Stef had fallen in love with Lena much faster than she ever thought possible. She also found herself falling deeper and deeper in love even when she thought her heart had filled to capacity. At first she thought it was due to the fact that her marriage had been so rugged and cold that anything remotely compassionate felt amazing. But as she spent more and more time with Lena Adams she discovered she was made for this woman. They complemented each other perfectly. Where Lena was shy Stef was bold. When Stef bite her tongue Lena spoke her mind. Moments spent apart began to feel like hours. Seconds shared seemed fleeting.

Stef soon noticed however that Lena was not nearly as affectionate in when the two were out Stef reached out to grab her girlfriends hand and Lena would casually slide her hand in her pocket or move farther away, Stef tried to not read into these incidents to much but they bothered her, she just didn't know how to say it. After things like this happened several times Stef began to fear that Lena wasn't feeling the way she felt, the thought was terrifying.

One warm summer night Lena ,Stef and Brandon attended a carnival downtown. The trio stood in line for go karts , Lena hugging the humongous stuffed tiger Stef had won for her shooting threes. Brandon was growing in patient while waiting in the long line. So Lena tasked him with holding and naming the stuffed animal and sighed a heavy content sigh. It had been a long fun filled Sunday for the three and this was as they decided , the last ride of the night. Lena felt Stef's hands intertwined with her own and she tensed inwardly

" Wow how long does it take to race 2 laps?" Lena commented and flashed a weak smile , while glancing around nervously, especially to four young men in line behind them, Stef was oblivious.

" This was a really good idea babe" Stef spoke softly while laying her head on the brunette's shoulder

" you think?"

" yeah I mean Brandon is having a great time "

" good... I'm gonna beat you butt in this race by the way"

" is that a threat?"

" That's a promise officer "

" I love you" Stef said and laughed a little louder than the rest of the conversation.

Lena simply smiled at the declaration and bent down to talk to Brandon.

Stef tried her best to shrug off the moment , making sure she creamed Lena in go- karts , Brandon laughing and screaming in the passenger seat

"Please unlock the door " Lena requested, pulling a sleeping Brandon off her after a very long piggy back ride to car.

Stef obliged and soon the three were stuck in traffic .

" Lena?" Stef asked from the passenger seat, taking a second to check Brandon was still asleep in the back seat

" Yeah? " Lena quickly looked over at her partner before refocusing on the slow moving traffic.

"...why didn't you say I love you when we were waiting for the go karts?"

" Stef I -"

"or avoid holding my hand sometimes? Do you...Are we...?"

" Stef we are fine, I love you...you know that"

" I know it's just when when you do that stuff "

" I know, but it's complicated. You're new to this whole lesbian thing... Im not... Some people standing behind us were giving us some very angry looks, I doubt you noticed"

" So? Who cares what people think "

" it was getting dark, we had Brandon with us and a long walk back to the car... I just didn't want anything to happen"

" Nothing was going to happen Lena and even if something did happen I could take them " " really Stef? You could take on four muscular white guys? "

" ...So that's why you don't hold my hand sometimes "

" I'm just trying to avoid confrontation"

" how can we expect people to tolerate us and treat us with the rights we deserve if we hide who we are"

" The people we are dealing with , aren't the type to be pursued by compelling arguments and acts of bravery. They want to hurt us Stef"

" Well I wouldn't let them hurt you"

" Yeah because watching you get the crap beat out of you is better than getting beat up myself"

" That won't-"

" It has happened." Lena turned to face the blonde and sighed. " I've...it has happened before, and I wouldn't wish it on my worse enemy. So if I have it in my power to prevent this from happening to the woman I love and myself...I'll do it. "

The next ten minutes of driving was absent of conversation, just the radio and honking.

" I'm suppose to be the protective one , you know" Stef joked and grabbed Lena's free hand"

" Well I'm suppose to be the one who wins at go-Karts so I guess today is opposite day "

So after googling what a beta is , I am taking one of the reviewers advice , how do I go about getting a beta guys? I'm still not totally sure what that means anyways