The L Word- Bette and Tina

[zakandsara]

So I've noticed a significant and disappointing lack of L Word fics out there and in here, which prompted me to write my own. There's a surprising amount of cute stuff in here, considering I don't generally buy into that type of thing, but I hope you enjoy! More is coming!

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It was 8:30PM and it was a Friday but, of course, Bette Porter was still in her office. Stacks of papers lined her desk, which was more than unusual for Bette. There was never clutter, let alone a single thing out of order when Bette was around. Buttonight, and the past 8 nights, she'd had no choice but to allow the mess of applications and grant proposals to stack up in her space and skyrocket her stress. She needed a break.

She read through a few more grant proposals, checked her email one last time for the night, and shut down. She rubbed her temples as she walked out of the office, realizing that dull pain in her temples had grown up into a full-blown headache when she wasn't paying attention. Perhaps it was that she'd skipped dinner, and only had time for a light lunch. She was exhausted, but she needed to eat and she definitely needed to have a little fun.

Bette reached her car. She took out her phone and texted Jodi, a brilliant sculptor who worked with Bette at the school, who also just so happened to be her current girlfriend.

"Dinner @ Planet in 10?" She sent, hoping she hadn't made any elaborate plans for the two of them that evening.

Bette sat back in her seat and took a deep breath. It felt good just to relax for a bit. She shut her eyes just for a moment, but was pulled out of her calm by a sudden and persistent tickle in her nose. She sat up and brought her hand to her face, waiting. "Ht'ngstch!" She exhaled and cleared her throat, shaking it off. Before she had time to even think about what would happen at work if she were to be getting sick, her phone dinged its familiar tone.

It was Jodi. "Meet you there."

Bette beamed and shoved her phone back into her purse, starting up her car and making off for her much-needed date night.

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"Bette!" She heard behind her as she stood near the bar of The Planet.

She flipped around, seeing Jodi come toward her. Bette grinned as her girlfriend waved. "Hi," Bette said, pulling her in immediately for a kiss. "I'm so glad to see you."

Jodi smiled back and took Bette's hand. "Me too," she said. She pulled her hand back for a moment. "Do we have a table?" she signed, looking around at the Friday night crowd.

Bette signed back. "I'm waiting for Kit. She's setting one up in the back."

Jodi nodded and laced her fingers through Bette's once again.

"Okay, baby sister," Bette heard off to her left. "You are all hooked up back there. Nice and quiet for my girls."

Kit greeted Jodi with a big hug and led the women through the kitchen to the private room in the back of the café.

"Thanks a lot. Sorry it was such short notice, I didn't even know we'd be-"

"Ah, ah, ah," Kit stopped her sister. "What'd I tell you? Whatever my baby girls want, they get. I didn't buy this place for nothing! Y'all get the perks, too." She winked at Bette, who smiled graciously as she sat down across from Jodi.

"You enjoy, all right? I'll come check on you in a bit. I gotta go quiet down that crowd," she said, and sashayed away.

Bette and Jodi sat across from each other, finally able to relish their moment alone.

"You look tired," Jodi signed.

Bette laughed. "Thanks," she said sarcastically.

Jodi smiled. "I meant you look like you're working too hard. You look beautiful."

"So do you," Bette signed back. "Don't worry about me. It's just this week, until everything stops pouring in. The beginning of the semester is always tough." She rubbed at her nose.

"I know," Jodi said. "Have you been using your student assistant? She could really help you," Jodi signed before perusing the menu. She looked up after a minute, realizing Bette hadn't answered.

Bette had her hand under her nose, trying hard to fight off a sneeze. It wasn't working. She finally gave in, bending away from Jodi into the inside of her wrist. "Hg'tnschh! He'tNGsh!!" She shook her head. "Excuse me," she said, looking down at her menu instead of at Jodi.

"Bless you," Jodi said. Bette looked up. "Are you okay?" she signed.

Bette nodded. "Of course." She hated to be fussed over. "I'm starving. I think I'll get the chicken. What looks good?"

Jodi shrugged. "I'm not that hungry. I had a snack waiting for you to get out."

Bette frowned. She reached across the table and rubbed Jodi's arm. "I'm sorry I'm going so crazy lately. I just can't stand to be behind on work. We'll spend time together this weekend. Real time."

"You'll pencil me in?" Jodi signed and winked.

Bette chuckled. "I think we can arrange a meeting or two."

They smiled at each other, playing with one another's fingers until Kit reappeared, sidling up to the two of them.

"What are we having, lovebirds?" She stood behind Bette with a hand on her shoulder.

Bette quickly signed to Jodi, confirming their order. Jodi gave her a thumbs up.

Bette leaned back to look up at her sister, but caught sight of the light on the ceiling and paused. She slowly brought her head down to meet her hand yet again. "He'tchngtt! We'll share the chicken."

Kit patted her shoulder. "Coming right up," she said, making to leave, but stopping in her tracks. "Oh!"

The women looked up. "What's up?" Bette asked curiously.

"I meant to ask, when do you have Angie next? I wanna take her down to the carnival for her birthday if y'all have a free day." Kit beamed talking about her niece.

Jodi snorted. "Does Bette ever have a 'free day?'"

Bette shot her a faux-warning look. Kit chuckled. "I have her the weekend of the 16th, so I can let you know in a few days. That sounds great though."

