fellowshippers | Out of the Darkness...Light (11/?)

Title: Out of the Darkness...Light ( 11/?)

Author: DS

Pairing: Orlando/Viggo

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Orlando undergoes a terrible, life-shattering experience, but

will find a light at the end of the tunnel

Warnings: Mentions of rape and violence; extreme emotional suffering

Disclaimer: I have no affiliations with any of the actors, only the

plot is mine.

Feedback: I'd love to hear what you think.

Note: I originally began writing and posting this story several years ago,

but was sidetracked by real life and had to put the story on the shelf.

I'm back now and want to finish it, so I'm going to post it once again. I'm

starting at the beginning, for those who missed it the first time:)

Thank you everyone for your wonderful feedback. It is much appreciated!!!

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

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Viggo waited with bated breath, sensing that their answers were just on

the horizon, and forthcoming very soon. Gesturing to the two women, he led

them down the hall to the secluded waiting room they'd left not long before.

Once they were seated, he leaned forward, elbows on knees, and looked at

Samantha, silently encouraging her to continue.

The young woman was obviously nervous. Her eyes darted back and forth

between her mother and Viggo, and she anxiously licked her lips. Her mother

reached out and took her daughter's hands, squeezing them gently.

"Go ahead, darling. Tell us. Just get it out."

Nodding slightly, though still appearing a bit uncertain, Samantha

licked her lips one last time and opened her mouth, ready to confess.

"Mum. Remember when papa died?"

At her mother¹s nod of encouragement, she continued.

"Well, remember how papa's friend, Uncle Alexander, stepped in

to...help?"

Viggo didn't miss the girl's slight hesitation, but said nothing,

content to let this play out. Her mother, on the other hand, didn't appear

to notice.

"Yes," she raved. "He was a godsend. You two were so small and we

were all hurting so badly. He was so helpful and supportive. And so

wonderful to you children."

"Yes," Samantha continued. "Well, he wasn't as...wonderful...as you...we

thought."

"What do you mean?" her mother asked with a slight edge in her voice.

She was suddenly very alert.

"Well..." the girl stopped suddenly and her eyes filled with tears she

was unable to contain.

"What is it, Samantha?" Mrs. Bloom asked, her voice filled with concern

and urgency.

Haunted eyes returned her mother's worried gaze.

"Mum," the girl sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know!"

A look of confusion on her face, Mrs. Bloom reached out to embrace her

daughter once again, rocking her slightly.

"What are you sorry for, dear? What didn't you know?"

Viggo felt a deep sense of foreboding. He wasn't sure he wanted to

know, but felt compelled to listen anyway.

Samantha brushed her tears away angrily, as if she was punishing them

for their presence at this inopportune time. Drawing a shaky breath, the

girl continued.

"Do you remember the summer Orli was fifteen and Uncle Alexander came

to stay? He'd been away, travelling, for the past year. But he was returning

to Canterbury and you invited him to stay with us."

"Yes, I remember." Her mother encouraged.

"Remember how Orli acted? He didn't want to be there? Didn't want

to see him? You were angry with him. Told him to stop acting like a child

and to be pleasant."

"Yes, I do remember. He was quite horrible. Wouldn't listen to

reason. But he finally promised to do as I asked and to be pleasant during

Alexander's visit.

Samantha looked stricken.

"He tried, mum. He really did. But the day after Uncle Alexander

arrived, I went looking for Orli and...I heard voices coming from his room.

Loud voices. I went to the door to knock, but before I did, I

heard...things."

"What kind of things?" Viggo interjected, his voice cold with dread of

the knowledge that he knew what was coming.

"I...I heard Orli telling Uncle Alexander to leave him alone. To never

touch him again. Uncle Alexander just laughed at him...said 'why ruin a good

thing.' Orli told him he wasn't four years old anymore...he could take care

of himself. And then Uncle Alexander started laughing. But it wasn't his

usual laugh. It sounded almost...evil. I heard scuffling and some noises and

then the door was thrown open and Orli ran past me. He was crying. Didn't

even notice me standing there. I called after him, but he ran downstairs

and out of the house. Was gone for hours. Uncle Alexander just came out

laughing. He left that night."

"And never came back," her mother said slowly.

