DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - KATHERINE/ROBIN

Who I Am

Femvamp

Title: Who I Am

Author: Femvamp

Fandom: Desperate Housewives

Pairing: Katherine/Robin

Spoilers: Based on spoilers for Season 6 Episode 18 “My Two Young Men”

Posting: passion & perfect if they want it everyone else ask

Rating: PG - if that.

Note: This is my attempt at a multi part fiction for this pairing. Based on Spoilers for the next episode “My Two Young Men” So if you haven’t seen the spoilers don’t read or hell its just based on the spoilers anyway so what the hell.

Who I Am

Femvamp

“Just because I like having sex with you, doesn’t make me a lesbian.”

Katherine regretted the words that came out of her mouth the moment she said them, but it was the look on Robin’s face that made her really feel like dirt. It was only then did she realize that everyone at the party had heard her. Katherine just stood there looking between the gawking people inside and the hurt Robin outside.

“I can’t believe you just said that.” Robin said voice full of hurt and then turned and walked away.

Katherine wanted to chase after her and apologize but her feet were stuck in place. Time seemed to stop but in the back of her mind she did realize that the party had started again. Katherine was at a loss on what to do so she just walked over and sat down on the porch chair.

“Katherine?”

Katherine jumped startled she looked up to see Susan, Bree, Lynette, and Gabby standing by the door. She nodded to them but then looked back at where Robin had been only moments before.

“Katherine.” This time someone took her hand. She looked at who it was and found she was somewhat surprised that it was Bree, “are you alright?”

“I’m not sure what I am.” Katherine said simply.

And that was the problem in a nutshell. Katherine had no idea who or what she was. Robin had seen her, into her heart and into her soul and Katherine liked it, but it had also scared her. Robin made her happy, happier then she had been in a long long time; maybe even happier then she had ever been in her life; but did that make her a lesbian?

“Then find out.” This time it was Lynette.

“How?” Katherine asked, “I think I really hurt her this time.”

“Woo her.” Gabby said suddenly.

“What?”

“You heard me.” Gabby smiled getting into the idea, “Woo her.”

“How?”

“I don’t know?” Gabby paused, “Buy her stuff. I know when Carlos pisses me off he buys me jewelry.”

“I don’t think that will work.”

“Then try something else.” Lynette paused, “Take her out somewhere. That’s what the fight was about wasn’t it? Take her somewhere.”

“On a date?”

Katherine paused and thought about that for a moment. It did make sense. The truth was they had never really dated. They had gone from housemates straight to lovers in a matter of days. Maybe dating was the way to fix things.

“Please tell me you’ve been on a date?” Susan asked.

“Uhh…we went out for drinks once.”

“And?” Bree smiled.

“She kissed me and then later told me she was gay.”

“And how long after that did you start sleeping together?” Lynette asked.

Katherine just blushed.

“I’m either horrified or impressed.” Lynette snickered. “You do know you’ve done this whole relationship thing in the wrong order, right?”

Katherine once again stared at the spot where Robin had once been. Maybe it was time to do things in the right order and maybe it was up to her to start. She had hurt Robin terribly and now it was up to her to make things right.

“So I woo her?”

Everyone just nodded.

Part 2

Katherine nervously entered her house noting that although the porch light was still on most of the other lights in the house were off. She sighed unhappily as she walked up the stairs past Robin’s room. She paused only momentarily at the closed door. She wanted to check on Robin to at least make sure she was alright but knew that would be a mistake. It was better to just let it go until morning. She sighed again and then headed to her own room.

As Katherine layed in bed alone for the first time in close to three weeks she tried to think of a way to explain the Robin how she was feeling; how to make things right between them again. She tried to sleep but she missed the feeling of Robin in her arms. Every night they spent together they ended up sleeping the same way; her on her back with Robin’s head against her shoulder. The first night she had kept her arm stretched out but the second night together and every night after she had put her arm around Robin. Every morning they had woken up like that. It didn’t matter whose bed they had fallen asleep in. Sometimes they ended up in Robin’s bed, sometimes in hers. Every night they woke up tangled in each others arms.

Even when sleep did come it came fitfully and in Technicolor 1950 sitcom with her and Robin in starring roles. She dreamed of happily every after that only sitcoms could bring. Real life never worked that way, when real mistakes were made; things could never get fixed in just half an hour.

Katherine woke up earlier then she usually did and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. She still had no idea what to say to Robin or how exactly one went about wooing but she was determined to do it. She just hoped that some of Robin’s anger had diminished and they could actually talk.

