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fellowshippers2004-03-10 11:16 pm
Unexpected Treasure, Chapter Two
Title: Unexpected Treasure, Chapter Two
Author: Vanessa (vlee(at)cinci(dot)rr(dot)com))
Pairing: OB/VM
Rating: R
Summary: In a world where males can have babies, Orlando gets pregnant whilst filming Lord of the Rings.
Feedbac: Please.
Warnings: AU, mpreg
Disclaimer: It’s not true. I made it up. I am making no claims about the real-life activities of the people involved. It's all just fun, people. Please treat it that way.
Archive: Beyond the Fellowship, Of Elves and Men, Aniron Slash, list archives, anyone else please ask.
Author’s Notes: Don't ask. Just don't ask. I actually wrote this story almost a year ago, but it's taken me this long to start editing and what not. It was a random plot bunny that refused to let go.
~*~
When Viggo finally made it home that evening, worried sick because he hadn’t seen his lover since early that afternoon, he found Orlando curled up on his bed. He relaxed for a minute, relieved that he didn’t have to go searching for Orlando, but then noticed how miserable Orlando looked. Viggo hurried to the bed, sat down on it, and started rubbing Orlando’s back. “What’s wrong Orli?”
“I’m sorry.” Orlando didn’t move, didn’t otherwise acknowledge Viggo’s presence. He was too upset, too frightened to do anything.
“Sorry? Why are you sorry?” Viggo didn’t understand what Orlando would have to be sorry for. He knew that his lover had gotten sick during filming today, but that was no reason to be so upset. Getting sick was something that happened to everybody.
“I’ve ruined everything. I never should have come here. I never should have gotten my hopes up.” He sniffed and turned his head to look at Viggo. “I never should have believed them.” He turned his head back and buried it in the pillow, trying to hide his fear and shame.
Viggo was now even more confused. He laid his hand on Orlando’s shoulder and turned him onto his back so it would be harder for Orlando to look away. “Who shouldn’t you have believed?”
“The doctors.” Orlando closed his eyes, waiting for the next question. The question that he didn’t want to have to answer. Telling Viggo would drastically change his life as well. Assuming he wanted to stay with Orlando, that was. A child might drive him away. That was what Orlando feared above all else; having to deal with this alone. But the question would be asked, and Orlando would answer, even though he didn’t want to.
Viggo did not disappoint. He was still confused, and not thinking clearly, so he asked the first things that popped into his head. “What doctors? And what did they tell you?”
“The doctors from when I broke my back. The ones that told me I couldn’t get pregnant anymore. Those doctors.” He didn’t open his eyes. He didn’t want to see Viggo’s face. Not right now.
“The doctors that told you that you couldn’t get pregnant? Orli, what are you saying?” The anxious feeling that had been bothering Viggo all day was suddenly starting to make sense. If Orlando was saying what it seemed like he was saying...
Orlando opened his eyes. He felt he owed Viggo that much, even if his next words sent his lover running. “I...I’m pregnant, Viggo.” He closed his eyes again, not wanting to see Viggo’s shock and disgust, not wanting to watch as Viggo left.
Viggo wasn’t disgusted though, nor did he leave. He was shocked, yes, but only because he hadn’t been expecting that. He had thought that Orlando couldn’t get pregnant. For a moment, he felt angry and betrayed, but then he saw how upset Orlando looked, and remembered that Orlando hadn’t thought that he could have children either. If there was anyone to be mad at, it was the doctors who had mislead the young man. Not Orlando.
Viggo took a deep breath, then reached out and stroked Orlando’s cheek. “Orli? Are you sure?”
Orlando felt a brief surge of hope when he heard the calmness in Viggo’s voice, but quickly suppressed the feeling. Viggo hadn’t left because he didn’t believe what he had just been told. “Yes. Megan...Dr. Brown...did a pregnancy test. Twice. It came back positive both times.” A single tear that he couldn’t hold back rolled down his cheek.
“Oh, Orli...” Viggo leaned down and wrapped his arms around his lover, determined to comfort him. “Are you okay?”
