It's sad, so sad
It's a sad, sad situation
And it's getting more and more absurd
It's sad, so sad
Why can't we talk it over
Oh it seems to me
That sorry seems to be the hardest word
-Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word, Elton John

Anna closed her phone and turned to Maggie. "Okay, you're all set. You leave for Pine Valley the day after next."

"Wait… what?" Maggie blinked. She was amazed at how fast Anna was able to find a ticket to the States, considering it was the holiday season.

"You're going to Pine Valley."

"Yes, I heard that. But how the heck am I going to afford this ticket? I don't even have a place to stay."

"Don't you worry about that. I've got it all taken care of. You'll be staying at The Valley Inn," Anna smiled.

Maggie's heart swelled with warmth. Anna Devane was definitely one of her biggest champions and she was grateful for it. "I'm going to pay you back somehow. If it takes years, I will." Suddenly quiet, an unsure look appeared on her face. "What if Bianca doesn't forgive me?"

Anna moved closer, placing both hands on Maggie's shoulders. "You are going to Pine Valley to fight for the woman you love. I have faith that she'll forgive you. It won't be easy at first, but as long as you fight for your love, things will work out they way they're supposed to."

"You think so?"

"Sweetie, I don't think. I know."

Maggie yawned while glancing at the clock and realizing they had been up all night talking. "It's late, or actually, early."

"Yeah. Why don't you go to the bedroom and get some sleep. I'm going to stay out here and finish whatever cleaning you were doing before I came," Anna stood, taking their empty teacups and placing them on the tray. "When you wake up later, I'll help you start packing."

Maggie moved off the couch, stretching her arms above her head. "Thank you, for everything."

"No need to thank me. I'm just a firm believer in true love," flashing a hopeful grin.

--

People continued to walk in and out of ConFusion as the night progressed. Some stopped in for a quick drink, others searching for a good time with friends as a way of letting loose. In one corner sat Jamie Martin and Julia Santos, their on again – off again – on again situation in their relationship finally put to rest as they cuddled against on another, all smiles and with drinks in hand.

Behind the bar stood Del Henry, always on the prowl, looking to find the next woman whose affections he'd try and win over. Every so often, Amanda waved a hand in front of his face, reminding him that he was there to work, not pick up women.

In a far corner of the club, Erin and Bianca were seated on the leather couch, engaging in lively conversation. Although it felt a little awkward at first for Bianca to be enjoying a night out, she soon felt comfortable in the club atmosphere, a welcomed distraction to everything going on in her life.

"Ryan told me you've been living in Paris for the past year and a half," Erin said, making casual small talk as she sipped her drink. "What's it like?"

"Living in Paris? It's definitely a departure from life in Pine Valley, that's for sure," Bianca answered, not putting much thought to her reply. It seemed almost automatic, considering how her life in Paris was without complications, up until now. "I do have my moments when I miss everyone that's here."

"So, what brought you back to town?"

"Besides me getting to know my Josh and reacquainted with Sean?" Bianca looked down at her wine glass for a second before answering. "I needed some time to myself and I thought it would be nice if Miranda spent some time with my mother and sister."

Erin sipped the last of her martini and set the glass down on the table. "Ryan also mentioned that Maggie had moved to Paris with you, how's that going?"

Bianca tried not to wince at the mention of Maggie, let alone Erin asking how things were. Before she could answer, someone else spoke, the voice coming from behind her. Turning around, she looked up and saw her older sister, standing arm in arm with Zach Slater.

"Wow Binks, who would have pegged you for the night life kind of person," Kendall chuckled.

"Hi Kendall," Bianca spoke, nervously pushing back some hair behind her ear. "Erin asked me to join her for drinks, so I thought I'd take her up on the offer."

Kendall smirked. "Oh yeah, nothing like drinking your sorrows away. After this afternoon, I guess I can understand why you would be here."

"Hey sis, here's a suggestion. Butt out." Bianca sneered. Standing up, she took hold of her wine glass and pushed passed the curly haired woman. Heading back towards the bar, she handed her glass to the bartender.

While standing there, she couldn't help but look around. As her eyes scanned the room, her gaze fell upon a blonde haired woman seated in the distance. Her heart raced for a moment, thinking it was Maggie but upon blinking, she realized it wasn't. Maggie wasn't there and instead of hoping that maybe her girlfriend had come to her senses and rushed back to Pine Valley, Bianca felt the pain in her heart all over again, thinking back to the night Maggie admitted to sleeping with someone else.

