Chapter 17

"I'm taller."

"So? I promised not to let go of you...not the other way around."

"I'll squish you..."

Reed knew she was clutching at straws and looking at the director she could see that it was all Jae could do not to giggle. The actress stood like a recalcitrant child, her arms folded defiantly across her chest, feet set shoulder width apart.

The ride attendant coughed politely. Their VIP passes had bought them a measure of indulgence, but the ride had a schedule to maintain. "Would you like to wait for the next go around?" He finished locking the bar of the passengers in the second seat and looked at them expectantly.

"No, let's get this over with."

"Reed. Stop." Jae held out a hand and held the older woman back, waving the next passengers to board ahead of them. "We'll take the next one."

"What?" Reed barked.

Jae flinched. "This is supposed to be fun...I'm sorry if I pressured you into something you hate," she said regretfully, her tone low, the words coming slowly.

The actress' demeanor changed instantly. Reed let her shoulders drop and she looked down at her shoes, scuffing one back and forth on the concrete loading platform. The noisy din of excited tourists and the awed screams of keyed up children faded to the background as she tried to think of what to say. She wanted to pull the sharp words back. The look of hurt that had flashed over Jae's eyes had torn straight through her.

The black coaster train disgorged its load of passengers and still she hadn't figured out what to say. Jae gave a sad smile and turned away, making for the turnstile.

"Jae...wait..." she swallowed, the words not coming. Instead she stepped over the edge of the car and slid into the front space, leaning forward to allow Jae to sit in behind her. It was hard, trusting her fears to someone she hardly knew...who hardly knew her. And still another part of her craved the contact...wanting, for once, not to have to be strong, to let another human being touch her...protect her. Hold her demons at bay.

The director leaned over and laid a hand gently on Reed's jaw; concern radiated through the warm skin of Jae's soft palm. The tentative brush became more confident as Reed didn't pull back, turning instead to meet the eyes of her friend. Even in the half-light of the attraction, the blonde's eyes were luminous, and held hers for a long moment before their owner nodded and eased in behind her.

The younger woman wedged her legs against the side of the car, careful not to kick her companion as she settled into position. Delicate fingers crept around her waist and pulled Reed back against Jae's surprisingly muscular body, the lithe ropiness at odds with her initial impressions of the young woman.

The director then leaned forward, resting her chin on Reed's shoulder, and the actress fought back the urge to pull away. "I've got you. I promise," Jae breathed more than whispered.

The ride started, dropping suddenly before she could pull away, gravity forcing her to either fight to separate their bodies, or just accept the quietly reassuring and comforting presence for what it was. They rounded another curve and the rushing air swept the tantalizing scent of vanilla into her nostrils. As Jae leaned forward, balancing the two of them against the sudden shock of another sheer drop, Reed realized the perfume was Jae's.

Another sharp drop threw her against the side of the car, but before she could hit the metal walls, Jae's arms tightened around her and the blonde absorbed the impact, a soft groan barely audible over the rushing of metal wheels over the track. They descended into pitch blackness and Reed squeezed her eyes shut.

A sense of vertigo replaced the slight safety Jae's grip was providing so she flung her eyelids open again just as a bright red and white pinwheel loomed at her from the left. Reed flinched away from it, and Jae wrapped her in strong arms. "Easy, Roo. I've got you."

And Reed knew she did. That somehow, for the next two minutes, she was safer than she had ever been in her life. Another twist threw her in the opposite direction the car was travelling in and this time she relaxed into Jae's powerful embrace and gave herself up to the unexpected safety she found there.

Jae felt Reed relax in her arms, and reflexively tightened her hold, wanting to be worthy of the trust being placed in her. Soft raven hair tickled her nose and she slid her cheek against Reed's head, inhaling the warm scent of cotton mingled with sandalwood. What haunts you so my friend?...Who has hurt so you badly that it reaches across time and binds you in chains still? What is it that lives in your nightmares and steals your sleep? She shook her head a little and smiled wryly at her own inner response. And why exactly, m'grrl... do you wish you could spend five minutes alone in the ring with whoever it was?

Her muscles ached from the effort of keeping the two of them from bouncing around the car, the strain making itself felt between her shoulder blades. Jae rolled her arms slightly to alleviate the pressure and Reed nestled in deeper, the actress' body melding to hers.

The blonde let her frame curl around the longer one of the actress' and they began to move in sync with the ride, now that Reed was no longer fighting it or her. With guilty pleasure she gave herself permission to enjoy the weight of the woman in her arms. In the middle of the wildest ride, in the busiest theme park in the world, Jae found a sense of peace wrap around her - one that she usually only found alone on a wave pummeled beach.

She savoured it for a long moment until a stifled gasp from Reed turned her mind back to the roller coaster. The actress had actually given a slightly hysterical laugh at the end of the last curve and drop combination. They rounded the last bend and Jae leaned back, aware that Reed would probably prefer not to be seen cuddling with a woman. Casually she let her hands drop to Reed's waist, lightly holding the sides of the white cotton shirt in her hands.

The car screeched to a halt, metal atoms evaporating under the immense pressure of the wheels. Reed didn't make a motion to get up, and Jae tried to keep her smile a secret, but the ride attendant caught her eye and she had to lift one hand quickly over her mouth.

"Jae?"

"Umm?"

"I think I need one more rehearsal, just to make sure."

"Right. I did say I'd help you rehearse." Jae winked at the ride operator. "Once more round the block if you don't mind, Jeeves."

Three rides later they were giggling like school girls trying unsuccessfully to regain their balance. Finally they found their way out of the crowded ride and into the densely packed park.

"I need to sit on something that isn't moving," Jae admitted, laughing.

"What about that Phantasmic thing you mentioned?"

Jae shook her head. "That's Disney Land, I checked earlier...here it's something called IllumiNations...over in Epcot."

"Oh." Reed sounded disappointed, so Jae thought for a minute.

"C'mon." She took Reed's hand weaving along through the crowd, and it was only when she caught sight of their reflection in a shop window that she realized that she was still pulling the actress along, hand in hand. Pretending to shift her backpack, she dropped Reed's hand, her own feeling cold and empty for the loss of warmth.

"Where are you hauling me off to now..." Reed's voice trailed off as she spotted the large ornate carousel. Detailed wooden horses moved gracefully along the mirrored plains, a sea of motion on a bed of colour.

"Cool hunh?"

"Oh yeah," the actress agreed, wonder filling her tone.

They filed onto the platform looking for riderless mounts, both coming to a stop before a beautiful buff coloured mare. "Go ahead." Jae watched Reed's blue eyes widen, becoming almost violet in her excitement. "You ride her." When she turned to find a horse of her own, they had all been taken. Only a chariot on the far side remained empty. Jae reached to take hold of the pole in front of her, content to ride standing.

"Hey...Tigger..." Reed was holding a hand out to her, eyebrow raised in invitation.

She smiled meeting Reed's eyes. Sometime during the wild roller coaster ride, their relationship had changed imperceptibly...and by the time they had finished Jae no longer pulled away the moment the ride began to stop. She took the proffered hand, surprised with the effortless way Reed lifted her into the saddle. The blonde leaned back slightly, nestling into the hollow formed by Reed's arms when the actress reached for the leather reins.

The motion of the horse on the pole felt old and new and right, the presence of the woman behind her a part of that feeling. The music twinkled its agreement and fireworks over the Plaza of Nations punctuated the night like the hoof beats of a horse.

The ride came to a gradual halt. Horses and dreams settling back into reality as the magic ride ended. Her arms were loosely wrapped around Jae's waist, her chin just above the director's shoulder. The same warm smell of vanilla and cotton that Reed remembered from the rollercoaster hung in the air.

It had been a long time since she had let someone other than Rio this close, even Heidi was careful about invading her space...but Jae...Jae moved in it as though she belonged there. Reluctantly she let go of the younger woman. The sensation of Jae tucked against her lingered, ghost-like long moments past the parting of their bodies and for an instant Reed wished the ride had been just a little longer.

Confused the actress swung down from the saddle, letting Jae balance a hand on her shoulder as the director hopped off in turn.

"Hungry?" Jae inquired, as she tugged a strap on her pack tight.

"A little." They had been munching off and on for most of the day, sampling various tempting treats and exotic confections.

They made their way out of the ride compound and turned along Main Street in search of something edible.

"How can you eat another one of those?"

Reed looked up from the line of red she was carefully painting down the center of the Pluto Dog. "Easy...just like this." She took a large bite, rolling her eyes and patting her stomach in exaggerated enjoyment.

They were wandering back through the park, heading for the monorail station. Both still had a lot of work to do before tomorrow and had decided to call it an early night.

"What is that...like the seventh one you've had today?" Jae tossed a handful of caramel corn into her mouth.

"Haven't been counting...."

"You know all those preservatives can't be good for you."

Reed struck a pose. "Oh I dunno, any advantage in Hollywood." The wooden saloon style doors of The Emporium creaked in the evening breeze.

Jae had heard them too and made a beeline for the shop. Reed groaned. She was all Mickied out. If she saw that inane silhouette one more time she was going to go postal all over someone. Reluctantly she followed the younger woman inside the crowded store, stepping around a pack of last minute shoppers.

