This is essentially a modern day fairy tale. It is necessary to forget everything you know, everything you think you know, and believe that anything can happen in the land called Hollywood.

Feedback: j_rose75@yahoo.com

The final part of this story will be posted around August 19th, when I return from holiday...unless by some miracle, I find internet access and can send it in. Thanks~ J. Rose

Los Angeles, 1:05 p.m.

Hours later, Annah looked out of the window of the airplane as it made its descent in Los Angeles. After her conversation with Rivers, she had headed straight for McCarren airport and waited 2 hours until she could catch a flight home. Rivers had insisted on paying for the ticket and had told her that Annah could pay her back whenever they saw one another again. As she buckled her seatbelt, their conversation seemed to be on continuous loop in Annah's mind.

"Stop screwing around, Jordan."

"I wish I was, Rivers. This isn't a joke."

As Annah related her unbelievable story, Rivers stayed silent. Then as Annah told of her growing feelings for the other woman, she began to cry.

"Please don't cry, Rivers. The last thing that I ever wanted to happen was to see you hurt. I wanted so much to tell you, but it never seemed the right time."

"So why now?"

"Because, my feelings for you are too much to allow me to do this anymore," Annah said, and noted that this only made Rivers cry harder. She moved closer to the blonde woman and put an arm around her. Annah took comfort in the fact the Rivers was allowing her touch, and while it was a small victory, it was a victory none-the-less.

"I'm so confused," Rivers finally said, blowing her nose, "If you aren't Jordan, then where in the hell is she?"

"I have no idea. I know you've gotten calls from her, but other than that…" Annah let her thoughts trail off. A part of her wished that Jordan Allen was never coming back, and that she and Rivers could be together. However, Annah realized that Rivers probably wasn't going to want to have a whole lot to do with her after the night was over.

"Another one of her fuck ups that she thinks I'm going to sit back and accept," Rivers said, with an air of bitterness.

"You don't have to do that anymore, Rivers. If it is one thing that I always wanted you to know, it was how special you are, and how much better you made me feel about myself. You are such a kind and loving person, and you have so much going for you, any woman would be stupid to let you go."

Rivers had smiled, and offered her thanks for the sentiment, but Annah was still convinced that it would take more than that for Rivers to truly realize her worth. As much as she did not want their time together to end, she knew that the only person who could make Rivers understand how special she was, was Rivers herself.

Every truth was exposed, including that of Annah's past and what she had been through. When she had related how she had ended up in jail and on the streets, Rivers had listened to her story and had passed no judgment. She told Annah that a lesser person would not have survived, and that she admired her will.

In regards to their relationship, neither woman had said a whole lot as far as what would happen now that the truth was out. Rivers had been more concerned about making sure that Annah had a place to stay once she returned home and not about facing any feelings she may have had.

Still, to Annah things felt unresolved. She had opted to go back to Los Angeles, and so after packing her things she and Rivers headed to the airport.

Rivers left after Annah had her ticket in hand. She was tired, but she knew that sleep was going to elude her. She made a decision, and headed out.

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Annah was one of the last passengers to get off of the plane. She was so lost in thought over what she was going to do now that she was back in LA, that she failed to notice Rivers as she walked right by her.

Rivers had driven back from Vegas as soon as she bought Annah's plane ticket, and it had been a long and thoughtful ride home.

Now that she knew the truth, she began to think of all the little things that had happened over the past month. She felt that in a sense, Annah had never really lied to her. All of the things that she said were the truth, especially about her feelings. There was no denying that when Annah looked at her, it was with nothing but respect and caring.

It was a truly crazy story, and one that had taken her the almost 5 hour drive home to wrap her mind around. When Annah had told her the story, she knew that the other woman was not looking for any kind of pity, and Rivers saw that strong sense of pride that Annah's parents had obviously instilled in her.

Jordan was still gone and this made things so much more difficult to put closure on. She knew without a doubt that her relationship with the actress was over, but what was truly on her mind was Annah.

Annah.

Now that she knew her name, it seemed like she couldn't stop thinking about her. The truth was, she had been so much more attentive than Jordan had ever been. She had shown her so much more kindness than any other woman she had been with; and most importantly, she knew that Annah respected her. It was strange to have feelings for someone who looked almost exactly like her now ex-girlfriend, but Rivers could not deny that she too felt something with the other woman, and it was something that had been building since the first day they had met.

Rivers recalled so many conversations, looks and touches that had placated her because she thought that finally, finally Jordan was coming around and ready to settle down. Now, she was filled with a sense of so much more, something that bordered on hope. It was that hope that had led her to the airport to find Annah.

"Annah."

Annah turned toward the sound of her name and was momentarily stunned to see Rivers standing there.

"Hi," Rivers offered, as she pushed her sunglasses onto the top of head.

"Hi, Rivers. What are you doing here?" Annah didn't want to be rude, but it seemed the most logical question.

"I wanted to talk to you, again."

"Well, then, let's talk."

Rivers and Annah walked through the crowded airport and found a place to sit where they could talk and not be overheard. Already they were getting a few stares from curious onlookers who couldn't believe who they were seeing, but no one bothered the women.

"I thought about everything on the way home, and there was something that I realized," Rivers began, her green eyes intent.

"What is that?"

" Things are over between Jordan and I. They have been for a long time. I guess I just wanted to hang on to something that was constant for me, something safe. And then when you told me the truth, I remembered some of the little things, things you said, how you looked at me, the day we had dinner with my parents. I can't say that if I were in your position I would have done anything different. It makes sense to me, and I needed you to know that."

Annah smiled, and her posture relaxed a bit after these words from Rivers.

"Rivers, I never meant for all of this to happen. I thought I'd be lucky to have a few meals and then be on my way again. Next thing I know I'm making a movie, moving in with you, and I can't help that part of me wished it were all true, that this really was my life. Especially you," Annah grabbed Rivers' hand, and held onto it tightly.

