"Well…?" Katherine asked, her hands pushing up Bree's shoulders. Bree was shocked… and quite unable to believe that Katherine was acting this way. She backed away, her face contorted with fear and confusion, and she hit the table abruptly. Katherine folded her arms and raised her eyebrows, just the way she always did when she did not approve.

"Katherine, I…" Bree uttered, breathing lightly. Did Katherine know? About her and Lynette?

How?

"Bree. Please, and I mean please, tell me what the heck is going on with you."

"I don't… I don't know what you mean, Katherine, I…"

"I can't believe you won't tell me straight." Katherine said, her demeanour icy. She softened for a moment, and laughed lightly. "Straight…"

Bree gasped deeply. She did know. Did she?

"How…" the rest of the words refused to come.

"Bree. Listen to me. Whatever you are doing with your life, whatever choices you're making – I'm not going to judge you. Sure, I might judge you if you were to make a dish that wasn't up to your usual standards, but this is entirely different. Why wouldn't you tell me?" Katherine's hands quickly moved to her hips, and Bree lowered herself into a chair, swallowing hard.

"I don't…" she wanted to say something to Katherine, anything. But what could she say? How could she tell her, that she was finding herself attracted more and more to Lynette? How could she tell her that she'd kissed Lynette, twice? What would she think? She'd probably never go come within a foot. She'd probably assume immediately that this applied to her also, and run a mile…

Did it apply to her also?

Katherine sighed at Bree's silence, and sat in the chair opposite her.

"Bree, look at me," she said, reaching over and taking hold of her best friend's hand. Bree obeyed. "Are you… a lesbian?"

"Heavens no!" exclaimed Bree, eyes wide as she began to find breathing incredibly difficult, her mind twisting and contorting itself trying to find ways out of this. She just wanted everything in her life to stay the same, so she could stay sane whilst she tried to figure out what this thing with Lynette was. It certainly wasn't anything to do with that dirty, ugly word. It absolutely couldn't be. "Where on earth did you get that idea?"

"Bree, please don't lie to me. You know I'd never lie to you."

"You've done a good enough job manipulating me all night, making me think I'd gone completely insane! What was all that?"

"I was honestly hoping you would crack and tell me by yourself. Obviously that wasn't going to happen."

"I simply cannot believe you sometimes, Katherine!"

"Will you please level with me, Bree?" Katherine said, reflecting Bree's speech.

"Level with you?"

"How long have you been with Lynette?"

"Been… been with Lynette?"

"Let me rephrase… how long have you been having sex with her," said Katherine, in her typical no-nonsense way. Bree gasped, her mouth dropping open.

"I have never had sex with a woman in my entire life!" exclaimed Bree, pulling her hand from Katherine's hastily. Now it was Katherine's turn to be confused.

"I thought…"

"Well you thought wrong," said Bree, jumping up from her chair. "I don't now what it is you think you know about me, but your assumptions are extremely wrong! I am not some kind of… lesbian… and I'm leaving!"

"Bree." Katherine stood up, rounding the table and taking hold of Bree's arm. "Yesterday, I went to visit you, and the door was open. I went into your house, and I saw you and Lynette kissing. How does that tie in with you not being a lesbian?"

"I… I…" Bree stuttered, and Katherine folded her arms, waiting for explanation. "It's not… we're not… I just…"

"Can you see why I would assume things?"

"Of course I can see why you would, Katherine, but… but I am not a lesbian. Lynette and I simply… I can't… I don't know how to…"

"Explain?"

"Yes, I… we just… it was the thunderstorm-"

"I thought as much!"

"It happened by accident… I don't know what came over me, and then yesterday, yesterday I just… we…"

"Bree, I hate to break it to you but I seriously believe you are at least bisexual."

"I absolutely am not bisexual, or any kind of sexual. I'm a married woman!" Bree insisted angrily. Katherine sighed. Obviously, Bree was not going to admit anything to her – it was staunchly apparent that she hadn't even begun to admit anything to herself.

"Well… whatever you choose to believe about yourself, I'm here for you. And if it helps, I honestly don't care if you've been kissing Lynette, or anything else, for that matter."

"I have to go," muttered Bree, looking anywhere but at Katherine.

"I understand," said Katherine, following her to the door. She walked out wordlessly, without so much as a nod goodbye. Usually, they parted with hugs and smiles, but suddenly none of it seemed appropriate. Katherine called her name, and she turned on her heel, her hair sweeping across her face. "Denial can tear a woman up inside. I know that better than anyone."

"I'll see you at tomorrow's poker game," replied Bree, brushing her hair out of her eyes and ignoring the comment. As soon as the door closed, she let out a long, deep sigh. It was then that she decided something needed to be done.

Soberly, she walked through the thick night air. She shouldn't have underestimated Katherine. Or thought that she would judge. But there was one thing she did know for certain about Katherine, instinctively. She would most certainly cause trouble. Their personalities were close to identical – when it came to a situation in a friend's life, they would not leave it alone. She wondered, also, if Katherine was holding something back from her. Why wasn't she bothered? This question would have to wait, as Bree had finally reached Lynette's door.

"Bree..?" Lynette pushed her hair out of her face. The television was casting flashing light into the dark room behind her, she'd obviously fallen asleep in front of it.

"Can I come in?" Bree asked quietly, her poker face prematurely in place. Lynette stood aside from the door for her before closing it, and brusquely, Bree turned to face her. She didn't want to do this, but she had no choice. "Lynette, I know it's late, but I've come to tell you-" she didn't have the chance to finish her sentence before Lynette was kissing her. The side of her who'd just argued so rigidly with Katherine quickly slipped away at the sensation of Lynette's touch, and she fell into the kiss, lost in the deep lust that was kidnapping every nerve in her body, attacking every sense with alarming speed. As they fell on to the settee, tangled in each other's arms, everything in Bree's life lost its significance. In that moment, Katherine and her assumptions seemed nothing more than a grain of sand, lost amongst every other of its kind.

Unfortunately, this would not last.

To Be Continued