Parts 31 & 32

"How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face..."
-W.B. Yeats

*Part 31

The morning sun peaked around the shades in Melissa's room and her eyes opened to meet the new day head on.  She knew she needed to talk to Hayden, to explain her behavior, but she struggled with how to do that without alarming him.  Slipping from the comfort of his arms, she made her way down to the kitchen, hoping to collect her thoughts before the rest of the house woke up.  With her mind searching for ideas, she stirred her cup of tea without thought, completely unaware of the person watching from behind her.

"Morning," Ally said quietly, still causing Melissa to jump.

"Morning Mrs. Christensen," she stuttered, catching her breath and standing up to pour a cup of coffee for her guest. 

"Please, call me Ally..."

Melissa looked back over her shoulder as she began to pour the coffee.  "Ok."

"And tell me how long you've been getting threats."

Nearly dropping the pot, Melissa sighed, finished pouring and sat the cup of coffee in front of the older woman.  "How did you know?"

"I recognized the signs.  The police circling your street was a pretty good one.  I suspect that your friend slept with Kona because she didn't want to be alone, but what really cinched it was you."

"Me?"

"You live your life in stressful situations, ones that require a level head.  I can't imagine you've ever been this jumpy."  Ally paused to take a careful sip of her steaming drink before continuing.  "Does Hayden know?"

"Not yet, but I'm going to tell him."

"We never did."  The shocked look on Melissa's face told Ally she needed to clarify.  "Hayden has a wonderful soul and a kind heart.  He would do anything to protect the people that he cares about.  Because we love him, we wanted him to be able to live without reservation."

"So, you don't think I should tell him?"

"Honey, I know it's scary, but they do pass.  Nothing ever came of ours, the person who sent them found something else to do I suppose.  We would have worried him needlessly."

"Weren't you concerned that he'd be angry if he found out?"  Lying to Hayden was an option she couldn't fathom.

"We did, but it was risk we decided to take.  It was our choice, just like it's yours."  The older woman reached out and put her hand over Melissa's.  "He loves you, he'll want to look after you, but in two weeks he'll be gone.  What do you think he'll do then?"

She understood Ally's point, but something just didn't feel right.  "Maybe the letters will stop," was all she could think to say.  She needed to talk to Beth, for their entire life Beth could make sense of the senseless, she would know what to do. 

The two finished their drinks, returning to their rooms to get start getting ready.  Crawling back into bed with Hayden, Melissa wished she could stop thinking, needing a break from her dilemmas.  Watching Hayden sleeping helped to distract her.  No one had ever been more attractive to her than he was and it was a beauty that radiated from his heart.  Instinctively reaching out, he brought her closer and the warmth of his body quieted her remaining fears.  Being with him proved to her that anything was possible.  He had been her strength when they were in New York.  It was up to her to use that strength now, all on her own.
 
*****

Driving onto the grounds of Skywalker Ranch later that day was like entering a fairy tale.  Open fields as far as the eye could see, perfectly maintained by the ranches many grazing animals.  With Hayden leading a tour of the main house, Beth couldn't help but poke Melissa and giggle; unable to believe they were really there.  Hayden was having fun as well.  Passing a full size Darth Vader costume in a display case, he couldn't help himself.

"Looks like they got my outfit sent out and cleaned, although I'm sure the smell of moth balls would be rather menacing," he joked, receiving a playful slug from Melissa.

As they left the house on their way to the vineyard, where the barbeque was underway, the group ran into George himself giving a little tour.

"Hayden!  Melissa!" he boasted.  "It is great to see you again."

"Thank you," she answered, unable to believe he had remembered her name.  "Hayden was just giving us a tour and making unimaginably bad jokes."

"Obviously, you remember Melissa," Hayden laughed, "but you haven't met her best friend Beth or her brother Eric."

"Nice to meet you both, glad to have you!  Melissa, where is your dog today?"

"She's taking a nap in the truck.  We found a nice shady place to keep her cool."

"Nonsense, bring her out, let her run around.  Just watch out for the special effects guys, if they start sketching her she might end up morphed into some life-threatening creature in the next movie.  Oh, while I'm thinking about it Hayden, I have one of the new cottages set aside for your guests to spend the night."  Looking over to Beth and Eric he finished, "That is, if you'd like."

