“I'm not letting you run out of here like this, Bette.” Bette backed up against the door, trapped. Tina's eyes pierced her own. “What's going on? Tell me.”

“Nothing. I mean, Jenny died in our pool, T. A few hours ago. Forgive me if I'm acting a little strange, but consider the circumstances.” It was all a lie, of course. For the most part. And it made Bette feel even worse. How could she explain what was really going on, even if she wanted to, with cops hanging around her house?

Tina stepped backward, looking at her doubtfully. “Of course. If you say so. But I can tell that there's something -- ”

“I'm going to go over and see how Shane is doing,” It wasn't what Bette wanted to do at all, but she had to escape, clear her head. Before she did something drastic, like march right up to one of the detectives and start pouring out the whole twisted story. Jenny. Kelly. Everything she should have told Tina a long time ago.

“I'll be right back,” Bette said. “See what you can do about getting them to finish up whatever it is they're doing so they can get out.” Tina was still watching her, the look on her face was unreadable.

“Okay?” Bette persisted when there was no reply.

“Yeah. Alright.” Tina said. She turned around and walked away. Bette looked at her retreating form for a moment, then slipped out of the door, back into the night. Relief seeped through her. She slowly walked down the porch steps and toward Shane's house. She faltered a bit, then, steeling herself, crossed the driveway and the yard, until she was standing in front of Shane's door. She knocked, then waited. She tried the door. It was open.

Stepping inside, she called out softly. “Shane?” She waited in the doorway, unsure of what to do. Maybe Shane was already asleep. It wouldn't do to wake her, not after the night they'd had. But Bette felt compelled somehow to make sure that Shane was alright. She was unpredictable, emotional. Bette didn't know what Shane might do in the aftermath of an emotional upset like the one she'd had tonight.

Bette walked softly into the living room. Empty. She hesitated in the hallway, unwilling to check the bedrooms. This wasn't right. Creeping around the place where Jenny had lived... it felt wrong. Where she had lived. The hairs on the backs of Bette's arms stood up. She couldn't stay here. Bette spun around and hurried to the door, letting herself out of the front. She gulped the air, breathing deeply until the crawly sensation she'd felt inside subsided.

She could think rationally again. It followed that if Shane wasn't answering her call inside, she must be outside. Bette went around the side of the house, tamping down her anxiety and the unmistakable sensation that she was trespassing.

Bette breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Shane sitting in the backyard, absentmindedly flicking a lighter on and off, glancing occasionally across the way toward Bette's backyard.

Blue flashing lights caught her attention and Bette realized that Max must be in his shed. Bette figured he was probably playing some video game or something. She felt better knowing that someone else was nearby. It gave Bette courage. She stepped out of the shadows.

“Shane?”

Shane turned and faced her. “Oh, it's you. Hey, Bette.” Shane's voice was quiet, husky.

Bette came closer and sat down next to Shane on the porch steps. “I just wanted to check on you. Tina saw your Jeep. Can I do anything for you?” Shane didn't answer, just kept flicking her lighter on and off. Bette waited a moment before she continued. “You can come over and sleep at ours if you like. Or we can talk. Or not. Whatever.”

Minutes slid by without a response. Bette felt awkward, but she didn't get up to leave. She reached over and rubbed Shane's back the way Bette's mother used to do for her when she was upset. Shane stopped flicking her lighter. A dog barked in the long distance.

“She lied to me,” Shane said flatly.

Bette felt a little thrown, momentarily stopping the motion of her hand on Shane's back before recovering herself. There were no ready words; she was fresh out of sympathetic platitudes. “I know,” she replied. “I know she did.” Bette felt a deep sadness just then. Jenny had lied to them, manipulated them, burned her bridges so that it was impossible to grieve her, at least in the way that Bette wanted to grieve, or would have, if --

“But I still love her.” Shane said, keeping her face forward. She then turned and looked Bette in the eyes. “I really did, you know? She was my friend. If I hadn't betrayed her, with Niki... none of this would ever have happened, you know. This chain of events would have been completely different, if it wasn't for the choice I made.”