The arrangements were all made. Torrie was coming to stay at my place until she found a place of her own. I left her with Elijah and Sean while I called her uncle. Oh yeah, you had better believe I called Uncle Tony. Told him everything. Mentioned how she needed her stuff but it was all at that asshole’s house and I wasn’t about to let her go back there. Tony said he’d take care of it. I made a comment about how I would like to be there and he told me that wasn’t a good idea. Something about the less witnesses the better. I didn’t ask for details.

I drove Torrie and I back to my apartment in her car. She was silent the whole time, barely said goodbye to Elijah and Sean when we parted in the parking lot. I held her hand during the drive, talked to her softly, inane little stories about New Zealand and some of the reshoots we did. I don’t think she heard a word of it. She was pulling away from me, drawing into herself, and I didn’t like it. For the first time since we became friends, I couldn’t read what she was thinking. It made it difficult to figure out how to get her to open up.

When we finally reached my place, I led Torrie inside, tossing my bags to the floor by the door and asked if I could get her anything. No answer. I sighed, told her to make herself comfortable and then wandered into my room where she wouldn’t see me kick a few things. I wish Tony had left me go with him. I had the overwhelming desire to expend some energy into Steve’s face. I sat on my bed and forced myself to relax, knowing I would be no use to Torrie if I continued to remain as wound up as I was. I think ten minutes passed before I finally forced myself back out into the main room.

She was kneeling in front of my CD player and I heard Ute Lemper’s voice singing quietly through the speakers “Little Water Song”. I remained still, not wanting to disturb Torrie, clenching my fists at my sides as I heard her voice join in with Ute’s:

“For under here, my pretty breasts are piled high

With stones and I cannot breathe

And tiny little fishes enter me

Under here, I am made ready

And under here, I am washed clean

And I glow with the greatness of my hate for you”

Dammit. Suddenly that song was ruined for me. I quickly continued into the kitchen, determined to make something for us for dinner, determined to make everything seem normal and right and take care of her the way I promised. Unfortunately, my mind wasn’t really on it and there was nothing much in the house anyway and I burned my hand before I finally had some soup ready for us. I grabbed the two bowls and carried them to the living room and sat them on the coffee table but Torrie didn’t touch hers. I tried to coax her into it but she said she wasn’t hungry. Come to think of it, I wasn’t either. I had a few spoonfuls then wondered if it had all been worth burning myself for.

I tossed the bowls into the sink then went back to Torrie. “Little Water Song” was still playing and I hated it. I crouched down beside her and ran a finger over her cheek, trying to get her attention.

“Wanna take a hot bath or something? It might make you relax a little,” I suggested softly.

She just nodded.

I helped her to her feet and led her into the bathroom where I started the bath water and told her to get in while I went to try and find her something she could wear to bed. I grabbed a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt and went back to the bathroom where I knocked on the door. No answer. I opened it and peered in and bit my lip to keep from crying out. She had removed her shirt and was standing there staring at herself in the mirror and all over her shoulders and arms and back were more bruises. I was clenching the doorknob so tightly I was surprised it didn’t snap right off. Torrie glanced at me in the mirror and our gazes met and I swear I had never seen such pain. I didn’t think I could handle this. Maybe I wasn’t the right person to help her. I should have sent her with Sean or to her uncle or something. I didn’t know what to do. I was beginning to panic.

Torrie reached out and took the clothing from my hands. “Thanks, Orli,” she told quietly.

I nodded, afraid to speak, and closed the door.

I went back to my room, sat on my bed and cried. I couldn’t deal with the thought of the pain she had gone through and that she had kept it to herself. I couldn’t grasp an understanding of why anyone would want to hurt someone like that, let alone Torrie. And I still blamed myself for telling her to confront an obviously irrational and insane person. I should have been there for her. I should have understood the signs instead of ignoring them because I was too afraid to believe the truth. I sat there in the darkness until well past midnight, not realizing the time that had passed.

I stood and moved out into the living room where Torrie was curled up on couch asleep. Sitting beside her, I stroked her hair for a few moments, my gaze sweeping over the bruises. She suddenly appeared more fragile than ever before. An overwhelming urge to protect her swept over me. Leaning over I kissed her forehead then laid a blanket over her body to keep her warm.

