Chapter Fourteen - Decisions

'When I woke up this morning I was shocked to see that Orli had managed to drape himself all over me during the night. It felt too intimate, too personal and yet all I could do was to lay there, my fingers soothingly caressing his head.

It felt wonderful to say the least but I know it is not right. I'm too scared to admit that even though he had all but abandoned me during his relationship with Jemma, I needed him in my life. I had always been proud that I was a strong woman and that I drew a line immediately when something wasn't working out the way it should have been.

But with him I couldn't.'

Closing her eyes, Megan settled back into the pillow only to flinch when the phone started ringing loudly.

Orli jerked awake, but before he came fully awake he squeezed Megan to himself and planted a sloppy kiss on her bare shoulder. While Orlando was answering the phone, Megan made a beeline for the bathroom and when she came back she heard Orli cussing and cursing loudly.

"I take it, I can scratch working on my suntan?" she asked casually, while she rummaged through her bag for clothes to wear.

"Unfortunately, yes," Orli said and ran a hand through his non-existent hair. "That was Ridley Scott, they want to re-shoot some scenes over the weekend and Monday. It will shorten my job here though, so I'll be back in the UK by Thursday."

Looking at her sheepishly, he held out his hand. "I'm sorry, Meg."

Megan came over to him, touching his outstretched hand lightly and sat beside him on the bed. "Hey, that's okay, Orli," she said and nudged him in his ribs. "I will try to change my ticket back later ..."

"No way, you'll stay here, my treat. I mean Ewan has to return too and I know Eve will fly back with him to Paris on Thursday. So please stay," he turned towards her and put an arm around her shoulders, his fingers digging into her red-brown curls. "Besides, I know Ewan will want to sneak back at nights, so he needs a partner in crime." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and Megan shook her head, fighting hard to bite back a laugh.

"Remind me to sue Ridley Scott for bringing you and Ewan together. You two are a Force to be reckoned with."

Megan stood on the steps of the hotel, Eve by her side, as their men as Eve had told her mere seconds earlier took off in Orli's battered jeep. Orli had promised her to return every night though she was sure Ridley Scott and the rest of the production team would make sure no actor was leaving the film set during filming.

They passed the day in amiable conversation, Megan catching up on Ewan's life and also telling Eve what Ian was up to. They laughed, ate, drank, went sightseeing like normal tourists. The women even coming from different countries had a lot in common and intending or not Eve made Megan think about some things in her life, something she had tried to push away or simply ignore. After the second day with Eve, exploring the city's bazaars more, Megan felt as if she had been psycho-analyzed, in a disturbing but positive way.

Thus the weekend was spent and by Sunday night, they had explored everything and anything about the city and men, especially Ewan and Orli in particular, though Megan had tried to avoid talking about Orli.

After a shower, Meg only put on some jeans and soft men's shirt, not bothering with a bikini top. She retreated to the balcony of her hotel room. Now during the hour where the sun set she had time to just kick back and relax and nursing a whiskey from the mini bar and a good cigarette, Meg closed her eyes contently.

She had to admit that it was madness to just up and leave to come here but she had only reacted. Orlando needed her, so she had come. But a nagging voice in the back of her mind would not keep still. A voice she had successfully pushed away and droned out since Orli's phone call two nights ago, but now with the time to wind down, it was clear, too clear.

'You cannot get over him if you are near him,' the voice told her and deep down she knew it was right, but somehow she could not stay away from Orlando. Sure they had been separated for nigh of nine months now, a lifetime for others but it had not been a day where she had not thought about him and although she had felt genuinely happy when he and Jemma had announced their engagement, deep in one corner of her heart, she had felt a pang of jealousy.

Opening her eyes, she sighed softly. 'I'm so stupid,' she told herself silently. 'Why did I just have to fall in love with him?'

'I should have run the other direction when he asked me to stay with him in Sydney, I knew something would happen. I have never been someone who jumps into bed so quickly with someone, not without some heartfelt sentiment, and I should have known then that it wouldn't be just a one night stand. Not for me anyway.'