Kit's nose scrunched up. "The 16th?"

Bette took a sip of her water and nodded.

Jodi looked to Kit; Bette looked confused.

"What?"

"Today's the 16th," Jodi signed.

Bette's face dropped. "No, today's the 10th."

"No, she's right. You're off your game, sister," Kit stated, watching Bette reach frantically for her phone.

"I'm not off my fucking game. I could've sworn this was her weekend with Tina!" She started to dial and help the phone to her ear, clearly worked up.

Jodi held her free hand. "Calm down."

"I can't fucking calm down, I forgot about my daughter- Hello?" Tina had answered. "T, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened, I got so behind on work and must've mixed up my weekends." She looked like she could cry at any moment. Jodi and Kit looked worried. "I'm just grabbing a quick dinner now, but I can be over in 20 minutes. I didn't....what? Yeah. Okay. Okay, you're right. Fuck. I'm sorry. Alright. I'll see you then." She hung up the phone and put her head in her hands, rubbing her temples.

Kit started to rub her back gently. "Everything okay?"

She sat up, nodding. "I'm going to pick her up when we're finished with dinner. Thankfully Tina's not mad."

"Why don't I make that chicken to go, honey. You should get home as soon as you can," Kit told her, heading back to the kitchen.

"Thank you," Bette tiredly called after her, now turning her attention to Jodi. "I don't even know what to say."

Jodi shrugged. "You're with Angie this weekend. We'll see each other next weekend." It was obvious was disappointed.

"I'm sorry. Why don't you do something with us tomorrow? We can-"

She shook her head. "Spend time with your daughter."

Bette smiled weakly. "I love you," she said, almost as an apology.

"I love you," Jodi signed back. "You owe me though."

Bette laughed. "That I do." She stood and leaned across the table to kiss Jodi. She sat back down and almost without warning, leaned down into her cupped hands. "Heh'tnnxshh!! Jesus, 'scuse me."

Jodi pulled a napkin from the dispenser on the table and handed it across the table. "Bless you, again." Jodi eyed her up.

Bette took it gratefully and wiped her nose. "Don't look at me like that! I'm told you- I'm fine."

Jodi waved her off, giving up. "You're the boss."

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Bette pulled up to Tina's house, doggie bag full of her dinner in hand. They'd been broken up for almost a year, but driving to their old home and knowing it was no longer theirs still stung Bette in a way she couldn't totally understand.

She knocked softly on the door, hoping Tina (and not her boyfriend) would answer. Nothing. She tried again, a little bit harder this time. She wasn't sure if Angelica had fallen asleep yet, and she certainly didn't want to be the one responsible for waking her back up. Finally, Tina appeared at the door, looking softer and sweeter in her pajamas than Bette had remembered.

"Hey," she said quietly, holding the door for Bette..

"Hi," Bette immediately smiled guiltily, stepping inside. "She sleeping?"

Tina nodded. "You want a drink or...."

Bette looked around. "Where's Henry?"

"Out of town. Thank God," Tina said, almost unconsciously.

Bette's stomach flipped. "Trouble in paradise?"

Tina rolled her eyes. "I'd rather not talk about it." Bette smirked and nodded. Tina led her to the living room, where the two of them sat facing each other on a loveseat. "How's work?"

Bette sighed. "How do you think? I fucking forgot about our daughter."

Tina shook her head. "You didn't forget about her. It happens. Schedules get fucked up. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Bette smiled. "Thank you, for being so understanding. It means a lot to me."

Their eyes locked for a moment, which turned into several moments. They were somehow so comfortable and so foreign to each other at the same time. Bette looked into her blue eyes and fought to keep the intimacy of their gaze, but her nose, again, turned against her. Her breath hitched and she turned away into her elbow. "Ht'chhngst! Heh'gntSCH! Hng'ktchh-OO!! Fuck. 'Scuse me."

"Jesus, Bette," Tina said, taken aback.

She rubbed her nose. "Tell me about it."

"Are your allergies acting up already? Usually not til later in the Spring..." Tina said, almost thinking out loud.

Bette chuckled. Tina knew more about her than she'd ever given her credit for. "I don't know. Whatever it is, it's a pain in my ahh....hng'KTCHH! Ass."

"Bless you. I always hated that you did that."

Bette cocked her head. "Did what?"

"Held in your sneezes. I always thought 'Wouldn't it feel better to just let them out?' But then I'd remember who I was dealing with." Tina smiled, teasing her. "The control freak."

Bette laughed. "I guess you know me too well."

Tina blushed. "Can I get you anything?"

Bette shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks. Did she go down-"

"Around 8. She shouldn't wake up on the ride home, but if she does, her blankie's in the bag," Tina pointed to the door, where all of Angie's things were packed. Bette hated that she had to pack a bag to go back and forth.

"Great, thanks," Bette told her quickly, her nose twitching. She put a finger up under it and pressed against it. "I have to fucking sneeze again."

Tina grinned. "Just let it out. I don't care."

Bette shook her head. Her eyes squeezed shut and she took a deep breath in, bending into her hands. "Ht'kgnxstch!! Hah'RTschhhh-oo!" Bette put a hand to her chest, almost out of breath.

"God bless," Tina said laughing. "You did it!"