Kendall joined her sister at the bar, nodding to the bartender to bring over her regular. "Bianca, look," quickly noticing her downcast gaze. "Binks, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Bianca shook her head. She tried to hide the hurt on her face, but knew Kendall could see right through it. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, she pushed past her sister again and went back to the corner to grab her coat and purse. After thanking Erin for a good time, she made her way through the crowd and out of ConFusion. Rushing to her car, she got inside, and leaned against the steering wheel with tears in her eyes.

Kendall palmed her husband's cheek, leaning in to meet his lips for a sweet kiss. Pulling away, she brushed her fingers against the stubble on his face, all the while unable to shake her concern for Bianca.

"You look distracted," Zach tilted his head, eyebrow raised as he gazed at his wife.

"It's Bianca. I know she's been nursing a broken heart, but tonight, something just seemed off about her and…"

"And you want to go talk to her," finishing his wife's statement. Taking her hand, he brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her soft skin. "Go and find her, she may need your shoulder to cry on."

Kendall lovingly smiled at Zach. "Are you sure? I mean it's our first night out in a while and I hate to cut it short."

"Go on, I'll head back to the house and spend some time with Spike. We'll talk about hockey and the Red Wings' chances of winning the Stanley Cup this year. Okay, so maybe I'll do most of the talking, but you get the idea," Zach reached for Kendall's coat and helped her slip it on. Snaking his arm around her waist, they weaved their way through the crowd and walked back to the car.

Bianca entered the dimly lit living room, carrying a warm cup of tea in her hands. Headed toward the couch with the intention of looking over some reports before going to bed, she was forced to make a slight detour when there was a knock at the front door. After peeking through the curtain to see who was there, she opened it.

"Kendall, I'm really not in the mood," she sighed.

"Binks, I'm sorry for the way I acted at ConFusion. In fact, I'm sorry for calling Maggie. I overstepped my boundaries," Kendall apologized, shivering slightly at the burst of cold air from behind.

Not wanting her sister to leave her sister outside in the cold, Bianca moved aside and let the curly haired woman into the house. "Come on, I'll make you a cup of tea."

Bianca and Kendall sat on the couch in Jack and Erica's dimly lit living room, its only source of light coming from the roaring fire in the fireplace and a lamp situated in a far corner. Sipping their drink of comfort, Bianca would periodically stare at her cup then towards the fire while Kendall observed her, hoping a heart to heart would give her baby sister some sort of solace.

"Binks, what happened back there at ConFusion? Kendall asked.

"I told you, it's nothing," Bianca replied.

"This is about Maggie, isn't it?"

Not bothering to look up, the younger woman nodded.

Kendall set her cup down on the table and slid across the couch. Reaching out with her hand, she pushed Bianca's chin up. "I want to help you, but before I can do that, you need to talk to me. I'm here for your Bianca and if I have to stay here all night, I will."

"Is it too much for me to ask, when I say I want a life without complications?" Bianca finally spoke.

"It's not, but then again, if life weren't so complicated, it'd be too damn boring," Kendall remarked, doing her best to keep the mood light but knew deep down it would become serious. "You thought Paris would provide that for you, huh? Move away from Pine Valley, raise your daughter out of the media spotlight, and find love in the process."

"Yeah," nodding dejectedly. "And I did. I found love with Maggie. God, Kendall, the night she told me she was ready for something more than being best friends, my heart felt like it wanted to burst. And I'm guessing Maggie felt the same way, too."

"I can imagine."

"I… We waited so long, we felt like we were going to explode."

"I'll bet."

"And now… Now it's…"

Kendall took hold of Bianca's hands. "Why don't you start from the beginning, tell me what brought you and Maggie to this point."

Bianca sighed deeply, pulling her hands away so she could swipe some hair from her face. "Our lives were filled with so much happiness. Maggie, Miranda and I, we were a family in every sense of the word. Sure, her life was busy with classes and mine with Cambias matters but we always managed to find a way at the end of the day to be together, if only for a little bit of time," she smiled, thinking back to better days. "Any issues that came up, disagreements or whatever, we dealt with them together. Trust was never a problem between us, we established that bond way before anything ever happened."

"I'm glad you did, because Lord knows the kind of trust issues I've had," Kendall laughed slightly, admitting her own fatal flaw.

"You got past it, though. Look how happy you are with Zach."