Rubbing her eyes awkwardly, she stood up and walked over to the mini bar, getting out another small bottle of Whiskey. It had darkened considerably and the events of the last weeks caught up with her. She had not known at the time that her relationship with Peter, if one could call it that, had ground her down. But a nagging voice in the back of her mind told her differently. It wasn't just about Peter, she had never seen more than a colleague and companion in him anyway, but when she had heard the first rumours about Orli and Jemma, she had sought for a way to keep the pain at bay, and Peter had been the very cure, or so she had thought.

With a groan she emptied the small bottle of whiskey in one large gulp, letting the stinging liquid run down her throat into her almost empty stomach.

"You are such a bitch, Schofield," she whispered and snorted. 'God, I have used Peter as a rebound guy, and I have known it all along. Just because of my best mate who isn't even interested in me in this way.' Shaking her head at herself she brought another bottle forth and returned to the balcony. It was already darkening and the cicada had started to chirp their songs.

She felt so tired of it all that she just slumped back onto the ottoman that doubled up as a balcony lounger and took a long draft from the whiskey. She had not even bothered to pour it into one of the heavy crystal tumblers provided by the hotel.

'As soon as I get back to London I need to reach a decision,' she told herself. I can't just be friends with Orli anymore... I ... every time he turns up with another blonde chick I know my heart breaks even a bit more.'

Closing her eyes, she tried to sort through her errant thoughts but somehow she couldn't get Orli's face out of her head and that was the last she saw in her mind's eye before the alcohol and sleep took over.

Dusk was rapidly falling and Orlando slipped the jeep into gear and increased the speed on the dusty road. Ewan who was sitting beside him on the passenger seat was impatiently drumming his fingers on his raised knee, with his boot propped up against the dash board. They both hadn't bothered getting out of their Ranger gear, only removing the Kevlar helmets and the netting with the weapons. This was it, it was Sunday night, and they had two days off before another night shoot and then they were both off home again.

Although he had been looking forward to this shoot, Orli was glad it was finally over soon. The physical exhaustion was getting to him and although he had felt worse shooting LOTR, especially the last couple of weeks, he knew that the boot camp and the rigid regime that was on Scott's set had tired him more physically than he had thought possible.

Shooting Ewan a glance and seeing a silly grin on his face, Orli had to grin as well. For a short moment the jeep shed a bit more light as Ewan lit two cigarettes, passing one to Orli while the third actor in the back snorted.

"Hey, can't you just lay off with that smoking?" Josh Hartnett asked. Contrary to his two colleagues he had changed and was ready for a night on the town and in the beginning of their journey he had tried his damndest to persuade both to go club hopping with him, but Ewan, understandably, had declined and to the Scotsmen's surprise, Orlando had too.

"Nope," Ewan said and puffed several perfect circles of smoke up into the night air. "I need to stash up on the nicotine, Eve hates it when I smoke, she is craving for fags as well, but during her pregnancy...it's a no-go."

Orlando laughed at that and continued to concentrate on the dirt road that was illuminated by the head lights of the jeep.

"I'm glad the lass is a smoker or I could get into trouble," Orli said, using the nickname Billy used for Megan, then frowned when he heard Ewan chuckle.

"Aye, but I think yae're in trouble already. Yae do realize yae have been constantly gushing about the lass?" Ewan drawled in his thickest Scottish accent.

"Oh sod off, Ewan," Orli said good-naturedly.

"So you are not hitting the town with me?" Josh asked again, ignoring the banter between the two men. "I always thought you new hot Brit actors are always in for a good shag and a laugh."

"What, shagging you?" Ewan shot back and the young American frowned.

"Ha Ha, really funny, McGregor, keep your Scottish wit to yourself," he harumphed and stared into the darkness. "What about you, Bloom, up for a night out in the town?

"He told you, Hartnett, he has a date with a special lady," Ewan barged in before Orli could answer.

"Bring Jemma with you," Josh grinned when his eyes were caught by Orli in the back view mirror. Orlando shrugged indifferently, ignoring the comment. He was relieved when they were on the street that led to their hotel and with braking hard, he sent all the passengers in the jeep to a jarring halt.

"See you in two days, Hartnett," Orli commented while he tossed the keys to a waiting foot boy in an impeccable white uniform.

"Oh come on, Bloom, you can't hold that kiss and a cuddle with Jemma against me," Hartnett said. "At least let me say hi to her."

