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All too soon the time came to return to New York and Wicked. As per Nick’s instructions, I’d kept up my practicing, so I would be ready to walk back into my role with little difficulty. Part of me was anxious to get home, but a bigger part of me wanted to revel in the world we’d created together, just the two of us. Other than a few outings with his family, during which time I met some of his family, we’d stayed pretty much in the house, pretending the outside world didn’t exist. I hadn’t realized how tired I actually was until I had the chance to slow down and rest. Orlando felt the same way.

We returned to New York the day before New Year’s Eve, as planned. I hadn’t expected the time difference to bother me, but it did, and I was exhausted by the time I unlocked the door to my apartment.

“Feels good to be home,” I said as I pushed the door open and picked up my suitcases. Orlando followed me, carrying his own. “As much as I loved London, there’s nothing better than my own bed to sleep in.” I grinned at him over my shoulder.

“You’re home!” Lisa jumped up off the couch and came over to hug me, her green eyes flashing, her blond curls bouncing. As I hugged her, I saw Sean over her shoulder, sitting on the couch. I felt Orlando tense behind me.

“Hey Sean,” I said, picking up my luggage again and heading toward my room. Orlando followed me, not saying a word.

“What is he doing here?” Orlando practically hissed as I closed the bedroom door behind him. He was already in a less-than-happy mood because of some rather rude reporters at the airport.

“He’s dating Lisa,” I said, opening my suitcase and starting to put my clothes away. “It’s only normal that he’s here with her. Just let it go.” I turned to take him in my arms, wanting to take the anger from him. “We’ll just pretend they’re not here, okay?”

“Do you want to go to a hotel tonight?” he asked, nuzzling my neck. “They can have the place to themselves, and I don’t have to put up with him.”

“I really just want to be home,” I said, my hands sneaking into his jacket and pushing it down his arms, to the floor. “I’ll talk to Lisa, maybe they’ll go to his place.” I kissed him gently. “Be right back.”

I went into the living room. Lisa and Sean were curled up together on the couch, watching a movie. I hated to disturb them, but I didn’t want Orlando to be cranky all night either.

“Do you want us to leave?” Lisa asked as soon as she saw my face.

“We’ve had a long flight, and he’s not in the best mood right now,” I said quietly. “It might be best if you went to Sean’s. I’m sorry, I just don’t want to make matters worse.”

She nodded and stood up. Sean just stared at me.

“Sean, let’s go,” Lisa said, taking his hand. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Yes, actually, it is,” he said, pulling away from her. He stood up. “Damn it, Charlie, Lisa lives here, too, and if we want to be here tonight, we will be. The prima donna actor can shove it up his ass if he doesn’t like it.”

“Don’t start,” I said, fighting to control my temper. “You’re the one who put us all in this situation, so don’t you dare talk about him. Be decent for once in your life, and just leave.”

“Sean, it’s not a problem,” Lisa said, stepping in front of him. “We’ve had the place to ourselves for a week, we’ll just go next door to your place, okay?”

“No, it’s not okay,” he said, his voice softer as he looked down at her. “We were in the middle of a movie, not bothering anyone, and that hotshot comes in here, expecting us to leave? He may be important in Hollywood, but he’s no one here. I’m not putting up with that crap.”

“For crying out loud,” I said, exasperated. “Grow up, Sean. All I’m asking for is one night, to get over the jet lag. It has nothing to do with Orlando being who he is, it’s about respect and courtesy. You’ve created a very uncomfortable situation with him, and I’m trying to make it better for all involved. Get over yourself.”

“He needs to get over himself,” Sean said, seeming to ignore Lisa as she slipped her arm around him. “I’m not leaving.”

“Do I have to remind you that you don’t live here?” I said, letting the anger in me bubble to the surface. “This is my apartment as much as it’s Lisa’s, and she’s already said you two will leave. You’re the only one who has a problem here, and you’re the one who doesn’t have a say.”

Like a flash he was right in my face. “Shut your mouth, Charlie,” he said, towering over me. “Don’t tell me what to do.” There was a menacing glint in his eyes.

