Author's Notes: You can thank San Andreas and Dwayne Johnson for this. I went to see San Andreas shortly after posting the final chapter of Champions: First Strike, with the sole intention of enjoying the movie (I have a weakness for disaster movies … not just the mayhem and general destruction, but the idea of rising like a phoenix from the ashes). Much to my astonishment, I received inspiration in the form of Archie Panjabi, who plays television reporter Serena in the movie … years after first introducing her, I finally had my mental image of Campbell business owner Parminder 'Mindy' Goyal Rossetti. A widow who opened Mindy's Morsels, a bakery café that showcased the pottery and art work of local artists, Mindy will also be Kili's lady once the Durins and Company arrive. I'm also seriously thinking about pairing her twin sister Devani with the reincarnation of Dwalin … Devani is 'played' by the incredible Indira Varma. Once Mindy was identified, I also had Boromir's courtship of Megan falling into place. It also gave me a jumping off point for Bronwyn and the Starling City survivors to arrive in town. I don't anticipate this story being any more than two or three chapters, and it may or may not end with Boromir and Megan's marriage. That will depend on them. So. Get ready for a funny, serious, romantic, heart-wrenching (I hope, on all four counts) story.
Disclaimer: Boromir, Legolas, Haldir, Thorin, Fili and Kili don't belong to me. Dwalin, Balin, Aragorn, Arwen, Bilbo, Sam, Frodo, Denethor and Sauron also don't belong to me (however, their reincarnations do) … they are all the property of JRR Tolkien and his estate. Malcolm Merlyn, Tommy Merlyn, Thea Queen/Merlyn, Oliver Queen, and Felicity Smoak also don't belong to me … they belong to DC Comics and the CW. Everyone else belongs to me, including the town of Campbell itself. Don't mind if you borrow them, just please ask first.
Chapter One
A Question of Creativity
Campbell, North Carolina
Four Days after the Starling City attack
She was eighteen years old when she joined her twin sister in the States … eighteen years old and so full of dreams. She wanted to fall in love with a wonderful man, she wanted to go to college, she wanted to open her own business. Ten years later, she'd made the most important dream come true. Mindy's Morsels, which was not only open, but making a nice profit. Of course, that entailed sacrifices, but they were worth it. Now, she was receiving the most important review in her life, the opinion of the person who meant the most to her.
Parminder Goyal Rossetti took a deep breath before turning to face her older (by twelve minutes) sister. Devani, in the mean time, was still turning slowly in a circle, taking in everything … the décor, the pastries on display, the tables set up, and even the pieces of pottery from local potters. She'd been trying to convince the few blacksmiths in the area to submit some of their pieces as well, but as of yet, she'd not been successful. She'd keep trying, though … that was what she did. She always kept trying, and she never gave up.
It took all of her self-control to keep from demanding what Devani thought. Her sister would tell her when she was ready and not a deco-second before. At last, her patience paid off when her older sister turned to face her and inclined her head with a small smile, murmuring, "Good work, little sister. I am impressed." Mindy couldn't help herself, giving a little jump of excitement before rushing into her twin's arms. Devani laughed outright, the first time Mindy heard her sister laugh in entirely too long.
More would have been said, but it was then that a ginormous caravan rolled its way down the streets of Campbell. Devani swore under her breath, and Mindy frowned, saying, "That looks like it's stopping here." She cast a quick eye around, to make sure she would have enough. Considering how huge it was … well, she would worry about that when it became necessary. The door to the caravan opened, and Mindy's eyes widened when she saw Carey Rafferty leading several people into her little café. She knew, of course, about Carey Rafferty and her tie to Detective Rafferty … and by now, everyone in town knew that Gavin Rafferty was actually Detective Rafferty's older brother. It seemed that a few of her customers had suspicions, but events during the last month proved that.
Mindy generally avoided gossip, but Michael, the really cute amnesiac who Detective Rafferty took in, was courting her and often came into Mindy's Morsels for pastries and cakes. Mindy thought it was sweet and romantic, and helped out the blond man where she could. He admitted that he was 'speed-courting,' and they were planning to be married in the next few weeks. Mindy pointed out to him that they were speed courting and creative courting. That made him laugh and he asked her if she could make things specially. Well, of course she could!
