Fic: Secrets Part 1

Pairing: Blis (Blake and Doris)

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything. Guiding Light does.

"I just don't understand how a mother could keep something that big from her own child," Ashlee Wolfe looked directly at her mother. What was it going to take to get her mother to open up to her? An anvil? She wasn't sure what her mother was hiding from her, but she knew it was something, and something big for that matter. The last few months especially, her mother had been shorter with her than usual and obviously wanted to tell her *something*, but didn't know how. The last time her mother had behaved like this, Ashlee was a little girl and readily accepted that 'adult' matters didn't concern her, but now, things were different. She was older and could handle whatever her mother could throw at her. She tried a different tack, "Mom, you do know that you could tell me anything, right? Even if….oh I don't know…you killed Edmund? You could trust me."

"Ashlee, sit down," Doris sighed. When her daughter complied, she continued, "some things just aren't easy to talk about with your children. You want your kids to think you are perfect…"

Ashlee giggled, "Mom, I know you're not perfect."

"Ashlee, I'm trying to have an emotional moment here, and this isn't easy for me," Doris reprimanded.

"Sorry, mom, I'm listening."

"I've been trying to tell you something for a while, and I just didn't know how, and I kept hoping for the perfect moment, but the moment never came, and…" Doris paused because her heart was beating inordinately fast, and she was sure she'd give herself a heart attack. If Saint Natalia had the courage to tell her child, then, maybe…

"Mom, what is it?"

"I'm gay," Doris forced the words off of her lips before she could second guess herself.

Ashlee's face first turned pale, but then she appeared to be deep in thought. "I guess…that makes sense. I don't have a father, and you don't really date, and you always liked softball…"

"Honey, you know I love you?" Doris's voice suddenly became childlike. She didn't know if she could handle her daughter's rejection.

"Is Olivia your girlfriend?"

"What? No, she's just a friend. Didn't Rafe tell you Olivia is dating his mother?" Doris was confused. Wasn't that what had started this whole mess?

Ashlee's head was spinning. Her mother was a lesbian; Olivia Spencer was a lesbian. Natalia was a lesbian. If her mother wasn't dating Olivia, who was she dating? Were there any other single women in Springfield at the moment? "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, honey, you'd be the first person to find out if I was. It's kind of hard to date when you're as deep in the closet as I am," Doris lamented. "But I did choose a public life."

For a moment, Ashlee forgot her frustration at having been kept in the dark for so many years and felt sorry for her mother. She was clearly miserable by herself. As much as she often was frustrated with her mother, she did deserve to be happy. She wasn't a bad person; a little short-tempered maybe, but she'd always been there when Ashlee needed her. She gave her mom a hug, "I love you."

"I love you too," Doris felt closer to her daughter than she ever had. A huge weight had been lifted from her chest. Ashlee still loved her. Olivia was right; her daughter knew the truth and the world didn't end. Her eyes welled up with uncharacteristic tears.

Ashlee spoke with the determination of a Wolfe, "We're going to find you a girlfriend. I want you to be happy."

"That's really not necessary, but I appreciate that you are ok with this. You are ok with this?" Doris searched her daughter's eyes for the answer.

"Yes, I'm ok with this, and yes, I'm still going to help you find a girlfriend," Ashlee's eyes twinkled. Playing matchmaker would be fun. "Don't worry; I'll keep your secret, but I can ask questions you can't without anyone suspecting why I'm asking them. Admit it: you need me."

"Why do I get the feeling you won't take no for an answer?"

Ashlee smiled with a twinkle in her eyes, "Because I'm your daughter?"

Ashlee sat at the counter at lunchtime at Company, stirring her coffee. She was supposed to meet Rafe, but he was late as usual. She still hadn't come up with anyone good for her mother to date. All the single women were either too old or way too young or…

"Can I take your order?" Blake looked at Ashlee pointedly. This was rush hour at Company, and she hated when people came in and didn't bother to get anything to eat when she could be getting tips.

Suddenly, Ashlee grinned widely, "Blake! Of course!" Sure, Blake had previously been with men, but so had Olivia Spencer, and somehow, the idea of her mother and Blake just fit. They had so much in common. They'd both been mayor. They were both strong women with ambitions. Even though Blake kept changing her ambitions every few seconds…

"Ok, now you're scaring me. Why are you so happy to see me?" Blake was perplexed. She didn't think that she and Ashlee were on really good terms. Neutral ones maybe, but certainly not good terms.

Ashlee smiled, "I was supposed to bring my mother lunch, but I just got called into work. Would you bring it to her? I'll pay extra."

"Can it wait until after the rush?"

Ashlee nodded, "Yeah, she wasn't expecting me for an hour anyway."

Blake considered for a moment. It was an odd request, but who turned down money in this economy? Especially if she could do it during the slow part of the day, she'd made her decision, "Sure."

"Great. She'll have a Buzz burger with fries and a coffee," Ashlee handed Blake some cash and hugged her, "Thank you so much!"

Blake stared after her. Who was that and what had she done with Ashlee Wolfe? She didn't give it another thought until after rush hour. She was too busy. After an hour, the restaurant grew relatively quiet, and she called over to Buzz, "I'll be back in a half hour. Have to make a delivery."

"A delivery? Since when do we deliver?"

"Since today. See you soon," Blake waved and walked out the door with the food for Doris before Buzz could respond. She needed a break anyway.