A/N: A huge thank you to everyone who continued reading this little story or left a lovely comment along the way. It was enormously felt and appreciated. This last chapter goes out to Autumn's Thief whose insight and discussion of Bomb Girls left me greatly inspired and thankful.
Oh I need you to know today, I'll wait for you always
Oh I need you to know today, I'll wait for you always
Cause when I find you, I'll find me
-When You Find Me by Joshua Radin
Kate looked up at the banner sprawled across the room, the bold words "Good Luck Kate!" stood out as starkly against the wall as it did in her mind.
It was another party thrown together in record time by Gladys. Instead of a welcome home party though, this time it was a going away party. Hers to be exact, after she accepted the offer from the talent manager, soon she would be joining the Van Harper Expo and leaving Toronto behind.
She looked around the room as it filled with more people, most she didn't even know. It was also the last night before the factory opened, so she figured the party had become more than just about her leaving. It was the last hurrah in more ways than one.
The idea of leaving still made her nervous, but she figured it was for the best. It had to be, after the year she'd had. This was a chance for a fresh start and the beginning of her career… probably. She would get to travel across the country and see parts of it she'd never even dreamed of before and meet all kinds of people along the way…. probably. These were all good things, things to be excited for. So she was excited... probably.
"It's pretty amazing what Gladys can do with a little inspiration, a little time, and access to some streamers," Betty said, coming up behind her with two small glasses of punch.
Kate turned to her and smiled. She was thankful for the distraction as Betty handed her one of the drinks.
"She does have a knack for spur of the moment party planning," She took a sip from the drink, but pulled it back quickly as the rank taste of alcohol hit her taste buds.
"What?" Betty asked confused, lifting her cup to sniff the drink in question. "Woah, someone shared their hooch?"
"I would say so," Kate said, clearing her throat from the foul taste.
"I'm sorry, some knucklehead is about to get it," Betty lifted her hand to take the offensive drink back, but Kate pulled it away.
"That's okay," She said nervously. "I think I may need a little liquid courage tonight."
Betty let her hand fall back to her side and nodded. It seemed Betty was in no position to disagree as she lifted her own drink to her lips. It had been a long while since Kate's last disastrous drink, but maybe something strong would settle her nerves, or at least, she could hope.
"So Kate, are you excited?" Vera called out as she walked up to them. "Getting out and away from the confines of this small boarding house?"
Kate lifted her cup to her mouth and upended it, taking down large gulps of the strong drink to the amazement of her friends.
"Absolutely," She sputtered, cringing at the burn of alcohol sliding through her now. "Who wouldn't be excited?"
"You'll be hopscotching your way across every Army base from here to the Pacific, meeting all kinds of dream boats along the way. Why, if I had a voice like yours, I would have signed up for this traveling meet and greet gig long ago."
This time Kate and Betty both took long pulls of their drinks as Vera watched with amusement.
"You two do realize someone spiked the punch, right? The stuff is pretty toxic."
"Yup." They both answered in unison.
"Ookay," Vera said, unsure how to take the moods of her friends. Luckily, she didn't have to brave it alone as Gladys and Carol weaved their way through the crowd.
"Ladies, I hope you have your best stompers on tonight. We're going to do it up right for Kate's grand news!"
"Princess, did you invite half of Toronto? The house is busting at its seams."
Gladys shrugged as they took in the buzzing crowd crammed inside the common room of the boarding house.
"I guess no one wanted to miss the going away party for Canada's next big star," Gladys beamed, squeezing Kate's arm beside her.
"At least this party is a little less grim than the one she threw for Betty," Carol said casually. After the glare she received from all three girls, she shrugged. "What? It is. This one isn't drunk as a skunk and that one isn't fresh from prison row."
They all knew it was true, but it wasn't something anyone wanted pointed out.
"Well, I for one can't wait to see your name in the big lights. You'll steal the show and before you know it, we'll be visiting the Kate Andrews traveling show," Vera replied brightly, trying to steer the conversation back on track.
"And to think, I knew her when she was just Katie to the world. You better not forget us when you make it big," Gladys teased.
"Oh, I couldn't forget any of you in a million years."
"So when do you get your walking orders?" Vera asked, beaming.
"I'm sorry?" Kate asked, unsure of Vera's meaning.
"You know, when will you be anchors away?" Vera tried again, but after seeing Kate's blank expression, she tried explaining further. "Saying sayonara? ...When are you leaving, dearie?"
