~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     Fili opened his eyes and groaned, putting a hand to his head.

     "Are you okay, Fili?" Kili asked groggily.

     "Yeah. I've still got a headache; that's all." Fili grimaced. "And a sore throat."

     "Are you sure you're okay?"

     "Yeah, I'm sure. It's probably because we had a lot of sugar yesterday."

     "If you say so." Kili climbed out of bed and began to get dressed. "Come on! We can't be late for school."

     Fili suppressed a moan as he sat up. His head hurt like crazy! He slowly crawled out of bed, got dressed, and brushed his hair.

     "Did I get the back?" Kili, who had finished brushing his hair, asked.

     "Not all of it." Fili answered. "Come here."

     Kili went over to Fili and handed him his hairbrush. Fili brushed what Kili missed before he handed the hairbrush back.

     "Thanks Fili!" Kili said.

     Fili gently nodded, and Kili cocked his head. His brother definitely wasn't feeling good today. He looked pale, and there were a couple of red spots on his arm.

     Kili walked out the door and went to find Thorin, Dis or Oin. They were probably eating now, so Kili went to the Dining Hall. Sure enough, there they were. Oin, Dis, Thorin, and all the other adults, as well as most of the other children, including Ori and Gimli.

     "Good morning Kili." Dis greeted.

     "Good morning Mom." Kili said.

     "Where's Fili?" Dwalin asked. "He's normally wherever you are."

     "I think Fili's sick or something." Kili said. "He said he's fine, but I don't think he really is."

     "What are the symptoms?" Oin asked.

     "He has a really bad headache, he looks pale, he said he has a sore throat and he has these weird red bumps on his arm."

     Thorin, Dis and Oin glanced at each other. Kili cocked his head and looked at them curiously.

     "What?" Kili asked. "What is it?"

     "It sounds like chickenpox." Oin said.

     "Chickenpox?" Kili asked. "What are those?"

     "An itchy skin rash." Thorin said. "Very uncomfortable."

     Dis shuddered. "I remember chickenpox all too well."

     "But... how did Fili get them?" Kili asked, confused. "He's not been around chickens."

     Some of the adults chuckled.

     "You don't get them from chickens, laddie." Balin said. "They're called chickenpox because they look like a peck from a chicken."

     "Is it contagious?" Kili asked, wondering if he would get them too.

     "Very. You are going to get them next." Dis said.

     "Every child here probably will, actually." Oin said. "Those who haven't had them yet."

     "You can only get them once?"

     "Yes, don't worry lad." Bofur said. "After you've had them once you can never get them again."

     Kili turned to Oin. "Are there any herbs or medicines you have for chickenpox?"

     "Aye, that I do." Oin got to his feet. "I'll go get them."

     Thorin and Dis stood. "We'll go check on Fili."

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

     Fili lay in bed, trying not to scratch. Occasionally he would catch himself gently scratching his arm and quickly stopped. The herbs Oin had mixed helped. He didn't itch too bad anymore, and his headache and sore throat weren't as bad either.

     Kili sat on the side of Fili's bed, reading a book. He refused to leave his brother's side. He didn't let Fili get up, either. If Fili wanted or needed anything, he got it.

     "Thank you, Kili." Fili said as he took a cup of water from his little brother. "You don't have to do this, you know."

     "I know, but it's nothing you wouldn't do for me."

     The two brothers smiled at each other. Kili put the cup back on the table in their room and grabbed the book he had been reading. Fili pushed himself up and rested on his elbows. "What are you reading?"

     "Oh, well... you might think it's stupid." Kili said, hiding the book. "It's..." He handed the book to Fili, who had reached out for it.

     "Elvish history, songs, stories and poetry?" Fili asked. "Where'd you get this?"

     "Well... Uncle Thorin had it in his room."

     Fili smirked. "He says he hates Elves, so why would he have that?"

     "There's an Elvish name in Dwarvish runes on the first page. It used to be Eruraviel's. Some is written in Elvish with English letters, some are written in Quenya Runes, some in Tengwar, some in English, and the last chapter is written in Dwarf runes. It looks like Uncle's handwriting, too."

     "Well, since it's Elven history, stories, songs an poems, Uncle may have recorded Eruraviel's story." Fili said. He raised an eyebrow at Kili. "Does he know you have it?"

     Kili looked hesitant. He heard footsteps coming closer and closer to their room and hurriedly hid the book under his pillow. Two seconds later Thorin, Dis and Oin had walked in.

     "I'll take that as a no." Fili murmured.

