Fan Fiction
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Remember who you
Bette knew she had worked hard over the past year to listen more, reflect more, be present, to wait before responding. Those things that Tina always wanted, for Bette to open up, talk, communicate – those things Jodie pushed away. Tina would gently tell her to hear instead of listen, to seek understanding instead of casting assumptions, to wait and process before responding.
Jodie wanted responses, she wanted reactions and she wanted them now. She craved intensity and it showed in her work and in her demeanor. Jodie stood tall in the world, but instead of wanting Bette to stand next her, she wanted Bette to shrink.
Bette sat there. On their bed. Processing. Worrying. Paralyzed. Waiting. Breathing slowly and waiting.
Waiting for her Tina. Tee will know how to unwrap this gift I have been given, Bette thought. Tina will know. This gift that is a dark box of hurt and pointing fingers. Of shame. Tina will know what to do next, she will help, Bette knew this deep in her heart. She sighed, feeling the tears coming.
Tina stepped out of her work event to answer a call from Shane. She knew Shane would not have called if something wasn’t very wrong.
Shane knew that Tina was working, and Shane herself was with Bette at the show for Jodie. So when Tina saw Shane’s number light up on her phone, she excused herself and stepped outside. Truth be told, Tina was done with the small talk for the night – the drinking, the fake smiles, the growing loudness. She was ready to go home. Home. It felt good to say that. Home. It felt good, so damn good to have a home with Bette again. Bette was her home.
Tina did not like to be away from Bette these days. Not now. Bette was more fragile, humble, trusting…dare she say, vulnerable? Tina could not get enough of this Bette. This Bette was the Bette she had first fallen in love with and Tina was obsessed. Obsessed with the thoughtful Bette who brought home dinner, sent flowers, drew a bath for them to share after a long day. The Bette that left notes in her briefcase or sent texts in the middle of the day just because. The Bette that shyly brought home new seedlings and asked Tina to help her plant them in their garden, “show me” she had said quietly, “show me, Tee, where can they go?” And then smiled proudly afterwards, a smidge of dirt on her nose, gardening gloves in her lap and her cheeks red. Fuck, Tina thought. Fuck she’s everything. Tina could not get enough of Bette. Bette was romantic, attentive, engaged…and Tina wanted to be with her all the time.
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Zhenya says
Hi! Always welcome new author on this site! Of course – who write Tibette story)
Thank you for the story and i hope you would write in the future too.
izzie says
” She’s a piece of gum on the bottom of your shoe” that summarised what so many people think about Jodie Lerner !
I’m happy to see new writers coming on this site, welcome !
I enjoyed reading your fic, it was well written and I hope to read you soon again.
proteonomics says
Hi, BK:
Welcome to this site, nice story, hoping you’ll write more stories.
P
cellphone48 says
Welcome, you did this story justice! I hope there will be a part 2 where Tina puts Jodie’s ass in her place. Shut her ass all the way down. She want be able to do another art show EVER! More soon please and thanks.
kenji says
Loved your story. Come back soon.
Jordan Springs says
You captured Bette’s pain and humiliation well. Tina’s response to soothe the pain was amazing. I love to see more of this story when Jodie suffers the wrath of Tina.
Bibi28 says
Hi BK,
Welcome on board!!!
It is so important to welcome new authors on this site!!! I am very happy that you shared this story with us!!! What a fantastic story to begin with!!!
I loved how Tina took care of Bette and this line is so true and described my feeling about that woman:
” She’s a piece of gum on the bottom of your shoe” that summarised what so many people think about Jodie Lerner !
I would love it if you can continue and let us see how Tina will take care of Jodie and kick her ass!
Finn422 says
Welcome. Love the story…please continue
BK says
Thank you all for the kind words and interest…chapter two almost ready !
trecelovinit says
Awesome! I hope you extend this one out a bit.
Martha3128 says
I really enjoyed this story. Your description of Bette’s response to the Jodi’s exhibit was excellent. Bette in my view always reacts strongly to rejection and when you add public humiliation, I can see her at least going temporarily into a state as you describe. Bette’s motivtivation is to be loved, wanted, needed and accepted. It’s why she had such a terrible time when she and Tina were seperated. The bringing Bette back to the woman Tina loves and knows is really a good story. I have seen it written that most of The L Word Fans want to be Bette or to make love to Bette. Put me in the camp of wanting to be Bette. I want to make love to that wonderful Tina. And only Bette deserves to be with Tina. They truly are the two best ficitional characters I know.
PS Nice touch using “sugah” as Tina’s term of endearment. Tina being raised in Atlanta Georgia, would definitely use such a term..
BK says
I agree completely. Glad you liked the story. I wanted to write something that highlighted the connection between the two, something that was sweet but true to character as I see them. I think Tina is wonderful too and Bette so complicated and tender at the same time. I want Bette to be strong but she is insecure so hopefully that came across in the story. More to come…including a pool party, parking lot confrontation and Alice. Thank you for taking the time to respond, everyone!
