Rumor's Confirmed

          "NO!!" the scream shattered the stillness of the night.  "NO!  oh, GODS...please...NO!" he jerked up in the bed, sweat covering face and chest, shaking hands rising to cover his face as tears filled his eyes.

          "ROARK!" Rodolphus jerked up at the same time, a knife in his hand as he looked around the room for any danger.  Seeing nothing, he lay the knife aside before turning his full attention on his lover, reaching out to draw the shivering body to his.

          Harsh sobs began to rack him, his face pressing into Rodolphus' chest, feeling his hands moving soothingly over his back as he murmured into his ear.  "Sh...hh, I have you now, sweetheart.  Sh...hh," the harsh sobbing began to slow...then stop altogether, though the shuddering of his body continued.  "That's it. babe.  Just calm yourself.  I have you.:"

          There was the sudden sound of running footsteps, then their bedroom door was thrown open with such force, it slammed  against the wall to admit Harry, Rabastan, and several Durin's in various states of dress.  Each has their lasers in their hands, or, in Bilbo's case, a short sword.

          Seeing no immediate danger to their youngest, weapons were lowered as Harry all but ran across the room to the bed, followed just as quickly by Ethan and Roan, all of them feeling just how upset, how scared and...horrified, he was.  Upon reaching the bed, Harry lay the knife he carried on the night stand, which was then quickly followed by two lasers.

          Harry sat on the bed beside his brother, lifting his hand to begin running calming fingers through his dark hair.  "Rory?" he murmured.

          Roark stirred, head lifting, eyes opening.  "Tell us what you saw, babe," Rodolphus murmured.

          "The same as it always is since the dreams returned," he choked out, "only this one seemed to be...I don't know, different?  It seemed to be more real...more VIVID somehow.  It was as if I was standing in the middle of it, watching it happen, yet I wasn't able to do anything to stop it,  Knowing I couldn't so a Gods damned thing to stop what was happening.  The destruction.  GODS, Dolph, such unimaginable destruction.  Fire.  Death.  Fear of what was happening.  Fury, and so much pain.  And once it was over?" he shook his head.  "Such devastation...so much death--" he broke off with a near whimper.  "Great KOBOL," he cried, burying his head once again in Rodolphus' chest.  "What the hell am I seeing?"

          They moved forward, circling the bed.  "There's no real way of knowing, Rory.  Can you give us any other details?  Perhaps where you are as you are watching it?"  Schyler asked softly.

           Bilbo lay his own short sword aside as he took a seat beside Rodolphus, reaching over to curl his hand around one of Roark's, giving it a squeeze to gain his attention, which made him lift his head again.  Roark Sr. moved to take a seat beside Harry, who shifted immediately to give him room with a smile.  

          As Harry moved to get off the bed, the Durin Patriarch glanced at him.  : He needs you more than he needs me at the moment, : came softly into his mind as he saw Rabastan step behind him, wrapping arms around him.

          : Harry, he will always need you, : he returned as he settled himself against the headboard.  "Take your time, son," he told him softly as his hand began to move over his back alongside Rodolphus'.  "Calm yourself, gather your thoughts, then begin to tell us.  There is no need to hurry, we aren't going anywhere."