Bette (appreciatively): Thanks and I know. Believe me I know. I don’t know if I can say anything. It’s up to Tina.

Dylan (hoping Bette would catch on): It’s something from her past. Long before she met you, right?  

Bette (hissing): Yeah, bastards…

Dylan (listening): More than one and Tina and Helena share the same wounds. (Taking a long drag) different circumstances but the same dam wounds.

Bette (thinking): Yeah. (Slamming her hand into the deck) fucking bastards, all of them.

Dylan (reaching out): And all we can do is sit, listen, comfort and protect them. Love them even more no matter how much they lash out.

Bette (angrily): And it’s so fucking hard, not that part. But (sneering) not being able to do anything. Not being able to fix it. Not being able to stop the hurt and anger and pain.  

Dylan (agreeing): Yeah especially when they cry out in sleep or flinch when they’re touched.

Bette (realizing): You knew…

Dylan (forestalling): I grew up on the streets. In and out of homes, I heard and saw a lot. When I took off the last time at sixteen I saw more than I had cared to by then. (Vehemently) I swore no one would ever hurt me or mine like that ever. (Shaking her head) didn’t do such a hot job now did I?

Bette (thinking of what Peggy had told her, putting all the pieces together): You weren’t entirely at fault. You had poor judgment, bad manners, you hurt a close friend of mine and you came back. You keep coming back and you are the one person (sighing) and I can’t believe I’m saying this, that has done the least amount of damage. Yeah you tore her heart out and I wanted to rip your spine out, you used her but not in that sense. You had your dam reasons and in a strange way you were protecting her and the rest of us. So for fucking it up the first time, thank you.  

Dylan (truthfully): Alice blamed it all on me. Catherine, Dusty, prison, Taha, everything. Says I ruined Helena’s life because of what I did to her. (Biting her lip) that everything that happened to her after, was my fault.