"I know. But let's focus on you, after all, this is your story to tell."

"Maggie decided to load up on classes last year over this past year. Her reason being, how she wanted to lighten her load when the fall semester came around so she'd be able to spend more time at home with Miranda and me. And I was okay with that," Bianca explained.

"Sometimes, sacrifices need to be made in relationships and it sounds like Maggie knew what she was doing," Kendall replied, then noticing a change in the brunette's demeanor.

"What I wasn't okay with was Maggie's lab partner," she added.

"Cecelia."

"Yeah."

Bianca choked back her emotions, uncomfortable at the mention of Cecelia, let alone having to talk about her. But she knew in order for everything to make sense, she had to. "Cecelia wanted Maggie. Badly. At first, it wasn't that obvious, so I didn't think much of it. Plus, Maggie was finally becoming a little more comfortable with who she was. But then, I began noticing the way she looked at her."

"Maggie?" Kendall asked.

"The way Cecelia looked at Maggie," Bianca corrected. "On weekends when Maggie had to put some extra time in the lab, I would come by with Miranda and we'd have lunch together. And of course, since Cecelia was Maggie's lab partner, she was there, too," rolling her eyes, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "There were times when we were eating that I'd glance across the room and catch her eyeing Maggie. And then she'd give me this piercing look, I don't even know how to describe it."

"Sort of like how Mom looked at Jack during the Thanksgiving fiasco?"

"Yeah, something like that. Almost as if she was telling me to watch out."

Kendall chuckled under her breath. "Who knew French people could have so much attitude?"

"She's from New York."

"Figures. New Yorkers have attitude, too."

Bianca brought a hand to her forehead. "Kendall, so not the point."

"Sorry, sorry," apologized the older woman. "As you were saying."

"I tried not to let it get to me, since I trusted Maggie. But it didn't help how Cecelia would try and get close to Maggie during study group. In fact, there was one time I came into the den after the group left and if I wasn't mistaken, I thought I had walked in on a very compromising moment. Turns out I was right because Maggie talked to me about later on that night," Bianca continued to explain, once again pushing some hair back behind her ear. "She told me how Cecelia tried to kiss her."

"I knew it, she's a slut," Kendall retorted.

Ignoring her sister's latest remark, Bianca pressed on. "Maggie decided enough was enough and asked her professor if she could switch lab partners or possibly work alone. She ended up having to work alone, but knew it was for the best. The only thing I hated was the fact that her workload practically doubled, but Maggie seemed to juggle it all well," she shrugged at her own assumption of everything. "That's why she wasn't able to tag along for my last visit; she was overloaded with papers and lab reports. And when I got back, I could tell she needed a vacation, but stuff at Cambias had piled up, which meant I was now the one buried in work. Needless to say, it was a tough summer for the two of us."

"You weren't the only ones. We had the Greg Madden fiasco happening here," the curly haired woman shuddered.

"Well, to make up for all the lost time from the summer, I surprised Maggie with a trip to Venice. It was wonderful." A sad smile appeared on Bianca's face, sighing as she remembered how the beautiful trip suddenly went sour. "One of the reasons why I surprised Maggie with this trip was so I could talk to her about settling down. It had been on my mind for most of the summer and since the two of us were finally on equal footing, I figured it was time to take the next step in our relationship. I thought wrong."

Kendall bit down on her bottom lip, forehead creasing with concern. "Oh no, Binks. I'm guessing you caught her by surprise when the subject was brought up."

"Yeah," whispering her reply. "She kind of freaked out, but we talked things through. It meant us staying up all night, but in the end, there was some sort of resolution. I guess." Bianca shifted positions on the couch, bringing her legs closer to her body. "When we got back from Venice, Maggie seemed a bit distant. It was only natural and it's how she is. I decided not to push the subject, resolving myself to wait a bit before bringing it up again."

"Logical choice."

"It was a sensible one, because it let the two of us have some space and let the idea sit in the back of our minds. Or at least, mine."

"So, I'm guessing that after a little bit of time passed, you asked her again?" Kendall surmised.

Bianca nodded. "I did. And the second time around, it wasn't pretty. Things got downright harsh."

Bianca sat back on the couch, pulling Maggie into her arms as they listened to the music filling the room. Cuddling with the blonde, she pushed some hair aside with her hand and pressed a kiss to her nape. "Mmm… you smell good," whispering into her ear.