"We'd like!" Eric reacted immediately, causing Beth to blush.

No one said much during the walk to the vineyard.  Stopping to let Kona out, Melissa and Hayden followed behind her as she charged ahead, exchanging winks when they noticed the couple behind them.  Eric and Beth were holding hands as they strolled along, Melissa taking extra note at the lack of worry present in Beth's face.  Following a gentleman's lead, when Hayden went to get Melissa a drink, Eric followed, finally leaving the best friends to talk.

"Oh my gawd," Beth gasped, "George Lucas knows who you are and we are at his house!"

"More important than that - what is going on with you and dingbat?" she grinned, causing them to giggle. 

"We went out on a couple of dates while you were gone.  It seems strange to admit, but it's actually going pretty well." Beth answered.  "Are you ok with us going out?"

"Totally, if anyone can find the best in him, it's you.  Listen...I've decided not to tell Hayden about those letters, at least not yet.  They affect you too, so I have to know if you are ok with that."

"Can I ask why?"

"Mainly because he's leaving in two weeks and he'll worry.  I can handle this Beth I know I can.  Will you help me?"

"Of course he'd worry, he loves you...but when have I ever not helped you?" Someone caught her eye and she began wildly tapping Melissa's shoulder without taking her eyes off her target.  "Lissa, is that Ewan McGreggor?  Oh, this is just too much..."

*****

As the festivities wound down, the guests began to leave with only the overnight guests remaining.  Taking only a nudge in Hayden's direction, he had introduced Beth to Ewan and Melissa thought she saw a tinge of jealousy in her brother's eyes.  "Relax," she grinned.  "He's married."

Gathering in the reception room of the main house, the open windows filling the room with the sounds of crickets.  Eric sat on one of the many couches with his arm around Beth's shoulders; Hayden sat on the floor with his back resting against another.  Kona had taken point next to him, stretched out along one leg and Melissa had her usual spot, resting back against his chest.  Staring up at the room's cathedral ceilings, her architectural training took over and she studied the way redwood beams had been used to frame, as well as decorate, creating a cozy atmosphere in a large room. Ewan's voice saying her name eventually broke her concentration.

"Well Melissa, I have to admit that I don't know much about search dogs, but George showed us that documentary in the tech center a few days ago.  Most impressive, I must say.  What sort of instruction is involved?"

"Let's just say I identify closely with the Jedi," she smirked.  "First you have to get a mission ready member to act as your sponsor and then spend anywhere from 3-6 months as a pre-apprentice.  They evaluate your commitment to the organization as well as you and your dog's abilities.  From there you can apply for apprentice status, but that takes two mission ready members and another 2-3 years of training in everything from CPR to wilderness survival."

"Ah..." Ewan grinned.  "Then you're ready to face the trials and become a master yourself."

"Essentially."  Raising her arm up over her head, she ran her fingers through the soft curls of hair at the base of Hayden's neck. 

"Always two there are, no more, no less.  A Master and an Apprentice," Eric snickered, quoting Yoda much to the groups amusement.

Their chatter was silenced at the sound of Eric's pager ringing out his station signal.  Excusing himself, he pulled the pager off his belt and left the room so he could hear the call.  "That's odd," Beth mused.  "He never gets called in off duty.  I wonder what's going on."  She barely had the words out of her mouth when Melissa's pager went off.

"Apparently, nothing good.  Excuse me," she sighed, looking for her phone.

"Here, take mine," Hayden offered, getting a quick kiss in return before she left the room to call in.

Both returned moments later, leaning in to whisper to Beth and Hayden that they had to go.

"Don't worry, I'll wait up.  Be careful, ok?" Hayden smiled, giving her another kiss as she handed him back his phone.

"Everything all right Melissa?" George asked, his voice echoing in the quiet room.

"I'm sorry, Hayden will have to explain.  We have to hurry.  Thank you so much for your hospitality."

"We'll see you in the morning then," he smiled.

"Kona.  Time to go to work."  The dog bolted from Hayden's side, ears erect and a gleam in her eye as she ran toward her partner.  With a quick wave goodbye, they were gone.
 