Orlando laughed, the sound hollow. “Okay?” He opened his eyes and looked straight at Viggo. “I’ve just been told that I’m pregnant. Do you realize what this means?” When Viggo just looked confused, Orlando laughed again. “It means they’re going to have to recast. It means that I’m never going to be able to get another big movie role. It means that I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life having and raising children. How could I possibly be okay? All my dreams, everything I’ve worked for, everything I thought I’d achieved...it’s all gone. Everything!”
Viggo blinked, shocked. He hadn’t thought about that. Of course, he hadn’t thought about having a baby with Orlando. Maybe adopting one someday, but not actually having one. It hadn’t been an issue. Now, it suddenly was an issue, more than an issue. It was a reality, one that could crush all of Orlando’s dreams. “I’m sorry.”
Orlando opened his eyes again. “Why are you sorry? You’re not the one who fucked things up.”
Viggo couldn’t help but smile. “I think it was my fucking things – my fucking you – that got us here.”
“Got us here?” Orlando couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Us? That implied that Viggo was going to stay. “You mean got me here.”
“No, got us here.” He laid his hand on Orlando’s stomach. “This is our baby, Orlando. I’m not going anywhere. Unless…” He took a deep breath, fearing Orlando’s response to his next words. “Unless you don’t want me around.”
Orlando’s eyes grew wide. “No, I want you around. It’s just…I…I won’t be here.” He lowered his eyelids once more, upset at the thought of leaving New Zealand, of leaving Viggo.
“You won’t be here? Why not? Where are you going to go?”
Orlando shrugged. He wasn’t sure of that himself. Until today, he had thought that he would be living right where he was for the next year or so. He didn’t have anywhere else to go. Not really. “I don’t know. Home to my mum, I guess.” That was the only place he could think of where he would be able to go. “I can’t stay here.”
“Why not?” Viggo looked down at his lover, his expression determined. “I don’t see any reason why you can’t stay right here.”
“You don’t?” Orlando laughed, the sound self-depreciating. How could Viggo not see? “Peter’s going to recast Legolas. Where am I going to stay then? Not in the house that I have now.”
Viggo smiled once again, trying to reassure Orlando. “You can still stay here. Even if Peter recasts Legolas…IF,” he stressed the word as Orlando opened his mouth to protest, “if Peter recasts Legolas, you can stay right here, with me.”
“If Peter recasts Legolas? Viggo, there’s no way anyone is going to let me do all the things I’ll need to do for this movie while I’m pregnant. There’s no way I’ll be able to do half of them. And how are they going to explain Legolas suddenly becoming pregnant on the Quest?” He lay his hand atop of Viggo’s. “They’re going to recast. They won’t risk the baby. Or me.” He closed his eyes, fighting back tears. He wasn’t going to cry, no matter how hormonal this baby was making him.
“Orlando, do you have any idea how much money Peter has invested in you? Do you have any idea how difficult it would be to recast at this point? Do you know how many scenes we would have to re-shoot?” Viggo moved his fingers slightly so he could clasp the hand that Orlando had laid atop his.
Orlando wasn’t convinced. “Peter recast Aragorn.”
Viggo’s free hand came up to brush against Orlando’s cheek. “Yes, he did, but that was before filming had started. We’ve been filming for five months now. Filming, not training. There’s a big difference.”
“Maybe.” Orlando still wasn’t convinced. He knew what kind of pressure Peter would be under to replace him, even if Viggo didn’t. Males who could bear children were rare, and they were much more likely to lose that ability than females were. They were also much more likely to lose the babies once they were pregnant. That was why they were so protected, even more so than females. It was highly unlikely that Peter would let Orlando risk himself and the baby.
Viggo leaned down and kissed Orlando’s forehead. “You’ll see.” He was sure that Peter wouldn’t recast. “Have you told anyone else yet?”
Orlando’s eyes opened and he looked at Viggo as he shook his head. “No. I wanted to tell you first.” He smiled wanly. “It is your baby too. And the others…they don’t know that…that I can have kids.” He didn’t know how he was going to tell everyone else. He didn’t want to have to tell everyone else.