"It's my shampoo," Maggie turned her head, her lips meeting Bianca's.

"Maggie?"

"Hmm?"

"I know we talked about this in Venice and we agreed to let things sit for a bit," Bianca spoke as she held Maggie close, "But I was wondering, with Christmas coming up soon that maybe we could make things official? Only if it's okay with you, I mean."

Maggie groaned. Moving out of Bianca's arms, she turned around and frowned. "Not again. I thought we talked about this already?"

Bianca sat up, confused the blonde's defensiveness toward the subject. "Yes, I know we did. And well, some time has passed since that discussion. So, I was hoping you'd be more open to it this time around." She took a closer look into Maggie's eyes, "I don't understand why you're being like this. We love each other, I thought since that's pretty much established, maybe we could take this next step."

"It's a huge one."

"Yes, it is."

"Well, I kinda wish you had talked to me about it first."

"Maggie, I am! It's what I'm doing right now, but you're being so goddamn pig-headed about it!" Bianca huffed. She tried to remain calm, but the more Maggie fought the idea, the harder it was to do so.

Maggie stood up and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Getting up from the couch, Bianca went to Maggie and tried to wrap her arms around her but was met with resistance. "Mags, what's wrong? What's got you so scared?"

"I don't know… it just… it feels like you're pushing me into something I don't think I'm ready for," Maggie closed her eyes, bowing her head. "You're the only woman I've ever been with and…"

"What are you trying to say, Maggie?" Bianca took one step back, confused at her girlfriend's response. "Are you doubting us, our love?"

"No, it's not like that."

"Then tell me what's going on. Because, it sure sounds like you are." She watched Maggie turn around, gazes meeting one another. "Just tell me."

"I am not doubting our love. It's the one thing that has kept me sane throughout all the craziness I deal with at school," Maggie shook her head, an unsure look appearing on her face. "It's just… why are you in such a hurry to make things official? We're happy with the way things are, why the need to settle?"

Bianca moved closer, cupping Maggie's face with her hands before leaning forward to kiss her. She rested her forehead against Maggie's. "Because I love you and I don't ever want to lose you."

Maggie's head jerked back, pulling away from Bianca's embrace. "Oh, so you're doing this so you can have some sort of leash on me?"

"No, it's not like that!"

"Okay, then tell me, Bianca. What's the real reason you're so set on commitment," Maggie's breath escaped through her nose, her tone somewhat annoyed. "God, it wasn't that long ago that I almost married an abusing murderer. Didn't you take into account after everything I've been through that maybe I'm not in a hurry to settle down?" catching the look on her girlfriend's face, she realized what she had just said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way. But you've got to understand, where I'm at in my life right now, a commitment ceremony isn't the only thing I think about. Yes, you and Miranda are priorities on my list, but…"

Bianca sat down on the couch, pulling Maggie down with her, "Look, I know it's a big step and it scares the heck out of me, too. But we'd be doing this together. I've wanted this for the longest time, for us to give Miranda a stable family life."

"What, the life we've got right now isn't enough?"

"It is. Miranda adores you."

"Then stop pressuring me into making this kind of decision!"

"Maggie, that's not what I'm doing! You're the one who keeps going on and on about feeling pressured," her voice raised slightly to counter Maggie's. Realizing that this conversation was the equivalent to beating a dead horse, she sat back and pressed a hand to her forehead. "You know what, forget that I brought up the subject. Forget it, because it's really obvious this is something we're never going to agree on and who knows if you ever will!" she covered her mouth, suddenly regretting the words that had spilled out. It was only then that she saw Maggie get up and immediately, she reached out to stop her. "Maggie, wait."

"Wait, what?" came Maggie's sharp reply. She simply stood at the doorway with her back to Bianca, not wanting to turn around due to her own guilt and the hurt she felt from the brunette's words.

"Where are you going?" Bianca choked back a sob.

"Somewhere. Anywhere but here, because I need to walk away from this before I say something I know I'll regret and won't be able to take back," Maggie reached for her coat and slipped her arms through the sleeves. "Don't wait up for me, because I don't know what time I'll be back."

"Maggie… Maggie don't," Bianca rushed off the couch and ran to the doorway. Unfortunately, she was too late as she watched the door shut behind the blonde. Walking back to the couch, Bianca collapsed down against it, face buried in her hands, wishing she'd never brought up the subject in the first place.

