Author – Caroline aka 'Faithx5452'
Title – Learning to Love Once More
Show – AMC
Pairing – Maggie & Kendall (MAK)
Rating – PG 13 to R
Warning – If the idea of two women in love with one another offends you, don't read any further. If this subject material does not offend you, then please continue on you're merry way. Also, the story touches upon violence against women
Disclaimer – I do not own any of the characters of AMC. They are the products of the very talented Agnes Nixon's creative mind and are daily brought to life from fiction to reality by the talented actresses and actors who play them
Author's Notes – I originally posted this story on the Elizabeth Hendrickson and BAM board and at the time no story had been written about this unlikely pair. I'm always up to a challenge so I took on this pair that may have only been imagined and attempted to explore their relationship. I am re-posting this story here in bits as I do some edits to the story so please be patient
Feedback – If the story moves ya enough to give some, then by all means go ahead. If not, that's alright
Summary – What if Maggie and Kendall found a connection with one another after the whole trial of Michael Cambias' murder was done with? Would one tough medical intern and a cold hearted woman finally find the love they deserve with each other? Or will the complexity of how different they are to one another be the driving force to separating them forever?
"Learning to Love Once More"
By faithx5452
Part 1 – Recognition for an Unlikely Savior
The town of Pine Valley and its residents went to sleep peacefully with the knowledge that the Cambias trial was finally done with.
While the loved ones of Bianca Montgomery found refuge in they're homes and in the company of loved ones, one lone woman makes her way warily to her abandoned apartment.
"And then there was one." She speaks, bitterness dripping from her tone as she surveys the darkness blanketing her home. Turning on the light, she blinks at the sudden brightness. She doesn't even bother to check her message machine, at the moment she wonders why she had ever purchased one. No one has ever bothered to call her, and if they were to by some chance it would have been to accuse her falsely of something she apparently did.
For Kendall Hart, eldest daughter of Erica Kane and sister to Bianca Montgomery, she lived a painful and often lonely life. Having always relied on her tough personality and manipulation, she's never been able to open her heart to anyone.
Sure, there was Ryan who she had married once. But after a misunderstanding, he walked out of her life like so many others would do throughout the years. Tonight, Kendall knew that Ryan was with Greenlee somewhere; her long lost cousin of sorts thanks to a paternity test that proved Jackson McCoy was the father.
Of course, Greenlee Dupre, a woman who could rival both Kendall and Erica Kane's personalities and leave with body limbs in tact. Kendall and Greenlee had been the close of friends once, due to they're shared investments with Fusion, but they're friendship was often threatened or put on hold as they're own judgments of the other ruled over any logical thinking.
Then there was Erica Kane, mother to Kendall Hart though the woman hadn't fully admitted to the role until just a few months ago. Erica had all but banished Kendall from her life in Pine Valley, the fact that Kendall was the child of Erica's rapist was another factor for Erica's disdain.
But even though all these people had at one time or another hurt Kendall or continued to do so, none of them were able to compare to what Michael Cambias had done to her. Cambias had played Kendall for the fool she had once been, she had convinced herself that he actually cared for her but she realized too late that he was only using her to get to Erica. Michael's biggest mistake was having raped Kendall's little sister, Bianca, as a way of revenge on the two Kane women. Kendall was ready to kill Michael for what he did, but unfortunately someone had beaten Kendall to it.
Who it was that had gotten there first had broken Kendall's heart, there standing over Michael's lifeless body she found her dear young sister's hands trembling with the gun still clutched in her fingers. Only through soft pleading and reassurance that Michael was indeed dead, did Bianca let go of the smoking gun. That night, Kendall knew things would forever change in her life.
She had sacrificed everything to save her sister from a murder trial and her unborn niece from the backlash of being a child of rape. She had practically lost all of her friends who thought she was only doing it because of her greed, she had lost Ryan in her web of lies and forever pushed him away from her heart, and she had almost lost whatever relationship she and Erica had been able to form due to her keeping Bianca's pregnancy a secret.
