What is Needed But Unexpected

fuel to the fire

"Guys, we need to talk." 

Aragon wasn't sure what startled her the most the next morning, the fact that Anne looked serious or the fact that she had also just yelled in her ear.

"When don't you talk?" She grumbled, ignoring the dirty look she was sent in response from the younger queen.

"You can be bitter later, this is important. It's about Katherine...uh...My cousin Katherine." Anne retorted before sitting on the counter that ran along the far wall.

"What about Howard?"

This was all it took for Anne to launch into the events of the previous night and even Aragon had to recognize the amount of concern that the usually immature woman displayed when she spoke, reminding her all too much of the girl's time as her lady in waiting.

"My question is why Howard didn't go to Anna? they seem close." Jane questioned once Anne was done talking, earning a sigh from the green queen

"Because for whatever forsaken reason she thinks everyone is going to tire of her and I would blame Henry but I don't think he is the only reason...and as much as I don't trust either you or Parr with a dog, let alone my cousin, but I don't think I can handle this by myself." 

Anne retorted and Aragon was about to jump to her goddaughter's defense when the Catherine in question spoke up.

"Look, we all did shit back then to survive. We've got a new start so can we all agree just to be better people and stop digging up the past at every given moment?" Parr retorted and if looks could kill, Anne would have had her buried in that moment.

"Do you think that Elizabeth ever had the chance to do that!" 

.                     .                                    ._________★_________

Anna stood on the stairs, rolling her eyes as she listened to what could only be compared to a train crash of voices coming from the kitchen, the combination of words like yellow and funeral signalling that this argument would be going on for a while and that she could forget about finding breakfast.

"What's going on?" 

Katherine's voice made her jump slightly as it came from behind her, growing worried when she turned to greet the youngest of the youngest of the queens, who still looked worse for wear with bloodshot eyes and a half asleep expression.

"The usual Catherine, Catherine, Jane, Boleyn bullshit." She answered, unable to keep the annoyance from her tone as she added "Why don't we get dressed and go buy something for breakfast? I'm pretty sure going in there right now would be sucide."

Katherine let out a groan at that, leaning her head against Anna's shoulder as she muttered

"Why did we have to know everything that each other was involved in? I mean I get that we have to work together now but…I'm starting to think whatever brought us back has a twisted sense of humor." Katherine trialed off, only to feel her long time friend laugh silently.

"Agreed, the whole issue between Anne, Aragon and Jane is enough to drive a saint to drink without the added Parr drama." Anna said, pausing as she heard a loud swear come from Aragon before adding "Either that or their spirits argued so much that the higher power sent them back for therapy." 

Anna relaxed a bit when she heard the nearly silent giggle that came from the teen then.

.       .                  .                                 ._________★_________

"Stop making excuses!" Anne practically bellowed, watching as Catherine Parr gave a sigh.

"I'm not! What happened was horrible and I regret it every day. I should have done more! Should have stopped him, should have seen where it was going and sent her away before it got bad, but I did care about her. Despite what you may have thought." 

Parr snapped before turning on her heel and storming from the room.

Anne was left still fuming and teary eyed at the thought of her daughter—whom she didn't see grow past the age of three—being hurt in any matter, especially not in the same way as Katherine had been.

Everyone else had grown quiet during their exchange, Jane and the other Catherine both thinking about how they would react if the tables had turned and it would have been their own children in question.

"Anne, maybe you should…" Jane was the first to speak, concern written across her face as she took notice of how Anne was shaking.

"Don't...Just don't…" Anne snarled, putting a wide distance between her and the blonde as she headed toward the door, slamming it behind her.