Bianca stood by the window, staring at the snow covered ground outside. She brought her hand to the window and traced her finger along the glass surface. "Was I wrong, Kendall? Did I make the wrong choice in bringing the subject matter to light?"

The curly haired woman turned around, watching her younger sister from her vantage point on the couch. For a moment, she didn't answer, letting silence envelop the room, its only sounds coming from the fireplace. "No, it wasn't a bad choice," was her comforting response. "I can understand why you'd want a stable family life for Miranda. I want the same thing for Spike, but it's not easy. Look at the set-up I have," Kendall explained. "Spike can't tell the difference right now, but in a few years, I know I'll be fielding questions from him."

"So then why does it feel like I did?" Bianca asked. She walked back toward the couch, picking up a frame from the table. Staring at the photo of her and Miranda, she smiled sadly. "You know, if I were given the chance to turn back time, I would."

"Binks, there was nothing wrong with you asking Maggie about settling down."

"You weren't there Kendall. You didn't see or hear the argument we had," Bianca sat back down, frustrated at herself. She brought a hand to her face, shaking her head. "It was bad. It was really ugly. I caused her to walk out on me and into that other woman's arms."

"No," Kendall said firmly. Self blame was the last thing she was going to let Bianca do, not now and not ever. "No. Bianca, you listen to me," taking the brunette's hands, looking deep into her brown eyes. "You are not to blame for any of this. It's not your fault Maggie cheated on you. She made that choice."

Bianca pulled her hands away, closing her eyes as she tried to hold back her tears. One managed to escape, streaming down her cheek as she tried to keep her composure. "I just don't know anymore, Kendall. Somewhere along the way, something happened and for the life of me, I can't figure out what it is or why," turning her head to Kendall. "It keeps going over and over in my mind. What did I say? What didn't I say? What didn't I do? Why did she need somebody else?"

"I wish I could tell you," Kendall whispered, leading to an awkward silence. Wanting to know what happened after Maggie had walked out on Bianca, she felt a bit of trepidation before asking. "Bianca? How did you find out?"

"Maggie told me. But it was after I confronted her about it."

Bianca reached for her napkin and wiped the corner of her mouth. "No, it's a perfect solution, Martine. I think it'll work well with the proposal you had me look over earlier this week. And if it all works out, I think we can roll out your idea to the American market, too."

"You think so?" Martine smiled. To have such approval from the boss was something she was proud of. "When I get back to the office, I'll polish things up a bit more, and then send it to you for final approval."

"Sounds like a plan."

A high-pitched ring interrupted their business talk, Martine reaching for her cell phone. "It's the office, I'll have to take this."

"Go right ahead," Bianca urged, watching Martine step away. Ignoring the chatter going on around her, she closed her eyes and inhaled the mild autumn air. It was certainly one of those days where relaxation was a must, setting aside any and all worries. Sadly, one worry entered into her mind, wondering if Maggie had come home yet. After the horrible discussion they had the night before, she couldn't help but wonder where her girlfriend had gone.

Bianca shook her head, resolved not to get lost in her own thoughts. She needed to think positive, keep her hopes strong that this was only a bump in her relationship with Maggie. "Oh, Maggie, I hope we can work this out," whispering under her breath. Gazing into the near distance, she noticed someone familiar walking towards her table. A sudden uneasiness washed over her.

"Bianca."

"Cecelia," Bianca curtly replied.

With a cunning smirk on her face, she placed a red rose with a note attached on the table. "Do me a favor, give this to your girlfriend for me," winking once before walking away.

Suddenly confused, Bianca watched Cecelia leave before looking down at the rose. Immediately reaching for it, she unfolded the note that was attached, completely unprepared for what she was about to discover.

Maggie –

Last night was wonderful. Please call me.

-Cecelia

Tears burned in Bianca's eyes as she read the words over and over. "This can't be right. No," she mumbled, trying to keep the anger bubbling inside her at bay. Placing the rose back on the table, she tried not to let the pieces fall into place, reminding herself repeatedly that Maggie would never hurt her in this way.

Martine returned to the table, finding the brunette looking a bit bewildered. "Bianca? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine," Bianca replied. Grabbing her purse and the rose Cecelia had left, she stood up, "I hate to cut this lunch short, but I just got a call from Miranda's day care and they need me to pick her up."

"Okay, well, I'll draw up my second draft and leave it with your secretary."

"Sounds great," the brunette replied, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. After leaving some Euro on the table, she walked out of the café and towards the car.

