watched as you signed your name "alexandra"

it must be counterfeit (i think there's been a glitch)

i'm feeling nice tonight so here's another chapter! i'm probably going to weekly update on fridays from here on out, but we'll see lmao

"Okay, so now what?"

Yelena looks at Kate, obviously confused, "What do you mean, so now what?"

"I mean," Kate looks at the dog in Yelena's arms, "Now what? What are we going to do with a dog?"

"Keep it, treasure it, love it, buy treats so that it loves us..."

"Yelena."

"We're going to take it to a vet, Kate, obviously," Yelena says, standing with the puppy still in her arms. She parts the blankets a little to get a better look at the puppy, "Oh, she's so cute, hi, sweetheart."

The puppy doesn't do anything, it just glances at Yelena with some kind of look in its eyes that Kate can't put a name to.

"We can't go to a vet," Kate shakes her head, "There are already too many tabloids about us maybe being together - we can't drum up more buzz."

"Get your head out of your ass, Kate," Yelena glares at her, "It's a dog. We're helping her. And you're driving."

Kate doesn't say anything more, knowing that there's little that she could do to change Yelena's mind.

They get into Kate's car with a promise to come back for Yelena's and at every stoplight they come across on their way to the 24-hour vet, Kate finds herself looking at Yelena. Her stomach twists as she watches Yelena fawn after the puppy and whisper to it like it's a real human being. It feels too good.

She finds herself wanting to reach across the console and put her hand on Yelena's thigh to make sure that she's still there. She desperately wants to run from this life and go to one where they can be Kate and Yelena without having to worry about Beth and Alexandra.

Instead here she is, dreaming of a world that could never be.

It's not her world to have and Kate's reminded of that fact when she and Yelena step out of the car at the vet and a little girl's jaw drops at the sight of her.

The father with her looks confused and tired, tugging at the leash of a very eager Australian shepherd that seems to be walking him more than he's walking the dog.

"Daddy! That's Emily! From Mommy's movie!"

Kate holds back a wince at the notice, not really knowing a great way out of this.

"I see, Bella, but she looks busy. And it's not nice to point," he responds.

"Okay, Daddy," the girl waves nonetheless and Kate waves back before helping usher Yelena into the vet office.

It's nothing fancy. The office looks very similar to the vet that Kate took Lucky to so many years ago, with food lining one wall, a bulletin board full of local advertisements on another, and seating set up for patients with a check-in desk by a hallway.

The women behind the desk look immediately concerned at the sight of them. Luckily, Yelena is quick and explains the situation in perfect clarity - something that Kate has always sucked at and something that she's pretty sure she will continue to suck at.

The woman helping nods understandingly before telling them to sit and that someone would be with them soon.

Kate finds herself almost collapsing on to the bench provided and suddenly remembering that she hasn't eaten since this morning. She's probably going to need to remedy that.

"I thought of a name."

Kate glances over at Yelena, "You did?"

"Yeah," Yelena's eyes don't leave the sleeping puppy in her lap, "do you want to know what it is?"