With a sigh, Orli turned and fumbling in the side pocket of his duffel bag he dug out a piece of paper. Checking that it was the right one, he thrust it over to Josh.

"Here, you can call her, she's probably back in LA," he commented and started up the stairs.

"What was that all about?" Josh asked and turned towards Ewan who watched Orli ascending the stairs.

"He and Jemma broke up, so try your luck, Hartnett," Ewan said and without a word of good bye he hurried up the stairs after Orlando.

Catching up with him by the elevator, both men silently boarded.

"Eve and me wanted to go to the beach tomorrow, want to join us?" Ewan asked and Orli nodded.

"I promised Megan she could work on her sun tan," he said with a smile. Ewan was amazed that every time Orlando spoke about his best friend his eyes lit up and some of the tiredness left him. Shaking his head, he grinned.

"Okay see you around ten for breakfast then," Ewan said and got off his floor.

After Orli had let himself in with the key card, he softly moved into the dark room. Switching on the light he looked around and frowned when he saw the empty bed. Panicking fora moment, he looked around and the sight of her open suitcase calmed him somewhat. Sitting down on the bed he got rid of the combat boots with a sigh.

"Meg?" he asked softly and when he heard a slight noise coming from the balcony he padded over. He had to grin when he came upon Megan. Squatting down beside her, he gently took the empty whiskey bottle out of her hand and set it to the other one that stood on a small table nearby.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, getting drunk without me, Meggie?" he asked softly and gently brushed her hair away from her face. "Spoilsport."

Picking her up gingerly, he carried her back inside and laid her down on the bed. Straightening up he pondered his options, either he let her sleep in her jeans and shirt or he could undress her. He opted for the last as he knew Megan wouldn't like to sleep fully clothed.

Trying to ignore the soft skin that was revealed after he had pulled her jeans off, his eyes stayed on her face while he worked her arms out of the shirt and then pulled it off her shoulders as well. His breath caught in his throat when his eyes only momentarily roamed over her exposed torso.

"Fuck!" he mumbled under his breath and he closed his eyes but the sight before him was burned into his retinas. "Why can't you wear a bra or bikini top or something, Meg?" he asked exasperated. A soft mumble was his only reply as Megan turned over, facing his side of the bed.

Rubbing his neck nervously, Orli decided to take a shower first and then try to solve the problem of the half naked, panty clad Megan in his bed.

Later, Megan felt the bed shift beside her in her alcohol induced sleep she cuddled closer to the person on the bed.

Orli closed his eyes, when he felt soft naked skin touching his own and he cursed himself that he had not given in to the urge to relieve himself in the shower. She was too close for comfort and feelings he had thought were long buried came back to the surface, threatening to overcome him.

He had found one of Meg's tanktop in the bathrooms and holding it with one hand he tried to wake up Megan with the other.

"Meg?" he asked, trying to sit her up and work her arms through the top, but the young woman was sleeping so deeply that all he could do was just try to get more of the tank top around her luscious upper body. He inhaled sharply when he thumbs grazed over her breasts, the soft pink peaks immediately hardening.

"This is not happening," Orli muttered under his breath and closed his eyes for a short moment, battling the urge to just hug her closer and mold her body to his own. It took him several minutes while his normally nimble fingers got the tanktop completely over her prone body and he exhaled softly.

Lying back down on the bed, Megan cuddled up closer to him in her sleep and Orlando tried to ignore the throbbing in his groin, the feeling and sight of her breasts forever dancing in his mind.

Orli woke up with a start. He inhaled softly when he remembered that not his usual dream had haunted him and he was relieved.

Megan, really helps me to unwind,' he thought and hugged her close, which made him then in turn frown. Turning his head towards her, he watched the young woman snuggled up beside him, innocent and vulnerable in her sleep. He couldn't miss to remember that she looked exactly like the first morning they had woken together, on that plane that seemed so far away now.

Careful not to wake her, Orli propped himself up and looked down at her, his knuckles softly grazing over her temple and cheek. Long auburn lashes lay against her cheeks with golden freckles now even more prominent than over a year ago. The pert nose also freckled that gave her normally pale skin a soft golden glow. His eyes moved down to her lips which were partially open, her little tongue sticking out, a soft pink tip, enticing, bidding him to suck at it, duel with it ...