He admitted that he'd been doing research about courting rituals on the internet, but dismissed most of them as too impractical (especially arranging for someone to serenade Detective Rafferty outside the police station. He didn't think that her co-workers or Captain Anders would appreciate that too terribly much. Mindy was inclined to agree). And now, here was Michael's soon-to-be sister-in-law. She offered Mindy a tired smile, observing, "Sorry to come in unannounced, Mindy, but I know my little sister won't have enough food, and I wanted to get everyone fed before we descended upon her. I've got four refugees from Starling City in here, in addition to some others, who could use some comfort food."
"Of course, bring them in," Mindy said immediately. Of course she knew about the horrific attacks in Starling City … most of what was coming out of the Pacific Northwest didn't make a bit of sense, but she knew that the city was completely destroyed and that the survivors were going to anyone who would take them in. This was the first she heard, though, of people coming this far east. Carey smiled at her wearily, and then … well. That was unexpected. Mindy glanced at her sister, who merely smiled and nodded. Really. She had the best twin in the world. Devani was already in motion as a vaguely familiar redhead guided a young teenage girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen years of age, into the café.
"How does a hot cocoa sound, little one?" Devani asked as she helped the redhead steer the girl to a seat. Her head bobbed, and Devani went on, "No, two hot cocoas coming up, and I think I have some spare shoes for you. But that can wait … you look like someone who loves cinnamon rolls, how far off base am I?" The girl offered a weak smile, and the redhead nodded quickly, her arm never leaving the girl's shoulders. Devani touched the youngster's cheek, and then immediately went to prepare the cocoa. With the obviously shaken teen being cared for by her sister, Mindy turned her attention to the other child … another young girl, who looked to be ten or eleven years of age. She was being carried by a young man, who looked as shell-shocked as the teenage girl.
Carey Rafferty said softly, guiding the boy to one of the overstuffed recliners Mindy placed at the front of the café, "C'mon, Ollie, you can relax now … you're safe." The boy collapsed numbly into the recliner, and Carey asked, turning her attention to Mindy, "Could you use an extra set of hands? I know it's just you and your sister right now." Ordinarily, Mindy would have said 'no,' but her instincts told her that just like a cinnamon roll and hot cocoa was what the teenage girl needed, Carey Rafferty needed to help.
"Of course … you know the entire party and what they would like. I'll show you where to find things. Are there more men in the party?" Mindy asked, and Carey nodded. Mindy went on, "If they are able, I have some trash that needs to be taken, along with recycling." Her eyes widened as several tall, handsome men entered, and … was that Malcolm Merlyn? Mindy swallowed hard, because she studied the handsome widower who ran Merlyn Global in Starling City while she was creating her business plan. It was! Never mind that now, she had to work to do. But when this was settled, she had a lot of questions to be answered!
LOTRLOTRLOTRLOTR
Well, this was a definite improvement over his first introduction to the dwarves! Dunstan Holley, once known as Bilbo Baggins, followed the reincarnated (and enhanced) dwarves into the charmingly-named Mindy's Morsels. He closed his eyes as the various smells of the café washed over him … oh, here was a place that a hobbit would love. And Thorin was quietly directing his two (dwarven) nephews to assist the proprietress in whatever way deemed necessary, making himself available as well. Tommy, in the meantime, was watching over Oliver and Thea Queen, even offering to let Thea sit in his lap so Oliver could eat.
And Malcolm … true to form, he prowled around the café, checking every exit and window, making sure that the café was secure. Dunstan noticed that the young proprietress was watching him with an odd combination of wariness and hero worship, but she didn't let that get in the way of taking care of her customers. That was good. The Queen children and young Felicity Smoak especially needed the care. Felicity had watched her mother die when the Balrog attacked Starling City, and the Queen siblings saw their parents die right in front of them. And now, their housekeeper and surrogate mother Raisa was growing weaker by the hour.
They had met up at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, where Malcolm had his jet diverted once he received the call from Bronwyn Harris, the lovely ginger who was even now taking care of Felicity. Malcolm's jet remained at the airport, while they joined the Starling City refugees aboard the caravan. During the drive from Raleigh to Campbell, a shell-shocked Oliver Queen briefed them on what happened to his parents, while Bronwyn drove. They knew, of course, about the Balrog attack. But what he had to tell them was their journey across country. Things had been fine for the first few days as they headed up into Canada, to get away from the Balrog. It was while they were heading back south that new attacks took place.