Bette rolled her eyes, but smiled. "How's work going for you? Jenny's movie is-"

"A nightmare. They want me to fire her, which I've never done at all, let alone to a friend," Tina moaned, crossing to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water.

Bette watched her glide away. "She deserves it after what she wrote about us. Fucking Lez Girls. 'Bev and Nina.' Bullshit."

Tina returned with a glass for herself, and one for Bette. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything. I forgot how much that book pissed you off."

Bette took the glass graciously. "All I'm saying is it was never her place to write about what happened between us. Or what happened to any of us, for that matter. It's exploitative."

"It's fiction," Tina said, matter-of-factly. "We know what happened between us. Don't let her little story get to you." Tina put her hand on Bette's knee. Bette's whole body tingled.

Bette looked up. "I guess you're right." She smiled, almost shyly.

"Never thought I'd hear Bette Porter utter that phrase. And to me?" she feigned honor and giggled, looking to Bette for a reaction but realized she was fighting off another sneeze.

"Hehhh...ht'gnntschh! Heh'ngxschh!" She exhaled audibly and shook her head. "Sorry..."

Tina passed her a box of tissues. "Don't be. Bless you."

Bette took one and wiped her nose softly. "Thanks."

"I hate to break it to you, babe, but I think you're getting a cold." Tina laid back on the couch and extended her legs so that her feet were touching Bette's thighs. The whole evening felt very comfortable and very familiar.

"I don't think that's what this is. And even if it was, I don't have time for a cold anyway," she said stubbornly.

Tina poked her playfully with a toe. "That's not really how it works."

Bette looked at her legs, so close to Bette's body. She looked at her smile, her gentle hands, her attentive eyes. She shook the thought away. "I think I'd better get going. It's getting late and I don't wanna keep you..."

Tina sat up quickly. "No, I don't mind." She toned herself down again, trying to play it cool. "I mean, Henry's gone anyway. I'm just gonna watch TV til I pass out. You're welcome to join me."

Bette's head swam with what that might mean for the two of them. She knew she shouldn't stay. She knew Jodi would be livid if she found out she'd stayed. But she still desperately, hopelessly wanted to stay. "Are you sure?"

Tina sat up and moved a bit closer to Bette, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I couldn't kick you out now, could I? Who's going to take care of you?" She stood up, walking back to her bedroom.

"I'm not sick!" Bette called to her as she walked away, praying that saying it out loud were enough to make it true.

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Tina returned with a tshirt and sweatpants, tossing them onto the couch next to Bette. "Get comfy. I'll find us a shitty TV show to get sucked into."

Bette smiled. Tina was much more confident than she once had been, and Bette loved that. "Thank you. For this, and for understanding about tonight. And for the company."

"Of course," Tina said, like there was no other way she could've possibly behaved.

Bette stood from the couch and made to pull her shirt off, but stopped herself. "Do you mind if I just change here?"

Tina chuckled. "Nothing I haven't seen before." She continued to flip through the channels.

Bette slid her shirt off and pulled the t-shirt on. It was an old one of hers, she realized, that Tina had liked to wear around the house. Bette's heart beat faster when she remembered how she used to feel when she saw Tina cleaning, or reading, or napping, or holding Angelica in her borrowed clothes. It was a feeling she missed.

Bette stepped out of her pants and adjusted her lacy, I-thought-I-would-be-spending-the-night-with-my-girlfriend thong, which she now regarded with complete irony. Before she could get into the sweatpants, her eyelids fluttered and she drew in a tired breath. "Heh'tngstchh! Ht'gnxshhht! HA'ktnggchh-oo!!" She shook her head, lightheaded. She quickly stepped into the sweats and sat back on the couch, all the while gearing up for another stubborn sneeze. "Hehh...hah...HA'tngSCHHIEEoo!!"

"Whoa!" Tina smiled, almost impressed. She pulled another tissue and handed it to Bette. "Bless you, four times," she said, making sure Bette knew she was right about her earlier diagnosis.

Bette took the tissue and blew her nose. "Maybe the pollen count today was just really high. It's not unheard of, you know. Things bloom out of season all the time." She tried to talk her way out of it; it wasn't working.

Tina shook her head. "It's not allergies. When you have allergies-" She stopped herself, looking away from Bette and smiling shyly. "Never mind."

Bette was intrigued. "No, what were you gonna say?"

"It's embarrassing that I know this!" Tina said, hiding her face in her hands.

Bette grinned. "What!"

Tina lowered her hands and rolled her eyes. "When you have allergies, you always sneeze only twice in a row."

Bette laughed, nudging Tina playfully. "Jesus, you are observant. How do you know more about me than I do?"

Tina shrugged. "That's just how relationships work, I guess."

Bette looked away. "You're observant...." she repeated quietly. She looked up at Tina. "You're amazing."

Tina locked her eyes with Bette's fiercely. Bette moved close to her, touching her cheek. "Bette, I don't think..."

Bette put a finger to Tina's lips and leaned in to kiss her neck. Tina melted into it, all hesitation out the window.

Tina put a finger under Bette's chin and pulled her up so they were face to face. She leaned in to kiss her lips but Bette drew back.

"I don't want you to catch this," she said, sternly.

