A Stark Predicament

Chapter 55 Disappearance and Cravings

The negotiation with Dain was finally settled and a contract was signed. Afterward the meeting was adjourned and Thorin went home. When he got there he discovered that the place was empty. Alina, Logan, Tony, and the Iron Man suits were all gone. Thorin's heart fell into the pit of of his stomach as he began to worry.

'No, I will not panic, she is not alone. Where ever she is, she is well guarded.' Thorin thought. But he couldn't get rid of the queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, he summoned Doriel to bring him a cup of chamomile tea. He needed something to settle his nerves. When Doriel came back with the tea, Thorin asked her.

"Doriel, do you know where the Queen is?"

"Yes, my King, she said that she, her brother, and Mr. Logan would be going shopping and that they would be back later."  Doriel informed Thorin.

He nodded and dismissed the girl. Satisfied with the answer, Thorin decided that he would find Dwalin and spar. Just as he had expected, he found Dwalin down at the arena already sparing with Kili. Thorin came in and offered to fight the winner. Once Kili lost to Dwalin, Thorin gets in the ring with Dwalin. Thorin unsheaths his sword, Rakhâsabzag (Slayer of Orcs) and they begin to circle each other.

"I'm surprised you would leave the lass alone, Thorin, what did she do kick you out?" Dwalin taunts.

Thorin glared at Dwalin, "If you must know, Alina went shopping with Tony and Logan."

"Oh that's right, Natasha went with them." Dwalin informed him. Thorin only nodded. Finally the two clash.

Two hours passed when their sparring session finally ended. Thorin and Dwalin were exhausted, they were bruised and cut up, though nothing too serious. They made their way up to the Royal Halls and into Thorin suite. Thorin was expecting that the others would have arrived by the time he had finished sparring but no one was home. He checked his bed chamber, there was no one there. His anxiety level started to increase, but he stamped it down reasoning that Logan and Tony were with Alina so she couldn't possibly be in  any danger. He came back out into the the living area where Dwalin was waiting for him.

"They're not back, then?"

"It would appear not." Thorin informs his best friend. Dwalin claps him on the shoulder.

"Well I'm going to go bathe before Natasha gets home, I suggest you do the same, your Majesty."

Thorin jokingly punches Dwalin in the shoulder as his friend leaves. He takes Dwalin's advice and heads for the wash room to take a bath. Hopefully, Alina will be back by the time he finishes.

It is now late in the afternoon, and Thorin is now pacing the length of his chambers, worried sick. He came out of the bath earlier hoping Alina would be back, but still she had not returned. His frustration started to boil over. Thorin grabbed his coat and sword leaving his chambers. He headed to Dwalin's chambers, knocking three times, Dwalin opened the door.

"Gather the men, Dwalin. We go in search of the Queen." Dwalin raised an eyebrow.

"Thorin, do you not think you are overreacting?" Thorin gave him an incredulous look.

"They are taking too long, something must have happened. They could have been ambushed by Orcs." Dwalin stares at him.

"Thorin, she is with Logan and Tony. The man who killed Azog and the other took out the Gundabad army by himself. Plus she has Natasha and those metal monstrosities, nothing is going to happen."

Thorin completely ignored him, "Are you coming or not?"

Dwalin sighed and nodded, he couldn't let his king do something foolish. Just as Dwalin shut his door, the teleporter opened up and out walks Alina followed by Logan, Tony and Natasha and of course the Iron Man suits. Each loaded down with grocery bags. She was laughing and looking back at the others. Thorin's eyes narrowed at the sight. She wasn't watching where she was going and walked right into Thorin who was fuming. She gasped as she looked up at him.

"Thorin, hi." Alina said as she reached up to kiss him. Thorin turned his head. She stepped away from him, a hurt look in her eyes.

Thorin spoke very slowly, trying to control his temper. "Where. In the name of Mahal. Have. You. Been?" Alina gave him a guilty look.

"Didn't Doriel tell you that we were going shopping?" She asked.

"YES, BUT NOT IN A DIFFERENT WORLD!" Thorin yelled, he then took a deep breath to calm down.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was? I was about to send a search party out for all of you." Logan, Tony and Natasha looked at each other.

"Hey Thorin, it really isn't that big of a deal, our world isn't nearly as dangerous as this one and besides we never let her out of our sight." Tony tries to reason with Thorin.

Thorin sighed "I understand that your world is not as dangerous, but what if something had happened to her or the babies? I would have been trapped in this world, unable to be with her. Or worse yet I wouldn't have known anything! No this can not happen again."

Alina looked down at the floor, then looked up at Thorin, tears spilling over. "I'm sorry, Thorin, I won't do it again."

Tony couldn't stand to see his baby sister cry, tried to lunge for her, when Logan caught his arm. It wasn't his job anymore. Upon seeing her tears, Thorin swepted Alina up in his arms and began to soothe her. This only made her weep even harder.

"Shh, my love, it is alright. I am not angry with you, I was only concerned about your safety and that of our children. I am sorry for yelling at you. I shall not forbid you from going to your world, but next time I shall go with you." Alina looked up at Thorin surprised, a smile spread across her lips

"Really, you'd do that for me?" She asked tears still glistening in her eyes. Thorin smiled down at her.

"Yes, my ghivashel, I would do anything to make you happy. And I must admit I am curious to see the world that you come from." Alina wrapped her arms around Thorin's middle and gave him a great big bear hug.

"Thank you, Thorin." He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.

"You are welcome, Amrâlimê. Now show me what you bought."

Alina blushed, "Well basically it's all of my favorite foods and drinks. Chocolate ice cream, Rocky Road ice cream, pickles, potato chips, pies, cakes, bananas, cheese, pop tarts, caramel apples, cupcakes, Pork Rindes, doughnuts, banana bread, tobasco sauce, frozen waffles, Dr. Pepper, Ginger Ale, broccolli, nectarines, avocados, and a bunch of other stuff. But we have to hurry before the ice cream melts."

"Don't worry, Alina, Jarvis already took everything and put it away." Natasha informed them.

"Oh good because I'm hungry, I have a craving for something." Alina informs them.

"And here we go, the weird cravings are going to start," Tony says and rolls his eyes.

"How do you know?" Logan asked as they followed Alina and Thorin back to their chambers.

"Because, Kitty Claws, Alina doesn't like Pork Rindes."

When they got to their chambers Alina went straight to the freezer, she took out the Rocky Road ice cream and two bowl she asked Logan to scoop out two scoops for Thorin and two for her. Then she gave the  bowl to Thorin.

"Guys, help yourselves. Here, Sweetie, try this you'll like it." Alina scooped out a little bit on a spoon and fed to Thorin, his eyes nearly popped out of his head, he absolutely loved it.

While Thorin happily ate his ice cream, Alina grabbed two slices of banana bread added tobasco sauce on one of them then pickles then scooped the ice cream on top of that then added some Pork Rindes. Finally the other slice of banana bread on top of that. Her mouth was watering when she finally took a bite of her banana bread, tobasco, pickle, Pork Rindes, ice cream sandwich.  Everyone else looked at her in disgust. Tony leans over to Logan.

"I told you weird cravings." Logan nods, his nose scrunched up at the smell.

"What, does anyone want to try it?" Thorin was going to say yes when Natasha spoke.

"No, you really don't, Thorin" Thorin looked at their disgusted faces and took their word for it. Alina shrugged and took another bite of her sandwich

"You guys don't know what you're missing."

"Yeah we really do, Alina, that looks disgusting." Natasha tells her. Alina petulantly stuck her tongue out at Natasha.