Dunstan always heard that there were only seven Balrogs … and really, one was more than enough. However, it turned out that there were actually thousands of them, and they had been sleeping for thirty thousand years, all over the globe. Some were here in North America, others in other parts of the globe, and it appeared Sauron's old minions were waking them up. That was what happened to the Starling City refugees. They'd stopped to buy supplies in West Virginia, and a Balrog awakening caused what felt like an earthquake. Robert Queen was killed in the initial attack, while Moira Queen succumbed to her injuries later that day, and Raisa … it was unlikely that Raisa would last the night.
Bilbo had never seen a Balrog, but it was telling to Dunstan that Elves and Dwarves feared them. After hearing Oliver's story, Dunstan could understand why. Poor Felicity couldn't bear for Bronwyn to be out of her sight, and Thea wouldn't leave her brother's side … not that he seemed to mind that. Right now, Tommy Merlyn was looking after both his long-time best friend, and the little sister they shared. Yes … Bronwyn Harris told them that the second to last thing Moira Queen said was that Malcolm Merlyn was Thea's biological father (the last thing she said was 'I love you' to her children).
And now, they were in Campbell, as they intended to be, but a few weeks ahead of schedule. It was always their intention to return to Campbell, once Carey learned that her younger sister Megan (a police detective) was getting married. To make things even more interesting, he learned from Malcolm's closest friend that there were several reincarnates living here … including the reincarnation of Bilbo's beloved cousin/nephew/surrogate son, Frodo, and his dearest companion, Samwise Gamgee. In one of those twists of fate that Bilbo would have loved, Sam and Frodo were reborn as father and son, and the reborn Sam was mayor … again.
Malcolm made the mistake of asking how she knew all this, since she wasn't a reincarnate. Carey just smirked and informed that her father and older brother were both reincarnates, something she learned when her father called her to let her know that Megan was getting married. That was when they learned another pertinent fact. Thorin, Kili, and Fili weren't the only Middle-earth denizens who were brought forward in time … so was Boromir of Gondor. And it was Boromir of Gondor (now called Michael) who was marrying Megan.
Naturally, Tommy wanted to know about the other reincarnates, even though it wouldn't mean anything to him. His father was the reincarnation of Frerin, yes, but Frerin died many years before the War of the Ring. Even so, he was interested in hearing about what to expect once they reached Campbell. The dark-haired woman explained that her older brother Gavin was the reincarnation of Aragorn. Dwalin reborn (Skender) nodded, observing that he remembered Aragorn's coronation. Carey smirked again and dropped a bombshell.
Dunstan had known, of course, that Gimli was among the Nine … the son of his friend Gloin, one of their companions in the Company. What he hadn't known was that a) Gimli's reincarnation was a healer like Gimli's uncle Oin in the Third Age and b) he was chiefly responsible for Boromir surviving as long as he did once he arrived in the present age. Thorin sounded pleased by this revelation, and the boys were ecstatic that they would be seeing their dear friend again. Carey confided in Dunstan that she didn't have the heart to tell them that the young dwarf they remembered was now a Man in his late middle age. They would find out soon enough. Probably sooner than even Carey realized, with the way things had been going.
"Mindy, I've called my sister … she and her partner will be here shortly, along with their captain," Carey observed, returning to the storm. Mindy Rossetti, as she'd introduced herself, nodded from behind the counter where she'd been making a cappuccino for Tommy. Mindy's sister, Devani, was fussing over Gemma Rafferty. Although, in truth, Dunstan wasn't sure if she was fussing over Gemma … or over Skender, whose lap Gemma was seated in at the moment. He saw the way the pretty, dark-haired woman looked at him. Skender, on the other hand, seemed clueless. But if the reincarnation of Dwalin was clueless, Thorin certainly wasn't. Dunstan could see it in his expression, and just knew that Thorin would be teasing him about it later. And if he didn't, Balin would be!
"Thanks for warning me … Devani, could you keep an eye on things for me out here? I need to put something away. Detective Rafferty's fiancé enlisted my aid in courting her. Although, I always thought the courting came before the marriage proposal," Mindy requested. Devani looked away from her fussing just long enough to nod, and Dunstan raised his brows questioningly. Well, that was interesting. Carey just smirked, but said nothing as Mindy picked up something and headed into the store room.
Dunstan sat down beside Thorin, asking softly in Westron, "So, what do you think?" While Thorin was making excellent progress with both English and Romanian, Dunstan always started conversations in Westron, as he noticed that Thorin unconsciously switched to English as he relaxed. He found himself on the receiving end of a 'what do you mean' look from the dwarf, and Dunstan pushed forward, "Of this time, of this place, of the changes in your life during the last month. That's a good start, at least."