OneStorm1 says
Loved it, very nicely done. PPS
Therese_Belivet says
Many thanks for sharing your obvious talent with us !
I’m especially touched by the way you depict devastating effects of humiliation on someone as deeply vulnerable and full of old emotional scars like our dearest Bette…
How miraculous to find such a true soulmate like her Tina, the person who so fully knows you and that you can trust with your life…
You know, I also thought, when I saw this episode the first time (so many years ago but it always seems like yesterday) that they missed the opportunity to show the way Bette and Tina would have recovered together from such an awfully humiliating act of revenge from this insufferable Jodie,
So I cannot wait to see how you will treat her through Tina !
Welcome to this wonderful and so precious site, I’m delighted to discover your story – thank you :-)
P.S.: Beyond the so endearing topic, what a pretty hot way to be comforted ! *wink*
BK says
Thank you for your kind words. With the new L word coming out I am drawn back to the missed opportunities in the first edition. I heard Leisha say in an interview once that the L word was the first to show how lesbians did things, ordinary things, like drink coffee. She was joking but I think comforting each other when life gets tough would have been really good to see.
Bette, to me, is so complex and carries such fragility inside that I am hoping to show that here. Glad you liked it.
More coming this weekend
thanks
Therese_Belivet says
Complex and carrying such fragility indeed – I see we obviously share the same point of view on Ms Porter ;-)
By the way, fascinating enough was the way Laurel Holloman depicted Jennifer Beals, in an interview during the first season : “Luminous and complex”. Since we all know how much of herself JB brought to Bette’s character – for exemple the biracial topic she so wanted to add – and her own deep emotional personality, this definition always touched me a lot…
,,, well, no need to be a genius to guess how much complexity and fragility speak to me on a very personal way, I’m afraid :-)
bumsue says
Thanks for this story as it captures so well a wonderful possibility of a most difficult moment in Bette’s life. We were able to witness a relationship between two women that was unique and sacred, even though it was only a tv show. There was definitely a chemistry that they successfully create for us to observe as they told their stories.
You story captures that sacredness of two spirits joined in love and how their understanding of the other brings forth a healing of a pained heart with the simplicity of looks, words and touches and a deep and abiding love.
Thank you!
BK says
Thank you for reading!
wkm says
Wonderful take on that painful scene.
Thanks
Jacky says
Thanks for joining us and posting fanfic! We’re glad to have you with us :-)
Dr. A says
WOW!!! So beautifully written . Just excellent!
I fervently wish to have such a love! Perhaps in my next incarnation, she will come to me and I will immediately recognize her, as my soul responds to hers. Thank you for sharing what true love encompasses.
Maddyson says
I’m honestly so speechless I’ve read nearly all your fics but my friend told me to read this one and I finally am and I wish I could write down all my emotions but I’m speechless in the best way you’re such an incredible author and I love how you wrote Bette and Tina so perfectly ahhh thank you
TeaAndDenial says
OMG this first chapter is phenomenal! You’ve really captured all the characters and their behaviours and thoughts so well! I’m basically going to quote half the chapter to you, but your language is so beautiful that I just have to:
Jodie. Fiery, reactive. Jodie was often easily angered. Combative. She TOOK. She sneered. She smirked. She demanded, my way. MY way. And Bette had tried. She got smaller. She acquiesced, she obeyed. She shrunk. –
OH MY GOD, Bette tried SO hard in that relationship, way more than Jodie deserved tbh and it was heartbreaking to watch, while at the same time, I was so proud of Bette – she really listened to Tina’s criticisms and tried to fix her behaviours in the next relationship. Obviously, it was the wrong relationship but still – character growth :)
Tina will know what to do next, she will help, Bette knew this deep in her heart. – My Baby. Tina has always been her safe space. I love that image of Bette just sitting catatonic, waiting until Tina gets to her so she can safely fall apart.
Bette was more fragile, humble, trusting…dare she say, vulnerable? Tina could not get enough of this Bette. – Yup. For all of Tina’s saying to the contrary early on – this has always been her happy place, taking care of Bette. Tina is a natural nurturer and it’s always what gives her the most satisfaction is taking care of Bette. To have that super strong confident personality be soft and vulnerable with her only.
“I didn’t love her enough” she said, “I couldn’t. I didn’t care enough, I didn’t; I wasn’t I couldn’t”. And Tina understood, Tina knew. Bette didn’t wasn’t couldn’t because Tina was could did. – OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOODDDDD THIS IS PERFECTION!
BK says
Thank you! So nice to read someone finding this story after all this time. It takes many twists and turns with my favorite parts still to come. Hope you keep commenting! I am writing a new chapter now.