WHO: Katherine Howard and George WHAT: Henry's BACK WHEN: Monday afternoon WHERE: George's place WARNINGS: Maybe swearing
Henry was back. Her Henry. Her husband who had adored her and made her a queen. He had given her everything she had ever wanted. The same man who had then taken everything away from her. He had raised her up and then cast her away. Sure she had slept with someone else but Henry had slept with more people than she could count. Whey were her sins any worse than his?
He had cut her head off without a merciful thought. He had promised to spare her and lied. And he was in New York.
Katherine could think of only one person she wanted to see right now. She banged on George's door, terrified and crying. Surely her saint would make everything better.
At the sound of fists banging on the door, George nearly fell off the couch. The dogs barked, doing their happy dances that meant they were thrilled at seeing a new person, but George was substantially more wary. He peered through the peephole of the door, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of Kathy.
He'd been half-afraid it would be Henry with a mob behind him.
"Kathy, are you okay?" he asked, opening the door. "Come on, come in."
Katherine stomped through the door and when she turned to face George she had her arms crossed and a look of tiny fury on her face. "Why is he here?! Was he mean to you? I should send him shit in the mail."
George blinked at Katherine for a few seconds, and then swept her up into a hug. He was pretty sure her feet weren't touching the ground.
"I like you so much better than him," he muttered against her shoulder.
Katherine hugged him back, letting herself relax. George's strong arms were around her and that meant she was safe.
"I like you better than him too. He lied to me, you know. Said if I told the truth I would be spared but he lied. He didn't spare me at all."
"He thinks he's right no matter what he does," George said, squeezing Katherine gently. He set her feet back on the floor. "It's 'cause he's an ass."
Katherine looked up at her George and she rubbed at her teary eyes. "Yeah well he sucks," she hissed. "How did you find him?"
"I was in the park, watching the mini Ren Faire they've got going on," George said. "You know how much I love Ren Faire. I'm not a hundred percent sure what he was doing there, but he saw me. The first thing he said to me was 'Bow'."
Katherine wrinkled her nose at that. "Ew, of course he did. What an ass. George, I'm so scare he'll find me." Katherine leaned against George's side and hid her face a little.
George kept an arm around her shoulder. The dogs were busily sniffing Katherine's feet, wiggling with excitement. George shooed the Corgis away before they could start climbing her legs.
"I know. I feel the same way. Come on, sit down and I'll get you some food or something." He steered her into the living room and gave her another hug. "There's nothing he can do now, Kathy. He's not king of anything."
Katherine let George steer her and then when he tried to reassure her she let out a breath. "Yeah well, easy for you to say, he probably won't rape you and claim it's his marital right."
George froze, nearly tripping over his own feet. It took a few tries to make his voice work. "I strangled him when he threatened to hurt my brother. I didn't kill him. And now I really wish I had."
Katherine sat on a couch and she pulled her knees up to her chest so she could rest her chin on them. "He's done it before. When we were married I didn't mind because it was like my job or whatever and he bought me pretty dresses and stuff afterwards. But every time he finds me now he treats me like I owe him, you know? And he isn't fat and gross any more but he's still Henry and I don't want him."
George scooped up Kal-el and put him on the couch next to Katherine. "Stay right there, okay?"
He darted upstairs, to the room they were using for storage. He kept his box of St. George medallions in there. He'd been collecting them throughout the centuries, most of them gifts from well-meaning missionaries. He grabbed one that was already on a thin silver chain and headed back downstairs.
There wasn't anything particularly holy or magical about the little necklaces, but George had found that having them could help people focus their thoughts during moments of panic. He pressed the medallion into Kathy's hand.
"If he ever shows up, even if he seems to just want to talk or something, grab this and pray to me, okay? I'll hear you and no matter what, I'll come."
The medallion was small and cold in her hand. She stared down at it and when she lifted her eyes to meet George she practically vaulted herself off the couch to wrap her arms around his neck.
"You are seriously the best friend I have ever had," she whispered into his neck. "Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you."
George hugged her back, his forehead against her shoulder. "I'm so sorry I didn't protect you back then. But I'm gonna keep you safe now."
As George spoke, Katherine swatted him on the back. "Don't be stupid!" she said and she pulled away. "You did everything you could. If you did anything more you would have ended up in the Tower just like me. I made my own choices. And you wouldn't be so hot all headless."