“Sean, let’s just go,” Lisa said, trying to get between us. He wouldn’t move.

“Stay out of this, Lisa,” he hissed, grabbing my arms. “Now go back into your room, Charlie, and stay out of my way.”

“Or what?” I said, jerking away from him. “You’re way over the line here, Sean. Just get out.” I wouldn’t let the fear that was building up in me overflow, even though he was starting to remind me of Ramsey. I’d never really seen this side of him, only when he’d kissed me and hadn’t let me go, but that wasn’t menacing the way this was. I just hoped Orlando wouldn’t come out of the bedroom while Sean was acting like this.

“Shut up, Charlie,” he almost growled. “I’m not going anywhere.” He grabbed my arms again and shook me roughly. “Now get your ass back in that room and out of my face.”

I tried to pull away as Lisa watched helplessly. It felt like a dark cloud had settled over us, and I fought the urge to shiver. This was all too familiar, and not something I had ever thought I’d go through again.

His grip on my arms tightened as I stared up at him. He was scowling down at me, his eyes practically flashing with anger. I tried again to jerk away, but he wouldn’t let me go.

“Sean, don’t do this,” Lisa pleaded, tugging on his arm. “Why can’t we just go? You’re scaring me.”

“I told you why,” he said, his eyes softening a bit as he glanced over at her. They hardened immediately when he looked back at me. “Don’t interfere.”

“But you’re hurting her,” Lisa said, tugging harder. “Sean, please, it’s not worth doing this.” Tears welled in her eyes. She’d never seen this side of him either.

“Let me go, now,” I hissed, resolving not to let him know he was scaring me or hurting me. His grip tightened steadily on my upper arms, and I knew there’d be bruises if he didn’t let go soon.

“Are you going to tell me to leave again?”

“Yes,” I said. I hadn’t given in to Ramsey, and I certainly wouldn’t give in to Sean. “After this, I’d be happy to never see you again.”

He shook me roughly again, my head snapping back on my neck. I held my ground and didn’t collapse, though my neck was aching and my balance was off.

“What the hell is this?”

Orlando came out of the bedroom, and I could feel the anger radiating off him as he saw Sean holding on to me. Sean sneered and his grip got even tighter.

“We’re just dealing with a little problem here,” he said, his voice cocky and rude. “None of your business.”

“When you’re touching my girlfriend, I think it is my business,” Orlando said, coming over to us. Sean didn’t let go.

“Don’t do this,” Lisa pleaded again as Sean locked his stare on me again.

I tugged again, harder this time, hoping to dislodge his grip from my arms. Before I knew what was happening, Orlando had gone behind him and jerked him away from me, sending me backwards with the force, ripping my shirt where Sean’s grip had been. Lisa jumped back as the two men faced each other. The anger in the room was so thick it could have been cut with a knife.

“Orlando, don’t,” I said, rushing between them. “He’s petty and he won’t hesitate to do something stupid. Just walk away.” I went to him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, ignoring the throbbing in my arms and neck. “Please, sweetheart, walk away, for me.”

He hesitated, then wrapped his arms around me. “Don’t ever touch her again,” he hissed over my shoulder, at Sean.

“Or you’ll what?”

“You don’t want to know.” The tone in Orlando’s voice scared me, as it was beyond angry, it was downright furious. “Get the hell out.”

“Sean, you need to leave.” Lisa’s voice rang out, sounding somewhat shrill. She was very obviously pissed off. I felt guilty that she’d been put in that situation, but it was better she found out now than later. My main concern was the following night, when I’d have to be on the stage with Sean.

“Of course you side with him,” Sean spat, turning on her. “Well to hell with all of you. I don’t need this shit.” He turned on his heel and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

“Did he hurt you?” Orlando whispered, as soon as Sean was gone. “He had you in a pretty tight grip. I’m afraid it will bruise.” He gently touched the rip in my shirt. “Bastard.”

“Are you okay, Lise?” I asked, turning to her. Tears were rolling gently down her face. I went to her and hugged her tightly. “I’m so sorry about this.”

