“I told you.” She mumbled, looking up at Tina. “She’s all of ours. Mine and Helena’s…” Guilt weighed heavily on Bette’s chest.

Tina came closer, looking down at the sleeping baby. “She’s plump.” She said, grinning strangely.

Bette couldn’t see Tina clearly. She kept fading in and out, moving about the room as she spoke. Something was distorted about her face, and her hair was still matted with blood.

“Whaaa…?” Bette asked. “Plump? Well you know, we don’t do scheduled feedings, but it’s healthier…” She had to stop to bat away Tina’s hands. “No, what are you doing?”

“I want to hold the baby.” Tina’s face looked like it was melting. Bette tried to pick up her daughter, but her hands kept missing her. Tina seemed to have no such problem and had nearly scooped the infant up, when Bette began to scream.

“Woah, woah, all right then…” Dylan had to dodge a flying fist as Bette lashed out in her sleep. Her voice finally roused the woman from her nightmare and Bette sat up, stunned, looking around her.

The baby was safe in Helena’s arms.

“Tina said she believes in scheduled breast feeding.” Bette mumbled, looking over at her girlfriend. “She called us ‘new age hippies’ and tried to eat the Caiohme…”

Helena, Dylan and Alice exchanged frightened glances. Helena was about to say something in actual response to Tina, when Alice and Dylan shook their heads quickly.

“I want to see Kit again.” Bette said, bursting into tears. “And I want Tina to stop…ssh…sshowing up…in my dreams…telling me I’ve done something wrong!” Her chest hitched and she turned sobbing onto the bed again.

Alice took the baby from Helena and Dylan walked out with her.

Helena sat quietly next to Bette, rubbing her back carefully. Bette reached out and slung her arm across Helena’s lap, calming finally. 

“Bette, you know that’s not really Tina visiting you in your dreams, right?” Helena murmured, trailing her fingers across Bette’s arm before raising Bette’s hand to her lips.

“Yeah…” Bette mumbled against Helena’s hipbone.

“You know…” Helena began, then paused, thinking over what she wanted to say. “I think that you just need to work through this guilt…but Tina, Poka, everyone would want you to be happy. Every day that you wake up with your daughter and your friends, that’s a good day. And it’s ok to celebrate that.”