A rack caught her eye and she smiled to herself when she saw the variety of characters embroidered on the cotton. Jae had vanished and Reed took the opportunity to edge over to a till. The experienced sales lady recognized the signs of a customer buying a gift and removed the boxers from sight. "Thanks," she said, taking another look around for Jae.

"Are you sure about the size?"

She paused and thought. "Yeah. I think so."

"Your husband will love these...lots of wives buy them." The wrapped package was set back on the counter. "That will be twenty-one thirty please."

Reed swung her pack off her shoulder, and took out her wallet.

A warm hand brushed against her waist as Jae came up behind her. "What'd you get?"

"If I told, it wouldn't be much of a surprise now would it?" She handed the clerk three tens and tucked the package into her bag. "You can have it after we get back to the hotel."

"Tease." The director moved off to look at a collection of porcelain miniatures.

"Here's your change." The sales woman brusquely handed her a few coins along with a five and some ones, no longer friendly.

Puzzled the actress put the bills into her wallet and pocketed the change. "Thank-you." When she looked back up, the disgust on the clerk's face floored her. "What is your problem?" she growled.

"You... and your...kind." The saleslady turned on her heel and moved to serve another patron.

"My kind?" Then it hit her. The clerk assumed that she and Jae were ... together. Had everyone thought that tonight?

Angry she stalked out of the store.

"Reed...Reed!" Jae called out.

The actress kept moving, her longer legs eating up the distance to the platform. She managed to slide through the doors of the monorail just as they were about to close. The train pulled out and she could see a confused Jae standing on the platform. Looking back she could just make out the director run a hand through her short hair, then almost angrily fling the hand in the air. Jae faded from view as they left the lit station behind and Reed continued to stare out of the window into the darkness.

Two girls were sitting toward the back of the car, leaning against each other and giggling - a lot like she and Jae had been earlier in the evening. So were they?... And what if they were...? Reed chewed her lip, mulling over the unexpected question her inner voice had posed. The doors hissed and opened and the young women left. Just as they pulled out Reed caught a glimpse as tall blond man lean down to kiss one of them. Guess not....

So there was nothing unusual in her behaviour with Jae. Right?

Right.

And if someone misinterpreted their friendship that was their problem...like you have enough friends that you can toss them away over what some fucking store clerk thinks. Get used to it...this film is not going to help. It had been one thing to read about Dar and Kerry, they were fictional...engaging...yes...but fictional none-the-less, but Holly. Meeting Holly had turned a couple of assumptions right on their ear. She didn't leer at every woman she saw, though Reed couldn't help but notice her flirting with the ice cream stand clerk; Reed had found the woman to be intelligent with a wicked sense of humour. Pretty normal in fact. Did Holly get treated like she had? Thoughtfully, she continued to watch the park flit by under the incandescence of a thousand lights, hidden shadows revealing pockets of merriment as the train moved past them.

It still made her mad that someone would jump to such an idiotic conclusion about her ...or about Jae.

Jae.

She was going to owe the director a big apology. The announcer called the stop for The Floridian, and Reed prepared to disembark, barely waiting until the doors had opened before exiting the car.

Two more trains unloaded their passengers and still no Jae. Discouraged, Reed made for the elevator that would take her to her room. The white plastic key card admitted her into the darkened chamber. Not bothering with lights, she opened the curtains, letting the outside lighting of the castle and lake filter into the room.

She heard the soft click as Jae's room door shut, the sound transmitting through the open door between their rooms.

"Hey." Jae stood framed in the doorway.

"Hey." Reed answered.

Intense green eyes searched her face for a moment then broke contact. "Good night." The younger woman retreated back to her room.

"Good night," she whispered back, not moving from her spot facing the connecting room. Reed could hear the sounds of water running as Jae went about her nighttime routine. The blonde passed by the door a couple of times, then on her third trip looked over at Reed, seemingly surprised to find that the that actress had yet to move.

"Reed?" Jae moved back to the door.

"I shouldn't have left you there."

"You want to talk about it?"

Reed shook her head.

Jae moved inside the room, stopping an arms length from where Reed was standing. "You need to talk about it. You can't just keep bottling stuff up inside."

"The clerk..."

"I'm not talking about the clerk. I know what happened with her. I went back and asked. She's probably out looking for work now."

"Looking for work?" Reed wasn't sure what caused the biggest surprise - the fact that Jae went back to check - or that she had obviously taken some sort of action on her behalf.

"Um-hmm. Pavement pounding time. Disney has some pretty strict guidelines about how to treat guests. Rule number one - don't tick off the VIPs."

"Remind me not to piss you off."

"I'll add it to your contract." Jae had moved and taken a seat on the couch. "So talk."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. It's rule three in the friendship handbook." She opened an imaginary book, running one finger down the non-existent page. "When the friend of the first part...that's me..." Jae tapped her own chest. "...makes it known to the friend of the second part...that's you..." This time pointing at Reed. "...that the friend of the first part..."

"How come you get to be the friend of the first part?" Reed settled her weight on the bed, stretching out lengthwise and resting her back against the headboard.

"It's my rule book."

"Right then...carry on."

Jae made a show of finding her place before she continued, "...first part is willing to listen, then the party of the second part shall make at least a token effort at allowing the friend to listen." The director crisply shut the imaginary book and leaned back to put it on the end table.

Reed opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"Okay...I can see we need another approach here." Jae rotated slightly and sat crossed-legged. "Let's start with something easy....do you have nightmares every night?"

"No, I think you should go ahead and ask a tough one," Reed muttered sarcastically. "Not every night, no."

"There now was that so hard?" Jae grabbed the phone from the night table. "Two steamed milks, one with extra honey....Thanks...wait...and some cookies...Oreos if you have them... Thanks again."

"I like my Oreos better in cold milk." Was that it? End of the chat? Jae was calmly lounging on the sofa, short blonde locks sticking up where she had been running her hand through the bangs, and Reed waited for the other shoe to drop. Nothing. "All your sensitive chats come with food?" she asked to lighten the mood.

"Nope. Some come with a two-by-four." The director gave her a saucy wink. "Now what scene was it that you needed to rehearse?"

Chapter 18

"Roll Camera." Jae leaned forward in her chair.

"Camera Rolling."

Jae didn't even glance at the man operating the sound board. "Speed."

"Speed." Sound acknowledged the command.

"Scene 170. Take 7." The slate snapped shut.

"Action." She stood up, unconsciously mouthing the words along with Sarah. In fact given Reed's tendency to over rehearse Jae figured she knew the scene better than Gellar did. She'd enjoyed though and it had given her a different perspective on the material they were shooting.

"Cut." Jae walked over to the set, leaning down over the table where the actors were seated. "Okay once more from...'Can I ask you a personal question?'" She turned to the camera man, this time I want medium length on them, then we'll reverse and repeat on Sarah."

The restaurant was all theirs, peopled only by cast, crew and extras. It was cheaper to shoot it here than to recreate it in the studio and unlike the rides the camera and lighting set up was fairly straight forward.

"Roll Camera."

"Rolling."

"Speed."

"Speed."

"Scene 170. Take 8."

"Action."

"Can I ask you a personal question?" A soft, slightly shy inquiry.

"Um.. I can't guarantee I'll answer it, but yeah, go ahead."

Sarah leaned forward and this time Reed didn't back away. "Is your name short for something, or is it just Dar?"

"Well, my mother was.. is.. I suppose, still.. an addict of Spanish romance novellas...she had a favorite character.. Paladar. I'm named for that. I hated it.. I had it legally changed when I turned eighteen." Jae smiled to herself, Reed had gotten the director to fess up that Jae was short for something. She'd smirked and told Reed that she would trade her name for something about the actress in return.

"Paladar... I don't know.. I kinda like it.. nice ring." Reed put the same panic stricken look on her face that she got whenever Jae called her Eeyore in public. "Don't' worry, though.. I won't use it.. not if you don't like it."

"B.. um.. well...What about you? Is Kerry short for something?"

"Kerrison. I don't use it much.. even my resume has Kerry on it... and all my official work documents." Sarah's timing was perfect, her tone a cross between amused and embarrassed.

Okay Reed, let's see a smile here okay...please? Jae mentally pleaded with the actress. "Mm.. I know.. that's why I asked." Reed glanced up with a grin. "I could have just logged in and found out otherwise." YES...! That just left one tough part to go. Maybe they would get out of this in only a couple more takes. Even if Reed froze up the rest of the scene they could start from much further on the next time. Jae hated chop and paste filming, preferring to film conversations continuously.

"That's so weird... you know all that stuff about me, and I... it's just strange. I mean, it's not like I can just log in and find out about you."

"Kerry, you already know more about me than you'd find in the company computers. " "Your co workers would be astonished to know what my house looks like or that I'm a diver, or what my real name is, for instance." Reed's tone had become quiet, pensive. Jae was reminded of their conversation the night before...only unlike Kerry with Dar, Jae knew nothing of Reed's personal life.

"Well.. that makes me feel better... " Sarah blushed and the director found herself wondering what the younger actress was thinking to achieve that particular shade of pink...well it sure beats having make-up paint it on. "You know.. not to bring up a sore subject, but your real name reminds me of something."

"What's that... a package of marshmallows? That was a popular version when I was younger." Reed gently swirled the wine in her glass around, successfully trying to look disinterested in the answer.

