Irreconcilable Differences

+++++++



“How was the flight?” Ashley asked as Kelly entered the house with Jason right behind her. He had gone to pick her up at the airport.



“Good,” she smiled, dropping her bag and picking up Bear who was jumping at her leg. “Look at you,” she beamed. “Missed me?”



“Oh my gosh, yes,” Ashley replied. “You should have seen him, he wouldn’t play or anything. He just sat on the chair, looking at the door.”



“Aww,” Kelly smiled, kissing the dog’s forehead.



“So what was the big important meeting about?” Jason asked as they settled into the living room.



“Well, in short,” Kelly laughed. “I have a girlfriend.”



“What?” he choked out.



“I’m just kidding,” she replied. “But not really. Apparently that one little magazine turned into every front page and news show in the country.”



“Must be a slow time out there,” Ashley laughed.



“Yea, well, naturally, we thought Clive would be pissed. You know, heaven forbid Carrie be involved in a scandal, right?”



“Well, yea,” Jason nodded. “That’s why this whole thing started isn’t it?”



“Yea, but no. He wasn’t mad. Well, he said at first he was mad, then come to find out, apparently she and I are the new ‘it‘ couple.”



“So he’s ok with the rumors?” Ashley asked, confusedly.



“Not just ok with it,” Kelly laughed, the craziness of the entire situation finally catching up with it. “He approves. In fact, he wants us to go along with it.”



“As in pretend you two are a couple?” she said in disbelief.



“Yep,” Kelly nodded.



“What did you say?”



“That he’s crazy. But then I did something stupid and left Carrie in there with him by herself, and of course he used her being a sweetheart against her, and now we’re going along with it.”



“She agreed?” Jason asked.



“Yea, but it’s not like she had a choice. If I had been her, I’d have done the same thing. She was just looking out for me.”



“So, um, what does this mean? Like what do you have to do?”



“Nothing really,” Kelly explained. “Just act normal, cause apparently that’s been good enough so far.”



“But what if they ask about it? You know you’d never lie,” Ashley pointed out.



“I know, so we just simply won’t answer. That’s the part I feel horrible about. You know how I hate not being truthful to people, especially my fans.”



“Yea, which means he must have done a pretty good number on Carrie in order for you to go along with this,” Jason frowned. “She ok?”



“Yea,” Kelly nodded. “I’m not sure exactly what was said, but she seemed pretty broken up about it. But yea, she’s gonna be fine. I told her it wasn’t her fault.”



“You realize this isn’t gonna be easy, right?”



“I know,” she frowned. “Trust me, I know what it’s like to pretend to be something you’re not, day in and day out.”



“Well not just that,” Ashley joined in. “Clive might see this a gain. I mean, all he sees is money, but there will be a backlash. A lot of people are going to hate the thought of you two together, you know that, right?”



“You know, in a perfect world, somebody could be with the person they love, and people would just be happy for them, no matter what they look like. They would just be happy for the simple fact that the two people were lucky enough to find each other.”



“When that perfect world expands beyond the population of just you, you let me know,” Jason teased.



++++++++



Carrie smiled as she felt the plane touch down in Nevada. It had been a good couple of days with all of the sleep that she had needed. She hadn’t even realized how much she had missed her family until she nearly burst into tears at the sight of her mom waiting for her at the airport.



Then of course, there was the matter of trying to convince her dad that the whole thing with Kelly and the tabloids was just a rumor, and that it might even get worse before it gets better. Her mom, on the other hand, thought being a lesbian was just another weird food choice.



Carrie shook her head, laughing to herself. Her mom always had been a bit off when it came to things like that. She could still remember their first sex talk. It ended with Carrie sincerely believing that babies really did come from the stork...and that was when she was fifteen.



She grabbed her carry on bag and exited the plane, alone. She had been hoping that her sisters would come with her, but neither seemed too thrilled at the prospect of meeting Kelly and her friends. They actually didn’t want Carrie to go either, fearing that the Texan was corrupting her. It took her longer to convince them that nothing was going on than it had to convince her dad, but that’s only because they had more access to all the media that was circulating about the two Idols.