"Oh," Kate said, blushing for not understanding. "Tomorrow evening I leave for Halifax where I'll join the show at its home base and then after that it's off to the races."
"I'm going for a fill up," Betty announced, choosing that moment to wonder off. It seemed like every time someone mentioned Kate leaving, Betty found something else she needed to do. Kate couldn't help but wonder if this was something she needed to get use to, watching Betty walk away as she went in a different direction herself. Soon they would have miles between them, a sobering thought that sent her stomach tumbling every time she thought of it.
"So are you nervous?" Gladys asked, smiling gently at her friend.
"Maybe a little bit, I'm just not sure what to expect."
"Didn't the talent agent go over what you would be doing once you accepted the offer?"
"Not really, he still hasn't even heard me sing," Kate shrugged.
"He offered the job to you without even an audition?" Gladys asked, sharing a concerned looked with Vera.
"No, I thought it was a little suspicious too," Kate said, her brow furrowing. "Who just signs someone up on the spot like that?"
"Well, he must have known fabulous talent when he saw it," Vera waved off.
"Yes, let's hope," Kate laughed nervously. "I know once I'm out there, I'll find my footing. It's just a matter of enduring it until I do. I know in my experiences, you just gotta grin and bear it until whatever scary thing you're facing passes, because it will eventually. "
"Gee, doesn't that sound rosy," Carol cracked sarcastically. "Where do I sign up?"
"Carol, why don't we go find more music to give a spin, shall we?" Gladys said, knowing when it was time to pull the crass girl away. Walking backwards, she pointed to Kate. "Don't worry, soon you'll be flying high with good reviews. They'll love you. You're Kate!"
"She's right," Vera nodded as they watched Gladys pull Carol through the crowd. "If you can handle the firing squad that's been VicMu this last year, you can handle anything."
"Thanks," She smiled. They both spotted Marco as he wondered through the crowd looking for Vera.
"I guess I should go flag him down before he wonders off course," Vera said as she began to back away. "We'll catch up later tonight?"
"Sure thing," Kate nodded as she watched her friend disappear in the crowd.
She stood alone as all her friends went in different directions. Kate couldn't think of a more appropriate representation of her life at the moment. When a couple ambled by, she took a step back in order to avoid a collision, pressing herself against the outside wall of the open room. For a party that was thrown in her honor, she suddenly felt very small and inconsequential. Looking out, the throngs of people before her made her chest tighten with anxiety as flashes of the broken factory seized her mind. She stood frozen against the wall and waited for the oppressing feeling of memory to pass.
She shook her head clear and saw Hazel coming towards her. She was the last person Kate wanted to see, even if she did need a distraction from the feeling that the walls were closing in. Hazel would only say something that would set her blood to boiling though. Last week, she made a crack about Betty setting a record for dateless nights and how she'd end up an old maid. At the time, she had the sudden urge to slap the rudeness right out of her. Betty didn't deserve to have people like Hazel analyzing her dating habits, she deserved to be treated so much better. She didn't think she'd have enough in her to resist the urge tonight if the other girl showed her classless side again and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin another party, even if defending Betty's honor would have been a more reasonable outburst this time.
Kate placed her cup on the table beside her and slipped away just as Moira called out and caught Hazel's attention, allowing her to make an escape. She made her way down the hallway as the party continued on behind her. She just needed a moment of peace and quiet to settle her, so she made her way to the safest place for solitude.
When she opened Betty's door, she breathed in the air that held the comforting scent of her friend. Betty's room always did have a majestic serenity about it, Kate thought as she quietly closed the door and made her way into the room.
She looked around the small space with its simple bed and decor. It had not been that long ago when she and Betty weren't speaking and she'd kept her safe distance from this room, even though she longed to be inside of it, with its comforting sights and smells that she had grown accustomed to and with its occupier, whom she missed most of all.
She crossed the room and stood in front of Betty's dresser, reaching out, she ran her hand along the smooth surface, stopping when her hand met the bottle of lime cordial. Betty still kept a bottle for her after all this time, a fact that made Kate smile. Oh, how innocent she had been when she first discovered her taste for the drink. It wasn't long after she'd first arrived, a night out at the Sandy Shores where randy soldiers bought the inexperienced drinks in the hopes it would lead to something more. Of course, it never did lead anywhere with her, but she did have a favorite drink after that and Gladys had declared the night an invaluable experience. She looked at the drink and noticed that the bottle of lime cordial sat right beside Betty's favorite drink of choice, Johnnie Walker Whiskey. She traced both bottles, feeling the cool glass underneath her touch and took comfort in their familiarity.