Katherine felt her heart beat at little faster as the younger woman walked into the kitchen. She felt like a schoolgirl on her first date but that was how she always felt around Robin. She was fifty four years old and felt like a teenager again. She didn’t want to lose that. She didn’t want to lose Robin.

“Morning.” Katherine said trying hard to not sound as nervous she felt, “I made breakfast.”

“This isn’t working.” Robin said simply standing by the entrance to the kitchen, “Us I mean. It isn’t working.”

“Robin…” Katherine tried to cut in.

“It’s partly my fault. Maybe I saw something that wasn’t there. Maybe I wanted something that you just can’t give me. I was wrong. I’ll move out before I leave for work.”

“Robin…” Katherine began again, “Don’t….I don’t want you to go. I think I figured out where we went wrong?”

“You mean besides the fact that you refuse to admit that we’re actually dating.”

“That’s just it, we’re not dating.” Katherine paused, “We’ve never been on an actual date. We’ve had sex…Lots of sex, but no date.”

“So what do you want to do then, go on a date?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

Katherine paused for a moment and realized she hadn’t really thought the idea through all that much. Wooing Robin wasn’t going to be easy, even getting Robin to talk to her was sketchy. Now she had to come up with an actual date. Wooing someone wasn’t as easy at it looked.

“I haven’t actually thought this through.” Katherine smiled awkwardly.

Robin nodded, “But you want to right? Go on a date, you’re not just saying it.”

“No, I really do.” Katherine walked over to Robin who took a step back. Katherine paused again, “How about dinner. I could take you out to dinner.”

“OK.” Robin said simply, “Dinner.”

Katherine smiled happily and then finished making breakfast for Robin. She knew it wouldn’t be easy to fix what she had broken but she was determined to do it. Robin at least gave her an opening. Katherine wasn’t a fool; she knew that this was probably her last one. She had one last chance to fix things with Robin or she might just lose her forever and that was something Katherine wasn’t about to let happen.

* * * * *

“So how did Operation Woo Robin go?” Gabby smiled over her hand of cards.

The girls were in the middle of what Lynette was calling her last game of poker before she popped. Her baby was due in a matter of weeks and this might be the last chance the group would have to just hang for awhile.

“I’m taking her out to dinner tonight.” Katherine said trying not to sound awkward or to blush.

“Where are you taking her?” Susan asked.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”

“You can’t just plan these things last minute.” Bree said horrified and then pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and before anyone could say anything had someone named Stefan. “Yes, Stefan a friend of mine needs an emergency seating. Tonight….” Bree paused for a moment and looked at Katherine, “about eight o’clock. Good, Thank you Stefan, I owe you one. Yes the name is Mayfair she will be bringing a female friend of hers. Yes, that’s right. “Bree laughed, “I’ll tell him. Thank you.”

“Ok what just happened?” Gabby said almost in awe.

“I think Bree just planned Katherine’s date for her.” Lynette laughed, “So who is Stefan?”

Bree smiled, “He runs a small restaurant that Orson and I sometimes go to. It’s nice without being overly pretentious. Plus Stefan is a very nice man. “

“Thank you Bree.” Katherine smiled.

“You’re welcome.” Bree smiled back.

“So what are you going to wear?” Gabby asked.

Katherine just shook her head as she realized that this had stopped being a card game and had turned into an “interrogate Katherine” party. As much as it was embarrassing the hell out of her, Bree had just made things a lot simpler for her so she might as well use the day to her advantage. Maybe one of them could help her find the perfect outfit to get Robin to forgive her outright.

She knew it wouldn’t be that easy but she could always hope.

Part 3

Katherine sat on her couch reading a book and waiting for Robin to get home from work. She had spent most of the day getting ready for their date. She tried not to be nervous but a great deal road on the success of the date. She had failed Robin on too many occasions and now she had to prove to her that she could be what Robin wanted her to be.

Katherine was quite aware of the irony that Susan was the one who helped her get ready for her date. Just a few months ago Susan and her were at each others throats chasing after the same man, not that Katherine ever really had a chance. Mike had always belonged to Susan; Katherine had just been a temporary stand-in. She just wished she had realized that before things had gone has far as they did; before things had ended with her in a mental hospital.

Susan had helped her pick out a dress and had talked her down from several panic attacks. None of the dresses she owned seemed to be good enough but finally Susan found one in the back of Katherine's closet; a satin blue dress she had never worn. Susan made her try it on and it still fit and it fit her perfectly; better then when she bought it. She had originally bought it in an attempt to seduce Mike a few days before she had stabbed herself. It was in the back of her closet because she liked the dress but couldn't bring herself to wear it until now. She did look good in it though and maybe this was why she kept it.

