SERENDIPITY

Chapter Six - Everything Has To End Sometime

All Orli could do was stare at her. He had ripped off the hat the moment he had reached the door, fingering his right ear gingerly. When the door opened he expected Ian or anyone ... but not ... her.

"Hi," Meg said again and moved to the side. "You must be Orlando." She had to smile when blue eyes first glared then softened at her for a moment.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Orli yelled as he took a step forward. Megan just stared at him and for a moment she considered just leaving him standing there when she heard foot steps behind her.

"I beg your pardon?" Meg asked and saw from the corner of her eyes that the hobbits, all of them to be precise, and Viggo Mortensen had come up.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Meg?" Orli growled again, taking another step forward. He was mad. Here he had been pining away after her when she had been staying at Ian's all the time. From the frown and confused expression on her face he knew she wasn't recognizing him but he didn't care. All the hurt he had felt when he woke up to an empty bed was bubbling and boiling inside of him.

"Orli, take it easy," Lij said and tried to push him slightly away. Viggo was ever so slightly pushing Megan behind him, out of harm's reach.

"Orli?" Meg asked then gasped when the penny dropped. "You?"

"Yes, darling, me ... couldn't wait to leave the love nest, could you?" Orli growled and tried to push Elijah out of the way.

Megan just stared at him, not registering the ever increasing crowd that had gathered around them. Her mind still refused to acknowledge the fact that this blonde, blue eyed man with the pointy ears was actually Orli.

"Orlando, calm down," Viggo said, putting a restraining hand onto the younger man's chest.

"If you know what's good for you, stay out of it, Vig," Orli snarled and pushed past him.

He grabbed Meg's wrist and jostled her away from the Hobbits, though Sean tried to stand in his way but the furious look from albeit blue Elf eyes let him stand back again. Dragging Megan after him, Orli strode back to his car, not caring that the woman was beginning to struggle against this kind of behaviour.

"Let me go!" she hissed and yanked at her arm only almost to stumble. "Shit, Orli, let me go. You are hurting me!"

"Oh do I?" Orli turned around for a moment but without missing a step. "I'm so sorry, honey!"

They had reached the street and Orli made his way over to a small park that already lay in the semi darkness of dusk. Stopping, he whirled her around to face him and was attacked by two hands who tried to push him away.

"What do you want?" Megan spat out, trying to get her emotions under control. One half of her was excited that she was seeing him again, though another and bigger part of her was screaming mad at the behaviour she was receiving.

"What I want?" Orli asked and tried to ignore the urge to just tell her what he wanted. 'Another kiss, another night, a whole life time to get to know you', but he clamped down ferociously on that line of thinking and tried to calm himself.

"I want an apology," he said after a while.

"What?" Megan asked in surprise then shook her head. "You are crazy, what for anyway? Because we slept together?"

Orli did not reply. He was still too furious, too confused and too hurt. Megan on the other hand was quickly building up her anger.

"I see, you want me to apologize for sleeping with you. Okay, I'm sorry. Believe me I regret every second of that night together. So there, happy?"

Orli just stared at her in shock. Some part of his brain had registered her words, an even larger part had understood but somewhere along the way, he was just feeling hurt. 'How can she regret our night together?' it screamed inside of him and for a moment he just closed his eyes, only to open them again.

Megan exhaled softly when she saw the murderous look in his eyes. Telling him she regretted their night spent together hurt her. In fact she had never told such a big lie in her whole life before. The night had been perfect but for him saying another woman's name. She was no rebound girl, and even on a one night stand she wanted to be the woman for the night, not some substitute. She had after all some dignity left.

"I don't know why you are reacting like this," Meg started but her voice trailed off when Orli took a step closer towards her.

"You don't know?" he choked out. "I wake up and find you gone, isn't that enough?"

Megan was confused. So she had left him, he would have probably done the same if they had ended up in her room anyway. Most men did. Something dawned on her.

