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    Another Left Turn – Chapter 6

    ‘Wendy?!’ Bette almost shouted. ‘Who the fuck is Wendy?’

    Tina’s eyes rounded, bamboozled by this reaction, until she realised and started to laugh. A lot. Bette listened, her heart thudding in her ears, completely lost, but then slowly sensed that Tina was genuinely amused, and managed to get out an explanation that Wendy was not some hitherto unmentioned par amour, but a rather matronly psychotherapist.

    Bette now smiled too. ‘Alice and that goddamn throuple. I thought she’d got to you too.’

    ‘Come on,’ Tina giggled. ‘You know me better than that.’

    And there it was again. That odd feeling that there were no throwaway remarks. Part of the vacuum created by distances both physical and psychological, the fact that they had no body language, couldn’t see each other’s eyes or know exactly what the contract between them was.

    ‘So anyway,’ Bette breezed, ‘I am standing in the middle of the most gorgeous pine forest right now.’ She took a deep breath. ‘So, so beautiful.’

    Tina half closed her eyes. ‘Is it like Vermont? The cabin?’

    ‘Mhmm.’

    There was a beat. Tina swore she could hear Bette’s brain directing itself away from thoughts of sex. When the pause elongated, she took mercy. ‘Are you talking to the trees there, too?’ she asked.

    ‘Oh yeah.’ Bette patted the trunk she was leaning on. ‘Yeah, turns out they have family back east. They already knew all about my stuff. My dreams.’

    Late the previous night, when Bette had googled adoption information, she’d more or less decided she was going to attempt it, with or without Tina. But she still hadn’t decided the order of things: should she present it as a fait accompli, once she knew it was possible? Or should she wait to see whether she was applying as a single person or a couple from the get-go? Then there was the issue of Angie’s response, not to mention Tina’s therapy. She assumed Tina would tell her about that at some point, but in the meantime she didn’t want to add further complicating factors.

    ‘Bette,’ Tina said, wrenching her back to the present, ‘I – I just want to say, Helena showed me this morning’s Times. I saw what Milner said about you.’ Bette didn’t reply. ‘So if you, y’know, called to tell me or to vent about it, then it’s okay. I don’t mind, I really don’t mind. I can do that for you.’

    Comments

    1. Poor Angie….young love… This is bound to happen. Jordi’s life is going to conflict with Angie’s life. And Bette and Tina are not going to let Angie miss Colorado for Jordi’s family party on the Fourth of July. This is something that Angie desired which will be beneficial to her future.

      And considering that Angie no longer lives in the same house as her Mama T, she need to take advantage of being with Tina every chance she can. In a little more than a year, Angie will be in college and opportunities to be with her parents will be fewer and farther between. Angie may not realize it, but her childhood is drawing to a close and these are the last opportunities to enjoy the closeness and devotion of her parents. And although Jordi is someone she likes a great deal, she has far more access to Jordi than she does to her Mama T. Both of these are temporary separations from Jordi and they both will survive.

      I am beginning to be concerned about dear Jordi. Cutting class for the 2nd day in a row is not a good thing. And when Angie list weed as one of the most important things in Jordi’s life, well that’s not a good thing either. I appreciate Shane pointing out that sometimes there are more important things in life than going for the fun things in life. Sometimes when once in a life time opportunities come along, you just have to go for it Angie will not be sorry.

      I’m not sure about Bette and this new idea of exploring an adoption . Feels like its just a whim and something to fill the loneliness in her life especially since she no longer has Tina. Maybe we will see her think this through before she actually starts the process. I am sure that Bette is fully capable of loving and raising a child, but it takes a life long commitment and I do not see her being at point yet. And that commitment is somewhat different for a single person than a couple. It is not that I don’t think Bette is capable, but its something that she must not do on a whim and to realize that this is a life time commitment and potentially be taking on as a single older adult.

      Thank you for this chapter…. I love your writing and I love this story. Can’t wait for the next chapter….

      • Thanks, Martha! I’m going to start writing the next chapter straight away. I usually wait a bit, but I’m so excited about getting our B&T together.

