Note: Hi fellow Minxaholics welcome to our weekly meeting...weekly? Ela do you even know what that means anymore?...cut me some slack here Muse I'm trying...yeah well let's see what happens next week before we comment on that...jez you're impossible sometimes...nah I'm not what I am is addicted to this cute couple and you've been messing with my addiction, never a good thing Ela, never a good thing...okaaay already enough! So follks can the Muse and I just say a massive big thanks to all of our reviewers...bout time you started including me in that...like your foul mood would ever let me forget you Muse. Anyhows this be chapter 21 folks please enjoy -)
Chapter 21
Marissa couldn't sleep, neither the wine nor the comfort of Bianca's arms could lull her into slumber the way the combination of both normally would. The redhead's mind wouldn't settle, she could hear Erica's words echo again and again and with them was the memory of the older woman's eyes; the mistrust that had lurked within those calculating eyes made Marissa fear what lay ahead.
"Go to sleep."
Bianca's voice was slurred with sleep, her moving lips tickling the skin upon Marissa's shoulder. The redhead turned to place a kiss upon her lover's forehead.
"Ok. Goodnight baby."
The words should have been enough to send Bianca back to Morphesus' Realm but instead they had her pulling herself up to look down into the redhead's face. The faint glow from a nightlight by the door let her see that Marissa was wide awake and looking worried.
"What's wrong?"
Marissa shook her head.
"Nothing's wrong, go back to sleep."
There was no trace of sleep in Marissa's tone, no evidence of it either around her eyes. Bianca cast a quick glance at the alarm clock by the bed; it was after four in the morning and yet her lover looked like she hadn't been to sleep at all. The brunette propped herself up on an elbow and continued to stare into Marissa's beautiful face. It didn't take long before the scrutiny began to disconcert the redhead.
"Bianca you need sleep…."
"So do you so how about you tell me why you can't?"
Marissa shook her head turning her gaze away from Bianca's to look around Kendall's guest room hoping to find something to focus on to stop her thinking about the worry she could see in the brunette's eyes. Bianca didn't react, she simply continued gazing at the redhead. Minutes passed with neither speaking until Marissa finally caved.
"Baby it isn't important, not enough to keep you from sleep. Please we'll talk about it tomorrow."
Bianca give a pointed look at the bedside clock.
"It is tomorrow and if it wasn't important you wouldn't be lying awake thinking about it."
Marissa knew when to give up the fight, Bianca's steely resolve was almost as legendary as her mother's. The thought brought a deep frown to the redhead's face, one that had Bianca reaching out to cup a worried cheek.
"Sweetie talk to me, there isn't anything you and I can't face together."
"Except maybe your mother."
Bianca was shocked at the quiet words.
"My mother? Marissa what are you talking about?"
Marissa hated causing the look that now shadowed the brunette's eyes. All evening and night Bianca's eyes had twinkled with happiness, her smile had shone brighter, her laughter richer and all were the effects of having Erica back. Marissa hadn't wanted to detract from that but now she seemingly had.
"Sweetie what happened to us talking about things?"
Marissa closed her eyes not wanting to see the worry grow in Bianca's. This was a happy time for the brunette, things were getting back to normal, the therapy was working, JR had stopped fighting them, Erica was home; Bianca was happy.
"Marissa sweetie I love you. Please don't shut me out."
There were tears glistening in hazel eyes when they finally opened to gaze into Bianca's.
"I love you too, so much. And all I want is for you to be happy, for us to have a life together, to be a fam…."
Bianca didn't let Marissa finish, she moved in silencing the redhead with a longing kiss that soon turned potent. And suddenly the need to talk was overpowered by another need, a stronger deeper need that had both women reaching for each other. Marissa forgot her troubled thoughts, she forgot her fears and her worries and everything else because making love with Bianca was an explosion of sensations that left the redhead incapable of doing anything remotely rational like thinking.
/
The Slater home was crazy on Saturday morning, the Montgomery girls and their cousins all talking at once each vying for their grandmother's attention. Bianca and Kendall sat sipping coffee in the kitchen each content to let the madness unfold around them. Erica had arrived shortly after ten, her need to be around her family more pressing than her desire to seek revenge on Jane Campbell or David Hayward.
"Where's Marissa?"
Kendall's question brought a familiar blush to Bianca's face that made her sister laugh.