Didn't they know? Couldn't they tell that all she had done, every lie she had told was to protect them?
Kendall was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the door to her apartment opening. Which was why she almost jumped out of her skin when a voice suddenly sounded from behind her.
"You did a good thing today."
"Maggie?" Kendall asks turning around quickly, surprise showing on her features as she registers at seeing the blonde standing in her doorway. Hell, she was more surprised that Bianca wasn't with her. Ever since...that terrible night...Bianca and Maggie seemed inseparable. To the misfortune of Lena. "What...what are you doing here? I thought you left with Bianca?"
Closing the door, Maggie walked into the apartment condo. "I did but then I realized that I was becoming the third wheel around the time that the song 'Just the Two of Us' started playing." Kendall nodded, in a way she could relate. She herself had been the third wheel plenty of times in her life. Whether it was with love triangles or broken friendships or family she never seemed to come out on top of anything.
"So you, what? Decided 'hey, maybe I'll go visit Kendall? See if she wants to start a pity party?'." Kendall accused, knowing that her accusation was unfair seeing how she really didn't have anything against the younger girl. Sure, at one time or another the two of them were on opposite sides when Fusion and Enchantment were at odds with one another but Maggie had been caught in the middle due to the fact that she was best friends with Bianca and was civil with the girls of Fusion.
Shaking her head, Maggie had to remind herself of all that Kendall had been through today. Even if Kendall's comment was a bit harsh and uncalled for. "I don't pity you, Kendall. In fact, pity is far from what I feel when I think about you." Maggie stifled a winced, oops, she hadn't meant to let that last part slip.
A carefully shaped brow rose at this, "Oh? Then what do you think about me?" Kendall asked, honestly curious.
Smiling, Maggie sat down after Kendall motioned her towards one of the chairs in the living room. Despite the differences in Kendall's character from Erica, the two shared the fact that they both were extremely curious about what others thought of them. While Erica was looking for admiration and respect, Kendall was looking for acceptance and love.
"I think…" Maggie paused; the fact that she was having an actual conversation with Kendall amazed her. For once, they weren't talking about Bianca or Erica or Fusion or any of the problems that surrounded them. Just a simple conversation between two women. "I think you're amazing." Was the most brutally honest answer Kendall had ever heard.
Kendall blushed, before the night of Bianca's rape Kendall would have never openly blushed or even been capable of feeling shy. But she had changed, whether some people weren't ready to admit to it, she wasn't who she used to be. Even a small compliment had enough power to cause her to be insecure of whom she was.
"I'm not amazing, if anything I'm a cruel person."
"Well, if that's true it's only because you've grown up in a cruel world." Maggie retorted, her tone light and understanding. She knew how tough living in this world was; she had too many skeletons in her own closet from her childhood that secured that notion.
"You're not getting soft on me, are you Maggie?"
"God, and face the wrath of Kendall Hart defenseless? Please."
Smiling at the younger woman's sarcasm, Kendall stood up from the couch and motioned to the kitchen. "Can I get you a drink? Water? Coffee?"
"Do you have anything stronger?" Maggie asked hopefully, usually she would've declined the offer of any alcoholic beverages but after the past 48 hours she would have drank anything to forget it all.
"I'm surprised; I thought all doctors lived off of coffee." Kendall said, catching Maggie on her change of drinks. Nevertheless, Kendall got up and walked over to her wine cabinet.
"Don't believe everything you hear." Maggie warned playfully, taking off her coat.
Maggie hadn't planned on staying for coffee or even for as long as it seemed she would be, but she realized that she didn't want to be stuck in between the Bianca and Lena sandwich. Besides, she had never really gotten to know Kendall…other than what she had heard other people say about the lanky brunette but she had a feeling that for all that people said about her; it was all carefully placed misconceptions.
Kendall smiled as she put the water on for coffee; perhaps she wouldn't be alone for at least one night after all. The prospect of having company with someone, even if it was for one night, was more than she needed.
To be continued…