The Waitress

Freedom Flight

The logistics of getting an undetected, under-siege Tom Hiddleston, to Tweed were the topic of discussion around the late lunch table at the Blue Wave the next day - with Liam and Marc as special guest contributors.

Everything from smuggling him out in the back of Mells' car from the restaurant or underground carpark to picking him up from work and taking him straight to Tweed was discussed in the empty café.

Tom was still at work but that didn't stop the Blue Wave and Tom's own people from deciding his fate in absentia. In fact, the brains trust decided it was safer without him and without his entourage of media, fans and paps.

It was getting ridiculous.

Of course, the only upside was the free publicity for the Wave (something Phillipe and James were eager to thank him for - hence the hastily organized meeting after Mells told Phillipe (in confidence) about the plan when she had dropped in earlier on the way to university.

She was the other person not at the meeting.

They wanted to get this out of the way without having to worry either of the people who would have to carry out said "daring flight for freedom" plan as James was dramatically calling it or operation "freedom's flight".

Phillipe was regretting telling him Mells' plan right about now, his overenthusiastic, overly romantic partner was swept away. It was sweet, though he didn't know if Tom and Mells would really appreciate it or would, even one day in the distant future, fulfil his romantic fantasy and live "happily ever after". They were both broken people, lost and lonely, and he was more so now. Phillipe couldn't put his finger on it exactly, but it was like the recent incident, his recent brush with love, with Voldemorta, had broken him. The Blue Wave crew thought it was a fling, a last hurrah before Tom realised how he felt about Mel, most of the world thought it was a publicity stunt but after seeing the man in the flesh, Phil wasn't so sure of either of those things. He also wasn't sure if it had been the broken relationship or the sudden turning up to 11 of his fame quota that had rocked Tom more. But the man he'd seen in the café yesterday wasn't the same fairly carefree guy they'd all spent the summer with. The stick was back up his arse and he seemed shut off and shut down. And that's why he was humouring his partner, not for any romantic notion that Tom and Mel would suddenly run off together, get married and make beautiful babies (because they would be beautiful). No Phillipe saw a broken person (two if you counted the frustrated, confused and lost Mel) who needed a friend and timeout.

The clandestine meeting included Johnny, Marc and Liam as well as the core staff, the trusted members of the Wave family and by its end (and the end of a rather nice pitcher of margaritas) they had their solution -a solution that they excitedly conveyed to Mel when she arrived for her shift a few hours later. A solution that had Mel's eyebrow raised to within centimetres of her hairline in sceptical wonder. A solution that even had Tom shaking his head when she texts him later.

Never the less, it was the plan they went with for lack of anything better and to humour their friends, their family.

On Thursday night, Liam collected a spare house key from Mel.

On Friday, Mel drove to the Wave and then Liam drove her to university and brought her car back to Tom's building, parking it under there in his allotted spot (Mel had wondered why he didn't just give Tom his hire car but that was not the will of the masses, so she said nothing - they were obviously enjoying being spies).

With Tom's bags now packed in the back of Mel's car, he picked her up from university and they came back for her shift at the Wave. At 9pm she left work early with two big bags of food and wine and there was Tom waiting for her at her house- dropped off by Chris Hemsworth on his way home to Byron.