"Excuse me, I’m just going to the bathroom" Bette said softly, leaving the table, fully aware of the pair of hazel eyes burning a hole in her back.

Angelica’s form of nursing had moved on to singing Alice nursery rhymes, which left Shane fighting back a giggle and avoiding Alice’s death glare. Tina took the opportunity to slip away from the table unnoticed, content in the knowledge that her friends would look after her daughter, if not the other way round.

She made her way to the bathroom at the back of the Planet and found Bette bent over the sink, dabbing cold water on her face.

"Bette" she said softly, not wanting to scare the brunette who was clearly lost in her thoughts.

Bette lifted her head and their eyes met in the mirror for the first time since she had walked away the night before. They stood there for a moment and time seemed to stand still. Neither of them wanted to break the intensity of the gaze as they both tried to read the other’s minds.

It was Bette who broke the moment first, turning to face her ex-partner.

"I…" she stammered, trying to find the words to explain her actions "I’m sorry T"

"What are you sorry for?" asked Tina gently.

Bette paused. What was she sorry for? What a loaded question. Which part of her actions in the last 24 hours should she apologise for? There were so many to choose from. After taking a deep breath, she knew what she had to do.

"For kissing you"

The statement came out as barely a whisper, but cut sharply into Tina as though it had been screamed in her face. She tried to keep herself together and not let her face show that she was breaking inside, an exercise which was pointless considering the depth of knowledge that the brunette had about her facial expressions.

"Are you?" she asked, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"T I shouldn’t have done it, I accept full responsibility. You’d been drinking and I was emotional and just finding it weird I guess"

"Finding what weird?"

"Just…" Bette looked down at her hands, staring intently at her fingers as they intertwined "hearing about you and Brenda. I know I have no right, but it was weird for me to hear how you slept with her on the first date and then to see you with her…." she trailed off and prepared herself for the inevitable ear bashing that she was about to receive.