Carrie smiled as she stepped out of the airport, a nice worker helping her with her bags. She could feel the nerves starting in her stomach at the thought of who she was going to see in a matter of hours. A month ago she would have questioned the nerves, thought maybe she was sick or something. She knew better now. She had been accustomed to them arriving every time the short Texan walked into the room or just popped into her mind. They had just become another part of her life, as normal as saying a prayer before she went to sleep. She didn’t question them. She didn’t wonder why. She just knew they were there, that something was there.



+++++++++++



Kelly smiled as she started to get ready for the party. All of her friends would be there. Plus, the band members and their dates would be there. Jason, Alyssa, and her husband would be there. Carrie would be there. Her smile widened. She had grown fond of the country singer in the couple weeks that they had lived together, and she couldn’t wait to see her again. Actually, she had missed her terribly and couldn’t wait to be held in her arms again, but same difference.



“So what are you wearing?” Ashley asked, walking into her hotel room.



“How come the locks on the doors never stop you?” Kelly asked.



“Because I always hold your extra key for you for when you look yourself out.”



“Good idea,” Kelly nodded, turning back to her bed where several outfits were laid out. “And I have no clue.”



“Well, what’s the occasion?” Ashley asked, looking at the choices.



“New Year’s Eve?”



“No,” she laughed. “Is this a hang out with my friends night? Or is it a get wasted, sing karaoke night? Or is it finally find some hottie that I can take home and have my way with night?”



“Um,” Kelly’s brow furrowed. Her mind drifted to Carry, “I guess the last one, only less on the vulgar side and more on the PG side.”



“Please, with you it’ll be G,” Ashley teased.



“Whatever,” Kelly laughed, rolling her eyes. “So what do I wear?”



“The red top with the black skirt and the red heels,” Ashley nodded.



“Heels?” Kelly squeaked.



“Yes, and that’s final,” Ashley replied. “You want me to do your make up?”



“Um, yea, if you have time,” Kelly said, frowning at the shoes that Ashley had chosen.



“I do,” Ashley responded, motioning to a chair. “Sit.”



++++++++++



“This is torture,” Kelly groaned, standing in front of the mirror.



“Yea, but you look hot, so it evens out,” Ashley responded, flipping through the television channels.



Kelly eyed her reflection wearily. She had on a on a sleeveless red top that was loose fitting at the top, but hugged her waist, giving the impression that she had more on top than what she really did. The black skirt hung loosely on her hips so when she moved it showed the slightest hint of skin. The skirt itself was loose fitting, falling down the back of her legs and rising up to an inverted V in the front. It was the red strappy heels that were the torturous part.



“Mary,” Ashley sighed, turning to their friend from high school that was sitting in a chair in the hotel room, thumbing through a magazine. “Tell her she looks hot.”



“Kelly face it,” Mary sighed. “You’re the hottest one out of all of us. Get used to it.”



“I am not,” Kelly frowned, turning around. She looked to Jill and Kate, who were stretched out on her king sized bed, for support.



They both nodded in response.



“Thanks y’all,” Kelly sighed, turning back to the mirror. “Are you guys sure I look ok?”



“Jesus Kell,” Jill laughed. “You look freaking amazing. What is this all about? I mean, yea, I get it, you are blind and can’t see how good you look, but normally you don’t give a rat’s ass. So what’s going on?”



“Nothing,” Kelly replied quickly.



“That didn’t sound like a nothing,” Kate smiled, sitting up and smoothing out her skirt. “That sounded like a something...or a someone. Who is he?”



“Nobody,” Kelly said. “He’s nobody.”



Ashley eyed her carefully.



“Don’t lie,” Jill grinned. “You’re nervous because you’re trying to impress some guy. Admit it.”



“There’s no guy,” Kelly maintained.



“Whatever you say,” she smiled.



Ashley frowned, “Hey Kell, you wanna go to the bathroom real quick. I just wanna fix your eyeliner.”



“Ok,” Kelly nodded, following her into the bathroom.



“So, there’s no guy, huh?” Ashley asked, digging through her makeup bag that she had brought into Kelly’s room.