Knowing I needed to relax as well or I would never get any sleep, I took a hot shower. I stood there under the running water for a good thirty minutes, just trying to sort out in my head the past days events. I knew Sean and Elijah would most likely drop by the next day to check on us. I hoped Sean brought Christine. Torrie could probably use a feminine shoulder to cry on.

Too tired to bother drying off, I threw on a pair of boxers then went and crawled into my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I should have offered my room to Torrie but I had been out of it when she had finished with her bath. Now I didn’t want to wake her. God, I wasn’t thinking clearly. I felt like calling Atti, asking him what I should do. Or maybe Viggo. He would know how to handle this, he was good with people and caring for them and making things right.

Hearing a noise I glanced toward the doorway. Torrie was standing there watching me, looking all alone and vulnerable in the darkness. Without a word I drew back the covers and she immediately came to me, crawling in between the sheets and curling against my side. She was shaking. I held her and kissed her brow and whispered something inane like “you’re safe” but it didn’t seem to help. I caressed her back and pulled her closer and wrapped my leg around her but still she shook. Not knowing what else to do, I slowly began to sing one of her favorite Tea Party songs:

“So never put it out my love

The spirit is the flame

That burns within

Hold on to me, it’ll be alright

Sleep now is descending

Like a dream

Still I’m shaking from the softness

Of your skin

Hold on to me, it’ll be alright”

I felt her tears against my chest, her hand curled around mine. Her hair smelled like my shampoo. The clothes she wore were mine. My scent seemed to cling to her. I had never felt so possessive in my life.

Still I sang.

“With your arms around me

You’re singing softly

And I fade from memories

And move on

May nothing harm you

I’m still inside you

With my wings around you

You’ll go on

Sweet lover go on

My love be strong”

Her breathing became regular and her trembling had ceased. I remained still, holding her, wanting to sleep but wanting to stay awake in case she needed me again. I felt inadequate, like I didn’t know the right things to say or do. I was afraid I would fuck up. I was afraid she needed something more from me but I would never know what that was. Mostly I was afraid because I didn’t understand myself when it came to Torrie. I couldn’t comprehend my depth of feelings for her nor could I allow myself to believe it was anything beyond a need to protect someone that needed me. Maybe it all stemmed from my own selfish need of someone who grounded me, who kept me from becoming too wrapped up in the stories the press wrote about me and the lines my agent fed me of how someday I would be bigger than Tom Cruise.

Fuck that.

Somewhere in the night, while worrying over my ability to help Torrie and inability to grasp my need to do so, I finally fell asleep.

I woke far into the morning, the bright sunlight streaming through the window. Torrie’s warm body was still pressed against mine and I turned my head to find her awake, watching me. Her gaze was slightly disconcerting but I didn’t look away, didn’t fidget like my body was screaming to do. Our hands were still clasped together and one of her legs was pushed between mine. You know how a certain portion of the male anatomy is always at attention in the morning? Damn but that was embarrassing. I hoped she didn’t notice. I tried not to move. I kind of wished she would.

“No wonder females around the world are building websites devoted to you,” Torrie spoke finally, her words barely whispered in the silence.

I blinked, not understanding. “What?”

“If only they knew how wonderful you truly are,” she added. “Beautiful to look at, with a soul to match.”

“I’m not,” I denied, uncomfortable that we were talking about me and my fans. Uncomfortable because I wanted her to keep looking at me that way and speaking about me that way and I didn’t know why.

She moved and I shifted, still not wanting her to notice my erection. She frowned.

“We’re friends, aren’t we, Orli?”

“Yeah.”

“Then stop acting so naïve. I’m not a child. I know damn well how raring to go men are in the morning and am not so foolish as to believe it has anything to do with me,” she laughed for a moment then sat up, pulling her leg from mine and kissing my forehead.

I didn’t like her words or the sound of her voice. I wanted to say something but didn’t know what it should be. I could swear I was walking on eggshells. She crawled out of bed and padded towards the hallway while I sat up, watching her.

“I suppose with as long as you have been gone, there’s nothing to make for breakfast,” I heard her comment as she disappeared around the corner.

“Umm… no,” I called back, swinging my legs out of bed and grabbing a pair of jeans from the floor. Hopping into them I headed toward the kitchen where she was glaring into my empty fridge. “Last night didn’t seem an opportune time to stop by the store…”

She waved my words away, closing the door and flashing a quick smile. “I’ll grab something on the way to work.”

I was already shaking my head as she started past me. “You aren’t going to work today.”

“Orli I have a job to do.”

