DISCLAIMER: All belongs to the great Ilene Chaiken and Showtime.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
SPOILERS: For season one.
Lost
By CK
Part 2
Bette sat in her office, eyes closed trying to remember why she had a meeting today. "OK, I gave you time, what is going on?"
Bette opened her eyes and saw Candace standing in front of her, a large bruised bump on her lower cheek and upper chin. "Jesus, are you ok?"
Candace gently rubbed her face. "Yes, just hurts." She looked at Bette. "Where do we stand? I need to know if your psychotic girlfriend is going to start coming after me."
"Whoa, wait. This is not like Tina at all. She's upset, and for very good reason." Bette jumped to Tina's defense. "Where we stand is no where. It was nice, and if it was a different time and place in my life, then things might have been different. But I love Tina more than life itself. What I did was wrong and I hope I can someday make it up to her." She stood and walked to where Candace was. She placed her hand on Candace, "I want Tina. I'm sorry."
The door to Bette's office opened and Kit, accompanied by Ivan entered.
"What the fuck is going on in here?" Kit said taking in the scene before her.
"Not what you, obviously think." Bette said giving her sister a hard look. She turned to Candace. "I hope you understand."
Candace looked at Kit, then back to Bette. "You know how to find me." was all she said before brushing past Kit and Ivan.
Bette turned to Kit. "What brings you down here to yell at me?"
"Look girl. I don't know why you are fucking up your perfect little life. But I think you need to think before you make any other moves."
Bette looked at Kit. "What do you know about it?" She took her anger out on Kit. "What do you know about me at all?"
"Oh Baby girl, I know you better than you think I do." She stepped towards her. "And what do I know about screwing up a good life? Everything! What do you think I'm paying for now? Why do you think I can't get my own son to come see me? Why do you think you're the only one in the family who will talk to me?" She shook her head. "You know that I am the queen of fucking up." She put her hands on her sister's shoulders and forced her to look at her. "Bette I love you. Let me help you. I just want what's best for you. And that skinny little white girl, whom I have grown to love as a sister, is what's best for you girl."
"I know." Bette said softly, the anger suddenly gone. She stared at her sister. "What am I going to do?"
"If I may interject." Ivan said from the door, where she'd been leaning. "A little romance can go a long way." She smiled.
The doorbell rang at Dana's house and Tina went to the door to get it. "Yes?" She asked, after opening it.
A delivery man stood there, a large box in his hands. "This is for a Miss Tina Kennard."
"That's me." She took the box as Dana came down the stairs. She pulled a few ones out of her pocket and handed them to him. "Thanks."
"Sure." He said as he left.
"What's that?" Dana asked as she and Tina headed into the kitchen.
"I don't know." Tina laid it down and slowly pulled the ribbon off the box. She picked up the card and opened it. She knew that hand writing.
Tina put the card down and opened the box, 24 long stem roses, white, pink and red mixed together. They were fresh and very fragrant. So much so, Tina couldn't help but smile.
"May I?" Dana asked pointing to the card. "If it's too personal.."
"What's too personal?" Alice asked coming into the kitchen.
"Don't you knock?" Dana asked, trying to be irritated.
"As much as you do when you come to my place." Alice was quick to respond. She picked up the card and noticed the writing. "From Bette huh?"
Tina looked at Dana. "A vase?" She turned to Alice. "Yeah."
"Is this good or bad?" Alice asked still holding the card.
"I'm not sure yet." Tina said taking the vase from Dana and filling it with water. "She is at least going to give me space right now." She placed the roses in it. "That I know is good. That's what I need right now." As she spoke she didn't take her eyes off the roses. She gently fingered one of the roses, it was soft between her fingers. "Just like Bette." She mumbled to herself.
Dana and Alice stepped into the other room leaving Tina lost in thought. It was the first time they had been alone since that night. "Dana I.."
"Yeah. I think..." Dana couldn't find the words and suddenly found herself kissing a very shocked Alice.
