Timeless

Chapter 39

A/N: I arrive to give you a single update with a ton of banter, Judith Egan being actual menace #1, and some hurt/comfort!

Judith Egan was a singularly formidable woman of small stature and sharp features. She had married young, a high school sweetheart. He had left her pregnant while he fought in the First World War and then by the time he returned, he was not the same. Eugenia was born first—the pride and joy of Judith's life.

John Clarence Egan had been born second, ever the trouble-maker. By the time that Kathryn was born, Judith was well aware that the child was a bandaid for a broken marriage. Her husband had drank himself half-to-death by the time John was 15—

And she had been left to struggle with her children on her own. But Bucky was a handful and with Kathryn constantly following after him like some sort of duckling, there was no love lost between her younger two children and Judith herself. No, she was furious when Bucky had come to her, expressing his desire to fight in the war. And when her youngest daughter threw away all prospects of marriage to go to college and follow her brother, Judith was beside herself.

Kathryn knew that going back home was going to be some sort of lions' den. Judith was always hard on her children—never Eugenia though. Eugenia was wanted; she was a married woman with five children and had been perfectly respectable (after she was married, of course). Both Kathryn and Bucky knew what their mother was like and what the reunion would likely entail.

Still, waiting for their mother to arrive to pick them up from the airport felt like a whole eternity. It wasn't that Kathryn wasn't glad to see her mother, but things had always been so complicated between them. She was never enough in her mother's eyes and Bucky had been the one to raise her—not her mother. The whole thing felt superfluous.

"Last chance, we could cash in on a favor and stay in a hotel instead," Kathryn hissed, glancing over at Bucky.

"Don't tempt me, Kath. I might actually take you up on it."

"She can't be that bad," Gale offered weakly.

"You say that now," Bucky mumbled, shaking his head. "Give it five minutes."

True to his guess, when the car pulled up at the curb and Kathryn's gaze fell on her mother, she couldn't help the pit of dread that filled her. Judith was the first one out of the car, followed by Eugenia and Eugenia's husband, Bobby. "Oh, Johnny!" Judith exclaimed in a chirpy tone.

If Gale Cleven thought he had seen Bucky Egan embarrassed up to this point, he had been sorely mistaken. Because watching Bucky's tiny mother hug the living daylights out of him and poke at his face and ask if he had been eating enough was a whole experience . Bucky finally wretched himself free of his mother's grasp, a sour and bashful look on his face.

"I'm fine, ma', I promise!" Bucky exclaimed.

Judith then set her sights on Kathryn. "Oh you thin thing—"

"Hi ma—"

But Judith didn't even move to hug Kathryn as her eyes set on Gale, standing there somewhat awkwardly. "Oh, Johnny mentioned he was bringing a friend! Buck, is it?"

"Ma—" Kathryn started.

"It's wonderful to meet you," Judith continued.

"Ma—"

"It's so good that you and my Bucky are friends—"

"Ma!" Kathryn exclaimed pointedly. "Gale and I are engaged."