“And what if Steve comes by looking for you? As much as I would like to think your uncle made him swim with the fishes, I kind of doubt he’s the type to commit murder.”

Torrie obviously hadn’t thought of that. She grimaced, looked away, wrapping her arms around herself as if she were suddenly cold.

“Look, I’m sure if you call Scott and explain – “

“No!” She turned her gaze back to me. “I’m not telling anyone at work about this. It’s bad enough that you and Sean and Elijah know! It’s so nice to know that the cast of “Lord of the Rings” will have something to discuss at the next premiere. Perhaps you would like to take pictures for show and tell? Its’ amazing that you haven’t yet asked me that question that is burning itself all over your gaze.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked but she turned away and moved into the living room. I followed. “What question? And how dare you think that I would even begin to treat this situation, and you, so cruelly! I can guarantee that neither Sean nor Lij are going to say a damn thing about this to anyone and if you even think for one minute to accuse me, then I guess you just don’t know me the way I hoped you did!”

Torrie didn’t reply to that, acted as if she was ignoring me. Damn, I just wanted to go back to bed. It was more comfortable in there and we had held each other and not said anything and now there was all of this tension throughout the place and I was terrified of saying the wrong thing. I was supposed to be comforting her, not screaming at her, dammit. I moved forward and wrapped my arms around her and pulled her back against my chest and held her. She didn’t resist. We stood there in silence for a long time, the back of her head resting against my shoulder, my chin on hers. She still smelled like me and it made it seem as if she belonged there. I wanted her there. I hoped she didn’t want to leave.

“The animals need me,” Torrie said finally, breaking the silence.

“They’ll make it a day without you.” I turned her in my arms so that we were facing one another, my arms still wrapped around her waist. “Tomorrow I will go to work with you. I have nothing scheduled for the next few days so I’ll just tag along and let you teach me all about the world of marine biology.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard,” she pouted stubbornly.

I sure as hell didn’t agree with that but didn’t say that aloud. I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against hers. “Just think of it as I don’t want to let you out of my sight. I missed you.”

She frowned, her eyes drifting up briefly to meet mine. “And what will Trophy say about that?”

“Julie knows we’re friends, Tor. She’ll just have to deal with it.”

“She’s obviously more accepting that I would be in such a situation.”

“I doubt that.” I kissed her cheek. “Now, be good and don’t destroy my place while I go to the grocery store.”

She gave me one of those “as if” looks as I pulled away and I laughed. Dropping onto the couch, she grabbed the remote and turned on the tv. I watched her a moment longer before I went back to my bedroom to get dressed. On my way out I told Torrie that Sean or Elijah might be dropping by or calling and that she was free to wear anything of mine if she didn’t want to remain in pajamas until her uncle showed up with her stuff. I wondered how that went. I secretly hoped Steve had put up a fight. I knew Torrie wasn’t going to like it but I wanted to take her to the police station later that day and have her file charges against Steve. The least she could do was get a restraining order in case he tried to come after her. I would only make a so-so bodyguard unless I suddenly decided to start carrying a bow and arrows and a couple of daggers around with me. Oh yeah. That would go over well.

When I returned from the store, it was to find the Tea Party blaring on the stereo and Elijah camped out on the couch next to Torrie, the two of them having to yell to one another to be heard over the music. Torrie had changed into a pair of my jeans and long-sleeved striped shirt. The sight of her struck a strange chord in me, something about her wearing my possessions, being in my apartment on my couch with my friend. It was kind of looking into a fucked up mirror of myself or another half of me I didn’t know existed. I can’t explain it really, but it felt right at the time. Comfortable. When I passed through the hallway they both took enough time to wave at me before returning to their conversation which seemed to revolve around the merits of Superman versus Batman. Yeah, Torrie was like that. I swear she could have a knowledgeable conversation about anything.

I put away the groceries before pouring a big glass of milk, with ice, for Torrie, which I knew she loved, and then put some Eggo’s in the toaster. Hey, I’m a bachelor for crying out loud! It’s not like I was going to make her some gourmet omelets or anything. Moving back into the living room, I handed Torrie her milk, which she thanked me for then moved over and turned the stereo down. They both kind of glanced at me as if wondering where the need to do such a thing came from but I ignored them and flopped down on the chair.

