A/N: Yes, I am officially following my priority order now. Good little me. Anyway, there's a bit more Anne and Henry for you in this chapter, and a LOT of Anne and Catherine angst. Just so you know. Thank you still for all your kind reviews, and although I am hugely grateful to all of you, I am especially in debt to Amelia Earheart and The Young Authoress, who have reviewed and made me happy more than once! Xxx

Warning: Some words used here may be considered swearing. But, it is rated M, so don't complain! xx

"Hush, Mary, sweetheart. It's okay, Mama's here" Catherine clutched her daughter tightly, rocking the baby in her arms to a slow, steady rhythm. Mary stopped crying and burrowed into her mother's chest, her tiny fingers finding Catherine's prematurely greying hair and tugging on the still shiny curls there. Catherine smiled down at her daughter adoringly, registering the dark red-brown hair, the dark eyes, the solemn expression in the slowly thinning face.

"Duérmete mi niño, duérmete mi amor Duérmete pedazo de mi corazón, que tengo que hacer, lavar tus pañales sentarme a coser ese niño quiere que lo duerma yo, dormir en mis brazos y en mi corazón" Catherine sang softly in Spanish. Her mother Isabella had sung the same song to her when she was a child.

Mary's tiny mouth became a smile, and her eyes started to close hesitantly. Catherine laughed softly, fondly.

"Yes, my angel, sleep" she whispered. Only when Mary's soft, snuffling breaths filled the room did Catherine lay the little girl down in her cot and tuck the purple blanket over her.

She went into the kitchen, nibbling absently at a pomegranate and staring at the clock. Henry was late, very late, and she had her suspicions about the reasons for this. She picked up the phone.

"Hello?"Kitty answered brightly. Catherine smiled – she missed silly little Kitty and her wild ideas.

"Hello, Kitty. It is Catherine. Can you tell me if Anne is home yet?"

"Anne? Well, I – No, Jane ,it's Catherine. Jane? Get off me! I was talking to her first – Jane – Ow!"

"Hello?" Jane's voice replaced Kitty's – she sounded breathless, "Catherine, is that you?"

"Um...Yes. Do I want to know what just happened?"

"I don't think so. Look, Catherine, I really need to tell you something. It's about Anne"

"Yes, I think I understand already. Has she come home yet?"

"No. That's partly why I wanted to warn you – "

"No, Jane, I do not need to be warned. I know what is going on. You must ask Anne to call me when she returns"

"Of course" Jane agreed, "And, Cathy...I'm sorry"

Catherine forced out a laugh, "Do not be sorry, Jane! All is well" she lied, hanging up.

She was starting to feel strangely empty, to get that peculiar panicking feeling she had only had once in her life before. Her heart thudded hard against her chest – it felt like the only organ left in her empty, broken body.

"Catherine?" Henry's voice called from the hallway. He sounded jittery, guilty, almost childlike.

"I am in here" Catherine called back, her voice firm, trying not to reflect the anxious knot inside her with her speech. Henry entered the lounge and gave her a small, awkward smile. She had left the adjoining kitchen and was curled up on the sofa, a book carefully positioned beside her, to make everything just that little bit more...normal.

"Where is Mary?" Henry asked. He did not take a seat – instead he stood in the centre of the room, jumping from one foot to another.

"Sleeping" Catherine replied. She could think of nothing to say. Her mind was blank, as useless as the rest of her.

"Catherine, I..." Henry paused, looking pained, "I have decided...I mean, I have..."

"I know what you mean" Catherine responded, her voice heavy, "You have made your decision. But it grieves you"

"Yes" agreed Henry, sounding stronger, "I have made my decision. I have filed for a divorce. You will agree to this, for the sake of Mary"

Catherine's whole being seemed to freeze, and her now icy heart to shatter. Her body went limp and numb, her eyes glazed over with tears. Henry showed a small trace of guilt, before continuing.

"I am sorry, Catherine. But I just do not love you anymore"

"No" Catherine said, her voice toneless, "You love another now. You desire her"

"Catherine, I – "

"And what about Mary? What will you do about her?"

"I love Mary, of course" Henry reassured her quickly. Catherine stood up, feeling a sudden rush of energy, a flow of indignance.

"Well, that is a pity. You will not see her again. I will go back to Spain with Mary and raise her there, with the help of my sisters and parents. If you say goodbye to me, you say goodbye to your daughter"

Henry's voice was cold, "So be it, then" he agreed, "Pack your things"

The doorbell rang. Kate looked up from her book and frowned.

"Who could that be? It's almost midnight" she asked the room is general.

"I don't know. Anne-Clara, did you order pizza or something?" Anne asked, looking away from the TV to stare at Anne-Clara. Anne-Clara shook her head.

