Bette and Tina took the two empty seats around the table and Bette introduced Tina to her friends, Shane being the Yoda they all loved so much, Alice whom she had already met and lastly Dana, who had not yet said two words, but was definitely taking everything in.

"So Tina," Shane asked, "how long have you known our Lesbian Jedi?"

"Uh, about three and a half weeks, am I missing something here or is there Star Wars theme running between you friends?" Tina replied, smiling at the magnetic personality that was Shane.

Shane looked quizzically at the remark, not sure what Tina was inferring.

“Bette the Lesbian Jedi, you being Yoda, Alice and the Light Sabre… What does that make Dana C3-P0?” Tina explained, laughing.

“Light Sabre…?” Shane raised her eyebrows at the new blonde in Bette’s life, already being more than impressed by this woman.

“Oh… um… maybe Bette should explain that one?” Tina laughed.

Shane gave a smirk as she swigged from her beer bottle, “I think maybe she said something like ‘Alice has a tongue like a light sabre!’”

“Spot on…” Tina laughed as she leaned toward Shane, knowing she had no reasons to be nervous about this friend of Bette’s.

Tina sat taking in the conversations around her enjoying seeing a different side of Bette as she relaxed in her friends company.

They all settled into a comfortable banter around the table swapping questions and answers and with the friends getting to know Tina and vice versa. 

Bette looked over at Tina engaging in conversation with her family, she couldn't believe this woman, admiring the beauty that she had fallen in love with, the layers of personality, every one making her fall that little bit deeper in love with her, the sparkle in her mesmerising eyes as they looked at one another, the look and smile that took her breath away. Her eyes dropped to Tina’s lips, smiling at something Dana had said, her heart skipping a beat as she thought about the effect those lips had on her when they met, when they had explored her body… Her eyes closed momentarily as the familiar feelings invaded her body, a slight shiver running down her spine as the thoughts of Tina’s lips overcame her. 

Shane caught a glimpse of Bette watching Tina and smiled to herself, seeing how taken in Bette was, how her eyes sparkled whenever she looked at Tina, how when they looked at one another it was if there was no one else in the room.

"Hey Bette", Shane leaned over toward Bette and whispered into her ear, "I have this feeling that she…” Shane nodded toward Tina, “is the one to tame our Lesbian Jedi!"

"She already has Shane…” Bette replied looking directly at Shane, knowing that Shane would have no trouble reading into her words and her eyes.

“Are you in love with her?”

“Hook, line and sinker…”

“You know, it suits you.”

“What suits her?” Alice piped in, just overhearing the last words that Shane had uttered. “That the Lesbian Jedi here has found a new R2D2 to play with?” Alice laughed at her own humour, her smile suddenly fading seeing the scathing look coming from Bette.

Bette glanced to Tina, before giving her reply, “you know Al, sometimes, you really need to retract that light sabre of a tongue of yours.” Bette’s intent look told Alice far more than the words ever would, and she would know from that look, that she had stepped over the mark.

A tall brunette approached their table and stood beside Bette, "Hey Bette, how's it going, do you wanna dance?”  Bette looked over at Tina, who was watching interestingly.

Tina raised her eyebrows, wondering how Bette would deal with the invitation, her heart skipping a beat for one second when she saw the leering look the brunette was giving Bette.

“No thanks…” Bette replied in a curt tone, dismissing the attractive woman with one glance.  She gave an inward sigh, glancing at Tina, who she knew had been watching very closely.  She leaned forward, placing her lips gently against Tina’s in a soft delicate kiss, the occupants of the table observant and silent during the interaction. “I’m sorry about that babe…” Bette whispered.

“You’re a popular woman aren’t you?”

“No… not really…”

“Bette, I have seen the looks you’ve been getting, and I’ve seen the looks I’ve been getting.  There are a lot of women here that are not too happy to see me holding your hand…”

“That’s only because I don’t usually come here with anyone apart from the gang, they’re just curious T, you’ve caused a stir…” Bette smiled, wanting Tina to know how important she was to her.

“You know, it’s only since being in here that I fully understand the Jedi label you have…” Tina whispered, looking down at her hands, not quite feeling as comfortable in the situation where she knew all eyes were on Bette, for the first time since they had met, her insecurity kicked in, and she didn’t like the feeling one bit, but the one thing she didn’t want to happen was for Bette to know how the attention these women were paying to Bette was affecting her.  “Could you get me another drink please Bette?”

Bette smiled, hoping the moment had passed, “of course T, same again?” Her question was met with a nod; she placed a quick kiss on Tina’s lips before rising out of her chair and enquiring with the rest of the gang about their drinks.

Tina remained quiet as she watched Bette’s retreating figure make her way through the crowd, she saw the onlookers eyeing her up and down, the odd nods, the odd hand on her back, and then her breath caught in her throat as she saw the very same woman who had asked Bette to dance wrap her arms around Bette.  Her eyes took in the woman’s insistent nature; she was sure she saw Bette trying to remove the woman’s arms from around her.

Tina’s breathing was shallow and rapid, her insecurities of being on Bette’s territory unsettling her more than she realised it would, her friends were great, it was the pride of lioness’ going in for the kill on the figure of Bette Porter walking to the bar that unsettled her, unsettled her to the point that she needed to escape. 

