DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters and I do not own the world they play in.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A big hug and thank you to carpesomediem for her awesome beta skills. For me "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost really seemed to speak of Katherine's frame of mind at the end of this story arc. You should take a look at the poem if you haven't already read it. I think it's one of those poems that have been abused by motivational posters, but it is used because it's beautiful.
SPOILERS: Season 6 Episode 18 "My Two Young Men"
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
The Road Less Traveled
By Rae
Madness is a funny thing, as one never actually feels crazy. Sometimes it just makes more sense that the world is full of unstable things that create a universal insanity. Katherine had seen her share of crazy, had done a fair share of crazy. Getting on a plane with her female ex-stripper lover to run away to Paris? Not the worst thing she has done. In the grand scheme of her life, it actually was a pretty mild kind of crazy.
The red head cleared security without any trouble, if only they knew her past. To the world she looked like any other housewife. She was beautiful and poised. Her hair was placed just right, lightly highlighted to accentuate its body. To the rest of the world, her companion was a friend. The only people in the airport terminal thinking of the two women having sex were the men in the bar who had stopped caring if their staring had become impolite.
Once seated in first class, Katherine felt relieved for the first time in weeks. She was free from the constraints of all the people who knew her. All except Robin, but Katherine considered that with the younger woman restraints might be fun. The red head felt a wave of heat flush through her at the thought, which caused her to contemplate the risk of joining the mile high club on a 10 hour flight. People were bound to notice. With a somewhat aggravated sigh, she leaned back into the overstuffed seats.
Robin's warm breath curled against her skin as she leaned in and said, "Is everything all right honey? You look upset. You know just because I said Paris, doesn't mean we actually have to go to Paris."
Although she tried to hide it, Katherine could hear the uncertainty in Robin's voice. Reaching across into the blonde's lap, Katherine intertwined their fingers. Leaning in she then whispered huskily, "It's not that. I just don't know how I am going to suffer through 10 hours with having to keep my hands off you." The red head looked down at the expanse of flesh laid out before her and continued, "I don't understand why you decided to wear something so revealing on a transatlantic flight."
With a huff she leaned back in her chair, leaving their hands clasped.
Robin giggled and replied while straightening her shirt with her free hand looking almost childlike in her excitement, "Because we're going to Paris silly! I wanted to look my best."
With a charming smile she went on, "Plus, I always love to dress up for you."
Squeezing their fingers, the blonde leaned in again, making Katherine feel like all the space between them had evaporated even though she knew they were in separate seats.
Robin tried to convey what she wanted with her eyes and when that didn't work, she decided she was just going to tell the dense older woman, "You don't have to keep your hands off me. That's why we are going on this trip, so we can explore what we have. We don't know these people and we certainly don't owe them anything. I'm going to kiss you and you are going to let me."
Having the final word, the blonde closed the distance between them and firmly placed a heated kiss on her lover's lips in front of anyone who cared to look. Katherine tensed, and then melted. This is what she needed. This moment made everything in the world that seemed too much bleed into everything else that was not enough.
The world was definitely made of crazy, but taking a breath after breaking the kiss Katherine stared down at Robin's slightly swollen lips and decided it was all right. The horrible things she had been through had been preparing her for this. For the moment she would be strong enough to kiss her lover in front of a cabin full of strangers who would only stare at them for the rest of the flight. All the times she had been a victim, all the times she had stood up for herself, and even the times when she had hurt others had made her the person she needed to be in order to love someone as much as she loved the woman still clasping her hand. Her parents had never told her this fairy tale story, but they had told her about happy endings. Looking into Robin's eyes she finally saw something so deep that it threatened to make her cry. She saw passion and hunger in the way the blonde tilted her head in invitation. Looking harder Katherine could also see that the younger woman truly cared for her, maybe even loved her.
The world had not prepared Katherine Mayfair for love, but luckily she had prepared herself.
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference
- Robert Frost
The End