on all of life's journeys so far; together.

I have listened to/read A LOT of Richard Armitage's interviews, and I absolutely love how much thought he has put into the characters, and especially the relationships. In all honesty, if I could choose ONE person to go out to coffee or something with and just have a conversation, I would choose Richard in a heartbeat. He has the best head-canons (which I take for canon), and I thoroughly enjoyed working some of them into this story. For example, Richard says that Thorin is tough on Fili, but overly protective of Kili. I really wanted to explore the reasoning behind that, so here I have expressed my own thoughts on the subject through Thorin's conversation with Balin. Richard has also said that part of Thorin's driving force for this quest is that he wants to have something to bequeath to his nephews for their future. Though, he does have some misgivings about bringing them along. I'm really hopeful that we'll be seeing these ideas explored more in the films, but until then, I must satisfy my Durin feels with my own writing! :P

Thanks for reading. Please share your thoughts!