Tina grinned. "Oh, so now you have something to catch?" She leaned in and stole a quick kiss from Bette. "Oops," she said petulantly. "Guess I'm in it now. Might as well continue."

Bette smiled and gave in, kissing Tina purposefully. They were laid out on the couch, Bette on top of Tina, like the past two years had all been nothing but a nightmare.

They continued to kiss, softly, aggressively, gently, passionately for several minutes, until Bette pulled back. She sat up, legs straddling Tina's, and put a finger under her nose. Her breath hitched for a while, but nothing was coming.

Tina watched her intently. "Look at a light," she offered, pointing to the lamp next to them.

Bette obeyed and almost immediately turned into her elbow. "Ha'gnntssch! Heh'TNNGxschht! Hah'EKtschhhiiOO!!" She lowered her elbow hesitantly, but decided she was done and looked back to Tina. "Excuse me."

Tina smiled and reached up to touch Bette's cheek. "Bless you, beautiful."

Bette blushed. "I kind of ruined the moment there, didn't I?"

Tina shook her head. She sat up to face Bette and leaned in close, whispering in her ear. "When you lose control, you look unbelievably sexy." She kissed Bette's cheek, neck, collarbone and then stopped. She stood up, taking Bette's hand. "Let's go to bed."

Bette grinned wildly. She never thought she'd be so happy to hear those mundane words again. She stood up, too, and followed Tina's lead back into the bedroom. Their bedroom again. Finally.

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[Yuuki]

cant wait for next part :3 and yay contagion coming

[White Rose]

Wow... Just wow!! This is amazing! You're right, there are way too few L Word fics on here. Please continue!!!

[SneezyLaura]

Great work! <333 I can't wait for more!

[Bruyere]

Aw, so much Bette/Tina nostalgia. Marlee Matlin is one of my favourite actresses so it's great to see her in this and I always loved the sparky relationship between Bette and Jodi.

Tina shook her head. "It's not allergies. When you have allergies-" She stopped herself, looking away from Bette and smiling shyly. "Never mind."

Bette was intrigued. "No, what were you gonna say?"

"It's embarrassing that I know this!" Tina said, hiding her face in her hands.

Bette grinned. "What!"

Tina lowered her hands and rolled her eyes. "When you have allergies, you always sneeze only twice in a row."

Too cute!

[zakandsara]

PART 2

Bette awoke the next morning, tangled in a mess of white sheets and discarded clothing. She sat up slowly, remembering everything the night before had had to offer, and smiled immediately. She looked down at Tina, still sleeping sweetly. She brushed some hair out of Tina's face and got out of bed, heading for the bathroom. Despite feeling great about waking up in their bed again, Bette realized she didn't feel too hot. Her head ached, threatening to become a migraine if she didn't do anything to prevent it. She was stuffed up, but not quite noticeably so. She washed her face with warm water and took a few Advil. She'd be fine, she told herself.

She slipped out of the bedroom, heading down the hall for Angie's room. She could already hear her daughter cooing, a sign she was awake and ready for the day.

Bette poked her head in and Angelica immediately lit up.

"Good morning, baby!" Bette lifted her out of her crib and squeezed her into a big hug. She kissed her cheeks over and over. "I missed you so much, sweet thing."

Angie giggled and babbled and continuously muttered "mama," as Bette changed her and dressed her for the day.

"Let's go wake up Mama T, okay sunshine?" Bette picked her up, propping her on her hip as she made her way back to Tina in bed.

She sat on the edge of the bed and laid Angie down next to her mother. Her "mama"s continued, and Tina blinked awake, immediately beaming.

"Hello, my angel," Tina pulled her in for a kiss. She sat up and put Angie in her lap, where she sat contentedly playing with her toes. "Good morning," she

smiled at Bette and leaned over for a casual kiss.

"How'd you sleep?" Bette asked, smirking at the memory of their night.

Tina nodded. "Better than I have in a long time."

Bette moved closer to her family, patting down Angelica's hair. "Somebody looks hungry," she said as her daughter grabbed hold of her hands. Bette let Angie

squeeze her fingers for awhile, reveling in the perfection of the morning, until she felt the annoying tickle in her nose return. She tried to pull away, but her

daughter was reluctant to let go. Bette turned her head away from them, into her shoulder, as best she could. "Heh'tnngschhio! Excuse me!" She smiled at her

giggling daughter.

Tina looked at her sweetly. "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine," she answered, as if she'd ever respond differently.

Tina rolled her eyes. "You sound congested."

Bette shrugged. "Don't worry about me." She picked Angie up off of Tina's lap and pulled her over onto her own. "Do you want to get breakfast? I know Ki wanted to see the little one; we could head over to The Planet."

Tina's face scrunched up. "I'm sure the girls are there this morning. It's Saturday."

Bette bounced Angie on her lap. "So?"

"So.....I don't know. Are we ready to go out together again around them?" Tina stumbled through her words, not wanting to offend Bette.

"T, it's just brunch. They don't have to know anything we don't want them to." She looked up and gave Tina a reassuring nod. "Okay?"

Tina stood from the bed and rubbed Bette's back as she passed. "Yeah, okay. You're right."

She moved swiftly into the closet and emerged a few short minutes later, dressed and ready to go. "You can take anything in there when you're ready."