Next her hands made there way to a stack of records. Fanning through them she found a few of Betty's favorites mixed in with hers like Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, and, of course, Billie Holiday. Kate thought about all the times she and Betty sat in her room going over the records. Playing them, singing them, dancing to them. This was where she first learned music could be so much more complex and deeper than she ever knew. This was where she learned to love the blues.
Moving on, she found a book next to Betty's cigarettes. Picking the book up, she turned to read the title on the spine. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. An old playing card stuck out of the top, indicating the reader was about half way through it. The memory of Lorna assuring Kate she would find someone to discuss the book with rang out in her mind. Betty was reading the book for her, a fact that sent a feeling of warm elation rolling through her. Of course she was reading it. It was Betty.
She looked over all these little things that meant a great deal to her. Here was her life, lined up and carefully collected for safekeeping in Betty's room. These little trinkets and tokens that represented an important part of her, shining brightly and sitting amongst Betty's own things.
She thought of her own room and how she'd gathered her own Betty collection over time. She kept extra newspapers for Betty to read when she'd never really paid them much attention. She had Betty's favorite snacks, playing cards, and hairbrushes lying next to hers on her burrow. And on her mirror, she'd taped newspaper clippings written about the newsreel Betty had filmed for VicMu and of the speech she'd given last spring when the Governor General visited. Her cigarettes and knitting tools sat on the nightstand by Kate's bed, waiting for Betty to take them up whenever she pleased.
Their lives intersected and ran as one in each other's rooms. They had grown together and apart in them, but they'd remained connected throughout with these little moments and mementos strengthening their link to each other, for these little things they collected overtime had been done so with love. She breathed in that thought deeply as the sounds of laughter and music hummed through the walls.
They had done a lot for each other in the short time they'd known each other. Gone to prison, took punches and harsh words, sung and danced with their whole hearts content, and hoped and worried enough over each other to last a lifetime. She turned these thoughts in her head and wondered what it all meant.
The scratch of the needle scuttling across vinyl crackled through walls as another record was placed on the player and a new song began to play, catching Kate's ear with its familiarity. She looked up with a furrowed brow of concentration and listened carefully as the song began its run. It was a tune she knew and one that sent chills racing through her as the twinkle of piano keys played out. An eerie feeling began to wash over Kate as the tune built up to the singer's first chorus.
I'll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day and through
It was Billie Holiday's new song. The one she had sung at the Jewel Box just a few days before the accident. With her breath quickening, a memory floated back to Kate and she realized it was also the one Reggie asked her to sing in the rubble as she lay dying.
It started out like a ripple, the first memory, small and expanding as the memories came backed to her. Soon she could hear Reggie's weak voice, telling her about Albert Rigby, she saw Reggie's injuries again and the moment Kate knew she wouldn't make it, and she remembered the pain and sadness as she watched the light slip away from her friend's eyes.
They came at Kate like a flood now, striking her hard and fast as the waves of memories crashed into her again and again, threatening to pull her under while her mind played out the last moments of Reggie's life. And of the insight she was trying to share in her last moments.
"When you find that person…. Who makes your tomorrows look better…"
The memory blared through her mind as if someone had jacked up the radio to the loudest pitch and turned it on full blast. Suddenly, Kate could smell the amatol again and taste the coppery mixture of blood and fear. She felt her knees buckle and she stumbled backwards towards Betty's bed, where she landed heavily on the edge while the memories rolled on.
"…Who gives you a reason to be brave and makes you remember how to dream again … that person who, when living without them, means you're only living a half-life…"
Her head was spinning now as Reggie's voice rumbled through her mind. Her voice was no longer weak. It was strong and purposeful, sending Kate's stomach into a nosedive as the words hit home.
"… When you find that person, Kate…. You hold onto them for dear life."
Still clutching the book to her chest, she extended her hands out and looked down at it.
