Betty shook her arms out and bounced lightly on her heels as the jazz station that sometimes played Kate's song blared out of the wireless in Odie's gym. He briefly glanced up at Betty from his spot outside the opposite side of the ring. He really had thought he had convinced Fred that being picked to practice against Betty wasn't an insult.

"I ain't wanna be fightin' no girl," Fred complained to Odie.

He huffed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be lookin' at her like that. That fighter is light welterweight and your light welterweight. So get your butt in the ring and fight, Freddy."

Fred huffed at him and then climbed into the ring. Odie hopped onto the side and hung his arms over the ropes.

"Now fight fair. The both of you," he told them. "We are only practicing for the fight against the Fitzgeralds."

Betty squared up and inched closer to Fred, who was looking equally nervous and annoyed. Betty chuckled through her mouth guard as "Please Remember Me" started blaring out of the wireless. She lunged at Fred.

***

Kate anxiously stood on the sidewalk outside of the small concert hall. She didn't think it looked small or felt small but from the perspective of Toronto musical acts it was a small time concert hall. But it was a concert hall, not a bar so it felt big time to Kate.

She took a deep breathe and then reached of the door handle and went inside. She started walking through the simple yet intimating lobby. She thought she heard "Ain't Nobody's Business" coming from inside the theater but she was still able to hear a flyer crinkle under her shoe. She stepped back and reached down to pick it up.

She laughed a bit at the dirtied version of her alluring looking face that was smiling up at her. Ka'Juan had rushed one of the photos from her photo shoot to his and Willis' printer friend for the fliers. She aimlessly turned the flyer over and smiled at it proudly.

It was an advertisement for the fight against Donovan and Sons Boxing Club and Fitzgerald's Fighting Gym. There wasn't a photo just a sketch, which looked a lot like Willis' style as two men fighting in the ring as a group of mostly men but clearly two women stood sternly beside them.

Kate folded up the flyer and slid it into her pocket. She reached the theater doors and pushed them open.

"Eh, is that our leading lady?" Ka'Juan called from the balcony.

Leon smiled from his piano bench as she walked up the aisle. "Certainly is," he answered.

Kate turned as she reached his view and smiled up at him. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Ain't your friend come back from the dead?" Jenue asked as he hopped onto the stage. "That's a pretty good excuse."

Ka'Juan smiled. "I'll give that to you but we need to test your voice in this space. So launch into it, darling."

***
Betty stood stiffly under the shower in the back of Donovan and Sons. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back as she focused on the barely warm water running over the swore spot on her face, shoulder and ribs. Fred was good, better than she thought he would be. Odie hadn't declared a winner of their fight but Betty thought it was her but by a very slim margin. That was no good. Her first real fight, as a legitimate boxer, as a member of Donavan and Sons was five days away against a women fighter named Kitty from Fitzgeralds. She needed that to go well. Odie had done so much for her and she didn't want to disappoint him.

***
Kate stepped back from the microphone and let Jenue step up for his bass solo. She met eyes with Ka'Juan on the balcony who smiled down at her pleased.

***

Betty released the smoke from the last puff of her cigarette as she stamped it out on the ground outside the hospital. She shoved her hands into her pockets and headed toward Vera's room. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she saw who was standing in the hallway leading to Vera's room.

"Te-Teresa," Betty stammered out.

Shelagh swiftly looked between the two of them and dismissed herself from her conversation with the solider.

Teresa peered at her silently for a moment and then gave a warm smile.

"It's...it's nice to see you again, Betty," Teresa told her.

Betty tried to swallow her nerves, of course she was just as imposing and beautiful and otherworldly as she seemed when Betty first met her. But it was like some part of her spell was broken, maybe it was because Betty had met other women like herself. Maybe it was because of Kate. She had had Teresa but she wasn't a singular occurrence like she once was.

"Yeah, Teresa. You too," Betty finally muttered.

Teresa began to chuckle to herself. "You look good, save for the..." she pointed at the bruising spot on her check.

Betty reflectively touch it. "Uh, yeah I box now. Legally."

"I never had any reason to think it wouldn't be," Teresa replied.

Betty blushed and ran her hand though her hair. "Oh, right. I um..."

"Gladys told me," Teresa answered.

Betty shook her head. "'Course she did."

"Accidentally," Teresa countered.

Betty peered up at her uncertainly.

Teresa nearly smiled. "It's no business of mine anymore."

"Ya moved on to your next port girl?" Betty accused or teased, she had not really decided in advance.

"Betty," Kate said as she turned into the hospital hallway. "Oh," Kate blurted trying to hide her shock when she realized who Betty was talking to. "Sgt. Hill."

"Hello, Kate," Teresa said, sounding significantly less surprised to see her.

"What are you doing here?" Kate asked her, sounding a bit defensive.

Betty peered at her nervously. Kate shook her head after she met eyes with Betty's.

"Sorry, you're probably here for the same reason we are," Kate added politely.

"I had some leave time," Teresa explained. "I thought I'd come to see how Vera is doing."

"She's been doin' a lot better," Betty told her with a smile.

"Yes," Kate added. "Thank you for finding her."

Teresa had been thanked so many times by so many people for finding Vera. Each time she just smiled and nodded. She took great pride in being a solider, but she wasn't that good at being praised for it.

Kate smiled in reply at Teresa and then placed her hand lightly on Betty's shoulder. "I'm going to go in. I have another rehearsal later," Kate told her.

Betty nodded. "I'll be there in a minute."

Betty and Teresa were silent for a moment after Kate left them alone in the hallway.

"I would say it seems you've moved on too but I always knew this was where you were really heading," Teresa said quietly to Betty.

Betty swallowed nervously and wasn't sure what to say.

"I'm happy for you," Teresa clarified.

"Yeah, me too," Betty said then blushed instantly. She started heading down the hallway. Teresa followed her. "Thanks by the way. I-I would never have..."

"Gotten the girl without me?" Teresa asked with a sly smile.

"Yeah, just don't get all cocky about it, Sergeant."