Orlando shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut. 'Fuck! I should get my rampant hormones under control', he berated himself silently, and after his heart beat had calmed down somewhat, he eased himself out of her embrace and padded over to the bathroom.

Setting the shower to cold, he undressed quickly and stepped underneath the freezing spray. Last night had taken a toll on him and every time he closed his eyes he still could see Megan's prone form all soft and yielding in front of him. He even could still feel the texture of her skin, soft and hot beneath his fingertips as well as the way she smelled. Bracing himself against the wall of the shower with both hands, he shook his head, trying to ignore the feeling that was creeping up inside of him.

He should have known. He should have known the first time he set eyes on her on that plane. The first time he held her in his arms and fell asleep with her. She had been the one, she was the one woman that he could completely let go, feeling safe. And he had it all squandered away ...

Frowning, he opened his eyes. 'Megan left me,' he told himself silently. 'But why did she leave?'

Recalling their conversation from a few nights ago he remembered Megan telling him that he had been still in love with Jo. Had that been true? The dream he had had was more of a good bye than wishful thinking, Jo was long gone, their time together a nice but not too important memory anymore. He needed to know, what if he had said Jo's name and Megan had heard, what if she had misinterpreted it all and he unwittingly had fucked up royally like anything else he had recently done in the private relationship sector?

Orlando stood a long time under the shower, trying to figure out what to do. He wanted Megan .. not only physically, he wanted her in his life, share the little things with her, like waking up in her arms, holding her at nights. Laughing, crying ... making love. He just needed to convince her that they belonged together.

Orli watched Megan as she ran up to meet the lapping waves. That morning she had woken up with a hang over and even though she had frowned when she found herself in the bed, she had not commented on it for which Orli was grateful. After he had nursed her hangover with a couple of aspirins and the promise they would take it easy today, they had taken Ewan and Eve with them to the only public beach. Even though the hotel had its own private beach, they had soon found out it was crowded with tourists, already during breakfast Ewan and Orlando had to fend off rabid fan girls accompanied by embarrassed parents, and they had decided to opt for the lesser of two evils.

So they had made their way to the beach where they were allowed to expose more than their little toes though the officials who had let them into the heavily fenced off area had made it clear that bikinis and other very exposing Western attire were not allowed.

He could live with that but he had secretly looked forward to see Meg in something other than her jeans and her customary tank tops. It had become a running gag among the members of the fellowship that she didn't wear anything else.

He smirked when he remembered that he had seen more of her last night. He looked up and waved at Megan who stood in the ankle deep water looking back at him and Ewan who held the other end of the bath towel.

"Oi, Bloom, would you mind?" Ewan voice was filled with laughter and he tucked at the end of the bath towel. Orli frowned when he was yanked sideways, the hands gripping to the other ends of the beach blanket.

"Sorry," he mumbled and hurried to help Ewan spread the blanket.

"Man, you really have it bad for her," Ewan commented at no one in particular and chuckled when he saw Orli's face darken.

"We are only friends, Ewan," Orlando choked out and met Ewan's laughing gaze with a frown.

"Sure, what ever you want to believe, Bloom," he shot back. "But you cannot fool anyone around you. Meg might think you are only friends, but she doesn't see how you look at her when she is not watching. Don't mess this up, Orlando."

Orli frowned at that. "Why is everyone telling me not to mess up?" he asked and sighed, rubbing his neck uncertainly. "Perhaps it is Megan who just wants to be friends ... besides, she is with someone."

"She is?" Ewan raised a red eyebrow.

"Peter," Orli said and spread the blanket onto the sand. "A colleague, the perfect couple, cute, both same interests and happy..."

"Sounds too good to be true, Orlando," Ewan commented. "No one is that compatible."

"Well you and Eve are also a perfect couple," Orli said and rose his eyebrows when Ewan started laughing. "What?"

Ewan grinned and wiped his eyes. "Gosh, Orli you can be so naive sometimes. Eve and I have our rough patches, and we have to work on our relationship every day, but it is worth it. If you love someone and you know it is the right person to spent the rest of your life with, then you make concessions and compromises and you do them gladly."

