Over the next few days I get myself lost in Middle Earth.  The day following my date with Dom I had promised Billy I'd hang with him, even though it involved going to the set at 5 in the morning and watching him become a hobbit.  I met Sean Astin and his family.  His wife was lovely and his daughter was adorable.  I had never realized how much went into film making and I was awed by the task that Peter had undertaken.  Fran, Peter's wife was like an angel.  She was always right there every time something went wrong to try to fix and I realized what a great relationship they had to have. 
 
Not sure how it happened but I had become the unofficial driver of the hobbits, Xandy used to be but she kept mysteriously disappearing. We had no idea where but I had my suspicions.  Anyway since they were in those big feet all the time they had trouble getting from location to location and had driven all the other drivers nutty so it became my job.  I didn't mind, they were a great group of guys to be around.  Dom and I didn't really get to go out again by ourselves since our first date, filming was taking up so much time and the guys were so much a group off screen as well as on. I didn't want to demand some alone time.  Besides from the few stolen kisses we shared I knew
what that alone time would include and I was scared. 
 
I had all the warnings that Deacon had given me about getting involved with some one at this stage in my career running through my head.  That is until the moment that I was alone kissing Dom.  He was really great about my hesitance about being involved, every night we went to the same hotel and every night we walked me to my door and kissed me good night, then left me standing there. 

 

One day Xandy and I were on the set, both of us at the same time, they were
doing some of the Rivendale scenes so basically the whole main cast was there.  Since that included Viggo, her dad, my uncle, we were on our best behavior and not causing trouble.  Which was hard cause I still giggled every time I saw them in the hobbit wigs, they were so curly.

Me - "couldn't they at least have good wigs like Orlando."
 
Xandy - "They are good wigs, it's just hobbits have curly hair."
 
Me - "Billy looks so funny, I mean he's had a receding hair line since he was 16."
 
Xandy - "Shhh, he'll hear you."  At that moment he actually did look over and wave.  "Can you believe dad's hair, it's gotten so long."
 
Me - "I know I'm jealous, and it looks so healthy."
 
"Excuse me."  We both turn and there's Liv.  "Hi I just wanted to introduce myself."
 
Us - "Hi."
 
Liv - "I've been wanting to meet both of you, but just hadn't gotten a chance.  It's nice to have other girls around my age here for a change."
 
Xandy - "All the practical jokes get to you after awhile huh."
 
Liv - "You have no idea.  But I was thinking that maybe we could have a girls' day.  I'm dying to go shopping and can't ask the guys to go with me."
 
Me - "Really Billy loves shopping."
 
Xandy - "No Billy loves helping you shop for bathing suits."
 
Me - "Oh yeah.  No problem we'd love to go."
 
Liv - "You sure."
 
Xandy - "Absolutely, haven't given the plastic a good work out in awhile."
 
Suddenly there's a bit of yelling behind some of the scenery.
 
Xandy - "What's going on?"  The three of us round the corner and see a guy talking very loudly and excitedly on his cell.
 
Guy - "When are they taking the baby?"  He has his finger in his ear, and by the way he's yelling I'm assuming it’s a bad connection.  "It's alright calm down I'll be on the next flight."
 
Liv - "Oh its Bob, his wife is due in like three weeks."
 
Me - "Sounds like she's having it early."
 
Bob runs up to us, "have you seen Peter?"
 
Liv - "Yeah he's back there getting ready for the shot."  He runs around us.  "Well I'm due in wardrobe, catch you guys later."  She leaves.
 
Me - "She seems nice."
 
Xandy - "Yeah, but it's kind of weird to think that she's going to be kissing my dad.  Yuck."  I get a chill thinking about it.
 
We walk back to the main set and see Bob once again on a phone, but this time it looks like Dom's.  Peter is going over something with Viggo so we look at each other and head for our other halves, which are standing a little bit away with some of the rest of the cast.
 
Xandy - "Hey."  They all say hello.  "What's the hold up? I thought you all were ready to roll."
 
Billy - "Bob's wife is on the south island getting ready to have their baby.  Peter's sending him to the airport so we've got to scrap this shot tonight and do a different one."
 
Me - "But why there's plenty of cameramen around."
 
Sean - "Peter has a certain shot in mind and he wants to make sure that it's done right so..."
 
Elijah - "So we'll do this scene when Bob gets back.  We can film the rest with out him."
 
Bob gets off the phone and brings it back to Dom.  "Here thanks man."
 
Dom - "No problem, did you get a flight?"
 
Bob - "Yeah there's one that leaves in an hour and a half and another in four."
 
Billy - "Which one did you book?"
 
Bob - "Well they told me they'd hold a place for me on the next one and if I don't make it then I've got a seat on the other.  But I'm never going to make it to the first one, the airport's over an hour from the hotel and we're like 40 minutes from there."
 
Me - "Do you need to stop at the hotel for anything?"
 
Bob - "No not really."
 
Me - "You know how to get there?"
 
Xandy - "Syd what are you planning?"
 
Me - "I can get you there, but I don't know how to get back."
 
Dom - "Go get the car I'll meet you there in five minutes."  We both take off in opposite directions.
 
Billy - "Bob the only advice I have for you is to buckle up."
 
Orry - "And close your eyes."  I had a close call just once when we all out on an excursion somewhere.
 
Xandy - "Don't listen to them she a wonderful driver."
 
Bob - "Isn't she a race car driver?"
 
Xandy - "Yes, and she will get you to the airport on time.  Trust me."
 
Bob doesn't have much time to weigh his options as I pull up in the car.  He gets in the
backseat.  Dom comes running from his trailer half dressed and carrying his shoes.
 
Me - "buckle up and hang on to something."  I hit the gas and we're off.
 
Peter comes over then, "alright well the fellowship scene is on hold for now so we are going to move on to when Frodo wakes up." Everyone who is remaining looks at each other.  "Is there a problem?"  He takes notice of who is not there.  "I'm missing a hobbit."
 
Sean - "Dom went with Syd to take Bob to the airport."
 
Peter sighs and looks at the cloud of dust that marks the car's passing down the road.
 
************************************************
 
70 minutes later, I pull up in the red zone of the airport.  Bob jumps out of the car, "thank you so much Sydney.  I'll never forget this."
 
Me - "no problem Bob.  Now you go have your baby."
 
Bob - "Alright.  See you three days Dom."  He waves, as Bob runs in the entrance.
 
We sit for a few moments.  "Did I scare you?"
 
Dom - "No not at all." I can tell he's lying.  "I'm use to going over 160 kilometers an hour, and running the lights was no big deal, not after riding Billy.  I think the cutting across lanes of oncoming traffic and fields was a new thing for me though."
 
Me - "I'm sorry, you could have said something."
 
Dom - "We had to get Bob to the airport, I didn't want to be the reason he didn't make it."
 
Me - "Well now that we're here I need to know how to get back."
 
Dom - "I don't know how to get back."
 
Me - "But that's why you came."
 
Dom - "No I came to spend some time with you.  Between the two of us I'm sure we can find our way back... eventually."  he smiles wickedly
 
Me - "Dom you're going to get in trouble with Peter."
 
Dom - "No I won't I cleared it with Fran.  She told me to go and take our time getting back that there was a lot to shoot at Rivendale without Merry."
 
I smile, "did she really tell you that?"
 
Dom - "Absolutely."  He leans over and holds my hand. "So where do you want to go?"
 
Me - "I don't know let's just head down the road and see where it takes us."
 
Dom - "Sounds good to me."