Chapter 1: Bumpy Landing

Reese tried every day while she as in Pine Valley to remember something about Bianca. Sometimes it as just the smell of her hair as it rubbed up against Reese every morning before they got up, other times it was that goofy child like grin Bianca would get at what seemed like the most random moments. Sometimes she felt like she could even feel Bianca near her, especially in her blindness. There was absolutely nothing, not even that stupid letter, that could shake Bianca's memory out of her head; it was ever-present, and ever-clear. So naturally, hearing that Bianca was back in town, even if only momentarily, made the feeling that she could fall apart at any minute all the more palpable.

She literally had to make herself stay away, even though everything in her said to lock Bianca away somewhere until she realized that they belonged together. She was even willing to (well not willing, but capable of) letting Bianca walk away once again, she would do anything if it meant Bianca's happiness. So hearing that the one thing that could make Bianca happy was the thing Reese had been begging for all this time, hearing that nearly melted her heart. Maybe she was so excited (too excited) that she let her mind get ahead of her. She started entertaining thoughts of those mornings in bed together just before either of them got up. She thought about being able to hold her, and play with the girls, and kissing Bianca. God if there was one thing Reese missed most it was Bianca's warmth and she felt it most whenever they kissed. Reese allowed herself to get excited about all these things, but she had no idea what kind of an uphill battle she was in for.

They didn't speak the entire plane ride back. A few times Reese wasn't even sure if Bianca had changed her mind. Bianca could be a bit indecisive at times and it wouldn't have surprised Reese if Bianca suddenly wanted her gone again. She tried to gauge Bianca's feelings through the silence, but there was nothing just a completely blank stare and a slight grin of complacency. Every time she wanted to speak she thought better of it and changed her mind. She was too scared to even try, she felt like she didn't have any right to speak to Bianca about anything. No, Reese was sure; if they spoke it would have to be on Bianca's terms. So she sat, in silence, looking at the love of her life and wondering what would become of them.

As the pulled up to the penthouse Bianca instructed the driver to wait, something Reese normally would have thought of as odd, except that she was caught off guard by the sound of Bianca's voice. That soft angelic voice she'd gone without for so long. Now, with all the silence all she wanted was to hear that voice; Bianca's voice could pull her out of anything. Waiting in front of the suit doors was their personal nanny Caroline who, taking one child in each hand, walked them down the entry way to the elevator doors.

"Vous nous manqué Madame Montgomery, et vous aussi Madame Williams" Caroline greeted them

"Merci Caroline" Bianca said with a genuine smile "Would you mind taking the children to bed? I'd like to stay in the lobby with Reese for a while."

Reese was still mesmerized by the sound of Bianca speaking, but she was present enough to catch that Bianca wanted to be alone with her. Even as she watched the kids disappearing as the elevator doors closed she was still stuck on Bianca so much so that she temporarily forgot she was still with her.

"It's lovely." She finally blurted out with the kids out of ear shot.

"What is?" Bianca asked in a shy but curious way. Reese hadn't even realized she was audible. Now she was face to face with the most breath taking vision of a person standing right before her and she couldn't even gather a decent explanation. After stuttering uncomfortably for some time, she finally settled on the truth.

"Your voice, it's…I haven't heard it in a long while and I didn't realize how much I would miss just you talking." She finally explained.

For a while all Bianca could do was stare, she didn't want to upset Reese, but she didn't know what to say and she wasn't sure how to feel just yet. Sometimes she felt like she could kiss her and forget everything, and other times she felt like the biggest idiot in the world. Sometimes when she looked at Reese instead of seeing the woman she loved she saw a woman she now despised. Even though the logical parts of her remembered that the break up had not entirely been Reese's fault, she couldn't help but see someone that nearly tore her family apart whenever she looked at herself or Reese. Bianca loved both her girls, but if there was one thing in the world she wished she could change it was the way Gabby came to be. She knew the plan was ill-conceived and she went ahead with it any way, even hiding it from her sister out of guilt.

"Can we go sit at the bar maybe, we've got some things to discuss. I just didn't want to do it in front of the girls."

Nodding her head in agreement, Reese followed Bianca over to the bar and sat in the stool next to hers. Right away the waiter brought them each a glass of their favorite wine. Bianca let out an exasperated sigh in between sips of her glass.

"It's so hard to sit next to you; I want to do so much more than sit next to you Reese."

Reese digested the words as best as she could. She understood, she didn't like it, but she understood what Bianca meant. They had to take it slow, they needed to take precautions to ensure that they were doing the right thing for them, and for the kids. Still, whenever she caught a glimpse of those big brown eyes or the way Bianca's outfits always seemed to hang in a way that sent her mind racing, Reese could barely control herself.

"I understand, it's alright. I can sleep on the couch or in the guest room until we move in to the house then we'll…"

"Reese wait!" Bianca interrupted "You can't stay in the penthouse, I don't even want you in the building."

"What?" that was all Reese could manage to get out in her stunned state of shock.