“Yep,” Kelly nodded, looking up as Ashley retouched her makeup. “I’m still as guyless as always.”



“What about a girl?” she slid in casually.



“What?” Kelly choked.



“Don’t move,” Ashley reminded her.



Kelly frowned, looking back towards the sky. “I’m not into girls,” she responded.



“Maybe not girls,” Ashley said, motioning for her to look down. “But a certain blonde country singer?”



“Ash, I’m not,” Kelly insisted, her voice shaky.



Ashley looked into her eyes, unconvinced, “If you say so.”



+++++++++++++



"This place looks great," Jason commented over the music as the entered they club that they had rented out.



"Are we like the last ones here?" Kelly asked, looking around the room. There were already couples out on the dance floor, and people seated at the bar.



"That's you," Jason laughed. "Having to give every single person an autograph that asks for one."



"They were sweet," Kelly said, as they moved further into the club, her eyes searching.



"Who are you looking for?"



"Huh?"



"I said, who are you looking for?" Jason repeated, his voice louder this time.



"Oh, uh, nobody," Kelly replied. "Just seeing who all made it."



"Her," Jason said, pointing to a sweet red head that was a few years older than Kelly. "Who?" he asked.



"Oh, that's Allison," Kelly explained. "She's with my new management. Real sweet girl."



"Can I?" he asked hopefully.



"Go for it," Kelly laughed. "I'm pretty sure she's single."



Jason gave her a wide grin before casually walking up to his new hopeful.



"So what's a girl gotta do around here to get some attention?" a low voice whispered in her ear, making her shiver.



"I don't know," Kelly replied, a smile forming. "You can start by giving me a hug."



She felt a hand on her arm, turning her around. Kelly immediately jumped up into the outstretched arms, hugging her tightly.



"I missed you," Kelly admitted as Carrie placed her back down.



"I missed you too," Carrie smiled, looking over her outfit. "You look amazi..."



Kelly laughed softly as she followed Carrie's eyes to her shoes which somehow had mysteriously transformed from those red high heels to a pair of red Chucks.



"Seriously?" Carrie laughed.



"I wanted to be comfortable," she responded.



"I was wondering why you seemed shorter than normal," Carrie said, reaching out to touch her arm. She pulled away quickly, not sure why she had done it. She just had the sudden urge to feel her. "How did you manage to get out of the hotel like that? I'm sure Ashley would have had a fit."



"A magician never tells her secrets."



"Hun, you're a musician, not a magician."



"When I start pulling rabbits out of a hat, we'll see who's the magician," Kelly replied.



Carrie pulled her into another hug, laughing. Kelly smiled as she wrapped her arms around Carrie's waist, enjoying the feeling of being in her arms again.



"So how was your break?" Kelly asked as she led them towards a couch to sit on.



"It was fun," Carrie nodded. "I got to catch up on some sleep and see everybody back home. So, it was definitely much needed."



"You didn't bring anybody back with you?"



"Well, I was gonna bring my sisters."



"What happened?"



"Now, normally, they are really cool Kell. I swear, you'd love them," Carrie explained. "But with all the mess going on right now, they aren't exactly fond of you."



"What did I do?" Kelly asked, curiously.



"They think that you're corrupting me," Carrie replied.



"Me? Corrupting you?" Kelly smiled. "Who was sending whom dirty text messages?"



Carrie laughed, "Speaking of, we never really got a chance to fully talk about this."



"Dirty texts?"



"You and me," Carrie replied, looking at her meaningfully.



"What? That you're my girlfriend," Kelly said, drawing out the last word, teasingly.



"You wish," Carrie smiled. "But yea. How do you want to handle this?"



"I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told Jason and Ashley, we just act normal. I mean, apparently that's worked perfectly so far."



Carrie nodded, "And the kissing thing?"



Kelly felt herself blush, "Care, I--"



"I'm following your lead," Carrie cut in, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice. "So whatever you want to do, I'm game."



"You don't have to--"



"Look, we're in this mess because of me anyway, so I at least owe you the right to make up the rules."