Susan had left a little before six to make her husband and son dinner. After Susan left there was nothing for Katherine to do but wait for Robin to come home. She finally walked in the door and Katherine felt her heart beat a little faster. She hoped that Robin hadn't changed her mind about the date.

“Hi, Katherine.” Robin smiled as she walked in the door, “What time is dinner?”

“The reservation is for eight.”

“So I have time to shower and change?”

Katherine nodded simply. Robin left without any more conversation. She wasn't exactly sure what to expect and she understood that maybe Robin was a little nervous as well. Thing had been awkward between them before Robin left for work but at least now they would have time to talk. Katherine continued to read her book until Robin came down the stairs dressed and ready for their date. When she looked up her breath nearly caught when she saw Robin in a dark black dress and what she recognized as stiletto heels. She just had never seen a pair as “stilettoey". She briefly wondered if Robin had ever stripped in them but then quickly took her mind away from that very dangerous place. The last thing she needed to do was think about sex. Sex wasn't the problem. Sex had never been the problem.

“You look wonderful,” Katherine said once her mind had gotten out of the gutter.

“Thank you.” Katherine blushed as she realized that Robin might be looking at her the same way she had been looking at Robin, “You look nice too.”

Katherine gulped at the look she was getting from Robin, “So date….Food……Talk….Lets go.”

Robin just smiled, “Yes lets.”

* * * * *

Katherine tried to keep the butterflies in her stomach at bay as she walked into the restaurant with Robin at her side. She smiled pleasantly at Stefan as he talked with both of them amicably and made it a point to take them to what he called his best table. Bree had been right the restaurant was cozy without being overly pretentious. She had wondered for a moment if Stefan had known that Robin and her were on a date until he showed up with a bottle of wine and told them it was on the house and then winked at her conspriously. Katherine again smiled and tried hard not to be embarrassed.

“It's ok to be nervous.” Robin whispered.

Katherine for a moment thought about denying how nervous she really was but then thought better of it “I'm only a little nervous.”

Katherine tried to focus on all the things she was not nervous about. All the things she was sure about and not all the things she wasn't sure about. She tried to focus on Robin's smile. She tried to focus on everything except the part of her that was telling her to run like the coward that she is.

She focused on Robin talking about her day. It never ceased to amaze her how Robin could turn an average day into an adventure. Robin talked about her day and Katherine almost forgot how close she came to losing her. She almost forgot that she almost let her walk away.

Katherine was almost disappointed when dinner was over and it was time to go home. She thought about asking Robin to do something else with her but the words didn't come and then she saw that Robin was tired after a long day at work,

Katherine wasn't sure if she should be disappointed or not that she was alone in bed that night. Robin had made it a point to tell her that maybe it was still too soon to use sex as a crutch and that they should still try dating for awhile and Katherine had readily agreed. It was just difficult knowing that Robin was a hallway away.

She stared up at the sealing both happy with the way the day went and a little sad. She had hoped that a night out would put things back together again. There was just something about the way Robin looked at her that made her worry. Robin still wasn't sure if Katherine really wanted her or was just using her for sex. Katherine knew she deserved that.

She realized too late that she had spent too much time worrying what people would say; what people would think, when she should have only worried about what Robin saw and thought. She had let her own fear control her like she had with Mike. Yes, the fear was different and it had affected her differently but the outcome had been the same….almost the same…because she still had Robin.

Maybe not quite in the way she wanted, but Katherine was a patient woman. She was also a determined one. And she was determined to prove to Robin that she was who she wanted both in her bed and in her life.

Part 4

“Oh that’s just mean.”

Mike, Carlos, Tom, and Orson were hanging out at Orson and Bree’s house drinking beer and doing guy stuff. They didn’t get a chance to do guy stuff all that often but they enjoyed it when they did. Most of them were friends through their wives but that didn’t mean they didn’t genuinely like each other. Even Mike and Orson who had a history.

“That’s what I said Carlos.” Mike laughed, “But Susan seems to be on her side in this.”

“Women.” Carlos commented simply.

“You do know that they’re both women right?” Bree walked into the backyard where they were hanging out to check on her husband who was still in a wheelchair.

“Yes, but we’re all taking Katherine’s side on this one.” Orson paused, “Even Mike.”

“I don’t know; Robin does have a point.” Mike paused.

“Oh he’s whipped.” Tom laughed, “Like you’ve never been in the dog house.”