"Do you ever get used to that?" David asked.

"No," Beth answered, with Hayden finishing for her, "but that's them."

*****

Hayden had passed on his limited information, which was that they were responding to an explosion near Pier 39 in San Francisco.  Off duty fire crews were being called in to help and the search teams were evacuating surrounding areas.  The evening had gotten late and everyone had turned in for the night.  Hayden walked his parents and Beth to the cottage and stayed until they were asleep.  Rest sounded good, but he had promised Melissa he would wait up.  Taking his phone he headed back to the main house, intent on combing the extensive library for something to read.  Instead he found himself sitting on the porch looking at the moon reflecting in the lake.

"Still waiting up?" came a voice from inside the house.  "Want some company?"

"Hey George!  Company sounds good, I think she's going to be a while."

"I saw your appearance on 'The View'," he said as he sat down.  "That's quite a catch you have there."

"I think so too.  I've asked her to visit me while we're filming, I hope that's ok."

"Of course, just have Cecilia or Mylene remind me to put her on the access list.  I've already added her to the security list here, she's free to come and go as she pleases whenever you are here."

Hayden couldn't believe it, knowing how protective George was of his home and his privacy.  "I don't know what to say... thank you doesn't seem like enough."

"Enjoy yourselves, that's thanks enough.  Besides, it's refreshing to us old guys to see young people in love." 

Just as George was standing up to leave they saw headlights in the distance.  "Looks like they're back."
 
"I'll leave you alone then and I'll understand if we don't see you for breakfast" he chuckled, patting him on the shoulder and bidding him goodnight before heading back inside.

As Melissa climbed out of the truck and he walked to meet her, his breath caught in his throat as the moon lit her smile.   She was everything he had always wanted and more.  Independent and strong, but with a weaker side buried so deep that only a trusted few ever saw hints of it.  She complimented his imperfections and made him a better person for the love she gave him.  As she walked toward him, arms reaching out for his, he silently promised to make sure she always knew that.

*Part 32

The weekend at the ranch had been a happy one for Hayden, spending all day Sunday enjoying only some of what the vast acreage had to offer.  Beth and Eric had gone back to the vineyard for wine tasting with George, Hayden's parents and some other guests, while Melissa and Hayden headed to the stables.

Looking back over the afternoon, he still caught himself grinning.  Melissa had been raised with horses, she was comfortable on them, but Hayden had never ridden before.  With the patience he had always seen her display, she gave him a lesson and some quick pointers before they headed off to see the back hills of the ranch. 

He could remember every detail of her face as the breeze blew through her hair.  The outdoors seemed to love her almost as much as he did.  Stopping atop one of the hills for a break, they held each other and marveled at the view.  "George is so lucky," she had sighed.  "He gets to come home to this everyday."

With sunset came the end of fun for them though, everyone had work to do.  David and Ally were the first to leave, business dictating their need to return to Toronto.   Melissa and Kona, Beth, and Eric followed soon after, each regretting they had to go back to work.  Letting Melissa go was never easy for Hayden, but at least this time he knew she was only a short drive away. 

First costume fittings and script readings dominated his days and evenings.  Only halfway through the week, he already found himself exhausted, but knowing it was just a matter of time before he fell back into the swing of demands that a large production produced.  Ewan had spent the day with him going over some dialogue that he was struggling with, finally calling it a night around 7pm.  The group enjoyed dinner in the main house before he excused himself, bidding everyone goodnight. 

As he took the slow walk back to his cottage, he thought of his evening phone calls to Melissa.  He doubted he could stay awake long enough to talk to her tonight.  Wednesdays were her late days, going to search team practice right from work. 
Opening the door of the cottage he caught a scent of jasmine, dismissing it as his wishful imagination until he caught a glimpse of a figure in the dark sitting room.  Wrapped in his blue bathrobe, Melissa was in a chair staring out the window, her knees pulled up tightly against her chest and her arms wrapped around them.  Her body formed a little ball and she looked fragile and unprotected.
 