"Wow Binx you just can't help yourself can you?"
Bianca's cheeks burned but not even embarrassment could dim the smile upon her lips.
"No I can't and you know what? I don't ever want to, not with Marissa."
"What don't you want to do with me?"
Marissa still looked half asleep as she entered the Slater kitchen looking drowned in a pair of Bianca's pyjamas, her hair bedraggled and her eyes a little glazed. Bianca thought she had never looked lovelier.
"Stop helping myself, good morning sweetie."
The redhead was a little baffled by the words but the greeting had her smiling and crossing the room to place a kiss upon inviting lips that tasted of coffee.
"Good morning. Em coffee, I knew I smelt something good."
Kendall made a show of coughing that had the couple turning from their dreamy gazes to look at her in confusion; she rolled her eyes and got up to pour Marissa a coffee.
"I don't even warrant a good morning anymore."
Marissa gulped down several mouthfuls of coffee before offering an apologetic smile.
"Sorry good morning Kendall thanks for the coffee I needed it."
Blue eyes twinkled mischievously.
"Long night?"
Marissa might have replied to the teasing question had Erica not come into the room and silenced her with a look.
"Good morning Marissa. Girls I wondered if maybe we could all go sailing, Jack wanted to take the yacht out and it's a beautiful day. Why don't we have a family day out?"
Marissa's returned good morning appeared to be disregarded in the face of Erica's question and the squeals of delight it brought from her grandkids. Bianca ignored the melee and reached for her lover's hand.
"Would you like to go sailing?"
The redhead glanced at Erica before meeting her lover's gaze.
"I have AJ this weekend…."
"AJ loves boats, he'd love uncle Jack's yacht…."
"Maybe Marissa would like to spend some quiet time with her son. And I don't see these little darlings being quiet."
Erica's words and Marissa's nod of agreement ended the discussion.
/
"Mom I thought we were going to Wildwind to see Acorn?"
AJ knew the road to Wildwind and the one his mother was now driving wasn't it.
"Sorry AJ change of plans the girls are spending the day with their grandma."
The little boy didn't think that was such a great idea.
"But Miranda doesn't like her grandma, she says she's not the same anymore."
A very small part of Marissa wished it were still that way but the better part was glad the older woman was okay and more glad that Bianca had stopped worrying.
"That was because she wasn't the same, she was someone who looked and sounded like Miranda's grandma but wasn't really her."
"Like a twin?"
AJ knew all about twins and how some looked the same, like his grandpa and great uncle Steward and some didn't, like his birth mother and his adopted mother. He guessed Miranda's grandma had a twin sister too.
"No AJ not like a twin, more like an impersonator."
Confusion showed on the young boy's face.
"What's an impeoplenater?"
Marissa grinned.
"ImPerSonnater, it's someone who looks, acts and sounds like someone else but isn't them or even related to them."
"Oh like the baddie in Ben10 who pretended to be Ben so that he could learn all his secrets?"
The lawyer nodded thinking an animation as an example probably sounded more plausible than the reality.
"So why would Miranda want to go with an imPerSonater?"
"She's isn't, she's going with her real grandma, the impersonator was caught and…"
Marissa tapered off unsure what was happening with Jane Campbell.
"And what Mom? Is the impersonator going to be zapped like Ben10's was?"
The lawyer smiled in at her son who sat in the back of the car looking enthralled with the idea that people could be zapped.
"You know things like that only happen in cartoons right AJ?"
AJ grinned.
"And in my dreams."
Marissa laughed.
"Mine too sometimes."
/
Bianca was not happy and it showed.
"Oh Bianca darling don't pout so much it will create lines."
Erica had been trying her best to ignore her youngest daughter's mood but really the constant pouting was just too much.
"Mom don't expect me to be happy with how you treated Marissa."
The little woman tried to look surprised by the words but Bianca knew when her mother was acting.
"Is it so wrong of me to want to spend some quality time with my family?"
The younger brunette sighed; no it wasn't wrong of Erica to want that because Bianca wanted it too. The only difference was that she wanted it to include Marissa because Marissa was her family. The thought caused a little gasp of surprise that had Erica staring at her daughter in concern.
"Bianca what is it? You look…you seem…."
Erica reached for words unsure which would adequately describe the look that was settling upon Bianca's face. The younger woman got to her feet in a rush.
"I need to go."
