Note: Short note folks to say I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up twice weekly posts for this story RL is getting a tad demanding of late…so why don't you tell it where to go the way you keep telling me?…sorry Muse no can do I've no control over its demands where as I can silence yours…oh really we'll see about that!…great! That's just what I need right now a moody Muse! This be chapter 25 please enjoy J

Chapter Twenty Five

Wizard of Wii and Witch of Wishes

Bianca and Marissa entered Gabrielle's bedroom their concern evident in the matching frowns they wore.

"Gabby sweetheart what do mean you need to make Maggie your family?"

Bianca went to the bed dropping down to sit next to her pensive daughter.

"Maggie is Ma's cousin which makes her AJ and Lydia's cousin too. And she's like Mimo's second mommy Reese. But she's not got anything with me so I need to make something."

Marissa joined her partner both women sitting either side of the intelligent young girl.

"You don't need to make anything, that's not how family work sweetheart."

Gabrielle nodded, she knew that already; her parents had always made a point of making sure they each knew that family wasn't always about blood ties.

"I know, family are the people you love and who love you. But Maggie doesn't know me so she can't love me and I want her to because I think she's nice. I like her Mom she's really funny and she listens and she's a little like Ma when she asks me silly questions."

"Hey wait a minute I don't ask you silly questions. What silly questions?"

Marissa's feigned indignation made Gabrielle smile.

"Like when does McQueen change clothes."

"I definitely didn't ask you that, I can't look at McQueen in his red striped jump suit."

Gabrielle giggled.

"See like that. McQueen doesn't wear clothes."

"Huh."

Bianca smiled softly at her chastened lover; Marissa had always had such a wonderful way of turning their kids frowns to smiles.

"Ok fine maybe he doesn't wear clothes. Maggie's a doctor you know, she's a smart woman so if she thought he did then…"

Gabrielle's giggle grew into a full out laugh.

"Ma you're a lawyer you're just as smart as Maggie. McQueen makes smart women go silly."

Both mothers laughed at the comeback each glad to hear humour rather than worry in their daughter's young voice.

"Ok so what have you come up with so far?"

Gabrielle sobered offering Marissa a pleased smile; no matter how trivial or obscure her thoughts Marissa always listened.

"Well Mimo thinks she'll love that I'm a tickle bug."

The redhead nodded enthusiastically; tickling Gabrielle Montgomery was a salubrious activity that brought both the donor and recipient an equal share of joy.

"It worked for me."

Bianca chimed in.

"And me."

Gabrielle shook her head.

"You don't count you're my parents you love me uncon-fishly."

Both mothers had to hide their amusement.

"You mean unconditionally."

Gabrielle nodded.

"Ok so what else have you got?"

"Maggie liked that I asked questions, she thought maybe I'd be a lawyer like you."

Marissa give a goofy smile.

"I can see it now Marissa Tasker and Daughter at Law."

Bianca smirked.

"Or maybe Gabrielle Montgomery and Mother at Law."

Gabrielle began to laugh.

"Sometimes you two are like Paris and Lydia."

The couple grinned at each other, they'd take being compared to two year olds if it meant Gabrielle lost that worried expression. Bianca soothed her daughter's brow smiling down into an earnest face.

"I just realised something."

"What Mom?"

"Being a tickle bug and asking questions is you being you so if you think they'll help you make Maggie your family then all it comes down to is you just being yourself."

Gabrielle thought the words over in her head.

"Huh."

Her parents glanced at each other; huh was good, it was very good.

/

"I'm confused is she meant to be making that sound."

AJ started to laugh as Maggie watched Miranda try to beat his high score.

"Mom says she's trying to be Monica Seles whoever that is."

Maggie started to feel old.

"Monica Seles was a pretty good tennis player when your Mom and I were teenagers."

AJ's smirk made the doctor laugh.

"Yeah AJ we were young once."

"Long time ago right?"

Maggie laughed harder. The teenager smiled proudly, he thought he was getting pretty good at making his new cousin laugh and she looked like someone who needed to laugh more.

/

"Sounds like someone is having fun."

Voices carried out into the hallway and up to Marissa and Bianca as they descended the stairs. The redhead glanced towards their bedroom her eyes twinkling.

