"Swept away" written by VeGirl 2014 © All Rights Reserved

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Over the next few days Isa turned her head every time she passed a dark-haired guy, imagining it was Morgan, but realizing it wasn't.

She saw him everywhere.

Isa was lying on her bed, when the door to her bedroom flew open, and startled Isa looked up to see a bewildered Robert. He let a worried and anxious look roam over her, but then his face turned into a smiling one. "You really are back?"

She couldn't help but to return the smile. "Yes, it doesn't look better."

"Why haven't you called and said so?" He walked briskly in the room and wrapped her up in his arms. "Welcome home, sis!"

Isa couldn't have hoped for a better re-union and laughed, relieved. It felt so good to just burst into a good laughter after all the tension and pain she had been through during these few last months. Not to mention these last couple of days.

"Are you here to stay now?"

"I... haven't thought about it," Isa said truthfully. "But I have no home left in Sweden, if that's what you're asking."

He hugged her tight, both for luck and comfort. "My home is always open for you," he offered generously.

"I thought this was your father's house, though," she teased him; scared out of her mind that he would ask her to come with him to Greenville.

Apparently he had some time off from work, which he was set on spending with her and Isa was really grateful. The time they spent together over the next two weeks helped her to heal. Not entirely of course; her latest conversation with Morgan kept going on repeat in her head. The part where they had solved the stalker-case only two weeks after Isa left was on a constant loop, and that she should have stayed. Isa should definitely not have given up on them so quickly, but she could still feel the pain and thoughts of not belonging.

Ellen and Bryan, and their beautiful little daughter stopped by frequently, especially Ellen and little Estelle, when they now knew Isa was here. The blond little sweetheart was almost six months now, and Isa was so glad to see them.

"Look, she really has your colors!" Ellen exclaimed excited. "I think this is what your children will look like... in the future,"
she added when she saw Isa's sad expression.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." She sighed apologetic. "I've been going through a rough time... I really wished I could have been here when she was all tiny and new." Isa couldn't help but to smile at the little blue-eyed curly blond that smiled back at her. "Hello, my little princess." She lifted the little girl in her arms. The way she smiled made Isa forget about all those last months of dread and pain.

"Hello sweetie, hello Estelle," she crooned at the little girl who smiled so sweetly up to her aunt. "I am so glad to see you, princess." Isa felt her eyes well up.

"She likes you, she usually cries when anyone holds her," Ellen surprised Isa by saying.

"That's good sweetie," she crooned. "You know that aunt Eysa would do anything for you." Her heart melted as the little face once again lit up by a smile.

"Isa?"

She looked up at Ellen.

"I'm so glad you're back." She said soft and the tenderness showed through. Isa just smiled.

~ ~ ~

Gary was absolutely thrilled when Robert started to hang out at the gallery, taking Isa to lunch every other day.

"I'm sorry Gary, I'm pretty sure that he is straight." She commented to her friend when Robert left her at the gallery after lunch.

"Yeah I know, but there's no harm in enjoying the view, now is there?" Gary smiled wide.

Now and then Robert showed up and took her out for dinner after work. "Honestly Isa, you need yo eat." He looked at her with reproving eyes.

Isa looked surprised at him. "I am eating."

"Yes, because I'm forcing you."

She didn't know what he was talking about, sure her jeans wasn't as slim as they used to be and she had to buy a size or two smaller than usual, but she hadn't lost that much weight, had she?

Robert suggested that they'd go clubbing as well, but that was definitely her limit. A hard limit. Last time they were clubbing; Morgan had been by her side, and Isa couldn't bare the thought of suddenly being in the limelight or camera flashes and having nowhere to run.

She'd rather just stay home.

Luckily, Ellen needed someone to babysit Estelle for her and Isa was more than happy to oblige. Even if winter was upon them, she bundled herself and Estelle up and took her for a stroll through Central Park, trying hard to avoid the spot where Morgan and she had their epic picnic.

Isa had a lovely day, talking to her little niece, seeing her brighten up in a smile, and just a few minutes later, fall into a deep sleep. Oh how easy it was being a baby, as long as there were people to provide for the basic needs, like food, comfort and clean diapers. Who provides the comfort when you're an adult?

~ ~ ~

At the end of his second week of hiatus, Robert was in contact with his agent and after ending the call, he walked straight into Isa's room. "I have a gala coming up." He said. "And you have to come with me."

"No."

"Yes, I need a date; and you're it!"

Her body has gone into panic attack instantly. "Call Wilma; she can be your date! I'm not." Isa saw him flinch from her words, but she wasn't ready, what if Morgan would be there? "I can't," she whispered.

"I'll be the only one from Possibilities that will attend this thing, and it's not a convention, it's a premiere; you'll be fine," he reassured her. Isa just closed her eyes, terrified to say yes, but feeling really bad to Robert for saying no.

Eventually she had gone through the pro's and con's so thoroughly that she could afford herself to say yes. Morgan would be somewhere else, and that comforted her. She didn't want to risk running into him with someone else.