Bette handed Angie off to Tina and took her place in the closet. She perused through the hangers, finally settling on a dark purple sundress, which she quickly slipped into and joined her family back in the bedroom.

"You look great," Tina grinned. "Doesn't Mama B look pretty?" she whispered to Angie, pointing at Bette. Angie clapped.

Bette waltzed over to them and grabbed Tina's hand, pulling her up off the bed and kissing her softly. "Let's get going, Mama T," she said with a wink, and they were on their way.

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The ladies and their daughter arrived at The Planet and did, indeed, immediately spot their friends. Alice, Helena, and Shane sat at their usual table near the patio, and appeared to already be a couple of drinks deep.

Tina let go of Bette's hand the second she spotted them.

Bette, holding Angelica, turned to look at her. "We'll be fine. Just relax."

They made their way to the table and Alice spotted them first, waving them over happily. Shane got up and pulled a few extra chairs over to the table for them as they approached.

"Hi, tiny one!" Alice squeaked at Angelica, giving her little hand a squeeze. "You guys look cordial."

Tina looked from Bette back to Alice, annoyed. "Why wouldn't we be?" She took a seat next to Helena, kissing her hello as she sat.

Bette sat down across from her, between Alice and Shane. She propped Angie up on her lap. "I had to pick Angie up this morning and we figured we'd have a little

family brunch."

"That's sweet," Helena said, taking a sip of her mimosa. "Bette, how's Jodi?"

Bette paused. "She's great."

Shane looked at her curiously. "Great? Just great?"

"Yeah, when you say it like that, it kinda sounds like she's not so great," Alice added.

Bette looked at Tina, apologizing with her eyes. Tina shrugged. "She's great. She's fine, things are good, okay?"

Helena put her hands up in defeat. "Okay. I'm sorry I asked."

Tina sat up and enthusiastically changed the subject. "Have you heard from Tasha?" she asked Alice, knowing how much she missed her girlfriend.

Alice shook her head. "She's shipping out today so we won't be able to talk until, I don't know, Tuesday or something ridiculous. I hate the fucking army."

Shane reached across Bette and rubbed her shoulder. "Cheer up, lady. Let's get you another drink."

As Shane flagged down the waitress and ordered another round for all of them, including Bette and Tina, Bette's nose started to twitch again. She held onto

Angelica with one hand and turned purposefully into the other. "Heh'tngxSHHt! Ht'knschh-oo!" She sniffled and wiped her hand on the napkin in front of her, putting both arms back around Angie. "Excuse me, sorry."

Alice looked at her curiously. "Gesundheit, Mama B!" she teased. "You gonna do that again, cuz I can hold your baby so you don't go sneezing on her."

Bette giggled. "No, I think I'm fine for now."

"Alright, don't say I didn't offer," she said, overjoyed that the drinks had finally arrived.

Bette took one and happily sipped it, thankful for the extra confidence the booze was sure to give she and Tina. She set the drink down and looked around. "Has Kit been over yet?"

Shane nodded. "She just took off, like, 10 minutes ago. She's meeting with a new head chef."

Tina sat up. "That's today? I thought she was doing that next week."

"What's wrong with the one she's got now?" Helena asked, motioning to her plate. "The food seems fine to me."

Alice scrunched up her nose. "He's totally creepy. He tried to grab Kit's ass last week and she fired him right away. She's got a temp back there now, but

he's leaving in a week, too."

Bette stared at Alice in shock. "Are you serious? How did I not know any of this?"

Tina shrugged. "You've been pretty busy lately."

Shane nudged her. "Yeah, we miss you. It's not the same around here without your bright and shiny disposition."

Alice snorted; Bette glared at her.

"Oh, come on! I'm kidding," Shane said. "But we seriously do miss you."

"I miss you, too!" Alice leaned over and gave Angelica's cheek a pinch. "I miss both of you. May I?" She held her arms out, waiting for Bette's nod of approval to pull Angie over onto her lap.

Bette stretched and crossed her legs, making herself comfortable now that she was baby-free.

Helena eyed her up. "Tina, isn't that your dress? You wore it to the opening last weekend."

Tina froze. She looked at Bette, who was also almost motionless.

"Um, no," Tina stumbled. She took another long sip of her drink. "It was Bette's the whole time. I was just borrowing it-"

"I'd left it there when I moved out and-"

"She saw pictures of me at the opening and asked for it back," Tina finished. They both knew it sounded like bullshit.

The group was silent, awkwardly shooting each other looks. Bette was mortified.

Shane cleared her throat loudly, attempting to lighten them up. "We need another round?" she said, and almost before she could finish, the table erupted with

near-simultaneous approval.

Tina relaxed a bit, giving Bette a relieved smile. Though not as smoothly as they'd hoped for, the moment had passed.

Bette returned the smile, laughing to herself. She looked over to Alice, who was playing patty cake with Angie and, every once in a while, sneaking her a bite of

her chocolate chip pancakes. Bette realized how hungry she was; she hadn't properly eaten since before lunch the day before. She needed to eat something, she decided, as her head's dull ache had been slowly intensifying. She sat up and glanced at the menu for only a minute before admitting the tickle in her nose wasn't going to go away. She bent quickly into her hand. "Hen'gnxtch! Ha'kngscht!" She lowered her hand and slowly rubbed her chest.

