Disclaimer: I don't own Life is Strange.

Summary: The nights can be the hardest, and the dreams the darkest. But with someone close by, senses the sharpest, pleasant dreams can make way, with love as the harness.

Slut.

Whore.

Hypocrite.

Kate squirmed restlessly in her bed, cruel, taunting voices swirling about in her head as she tried to sleep.

What a two-faced bitch. Going on and on about the Bible and she acts like that?

Did you see the video? She wanted it.

Imagine the look on her parent's faces!

Doubt she'll get into heaven now…

"Shut up!" Kate jolted into a sitting position, eyes red and puffy with tears. A thin film of cold sweat coated her body, despite the room being at an even temperature.

The sound of hurried footsteps reached her ears and seconds later she heard someone knock on the door. "Kate? It's Victoria. Are you okay in there?"

Victoria. Hers had been one of the voices she heard in her nightmare. When news of Kate's behavior at the Vortex Club party reached the school at large, she had been one of the first to ridicule her for it.

Even though amends had been made, even with the two of them in a relationship with two other people close to her heart, even though her teachings emphasized forgiveness, she couldn't forget how nasty the blonde had been to her, how cruel and callous she was. And even though it was months ago, she could hear that taunting voice as though she was reliving that horror only yesterday.

"Kate?" Victoria called again, a bit more worry in her voice.

Sighing, Kate got to her feet and opened the door. Victoria had clearly rushed; her hair, which was normally perfectly maintained, even in her sleep, was a mess, and her silk pajamas were ruffled. "Are you okay?"

There was genuine concern in her voice, Kate realized. She still wasn't used to hearing that. Kate sniffles and wiped her eyes again. "I'm fine."

Victoria gave Kate a skeptical look. "Are you sure? You don't seem fine. Your eyes are red. Were you crying?"

"I'm fine." Kate repeated, turning away to close the door. But Victoria stuck her foot in, preventing it from closing.

"You're not fine." spoke Victoria firmly. "Tell me what's wrong."

Kate knew Victoria wouldn't drop the issue. Persistence was one of her best qualities. "I…had a nightmare."

Immediately, Victoria's hardened gaze softened. "About what?"

The reluctance on Kate's face was palpable, but the sooner she got tie out in the open, the better. "It was…about that incident at the Vortex Club a while back."

Immediately Victoria's blood turned to ice. Many a time her thoughts turned back to how vicious she had been to Kate, and not a day went by when she didn't feel remorse; taunting her with the video link, disparaging remarks as she walked by, all but driving her to suicide. The memory left a bitter taste in her mouth, and hearing her girlfriend mention it made her heart sink.

Kate opened the door wider, allowing Victoria to enter. "I guess I'm still not really over it."

Unsure of what to say, Victoria twiddled her thumbs.

"Some nights, I still hear everyone judging me…see everyone sneering at me. And you know whose voice is always loudest?" Victoria felt she knew the answer. "Yours."

Victoria moved closer to Kate, but still left a degree of personal space between them. "Kate." Her voice came out in a shaky quiver, but she quickly composed herself. "I can never really make up for how terrible I was to you; I know that."

"Victoria–"

The preppy girl held up a hand. "Let me finish. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it." She took a deep breath, calming herself before speaking again. "I was a bitch back then. I still kinda am. And me admitting it doesn't really make me that much better, just more honest."

"I was cruel to you. To Max. To Chloe. To pretty much everybody, even Dana and Taylor. But when I saw you on the roof, it made me realize…words really can hurt a person. I just never thought about it. I never really thought much about anyone but myself."

"Then you and Max and even that brat Chloe showed me just how evil I was. I can never thank you for that."

Victoria moved closer and took Kate's hands into her own. "I wasn't there for you then, but I'll be here for you now. That's a promise."

Kate was crying again now, but for a different reason. A warm smile spread across her face, and she pulled Victoria towards her, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug.

"Victoria Chase?" she spoke, voice barely audible.

"Yeah?"

"…Thank you."

A smile crossed Victoria's face now, and she squeezed her girlfriend tighter. "You're welcome."

"Can you stay with me tonight?"

The peppy girl patted Kate's head and lovingly rubbed her back. "Like you have to ask."

Morning broke over Blackwell Academy, the sun casting beams of light across the campus. Several streamed through the blinds in Kate's dorm, bathing the dwelling in a warm glow.

Victoria rose from the bed and did a light stretch, working the kinks out of her neck. Looking down next to her, she smiled at the sight.

Kate slept soundly, blonde hair hanging over her angelic face. A serene smile told her that she had made it through the night without incident, a piece of knowledge that warned Victoria's heart.

Deciding they could be a little late for breakfast, she lied back down in the bed, snaking an arm around Kate's waist as she drifted back off to sleep.

Unbeknownst to a Victoria, Kate scooter closer to her girlfriend, and as sleep overtook her once more, her heart felt light, her cheeks became flushed, and her smile grew wider.

Happy birthday, Kate Marsh~!