The soft sounds of beeps and shaking incubators filled the lab's space as Kaitlyn hunched over her ice box. Sterile lighting cast the tubes inside in a pale glow as she deftly transferred liquid between them. After a moment, she straightened from her bench, stretching both arms to the sky.

  There. Finally done. I really, REALLY hope this works. It would be so satisfying to finally get some quality answers from this gene…

  She set her tubes of sample in the thermocycler and began setting it up for another qPCR. One of her last, hopefully. She'd obviously need to repeat the experiment if things went well, but past that…

  …That's the last big one I have planned for this loop. Then it's just finishing up the other assays I have in the pipeline. And then… then what?

  Research was one of those things that didn't have a well-defined endpoint. There were always more questions to answer, more precise ways to answer them, even new techniques being invented that could warrant retesting old conclusions. Because of that, there would never be a point where she could claim she'd entirely "finished" her project.

  Not to mention that I already hit the point of diminishing returns a while back. But then again, it's not like I'm truly doing this for anyone else. I couldn't possibly replicate all of the work I've done across loops in a single one, even though I could get most of the best results replicated.

  Really, there was no one who would ever benefit from this research but herself. Even then, it was really just technique practice and assay design experience that she was getting. Meaning that it really was entirely up to her when to stop. And getting these last answers about how her knockdown plants behaved seemed like as good of a place to end on as any.

  As the machine whirred to life, Kaitlyn rounded one of the long benches to check on everything else. Her shoes squeaked across the floor—one of those unfortunate features of the coated linoleum that seemed to persist no matter what shoes she wore.

  Alright. Protein extraction seems like it's going ok, I'll have to do a blot on those some other time. I already watered my backup plants and have extra plasmid handy in case I need to replicate the VIGS treatment. I've got a bit of data to work up from the ROS assay I ran yesterday, but that can happen at home. What else…?

  Checking her lab notebook revealed that the only thing left on her to-do list was transplanting a few seedlings from plates into soil. With one final check to make sure the thermocycler was actually running, Kaitlyn got started.

  As she filled her pots with soil, she considered how the loop had gone so far. Specifically, how her relationship with Elliot had developed. Getting on his good side hadn't been something she'd foreseen or even knowingly attempted. Yet with each passing day, it became clear that she'd done just that.

  I still don't understand how. I mean, he said that I'm comfortable to be around and all that, but that can't be all. I haven't done a single thing to help him, besides teaching him Bash Bros. Heck, he's been the one helping ME with these practice dinners.

  She still didn't call them dates. Even if they felt like that for all intents and purposes, things hadn't developed any further since the first one, and Kaitlyn was hesitant to jump to any conclusions. Especially when she still didn't fully understand the situation.

  At this point, I'm not even sure if I should go to the concert… It was such a red herring last time, and he still hasn't made any mention about the Dream Lizards this time around. Maybe I'm supposed to pretend it doesn't exist? Would that be a good thing, or would it just backfire?

  "Mind if I join you?"

  Kaitlyn looked up from her plate of tiny seedlings to see Christa standing before her. The small woman pushed a cart loaded with soil pots of her own and a few plates of similarly tiny seedlings, smiling where she stood. "I find this kind of thing goes much faster when you have someone to talk to."

  Kaitlyn gestured to the space beside her bench. "Sure, go right ahead. Do you need tweezers?"

  "Oh, no, I have my own pair right here!" Christa dug in her pocket for a moment before revealing a silver set with narrow, bent ends. She gave Kaitlyn a wink. "I keep them tucked away so I don't lose them."

  She couldn't help but chuckle. I don't blame her. The good ones always have a habit of going missing…

  The pair settled next to each other, hunching over their plates and carefully disentangling roots from each other before settling the plants into their new homes. They chatted for a bit about their research and recent goings-on as they worked. Christa obviously knew a lot about Kaitlyn's project, given that she'd been acting as a supervisor for most of it. Similarly, Kaitlyn knew exactly where the postdoc's progress stood at this point in the loop. After a while, their conversation veered into more casual topics.

  "So…" Christa started. "I hear you and Elliot have been hanging out quite a bit."

  Kaitlyn cocked her head at the woman. "Really? From who?"

  "Oh, you know." The postdoc shrugged casually. "Here and there. It's not too hard to see that you're getting along well, either."

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  That caught Kaitlyn a little off guard. Though they obviously talked while in lab, she hadn't thought that her interactions with Elliot were anything out of the ordinary. Certainty not enough that other people would take note.

  "I mean… I guess we are," she reluctantly admitted. "But it's not that strange. Right?"

  "Of course not! I would never call it strange. But I am excited for you two."

  Christa gave her a knowing smile that made Kaitlyn gape. She'd never taken the postdoc for a gossip hound. She'd always been affable, especially as the loop went on, even if most of their interactions centered around lab matters. But right now, her eyes flashed with a mirth reminiscent of Heather when she'd unearthed an interesting secret.

  "Christa, we're not dating!" Kaitlyn defended herself. "We're not! We're just close."

  "Mmm-hmm. If you say so."

  "It's true!"