Orlando knew that was true, but somehow he had the feeling he had lost all chances with Megan on that particular front. His well thought out plan, or so he thought, about getting Megan back, was crumbling to pieces. She was with someone, she had Peter ... and although he had done a lot of questionable things in his 25 years, one thing he had never done, hitting on a girl who he knew was with someone else.

"Orli, look at it this way, Megan is working with compromises already, or why do you think she just left London to be with you? Have you asked her what her boyfriend says to all this? He must feel like a cuckold that his girl-friend leaves him in favour of just a friend but she is here, they worked it out."

Orli sighed to this, nodding his head. He just wished that there was not a Peter coming into the equation, he wanted her all to himself. When Orli looked up Ewan's blue eye were brimming with laughter and after a conspirational wink, Ewan walked over to his wife of six years who had joined Megan at the water's edge.

They had spent a nice day at the beach, swimming and sun bathing as much as their covered bodies allowed it. After a lunch of fruits, cheese and other goodies, they lazed around in the sun, listening to the waves crashing against the shore.

Orli watched as Ewan yawned sleepily while he hugged his sleeping wife closer to himself. Megan and Orlando had easily abandoned the huge bath towel, so Eve could stretch out on it, her baby belly protruding. After their picnic Orli had found himself sitting on a dune with Meg in front of him, conversing softly.

After their bath, Megan had changed out of her jeans and slung a sarong over her bikini bottoms and for a moment they had shared a laugh together both remembering her first day out of hospital so long ago. Drawing her closer between his legs, he put his arms around her and hugged her close.

"They look so peaceful," Orlando whispered, watching Ewan and Eve, and Megan nodded. She wiggled a bit in his embrace, before she settled back against his chest.

"I would have never thought Ewan would settle down like this ... he always seemed so wild ..." Meg replied just as softly. "He caused quite a stir amongst my school friends."

"He did?"

"Aye, Ian had this idea of inviting him and some others over the weekend once and I was staying there as well with some friends. A weekend to remember ..." Meg said and grinned mischievously. Orli looked down at her when she tilted her face upward towards him.

"And why was that?" Orli asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh he and his Guildhall friends ravished almost every one of my school friends," Megan rolled her eyes with a smile.

Orli couldn't stop the frown appearing on his face and with a quick look over to Ewan, he wondered if he had been the one to ravish her on that weekend.

"So you and Ewan ..." he bit his lips and stopped, ignoring Megan's stare.

"What?" she asked and when he didn't meet her eyes, she gripped his chin and forced him to look at her. "Ewan and me? What?"

"So you were ummm... ravished too?" Orlando berated himself silently for his stupidity. Of course she had men before and after him, they both weren't innocents.

"No, Ian would have killed any of them, and Ewan too. I found out later that he had made it quite clear I was off limits," Megan said and settled back into his arms, staring out onto the sea. "Besides, I was too young. These guys were 19 and older. But my school mates were older than me anyway, I skipped two classes when I was in 5th grade."

"Oooohhh little Miss Smarty Pants," Orli teased and tried to tickle her but Megan kept a strong hold on his hands at her sides and shook her head.

"My parents were filing for a divorce at that time and the only thing that I thought would make them happy again if I excelled at school, so I learnt more than I was supposed to do... have ever since..."

Orlando wanted to say something but Megan moved out of his embrace and stood up. He watched her from his perch as she walked a couple of steps towards the sea, then wrapped her arms around her mid section, hugging herself fiercely.

He felt like an ass, but then again they had never really spoken about their childhoods, he had only known that her parents had divorced and that was it.

His head went up when he heard Megan softly cussing. Following her gaze he saw that the beach guard led another group of tourists onto the beach and from the look of it they were some of the fan girls from earlier in the hotel amongst them.

"Fuck!" Orli exclaimed and stood up. That was of course the worst thing to do and several girls already had spotted him and came not quite running over to where he and Megan were standing.

Orli didn't want to have another go with the giggling girls so he grabbed Meg's hand. "Come on, Meg," he said as they both struggled up the dune.

"You are aware that we are in a fenced off area?" Megan coughed, when they had reached the top of the dune and Orli swung right away from the fans.