Alice, quickly got over the shock and was beginning to kiss back, when they heard Tina enter the room.
"Hey guys I..." Tina stopped, eyes wide. "Wow, oh, uh, ok, I'll be in the kitchen."
"Oh God." Dana and Alice said together.
"Wait Tina." Alice said , trying to compos herself. "Look we don't know yet what this is." She motioned between herself and Dana. "So if you could."
"Zipped." Tina said, still a little shocked. "I will keep it to myself."
"Thanks." Alice said stepping back from Dana.
"But if you guys need time I can find another place to stay." Tina said quickly.
"No." They both said rather loudly.
"You need us." Dana said starting to relax.
"Well I do need you guys today." Tina said softly. "I need clothes. I can't keep borrowing yours."
"Want me to go pick up some for you?" Alice asked.
Tina looked at her. "I was going to go, but I'm just not ready. Could you get me a suitcase?"
"Yeah. I can do that." Alice looked at her watch. "I have time before an interview anyway. I'll bring it by tonight before we head out to Kit's thing."
"Kit's thing?" Tina asked, puzzled.
"Oh yeah you weren't there yesterday. Kit's gonna perform tonight at the Planet." Dana said, glancing at Alice out of the corner of her eye.
"I know Kit would like it if you showed up tonight." Alice said, trying not to think about Dana and that kiss.
"I'll have to think about it." Tina said looking at her hand. "I'll let you know."
Bette entered her home that afternoon to find Alice in the livingroom, playing with the stereo. "Can I help you?"
Alice turned and smiled. "I was trying to find some good music here, but it looks like a lost cause."
"Thanks." She glanced around.
"I'm alone." Alice smiled apologetically. She felt for Bette. She knew her. She was hurting, and she had been for sometime. "I, ah, I am actually here for some of Tina's clothes. She's been borrowing all mine."
"Yeah if you leave her near a closet, she does that." Bette said softly, smiling at the thought of Tina in her own shirts.
"So, I couldn't find a suitcase or anything." Alice said gently.
"Follow me." Bette put her briefcase down and led Alice to the hall closet where she pulled a large suitcase from the top shelf. "The big one?"
"Probably." Alice said as Bette put the smaller ones back.
"She'll probably want her bathroom things too." Bette said as they headed to the bedroom. Bette walked in and dropped the suitcase on the bed.
"Jesus, what happened in here?" Alice asked, surveying the mess.
Bette looked at her. "I haven't been in here since she..." She broke off and looked away.
"Oh." Alice wanted to kick herself.
Bette went to the closet and opened it. She pulled several tops and a few nice pairs of slacks. She didn't know what Tina needed. She pulled a few skirts Bette had always liked her in. She placed the clothes in the suitcase and went to the dresser. She pulled all of Tina's undergarments out and put them in the suitcase. She took a garment bag from her own side of the closet and place two of Tina's suits in it. "I don't know if she plans on returning to work. If so, she'll need these." She turned to the bottom of the closet and pulled Tina's favorite running shoes and a few others from the closet. She pulled Tina's athletic bag from the closet and put the shoes in it. "Let me get her workout suit and bathroom things." Bette moved as though someone else had control. She walked back to the dresser and pulled one of the work out suits from it and placed it in the suitcase. Then she headed to the bathroom and put together one of the overnight bags together with Tina's personal things in it.
Alice picked up a picture of Tina and Bette from Tina's side of the bed. She placed it in the suitcase, just in case.
"That should do it." Bette said softly.
The Planet was crowded, as it usually was when it was hosting a special girls night. Bette found herself leading a casually dressed Peggy Peabody to a table. "Is this ok?"
Peggy nodded and took a seat. "Are all these women Lesbians?" Peggy asked looking around.
Bette resisted the urge to smile. "I'm not really sure, but I would wager to guess yes. Or Bi."
"Who's Bi?" Alice asked sitting down next to Bette.
"You." Bette said quickly.
Alice looked at her a minute. "You were Bi bashing again were you? Because there is nothing wrong with it."