Jae held her breath...here it was...the first signs that things were turning...without the inner dialogue of the two characters to fill in the gaps, the energy of this scene was crucial. It had to be comedic, serious and sweet all at once. C'mon Roo, I know you can pull this off...

"Oh.. like Mallomar?" Two beats passed before Sarah continued, "Well, it's sweet and tasty." A deeper blush coloured Sarah's face, impressing Jae. Then the actress changed her tone to one of flustered awareness. "Um.. that's not... I mean, I wasn't... um... "

C'mon Reed.... Jae mentally encouraged...play back.

Reed chuckled softly. "Yeah.. yeah..I know what you meant... relax." She paused. "What else were you thinking of?"

"Um... " Sarah rubbed her face, under the guise of brushing back a non-existent stray lock of hair, as though trying to rub the flush away. "Paladins, actually."

Jae had no worries about the next lines. They could have been written just for the actress

Reed dropped her voice a register and leaned in. "Kerry... I am not any kind of good guy... trust me, okay? I eat people for lunch.. I fire people at the drop of a hat.. I restructure companies to maximize profit for our company.. everyone hates my guts. So.. .try to remember that, huh? Or you're in for a shock when we go into those meetings."

"Not everyone." Sarah supplied the next line, Jae again mouthing the words.

"Hmm?" Reed looked at her questioningly, the same look of disbelief on her face that had been there during their rehearsal the night before. Jae was beginning to realize that Reed drew on real life reactions to every day events, copying her own behavior, then reflecting it back on to film. The director found more of Reed showing up on film than Dar.

"Not everyone hates you. I don't."

I don't...Jae mentally finished, letting silence fall for a few seconds. "And Cut."

Reed looked up and met her eyes, one brow lifting in question. Jae grinned back and gave her a thumbs up. The actress nodded then removed herself from the table so they could shoot Sarah's dialog again from a closer angle.

She didn't even need to look at the tape to know that they had nailed it that last time. It had been the right decision to film the rollercoaster stuff first, and allow Reed to get comfortable with the other woman before making them interact as friends.

"From 'Prime rib, larger prime rib'. She gave Sarah an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder. "You repeat the way you handled the last bit and we'll wrap this in one."

"Now that's something to shoot for." Sarah finished stretching and settled back into the chair. Then allowed the distance to be measured off, ensuring that the chair hadn't moved too far back to affect continuity.

"Ha haa." Jae groaned.

Reed was lounging against a post, script in hand. Wonder what it would take to get you to read lines to Sarah for these shots? Jae mulled the idea over as an assistant moved in to give Sarah her vocal cues.

"Roll Camera." Then Jae forgot about Reed as she concentrated on what was happening in front of the camera.

Chatper 19

"Can you get that?" Jae shifted into the bridge, wanting to play through the transition before stopping.

Reed put her script on the side table and rose out of the large arm chair she had been curled up in, studying her lines. It had become a routine of sorts between them. The actress would study lines while Jae played her guitar, mentally working through problems until Reed was ready to rehearse the scene.

"Hello...no, this is the right number...hold on." Reed handed her the phone, mouthing 'Ms. Waters'.

"Hey Cait...What's up?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Curiousity evident over the clanking noise in the background.

Jae rolled her eyes. "Don't go there, Cait..."

"You are no fun at all. Laura Regis just called, ET wants to do an on location fluff piece."

Jae could barely hear the assistant director over what sounded like a loudspeaker. "Where are you?" She was almost afraid to ask - Caitlynn had multi-tasking down to a science.

"QFC, Aisle 7, pasta and rice." The AD paused...then spoke slyly, "want me to pick you up a toaster oven?"

The director felt her cheeks go crimson and she unconsciously looked to the door Reed has disappeared through moments before. "I'd settle for toast."

Cait laughed, then changed the topic. "You have enough left to film down there to make it worth sending them?

Trapping the phone between her ear and shoulder Jae continued to pluck away at the guitar, thinking. It should be her decision, based solely on what was good for the movie - and publicity was good. Entertainment Tonight definitely qualified as publicity, and generally put happy spins on their pieces.

Once again her eyes were drawn to the open door connecting her room to Reed's. The actress had gone back to her side of what they had come to consider their room, leaving her script behind and giving Jae some privacy. How would Reed react? C'mon Jae...forget Reed...it's not your job to protect her...What's best for the film? She laid the guitar aside, getting off the bed to pace around the room. "If they can be here tomorrow for prep and shoot the next day, then yes. Otherwise no, because we're gone the day after that." After week even she was beginning to tire of the Magic Kingdom and its head rodent.

"Ahead of schedule?" The tail end of Cait's words was muffled by the sound of packets rattling against the metal shopping buggy.

"Yep. Mostly just the exterior shots left." Jae paused again, mulling the shoot over in her head. Yeah that would work - Reed and Sarah wandering through Disney World. Oddly enough the one person who remained entranced by the nightly fireworks and rides was Reed. It was like sje needed and excuse to let herself play, but once she had one she used it to the max.

"They were hoping for The Kiss."

"Oh Piggy wonks...that stupid kiss."

"Piggy wonks?" Her assistant snickered into the phone. "Why can't you just swear like a normal person?"

"Sorry...Hollyism." Maybe playing Kerry in rehearsal to Reed's Dar was rubbing off a little to much...now she was talking like Kerry. That's not the only effect and you know it....Quiet! She stilled the inner voice. She sighed, if their was one place in the continental US that Jae could cheerfully blow up...it was Crandon Beach...and Compton Park. "Closed set for that scene. Tell them it still hasn't come up in the shooting schedule." She could just imagine Reed's reaction to having that put on ET.

"Will do."

"Everything else under control up there." Jae had wanted to bring Caitlynn to Florida but they had decided that her skills would be needed in Jae's absence. The little voice chimed in again. And you got a much more interesting room mate out of it too.

"Marguiles and Ward have shot most of their scenes and close ups, so we can finish that when you get back." The AD confirmed.

Jae ticked the script over in her head. Did they need the Mariana and Dreyfus characters in Miami...? No. And they were finished with Andrea Parker too. She had made a very convincing Michelle Graver. The air between her and Reed crackled with tension masquerading as subtext. "Good I shipped up the footage we've shot so far. Let Bill know it's coming. I've packaged the shooting notes and storyboards with it. He should have tons to work from."

"Hang on a sec." The intermittent clacking of the cart's wheels stopped, and the general noise level was muffled for a minute. "'Kay. Got it."

"Already?"

"Two words for you...Palm Pilot." Cait boasted.

"Square that....Not in this life." Jae shot back.

Caitlynn laughed. "Never say never Babe."

She shook her head, bemused. "See you in a couple of days." Jae hit the off button and slid the antenna back into its sheath.

Walking across the room she stood and looked out the window, and studied the pattern of the light dancing over the man made lake. Frankly, she was surprised that there hadn't been more media coverage already. It wasn't everyday that a film combined the sensationalism of controversial subject matter, a dead director and a reclusive star. Come to think of it...that would make a hell of a movie on its own. She chuckled to herself.

Turning from the view she picked up Reed's copy of the script and flipped through it until she found the Crandon beach scene. Should I get it out of the way? They had some time to play with....Or shoot it last? The mischievous inner voice that sounded remarkably like her Granda piped up...And would Reed be wanting to rehearse that one wi'ye too Jae m'grrl...she closed the script...I should be so lucky.

Reed could hear the intro notes of the song Jae had been working on earlier. When the director began to sing, she knew it was okay to return to the arm chair and her prep work. She had worked with a dialogue coach all morning, and was preparing tomorrow's scenes, confident that the word been wouldn't sound like a legume.

"I.....met you before the fall of Rome...And I begged you to let me take you home. You were wrong, I was right. You said goodbye, I said goodnight...woo hoo hoo. It's all been done...woo hoo hoo. It's all been done...woo hoo hoo. It's all been done before." Jae's strong voice echoed between the rooms, picking up depth as it resonated between the chambers.

Reed found it amazing that the director could think and play at the same time, let alone sing too. Over the last few days they had settled into a routine. She would study her lines. Jae would play the guitar, occasionally leaping up to scribble something furiously on a note pad or sketch in her book. Then they would read through the scene together a couple of times, while she tried various approaches to the material. At first she'd worried that she was wasting Jae's time, but the director had assured her that while they may not be able to keep rehearsing together once they return to LA, she was finding it useful...giving her a new way to look at the material.

"If I put my fingers here...and if I say "I love you dear"...And if I play the same three chords...Will you just yawn and say "Aaaah, it's a bit needed."? Woo hoo hoo...It's all been done...woo hoo hoo...It's all been done...woo hoo hoo...It's all been done before."

She continued to listen to Jae sing, not quite ready to go back to work just yet.

"Alone and bored on a 30th century night. Will I see you on The Price Is Right? Will I cry, will I smile...As you run down the aisle?...woo hoo hoo. It's all been done...woo hoo hoo...It's all been done...woo hoo hoo...It's all been done before."

Maybe after they got back to LA, she'd go check out Jae's band one night, assuming they played again while Reed was there. One thing was for certain, she would definitely miss the time she spent with Jae. Part of her felt like she'd known the younger woman forever. I...met you...before the fall of Rome...She laughed, even her mental signing voice was slightly off key.