"You know how I feel about the whole kissing thing," Kelly said, shyly.



"And that's fine," Carrie replied, slipping her hand into Kelly's who smiled appreciatively. They both sat in a comfortable silence, people watching. After a good while of quietness, Carrie could feel a pair of eyes on her.



"What's up?" Carrie asked, knowingly.



"Have you ever kissed a girl before?" Kelly asked, curiously.



"Well...no," Carrie replied honestly.



"But if I had said yes, you would kiss me?"



Carrie swallowed hard, all of her senses suddenly heightened. The soft way Kelly was rubbing her thumb over her hand seemed to set her skin on fire. The sweet smell of vanilla that surrounded her sent her dizzy.



"Uh, I, um, yea," she finally managed. "I mean, like I said, this is my fault."



Kelly watched her with an amused expression.



"So, um, what about you?"



"Me?"



"Yea, have you ever kissed a girl?" Carrie asked.



"Well, technically, yes, but not really."



"Huh?"



"It was for fifty bucks, and I was broke," Kelly explained. "And it was just a peck on the lips, not an actual kiss."



Carrie nodded, "I'm sorry I got you into this."



"You keep saying that," Kelly said. "But it's no more your fault than it is mine."



"No, it is my fault," Carrie said, suddenly nervous again. "If I would have never overreacted to the whole Tony thing, then we wouldn't be in this mess."



"You might look at it that way," Kelly shrugged.



"Well, how do you look at it?"



"If you would have never overreacted, I wouldn't be sitting right here, next to you."



Carrie smiled, "Kell, I..."



"What is it?"



She took a steadying breath, "Um, earlier when I said I would kiss you because it's my fault for getting you into this mess, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, I didn't mean for it to sound like a chore because it wouldn't be."



Kelly raised an eyebrow, opening her mouth to talk, but couldn't find the words she wanted to say. Carrie just gave her a weak smile before going back to watching the people around them that were drinking and having a good time. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, wondering what had made her say that. She could feel Kelly's eyes still on her, and the only thing that was keeping her from bolting the club was the way the Kelly's hand was perfectly linked with her own.



Kelly closed her mouth, swallowing, trying to figure out what Carrie's comment was supposed to mean.



+++++++++



"I'm gonna go get something to drink," Kelly said, standing from the couch. "You want something?"



"Um, no, I'm good," Carrie replied, watching her walk away. "Kell, wait," she said, hurrying to catch up with her.



"What's up?"



"Don't," Carrie said.



"Don't what?"



"Don't drink."



"I'm not planning on getting drunk or anything," Kelly replied, eyeing her curiously.



"I know," Carrie nodded. "But I just don't want you to be...I mean, I want you to...can you just please not?"



"Yea, sure," Kelly said, wondering what was going on. "I'll just grab me a water. You sure you don't want anything?"



"Positive," she nodded.



"Alright. Why don't you go find Ashley and them. I'm sure they're on the dance floor some where, and I know you didn't come here to sit on the couch all night."



"Where are you going?"



"Get some water," Kelly reminded her with a laugh. "Don't worry, I'm not abandoning you. I'll come find you, I promise."



"Ok, see you in a bit?"



"Yep," she smiled, walking away.



+++++++



"Water," Carrie breathed in Kelly's ear, hoping she could hear her over the music.



Kelly nodded, taking her hand and giving a slight wave to the group they had been dancing with. She wove them in and out of the crowd until they were free of the dance floor.



"You ok?" Kelly asked worriedly.



"Yea," Carrie assured her. "It was just getting really hot in there."



"Come on, we'll get you something to drink," Kelly said, guiding her over to the bar. "Two waters," she said to the bartender as he passed.



"So you're having fun?" Kelly asked as they hopped onto a pair of barstools. She had to admit, this had been one of her favorite New Year's Eve parties. Everybody just spent the whole night talking and dancing and having a good time.



"Yea, thanks for inviting me," Carrie smiled, gladly accepting the bottle of water. "What time is it?"



"It is 11:45," she announced. "Fifteen minutes left."



Carrie looked up at her nervously.



