"Damn it Bette this is not how I wanted today to start. This is the last fucking thing I need right now as if…" the sentence went unfinished as Tina felt Bette’s arms wrap around her. Fear lurched somewhere deep in Bette’s stomach as her inner voice whispered She’s not going to be able to make this afternoon now. You are going to have to face Monique alone Porter–you knew all along you would have to Refusing to be sucked in by the taunt Bette spoke softly as she held Tina.

"I know baby. I know."

The feel of Bette’s warmth and the fact that she was not trying to ‘fix’ anything but was just listening brought instant tears to Tina’s eyes. Pulling away Tina turned and reached for her cell phone on the counter, buying herself enough time to blink away the tears. Turning back toward Bette as she placed the phone in her bag she reached over, stroked the dark curls and leaned in kissing Bette’s lips. Seeing the dark shadow that floated in Bette’s eyes she spoke quietly and firmly,

"I have to go Bette I wish I didn’t. Can you take Angelica to the sitter’s? I’ll see you at the Purple Parrot at 12:45. I’m going to do what I have to do but I will be there. We are in this together."

As Bette stood for several minutes in the kitchen, relief washed through her that T had somehow known and that she hadn’t had to explain her fear. Moving to the patio the brunette stared out into the dawning day trying to gather the pieces of their morning into some order before a tiny voice calling for her momma pushed all other things aside.

Monique’s Apartment

The run had been longer than her usual but she had found herself wanting to push herself, to feel her pulse pounding through her veins. It was a release for some of the adrenaline that surged through her. She had returned to her apartment in just enough time to take a quick shower and dress in the dark pants, a loose fitting top, hat and sunglasses the unofficial uniform for the job she needed to do for another one of her clients. The job shouldn’t take too long it was one of the regular ‘My husband is cheating I want you to get the proof’ cases that paid the bills. She figured that an hour or two should wrap it up, which would give her enough time to "dress" for her meeting with Bette at 1:00. There was no way she was going to go there in this outfit. Smiling to herself Monique shoved the mini digital camera she used for this exact kind of job into the pocket of her jacket. By habit she reached to feel the cold metal of the small gun she kept in another custom compartment, finally she headed out to get the prelude to her day under way.