Kona appeared at his feet and the smile he was wearing disappeared at the somber look he saw in the dog's eyes.  Gently rubbing his hand over her head, he walked slowly toward Melissa, not wanting to startle her.  She never wavered a glance from the window.  Kneeling next to her, he put his hand over hers and she moved only enough to take a hold of it.

"Do you remember before the Oscars when Kona and I went those Oregon fires and didn't tell you?" she started, her voice low and even, her gaze still fixed outside the window.

"Yes," he said simply, his worry increasing.

"We agreed not to keep important parts of our lives from each other after that...but I have been."

"Ok," he said swallowing hard.  "Go ahead.  I'm listening..."

Taking a deep breath, she started slowly and from the beginning.  "Four weeks ago I got a letter at practice.  It didn't seem like anything more than a jealous fan or I would have taken it more seriously.  A week later I got another one at the vet clinic."

"A jealous fan?  Melissa, is this about me?"  The knot forming in his stomach that told him he already knew the answer.

"They said you were too good for me and that I didn't deserve you.  The second one was angrier than the first and it came addressed to me by full name.  Beth didn't give me a choice after that, she called the police.  They took it more seriously than I expected.  I'm sure that was because of you.   They assigned a detective who started trying to find out who was behind them."

Reaching up, he pushed her hair back behind her ear and gently stroked her cheek.  She hadn't answered his question or looked anywhere but out of the window, but with each sentence she held a little tighter to his hand, so he just let her talk.

"A week ago I got another one - at the house."

"Oh my God," was all he could muster through his shock.  In that moment his mind raced, putting the pieces of the puzzle together and it all began to make sense.  The police car by her house, Kona sleeping with Beth and her reaction to her brothers unannounced visit...it all fit.

"The detective took it and ran the fingerprints, but they don't match any on file.  They know when the letters are mailed, but they don't know if they are dropped off at the post office or at a neighborhood mailbox."

"This has happened every week...for the last month?"  His voice full of disbelief, pleading for the answer he needed to hear, "What happened today Melissa?  Please, tell me that you're ok."

"Another letter came to the house today."  The moonlight reflected off a single tear rolling down her cheek and he brushed it away.  "The detective read it and told us to leave."  Finally turning to look at him, tears fell steadily down her face.  "I'm so sorry.  I thought I could handle it.  I knew you were leaving and I didn't want to worry you but I...I...I just can't."  Choking on her own words, she said the one thing he never expected to hear from her.  "I'm frightened."

He moved to sit on the edge of the chair so he could hold her, to let her know he was there and to try and comfort her.  He needed to feel the warmth of her body too, assuring himself that she was really ok.  She was trembling as his arms wrapped around her.  Smoothing her hair he gently rocked her.  "There is no reason for you to be sorry," he whispered, "none at all."

"I don't remember driving here," she confessed, "but I knew that being with you was the only place I wanted to be...the only place I'd feel safe."

He managed to keep his tone mellow and calming when he spoke to her, controlling the anger he had building toward the person causing her anguish.  He wanted to punch something, to find a way to release his rage, but that's not what she needed and her needs were his first priority.  "Where did Beth go?"

 "She's staying with Eric." 

"Ok, here's what we are going to do," he said, cupping her face in his hands and looking deep into her eyes.  "You and Kona are staying with me - no arguments."

"But you're leaving next week..." she started.

"Yes, and so are you.  We'll drive Kona to Kate's, she'll be safe there, and you're coming with me to give this time to blow over.  It will blow over beautiful, I promise."

She tried to think clearly, but she couldn't.  "I have work," was all she could think to say.

"I don't care about your job - I care about you.  Whoever this is knows where you work and where you live.  I want you away from that.  Melissa, please..." 

The desperation in his voice convinced her.  Resting her head on his shoulder, he rubbed her back, knowing he was asking her to give up everything important to her simply because he asked her too.  It was a lot to ask, even for what he considered to be a temporary situation.  "I love you so much.  I need to know that you're safe and I just don't trust anyone else.  You always take care of me.  Let me take care of you.  I want to be close if you need me."

"I needed you tonight and you were here," she whispered.

"So you'll stay?"  He felt her nod a simple yes and he began to relax a bit.  "How about a stroll to the house for a cup of tea?  I think we could both use some time under the stars."