“Never for that long, what’s it been a month.” Carlos said, “The longest Gabby went denying me sex was two weeks.”

“Two weeks.” Tom laughed, “Lynette got pissed at me once and wouldn’t sleep with me for three and half. We almost made the month mark.”

“Then what happened?” Orson asked.

“We had Penny.”

“Ahh, Lynette gets mad at you and you get even by getting her pregnant.” Orson laughed.

“Hey, I get my revenge where I can.”

“What about you Orson?”

The group was well aware that Bree was still there pretending to tidy up. They didn’t expect an answer but the scene that was sure to follow would be worth the price of admission.

“Two weeks.” They were all surprised when Bree was the one to answer, “But he deserved it.”

“I made fun of one of her recipes.” Orson staged whispered, “Too salty.”

The group all laughed at that knowing full well that wasn’t the reason for the sexless two weeks. They knew that Orson and Bree had gone through some marriage issues but were trying to figure things out. They knew enough to shut the hell up. Bree finally finished cleaning and walked back into the kitchen.

“See, like I said a month is too long to throw someone in the “no sex” doghouse.” Carlos finished his beer and took another, “I don’t care what she did. When I piss off Gabby that bad I buy her something shiny and then wait a week or two and she forgives me.”

“What did she do anyway?” Tom asked no quite understanding why Katherine had been put in such a big doghouse.

“At Karen McCluskey’s cancer party she basically outed herself by saying she wasn’t a lesbian but she did like having sex with Robin.”

“Oh yeah, I’d be pissed at her too. I’m on team Robin.” Tom commented.

“What they’re teams now?” Orson chuckled, “But would you deny her sex for month?”

“Robin or Katherine?” Tom asked.

“Either…both.”

“Ok we are so speaking hypothetically now because my wife would kill me dead, but God no.”

“See, that’s my point.” Carlos said to a laughing group.

* * * * *

“How was your boys’ night, dear?” Susan kissed her husband as he walked into the door.

“Not bad.” Mike smiled, “How was your day?”

“Went shopping with Katherine. Had a great time.” Susan smiled, “She’s a lot happier now that she’s with Robin.”

“Even without the sex.” Mike commented.

“Ahh so that’s what you boys were laughing about.”

“You heard.” Mike said almost horrified, he genuinely like Robin and had come to terms with his part in the whole Katherine fiasco and didn’t want to embarrass either of them.

“Uh huh.” Susan said, “So team Katherine or team Robin.”

Mike chuckled, “Hey if you were listening in then you heard that I was all for Robin,”

“You would be.”

“I thought you were too.”

“I was, but I got to thinking.”

“That’ can’t be good.”

“Shut up,” Susan mock glared at her husband, “I like Katherine when she’s happy and Robin makes her happy so we need to make sure they stay happy.”

“And I’m going to hate myself for asking but how are we going to go about making them happy?”

Susan just smiled and Mike couldn’t help but feel a little afraid.

Part 5

Katherine Mayfair had never been happier in her entire life. She didn’t even mind the gossip that seemed to surround her relationship with Robin Gallagher. People on Wisteria Lane did love to gossip and Katherine knew she was a pretty steady stream of juicy gossip; she had been for years; ever since she had shot her husband, her first husband. Her friends had told a very convenient lie about what had gone down that day. She had said nothing. Confessed to nothing and the police had to let her go. Everyone else’s word was taken as fact. Her husband was an abusive bully and he had deserved what he got.

Her second marriage was all but over by then. She had known it and the truth was she didn’t really care. Yes, she liked him a lot but she didn’t really love him. Adam was just convenient. Ok maybe he was hot and pretty good in bed but mostly he was convenient. When he cheated on her she had been hurt but not devastated. It hurt more that he lied to her and put her and Dylan in danger then that he played around with other women; especially crazy women. In the end however he had come to her rescue. He had shown that he did care for her. He was a good person; just not the right person for her.

Bree had been a shocking insight for Katherine. She knew they were friend but she hadn’t expected Bree to keep her “other” secret. The one about her daughter; that her daughter wasn’t really her daughter and yet was her daughter. It was just so complicated. Bree hadn’t said a word, to anyone. It was had never been brought up again. To everyone that mattered; Dylan Mayfair was Dylan Mayfair.

Then the Mike Delfino fiasco happened. Katherine still couldn’t understand why she had gone so deep into the relationship with him. She tried to blame him to find some promise of forever he gave her; some vicious lie he told, but there were none. He never promised her a happy ending; he never promised her forever. Every time they had moved forward in their relationship it had been at her insistence. Then he got Susan back and he was gone; and so was she but in a whole different sense of the word.

