A low moan came from Bette at this point. A hand appeared from the crumpled heap she had turned into and gave the black box a stiffly presented finger.

‘I know I’m not deserving of your trust from you right now,
But if by chance you change your mind you know I will not
Let you down ’cause we were the special two, and will be again. ‘

Inarticulate frustrated grunts arose from the heap in the corner of the room. The finger drooped in defeat.

‘And we will only need each other, we’ll bleed together,
Our hands will not be taught to hold another’s,
When we’re the special two.
And we could only see each other we’ll breath together,
These arms will not be taught to need another’s… when we’re the special two ‘

HOW?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! howled the heap.
Kill Helena??????!!!!!!!!!! it demanded wildlyand then a rumpled brown head jerked up as if hit by lightening-bolt inspiration, before crashing back down as sunlight hit straight into its eyes, activating a skull-crushing headache.

The music paused, as if in response. Bettes head lifted slightly, and she peeked a hopeful if bloodshot eye at the black box. Seemingly pleased it had her attention once more, the box continued, as if to give her the response she sought:

‘ I step outside my mind’s eye’s for a minute.
And I look over me like a doctor looking for disease,
Or something that could ease the pain. ‘

Lobotomy the heap mumbled.

‘But nothing cures the hurt you, you bring on by yourself,
Just remembering, just remembering how we were…’

The heap lifted a hand and hit the power button on the remote. The black box faded into silence. The heap then took a shuddering breath, and a giant wave of emotions held at bay, finally crashed over the dam walls.

—

For hours Bette wept. Then she just shook.

Then she raged.

—

Then she cursed every Australian ever borne.

—

Finally Bette got to her feet and headed straight for the scotch.

Reaching it, she wrapped her right hand around it decisively and strode into the kitchen. Her left hand then opened the cupboard the bin was in. In one smooth motion, the scotch was no more.

NNNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Her psyche screamed as her brain explained what would some next. Bette trotted her body down the hall while her brain kept up a calm and logical explanation in soothing terms, not stopping until the icy particles of water lanced into her fatigued skin.

Then she screamed for real.

—

That evening, Bette got home to an empty house. The red light on the phone was beeping and she commanded the machine to play as her fingers began to tear into heavy plastic of the parcel dumped by the door.

Afterwards, she wept into the plastic heavy plastic and the fast thawing steaks contained inside. She wants me to be a parent with her. We are having a baby. We are having our baby.

Squinting an eye yet again at a certain smug black unit sitting in her living room, Bette growled Special THREE Miss Huggins.

And with that thought, a suddenly determined light came into Bettes eyes. A light that hadnt been seen for quite a long while.

—

Bette stepped forward, and looking at her wife, murmured to herself special three.

Shifting her glance for a second to Helena who would have snap-frozen her if looks had physical ramifications, she then muttered and youre not part of it.

—

‘I will fight for you, be sure that

I will fight until we’re the special two (three!) once again.’

End