Sonia Bloom had a strange look on her face, as if she knew exactly what

her daughter was telling her, but didn't want to believe it at all. It was

too painful to believe.

Viggo also realized what Samantha had been saying, and not saying, and he

felt himself go cold with the realization.

When neither he nor her mother said anything, Samantha continued.

"Later, I asked Orli what was going on...what had happened. He wouldn't

talk to me. But when I asked him what Uncle Alexander had to do with

it...what he'd done to him...Orli just went white. Told me to leave him alone.

I remember reaching out to him and he flinched...didn't want me to touch him."

"What happened, Samantha?" her mother asked, voice tight.

Sorrow-filled eyes turned to look at them.

"I don't know!" the girl wailed, obviously distraught. "Every time I

tried to talk to him about it or question him, he got very upset..angry,

even. Made me promise not to say anything to anybody about what I'd heard

that day. Told me to just forget I'd heard anything."

She stopped for a moment, as if to regain her composure, but then,

unable to do so completely, she rushed on.

"I asked him if Uncle Alexander had hurt him...done anything to him. He

almost started crying, but then got angry and told me to drop it. And

that's when I *knew*. "

"Knew what?" Viggo asked, his anger barely restrained.

"I knew what that...that *bastard* had done. I remembered times when you

were out, mum, and Uncle Alexander was watching us. He'd take Orli into his

room and close the door. Told me to go play in my room. I always did what

he said, never questioned him. I actually used to be jealous of Orli

because of all the attention he got."

The girl was openly weeping now, as was her mother, as the truth of

what had occurred sunk in. Viggo felt like crying, but wasn't, yet. As

Orlando's self-appointed protector, he needed to remain strong.

Samantha wasn't finished, though. She continued, tears flowing freely.

She did nothing to stop them.

"I remember once I crept up to his door to listen...to see what they were

doing in there. I was so angry!"

"When was this, Samantha?" Viggo forced himself to ask.

"I was seven," she replied.

"So Orli was..."

"Five!" Sonia exclaimed. "He was only five! What did you hear,

Samantha? Tell me!"

Sniffing, the girl did her best to reply.

"I heard Uncle Alexander telling Orli to relax and to be quiet. And I

heard Orli saying 'no¹ and crying. And I heard Uncle Alexander telling him

how beautiful he was. He said he was the most beautiful little boy there

had ever been. And that made me even more jealous!"

Her mother reached out to embrace her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"It's all right, dear. You were only seven. Only a little girl."

But Samantha pulled away, suddenly filled with fury.

"And Orli was only five! I should have helped him...done something. I

heard him crying for help and telling Uncle Alexander that he hurt, and I did

nothing! All those years I did nothing! But..." she trailed off, too

overcome with tears and emotion to continue for a moment. But then, she

willed herself to finish.

"But I didn't know there was anything wrong, for a long time. I just

thought it was a game they were playing, and that I'd been excluded. It

wasn't until years later that I realized what..." She could say no more and

finally allowed herself to be pulled firmly against her mother, who was also

allowing her tears to fall.

"Oh mum! I should have known! I should have helped him! I¹m so sorry,

mum. It was my job to protect him and I failed."

"No, Samantha!" Sonia Bloom said forcefully, trying valiantly to regain

her composure and hold on to her tumbling emotions.

"But mum! He was just a defenseless little boy. I should have known

what was going on. I'm his big sister!"

"No, Samantha," she repeated. "*I * should have known. That was my

job..." She stopped suddenly, losing her battle to remain composed. "Oh dear

God! What have I done?" she wailed.

Viggo watched as mother and daughter clung to each other for support as

they cried out their agony and guilt. He, himself, was in shock, numb.

Though he'd known *something * had happened in Orlando's past, he'd never

expected anything this bad, this horrible.

Feeling the walls closing in on him and realizing he needed to escape,

get some fresh air, Viggo reached out and squeezed Sonia Bloom's shoulder.

"I'll be back in a few minutes."

At her slight nod of acknowledgement, he turned to exit the room and

ran straight into Beanie, who was standing just outside the open door. One

look at his friend's face was all Viggo needed to know that he'd heard at

least a portion of what was going on. He'd never seen Sean Bean look so

pale...or so angry. The expression 'if looks could kill' suddenly seemed very

appropriate.

Out of the Darkness...Light (11/?)

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