Disclaimer: I do NOT own Desperate Housewives or any of the characters. I do not own the songs I named the chapters after. No copyright infringement is intended.

Enjoy! :)

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Mary Alice's voiceover

Bree Hodge and Katherine Mayfair were not the kind of people who played with fire. They had very strong principles and morals and liked to do things the right way. However, no matter how hard they tried to make people believe the opposite, they were both human. And humans sometimes make mistakes or break the rules occasionally… as they did. But every mistake has consequences, and these consequences can often be terrible for us. Yes, not even my friends could escape playing with fire… and like any other human being, they got burnt.

The tension in the test kitchen could be cut with a knife. Both partners worked in silence, discussing nothing but what was strictly necessary for their tasks. Every now and then, they would look at each other furtively, always avoiding any eye contact.

Deep down, Bree would have loved to tell Katherine how sorry she was and that she really wanted her. She knew that she would have eventually given anything up for her, but she just needed time to get used to the idea. What was so bad about that? What was so hard to understand? But Bree was a proud woman and she would not beg or cry, especially not now that Katherine had made it completely clear that it was over between them.

On the other hand, Katherine deeply regretted what she had said the night before. A voice at the back of her mind was telling her that she had been too harsh on her friend. But what could she do? She wanted her too bad. She just wanted to be with her and put all obstacles aside to finally be happy. Was it that much too ask? Katherine would never admit it, but she was just as scared as Bree. Perhaps that was the reason why she was so upset – she needed to know that she could trust her, that everything was going to work well. However, just like her business partner, recognizing it would make her feel terribly weak and vulnerable.

'I'm done' Katherine announced, hanging her apron 'See you tomorrow'

'See you!'

As she was stepping out of the kitchen, she ran into Andrew.

'Bye, Andrew' she said, rather coldly.

'Bye, Katherine' he replied as he went into the kitchen 'Mum, I've told Mr Bones to come over this evening so that you can discuss the flower arrangements, is that ok?'

'Yes, that should be fine' Bree responded.

'Are you sure? I wouldn't want to interrupt if you already have plans with your girlfriend' Andrew smirked.

'She's not my girlfriend!' Bree shouted angrily.

'Mum, come on, do you really think I'm buying after what I saw?'

'Whatever you saw, you obviously misinterpreted it'

'Oh, so then Katherine was home with you in the evening wearing sexy underwear only because she wanted your opinion?' he joked.

'That's none of your business!'

'God, you're really into her!' he exclaimed.

'I'm not! And stop being so rude'

'I hope you're better at fooling yourself than you are at fooling me'

'Andrew, stop it!' Bree begged.

'Look, mum, I'm not judging you or whatever you're doing with Katherine… but at least have the guts to admit it'

'There's nothing to admit!' Bree spat at him 'Not anymore' she added with a sigh.

'What happened?' Andrew wanted to know.

'You don't seriously believe I'm telling you, do you? First of all, it's not your business, and second… the last thing I need at the moment is someone to make fun of me'

Andrew laughed skeptically.

'Me? Make fun of you? Do you really have such a bad image of me?'

'Well, wouldn't it be your perfect chance at revenge?' Bree said 'After the way I treated you when you came out…'

'That's exactly the reason why I wouldn't make fun of you. I've been there too and I know how hard it is to accept it and how painful people's reactions can be'

Bree gazed at Andrew, her eyes filling with tears.

'I didn't know you were so understanding…'

'So many years living with me and you still don't know me' he commented with a wry smile.

Bree took a deep breath.

'We had a fight last night. We had this affair three years ago and suddenly it's all coming back…' Bree seemed very embarrassed 'She wants to make it official now that we're both almost single, but I'm scared. I need time to get used to the idea. And yes, I'm worried about what people may think of me… and about what I might think of myself'

'I see. Look, mum, I know what it's like. It's shocking at first and you wonder whether people will still see you in the same way as they did before. Let me tell you that if they are your friends, they won't judge you and still like you just as much as they did before, because nothing has changed. And as for yourself… well, you have to decide what's more important for you – whether your image or the way you feel. Do you love Katherine?'

