Chapter Twenty-Seven

Orlando and Teresa flew over in first-class. To Teresa's great surprise, Orlando had bought the entire first-class section. He chuckled softly at her expression then whispered in her ear, "I wanted us to have a chance to talk if you felt like it." Teresa nodded but kept quiet. She took a seat near a window and watched everything melt away as they took off. She was ignoring him now, and Orlando knew it. Her countenance didn't change for the entire half hour he watched her. "Teresa?" he said tentatively. She remained silent and continued looking out the window.

Slowly he reached toward her but then held back unsure. "Teresa," he whispered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you. I always reserve the first-class area anyway. I just thought you might like to talk." She turned to him slowly with an expression of uncertainty. "It's true, after the tidal wave of fame I received from The Lord of the Rings, I couldn't go anywhere without being hounded by a mob. You don't have to talk about it, but I don't want to be shut out." He reached over and caressed her cheek.

"Please, don't shut me out." He leaned over then and kissed her softly and when he pulled away, she melted into his arms. Orlando held her for a long while and she didn't speak. He looked down when he felt her breathing slow and found that she had fallen asleep. He pulled her closer to him and held her as he reclined his seat. He too, was soon asleep and when the attendant came by, she smiled at them and pulled a blanket from the overhead compartment and covered them.

They were well over the Atlantic when Teresa woke up a few hours later. She shifted slightly in Orlando's arms and her motion roused him from sleep. He moaned slightly as he opened his eyes. "Hi," he said and smiled as he stretched.

"Hi," Teresa whispered with a slight smile. She stretched and yawned slightly and tried to sit up as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Orlando wrapped his arms about her and pulled her down to him quickly. "Don't go," he said breathlessly in her ear. "I need you." She looked at him in surprised and he kissed her hungrily. While he slept, his dreams were filled with her. He had reached out and tried to touch her, but she was always just out of reach. Desire unlike anything he had known before swept over him, so innocent and pure. He was not about to let her go now. He knew they would not be bothered, the attendants knew that if he fell asleep, he would call them if he woke in need of anything.

His hands traveled over her small body as if of their own accord. He felt as though he was starving. As though he were drowning and she was the air. He knew he needed to be gentle with her, but he couldn't get enough. He broke the kiss suddenly and raised the armrests of the to seats next to him then quickly turned back to her. Taking her in his arms again, he wrapped his legs around hers, and then swung them onto the seat by the window taking hers with them.

He laid back and pulled her down with him so that he now straddled her, though she was stretched out on top of him. She gazed into his deep brown eyes as he caressed her cheek. Never before had she dared to hope things with Orlando would turn out this way, though she had dreamed and wished for it many times.

She broke eye contact by glancing at his lips briefly, then looked back into his chocolate colored eyes. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment then Orlando laced his fingers through her hair and around to the back of her neck. Then he rose slightly and claimed her lips once more. She melted into him slowly and with her added weight, he could no longer stay sitting up so he removed his hand from her mass of honey, and instead wrapped his arms about her and slowly lay back once more.

He traced the outline of her mouth tantalizingly with his tongue and she granted him entrance. They inhaled sharply then moaned quietly deep in their throats as he deepened the kiss. His hands roamed her body once more, unrestricted as they kissed for long moments. When Orlando broke the kiss, they were both breathing heavily.

All strength had left Teresa as she collapsed against Orlando, laying her head on his shoulder as she panted for breath. Orlando paused in the movement of his hands and wrapped his arms around her tightly as he struggled to catch his breath. He kissed her temple between ragged breaths and whispered softly in her ear, "I love you."

Teresa couldn't believe it. Had he just said that he loved her or was it her ears playing tricks on her? She didn't speak for a while, but Orlando was not bothered by it because she stayed where she was. He knew that she was in a state of disbelief. After all, how often did a famous celebrity ever meet anyone that, according to everyone else was common, and fall in love? He knew it wasn't often, mainly due to the fact that celebrities had to keep a wall around their heart. One could never really tell if the person was being truthful or not. Kate had proved that to him.

It was different with Teresa though. If anyone ever found out about their connection with a person everyone else believed to be fictional, they would both be carted off to the asylum; he knew this all too well. What a scandal that would be, the press would have a field day and he might never recover his career. Yet he knew that he and Teresa were right, Legolas was real, and his name was Legolas. When he looked up at Teresa again, he saw tears rolling slowly down her cheeks. Alarm rushed through his every pore. He leaned up and cradled her face in his hands searching her eyes. "What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

Teresa shook her head. "I-," she started and sobbed. "I feel so guilty."

"Guilty?" he asked in confusion. "Why?" 'Did she make everything up?' he wondered. 'But how could she? I've heard Legolas myself. Could he be wrong about her? Is she just like Kate?'

"Because I never loved Adrian like a wife should," Teresa said with a sob and Orlando looked at her bewildered. "We tried so hard and so long to have a child. After a while, I closed myself off to him because a little piece of me died each time we were told we weren't pregnant. On our anniversary, I humored him and that was when we were blessed with James. I wanted another child, as did Adrian, but fearing disappointment, I closed myself off again. Now I've lost them both!"

Orlando took her in his arms not knowing what to say. He understood now, or thought he did. She was feeling guilty for being there with him when she lost her husband and son. She felt like she was cheating, was ashamed of any happiness she felt. After a few moments of petting her while she cried and planting soft kisses on her forehead in an attempt to console her, he spoke. "Teresa?" he asked quietly. "Would Adrian not want you to find happiness?"

"I-," she started then paused. "I guess he would," she said uncertainly. Orlando didn't know what else he could do for her. "I still feel strange getting involved with anyone so soon."

Orlando looked away sadly. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I probably shouldn't have done that. I think Legolas spoke to me in my sleep. I had a dream that you were right here in front of me, I reached out for you but I couldn't touch you. I woke then, and you were here in my arms. I had to touch you, to make sure you were real. Please forgive me."

Teresa sat up on her knees in between Orlando's legs. Startled by her movement, Orlando looked up at her. "I forgive you," Teresa said honestly. "After all, it isn't entirely your fault." Orlando looked at her utterly confused. "You see, I have something to confess," she continued and a feeling of dread filled Orlando once more. "You were in The Lord of the Rings the year Adrian and I were married. We had gone to see it not long after we were married. I was curious about you after that, so I learned everything I could about you. Adrian always teased me about it, saying I was obsessed, but it was more than that. I saw the interview you gave on the extended Lord of the Rings. It was from this interview that I found we had a very similar past. Both of us were told we would never walk again and we have both defied the laws of medical science by doing just that. From the time I was three, up until late 2004 I still was not completely recovered though I could walk. Now, thanks to your inspiration, I have overcome the last hurdle in my recovery. I have always wanted to meet you, to thank you in person for being such a huge inspiration to me."

This took Orlando by complete surprise. He had no idea why exactly she had been looking for him aside from what Legolas had told him. "I had only hoped I would find you to do just that, never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to earn your love," Teresa admitted. "However, I think while we are here, we should appear as friends."

Orlando nodded. "Of course," he said quietly. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave as all his doubt was swept away. Reaching up, he caressed her face and whispered, "Just know you have my heart," and with that he kissed her and brought her down next to him. The strain on her emotions from their conversation had totally exhausted her and she was soon fast asleep curled in his arms.