"We could maybe have some of that ourselves."

Bianca smiled adoringly at her lover.

"Oh we will but first we're going to make sure our kids don't spend half a school night playing Wii."

"How do you know they're playing Wii?"

Miranda's familiar grunting greeted them as they entered the den.

"Ah Monica has entered the building."

Maggie turned to the couple.

"AJ's telling me it's normal but really have you thought about getting her checked out?"

Miranda started to laugh, missing a crucial shot that had AJ cheering.

"And the Wizard of Wii wins again. Bow now to my feet ye earthlings."

Maggie's brow lifted in amusement.

"On second thoughts have you considered family therapy? Marie would probably do you a good price."

The parents laughed as their teenagers both slumped in an exhausted heap on the couch.

"Well that's a sure sign that the clock has struck bedtime. Come on you two up you get."

There were groans of disapproval but the two teens eventually got to their feet bidding their parents and Maggie goodnight. Bianca pushed her lover onto the couch recognising the worried look Maggie was giving the lawyer. There had been a time when Bianca could read all of Maggie's little nuances, could tell with one look if the doctor was feeling guilty about something. It seemed that hadn't changed.

"A glass of wine Maggie? I think my barbeques generally require medicinal wine before bed."

Maggie shrugged.

"Sure if you're both having one."

Bianca didn't bother to ask Marissa instead she just offered her lover a pointed glance before leaving the room.

"Why do I feel like you've just been tricked into being here?"

The doctor's words had Marissa frowning.

"Better question why would you feel like I needed to be tricked to be here?"

Maggie sighed.

"I screwed things up for you yesterday. I'm sorry about the court case and about Bianca finding out about Niamh."

Marissa's eyes grew wide.

"Maggie you didn't screw anything up. Bernard Michaels played us, he manipulated the entire questioning to guarantee the maximum effect. If anyone should be apologising it's me. I shouldn't have let him get that far. He was out of line."

"You tried to stop him but the judge didn't seem to want to listen. I'm sorry Marissa I shouldn't have answered that last question. I should have listened to you."

Marissa shook her head determined to put an end to the guilt that was now so obvious in the doctor's countenance.

"Ok enough of this. You don't owe me an apology, not for anything that happened yesterday and certainly not for Bianca. She was going to find out and it was better it came from you."

The doctor closed her eyes. She had fallen apart on Bianca, crumpled into nothing more than a blubbering mess as the brunette held her. Maggie couldn't let herself think about how it had made her feel, to finally talk about it, to finally lower her guard and let all the pain bleed right out of her. Maggie didn't want to think at all anymore.

"I'm ready for it to be over."

The words were whispered and if Marissa had to guess she'd say Maggie wasn't even aware that she'd spoken them out loud. But she had and the lawyer's chest tightened in pain because if they meant what she thought they meant then Marissa's family would suffer under the weight of them.

/

Bianca slid into bed next to Marissa, her hands reaching for the redhead as her mouth lay purchase on soft skin.

"Now I definitely remember doing this."

Lips teased the skin upon Marissa's throat forcing her to swallow hard as they journeyed slowly southward.

"And this."

Bianca's hand slid up toned abs coming to rest upon her lover's chest. Marissa swallowed hard again making Bianca pause, it had been a different kind of swallowing.

"Sweetie?"

Tears glistened in hazel eyes making Bianca forgot her aroused state and pull the crying redhead to her.

"What's wrong? Marissa sweetie what is it?"

Marissa held her partner tight not knowing how to put a voice to everything that was running around inside her head. Bianca's hands soothed softly easing along the tense muscles in her lover's back.

"Talk Tasker."

The redhead smiled into the skin of Bianca's neck before slowly pulling away to gaze at the brunette.

"I need to win my case."

Bianca's eyes widened in dismay; this was about work?

"But if I do I think we might lose Maggie."

The brunette frowned.

"How?"

Marissa tucked hair behind her partner's ear maintaining eye contact. Their relationship was founded on honesty, its enduring strength gained by it. They were best friends, they told each other everything.

"She doesn't want to be here Bianca, she's just biding her time waiting for justice to be served before….."

