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Chapter Thirty Nine - Last Moment of Hope

Maura wasn't sure why she didn't follow after Thorin that afternoon. Part of her wished she had, instead of sitting against the back stone wall of the feasting room feeling helpless on what to do. The healer could still picture that glare that was on his face when she argued for the search to begin later. He almost looked as if he wanted to stride right over to her and hit her for disobeying a command of his.

The others began to vacate the room, not much in a celebrating mood as they were minutes ago before their King stormed in. The young woman let out a deep sigh as she stared at the ground when she heard heavy boots approach. Maura looked up and smiled when she saw Fili and Kili, but it fell just as quickly.

"Maura. Are you alright?" Fili asked. The healer could hear the concern in his voice as she looked back up at him.

"I'm just...worried about Thorin. He's had a lot on his mind lately." She admitted as she cleared the tears from her eyes that had managed to escape and the two boys came and sat beside her.

"Do you care about our uncle?" Kili asked, curiously, his lips slowly curling into a smile. Hoping it were true.

"Yes. I do. I care about your uncle a lot. He makes me happy. Happier then I have been in years." Maura told them as a smile began to form on her face.

"So uncle finally told you that he loves you." Kili chirped.

"We thought Thorin would never confess his feelings. He kept denying everything for so long." Fili revealed with a slight chuckle.

"Well, he wasn't the only one who had a hard time confessing they're feelings, and he still admitted it first." Maura stated, cocking an eyebrow as she smirked.

"Does this mean we can finally call you our auntie?" Kili grinned.

"You boys are welcome to call me auntie whenever you like." She declared letting out a giggle as both brothers hugged her tightly. Maura could feel the happy tears coming down her face as Fili and Kili both held her hands in theirs.

Three of them continued to talk. Kili explained to her how his wound had miraculously been healed by the Elf, Tauriel and how they had escaped with Bard's daughters, and that others had managed to get away without burning alive. Maura then wondered what the survivors were going to do now? And where will they all go? Fili then told her that they would be looking after the injured and gathering what supplies the could find before they got moving again.

The healer felt terrible at this point. Those people were hurt because of them. They needed their help - her help. Maura could only guess they'd be making their way to the mountain soon. Where else were they going to go? The woman's only hope was that when the time came the King would keep his word he had given to the people that night.

Maura enjoyed spending the rest of the day with the brothers. She missed their smiles so much. The healer began asking questions about their mother and what she was like. Fili and Kili were more then happy to tell stories of their mother to the healer. It was then, Maura learned that Thorin had a younger brother that had died in the battle of Moria with his grand-father. Thorin understood more about loss then she imagined. She then began asking why their uncle had never married. Maura was sure many woman would have gladly taken him as their husband. He was handsome, brave, caring(when you really got to know him), protective, and her favorite thing of all was his eyes. They were mysterious to her, full of pain and torture and yet they were so full of love when he looked at her it was as if he was staring into her very soul.

Fili and Kili both teased that women were scared of their uncle because how stubborn he is and not to mention always wore a glare on his face. Maura couldn't help but laugh at that, it was true what they said, but she didn't believe that was the reason. Thorin wasn't so scary to her, he just had a hard time letting people see him in a more vulnerable state.