"Bless you," Tina responded automatically from across the table, not even looking up from her menu.

"Thank you," Bette answered quietly.

Alice looked up at Tina, and then to Bette, confused. "Wha--was that a sneeze?!"

Shane and Helena looked up, too, intrigued.

"Who?" Shane looked around.

Bette rolled her eyes. "Me."

"When?" Helena leaned on the table, trying to follow.

"Five seconds ago! No one else heard her?" Tina asked, perplexed.

"Okay, can we drop this?" Bette asked, starting to become annoyed.

Shane chuckled. "Don't be embarrassed, we're just teasing.

"I'm not embarrassed," she insisted.

"And I'm not teasing!" Alice looked at her. "Mama B, you can't hold in your sneezes like that. Your brain or lungs or....eyeballs or something are gonna explode."

Helena laughed. "Is there any science at all behind this claim?"

"I'm serious! I dated a girl whose cousin's boyfriend-"

"Okay," Shane stopped her. "Three times removed story subjects do not scientific facts make." She patted Bette's leg. "You sneeze however you want, mama."

Alice huffed. "Don't come crying to me when you're in an iron lung because you didn't listen to your old friend Alice during allergy season!"

Tina laughed. "Give it up, Al."

Bette took a deep breath, trying not to get angry. "I'm done with this conversation. Thanks for your concern but I'm nohhh...not.....Hn'TKschhhiiiOO!!"

Angelica jumped and turned immediately toward the source of the sound. She started to whimper.

"Happy?" Bette asked Alice coldly as she plucked the now-crying Angelica from her arms. She handed her off across the table to Tina so that she could blow her

nose.

"That was impressive," Alice said, smiling guiltily at Bette. "Gesundheit."

Bette looked at her for a few seconds before accepting her version of an apology. "Yeah, thanks." She cleared her throat.

"In all seriousness, you okay?" Shane asked her. "What's with all the sneezing anyway?"

Bette shook her head. "It's nothing. Just a little cold."

Helena frowned. "Sweetie, go home and get some rest. You look like you didn't sleep a wink last night."

Bette looked at Tina, who tried not to giggle. "Yeah, last night was a little...rough." She grinned, unintentionally. "I'm really fine though."

"Whatever you say, lady. Let's get you some breakfast, yeah?" Shane said, flagging down the waitress once more.

"That'd be amazing," Bette said to her, finishing off her drink and still smiling, more than happy to be back around the table with her friends, her baby,

and most importantly, with Tina.

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What do ya think?! More to come if you're into it!

Edited May 9, 2014 by zakandsara

[Yuuki]

more plz?

[Bruyere]

Helena eyed her up. "Tina, isn't that your dress? You wore it to the opening last weekend."

Tina froze. She looked at Bette, who was also almost motionless.

"Um, no," Tina stumbled. She took another long sip of her drink. "It was Bette's the whole time. I was just borrowing it-"

"I'd left it there when I moved out and-"

"She saw pictures of me at the opening and asked for it back," Tina finished. They both knew it sounded like bullshit.

Smooth!

[White Rose]

More, please? I'm loving this!!

[Blessing Queen]

Awesome fics!More,please!

[BootyBurgers]

How did I just now find this!? I love it!

[zakandsara]

Here's more! I hope someone's still enjoying this story. There's more if you want it.

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The ladies finished their drinks and meals rather uneventfully. Tina and Bette were the first to leave, shamelessly using the baby as an excuse to duck out early so they wouldn't be seen driving the same car home.

Tina sat behind the wheel while Bette buckled Angelica into her carseat. Bette joined Tina up front, smiling at her having taken the driver's seat. She found it incredibly sexy.

"What?" Tina asked her, noticing her staring.

"Nothing." Bette put her hand in Tina's lap as she pulled out of the Planet's parking lot.

"We had a few close calls back there, huh?" Tina said, laughing at the thought. "I didn't even think about the dress thing."

Bette chuckled, too. "I'm sure they're all back there talking about us right now."

Tina took a hand off the steering wheel and squeezed Bette's bare thigh. "Let them talk."

Bette leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I can't tell you how good it feels to have had a day out with you. And with you," she turned around, reaching back and playing with Angie's toes. She smiled at her giggling daughter until she felt Tina's hand pull away from her leg. She turned back around to find Tina's hand hovering under her nose.

"Huh'tschhhiiEw!!" She wiggled her nose and returned her hand to its spot on Bette's leg.

Bette stared at her. "Tina."

Tina laughed. "Bette! Relax. It was just a tickle."

She put her head in her hands. "I told you not to kiss me!"

"Yeah, you really resisted last night," she said sarcastically. "I'm not getting sick. And even if I am, what's done is done."

Bette wasn't used to Tina sticking up for herself and being so firm. It was a nice change of pace, and she respected her for it. "If you start to feel shitty, tell me right away. I'm not going to leave you to take care of yourself. Especially since it'll be my fault."

Tina smiled and moved her hand up Bette's leg just a little more. "I guess we'll have to take care of each other, hmm?"

Bette squirmed, stopping Tina's hand before it got too far up. "Not here," she said firmly. "Angie's in the back seat."

Tina moved her hand back down toward Bette's knee. "You're right. Sorry." She pulled her hand away altogether and put it on the wheel. "Couldn't help myself."