"Back to the office?" Patrick asked.

"No, I'm uh, done for the day, you can take me home, thank you," Bianca requested. Before stepping into the car, she glanced up at Patrick. "And if it's possible, I'd like it if you got me there as soon as possible."

"Not a problem," Patrick obliged, closing the passenger door.

Bianca arrived home fifteen minutes later. Breezing past the doorman and not bothering to return his greeting, she walked into the first open elevator, pressing the button for the penthouse. The elevator quickly took its trip up, Bianca stepping off, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes once again.

Before unlocking the door, Bianca took a deep breath then turned the doorknob. She calmly went inside, looking for any signs of her girlfriend. Walking further down the entryway, she stood at the bottom of the staircase. "Maggie?" calling out, only to hear the sounds of running water coming from their bedroom. Climbing the staircase, she headed toward the bedroom, hoping beyond hope that Maggie would prove her suspicions wrong. But with every step she took, her doubts returned, hurt and anger seeping back to the surface.

No longer able to keep those feelings hidden, Bianca stormed into the bedroom and was correct in assuming Maggie was in the shower. Frantic at this point, unable to squelch her own fears, she went searching for Maggie's clothes from the night before. Spotting the blouse she remembered her girlfriend wearing, she grabbed it. Immediately her eyes were drawn to the neckline, as the tears now fell freely down her face.

Bianca held the blouse in her hands, staring at small blotches of dark red lipstick. Closing her eyes, she pictured Cecelia, the color of her lips matching the one on the blouse she held in her hand. Suddenly aware of the silence around her, she held onto the article of clothing, standing by the bed as she waited for Maggie to come into the bedroom.

Moments later, Maggie came in, dressed in a pair of track pants and a t-shirt, hair still damp from the shower she'd just taken.

Before the blonde could say a word, Bianca spoke calmly. "How long, Maggie?

"What? What do you mean?" Maggie asked, completely caught off guard as to what the brunette was referring to.

"This, Maggie! Her lipstick is on your clothes!" Bianca held up the tan colored blouse by its collar, making sure the lipstick was visible. She then reached for her purse and pulled out the note that was attached to the rose Cecelia had given her. "And explain this!"

Maggie stepped forward, taking the note from Bianca's shaky fingers.

"There was a rose that came with that but I tossed it," Bianca sniped while Maggie read the note silently. She kept her eyes on her girlfriend, waiting for an answer.

Folding the note, she brought her gaze to meet Bianca's. "I…"

"How long? How long has this been going on, Maggie?" glaring icily at the blonde. Bianca exercised every bit of self control not to lose her temper as she stood there. "Is this why you're so hesitant towards commitment? Because you've been messing around with Cecelia behind my back?! Answer me, Maggie!" she tossed the blouse across the room. "How. Long?!"

Maggie's eyes shifted from left to right, swallowing the lump in her throat. "It only happened once. I…"

"When?"

"Last night."

Shocked filled Bianca's face as she slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, tears falling from her eyes. "You left here last night and fell into another woman's bed. Cecelia's," her voice now a pained whisper. "Why, Maggie?" How… how could you do this?"

"I don't know."

Bianca's gaze narrowed, "You don't know? How could you not know!? I most certainly would if I was sleeping with someone else!"

Maggie knelt down in front of her girlfriend, "I'm so sorry, Bianca. I never meant for it to happen. I…" pleading as she reached up to wipe away the moisture on her girlfriend's face, only to be met with unexpected resistance.

"No! Don't…" Bianca choked back a sob, her angry eyes glaring at Maggie, swiping her hands away. "Don't… touch me! You don't want a commitment, fine I get that. But for you to sleep with someone else, God, Maggie."

"Bianca."

"Just please, don't!" she stood up, knocking Maggie off balance. Storming out of the bedroom, she rushed down the hallway and down the staircase. "Just leave me alone. I need to be alone right now."

"Bianca wait!" Maggie shouted, picking herself up off the floor and running out of the bedroom. She nearly tripped down the steps as she followed Bianca to the foyer. "Where are you going?"

"For a walk. Somewhere, anywhere but here because right now, I just can't be in the same room with you," turning around, her pain filled gaze meeting Maggie's remorseful one, as they stood there in a long awkward silence. "Claire should be back with Miranda soon. Spend some time with her because when I get back, we are going to have a long talk about where you and I stand in this relationship."