"It's all been done...woo hoo hoo. It's all been done...woo hoo hoo. It's all been done before."

Reed sobered. If they weren't able to rehearse together in LA, that left her with a bit of a problem. She snorted. A bit?...Try a whole gig's worth. Just exactly who was she going to rehearse that scene with. Well those scenes. The actress was well aware that they were approaching the end of the purely platonic material, and that except for some ensemble pieces and then the bosses day stuff back in Miami, her remaining scenes with Sarah carried a huge amount of overt Lesbian content. Overt Lesbian Content...sounded more like a dessert food label than a disclaimer.

She leaned against the doorframe joining their quarters, watching Jae finger pick a complex melody that she vaguely wanted to ascribe to Clapton, but couldn't quite place. Reed noticed her script was lying shut next to the director and briefly wondered what Jae had been looking for. Probably related to the phone call.

The blonde's fingers moved fluidly over the fret-board of the twelve string and Reed watched as Jae moved in time to the music, her brilliant green eyes shuttered in concentration. You could just ask you know...she knows it's creeping you out...Oh yeah right. Excuse me Jae, but I was wondering...could I practice the Crandon Beach scene with you? She'd be lucky if Jae didn't smack her for that.

Reed felt her stomach clinch. She didn't want to offend Jae, but there was no way she could do the scene cold. Maybe I should find one of those bars...maybe Holly knows one. That way if she threw up, it wouldn't be all over her co-star.

Jae stopped playing and slowly opened her eyes, a small smile lighting on her lips as Reed met her eyes.

"Been listening long?"

"A bit." She hesitated, and Jae spoke again before she could think of what to say.

"I've got good news and bad news."

"I'll take the good news."

"ET is coming to do a spread."

"If that's the GOOD news. I'm not sure I want to hear the bad news."

Jae studied her, putting the guitar aside. Emerald points of intensity searched her eyes for something , Reed didn't know what. "After ET is finished we fly to Miami."

Reed let the implication sink in. Oh shit. There could only be one possible reason they were going to Miami. Afraid to say something that she would regret later, the actress turned on her heel and re-entered her room. The deep pile carpet muffled her footsteps, preventing the room from filling with the noise of her frustration. She'd thought that she had had time. Time to work herself into this, it had already seemed less daunting than it did two weeks ago. Now that time was gone.

"Why are you in this film?" Jae had followed behind and stood in the doorway, mirror image to the way she herself had just been standing. "You need to make a choice Reed. Film it properly...with everything I know you are capable of giving it. Or quit wasting time."

Now she had her excuse. "Is that what I 'm doing?" Jae flinched at the intensity of her words, but Reed didn't back off. "Wasting your fucking time?"

"Stop it."

And Reed knew she should. Knew deep down that Jae was wearing the blame for things that happened long ago. But better it ended right here, right now...on her terms.

The director's head seemed to shrink in the distance; Jae appearing to be much smaller and further away than she really was. Reed could feel her pulse jump, the vein at her left temple throbbing in time to her increased heart-rate. Everything slowed down, the air around her felt heavy, and her words had an inevitability to them. "Melt the Ice Queen...was that on your list of projects...?"

"Reed..." Jae's voice was low, warning. "Don't make this about me. Why this film?"

Jae approached her like she would a skittish colt, moving into the room but not coming too close. Reed could feel her muscles quivering, the urge to lash out warring with the unexpected desire to talk. Why was Jae doing this?

"Why make this film?"

"Money. Simple as that." Reed tried to inject as much venom as she could into her tone.

"You were making money in Japan."

Her head jerked a little in involuntary surprise, and Reed swallowed nervously. Jae wasn't playing the game, the director refused to be baited. The more she yelled, the calmer Jae got. It was maddening and reassuring at the same time. Before she could think of a response, Jae changed tacks again.

"And if it's just money, then a simple kiss shouldn't be a problem. It's just acting, right? You're an actor...act."

Reed could feel her whole emotional house of cards shaking, and she wondered if Jae knew how many secrets had their answers in that last exchange. Ironic really, Roan had presented his own set of dangers to secrets long buried, dangers that she had thought died with him. They hadn't died at all. Things were stirring to life inside that she had thought better buried and forgotten.

"It's more complicated than that."

"Then explain it to me Reed...help me understand."

Green eyes unflinchingly met hers. There was no distaste or judgement, only concern and curiousity. And something else. Reed hadn't seen it in so long she almost missed it. Friendship. Jae's eyes said more clearly than any words could have....I'm here....

Question was...for how long?

The slamming of a room door sounded in the quiet impasse and drew Reed back through the years to the sound of a stage door slamming closed behind her, taking with it her hopes and dreams...but in the end leaving her with something of infinitely greater value.

"It must be pretty important if you're willing to make a film you hate so much."

Reed's words echoed her thoughts unconsciously as she whispered, "the most important thing in the world."

"What's that?" Jae's soft voice wrapped around her and Reed stared down at the floor, letting the gentle inquiry pass unanswered.

Images of a tow-headed baby in diapers merged with the sandy haired child waiting for his chance at a future and swam in the tears clouding her eyes. Coming to make the film had been a catch-22. She made the film and the paycheck bought Rio his chance and things would work out, or she made the film and it would have cost her the time he had left. Having the money didn't guarantee him anything, it just bought him an entry ticket.

Reed knew that was part of her frustration. That even by making this film....that even by discarding the beliefs of a life-time it might not be enough. And then to have to re-evaluate those beliefs on top of everything else was too much.

"Let me in Roo...you can't keep shouldering this on your own."

Strong arms enveloped her, and it was all Reed could do not to sag into Jae's embrace and the safety her body remembered finding there. Can I? Can I trust this woman? Do I want to?...Yes. But still something held her back, some last instinct for self-preservation kept her from stepping over the abyss. Her knees buckled slightly, tension undermining her strength and Jae guided her to the floor, not letting her fall. "I've got you."

And Reed stepped over. The familiar words forming a bridge between them. "My son..." Then the burden of unshed tears crashed over her swallowing the rest of her words in their torrent and she burrowed into the shoulder cradling her head, anchoring herself again to the slight blonde.

Of all the things Jae had expected to hear, this hadn't even been in the running. Her son.... That raised more questions than it answered but suddenly a lot of little things about Reed made sense. It didn't explain the homophobia, but it did explain why the actress had agreed to make a movie for a man who by all accounts she hated...a man who's set she had walked away from, all but destroying her career in the process.

She'd been worried that she had pushed the actress too far. That she had let her frustration get to her. But the actress hadn't run, and Jae had hung in, probing for information. The odd part was that she had had to put her director's hat aside...and just be Jae. It usually went the other way when she got herself into sensitive type chats, her professional mask allowed her to weather the storms of intimacy and kept the personal stake in events to a minimum. Jae knew she'd done it with Becky, had let the other woman blame it on her job and then had played the part expected of her.

The silent sobs of the woman in her arms were beginning to subside and Jae tried to think of what to say next. It was important that Reed not feel vulnerable or embarrassed. The actress had probably been hit with too many questions already, so as much as she wanted more details, Jae sensed this was not the time to ask for them.

They must have been talking and sitting there for longer than she realized because the natural light in the room was throwing long shadows into the corner. Jae shifted slightly and leaned so her back was against the bed, drawing Reed with her. The new position freed one arm and she wrapped it more securely around the other woman. The phone rang in her room and she let its shrill ring fill the quiet air, and moved her hand in small circles over Reed's back, hoping that the phone would stop ringing before the mood was lost.

Time lost all sense of meaning for Jae as she sat in the gathering darkness. The slow measured beats of her own heart at odds with the ragged rhythm of Reed's breathing, yet strangely tied together by the insistent pounding of the actress' heart, which Jae could feel beating against her side.

The sense of peace that she had glimpsed during the carrousel ride was back, stronger this time and Jae tilted her head back and let it claim her. So this is what home feels like.... Shallow breaths filled the room, hers and Reed's chests rising and falling together as the actress calmed in her arms.

Her mind wandered, tripping along paths that twisted through her mind, as she allowed free rein to her imagination. It was so easy to translate the immediate weight of the woman in her arms to scenery of a future. Ruthlessly she thrust those thoughts away, and drifted instead into a kata, letting her mind perform the exercise routine that her muscles knew by heart.

Reed stirred, and the spell broke. Jae realized she still hadn't figured out what she should say. Raven tresses spilled across the blonde's shoulder as Reed slid back a little, no longer borrowed into Jae's chest. But she didn't pull completely away either, leaving her head pillowed on Jae's shoulder.

Jae turned her head slightly. Blue eyes rimmed with red looked back at her solemnly so she smiled gently. "Jacqueline..." she whispered.

Reed's brow furrowed in confusion.

Chuckling she spoke louder, her voice sounded full and loud to her ears after the quiet of the recent past. "It's short for Jacqueline."

The low laugh that rang out through the room warmed her unexpectedly and Jae knew she had found the right thing to say.

Chapter 20

Light steam filled the airspace in front of the bathroom. Tiny droplets of water condensed on the mirror hung on the wall, the small beads running down the polished face in haphazard trails of clarity on the mostly obscured surface. Even more steam filled the bathroom, hiding the occupant of the bath from view, even though Jae could clearly hear the water lapping against the sides of the tub as Reed moved around.