“Shane, would you excuse me,” Tina stood as she stepped behind Shane, "I'm, uh, just going to the bathroom a second.”

Shane noticed the look of panic on Tina's face as she left the table, she turned to look at what Tina had seen, the swarms of women flocking around Bette as she innocently walked to the bar, her attention focused only one thing and one thing only, getting to the bar and returning, she had seen the look in Bette’s eye when she had looked at Tina, Shane knew, without a shadow of a doubt that the only woman to have ever made Bette’s eyes sparkle in the way they did tonight was Tina. She was special, and she knew that she had touched something in Bette that no one had ever done before.

Shane got up to go after Tina, she managed to reach her just before they reached they bathroom, "hey, Tina!" Shane called.

Tina turned to see Shane following her.  She turned back and headed into the bathroom, afraid of Shane seeing the unshed tears forming in her eyes.

Tina pushed the door of the bathroom open, she went to the nearest cubicle she could and locked herself in, sitting on the lid and she covered her face with her hands, the silent tears, slowly escaping, as her heart began to pound harder than it had since they had first arrived at the club..

As Shane reached the door, Bette came out of a cubicle and began to wash her hands.  She looked up into the mirror in front of her and noticed a concerned look on Shane's face reflecting back at her.

"Hey, what’s up?" Bette asked.

"Did you just see Tina come in here?" Shane asked of Bette.

"No why, what’s the matter? Is she ok?" Bette was concerned that something maybe wrong if Shane had come after her.

Tina thought she overheard Bette's voice in the bathroom, she kept quiet and listened to the conversation which was going on the other side of the cubicle.

"Well, I'm not sure but it was pretty obvious that the pack where honing in on you when you were walking to the bar.”

“I know, I thought I’d make a detour here first and go to the bar in a minute.”

“She looked upset Bette…”

“Fuck… where did she go, I need to find her, Fuck, fuck, fuck… I knew this was a bad idea when Alice mentioned it.”

"I came after her to make sure she was ok."

“I know, thank you, just help me find her Shane…”  Bette’s panic set in, wondering where Tina had gone.

Tina had been sitting on the toilet and overheard their conversation, she felt stupid, Bette hadn’t given any one of those women the slightest attention, and had given her no reason whatsoever for her to feel insecure about them being there together.  She got up and unlocked the door.  She stepped out and both Bette and Shane looked up at Tina.

Tina looked at them both with a sheepish smile, she saw the breath that Bette let out at seeing her, the relieved smile as their eyes locked.

“T, baby… are you okay?”

Tina merely nodded, knowing that her eyes had remained glassy, regardless of wiping away the tears that had spilled over.

They all smiled, visible sighs of relief all round, Shane came over to Tina, she hugged her close and whispered into Tina's ear, "She only has eyes for you Tina, you have her totally smitten!" She leaned back and looked directly at Tina and with a wink and smile left the bathroom.

"What did she just say to you?" Bette enquired; she had noticed that Shane had whispered something to Tina.

"Never you mind Jedi, I was talking to my new friend" Tina teased. Tina reached for Bette's hand and looked intently

into her eyes. "I'm sorry about leaving the table like that Bette; I didn't know what to think when I saw all those women flocking around you."

“T…” Bette cupped Tina’s cheek, her thumb wiping the stray tear that fell as they stood looking at one another.

“I’m sorry…”

“Baby, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for… it’s me that should be apologising to you…”

“No you shouldn’t Bette, you haven’t done anything wrong.”

Bette leaned forward, her forehead resting against Tina’s, “I love you T, I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my life.”

Tina looked down at the floor, "I, uh, felt a little jealous that, uh, maybe one of those women would catch your eye." Tina looked up into Bette's eyes and found them glistening.

Bette lifted her hand to caress Tina's cheek, her thumb running along her chin, Bette's eyes moving to Tina's lips and then back to her eyes.  "There is only one girl in this world for me babe, and that’s you T…" Bette whispered, loud enough for only Tina to hear. 

Tina was feeling lost looking into the deep pool's of Bette's eyes, she could see and feel so much emotion that was being reflected back at her, her own eyes became glassy as she reached up and placed both arms around Bette's neck and pulled her in close, Bette's arms circled Tina's waist and pulled her closer still, the whole length of their bodies touching the others, moulded together, feeling their hearts beating as one. 

Bette moved her hands over Tina's back, consoling the emotions that she understood Tina to be feeling.  She brought her lips to Tina's ear, smelling her scent, feeling her hair on her face, taking in the exquisite feel of this woman in her arms, "I love you so much Tina… so much that it scares me…”  She could feel Tina hugging her closer, nestling her face in Bette's neck, she could feel her own heart pounding in her chest, pounding against this woman that had stolen her heart. 

"Bette…?” Tina pulled back slightly to look into Bette's eyes.

“Yes baby?”

“Dance with me…?”

Bette smiled at the words, the pounding heart settling as the sparkle returned to her girlfriend’s eyes. “Drink first?”

“Sure…” The deal was sealed with a delicate, tender kiss.