"You are a wonderful woman, and I know that the circumstances of all of this must have been hard for you to deal with. What I do know is that you only get so many chances in life. I'm not a fool, Annah. I may have been for a long time, but not anymore. I can't just let you walk out of my life."

Annah's eyes met Rivers, and she saw an incredible amount of caring in them. It made her feel hopeful too, and that was something she hadn't felt in quite some time.

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

Leaving LAX together, Rivers lowered the top to her car, and they rode back to the Beverly Hotel in comfortable silence, the warmth of the Southern California sun tanning their faces.

The room that Annah had been staying in was still paid for a few more days, and Rivers encouraged her to continue using it until the situation was resolved.

"You should call Johnson, and tell him that you're back," Rivers said, as she sat on the cushioned white couch in the living room.

" Why on earth should I do that?" Annah asked, taking a drink from her newly opened can of Coke.

"Well, until Jordan comes back, you're still her, Annah."

"I thought I was done with that, Rivers. I have no interest in playing the part of Jordan any longer than I have to, and I don't see that I still should."

Rivers looked at her and smiled. She knew that Annah was not interested in Jordan or her money, and her attitude really cemented Rivers' belief that Annah was something special.

"Look, Johnson is a good guy, and I would hate for his movie to go bust because you don't show up to finish it. Who knows when in the hell Jordan will decide to make an appearance. If you're doing the work, you'll be entitled to be paid. Don't worry about that part. Let me take care of it," Rivers said, and it seemed to Annah that she was not going to be argued with.

"The last time I trusted a lawyer it didn't turn out so well," Annah said, her eyes misting.

Rivers saw the emotions on the other womans face and patted the couch so that Annah would sit next to her.

"Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?"

" No," Annah admitted, the answer coming to her quickly and without any doubts.

"Good," Rivers made sure that Annah made eye contact with her," Because it's important to me that you do have trust in me. No relationship can survive without it."

"Is that what we have," Annah asked quietly.

"Is that what you want?"

"I have nothing to offer you, Rivers. You could do so much better than me."

"I had a millionaire, one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Annah. Some might say I did have the best, and it just wasn't enough. You still haven't answered my question."

"You haven't answered mine," Annah said as she tweaked Rivers nose in order to lighten the mood.

" I think that you and I should spend time together to see if what we feel is something that we want to pursue. I know that I enjoy spending time with you, and I would like to think that the feeling is mutual. For me, that is enough, for now."

"For now," Annah repeated, leaning her body into Rivers', her lips slightly parted as she moved closer.

Their kiss was soft, and was neither hurried nor with passion. It was a kiss that spoke of things to come, and neither thought any more about the most pressing issue of all: The return of Jordan Allen.

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

Rivers moved all of her things from the home that she and Jordan had shared for close to a year. It seemed that her possessions were sparse, only clothing and a few pictures, and she thought to herself that she never seemed to have really moved in.

Jordan and her work had been enough to keep her busy; there were always premieres to go to, and other events that Jordan wanted her to attend. Rivers would ask why Jordan insisted she go with her, and why not one of the tarts that she was always flaunting in her face. Jordan liked to say that she and Rivers looked better together than apart, and it was a statement that kept coming back to haunt her. How had she allowed herself to be treated like that?

She sat on their bed, Jordan's bed, and thought about all of the stupid comments like that one, and had to laugh. She couldn't understand why she had wasted so much time with someone who was never going to love her the way that she needed to be loved- the way that she deserved to be loved. Someone that liked to drink and drug and who didn't give a damn who knew about it, even though Rivers had told her lover numerous times how much she hated the way Jordan would act when she was coked out of her mind.

She remembered what her mother had said the first time Rivers had brought Jordan to the house.

" Little girl, that woman will never belong to anyone but herself."

" Oh Mama, stop it. You just met her, how can you say that?"

" Because I can see right through her, even if you can't. As much as I want to see you happy, I don't think that will happen with her, kiddo."

" How are you going to jinx me like that?"

" Oh honey," she grabbed Rivers' hand and held it tightly, " She isn't the one for you. Any mother would tell her child what she sees even if it isn't what their child wants to hear. It's in our nature, and you'll find out one day when you have kids of your own. But that one out there, she's going to hurt you, and when she does, I want you to know that me and your daddy are going to be here for you."

Rivers had changed the subject and ended that conversation as quickly as it had begun. She and Jordan had spent the day with her parents, and had a really good time. Rivers was relieved when her mom and Jordan had got on well, and she thought that maybe her mom would change her mind about her lover. She had told her later that while she liked Jordan, she knew their relationship was not going to last.

'I just had to prove her wrong,' Rivers thought. She remembered so many times when she knew that their relationship was going nowhere, but she had stayed because she thought she could make Jordan into someone else. She had spent months trying to change things that had been going on long before she came into the relationship, and no matter what she did, it was still going to end sooner or later.

Now with Annah in the picture, there was so much more at stake. There was definitely attraction, she couldn't deny that. Where Jordan's eyes were always bloodshot and listless, Annah's eyes were such a bright blue that she should have seen the difference right off. Jordan had a tendency to look a little bloated, especially with all of the drinking. Annah had a lean, muscled look, and it suited her well.

Hell, it suits me well come to think of it.

Rivers had no doubt that she wanted to pursue a relationship with Annah. She didn't think it would be smart to jump head first into something, but they had built a friendship, and that was the first step.

However, she was unsure of what was going to happen with them once the situation with Jordan was settled. She would not allow Annah to go back to living on the streets, that much was clear to her. It was a question of how much help Annah would be willing to accept, and it was Rivers hope that she would accept all that she had to give.

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

To be continued...