A/N: Okay...there is no excuse for why this update took so long. So I'm just going to post it and hope that those that have waited for it will except my apology for it taking so long and continue to read and review.

This chapter was originally cut into three seperate parts but instead of risking the rest of the parts being posted months apart I put them all together. Please be so kind as to let us know what you think about the story if you'll continue to read.

Part 33

-------------------------

"Mother, any day now." Kendall said as she looked at her mother wanting to know why they were asked to come over.

"Yes Erica, what's going on?" Greenlee asked.

Erica looked at Kendall and then Greenlee as she took another sip from her mug. There was no way to get around this so she was going to just tell them.

"Bianca's, drinking again!" Erica said bluntly.

Kendall's mouth fell open as she looked at her mother in disbelief, Greenlee just sat back further in her chair crossed her arms and stared at Erica as she thought about what was just said. No one said anything, Erica because she wanted one of the girls to say something and the girls because they were trying to grasp why Bianca would be drinking again, after all this time.

Greenlee saw this as her chance to lighten the mood somewhat so she took it. She'd pay for the remark later, she knew she'd pay for it later, but for now she took the risk.

"Oh…ok so then I'm assuming you did something to her." Greenlee said eyeing Erica. "Maybe another one of those 'my daughter can't be gay I won't allow it runs', hmmm?" Greenlee asked and watched as a smile slowly formed on Kendall's lips and the taller woman had to hold back the laughter. "Or maybe its one of those runs with 'no ones good enough for my precious, darling perfect Bianca'? Or did you finally come through with the threat against Maggie's life and the poor blonde is six feet under?"

Erica glared at Greenlee and crossed her eyes though she had to fight back the laughter; Greenlee had a perfect imitation of her voice and her facial expressions when she gave each lecture or speech Greenlee was talking about on her face as she mentioned each one.

"Enough Greenlee…" Kendall insisted as she put her hand on Greenlee's shoulder and leaned over as she laughed. "…I think I might pee my pants if you don't stop!" Kendall cried out through her laughter.

----------------------------

Miranda groaned inwardly as another swoosh emanated through the air. Jack hadn't missed one shot, and he would not stop taunting her. Miranda was about two seconds away from killing him when a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"You know...he's much better off alive then he is dead, after all he is rather cute. He'll make a woman very happy later on in life, don't you think, Manda?"

Miranda felt her heart stop, she watched as the dead leaves blew around in a circle before heading toward that voice. She turned her head ever so slowly, this couldn't be it just couldn't be. Miranda knew Jack was calling for her but his words never reached her ears, his hand on her shoulder trying to usher her away never measured in her head. Her heart was the only thing she heard, and that voice playing over and over again in her ears.

One last centimeter and her neck was fully rotated, as far as she could turn it that is, and with one last blink she opened her eyes and moved her hands to her eyes to try and rub the image from her eyes, but when she turned fully around and looked up she was still there. The image wasn't a dream, it was real she was real and with that knowledge Miranda took to her feet and ran into Ashley's arms.

Ashley looked down at Miranda and smiled when she saw the brunette smiling back up at her. Ashley pulled Miranda closer to her and leaned her head up against Miranda's forehead and kissed the top of Miranda's nose softly before she pulled away with a smile on her lips.

Miranda smiled and let out a small laugh before she swung her arms around Ashley's neck and pulled the blonde's face to her own and smiled before she kissed Ashley squarely on the lips, overjoyed to have her girlfriend back with her.

"Hey..." Ashley whispered looking at Miranda in the eyes.

"Hi..." Miranda whispered back smiling.

Ashley smiled and leaned down and kissed Miranda's lips once more before pulling back and closing her eyes for a second and opening them. "I thought you were avoiding me..." Ashley said with a raised eyebrow. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No." Miranda whispered. "My life just sucks right now."

"Well...maybe I can make it better." Ashley whispered as she grabbed hold of Miranda's hand. "Come with me." Ashley whispered and looked up to see Jack looking at her oddly before he realized what she was about to do. He opened his mouth but before he could scream for his mother and grandmother Ashley had already pulled Miranda away and around the corner.

Jack ran back into the house and right into the kitchen where his mothers and grandmother was. He was trying to catch his breath when all three women looked at him.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" Greenlee asked looking at her son.

"Where's Miranda?" Erica asked. "Is she hurt?"

"She...she...kissing...running...bye-bye." Jack said before falling onto the floor still trying to catch his breathe.

"What?" Kendall asked jumping up.

Greenlee grabbed a paper bag and put it over Jack's mouth. "Breathe into this."

Erica got up and got a glass of water for Jack to drink.

Jack pushed the bag away and drank the water and sighed. "Man...three hours of kicking your cousins' ass at basket..."