Not saying much else, Bianca grabbed her coat and left. Once outside in the hallway, she walked down the corridor and found a private corner. Leaning against the wall, she slid down to the floor and broke down in tears. Bianca curled up into a ball and cried. Her world, her love and her heart, all of it, shattered to pieces.

"Where did you go?" Kendall asked.

"Back to the office. I threw myself into work, doing anything and everything to keep my mind off of the fact that Maggie slept with someone else."

"Oh, God, Binks. I can't even begin to imagine how you must have felt," she moved closer to Bianca, wrapping an arm around her. "Come on, let's get you to bed. It's been such a long night already."

Bianca shook her head. "No, I can't. I'm not ready to go to sleep yet."

"You look exhausted. We can finish this talk in the morning."

"No Kendall, we can't. Not when I think back on everything that's happened and it feels like I could have done something," Bianca stared at the fireplace for a long moment, processing her thoughts before turning toward Kendall. "You know, JR reacted in the worst possible way to Babe cheating on him. And when I found out Maggie cheated on me, I stuck my tail between my legs and ran home to Mommy. Instead of staying in Paris, working things out and fighting for the woman I love, I told her to work out her feelings on her own time and I'd be waiting here if she ever wanted to come back to me. How pathetic is that?"

"That's not pathetic. It's civilized. It's adult." Kendall countered.

"It's lame, it's weak," biting down on her bottom lip, chin quivering as tears filled the corners of her eyes again. "You know, I had no problem standing up to JR that night at the Valley Inn. Why didn't I stay and fight for the one person I want and love most in this world?"

Kendall sighed, taking her sister's hands in hers. "Okay, repeat after me. You, right. Maggie, wrong."

"No Kendall, I'm not sure I am right," Bianca disagreed, sharing her own brand of reasoning. "When Maggie told me the truth, we tried to talk. But I also bailed. I should have done something."

"You did. You took your daughter, and you got the hell out of there."

"Yeah, I ran. I did the one thing we've been taught our whole lives not to do. Kane women do not run away."

"Bianca," Kendall drawled. "How many times have you pulled me back from the brink? There is nothing wrong with turning to your family when you have a rough time in your relationship."

"I know. But what if by running away, I guaranteed that the relationship is over. Maybe Maggie thinks I don't care anymore. Maybe if I had stayed, it would have proven to her how much I want the relationship to work, and we could have salvaged what we had," Bianca reasoned, a sense of regret in her voice.

"Maggie lied to you. You gave her your heart, and she betrayed you," Kendall replied, trying her best to drill her point home to the brunette. Unfortunately, she already knew this was a battle that couldn't be won. "Just forget about her."

Bianca laughed sarcastically. "Oh, yeah right. I'll forget about Maggie when you forget about Zach."

"You know," the curly haired woman chuckled. "Josh used that same line on me when I tried to tell him to forget about Babe. He said, "When you forget about Zach." Now, when will you people learn? Do as I say, not as I do." Bianca laughed at her. "Binks, you are by far, the most beautiful woman I have ever known," reaching out and cupping her sister's cheek. "Inside and out. I know the right person will come along."

"She has," Bianca smiled sadly. "I'm in love with Maggie. Just like…"

"Just like I'm in love with Zach. Okay, fine. I get it."

"It's crazy. When you love someone, you can forgive the unforgivable." Bianca yawned, sleepiness beginning to wear her down. "Okay, I think it's time for me to get some sleep."

"Yes, and I need to get home to Zach and Spike," Kendall got up from the couch. She and Bianca walked to the door. "Everything will be okay, Binks. You'll get through this."

"Mmm, I know," she smiled, enveloping the older Kane woman in a warm embrace. "Thank you Kendall."

"No sweat. It's what big sisters are for."

--

Anna swiftly walked toward the door, unsure as to who would be coming by to visit. Opening it, she found a woman, about her height standing opposite her. Instinctively, Anna already knew who it was, not even bothering to ask her name. "Cecelia, I presume?"

"Yes. I was hoping I could talk to Maggie?" Cecelia asked, although it was more of a request than a question.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Anna's brow furrowed, acting impulsively on her senses. Just by looking at her, she could tell the woman was nothing but trouble.

Cecelia nodded. "I mean no harm, but if you insist it's not a good idea, I'll leave."

"No, wait," a voice called out. Maggie walked toward the door and stood behind Anna. "Go ahead, let her in."

-end chapter-