Chasing a Dream Chapter4
After lunch at one of Frodo's favorite restaurants, Billa showed Tauriel the most popular places in the city; the mall, the roller rink, Hamfast's gym, the park, and Bofur's bar.
At four o'clock they returned to the hotel, Billa had to get ready for her da- apology dinner, it was an apology dinner.
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Frodo helped pick out Billa's dress. He picked out the one Billa's mother Belladonna wore the night she met Billa's father Bungo. Belladonna had worn it to a party; Bungo had bumped into her accidentally (on purpose if you ask him,) and spilled soda all over it. He payed to have the dress cleaned and offered to take her our on a date to make up for it. (Like how Billa and Thorin meet… except not at all.)
When her son had pulled the black dress out of the closet Billa couldn't help but laugh. Maybe this was a sign… God, she hoped not.
"Why you laughin' Mommy?" He asked her.
"Did I ever tell you how my mommy met my daddy?" she asked. Frodo shook his head 'no' vigorously. Billa didn't talk much about Grandma and Grandpa, but Frodo knew they weren't around after some bad boo-boos. Just because he knew didn't mean he understood.
()
Billa smoothed out her dress in the full length mirror. Legolas had picked up Frodo a few minutes ago and Thorin was due any minute. The sleeveless black dress came down to Billa's knees, with a small slit in the side for better movement. (That wasn't originally apart of the dress but Belladonna had fixed it that way when she gave it to Billa.) She was also wearing a pair of black under shorts that ended about mid-thigh and you couldn't see under the dress.
She had decided to let her hair fall down around her shoulders, only wearing a bobby pin or two to keep the curly blonde hair out of her face. She had chose to go without much makeup, only wearing some eyeliner and a little bit of lipstick. She was wearing Bofur and Nori's Christmas gift from last year, a very beautiful pair of pearl earrings. (Billa had insisted it was too much but Bofur and Nori wouldn't let her leave without them.)
Billa was nervous. Almost as nervous as she had been before her first fight, the first few days in court fighting for custody of Frodo, than facing her family after Frodo's birth.
Billa jumped when there was a knock on the door, she grabbed her jacket and slipped on her heels. She checked the looker. There was a man with a pizza box and a hat from the local pizza joint, she couldn't see his face. Billa made sure the chain was locked before opening the door.
"Hello, can I help you?" she asked.
"Yeah, I got a pizza for room 146." The man had a deep voice and was wearing sun glasses.
"I'm sorry, this is room 149. The room number is a little messed up."
"Oh, I'm sorry miss. Could you point me in the direction of 146?" he asked her.
"It's just around the corner."
"Thank you miss, have a nice night."
"You too." Billa closed the door with a sigh. Unfortunately that wasn't the first time that had happened. Billa constantly told Thranduil to fix her room number, but he never got around to it. She never had these problems when she stayed at Elrond's or Galadriel's hotels. Hell even if she didn't complain they both somehow knew about it and fixed the problem before she could bring it up. Honestly it was a little creepy sometimes.
Billa checked her phone, it was six thirty five. Thorin was late. Billa sighed, about to walk back into her bedroom when there was a knock on the door.
Billa checked the looker again. It was Thorin standing there with a regretful face. He was wearing a casual black suit with a royal blue tie. She undid the chain lock and opened the door.
"Sorry." Was the first thing he said, "As I said before, I'm not the best with directions. I think I got lost thrice."
"Well lucky for you I know the way to the restaurant. It's not two far, would you like to walk? It's a lovely night."
"That would be fine." He smiled.
"Perfect, just let me grab my purse." She quickly walked into the kitchen and grabbed her handbag of the kitchen table, draping her jacket over her arm. Making sure to lock the door, she followed Thorin to the elevator.
()
The walk to the Prancing Pony was pleasant, the city's night life was just starting to awake.
Thorin told Billa about what happened after they parted ways in the alley. Then he complained about his brother, nephew, and his nephew's boyfriend, who were- according to Thorin- 'the biggest shits in world'. Billa tried to hide her laughter behind her hand. It didn't work. Thorin started pouting saying she was mean. Billa couldn't help but laugh even more.
When they arrived at the restaurant Thorin was a true gentleman; held the door open for her and even pulled out her chair when the waiter showed them to the table.
Billa ordered a glass of cola; she never really had acquired a taste for alcohol. Thorin also ordered as cola, Billa suspected he did so not to make her feel awkward. The waiter informed them that Grey was paying for the meal, took their orders then left.
"Muggers?" He asked as the waiter left.
