Bette stormed out of the CAC, calling to James to cancel all her afternoon engagments. Checking her business contact book she looked up Candace’s address. She drove her car furiously to Candace’s house, narrowly avoiding hitting several cars on the way.

“***** you!” she yelled to no-one in particular.

She swung into Candace’s driveway and walked angrily up the drive. Her knocking on the door was so violent that Candace could have sworn it was going to cave in.

“Calm down…” Candace said as she opened the door “Bette, what a nice surprise. Come in”

“This isn’t a social visit, so let’s drop the niceties” Bette barged her way into the house.

It was only when Candace followed her into the living room that Bette noticed the full scale of the damage that Tina had done to her. She stifled a laugh and the swollen lip, black eye and cut cheek that Candace was displaying.

“I see Tina left her mark” Bette smiled.

“She certainly did” Candace lifted her top slightly to reveal bruising on her stomach “as well as this and a broken nose”

Bette silently reminded herself to congratulate Tina when she saw her.

“Let’s cut the bullshit, Candace. I’m here about the charges”

“I have every right to press charges. Don’t you feel even the slightest bit sorry for me? Your…wife…” she said bitterly “beat the ***** out of me and I never laid a hand on her”

“You deserved everything you got. I only wish I could have been there to add my own punch”

“You’re not doing her any favours by being here, you know. Harrassing a victim and all that…” Candace smirked.

“At no point in this have you ever been the victim” Bette pointed out.

“She could get a nice long stretch for what she’s done to me”

“She won’t because you aren’t gonna press charges” Bette said firmly.

“Oh really? And why not?”

“Because if you do I will go straight to the cops and file charges against you for attempted rape, indecent assualt and bodily harm” Bette glared at Candace.

“Is that a threat?” Candace raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a promise”

Candace laughed “you wouldn’t go through with it”

“Are you gonna try me on that?”

The smile faded slowly from Candace’s face.

“Do you have any idea how long you’d get for attempted rape? Coz I’m willing to bet it’s a ***** of a lot longer than Tina would ever get for assualt”

If looks could kill, they would have been carrying Bette out of Candace’s house in a body bag.

“I think you have somewhere to be, don’t you?” Bette asked with a smirk.

Candace glared at Bette once more, and the two women walked to their respective cars. Bette smiled sarcastically and waved as Candace drove away with a face like thunder. Bette took her time in leaving, and stopped for a coffee at The Planet.

Half an hour later Bette’s cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Is this Bette Porter?”

“This is she”

“We have a Tina Kennard in custody, and she’s asked if you could come and collect her”

“I’m on my way”

Bette grinned and drove to the police station where she found Tina waiting for her. When she saw Bette enter she ran up to her and threw her arms round her. Bette laughed and held her tightly.

“I guess I’m here to take you home” Bette smiled.

“Bette, she’s dropped all the charges!”

“Funny that”

Tina pulled away and looked at Bette.

“Did you have something to do with it?” she asked suspiciously.

“I may have done” Bette said with a smile.

Tina shook her head and pulled Bette back into an embrace.

“Well whatever it is you said, thank you”

“Did you really think I was gonna let them lock you up?”

“Nooo…but I was so scared and lonely in that cell” Tina clutched Bette tighter.

“I don’t ever want you to be scared or lonely again, baby. I won’t let you” Bette rubbed Tina’s back.

“Will you take me home please?”

“I’ll take you anywhere you want”