Bette stood up and took Tina by the hand.  She turned slightly at the women who had been so gracious to her.  “Thank you ladies.  It was a pleasure meeting you.  I can see why Tina speaks so lovingly about you.  I seem to be the cause of some friction here so I’m going to go and let you continue your party in peace.  Once again, thank you.”  Shane, Dana, and Helena protested Bette’s departure but somehow understood that Alice had made it impossible for her to stay by ‘outing’ her.  She brought Tina over away from the crowd that began to disperse. After walking a few feet Bette turned so they were face to face.

“T, don’t let her upset you.  She’s right to be so protective.  If it were me I would do the same thing.  Why don’t you stay here with your friends and enjoy the rest of the night.  It’s still early…and…” 

“That’s it? Someone says something stupid and you give up and walk away?  How are you supposed to fight for your life when you can’t even stand up to bigotry and stupidity from some silly woman?  Why would you care what any of these people think?  I certainly don’t.  I only care about what you think. So, tell me Bette, what was all this tonight?  Was I just one of your ‘distractions’ like those women at the Planet?  Were you going to come just short of ‘using me up’, as Jody would say, and then throw me away?  Tell me what you think this is and why what those idiots think is more important than what we started tonight?”  Tina was breathing hard.  Her emotions were running high and she didn’t care who knew it.  Once again the radio had been turned down and everyone watched to see what Bette would answer.  Alice smiled hoping this would be the end of Tina’s foolishness.

Bette felt ashamed, she knew Tina was right.  How could she fight for her soul if she could give in so easily when challenged?  Bette looked at the crowd watching them.  All eyes were glued on them and she could hear the whispers and giggles. She looked right at Alice and finally turned to the only person in her life that had ever made her feel alive, even when she was human.  She took Tina’s face into her hands and softly rubbed the tears that had snuck from her eyes in her anger. “You’re right Tina, you are a distraction.  You’re a distraction from my shallow, unimagineably lonely existance.  Before you came into my life all I had was the darkness that constantly surrounds me but now, being with you feels like…like the sun is shining on my face.  You mean more to me than I could ever say in words and in front of every person here I can say I am truly falling in love with you.”

Tina’s eyes opened wide and she gasped slightly just before Bette kissed her.  The reaction from the crowd could be heard but the two were oblivious to the world around them.  Some cheered while others grimaced.  After their kiss they walked off hand in hand headed back to Bette’s car.

Dana walked over to Helena and Shane and draping her arms around their shoulders said, “Looks like our girl’s in love.”  They seemed to smile in unison.

“Yeah, with a frickin’ vampire”, Alice deadpanned.  They looked at her shaking their heads and walked away. Alice would spend the rest of this party mingling with the other covens, her’s seemed to need a break from her for the rest of the evening.