Careful to balance the two mugs in her left hand, she rapped lightly on the open bathroom door, not wanting to startle Reed. "Cocoa's here....want it now or later?" Jae hovered at the edge of the small room, wary about intruding on the actress' privacy.

Water slapped against metal and flesh as Reed moved in response to her summons. "C'mon in."

Jae shook her head then entered the room. Yet another inconsistency about Reed. Modesty did not appear to be a problem. She inadvertently glanced down as she handed over the mug. Her hand touched Reed's momentarily and she was glad that the actress had taken a firm grip on the cup.

Laid out in the tub was the most erotic thing Jae had ever seen. Hastily she averted her eyes and tried to erase the lingering image of the woman from her mind's eye. C'mon Jae...she trusts you...this is no time get moonstruck.... She took a seat on the toilet, facing the same direction as Reed, and took a slow sip from her own mug. Her pulse returned to normal and she was able to push aside the sight of Reed's body barely hidden by opaque water and migratory bubbles.

Silence prevailed and Jae tried to figure out how to broach the subject of Reed's son.

"You could just ask you know...In fact, it could be considered the opening to polite social conversation." Reed's tone was matter of fact, almost offhand, but Jae could read the humour colouring the words as the actress turned one of her own arguments against her.

Laughing she looked side-long at Reed. "Busted, hunh?"

"Well I think it's the longest you've gone without asking a single question since I met you." Reed had rested the mug on her stomach, just above her navel, palms cupping the stoneware, elbows resting comfortably at her sides.

"What's his name?"

"Riordan."

"Nice...Gaelic?" That's it Jae, stick with easy ones. She took another swallow from her mug while waiting for Reed to answer.

Instead the actress took another drink, the water sloshing around as she moved, and just nodded.

It was nice, Jae reflected to spend time with a woman and not have to worry about all the things involved in being romantically entangled with them. When silences broke out between her and Reed, she no longer felt the need to fill them, to entertain the actress. She crossed her legs and leaned back into the small divider in the wall behind her, resting her weight on the wall instead of the silver hardware and fixtures.

"How'd you get from Jacqueline to Jae?"

"Laziness."

Reed snorted.

"Cross my heart," she did so solemnly. "There were three other Jacquelines in my class so I jumped at the excuse and shortened it."

"I still don't see it."

"Ah, but let me tell you what I shortened it from...Jacqueline Anna Elizabeth," she waited for Reed to catch on.

A warm chuckle reverberated from the three walls around the tub then filled the room, and Jae laughed along with her, the memory of her mother's reaction to her shortened name, sparking her own mirth.

"Riordan likes to be called Rio."

"How do you get from Rear-den to Rio?" She sounded out the name, its unfamiliar syllables giving her trouble.

"First three letters, R-I-O." The cup was placed on the floor next to the tub and with a sudden heave Reed stood, water sluicing from her body.

Jae stood, trying to find somewhere...anywhere else to look. "I'll leave you to dry off and stuff," she mumbled, then made for the door.

"Jae?"

She froze, hoping that when she turned around, Reed would already have draped a towel around her body. Reed was perfectly safe, Jae would never touch her, but that didn't mean the director wanted any more detailed pictures to add to idle fantasies either.

She turned.

The bath had done wonders for Reed. The actress' eyes were no longer puffy and her body had taken on a healthy glow, the steam and heat stimulating the pores in the golden skin. Aqua gems smiled at her, and Jae felt her sense of reality slide a little further beyond her control.

"Thanks." Reed smiled at her, an honest to goodness open smile and Jae nearly forgot to breathe. The smile transformed the stark angularity of Reed's face, revealing an unexpected depth of warmth.

"You're welcome," she said, the left, closing the door slightly behind her.

This was the best part of a bath, the rapid pass of the slightly rough fibres over her skin. The motion reddened her skin in a different way than the hot water of the bath had and left every inch within reach tingling and alive. Reed threw the towel on the recently vacant toilet seat and pulled the shower curtain closed. A side benefit to hotel room showers was the unlimited hot water.

Turning the water on full blast, she stood under the pulsating spray, letting the jets of liquid fire wash away the day and anything the bath or towel hadn't. Reed sensed her reprieve from Jae's questions was nearly over and she weighed how much to tell the other woman. How much...how far do I trust you? It would though be nice to not have to be so secretive about calling Rio, or his calls to her. Would Jae, if she knew the reason help with the time difference? Or do I want to owe her anything? The water beat down on her face, as she tilted her head up to meet the blast.

I'll answer her questions about Rio, but nothing about the past...or about Roan. That was a piece of information best buried with ...with who...his father? Angrily she rubbed the water out of her eyes. You were never his father you bastard....Reed turned the water up, increasing the temperature, then grabbed the soap and began to lather her body again.

Gingerly she poked at the core of anger, surprised to find it there at all. The memories had been locked down so tightly that even when she thought about the night Rio was born she felt nothing...not even on the night she'd heard Roan was dead...Heidi had seemed to feel more than she did...and her friend didn't know the half of it.

Would Jae accept half the story...half the truth? I hope so.... She smiled then spit the water that filled her mouth back into the shower, it would probably be a Jae thing to hit the Emporium and try and send souvenirs back. And what would be so terrible about that? Nothing. She finished her mental conversation and turned off the water, then stepped out of the tub.

The terry cloth robe barely came to her calves and she cinched the belt tight, wishing her own powder blue one was lurking about. Reed canted her head to one side and squeezed the excess moisture from the long black tresses. By habit she scanned the flattened hair, eyes sharp for signs of the first gray. God only knows I should have been gray long since. None. She gave herself a satisfied smirk in the mirror and winked. Blue eyes twinkled back at her in surprise, the heavy lines of tension that she expected to find lining her eyes were gone, and if Reed didn't know better she'd have said she looked almost...happy.

"Happiness isn't in your cards...remember?"

"You say something Reed?" Jae called from the sitting room.

"Just mumbling to myself." A quick flick of the wrist and the towel was over the shower rod and the light was off. "Anymore cocoa?"

A huge carafe was held aloft. "I figured it was going to be a long night." The director clarified, smiling.

"You going to share?" She held out her mug imperiously, haughtily standing at her full height, a smidgen under six feet.

"You do know that Amazon Ice Queen isn't a rank right?"

Momentarily she flinched before catching the humour in Jae's lilting remark. You're the one that brought it into the open...so deal. "That depends entirely on your point of view."

The blonde laughed, and Reed found herself glad that she had let the joke slip by. Her eyes narrowed slightly...the next crewman who uses it might not be so lucky though. It would be just her luck to have Jae add it to the growing list of nicknames.

"So tell me...."

Reed's stomach clinched...here it comes....

"What are little boys into these days?" Jae finished, then patted the couch next to her.

She eased down onto the upholstered surface, the large cushion giving gently under her weight. "I don't know about most little boys, but Rio has a thing for computers and Kinex."

"Easy things to play with when you're sick."

The mug nearly crashed to the floor, the relaxed grip she had on it not almost not enough to keep the cup and its contents balanced on the arm of the forest green sofa. "How...?"

The director shrugged. "I listened Reed, as much to what you didn't say as to what you did."

"Oh." She took a gulp of the cooling drink, buying time to respond. That was different. Someone was listening....

"You don't have to talk about this tonight." Green eyes danced with humour. "We could rehearse instead."

"You know that being caught between a rock and a hard place is just a proverb right?" Reed deadpanned.

"Only in Newfoundland...Roo, only in Newfoundland." Came the sober pronouncement.

The incongruity of it struck her and Reed laughed, once again clutching the cup to keep from spilling its contents onto the floor and anything else within reach. "Rio would like you."

"Really? How come?"

"Cause you make me laugh." The remark was off-hand, but the truth slammed home. Jae did make her laugh, more than anyone except Rio. Suddenly the idea of sharing with this woman wasn't nearly as frightening a prospect as it had been. "Can I have a rain check on the rehearsal?" she asked softly.

Jae took a long sip obviously relishing the flavour of the rich cocoa. Cheeks bulged slightly as she swirled it around her mouth. "It doesn't waste my time," she said.

It took Reed a moment to mentally catch up to the director. Like the blonde's body it seemed her mind was in constant motion. Even now in a time of seeming repose, Jae wasn't completely still. Reminded of her earlier angry words, Reed rubbed her thumb along the rim of the mug. "Okay," she mumbled.

A hand brushed her collarbone where small drops of water were still pooled the last remnants of the water seeping from the inky tresses. "But you got to admit...it does look like you are melting."

Chapter 21

"No."

"Just one more." The location director for Entertainment Tonight was pushing for another set of shots, and had pushed her patience to the limit in the process.

"We're done. I have work to do."

"But Ms. Cavanaugh..."

The protest fell on deaf ears as Jae flipped through the storyboards. Shoot this...angle is wrong for the sun...shoot this...The director looked up at the fading light. They had all the 'romping' shots they needed, thanks to Entertainment Tonight, but she was running out of time for the rest.

"Marks," she called before her temporary assistant could issue the order. The actors obediently took their places and waited for the cue to begin moving. Reed and Sarah were just out of camera range, ready to stroll through the framed shot when cued.

