Once Bitten, Twice Shy

15

It had been three days since Anne had found out what Parr had done and she had not once left her room, no matter how many times the others tried to plead with her to show her face.

That morning the rest of the queens were in the kitchen eating breakfast. Anne came plodding in, hair a mess, giant hoodie engulfing her, and an emotionless expression on her face. She looked broken, and it shattered Parr's heart to see what she'd done to this girl. She didn't say a word; nor did anyone else, afraid that if they spoke too soon, she would retreat back to her hideout and not return. Instead, Anne walked past them all, stopping only to ruffle kitty's hair and place a kiss to her temple; you could see the focus on Kat's face as she fought back the urge to leap up and give her cousin a hug, nearly breaking before seeing the pointed look on Jane's face. They had all promised not to do anything too rash in front of Anne, terrified that if they made one wrong move it could completely obliterate the progress she'd made. So when she passed Parr's chair, the writer braced herself for a screaming match. Instead she heard a single word leave the girls lips.

"Pute." Anne mumbled, almost inaudibly, but with enough bite to leave Parr feeling like a kicked puppy. She didn't feel the need to hear a translation when she saw the look on Anne's face and immediately looked away, staring down at her plate even though any appetite she may have had left, had already been lost.

The room was silent as Anne poured her Cereal, and it was silent after she left; everyone listening to the fading thuds on the stairs before Kat gave in, slamming her spoon down on the table and sprinting out of the room, discarding her forgotten breakfast.

"kit-" Jane tried to call after her but it fell on deaf ears. Instead she just sighed, sharing a sad look with Aragon.

"Annie. Please let me in" Kat pressed her forehead to the door, knocking ever so lightly. "Anne"

"Come on, its been three days. Talk to me" She pleaded.

She heard the faint shuffle of feet, and the click of the lock on the door, immediately throwing it open and barrelling towards Anne, arms opened wide. She managed to get the smallest of chuckles out of the girl, before her expression was replaced with the same blank exhaustion that hadn't left her face for days.

"I thought I could trust her." she said flatly, barely above a whisper. "Turns out she's just like every other traitor out there. Just like every other person."

"hey! I'm a person, what are you trying to say?" Kat looked up at her in mock outrage, earning a shake of the head from Anne. "No your not. Your a ball of fluff, covered in glitter and sprinkles." Anne corrected, and Kitty giggled, hugging her tight as the tears fell. Even when she was hurting, she could put a smile on anyone's face.

Anne lifted her chin, wiping Kat's eyes and holding the girl close to her.

"you can cry, you know." Kat whispered gently, worried by her cousins emptiness. She felt her shake her head slowly, hearing a hum in Anne's throat as she thought of the words.

"I don't want to cry." Kat looked up once again with her eyebrows furrowed. "There's nothing for me to cry about. It wasn't me that got hurt." Kat broke down hearing those words from someone who always felt so strong, so stable when she herself couldn't be. She knew how much Anne missed Elizabeth, and though she never talked about it, It was something that never left her mind. At least before she could imagine her baby was safe, and happy without her. But the reality had broken her. And there was nothing Kat could do about it. So instead she hugged her cousin tighter, till her arms hurt and she was sure Anne was struggling to breathe, whispering apologetically over and over again.

"Don't you dare." Anne said warningly, rubbing a hand across her back soothingly. "Don't ever apologise for anything to me again." Her voice cracked slightly, and Kat nodded her head, face buried into Anne's shoulder

"we're gonna get you better Annie." Kitty whispered "I promise."

for the first time Anne smiled; a small, sad smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, but still a smile. And she thanked whatever miracle brought this girl into the world.