Billa blushed, "You see, you're not the first person who I've um, beaten to a bloody pulp? Yeah." She said to her self with a little nod. "And that Grey's brought to meet me. When I first met Bofur and Nori I thought that they worked for… someone I used to know, so I beat them up."
"Two on one?"
"Yeah, I elbowed Nori then swept his legs out from under him sending him to the ground. I gave Bofur an upper cut then flipped him onto Nori, before pepper-spraying them both."
"I wish I could have been there."
"So when Grey visited with them two days later, they told Frodo that I had saved them from being mugged in an alley and they wanted to thank me. I guess we became friends after that."
"That was an interesting story."
"I suppose so. How do you know Bofur and Nori?"
"There related to me somehow." Thorin waved his hand in a vague gesture.
"What do you do for a living?" She asked making idle conversation.
"I am an artist actually, I do metal sculptures for people."
"That sound very interesting, any thing famous?" she asked with a wink.
"No, not yet." Thorin said with a smile. "How about you, what do you do?"
"Oh, I'm a kickboxer."
"That would explain how you defeated me."
"'Defeated' what are you from the time of kings and dragons?" she smiled. "Was it my quest to defeat you?"
Thorin smiled. "How did you know?"
Billa laughed before asking another question. "So you have a Brother, nephew, and a few cousins, anymore family."
"I have a sister as well; she's my nephew's mother. That's it for blood-related family; we have a large group of close friends who are family in all but blood, 17 of us total"
"Wow. How do you keep track of everyone?"
"It's quite easy actually, you just follow the connections. Frerin and Dis are my brother and sister. Kili is Dis' son and Fili is his boyfriend. Fili is Dwalin and Ori's adopted son. Balin and Dwalin are brothers, as are Ori, Dori, and Nori. Nori and Bofur are together. Bombur is Bofur's brother and Bifur is their cousin. Gimli is one of Fili and Kili's bestfriends, and Gloin's son. Oin is Gloin's brother."
"That must be fun." Billa was a little shocked by how Thorin could remember all of that, she could hardly remember all of her cousin's names.
"Yes." Thorin made a face that made Billa giggle and this caused Thorin to smile instead of making a face. "Do you have any family?"
"So many cousins, aunts, and uncles you wouldn't believe me if I told you how many there are." Billa laughed. "Um, but besides Frodo not anyone really, well not anyone blood related. Bofur and Nori kind of forced their selves in, then there's Elrond and his children. Elrond were my mother's friends and really looked after me when I had Frodo. There's Grey of course, I've known him since I was a little girl. Oh! There's also Hamfast, Bell, and Sam; Hamfast has been my best friend since we were little."
"What about Frodo's father?" Thorin asked.
"Oh, he's um, he was never really in the picture." Billa said softly.
Thorin realized his mistake to late. "I'm sorry. It seems I can't help but put my foot in my mouth."
"It's okay." Billa said trying to end the tense air around them. "What's your favorite song?"
Thorin chuckled; it was a deep baritone sound that Billa found her self wanting to lay her head on his chest and listening to for hours. He would have a good singing voice. "That is a long story." He told her.
"We've got time."
"Very well. Once a week everyone in our family goes to my family's house for a big family dinner. One time Frerin, Fili, and Kili started a food fight. Dis gave them a good scolding after words. She forced everyone involved to clean up the mess they made in the dinning room. I believe the only ones not cleaning were Mia (Gloin's wife), Balin, Dis, and myself. The phone rang so Dis went to answer it, as soon as she was out of the room the rest started scrap the knives and forks together making a beat. I warned them not to blunt the knives and they suddenly burst out into song. It was like they planned it or something; it was quite catchy. Because of the singing they couldn't hear her coming back. When my sister saw what they were doing to dinning wear she had the biggest fit." The entire time he was talking he hadn't stopped smiling once.
"Can you sing it to me?" Billa asked hopefully.
"I don't think the workers would appreciate me singing about blunting knives and bending forks." Billa laughed. "What is your favorite song?"
"Oh its just a lullaby my father used to sing for me when I was younger."
"Will you sing it?"
"If you won't sing then I won't sing." Billa crossed her arms with a fake pout. "And I also don't think I can get my voice low enough."
"Then let's make it a date." Thorin said.
"What?" Billa blushed a little.
"I want to hear you sing, you want to hear my sing; it seems pretty simple to me."
"So you want to have a date to hear each other sing?"
"Yes." He said with a nod.
"Isn't it a little forward to ask me out when this date isn't even over?" She said with a smirk.
"This isn't a date," Thorin corrected her. "It's an 'I'm sorry for beating you up in an alley/ provoking you' dinner."