Filming a crowd scene wasn't as simple as aiming the camera at a crowd and taking footage. The details were important and needed to be staged in order to standout. Little things like team logos on baseball caps were important to help the audience feel part of the movie. It didn't matter that the odds of seeing some one they knew were beyond miniscule - what mattered was the illusion that those people could be your friends or neighbors. Normally they could have incorporated crowd shots from the park, since entering Disney World itself was implicit permission to be photographed or filmed. It wasn't a good idea for this film...all they needed was for someone in the crowd to object to being in the film and release could be held up months while the legal tangles were sorted out or the scenes were re-edited.

Jae studied the human composition, decided it didn't need any tweaking and motioned to Reed and Sarah. "Roll Cameras."

"Rolling."

Sound wasn't involved in this, the dialogue and crowd noises would be added later in the studio. The scene unfolded in her monitor, and she tracked the movement of the leads through the crowd, careful to ensure that the extras weren't simply moving back and forth around them. There...damn.... "Cut." A young boy had crossed in front of Sarah and Reed for the third time.

The assistant, Mark Ostertag, materialized at her shoulder. It wasn't his fault he wasn't Cait, so she kept her voice calm. "Reset the crowd, and if you have to keep using the same kid, at least get him a different hat or shirt."

"Yes, Ma'am." He sped off, clipboard in hand.

The Director of Photography joined her, sketchbook and loose drawings bundled under his arm. "Going to be a gorgeous sunset."

"What have you got in mind?"

"Well we've lost the natural light for the next scene, and unless you want to come back tomorrow, why don't we shoot it this way...from here." He traced his finger along the original drawing then quickly added details with a piece of conté.

"Right...and have the medium range shots come from this direction." Jae added some lines of her own and nodded her approval. "Let's get this one finished and squeeze the next one off."

"I'll get the third camera prepped and ready to move." The Director of Photography was already turning to find a Foley operator. Gray hair neatly tied back in a ponytail, the DP was a walking advertisement for the 60's style artist.

"Marks." Everybody returned to their places, and Jae counted off mentally. "Roll Cameras."

"Rolling." The Cameraman tracked the movement, slowly panning across the group. To her left another camera recorded the scene, the lens moving with the opposing traffic to the leads.

Finally. They had it. "Cut and print." Jae rolled her shoulders to relieve the tension that had built up between her shoulder blades.

The grips and best boys swung into action, rapidly dismantling the minimal lighting and camera set-up. Two gators were hitched up to the small equipment trailers and Jae popped into the passenger seat of one of the small green all terrain vehicles. The engine throbbed making the small vehicle vibrate and conversation difficult, so she opted to wait before calling Cait.

She was racing full dark, but Erich's plan was a good one. "Got to remember to thank him for that." The DP could have walked away when Roan died. Like Jae herself, Erich's contract had been with Roan personally. In fact a lot of the crew still had vacancies in the senior positions, the rest cobbled together with a mix of friends and people who had elected to stay.

They stopped and the techies began unloading and setting up, some of the work already accomplished by Erich and the foley crew. That had turned out to be one advantage of the upheaval and vacancies, the crew was less rigid about unionized tasks and the set had more of a team atmosphere.

"Are the stand-ins ready?" Jae asked.

"Yes, Ms. Cavanaugh."

"Get them to the tables, we'll do the angle checks and lighting." Her attention was already back on the storyboards. Her assistant dismissed as Jae ran invisible tape in her imagination, mentally capturing each shot she wanted from this last series. The close up shots had been filmed earlier in the week, and they needed to make sure that continuity held between the exterior 'ambiance' shots and the detail sequences. "Are Lewis and Gellar through wardrobe yet?"

"I'll check." The young man moved with a sense of urgency that had been lacking earlier and returned swiftly, slightly out of breath. "Just finishing."

"Thanks."

"We're ready Jae." Erich called across the tangle of wires that connected the cameras to the huge batteries. The whole process had taken them less than twenty minutes, and Jae began to relax a little. In spite of the time lost with ET, it looked like they might finish up tonight after all.

"Places." Mark called, and the director took a second to flash him a smile and a nod of approval.

"Roll Camera."

"Rolling."

A waiter approached the couple seated at the table, both women smiling as the order was placed. Jae's monitor focused more tightly on the action that what the other cameras were actually shooting. The wind ruffled Reed's hair slightly and Jae smiled to herself. In contrast to the tension of shooting the news magazine footage in tandem with regular shooting earlier the actress seemed more relaxed in her role than ever.

It showed on the tape too. For a moment Jae was tempted to reshoot the close-up footage. Let it go Jae...it's three minutes of the movie...and that's if it stays in.... That's what the whole week came down to, seven and a half minutes of screen time...or less.

"Cut. Hold places. That was good people...just one more time to make sure we have it all." Jae made some notes on her shooting draft...already editing the footage in her mind. "Reset...and on my mark." Props crew whisked the original drinks away from the table and the waiter returned to his place in the shadows.

"Set." Props signaled they were ready.

"Roll Camera."

"Rolling."

The action unfolded again, a near exact replica of what had just been shot. Out of the corner of her eye the director could see the sound-effects team making notes about the noises around them. Like the other exterior shots the sound track for this segment would be laid down in the sound studio.

The monitor showed only the steady progress of the scene, no hitches. Good. "Cut. That's a wrap."

Around her the crew erupted in a flurry of activity. Lights, cameras and batteries disappeared leaving only the splendor of a twilight sky in a brightly decorated theme park behind them.

Distracted, the beauty was lost on Jae. "Cait...what did Paramount say?" She clasped the cell between her shoulder and ear, and scribbled noted with her free hands.

"Hello...I'm fine...thanks for asking."

"What...Okay, hello Cait. Now what did Paramount say?"

"They can give you three hours. Editing bay 2."

"Thanks. Knew I could count on you." She traded the pencil for the phone, ready to ring off. Her right hand found its way to her hair, and Jae leaned on her elbow, fingers entwined with her hair, thinking.

"Wait...I chartered a plane...I'll fax the details through to the hotel. Flight leaves at one."

"P.M. right?"

Caitlynn chuckled, "right. How'd the shoot go?"

"Lousy. Next location shoot you're coming too."

"Next location shoot is Michigan in winter...and I'm thinking Mikey will be just fine on his own.

"Wuss." She playfully accused her assistant.

"Do you have any idea what a hat does to my hair?"

"Worse than rain?"

"You know it hon. Speaking of which, I have a date with Raoul and some silk therapy." Unlike Jae's short blonde locks, Cait's long hair refused to behave and needed taming on a regular basis.

"What colour this time?"

"Same old basic black...goes with anything."

"We could rename the colour...something like...filme noire...." The location equipment had all been packed away and a crewman loitered to her right, ready to steal her chair the second she moved. Co-operating, Jae stood.

"That stunk...even for you."

"Yeah well...we all can't be Ellen...I have to go. I'll send the new film up tonight after I check the dailies and do a preliminary cut."

"I'll warn Bill. He was impressed with the rollercoaster footage by the way."

"Good. Night Cait."

"Later Hollywood."

Mood improved Jae pocketed the cell phone and joined the DP and her assistant. "Ready?"

"Totally." Erich answered.

Mark nodded, and followed behind them as they made for one of the 'secret' park entrances and their ride to Paramount.

A twinge in the back of her mind made her pause before she joined the others as they piled into the rental car. Jae slumped against the passenger door and tried to put her finger on the tenuous feeling. Nothing came to mind and she shrugged it off as fatigue from a long day that was only going to get longer.

Reed tried to shake-off the disappointment. Jae wasn't coming. She dug in the pocket of her pants until she felt the leather strap of the Timex Atlantis watch. Ten o'clock...now what?

"Yo. Reed."

Holly and her friend Maribel made their way through the crowd to where she sat at a table overlooking an artificial lake. Originally she'd assumed the two were lovers...and been amazed to discover that they were just friends. Maribel had joked that the author wasn't her type, and Reed had wondered for a split second just what her type was before the librarian had revealed that she was straight.

Forcing herself to be polite, Reed stood and gestured at the empty chairs. Around her, excitement swelled as families and assorted groups of people awaited the first volley of the laser light show. A quick computer search had verified that Disney World did indeed have the same laser light show as Disney Land -Jae had simply misspelled it. So much for that surprise....

Holly took a long look at her, and Reed was left with the uncomfortable feeling the other woman had seen more than the actress had intended to reveal. Whatever it was, she didn't comment, and took a seat next to Reed, facing the water. Likewise Maribel eased her chair around the end of the table to bring the action on the lake into view.

Music filled the air and a bright flash of light revealed the Sorcerer's Apprentice as the dance between the forces of light and dark began.

********************

"Are you sure about this?"

"No." In spite of her denial Reed moved toward the wooden door.

The pedestrian traffic moved around them, no one pausing to spare them a second glance. Neon signs glowed eerily in the lamplit night, diffuse colours garishly reflecting from walls and windows. The lettering above the awning read 'RUMOURS,' gold nearly faded into the black canvas.

"Yo. Reed."

Startled she jumped slightly, then turned to look at Holly. The other woman wore an enigmatic grin. "What?" she asked, drawing out the word.

"You've been staring at the door for five minutes."

