When Tina walked into EcoFashion for the first time since the falling out Helena perked up and smiled at her.

"Well look who’s out of rehab!" Helena said, "how are you Tina?"

Tina ignored her and walked to the elevator.

"Hey why are you ignoring me?" Helena yelled.

"I don’t talk to people who aren’t my friends," Tina said pressing the call button.

"What? What do you mean? You’re not my friend anymore?" Helena said sounding hurt.

"Friends don’t do what you did to me," Tina said.

Helena remained silent. She felt bad that she hurt Tina, but she did not regret what happened to Bette. She only wished she would have done the damn deed herself.

Tina was glaring at her over her shoulder already knowing what she was thinking. "You’ll always be a bitch," she said stepping into the elevator.

Helena scoffed, "ugly people don’t have feelings."

Tina simply hit the button on the elevator and tried to control her anger. Helena sat back down in her chair carelessly.

Shane and Carmen walked into the reception area.

"Hey," Helena said carelessly.

"Show a bit of respect for the official president of the new independent EcoFashion," Carmen said.

"What Rick gave you the job?" Helena said sarcastically to Shane.

"Actually he gave me your old job," Shane said with a smirk.

Helena’s face reddened with anger.

"THIS is our new president," Carmen said pointing to the door as it opened. Bette walked in looking just as gorgeous as the night before.

She was wearing a tight black pencil shirt and a form-fitting red blouse. Helena’s jaw dropped, "h-have we met before?"

Bette snorted, "oh yes we have."

The moment Bette spoke Helena recognized her, "Bette?"

"My first order of business is to make sure she’s working in the mailroom," Bette said, "where no one can see her."

"What!" Helena said shooting up out of her chair, "this is an outrage!"

"Either that or you can be a manager at one of the stores," Bette said harshly walking to the elevator.

"That’s my girl," Shane hooted.

Carmen passed by Helena and stuck her tongue out at her. She followed Shane and Bette into the elevator and they went up. When the elevator dinged and they walked out everybody’s eyes were on Bette. No one seemed to recognize her. Jenny, Alice, and Dana just watched in awe as she passed by not recognizing her.

Bette smiled confidently. Suddenly someone crashed right into her and a bunch of papers flew into the air. Bette recognized the blonde hair immediately even though she was bending down to pick up the papers saying, "sorry, I’m sorry!" She looked completely flustered and not at all the same woman she had left all those months ago.

Bette didn’t speak she just watched Tina scrambled to get all her papers. Shane and Carmen held their breath waiting. Jenny, Alice, and Dana just watched.

Finally Tina looked up at Bette, "I’m very sorry ma’am." She turned to leave but doubled back and looked at Bette again. Her eyes locked with Bette’s, she knew those expressive eyes anywhere. Her eyes reddened with tears and her lip trembled, "Bette?"

"Whhhaaattt!! Bette???" Alice screeched.

"Oh my God I didn’t even recognize you?" Dana said.

Jenny said nothing, she looked like she was about to cry. She had worked restlessly for months to get Tina to give a look at least similar to the one she was giving Bette, and Bette simply walks into a room and Tina turns to pudding. She turned on her heel and stormed into her office.

Bette stayed still watching Tina intently, trying to see if the change that she saw in Tina’s eyes was real or not. Tina lowered her gaze sadly, "I’m sorry."

Bette was tempted to scoff aloud but she remained silent.

"I don’t have the right to even look at you," Tina said, "or to even speak to you. It will not happen again boss."

Tina turned to walk away and Bette said, "what you’re not gonna say anything about my new look? Is it to your high standards?"

Dana flinched slightly. She was the only one who truly knew what Tina felt for Bette, those words must have been like knives.

Tina glanced over her shoulder and simply said, "no."

"No?" Bette said incredulously.

A solitary tear escaped Tina’s eye and rolled down her cheek as she said, "you were perfect the way you were before."

TBC