Back to the hotel.

"And we're clear! Great job, everyone!" the director's voice boomed from the speakers and immediately afterwards the studio lights flickered off while stagehands hurried about and the pages corralled the studio audience to the exits.

"I want to thank every one of you for coming to the show to help promote science to the public!" Julie cheered as she went along the line of crew members and hugged each of them.

"I'm really sorry, Jon, for all those intimate questions the audience asked," Julie apologized. "I hope you weren't that humiliated!"

"It's okay, I knew they were going to ask those type of questions," he shrugged. The audience may have teased him about living with twelve women for two years but he wasn't going to complain about it considering the hell he had seen and experienced during his two tours in Afghanistan.

Julie turned to Iris and gave her a warm hug and a genuine smile. "You raised a very good son! I would be proud if my son could achieve half what Jon has accomplished!"

"Thank you, Julie, you are so kind!" Iris smiled back. "I was tough on him because I knew he could always do better!"

"Before we take you back to your hotel, my producers and I got gifts for everyone!" Julie cheered.

Jonathan glanced over at Lauren and Hane, who looked back at him, before speaking. "Julie, thank you for the considerate gifts but as federal employees we aren't allowed to accept them if they're over twenty dollars."

"But I'm not an employee!" Zoe protested with a cute pout.

Hane shook her head at the girl and smiled graciously at Julie. "Yes, we really appreciate your show flying us in first-class and putting us in a five-star hotel but we can't accept the gifts because would not only be improper but illegal."

Julie looked at Jonathan's mother for a moment. "But it would be okay if Iris gets the gifts?"

"Technically, yes," Jonathan nodded.

"And she could do whatever she wants with them?" Julie asked with a sly smile. "Like regift?

Jonathan eyed her and understood that she was intending to exploit the "family and friends" exception as a loophole to give the crew the gifts. He looked at Lauren and Hane to see if they would have an issue with it and they gave him a subtle nod. "Yes."

"Good, I'll be right back!" Julie took Iris by the hand and led her away to talk to the show's producers.

"I wonder what the gifts are?" Allison mused.

"I hope it's not Big Brother swag," Natalie giggled. "Although I can never have enough t-shirts."

Moments later Julie and Iris returned with big smiles.

"We've worked it out and my producers will send the gifts to Iris's hotel room," Julie revealed, "and it'll be up to her how what she does with them."

"What are the gifts?" the triplets asked in unison.

"You will find out after we go back to the hotel to refresh for dinner!" Iris smiled, waving her hand to dismiss the girls' curiousity.

Julie personally escorted the group out of the soundstage to the waiting stretched SUV limousine. "I would love to join you for dinner tonight but I think it's best that the crew gets to enjoy one of their last meals together!"

"Thank you, Julie!" the entire crew of the Priapus Project cheered in unison and hugged her again as they climbed into the car.

"This is much better than the coach bus that picked us up at the airport!" Leah remarked as she checked out the luxurious leather and hardwood interior, sound system, and tinted windows for privacy.

"Can we use the wet bar?" Eva asked.

"Regrettably no," Hane shook her head, "due to California's 'open container' laws."

"Yeah, it's dumb!" Allison grumbled, rolling her eyes as she grabbed an overpriced bottle of water. "We're in a fuckin' limo!"

The drive from CBS Studio Center to The London West Hollywood hotel in Beverly Hills was only about twenty minutes through Laurel Canyon and then along Sunset Boulevard. Jonathan and the triplets, having been born and raised in LA, didn't bother looking out the windows like the rest of the crew to gawk at the homes in the valley or possibly catch a glimpse of a minor celebrity.

"I wish we could stay in LA a bit longer," Natalie sighed. "This is my first time on the West Coast!"

"Do you want to go shopping before we go for dinner?" Crystal asked. "There's The Grove..."

"...Beverly Center..." Jade added.

"...Rodeo Drive," Amber suggested.

"I was thinking less expensive chic and more geek," Natalie replied.

"What about you, Zoe?" Eva asked, noticing the youngest crew member had been quiet and preoccupied with her phone.

"I'm okay with staying in my room," Zoe shrugged.

"We should go to a bar or club tonight!" Cindy suggested, smiling at Jonathan. "It may be our last time for the next two years!"

"I don't drink..." Zoe responded, not looking up from her phone.

"You're legal now," Allison noted, "so you can have at least one drink with us before we get stuck together!"

"I don't drink..." Zoe replied, looking up from her phone with a look of annoyance.

"How about we order you virgin drinks?" Eva suggested.

"I'm not a virgin!" Zoe snapped defensively.

"Um, a virgin drink is like a Bloody Mary," Cindy explained. "It has no alcohol."

"Oh... okay," Zoe blushed. "Well, I'm still not a virgin..."

Before anyone could press her on the issue further the limousine pulled up to the hotel. Jonathan got out the limousine first and robbed the chauffeur of the pleasure to help the women out.

"If any of you want to go out shopping after you freshen up please give me a call," the chauffeur announced, his ogling eyes hidden by his aviator sunglasses, and handed everyone his business card. "Otherwise, I'll be back at six to pick everyone up for dinner."

"Thanks, Bruce," Jonathan smirked at the chauffeur, handing a ten dollar bill tip in his palm before following the gaggle of women into the hotel lobby.