James: “so, their plan is to change our sexual orientation, and that is for starters, do you think that is possible?”

Tina: “I doubt it, but if they try, they may produce dangerous effects in humans”

James: “what do you think we could do?”

Tina: “there is a traitor in my lab, a girl that is sleeping or dating Eric, she gave him the information, but my team doesn’t know all the details”

James: “how do you know about the girl?”

Tina: “Coleman asked, he has the information too, he probably will give it to you, don’t tell him that I already know”

James: “okay, I will see him over the weekend”

Tina: “now, I will tell you something, but take it easy and wait for me to finish…, I have done some research in Genetics, and we have prepared some activator and deactivator for humans”

James: “why, Tina!!! Why have you done that?”

Tina: “James, I told you to wait…, I did because the same substance can be used to cure certain types of cancers in adequate doses; I never intended to use it in changing sexual orientation, in humans it works differently than in rats, because of the evolutionary differences, the activator and deactivator are not enough to make a real change in humans, but if you combine that with another substance which I called F06, the side effect produces change in sexual behavior, I don’t know if it is permanent or temporary, and of course they don’t know about the whole procedure”

James: “and you have to make sure they will never know about it”

Tina: “now James, tell me how is the girl who is coming with Bette?”

James: “Bette says she doesn’t know her very well, she is an ecologist and there is nothing going on between them”

Tina: (sighing) “I hope…, I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself there”

James: “no, you won’t; I’ll be there with you”

Bette and Candace arrived at the party before Tina and James, the guests at the gathering are, already, more than eighty mainly science’s people, some friends who are still in contact or have business together, some journalists and personalities, among them are Shane McCutcheon a biologist working for an environmental impact and endangered species in an institute and her reconciled old girlfriend Carmen de la Pica Morales a botanic geneticist, Jenny Schecter a environment biologist and her friend Marina Ferrer a  biologist too, Mark Wayland, Tim Haspel and Catherine Rothberg all of them botanists friends and coworker, Maura Isles the head of Genetics at Cambridge and her wife Jane Rizzoli, Lieutenant detective of the BPD, Lena Adams researcher of the science for Education Institute at Boston and her fiancé, and friend of Jane Rizzoli, Lieutenant Stef Foster from Massachusetts State Police, Joyce Wischnia lawyer, ecologist, and lesbian, and many others; as Bette enters and greets everybody, she leaves Candace with the rest of the crowd and she walks toward the kitchen looking for Alice who is at the moment talking with Maura.

Alice: “did you talk to her?”

Maura: “well…, I tried, but she didn’t confirm anything…, however, I have the feeling that she will come”

Alice: “did you tell her what the meeting is about?”

Maura: “how did you know she forgot?”

Alice: “because Bette thought it was my engagement ceremony”

Maura: (spitting her drink) “really…, Tina thought the same”

Alice: “it would be a pity if she doesn’t come”

Bette: (entering at that moment) “who don’t come?”

Alice: (changing topics) “do you have something to tell us about that gorgeous meteorologist you brought this night?”

Bette: (ignoring Alice) “tell me Maura, who isn’t coming?”

Maura: “we don’t know Bette…, we don’t know if Tina will come”

Bette: “as usual she outsmarts you all”

Alice: “she knew you were coming”

Bette: “so, you think she is not coming because of me…? Thanks Alice for making me feel better”

Alice: “this isn’t what I’m mean”

Maura: “Bette, I talk with her this morning”

Bette: “did she say that she won’t come because of me?”

Maura: “no…, just that she will come if she is in the mood”

Bette: “would she bring a girlfriend or a boyfriend?”

Jane just arrived at the kitchen looking for her partner and joins the group of friends, while in the living room there is some noise

Maura: “honestly, I don’t know…, but she mentioned that it wasn’t to be a date”

Bette: “what else?”

Maura: “that if she comes she will bring someone that she cares for…, someone that she loves”

Bette: (sighing and trembling) “…okay, maybe… I need to move on”

Jane: “I think you should come and see before you take any decision”

Howie Fairbanks enters in a rush to the kitchen and leaves for the back door, followed by his boyfriend Greg

Alice: “what’s going on there?”

Jane: “you guys should come and see”

The four women walk toward the ajar main door around which most of the guests are congregated to see Tina entering holding hands with someone behind her, Bette’s heart is throbbing heavily, but lightened when she sees who is with her.

Bette: (smiling) “James…”

Tina: (shaky voice) “hi Bette…”

P