“Superman is only super because he is alien and those powers were given to him by our sun,” Torrie told Elijah, before taking a swallow of her milk. “Batman, on the other hand, is a normal and yet incredibly smart man. He creates all his own gadgets. He thinks through and solves the problems presented to him instead of just running into any situation hell bent for leather.”

“I’ll give you that but in any true-to-life fight they had against each other, Superman would kick Batman’s ass!” Elijah defended.

Torrie rolled her eyes. “You are so wrong.”

“What about you,Orli?” Elijah glanced at me with a raised brow. “Who do you think would win?”

I shrugged. “Superman has to have something up on Batman. I mean, Batman has to wear a mask to hide his identity. All Superman has to do is comb his hair differently.”

Elijah laughed and Torrie groaned, shaking her head. “Never on a debate squad, were you, Orli?” She asked.

I grinned.

After I fixed a couple of plates with Eggo’s and syrup – Elijah, who had already eaten that morning, wanted some too -- the conversation ending up turning to the upcoming Spiderman movie and from there into movies in general. Torrie was mad crazy about old films, like stuff from the ‘30’s and ‘40’s and so she kept bringing up a lot of stuff that Elijah and I were just kind of shaking our heads over. Her favorite film was called “Camille”, starring Greta Garbo and when she discovered neither of us had seen it, she made us promise that we would watch it the moment her uncle showed up with her stuff. Not like we really had anything else planned for the day.

I was so glad to have Elijah there. Mentioning her uncle kind of triggered Torrie’s memory and she grew really quiet after that and Elijah immediately launched into another completely pointless conversation, drawing her back out once more. I think I was too close to the situation to do much more than sit there and worry about her and want to give her comfort. Elijah was a blessed distraction for the both of us.

When the doorbell rang, I jumped up for it, not surprised when I opened the door to find Uncle Tony standing there. Two of his crewmembers were behind him and they were all holding boxes.

“Hey Tony.”

“Orlando.”

He nodded and moved past me into the apartment. I had no idea where all of this stuff as going to go. Originally I had asked if he wanted me to bring her to his place, but apparently he lived above a bait shop at the marina. I wasn’t taking Torrie there. That was why I decided she could stay with me. As I let the other two men enter after Tony, I heard the big fisherman let out a few choice cuss words and realized he must have seen Torrie for the first time. I hoped he didn’t upset her too much and hurried back to the living room to make certain everything was all right. He was hugging her and mumbling something about men hurting his favorite girl and then he kind of flashed this look at me and Elijah that made me feel about two feet tall. There was that fucking guilt again.

“So what happened?” Torrie asked when she pulled away.

Her uncle frowned. “Nothing you need to worry about, little one. We brought everything we could get the bastard to admit was yours.” He flicked his wrist toward the boxes his crewmen continued to bring in and that were currently stacking up in the room. I wished I had a bigger place. “There’s an empty warehouse down at the marina that I figured we could store your furniture in ‘til you find a place of your own.”

Torrie nodded and sort of glanced at me hesitantly and I flashed her a smile. I wanted her to know everything was exactly the way I wanted it and she didn’t need to worry about being in the way. I knew she would anyway.

Once everything was delivered, I followed Tony out the door, partially closing it behind me while I stopped him. “So what happened? Did you make him admit to what he did?”

Tony frowned. “He was a bit… reluctant to do so.” He watched me for a moment, as if judging me or something and I tried to remain still under his scrutiny. Finally he asked, “Can you handle this? I mean, I’m not holding out any hope that he is going to let this just die. He’ll probably show up at her work and he might find his way here eventually.”

I nodded, having thought the same thing. “I was going to take Torrie to the police today and file charges, get a restraining order and all that crap. She’ll be okay. I… I’ll take care of her.”

“I think you just might.” Tony smiled and there was something kind of strange about it that I couldn’t make out. He shook my hand. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. And tell Torrie not to worry about coming to the marina this weekend.”

I went back inside and Torrie and Elijah were digging through the boxes of stuff, tossing things here and there (luckily I’m not a neat freak!) until they found “Camille”. Without another word we settled back on the couch, Torrie in the middle with her legs tucked under her and leaning against me, and proceeded to watch the movie that Torrie claimed was her absolute favorite in the world. I am comfortable enough with my masculinity to admit that I was bawling like a baby at the end. So was Elijah. All of us were. It was a pretty pitiful sight, all three of us sitting there hugging each other crying, lamenting over the cruelty of love, laughing every so often because we knew it must have looked ridiculous. I think we needed that release though and it felt damn good.

