[For Kate] Amnesia plot

[masochistic_lion]

When Bella had fled, I had considered pursuing her, but it had only taken a few moments to decide that we probably both needed some space and time to process what had just happened. I didn't move for several minutes once I was alone. It hurt, to have that taste of what I'd lost, to know it was probably fleeting, or possibly already gone again. I thought I'd made a sort of peace with my situation on the island, but it turned out I'd only done a good job of deluding myself. The wounds were torn open now, as fresh as the evening of my arrival, and at first all I could do was curl up on the bed and wait for the pain and the longing to subside until I could at least function.

Finally I managed to rouse myself, take a shower and change out of the clothes I'd been in since the day before. Then I looked around my empty hut, sighed and squared my shoulders. I wasn't sure if Bella would want to see me again, after what had happened, what I'd had to tell her. She needed someone else that could help her through this.

I went to Kate.

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[masochistic_lion]

"I can and will," I agreed, nodding. As for the rest of it, well, what was there to say? "That about sums it up, yes. Just when you think you're getting your footing, your world is turned upside-down yet again."

[girlsolo]

Except Kate doesn't get to get turned upside down anymore. She doesn't get to break under pressure and be self-destructive. No binge-drinking, no serial one-night stands, no picking fights, not even sleeping til noon. Lilo means Kate has to cope like a grown up even when Will and Jimmy and Bella don't remember her. Even when Savannah's seeing flashes of the boy who raped her and he's going to show up here for real.

Kate doesn't get to lose it completely. She won't. She just won't. Be. Her mom.

So she jerks her chin at him and puts on a smile. "Don't worry about it. She's going to remember again and we'll take care of her til she does."

[masochistic_lion]

I ndoded. Hopefully when she did, she would forgive me for taking advantage of her memory lapse, though I was doing my best not to. "Thank you," I said, sincerely and fervently. "I didn't know who else to go to, and I knew...that I could count on you." I gave her a small smile. The two of us had gotten off to a rocky start, but it seemed that was changing. I didn't expect to be her favorite person anytime soon, but things definitely seemed to be warming up between us.

[girlsolo]

"Don't sweat it, Ed-" she cuts herself off from calling him 'Eddy' and finishes up- "ward. Nothing I wouldn't do for Bella and even if she doesn't always realize it, that means looking out for you too."