A'N: Ish is about to go down and I apologize greatly for everything you read from now until the end of this entire book.

Please don't stab me.

We start off the downward spiral of the brothers taking sides against one another. 

Enjoy. 

"She knocked Tauriel out, Fee."

 "I know she did, but what am I supposed to do about it?"

 "You could have stopped her before she did," Kili snapped, looking over Tauriel, who'd been laid in the bed Kali was in earlier. There was a large red and purple bruise forming on Tauriel's forehead where Kali's collided with it.

 "Why is she in the bed, anyway?" Fili asked, "Should Kali have been the one to be lain there?"

 "Kali was already on the table," Kili replied shortly, not taking his eyes off the elf, "It was easier to lay Tauriel here."

 Fili shook his head at his brother's lopsided logic and moved to keep watch on Kali. The colour had slowly begun returning to her cheeks. Fili smiled and leaned over her a little, bracing his arms on the table, "Can't wait for you to be at full strength. Brother needs a beating."

 Kali's lips pulled into a smile, but her eyes didn't open, "Give me a weapon and I can do it now if you wish," she blinked a few times and looked up at Fili. He seemed to be glowing, "Why do you think he needs a beating?"

Do I tell her I think he fancies the elf more than her? Fili's eyes darted around, "He's being difficult, is all..."

 There was a chain dangling from Fili's neck. A chain that held a small, singular, shiny (yet slightly rusted) silver key. Kali instantly focused on that instead what words were coming from Fili's face, "Key..."

 "Kili is over there," Fili motioned towards his brother, who'd begun secretly listening in on the two.

 "Not Kee, key," Kali raised a hand and slowly pawed at the key before her hand dropped again, "Eleven years and you still have it..."

 He grabbed her hand in his, "Of course I do, if I'd lost it I'd have died searching for it. The question I want answered, though, is do you still have yours?"

 Kali chuckled a little, staring at Fili as if he were the most handsome dwarf ever, "Not for a while, no."

Is that good..? "To whom did you give it?" May not be safe to ask. The look in her eye reveals she has as much sense of direction as uncle.

 "Kili," Kali drunkenly dragged out the name before trailing off. After a bit she dozed back off and Fili slipped her hand from his.

 "Fili?" Kili's hand grasped something close to his chest, and he dropped whatever it was back down his tunic before turning a bit, "May I speak with you?"

 "Of course," Fili led into Bard's sitting room and allowed himself to sit on one of the many plush chairs, "What, Kili?"

 "What had you and Kali been talking about?"

 "That's none of your concern," Fili replied calmly.

 Kili laughed dryly, "Oh, but I think it is of my concern. The two of you have been hiding something and have been putting off telling me for far too long. I heard you speaking of keys. Which one has Kali given you?" he reached beneath his tunic and pulled out the chain he'd held moments before. On it was an identical key to the one around Fili's neck, "Surely you too cannot hold the key to her heart as well."

 Fili slowly shook his head and pulled out his key, "I lost the key to her heart many years ago, Kili. However, I still hold the key to her innocence."

 It was a very long while before Kili found his voice again, "You're lying."

 "If I'm lying," Fili dropped the chain and let it hang outside his tunic, "Then why are you not in possession of both keys?"

 Kili's mind went blank and all he could do was repeat his last accusation, "You're lying, Fili."

 "Kee," Fili sighed, "I give you my word-"

 "Why did you not tell me?" Kili asked, no longer hiding the hurt and betrayal he felt, "We never keep secrets."

 "I don't believe it was any of your concern," Fili muttered. The tension between the two was thick and it clouded his other emotions, "Then or now, Kili. What transpired between Kali and I shall stay between Kali and I."

 Kili's voice sounded hurt, "How long ago was it?" Fili hesitated and Kili scowled, "It was at the hobbit's home, wasn't it?!"

 "No, it was not," Fili snapped quietly, "It has been eleven years since I got this key. There's nothing you can do to change that."

 Kili rubbed his hands over his face, "You- when were you planning on telling me this?"

 "I was never planning on telling you this, Kili," Fili sat down and leaned back in his seat, wondering why Kili was not understanding that he was never supposed to know this secret.

 "Why not?" Kili pulled a chair over and sat in front of Fili, "Why were you never going to tell me that my soon-to-be wife is no longer a maiden because of you?"

 Fili lurched forward and rested his elbows on his knees, "It was not my secret to tell, Kili. If you wondered, you should ask her."

 "I would have," Kili leaned forward as well, "When we were alone and-"

 Fili cut him off, "And you were not so busy chasing around that pale elf maiden?" Fili knew it was the most wrong thing he could have said, but the words slipped out.