Sean called shortly thereafter and I let Torrie talk to Christine while I made Elijah help me try to move some of her things into my room and down the hall. After the phone call, I suggested the trip to the police station. Wow, Torrie didn’t like that. Luckily I had Elijah with me and between the two of us, we convinced her that it had to be done for her protection as well as any other women that Steve might get together with in the future. She didn’t like hearing that either but I knew I had to make her face up to reality. This whole situation sucked.

Elijah went home after the trip to the police station. We were there for over three hours. They were supposed to be contacting Torrie with more information the next day and the ruling from the judge on the restraining order. She was uncomfortable the entire time, kept playing with the ring on her finger which I wished she would take off but I didn’t say anything just yet. After all, she obviously had been in love with this guy. I think. She hadn’t really said so to me in those exact words, which made me wonder all the more why she had been with him, why she let him do those things to her. I knew she’d tell me when she was ready, so I didn’t want to pry.

When we got home it was late and Torrie was obviously exhausted, emotionally and physically. I didn’t even think twice about having her sleep beside me again. It just seemed natural that she be there. She cuddled beside me again and we held hands and somewhere around midnight she began to talk about her relationship with Steve. I didn’t say a word, I just let her tell it to me in her own time and way. Much of it was exactly as I had suspected. Steve was everything her parents wanted for her. So when he asked her out, Torrie hadn’t even considered saying no. He had been extremely charming and sweet and intelligent those first few months and she had thought him the perfect man. Sure, they didn’t have a lot in common and often she believed he didn’t expect any intelligent conversation out of women period but she didn’t let that bother her. Her family had adored him. Her mother had told her not to let this one get away and her father had said it was nice to see her make a good decision for once in her life. God I hated her parents. I wondered how Uncle Tony had been so sensible and nice being related to her mother the way he was. He hadn’t liked Steve from the first, or so he had told me.

Steve first hit her a few weeks after she had moved in with him. She had mixed some of her furniture in with his and they had argued and he had hit her. Of course, he had been immediately contrite telling her how sorry he was and how much he loved her and blah blah blah. Torrie said she had ended up blaming herself, telling herself that he had been right and she had been trying to invade where she had not been invited. From then on, things had been like that. She always blamed his anger with her on her own insecurities and failures. She had been so desperate to keep her family proud of her that she had been willing to do everything to make it work. When he had finally proposed, she had worked even harder at it, admittedly changing her own habits and personality completely around to please him. Without fail though, Torrie would end up doing something along the way that would displease him eventually. Steve would end up telling her how he was only reacting as he did for her own good, trying to help her become the person she should be.

Fuck I hated that man. I’ve never hated anyone like that in my life. Which is why it made it difficult to ask the question that was stirring in my mind. Torrie had been silent for a while and I just laid there, not wanting to bring the topic up but knowing that I would eventually. It was something I had to know, even though I dreaded the answer.

“Torrie?”

“Hmm?”

“That bruise on your cheek… the first time I saw it when Lij and I went fishing with you… how long had it been since he had last hit you?”

A pause, then, “About six weeks.”

I gritted my teeth. “He hit you because you were dancing with me, didn’t he?”

Silence. It was all I needed.

“He hit you again because of my being at the Center that day and the things I said, didn’t he?”

Torrie squeezed my hand, then lifted herself up on her elbow to meet my gaze.

I found I couldn’t stop condemning myself. “This last was because I told you to confront him about your suspicions.”

“Stop it, Orli,” she told me softly. “You aren’t the first male he’s seen me with that angered him to this point. He used to have issues over my boss for Christ’s sake.”

I ignored her. Reaching up, I touched ran my finger across her eyelid softly. “I might as well have done this myself.” God it hurt.

“Orli, please, don’t.” Torrie leaned down and kissed my cheek. Her hair brushed across my face, the scent of my own. She laid her head beside mine, her mouth at my ear. “You’ve saved my life, Orli. Do you realize that? Someday Steve may have gone to far and you’ve stopped that from happening. You made me see that I can do without him -- that I have to do without him. I wouldn’t have had the strength to walk away if you hadn’t been holding my hand, Orli.”

“Yes, you would have,” I replied softly. “You’re stronger than you think.”

She kissed my shoulder. Her lips were soft. “I love you, Orli.”

“I love you too, angel.”

We fell asleep shortly thereafter.

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