"Go? What do you mean you need to go? Bianca we're meeting Jack down at the yacht club, we're going sailing…."
"Take the girls I'll meet you down there."
"Bianca…."
"Bye Mom."
With that the younger woman was gone.
/
Marissa was in the middle of preparing lunch when Bianca came banging on her door.
"Bianc…."
Yet again the brunette silenced her with a kiss. Marissa was beginning to suspect the brunette had some secret power in those lips of hers because they sure knew how to leave her breathless. Bianca pulled away to stare into dazed eyes.
"I like that look on you."
"Huh?"
Marissa was trying hard to remember how to think and Bianca's cryptic words weren't helping her.
"Dazed, maybe even a little amazed, I like that look on you."
"Ok."
There wasn't much else Marissa could say or at least not yet anyway. Bianca twisted red tendrils around her finger pulling them away from falling into Marissa's face.
"I wasn't sure I'd find you. I thought maybe you'd take AJ down to the lake."
"I'm planning to once we've had lunch. I thought you were going sailing."
Bianca nodded.
"I was hoping you'd want to come with me, you and AJ."
Marissa tilted her head in thought unsure how best to respond.
"It's a family day Bianca."
The brunette smiled.
"I know which is why you should come with me."
Hazel eyes dimmed in confusion.
"I love you Marissa, I want to share my life and everything I have with you. I want to be your family because you're mine."
Marissa took a little gasp much in the same way Bianca had, the brunette smiled lovingly at her.
"This probably means I'm rushing things and I know for sure it's messing with your dating etiquette but the truth is I don't care sweetie, I don't care about steps or time schedules or the do's and the don'ts. Because you know what? Love can't be scheduled or quantified or simplified. It's love, it's powerful and boundless and leaves us feeling like anything is possible. You and I a family….that's possible…right?"
Marissa's eyes were glistening, her lips trembling.
"Yes. Yes Bianca yes that's possible because that's exactly how I feel too."
Bianca wiped the tears that spilled free from those glistening eyes.
"Yeah?"
Marissa nodded.
"Yeah."
The two stood staring at each other.
"Mom I think this is the part where you kiss."
AJ stood beyond his mother with his arms folded looking terribly impatient.
"Kiss her Mom because I'm hungry."
Bianca and Marissa burst into giggles causing AJ to throw his arms up in exasperation.
"Adults are weird. Can we eat now?"
/
Kendall was fastening a life jacket on Gabrielle when Bianca made it to the yacht.
"About time, Mom was considering calling the National Guard."
The older sister looked around in confusion.
"Where's Marissa?"
Bianca had a dreamy smile on her face, it was one she wore a lot when the redhead's name was mentioned.
"She's with AJ."
"Binx I thought you rushing off like that meant we'd be seeing both Marissa and AJ down here."
"Is Missa coming Mommy?"
Bianca took over the job of securing her daughter's life jacket.
"No Gabby not today maybe next time."
"I like Missa lots."
Mother and daughter grinned at each other.
"I like her lots too."
"I wana be a ball."
Bianca wondered at the strange words.
"A ball?"
Gabrielle nodded.
"Cos Missa's a keepow and I wana be kept. Just like you Mommy."
Bianca looked from her daughter to her sister in confusion, Kendall shrugged she hadn't a clue what little Gabrielle was talking about. Just then Miranda came out of the cabin and Gabrielle turned to her for support.
"Mimo tell Mommy about Missa and the keepow and the ball."
Miranda pulled a face.
"Gabby we weren't talking about soccer."
Gabrielle shook her head enthusiastically.
"No not socco people keeping."
Bianca and Kendall both looked to Miranda for an explanation. The child simply shrugged.
"You said Marissa's a keeper Mommy and that you wanted to be kept, Gabby thinks that means you're a ball and Marissa's the goal keeper."
Understanding dawned on the mother as she turned back to look at her youngest daughter.
"And you want Marissa to be your goal keeper too?"
Gabrielle nodded unsure why it was making her Mommy's eyes go all watery.
"Mimo Mommy's gona cwy again."
Miranda marched across to her mother and sister wrapping her arms around both their necks and pulling them into a group hug. Kendall watched with curiosity as her oldest niece offered an nonchalant shrug.
"Marissa or a group hug makes Mommy's tears go away."
Kendall spread her arms to encompass all three Montgomerys deciding that a group hug sounded absolutely perfect.