 Hurt darkened Kili's eyes, "And the two of you had stopped being attached at the hip," he finished his original thought.

 Fili quirked an eyebrow, "What does that mean?"

 "It means that almost every time I turned around Kali was either with you or Bilbo," Kili bit out, "Never alone, however."

 Kali groaned from behind them and Fili stood, done speaking with Kili, "I think this is a conversation meant for the two of you and not me."

 Kili stood as well, meaning to go over to Kali. Before he did so, he glared at Fili, "Are you sure you do not wish to join?"

 Fili sighed, "M'imnu Durin! Grow up, Kili."

 Kili rolled his eyes and jumped to Kali's side when she groaned and sat up. Kili sat on one of the table benches next to her, "Are you alright, love?"

 "Fili..." Kali blinked against the dim house lights, "Where...where's Fee?"

 Kili set his jaw, "Fili is speaking with Oin. No worries, I'm here, Kali."

 She glowered at him, "Don't you have an elf to be swooning over?"

 Kili closed his eyes and sighed in frustration. After a long moment, he then set his gaze on Kali, "Is that what you think? Brother thinks the same-"

 "Am I really as much a fool as you make me out to be?" Kali snapped, swinging her legs off the table. She dropped to the floor and staggered on her feet, "I see how you stare at her, Kili."

 Kili let out one singular dry laugh before asking blankly, "Do I have 'halfwit' branded across my forehead?" Kali gripped onto the side of the table and Kili looked up at her, "Do I?"

 "No, but you should."

 Kili's nostrils flared and he stood up quickly, almost knocking his chair over, "Do you think I've not noticed how much time you and Fili spend together? The looks you two share? It is very obvious you fancy him over me."

 "You think- Kili I am in love with you," Kali's heartbeat was in her ears again, and I think it was from anger, "I have been for quite sometime! The only reason I am around Fili is...none of your concern."

 "I already know," Kili began pacing, looking like a caged animal, "Fili explained your entire past with him."

 Kali's jaw tightened, "That was supposed to be kept a secret until I was ready to tell you."

 "When would that have been?"

 "When you stopped ogling at Tauriel long enough for me to have an actual conversation with you!" Kali used the counter as a third leg, inching slowly towards the sitting room and away from Kili, "And for your information, the only reason I am around Fili is because he's one of the only steady things I've got since that dragon ruined my life."

 "What of the elves," Kili followed her, "Your father...the Elvenking...?"

 A deep, throaty growl ripped through Kali and she spun around, almost falling over, "Do not speak to me of elves! Ever, KilI! Especially that black-haired pe-channas of a Head Guard Thranduil has."

 "My apologies," Kili stopped moving, "That's nothing of the fact, though. Why had you not told me about you and Fili?"

 "I did not want to, Kili. It is a very personal matter that is not and should never have been for your ears until I was ready for you to know," Kali doubled back and flopped down into Fili's previously occupied chair, "Why are you so concerned about..." Kali turned her inquisitive gaze on him, "Do you feel threatened by Fili?"

 "Did you really take that arrow for me because of your blood status?" Kili ignored her question and quickly changed the subject to answer something that had been gnawing at his mind for quite sometime.

 "Do I seem the type to be worried about blood status?" Kali asked angrily.

No, "Then why did you do it?" Kili knelt down beside her, "You should have let me take it. The arrow was for me, anyway."

 "I took the arrow for you because I love you, Kili!" Kali stressed, "In case you haven't noticed amongst your elf-clouded lust."

 "I am not in lust," Kili objected.

 "I've been in lust with someone before, Kili," Kali told him, "I know the signs and they're very obvious in you."

 "It was Fili, wasn't it."

 "What?" Kali looked at him. Completely looked at him, through and through. There was worry in his eyes.

 "You were in lust with Fili," Kili's voice quieted down quite a bit.

 "Yes," Kali admitted slowly, "But now I'm in love with you." Kali reached over and pulled his chin up to keep him from looking at the floor.

 Kili leaned away from her touch, "I don't believe you."

 Kali swore, "Do I have to almost die again to -" Die... arrows... Kingsfoil... something inside Kali's brain stitched together. Her breathing began ragged.

 "What?"

 Kali tried standing up, but her arm strength hadn't returned yet, "Kili could you help me up? I need to find Oin as soon as possible," she looked around and noticed both Oin and Fili had disappeared.

 "Is something the matter?" Kili frowned, "What is it?"

 "I believe I know why the arrow was so... deadly," Kali whispered, "Remember that fallen friend I had? Rilrond?"

 Kili nodded, "There's a tattoo on your shoulder to remember him. What has he got to do with anything, though?"