Now she was out of the hospital and with Robin; kinda sorta. They were dating and living together but sleeping in separate bedrooms and not having sex. It was the most sexless relationship she had ever had since high school and yet she was the happiest she had ever been. Robin made her happy. It was the little things. The way she smiled. The little touches. The little looks. It was the little things that made Katherine realize that Robin might just be the best thing to ever happen to her; and that if people wanted to talk, let them. It wasn’t like she had never been the source of gossip before. At least this time; she was happy.

Katherine and Robin had spent the evening with Bob and Lee. They had been doing that a lot lately. Katherine had never really had much in common with either man before but now she was finding out that she actually liked them both. She still remembered them blackmailing her over her Adam’s then unconfirmed infidelities; she mentioned it the first time the four of them went out together and then they all just had a big laugh about it. After that the four of them became fast friends. Katherine found it weird and yet pleasant.

That fact that they weren’t haven’t sex didn’t preclude the occasional touch that Robin was prone to. It was equal parts alluring, sweet, and confusing. Katherine was never sure if Robin meant it to be that way or if she was just a naturally touchy feely person; but Katherine had been in a constant state of sexual frustration for weeks now. Whatever was going on between them they just couldn’t get past that little “no sex” rule they placed on their relationship over a month ago, and it was starting to get annoying; and yet she had no idea what to do about it.

“So we’re home.” Robin smiled sweetly.

“Yes.” Katherine smiles back.

This is always where they got stuck. Somewhere between housemates and lovers. Katherine sometimes hated herself for agreeing to forgo sex, but then remembered that it was the only way to keep Robin in her life and that was the important thing. Whatever it was that kept them from getting back to that level she’d figure it out eventually.

Katherine not expecting any more from the night was momentarily confused when Robin grabed her and then kissed her. Before she knew what was happening Katherine found herself melting into Robin’s embrace. Suddenly her back was to the door and Robin was smiling at her, eyes like they usually were; full of joy.

“Mom.”

Katherine looked up shocked to see Dylan standing in the kitchen with her own shocked look.

* * * * *

“You did what?” Mike said somewhere between upset and exasperated.

“I called Dylan.” Susan said simply.

“May I ask why? Or do I not want to know.”

“Well, the last time Katherine needed help Dylan got it for her, and Katherine needs help this time too.”

“It’s a whole different kind of help, and might I add none of our business.”

Susan just smiled, “I told you I like Katherine happy and Robin makes her happy, so I though getting Dylan to come home magically forces them to share the same bedroom and magically forces them to……”

“I get the point.” Mike said and he did, “You are scary when you are devious.”

“Don’t you forget it mister.”

Susan smiled again at her husband and continued to conspire on ways to get Katherine and Robin to finally have sex already. It was starting to get ridiculous. Katherine had never said anything as a mater of fact she really had never been happier it was the little things. Everyone had noticed. The little looks. The gestures. Something wasn’t right in lesbian land and Susan was just devious enough to try and fix it.

Whether Katherine wanted her to or not.

Part 6

“Hi, you must be Dylan?” The woman walked over to her politely and shook her hand.

“Yes, that’s me.” Dylan tried to get the awkwardness out of her voice but didn’t think she did such a good job.

“My name is Robin.”

The woman smiled and then looked over at Katherine who was standing by the door like a deer caught in the headlights or more likely a teenager who had been caught making out with someone by their parents and not the other way around. Dylan suddenly realized that this was not the way her mother had intended on her meeting her….friend. She’d go with that for now.

“Hi mom.” Dylan smiled at her mother, “I thought I’d come for a visit, if you don’t mind.”

“No of course not.” It was Robin who answered because Katherine was still recovering from her shock “Isn’t that right, Katherine?”

“Right. Of course.” Katherine walked over to her daughter and hugged her, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too mom.”

After that things got slightly less awkward. She sensed a weird tension in the room but figured it had something to do with her. Walking in on your parents….wait that wasn’t exactly right….walking in on your mother…that was better….walking in on your mother making out with….uhhhh…,,someone you weren’t aware of before was slightly disconcerting, probably for everyone involved.

This Robin person who apparently lived here,….which was a whole other kind of awkward….seemed nice though. There was something about Robin that was sweetly innocent and happy. Dylan had witnessed her mother laugh more in the few hours the three of them talked then she remembered seeing in her entire life. There had never really been much in her mother’s life to laugh about.