Bianca waited but Marissa stopped feeling the weight of the unspoken words like a heavy cloak upon her shoulders.

"Before what?"

Marissa's eyes pleaded with her partner hoping the brunette would understand without hearing the words but Bianca shook her head refusing to accept what she could see in hazel orbs.

"You don't know her Marissa, she wouldn't do that."

"Bianca the woman you remember and the one sleeping in our den they're not the same She's changed."

The brunette gazed at Marissa for long silent moments. Her lover was right, Maggie had changed; she was no longer the same teasing carefree woman Bianca had adored. Life changed people, circumstances shaped them in both positive and negative ways. And death was the same, it could be the most powerful leveller bringing even the strongest person to their knees. Maggie had always been so strong, so willing to face life's hurdles with an upbeat tempo that had often impressed Bianca. The brunette was finding it hard to believe that such a fundamental part of her old friend had changed; Maggie was not a quitter, she was a survivor and Bianca was going to make her remember that.

"Then we just have to change her back."

Marissa recognised the resolve in her partner's voice.

"It's not that easy baby."

Bianca smiled sadly; if only it was. But there was no easy cure to grief, no sure fire means of lessening its devastation. There was no way of moving through the stages until it was done and things were back to how they had been. Grief didn't work like that, it took root growing into all the areas of your life your loved one had once occupied. It became your constant companion, choking the first breath from your lips each morning as you greeted a new day with a sob and it would be there at night closing around you like an oppressive blanket. Bianca remembered grief, remembered too that its only real cure was time. If Marissa was right then that was something they might not have with Maggie; time. Bianca wasn't ready to accept that, she would never accept that because Maggie had been her anchor and anchor's didn't drown.

"But we have to try. The kids adore her Marissa they would be devastated and I know you've grown fond of Maggie, we can't just let her go without a fight."

"How though? How do we fight if she's already made up her mind?"

Bianca kissed questioning lips. She wasn't going to let Maggie walk away from what they had to offer her; cousins who were beginning to care deeply for her, a friend who had never stopped loving her and a daughter who treasured every moment they shared together.

"I'll think of something."

/

Maggie sat on the couch in Monchasker knowing that sleep was going to be a battle. Her mind was on a loop of conversations she had had over the last several days. The residents of Pine Valley and their meddlesome ways. The doctor blew out a breath, okay calling them meddlesome wasn't exactly fair, she knew they were only trying to help but it was unwanted. Maggie abhorred pity, she always had. Pity had been part and parcel to her childhood, to her and Frankie's embittered upbringing at the hands of parents who didn't know how to care. It was in their neighbours gazes when the twins passed them in the same clothes they'd been wearing for several days, it was in their teachers words when they accepted feeble excuses for not being able to make class excursions. Pity was an emotions Maggie had run from all her life. Now here she was being pitied again.

The doctor rolled her neck and reached for the television remote, flicking through stations she tried to find something to focus on, anything that would distract her from her dark thoughts. She caught a glimpse of Denzel Washington and decided he'd help. The film was old, one Niamh had taken her to see. Niamh had loved Denzel Washington, loved the quiet intensity of the man. Déjà vu hadn't been a bad movie, Maggie and Niamh had gotten a great kick out of discussing moments they'd felt they'd already experienced. Like their first date; Maggie had chosen to take Niamh to a ballet, never imagining that her future wife had trained as a classical ballerina. An accident had cut short her promising career but Niamh would always adore watching others do what she no longer could. And then the café afterwards, Niamh choosing a little eatery that served the best chilli fries in Paris not knowing that Maggie had a love of chilli fries. Both women had felt like they had known without really knowing what the other would love, a coincidence Maggie had argued but Niamh had called it destiny.

"And what about now? Is this destiny mon amour? Me here and you gone."

Tears glistened in the doctor's eyes as she spoke softly to the empty room.

"You promised me forever Niamh and all I got was five and a half years."

Maggie wiped at her cheeks annoyed that tears were falling so easily now. Five and a half years wasn't long enough, she wanted more, needed more.

"I'm empty without you. Life is empty. Meaningless. I have nothing and no-one."

"You have me."