 "He died..." Kali took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Kili, I just need to find Oin. He needs to clarify something for me."

 "What's wrong with telling me?" Kili grabbed her hand again and squeezed it, "Kali, what are you trying to say?"

 "Rilrond had been shot through and through with what Elrond called a Morgul-Shaft," Kali pulled her hand back, "There was nothing we could to do save him, as there was no Kingsfoil on hand. By the time the twins had brought some back it was too late to save him. He's the reason Elrond grows Kingsfoil in The Valley now. When Oin wanted Kingsfoil I'd started piecing everything together..." tears were brimming her eyes, "Kili, I thought I was going to die..."

 Kili shook his head (he'll ask about 'the twins' later) and he pulled Kali in his arms, "Sh-sh-sh... No, no, don't think like that, love. You're healed, Tauriel healed you, you're safe now."

 Kali growled and leaned away from him, "Mirkwood elf. Vile, the lot of them are. She probably poisoned me further."

 "She wouldn't do such a thing," Kili told her, "Why have you got such a grudge against the Woodland Realm, anyway?"

 "My good-for-nothing father is a spawn of Mirkwood," Kali wiped at her eyes, "He left my mother, Kili. Should he have stayed, raised me with her like a family, my mother could still be alive. But instead, he retreated back to Thranduil like a coward."

 "Kali..." Kili did not know precisely what to say to this. What would he say? Agree with her? "Kali... you say that... that your mother... died in Erebor because of Smaug."

"What of it?"

 "Pardon me for asking, but how old are you?" his voice was layered with different emotions, curiosity being the main one.

 Kali could tell by his tone that he'd been wondering that for quite sometime, just never finding the correct time and way to ask. She couldn't help but smile a bit, "I was a hundred-seventy-eight during my time in the Blue Mountains, eighteen years, only, in Erebor."

 "Fili got himself an older woman, did he, now?" Kili joked, but in reality he was in absolute awe at how... good she looked for someone her age.

"Not funny, Kili," she warned.

"Is your aging..." he trailed off, yet again at a loss for how to word his question.

"Slowed, yes it is," Kali looked around, feeling slightly lightheaded, "When you're two hundred and getting grey in the hair I'll probably still look exactly as I do now."

"That's... fantastic," Kili sighed quietly. By the tone he used, he wasn't done talking so Kali stayed silent. Indeed, he did look up, "You know what I noticed about you, that night at Beorn's?"

Kali's cheeks heated up a little, "What did you notice?"

"Whilst not distracted by your absolute beauty," Kili smirked a little as he whispered, "I'd noticed the maple leaf on your left shoulder and neck juncture, but also a small oak leaf on the inside of your right wrist, with one word scrawled in it," he leaned in closer, "Rilrond. You lied to me about your tattoo and continue to do so as we speak. That mark on your shoulder is a birthmark that marks you as the daughter of Celedir Dolon!"

Kali's eyes went wide, however it wasn't the birthmark or tattoo on her body she questioned, "How do you know his full name?"

"He'd interrupted Tauriel and I, telling her Legolas wanted a word," Kili told her, "Celedir hadn't left right away, so I asked who he was and what, exactly, he was doing kissing your forehead like he did."

"You should have known by then that I would never fall for an elf, Kili," Kali chastised lightly, a sudden calm washing over her. 

"Is there really any particular reason you hate elves?" Kili wondered, "Or is it simply because your heritage?"

"Celedir is the reason I can never be completely accepted anywhere," Kali's nostrils flared in anger, "If he'd have stayed away from my mother then I wouldn't have this problem."

"You should at least be thankful for him a little bit, Kali," Kili's voice was low and solemn.

"Why?" Kali glared softly, her breathing evening out finally, "He's done nothing but make my life more complicated than it has to be."

"He's the one who gave you life to begin with," Kili's words pushed a small amount of sense into Kali's mind, "Even if he did make it more complicated by mixing his blood with that of your mother. Don't resent him, Kali. He obviously loved your mother enough to create you."

Kali didn't say anything. Her ears were listening to something drawing near from the far East. Her brown eyes widened, pupils dilating in fear, "Angulóce," she whispered.

A/N: This was confusing af, I know, don't stab me to hard please

IN CASE  it was unclear, the sitiation about the Keys, I'll explain a bit right here:

It's a tradition of Kali's mother that you get 2 Keys when you're old enough to walk, though they don't come into play until way later in life

One Key for the one who took your innocence

Second Key for the one who stole your heart

Technically speaking, the two should go to the same person, however the First Key belongs to Fili and the Second to Kili.

Oops