"I think I know what's wrong," Megan growled and crossed her arms over her chest. "You cannot deal with the fact that a woman just upped and left you. Jesus, you are such a nutcase. You men do it all the time and you think it is okay, but if a woman does it you get all cranky and hurt. I thought I was a better judge of character, because I didn't think you were a man with double standards."

"I wouldn't have just left without a word!" Orli bit out.

"HA!" Meg exclaimed and held up a finger. "If given the opportunity you'd run like hell!"

"You never gave me the chance!"

"And that is your problem ... a woman having the balls to leave you. Poor you! I tell you what, not every woman just swoons and thinks she is in love with you when you as much as smile at her," Megan spat back.

"No, not every woman, but you surely spread your legs for me. You probably do that every damn time you go on a flight, right?" Orli bit out and his gaze flickered towards the shocked expression on her face. He saw the hurt in her eyes but he dismissed it and continued, "Picking up some men on vacation then making them so hot they'll sleep with you ..."

Megan stared at him and took a step closer. She was so furious with him that she almost raised her hand and slapped him. Almost. She knew she would hate herself if she gave so much as an indication that he had hurt her this much.

"Well I really do not care what you think of me," Megan bit out, her fists clenching, desperately trying to hold on to some sort of resemblance of sanity and calmness. "At least I don't cheat on my girl friend or wife!"

Orli blinked. "What..?" he started to ask but by now Elijah had come up to them, and drew them apart.

"Guys," he said and pushed Orli back a little.

"Get your cheating ass away from me!" Megan spat and turned around.

"Meg, come on ..." Lij started but Meg whirled around and stared at both men.

"I told you to get lost, and Elijah Wood if you don't mind your own business you can get lost as well!" She was now yelling.

"Fine!" Orli spat. "I wouldn't even touch you if my life depended on it, let alone stay in the same room with you!"

"Fine!" Megan yelled back and turned to walk away from him. Elijah muttered something under his breath and quickly followed her. When he tried to put a comforting hand on her shoulder she shrugged it off.

Both heard Orli's taunting voice behind them as he yelled, "And while you are at it, you can try to do the whole fellowship, Megan, even for a slut like you that is a challenge!"

Elijah stopped, looking back over his shoulder at Orli with a mixture of shock and anger on his face. Meg on the other hand flinched only before she continued back to the street where she saw Sean, Dominic and Billy all staring at her with shocked expressions on their faces. She knew with certainty they had witnessed her screaming match with Orli and she blushed out of embarrassment.

"Hey, Meg..." Billy started when she brushed passed him. "Lass, he did'na mean it..."

Megan ignored their bewildered stares and made her way towards the house. Viggo Mortensen was leaning against the door frame and watched the young woman in front of him. He could have kicked Orlando for all the things he had screamed at her. but then he minutely shook his head.

'The fire of youth,' he thought and watched as Megan approached. In the light streaming out from behind him he could see that she was crying. But it was something he had never seen before. Tears were welling down a stony face, no sound, not even the slightest whimper came over her lips.

He stepped out of the way when she passed him and shook his head. 'Damn Orlando!'.

Ian and Robbie had been up for about an hour, taking in the remains of the party last night and after having phoned the cleaners, both men had settled outside on the sundeck, having breakfast.

"Have you seen Meg?" Ian asked, nursing his cup of coffee while he watched Robbie leafing through a newspaper.

"She is probably still asleep. Last time I saw her, she was opening the door with the Hobbits in tow."

"Ahh, yes," Ian said and bit into his toast heartily. "I hope she will hang out with those boys a bit while she is here. She is so cooped up in that stuffy university of hers and never gets out with young people her age."

Robbie grinned fondly, then shook his head. "Ian, you are far too old to play matchmaker," he commented and grinned when the other man held up his hands dramatically.