It was Betty. She finally remembered the lesson Reggie gave her in the rubble. Betty was the person she wanted to hold onto… she had always been that person. Now everything began clicking into place, like a piston cylinder starting an engine as Reggie's words sparked images of Betty holding her close, of laughter that seem to fill the empty spaces inside of her, and of traced skin that sent a feeling through her unlike any other she'd felt before. What surprised Kate the most was that the images running through her mind weren't memories made since the accident, but over the lifetime of their friendship. It extended to a time when Kate was the new girl on the floor, wide-eyed and innocent, when Betty's guided hand offered her a second chance and became the only hand she wanted to hold. And to the times when Kate first found the courage to stand up in a crowded room to sing with Betty holding her up with her love and support on the side of the stage.
Kate's head rose as she looked around Betty's room to all the keepsakes gathered for her. Whether she was the innocent girl that was called Katie from time to time or the confident singer ready to take on the world, it didn't really matter; they were one in the same to Betty. And she loved all these versions of her. She loved the girl who needed a second chance on her first day at the factory. She loved the girl who was brave enough to sing when her father strangled her voice out of her. She even loved the girl who pushed that same father over a rail to his death.
And Kate loved Betty for that. For loving her when she couldn't even love herself. For being the most amazing person she had ever met.
She let the book slip through her fingers and heard it clatter to the floor as loudly as the feelings that were rushing through her.
It was as if the light switch she'd been so desperately grasping for in the dark was finally flipped on, casting light across the shadows of doubt and fear in her heart.
Her Father had preached with fear, but in her own way, Betty preached with love. Showing her faith and love could intersect without the shadow of hate and damnation hanging over her like a death sentence. She realized now Betty had been showing her this all this time. Betty was everything that was good in this world and to think of her as anything less was simply untrue.
Kate felt the truth that had been building inside of her. She loved Betty. Period. No extra words were needed at the end of that sentence. No explanations like "as a friend" or with words of hate like "unnaturally". The fact was that it came to her as naturally as singing. Loving Betty was the hymnal she knew by heart. She was the song that lifted her up and allowed her to harmonize with a world the terrified her.
She didn't want to leave to go on tour because she didn't want to leave Betty. She wanted to be able to see her face whenever she wanted. And the embraced they had shared in this room a few nights before told her the last thing she wanted was to put miles in between them. She wanted her much, much closer, in fact. A thought that sent another round of tingling chills racing through her.
She let out a shaky breath as the Billie Holiday tune warbled on through the walls. She didn't just love Betty. It was something more. And maybe it had been something more for some time now. Every time Betty pulled her closer to keep her safe, she had felt the warmth of love wash over her. Every time they had danced together, she wanted to feel Betty as close to her as she could. Every time she had something good or bad to share, she wanted to share it with Betty. And every time she fell asleep, she wanted Betty beside her.
She heard the door creak open behind her.
"Hey, there you are," Betty said, leaning on her doorframe. "I was wondering where you'd gotten off to. It's not much of a party without the guest of honor. Otherwise, it's just Gladys forcing people to dance again."
Kate stood up with determination and turned to Betty.
"Ask me to stay."
"What?" Betty blinked, surprised at the abrupt statement.
"Ask me to stay," Kate repeated. She could see Betty's confusion as her brow wrinkled with uncertainty. "Tell me not to go on this tour. Ask me to stay here with you."
Betty took the words in and swallowed hard. She straightened and looked over her shoulder before stepping the rest of the way into her room, closing the door gently behind her.
"Kate…" She said, shaking her head as she looked to the floor between them.
"Ask me to stay and I will," Kate interrupted. "I'll stay because I'll miss you too much. I'll stay for you."
Betty looked up at her. Her eyes were full of hurt and doubt.
"You don't mean that."
"I do, Betty. I promise you, I mean it."
Betty rubbed the back of her neck as Kate's determined eyes made her feel exposed and apprehensive. She walked past Kate and stood at her dresser, reaching for the stack of records, hoping to keep her hands busy when they began to shake.
"You don't though. You're just… nervous about the new gig. And that's okay, going away on tour, it's a big deal, but you'll be fine, you'll see. You won't miss this place once you're out on the road, living the high life every night," Betty said, trying her best to keep her voice steady as possible as she kept her back to Kate, straightening the records in front of her.
"It won't be the high life if you're not there," Kate replied. Betty stood still as she focused on the task in front of her. "Please turn around and look at me."
Betty's mouth tightened as she tried to keep her emotions in check.
"Please, Betty."
Betty closed her eyes and slowly turned around. Opening her eyes, she placed her hands on the dresser behind her, she wasn't sure if it was to keep her standing or to keep her from walking out.
