Kili knew he should sleep, but he couldn't bring himself to shut his eyes and cast Tauriel out of his sight. He was still a little worried that this was all some dream and she'd be gone when he woke up. So he just sat there with his head on her chest and listened to her heartbeat. It was the most beautiful noise he's ever heard, and hearing it coupled with the gently rise and fall of her breathing, he was more content than he'd ever remembered being.

Of course, he knew deep down that this wouldn't last. Thorin would eventually call for him, and he'd have to return to Erebor. Kili didn't know how the other dwarves would react to Tauriel, but he knew that he couldn't leave her, and she wouldn't leave him. Their relationship so far had been characterized by uncertainty. But if anything good had come out of Tauriel's near death experience, it was that he knew they loved each other and he would never let her go.

As if she could hear his thoughts, Tauriel began to stir slightly in her sleep. Kili's hands found hers again and he gave them a gently squeeze. She relaxed slightly in response to his touch, but her muscles were still clenched and she looked to be in discomfort.

"Tauriel?" Kili asked gently as he raised his head from her chest. He nearly gasped at her face, which was contorted in pain, "Tauriel?" he said a little more forcefully while gently shaking her shoulders.

Her eyes opened and her body shot up so forcefully she nearly shoved Kili off the table. She looked around in fear for a moment before she clutched her side, "It hurts," she hissed as she nearly doubled over.

"Well… you were impaled," Kili replied. Tauriel could tell that he was trying to distract her with humor, but she could hear the worry in his voice. He wasn't used to Elves expressing her physical pain. She was trying to hide her true condition, but By Valar, is still felt like there was a sword inside of her.

"Should I get Sigrid?" Kili asked. Tauriel could only nod while she fought back the bile rising in her throat. Kili have her a nod before running back to her bedroom. She'd been injured before, more times than she'd care to admit. But this was different. Up until now, her wounds had always healed fast, and any physical pain was gone in a matter of hours. But she was mortal now, and she'd have to go through the full healing process, and she'd have to go through it alone.

Kili returned a few moments later with Sigrid, who looked tired but as worried as Kili was. She too expected to Tauriel to be healed more completely by now. She hadn't meant many elves, but she had been watching healers close nearly-mortal wounds with their magics all day.

"Are you bleeding?" she asked Tauriel. She honestly hadn't even bothered to check if she'd ripped her stitches. The pain was too bad to focus on anything other than staying conscious. Sigrid seemed to sense this and carefully moved Tauriel arms, which were pinned again her stomach and ribs.

"She hasn't hurt herself any further," Sigrid muttered in confusion, "I suppose it will just take its time to heal."

"Do you have anything for the pain?" Kili asked as he glanced at Tauriel, who was still doubled over.

"Nothing very sophisticated," she said, "Just some home remedies."

"It's better than nothing," Kili reasoned.

Sigrid nodded and began rummaging through her cabinets. Kili took a step towards Tauriel and placed his hands over hers, "Sigrid is getting you something," he whispered.

"Diola lle" she replied quietly. Kili glanced back to see how Sigrid was faring.

"I found some Athelas from the Elven Healers, but they won't do anything on their own," Sigrid said when he noticed Kili's eyes on her, "I'm going to turn them into a salve."

"How long with that take?" he asked

"However long it takes," she snapped before returning to her work.

Kili looked again at Tauriel. She was pale and looked as if she was about to be sick. Kili knew all too well what pain like that was like, he had suffered it a few times himself.

"I want to learn your language," he said before he could stop himself.

"What?" she replied.

Kili blushed slightly. It was something he had been thinking about asking her for a while, but he had only said it out loud because she needed a distraction and it was the first thing that popped into his head, "I want to learn Sindarin," he repeated.

"Why?" she asked, "You want to become more of an oddity?"

Kili laughed at that. Not only was he a dwarf that loved an Elf, but he wanted to become one that spoke her tongue, "I suppose you have a point," he chuckled, "But I still want to."

"Sindarin is a difficult language," she said as she grimaced, "But I suppose I could teach you. What brought this on?"

"Well…" he said, debating whether he should really say what he was feeling, "If I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you, I don't want there to be any language barriers between us."

"Then I suppose you will have to teach me Khuzdul?" she joked. She knew very well he couldn't do that. It was a secret language, and some dwarves even considered it a crime to teach others.

"Why not?" he asked with a smile, "We should learn each other's customs."

"Kili…" she warned, "I was joking."

"I could though, Tauriel," he said, "I could share everything about my people, and you could share everything about yours."

"Even if it's considered sacrilege?" she asked.

"Oh, especially then," he replied.

Tauriel couldn't help but smile, "I look forward to it," she smiled. Kili smiled in return and placed a small kiss on the top of her head.

"The children," he said after a few moments of silence, "They're going to want to see you."

"I want to see them," she confessed as another jolt of pain stabbed through her.

"Yeah?" he asked with genuine surprise. He'd never suspected she was one to surround herself with children.

"Elven children are rare where I'm from," she explained, "Any child that graced our halls is considered to be a gift."

"I dare say they're rather fond of you as well," he replied, "Especially the one with that baby."

"He made it?" she asked. She'd been certain that he had been followed by Orcs after she had fallen.

"Aye, they're all unharmed to."

"I think most of them are orphans," she said quietly.

"Bard said the same thing."

"They shouldn't stay here," she said mostly to herself. Laketown was pretty much destroyed, every mouth to feed spread their resources thinner.

"That's why I told Bard I would take some of them to Erebor with me."

"Will Thorin allow it?" she asked skeptically.

"He'll have to," Kili replied, "Just like he'll have to accept you."

"Kili…" she said slowly.

"I know, I know," he interrupted, "He hates Elves, but you are different. He'll like you, Tauriel."

"Kili," she repeated, "I have no intention of going to Erebor."