"I like the town very much, from what I've seen of it. It matters little what I think of the time, as I am alive … the same is true of my thoughts on the changes during the last month. What does concern me is the Balrogs," Thorin answered, turning the conversation to the many attacks by Balrogs during the last few weeks. Dunstan grimaced and Thorin added, "Too, I am anxious about meeting with this Slade Wilson. I cannot imagine a reincarnation of Azog who seeks to protect. I believe you, and my brother, but …"
"But after what Azog did to you and to your family, I would be more surprised if you found it easy to trust him. I don't blame you, Thorin," Dunstan answered. That was actually one reason why Malcolm would be meeting with Slade Wilson … while Frerin remembered the battle, he was already dead when Azog decapitated his grandfather. Thorin, though, was very much alive and remembered Thror's death in painful clarity. Just as he remembered Fili's death at the hands of the Orc, and too many other things.
"I do, however. I have seen that reincarnations are not necessarily the same individuals they were during that lifetime. You have told me that Slade Wilson is a good man, and my brother has told me the same. I believe you. But …" Thorin began, before shaking his head. Dunstan hesitantly put his hand on Thorin's shoulder, because really, what could he say? There was nothing to be said. Besides, Slade was worried about the meeting as well. Azog had a nasty habit of inflicting severe pain on him when he was displeased about something. And Slade being even civil to Thorin was likely to enrage the Defiler.
The former dwarf king smiled gently as Devani placed a cappuccino in front of him and murmured in halting English, "Thank you, my lady. My nephews are quite fond of this beverage. I look forward to trying it." The young woman blushed and ducked her head, a small smile playing about her lips, before turning her attention back to Dwalin. Dunstan shook his head, because who would have thought that Thorin Oakenshield could be such a charmer? He wondered if it was because the pressure of his first life was gone … whatever the reason, he intended to enjoy the time he had with this more relaxed version of Thorin Oakenshield.
LOTRLOTRLOTRLOTR
In his first life, he had been a warrior, the Captain-General of Gondor's Army. His entire focus was on protecting his City, his people. He had no time, no interest in romance or in courting. And now, he was paying for that inattention. Although, in truth, even if he had paid attention to courting during that first life, he would still be woefully unprepared for courting in this time and place. He wasn't satisfied with dating (although he liked the idea of taking Megan on a date), and the courting rituals he encountered on the internet gave him a horrible headache.
Serenading Megan while she was working? Out of the question. Love tokens and gifts? That was something he was far more comfortable with. One of the first things he learned when first he came to live with Megan was that she had little time to cook or bake … and that she had something of a sweet tooth. When he made this observation to Gavin, his old/new friend's eyes gleamed, and he observed that Boromir had his first courting gift. That was when he led Boromir to Mindy's Morsels and introduced him to the proprietress, Mindy Goyal Rossetti.
Mindy was a widow who took up baking in the weeks after her husband's death, as a way to cope with her grief … her emptiness. She also told Boromir something very interesting while they were talking about courting. According to Mindy, she and her late husband Justin actually courted each other before they got married. That was filed away to be dealt with at a later time. Right now, he was far more interested in taking care of Megan, since she'd spent the better part of a year taking care of him.
It was also Mindy who encouraged him not to pay attention to the courting rituals of the past, and instead, create his own. After all, Megan wasn't a woman of the Victorian era, and he really didn't appreciate the idea of being unable to touch her. They often held hands while watching movies, especially after Jason and Natalie Wellington were rescued … held hands, Megan's head resting against his shoulder.
So. The sweets were delivered to the police station, and Boromir asked Mindy to ensure that there was enough for everyone. She smiled at him, saying that was a nice touch. So. Food was handled. Gavin promised to take him to a flea market this coming weekend to get some love tokens (maybe some vintage jewelry?) for Megan. That left … flowers? Boromir tapped his lip thoughtfully. Megan liked flowers well enough, but she was never one to have flowers in the apartment, or plants of any kind. He would have to come back to that.
A knock at the door alerted him to company, and Boromir promised himself that he'd come back to this. He wasn't sure who was there, but he could use the break. And when he opened the door to find Brendan Farrell on the other side, he was glad he did. Over the last few weeks, ever since the rescue of Natalie and Jason Wellington, Boromir and Brendan met at least once a week. Sometimes they talked … Brendan telling him about what Frodo and Sam encountered once the Fellowship split up … other times, they just sat and watched tv. Or, as Brendan put it, 'just hung out.' Boromir still wasn't sure what 'hanging out' really entailed, but Gavin told him that it meant just about anything. Sitting around talking, watching movies, even going to the park and feeding the ducks constituted hanging out.
