One That Got Away

Chapter 29

"It makes sense now," Mara said on the train back into London. "You have to want it. It's not just finding it that's the problem, its honestly and truly wanting to be there. It's what happened to me. I wanted to leave, run away get as far away from my home as possible and then I was there. And then again when...I just wanted more time. I wanted to step away from it all and think and with my next step I was home."

"And we wanted to find you. Wanted to be with you again," Kili said nodding knowingly. "So rainbows and want. That should be easy enough," he shrugged.

"Then why hasn't every lonely person found themselves in Middle Earth?" Kili asked and Mara bowed her head in thought.

"Dunno. I'll have to check in on a few things. Talk with some contacts..." She trailed off, eyes far away frowning in thought. Thorin watched her for a moment then looked out the window at the passing world. They almost missed their stop, but Kili pulled them all out just in time, and as they stopped to buy fish and chips at a shop, Fili let out a strangled noise and tugged his hood over his head.

"Fili what is it?" Kili asked. "Banshee? Are you scared of your crush?" Kili asked with a teasing grin.

"Mara and I are on that newspaper," snapped Fili and Mara whipped around. Thorin ripped off his hat and jammed it over Mara's bright green hair. Sure enough, Fili and Mara were both pictured on the front page with the headline "Brave Rebels Wanted In America! Government Releases Bounty Count! British Prime Minister Says, 'Sanctuary For Rebellion!'" They all stared and Thorin bought one from the man at the stand. They all hurried back to the B'n'B and Thorin read the article aloud to the stunned room.

"'Wanted in connection with a rebel attack on a rural house in New Orleans, Maranda Rymtec and Philip Oak are on the run. After Rymtec's former home caught fire in a suspected Rebel Protest act in early November, the Rymtec family seems to have disappeared. Suspected to be on the run from the law, many countries outside of America agree that if found, the fugitives will be granted sanctuary in their borders. The discord with America over the past decade-yad yad, etcetera-When American President East set forth the bounty for their return to government custody, Slovenian Prince Dreddnaught compared it to the sci-fi stories that have made past American films so famous. 'It's outrageous, that they would offer money to foreign powers for these young people. It's like buying up innocent people to burn at the stake. Keep running you two, try and make it here.' The Prince's spokesperson-' This is madness." Thorin threw aside the aper.

"WHo even reads newspapers anymore?" Ben muttered as To fiddled with his shirt sleeve.

"We have to run. There's no hope for it. London is too busy, and we'll be noticed, the media will track us-Even if they don't turn us in, the Government in America might catch on and come after us," David said.

"But where can we go? No where is safe for us. They have our names," Andy said in distress. Silence.

"We'll be running forever," Tom said solemnly.

"There's nowhere safe for us," Ben agreed in a morose tone.

"Yes. Yes there is," Mara said and everyone looked at her in surprise. "David. How much would it cost to get us to Scotland?"