Chapter 15  Daughter of Angels

“Honey, I’m home.”

If five years ago, someone told her, she would be saying this sentence to a wonderful woman—not just any woman, the woman of her dreams—everyday, she’d laugh sarcastically. But that seemed to be a previous lifetime, and she was just content with working a nine-to-five job, threading through traffic to come home, like any other ordinary person. Bette stepped out of her shoes, and hung her jacket on the hook. A smile graced her slightly tired face when the savory smell of homemade stew welcomed her first.

A muffled sound came from the dinning room, “hey, babe. Hope you don’t mind I kinda started dinner without you. I was starving.” Sounds of spoon meeting plate, and chair scratched on the floor.

“No, not at all.” She rushed further in her house, couldn’t wait to see her beautiful wife.

Then from behind the wall, revealed a woman chewing a mouthful of salad, her cheeks puffed like a hamster, and oily fingers held up in the air.

The sight brought a pinch on her heart. “Aww, you look lovely tonight, my love.” Strolling over to the blonde, Bette greeted her with a gentle peck on the mouth, then she bent down, rested her hand on the round belly, “and how was the little one today?”

It must be her voice that caused the small person in the womb to kick and turn.

“Charming personality as always.” Tina shrugged, she loved this child with her whole heart, but she could use a day off from all the hormonal mood swings and having to pee every hour.

“Hmm, I figured. Come, sweetie, let’s eat first.” She went around the table to pull out the seat for her pregnant wife attentively. Returning to her own chair, Bette didn’t dig in immediately, she just watched as the blonde ate like she was at the greatest gourmet restaurant in town. Lately Tina had been eating like this, and she found it the most adorable scene to observe.

Finally appeasing her appetite, Tina directed her attention to her smiling wife with the question she usually asked on dinner table, “how was work?”

“The usual, another client asked me if I was ex-mil.” A grin plastered on her face. Bette revisited her daily job as a supervising coach in a weapon training center sponsored by the Peabody foundation and managed by Helena. Her clients vary from ambitious young people looking for excitement in extreme sports, to movie stars studying for action scenes, to politicians and elites cultivating a rather expensive hobby. A boring job, it was, verifying the clients’ permits, then proposing personally tailored plans of training. But she didn’t mind working with Helena, she’d take it over the head of security job at a supermarket any time. “I wonder how many would drop the deposit and never show up again if they knew their leading coach is actually an ex-crim.”

Chapter 14  We are home

She had been worrying, pacing in the lab when she heard Tina had resigned and Kroll was in a foul mood, screaming to everybody for days like some kind of furious animal. Alice tried to pry for the tiniest piece of information so she could tell Dana that their friend was alright, though she seriously doubted it. “Kennard, you’re so dead the next time I see you.” She mumbled to herself, and continued to cook up the concoction for an experiment.

“Pardon me?” A deep and reserved voice appeared at her doorstep.

It was a voice Alice recognized too well. “You,” she charged toward the startled FBI agent, “where is she? What did you feds do to her? Do you think just coz you’re government you can bury everyone like some kind of alien secret?”

“What are you talking about, Alice Pieszecki?” Tasha rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses, the corner of her lips twitched in discretion.

“What do you think I’m talking about? Christina. Kennard.” Unbeknownst to herself, Alice had stalked into Tasha’s personal space. Her angry small eyes were burning holes in the mere barrier those sunglasses provided.

“Oh. I see.”

“So? What the hell happened?”

“She is safe, and her identity is protected. I suppose it is for the best that she doesn’t contact you at this moment. But it’s only temporary.” Tasha spoke professionally, not giving away anything that could compromise the safety of a former police officer and a CIA appointed criminal informant. “I’ve personally overseen the process, you can rest assured.”

Alice considered the agent’s words and studied her up close. And while doing that, her mind was wandering elsewhere. “Damn,” her eyes lingered on the woman’s fabulous cheekbones, flawless ebony skin, and full lips, “what’s her name again? Tasha? She’s… she’s really beautiful… and fit. And hot.”

A bit uncomfortable under the stare, Tasha felt for the door frame, and held up a plastic bag in between their bodies, “Please, would you mind take a look at this for me?”

Alice, just then, remembered her very inappropriate behavior. She backed up and took the bag over, a brow creased, “what? You feds don’t own a lab?” While the other woman didn’t answer immediately, the blonde eyed her again, and found a suspicious blush staining the perfect cheeks.

Chapter 13  So in trouble

It was a spotted light at first, starring back at her from the pitch black abyss that seemed to stretch on forever. Then the brightening dot started to dance up and down before her eyes, twirling in an asymmetrical pattern, expanding to a white line that speared the darkness apart.

She had been unable to feel anything for what seemed like a century, shackled in this bottomless dungeon. Now it all changed, the numbness in her fingertips was chased away by uncomfortable tingles, and the thudding of her heart carried waves after waves of throbbing pain, her head felt heavy, sinking deeper in the plump feathery sack under it. Her ears pricked suddenly as her senses started to awake, some cool breeze was tickling her overheated skin. She tried to contain the noisy beats that came from the hollow of her carcass, and listened intently in an attempt to pinpoint the source.