“It’s not your fault,” she said softly against my shoulder. “He’s the one who blew up. I didn’t know he could be like that.”

“Neither did I,” I said, sighing. “I guess you can never really tell about a person.”

“I guess not.” She pulled away from me and sniffled, rubbing her arm across her nose like a little girl. “I think I’m gonna go shopping or something for a bit,” she said, forcing a smile. “I need to unwind. I’ll be back later.”

“If you need anything, call me,” I said, walking her to the door. She grabbed her purse off the hook inside the front door, and left. I went back to Orlando.

He was standing in the middle of the room, his expression dark. My arms throbbed a bit, and my beautiful sky blue button-down blouse was probably beyond repair, but all I cared about was taking that look from his face.

“It’s okay, Orlando,” I said, pressing myself against him. I wanted to be held, to stop the horrible memories from the year before from intruding. “He’s gone, and I doubt he’ll be back.”

“You still have to work with him,” he said, his voice low and deadly calm. “I can’t leave you here in a few days, knowing he’s right next door.”

“We’ll be fine,” I assured him, reaching up to stroke his cheek. “Don’t think about it now. It won’t help.”

“Charlie, he bruised you,” he said, almost snapping at me. “I wanted to rip his bloody head off when I saw his hands on you. I’ve never felt anger like that before.”

I reached up to kiss him softly. He hesitated at first, then returned my kiss, gently cradling me in his arms. “You couldn’t have done anything,” I whispered against his lips, backing away slightly. “You got him to let go of me, that’s all I needed you to do.”

“I shouldn’t have let you be in that situation in the first place,” he said, squeezing me tighter to him. “He wouldn’t have dared do that if I’d been in the room.”

“No, if you’d been here, it would have been worse, and we’d have a fight in the tabloids tomorrow,” I pointed out, hugging him. “Everything worked out for the best, okay? Let’s not think about it anymore.”

“We need to get ice on your arms,” he said, his fingers going to the buttons on my blouse. He opened the shirt and slid it gently over my arms, careful not to touch where the bruises were already forming. “Hopefully if we catch them early enough, they won’t be too bad tomorrow.”

I followed him into the kitchen and sat at the table as he prepared a towel with ice for my arms. He brought it over to me and lightly touched it to my left arm. The pain shot through me, even at his gentle touch, and I winced, tears filling my eyes. The last time anyone had iced bruises for me was in the hospital, when Ramsey had beat me. At that point, the memories were probably worse than the pain itself. I took a deep breath to stop myself from shaking.

Orlando leaned over and began placing kisses up and down my neck, while keeping a steady pressure on my arm. His warm breath and nipping lips made me forget the pain in my arms, and he was able to fully ice both of them. When he was done, he scooped me up and carried me into the bedroom.

“I can walk, you know,” I teased as he set me down on the bed. I immediately stood up. “I have to put these clothes away or they’ll wrinkle,” I said, gesturing to my suitcases.

I spent the next half an hour or so putting things away, while Orlando watched intently from the bed. I swear he thought I was going to break in front of his eyes, the way he was staring. When everything was finally back where it should be, I sat down beside him and took his hands in mine.

“I know that was scary for you,” I said softly as I met his eyes. “But you don’t need to worry about me, okay? Please, don’t let it ruin what little time we have left together.”

“I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you, love,” he whispered, pulling me into his arms. “It makes me feel sick to think about it.”

“Nothing will happen to me,” I said, getting up so I could straddle his lap. “We’re here, together, and nothing else matters.” I leaned down and kissed him, my hands immediately going to his belt. I needed to snap him out of this mood, to make him happy again, and I knew just how to do it. He groaned as I pulled his belt off and threw it to the floor behind me. As I was reaching for the button on his pants, he stood up, taking me with him. I clutched his shoulders and secured my legs around his waist. He pushed me up against the wall and began pushing my skirt up, kissing me furiously the whole time.

