Bette walked into the Planet, smiling at her sister who was working hard behind the counter. She joined the queue, listening to the conversations that were going on around her. Not that she cared, when she got to the front of the line, Kit grinned at her,

“You’re in here in the middle of the day?”

“I needed a break from work,” Bette admitted,

“Everything okay?” Kit asked, cocking her head to one side.

“Franklin is being an asshole,”

“Nothing new there baby girl,”

“Yeah more so than normal because the show was a great success and it wasn’t Impressions in Winter,”

Kit laughed,

“What can I get for you?”

“Hot beef sandwich and a strong coffee please,”

“Sure, go and sit down and I’ll bring it over, we can chat,”

“Thanks,”

Bette found a quiet table in the corner. She answered her phone, it was James, she explained she was in a meeting and then put her phone on silent, Kit walked towards her with a tray containing her food and two drinks. She joined her sister.

“How is everything?” She asked as she watched her sister take a bite of her sandwich.

“Better than they should be,” Bette said honestly, “Tina should fucking hate me,”

“And she doesn’t?” Kit said softly knowing the answer.

“No, I see the insecurity in her eyes. I see the pain and hurt I’ve caused but she’s forgiving and loving. She’s not been feeling well but she’s just carrying on, she’s working hard for the studio again and doing brilliantly.”

“How do you feel about being a mom?”

“I’m excited and shit scared at the same time,”

“Those Bette are the correct  feelings,”

“They aren’t the feelings I had last time,”

“You thought you were losing it,”

“I thought I was falling out of love with the love of my life, I was wrong and man I fucked up, but every morning I wake up next to her, the last couple of mornings naked,”

“Girl I don’t need to know that,” Kit laughed but was happy that her sister was finally getting her relationship back on track, “You love her?”

“Completely and utterly,” Bette said, “I’m so lucky she’s taken me back,”

“You are, she didn’t leave, she fought for the relationship, she loves you.”

Tina stood in front of the mirror in their bedroom, she was just wearing a bar and low riding shorts she turned to look at her stomach. She ran her hands over her stomach which had ‘popped’. Her stomach that had been flat for years was now slightly rounded. she turned to the side to check it out.

Bette walked in from the bathroom and smiled,

“What you doing?” Bette asked as she did up her lose fitting shirt.

“Do you think I’m starting to show?” Tina asked softly, a little insecure about it.

Bette walked over standing behind Tina, she looked into the mirror, catching Tina’s eye as she slipped her arms Tina’s waist and gently rested her hands on Tina’s stomach. Smiling.

“You are showing, and it’s amazing. Our baby is in there.” Bette gently kissed Tina’s cheek.

“We will need to tell people I’m pregnant soon before Alice thinks I’m just getting fat.” Tina said.

“You’re not fat, you’re giving our baby the best start.”

Bette pulled away, sitting onto the bed. Tina reached for her tank top.

“I’m hungry,” Tina said suddenly

“We can eat Is there anything you would like?”

“Fries,” Tina said smiling as she turned and looked at Bette who was brushing her hair. Tina took a deep breath.

“What is it?”

“You’re so beautiful,” Tina whispered.

Bette smiled.

“As are you,”

Tina licked her lips, they were slowly getting back on track, they spent most nights talking, finding a common ground.

Tina moved and kissed Bette’s lips.

“I also would love a ice drink,”

“I’m sure we can make that happen,”

****

They walked into The Planet, that Kit had fully refurbished. It looked amazing. They walked in holding hands. The noticed at once that the gang were on a table near the outdoor area, they joined the queue that had formed and Tina was reading the new menu.

“What would you like baby girl?” Kit’s voice floated over the counter, Tina looked up at her sister in law.

“Hi Kit,”

“Hi how are you?”

“Craving fries, and a cold ice drink”

“I can help with both of those,”

“I would like a small fries and a mango ice drink please,”

“Can I have a coffee please,” Bette asked smiling.

Tina had decided she was very hungry, they were now sat around the table eating the pile of Chinese takeout that Tina had ordered.

“Are you sure you were feeling sick earlier?”

“I know but my body is doing crazy things right now B,”

“I know, I know,” She smiled.

Tina was happily eating when the door was knocked, hard. Like someone was trying to bang threw it. Bette shook her head and got up as Tina bit into a spring roll.

Bette got up and opened the door to find Alice stood at the door.

“Is…it…true,” She demanded.

“Alice, none of this is your business,”

“None of my business you’ve cheated on my friend, you’ve ruined everything, you’re not the perfect couple.”

Bette looked at Tina who was eating another spring roll and had stop before biting it had Alice words. Tina shook her head before she got up.

“Alice,” Tina said softly but from her tone Bette knew her temper was just under the surface.

“Tina, how can you…”

“None of this is your fucking business,” Tina said measured. She knew she had to nip this down now. She had to stop this going anything further.