Eventually they had to discuss sleeping arrangements. That’s when she discovered that Robin had been sleeping in her bedroom which was confusing. She had assumed that Robin and her mother had been……something. Dylan had initially offered to sleep on the couch at least for the night but it had been Robin who had told her to take the bedroom and that she’d bunk with Katherine. Dylan chose to not think about what bunking meant. Trying to fall asleep Dylan had the sudden urge to kill Susan Myers Delfino; because whatever the hell she walked in on was so not what she had been expecting. Susan had some explaining to do.

* * * * *

Katherine had no idea what to do with herself. When Robin had insisted that Dylan take her bedroom Katherine at first felt joy but then it quickly turned to panic. She quickly got ready for bed and then just sat there waiting for Robin, not sure what to do next.

“I can sleep on the couch if you want.”

Katherine knew Robin had just given her a way out but she also knew that that was the last thing she wanted. She so much wanted Robin to stay but she had no idea how to put it into words or to actions.

“No, stay.” Katherine said simply.

“If you’re sure……” Robin said still not moving from her place at the door.

Katherine just smiled and realized how awkward this all must be for Robin. This was not the way she wanted to be introduced to Dylan. Then she realized that maybe that was the last block in their relationship. The Dylan card had never been played.

“I’m sure.” Katherine smiled and then stood up and walked toward Robin, “I should have introduced you two a long time ago.”

“I understand why you didn’t.”

“No, you don’t.” Katherine smiled and gently pulled Robin to her bed and sat her down. Katherine sat down next to her, “It’s not what you think. I didn’t tell her because I don’t think we are real, because I do. I think we are very very real and that is what scares me. You see me better then anyone has before. I spent my entire life hiding and to be seen….”

“Is scary.” Robin finished for her, “I would never hurt you, you know that right?”

Katherine smiled, “I know, and I am sorry that I hurt you, I didn’t mean to.”

Robin just nodded and Katherine could tell she was trying to hold back the tears. This was what she needed to say what Robin had needed to hear. It wasn’t pretty words of everlasting love it was “I’m sorry.” She didn’t want platitudes. She wanted….to be seen. The one thing Katherine had feared was what Robin had craved. Someone to see her for who and what she was, not what she projected. Not what she pretended to be. It was the irony of life. They both had spent their lives looking for the exact opposite thing…and yet Katherine…loved….oh god she loved Robin for seeing her for who she really was. As the saying goes, warts and all.

Katherine smiled and kissed Robin gently. Is was a chaste kiss. They were both too tired to do much else. They both got into bed and Katherine smiled as Robin snuggled into her and used her chest as a pillow. Katherine had forgotten how much she liked that. How much she liked having Robin in her arms. She was about to tell that to Robin when she realized that Robin had already fallen asleep.

Katherine just smiled and soon fell asleep herself.

Part 7

Katherine woke up to laughter. It took her a moment for her brain to catch up to the sounds coming from the kitchen downstairs. It was Robin’s laughter and then she heard Dylan. Katherine couldn’t help but smile. Katherine got out of bed in no real hurry. Last night had been a culmination of over a month of wooing. They hadn’t had sex but Robin had slept in her arms. It was the best sleep Katherine had in a month and she would do just about anything to make sure it stayed that way. Robin belonged in her bed.

Katherine eventually made her way downstairs and smiled as she saw Robin and Dylan talking. Apparently they had been at it awhile they were both sitting at the kitchen table with finished plates of breakfast and empty cups of coffee. They still hadn’t noticed her so she took and extra moment to watch the scene then all too quickly Robin looked up and saw her standing there. The smile she gave Katherine made her heart swell. She had almost lost this. She had almost let this get away. She had been a fool but no longer. Katherine was a woman who learned from her mistakes she wouldn’t make the same one twice.

“Katherine.” Robin walked over to her and took her hand and led her to the table, “Dylan was just telling me about school.”

“And Robin was just telling me about….her.” Dylan smiled at Robin.

Katherine had been a little nervous about the meeting. She knew that Robin’s former career was a bit off putting to some people but it didn’t seem to bother Dylan. Katherine wasn’t exactly sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. In the end she just decided not to look for trouble where there was none.

Katherine made herself a quick breakfast and the three women continued to talk but eventually Robin had to go to work. She had odd hours at the restaurant she was hostess at and sometimes she worked nights other times she worked days. It was far better then her old job, at least this one she kept her clothes on and didn’t have to deal with grabby men. Katherine hated to think that Robin ever had to deal with that even though Robin only told her funny stories of her time as a stripper.

