Two shades of rose against an eternal path of black

DISCLAIMER: As with all fan fiction, I own nothing and no one, except this story. Also (because of the recent crackdown on ratings users) I own no rights to the ‘G’ rating.

Bree closed the kitchen door behind her, and looked up around the room. Her reflection in the glass cabinet caught her eye, and her gaze rested there a moment. For the first time in a while, Bree looked at herself, she really looked. In a horrifying moment, things slipped together, and the muddled mess of her brain all seemed to make sense. They say the truth hurts, and for Bree it was stinging. Rex didn’t want her, Andrew and Danielle didn’t want her, her friends didn’t really want her; they were all just too polite to say it. No one wanted her, and she felt so alone.

With her back to the bright white door, and her eyes fixed firmly on her reflection, Bree Van de kamp slid into a world of self pity and sorrow. Physically, she was still, but mentally she was spinning. The spinning was interrupted by the sound of a door slamming in the house. Bree caught her breath and stared around the room, trying to regain her composure. She moved to the window and looked out. Rex, Danielle and Andrew were leaving; they were getting into Rex’s car and driving away. Bree watches them go, and presses a hand to the window pane without even realising it. Almost inaudibly, she whispers the word “gone” as they disappear.

Because there was no one else there, Bree allowed one single solitary tear to make its way down one perfectly made-up cheek. She didn’t try to stop it, she just let it roll. Suddenly she turned viciously away from the window, seeing again the house she had made, the world she had created for herself. Only suddenly, it seemed so distorted and destroyed, but above all, it seemed empty, and lonely.

Without being aware of it, Bree had crumpled into the kitchen floor, not crying or speaking, but barely breathing. She sat still, immobile. Afterwards, she had no idea how long she sat there, only that one thought played over and over like a mantra in her mind, “They’ve all gone.” Indeed they had, and Bree remained on the floor, unable to move, or even to cry. There was part of her that wouldn’t allow that, wouldn’t let her even have the brief relief crying would bring. It was in this state that Lynette found her.

Lynette had come over to return some gardening tools Bree had lent her earlier that week. Truthfully, Lynette hadn’t even removed them from their boxes, and with the sinking feeling she never would, she decided to return them, rather than allow them to clutter her already cluttered home. So Lynette had arrived on Bree’s front porch, and had knocked, getting no reply. Thinking that this was rather odd, she decided to glance in through the kitchen window, just to see if Bree was in the house. Lynette dropped the gardening tools when she saw her friend in the middle of the floor, looking so small and lost, like a frightened lamb. It was so unlike Bree.

Lynette let herself in through the back door, and stood for a moment, waiting to see if Bree would notice her, she did not. Lynette, sensing that something was very wrong, advanced towards Bree silently. She got down on her knees and gently pushed Bree’s red hair away from her face. She looked up at Lynette and mumbled something about being sorry, but Lynette shushed her and gently lifted Bree’s face so she could see it.

“Don’t try to apologize, or justify yourself, don’t even tell me anything you don’t want to, just … let it out.” Bree’s eyes filled with tears that started to spill out onto her face.

“Oh Bree,” Lynette breathed as she pulled the other person into her arms, letting her rest against her shoulder.

“They … don’t … want me.” Bree choked between sobs, “all… gone.” Bree was making little sense to Lynette, but she didn’t press the matter, whatever Bree was ready to say, Lynette was ready to hear. Instead, Lynette, simply held Bree closer to her, trying to soothe her by running her fingers through her flame red hair, and murmuring reassurances. Bree did not seem to quiet, but to sob more, which did not surprise Lynette. Bree had been bottling her feelings for so long, once she allowed them to run wild, they were unwilling to stop.

Eventually, Bree’s tears did subside but she still clung to Lynette and Lynette in return held her close. Neither spoke and a silence lay between them for a few moments, the only sound being that of Lynette’s fingers rhythmically stroking Bree’s hair. Finally, Lynette chose to break the silence.

“Hey baby, what’s wrong?” There was a silence that seemed to last an eternity.

“They don’t want me anymore.” Bree said, voice shaking.

“Who doesn’t?” asked Lynette, even though she thought she knew.

“All of them, Rex, Andrew, Danielle, my friends.” She paused to catch her breath.

“That’s not true.” Lynette began “Your kids love you, and your friends all care for you so much.” There was another silence.

“Rex is divorcing me.” Bree said, and Lynette nodded.

“I know baby, I know.” Lynette brushed a tear from Bree’s cheek, as a way of encouraging her to keep talking.

“The kids want to live with him.” Lynette’s eyes widened, but resting against her shoulder, Bree couldn’t see that. Lynette’s hands didn’t still, so Bree thought Lynette was unfazed. She felt safe enough to carry on. “Once they’ve gone, what have I got left? No husband, no children, no friends and no life.” Bree’s face seemed to shrink into glum acceptance of this fact.

“You still have us honey, you still have me.” Bree smiled, but there was no humour there. She raised her head from Lynette’s shoulder and looked into her eyes.

“No I don’t” she said simply, standing up and walking away.

“Stop walking Bree.” said Lynette in the irritated tone usually reserved for her children. Bree stopped and turned to face Lynette.

“Now listen,” said Lynette, taking both Bree’s hands in hers. “I know you don’t want to do it, but you have to let Rex go. I know it hurts, and it probably will for sometime yet, but you have to remember that I am here for you. You don’t have to go through life alone; you always have people who care. And I know the kids are difficult and they don’t do as you ask, but they do love you…”

“But Andrew…” interjected Bree, but Lynette cut her off.

“But nothing. Andrew is just doing all the things teenage kids do to get noticed. You think you got it bad, I have four.” Bree laughed, despite the fact she didn’t feel at all like doing so. The laugh felt hollow and strange. “Anyway, the point I’m trying to make, is that if something happened to you, they’d be devastated. They just don’t say enough, because it’s not cool. I mean, when you were sixteen, how often did you tell your mom you loved her?”

“Not often enough.” said Bree, thinking solemnly about the circumstances in which her own mother had died.

“But you still loved her.” Lynette said. “And your kids love you. Let them go live with Rex, they’ll be back. And while they’re gone, you still have us. You’ve always got me.” Bree sighed.

“Oh honey, I know you’re always there, and you are such a good friend, but you have your own problems, I don’t want to burden you with mine.” Bree squeezed Lynette’s hands and looked desperately into her eyes.

“Baby, I will always make time for you. Always.” Unable to help herself, Lynette put her arms around Bree again. The pair seemed to fold into each other, each resting against the other. Lynette felt like a mother to Bree, like the person who had finally cracked the hard exterior surrounding her.

“I’ll always look after you.” Lynette whispered to Bree, “Always.”

“Thank you.” Bree replied.

“But you have to promise me that you won’t hide yourself away. If you need me then use me, don’t bottle things up. Promise?” Bree nodded and smiled, breaking the embrace the pair were sharing.

“I promise.”

So Bree and Lynette stayed in Bree’s immaculate kitchen, and they looked into each others soul. Lynette saw a Bree Van de Kamp no one else ever would, and she felt infinitely closer to her. Bree saw that Lynette was not the stressed woman who was unloving and ruthless, but that she was a kind generous mother with a lot of love to give.

Bree Van de Kamp and Lynette Scavo; each feeling needed and loved, and finally like they each had something give back to the world. Bree Van de kamp and Lynette Scavo; two shades of rose against an eternal path of black.