Tina was sat in the catering area of the set drinking the strongest cup of coffee she could ever remember having. Given that she seemed to be alone for the first time that night she thought that she should take advantage and make a call home. The phone was picked up on the third ring.

"Dana Fairbanks Appreciation Society, can I help you?" said the voice on the other end of the line.

"Alice, it's Tina"

"Hey, wow, wait, what time is it there?" Alice was furiously trying to work out the time difference whilst silently berating herself for not listening more closely in her geography lessons at school.

"It's just after 4am" replied Tina.

"Are you crazy? That's the middle of the night, please tell me you are just getting home from a night out on the town."

"Ah, no. Nothing that exciting. The reason why I'm up at this hour is one of those great joys of the movie business, the night time shoot."

"Oh well, life's a bitch when you're the hot shot executive. So how if life treating you in London Town? asked Alice, trying to appropriate a posh tone to her voice.

"Alice, don't even think about trying to speak with a British accent" laughed Tina.

"You know I can do a good radio announcers voice too, it's not that dissimilar actually."

"I'm sure it's not Al, but to answer your question, life is......better. The shoot is on schedule, my assistant's great and it's good to get a different perspective on life."

"We all miss you, Tina. Some of us more than others" said Alice, her tone suddenly taking a more serious tone.

"Alice, lets not go there tonight, just tell me what the gang has been up to."

"Have you been wearing your power suits?" asked Alice innocently

"What has that got to do with catching up on the West Hollywood gossip?" Either Tina's brain was fried from three night shifts or the conversation was taking a journey into Alice Land.

"Nothing, but I do like a woman in a good suit. There's something...I don't know...there's just something about it. I'm not expressing myself very well am I?"

"Alice!"

"OK, here's the latest news. Shane and Jenny are having some weird kind of threesome thing with a woman called Carmen, who I have to say is kinda hot The cat killer has U-hauled her ass into Dana's house and I don't think they even had a second date." laughed Alice ruefully.

Tina waited for Alice to carry on, there really was something strange going on with Alice and Tonya though, this would need investigating at a later date.

"Anyway, I digress. Kit is nearly the owner of The Planet and Bette is smoking and drinking herself into an early grave." Alice said the last part really quickly so that she could get it out before Tina interrupted her.

Silence greeted Alice's last statement. "Tina, are you still there?"

"Yeah Al, I'm still here. I just don't know what to do with some of that information."

"Look Tina, when you lost the baby none of us knew what to say so we said nothing. In retrospect that was the wrong decision, I can't tell you how much I wish that I'd called you and said that I was sorry and that we all loved you. What with Dinah Shore and everything we just thought that you were coping and that let us all off the hook. I've never seen Bette this defeated by anything, and maybe she's getting a bit of what she deserves, but I wouldn't be a good friend to either of you if I didn't let you know what's been happening here."

"Alice, have you been spending a lot of time with Shane?" asked Tina

"Some, why?"

"Because a little Yoda wisdom goes a long long way." At this they both laughed. Tina was thankful that this seemed to get them off the subject of Bette, after all that wasn't why she had called Alice, at least that was what she was trying to convince herself.

"So, tell me about your assistant, is she hot?"

"Alice, she's straight." replied Tina.

"So were you!"

"What's going on between you, Dana and Tonya?" asked Tina trying to change the subject.

"I really have to go now, I'm supposed to meeting the girls at Milk later." replied Alice.

"I think you're avoiding the subject."

"Ah, you know me so well, bye Tina and stay safe." Alice hung up before Tina could pursue the point any more.

Tina sat for a while longer wondering if Bette was really as bad as Alice had made out, then she silently cursed herself for even caring. Would she ever get to a point where she no longer cared about what was happening with Bette.

"I guess I'm about to find out." she said out loud while getting up from the table to get back to work.