"Figured you could use a break from Operation Courting," Brendan said cheerfully, holding up a bag. A whiff told Boromir that it was chicken tenders or chicken nuggets, something he developed a taste for once his system adjusted to the modern era. Even so, he still had a weakness for corndogs and probably always would. Boromir steered the boy to the kitchen table where he and Megan usually ate, then removed plates from the cabinet. Brendan continued as he laid out the napkins, "Things have changed in my house since Dad admitted to remembering the past. We talk about being Frodo and Sam … I have to laugh, because Sam always took care of Frodo in that life. His job hasn't changed at all."
Boromir chuckled at that, replying, "If I ever knew Sam, he minds that not at all." Brendan laughed as he divided the tenders between their two plates, and Boromir decided to ask the question that was on his mind since the remainder of his memories returned, "Have you encountered Faramir's reincarnation?" Brendan sighed and shook his head. Boromir fought back the disappointment he felt … after all, he had so much, including a version of his father that didn't carry the same burdens Denethor did in his life time. But … he still missed his little brother. He wondered what Faramir would make of his intended bride and smiled to himself, imagining two heads put together, making common cause against him.
"No … but that doesn't mean anything, Boromir. It doesn't mean that he isn't here, in this time, it just means that I haven't met him yet. And remember, I'm still pretty young among humans. That was rather odd, remembering my life as a hobbit. That actually sounds like a book title, doesn't it? My life as a hobbit," Brendan observed with a mischievous smile. His blue eyes twinkled and, Boromir had to laugh at the youngster. Brendan continued thoughtfully, "I've not found Uncle Bilbo, either. They're out there, though, Boromir … they're out there and when it's time, we'll find them, or they'll find us."
"You've grown very philosophical," Boromir observed, and Brendan shrugged, popping a piece of chicken into his mouth. Then again, Frodo lived in this boy's memories … he was the very definition of an old soul, as Megan once explained to him. Boromir asked after a moment, "What was the hardest thing for you, when you regained your memories of being Frodo?" Brendan chewed thoughtfully … and when he spoke, the answer was unexpected.
"Realizing that I'd already lived through one war, and still had a hard time dealing with death," Brendan answered slowly. Boromir blinked in astonishment, a piece of chicken halfway to his mouth. Brendan went on, "I think you've heard from Megan and Elena about the girl who was killed just before you were found? Bethany? She … she was a friend of mine, and there was no reason for her death. It was totally senseless and … it was hard for me to accept. Even after the senseless death during the War of the Ring, I still …"
He broke off, blinking back tears. Boromir set down his piece of chicken and reached over to squeeze the boy's shoulder. Brendan whispered, "She was my friend, Boromir, and that piece of shit murdered her because he could … he tortured her and he murdered her. She died alone and afraid and in pain, and I know I'm supposed to forgive him for that, but I can't. And I hate him for that. I hate him so much, and that scares me."
There was naught Boromir could say to that, so he said nothing. Instead, he scooted his chair closer to Brendan's and pulled the boy into his arms. Brendan clung to him, shaking with grief and Boromir whispered, "You were never a soldier, Brendan. You were never meant to be a soldier. I was a soldier my entire life, but I can tell you now that were it my Megan who died in such a way, at the hands of a monster, my rage would know no bounds. You are not weak to feel as you do. Never think that."
"I could have loved her, Boromir … the way you love Megan, and now we'll never get that chance, and I hate him for that as much as anything," Brendan choked out, his voice muffled by Boromir's shirt. With those words, things clicked into place for the time-relocated Gondorian captain-general. Ever since Boromir reconnected with the other members of the Fellowship, Brendan took an active interest in helping Boromir to court Megan. Boromir closed his eyes and held the boy tighter. Nothing would be solved here and now … but it wasn't about solving things. Despite what both Gavin/Aragorn had told him, despite the words of both Farrells, Boromir still hadn't entirely forgiven himself for falling to the Ring's seduction. But maybe, by being the friend Brendan needed him to be right now, he could begin atoning for that. And if, in the process of doing that, the youngster helped him to court Megan, well, so much the better.
TBC