A whisper.

“Bette,” the voice of a sweet angel was beaconing her, it sounded a bit coarse and nasal though, “baby open your eyes. It’s ok, it’s me, baby.” Her angel had been crying, she mused in a heavy mindset.

“Why isn’t she waking up?”

A voice belonged to an older woman answered, “The anesthesia should wear off soon. But she is spiking a fever, her body just went through some serious trauma, she’ll wake up when she’s ready.”

“I am ready.” Bette wanted to reply, but her throat was so tight the voice cord couldn’t vibrate to make a sound. Her lips parted just for a second, to allow a breath to carry out one single letter, “T…”

“Oh my god, baby?” A hand clutched at hers, and a soft body leaned in anxiously.

Her eyelids were like glued together, hurting when they fluttered to part. A frown twitched in between her brows. She tried, really really tried, but it wasn’t of much use.

A cold hand was quick to cup her face as she noticed her bruise wasn’t as bad as she remembered, and it actually felt nice against her feverish skin.

The angel at her bedside spoke again, in a smoother and soothing tone, “It’s ok, Bette. Whenever you’re ready. I’m not going anywhere, just rest, just sleep.”

Chapter 12  Hunt for a hidden history

Tina arrived at work the next morning, and found herself summoned by the Lieutenant to her office, where she again faced a very displeased looking FBI agent. Tasha Williams had people tag her to the prison and was accusing her concealed agenda and betrayal to the law enforcement.

“Officer Kennard, I believe you should be dismissed from this case from now on. We don’t have time to discuss your personal involvement yet, but once there is a new lead to prosecute the suspect, we will have to inspect your intentions and actions through internal affair. In the mean time, you’re being suspended, please leave your badge and weapon.” Kroll painfully and stoically extended her hand, gesturing for the items.

The blonde understood her superior though, as she grudgingly dislodged her gun from the belt and fished out her badge from the jacket. It didn’t matter to her anymore.

“Tina, don’t do anything stupid?” Before the blonde would follow the agent out of her office, Kroll reminded her with a worried look. It wasn’t her idea to suspend the young officer, but she had to make some kind of statement in front of the troublesome bureau agent. She felt bad even though Tina seemed to have accepted this punishment.

A deja-vu. Tina paused slightly as she just stepped out of the room, remembering her Lieutenant had said the same thing previous her undercover mission. She had wondered, whether choosing to be with Bette was a stupid decision, whether it was worth it to risk everything. Now, she couldn’t even bear the thought. Bette had given everything, even her life, and she’d only be stupid if she didn’t make her own sacrifice.

It was not right, she knew that now, what the bureau and the police were doing to the brunette under a preconceived faulty assumption of her guiltiness. Then again, protocols were designed this way.

She must do the right thing now.

Without a glance back to the older woman, Tina took her leave and went directly to the airport.

——

Bette had talked to Helena one last time. She made herself clear, from then on, it was her fight which didn’t concern the British woman.

Chapter 11  A visit and a gift

Sarah Schuster, Sarah Schuster, Sarah Schuster… This name haunted her from the moment it was uttered by the woman she loved more than anything and determined to get back. Even under the intense pressure from her boss and scrutiny from the bureau, Tina took her move boldly without a care.

Kroll was getting suspicious of the situation. She hadn’t heard anything back from agent Williams after the FBI left disappointedly. Yet as she recalled their last exchange of words, Tasha spoke of Tina Kennard, suggesting her distrust. Though she believed the integrity of the undercover officer, she still advised her to lay low for the moment, try to avoid getting internal affairs involved.

Tina went to Xavier women’s prison against Kroll’s direct order. She attempted to persuade the desk officer to let her in, when she was interrupted by a stunning looking warden. Marina Ferrer greeted her with a tantalizing smile and waved her in the direction to her office.

“Ms Kennard, I believe it will work to your disadvantage leaving your name on the register in request to visit this, particular, prisoner.” The warden chose her words wisely and waited for a reaction.

Tina instantly got her insinuation. She eagerly leaned forward and asked, “so is there anyone else I could talk to?”

“I do have an inmate who volunteered to bring meals and laundry.”

“What’s her name? Can I talk to her then?”

“You need to be on her visitor list, however. I’m sorry I cannot disclose information about our inmates, but if she chooses to contact you, there’s no reason why we can’t let you through.” Marina explained.

It brought her excitement down momentarily, but she reckoned the situation wasn’t hopeless. Tina fished out a card from her purse and presented to the warden, “This is my personal number. I’d be so grateful if you could mention this to her.”

The graceful French woman nodded without commenting anything on the subject. She did, however, offered some other important information regarding Bette’s capture.

It was something kept from her by the office and the bureau. Tina ceased the opportunity with gratitude. She couldn’t figure out for what reason the warden was helping her, not that it mattered, she just wanted to get back the love of her life. And by the end of her short visitation, Tina couldn’t help but enquired, “is she ok?”