"She's like a sister." Shannen answered. "Tina has this way of making anyone who comes in contact with her fall in love with her. Like you know you can make her happy, if she'd let you. She's this great comforting force, and it's..."

"Addictive." Bette said softly.

Shannen smiled weakly. "I love her, yes. But not the way you do. I want to protect her, but I wouldn't want to let her be my world. She's too..."

"Insane?" Bette guessed.

Shannen grinned. "Insane's an understatement."

Bette smiled back. "She can be a handful."

"But something tells me that's what you love about her." Shannen noted.

Bette grinned at her. "I love everything about her."

"Damn. I hope they're talking about you."

Shannen and Bette looked up to see Tina and Alison standing by their booth.

Shannen saw the way Bette's face lit up at the sight of Tina, the way Tina beamed, the way their hands instantly found each other's. "We were just talking about you."

"Having heard that last part, I certainly hope so," Tina remarked, sitting down beside Bette. She turned to her wife. "How was work?"

"Homicidal, but it's still better than the CAC." Bette replied, watching Tina take her drink and sip from it. "How was your day?"

"Hell." Alison answered for Tina. "We had this jackass telling us his production company already owned the rights to a similar script to the one we just got a greenlight for, and it looks like it's going to be another round of negotiations, and---"

"I've been given a new project." Tina told Bette and Shannen. "Ally's on her own."

Shannen turned to the dumbstruck Alison. "Sucks to be you."

"I hate you." Alison told Tina.

"Sure you do." Tina laughed, downing the rest of Bette's drink.

"That was my drink." Bette noted.

"Mm hmmn." Tina turned to her. "Take me home."

Shannen and Alison exchanged knowing glances.

Bette didn't need to be told twice. "Guys. We're gonna get going."

"Be that way." Alison pouted, reaching for Shannen's martini, and getting her hand slapped for her effort. Alison got up. "Bette, Tina. See you tomorrow." She then went to the bar.

"I swear, it's like being with Alice," Bette told Tina.

"Sometimes it's worse." Tina grinned. She smiled at Shannen. "Thanks for keeping Bette company."

"That's what friends are for, right?" Shannen smiled at her.

"Right." Tina nodded, getting to her feet, Bette doing the same. Tina leaned down, and kissed her friend's cheek. "See you tomorrow."

"'Bye." Bette told Shannen as she and Tina turned to leave.

"Bette?" Shannen called after Bette.

Bette turned back.

"In case you missed it--"

"I hurt her you kill me," Bette nodded. "Got it."

"Well, yeah, but I meant if you need a friend. You can trust me."

Bette hesitated, and smiled at her. "I'll keep that in mind."

tbc