Bette's heart flipped. She watched Tina, her blonde hair blowing softly in the wind and her pale blue eyes sparkling. She couldn't remember why on Earth she'd ever let someone like her go. "You look very pretty today," Bette told her.

Tina looked over at her, smirking. "That's sweet."

Bette shrugged. "I mean it." She rolled down her own window just a bit, letting the sun and wind clash comfortably together across her skin. She squinted as Tina took the turn into their neighborhood and the sunlight poured into the car. "Heh...n'gxtsCHHioo! Ht'nngschtOO!!"

"Bless you," Tina said sympathetically, pulling onto their street.

Bette sniffled. "I'm getting tired of this."

"I can tell. You sound exhausted." She peeked at Angelica in the rear view mirror as they pulled up to the house. "You and someone else," she whispered, pointing to their daughter, who had drifted off on the way home.

Bette looked at her lovingly. "Poor little thing. We kept her up past naptime," she pointed out as she unbuckled.

Tina quietly opened her car door and unlocked the house's front door, as Bette carefully pulled Angie from the car. They might not have always worked well together as a couple, but as parents, they just fit.

The women walked quietly down the hall to Angie's room, where Bette laid her down gently in her crib and gave her a kiss on the check. "Sleep well, sweet pea."

She watched her daughter sleep for a moment more, until she felt Tina squeeze her hand, hard, as she fought to hold in a sneeze.

"Huh'tnngxsh! Ow, Jesus," she whispered as a snickering Bette pushed her out of the room.

Once they were at a safe distance, Bette burst out laughing. "Are you okay?"

Tina rubbed her nose, but laughed, too. "That hurt! I don't know how you do that. Alice was right; you're gonna break something."

Bette shook her head. "You're both insane," she chuckled. She moved in close and kissed Tina.

Tina reached up and put a hand on the nape of Bette's neck. She finished their kiss and pulled back. "You feel warm," she said quietly.

Bette played with Tina's fingers. "I'm tired," she admitted.

Tina pulled her into the bedroom and motioned for her to sit on the bed. "Stay there."

Bette looked at her curiously but obeyed, not that she had enough energy to go anywhere. She watched Tina walk away into the bathroom and shivered, which she hoped was a result of the overhead fan and not an impending fever. Before she had time to think it over, she pulled a tissue off the nightstand and bent into it. "He'tkNGschht! Hah'nxschhio!!" She blew her nose softly and cleared her throat just as Tina returned.

"Bless you, sweetheart," she told her, handing over a small cup of water and a couple of bright orange pills. "Take these. You have a fever."

Bette shook her head weakly but took the pills anyway and drank them down with a shot of water. She rubbed her temples. "I need a nap, too."

Tina nodded. "You do." She started to pull her dress off of Bette, expecting her to protest as she always did when she felt out of control. But she fully complied, even lifting her arms without Tina having to ask. She watched Bette shiver the second her stomach was bare. "Bette...." Unlike her usual, put-together self, Bette looked pathetic and it made Tina feel as bad as Bette looked.

Tina stepped over to her drawer and pulled out a warm sweater. She handed it to Bette and watched her put it on slowly. "Lay down," Tina told her, though she was already on her way.

"I'm sorry I'm so pathetic," Bette told her, as if she could read the sympathy in Tina's mind. "I wish I were more fun."

Tina pulled the covers up to Bette's chin and slid in next to her. Bette rested her head on Tina's chest and put an arm around her stomach. "Shhh, don't be silly. It's not your fault." Tina put her arm around Bette and rubbed her back.

Bette shut her eyes. "You smell amazing," she said, almost whispering.

Tina smiled and twirled a lock of Bette's hair around her finger. "I'm surprised you can smell anything with your nose so blocked up."

"Mmmm," Bette groaned. She lifted her head just a bit off of Tina's stomach and brought her hand up under her nose. "Heh'ngxtschht! He'kitCHschhhioo!!" She put her head lazily back down and sniffled.

Tina rubbed her cheek softly. "That feel good?"

Bette smiled, her eyes still shut. "Mhhmm," she mumbled.

"Good," Tina smiled smugly to herself. "Go to sleep, baby," she whispered, watching Bette drift off comfortably.

----------------------------------

Bette blinked her eyes open, somehow still tired despite having just woken up. She picked her head up and realized it wasn't on Tina's chest where she'd fallen asleep, but on the pillow. Tina was nowhere in sight. Bette sat up and pushed the covers off of her. Her fever had definitely broken and beads of sweat covered her forehead.

She stepped out of bed, pulling off her sweatshirt and slipping into a tshirt she found in an open drawer. She padded quietly down the hall and into the living room, where Tina and Angelica sat watching Sesame Street on the couch.

"Good morning, sunshine," Tina said to her, tossing a few pillows out of the way to make room for Bette next to her. "How was your nap?"

Bette sat down and kissed Tina on the cheek. She gave Angie's hand a squeeze. "Alright. I borrowed another shirt, I hope you don't mind," she pointed out.

Tina reached over and put the back of her hand against Bette's forehead. "Your fever's gone," she stated. She looked up at Bette sweetly. "Of course I don't mind."

Bette rubbed Angelica's leg. "When'd she wake up?"