It was fast, and hard, and oh so satisfying, and afterwards, as my feet touched the floor again and he backed away, I knew he’d had the release he’d needed for his fear and his anger. Now things could go back to normal. As he kissed me again, gently this time, I knew everything would be okay.

* * *

The following day meant going back to work. We’d scheduled a late show, so that we would be finished not too long before the clock struck twelve. We would ring in the New Year in the theater lobby, with lots of champagne and food.

I arrived at the theatre that night, more than ready to be back on the stage. As I put on my undergarments, I noticed the bruises on my arms again, wincing at the dark purple shade they’d turned. I was very glad I’d be painted green, so they wouldn’t be as noticeable, but I dreaded the actual application of the paint. I took a deep breath as I sat at my dressing table.

“All set?” Janine said as she bustled around with the make-up, her back to me. “I was really beginning to miss having to get the green paint out from under my nails.” She grinned as she turned to me. Her face instantly took on a shocked expression. “What happened?” She was staring at my arms.

“Don’t worry about it,” I said, shrugging even though it hurt. “We just need to make sure they’re covered, okay? Elphaba wouldn’t have bruises.” I smiled, trying to make light of it.

“Charlie, those are hand prints,” she said, looking closer at them as she began brushing the paint over my shoulder. “Who did that?” Her eyes widened. “Did Orlando do that?”

“Oh God no,” I said quickly, shaking my head brusquely. “No, Janine, he didn’t, I promise. I don’t really want to talk about it, okay?”

She sighed and shook her head, then turned and grabbed some cover-up from the dressing table. “I’ll put this on them first, and hopefully that will make them less noticeable under the paint.” She began gently rubbing the cover-up onto my left arm. I winced, took a deep breath, and resolved not to start crying. “You need to tell someone about this,” she said after a minute.

“It’s not worth worrying about,” I said softly, my voice hoarse from fighting back tears. She started on the other arm, and I chewed on my bottom lip to keep from crying out. “It was an accident.”

“Bruises like this are never, ever an accident,” she said, smoothing the cover-up over my right arm. “Charlie, if Orlando did this, you need to tell someone.”

“He didn’t,” I said softly. “He would never do something like this.”

“Then who was it?”

I looked up at her, not wanting to tell her that Sean had done it, because we had to work together with him. “It was an accident,” I said again in a whisper. “Just drop it, okay?”

She shook her head again. “Whatever you say,” she said. “But if you want to talk about it, I’m here.”

“Thanks.” I smiled at her as she brushed the green paint over the bruises, which were hardly even visible now.

“Charlie, we need to talk.” Nick came rushing into the dressing area, a serious expression on his face. “Come see me when you’re done here.” He hurried out the other door.

Janine finished my make-up, secured my wig, and then helped me with my costume. When I was ready, I hurried into Nick’s office, my stomach churning. I knew this wouldn’t be good.

“What’s up?” I asked as I knocked on the door. Orlando was standing in the office, his face unreadable. “What are you doing here?” I said, looking from him to Nick.

“I’m putting in Brian tonight as Fiyero,” Nick said, sitting at his desk. “Sean needs to cool out a bit.”

“What?”

“Janine did a good job on your arms,” Orlando said, coming over to me. “I talked to Nick about what happened, love. I don’t want you out there with him.”

“You did what?” I was having trouble digesting what he’d said. “Orlando, I can handle this myself.”

“I don’t want anything messing up my show, Charlie,” Nick said, his eyes locked on me. “If what Orlando says is true, it’s not the kind of thing we need in our company.”

“But Sean is the best singer we have,” I said. “Don’t jeopardize the quality of the show because of some personal crap that will blow over.” Even though I didn’t want to be onstage with him, Sean was phenomenal in his part, and the show would suffer if he left. “Nick, don’t do this.”

“Charlie, don’t defend that prick,” Orlando said, cupping my face in his hands, careful not to rub the paint. “After what he did, he doesn’t deserve to be part of the show.”

“I’ve made my decision, hon,” Nick said. “I want you and Lisa to be safe, and if Sean can do what he did, he’s sure to do more. Brian can handle the part for a bit, and if we need to find a replacement, we will.”