Unable to answer the question, Bree began to cry. Andrew hugged her to comfort her.

'You don't need to say anything' he told her 'But tell me, are you going to lose the woman who makes you happy for all your republican ideas?'

'I… don't know. I'm just too scared of what might happen between us and… Karl…'

'Karl?' Andrew exclaimed.

Bree nodded.

'He's a fascinating man and he's done a lot for me…'

'Do you love him or are you just feeling grateful to him?' Andrew interrupted.

Bree did not answer the question, but Andrew seemed to see through her.

'I figured' he said 'Look, I don't know Katherine as well as you do, but I've seen the way she looks at you and the way she acts when you're around. She really loves you and cares about you. I'm sure she won't try to hurt you and will be there for you in way not many people can. If I were you, I wouldn't let her go'

Bree wiped her tears away with her fingers.

'It's too late' she sobbed 'I lied to her and she doesn't even want to see me'

'Mum, have you looked at her? She looked like she was going to explode. If she's so upset, it's because she still cares about you. You can't give up on her'

'I don't know what to do'

'Take your time. It's going to be a difficult decision'

Andrew walked to the door and left. Bree's head was spinning like never before. She was now even more confused than she already was. She looked at the clock and gave a start. Karl was coming over in fifteen minutes and she had to dress up and dry her tears.

It was already getting dark. Katherine looked through the window to Bree's house and sighed.

'This is gonna take a while' she thought to herself.

Someone knocking at her door brought her back to reality. Wondering who could need her so late, she opened.

'Hi, Andrew!' she greeted, faking a smile.

'Hi, Katherine!' he replied 'Can I come in? It won't take too long'

'Sure, what is it?' she wanted to know 'Is everything going well with Mr Bones?'

'Yeah, it's just fine. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about'

Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be what she was thinking of? How could he possibly know that?

'What is it, then?' she asked, trying to look calm.

'It's not my business… but I know that my mother and you had a fight'

Katherine remained in silence for some seconds. Then she put her politest smile on to say:

'Well, Andrew, the thing is that I'd prefer not to talk about it. It's something very personal, and…'

'I don't want juicy details or gossip. I've come here to help'

'Oh… right. And how are you supposed to help me?'

'First of all, I know what you're going through and I understand why you're angry'

'How can you understand me?' Katherine laughed skeptically.

'Well, I'm gay, as you see' Andrew said 'I know it sucks to be in a relationship with someone who hasn't accepted it yet and refuses to come out'

'Sure it does' Katherine agreed 'And thanks for being so supportive… but no, you have no idea what I'm going through'

'See, I don't know how long this has been going on, but I'm not blind and… to be honest, I know you've been in love with her for a long time. And I can imagine how painful it is for you to see her hesitating now that you'd have the perfect chance'

She had never felt so vulnerable. She looked down and took a deep breath.

'God, am I really that transparent?' she smiled with tears in her eyes.

'No, I'm just a good observer' Andrew told her.

'Anyway, it doesn't matter what I feel for her. It's clear that it won't work'

'You know my mother' Andrew gazed into her eyes. He had never looked that mature and understanding before 'This is totally turning her world upside down and it's going to take her a while to come to terms with it. But she will. And you know why? Because she loves you'

'Well, certainly not enough…'

'She loves you much more than you think, much more than she dares to show you. And she will slowly accept it. She just needs a push… and a little more time'

'Did she send you?'

'No, she doesn't even know I'm here. I've come because I wanted to. I see you both are suffering and felt that I should do something about it'

'That's of course really lovely of you. But I'm afraid it's all been in vain'

'It doesn't have to be in vain' Andrew insisted 'Not if you promise me you'll think about it. It'd be a shame if you both let this all go to waste just for a matter of pride. I'm sure my mum will soon be ready if you're there to give her your love and support'

He stood up and headed for the door, leaving Katherine lost in her thoughts and almost crying.

'Andrew!' she called him as he reached the door.

Andrew turned.

'Bree has no idea how lucky she is to have you' she told him with a smile.

'Well, not as lucky as she'd be if she could have you as well' he responded, closing the door behind himself.

To be continued…