Viggo smiled down at his lover, trying to reassure him. He could sense Orlando’s reluctance to tell their friends, and wanted to calm him. “We’ll tell them together.”
A nod was Viggo’s answer. “We need to tell Peter tonight. Before we shoot anymore…in case you’re wrong.” Orlando wasn’t going to believe that he could stay and continue to play his role until Peter himself said so. Until then, he would just humor Viggo and act as if he believed it.
Viggo glanced at the clock. For once, shooting hadn’t run late, and it was still early enough that they could eat dinner before calling Peter. Or going over to Peter’s house. This might be better to tell him in person rather than on the phone. That could be decided while they ate. “We’ll talk to him after dinner.”
“Dinner?” Just the idea of eating made Orlando nauseous. “If I eat I’ll get sick again.”
“You have to eat something, Orli. The baby needs food. Aren’t you hungry?”
“Starving, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be able to keep it down. I’d rather not eat than get sick again.” He smiled at Viggo. “You go ahead and eat, yeah?”
Viggo frowned. Orlando had to eat; it wasn’t good for the baby if he didn’t. Viggo understood why Orlando didn’t want to get sick, but that didn’t change the fact that the baby needed nutrients that Orlando could only provide by eating. “Orli…you have to eat. You have to at least try.”
“I’ll just get sick.”
Sighing, Viggo pulled Orlando into a sitting position. “Did you ask Dr. Brown about it? There has to be something you can do. I know pregnant people don’t starve themselves.”
Orlando looked down at his lap. “She told me some foods to try.” He shrugged. “Dunno if they’ll work or not.” Honestly, he didn’t really want to find out. He didn’t want to risk getting sick again. He didn’t think he could handle it right now.
“What are they? I’ll try and get some of them together for you.” Viggo was determined to get his lover to eat, no matter what it took. It was especially important that Orlando take care of himself now. Viggo was going to make sure he did.
“There’s a list on the table, with some other stuff. Vitamins and all that.” Orlando turned his head and smiled slightly at his lover. “She wrote it down, along with a lot of other stuff I have to do.” The number of things Megan had sent home with him was intimidating.
Viggo kissed Orlando’s cheek and stood. “I’ll go fix dinner. Come on down when you’re ready.”
Orlando nodded reluctantly and Viggo left the room. He found the bag on the table, and dug out the list of recommended foods. There was nothing overly exciting on the list; it was mostly blander foods like unsweetened cereal and rice. Still, Viggo was determined to find something that Orlando could keep down. He wasn’t going to let either Orlando or their child suffer because Orlando’s stomach was rebelling.
It was difficult, as Viggo didn’t keep many of the foods Orlando should be able to eat in the house, but he managed to throw together something together. As Viggo was putting the dishes on the table, Orlando came downstairs, his hair slightly wet around the edges from washing his face. He smiled at Viggo as he sat down at the table.
They ate in silence, neither truly looking forward to the conversation that they were going to have after dinner. Orlando was convinced that in a few hours he would no longer be playing Legolas. Viggo was dreading the discussion, despite the fact that he was sure that things would work out. This wasn’t going to be easy to tell Peter. It wasn’t going to be easy to tell anybody.
TBC…
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But I like this!! Sue me :)
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And, um, don't tempt me. *laughs* I'm vera broke right now. No one wants to pay me to write. *wrinkles nose*
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But, I kept reading, and got really into it. Is that wrong?
I kept thinking about Arnold Swazh-a-whatever in that movie Junior.
But I did like it. Please write more! :D
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And, yeah, it does kinda make me think of Junior sometimes.
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I'm so stoked to be reading more of this excellent fic again!
I love your Orli, being childish, yet scared and vulnerable and I love that Viggo is cool, calm and supportive about the whole thing.
I look forward to reading more!
Cheers!
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More will be up soon—It's all written, I'm just waiting on the betas to finish.
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I'll have more up as soon as I can.