The wedding guests all filed out past the group of six to their automobiles which waited on the narrow street. The reception would take place several hours later, in the early evening, something that both confused and angered certain people. Orlando and Raya had disappeared directly after leaving the church, to parts unknown.

Dom plopped onto an overstuffed pink chair and loosened his silk blue tie, “Why can't we just get right to the reception?”

“Obviously Raya and Orly didn’t think about OUR needs. Now I have to wait a few hours before I can get completely smashed and hit on the bridesmaids,” Billy complained, taking the seat beside Dom. Viggo sat opposite them on a cream colored sofa, Liberty took the seat beside him. It took her a few moments to sit down in the tight corset and ended up sitting straight up on the very edge of the sofa, leaving plenty of room for Elizabeth, who sat down comfortably. Though she was wearing a corset, it didn’t seem to bother her as much as it did Liberty. Likewise, Anaka sat comfortably onto a pink pouf situated beside the couch looking around impassively.

“Hey, one of the aforementioned bridesmaids happens to be my girlfriend,” Dom stated, pulling his tie off.

“I didn’t say I’d hit on HER,” Billy replied, taking off his own tie as well.

“You’re acting as if I’m not even sitting here,” Liberty huffed, breathing slowly and deliberately.

“You’re going to hit on Anaka?” Dom asked Billy curiously.

“Em…nooooo,” he chanced a quick look at Anaka out of the corner of his eye, but she was looking out the window behind her. “I don’t think so. But I can’t help who I hit on once I’m drunk.”

“That is true,” Dom agreed.

“I believe the cause for the wait is because Raya and Orlando are getting started on their wedding night,“ Anaka explained, looking at the couch’s three occupants.

Liberty looked very interested, “How will she get her corset back on?” Dom chuckled, but turned it into a cough when he saw she was serious.

“There was nothing said about taking the dress off,” Anaka answered serenely.

Liberty pulled a face, “Well, it IS awfully hard to get off. I don’t suppose there’s any point in taking it off. Imagine having to put it on twice. In one day!”

“I could get it on and off in a flash, Lib,” Dom commented, looking eager to do so.

Liberty snorted in a very unladylike way, “Uh…I mean…I’m really dizzy.”

I think what she means is that it took a fair amount of time getting it on the first time, and she'd not like to repeat that,” Anaka said, ignoring Liberty’s dizziness. Viggo was patting her on the back, peering at her nervously. She swayed on the spot, her eyes closing slowly, before she fell off the couch and onto the floor, laying horizontally. Dom flew down beside her; Anaka stood up calmly and left the room, stepping over Liberty as if she weren’t even there.

“LIBERTY!” Dom hollered, slapping Liberty’s face. “The corset! It’s claimed her life! I better get it off her!”

“I don’t think Liberty would appreciate you doing such a thing in front of all of us,” Viggo replied, shaking his head. “She might not be wearing anything underneath.”

“Oooh,” Billy replied, now on the floor too. “Maybe you should get it off her, Dom.”

“She can’t breathe! We’ve gotta get it off so she can!” Dom, ignoring them, jumped up and ran from the room in search of something to cut the dress off with.

Anaka came back carrying a cup of water at the same time Dom returned with a gleaming silver knife. He dropped to the ground and had the knife ready to cut when Billy screamed, “RAYA WILL SHUN YOU!”

Liberty’s eyes flew open and she saw the knife positioned between her breasts and screeched, “What are you doing? This is expensive fabric! Raya will kill me! She threatened me within an inch of my life if I should cut it---” She inhaled deeply, her words falling away.

Dom pulled away while Anaka bent down and handed the water to Liberty, “I was going to splash this on your face, but there’s no need now. Drink up.” Liberty, without question, did as she was told.

“Can you breathe now?” Dom asked her, looking worried.

“No, but that’s not unusual while wearing this thing,” Liberty said, sitting up and propping herself against Dom.

“She’s right, actually. Corsets don’t allow you to breathe, but they sure do give you amazing cleavage.”

Everyone stared at Anaka, surprised she was actually being human, and not incredibly caddy and mean.

“Well,” Viggo said, standing up and looking at them all. “What should we do for three hours?”

“We could do what Orlando and Raya are doing,” Dom suggested.

“What, you want to have a big orgy?” Billy asked, looking both horrified at the idea and rather keen to try it out.

“No, I meant Lib and I.”

“Can’t take off the dress,” Liberty answered, allowing Viggo to pull her to her feet. She was breathing heavily when she finally stood up by herself, but was otherwise unscathed.

“We don’t need to take off the dress,” Dom replied, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Liberty looked very amused and turned away from Dom to talk directly to Viggo, “I think Dom and I will go for a little walk. The rest of you can, em, do whatever. Come on, Dom.”

Dom didn’t have to ask questions, he raced out of the room behind her.

Billy cleared his throat, “Anybody else up for that?” He looked hopefully at Anaka and Elizabeth, who had been completely quiet this entire time, just watching them. “I’m Billy, by the way. You’re Raya’s sister, right?”

