They all looked at Tina, then at Scott.  "What?!"  "You are so lame."  "Why don’t you just finally go away and find a hole somewhere?"

Scott was raising his arms as if to defend himself, "Look, I didn’t know.  I didn’t know."

His agent stepped in and said, "Look, Tina we can’t start our talks like this."

Scott pulled on her arm, and said, "It’s alright, Paula.  They have a right to be pissed like this."

Tina was still standing on the other side of the barricade of her friends, arms crossed in front of her chest, eyes shooting darts at him.

"Look, I know that I said the last time we talked that we probably would never work together again, and I really thought that that would be the case," he started.

Her friends were responding to him with curses, as Tina shushed them and said firmly.  "I know you probably came tonight with an idea in mind already, so instead of drawing out this stupid dance, just tell me what it is already so we that we can discuss it."

"Umm….," he started, then eyed Tina’s friends surrounding her.

"They’re staying," she said simply.

He blew out a breath, "Okay, okay," he started again.  "I’m not going to ask for any financial compensation for the treatment I own…"

Paula looked at him like he had two heads, "What?!"

"I’ll hand over the treatment I own, and the only thing I’ll ask is that I’ll direct the movie Film Features will make from the treatment you already own," he added.

Everybody else, including Paula, and except Tina, exploded.  "What??!!"  "Are you totally out of your fucking mind???!!!"  "You really are a headcase!"  "Somebody should just beam you up, Scotty, because you are …"

All their voices began to mute in Tina’s mind, and everyone’s faces, bodies and her immediate surroundings began to swirl.   Suddenly, all she wanted to hear was Bette’s voice.  And the only face she wanted to see was Bette’s.  She needed Bette’s calm and soothing voice when she was troubled and confused.  Bette’s warm and encouraging voice when the brunette could sense she needed a lift.  Bette’s husky, low voice when she was seducing Tina.  Bette’s deep moan, when she was about to come.

Bette.  She needed Bette.  And she needed air. 

"Tina, are you alright?," her friends began to ask her, turning away from Scott, as Tina began to sway a little, her hands shaking, gripping her head. Scott stepped closer also to see what was the matter.  Shane and Dana turned quickly back to him, "Don’t you touch her you maggot."

Scott raised his hands and stepped back.  Helena and Alice were holding Tina up.

"I need some air.  And I need to talk to Bette," she whispered.  They were nodding their heads. 

Helena looked coolly at Scott, "Tina will call you, tomorrow, alright?"

Scott nodded, "She can take all the time she needs."

Alice shot back, "You don’t need to tell her that, alright mister?  She doesn’t need anything from you."

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