“None of my business…”

“You know when some things are between the people that actually matter in the conversations, this isn’t a lifetime movie or some TV show, this is mine and Bette’s life, and sometimes, well most of the time, our private life is that private between me and Bette. You don’t get to come here and judge either of us. You’re not fucking perfect, you just want the gossip to feed your life and you’re not getting any. I’m sorry but you’re not. None of this is your business, if and when Bette and I want to tell people about it, we will, until then it’s private. GOT IT.”

Tina was angry now and had gone red in the face, Bette knew to step back and let her exploded it was the easiest way to deal with it, she wasn’t sure that Alice knew.

“But…” Alice started

“Did you just listen to me, there are no buts, you’re our friend, but I will not allow you to interfere with our life’s or judge us in anyway. You are here because so-and-so told you something, you called Bette who said she didn’t want to talk to you about the subject, yet here you are, talking about it. It’s nothing to do with you or Dana or Shane, it’s to do with me and Bette. You’re not getting any gossip from me, you’re not getting anything from me or Bette. Find something else to gossip about.”

Tina was putting together a salad for family night, she knew the girls were bring pizza with them, on Alice’s request but the thought of it was actually making her feel sick. She needed something lighter and healthier. Bette walked up behind her, since the other night, they had been more openly affectionate with each other, Bette was determined to get them back on track. Bette slowly put her arms around Tina’s waist resting her hands on her stomach, where they both knew their baby was. The day before they had seen Dr. Wilson, she had told them they were expecting again and their babies heartbeat had filled the room. Making both of them emotional.

“How are you feeling?” Bette asked,

Tina relaxed into Bette’s arms. They had been talking more and Tina needed the physical affection as well as Bette’s words.

“My stomach doesn’t want pizza, the thought of it is making me want to be sick. I’m hoping it passes,”

“that’s why you are making salad,”

“Yeah, I have to listen to my body right now,”

“You do,” Bette popped her head onto her shoulder and saw the grilled chicken strips that Tina had put into the salad, “Is there enough for me?”

“Always,” Tina said softly.

“I’ll have that with you instead of the pizza,”

“You don’t have too,”

“Baby I want too,”

“Okay,”

Tina started chopping the tomatoes, as the front door opened,

“Are we okay to come in?” Shane asked poking her head around the door.

“You’re fine,” Bette went to let go of Tina’ but Tina moved her hand, covering Bette’s to stop her moving away.

“Please don’t,” She said softly.

Bette smiled and stood closer, knowing that this was the first time all their friends would be together since the opening. Tina was nervous.

“Why are you making salad, we have pizza?” Alice said as she put the pizza onto the dinning table and looked at the box of beers that Shane had put there too.

“I’ve had a bug,” Tina said soft, “My stomach isn’t up to pizza, sorry Al,”

“That’s fine more for me,” she laughed as she removed her jacket.

Tina smiled softly as watched the girls open the pizza box and open their beers.

Tina sat looking at the email that had just come through, she’d been on the phone most of the morning, talking to her old boss. She had told him she was looking to work again, he had offered her a job, on the spot and now she was looking at the details he had sent her.

She heard the front door open and close and Bette came in throwing her briefcase onto the chair near the door and removing her jacket.

“What a fucking day?” She said softly.

“Bad?” Tina asked.

“The worst, Franklin is still angry that the show was a success, I think it doesn’t help that Peggy demanded that I stay,”

“If you’re not happy,” Tina said, “Move on,”

“I’ve got another year on my contract.”

“Put some feelers out. You are responsible for your own happiness.”

“You’re right,” Bette nodded before she removed her cuff links and rolled her sleeves. Putting her cuff links on the small end table.

She walked into the kitchen turned on the coffee machine.

“How was your day?” Bette asked as she looked over at Tina.

“Productive I think.”

“in what way?”

“I spoke to Jimmy Carlton.”

“Head of talent at Alphaville, is he still there?”

“Yeah, the one and same,”

“Good chat?” Bette asked as she made herself a coffee and lent on the counter, she couldn’t take her eyes of Tina. She was finding herself falling deeper in love with her. She knew now that this really was the woman for her.

“Very, he has offered me a job,”

“Really?”

“You don’t have to sound so shocked.”

“I know I know I’m sorry,” Bette said,

“He has offered me a good job, in fact.”

“What is it?”

“Head of Creative it would be my job to get the scripts, get editors, make sure that we can actually make movies.”

“You should go for it, you’re perfect for that job,”

“That’s what Jimmy said, he has sent me the spec sheet, with a salary offer. He knows I’m pregnant and is fine with it. He has offered me leave.”

“He really wants you?” Bette was smiling.

“Yeah he does, I worked for him before, he knows I can deliver.”

“You want this,” Bette said,

Tina looked at her, smiling. She did want this. The moment was amazing, the hours weren’t crazy and she didn’t have to be on set. She could work from home if she wanted.