Without replying she tugged on the door. A long flight of red carpeted steps stretched in front of her, terminating in a gaping maw of night. Periodically flashes of light revealed that there was more beyond the foot of the stairs.

C'mon Reed it's a bar...not a jungle...there are no lions and tigers and bears. The actress steeled her resolve and barreled down the stairs and into the room beyond. Oh my.... She stopped, eyes wide.

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined what the inside of a woman's bar would actually be like. Not even close.... A pool table stood in one corner, a dozen or so women gathered around the field of combat. Almost not quite...she thought wryly. Holly and Maribel moved past her and Reed dug herself out of examining the bar long enough to follow them to a back corner.

She locked eyes with Holly as they silently argued over who got the catbird seat, the other woman letting her win. "Thank-you," she acknowledged sitting on the sofa, Holly settling in next to her, while Maribel perched on the edge of a chair across from them.

Reed continued to study the surroundings. Every available inch of wall space was either painted black or covered with a variety of framed posters...some of which were...interesting. She snorted, interesting is an understatement. To her left Melissa Etheridge displayed her back along with her guitar, sans shirt, while to her immediate right two women - at least she thought there were only two - were engaged in some form of tantric yoga.

The dance floor teemed with wriggling bodies in various states of dress...or undress, depending she supposed, on your point of view. She blinked, as her point of view revealed more of a dancing blonde than she really needed to see.

That was though, to her surprise, the exception rather than the rule. Most of the women were just sitting and chatting, some were dancing, and some were draped over the pool table, but no one was making out in the corners.

"What can I get you Grrls?"

"Whiskey sour." Reed ordered, adding hard liquor the three beer she had consumed earlier. The waitress' eyes lingered on hers a moment before the brunette turned to Holly.

"Tuborg."

"And you?" Her eyes darted back to Reed's, though she was taking the librarian's order.

"Pepsi, please." Maribel got up and made for the opposite side of the bar where, Reed presumed, the facilities were located.

"No problem." The woman left with one last look back.

"This is the last time I bring you to a women's bar." Holly shook her head.

"What?"

"Reed, she was checking you out."

"Was not."

"Okay."

"She was not." Reed muttered. Was she? She replayed the brief encounter over in her mind trying to pinpoint what Holly was talking about. I don't feel like I've been 'checked out'. Christ. Now I sound like a library book. The woman hadn't leered, there was no whistle, no 'how do you like your eggs?', nothing, or at least nothing she was used to getting from men. She decided that Holly was pulling her leg.

The music throbbed and hummed. Acoustic rock poured over the dancers and spilled out to the edges of the bar. Sheryl Crow's tribe was busy doing it on a Saturday night just to see what it was all about. Which pretty much summed up why she was here. Okay. So. Now what?

The brunette waitress sat on the arm of the loveseat, one leg almost, but not quite, touching hers. Reed swallowed and looked at Holly.

The author leaned in and draped an arm across Reed's shoulders. "Let me."

Almost instantly the gap between her leg and the server's widened. The woman made change for Holly, then left without a backward glance.

"Thanks."

Holly leaned back, smiling. "No problem."

Reed shot her a suspicious look. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Fine okay. She was checking me out."

"Who was checking you out Reed?" Maribel asked as she returned.

"No one."

"The waitress." Holly answered.

"She was cute."

"I thought you were straight?" Reed asked, dumbfounded.

"I am. Haven't you ever found a woman aesthetically pleasing? Not sexually, but just easy on the eyes?" Maribel had settled back into her chair and was stirring the ice in her glass around with the straw.

Her first instinct was to say, 'No, of course not'. But having lived and worked in the industry she knew she evaluated the way a woman looked all the time - if for no other reason to she how she compared. Hollywood was driven by 'The Look' - you had to know how you stacked up. "Yes. I suppose," she hedged.

"No, not the meat market stuff of Tinseltown. Aesthetics." Maribel looked around the bar. "Look at the short woman standing by that pillar. See how her features are balanced, how when she smiles it lights up her eyes?"

Reed looked, trying not to evaluate the woman by the standards of Hollywood competition. She could see what Maribel meant, the young woman had vitality, a lot like Jae's, and it did make her attractive.

She looked around the bar, amazed at the variety of women present.

"Yo. Reed."

"Hmm."

"You're staring." Holly was watching her with that enigmatic grin again.

"Observing."

"Well you've been observing the blonde in the corner for the last few minutes."

"So."

"So, she's headed this way." The enigmatic grin became a full smile. "Welcome to Method Acting 201."

Oh shit...now what? The blonde had threaded her way past the line of women waiting for bar service and Reed felt her stomach tighten. What the hell do I say? "Hello...I'm not a Lesbian but I play one in a movie...." She was out of time and the woman smiled down at her.

"Dance with me?"

"No."

"No?"

"No?" Maribel echoed the question. "Come on Reed, it'll be fun." The dance mix of Cher's newest chart-topper poured from the speakers and the parkay dance floor teemed with women.

"Ya Reed. It'll be fun." Holly stood and moved next her friend waiting for Reed to make up her mind.

"Please," the stranger added, then offered her hand. "Name's MJ."

Reed hesitated.

Maribel cut in smoothly and performed the introductions. "I'm Maribel, this is Holly and that's Reed."

"Cool. Shall we?"

"After you."

Reluctantly the actress trailed them to the dance floor and tried not to think about what she was doing. What the hell am I doing here? I am in a...women's bar. She used the same term Holly had used. Dancing with a woman...who is 'checking me out'. More alcohol. Definitely need more alcohol. The song ended and Reed bolted for her seat, disappointed to discover she had finished her drink.

"Would you like another?" MJ asked. The tall blonde was leaning against the arm of the sofa and had picked up Reed's empty glass.

She nodded in acquiescence.

"A woman of few words. I like that." She held the tumbler under her nose and sniffed at the remains. "Whiskey sour, Ol' Granddad's." The other woman squeezed her shoulder, and it was all Reed could do not to flinch. "Be right back."

"I can't do this Holly."

The author stared at her a moment before speaking. "What did you think was going to happen? It's a gay bar Reed. Women are going to hit on you. That was the point wasn't it?"

"Who..."

Holly cut her off. "Get over it Reed. It's just a kiss. It's not contagious and even if it were it's not life threatening. And for the record, if you plan to get drunk enough to let her kiss you then you're worse than any man."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The author leaned forward. "She might be a dyke Reed, but believe it or not she has feelings. Just like you, and just like me or Maribel or Jae or any other human being."

"Don't compare me to them."

"It's not a them anymore Reed."

"Fuck-you," she spat.

Holly laughed, "that would be a little hypocritical of you wouldn't it?"

She took the stairs two at a time, unconcerned with the incoming traffic she shouldered her way through the throng and escaped onto the street.

*********

"There." Jae leaned back in her chair and hit play. The tape was still disjointed, but the majority of what she wanted to convey came across, with plenty of extra material as fudge space.

Mark snored softly in a corner. His tousled black hair fell over his eyes as he slumbered in a chair tilted against the wall, the nineteen-hour day having proved too demanding.

"Car'll be around in a moment." Erich re-entered the room.

"Cool. Thanks."

"No problem. Have you decided how you want to frame Crandon Beach yet?"

"The basic blocking. But I want to see the beach for myself first. If it weren't for the issue of sunset and moonrise, I'd shoot it in LA." The horizon position was wrong to be shooting the east coast scenes on the west coast. And there was no way that she was going to use a cheesy CGI moon.

The DP nodded. "I had a look about two months ago. Nice beach plenty of room for lighting and equipment."

"That's a blessing at least. One less thing to worry about."

"How many takes do you figure?"

She thought about it. To get the action itself? Not more than six or seven. But to get the emotion of the scene? I don't even want to think about it. But it might be a plan to order lots of extra tape. Jae ran her fingers through her hair. "Put me down for twenty."

Erich laughed and made a note in a little blue pad. "Optimist."

"Ya well, it's bad for morale if the director bets too high." Truth was she'd be happy to get it shot in less than fifty. It was a time-honoured tradition for the crew to bet on the number of takes some scenes would require, though the director was supposed to turn a blind eye to it.

"Car's here Ma'am." Their driver stuck his head in the room, to let them know he had arrived.

"Thanks." Jae picked up her backpack and walked across the room. "Mark....Wake-up." For him it was after mid-night. For her it was still early, her circadian rhythms still marched to LA time. Groggily he got up and followed them out to the car.

She leaned against the locked door and mulled over the upcoming shoot. How do I get the fireworks to...Oh, my God...the fireworks. Jae sat up and hooked her fingers in her hair. I can't believe I did that. Why Not? Her internal narrator asked, calling her on it.

The drive to The Floridian seemed to take three times as long as she remembered, and it was with equal measures of relief and anxiety that she greeted the sight of the familiar lake and Victorian architecture.

The elevator was in league with the roads and took twice its normal time to descend to the lobby. In perfect symbiotic application of Murphy's Law, the car filled with other passengers, at least one of who got off at every floor between the lobby and their room on the six floor.

Jae paused before she slid the keycard into the slot, mustering her courage and arguments. Right...it's not like you don't have practice with this.... Her internal voice popped up again. It's not like she's your girlfriend or anything, now is it Jae m'grrl? The room was dark, no lights were on, and there was no sound coming from Reed's half.