Still uneasy, Melissa reluctantly agreed to leave the safety of the cottage.  The night air was clear and crisp, Hayden's constant touch was the comfort she had counted on.  "Do you remember the first time you held my hand?" she asked as they walked.

"It seems like there was never a time when I didn't," he smiled at her.  "I like it that way."

"It was after the Oscars.  I was standing next to you, feeling completely out of place, surrounded by every big name in Hollywood.  You took my hand and suddenly everything was ok, just like now.  How do you do it?"

"Oh, that's easy - you just need to find that one hand in the world that's meant for you to hold on to."

"And that was easy?" she felt herself start to smile for the first time that day.

"It was for me, I just had to be where you were," his mouth curling into a small smirk.

The main house was quiet and dimly lit when they came in, making their way to the kitchen.  Melissa pulled up a barstool and sat down at the counter while Hayden put on some water to boil, both jumping when they heard a voice at the kitchen door.  Her view blocked, Melissa couldn't see who it was, but she recognized the voice.

"Oh sorry," George apologized.  "I thought you were Cecilia," referring to his new assistant.  "Everything alright Hayden?  You looked pretty tired when you left earlier, I figured you'd be asleep by now."

"Change of plans," he explained.  "Join us for a cup of tea?"

"Us?" he questioned, walking further into the kitchen and spotting Melissa.  "Sure," he added, pulling a chair up next to her and listening as Hayden gave him the very short run through on what had prompted Melissa to arrive at the ranch so late at night.  Listening intently and nodding, he seemed to understand.

Kona poked at Hayden's leg and trotted to the door, turning back to look at him.  "I think someone needs to go out," Melissa interpreted.

"I'll let her out." Hayden offered.  "If you'll be ok."

"George will be fine," she tried to joke.  "I'll stay with him."

Satisfied that she wouldn't be alone, he walked Kona out to the front of the house.  "You did the right thing," George offered as soon as Hayden was out of earshot.

"Coming here?"

"Yes," he said raising a single eyebrow, "and telling him the truth about the letters."

Melissa couldn't help but gasp slightly.  "How did you know?"

Looking behind him to make sure that they were still alone, he began to explain.  "Ally told me before they left.  She was worried about you, wanted me to talk to Hayden, to see if he could get you to go with us to Australia."

"Did she tell you everything?" Melissa asked tentatively.

"You mean that she told you not to tell him?"  He stood up and refilled their cups with water, giving him a clear shot to watch for Hayden.  "I always had a feeling about you Melissa, the way Hayden was immediately enamored with you and the way you conduct yourself.  I figured you would come to the right conclusion and you didn't let me down.  More importantly, you didn't let him down."

"Not telling him never felt right," she sighed.  "I didn't want him to worry, but I needed him."

George nodded as they heard Hayden's footsteps coming back toward the kitchen, Kona right behind him.  "My turn to excuse myself, I'll leave these late hours up to you young folks."  Passing Hayden at the door, he patted him on the shoulder.  "Sleep well, I'll see you in the morning."

Standing close to Melissa, Hayden looked down at her and gave her a tender kiss on her forehead.  "Do you want to try and get some sleep?"

"George said you were tired before, you must be exhausted now," she said resting her head against his chest. 

"I'll be fine.  It's a nice night, how about if I grab a blanket and we camp out on one of the patio lounge chairs, or would you rather go back to the cottage?"

"You'll sleep better at the cottage, let's go there.  I just want to be with you."

"Still taking care of me," he said with a hug, "some habits are hard to break I guess."

"Maybe I just don't want to break that particular habit," she smiled back at him.

"Ah...the smile I love so much.  It's nice to see it's coming back.  Come on.  Let's go get some sleep.  Things will look better in the morning."

"I'm with you - things are already looking better."

Curled up together in bed that night, he held her closer than he ever had, hoping he was helping her feel the safety she needed.  As the tips of his fingers slowly brushed against the soft skin of her stomach, he felt her breathing ease, each breathe deepening as she slipped into sleep.  "Just relax beautiful," he whispered, finally closing his eyes.  "I've got you."