"I've started my life over a couple of times now. I know I can do it. You know I can do it. And going on tour, it'll be another start and I know it will be hard, but I'll get through it. But leaving you… not being able to see you or talk with you every day or hold you close when I need you … it's not something I want to endure. And I've spent a lifetime learning the meaning of that word, so I don't want to spend another day just enduring life. Because, you see Betty, someone once told me that when I found that person who, when living without them meant I was living a half-life, I should hold onto them for dear life. And I plan too, so, please…"
Kate took a step towards Betty.
"Ask me to stay," She said again.
Betty shook her head as her brow knotted in anguish. "I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because," Betty hated the way her voice sounded so high pitched. "Me asking you to stay hasn't exactly worked out well for either one of us in the past. Especially for me."
"I know," Kate whispered. "And yet, you always stayed. Even when you had no reason to, so give me this chance to stay for you."
Betty opened her mouth to say something, but only heavy breaths followed. She could feel the tears beginning to build.
"Ask me to stay," Kate said, taking another step closer. "Because you were the first friend I ever had."
Betty watched silently as Kate slowly came towards her like she was a skittish cat threatening to run.
"Ask me to stay because you're the reason I sing. And you're the one that gives meaning to every song I know."
Kate watched her take the words and let them knock her over her like a tidal wave.
"Ask me to stay because I want to start my day out beside you and end my day the very same way. Because when you pull me close when we dance, or when we're in a crowded room, or even a crowded bed, it makes me feel…"
Betty took in another shaky breath as Kate neared her. She was within reaching distance now, but Betty was pressed against the dresser behind her, her hands still gripping tightly to its edge, keeping her rooted in place.
"…Alive," Kate gasped out. "Ask me to stay, because you make me feel alive."
Kate seemed so confident while Betty felt like the whole house could hear her knees knocking together.
"And safe."
Her eyes flickered to Kate's lips as the words came out in shocking breathes. Kate was so close now that every word she spoke traced a truth across her skin and threatened to be too much.
"And loved."
The first tear finally won out and rolled down Betty's cheek.
"Ask me to stay because you make me feel so much and I know I do the same for you. And I want to keep doing the same. I want to keep making sure you feel, the way I feel, when I'm around you, for as long as I can."
"I can't," Betty's voice croaked out finally.
Kate's eyes flashed hot with hurt.
"I can't ask you to give up your dream for me. You heard Gladys and Vera, this is your big chance."
"They don't know though," Kate shook her head, her curls swaying with the movement. "This is my big chance. Right here and right now with you. If you want, ask me to stay long enough so we can talk things over and straighten it out before I go on any trips away. Just ask me to stay so we can figure it out together. Because…"
Betty held her breath now and waited for the words she could feel coming with every fiber in her body.
"… I'm in love with you, Betty McRae."
The air around them felt charged and heavy as the boarding house noises drifted away. Now it was just the two of them in her room, maybe even in the world, standing only inches away from each other, but cautiously never touching.
"Ask me to stay, Betty."
Betty's eyes held hers as her body hummed with every feeling Kate had ever made her feel. Even though they were so close that she could feel the warmth of Kate's body, neither one moved. Instead, they stayed rooted in place. It had been Betty who made the first move to kiss her on that piano bench, what seemed like years ago. And now a safe invisible line was drawn in between them. On one side was a deep friendship that would last a lifetime. It would be enough for both if that were all Betty ever wanted. If she decided she'd been hurt enough and wanted to keep things safe. But on the other side of that line was something that was more than just enough. It was something that was worth waiting a whole lifetime for she realized. And yet, now Kate was patiently waiting for her approval, just like she had waited all this time for hers. Just waiting for her to give the first sign that she wanted something more…
"Stay."
That was all it took. Kate closed the space between them and pressed her lips against Betty's. It was a kiss that was slow and full. One of Kate's hands lifted to Betty's face, keeping it in place as she deepened the kiss, taking Betty's bottom lip into her own, and sighing as Betty began to kiss her back. Betty's grip was still on the dresser behind her, it was a white-knuckle kind that kept her in place. Her whole body felt the kiss though. It was like every nerve ending she had seemed to begin at her lips and extended out as Kate's warm breath mingled with hers, sending sparks searing across her body. She felt Kate's tongue brush against her lips and suddenly Betty couldn't tell if she was falling or flying.
