Notes: I thought of this fic somewhere between the beginning and the end of S2. It follows its own path after S2's finale. This is my first Bomb Girls fic, so I'm a little nervous.

Warning: Trigger warning for mentions of abuse and trauma.

I want to let the rain come down

Make a brand new ground

Let the rain come down

-Let the Rain by Sara Bareilles

Betty felt the springs prodding her as she awkwardly sat on the couch beside Vera while they sipped on punch. She looked up at the "Welcome Home" banner and wondered how Gladys ever thought having a party for her release was ever a good idea.

She felt the stares of the other girls as they all sat in the community room at the boarding house. It felt like half of Toronto had showed up. And they were all a little too nice for her comfort. She could see behind their fake smiles and hugs that they were judging her. The only reason they were there was to get a good look at the convict. The one who got away with murder.

Luckily for her, Gladys' fancy lawyer had managed to finagle a deal based on good behavior and no-prior records to get the charges dropped to lesser degrees. It took some time, but here she was, sitting right back on the couch of the boarding house. Her home.

She tugged at the collar of her buttoned blouse, suddenly feeling the cloths tight clasp around her throat. It felt how noose might feel, just like as she imagined so many nights in her cell.

"It must be nice to be back in your old room," Vera tried, noting the need for brighter conversation. "I'm guessing Gladys worked her magic there too?"

"Mmm, I guess. Sounds like her," Betty shrugged. "She could talk Hitler into shaving the wacky stache if she had the chance."

"Okay, girls! Why don't we liven' up this party with some music?" Gladys said, cheerily as she glided back into room as if on cue. She reached for the record player and nervously placed the latest Bing Crosby record on for a spin.

Betty could tell her friend was trying hard to act like everything was normal. Like Betty was returning from a trip instead of skipping a death sentence. She figured the other girl had been out in the hall, calling to find the whereabouts of the one person not there. It was the elephant in the room everyone must be whispering about. She had not seen Kate since the night before she turned herself in. When they had both lay on her bed and accepted their fate.

There had been no visits, no phone calls, not even so much as a post card during the 9 weeks she had spent locked up. At first, she had been happy that the other girl had stayed away. Told herself that it was better if Kate moved on. Got on with her life. But then on one of Vera's visits, she let it slip about Kate singing at the nightclub again. She smiled and said she was happy to hear it, but the little fact stayed with as she lay alone on her cot with nothing but her thoughts to keep her busy. It was like the grain of sand in her shoes, the longer it sat there the more it rubbed against her the wrong way.

Encouraging others to dance, Gladys spun two girls around and laughed as they took the eager girl's cue to continue. "That's the spirit!"

She spun around towards the couch and extended her hand to Betty.

Betty looked up at her with raised eyebrows.

"Not. Gonna. Happen."

Vera hid her smile behind her cup as she looked between the two facing off.

"Come on, Bets! It'll be like old times," Gladys tried, ardently.

"Wasn't so crazy about the old times either," Betty smiled for the first time since she had been out. "Two left feet, remember?"

"I remember them…" Kate said, stumbling into the room.

They all turned to see the red-head standing just inside the French doors, using them to steady her teetering balance.

"Kate," Betty said, quietly as she stood up, her eyes wide as she breathed in the sight of the newcomer.

Vera nervously stood up as well, turning towards Kate. "Good, the whole gangs back together once more."

"Am I late?" Kate asked, wobbling towards them.

"No, you're just in time for the fun," Gladys nervously laughed as she reached out to steady their friend. Her head reeled back at the strong smell of liquor coming from the red-head. "Woah Nelly, which smells like you may have already started else where."

Kate pushed past Gladys and stumbled her way towards the couch. She stopped right in front of Betty and regarded her for the first time in what felt like countless weeks.

"Hi," Betty's voice nervously squeaked out.

Betty never saw the blow coming. She only felt it as Kate slapped her with enough force to send her tumbling back onto the couch behind her.

"Kate!" Gladys and Vera both yelped. The whole room seemed to take in a surprise gasp of air at the same time.

"You think what you did made me happy?" Kate sneered, angrily pointing down at Betty.

Betty blinked hard at the enraged girl before her as she held to the side of her face that stung almost as much as the angry words currently being directed at her did.

"Did you think it would make me love you?" She furiously asked. "It didn't!"

Betty heard the whispers behind her as Kate's angry words cut deep.

"That's enough!" Gladys said, pulling Kate away.

"It didn't make me love you," Kate railed on as Gladys stepped in between them while she pointed angrily at Betty, who was still sitting in shock on the couch. "It only made me hate you for it!"

"Kate!" Gladys snapped. She stood firm between her two friends. "Just leave."

Kate finally looked at Gladys before looking down at the hand she had slapped Betty with.

"Go." Gladys gritted out, her jaw clenching with resolve.

Kate nodded before stumbling back out of the room.

The only thing that could be heard was Betty's hard breathing and the murmurs of the other girls in the room. Vera and Gladys anxiously looked at each other, uncertain of what to do or say next.

Betty couldn't take it anymore, so she jumped up and shoved past them both just as the tears began to fall.

"You go take care of the hurt, I'll go take care of the drunk."

She heard Vera offer as she made her way down the hallway towards her room. She knew Gladys would be at her door soon, so she locked it behind her. She didn't want to let her in any time soon.

Betty walked to the other side of the bed and slid to the floor as she heard Kate's hurtful words rang in her mind all over again.

If she could help it, she wouldn't let anyone in ever again.