Part 3: January 1943

"Oh come on Kate, you haven't been out with a fella in ages. Why don't you come out with us? They're young soldiers, just shipping out, but great dancers." Vera cajoles her at tea break, having stepped down from the office to join the girls for a cup of tea.

"I'd rather not." Kate answers politely, and brings her tea cup to her lips. She looks over at Betty who bristles noticeably at the suggestion. She wants to laugh, but thinks better of it.

Gladys smiles into her teacup as she sips her coffee to avoid laughing.

"Neither of you ever come out anymore." Vera shakes her head sadly.

Kate watches the look Betty shoots Gladys. She'd been suspicious of them two weeks in when suddenly they wanted to spend Saturday nights at home. It should make her feel more insecure, more at risk, but Gladys has been nothing but kind.
"We work long days princess." Betty shrugs her shoulders in what is supposed to be a nonchalant way.

Gladys stepped in, "Oh don't you know - Betty has been neglecting her more domestic duties? She's got a huge pile of socks to darn."
Kate jumped in readily to this cover, "I'm going to help her. Can't have you wearing hole-ridden socks." She said this last part so sweetly that Betty felt it warm her, even though it was a lie.

Betty managed to keep a straight face, it was Saturday. Everyone goes out Saturday nights. She was perfectly aware of what she'd be doing with Kate tonight, and it wasn't mending socks. Ideally, it wouldn't involve any clothing at all.

"Guess you want them done before you move." Gladys smirked slightly and tried not to wince when Betty kicked her shin under the table.

"You're moving?" Vera seemed shocked by this news, whatever intentions she had of returning to the office delayed by this news.

"Yeah. I'm buying a house." Betty smiled proudly.

Kate smiled to, into her tea as she sipped it slowly.

"How can you afford that?" Vera asked, looking at them incredulously.

"We're going to be housemates." Kate added.

"Why would you want to buy a house?" Vera shook her head once again.

"Oh. And that's the end of tea break." Gladys announced, hopping to her feet as she noticed most of them women around her doing the same.

As they walked back to their stations, she looked over at Kate, "Do you want to go out dancing?"

Kate slowed her walk and grabbed Betty's elbow leaning in, "I want to be with you." She whispered. Then pulled back just as calmly, returning to work. She knew what was meant by those words. And it made her warm in ways she really shouldn't be in public. It was the same reason she had to try to avoid looking at Kate now when they showered and changed at work. The sight of her body now brought an onslaught of memories to mind.

Betty's face flushed in response, she took her place next to Gladys in the stencil line. The brunette simply looked over and smiled.

"Back to work girls, tea break's over." Lorna called out walking past them. "McRae are you alright? You look like you're coming down with something."
"Fine ma'am." Betty answered, trying to will her face pale again.

"You better go home if you're sick. Go see the nurse." Lorna gestured to Betty to go, and she herself took the place on the line.

At this Kate looked somewhat alarmed, but only briefly before she returned to the casing she was working on.

After lunch, Betty returned to the line. She'd been pronounced in perfect health by the nurse.

"I'm sorry." Kate mumbled from her station next to Betty's.

"S'alright. Not your fault." Betty replied.

Gladys tried not to giggle as she glued her casing, either that or she was biting her tongue for some other reason.

As they walked home arm in arm later that day, they didn't need to say a word. Both absolutely content

Later that evening, curled around Kate, she mused that a 'quiet night in' was really what she wanted most Saturdays.
"Did you want to go dancing?" Kate asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"Now?" Betty looked at her a little more seriously.

"Well, we're buying a house so we won't have to worry so much."
"We won't be able to yet, Kate. Not until the summer." Betty said gently, they both knew it was true. They were saving up as much as they could as quickly as they could. And it seemed like it wasn't quite fast enough.

"I know. I just wish..."
"We could get it done so we could go out more again?" Betty smiled.

"No. I just wish we had our own space. We wouldn't have to worry about the other girls or Mrs. Groot overhearing us or suspecting something... And I do miss dancing."

"We could go dancing." Betty stretched next to her on the bed, "We could get dressed and go right now. It's only nine o'clock." She glanced at the clock confirming this

"Really?

"Of course." Betty kissed Kate's mouth briefly, and jumped to her feet headed for the sink, "I just want to clean up a little first."

She felt Kate move to hold her from behind, arms going around her, "I love you." Betty wasn't sure she'd heard them at first. For months now she'd wanted to hear Kate say the words, she knew that she felt them. She could see it and feel it - but the words. She'd silently begged for it sometimes when she touched her.

"I know." Betty turned around and smiled.

"I really mean it. It's not because we're going dancing."
"If you're still awake enough." Betty joked contentedly.

"I'll manage fine, as long as I'm with you." Kate pressed a kiss to the crook of her neck before breaking away to wash and dress.

They arrived at the Jewel Box forty-five minutes later.
"Well look who finally showed up? You get your mending done?" Vera joked loudly from her seat, wine glass in hand.

"Yeah, it's better with two, much easier." Betty looked back at Kate who was grinning contentedly.

"This mean you'll be coming out more?" Vera asked happily.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that Vera," Gladys started in a tone that clearly said she'd been drinking, "I think Betty's got plenty of mending left to do."

"I can mend fine." Betty insisted.

"Of course you can," Kate replied, "Now what about that dance?"