Once Upon A Time... The End

Strange Questions

After the show that night, we all went back to the cottage, chattering excitedly about the play that turned out to be magnificent. We had all gone backstage after the show to meet the actors, gushing over them, talking over each other loudly to fit our own input into the conversation.

Tom was probably the most talkative out of all four of us, gesturing wildly as he spoke, his one-of-a-kind laugh bouncing off the shallow walls. It was a Shakespearean play, after all, and he always had to say his piece when it came to Shakespeare. Tom was especially interested in their interpretation on a particular character, nodding his head intently as the actor that had played the part of that character described his method in detail to a wide-eyed Hiddleston.

It was obvious that the performers knew who Tom and I were, but I was grateful that they hardly said anything. A few of the actors, most of them women, asked for an autograph from the both of us, which we obliged, smiling graciously. The director and a few members of the cast took one big selfie with us, with Olivia and Tom towards the bottom, Sharon and I in the very middle, and the rest of the cast surrounding us, manic grins all over out faces.

It was a lot of fun, a great end to a fantastic night. The director, Martin Cox, offered to take us out for drinks but Tom and I declined. Liv was barely able to stand, she was so tired. So we said our goodbyes and left the theatre, talking quietly as we drove home.

~

"So, can we talk about what you're doing here, now, sir?" Olivia said, still laughing about a comment I'd made about a performers tights. She poked Tom in his chest and he laughed.

"I called Ben and asked him where he was, and he told me." He grinned when she glared pointedly at me. "I scheduled my flight to Wales right after I hung up."

I laughed when Olivia popped her next question. "Don't you people have any work to do?" Tom chuckled.

"No! Of course not." I said, with a smile as I looked at her in the rearview mirror. "We would much rather lose our well-paying jobs to hang out with teenagers like you!"

There was a chorus of laughter behind me and I grinned, chuckling.

Tom kissed Olivia's hair once more, still laughing. "Oh, dear girl, you know I'd choose you over anything, right?"

Liv rolled her eyes, playing with her coat button. "Yes, of course."

I noticed the detached way she said it. She hadn't really meant it. I looked up to see a frown start to cross Tom's face. The soft whispers he uttered were stern but desperate as he spoke to her. I swallowed.

Knowing that they probably wouldn't want me intruding, I focused again on the road, squeezing Sharon's hand beside me.

-

"Hey, Liv?" I asked as I helped her out of her dress that night.

"I can tuck my own self in, you know, Ben." She chuckles lightly, braiding her hair so it will be all wavy and nice in the morning.

"I know." I say, a little more defensive than normal. "I like doing it, though."

She laughs again.

She looked up from the ring she'd been toying with on her finger, smiling. "Hmm?" Her eyes twinkle. "You wanted to ask me something?"

When it becomes clear and rather obvious that her trembling fingers cannot undo the clasp of her dress, she quietly looks my way. A signal. A signal that she wants help.

I smile apologetically. I unclasp the dress easily and undo the ribbon on her dress, letting her slip past me and into the bathroom to change into her pajamas.

It was quiet in the house, almost silent, but the sounds of the heat whurring through the vents and the soft laughter in the living room kept everything awake and alive. I was too thoughful and curious to participate in the grown-up banter taking place in the next room over and had volunteered to help Livvy get ready for bed.

It was an easy enough job that I was used to doing and enjoyed doing.

I picked up the small bottle of perfume on Liv's dresser, a frown on my face. It was an article most girls had around Liv's age but it sat next to a bottle of thick, white pills and a thermometer. Next to that was a small wrist bracelet you'd get from being in hospital.

"What did Tom say?" I inquired finally, my frown deepening as I sat heavily on Liv's bed, watching as she slowly walked out her bathroom. Her purple pajama pants where worn from use, the yellow stars on them faded almost white. She had redone the braid and it now went down the middle of her short hair.

"Why are you asking?" She returned evenly enough, though I did see the flash of defiance in her eyes.

I sighed. "Don't shut down." I said gently, trying to keep my posture open and vunerable. She regarded me silently. "I'm just asking a question."

"You ask very strange questions." She commented with a sigh.

I considered that. "Well," I said, "perhaps it's because the answers are just as strange."

Without answering my question, she walked over to where I sat on her bed, reaching out to take my hands and I let her, rubbing my thumbs over hers. "You... you feel awfully responsible for me, Benedict."

A startled laugh escaped me. "Why do you say that?"

Liv tilted her head, her eyes searching mine. "You can't keep me from everything, you know. And you can't always be there to catch me or save me."

Taken aback by the sudden turn in the conversation, I scoffed. "Liv."

But she wasn't finished. "There are things you don't know, things you probably won't understand. And that's fine."

I shook my head, squinting at her. "Where is this--?"

"I'm okay." She said, her eyes on me. "It might not always look like it, and you might not always be around to see it. But I'm stronger than I look, and I can handle it."

I squirmed, uncomfortable. "I know that, Livvy. I get that."

"You don't." Was her reply.

I flinched, hurt by the sureness in her voice. "Hey, look, I get that I am working a lot of the time. That I can't always be here for you and your aunt the way most men wish they could be there for their families--"

Her head snapped up from where she had been looking, her eyes wide. "What?"

"--but that doesn't mean I don't try, alright?" I raised my eyebrows and Liv blinked. "I love you both, and you know that, Olivia."

She nodded but now she wouldn't look at me. "Yes, I know."

"Then stop this." I pulled her towards me, wrapping my arms around her.

She returned the embrace, her head on my shoulder as I held her close.

"Stop pushing people away, Olivia." I whispered, kissing her hair. "We aren't going anywhere, love."

"I know."

I smile and nod once. "Good, because we aren't."

She laughs but there's something wrong and she's obviously relieved I didn't ask her about Tom. I'm not pushing for a fight, not tonight, I'm too tired. So, I do what she wants me to do.

I ignore it all and I help her into bed, kissing her cheek. She says goodnight and I do, too.

Goodnight, love. See you in the morning.