"About an hour ago," Tina said, getting unintentionally distracted by the giant, singing costumed adults on the TV.

"An hour ago? Jesus, how long was I asleep?" Bette asked, realizing she had no idea what time it was. The day had passed by in what seemed like a blink of an eye.

Tina pulled herself away from the TV. "Almost two hours. It's a quarter to 5," Tina informed her, reading her mind. She suddenly turned her head away from Bette and put up a hand to shield Angelica. "Hah'tSCHHiiew! Huhhh...heh'teSHhhiiiEo!!"

Bette frowned at her. "I knew you were catching this."

Tina rubbed at her nose. "I'm perfectly fine aside from my nose itching," she told Bette. "You always got sicker than I did."

"Yeah, but you got sick more often," Bette reminded her. "Remember when we both had-"

"Chicken pox! Yes! And none of our friends could believe that neither of us had had it as kids." Tina chuckled.

Bette moved closer. "But I caught it and we promised to keep away from each other because I was contagious."

Tina kissed her. "Which lasted for maybe 2 hours until I couldn't stand not to touch you any longer."

They kissed again, Bette putting her hand on Tina's bare hip where her shirt had ridden up. Tina giggled; she had always been ticklish. They pulled away slowly but kept their foreheads pressed together, going in for small, sweet kisses every few seconds, until Bette pulled back completely. She put a hand on Tina's collarbone, keeping her at a distance, and turned into her opposite shoulder.

"He'ngtxschhh! Heh'tGNshht! Heh'ERrtschiiiOO!! Ughh, shit," she moaned miserably. "'Scuse me."

"Bless you," Tina told her. "I think that last one scared Angie. She jumped a little," Tina giggled.

Bette let out a chuckle and tousled her daughter's hair. "Sorry, lovebug," she told her. She cleared her throat, which led to a cough. "My throat feels sore," she massaged her neck.

"Probably from all the sneezing," Tina concluded. "I was just gonna say, I can't believe how sneezy you've been."

"Sneezy? I'm not a cartoon dwarf, T," Bette said, wiping her nose.

Tina laughed. "I know. I'm just not used to seeing you like this, that's all."

Bette pulled a tissue out a box on the coffee table and blew her nose. "This'd better go away by Monday," she stated as a warning to no one in particular. "I don't have time to be sick during the week."

Tina rolled her eyes. "You're running yourself into the ground, babe. You need to rest for a few days."

"I can't just 'rest.' I have so much work to get done, I can barely think straight," she said, stressing herself out.

"All I'm saying is that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to take a couple of days off," Tina concluded, putting a hand on Bette's knee. "For your own sake."

Bette shook her head. She didn't like to get into it with Tina about her work; it always led to arguments. She leaned over and picked Angie up, setting her beside her on the couch. Tina stretched her legs out.

"You can lay down if you want. It's not fair that you didn't get a nap today, too," Bette told her.

Tina laid her head down on Bette's lap and curled up on the couch. "I'm not really tired. But this is comfy."

Bette smiled and smoothed Tina's hair down. With one arm around her daughter and the other around Tina, Bette felt that she was in exactly the right place for once.

They stayed like that for awhile, Angie happily watching Big Bird and cooing at Elmo and Bette feeling much better than she had all day. Bette thought, despite her refusal, that Tina had drifted off to sleep; she'd been cuddled up to Bette in the same position for quite some time. Bette felt her squirm and looked down to find her hand hovering around her nose.

"Hahhhh...hah'iTShhhieew! H'tsCHHieOO! Ht'kITschhiiiO!!"

Bette rubbed her back. "God bless you," she said softly.

Tina sniffled. She looked up at Bette. "I love you."

Bette paused and hesitated to look at Tina. Her heart was racing too fast. She took a deep breath and looked down into her eyes. "I love you, too, T."

Tina sat up and kissed her. "I'd rather be sick, laying on the couch with you than be healthy and be anywhere with fucking Henry."

Bette smiled, but a pang of guilt shot through her stomach. She had been so happy just hanging out with her family that she had almost forgotten she still had a responsibility to Jodi. "Me too," she said, shaking off the feeling. Besides, it's not like Jodi had tried to contact her either. She was probably busy with her own work, Bette told herself. "Although if I had the choice, I'd prefer not to be sick."

Tina put her head on Bette's shoulder. "It's not so bad. We have an excuse to hang around in our pajamas all day," she giggled and kissed Angelica on the cheek over and over.

Bette watched them happily snuggle each other until they were interrupted by the shrill ringing of the phone.

Tina sat up and pulled it off the side table. She cleared her throat. "Hello? Hey, Al. Now? Um...I'm not really sure that now's a good-oh. Okay. I guess we'll see you soon then? Yeah, bye." Tina hung up the phone and looked like a child who had to tell its parents about breaking the neighbor's window with a baseball.

"What?" Bette asked, knowing the answer couldn't be good.

"Alice is coming over. Right now. She's down the street," Tina explained.

[Blessing Queen]

More,please!Awesome fic!

[BootyBurgers]

This is awesome!!! I love it! Please please please keep it going!

[Bruyere]

So glad you're continuing this. I love the way you write these two and I love the way you've made Tina more assertive with Bette.

[spirkestielgirl87]

Lovely story I miss the L Word, I agree there needs to be more fics!