"Don't get defensive. I was just answering a question." Bette said looking past Alice.
"She's not here." Alice said taking a drink from Bette's cup. "She might be coming with Dana and Shane."
"Still not talking?" Peggy asked.
"I told her I would give her space." Bette said glancing around for signs of Dana or Shane.
"Space. Ugh." Peggy shook her head. "Well, You should make sure she knows you have a deadline."
Alice raised an eyebrow. "A deadline?"
"She has to get her life in order before she can take over my next exhibit." Peggy said matter of fact. "I need her to be focused when we get started." She looked at Alice. "We met yesterday didn't we?"
"Yeah, I'm Alice. I write for LA Magazine." She said , watching Bette out of the corner of her eye.
"Oh right. I know about you. Bette says you write some wonderful articles. I wouldn't know, I don't read magazines unless I can help it. But if you ever need a quote, please let me know. A friend of Bette's..."
"Is a friend of yours." Alice finished.
"No, is someone worth talking to." Peggy said before turning her attention to the performance area.
Alice lowered her voice as the first band began to play, and leaned towards Bette. "She's a bit..."
"Yes I know. But she saved my ass. It's the least I can do." Bette replied before returning her gaze to the door. She knew she couldn't approach Tina tonight, but she wanted to see her.
"Dana I don't know. Maybe I should just go back to the house." Tina said as they stood outside The Planet.
"It's up to you Tina. I can take you back."
"No, I don't want you to miss it." Tina was torn. There was a part of her that wanted to walk in there and pretend none of it ever happened. She wanted to take Bette's face in her hands and kiss it all away. Then there was a part of her that never wanted to see Bette again. And the biggest part right now, wanted to crawl under the covers and just forget it all. She turned to Shane. "Could you take Dana home?"
"Yeah I can do that." Shane shook her head. "Don't go in if you're not ready Tina. Don't put yourself through anything you don't have to." She was speaking from the heart. "Don't do anything that's gonna hurt you right now. It's not worth it."
Tina put a hand on Shane's arm. "You deserve to find someone wonderful." She looked at Dana, who was pulling out her keys for her. "Thank you Dana."
"It's ok." Dana said wishing she could make her friends feel better. She thought of Alice and wondered what she was going to do there.
"I'll see you guys later." Tina said before turning and heading back to the car. A quick get away.
Dana and Shane entered and found Alice. They sat down. "Hi." Shane said sitting next to Peggy. Peggy was watching the band as they finished up.
Bette looked at them, then looked around, no Tina. "Hi." She said a bit too casually.
"She didn't come?" Alice asked.
"Nope said she had a headache." Shane said quickly.
"Oh." Alice glanced at Bette, who had just put her business face on.
"How is it?" Dana asked, looking at Alice.
"Sounds good so far." Alice said giving Dana a small smile.
"Good? They are wonderful." Peggy said warmly. She smiled at Dana and Shane. "You're that Tennis player aren't you?"
Dana smiled. "Yeah. Dana Fairbanks."
Peggy looked at Bette. "The company you keep."
Bette smiled back. "I know." She turned towards the stage when her sister got up there.
"Hi everyone. I have a few announcements to make." Kit said smiling at the crowd. "I am happy to announce that The Planet is now under the Management of myself and Marina." The crowd cheered, most knowing about Francesca. "Alright calm down. Now the bad news. Marina will be out of town for a while, so she can get some of her affairs in order." The crowd murmured and Kit continued. She didn't want people to find out anything more than Marina wanted them to know. "But I will be here and we will continue to make this the best place in LA!" She gave the band a nod and they began to play and Kit eased into her first song.
Peggy shook her head. "Kit is an amazing singer." She turned to Bette. "Do you sing?"
"I think Bette's talents lie elsewhere." Alice chuckled.
Bette shot Alice a look. "My talents are in Art." She said looking at Peggy.
"And in that respect, you are very talented." She smiled at Bette and turned her attention back to Kit's performance.