One That Got Away

Chapter 19

The following Thursday Mara paced the foyer, nervous and scared. She had worn a proper shirt and jeans, since the weather was going cold, and still hadn't cut or dyed her hair. The Twins were dressed in matching sweaters with their initials on them, looking as anxious as she was. Ben was fiddling with Tom's hair and Tom was tapping out a beat on his knees. Andy was dressed to her very best and looked nervous.

"Where is he?" hissed Mara.

"They'll be here soon," Andy soothed.

"It's snowing," she snapped.

"They're nowhere near the house," Thorin assured her coming down the stairs. He was struggling with the blue tie Mara bought him. Since he was about to meet his future mother in law, he figure he should look nice, the first go around. The Boys had no such conundrums and wore their usual t shirt and hoodie collective.

"You don't know that," Mara said and tied Thorin's tie for him, letting him enjoy the sensation of her hands dancing across his chest and around his neck. "Besides, I'm allowed to be nervous, we haven't seen her in two years."

"Why again?" Fili asked, leaning on the banister.

"The FBI had her as a main suspect in a terrorist bombing and the fact that she's a soothsayer in the oldest part of town makes people edgy. They don't actually believe her gifts, but they're all superstitious brats," Mara said and looked Thorin up and down.

"I don't know if I like the tie," Andy commented. Mara glanced at Andy then at Thorin. She grabbed the tie and pulled down, jerking Thorin to her level, she pressed a kiss to his lips roughly, fierce and demanding. Before Thorin could react she released him and adjusted his tie.

"Well I like it," she said blandly as the Twins reached. The door jiggled and Mara span, eyes wide. David walked in, a smile on his face, holding a suitcase and a hat box.

"Mom, this is the new place," he said and a woman stepped through the door. Thorin had often pictured what Mara's mother might look like and after meeting her siblings he thought her hair would be brown, touched with grey and wavy. When he heard she was a fortune teller and a Seer by trade he though she may be dressed in flowing skirts and dangling bracelets, like the street performers in Ered Luin, or else wrapped in rich fabrics and elegantly poised like the Oracle of the Iron Hills. She was none of these things.

She had short hair the color of ash, braided with colored string and a single braid tucked behind her ear, longer than the rest of her hair. She had on a faded 'lynyrd skynyrd' t-shirt under a colored vest, under a faded brown leather jacket. Her jeans were patched and fading with embroidery up on side and beads sewn into the belt loops. Her boots were thick and sensible, something Thorin approved of. She had a bag on her back, under one arm and had a suitcase being pulled behind her. Here eyes were grey but had the same metallic sheen to them that Mara had attained in Middle Earth, making them look like silver

"Big joint," she said in a deep voice like a cello. "Oh, there's my babies," she said, letting her sober face split into a wide grin. She dropped her bags and extended her arms, letting the Twins rush to her and hug her fiercely. Andy was next, getting a warm hug and soft words Thorin couldn't hear. "And here's my little fairy child," she said and Mara grabbed hold of her mother, squeezing her tightly.

"Hi mom," she said. "Oh this is-"

"Thorin Oakenshield, I now. I knew someone important had arrived, it's so nice to meet the idiot who won my daughter's heart," she said shaking Thorin's hand.

"Hello," he said, feeling awkward and confused. "It's an Honor, Mrs. Rymtec."

"Oh hush with that. You call me Pythia, you hear?" she said patting his cheek affectionately. "And these must be the Durin Boys! Oh you two have such lovely destinies. Do it in April, April is a lovely romantic time," she said and Kil turned pale.