        I love your point about Angie not realising how precious this part of her life is. That’s natural, but it’s hard for Bette especially to see it play out. Tina is missing some of that, and she has some of the latitude of a weekend parent towards discipline, but maybe the weekend visit will cure her!

        Im feeling the discomfort about Bette’s adoption plan! lol To me, it’s quite reasonable for her to do this. If her IVF had worked, she’d have an 11-yr-old. If Tina had carried another baby for them at even 4o or 41, they’d have an 8-yr-old. But maybe people think older women shouldn’t be having babies either? I find that surprising. But I take your point that adoption shouldn’t be done on a whim. It also absolutely needn’t mean adopting a newborn.

        I’m so glad you’re keeping on reading! And thank you, as ever, for your feedback. It always interests me what you see in the story. I appreciate it so much, and the encouragement to continue :-)

    2. Thank you for this Chapter, still happy to be going along for the ride and interested in the destination!

      Concerned with Angie’s relationship and also with Bette’s thoughts of Adoption.

      Feel like crying along with Tina!

      Look forward to more please remember my TiBette heart :-)
      SG

      • Hi SG! Thank you for reading it!

        I’m sorry to be putting Tina through so much pain. It comes from wanting to heal her. Properly. Permanently. She’s been putting band-aids on stuff her whole life, so whipping them off hurts. (I might use metaphor in the next chapter, actually…) But she’s going to be fine. The next chapter is… yeah. I want to write that right now! lol

        Jordi’s a wee rascal. Not a good influence on our beloved Angelica, but the heart has a mind… etc

        I hope to bring some of you round on the idea of Bette’s adoption plans, but maybe Martha is right – maybe the urge will lessen if she gets Tina back???

        Thank you so much for continuing to read and for commenting. It means the world to me to have this encouragement and that you enjoy it. x

    3. Ok.

      First – i’m still pretty sure that Bette already too old for adoption. She in middle 50. For my opinion parents need to support their children at least before they went to college. Before this adopted child go to college Bette would be 70 years old? No, it’s just not right. Sorry, but her time for adoption already gone.

      Second – don’t really care about this story about Angie and Jordie. Because a) i don’t like this Jordie character and her influence on Angie are bad, and b) i don’t like all this GQ story about Angie be a gay. Gay parents and gay children – it’s a such cliche

      Third – Tibette didn’t made it, but Helena and Dylan could stay together? Hmm, nope, not see it all. They were wrong for each other from beginning.

      • Hi Zhenya! Thanks for reading the chapter. I can see I’m not going to persuade you about it being reasonable or rational for Bette to adopt. Not even if it’s not a baby?? Well, okay. Just know that people do adopt at her age, and older, and there are lots of kids who need loving homes. But anyway, we can agree to disagree.

        It’s interesting what you say about Angie’s sexuality, because that slightly surprised me too when I saw GenQ. I don’t think it’s impossible, but maybe it’s to do with assumptions of sexuality just working in the opposite way. I don’t like Jordi either, though. Her days are probably numbered, lol

        On Dylan and Helena – weren’t they happy together at the end of the L Word? Maybe I got that wrong! I had a memory of them in H’s house making the farewell tape for B&T? Oh dear. Maybe I slipped up on the canon, but I do think they were a love match. And remember, B&T only didn’t make it because the show *said* they didn’t. I wanted to write from canon, so I had to start with them divorced. If I’d written GenQ, they’d have made it all right! Blimey, they’d have two more kids and be the toast of NYC if I’d written GenQ!

        Thank for sticking with this story. If you don’t read future chapters, I’d still like to thank you very much for taking the time to comment and give me things to think about. It’s very valuable and I appreciate it hugely. x

        • Hey again! Of course i will read any future chapters of this story – i like it very much, and you promised a happy ending for Tibette. Sorry, if i criticize it too much, but it’s just because i like this story.)

          About adoption – i just don’t think it would good for any woman in this age – sleepless night, diapers, teenage problems and etc. And for the child too – have a parents with age more close for grandparents. And not forgot about the risk to die in this age – chances to leave this child an orphan bigger than if parents still more young. But you’re right – we could agree to disagree)

          About Helena and Dylan – no, in the finish of TLW they were not together. Remember after their second shot, with Jenny influence Helena broke up with Dylan with words something like – “I can’t trust you because i will never know you after me or money”
          It’s just for me seems very unfair that they were so wrong for each from beginning and they together, but Tibette were so right – and they blow this up.

