Sorting Through Life's Puzzle Pieces

Chapter 11

                "Oh merde! La sorcière conduit." Tom looked at the two men in the back seat and was taken aback with the shock on their faces. When he heard a soft giggle, he turned to see Maeve had a small smile on her face.

"What's funny?"

"They think I'm a witch."

"I thought you couldn't speak French?" His arms crossed and his face was very parental.

"I can't. Shawna told me that one after a particularly eventful drive a few months back." She seemed rather amused by this little bit of news.

"And just why do they call you 'witch'? From what I've seen, you are far from it." He couldn't stop the astonishment at her sly little grin.

"You're about to find out, sweetie," she replied as she turned the key.

"Good lord, woman. Now I get it. You would have to have supernatural powers to live through that."

"We made it in time for our flight, didn't we?"

Tom just shook his head. "Yes, but while I know the traffic laws here are rather lax, they do have some speed limits."

She saw the other passengers kiss the ground as they got out of the back. "Hey, if they hadn't insisted on stopping every twenty minutes, I wouldn't have to drive so fast the second half of the trip."

His hand pulled down his face as he followed her through check-in and to the gate. They did have a few more minutes before boarding and he sat going through his phone as she started going through her bag. To his surprise she pulled out a book, opened it at random and started reading. He continued watching her, pretending to look at his phone so she wouldn't notice. It had been a long time since he saw someone show so much emotion while reading a book. They couldn't have been waiting more than fifteen minutes before the intercom called their flight, but he saw so much come across her mouth and eyes, it was better than a movie.

Once they were on the plane, he noticed a small smile flash across her face when she saw they were seated together. It was quickly gone as she sat and the flight attendents started going over stowing everyones' bags and safety procedures. He listened with only half an ear, being an old hat at this. However, when they started to taxi, he noticed Maeve grip the arm rests and start breathing deeply.

"Are you alright, darling?"

"Tom, shut up or this won't work." Her response was tight, and he noticed her fingers were moving while still holding on.

The plane lifted off and she breathed deeper than she had been, eyes shut as tight as they could get. He shut the cover to the window, though she couldn't see it. He had a feeling it would help. As the large machine leveled off, she calmed some and opened her eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"Never really been a fan of flying. Could you get my bag from the compartment, please?"

"Sure." Tom watched her rummage through the bulky bag and was surprised to see her pull out a different book than the one she had been reading at the gate. It started to make him feel a little inadequate at only bringing one.

"What are you reading?"

"The original French version of Beauty and the Beast. Why?" She looked up at her question and he was taken in by the relaxed look on her face. Such a contrast to a few minutes ago.

"It's not the same on you were reading before? How many did you bring?"

"How many or which ones, sir?" She sassed back. He gave a small smile at that.

"I think I would mean both, Angel."

"I brought several. Would you like to borrow one?"

"That depends on what you have."

She pulled up her bag and rifled through. "I've got Robin McKinley, Shakespeare, all of Doyle, and the Enchanted Forest Series."

"The what?"

She pulled out a book and handed it to him. "Here. Start with this one, then if you still like it I'll give you another one."

"This says it's the fourth one"

"Trust me, it's the best to start with. No need for knowledge of the rest." She returned to her book and left him to his own devices as he took in the book in his hands.

A few hours later he had finished and asking for the others. She wiggled her eyebrows at him as an I told you so, which made him laugh. He liked her playful.

Tom was helping a fairly exhausted Maeve through the terminal after making her stop at the lavatory before they left. He had had to force her to get up on the plane as well, her fear of flying so bad she would have held her bladder to bursting, so afraid to move on the flight. She made mention of Shawna doing the same thing to her on the flight down.

"Come one, Angel. I know this was exhausting but, it's time to get you home." She grumbled as she leaned sleepily on him, practically causing him to carry her out. "Luke has sent a car, I'll drop you home and you can sleep there." Maeve merely nodded with a mumbled aquiece as she fumble with her own luggage while he retrieved his.

Tom held her waist while she leaned heavily on him through the exit doors and over to the car. It was so late at night he didn't even notice the handful of paps by the main doors. Or that a couple of them had seen him and snapped photos of him loading his woman into the car with him following.

"Maeve, darling, why don't we get a quick bite to eat, then I'll drop you home."

"Fine," she mumbled against his shoulder. She couldn't see the satisfied look on his face as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder to hold her closer.

Tom found a fish and chips place open late, or early as it were, and the food helped to wake her up enough that she could walk without help. They didn't talk much but, he did bring up that she a very interesting choice of books in her possession. She simply stated that variety was a wonderful thing and that she didn't believe in being stifled by holding to singular tastes like most. He found that he agreed with that way of thinking.

Once they pulled up to the flat, she would be living in, he helped her in. As she showed him out, he received a small, sleepy hug from her. "Good night, Darling. Sweet dreams," was his reply with a small peck on her cheek.

He had barely been asleep in his own flat when his phone rang, causing him to answer without really looking.

"This better be bloody good to wake me up."

"Tom, what the bloody heel were you thinking," Luke screamed through the phone. "There are pictures of you all over the tabloids with a 'mystery woman' and wondering if you brought a wife home from Africa. Honestly I wondered that myself from the way the two of you look."

"Oh bugger!"