     "How are you feeling, lad?" Oin asked Fili.

     "Still a little itchy. Not as much anymore, though."

     "How's the headache?" Dis asked.

     "It's still there, but it's not as bad. Neither is my sore throat."

     "How are you feeling, Kili?" Thorin asked.

     "Uh, I have a slight headache." He answered, not looking Thorin in the eye. "And my throat is beginning to hurt a little."

     Thorin walked over and sat beside Kili. He examined his arms and face. "You have a few red bumps now."

     Oin walked over and examined them as well. "Aye, he's getting chickenpox." He put some herbs and medicines on them. "That'll prevent itching for a little while."

     "Thank you Mr. Oin." Kili and Fili said in unison.

     Oin stood and turned to leave. "You're welcome lads." He walked out the door, but turned around. "I left the herbs on the table in case you need them later." Then he left.

     "Did you and Mom ever get chickenpox when you were little?" Fili asked, looking at Thorin, who was still sitting by Kili.

     "Yes, but we got them when we were older." Thorin answered. "I wish I'd gotten them at your age."

     "Are they worse when you're older?" Kili asked.

     "Much worse." Dis said. "For humans it's worse when they're past the age of thirteen, so twenty for a Dwarf."

     "How old were you and Uncle?" Fili asked.

     "She was twenty three." Thorin said.

     "And he was twenty eight." Dis said. "And he was such a baby about it."

     "Well you were a grouch the whole time you had them." Thorin said with a smirk.

     "I prefer grouchy over acting like a big baby."

     Thorin rolled his eyes. "I wasn't acting like a baby."

     "Oh really?" Dis crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

     Kili and Fili giggled. "I can't see Uncle Thorin acting like a baby."

     Thorin playfully glared at his little sister and she glared back. Neither were very convincing, as they both were smirking.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

     Kili lay in his bed on his belly, feet on his pillow, reading the book he had 'borrowed' from Thorin's room.

     "You should really tell Thorin you stole his book." Fili said as he sat cross legged in his bed, polishing one of his throwing axes.

     "I didn't steal it, Fili." Kili said, still looking at the book. "I just... borrowed without permission."

     Fili laughed. "That's a good one. I'll have to remember that." He looked at the door when he heard footsteps. "Kili, you better hide that book. Someone's coming this way, and by the way this someone is walking, I'd say it's Thorin."

     Kili quickly put a bookmark in the book and hid it under his pillow. "He's probably coming to say goodnight." Kili scratched his right leg.

     "Kili, don't scratch. It could scar, remember?"

     "It itches so bad!" Kili groaned.

     "Then put more of Oin's ointment on it."

     Kili got up and grabbed the herbal medicine right as Thorin had walked into their room.

     "How are you boys doing?" He asked.

     "Fine." Fili replied. "Kili's a little itchy though."

     After Kili had put the ointment on his leg his back began to itch. He stripped off his shirt and rubbed the ointment on his back, but he couldn't reach the itchiest spot. He turned around and looked up at his uncle. "Can you help me real quick? I can't reach up here."

     Thorin smiled and took the bowl of herbs from Kili, dipped his finger in the bowl, and rubbed the medicine on Kili's itchy rash. "There we go." He put the bowl back on the table and Kili pulled his shirt back on.

     "I'm not staying in here long." Thorin said. "I just came to say goodnight."

     "No story tonight?" Kili asked.

     Thorin shook his head. "No, not tonight."

     Fili looked at him curiously. "Why not? You've told us a story every night since Kili was born." His curiosity became suspicion. "What's going on?"

     "Nothing is going on, Fili." Thorin assured. "Just because I don't read a story to you every night doesn't mean anything's going on."

     Fili crossed his arms. "It does if you've never not read or told one every single night then just decide not to one night."

     "I'm busy tonight." Thorin simply said.

     "With what?" Kili asked as he climbed into Fili's bed.

     Thorin smirked at the brothers. "Why so many questions?" He hugged the two and gave them a quick kiss on the forehead. "You two feel better soon. Goodnight. I love you."

     Fili and Kili awkwardly hugged him back. "Uh, goodnight Uncle. Love you too."

     Thorin got up and left the room. Kili and Fili looked at each other, each utterly confused.

     "What just happened?" Kili asked.

     "I don't know." Fili answered. "Thorin's never acted like this before."

     "Yeah, he acted so... strange. D-do you think..."

     "But, he couldn't... could he?"

     "Well, I guess he could. We've just never..."

     "Do you think Uncle has a..."

     "Lady friend?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~