Bette hit off on the phone, and gently placed it on the desk in front of her. It was not difficult to figure out how Tina had found her, as Bette had given the address of the gallery only to Kit. Poor Kit, Bette thought. That must have put her in quite the bind. Knowing that she had promised Bette to keep their secret, but seeing this Tina standing in front of her, demanding the information that she knew she would have not left without.

Bette knew that she should call Kit and tell her that it was ok that she had told Tina where she was. She knew that it would be eating Kit up inside, but didnt have the strength for that conversation right now. It can wait she thought.

Bettes mind was reeling. Reeling from all of the information that Alice had just shared with her. It certainly explained a lot, concerning Tinas current state, but the knowledge made Bette feel no better about this.

Tinas pain was palpable. Bette could reach out and touch it. She lowered her head onto her hands and rubbed her temples. She now felt as if she had just run a marathon, but knew that as Alice had said, she needed to find the strength.

As she held her head in her hands, she thought back on the last 7 months. The first 6 had been consumed by trying to get Tina back and the futility of that endeavor had driven her here. For the last 6 weeks, she had compartmentalized LA and her feelings for Tina, certainly never able to lock them away, but move them aside in order to allow her to live her life.

What is it? thought Bette. Am I afraid of who will wake up in my bedroom not 50 feet from here? Am I afraid that once she literally comes to, she will do so figuratively as well? Come to and realize her mistake in coming here? Just to leave me again?

Bette knew that she was sliding backwards. All of her movement since coming to NY had been forward, and she was terrified. The last 6 weeks had allowed a tiny fraction of healing, and she did not want to see that come undone.

She was afraid. There was no doubt about it. Bettes fear was as real and as tangible as Tinas, it was just coming from two different places.

She slowly stood up and walked around the desk, dragging her finger tips across the smooth wood. She realized that she was looking around, trying to figure out what to do, where to go. She had felt a relative sense of safety in the office with the closed door shutting her off from the rest of the apartment, but she knew that she could not stay here forever. She walked to the door, and slowly opened it, fearing what was on the other side.

As she walked into the living room, she stopped and listened, but heard nothing. Tina was still asleep. I should check on her she thought to herself.

With that, she placed her bottle of water down on the kitchen counter and moved toward the bedroom door that she had closed 45 minutes ago.

She carefully opened the door, peering inside. Tina was just as she had left her, sound asleep on Bettes side of the bed. Bette knew that she had not moved in the slightest, and that the exhaustion was no where close to leaving Tinas body.

She walked back to the bed again looking down at Tina and sighed.

Should I be afraid of you? she quietly asked.

She would just have to wait for the answer to that question as there was only person in the world who could answer it, and at this time, that person was in another place.

She quietly walked to her closet, took off the clothes that she had put on what seemed an eternity ago, and slipped into another pair of pajama bottoms and camisole.

She then walked directly over to the other side of the bed, and gingerly got under the covers in the spot that she had put Tina in. She inched her way over to Tinas still body, and got as close to her as she could without disturbing her. She gently put an arm around her back and let her head rest in Tinas hair, breathing her in.

How could this feel so right already? Even after all of this time? she wondered.

Enough with the questions her tired mind responded. Just join her, wherever she is, just go be with her.