Chapter 11 ~*~ Playing the Hero ~*~

“I practice three hours a day so that when I see a pirate, I can kill him!” Orlando said, rather convincingly. He put the papers down and looked at Raya, who was sprawled on the couch, engrossed in her pregnancy book, one of many they bought over the internet. “How was that love?”

“Well I do suppose it will be much more riveting when you’re cutting people’s heads off.” Raya said nonchalantly. “Disgusting! I’m supposed to look like that?”

Orlando shook his head and decided to leave her to her book. “I start swords in Los Angeles in three weeks, love.”

“Should I get us a condo?” Raya asked. “I’m sure daddy could set something up for us. I don’t like living in hotels.”

“I could’ve sworn that was otherwise last week.” Orlando snickered. The door flew open causing Orlando to spring up in his seat. “What in the hell is that?”

“You know, I haven’t seen him in three days!” Billy said, as he strolled in looking for the couple. “I’ve been to his place fifty times and he’s not there, his car’s gone. He’s not answering his phone. Where do you think he’s gone?”

Raya didn’t look up from her book as she had gotten to the bit about morning sickness, taking Orlando’s pencil and writing on the sidelines something about having Orlando buy saltines at the market. “Probably to see Liberty.”

“Did you try to ring her?” Orlando asked, biting his fingernails as he went through each line.

Billy, seated in a loveseat across from the couple, answered “Yes. Her phone’s off the hook or something. Disconnected, probably.”

Raya sat up suddenly, which wasn’t too good an idea, seeing as she had just started morning sickness the day before. She looked bewildered as she responded to this new knowledge “It shouldn’t be. She has flat mates. That friend of hers and some other girl are living there. She’s staying with themf or a bit and packing up her stuff.”

There was a moment of silent confusion. Orlando came in, after most likely slipping out to practice his lines while heading to the kitchen, and putting in front of Raya a mug of warm milk. “What’s the verdict?” He asked, nibbling a cookie. He placed a hand on Raya’s warm shoulder, for some sort of confirmation.

Billy answered, “Maybe they’ve gone off on a romantic getaway without telling us?” Usually chipper and very confident, Billy’s voice now faltered.

Raya sat completely upright now, and rested her head on her hands. “No, where’s Anaka?” Orlando sat next to Raya, perhaps trying to feel useful. He looked at Billy with a look of blankness. She reached for the phone, dialed a number that neither Billy nor Orlando knew and stood up, pacing in the adjacent hallway.

“I’ve never seen her pace before,” Orlando commented in a sidebar to Billy.

“Something’s wrong. She can feel it.” Billy added.

“It’s her connection to the Force.”

Billy’s brow furrowed in confusion, “What’s she doing?”

“Calling in the Jedis.” Orlando replied, suddenly becoming silent with a glare from Raya that could kill the both of them several times over.

“Anaka, have you any idea as to the whereabouts of a Dominic Monaghan?” Raya asked in a dangerously low voice. “No, I’m not going to tell you about my honeymoon. Don’t lie. You were always a terrible liar. Anaka, tell me where he is. What do you mean you don’t know? What the hell happened? You what?! You WHAT?! This kind of stress is not good for my baby. Yes you heard me and speaking of which, you’re no longer godmother. No, I don’t, no. Oh go and sod off, you don’t know what kind of trouble you’ve started.”

Orlando and Billy looked at her with confused faces. She was standing in the hallway, with her hand on her forehead, taking several deep breaths. She walked back into the living room, and began sipping the mug of warm milk. “So…what, er happened?”

Raya sighed, she pulled out a fleece blanket (as it was only the beginning of a very cold April), and covering herself up, more for comfort than heat, she explained the entire story. Billy and Orlando being very good at listening reacting where necessary. “She did…my god.”

“I know!” Raya answered Billy. She watched him rub his temples.

“Alright, that’s it. I’m getting Lij, and we’re going to formulate a plan while you do damage control.” Billy said, getting up. He exited without saying another word.

“Raya, maybe you should relax a little.” Orlando said, as she moved to allow space for him. She now had her head resting in his lap. “It won’t be good for the baby. Take it easy.”

“Yes, I know. But…Liberty. I have to check on Liberty, Orlando, love.” She said, looking at the phone on the table. He sighed and handed her the phone, as she dialed the numbers, Orlando resumed his line memorizing.