After Robin left there was brief moment of awkwardness between Katherine and Dylan. Dylan had called her a few times since she had gotten out of the hospital but Katherine had kept the conversations short not like they had been before. They had once been able to talk for hours. Katherine still remembered having to pay large phone bills because of her hours long phone conversations with her daughter. Now she couldn’t seem to tell her anything. She could barely even look at her daughter and she wasn’t exactly sure why.

“I like her mom.”

Katherine smiled, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about her earlier.”

“I understand why you didn’t.” Dylan paused, “She’s not Mike you know.”

“What?” Katherine paused confused.

“She’s loves you and she’s real.”

* * * * *

Dylan smiled as Susan handed her a cup of coffee. Mike had made a hasty retreat when she had stopped by. Dylan hadn’t really said anything but she still had mixed feelings about Mike. Susan she could understand, Mike on the other hand had really hurt her mother. That wasn’t something she could forgive so easily.

“So you met Robin.”

“Yup.” Dylan said trying not to giggle.

“So what do you think of her?” Susan said taking a seat at the kitchen table next to Dylan.

“A stripper?” Dylan asked simply.

“She told you that?”

“Yup.”

“What else did she tell you?”

Dylan paused, “I was sorry to hear about Karl. I talked to Julie a couple of times….after. She told me you inherited a strip club from him.”

“Yeah figures Karl would leave me a strip club.” Susan laughed.

“Hey at least he left you something.” Dylan smiled, “He loved you.”

“Yeah he did in his own way. He loved a lot of women though, including Bree.”

Dylan smiled, “Heard about that too.”

“You heard about a lot.”

“What, you think you’re the only one who gossips?” Dylan asked.

“Horrors no,” Susan laughed.

“Well, I kinda liked the irony that you introduced mom and Robin.”

Susan frowned at that, “You know I really am sorry about how things worked out between your mother, Mike and me.”

“I know. It wasn’t really your fault.” Dylan paused, “She my mother, so…”

“You’re taking her side.”

Dylan just nodded, “Anyway from what I was told and figured on my own mom and Robin had this whirlwind romance thing going that nearly went kablewy when everyone found out about them. Now mom’s in the doghouse and is trying to get Robin to forgive her. Am I up to speed?”

“Pretty much.”

“So why did you call me again?” Dylan asked.

Susan just smiled.

Part 8

If you had told Katherine a year ago that she’d be sitting on the kitchen floor in the middle of the night in her bathrobe eating ice-cream out of the carton with her female lover after a night of passionate sex she would have thought you were crazy. None of those things alone were something she would do, much less at the same time. Katherine didn’t sit on the kitchen floor. She sat on chairs. She didn’t eat ice-cream out of the container she put it in bowls. Most of all she didn’t have sex with women.

No, not Katherine Mayfair.

Then she had to go and meet Robin Gallagher and suddenly she was doing all the things she had never done before. And God help her, she was enjoying every single one of them.

The day had started out simple enough. She had taken Robin and Dylan out to dinner. As soon as they walked into the restaurant half the men in the place started to stare at Robin. Dylan had been a little perturbed and Katherine could see that Dylan was curious as to why it didn’t bother her.

The truth was that everyone looked at Robin, stared really. It was just a fact. Like the sky was blue. The grass was green. Men liked to look at Robin. For awhile it had annoyed Katherine, especially in the early days of their no sex relationship. She knew she was on shaky ground with Robin keeping the jealousy at bay was difficult. Katherine had never been a jealous person before. She never had the need. Even when Katherine found out for sure about Adam and his girlfriends she had been more angry then jealous. No, Katherine just didn’t do jealousy…at least until she met Robin.

It wasn’t anything Robin did. That was the truly funny thing. Robin could just walk into the room every man in the place would notice her. Katherine at first thought it was the revealing clothing; because it was revealing, but later she realized it was just Robin. Besides Katherine kinda liked the revealing clothing. That was the truly hilarious thing, on anyone else the clothes she wore just wouldn’t work; but on her….Katherine could hardly look away at times.

Katherine was ecstatic that Robin and Dylan got along. She had been worried that they wouldn’t. That Dylan would freak at her mother’s new……whatever it was that she was doing. Or even worse that Dylan thought that she was crazy again. The fact that the two women spent the entire dinner talking and laughing was a good sign, better then she could ever hope for.