She found the light switch and illuminated the room. The connecting door was shut. "Not good Jae. Not good at all." Not since their first night in the hotel had either one of them shut the door and Jae stared at it in disbelief. Now what? She didn't dare try the handle, to see if it was locked or not, in case she woke Reed.

"I'll grovel." One boot hit the floor with a thud and she struggled with the other one before sitting down on the bed to remove it. Question was, how? Girlfriend groveling she had down pat, and for the most part it worked. And for the rare occasions it failed, there was always flowers, or home cooked dinners.

But what would Reed accept? Try this Wunderkind, the truth. Would Reed understand the truth? Jae flopped back onto the bed, still wearing her chinos and shirt. Would she accept that sometimes when I'm working I just lose track of the time...that I get so excited by the way that images come together that everything else gets pushed aside? Her fingers again crept through her hair, the silky touch of the strands felt soothing against her palm. No one else had.

Even Becky, who worked in the industry, hadn't understood that she honestly lost track of things when she was working. The actress had accused her of doing it deliberately and nothing Jae said could convince her otherwise, so eventually she'd quit trying. Her girlfriend's eyes would glaze over when technical talk came up and Jae had given up trying to share her work.

Yeah, that's the ticket...try the truth first. Jae smiled to herself and pulled her sketchpad off the nightstand. And if that doesn't work...try a Guinness and a half dozen cheese dogs.

The telephone pealed shrilly and Jae fumbled for her cell before she realized it was the one on the nightstand. "Hello?"

"Is this Ms. Cavanaugh?"

"Yes," she answered. What in the world?

"I'm the bartender at Tucker's, do you know a Ms. Lewis?

Chapter 22

Reed was slumped in the corner of a high backed booth. The leather was worn and cracked, but looked homey rather than tacky. Large wooden posts held up the rough hewn timber ceiling joists and wrought iron candle holders illuminated the walls. Jae made her way across the empty floor, careful not to disturb the chairs that were resting on the table tops.

"Hey."

Reed looked up but remained silent, her expression unchanged.

"Tough night?" she asked.

No reply. The actress just shrugged her shoulders into her jacket and stood away from the booth.

"My mother used to give me the silent treatment when I was a kid. Hated it. Hating having to guess what I'd done wrong. If you're mad at me tell me, then we can deal with it." Jae led the way back through the bar.

"S'm not mad," Reed slurred. "S'drunk."

"No. Really?"

"Smartash."

"Yep." Jae agreed happily. "But I'm your smartass."

"S'true?"

Jae opened the car door and nodded at the bartender. "Thanks." Reed had forgotten her question and was wrestling with the seat belt, finally claiming victory after successfully pinning the clasp against the buckle and sliding them together.

"No problem." The young man went back inside and locked the door behind him, shaking his head in amusement at the actress' antics.

Jae could see why he had been reluctant to kick a drunk Reed out of the bar. Nice bar...bad neighborhood. "C'mon Roo. Let's get you home."

They rode in silence, insulated from the noise of the road by thick glass and from each other by timid curiousity. Twenty minutes later the driver pulled up in front of the hotel. Jae waited for him to come round and open the door, so that he could help get Reed out of the car if necessary.

Reed eased herself out of the car and paced deliberately toward the elevator.

"Wow. You must have one Hades of a metabolism."

The actress turned from the wall. "Hell, Jae. Just say hell."

"Can't. Promised my grandmother I wouldn't swear."

"You promised your...grandmother?"

"Yep. In the fourth grade." She guided Reed into the elevator and hit the button for their floor.

"So what happened tonight then?"

If I was going to swear...now would be the time. The elevator stopped, and gave a small jerk as gravity caught up with them. Jae mulled over what to say, deciding to stick to plan A. "I got wrapped up in cutting the film and forgot. It was just taking shape so perfectly and next thing I knew..." she snapped her fingers, "it was after midnight. I should have called, for that I'm sorry."

"Happens to me too, when I'm working with clay."

It was Jae's turn to be surprised. Clay? Reed appeared, at least on the surface, way too mercurial to be someone who worked with clay. It's the first personal detail I haven't had to pry out of her with a 2x4 though. Next she'll be telling me she likes hominy and grits.

"So, what's your story Morning Glory?" She pushed the door open and motioned for the actress to precede her.

Reed blushed and looked down at the floor. Oh boy, this is going to be good, thought Jae.

"...argument..." the actress mumbled, "...dyke...kiss...mad at.left."

"You had an argument?" Jae prodded. "With who?" And how does it involve a dyke and a kiss...or do I even want to know.

"Holly."

"You argued with Holly about the kiss? It's a little late for a re-write on the book."

"Different kiss, in the bar."

"Tucker's?"

"Rumours." Reed was striving to shed her shoes, having finally gotten out of her coat.

"Rumours?" Jae knew if she went and looked in the mirror that her eyes would be as round as saucers. She couldn't begin to imagine how they had ended up in a gay bar, though Holly did have a slightly warped sense of humour.

"It's a women's bar."

She resisted the impulse to add, 'you don't say?', and opted instead to simply ask, "why?" As a precaution she sat on the bed, and made room when Reed joined her.

"The Kiss."

"Roo."

"What?"

"Stick to acting, you'd make a lousy screenwriter."

"Everyone's a critic."

Reed didn't continue, and they sat in silence until Jae couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, I'll bite. What about The Kiss?" She could hear the capital letters.

"I wanted to find out if I could do it."

"And?"

"And I had an argument with Holly."

Jae was positive Reed was trying to drive her insane. "You tried to kiss Holly?"

The actress shook her head. "No."

"Maribel?"

Reed leaned over conspiratorially and whispered, "Maribel is straight."

Jae could smell the mix of vanilla, cigarette smoke and bar air that clung to the actress. It was all she could do not to turn her head slightly and breathe it in again, instead she savoured the faint scent that lingered between them. "So who did you try to kiss?"

"No one."

She ran her fingers through her hair and counted to ten. Backwards. Slowly. Twice. Trying to figure out the next question to ask she looked up at Reed and found the other woman regarding her speculatively. "What?" she ventured.

"Would you do that one with me too?"

"What one?" This time she was deliberately not replying to the question being asked. Favourite fantasy and worst nightmare...all rolled into one neat predicament.

"The Crandon Beach scene."

"I need to go to the bathroom. Excuse me." Jae bolted for the safety of the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Oh boy...Oh boy is right m'grrl. Her internal narrator provided not so subtle encouragement to balance her conscience. She turned the cold water tap on and splashed a handful across her face, running the excess into her hair with her fingers to dry them off. C'mon...it's not like you haven't thought about it.... No harm no foul. You kiss her, get your questions answered, she gets hers answered and you get to safely get her out of your system. She-ah right...

Without thinking about it she brought her hands to her face and threw a jab, then two more. In the mirror her target ducked away from the next combination so Jae countered with a jab, cross, hook. The bathroom was too small for leg work but she balanced her body over her knees and took up the rhythm.

Jab. Cross.

Jab. Cross.

Tell her? Jab. Cross.

Don't tell her? Jab. Cross.

Jab. Cross. Tell her?

Jab. Cross. Don't tell her?

Jab. Cross. Jab. Cross. Jab. Cross.

Her muscles were loosening, and she settled into an easy cadence.

Kiss her? Jab. Cross.

Kiss her not? Jab. Cross. Hook.

Jab. Cross. Hook. Kiss her?

Jab. Cross. Hook. Kiss her not?

Kiss her. Jab. Cross. Hook. Tell her?

Jab. Cross. Hook. Tell her not.

She threw a few more combinations, finishing up the light work out with a flurry of hooks. "Reed's going to think I died in here." Jae splashed a little more water over her face to cool down the skin. Her reflection gazed back at her mockingly. "It's just a rehearsal kiss, Jae. Get over it."

Right a rehearsal kiss. Then why do I feel like a nervous teenager before the prom? How would you know...you never went to your prom, remember? Ya. Now let me think. That little voice could be so annoying. Where's the rehearsal line m'grrl hunh? You should be making her rehearse with Sarah. Jae turned the tap off and patted her face dry. "Be a moot point once we are back in LA, I'll be too busy. This is a one shot deal."

Yeah. Right...commented her inner cynic. "And not while she's drunk."

Jae exited the bathroom, and turned off the light behind her. "Sorry about that Reed."

There was no answer from the tall woman. While she had been thinking, Reed had crawled under the covers and was out like a light.

"No problem, I'll just sleep in her bed." Jae grabbed her pillow, then made for the connecting door. Locked. Reed must have locked it earlier, and they had come in through Jae's room. That left her two choices - dig through Reed's pocket to find her room key or crawl in next to her.

"Some choice." Risk trouble now, or later. She eyed the bed with a mixture of apprehension and appraisal. "Big enough. But I'm keeping my clothes on." Gingerly, she slid under the covers and pulled them up around her.

Reed's scent drifted across the slight gap between their bodies and Jae considered that maybe the floor would make a good option three. She closed her eyes and tried to keep from imagining what it would be like to kiss the woman sprawled beside her. If it had been hard before - now that she was actually going to do it - it proved next to impossible. It was going to be a long night.

Part 4

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