I sighed. “I can’t change your mind, can I?” I said, leaning into Orlando. “I’ll go with whatever you decide.” I looked up at Orlando. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Nick stood up. “I’ll leave you two alone,” he said, and left the room, closing the door behind him.

“What the hell are you even doing here??” I practically screamed. “I don’t need you to baby-sit me, Orlando. I can deal with this myself.”

“Obviously not if you weren’t going to tell Nick what happened,” he said, trying to put his hands on my waist. I backed away. “He needed to know, love.”

“No, he didn’t,” I said, putting my hands out in front of me to keep him away. “I don’t know where you get off interfering in my life like this. Because of you we’re losing an amazing member of our cast. And now everyone is going to know what he did, and they’re going to feel sorry for me, and that’s not something I need right now.”

“Sean’s being fired because of what he did,” Orlando said, a hurt expression on his face. “All I wanted was to make sure you’d be okay when I left.”

“I told you I’ll be fine,” I said. “I don’t need a baby-sitter, damn it. You’re not part of this world, you’re not part of this show, you don’t have the right to butt in like this. I appreciate that you worry about me, but oh my God, trust me to deal with my own problems, okay?”

He didn’t say anything, just stared at me for a minute, clearly hurt.

“I have to get out there,” I said finally. “We’ll talk about this later.” I opened the door and walked out of the office, leaving him standing there. I was so angry that he’d stepped in the way he had, that he hadn’t trusted me to take care of myself. Part of me said he was only looking out for me, but the rest of me said he’d crossed the line, that he’d gone too far. Lisa and I had talked about letting Nick know what had happened, and we’d decided to keep it to ourselves for the time being. I knew it would be uncomfortable on the stage with Sean every night, but I had to put that aside for the good of the show. If I could move on from what Sean had done, Orlando should be able to as well.

I managed to get through the show that night with relatively few problems. The wires were loose again, and I lost a little altitude during “Defying Gravity”, but otherwise, it was fine. Brian, though not quite as good as Sean, did surprisingly well as Fiyero, much to my relief. I was definitely relieved when the show ended, though, and I could get off the stage. The make-up on my arms was starting to sting, and I wanted nothing more than to get it off.

I was just coming out of the showers when Lisa caught up with me. “Those are pretty nasty, aren’t they?” she said, grimacing as she looked at my arms. “No wonder Nick fired Sean.” She seemed sad, and I couldn’t blame her.

“He’s officially fired?”

“Yup,” she said, nodding. “He’s got to be out of the building by tomorrow night, or else Nick will have him removed.” She sighed. “It looks like Brian’s moving in with Chris.”

“I’m so sorry, Lisa,” I said, hugging her. “I didn’t know this would happen.”

“Of course you couldn’t have,” she said, smiling. “We’d only gone out a few times, so it’s not like I’m losing a long-term relationship. I guess it’s better that I found out now what he’s all about. I wouldn’t want him turning that temper on me.”

“No, you’re right,” I agreed, sitting down at my dressing table to blow dry my hair.

“Orlando was back here earlier, looking for you,” she said, sitting beside me. “He said you’re pretty pissed at him.”

“I was, yes,” I agreed, smoothing hair serum through my hair. “I hate that he worries the way he does. It’s like he doesn’t trust me to take care of myself.”

“He just wants to make sure you’re okay,” she said softly, picked up a brush and moving to stand behind me. She began brushing my wet hair, something I’d always found relaxing. “Speaking of being okay, they really need to fix those wires. I thought you were a goner tonight.”

“I know,” I said, my stomach clenching as I thought about it. “I’m sure Nick is ripping the tech guys a new one as we speak. Did Orlando say he’s staying for the party?”

“He said he’d catch you after the show,” she said, and I felt her shrug as she picked up the hair dryer. “I don’t know if that meant at home, or at the party.”

“I’m sure we’ll find out.” I sat back and let her finish my hair, watching in the mirror as she styled it becomingly around my face. I put on my make-up and we went to join the party.