Miranda's eyes were wide with worry as she stood in the doorway looking down at the crying doctor. Maggie wiped furiously at her tears trying to gather herself but it seemed another dam had broken and she couldn't control the deluge

"You have me Maggie, you've always had me."

The teenager continued into the room until she was on the couch and wrapping her arms around the crying doctor.

"Mimo no…"

Maggie willed herself to get a grip, to pull herself together. It took all of her reserve energy to move away from the worried looking teenager.

"I'm good…you should be in bed….school.."

Miranda frowned.

"You don't look so good."

Maggie offered a lopsided smile.

"It's the middle of the night….no one looks good in the middle of the night."

The teenager stared for several moments making Maggie want to turn away but she knew it would only hurt Miranda.

"How come you're awake?"

"Bad dream."

Maggie forgot her troubles at the sound of pain in Miranda's voice.

"You wana talk about it?"

Miranda sighed softly.

"I think maybe you should be the one doing the talking. You sounded so sad Maggie. What happened to Niamh?"

Maggie took a shuddering breath. She hadn't told Miranda, she didn't want the grief to crowd in on the only ray of light there was left in her world.

"She died."

Miranda gasped.

"Oh no Maggie."

The doctor felt her resolve weaken again at the sorrow so obvious in Miranda's eyes. She pulled herself together.

"You should be asleep."

Miranda shook her head.

"I know but I can't. It's hard to get back to sleep. What happened? How did she die?"

Maggie turned the television off and took Miranda's hand pulling her to her feet.

"Let's not talk about it now Mimo, maybe tomorrow but not now when you need to be asleep. Come on I'll come back up with you maybe the company will help us both."

/

Marissa woke first her eyes darting to the clock afraid that she might have missed the alarm. It was early still, another half hour before the device would emit a series of beeps that would scare her into wakefulness. The lawyer closed her eyes and relaxed feeling the press of Bianca against her. The brunette had an arm wrapped around Marissa, her hand lightly holding the redhead's wrist as it lay tucked at Marissa's tummy. The lawyer opened her eyes again and turned to look upon her partner's sleeping face; Bianca looked so serene, so far away from the worries that were plaguing them.

Their family was suffering; Miranda struggling with the knowledge of who she was, AJ battling an anger that seemed always to be lying dormant within him, Gabrielle wanting to make Maggie her family, Lydia still recovering from her surgery and Maggie….Marissa's eyes shut at the thought of the doctor. The petite woman was as much a part of their family as Reese Williams was, maybe even more so because the bond was deeper for Miranda and for Bianca. Maggie had been the brunette's best friend, the woman who had held her together when she was falling to pieces. And now Maggie was the one falling but she didn't want to be held together.

"Your breathing changes when you're thinking too much."

Bianca's sleepy voice startled her thinking partner. Hazel eyes watched as brown slowly opened, a smile already visible in their lovely depths.

"Good morning."

The brunette searched her lover's face wondering if it really was a good morning; Marissa's words from last night, her fears for Maggie still echoed in Bianca's mind.

"Is it?"

Marissa could see the worry begin to cloud those lovely eyes, see the tension settle on that beautiful face and she strove to halt the process. Her thigh slid between Bianca's as she rolled them over slowly.

"My mornings are always good when they start beside you."

Bianca smirked as her lover moved on top of her.

"Beside me?"

Marissa grinned mischievously.

"Semantics baby, semantics. Beside, on top, beneath, inside they'll all work for me. How about you?"

Bianca's eyes smouldered with arousal, her hips clenching in answer before her mouth could. Marissa waited teasingly refusing to move until her partner answered; Bianca's voice was rough with desire when she did.

"Do we have time for all four?"

The redhead's laughter was cut short with a blistering kiss that left her breathless, she pulled away for air her hands moving along soft sensuous skin.

"Your wish is my command."

Bianca's body moved beneath Marissa's, brown eyes locking with hazel as lips formed the most beautiful smile.

"You bewitch me."

Marissa continued a slow teasing touch down her partner's body.

"I'm here to make you happy."

Bianca's mouth fell open in pleasure as her lover found her need and suffused it.

"Oh you do Marissa, you really do."