"Jackson!" Greenlee said sternly and watched as Jack looked down.

"Sorry...Miranda ran away with Ashley." Jack said as he looked up at his mothers and grandmother.

"I thought Miranda broke up with Ashley." Erica said as she looked at Kendall and Greenlee. "From what Maggie said Miranda seemed to be staying away from her."

"I don't think they broke up." Jack said. "Not from what I saw. They were too into each other."

Kendall looked at Greenlee and then rolled her eyes at their son. "He gets that from you, you know." Greenlee said as she looked at Kendall and watched as Kendall's mouth fell open and she was about to say something but only turned around and walked to the phone.

"Yeah...well he knows a good thing when he sees it." Kendall said as she looked at Greenlee. "Now...who's going to call Bianca and Maggie and tell them their daughter is running around town with her girlfriend?"

"Hanging out with her girlfriend is not a bad thing." Greenlee said looking at Kendall. "Unless she plans on running away with her and not coming back."

"No...but it is a bad thing if they happen to see them together and realize without us telling them that she'd rather be anywhere but with them! See if they don't see them first we can say Ashley held us at gunpoint and made Miranda go with her." Kendall said nodding her head.

"Kendall..." Erica said shaking her head.

"What...! Its a good idea...they'll buy it!" Kendall said with a smile.

Jack looked at his mother and laughed at her. "Yeah...and I was born on Mars." Jack said laughing.

Kendall looked at jack confused. "Honey I thought I already told you, you were born on Uranus not Mars."

Greenlee stood up and smacked the back of Kendall's head. "You told our son that?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

Kendall laughed and put her head on Greenlee's shoulder as she laughed, Jack's face was priceless, and he had believed it for a few seconds before he just snarled at her. "It was a joke!" Kendall laughed as she rubbed the back of her head.

-----------------------

Miranda had her head on Ashley's shoulder as Ashley's driver brought them somewhere, he had been parked on the corner of the block, just incase Ashley hadn't been welcome. Miranda couldn't blame her for feeling that way after all she had been pushing her away the last month. It just didn't seem fair now to either of them because as she felt Ashley's arms wrap around her, she felt so much better then she had in a long time. It was the only way she would get in the car, the only way she felt safe in this car.

Miranda felt the car jerk and knew they had arrived at their destination and she looked up at Ashley for any signs of getting out of the car but the blonde seemed to not want to move from where she was, and Miranda was totally fine with that. They staid in the car, Ashley's arms wrapped around Miranda's waist with Miranda's head on Ashley's shoulder, for twenty minutes before Ashley started to move to get out of the car, her hand moving from Miranda's waist to her hand automatically as she stepped out of the car with Miranda following her.

It took a few seconds for both their eyes to focus on where they were and Miranda noticed where they were and she dropped Ashley's hand and turned back to the car to get back in but was stopped when arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her onto a tight grasp. Miranda struggled to get away for a few seconds, tears falling as she insisted to be let go before finally giving up and turning in Ashley's arms and crying on Ashley's shoulder.

Ashley held on to Miranda as she tried to get away and then as she cried, she knew this is where things had to start she knew to start the healing processes Miranda craved they had to start from the very beginning and that was here, at the cemetery, at Arabella Carry's grave.

Ashley got a call late last night from Maggie telling her that Miranda needed her, and after about an hour of insisting that she couldn't do anything because she was pretty sure Miranda and her weren't a couple anymore, Maggie convinced her to come and here she was. Maggie had informed her of what had happened and told her things that were to her knowledge about it and hoped that she could fill in the rest and help Miranda through this, so here she was, in Pine Valley once again.

"'Manda, please…" Ashley said as she tried to bring Miranda toward the grave but found it useless. She sighed this wasn't going to work.

"I can't…I can't see her. Not now…not now!" Miranda said as tears fell. "Please…I can't…please just take me home…I don't want to be here."

Ashley looked at Miranda before nodding and bringing her back into the car, this could wait until another day after all she at least got Miranda into the cemetery, that was a start, now she just had to take it slowly and maybe they'd get to Babe's grave but only when Miranda was ready. Trying to push something like this could ruin it all and Ashley wasn't willing to ruin Miranda, she'd protect Miranda with her life, and she'd never knowingly cause Miranda pain. So…she asked Bill to drive them back to Miranda's house.

Maybe starting from the beginning wasn't the best idea, but maybe starting at the end could help bring her back to the beginning?

TBC…..

By the way my absolute favorite comment that I've ever had Kendall write was in this chapter. I bet you can figure out which one it is. It still makes me laugh when I re-read the scene. Hope you don't think I'm too patetic because of it. But come on...I thought it was funny. (smile) Let us know what you thought. Us being me and Chris, the woman I'm writing this story as well as most of the other stories with.