"You wanna see something?" Kelly asked, standing up, taking her bottle of water in one hand and offering the other to Carrie.



"Sure," she replied, accepting it.



Kelly led her to the back of the club where there was a hidden staircase.



"Cool," Carrie smiled as they made it to the second floor where the vip area was located.



"This isn't it," Kelly laughed, leading her to a door that held more stairs. Carrie followed her up and to a final door. Kelly opened it, revealing the rooftop.



"Wow," Carrie breathed, walking out. The view was breathtaking. All the Vegas lights were turned on, making it look almost magical.



"Yea, it's nice, huh?" she smiled, standing beside her, their hands slipping together.



"Yea," Carrie nodded.



"But I have to say, I'd take the stars over Texas over those running around down there, any day."



Carrie smiled down at her, "Kell, I..."



"Why didn't you want me to drink anything?" Kelly asked, curiously. A loud noise made them both jump and turn as a firecracker exploded across the sky. Kelly got lost in the display, and Carrie breathed a sigh of relief. She watched as Kelly stood before her, her arms wrapped tightly around her body. Carrie swallowed hard as she walked up behind her, putting her arms around her. She felt the Texan lean back into her, and she sighed with relief.



"Cold?" she asked worriedly.



"I'm good now," Kelly replied with a smile as she laid her arms over Carrie's. Carrie smiled, giving her a gentle squeeze as they watched the fireworks display that lit up the sky. The music from inside the club softly floating around them.



"How much longer?" Carrie whispered, feeling goose bumps rise along Kelly's arms.



"A couple minutes," she replied, not sure why her voice was shaky.



"You know," Carrie began nervously. "I'm glad I didn't listen to my sisters and that I came here."



"And why is that?"



"Because I can't think of anyone else I'd rather share this moment with," she said, honestly.



Kelly turned around in her arms, looking up at her curiously.



"Sorry if that's too much, but it's the truth," Carrie shrugged, trying to read the expression in the hazel eyes staring up at her. Normally, they were the easiest things in the world to read. Whatever she was feeling was right there in her eyes. But now, they were so mixed with emotions that it was damn near impossible.



"You ok?" Carrie asked, she could hear the countdown starting from inside.



"Why didn't you want me to drink anything?" Kelly asked again.



"Kell, I..." the numbers dwindled from the thirties to the twenties.



"Why?" Kelly asked a little more forcefully.



"Because," Carrie swallowed hard as the numbers flowed to the teens.



"Because why?"



"Because I didn't want you to regret this, saying it was because of the alcohol," Carrie replied as the numbers were slowly drifting down to zero.



"Regret what?"



Carrie was sure if this were any other time or if she were with anybody else at any other place, she would have heard the cries of Happy New Year, and she would have heard the explosion of the climax of the fireworks. But she didn't. Her heart was pounding too loudly in her ears to hear anything as she leaned forward, grazing her lips against Kelly's. It was almost more of a whisper than a kiss, but Carrie knew from the way her head was spinning and the slight taste of strawberries on her lips that it had happened.



Kelly looked up at her, wide-eyed. She didn't know what to think, or if what had happened was even real or if this were just another dream. She brought a shaky hand up to her lips that were tingling.



"You ok?" Carrie asked, nervously.



"Yea," Kelly replied in disbelief. "I'm just shocked that you did that."



"Was I not supposed to?" she asked, taking her arms away from around her and stepping back.



Kelly opened her mouth to speak, but wasn't sure what to say. She had just been kissed. By a girl. And in those mere milliseconds she had felt more than she even thought was possible.



"Look, we can just forget that this ever happened," Carrie said quickly. "Just at least talk to me."



"No," Kelly shook her head.



"No?" Carrie asked, feeling her stomach drop.



"I don't want to forget," she said nervously.



Carrie smiled softly, "You sure?"



"Yea," Kelly nodded, a smile growing.



Carrie had to fight the urge to laugh in giddiness as she welcomed Kelly in her arms once more, hugging her tight.



"So no regrets?" Carrie asked, holding her close.



"No regrets," Kelly replied.