Robert and Isa grabbed a flight to the west coast and after a couple of hours they arrived at a hotel-room, accompanied as expected by journalists and photographers.

Hollywood; this magical place of make-believe's. Perhaps Isa could pretend for one night that she was okay?

A black stretch limo was waiting to take them to this spectacle and as they arrived in a line of other stretch limos, they saw huge searchlights, beaming up in the sky. A red carpet was laid out and applauds, mixed with whistles greeted the guests as they arrived. Isa was clad in a long black dress with sequences, that Morgan had bought her. It hung a bit on her body due to the weight-loss during these last six months, but it was stunning. Photoflashes met them and all Isa could do was glue on that official smile to hide the grinding teeth beneath and hook her arm in Roberts.

Reporters greeted them, and soon they were throwing questions about Robert and Isa, versus Morgan and her. Isa had hoped to be anonymous, but they had unfortunately not forgotten about her.

"Everybody's dying to hear your version, what do you say?" Robert's face was filled with mischief, and suddenly Isa thought; Why not? It might even be therapeutic. She had to realize that it didn't matter how much she regretted leaving, she had to live with the consequences. Morgan wasn't hers anymore, and however much it hurt she had to get it into her head that there was no turning back. She made the bed, and now she had to lay in it.

Isa straightened her back. "But choose a minor company for the scoop," she whispered while the camera-flashes was going crazy, catching what looked to them like an intimate situation.

The face of the girl that got the privilige of interviewing her wore a mixture of greed and nervousness; she was ecstatic to be the first one to get any kind of answer from Isa directly.

"You have been seen with Morgan Gray, but then you disappeared, does this mean, the two of you are an item now." She motioned between Robert and Isa.

Isa looked over to see Robert's humor-lit face. "I was seen with Robert, before I met Morgan Gray," she answered polite and it felt weird to talk about him in this formal way. "My relationship with Robert didn't change, just because I ended up being photographed with Morgan."

The reporter's eyebrows shot surprised in the air.

"But you two were being caught kissing; didn't that bother you?" She now turned to Robert who still had his arm around Isa's waist.

"No, none of that changed the feelings between Felicia and me."

The girl looked totally bemused, and had to work hard to figure out next question. "So there was nothing going on between Morgan Gray and yourself?"

"Oh there was everything going on between Morgan and me," Isa objected and Robert nodded so intensely that even the camera-guy almost lost his bearings.

"You were having both of them, and they were okay with that?" She looked shocked by now.

Isa looked at Robert and they were both about to snicker, despite Isa's depression. They couldn't keep this up anymore. That was when Isa's eyes locked at Morgan. He was standing just fifty yards away, turning the other way and her whole body went into lock-down.

Oh my God, he was here!

Robert noted her tension and pinched her discreetly. They looked at each other and Isa did her best to regained her inner balance and the feign smile returned, at least on the outside. Robert was the one to address the poor girl. "That was no problem, because Felicia is my sister." He whispered it out in a pretended secret.

The reporter didn't expect that, and her expression revealed a real brain-melt-down.

Robert stood behind Isa, with both his arms around her waist and leaned his chin on her shoulder. "We've actually never been caught kissing, that have all been in your imagination. This has been really funny though, and now we need to move on."

They nodded to the stunned girl and Robert once again put one of his arms around her waist and they proceeded, posing for another row of photos, before they could enter the foyer.

"Are you okay?" He smiled at her.

"Morgan is here!" Isa hissed.

Robert started to look around. "Really?" He looked around. "I didn't know he'd be here. Did he see you?"

She felt breathless. "I don't think so."

"Do you wanna sneak out?"

She thought about it for a moment before she shook her head. "No, we'll stay." Her stomach was clenching, but Isa just couldn't walk out of there without seeing him, she just couldn't.

~ ~ ~

Morgan fought to feel as he walked down the red carpet; just feel anything. He had the professional face on and was getting pretty good at pretending to belong; to be excited to be here, but truthfully he felt empty.

He didn't want to get the wrong impression, because he loved his job and he truly loved his fans for making this life a possibility for him, for giving Morgan a chance to pick between the good offers.

He just wanted more; he wanted what he had, and what he could no longer have; Isa. Every feeling had returned as he saw her two weeks earlier and he felt worse than ever.

Finally Morgan entered the foyer and a long exhale left his lungs as he scanned the room for someone he knew. It had been a last minute decision to come and he had spent the last two days cooped up in a hotel-room, overlooking the sea, feeling sentimental and pondering about his lifestyle.

Did I want this life?

"Morgan!" a female voice snapped him back in reality and Morgan looked at a surprised Hailey standing before him.

"Hi gorgeous!" He kissed her cheek. Cameras were of course documenting the action.

"I haven't seen you in... forever!" She beamed at him.

"I've missed you!" Morgan put his arms around her for a warm hug. He really liked this girl; she had become such a good friend to him. It was during the hug Morgan saw Robert, and beside him a girl walked, a girl he knew very well.

He tensed up.