Her arms shot off the dresser and onto Kate's shoulders. With every part of her being, she forced herself to pull away from the kiss and carefully push Kate back. When Betty broke away, Kate's head leaned forward and followed hers, missing her touch already. Betty shook hers to clear it.
Kate looked at her dazed from the kiss and was now confused by its abrupt ending. Betty's eyes filled with tears once more. It was a kiss she had been waiting for, for her whole life it seemed. And it was so much more than she had ever imagined it to be like, but there was one thing that was still standing in between them. One thing that Betty couldn't get around quite yet…
"Kate…" Her voice shook and she noticed they were both breathing heavily. Shaking her head, Betty tried to form the words she didn't know how to say. "You're not… You're…"
Kate watched as Betty stuttered, her words and emotions at odds, fumbling around just beneath the surface, struggling to break free. Betty shook her head again as a multitude of tears spilled out this time. Kate felt her chest clinch at the sight.
"You're not..." Betty began again, her voice cracking. "… Like me."
Kate took in her words and accepted them kindly. She understood everything Betty meant with so few words. Betty had known who she was for a long time now. She knew she was different from most girls. Her feelings for other girls were considered scandalous, forbidden even. And now, Betty needed to know how Kate felt when she had given her so little to understand for so long.
Betty watched as Kate gently took the hand that was keeping her bay at her shoulder and placed it on her chest, right over her heart. She bit her lip as Kate placed her own hand over the same spot over Betty's heart. They were link together now, heart to heart.
"Do you feel that?" Kate asked, her eyes never leaving hers. "My heart is racing."
Betty nodded, feeling the strong heart beat as it sped away underneath her touch.
"Just like yours is right now," Kate continued. "It took me a while to realize this… but, they're the same."
Betty breathed in the statement and let it wash over her as their hearts rattled out a rhythm that mirrored each other.
"It's the same, Betty."
Kate waited for Betty to think this over. Betty may be different than most girls, but so was Kate. She didn't have feelings like normal girls either. Her past made sure to complicate every thought and feeling she'd ever had about another person. It didn't matter if they were for men or for women; her feelings were always complex and confusing. The only thing she knew for certain were her feelings for Betty. They were true and good and wouldn't be changing any time soon. And now she waited for Betty to decide if this was enough.
A slow smile rose on Betty's face as she considered Kate's words. She realized Kate was saying that her heart raced away the same way her love did and it was all they ever needed. It was all they ever needed when the world told them they didn't belong in a war factory, when they told them friendship couldn't go this deep, when they told them their place in the world, even though they knew being by each other's side was the only place they ever wanted to be, and when they told them who they could and could not love. All they ever needed was each other and the rest wouldn't matter.
This time it was Betty who lunged forward and closed the space between them. Unlike the first one, this kiss was a hungry one, like they were making up for lost time.
As laughter rang out from down the hall where the party went on without them, Kate pulled Betty towards the bed, both lost in each other. Lying entangled in each other, they spent the next several minutes exploring this new side of their relationship. The side the involved kissing and touching in ways that were previously outside the boundaries of friendship.
"We should probably get back," Betty breathed out between kisses. "To the party."
"There's a party?" Kate kissed back, smiling as Betty began to kiss her way down her jawline. She felt an avalanche of feelings surge through her with every touch of Betty's skin against hers.
"Uh, huh," Betty chuckled, her lips now brushing over Kate's neck, leaving a trail of kisses as she spoke. "Before they start wondering… where we're at … might come looking."
"Nah," Kate said as Betty leaned up and laid her head beside hers. They were lying on their sides now, facing each other and trying to catch their breaths. Their arms were still wrapped around each other. "They'll stay put."
"How do you know so?" Betty smiled as Kate's hands traced patterns on her back.
"It's Gladys' party," Kate said simply as Betty tucked loose locks of her hair behind her ear. "Hitler himself could traipse through the foyer and people wouldn't notice as long as Gladys was at the helm. She'll keep them at bay for us."
"How'd you get so smart and sure of yourself?" Betty teased, nuzzling her nose with Kate's as the warmth of her lying so close sent waves of happiness through her.
Kate smiled brightly, before giving in to the need to kiss her again.
"Easy," she whispered, pulling back from the soft kiss, her eyes holding Betty's to ensure the truth was conveyed with as much love as she could manage in one look…
"When I found you, I found me."