“Elizabeth Scott,” she replied, nodding. Her voice was light, airy and very girly with a thick British accent.

“Raya’s last name is Spencer,” Billy said, sounding confused.

“Well, that’s her dad’s name. Richard. Her mom’s maiden name was Scott. I’m actually only Raya’s half sister. I’m a product of Claire’s first marriage to my dad, Walter.”

Billy gaped at her, surprised at all this new information; he wasn’t shocked about the news so much as he was at her talking.

“My dad was American, she hates him now. I never see him, either, he lives in LA. But to this day, she detests American accents. You should tell Liberty, is it? Yes, you should tell her to put on a British one.”

“She’s already heard Liberty speak in her normal voice,” Billy replied. “But I can warn Elijah…and Viggo.” He looked pointedly at Viggo, who nodded and shrugged and walked out of the room; Anaka followed, calling after him.

“So,” Billy said after a few silent moments. Elizabeth gazed at him, her green eyes sparkling. She was as tall as Raya with the same hair color, though Elizabeth’s was shorter and completely straight. She was beautiful, Billy thought, in a different way than Raya was. Raya was always immaculate, she always looked perfect. Perfection on Elizabeth would have been just as she was, completely un-perfect. “Would you like to go to a pub for a bit before the reception?”

Elizabeth smiled a slow smile, showing a dimple, “Sure. I’d like that.”

*

“You know, Raya had me in a corset once before,” Liberty commented, sipping her glass of water and dangling her legs back and forth. The two of them were in their hotel room; Raya and Orlando had put everyone up, even the ones who lived in London, at a very posh London hotel for the night and Liberty and Dom were putting it to good use. They were sitting on the little terrace together, wearing their wedding best.

“Did she?” Dom asked, amused.

“Yes, for about twenty seconds. I felt like a hooker then, too. Except I had reason to, that corset was black lace, though it wasn’t as tight as this thing.” She looked down at her dress, no longer with distaste. She was beginning to like the effect it had on Dom. “It was right before our very first real date. We didn’t feel it gave off the right impression as to what would happen at the end of the date.” Dom laughed. “Couldn’t breathe then, couldn’t sit. She allowed me to take it off. But it bloody hurt.”

“You should have worn it,” Dom said. “I like the mental image I’m getting of you in a black lace corset.”

Liberty giggled, “Yes. Well. When I took it off, I fell into the bathtub. I’d never swore so much in my entire life. I did have to promise to wear it to the first premiere we go to, though.”

“Ahhh, well, she’ll take you up on that, I’m sure. The first premiere for Lord of the Rings is directly after they return from their honeymoon. There was a showing of The Fellowship in NZ right after you arrived last year, but I didn’t go.”

“Why not?”

“I wanted to spend time with you,” he replied, twirling a piece of her hair around his finger.

She snuggled closer to him, sighing in contentment.

“Do you want to quit your job and move in with me? We can live in my house in NZ while I’m filming and then we can come here and live in my flat in London.” He said all of this very quickly, as if he felt if he didn’t say it, he never would.

Liberty pulled away from him, looking surprised, “What?”

“I hated being in NZ without you, after you left last year and only came back on holidays. I missed you, Lib. I don’t want to have to miss you.” She stared at him in surprise, but she looked pleased if the tears in her eyes were any indication. “Don’t go home, don’t go back to your life.”

“Dom. What about school? I’ve got two years left. I can’t---”

“Don’t say you can’t, you know you can. We’ve been dating a year and a half. Almost as long as you’ve been in school. You can go abroad! You can get credits in NZ and in London. You can get a degree without going back home.” She opened her mouth to respond, but he continued talking. “Or is it that you don’t want to?”

Liberty laughed, really laughed, out loud, “Of course I WANT to.” She took his hands in hers and didn’t take her eyes off his own. “There’s nothing I want more, as a matter of fact, but it’s not as simple as just wanting it. I’d have to go home to at least take care of all of this. If I decide to say yes.”

“Libs, filming is suspended for two weeks, then we’ve got the premiere and then we start doing pick ups…I can come with you. If you want me too, that is.”

“I don’t understand why you’re so unsure of us,” she replied, shaking her head. “You know I’m in love with you, you know I want to be with you…” her voice trailed off and she shut her mouth.

Dom shrugged, “I don’t know why I’m like this either, I just don’t want you to change your mind about me.”

“I won’t,” she assured him, laughing a little. “You can trust me on that one.”

“I wanna marry you, Liberty Crane.”

She swallowed, “Dom---”

“I don’t need you to say anything. I’m not proposing. But one day I’m going to. I want us to live together. Be together. For as long as we both shall live.”

Liberty threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, she could barely breathe now but it didn’t matter. He was all that mattered to her at that moment.

“Just think about it,” he said into her hair.

“I will,” she promised.

“I’ll give you until the end of the reception to give me an answer,” Dom laughed.

“Oh!” Liberty yelled, pulling away. “The reception! It starts in five minutes!”