After moments of chatter with Liberty’s friend, Liberty came on the phone “Dom’s missing?”

“Missing is such a strong word. Misplaced maybe. Lost, probably. Wallowing in self-pity. Quite possibly.” Raya said, patting her still flat stomach.

“Oh God,” Liberty said worriedly. “If anything’s happened to him--- Do you think he’s staying with Anaka?”

Raya let out a mirthless chuckle. “No, she hasn’t seen him since it happened. Liberty, she practically raped him.” Orlando looked down at Raya with a shocked look on his face at this choice of words. I got the whole story out of her after much prodding and threatening. She confessed he was calling her Liberty and she didn’t correct him. Apparently she’s dyed her hair, and she had it up, and---“ She broke off when Orlando poked at her, indicating she stopped. “I’m sorry, are you alright?”

“No, no I’m not alright.” Liberty breathed into the phone.

Raya mustered her most caring voice. She looked up at Orlando, taking his free hand. “Well do me a favor. Play your messages and if there are any from him, for GODSAKE, call him back at whatever number he gives you. I know you don’t want to talk to him or look at him or anything right now, but if he’s hurt, you’re going to regret it if you could have stopped it. If you won’t do this for him, then do it for me.” Orlando kissed her hand, in a form of silent support as Raya waited for Liberty’s response.

“You hate Dom.” She finally responded.

“I don’t hate him.” Raya replied. “I’m pissed at him right now, but I don’t hate him. Do you?”

“I could never hate him.” Liberty said softly.

“I know.” Raya said, voice hardening. “Play the messages. Call me back.”

Raya tossed the phone onto the ground. Looking up at Orlando, who’d abandoned his script, he had a weak smile on his face. “Brings back a few feelings from that bit in our relationship, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, love, it does.” Raya said, sitting up so that she could have his arms around her.

They sat in silence before Orlando spoke up again. “Do you think she’ll take him back?”

“I do hope so. “ Raya replied, running her hands through Orlando’s longer waves. “We’ll just have to wait it out, I suppose.”

“You took me back.” Orlando murmured.

“I did. And it did us some good.” Raya replied, kissing his cheek.

There was another Spencer party that night, and again, it doubled as Richard’s announcement of his daughter’s marriage. Orlando’s appearance, though his hair tied neatly, did not seem to sit too well with the more conservative types.

Raya dressed in a sparkling lavender gown, wearing another tiara encrusted with amethysts and a matching necklace, offset Orlando in an all black suit, except for a lavender tie, matching the color of Raya’s dress.

“This is dreadful.” Raya said to Orlando underhandedly. “And there’s too much free champagne that I can’t drink!”

“They have grape juice.” Orlando suggested. “Sparkling.” He had his hand intertwined with hers most of the night and they hadn’t left their table seeing that many that wanted to speak with them went up to them instead.

“I could use a nap and perhaps a good lay right about now. If I don’t get one, this overabundance of disturbingly old men will kill off all forms of hormones.” Raya said, burying her head onto Orlando’s shoulder.

“Ahh, the common ills, milady.” Orlando laughed. “We’ll tough it out until your father says we can go home.”

“I can’t, these old men and their nasty wives look like vultures circling their prey.” Raya said. “Come on, I’ve got the way to let us go.” She took Orlando by the hand and found her father and whispered into his ear.

“Well what are you still doing here? You need to leave and get some rest! Let your feet up!” Her father said suddenly in his bumbling way. “And Orlando! Make sure she gets plenty of warm milk.”

Raya looked at Orlando with smugness as they made their way to their limousine. “How did you get him to let us leave?” Orlando asked, taking his hair out of its ponytail. “Told him your feet hurt?”

“More like there was a bun in the oven.” Raya said, taking her tiara off. She looked up at Orlando who was grinning at her. “What?”

“It’s still a surprise to me whenever you say that.” Orlando replied, his grin softening into a warm smile. “When do you start to show?”

“God that’s not for a long time.” Raya said. “I only do plan to gain forty some odd kilos. There’s no way I’m ballooning.”

Orlando laughed with amusement. “Will you at least wear a muumuu, once?”

“Oh, excuse me while I gag, Orlando.” Raya said, swatting at his shoulder. “You surely jest.”

“You caught me, I jest, I jest.” He said, smirking. He kissed her nose. “Now, about that lay.”