  "Just be careful, Kaitlyn. Labcest can be tricky business."

  She nearly dropped her plate. "Wha— Labcest?!"

  Christa nodded sagely. "Mmm-hmm. It's when lab members date each other. Sometimes it goes well, but if it doesn't… well, since you're both freshmen, we'll all be in for quite a few years of awkwardness. So I'll wish you both the best!"

  Kaitlyn's face continued to flush. "Christa…"

  The short woman grinned. "Oh, dear. You look like you're about to melt through the floor! There's no reason to be embarrassed about it. Like I said, just be careful…"

  As the woman mercifully moved on to other topics, Kaitlyn eventually calmed down and got a hold of herself. This was yet another sign that she was, in fact, doing something right when it came to Elliot. Even if she still had no idea what it was.

  I guess dating someone in your lab would be a recipe for disaster, though. Usually. It's not going to be a problem here, though. There isn't even enough time for things to go wrong like Christa warned.

  She continued working, carefully plucking another seedling from the plate and tucking it into the soil.

  ***

  Brushed silver doors slid closed, sealing Kaitlyn inside the elevator. A moment later, it smoothly whirred to life as the compartment accelerated upward faster than any elevator she'd ever been in.

  Guess it only makes sense. Meridian Tower looks pretty tall from the outside. If we had to go up fifty floors at the speed of a regular elevator, we'd be here all night.

  Just as she wondered how fast it would possibly get, its speed leveled out. She watched the digital display as it quickly ticked up, her hands clenched to keep from fidgeting. It was finally time. The John Avenue Capital anniversary party was finally here. Which meant it was time to put all her practice to use.

  "Nervous?"

  She looked to her side. Elliot stood there with his hands behind his back, calm as ever. Tonight, he'd forgone his usual green dress shirt for the formality of a full tuxedo. His long red hair was bound back in a neatly-combed ponytail, and a small black bowtie adorned his collar.

  Kaitlyn wasn't entirely sure where he'd gotten the attire—but given how perfectly the suit seemed to fit him, she suspected that this was something he just owned. Either way, it certainly looked nice.

  She gave the ginger a shaky smile. "A bit. Better than I could be, though."

  Their practice dinners had gone a long way in helping to make her comfortable with the coming party. Otherwise, she'd probably be a complete wreck. But now that it was actually here, her nerves came rushing back with a vengeance.

  Elliot put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Hey. Don't be. Remember, the whole point of this thing is to have fun. There's no pressure.

  "I know, but…"

  "You'll be fine. Trust me. And I'm not just saying that because you look absolutely fantastic."

  Kaitlyn felt her cheeks warm. "It's not too much, is it? I don't want to stand out or feel like I'm showing off—"

  "Kate, you're not. I promise. Not enough that you'd stick out like a sore thumb, especially not in this crowd. Remember, these aren't college students."

  She let out a long breath, forcing her shoulders to relax. "You're… you're right. Thanks Elli."

  "Of course. Besides, if you're not fine, there's always the emergency option." At her confused look, he grinned. "Faking food poisoning to get out of there early."

  Kaitlyn gaped at him. "You what?!"

  "It's a great trick. Desperate times call for desperate measures, you know? Don't knock it till you've tried it."

  The elevator dinged cheerfully as it reached its destination. The pair quieted as the doors slid open, revealing a large room full of well-dressed people chatting and milling about.

  Alright. Here we go.

  Elliot gently placed his hand on the small of her back. With one final breath to steady herself, Kaitlyn stepped into the room.

  Her long maroon gown swished soundlessly as she walked, its ankle-length folds moving smoothly above the floor. A pair of wide straps hugged the tops of her arms in a graceful "V" shape, set wide enough apart to bare nearly her entire shoulders. Despite that, they still somehow felt secure enough that she didn't worry about them slipping down. The bodice of the gown hugged her torso comfortably as though it were a second skin. She wore the same pearl earrings and sandals she'd grown accustomed to, their luster now matched by a fine pattern of the tiny white orbs that belted her waist.

  Kaitlyn tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It had been styled into a partial bun, with a few locks teased to frame her face in wavy ringlets. A subtle application of makeup completed the ensemble, courtesy of Heather's insistence.

  When she'd first seen the outfit come together, Kaitlyn had honestly been shocked. She'd known what to expect somewhat based on the drawings and sketches she'd seen at the tailor's. But between the dress and everything else, she felt like she hardly recognized herself.

  …No, it's not that, she corrected. I don't look like a completely different person. It's just so far removed from anything I ever imagined myself wearing a few years ago. And despite that, it feels so RIGHT, like it fits. It's definitely me. I just… maybe I didn't realize how different "me" is now.

  The lights of the hanging chandeliers sparked off her pearls, setting them aglow as though from within. Despite Elliot's assurances, her appearance did draw more than a few eyes, which she studiously tried to ignore. Instead, she focused on keeping her back straight and her hands still. Elliot walked along beside her, his hand serving to ground her in these uncharted waters.

  Ok. We made it. That's the hard part done. Now… it's time to actually talk to people. Easy.