"No, I did not" she protested, just as bewildered as everyone else. Jane sighed and got up to open the door. She cried out in delight when she saw who it was.

"Catherine!" she cried eagerly, but her smile faltered when she saw the state of her friend. Tears had left glittering tracks on Catherine's cheeks, though her eyes burned with fire. Standing beside her was a holdall, and the buggy, with little Mary tucked inside, fast asleep. Her fists were clenched so tightly by her side that the knuckles had gone pure white.

"Let me in , Jane" Catherine commanded, pushing Mary's buggy towards her. Catherine's voice was so firm that Jane moved instantly, wheeling the buggy and dragging the holdall into the apartment and shutting the door.

"Catherine! It is so nice to see...you" Anne-Clara's voice got fainter as she cowered under Catherine's furious gaze.

"Hi, Cathy!" said Kitty chirpily, completely uncomprehending to the tension in the air. Kate and Jane kept silent, watching Anne and Catherine. While Catherine glared at Anne, Anne just looked at her, quite calmly, though her dark eyes sparkled with triumph.

"You bitch!" Catherine screamed suddenly, leaping towards Anne. Kitty quickly leapt out of the way to stand by her bedroom door, blue eyes wide.

"You – stole – my – husband!" Catherine roared. In between each words she slapped Anne around the face. Anne tried to push her away, but when that failed, she drew lines of blood with her nails down Catherine's face.

"He came of his own free will! Face it, Cathy, Darling – you simply can't keep your man" Anne yelled back. Catherine screamed and grabbed a chunk of Anne's dark hair, almost pulling it from the roots. Anne returned the favour, yanking hard on the auburn curls as the toppled over each other in their efforts to murder the other.

"Catherine, Anne! Stop it!" Kate cried out.

"This is silly both of you, stop!" Jane pleaded.

"I am sure we can sort this out if you just clam down" Anne-Clara said persuasively. The two women refused to listen, attacking each other manically. Catherine kicked Anne in the stomach – Anne screamed. The scream was so loud that even Catherine hesitated, looking at Anne.

"If you've hurt the baby I swear to God I'll – "

"Baby?!" Kate exclaimed.

"What baby?" asked Kitty dopily.

"Oh, Anne, not before you're even married" Jane sighed reproachfully. Catherine stared at Anne. Then she moved away from her very slowly, her face pale.

"You're pregnant" she whispered, stunned. Anne nodded smugly.

"Yes. I am" she confirmed triumphantly. Catherine's eyes darted from Anne's face to her stomach several times in quick succession.

"You little slut" she hissed vehemently, "You whore. You disgusting, vile witch!"

Anne just looked coolly back at her, "Just go, Catherine. There's nothing left for you here"

But Catherine held her head high, and when she spoke there was not a trace of sadness in her voice;

" I will go. I am Catherine, a child of Spain, and it is Spain I will return to now, with my daughter. I will leave with my pride, and my dignity, intact. You will not ruin me"

She turned away from Anne and faced the others, "I will miss you all, so much. We should keep in touch"

"Of course" said Jane, tears welling up in her eyes as she hugged Catherine, "I'll miss you too. And little Mary"

Anne-Clara hugged Catherine next, "Good luck. You will send us pictures of Mary as she grows?"

"Of course" Catherine promised, mimicking Jane's words. She turned to Kate and kissed her cheeks.

"Look after yourself, won't you? Safe journey" Kate said, her voice thick. Kitty was next, and she beamed at Catherine. Her smile suddenly fell.

"But who'll do the work for me now?" she asked, her little nose wrinkling. Catherine laughed, fondly.

"Good bye, Kitty" she turned to Anne, who was still looking at her, "Goodbye, Anne. I'm sorry this has torn us apart"

For a moment, guilt flashed across Anne's face. Then she nodded.

"Yes" she agreed, "So am I. Be brave, Catherine"

Catherine, surprised by the sentiment, just nodded and walked away, pushing the buggy in front of her, the holdall swinging in her grasp.

"Goodbye, Girls" she whispered, looking back at the apartment block for the last time, "Goodbye, England"

A/N: Even though I am an Anne supporter, I do like Catherine a lot, and I hope I managed to capture the feelings running through her mind throughout this chapter. I think that Catherine was a truly brave and loving person. I also think that Anne did feel a little guilty after supplanting Catherine, plus I wanted the others to still be friends with her. The lullaby that Catherine sang to Mary translates as – 'Sleep, my child, sleep my love, Sleep, piece of my heart, For I have things to do, To wash your nappies, sit down to sew...This child wants me to lull him, To sleep in my arms and on my heart'. I thought that was sort of funny but very cute.