"Who said anything about match making?" he asked in a mock gruff. "I simply wish for my niece to have a good time while she is here. Let's face it, we are fun but we are not 25 anymore. What did she do the whole last week?"

Robbie grinned, "She was the perfect angel, helped me with the laundry, swam a bit, slept mostly. So what do you have in mind?"

"Isn't there a Cricket play tomorrow? We could take Megan with us and one of the boys..." Ian's voice trailed away and Robbie caught the wicked in glint in his blue eyes.

"Oh now, Ian, you are evil ... only one of the gang is really interested in Cricket and you can't be serious about Orli and Megan getting together?"

"Why not? The boy needs someone who sets his head straight and keeps him off the booze. And Megan certainly needs a bit more adventure in her life."

Both men chuckled and started when they heard the terrace door open and a puffy faced Megan joined them. Ian noticed the pudgy patches around her eyes and took hold of her hand, rubbing slowly with his thumb over it.

"What ails you, honey?" he asked softly, searching her face intently. Megan shrugged. She had not slept much last night so she had made plans for her return. She had needed a vacation and she had gotten more than she had bargained for and somehow she knew that holing herself up for the remainder of her holiday in her flat would do her more good than being stuck in paradise where she had to watch every step to avoid a certain Elf.

"Homesickness, I guess, Uncle Ian," Megan smiled, hoping it was a smile and not a grimace she was sure of displaying.

"Homesick?" Ian exclaimed and drew a chair towards him and ushered her to sit down. "I don't believe that one minute, my darling. What is wrong? Didn't you meet a lot of nice people last night? I thought the Hobbits had taken a special liking to you ..."

"Uncle Ian ... the party was wonderful but ..." Megan cast her eyes down and slowly retrieved her hand from her uncle's grasp.

"But?" he gently pried.

"I better head back home," Megan exhaled softly and watched both men staring at her in shock.

"But Megan," Robbie began but was silenced by a loud, "Nonsense!" that was coming from Ian.

"You only arrived a week ago and you haven't been even to the set."

Ian watched her, she looked relaxed enough with one foot resting on the seat while the other dangled freely only her toes touching the tiles of the terrace. She was wearing one of those tank shirts again and cut off jeans, very different from the outfits she had to wear when his sister, her mother, had anything to say. She looked more like a teenager than a soon to be professor. But the dark circles underneath her eyes and the redness of her nose told him volumes.

Megan snatched an orange from the table and started peeling it. "Ian, you know how I think about this project," she commented, licking juice off her fingers after she had popped a slice of orange into her mouth. Chewing, she picked at the skin of another slice. "And I still have things to do before I go back to university for the next term."

Robbie watched the two. He knew Meg only used the first name basis with her uncle when she didn't want any discussions and it was strange that Megan would use this tactic with something as unimportant, to him anyway, as a visit to the set.

"Will you at least visit a Cricket match with me tomorrow? Orli will be with us, he likes cricket, too," Ian commented and watched as Megan grimaced. Cupping a hand in front of her mouth, she spit out the half chewed orange and crumpled it up in a paper napkin.

"I don't think so," she said while she smiled at Robbie who handed her another napkin. Wiping her hand on it, she turned towards Ian and met his level gaze with a cool gaze out of brown eyes.

"I want to fly back on Monday morning, so I need to get packing tomorrow," she said. "Can I have the car later? I want to drive to Auckland to get my ticket changed and also get a present or two for mom."

"Very well," Ian said throwing his napkin onto his plate and stood up. "If you want to go back home, I can't keep you." With this he strode back into the house.

Silence descended on the remaining persons at the table. Megan drew up her other leg and resting her chin on her knees, she fiddled with the orange peelings on her plate. She knew Robbie was watching her and she felt herself blush under such a scrutinizing stare.

"Care to tell me why you want to go back all of a sudden?" Robbie asked after awhile and rested his elbows onto the table.