"Don't care, I just don't want to handle these at the moment," Orli breathed and looked back while Megan tucked at his hand.

"Perhaps they'll lay off if you chat with them, with Ian it always works," Megan tried again and stopped, unwilling to participate in this mad wild goose chase any longer.

Orli frowned but when an idea came to his mind, he grinned mischieviously. "You are right, Meg, as always," he said and stepped closer to her, his hands coming to rest on her waist while he kept a close eye on the girls behind her. "But I need your participation, love."

Megan knew he was up to something and despite knowing she would get into trouble she looked inquisitvely up at him. "And what is it?"

"A favour, Megan, just a favour ..." Orli breathed near her ear as he hugged her close and then started to tickle her.

"Orli, stop that .. are you crazy?" Megan gasped but when Orli swung her around so she was facing the still advancing fan girls, she noticed what he was doing. Some girl's faces were turning sour and embarrassed when they saw them. Wiggling and trying to keep Orli's hands off her ribs, she couldn't help but laugh. "You are evil, you know that?"

"I'm an Elf, Elves aren't evil," orli whispered while he pretended to kiss her neck. "Are they gone yet?"

"No-oo," Megan breathed when his nose burrowing into the crook of her neck actually started to feel like actual kisses and licks on her skin. "Orli ... we .. you shouldn't ..." she blinked when a familiar feeling of passion washed over her, as Orli sucked on her pulse point on her neck, alternately flicking his tongue in time with her increasing heart beat.

Megan closed her eyes briefly and on their own accord, her arms came up against his chest. Fingers that were supposed to push him away entangled themselves in the open shirt and pulled him closer as her breath quickened.

"We shouldn't ... do that ..." Meg whispered as Orli started to plant soft kisses and licks on her jaw, nibbling his way up to her lips.

Orlando shook his head as he cupped her face, his fingers fanning out to capture as much of her soft skins and hair as possible. The fans were forgotten the moment his lips had touched her skin, he just didn't care anymore whether or not there were any rabid fan girls or not, all he coudl feel and sense was Megan. Drawing her closer, his tongue flicked over the corners of her mouth and after a few heartbeats, she opened her lips to greet his tongue greedily, sucking on it while she gripped him closer.

A shout from the bottom of the dune let them drew apart and Megan still shaking buried her face in Orli's chest while his arms hugged her close. Both their breaths were rapid and their hearts so near were drumming irratically.

"Mr. Bloom, thank you," someone shouted and Orli groaned when he saw amongst the handful of fan girls a reporter, sporting a camera. Shielding Megan as well as he could, he made it down towards the throng of people putting a fake smile on his face.

"Look, this is my time off, and I would appreciate if you'll leave now," Orli said, feeling Megan drawing away from him but he held her almost in a death grib.

"Well, I think I can do that, seeing that I have gotten all the footage I need, really," the rotund photographer grinned and motioned to Megan. "It will bring me a good share to publish Sir McKellen's niece necking the hot Brit Elf... again." With this the man bid a hasty retreat and the rest of the people gathered looked uncertainly at the couple.

Megan felt hot embarrassment flushing her cheeks and all she wanted to do was to disappear quickly but Orlando didn't let that happen. Putting an arm around her waist, he hugged her close while he started chatting with the remaining fans as if nothing had happened.

After ten minutes or so they were alone and Megan had gotten over her embarrassment enough to work herself into a fit of anger. When Orli turned towards her with a grin, nuzzling his nose in her crook of her neck, she pushed him away.

"You and your stupid ideas," she growled angrily. "What has gotten into you?"

Orli's laugh died on his lips as he frowned. "What do you mean?"

"This?! Why do you always have to turn everything into a bloody spectacle?"

"Meggie, love," Orli tried and walked after her. Catching her by her arm he whirled her around. "Don't you ever walk away from me like this, not ever again!"

"What? Getting all huffed and bothered again?" Megan growled and shrugged off his hands. "Are yopu starting the old argument again?"

"No!" Orli exclaimed and finally rested his hands on her shoulders to yank her forward and against his chest. "Actually arguing is the least thing I have in mind!" And with this he kissed the protesting woman in his arms.