belle alliance
“Kate, the fuck?”
“Hello, Mary,” Kate replied, leaning back against the couch. Instantly regretting it because her tumbler of whiskey was now out of reach.
Hal nudged it closer, then when Kate gave him a laser-death-glare, got up and moved it to the side table next to the couch.
“I had to hear it from Hastings, Kate. Hastings. I can’t even—”
Mary, super pissed-off, Kate mouthed at Hal. He shrugged, because he’d warned her and because he loved when Mary gave Kate what-for. That wasn’t Kate’s incisive insight, Hal had come out and said it, repeatedly, including in front of Mary, who said that’s the bully in you.
“I’m sorry. You know I’m sorry just like you know I wanted to call,” Kate said.
“I know. I’m still pissed. You got out before it got intense,” Mary said.
“I went into a warzone, Mare,” Kate argued.
“Not with Hastings,” Mary countered.
“I was hoping Sam would let you know,” Kate said. Hal had said there was a chance and if Mary heard from Sam, all they’d be looking at was Mary’s updated version of a care-package, which usually meant the most expensive collection from Zingerman’s and some homemade sour cherry jam. You could take the girl out of Michigan, but you’d pry Mary’s sour cherries out of her cold, dead hands and then you’d have to deal with Jed, who put up with the Michigan shit by buying them a vacation place on Mackinac Island. Kate and Hal had a standing invitation and hadn’t made it there once yet to date.
“That would’ve been nice. Didn’t work out that way,” Mary said.
“How’s Jed doing? And the kids?” Kate said. She’d been hoping to save the family question for later in the conversation but Mary still sounded really upset and she’d always been stubborn as hell.
“He’s fine. Being the department chair is hard but it’s good for him and when he gets too ticked off, he goes for a run or calls Robby. He calls Robby a lot and Robby takes the call like 40% of the time. Daniel’s finally moved on from the Harry Potter stuff thank God and neither of the girls seem like they’ll get into it. They’re all trying to convince me to get another kitten, which they have agreed to name Squivers,” Mary said.
“That’s not a bad name for a kitten,” Kate said.
“Emma said you’d try to change the subject and I should let you, but I don’t think I should, do you?”
“It all happened so fast,” Kate said.
“It was Hal, wasn’t it?” Mary asked, getting to the heart of the matter.
“What?” Kate stalled. It was a terrible stall, one word, no distraction, but maybe she didn’t want to avoid it with Mary. Mary, who other than Hal was the one person who knew about the miscarriages, who sent a card or postcard or text message every year on Arden’s due date, who’d confided in Kate about Jed’s heroin addiction, Mary who always knew right from wrong and suffered over it.
Mary, who loathed Hastings and still recognized brilliance, still put up with shit because that was what was required. Who understood the value of charm and used it and never fully trusted it.
“Katherine,” Mary said.
Kate glanced at Hal. Mary wasn’t on speakerphone but he’d figured out where they’d gotten to. Anyone else would see him as totally relaxed, dressed like he was ready for a GQ cover shoot, one arm resting along the back of the couch that faced hers because they were sitting in a room big enough to have two couches and not be crowded and she was used to that now. Anyone else would miss the tension in his dark eyes, too focused on the curve of his lips.
“It was Hal. Mostly. I could’ve stopped him but I didn’t,” Kate said.
“It was Hal and circumstances and you couldn’t have stopped anything once Rayburn was born,” Mary said.
“You mean once he dropped dead,” Kate said.
“Nope. I love you, Kate, but you always underestimate the web, the other players. You’ve gotta watch that now. This isn’t another chess game you’re going to lose to me in three moves,” Mary said.
“Tell her I used the Fried Liver Attack and it worked like she said,” Hal said.
“Of course it did,” Mary replied, somehow hearing Hal, even though he hadn’t spoken that loudly. Jed would mutter mother’s ears and Mary might have argued, would just sort of beam and make Kate regret again that Mary had left government service.
“I sincerely hope you both mean in an actual game of chess,” Kate said.
“I know you do,” Mary replied.
Written for @broadwaybaggins and the Mercy Street Tenth Anniversary Fest, here's a modern reboot crossover AU with The Diplomat because, really, what did you expect from me?