"What?" Hailey said and followed his frozen look to find what he had seen. "Yeah, I saw her as well. Why did you break up with her?"

"I didn't!"

"And why did she choose him?"

Morgan chuckled dryly. "She didn't choose him, that's her brother."

Hailey released him instantly and hurried in Isa and Robert's direction, with her heels clicking against the floor. Morgan's body was as tense as his mind. He both wanted and desperately didn't to se her.

Absentminded he focused on Hailey's shoes. He had always been so impressed that girls could walk like that in those shoes, even if he loved the way their back straightened and their stance in heels, it was still a mystery how they could walk in them at all.

"Isa!" He heard Hailey call as he strode after her over to the couple while his pulse raced and a knot in his stomach. Both Isa and Robert turned and looked at Hailey and Isa's features lit up in surprise.

"Hailey!" Isa said as the two girls kissed each other's cheeks, and then wrapped their arms around one another for a warm hug.

"It's been too long!" Hailey said before she released Isa and looked at Robert. "Hello, my name is Hailey," she said polite, and the two of them gave one another kisses on the cheeks.

Robert looked teasingly over at the posters on the wall, with a big photo and her name in huge letters, but avoided some sarcastic comment. "I'm Robert."

Isa looked up at the posters, seemingly surprised of the event she was attending. "My brother," Isa explained and that was the moment Morgan stopped by their side and their eyes met.

Morgan heard Hailey say something about it being nice to meet him, but all he could do was stare into Isa's widened eyes. None of them said anything, but just looked at each other. It felt like they were in the eye of the storm, everything was calm, even though everything surrounding them was chaotic.

That was unfortunately the moment a photographer came up and asked them to pose for a couple of shots. Could it be more awkward?

Morgan could feel Isa tremble slightly and there was a current running through him as soon as he touched her, making him shiver. Morgan watched her put a smile on that glorious face as she posed for the shot. She was better at this than he was, even if he noted that the smile never reached her eyes. Robert and Hailey joined them as the photographer instructed them like he was some director, ordering actors around on set. He thanked and left them standing there, and Morgan didn't know what to say. He have never been tongue-tied before in his life!

"So you two filmed together in Scotland, this summer?" Robert asked Hailey polite.

"Yes, I was there as actress, slash bodyguard to that punk," she joked with a nod towards Morgan, making Robert laugh and even making Isa and Morgan smile slightly.

"And don't forget tire-woman to me." Isa added with a smile to Hailey.

Morgan noted Robert giving Isa an encouraging look; had he persuaded her to come. Was she scared to see him? Their two last encounters had been anything but pleasure, so Morgan couldn't really blame her, could he?

"It's really nice to see you." Morgan finally dared to look into her sad, gorgeous blue eyes, to find them widen slightly.

"Yes, you too," she said breathless. "How is your arm?"

"Clumsy." He managed to smile slightly at her, making her smile back at him. "It's actually not so bad," he admitted. "It keeps me from doing fighting scenes at work." Wow, he even managed to make a joke, however lame it was, he thought.

They were all asked to take their places and Morgan was ever so grateful when Hailey took his arm and directed him to sit with her. Morgan nodded and Hailey waved to some people that were already seated as they walked up to their seats.

"Thank you," he whispered discretely when they sat down.

She just looked at him. "Why aren't the two of you together?" she blurted out. "She looks like a mess, and so do you."

"Gee, thanks!" Morgan muttered sardonic.

"Anything for you, sweetie!" She gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Now tell me."

He started to whisper some recap of the crank letters Isa had received, but the movie started and he had to pause the storytelling.

It was surprisingly hard to focus on the movie, even if it was well done; it had a great storyline and the actors were really good, even the new girl playing the main characters friend. All Morgan could do was focus on Isa somewhere in the room, He wanted to stand up and search the darkness to know exactly where she was.

"Stop fidgeting," Hailey hissed with a hand on his leg.

He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." Morgan did what he could to focus on Hailey's part in the film and the connection between her co actor; Tom.

When the film ended and Morgan had praised Hailey for her performance and the scenes he had worked hard to memorize, she stopped him. "Stop now; I know you're a mess. Tell me what happened instead."

He sighed tiredly, but grateful to have someone to talk to. "She wasn't really blackmailed, but it was definitely threatening," Morgan whispered to Hailey. "We didn't know if they would come back for her."

"That's horrible!"

"Yes; she didn't choose this public life; I did. Unfortunately she was the one that had to live with the consequences."

"So, the problem was your work, not the feelings between you?"

Morgan just shrugged his eyebrows accompanied with a sad smile.

"You're going to talk to her, otherwise I goddamn will; you hear me?" Hailey took on that big sister look, and he just squeezed her hand. He felt so lucky to have her as a friend.

After the writers, producers and actors were being praised, everybody filed out into the lobby. There were journalists that wanted the guests opinion on the film.

Totally unfocused, Morgan did his best to at least come up with one scene that he liked especially, and do his best to comment on that one.

After having answered a few questions in the foyer, Hailey snaked her arms around him and discretely told him to talk to Isa.

.