It all started when a ragged man kicked Lettie hard in the ribs while she was down, kicked her so hard it flipped her onto her back.
Suddenly a tiny blur shot out of the shadows bellowing. "You touched her!"
Everybody stopped to take in the sight of this pint-sized woman taking down this full-grown man and upon them landing on the ground with her on top she takes to pummeling him with both fists screaming at the top of her lungs. "I'm gonna kill you! You dare touch her! Yer a dead man!"
All the while not noticing a single blow the man landed on her. She continued beating on the man even as Phineas called out for them to quit. The oddities were reluctant to obey but as they did Derek the Demon and stark white Imelda attempted get a hold of the sprite of a woman on top of the ruffian with no luck, not even Phineas' shout of "Sara!" could dislodge her.
To everyone's surprise a large form came back into the alley and wrapped her arms lovingly around the waist of the tiny woman and astonishingly none of Sara's wildly flailing fists touch Lettie.
"Come luv, you got him off of me." Murmured the bearded lady.
"No, he dies! He touched you, no one touches you anymore I'll teach 'em not to touch you!"
"And you taught him the folly of his ways," Lettie crooned in Sara's ear. "You did, Sara luv, no one protects me like you do, no one ever has, and no one will ever protect me like you do."
Lettie slowly but surely pulls the small spit fire off the man her punches slowing down, but not without a few parting words of wisdom from the angry hell cat.
"Think of touching her again and I'll turn ya into a eunuch then YOU will be the Freak!" Sara spit blood on him before the large woman swung her around and back towards the back door of the circus.
Upon entering the circus all the oddities, Phineas, and O'Mally stared at the fiery headed woman that Lettie began to fuss over.
"What?" Sara snapped.
"What the hell was that?" Phineas answered in awe.
"That was me protecting my woman. How is that so shocking? Especially since you failed to do so? I told you that I expect you to protect her." She sneered.
"I was!"
"You were not! You were calling them all away like bad dogs! They've every right to protect themselves and their home! You've just given the hooligans free reign to attack as they please!" She turned to her lover. "Come let's check your ribs."
Right before the two disappear up the stairs Sara turns to the rest of the group.
"We start tomorrow night after the last show, so be prepared." She states emphatically.
Once in their small apartment Lettie turns to Sara to start checking her over.
"Darling I'm fine most of this is from tonight's bout" Sara said softly to her worried lover. "Come here," she pulled the brunette to her and gently kissed her. "Let's look at your ribs."
With a gentleness that belies the earlier violence Sara removes Lettie's top and begins to check her ribs though there was already an angry bruise. The bearded lady hissed as the sensitive flesh that was being carefully checked over.
"The good news is that none of 'em are broken or fractured. The bad news is that their terribly bruised and are gonna hurt like the dickens for several days." The redhead moved in and lightly caressed the bruise with her lips Lettie sucked in a sharp breath.
"Please…" Lettie whimpered and arched into those lips.
"I'm sorry to say not tonight for sure and probably not for the next few nights." Sara let out quietly as she lightly touched the bruised skin. "Not until you can keep from moving stiffly."
Lettie sighed and waved Sara back slightly. She slowly strips Sara's clothes down to her fighting outfit. Which consisted of a pair of skin tight black knee length breeches a crimson red sash with tails around her waist and a bright reddish orange sash wrapped around her breasts with the tie off in the back. With practiced ease Lettie removed even that to get a look at her paramour's wounds from the nights' match. Even with a few abrasions everything else appeared to be intact, so it was a good contest this night. The only true casualties are the man foolish enough to touch the brunette and Sara's knuckles, but those wounds aren't new for the redheaded woman.
Sara removes the rest of Lettie's clothes then aids her into her night shift and carefully helps the generously endowed woman into bed. She climbs into their bed as clothed as she was when she was born. Tenderly pulling her lady to her Sara wraps her arms around Lettie and the two snuggle up into each other's arms.
"I'll get my liniment out tomorrow and put some on your ribs, so they don't seize up on you to badly. There's no fight tomorrow night so I can start everybody's lessons." Sara murmurs into her lover's hair.
"Lessons?" Lettie queried lifting her head to look into the eyes of what she considered her world.
"Yes, since Barnum has painted a target on the backs of all us, I'm gonna teach everyone how to defend themselves and each other. So, there won't be another night like tonight, so those thugs that bring the fight to us we can finish it in a timely manner. And let word of mouth spread that while we're not normal we're not to be trifled with either."
"I love you," brown eyes stare deeply into green eyes.
"I love you too, you are my life, my Lettie." Sara lifts her head up and kisses the brunette deeply, causing Lettie to moan. "Now it's time for sleep tomorrow comes soon enough. Sleep tight my darling."
"Goodnight luv." Lettie replies tiredly and snuggles down to soon drift off to sleep.