After dinner they had all headed back home. Robin and Katherine had watched TV for awhile. Dylan had made plans to go out with some friends. Even after Dylan left they continued to watch television. It was another thing that Katherine did more of because of Robin. She had never been a big fan of television. She much preferred a good book, but with Robin sitting next to her or even better laying with her head in her lap, Katherine couldn’t help but find something good in whatever they happened to be watching.

After awhile though Robin turned over in her lap and smiled at her. Katherine knew immediately that this was a different kind of smile then what she had been getting lately. This was……oh!

Robin sat up and slowly kissed her. Katherine smiled into the kiss. After a few moments Robin pulled away and the look she gave Katherine took her breath away. It was a look of pure love and adoration. At that moment Katherine realized exactly what she had almost thrown away; what a fool she had been; but no more.

When they kissed again it was with more passion. Katherine felt herself moan into Robin’s mouth as the blonde woman forced her back into the couch. Before Katherine knew what was happening Robin was straddling her.

“My God, you’re beautiful.” Katherine said suddenly.

“Look who’s talking.” Robin smiled and then kissed Katherine.

Katherine once again moaned as Robin pulled away from the kiss briefly and started to make her way down her neck. The arousal inside Katherine was amazing. Over a month of pent up sexual tension was simmering and ready to explode inside her. She knew it wouldn’t take much. Katherine tried to pull at Robin’s shirt to get at skin but Robin swatted away her hands and whispered in her ears, “Upstairs. I want you in a bed.”

* * * * *

“So that was fun.” Robin laughed in between spoonfuls of ice cream.

It had of course been her idea to grab something to eat after the sex-a-thon as she called it. Ice-cream had been the easiest thing to grab plus Katherine had a sudden craving. As to why they ended up on the floor of the kitchen she couldn’t tell you.

“Yeah.” Katherine laughed.

“Ice cream was a good idea too.”

Katherine didn’t say anything she just smiled as she continued to eat out of the container of ice-cream, after a few more spoonfuls she realized that Robin had made her way over to her. Katherine smiled seductively and then they were kissing again. Katherine was rather surprised when her hand found itself inside Robin’s bathrobe and massaging her breast,

“Mom!” Katherine and Robin jumped away from each other like two teenagers getting caught….doing exactly what they were doing. “I…uhh….heard you down here and……”

“It’s ok.” Robin checked her bathrobe and made sure it was tightly around her and then got up, “We were just…”

Dylan laughed, “I know exactly what you were doing.”

“Oh god.” Katherine said horrified.

“It’s not bad, mom.”

Dylan laughed and then went over to her mother, she wanted to tell her mother that she had actually heard them when she had come home earlier and had walked past Katherine’s bedroom. She deiced thought that telling her mother that would do more harm then good. Sometime ignorance really was bliss; and sometime lying really was the right thing to do.

“I didn’t really see anything.”

Dylan knew immediately that Robin didn’t believe her but was grateful for the lie. Her mother however did or at least pretended to. After that Dylan made a hasty retreat and let to two women get back to….whatever they were doing.

“Oh God.” Katherine laughed as put her head on Robin’s shoulder, “Did that really just happen.”

“No.” Robin laughed too, “It was just a figment of your imagination.”

“Oh good.”

“So we can have some more sex?” Robin whispered into Katherine’s ear.

Katherine paused for a moment. There was so much in here life she was unsure of. So much in her life that was on shaky ground. But Robin had never been one of those things. There were so many parts of herself that didn’t fit but maybe that was the point. Maybe she didn’t need to know everything all at once. Maybe who she was right now was all that matter. Maybe this moment was all that mattered and this moment she was happy. “Yes, lets….but in our bedroom.”

Robin noticed that Katherine had said the word “our” but didn’t think it was the right time to bring it up. Her heart did swell thought. It had been a long month for them both. It had been hard on Robin, harder then anyone had thought. There had been so many times that Robin had wanted to simply ravish Katherine but she need to be sure that Katherine wanted her as much as she wanted Katherine, Robin had invested too much of her heart too quickly and she needed to take a step back. She need to put the breaks on and not having sex was the only way she knew how to without walking away completely which she wasn’t willing to do.

Now however she might just have Katherine; mind, body, and soul. She might just have everything she had ever wanted. Robin was almost afraid to hope. Almost afraid to believe.

Almost.

Katherine was worth hoping for.

Katherine was worth believing in.

Robin was a lot of things. She had always been a lot of things; some of them were not always good. One of the better things was a believer. She believed in the best of people. In the good in people. It had served her well in the past. It had lead her to Fairview. To Katherine.

No, believing in people wasn’t just what she did.

It was who she was.

~ ~ ~