“I saw Kit leaving. How did that go?”

“She said we aren’t close and I got that. We only said a few things to each other. She seemed nice enough.”

“She is nice. She sort of raised you,” Helena admitted as she handed Bette a taco. She placed two drinks on the small table beside the bed.

“Really?”

“Let’s not get into it. It’s a long and winding tale. I heard you spoke with Alice, Shane, and Dana. It didn’t go well?”

“I don’t know…I just didn’t feel comfortable with them. I…I don’t know. I wanted you with me I guess. They can come back to see me. I guess. If you’re there.”

Helena merely arched a brow and bit into a taco.

“I’m glad you finally showed up.”

“Yes, well. I’m sorry it took me so long to get back here.”

“How long have we been together?”

Helena choked on the soda she’d just swallowed.

Bette stared at her worriedly as Helena coughed and gagged.

“I’m sorry. Are you okay?” she asked at last as Helena finally quieted.

“I… Let’s just focus on getting you well. We can talk about that when you’re feeling stronger.”

Bette considered what Helena said and though she didn’t quite agree with it, it seemed Helena didn’t want to talk about it yet. So she would leave it be.

“Okay,” she agreed.

Helena managed a small smile.

“How about I tell you about our friends? That way you’ll feel more comfortable with them when you meet them again.”

“Regale me,” Bette said biting into her taco with gusto.

“Well believe it or not you used to date Alice. And you’ll never believe how we met Dana! We were out one night at a club called Milk and…”

““

Helena felt tense and elated at the same time. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d been able to talk to Bette in such a relaxed manner. It had been so easy talking to her, so easy in fact that she’d almost forgotten it was all a lie.

Not her fault, she reminded herself.

She would have left if not for Alice calling her.

“How did it go?” Shane asked as she stepped into her path towards the waiting room.

“Fine. She was happy to see me. Where are the others? I thought I was going to get my weekly lecture.”

Shane frowned.

“Helena… it’s not like that. We’re worried about Bette. And yeah we’re still kinda pissed about you moving like you did. You left without a word, Helena. That was pretty shitty.”

“I’m sorry about that, but it couldn’t be helped.”

“Yeah it could have been. You could have picked up the phone and said hey I’m moving. But you didn’t. Let’s not even get into how Bette was affected. She pretty much–“

“Shane! Bette knows why I left or rather she did. Leaving shouldn’t have come as a surprise to her. The fact that it did, well then she was being purposefully obtuse. Alice mentioned something about rules? I want you to know I don’t like this anymore than you do. I want to help Bette anyway I can to an extent.”

Shane nodded slanting her a sideways look.

“Okay. Good. Because Tina’s pissed about this.”

“Which wasn’t unexpected.”

Shane grinned suddenly and slung her arm around Helena’s shoulders abruptly.

“You should have seen Dana. She just laid it all out there. Saying it wasn’t much of a stretch for you to be Bette’s girlfriend, since Bette’s had the hots for you since the first time she met you.”

Helena glanced down at Shane.

“Really? She said that?”

“Yep. In fact she’s the one who convinced us to call you. This might be a fucked up situation and we might have not acted like it, but you’re still one of us Helena. If you being here helps Bette then fuck the rest of it.”

Helena laughed shaking her head.

“Right. Fuck the rest of it.”

If only it were that easy, Helena mused. And she knew it wasn’t going to be. Not by a long shot.

Things between her and Bette were never easy. And even if this was a new Bette she still couldn’t see how it would be any different.