"I told you," Megan replied, staring off into the distance. She took in the vista, soft green wooded slopes reaching towards the horizon with the occasional villa like white or sand coloured dots in a sea of green. "You know, the view is beautiful, did Ian chose the house?"

Robbie followed her gaze and then sighed softly. "You were never good at diverting a subject, Meggie," he said softly. When he heard her snort, he looked at her. "Tell me what's wrong? Did someone from the cast and crew do something? If so Ian has him fired. Peter Jackson would understand."

Megan almost laughed, then shook her head no. 'If everything was ever so easy,' she thought. "Nothing happened, I just have to cut short my vacation that is all."

"You are a worse liar than Ian," Robbie said softly and stood up. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he massaged them gently. Megan looked up at him, leaning her head against his stomach. "Tell me what's wrong, Meggie?"

Meg closed her eyes and smiled at the nickname. It hurt her that she had to lie, but seeing her uncle so enthusiastic about Orlando Bloom and the rest of the cast, she did not want to burst the bubble with some minor problems of her own.

"Hullo," a voice from behind called out and both turned around, seeing Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd standing at the doors with Ian close by.

"Wow, half the Hobbits," Robbie exclaimed and with a final squeeze to her shoulders he let go of Megan and turned towards the new arrivals.

Megan turned back to the table and only halfheartedly listened to the soft conversation in her back. She poured herself some orange juice, then took a banana from the fruit bowl. She was about to put together a fruit salad, when Billy and Dom plopped down beside her on the chairs.

"Yae kno', Orli also likes fruit salad fa' breakfast," Billy commented as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

Megan closed her eyes for a moment before she turned to her right, staring at the actor as he sipped his coffee.

"Good morning to you too," Megan said, forcing a fake smile to her lips. "And I appreciate if you wouldn't mention Mr. Bloom's name in my presence, thank you very much."

"Aye, Meg, but yae' kno' he didn'a mean it. He was jus' a wee bit hurt," Billy continued, unimpressed by the death glare she was sending him.

Megan groaned inwardly. 'How much did Orli tell them?' she thought, then remembered her shoting match with him from last night and felt sick to the stomach. 'Way to go, Megan. You lost it there!' She was so deeply engrossed in her berating herself that almost didn't notice Dominic addressing her.

"We were wondering if you'd like to come shopping with us," Dominic said while he buttered a toast and put a fair amount of strawberry jam on it. "We'll be meeting with Lij later and perhaps Viggo."

Megan sighed and for a moment she considered throwing them out or dumping her fruit salad into their grinning faces. 'I just hope my restraint is gaining me sainthood,' she thought as she pushed herself to her feet. 'Too bad I'm not Roman Catholic!'

"As much as I would love to go shopping with the two of you, I have to decline," Meg said. "In fact, I'll be leaving on Monday, so, nice meeting you and all." With that she grabbed her fruit salad and went off into the house.

Dominic and Billy stared after her and Dom shook his head.

"Do you think she is that cold?"

"Dun't kno'," Billy said and shrugged. "Should we tell Orli?"

Dominic looked at Billy and shook his head. "What good would that do?" And both remembered last night. They had rounded up Ken who had taken off Orli's ears and wig and then Orli had vanished. Only to find him in the middle of the night totally passed out and drunk at the beach after they had been looking for him for hours.

"Serves him right, the little fucker," Dom said, not really confident he meant it or not. "I mean what's so big that she left him? She doesn't strike me as a cockteaser, she probably just thought it was better that way."

Billy watched his younger fellow actor. "Dom, far' all his outgoing nature, deep doon' Orli is jus' an insecure lad. Joanne leaving him hurt him vaery deeply, and Megan here didn'a help."

Dominic snorted. "They only had a one night stand together ..."

"Didn'a see the pictures in that magazine Lij showed us? That was more than a one night stand, especially as Orli didn'a elaborate on how good or bad it was."

Dom frowned slightly, a plan forming in his head.