"Mormon?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Anyway, and Gracie’s CHANGED. She’s weird now. She’s got this split personality thing going."

"Multiple personality disorder." Bette corrected.

"What?"

"I’ve been reading Psychology books." Bette stated a bit defensively.

"Whatever. Bette! I’m confused! This is NOT a Jucie story."

"Um, shouldn’t the author herself…"

"Or himself. This crap must be written by an insensitive man."

"Or himself – jeez Tina! – have a say as to what kind of story she’s written?"

"No."

Bette rolled her eyes and painfully got to her feet. "Come to bed, baby. It’s near midnight."

Tina mournfully shut down the computer and followed Bette to the bedroom.

"Bette?"

"Mmm."

Tina inched into Bette’s arms. She always felt safe there. "What do you think… if I were to suddenly undergo a major, and I mean major, lifestyle change… what would happen to us?"

"Does this lifestyle change entail you suddenly craving dick?"

"Yuck. Don’t even imagine that. What if… let’s say… we’re not into labels right, love?"

"Ehm. You do remember that it’s me you’re talking to right?"

"Oh, right. Okay let’s say… and this is probably going to sound really outrageous… but what if I cut my hair and started dressing more, mm, butch."

"What if, what?"

"What if I became more masculine. Would you still love me?"

Bette pushed herself a bit higher up on the bed. She needed to be upright to use her higher brain functions. "Tina, I’m going to launch into what you so glibly call my university lecturer mode. Are you okay with that?"

"Baby you know I love Professor Porter."

Bette giggled. Then she cleared her throat and assumed a properly academic mien.

"Well, I’ve been reading a bit of Jung, mind you. So this might be a very esoteric philosophy."

"Get on with it," Tina growled, "Ma’am," she tacked on at the end.

"Okay. Anyway, so every human being has a masculine and feminine aspect. For a man, his feminine aspect is called Animus. For a woman, her masculine aspect is called Anima. Now it’s entirely possible that a woman such as yourself has a subtle and well-integrated anima. That is, your femininity and masculinity blend so well together. It’s hardly worth the effort to draw the line where one ends and the other begins. However, since both are essentially aspects of the self, it’s possible to act and react according to either."

"Like when we make love."

"Excuse me?"

"When you’re the top or when I am. That’s a masculine act, isn’t it?"

"Ohhh. This is dangerous and exciting territory. I need, and listen carefully here honey, I NEED to make clear that what masculinity and femininity is NOT dependent on biological sex."

"Yeah. Coz males and females have both."

"Right. So masculinity is not entirely the domain of males. Femininity is not entirely the domain of females."

"Right."

"Okay. Where was I?"

"I’m a big stone butch and you’re my pillow queen."

"Huh?"

"That was the premise."

"Uh, right. So if you were suddenly to become, as you say, butch, that is, you express your animus predominantly, it’s very possible that my femininity will respond to your masculinity and we’ll be fine."

"Oh that won’t work."

"Why not?"

"Coz you love to top me. Isn’t that right, Professor Porter? Right now, the way you’re instructing me… that’s a masculine act."

"Love, you know I love it when you boss me around too. But anyway, that’s not the point. The point is… ENERGIES! That’s the word for it. My feminine energy will respond to your masculine energy. And vice versa, of course."

"Of course."

"And when that happens, we’ll be yin and yang, dark and light, Xena and Gabrielle, perfect!"

"Wow, Professor Porter. You’re really a geek. A Xenite geek, even."

Bette scooted down and nestled into Tina’s arms. She buried her face in the crook of Tina’s neck. "Hmmm. Chicken."

"What?"

"I’ll gobble up your chicken."

Tina started laughing and Bette soon followed.

After a few moments of mutual hilarity, Tina sobered. "Bette baby, I need you to beta for me. For real this time."

"You’re going to write a story again?" Bette didn’t know if she should be happy or afraid.

"Yup. I’m going to write something light and fluffy and fun. I need to wash the image of Gracie in the arms of a man out of my brain."

"Sure love. Like I said, I’ll be your beta anytime."

"Thanks."

"I love you Tina. All of you. Even if you shave your head and start wearing Old Spice."

"I love you too Bette. Even if you sleep with Alice."

"Hey!"

END