          • You are right! I think I must have decided that Helen and Dylan fixed their trust issues?? I did think that Dylan’s heart was in the right place. She was led astray by that guy. I don’t think she ever wanted to hurt Helena, quite the reverse. So okay, that was all in my head, haha

            Thanks for the comments, Zhenya!

    4. This story is one of my favorites. I love the slow progression and build up, especially for Bette. There is one part where you wrote Tina thinking about the changes that Bette has made and she realizes that maybe Bette was always this way, always considerate and thoughtful and Tina just never noticed. This really resonated with me, what a lovely frame of reference as Tina begins to own up to her behaviors. I also like the explanation of how they fell apart, it is very plausible. Can’t WAIT for them to be back together again. please let Tina be careful with Bette’s heart, it seems so hopeful and fragile at the same time.
      I don’t think adoption is the right course for Bette at this time, but perhaps she is clinging to the vision of her intact family as she always wished it to be. Even adopting an older kid is really hard given the baggage they bring and the time it would take away from Angie. By the way, I have three teen girls, if Bette would like to adopt one…. just saying
      Please keep writing, anxiously waiting the next chapter….
      BK

      • Thanks, BK – I think ‘hopeful and fragile’ is exactly right. And yes, Bette is still mourning her infertility a little, and facing down the prospect of an empty nest. Tough issues, tough phases. And yeah, teenagers can be … a mixed bag, shall we say? We’ll have to wait and see what she does or tries to do, and how Tina and Angie feel of course.

        Thank you for continuing to read and for commenting. I’m getting caught up on Remember Who You Are …. Good to have stories in these uncertain times x

    5. Wow. Another really great chapter. It took me forever to read because I kept going back and rereading just for the pleasure of the words or the thoughts or the insights or the images you painted and, obviously, sometimes for all four.

      My favorite relationship in the OG was Kit and Bette’s so I am very very excited at what you may have in mind for how Bette will honor Kit’s memory.

      I regularly shout out my adoration for Bette Porter at the top of my lungs, long ago having been correctly identified by my neighbors as a loon. I did not think it would be possible for me to adore Bette more, but it is when it is the Bette you have created.

      I like the idea of Bette adopting. I also have no problem with it being an infant since, in this story, Bette can easily afford shifts of nannies to handle the less pleasant and most exhausting aspects of child care. Besides, men in their 50s have children all the time.

      I’m thrilled to read in your responses to prior replies that you are already working on the next chapter. Yippee for all of us!

      • Haha, hi Spu! Thank you. I consider fanfic the place to right all wrongs, so my Bette is indeed mine and I am thrilled that you like her.

        I actually often wondered when I was watching TLW whether I would actually be friends with any of those people and the only one I felt hand on heart about was Kit! Maybe Alice. Never Bette or Shane. I’d like Tina as a neighbour, I think. Bette was scary, though. Much too high end, high octane. I work in my pyjamas most days, lol

        Re adoption – I guess we’ll see. And yeah, I’m working on Ch 7 now. Hope to post by the weekend! Thanks again & stay well x

    6. This was such a long and meaty chapter, such a treat!
      I loved the history between B&T, how the divorce came about. That it wasn’t just one big thing but both of them losing sight of each other. I think that’s similar to what happened to them in S1, they both stopped working on the relationship and kinda let it go.
      I also love the fact that you are taking everything slowly, it doesn’t feel dragged out at all, only feels more natural, considering everything they have to work at for it to feel normal for them to be back together.
      All of the interaction between B&T shows how much they want to be together, but how much work they still have to do before it can really work.

      • Thanks, Noa – the slowness was very deliberate – I think they reconciled too fast, too often, so I wanted them to keep it real :-)

        I was sad writing the divorce part, but also figured it’s what happens sometimes, even when people love each other. But I like that they’re always heading back to each other! x

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